1 + 2

by Kristie Lynn Higgins

  I see how Kimberly's looking at me, and I feel crush by what she must think of me. I want her to see me as normal. I want her to see me as someone she can rely on. I want... I want to be able to trust her.

  End Katharine's view...

  Kim asked, "What's on the next page?"

  Kat turned to the tenth and answered, "It's a poem. I'll read it to you."

  "The Children of Nyx,

  Goddess of Night and Destroyer of Day.

  Rise up children

  and enact your names.

  For metal you were conceived,

  but flesh you were made.

  Spread over the earth,

  take your positions,

  and watch and direct events

  till the Closing Of Days."

  "Not my taste in poetry. Is there anything else in the folder?" Kim questioned.

  "A few pictures–" Kat replied as she flipped through the last pages, "–but no more documents." She removed her backpack, unzipped it, and placed the Lost File inside.

  "We have nothing still." Kim moved back to the shelf and said, "Help me with these and let's see if we can find something." She removed a book and flipped through it.

  "Okay," Kat said, scanned them, grabbed one on Transgenics, and fingered through the pages. A photo fell to the floor, Kat picked it up, and examined the picture. "Kimberly."

  "What?"

  Kat turned the photo so she could see.

  "That's my mom," Kim uttered as she took the picture and saw her spitting image sitting next to an older gentlemen. "Hades! But who's the guy she's with?"

  "Let me see," Kat spoke, turned the Transgenics Text over, and looked at the author's photo on the back. "Adam Greenhouse. It says here he's the Father of Transgenics."

  "Let me have a look." Kim took the book and mumbled, "We found a clue, but where will it lead me?" She then asked, "It can't be a coincidence, can it?"

  "I don't think so. We should talk with this Mr. Greenhouse."

  "Sure, but how do we find him?"

  "May I?" Kat held out her hand for the book, Kim gave it to her, and Kat glanced at the photo of the author and flipped to the acknowledgments. "It says here that the picture was taken at Genesis Arboretum. Mr. Greenhouse worked there at the time of the photo." She handed back the book.

  "It would be about–" Kim examined the date on the photo and said, "–three decades ago. Do you think he's still works at the arboretum?" She stared at his picture. "Or is he still alive? He looks pretty old in this photo."

  "Only one way to find out," Kat said.

  Kimberly's view...

  "Then we'll be going on a field trip," I tell her.

  Yay, I'm going to have to spend more time with that weird woman when all I want to do is put a bullet through her.

  I say, "Before we go to Genesis, there are other things we have to consider first. What about the K-99s?"

  She pats her backpack and answers, "I do have a few A.P.Rs. The armor piercing rounds should penetrate their visors."

  "You have A.P.Rs.? Why didn't you use them?"

  "Well..." she starts as she opens her backpack, takes out the Lost File, the Gel-Taser, and a few other items, and then grabs a handful of shells from the bottom and shows them to me. "They were kind of thrown in."

  "For Ares' sake!" I shout. "You had them loose in your pack. You should've had them in a magazine ready for action."

  I can't believe it. That woman is an idiot! A real honest-to-gods idiot!

  End Kimberly's view...

  "I know I should have. I just never got around to it." Kat counted them and said, "I have eight."

  "And twelve robot mutts. We need more. Any ideas?"

  Kat glanced around the room, saw a fire extinguisher, pointed, and said, "Maybe. Was there one of those in the other room?"

  "I think so. Don't tell me you have a stupid plan."

  "I won't," Kat stated like a child intending mischief then spoke, "I'm hoping for a brilliant one."

  Chapter Fourteen

  Escape From Distribution Station Bravo

  8:21 P.M...

  The gentle wind blowing through the city changed direction and swept the newspaper back down the chain length fence, and a few sheets of paper grabbed the metal diamond mesh as if holding on with all its might. The breeze kicked up and forced the debris further down the fence, and the wind lodged the newspaper at the gate and inside the protective wall of mesh, a K-99 stared at the debris then scanned the surrounding area. It had been sent on a mission by its Team Leader. The perimeter was secure, so it moved to the guardhouse, and found the S.C.M. lying on the floor moaning. The K-99 activated its sensors, checked on him, and his vitals were within parameters, so it nudged him with its nose but couldn't wake him. The K-99 transmitted the information to the others of its pack, and the dot-light in each of its yellow eyes simultaneously blinked three times. It glanced once more at the S.C.M, ran back to the loading ramp, reentered Etna Toys, and raced down several cobwebbed halls as its metal clawed paws clinked across the concrete corridors. It detected the intruders shoe prints in the dust, and a few fluorescent lights flickered overhead as it followed the trail through several halls. After a few minutes, it came to the long passage with no doors, and water dripped from the ceiling pipes and landed on its fur, and then the K-99 passed the two hand scanners, went through the open door, and continued running. The concrete floor stopped and was replaced by the sandy one, and the long passage ended in the large cave with the curved second level. It paused and looked up, knowing the intruders were above and then the K-99 raced on to join its half of the pack.

  On the second floor...

  Back in the first room with all the old filing cabinets, Kim opened the front door and looked over the curved walkway. She closed it and turned to Kat who was standing behind her. The eerie green glow of emergency lights lit up the area inside and the walkway outside.

  Kat checked the magazine with the eight A.P.Rs., put it in her left thigh pocket, and mumbled, "I hope they're enough."

  "You said the robot mutts would track us down." Kim paced back and forth from the door as she asked, "How are those tin mongrels going to get up here? We had to climb the cave's wall to reach the second level, and I don't see any other doors outside."

  "Just because we don't see one, doesn't mean there isn't." Kat removed the borrowed PPK as she motioned with her head to the back wall. "Remember the hidden door, we didn't know it was there."

  "Hades... I don't know about this. Are you sure your plan will work? My 9 mm rounds are useless unless your stupid idea works."

  "Pretty sure. Did you check the flashlights?"

  "Yes, they're the ones with the EMP shielding, and their batteries are still good." Kim glanced at her knapsack and turned back to her. "Here's yours." She handed the woman one. "I don't know about this idiotic plan of yours. What if it doesn't work? Do you have a backup?"

  "No, but it will work. It has to. It's the only one we have."

  Kimberly's view...

  What kind of messed up reasoning is that? It's ridiculous, and I better come up with a plan if I want to survive. Hades... I can't think under the stress and usually I'm more level headed. Is it because that woman is here or am I freaking out because of the tin mongrels?

  Katharine's view...

  I take the flashlight and put it in my back pocket. I don't show my uneasiness, but I also doubt the plan. If I fail, it's not just my life on the line. I glance at Kimberly. Maybe I shouldn't involve her; she could get hurt or killed.

  I pause from my thoughts and ask her, "Unless you have a better plan?"

  Kimberly's view...

  "No," I reply.

  I've gotten into more trouble in the little time I've been with that woman than I have my entire career as a Closer. Using Pale Horse now is sounding more and more reasonable.

  End Kimberly's view...

  "Well... Let's hope this works."
Kat picked up a fire extinguisher that was beside her, pulled the pin, and cradled the red canister in her left arm like a baby. "With their metal visors down, the K-99s can only see with their infrared, so the mist these extinguishers spray should confuse their sensors and force the K-99s to raise them and then we get our shot." She glanced at her. "Are you clear on the plan?"

  "Sure. I'm clear. I don't think it'll work." Kim holstered her gun and stated, "And if it doesn't, I better at least survive." She picked up the second fire extinguisher and removed its pin. "I have things I still need to do."

  "And like I don't," Kat said and wondered if Kim knew the meaning of partner.

  lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

  "It's time. They're close." Kat stretched out her senses beyond the room. "There are six of them on the far side of the walkway. Make sure you stick with the plan."

  Kimberly's view...

  "I will," I tell her as I look to the fire extinguisher.

  For Ares' sake! I'm a Closer not some fireman; this is so wrong.

  I take a deep breath and say to that woman, "I'm ready. Let's do this."

  End Kimberly's view...

  At the opposite end of the walkway, a stone wall rumbled as it slid up, and behind the mock front stood an elevator. The doors opened, and six K-99s started across the sandy floor. The Team Leader with a red triangular mark on its visor positioned itself in the front and two of the pack fell in behind it, followed by three more K-99s, and then they prowled toward the room. Their orders were clear; they were to terminate the intruders.

  Kat went out first and set her fire extinguisher on the ground about three yards from the door. She walked on ahead and readied her gun for action as the K-99s neared.

  Kim froze when she saw the pack and her heart and breathing increased as she forced herself to move beside that woman and once she arrived, Kim aimed the nozzle at the tin mongrels and waited for them to get a little closer. She felt stupid doing this, and she felt even more stupid that her hands were shaking. The robots weren't any deadlier than a man with a gun.

  Kim asked, "If I spray them with this, how are you going to see them?"

  "Hopefully the same way I was able to with the Rogue. I'm going to try and use the Knowing." Kat aimed for the leader. "I pray I can do it. I'm not really sure how it works."

  "You're telling me this now!" Kim stared at the metal teeth and claws of the K-99s, feeling more of her phobia as she took a step back. "Maybe we should rethink this."

  "No time!" Kat shouted, taking a shooting stance and aimed. "Get ready!"

  The K-99s bolted for them, tearing across the sand as they snarled and barked.

  When the tin mongrels were about ten feet away, Kim squealed and squeezed the handle, discharging the carbon dioxide.

  "Are you all right?" Kat glanced at her when she squealed but quickly turned her gaze back to their enemies.

  "I'm fine! Kill them!"

  "Don't panic. I'm here," Kat said and whispered, "I'll protect you."

  "What? I didn't hear that last part." Kim sprayed back and forth with the nozzle and created a white cloud as she slowly backed up, getting some distance between her and the pack. The mist covered the K-99s, and they halted, blinded by the mist as Kim yelled, "Kill them! Kill them now!"

  Before Kim discharged the fire extinguisher, Kat focused on the Team Leader as the pack neared and her heart thumped continuously. Kim sprayed, the mist covered the K-99s, and Kat's eyes blazed, reflecting off the wall of white like a blue inferno and in that moment, Kat prayed, "Please work. Please work. I have to protect Kimberly." She lost sight of the Team Leader and the Knowing kicked in.

  lub-DUB–lub-DUB–lub-DUB

  Kat saw the yellow-green Electrical Apparitions emanating from the K-99s, and the e-field her body generated, modified itself and collected its output in the center of her heart. The blue sphere the size of a grape doubled with each contraction of the heart till it engulfed the muscle, and the Ult L-E dissipated as her pupils dilated, making them appear black as ink. She felt indestructible, and she felt like she could annihilate anything in her path as Kat snarled with new vigor. The e-field massed till it could no longer contain the energy and pulsed, sending a small shock wave in all directions, and the E.F.P. washed over the K-99s, frying exposed circuitry. The emergency lights above the walkway and those in the filing cabinet room lost power and plunged the area into darkness as the K-99s shut down and stood there like statues.

  Kat clicked on the flash light, and the beam lit up the walkway as she ordered, "Stop spraying!"

  Kim released the trigger of the fire extinguisher, and both of them stared at the K-99s as the white cloud slowly dissipated.

  "Shoot them now while they're disabled!" Kim shouted.

  "No. For the plan to work, we have to wait," Kat insisted.

  "Hades!" Kim tensed as she yelled, "You have got to be kidding!"

  "Wait..." Kat repeated. "Wait! Now!"

  Chapter Fifteen

  The Best Of Plans

  9:07 P.M...

  Kat waited as Kim again sprayed the fire extinguisher. The K-99s' backup battery kicked in, and they powered up as the white cloud engulfed them a second time. The yellow-green Electrical Apparitions of the K-99s faded as the Knowing entered its third stage, and Kat saw a bright ghost-image of each of the K-99s that showed through the mist. She noticed the Team Leader and the two K-99s behind it raised their visors, so she carefully aimed and fired three times with uncanny accuracy, hitting the front K-99s in their kill spot.

  "That one's empty," Kim said as she dropped the fire extinguisher and raced back to the second one.

  Kat retreated with her. Kim picked up the second fire extinguisher and sprayed the remaining three K-99s, and she watched the middle one open its visor and that woman shoot it, dropping it. The last two K-99s stood frozen in place as they received data from their I-Link; it informed them the other four had been terminated.

  After dropping the second empty fire extinguisher, Kim removed her gun as she yelled, "That's it on the spray!"

  The two K-99s backed up several steps till they were clear of the mist and once the cloud dissipated, they saw the intruders heat signatures and had no need to raise their visors.

  "They've adapted too soon!" Kat shouted as she removed the A.P.R. magazine from her pocket, ejected the regular one, cleared the chamber, and tossed the magazine to Kim. Kat inserted the new one as the Knowing's bright ghost-images faded along with the misty cloud. Her pupils retracted and returned to their normal greenish brown then beamed with blue Ult L-E. She fired once at the K-99 to her left, and the armor piercing round penetrated the visor and entered its weak spot. "Hurry!" Kat fired at the last one as she shouted, "Climb down!"

  The K-99 turned its head slightly, and the bullet Kat fired, ricocheted off the metal visor. Kim holstered her gun, thinking this was the second time her weapon had been useless and maybe she needed to upgrade it. She placed the magazine Kat had thrown to her in her knapsack, hurried to the cliff's edge, and started down.

  As the last dog bio-mecha charged and leaped, Kat took a step toward the edge, fired again, and this time the round penetrated its visor. She ducked as the K-99 jumped over her and the cliff, landing in a heap on the floor below. At the other end of the walkway, the hidden wall rumbled up, the elevator opened, and the other half of the pack rushed out, so she fired, taking out their Team Leader as the other five ran toward her. She tucked her gun and climbed down.

  "Hurry!" she shouted to Kim who neared the bottom. "The other half is coming, and I'm down to four rounds."

  Reaching the first level, Kim ran for the exit and five feet from the bottom, Kat jumped down and followed about a minute behind her.

  The K-99s studied the height of the cliff, one of them jumped, and it landed hard but undamaged. The other four followed, and soon they pursued.

  The two women ran through the sandy hall, through the concrete corridor, and
to the door with the scanners. They entered the hallway with the blue pipes as Kat turned and fired, hitting one in its vulnerable spot. It collapsed to the floor about a hundred yards away, and the four remaining K-99s leaped over its body, continuing their pursuit. Kat backed up a few steps, fired twice, and struck one K-99, but the other one evaded her other shot.

  "No, not another rogue!" Kat shouted as she turned and ran. "They've adapted again."

  "What?" Kim was way ahead and paused at the corner.

  "The one K-99 has evolved like the Rogue; it's able to dodge bullets!" Kat neared her.

  Kimberly's view...

  Hades... I'm trembling again as I see the three robot mutts closing in on that woman. I can't believe I'm acting this way. It's like I'm really afraid of them. I don't know what's behind my reactions, but I do know that I need to get out of here!

  I run around the corner, shouting, "Well, use that Knowing thing on it."

  End Kimberly's view...

  "I can try, but I'm down to one round." Kat turned the corner.

  "You better do something," Kim yelled over her shoulder as she controlled her urge to scream in fear. "Hades! They're gaining on us. We won't make it out."

  "Right! Keep going!" Kat heard the fear in Kim's voice and was determined to save her, so she stopped about a hundred feet from the corner, turned, and waited for them to come around. Kat unslung her backpack, removed a screwdriver, knelt to one knee, and laid the tool beside her.

  Kim glanced over her shoulder again and halted in her tracks. "What are you doing?"

  "I'm buying you some time! So run!" Kat considered what she was about to do and shouted back, "Hey! You'll need your flashlight!"

  "Right!" Kim removed it and started to run.

  The three K-99s turned the corner, and Kat faced the pack as she muttered, "Come on! Come on! Kick in!" Her eyes dilated as the Knowing activated, sending an e-field pulse in all directions, and the lights in the area lost power and the K-99s shut down in their tracks.

  Kim paused, turning her flashlight on. Kat switched on hers just as the K-99s fell over stiff as a day old corpse. Kat waited, knowing it was only a matter of time. She watched as their backup battery turned on, they powered up, and the three rose to their paws and looked around the dark area. Once they got their bearings, they charged. The ghost-images of the K-99s appeared, acting a second before the real ones did and Kat fired at the one in the lead and hit its weak spot.