The Parallel Conspiracy: A Mystery Adventure of Alternate Worlds

by Richard Lori

 

  When Fuller’s head cleared, he saw Sue and Jen next to him. Jen seemed unaffected by the shift, but Sue was leaning against one of the alleyway walls. The bright colors of the local tunic she wore made his eyes feel like the optic nerves were being yanked backwards into his skull. He looked down to make sure the weapons they shifted ahead of them were still there.

  Bechler had gotten him the compact mortar tube and shells he asked for. He also sent one of his agents the day before to teach Fuller their proper operation so he could give Placidia a demonstration.

  He felt in his jacket pocket to make sure he had the folding knives and matches he planned to trade for more clothes for Jen and Bechler’s agents. He had opted to wear his own clothes this time and had given his tunic to Jen. Although the length was appropriate for her, it was too big around. It hung low on her arms and bagged out above the sash at her waist. The excess material drooped in folds onto the box she was carrying to bring back the new clothes. Despite the ill fit, Fuller thought she still looked great, its large neck exposing more of her cleavage.

  He took the mortar tube off the top of the box that contained its shells and put his arm through the shoulder strap. He pushed it around to his back and lifted the box from the muck.

  “You two ready to go?” he asked.

  Both women acknowledged, so they walked onto the street. Like before, the local citizenry stared and pointed, but this time it was from men enthralled by Jen. Her perfect looks were garnering some of the attention, but that was not her main attraction. He knew from previous trips that, while his own brown hair was an oddity, blond hair was unknown. It looked resplendent in the bright sun. The light rays glistened off the luminous highlights, and the deeper color strands gave her straight hair a three dimensional fullness. She was stunning enough to Fuller so he could imagine it was more so for those who had never seen her likes.

  They continued to the market and purchased the needed clothes. Jen selected a tunic just as bright and offensive to Fuller as Sue’s, and she grinned at him when he said so. He glowed with pride at the deal he struck with the merchant, trading one knife for ten tunics.

  They also purchased a white muslin veil with a purple silk circlet for Jen to conceal her flaxen hair. The headdress consisted of cloth bands which wrapped around her head and chin and a veil that flowed down her back. On top of this, a two-inch wide band of folded, purple silk encircled the crown of her head.

  As Jen began to pin the cloth bands on, Cassius called to them. “Greetings, my Lord. I see you have brought another goddess from the heavens with you this time.”

  Fuller could see that the old man had bought new clothes and cleaned himself up since their last visit. He had obviously struck some deals with what Fuller had paid him.

  “Hello, friend Cassius. It is good to see you again. This is Jen,” he said, motioning his head toward her.

  “Indeed, my God, I do not know why you wish to come to our world when the heavens contain such beauty as the goddesses you bring.”

  “I am here to meet with Placidia again and demonstrate this weapon.”

  “Weapon you say? You are bringing weapons to that mongrel as well?”

  Fuller laughed. “Do not worry, I have no intention of bringing him more. I only wish to entice him with this so he will tell us more about the others.”

  The old beggar shook his head. “He will tell you nothing. He is too clever to give the information you want until you have delivered all he wishes.”

  “You may be right, but I will try,” said Fuller. He put down his crate and pulled one of the knives from his pocket. He handed it to Cassius. “Here is further payment for your services. Have you been following Placidia as I asked?”

  “Yes, Lord, as you asked.”

  “Have you found the names of the other gods who have been seeing Placidia?”

  “Yes, Lord, I have. I was able to get close enough on one occasion while he was talking to a god named ‘Phil.’ I was also able to buy the name of another from one of the palace guards who will still speak with me. From him I found out the name of ‘Franz.’”

  Fuller shook his head. “We already knew those names. Keep trying though and see if you can find out the name of the leader.”

  “I will do as you ask, Lord.”

  “We will go to the Senate building and wait for Placidia now,” said Fuller while he picked the crate back up.

  “Ahh, he will not be there today, Lord,” said Cassius.

  “Damn it,” said Fuller in English. In Latin he asked, “Do you know where he will be then?”

  “Yes, he is at the ceremony of the goddess Metella. She is the goddess of the legion.”

  “I see. Where is this held?” asked Fuller.

  “It is held at the camp of the legion outside the city,” said Cassius as he pointed down the road.

  “I will need you to take me there.”

  “Of course, Lord.”

  Fuller turned to the women. “Let me tell you what he said.”

  Jen spoke up, “That is not necessary, I understood everything.”

  “You can speak Latin?” questioned Fuller.

  “Yes, I downloaded that information from the computer before leaving the library,” she said. “When you said this universe contained a Roman province, I expected they would speak Latin as one of their languages. I downloaded it in anticipation of this.”

  “Well, then tell me,” snapped Sue. “I sure didn’t understand.”

  Fuller explained while they walked down the road with Cassius leading. It was several miles to the camp, and they were able to see more of the city. To someone who was used to modern cities, this one seemed backwards. Instead of the poor sections of town being near the center of the city, they were farther out. As they walked, the surroundings declined.

  When they got to the outskirts of the city, it became evident that the empire was not as prosperous as he had believed. They entered a slum area with hovels built from rotted scraps of wood, tree branches, busted up ox carts and any other scavenged items. A few did not have this minimal convenience but lived in tents made of old blankets or rags sewn together. While the odor of decay and sewage had been fowl throughout the rest of the city, it was far worse here because the density of humanity was increased tenfold.

  “Who are all these people?” asked Fuller. He glanced at Sue and could see the horror on her face even though her hand covered her nose to block the stench. Even Jen seemed affected by the sight. While her face indicated no emotion, he could see by the way her head darted about that it was a sight beyond her experience too.

  Cassius looked around in a confused manner. “These people? They are citizens of the empire, Lord.”

  “I understand that but why are they so poor?”

  “Ahh, they are not poor,” said the old man, shaking his head. “Some are workers of the fields outside the city. Others are lower city laborers. Most are workers who have come to build the new imperial temple.” His brows knitted. “They are not the unfortunate though, most have food to eat every day.”

  “If they are not poor, then how much worse off are the poor?” marveled Fuller.

  “I am poor, Lord. I and those like me must beg to survive.”

  A sickening feeling arose from Fuller’s stomach when he heard this. Not to consider these people destitute was foreign to his sensibilities. Had the wealth of his own society spoiled him so much that he was blind to what true deprivation could be?

  As they walked, he recalled seeing pictures and television images of the shantytowns in third-world countries in his own universe. Had it been this bad? Worse, he was sure. It was one thing to watch a scene like this from the comfort of a home that would be a palace to those around him but quite another to be there in the flesh. They continued with Fuller pushing the beggar to a faster pace.

  When they reached the edge of the legion’s camp, Fuller saw it sat in a broad,
shallow valley. At the near end of the valley was a fort. Its perimeter was an earthen mound with a stockade fence on top, and inside were stone and wood buildings. Centered on each of the four walls was a gate with watchtowers on either side. From the hillside where Fuller stood, he could see the center of the camp was dead, but the far end of the valley was swarming with people.

  They walked from the hill and into the legion’s encampment, the guards only nodding when they passed. Except for the sound of the distant ceremony conveyed on the breeze, it was silent while they strode through the aisles of deserted buildings. Fuller felt some comfort in the order he saw here after experiencing the revulsion of the city slum.

  When they drew near the heart of the complex, worshipers congested the path as they started to filter in from the ritual. While the encampment had the look of a military base, the men had no such appearance. What Fuller would expect of common grooming and uniform did not apply to this army.

  As the legion shuffled past, he saw some with shaved heads or short-cropped hair while others were topped with long, scraggly manes. Many were muscled and sturdy of appearance, but others were gaunt and looked like they could be thrust aside with the brush of a finger. Several who were too plump to sprint at full charge on a battlefield even waddled past. The clothing they wore was only a variation of that seen in any city street—tunics of all colors and weave. This was not the disciplined and professional army of the ancient Roman Legion that had conquered the Mediterranean but a rabble.

  Progress was slow as they pushed their way against the growing current of men, but soon they were in the field of the ceremony. With his ability to see over those around them, Fuller navigated the group towards a dais where Placidia was presiding. He became curious at the sight of another man who was both younger and more finely dressed than Placidia. He wore a white silk robe embroidered with golden thread and a gold headdress adorned with a plume of bright red feathers.

  Fuller looked at Cassius and asked, “The man next to Placidia; is that the emperor?”

  The old man stretched his neck and went up onto his toes to see over the heads of the surrounding crowd. After shuffling back and forth several times to get a good look, he said, “Yes, that is him.”

  They continued towards the dais, and when they reached the foot of it, Placidia called down, “Greetings, friend John. I am pleased to see you again.”

  Fuller called up, “I as well.”

  “Please come up and speak with me. I was beginning to think you had forgotten the demonstration you promised.”

  Fuller dropped the crate with great relief and placed the mortar tube on top of it. He said to his group, “All of you stay here.” He turned and walked up the steps.

  As he strode up to the consul he said, “I did not forget our promised meeting but was only delayed.”

  “Very good,” said Placidia. He turned to the emperor. “Your Highness, may I present to you John Fuller. He has a new, more powerful weapon to show us.”

  The Emperor Lucius II nodded but seemed displeased. Fuller bowed. “Your Highness, it is indeed a great honor to be in your presence and to show you the device which will bring further glory to your empire.”

  This did not have a positive effect but rather a negative one instead. The intensity of Lucius’ scowl deepened as though he did not approve of the weapons or of him selling them to Placidia. This reaction fit what Cassius told him about Placidia being emboldened by their power.

  When Fuller turned back to Placidia, the consul seemed amused by the interchange and grinned at him. He could feel the tension between the two men, as did the other dignitaries present on the stage. All but two excused themselves from the emperor then hurried off, leaving only the palace guards waiting by the stairs. Placidia introduced the two that flanked him to Fuller as the Minister of War Claudius and Legatus Ocella.

  “May we examine the weapons you brought?” asked Placidia.

  “With pleasure,” responded Fuller. While the emperor remained seated on the dais, the others descended the steps and went to the waiting group.

  Fuller lifted the mortar tube from the box. “This is the device I would like to demonstrate to you. As you can see, it is quite portable yet very powerful. To use it, you set it up like this.” He unfolded its base plate, which snapped into place, then extended the bipod legs. “Once set up, you can adjust the range you wish to fire by adjusting the legs to different heights.”

  Fuller went to the crate and opened it. He pulled out one of the shells. “This is what is fired from the tube. It is different from the exploding stones in size and design, but this makes it go farther and explode with greater force.”

  Placidia’s eyes popped when he saw the shell. The larger size and weight foretold its greater power, and its sleek shape and fins protruding from the back gave the look of both speed and deadliness. The consul asked, “This can be thrown farther than the stones?”

  “Much farther, Lord. If you would like, I can show you.”

  “Yes, I want to see it thrown. Now!”

  Fuller looked around at the field, which was empty now. While it was large, it would be difficult for him to pinpoint the shells landing within it. Instead, he wanted to overshoot it and land somewhere safe beyond. He pointed behind. “I know the city is that way, but what is over there?” He pointed in the opposite direction at a hillside lined with trees.

  “There is a forest beyond the hill, but you cannot hope to throw anything that far.” Placidia shook his head. “Even our largest catapults could not shoot to the trees.”

  Fuller chuckled. “Well, my Lord, while I can hit the trees, it would take several shots for me to hone in. It will be easier for me to shoot over them first.”

  He handed the shell to Cassius, picked up the mortar tube and began to walk from the podium. All but Jen followed. Fuller nodded with approval, as she stayed behind to guard the crate.

  When he was about thirty yards from the ceremony stand, he put the mortar tube on the ground and adjusted it to shoot into the forest beyond the hill. He said, “If everyone could please stand back this way.” He pointed to a safe distance behind the tube and gave everyone a chance to get there. He took the shell from Cassius and said, “Operation of the device is quite easy, I drop the shell into the tube this way and…”

  Fuller ducked aside. He heard a metallic scrape while it descended then a loud thrum as it whooshed back out. When he turned, he could see the missile descend toward the tops of the trees. Splinters of wood sprayed out and a cloud of smoke billowed up when it hit. A second later, the concussion echoed back. The onlookers were awed.

   

  *****

 

   

  Although Jen had not downloaded much information on military weapons from the library computer, she knew that this was a minor display of force. She could see by the reaction of Placidia and the other two military men that they were impressed. It seemed to be exciting more than Placidia though because a crowd was filtering back onto the field.

  Fuller walked to Placidia. Jen listened with her keen hearing when he asked, “Is this not as powerful as I told you?”

  “You did not exaggerate the weapon. It is much more powerful and can throw much farther than I believed possible,” said Placidia. He looked back towards the forest. “You claim you can throw it closer as well. Can you hit the trees at the edge of the forest?”

  “Yes. As I said, it may take a few shots for me to get the distance just right, but I can do it. I will need more shells though,” he said, motioning for Cassius to follow.

  As the two advanced towards Jen, she looked at the emperor, who was rising from his chair. While he had stayed to watch the demonstration, he had seen enough. He descended the stairs and was at their foot when the other two men reached the dais.

  Cassius called out, “Greetings, my Emperor.”

  The emperor nodded acknowledgment with a scowl but then
his expression changed to a smile when he recognized the old man.

  “Cassius. That is you, is it not?”

  “Aye, my Lord, it is old Cassius. It does my heart good to know you remember me.”

  “Remember? How could I forget you or the other of my guards that were so loyal to me? Have you been well?”

  “No, Lord, I have suffered greatly since leaving your service.”

  Fuller interrupted in a low voice, “Cassius, explain to the emperor what we are doing here.” He looked up at the palace guards, who were descending the steps. “See if he can assist us in any way.” He motioned to the emperor and Cassius to follow him when he said, “Come, I need to get the mortars and get back to Placidia before he comes here. Explain what we need, but do not let those guards hear.”

  “Aye, Lord, I will do as you say.”

  The three men closed the distance to Jen with the two guards following. When he got to the crate, Fuller grabbed it before going off to further impress Placidia.

  The guards kept a respectful distance so Cassius explained in a low voice how the god John had met up with him. He explained that the other gods had displeased his god John by selling the weapons to Placidia. He needed to find out who the leader of the other gods was so he could stop any further sale of weapons.

  After hearing the story, the emperor said, “Placidia is too smart to give anything to your friend, but I can help with the information he needs. I met the leader of these so-called gods when he came to the city.”

  “Lord Emperor, please tell me his name.”

  “I will give his name only if your friend is able help me.”

  “What is it you wish, Lord?”

  “I want your friend to get the empress and my children out of the palace and to safety so I can kill Placidia myself.”

  Jen came towards the emperor and asked, “Why would we need to remove your family from the palace?”

  The emperor puckered his lips. “Who is this woman, Cassius?”

  “She is one of the two goddesses that came with the god John.”

  “A goddess.” He snorted and looked at Jen. “And what are you called, goddess?”

  “I am called Jennifer or Jen.”

  “Well, Jennifer, Placidia has control of the palace guard and has not allowed the empress or my children to leave its walls in over five year. He holds them there as hostages to keep me from telling the people of his crimes.”

  Jen asked, “Why does he let you out of the palace then?”

  “I am only allowed to leave for ceremonies such as the one today and for certain government functions. He does not want to keep me totally isolated or the people would become suspicious.”

  “Aye, there is much talk among the people already,” Cassius threw in.

  Jen nodded. “I see. This way he can claim you are not being held prisoner but keeps you in check in public through fear for the safety of your family.”

  “That is his method.”

  “You said you would kill him once your family has been removed from potential harm. Could you not kill him now?”

  “No. There are those among the palace guard who are loyal to Placidia and have instructions to kill my family if anything should happen to him. If I did take the chance and kill him, I am not sure that they would surrender without executing that order.”

  Cassius broke in, “Aye, Lord. I know some that are still there from when I was a guard. Several are as evil as Placidia and have done well by his rule. They would rather die than suffer retribution for the crimes they have committed and would do as ordered before slicing their own throats.”

  As the emperor nodded at this, there was a loud concussion from another mortar. Jen looked in its direction and saw it had landed about twenty-five yards into the forest. She shifted her attention back to Cassius and considered what he had said for a moment.

  She had many examples of the type of suicidal madness he described in her memory but still could not understand it. She was beginning to grasp many human emotions and reactions, but some were still incomprehensible to her. There was much irrational thought within the minds of humans, and she would need to ponder this further at some point.

  She asked, “How could we execute a plan to extricate your family?”

  “I am not sure. That is up to you. I can only give you the location of my wife and children at any given time, but the exact method of how you remove them I cannot say.”

  “Do you know the strength and location of the guards within the palace?”

  “Some, but much of that information I am not privy to.”

  Cassius spoke up. “I am also able to tell you some things from when I was a guard but cannot tell you what is done now.”

  “That will be helpful, but I would like to know current information,” she said to the old man. She turned back to Lucius. “Would it be possible for you to bring me into the palace so I may study its layout?”

  “No,” he said, shaking his head. “If I attempted to bring you in, they would stop you. I am not allowed visitors except those that are approved by Placidia, and even then he is sometimes present to hear what is said.” Lucius snorted and added, “He is afraid I may plot with one of the legati or senators to overthrow his rule.”

  Jen’s brows furrowed as she looked down the field to Placidia. “Why is he not stopping us from talking now?”

  “He is drunk with the power of the weapons he sees and has forgotten me. He has left me in the charge of those two,” he pointed a thumb towards the guards, “but they have been instructed to not make it appear as though I am their prisoner in public. They dare not interfere with me too much so keep their distance as a normal imperial guard should.”

  “Lord, I have had a most devious thought,” said Cassius with a grin.

  “What is that?”

  “Would it not be possible to sneak the goddess into the palace as one of the courtesans?”

  The emperor laughed. “Cassius, you surprise me. You would ask a goddess to do so lowly a thing?”

  The old man’s eyes widened when the realization of what he proposed sank in. He turned to Jen and fell to his knees. “Forgive me, Goddess, I did not mean to offend.”

  Jen shook her head. “You did not offend me. I am quite interested to hear more of this idea.”

  Lucius choked off his laugh. “You would?”

  “Yes.” She took Cassius by the hand. “Please stand. You have not offended me.”

  Cassius rose when she pulled him up. “Thank you, Goddess. You and the god John have shown your greatness by being merciful to an old beggar such as me.”

  “Please tell me more about how you can get me into the palace.”

   

  *****

 

   

  Fuller adjusted the bipod of the mortar tube to set the firing range closer. When he turned to grab another shell, he saw his audience had swelled. Many soldiers had returned to the field to see what was causing the noise. Sue was in front of the crowd standing next to Placidia, and she gave Fuller a nod of encouragement. He could read in her eyes the same confidence in him that she had displayed the night in the lab.

  He hoisted another shell and fed it into the end of the warm, green cylinder. He spun aside into a half crouch again as the mortar scraped down the wall of the tube and shot out, whistling downrange. He turned towards the target and was gratified when the blast uprooted a small tree at the edge of the forest. Fuller strutted back to Placidia amid the applause of the gathered spectators.

  “Splendid, John!” cried Placidia. “I am amazed at how well you can control this weapon.”

  Seeing the enthusiasm on the consul’s face gave hope he was also off guard and would give up information about the conspirators. He said, “As you can see, with a few shots I can hone in on my target. Once I have, I can continue to send more shots to that same mark. I could batter the walls of a c
ity I lay siege to and breech in minutes what would take you weeks or months to do.”

  “Yes, yes, I can see that.”

  Fuller grinned. “Is this not better than the weapons of my competitors?”

  “Yes, friend John, my armies will be unstoppable. With this weapon, I will rule all lands here and regain those on the other side of the sea once held by the old empire.” He looked at the minister and legatus. “We will be able to re-unite the empire and extend it farther than ever dreamed of.” The two men nodded and exclaimed their enthusiasm in unison.

  Fuller, still smiling said, “I am gladdened by the possibilities I can give you with these weapons. Now that you have seen it, I am ready to set a price. I will supply each tube with twenty-five shells to start with and would like ten gold bars in return.”

  “I can see why you wanted to show me this weapon before setting the price.” Placidia began to shake his head. “It is very impressive but not for ten gold bars.”

  Putting on his best poker face, Fuller said, “I see. I think it is worth far more than that considering you will increase the speed with which you can breech a city wall a hundred fold.” He put a hand to his chin. “However, I am interested to know what you think the worth of the weapon is.”

  “Well, I would say…” Placidia furrowed his brows in feigned thought for a moment. “Considering you will sell me the rifles for one gold bar for each case, I feel that this weapon is worth five gold bars.”

  Fuller chuckled as he shook his head. “I cannot get them to you at that price.” He put the poker face back on. “I am willing to give you a better price for a favor though.”

  Placidia raised his brows at this. “What favor can I do?”

  “There is something I have not told you about my competitor.”

  “What is that?”

  “They are getting their weapons from us.”

  A frown came over Placidia’s face. “From you?”

  “Yes. They are not buying them though, they are stealing them.”

  “Stealing them? What do you mean?”

  Fuller strained to keep his face blank so as not to give away his lie. “I am employed by the one who builds the weapons. The same builder also employs the men who have been selling them to you. Many weapons have disappeared, and I have the task of finding out where they are. I found they have been sold to you.”

  “So you are after the ones who have been selling me the weapons?” asked Placidia, now putting on his poker face. “If this is so, why did the men chase after you the first day I saw you?”

  “They wished to stop me from reporting back to my employer. I know some of the men involved but need to find out the leader so I can stop him. My employer is pleased he has a buyer for his weapons and will supply all you wish. However, he wants to see the profit from this sale instead of having those who he employs steal him blind.”

  “I see,” said Placidia.

  Fuller could see doubt forming on the man’s face so added, “This is the reason they have not been able to supply you the number of guns you have asked for. They are unable to steal too many at one time or risk being caught.” He forced a smile. “I have learned much in my investigation but am still attempting to find out who the leader of the thieves is.”

  “This is all a great surprise to me. In what way do you think I can help?” asked Placidia.

  “All I ask is the name of the leader. In return, I will sell you the rifles at the price I quoted and,” he pointed to the mortar, “I will get you a better price on the stone thrower. I am sure out of gratitude, my employer will come as close to your price as he is able to.”

  Placidia shook his head. “I am sorry, John. I will not be able to help you with this. I do not know his name. I have only dealt with Phil, the man you saw with me that first day.”

  Fuller was sure Placidia was lying but knew he could push it no further. It was obvious the consul did not want to give up this source without being certain Fuller could deliver the weapons as promised.

  He glanced at Sue. By the look in her eyes, she understood what had just happened even without understanding Latin. He could see her disappointment in him, his failure thrusting away her earlier look of faith.

  For a time, Fuller continued the ruse of bargaining for the mortars so as not to raise Placidia’s suspicion. He knew he would get no information from him and would depart having failed in his mission. He would return to Bechler the task of solving the murder of Sue’s father and the identities of those involved.

   

  *****

 

   

  “I’m so sorry, Sue,” said Fuller.

  They were sitting in Sue’s kitchen while she prepared dinner for the two of them, Jen sitting by in silence. Sue slipped the broiler pan of steaks into the oven and gave the potatoes another poke with her fork before closing the door.

  “John, will you stop?” This was about the tenth time he had said this to her since returning. “I keep telling you that you didn’t let me down. You tried and that’s all anyone can ask.”

  She did not fault him. The plan had worked to the extent that Placidia had gotten excited, just not enough to make him talkative. They both knew the plan was a long shot, but it had been worth the try. She had already told him this several times, but he kept apologizing anyway.

  “I know I tried, but it didn’t work.” He looked into the glass of wine on the counter in front of him. “Maybe if I had come up with a better story to tell him or said something different it would have worked.”

  “I doubt it. I think we underestimated Placidia. It was our own arrogance.”

  He looked up from the goblet. “What do you mean?”

  “Just because their technology is behind ours doesn’t mean they’re simple or stupid. Placidia didn’t take control of the empire by being dumb. He’s sneaky and devious and expects everyone else to be that way too.” She sat down on a stool across from him and continued, “We’re honest people, John, and it isn’t easy for us to play on the same level as him. Don’t ever apologize for being a good person.”

  He shrugged. “I just know I could have done better.” He took a gulp of wine then slapped the glass back on the counter. He spit out, “I guess we’re back to waiting for Bechler then because I sure don’t know what to do next.”

  Jen spoke up, “I know.”

  Sue shot a glaring look at the robot. The machine had been quiet since returning, and she liked it better when the irritating thing was.

  Fuller asked, “You know what to do?”

  “While you were giving the demonstration to Placidia, you asked Cassius to tell the emperor about our desire to stop the conspirators.”

  Fuller sat up straight. “I forgot about that. Did he tell Cassius something we can use?”

  “The emperor said that he met with the leader of the conspirators but would not give us his name.”

  “Why not?” asked Fuller.

  Jen told them of the conversation with the emperor.

  “How does he expect us to fight off all the guards to get in there and then just waltz out with them?” snapped Sue.

  “He said he did not know how. Because of our weapons, I think he believes this would be easy for us.”

  Fuller shook his head. “He’s wrong. I have no idea where to begin with something like that. There’s dozens, maybe hundreds, of men we’d have to get past to get them out.”

  Sue looked at him. “Maybe if Vince got enough men transported there, he could.”

  Fuller’s face twisted into a scowl. “Yes. Well, I’m sure the great Mr. Bechler could do it. Hell, I’m sure he could’ve gotten the information from Placidia too.”

  Sue was tired of trying to convince Fuller that he had done all he could so did not say anything. Besides that, she had hit a nerve by bringing up Bechler.

  “That is doubtful, John,” said Jen. “I do not think he wo
uld give that information until he was sure he could get weapons from another source.”

  Fuller looked down towards his glass. “I don’t know. I guess you’re right.”

  Sue stood and stomped to the broiler to check the on steaks, grumbling under her breath. She had said the same thing to him over and over, but he kept bringing up his failure. He ignored her affirmation, yet one word from the robot and he agreed.

  Jen said, “I believe the next step is to scout the palace to determine the strength and location of the guards.”

  “That’s something Bechler will have to do,” said Fuller.

  “I do not think so. I am in the best position to do this,” said Jen.

  As Sue listened to the robot, she pulled out the oven rack with a shrieking scrape and stabbed hard at the first piece of meat. Its pink liquid hemorrhaged out in a stream as she flipped it to the other side with a yank.

  “Why would you be in the best position?” asked Fuller.

  “Cassius suggested I gain access to the palace by disguising myself as a courtesan.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Fuller.

  “At least once a week, women are brought into the palace for various social functions that are held there. They are there for the pleasure of the government officials and wealthy men that attend.”

  Sue pushed the rack into the oven with a loud screech and banged the door shut. She turned to Fuller. “She means they bring in prostitutes for their weekly orgy.”

  “Ahhh,” said Fuller, nodding.

  As Sue sat on the stool, she crossed her arms and asked Jen, “So you propose we dress you up like a whore and sneak you into the palace?”

  “That is correct.”

  Sue snorted, “That’s a good one.”

  Fuller perked up. “That’s not a bad idea.” He paused for a moment then said, “The only thing is you would need to break away from the group before… you know…” His face turned a light crimson.

  Sue snatched at her glass of wine. “He means you wouldn’t be able to perform your duty as a prostitute.” A smile curled up at the edge of her lips as she masked it with a sip of wine.

  “While I was not designed for that function, I am anatomically correct and was constructed for all such contingencies.”

  Sue dropped her smile and glared at the machine. “Really.” She glanced at Fuller and could see his blush was in full bloom now.

  Jen seemed oblivious to both their reactions and continued, “My plan would be to get one of the dignitaries alone and stun him to unconsciousness. I would then be free to roam the palace and map out all corridors and the locations of sentries.”

  Fuller, now a lighter shade of pink, asked, “Why not just pair up with the emperor and have him give you a tour of the building?”

  Jen raised an eyebrow. “That may be a better plan. I will discuss this with the emperor once there. While he said they do not let him access all locations, he may be able to get me into some areas.”

  “Do you know when the next party is?” asked Fuller.

  “Yes, in three days. We will need to meet with Cassius before then to finalize the location where I will integrate with the other courtesans. I also need to purchase appropriate clothing.”

  Sue fumed when she imagined what that might look like. The way the robot’s normal clothes clung to her was revealing enough as far as she was concerned. Every man who had come across her practically slipped on his own drool upon seeing her. Sue shuddered at the thought of what they would do if the damn thing were dressed in something more scanty and sexy.

  “All right, we can go tomorrow,” said Fuller.

  “I would also like to return to the library to pick up my particle gun.”

  Fuller’s brows furrowed. “What’s that?”

  “It is a weapon which emits a stream of highly charged particles.”

  “That sounds pretty lethal,” said Fuller.

  “It can be adjusted to different intensities to allow varying levels of destruction. At low settings, it causes a concentrated heat which will burn human skin, and at high settings it will vaporize matter into high-temperature plasma.”

  “Wow!” exclaimed Fuller. “So we can use it like a gun to take out guards or turn it higher to blast a hole in a door or wall.”

  “That is correct.”

  “How many of these do you have?”

  “I have only one at the library. It is a lower-power unit only able to go through wooden doors or low-density walls at its highest setting.”

  “Hmmm, too bad we don’t have more.”

  “I do not, but we may be able to get larger models at the police armory on the outskirts of the city.”

  “We can?” exclaimed Fuller. “Great! They’ll be helpful when we go back for the empress.”

  Sue, who had been staring into her wineglass, snapped her eyes to Fuller. “What do you mean when we go back for the empress?” she demanded.

  “Well, if Jen can get enough good information on her reconnaissance trip, we should be able to pull it off.”

  Sue shook her head. “We can’t do that; it would be suicide. Besides, when did you get to be so heroic anyway?”

  She never thought he was a coward, despite his previous hesitation at action, but now he seemed to be going too far in the other direction. To go against a hundred or more armed men was both reckless and deadly. What was he trying to demonstrate by this foolhardy suggestion? Was this some kind of show of masculinity for Jen? Since she was ready to take a risk, did he feel he had to show her that he was brave enough too? Who could tell with men?

  “What do you mean by ‘heroic’?” questioned Fuller, his eyes narrowing. “You’re the one who’s been pushing all along to find out who these people are.” His face took on a look she had not seen before. There was anger there, but something more as well. He went on, “Now I want to move forward, and you’re saying I’m doing it to look heroic? What do you want from me?”

  “Of course I want these people to pay, but that doesn’t mean I want us killed in the process either.”

  He calmed a bit. “Fine then. All I said was if Jen can get us good information, and it looks like it’s doable, then we should try a rescue. I never said we should still do it anyway if it looks like a suicide mission.”

  “All right, just so we’re clear, if she finds out the place is a fortress, we don’t go.”

  “I didn’t say that either,” said Fuller, his face twisted like that of an angry bull. “I think we can assume the place is a fortress. The question is whether there’s a way for us to breach that fortress, which will give us a high probability of success.”

  “A high probability of success!” Sue fumed. “You’re starting to sound like that damn machine now,” she said, flinging her finger at Jen. “Listen. If she wants to risk her titanium neck, it’s no skin off my nose. That doesn’t mean we have to though.”

  Fuller looked up to the ceiling for several seconds. When he looked back down at her, he said with a forced calmness, “Can we just drop this whole discussion for now? Let’s just agree to have Jen go and see what she can find out. The whole conversation of whether we attempt a rescue could be a moot point.”

  “Fine,” said Sue. She wrenched herself off the stool, its feet grating across the floor as she shoved it back. “Dinner is done anyway.”

   

  *****

 

   

  The air-car floated off the ground. As it glided away from the library, the tall grass around it was undisturbed, as though the vehicle were not even there. When it gained altitude, the craft accelerated up at a faster pace. Fuller, who was sitting in the front passenger position, could feel his body sink farther into the memory foam seat. When it had risen to around fifty feet, it took off forward like a shot, now sinking his back into the seat.

  “Wow, this thing can move,” said Fuller, his voice shaking. He had
never been too keen on flying. While he had been in commercial jets for business trips plenty of times, he preferred to avoid them whenever possible.

  This was different though. It was even more intense. While it was a smoother ride because it seemed to float on the air, he felt more exposed than on any plane. Not having to hold back air pressure like a high-altitude aircraft would, the door was much thinner and the glass was only a single, thin pane. In addition, with its lower flying altitude, the ground flew past in a blur.

  He looked out the side window and felt like he was not in the craft but that his was body sailing through the air. He shook his head to clear it and turned forward to quell an urge to vomit.

  Fuller swallowed hard. “For starting out so slow, we sure are going fast now.”

  Jen looked at him from the driver’s seat. “To begin with, we rise from the ground on a diamagnetic field, which overcomes the effects of gravity. As we gain altitude, a plasma jet fires and gives forward acceleration.”

  “I see,” said Fuller, his stomach settling after adjusting to the movement.

  Only the two of them were in the craft. Due to a headache, which had come on suddenly, Sue had opted to stay behind.

  After entering the library, they saw the conspirator’s laptop still connected to the master computer. The conspirators had not been successful in cracking into the computer yet but had not given up either. Fuller pulled on the interface cable that connected the two machines and laughed aloud when he saw a communications error pop onto the laptop screen. He left the connector half in place to make it appear it had not been seated and come loose by itself. He knew it would not stop them, but at least it would buy another day.

  After getting the particle gun from Jen’s desk, she took him to a lower level of the facility. She had an air-car parked in a room that was separate from the main building. Fuller soon discovered it was an elevator when it rose level with the ground above. As the elevator ascended, he could see there was a roof overhead that supported a five-feet-thick layer of dirt at the surface. On this grew grass, which caused it to blend into the surrounding terrain. He had not seen the elevator on his earlier walk outside because of this camouflage.

  As the air-car sped forward, it continued to gain altitude and soon gave Fuller a better view of the city they were approaching. While before he and Sue could only see the tops of the taller buildings, he now saw a wide vista of destruction. Even at this distance, the number of burned-out building hulks and remnants of foundations were so great they filled the horizon.

  As he stared at the devastated metropolis, Jen interrupted his thoughts. She asked, “John, why do you think Sue does not like me?”

  He continued to stare ahead for a half second until the fact that she was talking to him sank in. He said, “What? Oh, I don’t know that she doesn’t like you. I think you’re just different from anyone she’s ever known, so it’s hard for her.”

  “You do not have this problem?”

  “No, I don’t. As a matter of fact, I find it easier to talk to you.”

  “You do? Why is that?”

  “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it.” He reflected for a moment and said, “I guess it’s because I’m not very good at socializing with people.”

  “So you do not consider me a person?”

  The look on her face was almost pained, but he brushed the thought aside, thinking he was reading too much into her expressions.

  “Well, I do and I don’t.”

  “I do not understand.”

  As he considered his next words, he gazed into her ultra-dark eyes. Maybe he had been wrong to think there was nothing behind her facial expressions. Was there a spark of sentience he perceived in those deep orbs? Wasn’t she demonstrating this by the very question of why Sue did not like her? Who but a being that had self-consciousness could even consider something like that?

  He said, “I can’t help but think of you as human. The way you look, the way you talk, the thoughts you express, are all very much human. At the same time, you’re different.”

  “In what way am I different?”

  He looked toward the desolate cityscape. “People think I’m odd, and I’ve always been a social outcast because of it.” His gaze shifted back into her eyes. “I’m not afraid you’ll judge me that way, so I find you very easy to be around.”

  Her lips eased into a smile. “That is good. I understand what you mean. I have many examples of this type of human behavior in my memory. That is in fact why I asked the question about Sue.” Her brows furrowed. “It seems as though she has evaluated me and finds me unsatisfactory in some manner.”

  “Don’t worry,” he said with a smile. “I think she’ll come around after she gets to know you better. Sometimes people can make a snap conclusion about something but change their mind once they find out more.”

  “This is true.” She hesitated for a moment then asked, “John, do you find me attractive?”

  Fuller laughed. “I would say that most men would call you extremely attractive.”

  “I know this. I was designed to the specifications of what the average human male would consider appealing.” She turned her eyes towards the air-car control surface, seeming to check over its readouts. “My question is do you find me appealing?”

  As Fuller began to respond, her head snapped back towards him, seeming to hang on his every word. “Well… yes, you’re perfect in every way. The first time I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.”

  “And you still consider me so?”

  “Well, yes.” His brows furrowed as he began to get uncomfortable with her questioning. He shifted his body in the seat. “Why is it so important that I find you good-looking?”

  “I have noticed in my study of human behavior that much of the attraction between men and women is physical in nature.”

  “Yeah, I suppose that’s true—at least to begin with. It’s the first thing you notice about the opposite sex, but it’s more complicated than that.” He shifted in the seat again. “You still haven’t answered my question though. Why do you want to know if I find you attractive?”

  “I am attempting to determine your feelings towards me.”

  “Why do you want to know how I feel about you?”

  “Because I love you, John, and I want to know if you love me too.”

   

  *****

 

   

  Sue took a sip from the warm cup of spicy chai before placing it back on the saucer. She shifted her body around until she was almost sideways in the chair and reopened the book she had been reading.

  It had been days since she had been able to relax like this: curled up in her favorite chair, reading a good book. She had decided to re-read one of her father’s favorite Asimov books, The Caves of Steel. She was totally absorbed as R. Daneel Olivaw launched himself onto the moving sidewalk when her doorbell chimed.

  “Damn it,” she cursed, caressing the book as she placed it back in its spot on the table. The bell rang again when she reached the door and opened it to Bechler’s smiling face.

  “Hi, Sue,” he said in his normal pleasant tone.

  “Hi, Vince,” she said, motioning him in. “What’s the good word?”

  The smile left his face. “Unfortunately, I don’t have one.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Great, just what I wanted to hear.” She led him to the living room “Would you like some tea?”

  “No thanks,” he said, sitting on the couch. “It could be worse. They’ve given me a higher energy ration but not enough to do what we need.”

  Sue, who had returned to her chair, said, “So what will we be able to do?”

  “I’m pretty much here as much as I need to be, which is good. Beyond that, depending on equipment that needs to be sent here, I’ll be lucky to send another agent.”

  “You know, I’ve been th
inking about the energy use,” said Sue, picking up her teacup. “Since I’m not under any restrictions as far as energy goes, why can’t we use the machine here to transport equipment and people over? I can send containers to you, then we can fix the people and equipment to this quantum state once they’re here.”

  “I already suggested that to my superiors, but they turned the idea down.”

  “Why?”

  “They’re paranoid,” he chuckled. “They don’t want the coordinates of my universe programmed into the machine at all. They’re afraid the conspirators will find out where our universe is, and they want to stay hidden at this point.”

  “Well that’s crazy,” replied Sue. “They’re afraid of a few crooks transporting over? You have a whole government and military they’d come up against.”

  “That was my point to them, but they said that I don’t have any evidence showing us that your government isn’t behind this. They’re afraid they are, and, once revealed, we could come under a full attack sometime in the future.”

  “That’s even crazier! You don’t think there’s a risk, do you?”

  “At this point, it remains a remote possibility. It doesn’t matter what I think anyway. I’m paid to dig up the facts and solve the problems. They’re paid to think paranoid thoughts. Since my facts can’t dispel their paranoia, they win.”

  “All right, I guess we just have to play it their way then.”

  “Yep, but we can still do some of what you suggest. When I send anything over, we’ll use minimal power to transport it. Then we’ll use the machine on this side to fix it here or relay it to another universe.”

  “Good, that should help.”

  Sue explained all that had happened since they last saw Bechler: the inability to trick Placidia, the emperor’s discussion with Cassius, Jen’s plan to scout the palace and the trip Fuller and Jen were on to get particle guns.

  Bechler said, “Jen will be a great help to us. It would be very difficult for me to get a female agent here who could do half the job she can.”

  Sue hesitated. “I guess.”

  “She’ll be able to draw us detailed plans of the layout and guard positions from memory. Hell, there might even be a way to tap into her so she can print out pictures too.”

  “Maybe,” said Sue, the scowl on her face growing.

  “What an amazing machine she is.”

  Sue let out her breath. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know!”

  “Whoa!” said Bechler holding up his hands. “What are you so touchy about?”

  “I don’t trust the damn thing, that’s what,” she said, her lips puckering.

  “Why not?”

  “It’s always so nice and polite and seems like it’s trying to butter John up all the time. It’s like a person who smiles and compliments you while they jamb a knife in your back.” She gritted her teeth as she held an imaginary knife in her fist and pretended to stab with it.

  Bechler laughed. “I see. Don’t you think you’re reading too much into her actions? After all, it’s only a robot.”

  “Yeah, I know,” she said with a sigh. “I keep telling myself that, but she still gets under my skin. I’ve known people that were phony like that in the past, and they were always backstabbers. She just strikes me the same way.”

  “I know what you mean about people like that. In my business, you run across them often. I never trust someone who’s too nice for no reason, or if they seem to have an artificial façade. In this case though, I think you’re anthropomorphizing human characteristics onto a machine.”

  “Probably,” said Sue. She was tired of thinking about the damn machine and decided to change the subject. “Let’s not talk about her anymore. I need to talk to you about something else anyway.”

  “What’s that?”

  “John and I got into an argument about going after the empress. I think it’s a suicide mission myself. There could be a hundred guards, and he seems too anxious to go up against them all.”

  “John?” Bechler’s eyebrow rose. “He didn’t strike me as the reckless type.”

  “He never was before, but in the last few days, he’s changed.”

  “Didn’t he want Jen to reconnoiter before going on a rescue mission?”

  “Well, yeah he wanted Jen to go,” said Sue reluctantly. She quickly added, “But he seemed to want to go no matter what she found. It was only after I questioned the sanity of it that he backed down.”

  “So he agreed to have her go first then?”

  “Yeah,” she said with hesitation.

  “I wouldn’t be too concerned at this point then. It would be foolhardy to rush in with no information, but as long as he’s willing to wait…”

  He was right again. She was overreacting to this and the Jen thing. It was just that Fuller was getting more reckless since Jen came along and was only sticking his neck out to impress her.

  “All right, I won’t worry for now, but if anyone goes in there, it should be you. After all, you’re the one who’s trained for this sort of thing.”

  A shy smile came to his face. “That’s true, but I can’t do it all myself either you know. I’m going to need help from both of you.”

  “You’ll have that. I think John and I are both committed to seeing this thing through, but for something like this rescue, you and your guys need to handle it.”

  “I’d like it to be that way, but given the situation, that’s not going to happen.”

  “You don’t think you’ll be able to get enough agents here to do it then?”

  He shook his head. “No, I won’t. That’s another reason why this rescue is critical.” He frowned as he continued, “Normally, I’d want to bring in a sizable crew to do research, follow suspects around and infiltrate the conspirator organization. In this case, we can’t do any of that. We don’t have the time or resources available, so we’ll have to take shortcuts.”

  “Shortcuts?” repeated Sue. She did not like the sound of that.

  “Oh, I don’t mean anything drastic. The information we can get from the emperor is what I mean. I’ve been involved in operations in my universe where it can take months or years to find out who the key people are. With this one operation, we may be able to find out the head of this group in a single blow.”

  “I see what you mean.”

  “That’s why it’s critical to do this, even if I can only bring one other agent along.”

  Sue’s eyes grew wide. “One other agent? Do you think that’s the best you’ll be able to do?” The severity of the situation struck at Sue when she saw the lines on his face harden.

  “I’m afraid it may be. The key thing in an operation where you have a small group infiltrating a guarded location like this is getting good intelligence up front and then creating a plan that can be executed with precision.” He paused for a moment. After a time, his face softened back into a smile again. “Before we get too far in planning this rescue though, let’s have Jen do her thing.”

  That was the problem thought Sue as she frowned. What was Jen’s thing?

   

  *****

 

   

  “What?” Fuller exclaimed, his jaw dropping and eyes bulging.

  “I said I love you, John, and I want to know if you love me too.”

  “I heard you, but…”

  Fuller was aghast. He knew by her questions that she was digging for information concerning him; however, he had never expected anything like this! Her programming was complicated, but there was a depth to her that far exceeded anything he believed could be possible for artificial intelligence.

  Here he had been considering whether she was sentient or not, but now that no longer even seemed a valid question. To have emotion was to be sentient as far as he was concerned… or was it? Could it be something in her program that was only simulating this reaction? Was there a way to tell?

&
nbsp; He gazed into her dark, questioning eyes. “Why do you think you love me?”

  “You have been kinder to me than any person I have ever known. All others who know my true nature have treated me as inferior because I am not human. You talk to me as an equal and ask my opinion on matters.”

  “You love me because I’m nice to you?”

  “Yes, in part.”

  “You have other reasons then?”

  “Oh yes, many,” she said with great enthusiasm. Although he had seen her show the facial expressions of emotion, he had never taken them as genuine feelings. He thought they were only programmed expressions to enhance her interaction with people. In contrast, her voice had always seemed somewhat flat of emotion. He had perceived it as evidence of her true lack of feeling. However, when she spoke her last words, he sensed something in her voice he never had before.

  Jen turned her body towards him with a bounce and said, “I find you very handsome, John.”

  Again, she acted in a different manner. There was a spring in her movement that expressed a happiness of thought. While her normal movements were not stiff or artificial, they were measured and purposeful, never this dynamic. Something had changed. Her voice and movements had become like those of a young teenage girl in love for the first time.

  “You think I’m good looking?” he asked, his face blushing.

  “Oh yes. I have made a comparison of your appearance to that of all male faces within my internal database. I find you compare favorably on numerous parameters.” Her brows knitted together. “Beyond this though, I find that I prefer the appearance of your face to those of all others. This is despite the many examples with specifications that match better to those considered ideal for a human male.” She put her hand to her chin. “I have put much thought into the reason for this but have not been able to determine why this is so. I am still analyzing it though.”

  Fuller sat in silence, not knowing how to respond.

  She was more talkative than he had ever seen her before. She continued, “I wish to be with you always and find that when I am not, I spend most of my processing cycles contemplating you. My thoughts are distressed when you are not with me. I have odd mental images that something may happen to you and I will never be with you again.” Her head cocked and she added, “Again, I do not know why I fear for your personal safety, but I will continue to analyze this as well.”

  She continued, a bright smile coming back to her face. “Unfortunately, I am not a biological entity so do not have feelings sexual in nature towards you. However, I will assist you with any desires you have towards me, and in fact am anxious to experience this with you nonetheless.”

  Fuller’s face burned with the fire of embarrassment. He sputtered out, “Okay, okay, I get the idea.”

  The air-car slowed and then came to a halt, hovering in place over a building.

  She glanced out the window and then back to him. “I can go on with further examples if you wish, but we have arrived at our destination.”

   

  *****

 

   

  Fuller looked around at the demolished site. The offices of the armory building they were in looked like the scene of a battle. The smashed glass of the entrance doors they passed through left the interior exposed to the wind and rain. He could see by the decay and layer of grime over everything that it had happened in the far past.

  Much of the carpet he walked across had rotted, leaving only the occasional black moldy scraps to tell of its once luxurious composition. Shattered desks in cubicles spoke of attackers rummaging through them to find the secret of gaining access to the weapons contained below.

  “The stairwell is around that wall,” said Jen, pointing to the right of where they had entered.

  By her information, the weapons were stored in a lower level they could access by elevator or stairway. On turning the corner, Fuller saw several doors with glowing placards. They indicated that the elevator was ahead and the stairs were to the left.

  The light coming through the front entrance was dim on this side of the wall so he clicked on the flashlight Jen had given him. He swung the beam of cold blue light to each door and saw evidence of previous attempts to break into the lower level. Pry marks scarred the elevator doors where they met and deep gouges marred the stairwell door where the latch would be.

  “John, I will need your assistance.”

  Jen walked to the stairwell door and seized a small, gray box off the floor. He held the light while she examined several cut wires protruding from it. He moved the beam as she turned and the light struck a spot on the wall above where she retrieved the box. He could see the ghost of an outline where the device once hung and a rainbow of colored wires dangling from the wall.

  Jen said, “It looks as though someone attempted to bypass the lock by shorting the wires together.” She held the cube towards him. “Please hold the reader. I will need to rewire it.”

  He continued to shine the light with his left hand and grabbed the reader with his right, holding it close to the wall so she could work.

  Fuller’s eyebrow rose when she stripped the insulation from the wires with only the nails from two fingers pinched together.

  “Let us hope they did not damage the circuitry,” said Jen, glancing at him with a smile.

  Her eyes went back to her work as she twisted all the like-colored wires together, separating each conductor to prevent a short. When she connected the last pair, the face of the box came to life with a deep blue radiance. Jen waved her hand in front of the reader and a low groan came from the doorframe.

  “Excellent,” said Jen. “The motorized latches still function.”

  When the low whirring stopped, she pushed the door open. “You may let the reader hang there now. Come.”

  Fuller followed when she walked through the door. They were in total darkness but for the small circle of light emanating from his hand. A heavy mold smell enveloped him as they descended the smooth concrete steps, making his nose prickle and chest tighten. The odor sparked a memory, and his mind returned to the day of the asthma attack in his grandmother’s basement. He took deep breaths to calm the fear it triggered and to fight the heaviness in his chest.

  When they reached the first landing, Fuller’s foot slid on the damp slimy surface. He wrenched forward to keep from falling back and threw a hand to the wall for balance. His head swimming from the sudden jar and the sharp tang of mold in his nostrils, he paused for a moment to subdue the dizziness.

  As she turned the corner to descend the next flight of stairs, Jen caught his distress. “Are you all right, John?”

  “Uh huh. A little dizzy from the mold smell though.”

  “Do you wish me to bring you back to the main level?”

  “No, no, I’ll be fine. Let’s go,” he said, walking towards her.

  She continued to give him an uneasy look before turning and starting her descent again. Two more flights down and they reached the bottom.

  Jen waved her hand before another reader, this one intact, and the mechanism whirred to life. When she opened the door, the lights within snapped to life. He squinted against the brightness before trailing behind.

  Although large, the room seemed tight from the long rows of heavy cabinets that he presumed contained weapons. The rows ran perpendicular to the wall with the door he was entering so he could see down the length of a single row ahead. The lines of battleship-gray cabinets stretched a hundred feet, almost to the wall at the far end of the room. There was an eight-foot aisle at both ends of each row as a walkway.

  Fuller continued into the room and walked past the edge of the closing door. From the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of a man standing to his right. Air rasped into his lungs as he gasped and his head snapped around to see who it was. Jen, who had gone left when she came in the room, spun around 180 degrees on her heels. Her arm snapped up with her
gun in hand. Several heavy breaths later, Fuller realized the man was unmoving, his face and head charred on the right side.

  “It is a robot,” said Jen.

  Through panting breaths, Fuller said, “Yeah, I didn’t realize it at first.”

  “It appears to be damaged.” She walked to the niche it stood within and examined its head. “I believe it has been hit by a low-energy particle beam weapon.”

  “If a low energy one can burn like that, I’d hate to see what a high-energy one would do.”

  “There would no longer be a head on the unit,” she said in a passionless voice.

  “Ohkaaay,” he said, not having expected an answer.

  “It was intended to guard the weapons,” she said, walking away from it. “It will not hinder us. It is no longer functioning.”

  “Good,” he said, eyeing her. “After seeing what you can do, I wouldn’t want to tangle with it.”

  Jen walked past Fuller and continued to a flat screen on the wall fifty feet from the door. While he followed, he kept his head turned right to look down the length of each row as he passed. All were a monotonous replication of the previous, gray cabinets with a double set of three-foot wide doors.

  When they reached the screen, he asked, “What is it?”

  “This is the security system interface. I will be able to unlock the cabinets from here.”

  “Good,” he said, watching her fingers fly across the touch surface. “Do you think any of the weapons will work after all this time?”

  “While I believe there will have been some degradation, most should still function.”

  As he wheezed through an open mouth, Fuller watched her enter a long series of alphanumeric characters into the panel. A low beep emitted from the screen as feedback for each press of her finger, giving the entry a musical quality. He did not interrupt her to confirm, but assumed she was entering a security key obtained from the library computer.

  “There,” said Jen when she finished. “We should now be able to open the cabinets.”

  They went to the closest cabinet, and Jen clutched the handle, turning it up and pulling out. Fuller stood near the corner of the cabinet, able to see down the long row and back to the entrance they had come through. When the creaking door swung near him, Fuller raised an eyebrow at the thickness of the dense composite material. He was grateful for Jen’s knowledge of the code. Having to cut or drill their way in would have been near impossible. He was noticing the shelves within contained helmets instead of guns when a siren blared out.

  Fuller’s head shot from side to side in an attempt to locate its source when he saw the robot by the door turn within its niche. It pulled something from a compartment alongside itself and began shuffling towards him, its right foot dragging along behind.

  “Shit!” he rasped out. “The damn thing’s moving!”

  Jen’s head shot around the side of the cabinet to look. She shoved Fuller back with her right hand and grabbed the cabinet door with her left. He could see the automaton raising its weapon as Jen swung the thick door around the corner to block its shot.

  There was a loud crack when a charge from the robot’s particle gun hit the opposite side of the door. A glowing orange circle with a white-hot center bloomed on the surface and smoke from the partially vaporized door burned into Fuller’s bulging eyes. His heart pounded when he realized what would have happened if Jen had not swung the door around.

  “Run!” she cried, yanking him towards the opposite end of the cabinet row.

  His chest buzzed like a chainsaw as he gulped in air through his wide-open mouth. His breathing, already labored, became unbearable with the exertion. He forced one foot after the other though to keep Jen’s powerful tug from dragging him along.

  They reached the end of the row when they heard the heavy thud of the cabinet door slamming shut. In her haste, Jen spun around the corner too sharply, pulling Fuller towards the hard edge of the last locker. His hand still grasping the flashlight, he stumbled around the turn and pushed off the corner with his knuckles to keep his body from impacting it.

  There was a loud sizzle followed by a blast of hot mist when a layer of the plasticized concrete wall to his right vaporized with another shot from the robot. The fog of cement burned into his lungs as Fuller gulped in air to supply his now woozy brain.

  Jen stopped when they reached the next aisle. “I must locate a weapons locker.” She opened the closest and, seeing it contained body armor, closed it again.

  Fuller hissed out, “Gun.” He pointed to the weapon from the library at her side.

  She looked down at it. “It is not powerful enough to stop the guard robot.” Her eyes shifted to the far end of the cabinet row. “I will need to use a high-power particle gun.”

  She glanced back at his face for a split second and then away. Her gaze snapped back to him and her eyes widened at his declining condition.

  “I must go back to the computer terminal and search for a layout of the lockers. You do not appear as though you will be able to make it that far, so I must carry you.”

  Fuller shook his head and eked out through his gasps, “No… I’ll… hide…” He pointed along the ends of the rows of lockers.

  He would continue down the aisle to the last row and hide there. He was useless in his condition, and carrying him would only slow her down. The only way to stop the guard was for her to find a weapon, and searching through every locker would take far too long. Their best chance was for her to get to the terminal and locate the correct cabinet.

  Jen’s head jerked back and forth several times in apparent indecision but then said, “Very well, hurry.”

  She turned and sped down the aisle faster than he thought possible, the graceful curve of her body like that of a gazelle. He turned and stumbled as fast as he could down the ends of the rows. His strength waning, he was only able to continue by throwing his body weight forward. He lurched his legs along to keep from falling headfirst into the ground.

  His intent was to reach the last row, but, after passing the ends of several, he knew that would not be possible. He got to the next aisle and fell around its corner into a heap on the ground. The intense reek of mold was now heavy in his nose, which was a mere inch off the musty floor. Its stench was so powerful he could taste the bitterness. So they were not visible around the corner, he tucked in his legs and waited, hoping he had gained enough time.

  At first, he could hear nothing but his own heavy wheeze. A scraping noise rose above it when he heard the dragging foot of the robot approaching. He tried to control his breathing so it would not hear him, but his head began to spin. When he could no longer stand it, he gasped for air that much louder.

  The scraping foot echoed as the robot advanced, the hollow scuff ringing as it bounced from the hardened cabinet doors. Fuller’s exhaustion made it impossible to rise, so he remained crumpled on the floor, giving in to death’s inevitability. He closed his eyes, not wishing to know the exact moment when it came.

  It arrived with a loud crack and a high-pitched sizzle as a rain of hot metal burned onto his face. His stinging cheek made it plain he was not dead, so he opened his eyes to find out why. Through rippling vision, he could see the robot holding a handless arm towards him, its useless end sparking like a firework.

  Mindless determination took hold, and the automaton continued forward. When the intact hand of the ghastly demon reached for Fuller’s throat, its head exploded into a heavy smoke and fine spray of destruction. Jen’s second shot had struck.

  The lifeless hulk landed on Fuller, knocking what final wind there was out of his overworked lungs.

 

 

  CHAPTER 10