“Okay. Good. If you need anything, just let me know. We’re right up the main road, about three miles outside town.”
After Longbow departed, Ellie directed the RV’s computer to drive to the village service station to refuel and restock supplies for the return trip, finishing the transmission by communicating, “Signal me when you finish at the station and I will instruct you where to pick me up.”
The vehicle computer transmitted its acknowledgment and then drove away. Ellie turned around to face the destination of her first errand, a sprawling, windowless, one-story industrial facility a few blocks from the center of the village.
Reaching into the pocket of her khaki fatigue pants, Ellie clutched a metallic cylinder and began walking. “Come on, Ake. Let’s go find you a new chassis.”
Androids R Us
Flathead, Montana, Carapach
“Well, well, well, lookie what we have here.”
Ellie scanned the man speaking. Given his wrinkles, thinning gray hair and paunch of a belly, she estimated the probability of his age at between sixty and sixty-five. Based on his pasty complexion, the bags under his eyes and his soiled clothes, she reasoned he was the android shop mechanic…a rather devoted one. This assessment was supported by the tone of his voice and the leer on his face as he circled her, ogling her physique. She placed Akecheta’s brain core on the counter and said, “I need a replacement chassis. Preferably a Makoa model if you have one.”
The man laughed and sidled up beside her. He squeezed her butt and sniffed her hair. “My, oh my, you are one fine piece of —”
“If you do not have a Makoa, then an Apollo or Steel class will do.” Ellie grasped the man’s hand as it dipped between her legs. Squeezing it, she said, “Touch me again like that and I’ll rip your hand off.”
The man cried in pain. “Agh, okay, okay. Let go. Let go.” As he danced around, holding his hand, he said, “Geez. Why are you so worked up, baby? You’re a comfort andro, ain’t ya? Athena class, right? Thought you hunnies liked that kind of attention.”
Ellie picked up the metallic cylinder from the counter and moved past the mechanic. At the double doors separating the reception area from the warehouse, she paused and turned to the man. “Are you going to help me or not?”
“Loosen your caboose, darlin’, I’m a-coming.”
Ellie stepped forward and the doors slid open. She spied a holodisplay directory dead ahead. Behind the directory were rows and rows of docked androids. Stacked four high on each side, Ellie’s measurement module calculated a total inventory of 2,483 androids. Factoring in a twenty percent allowance for damaged and inoperative frames, she lowered the estimate of potential replacements for Akecheta at 1,986. Based on the latest download she had received regarding Makoa brain core compatibility with other class androids, cross-referenced with Carapach’s database of active registrations in Montana, Ellie reduced the possible options down to thirty-six.
The mechanic passed by her and said, “Follow me, sweet cheeks. Got just what you’re looking fer.”
As the man waddled down one of the side aisles, she conducted several scans of his body. He had an artificial shoulder, hip and knees, as well as a heart implant and a dopamine regulator in his brain. He was obviously not one of Flathead’s native people, given his skin tone and speech pattern. Ellie judged him to be a transplanted Texan or New Atlantian.
Rounding the end of the aisle, he said, “Didn’t mean no harm back there. It’s just that all the comfort andros get snapped up as soon as they come in. Barely have enough time to customize their modules and give ’em a nice spit and polish before they’re gone. It’s enough to drive a lonely man crazy. Know what I mean?”
Ellie’s visual scanner probed the new aisle. Four docks triggered her sensors. An Apollo class and three Steels. She noticed two other empty docks in the same aisle. When they drew closer to them, her long-range lenses homed in on the displays in front of the empty docks, which indicated two Makoas had occupied the docks.
“Where are the Makoas that were in those docks?” she asked.
“Huh?” The man squinted down the aisle. “Oh, those two? Some jakali hunter came through here yesterday and bought ’em. They were pieces of junk, really. Not sure why he bothered with them. Doubt they’ll be of much use up north.”
“Do you still have the specifications for the Makoas?”
The man stopped and turned around. Ellie’s sensors detected a rise in his temperature as his eyes locked on to her breasts. “Eyes up here, botboy.”
“Huh? What?”
“The specs for the Makoas?”
He rubbed at his scraggly beard and squinted at her eyes. “You pledged to someone or something? I mean, most Athenas are sweet and playful. You’re kind of a stone-cold bit—”
“Do you have the specs or not?”
“Yeah, I got ’em. What do you want ’em fer?”
Ellie walked past him and visually studied the Apollo and Steels. Apollo-class androids were bigger, stronger and more durable than Steels, but they were not as agile and had fewer module ports. Apollos as a class were also older models, meaning Steels were equipped with more modern communications arrays and faster central processors. But neither of these android classes were built for heavy-duty combat, and thus lacked some of the features and capabilities Makoas possessed. Certain modules could be added to compensate for the lack of military-grade sensors, but there was no substitute for Makoas’ sturdy construction.
In front of each docked android was a data screen that displayed the robot’s history, specifications, available options and price. Ellie scanned the information for the four androids and engaged her reasoning module to select the best option. When the module completed its analysis, Ellie turned and pointed at one of the Steels. “I’ll take this one.”
“Good choice.”
“I will need a few component upgrades and some new module installations.” Ellie pulled Akecheta’s core from her pocket. “I will also want to swap out the brain core.”
“Not a problem, darlin’. So long as I’ve got the components you want in stock, I should be able to install and test everything by Tuesday of next week.”
Ellie shook her head. “I need it done in two days, not six.”
The man scratched at his beard. “Sorry. First come, first served. That jakali hunter is ahead of you. He has a truckload of andros that need a-fixin’, plus he wants mods for the ones he bought yesterday. Of course, if you was to soften up a little, maybe come over to my place tonight…”
As his eyes traveled up and down her body, Ellie said, “That’s out of the question, but I am willing to pay a premium to jump to the front of your queue.”
He laughed. “It’s not your credits I want, baby. My bank account is as fat as I am. I want that tight little Athena body of yours. Like I said, it gets lonely up here.”
A six-day wait was unacceptable. Ellie was expected back in East Dakota to transport Sarah Hearns and her daughters to Flathead. As she evaluated her options, she realized there were only two that could shrink the timeline. Either convince the jakali hunter to part with one of his purchased Makoas or placate the mechanic.
Ellie smiled and edged closer to the mechanic. “I have a better idea. How about you give me jakali hunter’s contact information. If I can’t convince him to let me move my job ahead of his, I’ll consider your proposal.”
The mechanic returned Ellie’s smile and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Now that’s more like it, baby. But why don’t we just skip the jakali hunter altogether? I can get working on your Steel right now. Should be able to finish it by sundown and then we can rock and roll all night long.”
She stroked his hair and said, “Mmm, sounds amazing, but I still want the jakali hunter’s info. I can chat with him while you’re working on my Steel.”
The mechanic slapped her butt and said, “Deal. Follow me.”
Moosehead Lodge
Flathead, Montana, Carapach
Stretch
ed out on a thick-cushioned lounge chair, Caelan reached down and pulled another bottle from the bucket of ice. Before he could twist off the cap, he heard the pub’s waiter speed across the grass.
“Allow me, sir.”
Tired of protesting the android’s constant attention, Caelan held up the bottle. “Fine, fine. Do your voodoo, lad.”
“Would you care for a glass, sir?”
“For the fifth bloody time, no! Just give me the bottle and bugger off.”
Caelan maintained his gaze on the lake while he waited for the android to place the bottle back in his hand.
“A lunch menu, perhaps? We have a lovely—”
“Bottle. Now.”
As soon as Caelan felt the glass touch against his palm, he closed his fingers around the bottle, snatched it from the android’s grip and gulped down a few slugs of beer. Satisfied, he shoved the open bottle back into the bucket, making sure to seat it deep in the ice. Looking up, he saw the bow-tied bot smiling at him. “Go away! You’re blocking my sun. If I want lunch, I’ll call for ye.”
Once the android retreated, Caelan returned to watching the canoes out on the lake. God, I miss Ertha. She knew when to give me space. Not like these tongue-waggers here. They can’t seem to get it through their Kevlar skulls. I want some peace and quiet, a nice buzz and maybe a wee nap in the sun. Is that too much to ask? A little rest without worrying if some jakali devil’s going to pop out of nowhere and take a bite out of me.
Tilting his safari hat to cover his eyes, Caelan instructed the smart-chair underneath him to recline back further. Happy thoughts, man. You only have a few more days until its back to work. He yawned long and loud and tried to clear his mind by listening to the children playing on the beach at the lake’s edge. They were having a good old time splashing each other and playing tag. Caelan smiled. I almost feel human. The serene feeling lasted only a short while, for his ears detected the sound of feet walking across the grass toward him.
“I swear to the Almighty Father, if you say one word about the lunch menu again, I’ll shove the bloody thing up your mechanical arse!”
“That doesn’t sound very pleasant,” a female voice replied.
Caelan pushed up his hat and turned to look at the woman. She smiled and extended a hand. “Hi. Are you Caelan Horn? I’m Ellie.”
Out of the corner of his mouth, Caelan barked at the smart-chair to raise him into a sitting position. All the while, he studied the woman in front of him. He immediately recognized her as an android, an Athena comfort bot like Ertha had been. Aquiline noses, long necks and broad shoulders were tell-tale features of Athenas.
This one looked designed to be in her mid-thirties, much older than most Athenas. The class of comfort androids was most often designed for men and women seeking bedroom companions who appeared to be in their late teens or early twenties.
She had straight strands of black hair that shined under the glare of the sun, a light brownish-reddish complexion and a pleasing smile. Whoever owned the bot had not chosen to go with the typical lingerie-model body features common among Athenas. Her curves were still alluring, just more muscular than most Athenas. This one was dressed in khaki cargo pants, hiking boots and a tight-fitting white T-shirt that accented the shape of her breasts and the size of her biceps.
“Well, are you going to leave me hanging or shake my hand?” Ellie asked.
“Sorry, luv.” Caelan gripped her hand and lightly squeezed it. “Yes, I’m Caelan Horn. Why might you be asking?”
Pointing to an empty lounge chair next to Caelan, she asked, “May I join you?”
“Depends,” he said. “If you’re looking to sell me a quick tussle at the inn, don’t waste your time. I’m not interested.”
“I’m not that kind of girl, Mr. Horn.”
Caelan looked her up and down again and thought, you are for somebody, honey. He edged his hat back down over his eyes, hoping the android would take the hint and leave. Unfortunately, she was undeterred.
“Word at the chop-shop is you hunt jakalis for bounties.”
“Aye.”
“The guy at the shop said you have a team of Makoas.”
“Yeah. So?”
“My patron requires a Makoa. I was hoping you might consider selling me one of yours.”
“Sorry, luv. My Makoas aren’t for sale.”
“You haven’t heard my offer yet.”
Caelan tapped the lounge chair’s control panel to return to a fully reclined position. “Don’t need to. Bye, bye, now.”
“What about the two male Makoas you bought yesterday?” she asked. “I’ll pay you double the amount that you paid for both of them and trade you a Steel, customized to your specs, in exchange for just one of the Makoas.”
Caelan stifled a yawn and said, “No thank you, luv. A Steel wouldn’t last five minutes in a jakali scrum, and Makoas are hard to find in this neck of the woods. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m trying to enjoy a little R&R. Ta.”
“What if I add a tussle at the inn?”
“Sorry, luv. As beautiful as you are, you’re not my type.”
He heard a chair creak and then the swish of steps on the grass. As they faded away, Caelan yawned. Finally…peace at last!
Charlemagne Bentworth’s apartment
Flathead, Montana, Carapach
While the fat blob of a man lay on top of her, huffing and puffing with each grind of his hips against her synthetic flesh-covered chassis, Ellie transmitted a message to Wyatt Longbow. In it, she asked him to inform Beacon that she had secured a replacement chassis for Akecheta and she was preparing to return to East Dakota. Attached to the message were pictures of the modified Steel now docked in the RV.
With the message transmitted, Ellie initiated software maintenance on all of her systems except her sensuality module. As the software updates reached seventy-five percent complete, Ellie’s sensuality sensors detected a sharp rise in the man’s heart rate and body temperature. Ellie paused the software maintenance routines and devoted full processing priority to her sensuality module. Reaching behind her head, she took hold of the back of the man’s head lying on top of her and pulled his face aside hers. Raising her mouth to his ear, she urged him on in a sultry voice.
More sensuality sensor data streamed to her brain core indicating the man’s catharsis was imminent. Ellie’s module responded with a combination of physical and audio stimuli designed to increase the intensity of the man’s experience. She sensed his body tense and then tremble.
As soon as his catharsis abated, Ellie restarted the final portion of the software upgrade and initiated her sanitization module. The man rolled off of her and Ellie left the bed. The man said nothing at first, but as Ellie picked up the first garment of her clothes, he said, “What are you doing? The deal was all night long.”
Ellie turned and smiled. She dropped her clothes, retraced her steps to the bed and straddled him. Lowering her lips to his ear, she whispered, “Close your eyes.”
He smiled and grabbed hold of her rear. Ellie slid a hand behind his head and cupped his neck, prodding him to relax. As soon as she felt his neck muscles slacken, a prong ejected from the center of her palm. It pierced into his neck and jolted him with an electric shock, a shock designed to further excite the pleasure neurons in his brain. He writhed as another climax coursed through his body. When it subsided, she retracted the prong. Out cold, the man let go of her buttocks. Shortly thereafter, Ellie signaled the RV to pick her up.
Ten minutes later, she disembarked the RV at the Beacon ranch and went in search of Billy Hearns. After locating his cabin, she spent several minutes listening to him recount his first day at the ranch and then escorted him to bed. As she began to narrate a bedtime story stored in her nurturing module, Longbow stopped by the cabin and told Ellie he had received a reply to her earlier message.
“There’s been a change in plans,” he said. “The folks back east want you to remain here for a spell.”
Billy seemed happy with t
he news, for he laid his head on Ellie’s lap and asked her to stay the night with him. Ellie stroked his hair until he fell asleep and then returned to the RV to dock and recharge.
CHAPTER 13: DECEPTION
Beacon safe house
Cannon Ball, North Dakota, Carapach
The first sensation Takoda noticed when he regained consciousness was the clank, clank, clank of the ceiling fan in the center of the room. Reaching a hand to his throbbing head, he watched the wobbly fan spin for a moment and then searched the room for the fan’s control switch. He spotted no such switch but did notice the room had a voice-command panel on the wall by the door.
“Fan off,” Takoda said.
Magically, the fan began to slow, its clanking diminishing with each rotation. Takoda massaged his forehead and tried to sit up. It was a painful exercise, but he managed the task. His chest and arms felt bruised, as did his thighs, recalling to mind the attack on Yon’s Starlight, followed by a crash.
Taking stock of his condition by moving his arms and legs and feeling for bandages, Takoda looked around the room. Where am I? This doesn’t look like a holding cell or a hospital. It kind of looks like someone’s bedroom. Did Hoot save us? Or are we in New Atlantia? The latter thought stimulated a moment of panic. Where is Yon?
She was not in the room, that much Takoda could tell. He slowly moved off the bed and tried to stand. Although he felt as if he had been battered by baseball bats from head to toe, he found he could stand. Looking down, he noticed he was still dressed in his favorite fishing clothes, minus his shoes.
After a short stagger across the room, Takoda tested the door handle. It was unlocked. He opened the door and peered into the hallway. He was definitely in someone’s house or the homiest interrogation center in New Atlantia. Must still be in Carapach, he thought.
“Hello? Anybody there? Yon?”
Takoda heard the sound of movement below. It came from the stairway midway down the hall. A male voice called out, “Dr. Wells?”
The GODD Chip (The Unity of Four Book 1) Page 16
