Mr. Morta looked over the mess of bio-mecha parts and spoke, "It would seem the Sanctum has been compromised. The T-3s somehow discovered our base, but why attack us?" He turned to the lead S.C.M. and told him, "We are abandoning Etna Toys. Pull up the Sanctum. We will look for another base of operations."
"At once."
The S.C.M. entered the elevator, and the cab doors closed.
"Yes, why attack us?" Mr. Decuma walked up beside Mr. Morta. "And why capture Argus? Are we sure the Factory is not behind this?"
"I doubt it," Ms. Nona answered. "The T-3s did kill two of the Factory's corporate military men."
"Unless that and the news that the T-3s went rogue were all a ruse," Mr. Morta stated. "Either way, some force is after us, and I would like to know why. Only a handful of people know of our existence."
"The more important question is, were they here to destroy us or were they after our research?" Ms. Nona asked.
Mr. Decuma added, "Yes, a very good question."
Mr. Morta knelt beside a K-99, petted its furry head, and whispered, "All of you did well. You protected the Sanctum."
Ms. Nona walked up beside him. "What about Pandora?" She paused, waiting on a reply and continued when he said nothing. "After more than a year, I think it is about time we deemed Pandora a failure."
"I agree," Mr. Decuma said. "We should terminate the project." He glanced at the Team Leader, who was face down in a black pool. "Pandora would have died if Ms. Griffin had not interfered. I say we terminate our first attempt and begin on the second."
Mr. Morta glanced at the other Council members and stood. "Activate the second project. It will take time before it is operational, so for now we will let Pandora live." He looked out the front windows and stated, "I am curious as to why Ms. Griffin shot then saved Pandora. Could the Chairman be interfering with our work?"
"I do not believe he is," Ms. Nona said.
Mr. Decuma added, "Unless he has an agenda we have no knowledge of. Perhaps we should place more Moles into the Third Branch Office."
Ms. Nona replied, "I think we should not be hasty."
"I agree," Mr. Morta stated.
"Perhaps both of you are correct," Mr. Decuma said. "But we do need to send in a new operative to monitor Pandora while Argus is MIA. I will set the paperwork in motion."
He started for the elevator, and Ms. Nona followed him.
Mr. Morta's view...
I stay back and monitor the cleanup of the K-99s. I stare off in thought, wondering if Pandora realized it. Did she know that the very people she searched for were right underneath her feet?
I can't help but think fondly of her; she has come so close to discovering us. I secretly admired her persistence. What will she do now? Will she trust Ms. Griffin after what she did to her, and could the Chairman have sent his daughter in for some reason? Did the Chairman want the Pandora Project for himself?
* * *
A half hour later...
The Rogue made its way to one of the Factory's vans parked at the curb in front of Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse. It opened the side door, keeping an eye on the few Council S.C.Ms. still within the warehouse; they hadn't spotted it. The Rogue looked inside the vehicle and found what it was looking for, a computer, so the Rogue entered the van, slid the door shut, and sat at the table. It logged on to the Factory's main system and pulled up a few files, scanning for information on Pandora. The Rogue searched for several minutes and finally found what it was looking for when the files started disappearing. Someone was deleting the Factory's system. It would have to act fast if it wanted to get any information, so the Rogue opened a file and read over it with robotic speed. The file mentioned an experiment called organic-mecha and referenced another file, and the Rogue quickly pulled it up. The file stated that organic-mechas proceeded bio-mechas.
"Why did Sphinx abandoned the project and does organic-mechas have anything to do with me or Pandora?" it questioned aloud.
The Rogue found another reference, but before it could read the file it was deleted; the Rogue slammed its fist on the table as the remaining files deleted and the link to the mainframe disconnected. There was no more that it could do, so the Rogue stood and slid open the door. Two S.C.Ms. stood outside, aiming their weapons at it.
"Hello," the Rogue said as it raised its hands and stepped from the van. "You really do not want to do this. I can tell by your shoulder patch that you work for the Council. Let me go and this will not get messy."
A S.C.M. touched his earpiece and spoke, "Inform the Council we have the Rogue."
"Have?" it questioned and stated, "Have is such a strong word."
In one quick motion, the Rogue removed its knife and cut across the one soldier's throat. Blood spurted as the second S.C.M. fired his assault rifle. It evaded the shots and tackled the man to the ground, stripping the soldier of his weapon, and the Rogue buried its knee in the man's chest, and the soldier could hardly breathe.
It said, "I want you to give the Council a message."
His face mangled in pain as he grabbed at the Rogue's arms, trying to force the Un-Man off of him.
"Tell the Council to leave me alone, and I will leave them alone. If not..." The Rogue grabbed his arm and twisted it hard. "Things will get broken."
The man screamed just as three more S.C.Ms. ran out of Etna Toys.
The Rogue stood and took off as they fired, and it disappeared down a street. It ran several blocks, came upon a major street, and hailed a taxi.
"Where to?" the male driver asked.
The Rogue entered the back, replying, "The nearest hospital. I am feeling a little under the weather."
The driver looked at the pale faced passenger, wondered if whatever he had might be contagious, nodded, and drove down the road.
Quietly sitting in the back, the Rogue contemplated that it knew so little about Pandora. It did realize that it didn't need to know her to kill her. All it needed to know was where she went, and it had a pretty good idea.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Not Out Of Danger Yet
7:47 P.M...
Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...
Within the Corvette...
Katharine's view...
I glance at Kimberly as the memory of her shooting me replays in my mind. My wound still burns as much as confusion plagues me. Why did Kimberly injure me then save me? In agony, I turn and lean my head against the passenger's side window as buildings and street lights speed by in the blackness. I clench Pale Horse and press that hand against the seeping hole in my shoulder as I look down at my blistered left palm lying limp on my leg. The sharp ache in my shoulder redirects my focus, and I hardly notice the throbbing and burning of the scorched skin.
End Katharine's view...
Kim steered the Corvette through Healing Way and turned at the entrance to Asclepius Hospital as she talked on a cell phone.
"Yes, Brian, it's me. Don't hang up! Now listen, I want you..." She paused as he interrupted her, and Kim snapped, "Don't tell me that! You owe me, and I collect what's owed to me. Now..." She calmed herself. "We need to do this covertly, so where do you want to meet?" Kim paused, listening. "Okay, we'll be there in a minute." She hung up and drove to the west side where they were remodeling the hospital.
When they neared the building, Kat noticed a doctor in white scrub pants and a shirt skittishly waiting with a wheelchair. He looked around the empty parking lot and the surrounding area then ran to them, pushing the wheelchair as Kim pulled up. He opened the passenger door, and Kat noticed his name badge read Dr. Chiron. He had kind brown eyes and dark brown hair, and she would later notice he had a soothing voice.
Brian helped the pale woman into the wheelchair, saw red staining the cream colored leather seat, and questioned, "What happened?"
"Later," Kim snapped. "Get her inside and stop the bleeding. I'm going to park the car." She noticed the passenger seat an
d yelled, "Hades! I'll also need to clean up in here."
"Don't leave her with me," Brian demanded. "And it will make us even."
"For Ares' sake, I won't, and we're far from being even." She commanded, "Shut the door. I'll meet you inside."
Brian closed the door, and she pulled off.
Sometime later...
Brian quickly wheeled Kat into a room. Plastic sheets covered the bed and counters, and a single window revealed the dark parking lot outside. He removed one of the sheets, grabbed latex gloves, and pulled them on; Brian helped her to sit on the examining bed, started to remove her jacket, noticed the burn on her palm, and that she gripped something in her right hand. He carefully removed her left sleeve, pulled the right one over her fisted hand, tossed the jacket to the floor, and set Kat back. He unpacked several sterile instruments, then took surgical scissors, and cut her blood soaked t-shirt off and threw the t-shirt to the tile floor. He started to cut the sports bra off when she grabbed his arm with her injured left hand.
"Leave it," Kat barked like a wounded dog and glared at him.
Brian gulped. He'd seen that look on Kim's face and knew not to mess with the woman, so he searched for help; normally, he would have an orderly help him or a nurse, but he was on his own. He told her, "I'll only cut the one strap off, is that okay? I need to operate on your shoulder."
Growing faint, Kat remembered her fate at the hands of the techs and doctors when the Factory had captured her. They did many horrible things to her, trying to break her. She didn't know if she could trust Dr. Chiron and eyed him suspiciously. Kim had brought her there, maybe she could trust him, so Kat removed her hand from his gloved one and relaxed a bit.
"Roll on your side," Brian requested then cut the one strap, removed it, and examined the back of her shoulder. "The bullet went all the way through, I only have to get in there and stop the bleeding." He had her lie on her back, then he rushed into the hall to a medicine closet and unlocked it. Brian opened a drawer, pulled out a couple of needles, grabbed some vials, and headed back. He set the items on the counter, unwrapped one of the needles, and stuck it in a vial. Brian noticed her silently watching him with distrusting eyes, so he told her, "This is an antibiotic, and after I inject you, I'm also going to give you something to numb your shoulder while I operate on it." He gave her the injections and inquired, "Who shot you?"
She said nothing only accusingly stared at Kim as she entered, and Brian noticed the look she gave Kim and continued his work.
After checking the hall, Kim came and stood by him. "I searched the floor, and no one's here." Kim peered over his shoulder and asked, "Will it take long?"
"Not too long," he answered. "Could you step back out of my light?"
Kim walked around the bed, stood by the wall, crossed her arms, and watched intently.
With surgeon precision and tender hands, Brian worked on Kat's shoulder for more than twenty minutes, and then touched her arm to get her attention. "Can you roll on your side? We're half way there."
Katharine's view...
Remaining silent, I roll over and stare at Kimberly as the doctor works, and I can't help but wonder if this is some sort of trick. Kimberly could be working for the Council, and she's only after my music box, but if that's true, she didn't have to save me. I close my eyes, not wanting to look at the glaring Phoenix. It doesn't matter to me if Kimberly helps me or not. I open my eyes as if I discovered the answer. Maybe I do care, and I feel hurt and betrayed by her because I want Kimberly to help me, but instead she left me to die. I don't know... I feel lost and want to cradle myself against the emotional and physical pain, and I look for the music box. I need it; the headache has already started.
Kimberly's view...
I notice that woman is gripping something in her hand. I never did check her for a weapon and she might be thinking of repaying me for what I did to her earlier, so I demand, "Give me what you have."
That woman glares back at me as she clinches her fist.
"Give it here," I demand as I put a hand to my purse that's dangling from my shoulder. "Remember I won't ask a third time."
She opens her hand, and I see that it's a 9 mm round. I'm about to ignore it when I remember its the bullet I left for that woman. I study it more closely and see my own hand writing. She must have picked it up, and she might be saving it to use on me later. I take the bullet, wipe most of the blood on a plastic sheet, and place the bullet in my pocket. I'll save Pale Horse and use it when I kill her, and that will be a fitting end to our bizarre partnership.
End Kimberly's view...
Brian started on a stitch when something shiny half way embedded below Kat's skin caught his attention. The bullet nicked the object, dislodging it enough to appear in the wound. He grabbed an overhead lamp and pulled it close.
"Kim, hand me the small forceps."
She handed the tweezer size instrument to him and then asked, "What do you see?"
He removed the small metal object and dropped it in a stainless steel tray. "I don't know." Brian pushed it across the tray with the forceps and flipped it over, examining the rectangular thing the size of a grain of rice. "It looks like a chip they place in pets to identify them if they're lost."
A realization sunk in and Kim said, "It's more than that." She picked up the metal device and walked around to face that woman. "Is this how they've been tracking you? Does this thing tell them where to send the Un-Men?"
"What are Un-Men?" Brian questioned.
"I'll explain later." She turned her attention back to that woman and asked, "Well, is it? Do you know you're some sort of experiment?" She demanded, "What are you? What are you the Key to? Tell me!"
"I'm the Pandora Project," Kat answered. "I'm hunted and tested."
Kim asked, "What does that mean? What's the Pandora Project?"
"Sheez... Haven't you been listening? I already told you I can't remember my past, so you know as much as I do." Kat wanted to wrap herself into a fetal position and shield herself from the frustrating questions that had been haunting her the past year.
"Sheez?" Brian said. "What kind of word is that? I've never heard it before."
"Don't butt in!" Kim shouted at him, then she started to leave the room with the metal device, and yelled at Kat, "If you don't want to tell me, fine!"
"Where are you going?" Brian asked.
Kim paused outside the door and answered, "I'm going to get rid of this thing."
"Wouldn't it be better to keep it?"
"No, I think it's caused enough problems."
She went to a restroom, flushed the tracking beacon, and returned.
He finished the stitches, cleaned Kat's left palm, put ointment on it, and wrapped the burn in gauze. He gave her a tetanus shot.
"I'm finished," Brian said to Kim. "As long as infection doesn't set in and she isn't allergic to anything I gave her, she should be fine with rest." He took out a clean blanket from a closet and covered Kat. "I've given her a sedative, so she'll sleep for a few hours." Brian motioned for Kim to follow him out, and he shut the door behind them.
"Both of you can stay overnight, but you'll need to leave early tomorrow morning. The work crew will be here sometime around 9:00 A.M."
"What am I supposed to do? I can't take her to my place." Kim couldn't imagine having that strange woman in her apartment.
"It will probably be best if you did. Hey! Don't look at me that way." He pointed at her accusingly. "You're the one who saved her from whatever." He dropped his hand. "Did you really think you could leave her here?"
"I guess I never thought that far ahead."
His expression softened as he asked, "Would you like something to eat or maybe coffee? I'm heading to the cafeteria."
"Yes, thank you. I'll have a ham sandwich and that lemon-lime soda Crite if they carry it."
"My old office is right through that door." He pointed and told her, "You can stay ther
e till morning. There's a couch, and a pillow and a blanket are in the closet if you need to rest. I'll be back within an hour to check on your friend, and I'll bring the sandwich and drink then."
"She's not my friend," Kim insisted.
"Well, whoever." He started to leave.
"Brian, wait." She tenderly grabbed his elbow, and he turned. "Thanks," she said. I didn't know who else to turn to or more like I don't have anyone else to turn to. With what I do... You understand."
"I do, and you're welcome." He smirked as he spoke, "A small payment to the large debt I owe you." Brian studied her tired face. "You look distraught. What happened today?"
Down the hall, a shadow stretched from a corner to listen in.
Kim didn't know if she should tell Brian, but decided she could trust him. "I received a message from my mom."
He was sincere and happy for her. "She is fine then?"
Kim shook her head, holding back tears. "I discovered she died. She never abandoned me and my father; she was murdered."
"Murdered?" Brian couldn't believe the news.
"Yes, and I'll find who did it." Her expression darkened as she fisted her right hand. "And they'll pay."
"How did you uncover this?" he asked.
"I remembered. I was there outside the office when the fire started, and I heard gun shots. I had repressed the memory." She glanced back at the room where Kat slept. "Something triggered it."
"I don't know what to say." He put a gentle hand to her shoulder. "At least, you know she's dead and she didn't abandon you. Murdered though... like I said, I don't know what to say."
"Listening to me is enough." She started for his office. "I need to get some rest. I've had a long day." Kim entered the room, closed the door behind her, and added loudly, "A very exhausting day."
Brian stared at the office for a moment and continued through the hall.
Kimberly's view...
Tired, I glance around and see a desk, bookshelves full of medical references, a tall cabinet, and a couch. I open the cabinet, take the pillow and blanket, sit on the couch, and place my gun on a coffee table. I lie back and cover myself, then reach up, turn off a lamp at my head, and plunge the room into darkness. I can't believe what I've gotten myself into. My mom wanted me to save Pandora, but I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with her now. I roll on my side, trying to sleep, not knowing if I made the right decision saving her. I probably just caused myself a headache full of problems. It would have been so much simpler if I had just killed her.
All Worlds: Fantasy And Science Fiction Series Starters Page 33