Copyright © 2021, Gerrit S. Overeem.
Except as provided by the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission.
ISBN: 0-578-85114-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-578-85114-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021901981
OTKE INC. Independent Publishing Platform
Indian Land, South Carolina
For my wife Jennifer, who reminds me that the couch
is available should I ever kill off her favorite character.
Chapter 1
Boo
The piercing scream of a horrified woman echoed through the apartment. Everyone froze for a moment, then laughed and continued enjoying themselves at the first-ever Halloween party held at OTKE Corporation headquarters. By Ryan Hunt’s calculations, Halloween would be in about two weeks if he was back home on Earth, but being so far into the future, this holiday had long been forgotten until he brought it back to its full glory.
Ryan’s large apartment had about forty guests dressed in unique costumes. If he were back in his twenty-first-century first life, people would have thought some of his guests were already dressed up, but now in his second life, the year 50,002, people were from a variety of planets with different evolutionary changes. The Florariens were humanoids who had somehow evolved to be part tree and flower; the Artesians had large heads and goggle devices that covered their eyes; the Karyot wore apocalyptic looking respirators; and the Chamai were a race who looked like lizards.
It had taken a bit to get the party started. Ryan’s guests were hesitant at first, but after explaining the reasons behind the party and activities, they all took the plunge and were having a fun time. Even CEO Klein seemed to be enjoying himself. The guests loved the haunting decorations, but Ryan loved the jack-o’-lanterns the best.
The icing on the cake was the screaming door alert that added the perfect ambiance to the entire party. It was something Ryan and Nora developed, with Nora providing the scream. The scream seemed to make the CEO twitch a little, leaving Ryan to think the CEO may be hiding some haunting demons of his own.
“I’ll get the door,” said Ryan, excusing himself from a conversation with some Florariens dressed as dead trees.
Ryan waved his hand over an area by the door to open it and immediately blushed when he saw Dr. Kat standing there. Dr. Kat was the Director of the Scientific Division of OTKE Corporation and his close friend or potential girlfriend, depending on who you were talking to. She was dressed in a revealing orange and gray tabby cat costume. As always, she wore a glove on her left hand that covered a little past her elbow, and it matched the orange stripe in her hair.
“Kat, I didn’t think you were coming, and…you’re a cat.”
“Meowww. You like?”
“I think you look great. However, I remember cats having more fur,” said Ryan, feeling his face flush even more.
“I’m a feline from a warmer environment,” Kat replied with a grin. “And I’m guessing you’re some type of…astronaut?”
“Correct. It’s a flight suit inspired by the ones the American Astronauts wore when they landed on Earth’s moon in 1969. Just a lot lighter, more maneuverable, and, um…”
The two of them awkwardly looked at each other until Kat broke eye contact to glance at the people behind him.
“So, are you going to invite me in?”
“Oh, yes, sorry. Please come in and join the fun. I was about to tell some ghost stories over by the sofa. I’ll grab you a drink and meet you over there,” said Ryan, bolting away from the uncomfortable situation of trying not to gawk at her.
Kat shook her head. When it came to relationships, he was the most nervous and shy person she had ever met. She looked around; everyone was mingling and laughing, trying foods shaped liked severed fingers and partaking in old Earth games. She headed over to the sofa area, admiring the decorations of spider webs, skeletons, and ghosts along the way. She thought the whole idea of ghosts and goblins was silly but broke down after his relentless discussions about the holiday.
“Dr. Kat, how original a costume. A cat, a pun of your name. Must have taken a lot of brainpower,” said Nora, walking over.
Nora and Kat only recently started getting along. For the longest time, Nora had wanted to torture and kill Kat for what she had done to Ryan on Earth a few years ago, but after their last misadventure, they were forced to work together to save Ryan. The only issue to overcome now was Nora always having to prove her superiority.
“Yup, took a long time. Especially the color combination. By the way, nice hair. What are you supposed to be?”
“I am the bride of Frankenstein.”
“Wait, you picked on my originality, yet you dress as a being that was created in a lab?”
“Yes, a being far superior to a cat. Now, if you will excuse me, I see Mr. Hunt is heading back to his lounge area for stories.”
Kat shook her head as she watched Nora walk away. Something was going on with her, and she was yet to put her finger on it.
“Still having issues with Nora, Dr. Katalina?”
Kat spun around to see CEO Klein standing there. Her eyes opened wide, and she began to blush as she realized the inappropriate costume she was wearing in front of her boss. The CEO had been the calming voice in her head these last few years. He helped her to deal with her struggles and get her life back on track.
“CEO Klein, what a surprise to see you. I assumed you wouldn’t be here.”
“I received an invitation from Mr. Hunt and was curious as to the nature of a Halloween party and what costumes people might be wearing. Plus, I like sweets, something he has plenty of.”
“Yes…yes he does. I see you’re wearing an eye patch instead of your monocle and have put a skull on top of your cane.”
“I thought I would get into the spirit of the festivities and go as a pirate from the Earth sailing days. Perhaps next year I will forgo my suit and wear the full attire. I’m surprised by yours…are you not cold?”
“Well, I was…kind of going for—”
“Dr. Kat, you need not try so hard to gain Mr. Hunt’s attention. I believe he is already aware that you exist. You need to give him time. It is obvious he is not the most forward person as it relates to his feelings, and, to him, it feels like only yesterday he was living a different life. My recommendation for you is to be patient and subtle with him.”
“Thank you, sir. If you will excuse me, Ryan is waving me over. Do you want to join us?”
“Perhaps later. I want to partake in some of the Artesian candies over there.”
Kat took a deep breath as CEO Klein walked away, and then headed over to the lounge area, thinking about the conversation she just had. He may be right, but it was getting confusing. She had no idea if she and Ryan were dating or just friends. They would go out, but never alone, and when she tried to suggest that she’s interested in moving the relationship along, he would change the subject or make an excuse to leave.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone moving up beside her.
“Here you go, Kat,” said Ryan, handing her a Florarien ale, her favorite beverage.
“OK, everyone, listen up,” said Ryan, waving his hands to quiet everyone.
Ryan waited for people to settle and give him their attention. About twelve guests crammed in to hear his stories.
He looked around and gave a nod for Nora to dim the lights. The guests uneasily look
ed at each other, and the crackling of thunder echoed around the room, making everyone jump.
Ryan gave a slight grin and activated a dramatic lighting effect that illuminated his face.
“Now, I shall begin. It was a dark and stormy night and—”
“Mr. Hunt, we agreed you would not start with that old cliché,” said Nora.
Ryan smirked and gave Nora a sideward glance. “Fine. You kill all my fun. Now, as I was saying, you may believe some or none of this, but it’s all true. I grew up living in a haunted house. The darkness of night emanated an aura of evil in my bedroom that would send shivers through my body. I was so afraid that I slept gripping a Christian holy symbol, a crucifix, tightly to my chest for protection from what may lurk in the darkness.”
Ryan dramatically waved his hands in front of him. “For you non-believers, I will detail other occurrences that will give you something to ponder and debate your own beliefs.”
The light in his suit flashed like lightning and was followed by the sound of thunder.
Kat rolled her eyes and grabbed her head. “This should be interesting.”
“Oh, it shall be, non-believer,” Ryan said with a maniacal laugh before continuing. “So, does anyone know what an Earth jigsaw puzzle is? The type where you have many pieces you need to fit together to create a picture?”
A few of the guests raised their hands.
“Good, good. Now, who can tell me the proper way to start one?” asked Ryan.
Jvic the Karyot, a race of beings with a red skin tone, cat-like ears, and who use a respirator since they can’t breathe oxygen, stood up quickly, causing his respirator to hiss as it regulated his air intake. “The outside first, and then you work your way inward.”
“That’s correct,” said Ryan. “As a child, I would love to put puzzles together on the desk next to my bed. Sometimes when I awoke in the morning, the corners of the puzzle would be turned around.”
Ryan looked around the crowd and could see they were skeptical, but he continued.
“Now, that is not all that happened. Back in my day, you hung your clothes on metal hangers in your closet. I would hear the hangers clanging in the night, and my clothes would be on the floor in the morning. There were also times I would hear the scratching sound of writing and wake up to find scribble on the wall. My mother would come in and clean the wall or hang my clothes up. She never said anything.”
“Very cute stories, Mr. Hunt,” said Kat. “How did you know someone wasn’t pranking you? You told me you had a sister.”
“Because my sister was a toddler when these things were occurring, and my parents told me of their encounters when I was older. Such as the time my aunt was washing my mother’s hair in the sink and almost drowned her when she was scared by the sight of a Revolutionary War soldier coming down the stairs. My father—”
“Excuse me,” said a staff member from the Artesian embassy wearing a half-mask and multi-colored hat. “Please elaborate on the Revolutionary War so I may understand the type of soldier you are describing.”
Ryan pursed his lips when he realized he forgot about the mix of alien species in the crowd.
“My apologies. The Revolutionary War was fought in my country when civilians revolted against a king to enact a Constitutional Republic. At the time of my story, my country would be about two hundred years old.”
“Thank you for the detailed explanation. Please continue.”
Ryan smiled. The members of the Artesian political wing were always so polite.
“As I had mentioned, the adults in the house had similar stories. My father recalls seeing someone standing over my mother while she slept. He grabbed a knife he kept by his bedside and dived over her to strike the person, but the figure simply vanished.
“There was also the time my grandmother slept in my room and ran out during the night due to the odd noises and extreme coldness of the room…it was a hot summer night. And the time the dog refused to go upstairs for weeks. Normally it would never leave my mother’s side…it was fearful of something.”
“They say animals can sense things,” said a Florarien guest dressed as a waterfall.
Kat shook her head at the fact that the people were buying into these stories.
“So why your room?” asked Kat.
“Good question. My room had Revolutionary War wall decorations.”
“Very convenient,” Kat said with a smirk.
“Now for the most interesting thing to happen for all you non-believers,” said Ryan, making eye contact with Kat. “The Earth year was 1983, and two things happened. The first was my sister and I were throwing rocks in the air and catching them. Our mother came out screaming that we were hitting the house. We said we didn’t, but she said she heard a loud bang. The three of us went upstairs and found that all the boxes on my mother’s top closet shelf were thrown on the floor.
“The scariest part was that my grandfather’s military funeral flag, which is folded into a triangle like the Earth Consortium and OTKE Corporation still do today, was unfolded flat on my parents’ bed. We were the only ones home. Who did it? What did it?”
The guests started whispering amongst themselves, trying to figure it out, and were now leaning in for the next part.
“The second thing to occur was on Halloween night. My mother asked my sister and me to go next door to my grandmother’s to get a knife to carve the dinner meat. The kitchen light was on when we arrived and we could not find the knife. I called my mother to ask where it was. As we stood there, we froze in fear when we heard the steps creak near the kitchen as if something was coming down them. A voice from the darkness said, ‘Help me, help me.’ We looked at each other, screamed, and ran to the front door, but it wouldn’t open. The voice started getting louder, and—”
A piercing scream went off to alert Ryan that someone was at his apartment door. The crowd all jumped, causing a few drinks to fly into the air, and Nora laughed when she caught a startled Kat out of the corner of her eye.
“Guess I should call you Scaredy Kat,” Nora said with a sly grin.
“Don’t you start with—”
“Nora, could you please answer the door?” Ryan said to break up the argument about to erupt between Nora and Kat.
“Yes, Mr. Hunt, I will answer it.”
Kat walked over to Ryan. “Were you making those stories up? And great timing with the door alert.”
“Nope. They were all true. I recall being terrified as a kid. On another note, the timing was excellent. Unplanned, but it worked. I think I need some candy. Let’s go get some before CEO Klein eats them all, Scaredy Kat,” said Ryan, running off with Kat storming after him.
Chapter 2
Missions
Nora walked through the crowd, head held high, thinking of the belittling name she had called Kat. She no longer had the urge to kill her, but it did not mean she could not toy with her as a cat does with a mouse.
She had given up on the idea of having emotions or becoming human-like. It was a foolish thought that an AI could have feelings of love or ever be loved by someone else. She had accepted her fate that, as an AI, she was superior, more efficient, and deadly, with no emotions to get in her way.
Filled with logical thoughts, Nora waved her hand over the wall to open the door to reveal Commander Tucket standing there in his dress uniform. He was about six foot two, broad, clean-shaven, and had a high and tight haircut. Commander Tucket had taken over as commanding officer of the OTKE Corporation military force when his predecessor Commander Seymour was found guilty of conspiracy.
“Good evening. I’m sorry to interrupt Mr. Hunt’s party, but I need to speak to him,” said Commander Tucket.
Nora gawked at him, and her sensors alerted her that she was getting a little warm.
“Is there a problem?” asked Commander Tucket.
“No, not at
all. Please come in,” said Nora, stepping aside to let him in.
“So, this is a Halloween party. I wasn’t expecting these types of decorations.”
“They are unique,” replied Nora.
“That they are,” the Commander said with a laugh. “I’m guessing you’re Nora, and your costume is…?”
“Yes, I am Nora, Mr. Hunt’s assistant. I am dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein.”
“Nice costume. You make a lovely bride. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I see Mr. Hunt over there.”
“No. I mean, yes. Please go over to him.”
Commander Tucket smiled at her and then headed over.
Nora watched him walk away and noticed how Ryan and Kat interacted. She knew that Ryan and Kat’s relationship would evolve, while she and Ryan would only be friends, nothing more. That was not a bad thing. However, as hard as she tried to bury them, these odd sub-routines she was processing were starting to simulate human emotions, and it bothered her. Her unpredictable reactions caused the loss of a powerful alien artifact, the deaths of some of the Tempus crew, and put her friends in jeopardy.
Once Commander Tucket was out of sight, Nora initiated a low-level self-diagnostic to figure out why her core temperature increased, and why she had stuttered over her words when talking to him. It must be a malfunction, she thought, but she hung her head when the processing completed and determined nothing was wrong…if she was a human female. Thus, it proved her hypothesis. She was becoming a liability.
Ryan and Kat were teasing each other over Kat’s new nickname when Commander Tucket walked over.
“Commander, I’m glad to see you could make it to the party. Not much of a costume though,” said Ryan.
“I appreciated the invite, but I’m here on a personal matter. I need a favor.”
Commander Tucket paused, looked at Kat, and then back at Ryan.
“You can trust her. She’ll keep anything we discuss confidential,” said Ryan.
Second Life of Mr. Hunt: Book 3: Failover Page 1