Chapter 20

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

Even as everything was whizzing by, I started to ‘hear’ the nanomites within me. (Primary corporeal control, over fifty percent of all units have moved to affected areas. Mobility should return in less than sixty time units.)

Well, I thought, at least I am recovering faster than ever before.

(Sheila? I’m sorry I wasn’t able to effect all the corrective repairs that I wanted to.) I thought to her, even as we were suddenly clear of the building heading away.

Then I ‘heard’ Sheila advise the nanomites, (this is secondary control, monitor all aspects of primary control’s corporeal enclosure. Advise if any adverse conditions are present or develop.)

(Affirmative secondary control. All units now in preventative monitoring mode.) I ‘heard’ the nanomites respond.

Within moments, we were a few miles from the college, though Sheila wasn’t slowing up the least bit. Sighing, I guessed that she was going to put as many miles between us and them as she could.

(As I stated before Roger, what you have done has allowed me to see things that before were confusing at best.) Here I could see Sheila blushing. Blushing? I had ... hmmmm, okay. With all the extra programming that I had seen, along with what she’d had written and added, I assumed it was possible.

(Roger, I am detecting almost double the amount of armed people. It appears that the two groups have joined up.) Sheila informed me.

I nodded as I tried to access all the telemetry. Cursing silently to myself, I still didn’t have that capability. For once, I’d like to access what Sheila did.

We seemed to travel due south for almost an hour, then I felt Sheila turn toward the east. Where I wondered in the world were we going now?

(Where are we going?) I inquired.

(Something I saw within you, Roger, ) Sheila responded.

(Within me? Just what are you talking about?) Returned my slightly confused thoughts.

(Why yes, Roger. It seemed most prevalent in your thoughts.) Came Sheila’s response.

(Unlike you, Sheila, humans do not have the capability to know which thoughts are the most prevalent. Well, unless that is all they can think of at one time.) I explained to her.

(Understood, Roger. I was referring to the thoughts that we should surprise them, taking the fight to them. Though a great many of the ideas you are having would cause destruction of me and or you.) Stated Sheila’s worried thoughts.

I was about to respond when it struck me again: she really was worried. Truly, she was becoming more and more human-sounding in her thoughts and actions. Though her actions were all well-calculated.

(I see, ) I finally responded. (It was something I remember my father talking about. When pursued, most keep running. It rarely occurs that the hunted turn on the hunters. It is usually an unexpected action that catches the hunters by surprise. I... ) I was suddenly quiet as I thought about what Sheila had said.

(That does not sound like a logical response to the situation. I have found that humans are almost always rational. Though many think that humans are irrational, I find that they reveal patterns that are almost always predictable.) Sheila responded.

(I... ) It was almost like a light was turned on within my mind. So much of what I and the groups did were conditioned responses. I could see what the General had done, then the responses that I and the groups had. A thin smile crossed my face as a truly wonderful, completely unexpected idea came to me. It was the absolute last thing that the son of a bitch would expect from me, hell from almost anyone.

(Continue on at your present course.) I told Sheila as the idea started to grow and take better shape in my mind. (I might have a solution after all.)

Back at Alberta: Department of Computing Science, both Timur and Cathy were cursing as they saw the signal move further inside, then depart at high speed south. Ruslan and Evelyn halted both teams when both computer techs stated that the machine had left.

Cursing, both teams withdrew as quickly and quietly as possible. They were ensconced in their vehicles within minutes. Both computer experts were still in contact with each other, still getting a weak signal from Sheila.

“They appear to be heading south towards the United States,” both informed their leaders. Though both groups still didn’t trust the other, at this point they also realized that they were going to be dependent on the other if they were going to survive.

Evelyn was still a little in shock that her son had created a machine that so closely resembled his sister. Shaking her head, things were starting to make a lot more sense to her. Then a moment of anger crossed her face. That manipulative bastard! She’d let the siblings think that they were dead to push them to garner their cooperation. They had also pushed themselves to be the best and deadliest that they could be. She could only assume that he was also pushing them so they would do anything to avenge their sibling.

A sudden smile crossed her features. I have to contact Roger again. The thing is, getting him alone for long was almost impossible.

Chris was still a little in shock. Both teams had members that were either going crazy or there was a robot, well, android out there that resembled her. Shaking her head, she couldn’t imagine why anyone would make a machine that looked like her.

Evelyn looked over at Chris, the look of deep concentration that the woman had on her face. It almost appeared that her daughter was having an internal battle, as she was herself. Would it really make that much difference if Chris knew? Shaking her head, no, she was bound by her word. She was many things — a killer, a leader — though she was not dishonorable. Looking at Chris, then the others, she knew that they were that way also.

The rest of her team could only wonder what was going on in their leader’s mind. Here they learned that they were hunting their leader’s own. Though none were military, their man was far smarter than any other they had gone against. To them, smarter meant that they were going to be far harder to take down. With the intelligence this man had? He would be the absolute test of their skills.

Ruslan looked at the rest of his team. This was going south in a hurry. Not only had the bastard General pitted them against each other, he was expecting them all to die. Oh, he thought, not right away though. Ruslan could feel that they would be only dead weight after both teams completed this mission. If there was one thing Ruslan knew, the General ALWAYS cut away the dead weight.

At almost the same time, both Evelyn and Ruslan realized that if they separated, they were as good as dead. They both growled as they immediately called both teams to a stop.

Both teams stepped out, weapons at the ready. “We called a stop to discuss the situation. It appears that the General wants both of our teams dead,” Evelyn started.

Ruslan nodded his agreement as he took over. “It appears that his embarrassment over this situation is making him cut all ties with both teams. Comrade Evelyn and I discussed this at length. Both of our teams trust no one; this appears to have been manipulated by the General.”

There was the sound of several growls as Evelyn took over. “Both groups have been held captive by the General for far too long. Unfortunately, we are still in this situation. As I found out when I met with our target, he is not. I am proposing that we help him.” Looking at both teams, Evelyn took a deep breath. “What we are proposing is that we join forces. I know this will be difficult, though,” here Evelyn paused. “It is the only way that Ruslan and I feel that all of us have a chance at all.”

“We know that neither team trusts the other,” here Ruslan and Evelyn placed several files before them. “These might help you to see what our benevolent benefactor has been doing.”

Most of both teams stepped up to peruse the files. Within moments, most of them were cursing from the information.

“We should kill the bastard! How have you put up with this shit?” Chris said, looking at both leaders, stepping menacingly toward Evelyn.

Surprising both groups, Ruslan stepped between mother and daughter. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say she did the same as I did. She kept all of you alive, as did I. Just because we lead doesn’t always mean we have all the answers. The General lied and manipulated us, as well as you. When I saw Comrade Evelyn’s file, I knew, as she did when she saw mine.”

“You bitch!” Chris shouted. “You could have said something!” Having lunged at her mother with tear-streaked eyes, Chris didn’t seem to notice that Ruslan was restraining her.

Evelyn dropped her head then she stated to her group, “I couldn’t, not if all of you were to continue to live. I have taken a lot of abuse from that asshole, that stops today. That is if all of you, both groups, want to help. Our target is the only one that can get to the general now. I think we should help him do so.”

Looking around both groups, Evelyn and Ruslan could see the barely contained anger. Then they both watched as both groups looked at each other and then their leaders. Almost as if on cue, all of both groups started to nod their agreement.

“Alright, I need to meet with our target again, though,” Here Evelyn sighed. “With the speed they are going, it might take longer than I want it.”