Chapter 21

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

Inside Minneapolis, I decided we needed to stop for a while. Though the nanomites had definitely enhanced me, I was still vulnerable. Here, I could run nearly as fast as Sheila, though the soles of my feet could only take so much.

Looking in a mirror, I had the nanomites change my hair color, eye color, and the shape of my face somewhat. Then I noticed that I wasn’t really tired, though I was feeling a bit of fatigue.

Walking down the street after the changes were done, I began to feel safer. Though, as I knew from my father, he was still seeking me out to try and end me. I had a feeling that with the few satellites he still had control over, he was still looking for my bio-signature.

Looking at my feet, I could see that they had just started to become red. I’d have to keep an eye on that.

I thought for a moment then asked, “All units, time until level four maturation is reached?”

“Calculating,” the nanomites answered. “Calculations complete. It is estimated that another seven hours thirty minutes will be required.”

“All units, advise corporeal control as soon as fourth level has been achieved,” I replied to the nanomites.

“Compliance,” I heard them reply.

Nodding, I again felt a little dumb. I still wasn’t used to the fact that the nanomites couldn’t see me, nor would they comment unless asked.

I sat on the nearest bench to look at my feet; the redness was starting to fade far faster than I thought it would. Might as well find a place to plan more on this. I needed to end this and soon; even with Sheila and the nanomites, we were going to run out of luck or whatever it was that we seemed to have an abundance of.

A movement next to me had me looking up at Sheila. Why, I thought, does she have a worried look on her face? “Alright,” I asked, “what’s wrong?”

“This plan that you have, too many things can go wrong. We are going into the heart of the enemy’s territory. They, and not us, will have an advantage. This, therefore, will increase the danger exponentially,” Sheila told me.

“I know this, Sheila. That’s why we have to make sure that all that we can control goes as we want it,” I replied to her.

“Still, Roger,” she stated, her features seeming to soften. “There are still too many uncertainties. At least put the plan on hold until you have reached level four.”

I thought about it for a few moments then reluctantly nodded. “It’s just that I am tired of running. We need to take the fight to the enemy.”

“This, as you said, is true. Therefore, we need to turn the advantage that the enemy has against us, against them,” Sheila replied.

At her words, it was almost as if a door that had been previously closed was opened to reveal things unknown. “Yes,” I stated, staring straight ahead, “I believe it also. Thank you, Sheila. I also believe you have inspired me.”

Sheila’s face showed confusion as she looked into my eyes. “If you have a better plan than the one before, please elaborate. As stated before, your life is far more important.”

I could only nod to Sheila as several ideas started to take root in my head.

In the city where the two groups had met, all that remained were hesitantly working together. Though their leaders had explained that they were all dead if they didn’t. Neither could trust the other, even if their very lives depended on it.

Evelyn was pacing; what in the hell was Roger thinking? To let them and almost all the other units out there know he was coming? Roger was far more brilliant than that. No, there had to be another explanation, though for the life of her she couldn’t figure it out.

Evelyn had just walked outside when a moment later her “special” phone went off. Growling, she motioned to the others to stay away, then answered it.

“What took you so long!? When I call, I expect you to answer immediately. Our trackers indicate that it and he are moving in your direction. What are you doing about it?” The General growled out.

“Look, asshole! I am trying to do the job; you need to quit bothering me. I’ll get him, make no mistake, though if you keep interfering, he might slip past.” Evelyn angrily advised the General.

The General was taken aback for only a moment. Good, she was mad as hell; therefore, she was at her best. Now to fan the flames higher, “You better, you bitch. Need I remind you that you and ALL your group’s lives are on the line.”

Evelyn started to respond when she suddenly realized what he was doing. Nodding her head, she took a deep breath then yelled, “Shut the hell up, asshole! I got work to do.” She then disconnected, a broad smile on her lips. ‘So,’ she thought, ‘he was trying to incite me.’ Smiling bigger, she shook her head, ‘not this time.’

Walking back into the building, she advised Ruslan of the conversation she’d just had. Nodding, he smiled, telling her thank you, even as his “special” phone went off.

Evelyn walked off, leaving Ruslan to have his own somewhat heated conversation. Returning minutes later, he nodded to her, then they both went in.

The General looked at both his phones; what in the hell was going on? His two best teams almost seemed to be going rogue on him.

Sitting at the desk in front of him, he started to go through all the reports that were still coming in. Apparently, both groups were in the same city; strange, he thought, that they hadn’t encountered each other again. He thought he’d been clear when he ordered the elimination of the other team. He didn’t care which did the job as long as his son and at least one group were dead. Then his standby team could take out the survivors.

Drumming his fingers for a few minutes, he needed to think this through. If he activated the third group too early, they wouldn’t be as effective. Then again, they could stand by and observe.

Nodding his head, he called his assistant. “I want you to contact the third group. Have them out as soon as possible. Minimal weapons; I want them to observe both groups. I need more eyes on them. Something doesn’t feel right.”

The young lieutenant shivered for a moment, then went to carry out the orders. This third group wasn’t half as bad as the first two, though they were almost as deadly and accurate. Still, like the first two groups, they were impersonal killers, people he wasn’t used to dealing with.

Almost an hour later, the young lieutenant hung up the phone. Shivering again, he still had the sound of the laughter of the third group’s leader ringing in his ears.

Walking unsteadily back to the General, he hoped that the man wasn’t mad. None of the groups really ever thought much of him, even as the General’s assistant.

Still shaking, the young man took a deep breath to try and calm. Walking in to report, he saw that the General was still deep in thought. Reaching into his ever-present bag, he withdrew a box of the General’s favorite cigars.

He didn’t have long to wait before the General looked up. Seeing the box in the Lieutenant’s hands, the General’s mood quickly improved.

“I can always count on you, Lieutenant. Too bad I can’t adopt you as my son; you’re a hell of a lot more loyal than that piece of shit son I do have,” the General groused.

The young man knew better than to answer. Stepping up, he handed the box to the General, then drifted back into the background. He’d been busted in rank too many times to make an errant comment again.

General Gance inhaled deeply of the cigar’s aroma, giving a satisfied sigh. Lighting it, he again was deep in thought. That bastard son of his was up to something, though. What? The insanity that he was presently showing made no sense at all.

“Well?” he asked the younger man.

“Yes, sir. They at first laughed at me. That was until I mentioned that you were not in the best of moods. They said they’d move out in an hour. They then threw the usual insults at me,” the young man said, his head down slightly.

“You are the best assistant I have ever had. I hope that you can continue to be so. Now then, we need to set up a direct line. I seem to have lost complete control of the first two teams. We need to rectify this as soon as possible.”

The young Lieutenant nodded, then ran to do the General’s bidding.

It had been two hours since we had arrived in Minneapolis. Since it appeared that it was going to be another five hours until the nanomites reached maturation, we had a little time.

“Sheila? Do we have time to attempt another try at gaining control of the rest of the satellites?” I asked.

“At present, it appears there is sufficient time before level four is obtained,” Sheila informed me.

I nodded; it would be far better to go into this with as much control as possible. “Alright, scan all information on the technological schools in the city. Query? Which has the better equipment that we might attempt to upload you to gain more?”

Sheila was quiet for a few moments then spoke up, “The Dunwoody College of Technology seems to be the best choice. They are small, which would help to draw less attention. Being a non-profit school, we will need far better identification than usual.”