Chapter 14

SHEILA - Synthetic, Humanoid, Enlightened, Inquisitive, Living, Android

I couldn’t say a word as all I could do was stare at Sheila. Shaking my head, I tried to wrap my mind around what I’d seen. “I love you, Roger. Please don’t leave me.” She loved me? How was that ... I stopped as I remembered just how complex the emotion program had become.

I tried to say something, though I seemed to still be in shock somewhat. True, I had started to feel something for her, but love?! I wasn’t so sure. After all, I really had no actual idea what love felt like. Sure, I could write a program for it, describe it in detail. Feeling it though? No, I didn’t have a clue, not one at all.

The blush that Sheila had seemed to have vanished almost as fast as it appeared. Pulling out completely, I felt something on the fringe of my senses. “This is Control. What are these sensor detections I am seeing?”

Less than a second later, I saw what appeared to be the outside of the college. “All parameters that were set for early detection have been activated. Reading a buildup of law enforcement humans outside this edifice.”

I looked harder, seeing both of the Mounties that had been at the front earlier. Damn, they had brought in a few, well more than a few, of their friends. This wasn’t looking good at all for us or them.

I turned to Sheila. “I don’t want to kill any of them. Even with your speed, I’m not sure we can get past them that easily.”

Sheila looked at the same images that I was, silent for a few moments. “I am assessing the situation now, Doctor Gance. I do not concur with your evaluation; there are many avenues in which to evacuate.” My mouth must have dropped open ‘cause Sheila was now staring at me. “Are you well, Doctor Gance? Your oral opening has been ajar longer than usual.”

I had to shake my head to clear it. As human as she acted at times, she still had no clue. “I am well, Sheila. It is just a reaction to what you said. I am not seeing many, if any, ways to get out of here.”

“I am calculating at least thirty-three different avenues of escape. I...” Suddenly, Sheila stopped as it appeared she was scanning again. “Doctor Gance, I am detecting a vehicle approaching at high speed. One of the occupants is the same female that was firing the high-caliber rifle earlier.”

I sat up, disconnecting the data cube. “I do believe it is time to depart,” I told Sheila as I started to gather up everything I had unpacked.

“That would be an advisable course of action,” she replied as she started to help me. Finally finished, I was summarily picked up and placed over Sheila’s shoulder. I was okay ‘til she opened the window to the terrace. I remembered from before that we were at least two and a half stories up. Swallowing hard, I hung on as Sheila went off the terrace, landing on the ground with hardly any shock or impact to me.

“Are you injured, Doctor Gance?” I heard her ask me in my head.

“No, just surprised that you landed as lightly as you did,” I replied, still a little stunned.

“I calculated the best way to land that would put the least stress on you and your body. We have to depart; the heavy vehicle I detected earlier is drawing closer,” Sheila thought to me, then started to accelerate.

Sheila stopped short, tossing me behind a pile of wood as a shot rang out. I watched as she turned the bullet again, ricocheting. I swear I could again hear a female swearing in Russian as Sheila dashed to me, then I was on her shoulder.

Karina was tense as they got closer to the city; already, she had her rifle at the ready. She had to destroy this thing; nothing ever escaped her or her bullets.

Serafima had gone around the edge of the town, thinking the less they were perceived as a threat, the sooner they could get this over. She had just cleared the edge of the college when she started yelling to Karina.

“Where?!” Karina replied as she brought her rifle up, the barrel on the edge of the window. Smiling, she got a clear shot of the human that was on the shoulder of that robot. Squeezing the trigger, she started to curse again when she saw the shot ricochet off the chest of the robot thing. Disgusted, she tried to climb out of the Humvee after her second shot had missed.

Ruslan grabbed her shoulder as she tried to punch her way loose. Ruslan had to squeeze her in a bear hug that only served to infuriate her more. Finally, with a sigh, Ruslan had to clip Karina on the side of her head, knocking her out. This thing that the general’s son had made was starting to piss Ruslan off. Already, they were almost a team member down. Now they were having dissension within the ranks.

Serafima hissed at Ruslan as she jerked the Humvee to a stop, climbing in the back with Karina. “You didn’t have to knock her out, comrade,” she told the leader.

“You wanted her out in the cold with no protection? She would have frozen to death before any of us could have even gotten close. You know how she can get when she is this focused and angered,” Ruslan replied to Serafima.

“Da, leader, I remember. The last time it took us a week to catch her. Even then she was almost out of her mind with the mission. You know she doesn’t take any type of failure well,” Serafima told Ruslan.

Ruslan nodded his head. He remembered that time. He’d thought that they had lost Karina when they caught up to her. Luckily, Serafima had been able to get through; otherwise, she might have killed most of the team before they got to her. Ruslan was about to speak when Timur nudged him, pointing behind them.

Ruslan turned, seeing several vehicles approaching at high speed. Damn it! The local Mounties! Though not as good as his team, they were still far more acquainted with this country than Ruslan’s team was.

“Serafima, we need cover! Take out their tires before they get too close,” Ruslan told her as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

Growling, Serafima grabbed her own rifle, taking aim as Ruslan shifted, then took off. Smiling evilly, Serafima took out the front tires of the first three vehicles. This slowed the pursuit for a few moments before they took off again. Now starting to laugh, Serafima also targeted the radiators. Three more vehicles dropped back.

“Leader, it appears they are still following, though further back. I count at least ten more; shall I take them also?” Serafima asked.

“Da, we need no uninvited guests while we are hunting this thing and the doctor,” Ruslan replied as Serafima started to laugh more, picking off the following vehicles with her high-powered rifle.

Suddenly, there was crackling as the voice of General Gance was heard. “I thought you were going after them. Stop playing with the Mounties, get going!”

Ruslan and Serafima growled and cursed; the general was starting to actually annoy them. Serafima, on the other hand, felt the man was interfering with her fun. There was no point in responding; it would just piss the general off more, and, more importantly, Ruslan.

General Gance was actually starting to have doubts that the killjoy group could get this job done. They usually had the job done by now. Then there was all the trouble they had caused in Canada. It’s a good thing they had such a fast Humvee.

“Lieutenant!” The general yelled, watching as the younger man came running.

“Yes, sir! Sorry, sir, I was putting out the rest of the calls you wanted.” Reaching into his bag, the younger man handed the General another box of cigars. “I had these waiting in case you needed more.”

The General pulled one out of the cigar box, inhaling the rich odor of the tobacco. Damn fine smoke. “I am having doubts about the killjoy group. I want you to contact the Piebald group.” The General watched as the young man almost pissed his pants at the mention of the second group.

“Sir?” The young man asked in a low whisper, his lips trembling, almost afraid that the mention of their name would make them appear. “You know they will want a status. They will also want to know what readiness to be.”

The General nodded to all that the younger man was saying. “Tell them their status will be all business. They are to be ready at a moment’s notice. One more mistake by the killjoy, and I’ll release them. They are to do whatever is necessary to accomplish this mission. That includes taking out the killjoy group.”

“Should I notify the Killjoys?” The young man asked, shaking so bad he thought he might pass out.

“No, if they fail, then I am through with them. They never have before, though I think they have never gone against anything like what Roger has created. One mistake I can forgive, but two is never an option. Either way, that little prick of a son of mine should be terminated in a few days,” the General said, a wide, menacing smile crossing his features.

The young man was still shaking as he exited the building, going to call the second group. An hour later, the young man came back shaking even harder. “I contacted them, sir. Uh, they, um, said they were ready to go, among many other things.”

The General nodded again as he stared at the young Lieutenant. “They are more than ready, I take it?” To which the younger man nodded. “I thought so; they haven’t been on a mission in almost a year. I just hope they haven’t gotten rusty.”