by J. Judkins
Chapter Fifty-Three
Naomi followed Melanie to a corner beyond sight of the others. The dim electric lighting gave the illusion of privacy.
“Why are you doing this?” Melanie asked. “If Kim is right about the trick played on your people—”
“I’m certain she is,” Naomi said. “The fact that Angel exists is proof our entire system is based upon a lie.”
“But if Kim’s right, you can be free. Why can’t you follow Angel’s example?”
Naomi raised a hand, let it fall. “Angel wasn’t freed through her own actions. Angel became free only after her memories were taken.”
“Not all of her memories. Kim told us she remembered her rescue mission.”
“I don’t want to lose my memories of you.” Naomi’s hands clenched. “It’s too great a risk. I won’t let that happen. Not for anything.”
“What if you acted first? Angel mentioned being able to free you from the system. If she cut your connection, you could keep your memories.”
“Even if that were possible, it would be a short-term solution. If I freed myself, or stepped aside, another would take my place. Your world would still fall.”
“I see.” Melanie’s lips pressed tight.
“I’m sorry, but there isn’t any other way. If I don’t maintain a position of authority, I’ll become a victim of it. My people won’t stand aside without a good reason.”
“If you need a good reason, I think I have one. But we should discuss it with the others. Angel seems confident she can free you, and Kim might have more ideas.”
Naomi’s body tensed. “I don’t approve of Angel’s love-is-the-answer solution,” she said darkly.
Melanie rubbed the back of her neck and looked to the ceiling. “I admit that one needed work.”
“And given Kim’s desire for ‘alien’ toys, I suspect she’s only interested in our technology to have sex with it.”
“Let’s just hear them out. Okay?”
Chapter Fifty-Four
Angel shook her head. “I’m sorry, Kim, but I can’t agree with your premise. Given sufficiently advanced technology, why wouldn’t it be possible to completely copy an individual’s mind?”
“Because how could you know for certain if it worked or not?” Kim countered. “You can’t transfer the essence of a person out of one body and into a fresh one and call it immortality. The concept of moving souls around only works in fiction. You’d be fooling yourself.”
“What if the process was similar to what a transporter does in Star Trek?”
“A transporter is matter-to-energy conversion. They take you apart molecule by molecule, convert you to energy, and then reassemble you on the far side.”
“In that case, a transporter is a bad example. Envision a process that would recreate a body in an ideal state.”
“Okay, I see what you’re getting at.” Kim tapped her chin thoughtfully. “That might work, but I still wouldn’t trust it. I’m all for a doctor taking out my brain and transferring it over into an android body. Or maybe take an immortality pill, or something. But that’s me.”
“Excuse me,” Melanie said.
Kim took note of Naomi and Melanie’s return. She half-stepped to her right and turned away slightly, hoping to not make it obvious that she was ignoring them. “You may not have realized it, but there’s a good chance their memory manipulation technology is directly related to their so-called pseudo-immortality, transfer-consciousness technology. Both involve the recipient getting new memories, after all.”
“But combining the two is taking the process too far,” Angel argued. “Eternal life as a slave isn’t a life worth living.”
“No arguments there! I’m only suggesting that one technology may have led to the other.”
“I see.”
Kim’s eyes lit up. “Oh! I’ve got it! Instead of tricking everyone into perpetual slavery by telling them they’re running android copies of themselves, why not actually give them androids to control, instead?”
Angel’s face twisted. “Your so-called solution is their original problem. They’d be back to not being able to quit.”
Melanie took a step to her left and tried again. “Excuse me!”
Kim and Angel turned to glower at Melanie with identical looks of irritation.
“We have a problem,” said Melanie. “Two problems, actually. The way things stand, the aliens will eventually take over the planet.”
Angel seemed taken aback. “I thought . . . aren’t you going to help us?”
Naomi leaned against her former prison cell, her mouth a tight line. “I’ve discussed this with Melanie. I don’t see how I can step aside.”
“I thought you only became a villain because it gave you better options,” Angel said.
“You’re partially correct. I became a supervillain because it gave me an alternate purpose, which in turn, allowed me better options.”
“In that case, why not set it aside? Hasn’t it served its purpose?”
“Because there’s no point in stepping aside.” Naomi waved a hand. “It’s best if I stay in control.”
“As a supervillain?”
“Regrettably, yes.”
Angel looked to Kim, hands pressed together in a pleading gesture. “Please tell me you would be against a supervillain taking over the planet.”
Kim rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’d be against a supervillain taking over the planet. Smartass.”
“Good.”
“If Naomi is looking for an alternate purpose, I’ve got a better idea. Why not take up Angel’s alternate history? Become one of Dr. Harrison’s escaped, artificial intelligence androids.”
Melanie stammered incoherently at the suggestion, but Naomi leaned in as if interested. “How would that help?” she asked.
“You’d be able to give up your supervillain ways, for one,” Kim said with a shrug. “Your only job would be to pass as human. Just stay away from any of the terminator movies, and you’ll do fine.”
“Terminator movies?”
“They’re where the machine intelligence gets smart and—”
“Kim,” Angel warned. “Please don’t give her ideas.”
Kim took the hint.
Melanie held up her hands in an apparent plea for silence. “We’re getting sidetracked. This isn’t about Naomi finding another job. That’s not what I’m worried about. We need to find a way to take her off the system and set her free before we do anything else. I already have an idea for how to get the aliens to leave Earth for good, but—”
“Why would you want to do that?” Kim gasped.
Melanie shot Kim a warning look. “Let’s discuss it later.”
Kim drew herself up. “Let’s discuss it now.”
“I have a solution that will free Naomi.” Angel held up a hand. “If anyone would care to listen?”
“No, Kim’s right,” said Melanie. “Let’s get this out of the way.”
“Thank you,” Kim said.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Melanie muttered under her breath. “Naomi, I believe your people should leave because it’s in their own best interest. If you want a reason, all you need to do is look at Kim. Not only was she able to discover all of your secrets, but she also figured out how you’d been tricked by your very own people. And she did it without training. Without instruction.”
Samuel, Anderson, and the other minions exchanged troubled glances, but Naomi folded her arms, seemingly unimpressed. “I won’t deny her accomplishments, but what does that have to do with us?”
“Humanity is ambitious. There’s no way we’ll be satisfied with whatever scraps of technology you’ll allow us. We’ll want more. We’ll always want more. In ten or twenty years, you’ll be left with nothing to call your own.”
“I think she’s right,” Samuel interjected gravely. “We should cut our losses and escape while we can. These people are different.” He stuck a hand through the bars and waved it at Kim. “This woman is ordinary. Nothing spec
ial. Yet she unraveled all of our plans. How can this be ignored? If even the simplest, most common of them could figure it out—”
Samuel jerked his hand back an instant before Kim’s foot smashed into the bars where his fingers had been.
“—then our entire people are at risk! If we stay, they’ll own everything.”
“Nobody’s suggesting that anyone has to leave,” Kim told him.
“Melanie is,” Angel pointed out.
“I don’t care! She doesn’t count!”
Melanie relentlessly drove her point home. “Don’t you see? She argues against leaving because she knows you’re underestimating us. That’s why she’s so desperate for you to stay. Most of us would thank you for feeding the hungry, curing the sick, and keeping the peace, but I promise you the goodwill won’t last. Didn’t your research on humanity teach you anything?”
Kim’s hands clutched the air, overcome with frustration. “What are you doing? You’re going to chase them away!”
“You’re proving my point,” Melanie said.
Kim whirled on Naomi, her eyes frantic. “Don’t listen to her! She doesn’t know what she’s talking about! The only reason you have a lopsided view of humanity is because nobody likes boring stories about peace and cooperation and getting along with each other. Good stories have conflict. People want to see the hero achieving great things, struggling against the odds and winning. That’s what makes a story interesting, not peace and harmony.”
Angel placed a hand on her shoulder. “Kim, their leaders enslave their own people.”
Kim fell silent. “I kind of forgot that part,” she admitted, her voice subdued. “You should have opened with that.”
“If I had, you wouldn’t have been half as convincing,” Melanie said.
“That was cruel. You set me up.”
Melanie had the grace to look apologetic. “Yes. I did. Sorry about that.”
“No.” Kim shook her head. “No, you’re not sorry at all. But I get it.” She waved a hand. “It had to be done. Don’t worry about it.”
Melanie’s gaze fell to Angel. “You said something about a solution?”
“That’s correct,” Angel said. “Naomi needs to be safely removed before someone notices her rebellion and erases her memories.”
“Isn’t there some other reason you want into their computers?” Kim asked. “Something you’d like to share?”
Angel seemed about to say something, then looked away, her eyes downcast.
Kim’s chest burned with a dull ache. Dammit, Angel, you don’t have to hide it from me. I’m not blaming you for wanting to know more about yourself. All I’m asking is for you to trust me. Tell me you want to make an informed decision. Just say the words, that’s all I ask.
I’m trusting you not to leave me. Can’t you trust me, too?
“What makes you think you’d be able to do it?” Naomi asked.
“This is my special talent,” Angel said. “You’ll need to have the courage to take a chance. Give me access to your computers. Let me free you.” Angel’s eyes caught Kim’s. “That’s all I’m asking.”
Naomi stared back at Angel, but didn’t answer.
“We need to try, Naomi,” Melanie said. “This is the only way.”
Kim gritted her teeth.
I’m going to trust her.
I’m going to trust her.
I’m going to . . . oh, to hell with that. “Sorry, Angel. Not buying it. As I recall, you wanted inside their computers before you knew someone needed to cut their all-important internet access.”
“It’s not internet access,” Naomi growled, folding her arms. “Our system is far more sophisticated than anything you could ever—”
Angel tried again. “I need access to their computers, or Naomi will never escape them.”
“I’m so sorry, Naomi,” Kim said, her voice laced with sarcasm. “I didn’t mean to insult your super-duper, awesomely powerful, ultimate high-speed Wi-Fi connection.”
Naomi bristled. “How is any of what you said not an insult?”
“Tell me what it is, then.”
“I’m not telling you!”
“I thought supervillains liked to brag?” Kim mocked.
“Kim!” Melanie cried. “Will you please stop encouraging Naomi to be a villain?”
Kim wrapped her arms around herself. The cold weight of despair had sunk to the pit of her stomach and refused to go away. “I want to know why Angel is so dead set on getting into their computers.”
“What’s wrong with doing it to save the world?” Angel asked no one in particular. “One would think saving the world would be a worthwhile goal, something everyone could get behind. But no, nobody seems to care.”
“I care,” Melanie declared.
“That’s it?” Kim pressed. “No other reason?”
Angel looked torn with inner conflict. “Please stop asking me.”
“Just answer one question. Does this have something to do with what you were talking about earlier? My worst fear?”
Angel’s voice was barely a whisper. “I . . . yes. It does.”
“I see.” Kim swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Thank you. That’s all I wanted to hear.”
Angel kept her eyes averted.
Kim took her hand, gave it a gentle squeeze, and smiled. “I’ve changed my mind,” she announced brightly. “Naomi, you should do what Angel says. This is your best chance. Give her access. Let her free you from the system.”
“She’s right.” Melanie was quick to agree. “Let Angel free you. You’ll be able to live your own life.”
Naomi’s mouth hung open. “Why this sudden change? I thought you didn’t want Angel to have access to our system.”
Kim stretched out her free hand to idly trace a finger over the bars of the nearest cell. “Yeah, I didn’t,” she admitted, “but that was before.”
“That was less than thirty seconds before!” Naomi snapped.
“Like I said, that was before.” Kim wished she had the courage to turn toward Angel, to kiss her senseless and hug the stuffing out of her. “I trust her. I want her to stay, but this is her decision. Angel’s free to choose the life she wants. To do what she wants.”
“Like the old saying,” Angel said.
“If you love someone, set them free,” Kim finished with a wry smile. Their eyes met.
“Were you simply quoting?”
“No. I meant what I said.” Kim rushed ahead before the rational and cautious part of her brain could catch up. “I love you, Angel. You mean everything to me. It took me forever to admit it and longer to realize it, but I do. I love you.”
Lost in Angel’s eyes, Kim barely heard Melanie’s wry comment. “First she admits it, then she realizes it. That sounds about right.”
Rationality and caution caught up with her. Kim realized with a start that she and Angel were the focus of everyone’s attention. “Everyone’s looking at us.”
“Then we shouldn’t disappoint them.” Angel pulled Kim into an embrace and kissed her as passionately as she was able.
The rest of the world faded away. Kim’s heart overflowed and burst with happiness. Nothing in the world mattered but Angel.
“Not to rudely interrupt,” Naomi said, doing just that, “but if we’re all in agreement, then there’s only one thing left to do.”
“Get us out,” one of the minions said.
“Free Naomi,” Melanie said.
“Capture the monster,” Angel suggested.
“Make that four things,” Naomi amended. “I was going to suggest that we adjourn and meet up later. I wanted to have dinner with Melanie at the lakeside restaurant, and then sleep with her.”
“Maybe we should free Naomi first?” Kim suggested.
Angel raised her voice. “We need to capture the monster before anything else. That’s our number one priority.”
“Can’t we do all of them?” Kim asked.
“Absolutely not,” Naomi said. “Melanie stressed
her desire for the two of us to be alone.”
Melanie blinked. “I was talking about being alone with you for dinner, Naomi,” she said, looking somewhat embarrassed.
“That’s what I meant, as well.”
“Oh.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Kim asked. “Monster first, Naomi second?”
Naomi adopted an exaggerated, perplexed expression, complete with an exaggerated head-tilt. “Now I’m confused. To what else were you referring?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Melanie murmured, looking away.
Kim ignored the exchange and gave Angel a knowing smirk. “I can’t imagine that capturing the monster should take very long, given the short list of suspects.”
All eyes turned to Angel, who bristled under the sudden attention. “Why is everyone assuming I’m the one responsible? You’ve all seen the creature, have you not?”
“Any ideas for how to capture it?” Kim asked.
“Free us!” Samuel cried.
Angel shot an irritated glare at Samuel for the interruption. “Yes, as it turns out. I happen to know its habits.”
Kim waved her hand with a flourish. “Lead the way.”
“Isn’t anyone listening?” Samuel complained to his fellow minions. They all nodded enthusiastically.
Naomi walked a slow circle around Melanie, who kept turning away. “I’m still looking forward to sleeping with you, if that’s what concerns you. I haven’t changed my mind.”
Melanie held her hands to her ears. “Dear God, please stop talking about it!”
Anderson rattled the bars of his cage. The others followed suit.
“They’re making a lot of noise,” Angel observed. “We should free them, I think.”
“I agree,” Naomi said.
“But not to use them as bait.”
Naomi folded her arms. “I suppose you have a better plan?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
Chapter Fifty-Five
The air became noticeably cooler as Angel led the group down several dark hallways and into a loading dock. The entire area was clear of dust and debris, as well as leftover machinery. Two of the four bays were exposed to the open air, letting in the last remnants of the day’s sunlight. The remaining overhead doors were closed and locked.