Chapter 18

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

Killjoy group

Ruslan (short blonde hair, 6’7’’) - Leader
Serafima (dark red head) - support/medical
Karina (blonde Hair) - Sharpshooter sniper
Timur (Dark hair 5’2’’) - computer/hacker expert
Egor- Electronics expert - killed in fire fight
Stas - Explosives expert - killed in fire fight

Pibald group

Evelyn (Auburn hair) - Leader former wife of General Gance/sniper
Christine/Chris (blonde) - personal combat expert- Evelyn’s daughter
Trina (red head) - Tall muscular, armed combat, Chris’s lover - Injured shot in both arms
Betty (Dark brown hair) - Recon/explosives expert, sister of Cathy
Cathy (Light brown hair) computer/Electronics/hacker expert
Diane (Dark brown Hair) short, mistress of deception/assassinations - Severely injured internal injuries

I had to keep my mouth shut until I was certain that the man was well out of hearing. Then I let loose with an almost total consuming laughing fit; I could have sworn that the man was about to piss himself.

Sheila then turned toward me. “From all indications, your nanomites have again obtained their second critical mass.” (Are you able to perceive my thoughts better, Doctor Gance?)

I only nodded, as I was starting to be able to pull more and more readouts up on everything in the room. “It appears that I am able to see a few things I was unable to before,” I replied to Sheila. Reaching into my pocket, I quickly retrieved the data cube. I was again nodding as the cube seemed to spring to life the moment I touched it.

A moment later, I could see where Sheila had also accessed it. “Yes, you are proceeding far faster than I had first thought,” she told me. “Perhaps you can achieve the third mass mode before we have to move on. (This is secondary control, time estimation ‘til third critical mass is achieved?)

(Secondary control, it is estimated that another thirteen hours, twenty-three minutes, forty-three seconds are required. At that time, primary control should have an estimated ninety-eight percent control of all corporeal systems.) I heard the nanomites reply.

My head snapped around as I could only stare at Sheila. Ninety-eight percent? How in the hell was that even possible? Then the next question: did I really want to have that much control? I remember Sheila telling me about the different stages. I wasn’t really expecting something as radical as this.

Thinking harder, I was trying to remember exactly what it was that she had said. The third mass would be able to keep me at maximum health. Then there were what, another four to six more? The first batch would have me at optimum health and speed, among other things. The last one or two would increase my cognition and reasoning.

Shaking my head, I sat at the main console as I started to type commands far faster than any human should be able to. Within a few minutes, I had laid the groundwork for disabling all the security. I had to nod at what I saw; all of this was top-rate as I had thought. Looking over to Sheila, I sat back as she connected directly to the terminal.

(Very efficient, Doctor Gance. Now connecting to the mainframe. It will take a few hours to assimilate the information. After that, I will require you to look over everything. It was monumental the last time we attempted this.) Sheila told me. “I also believe that we should wait until such time as you have reached third critical mass. It would afford you greater control in case anything happened, as before.”

I was nodding my head at Sheila; she was obviously shifting back and forth between thoughts and oral speech. Looking back at the terminal screen, I saw that Sheila was taking in information at a much slower rate.

(Glad to see that you aren’t taking it as fast as you can, ) I thought to her.

(No, Doctor Gance. I do not want to overtax the high-speed system. As I remember, the system overloaded the last time. I am being careful as you instructed me, Doctor Gance.) Sheila’s thoughts responded to me.

My head whipped around to again stare at her. As I instructed her? I didn’t think she was a slave to do exactly what I told her. Then it dawned on me; she wasn’t a slave. As she said, she was a new life form. As a new life form, she was still learning, so I guess I really was her teacher. Briefly, I thought again that she would soon be through with me, not needing me. Then I remembered she was also in love with me; I also remembered she got mad about me thinking she’d not need me the last time.

Shaking a bit, I also remembered that I never wanted to see her that mad again. I sat back as a readout appeared before me, showing the progress Sheila was making. A few minutes later, my head dropped, not realizing that I was that tired.

On the Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, Evelyn was pacing the hallway outside of the room that held both her injured team members. Shaking her head every few minutes, she was also mumbling to herself. The only problem was, the more she paced, the more agitated she got.

What in the hell was going on? She knew her son; he was loyal to a tee. That bastard of an ex of hers must have seriously pissed Roger off. It obviously had something to do with that machine he’d built. Though, why build it to look like Chris? The last she knew, they absolutely hated each other, didn’t they?

Stopping suddenly, she turned to stare at her daughter. Thinking about the whole situation, she remembered all of her rebellious behavior, her hatred of men. All of that had started when she was told that her brother had been killed. Perhaps if that bastard had told her in a better way than “Your bastard brother is dead. Get over it. You’ve got a job to do.”

Then there was Roger’s rapid withdrawal from her. Smashing her fist to the wall, then through it a few inches, she nodded. The cold-hearted, calculating son of a bitch! All of this had been planned to make them what HE wanted them to be. A snarl issued from her throat that caused even Chris to back away.

“What the hell has you so pissed off? I didn’t do a damn thing, bad enough that Trina is laid up for a few weeks. I...” Chris was saying.

“Shut up, Chris!” Evelyn growled out.

This seemed to only egg Chris on. “What? Screw you, Moth...” Chris started, then was off the floor with Evelyn growling in her face.

“I TOLD YOU to shut the hell up! Now unless you want to take an extended nap, I suggest you do it,” Evelyn growled, dropping her arm and letting Chris drop to the floor with a thud.

Chris rubbed her throat, shooting looks of extreme hatred at her mother, though this time she remained quiet.

Evelyn paced a few more minutes then stopped when a major walked in with a phone. “For you, Ma’am,” he stated, then quickly left the room.

Taking the phone, she sighed; she knew the bastard would find her. “So I take it you are down two members. You also killed two of the other group, nice work. Let’s hope you get the rest of them, as you know we’ve no room for error,” General Gance informed her.

“Get on with it, you ass. I have a job to do, not idle chat with your ugly face,” Evelyn retorted.

“Quite right. I need a report about...” Gance started.

“REPORT! You have eyes everywhere; quit bothering me until we are done. This should remove all that you have against us,” Evelyn growled out.

“We’ll see; it will get you off the wanted list, but as for even? I don’t think you’ll even be close,” the General retorted.

“You bastard! This should be the last. This is your fam...” Evelyn began.

“Ah, ah, let’s not get into old dead history. As you know, there is no time for family when we are protecting this country,” the General said coldly.

Evelyn’s face contorted into a mask of extreme anger, though her calm voice betrayed none of that anger.

“Yes, old dead history. We are dead to you as you are to us. Don’t bother me again until the job is finished,” Evelyn calmly hissed, then smashed the phone on the floor.

Chris looked at the pieces of the phone, then at her mother nodding. Yup, it had to be that prick of a father of hers to get her mother this upset.

“I have to go out. Betty, you’re in charge; no one off the base until I return.” Here she turned to Chris. “That means all of you!” Chris only grunted an answer as she turned her head toward the door of the room where Trina and Diane were still being tended.

Grabbing Cathy, they both went outside to the vehicles. Turning to Cathy, Evelyn asked, “Do you think you can tune to the frequency that the machine that he built can detect?”

Cathy only thought a moment then replied, “Actually, from everything I have seen, it should be listening to almost all frequencies. Though I am sure you would want a higher, more secure one. I can set it up for you, monitor if you wish.” Cathy offered.

“No, I have to do this. There are a few things I need to find out before we carry out the rest of the mission,” Evelyn told the shorter, light-brown-haired woman.

Cathy only shrugged, showing Evelyn exactly what to do, then went back in. Evelyn watched the woman all the way back to the building, then waited a moment before she tuned the radio.

“I am calling Roger Gance. If you can hear this, please respond. I think you know who this is. I believe that we need to talk, and I also believe that the sooner we do, the sooner a great many things can be resolved,” Evelyn said into the microphone. Putting down the mic, Evelyn waited a few minutes, then repeated the same dialogue again. She started repeating it every five minutes. That ought to attract his attention, she thought.