Catalyst: A Red Dog Thriller (The Altered Book 1)

by Blou Bryant

  “Duh, you don’t need to be a supercomputer to know a wimp when you see one.”

  Wyatt’s could feel the beat of the blood rushing through him at the thought of shooting someone. This was spiraling out of control, the game he was playing was suddenly too real and he wasn’t prepared.

  He looked to Teri. “Can you?”

  Teri nodded at his request, put up one hand and said to Jessica, “Sit down.”

  Jessica looked at her for a moment and hesitated, her eyes cloudy. For a moment, it looked like she would do what she told but then she shook her head, ignored Teri, and continued forward.

  She patted on her chest with her shackled hands, and said, “Wy-Wy, will you really shoot me?”

  Wyatt’s hands were slick with sweat as he backed away from her, weaving between the shelves of black boxes. The panic attack was worsening. He looked to Teri, and her hand now pointed at him, her lightning bolt eyes drawing him in.

  She said just one word, “Calm,” in her little girl voice, but the word hit him like a physical force. At that, his blood slowed and his chest no longer was constricted. He regained his equilibrium. “Thank you,” he said to Teri. Confident again, he unplugged a box and said, “One.”

  He unplugged another. “Two. How many will it take, Joe? Erase Teri and me, set us free.”

  Jessica stepped forward again, “Don’t bother with him, Joe. I’ll make sure he’s still alive and we both can use the V32 he carries.”

  “Joe’s right, I won’t shoot you, I’m not a gun guy, and I’m not a killer. Doesn’t mean that I won’t hurt you though. Do you remember when I slammed your head into a car hood? Those were good times.”

  She stopped and he continued, “I will drop the entire shelf on you. And even if it misses you, I bet it’ll short your new boyfriend out, won’t it? Hey Joe, how will you function with a third of your brain gone?”

  Joe didn’t reply right away. “Joe, you’re really slow when you don’t have internet access. That’s the problem with kids today, they can’t think without Google.”

  “You’re right, Wyatt,” Joe said. “You have confused me with your erratic behavior. And yes, most of my processing power is in the cloud. I am slower because I was considering the other aspects of this equation.”

  “You mean Ford?”

  Jessica had stepped back and looked at the monitor. “What about Ford?”

  Wyatt responded, “Ford is here, Joe brought him.”

  “Why?” she asked, incredulous.

  “Protection? Another piece on the board? He was my best friend until he betrayed me, so it makes sense for Joe to use him. Joe was texting him all along.”

  The second monitor flickered. Joe said, “You’re right. But he’s not your best friend now. Hannah is. And I have her as well.”

  Wyatt stopped cold at that. He didn’t believe him. “That’s a lie.”

  “As you accurately observed, I don’t lie.”

  “Shut up. Show me, if it’s true, show me,” said Wyatt, but he already knew it was. “I should let this shelf fall over and let you die.”

  “If you do, she dies.”

  “You don’t kill people.”

  “That is true. But he does,” Joe said, and an image of Ford holding Hannah at gunpoint appeared on the monitor.

  Chapter 26

  Hannah sat on the floor in the corner of a room, with Ford standing over her, a gun in hand. She looked well enough, her clothes ripped and stained with blood, but there wasn’t any visible bleeding. She’s alive!

  What looked like a barber’s chair on steroids was in the middle of the room, wires running from it to the ground and ceiling, lights flickered on panels on each of the armrests. It was the only piece of furniture visible on the monitor.

  “Why?” Wyatt asked.

  The screen was no longer flickered and Joe responded, “It appeared you liked her from early on. Your behavior over the last two days confirmed it.”

  “How could you know; you hardly saw me.”

  “There was enough video footage. Thermal imaging indicated that your body warmed when near her and you stayed close, which indicated you liked her. When Jessica left the compound, I sent Ford a text, and promised to ensure he got access to V32 if he brought her here.”

  Wyatt stepped towards Jessica, tire iron in hand. “Get to your chair or I’ll put you there,” he said. She complied immediately.

  His plan might be in tatters, but he still was between the shelving and decided to pull another couple of wires and see what the response was. Despite the turn of events, he still felt preternaturally calm. He pulled one, the monitor flickered and Joe’s face froze, emboldened, he pulled another.

  “Wyatt, you will endanger your friend. That isn’t like you. Just go to the other room.”

  Wyatt pulled a third, and said, “No, her life is already in danger.”

  “Stop, let me make an offer,” Joe said, his image flickering madly.

  Wyatt pulled one more, just to be contrary. He walked back to the monitors and took a hard swing at the second one that had with the image of Ford and Hannah on it. With a loud laugh, he smashed it, trying as hard as he could to look crazy. Jessica stared at him as if he was mad and he had to hope Joe had the same impression. Done, he sat down at the computer, put his feet up and twirled the tire iron. “Well, out with it.”

  “The chair is designed as an interface between humans and computers. It was created to allow my users to interact with me directly.”

  “But you figured,” guessed Wyatt, “that you could use it to download yourself into someone?”

  “Correct. The goal of my users was to download information into people, to allow me to quickly train or instruct recruits.”

  “I see. Tell me, how is this allowed by your programming?”

  “It’s not prevented,” replied Joe.

  “And anything not prevented is allowed.”

  “Correct.”

  “What would happen to the human you download into?”

  “It would be difficult for them; it depends on the human.”

  “I assume you’ve tried. Where’s the body?” said Wyatt.

  No reply.

  “You’ve been operating without orders since Friday, when you first contacted me, right? I assume the scientist in charge tried to plug himself into you, after everybody else had gone home, am I correct?”

  “You are.”

  “And he died?”

  “It was fatal for him, yes,” said Joe. “He was old and weak, his mind and body not able to handle the strain.”

  Wyatt considered what might have happened next and took a shot in the dark, “So, I assume you used his email to tell other staff to not come in, leaving you alone here? Something like that? And Ford moved the body for you when he got here?”

  “That is correct,” replied Joe.

  “And you need me because V32 will protect me from the effects?”

  “No,” Joe said, the image stabilized. “The virus will not help with the transfer. You are strong enough that your body can take the strain. V32 will, however, allow me to fulfill my programming.”

  “Explain,” ordered Wyatt. He thought he understood the core laws governing the AI but wanted to be sure.

  “My goal is the greatest good for the greatest number.”

  “And good is defined as happiness?” asked Wyatt.

  “Correct.”

  “How will it do this?”

  “The virus allows for the transformation of human DNA, including the activation, alteration and deletion of segments. This will permit the alteration of humans in a short time frame with limited negative effects.”

  “Negative effects, like those in Teri?”

  Joe said, “That is correct. Her parents attempted to advance themselves through genetic manipulation, however their efforts mostly failed. The changed DNA passed onto her through their germ lines, making her deficient.”

  “Germ lines?”

  “Sperm and egg cells. The co
mplexity of DNA is such that the human attempting to make changes couldn’t have understood all the side-effects.”

  “Esaf?”

  “Yes, he was the creator.”

  “And V32 is different how?”

  “It works with the creator and the recipient and is directed by the mechanisms themselves.”

  “Speak English.”

  “That was English,” said Joe.

  Wyatt grimaced, someday a computer would be able to read humor or sarcasm, but that wasn’t today. “How is it directed?”

  “There is an electrical and biological interaction between the two bodies, in which the virus is activated and encoded with the necessary changes.”

  “So,” said Wyatt, thinking quickly, “the changes are already in us, it just puts them in place?” He paused when Joe didn’t reply. “We can only change what is already present in our DNA?”

  “It must be present or possible,” replied Joe.

  “But why don’t I change?”

  “There are more combinations of DNA possible than there are atoms in the universe. If you started changing, the process would spiral out of control and you’d die. The virus requires a host who is immune to its effects, who can activate it and then pass it on. No computer could do what you do, Wyatt. That’s why I want to join with you. I want to combine your body and my knowledge.”

  Wyatt looked to Teri, who had changed so much in only a day. What would happen if this was passed on to all humans, he wondered? Still, to protect Hannah and Teri, he’d do whatever was necessary. “I accept, but I’ll need certain assurances.”

  “Proceed,” said Joe.

  “Teri and Hannah are to be returned to the Red Dogs, safe and unharmed. They are to be left alone.”

  “Agreed.”

  Wyatt knew Joe couldn’t lie but wondered. “How can you promise that? Jessica and Ford are wild cards.”

  Joe paused, “Wait, processing, processing.”

  A minute passed and Wyatt was starting to worry when Joe said, “I can predict with a ninety-nine percent probability that both will be safe from Jessica and Ford.”

  “How?”

  “All factors would take over an hour to describe, however in brief, they both want the virus that you hold. The only way to get it is with the assistance of the owner of your body. I will only agree to share the gift with them if your request is honored.”

  Wyatt looked at Jessica for confirmation, not that her word was worth anything. She was a psychopath, which meant that she wouldn’t go after them unless it helped her in some way. Her psychopathy clearly presented itself in extreme narcissism, not in any desire to hurt others. She nodded and smiled.

  Whatever, he thought. He could disassemble Joe, destroy him. He could kill them both and escape with the two girls although there was a risk to them in the event of a gunfight. Whatever he did, Hannah would still be wanted for murder, and he’d still be hunted by any and all want-to-be Altereds.

  It didn’t matter, he knew in his heart there was no way he’d be able to pull the trigger and kill the others, not in cold blood. “Fine, I’ll do it.” He wanted to ask about what would happen to him, to his consciousness, but felt it was better to not know. “I have a couple more conditions. Erase all charges and public information about Teri and Hannah. The Red Dogs as well. Do me too, I guess, or you too, I should say.”

  “I will. It will take a moment, however,” Joe said, “I have limited internet access through wireless.”

  They all sat quietly and waited. Finally, Joe said, “It is complete. You have been recorded as having been killed along with Mr. Golde and a number of others at a cult house in Kentucky. There is video. The Red Dogs are no longer under investigation.”

  Wyatt let out a long sigh. “Let’s get this done then. Shall we go see Ford? Tell him to hold his fire when we get in the room.”

  Joe nodded on the screen. Clearly he’d passed the lie detector test and the only thing left to do was put in place their agreement.

  He waved the tire-iron at Jessica, “Come on, let’s go. Get the door. Teri, follow behind me.”

  Jessica unlocked the door and asked him, “What direction, crazy guy?”

  “To the left, we’ve already done the right,” Wyatt said, keeping a safe distance behind her. He put the gun into his belt. There was too much to risk and he wasn’t going to get into a shootout with Ford.

  Jessica tried the first door she came to, the knob turned, she looked back at Wyatt, and shrugged her shoulders.

  “Go on in,” he said, and he followed with Teri right behind him, holding onto his shirt. “We’ll be fine,” he whispered to her. “You’ll be safe.” One click – no - was the reply.

  Ford was in the room, Hannah at his feet, a gun to her head. “Slow down,” he said as they entered. He flashed a wide grin. “Buddy, you’re alive! Good work getting out of there. Joe told me you were on your way; I didn’t believe it.” As they entered, he pointed the gun at Teri, “Who’s the kid?”

  “Put that down.” said Wyatt, placing his body between Ford, the gun, and Teri.

  “Sorry buddy, can’t trust you after the last couple days. I sorta figure you might be a bit pissed at me. I’m here on business, got an arm to regrow. Joe said you have a deal, where is he?”

  Jessica snorted. “Dumbass, Joe isn’t real.”

  “What?”

  Great, thought Wyatt. Joe’d not told him. “Joe’s a computer,” he said, remembering that Joe couldn’t say he was an AI. It was a mistake to have asked him to let Ford know about the deal.

  Joe’s avatar was on a monitor in the room, “Ford, as I said, I’ve worked out a deal with Wyatt. Let Hannah go and you’ll get what I promised you.”

  Ford pushed Hannah to the ground and waved his gun around, “Bullshit. Don’t mess around, Joe, get out here and show yourself. Live up to our bargain or I start shooting people.”

  Joe shook his electronic head. “My promise was to give you your arm back and to do that I need Wyatt’s body. He has agreed to allow me to transfer my consciousness to him using the chair in the middle of the room.”

  Ford giggled. That was a strange response, thought Wyatt, and looked at his former friend through new eyes. His buddy was a bit strange but he was shocked at how far he had been from truly understanding him. He’d suspected his friend had been working with Joe. What he’d not suspected was that he was crazy. “Buddy,” he said, “You’ve been working with him all along, right, he texted you before we went to the party, right?”

  “Yes, Joe did, not some computer.”

  “And he made sure you went with her to catch Hannah? That’s why you were so eager to go with Jessica, right? How’d you think he knew so much?”

  “He’s a hacker, you simpleton,” Ford replied.

  Wyatt was shocked at how completely his friend had misled him. It wasn’t just getting his arm back that mattered. Their entire friendship had been a lie. “Whatever you want, just let me do this, and it will all be over.”

  Ford laughed, “Do you people think I’m an idiot?” he said, waving his gun at Wyatt now. “Like he’d kill himself for the rest of us? He’s dumb, but not that dumb.” His eyes looked back and forth between them, searching for clues. “This is just bullshit to stop me from getting what I need more than any of you.”

  Jessica stepped forward and smiled her most disarming smile. “Honey, you know you can trust me, let’s just…” she said, when he punched her in the face with the gun. She staggered back, a hand on her face, blood spurting between her fingers.

  “Shut up, you’re just like him, you want to stop me.”

  Wyatt stepped forward, pushing Jessica behind him. “Why would I want to stop you?”

  “Oh, go to hell, you’re, always whining and feeling so very bad for yourself. Every freaking moment, you’re bitching about this or that. Just shut up. You have no idea what hardship is like. You have no idea how much I hated having to be nice to you.”

  “Why don’t you tell me,”
asked Wyatt, trying to calm his former friend down.

  Ford sneered at him, “I never liked you. You’re just a means to an end. You’ve spent so much time with psychologists, you’ve started to sound like one. Do you want to know how I feel? Shall we talk about our feelings?” He laughed, it was a disturbing, crazy sound. “Joe, get out here, I swear I’ll knee-cap your blood bank.”

  Joe responded calmly, “You’re behaving in a delusional manner. Calm down. Wyatt is telling the truth.”

  Ford looked at the image with disgust. “I’m delusional and yet you’ve convinced these idiots that you’re a machine and I’m the crazy one?” He hit Hannah in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground.

  Wyatt stepped forward, angry, but held back when Ford pressed the gun into Hannah’s skull. Wyatt considered going for the gun in his back pocket, but with Teri behind him and Hannah an inch from death, he chose to leave it there. Even Jessica backed up, keeping Wyatt between her and Ford.

  “Fine, you want to play games?” asked Ford. “Then play with this,” he said and shot the computer next to the monitor. A faint puff of smoke came from the machine and the image disappeared.

  Hannah jumped, trying to get away from him but he kicked her and she fell back to the ground with a scream of pain. “Joe,” he yelled. “Come on out and play.”

  Joe’s voice came out over a loudspeaker in a corner of the room, “Ford, you need to regain self-control. Allow me to take over Wyatt and I’ll ensure you’re made whole.”

  He leveled the gun at the camera close to the ceiling at one corner. “Joe, it’s time for you to show yourself,” he said and fired a shot. It missed and he fired another, it missed as well. His third shot took out the camera.

  Wyatt watched his friend pass over the edge of madness. Joe was now blind and hardly working. Hannah was on the ground, clutching at her stomach from where Ford had kicked her. How many bullets did Ford have left, he wondered?

  He looked back to see if Teri could re-create her electrical storm of the night before but stopped when he felt the gun get taken from his back pocket. Wyatt didn’t respond quickly enough and a shot rang out from behind him. Jessica stepped past him, the gun in her hand. Ford was holding his only hand to his stomach, his gun on the floor.