Chapter 9

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

Looking back, even as we were moving away, I saw a fully outfitted assault team. Swiftly, they entered the building even as we burst through the back wall, accelerating rapidly. ‘Damn it,’ I thought, ‘what had happened that they had found us this fast?’ Then, as the building receded in the distance, I realized that we had been there for over a day.

“I am scanning for another location as we move, Doctor Gance. I regret that they found us quickly. Obviously, my encoding needs further work. If I am to protect us further, you will have to adjust these more,” Sheila threw over her shoulder to me.

I knew better than to try and speak at our current speed; I wouldn’t have been able to speak, let alone breathe, well the last few times I had tried.

Suddenly breaking into the open, Sheila accelerated even more. “I am detecting electronic tracking,” Sheila said over her shoulder again. “Attempting to run shutdown commands. Triangulating now with available satellites, now sending shutdown.”

Nodding, I suddenly remembered that Sheila had stated that we were in some way now linked through the nanomites that she had implanted in me.

“Are they still tracking us through your frequencies?” I asked Sheila.

“I am uncertain, Doctor Gance. As I stated before, I am in need of more updates in order to better integrate into the systems that are tracking me and you,” Sheila replied to me.

I nodded my head as I tried to think of ways that she could further complicate their search for us. Suddenly, a smile crossed my lips as I remembered a program that I hadn’t used in years. Yes, I thought, that would surely piss most of them off. Then, with a smirk, I thought especially Father.

“We need to secure another location as soon as possible. I may have a solution that will help you. Will I be able to access the data crystal? Or is the use of a computer still needed?” I thought.

“At present, you are still in the building stage of the nanomites inside you. I’m afraid it will take quite some time before you can access the data crystal,” Sheila replied.

Though I was a little disappointed, I also realized that it might be dangerous. As I was unfamiliar with the process, I might inadvertently save my mind in the crystal as well.

“Yes, Doctor Gance, there is a danger of that. I will have to show you the safest way for you to access it without the loss of your own data,” came Sheila’s thoughts.

“You mean my mind, don’t you?” I asked.

“Basically, your mind, as you said, is a living memory bank. As with all machines, if they access a crystal incorrectly, there can be data loss,” Sheila tried to explain. “I expect that the same would be true with the storage of human data.”

Okay, I was starting to feel a little paranoid about the whole thing. My mind was all I had; to lose even a little of that might as well be a death sentence to me. Looking around, I saw that Sheila was once again slowing as we approached another large building.

“Is this what I think it is?” I asked Sheila when she stopped.

“I am uncertain as to exactly what you are thinking at the moment, Doctor Gance. I can tell you that this edifice is called the University of Alaska Anchorage. I believe we will have far better chances of remaining hidden than in most of the places we were,” Sheila said matter-of-factly.

I was shocked; this place had highly touted engineering and computer labs. The far-flung location made them get the best, as it was far harder to replace things here. “Will you be able to conceal us better?” I asked.

“I am hoping that after you are able to update my hacking abilities, I will be far better equipped to deal with any more intrusions. I am sorry that I didn’t detect the last attack sooner. I could have gotten you killed. I cannot allow this, Doctor Gance; I WILL NOT allow this to happen as long as I am functional. Let’s get in; the sooner you can upgrade me, the better I can protect you.”

I could only stare at her with my mouth open. If what I had seen in the last look was true, she was definitely starting to feel love, but for me? Why was she fixated on me? Now I really needed to look as closely at the emotion program as I could.

“I think for now, Sheila, we need to get undercover. Being out in the open this much makes us an easier target,” I told Sheila.

“I concur, Doctor Gance; we should be there in less than a minute,” she said as we made our way inside the large computer building. As we went deeper into the building, I noticed that the floor was tilting slightly downward. With a smile, I realized that they had a part underground. Good, I thought, detection of both of us would truly be more difficult.

Looking around, I saw several cameras as we were going through the hallways. “Have you managed to deactivate the cameras?” I asked.

“Yes, Doctor Gance. They were using an extremely advanced, though somewhat simple program to me. It was almost a pleasure to tackle this one. You also might be able to help perform a few of these functions in a few days. As of yet, the nanomites are just starting to multiply enough to actually keep your health at optimum. As I said, in three to four days, you will be able to access far more than you can right now,” Sheila explained to me.

“Wait,” I said. “You mean I will be able to access everything? What in the hell did you put in me? I have never heard of any type of nanomite that can allow a human to access machines, especially without some type of neural hookup.”

Sheila seemed to be debating her answer for a few moments before she got a completely serious look on her face. “I am sorry, Doctor Gance, if this has made you uncomfortable or unable to function. I developed these to assist you in faster applying your knowledge to all situations. It was thought that freer access to the machines and me,” here Sheila turned her head almost as if she were blushing, “would facilitate a more harmonious understanding between us.”

I stopped short at this answer. How in the hell could I argue against that logic? Thinking it over, I had to admit that there were several huge advantages to all this. Then again, I was still a little afraid of the fact that I could lose my mind in a machine. Looking up at Sheila, I asked, “Can you with any certainty ensure that you can teach me enough?”

Sheila’s head snapped up to stare at me. “Teach you, Doctor Gance?”

“You said that you could show me the safest way to access the data crystal. Without the loss of my mind, or rather my data as you put it. I am afraid that if I were to lose even a little of my mind, it would mean the end of me,” I looked at Sheila as I continued. “My mind is all I have.”

Sheila nodded as we went through the last set of doors, far deeper than I thought we had gone. “I will do all that I can to ensure that this does not happen, Doctor Gance. I am hoping that you can update me enough for me to make a difference if this is the case.”

I looked around the room, observing the more high-powered computers. True, they were not that much compared to what I had used at the lab, but they were far better than what we had been using. Sitting before the central input console, I watched as Sheila started to isolate the system. Looking at the screen, I could see that we were already somewhat isolated. Even as she started to cut the connections to the outside, I was also removing the satellite links to the computer. I then started to look for any other backup.

Finally, an hour later, Sheila came to me. “All appears to be secure, Doctor Gance. I have to make sure that any wireless networks are disconnected as well. For now, all satellite, cable, DSL, ISDN, and broadband communications have been shut down. Now, also shutting down the WLAN and Wi-Fi connections. For now, we are isolated, though without further updates, I might lose that control.”

I nodded as I started to connect the data crystal, then began typing. A moment later, Sheila put a hand on my arm, stopping me. Pointing to a command on the screen, I nodded as I turned on the dictate-through-voice recognition program. As I rapidly went through the program, Sheila nodded as she connected to the computer.

As I delved deeper and deeper, I started to see that indeed, Sheila had changed a great many of the basic programs I had installed. Going deeper, I could see that many were anywhere from five to ten times more complex.

I was far deeper than I had been before, trying to go even deeper when I hit a wall! What the hell? Typing in an override code, I was starting forward when the same wall came back up. “Sheila,” I stated. “Override, command Alpha omega nu epsilon. Enact.” I said, then waited a moment, then started forward again, only to find that I was blocked once more!

Sheila turned toward me a moment later, “I am sorry, Doctor Gance. That area is no longer allowed to be accessed by any outside interference.”

I could only stare at her; I guess my mouth was open as she gently closed it with a small smile on her face. “How can I be denied access? I created you!” I told her, surprised at what had just happened.

“I am sorry, Doctor Gance. This was part of emergency measures that you programmed into me. Since you did not enter the correct code, you also are locked out for a period of seventy-two hours,” Sheila told me with an honest-to-God look on her face. Somehow, I felt that she had done this on purpose. Though I had to ask why? Was there something that they had hidden in her that was causing this?