“Cane!” he called out while pointing to gathering gloom, “Do you see the horizon?”
“Affirmative, Master Origen!” the red-haired warrior answered quickly.
“Send out your scouts in all directions to determine its nature!” Origen commanded.
“Yes, Master Origen!” Cane replied.
Origen turned to look at the visuals on his command center to view the situation at the other Resistance-controlled cities around the world.
The same storm seemed to be encircling them all.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Adam and Dawn spent the rest of the day exploring the Prince estate. Everything was stunning—from the luxurious recharge rooms filled with elegant shoes, clothing, and jewelry, to Edgar Prince’s own private harbor where his three yachts were anchored. The lovers observed the leaders of the world frolic and play in the pools, on the golf courses and in the various private rooms of pleasure. Edgar had given all of the Guardian Networks executives the day off, demanding they enjoy his estate in honor of the return of his son. Neither Adam nor Dawn said much to the eHumans indulging in Edgar’s delights. The inhabitants of New Caledonia stared odiously as the couple walked by, making it very clear that they were not at all at ease with their presence. The people were afraid. Adam could feel it. Tension was building in the air, and it made Adam wary.
Edgar stayed away from the couple, choosing instead to spend the day at sea. He preferred the solace that his boats brought him. Normally he’d sail with just a few eBots and perhaps a lover or two, but this time he’d chosen Morgan to join him. The man needed to be educated on the situation at hand.
“Well, what do you think?” Edgar asked his second in command, as he reclined comfortably in a striped chaise lounge chair on the deck. Morgan sat beside him, nervously tapping his fingertips upon his armrest.
“Of what?” he replied casually.
“Of Elijah, of course,” Edgar drawled, “My son. I wondered what you thought about his return.”
“Yes, well, that’s a trick question Edgar. I don’t quite understand what you’re doing, allowing him and Dawn to come to the island. Is this really a joyful reunion? Or is something else stirring in that head of yours?”
Edgar smiled. It was nice when Morgan showed a little spirit.
“It does seem unlikely that he would return after all these long centuries,” Edgar agreed, “But return he has. You want to know why I allowed him on the island? Because I’m curious, and I wanted Dawn back. Allowing them safe passage to the island gave me two gifts at once.”
“Yes, but now that they’re here, what do you plan to do with them?” Morgan asked.
“Throw a party of course. The prodigal son deserves to have the fatted calf killed in his name, doesn’t he?” Edgar replied with a slight chuckle.
“And who might the fatted calf be in this case Edgar?” Morgan challenged him.
Ah, the man could think after all.
“That depends on how the night goes,” Edgar replied, “And what Elijah and his lover reveal. Why do you think they wanted to come here, Morgan?”
“To spy on you. That’s obvious.”
“But if I never let them leave, what would be the point? They can’t share their information with anyone.”
“True, but then why else would Dawn leave her post?”
“She says it’s because her lover longed to return to me and she didn’t want to leave his side. She went through so much to find him, you know.”
“Yes, the story is quite touching,” Morgan replied, brushing his hand through the air to show his disdain, “You’ve told me this already, Edgar. I don’t believe them. Something else is going on.”
“I agree. But it pains me that you haven’t found the answer yet.”
Morgan hesitated for a moment, considering the accusation deeply.
“I’m sorry, sir?”
“You, Morgan. I’d expect that after two centuries of my company, you’d be more clever.”
Morgan stared at his master, hating him more with each moment and wishing that he could jump off the island and into any other eHuman body. Just for once, he’d love the freedom that being a member of the masses provided—to be hidden from Edgar Prince’s ever-reaching gaze.
“Revenge, Morgan,” Edgar drawled, knowing exactly what the man had thought, “Revenge is why they’re here.”
“Ah, yes,” Morgan agreed, ashamed that he hadn’t thought of it, “If that’s the case, then what are you going to do?”
“Do you think there is any risk having them here on the island?” Edgar challenged.
“Off the top of my head, no. Everything on the island is monitored. There’s no place that is private. Nor is there any possibility that they were followed here. Our surveillance would detect any aircraft or vessels from miles away. And as you’ve already mentioned, they’ll never be able to leave and bring information to the Resistance, so anything they discover about us dies with them. It’s also impossible for them to transfer data to the Resistance or make any contact. The system would alert the Guardians.”
“I agree, Morgan. There’s no risk. Which is why I allowed them safe passage.”
“But Edgar, it’s unlike you to simply enjoy another’s company without testing them first. I assume you have some sort of test planned?”
Edgar began to laugh while patting Morgan on the back.
“You know me so very well! Of course I have a test planned. It’s going to be spectacular, indeed.”
“I assume it has something to do with the impending attacks on the Resistance-controlled cities?”
“Yes,” Edgar replied, throwing back his head and turning his face to the sun, “It most certainly does.”
From the shore, Adam and Dawn stood hand in hand on the docks, gazing out at the silhouette the sailboat made against the bright sun now beginning to set into the western sea. They knew Edgar was out there, most likely plotting against them.
“We need to be ready for anything,” Dawn said tersely.
Adam nodded, staring wistfully out to sea. He was drawn to Edgar’s fleet, wanting nothing more than to take a boat and sail off with Dawn. But they’d never get far. Edgar’s minions would discover them.
“In the video Dr. Neville made of me, I mentioned that I took to the seas for a year after I lost you,” Adam began, a tight feeling beginning to build within his torso, “I often wonder where I went. Whom did I meet? What did I see?”
Dawn squeezed his hand gently. “I can only imagine,” she replied softly.
“And what did I do during the six years after I ran away from Edgar? What promises did I make before I Jumped?”
“I’ve wondered that as well Adam. I think you were with the ‘Pro-Deathers’ as Edgar calls them,” she answered.
“What makes you think that?”
“Because if you were mad at your father, that’s the group you would have aligned with. They were the ones fighting against the Great Shift. You would have brought them information in order to help them. I’m sure of it.”
“Well, a lot of good that did They’re all dead.”
“I don’t think so, Adam,” Dawn replied with a look of seriousness on her face.
“What do you mean?”
“I think some of them lived. They must have.”
“Humans?”
She nodded.
He wasn’t sure what to make of it. Dawn had long considered herself responsible for the death of so many during the Great Shift. Perhaps believing that some had survived was a way of making herself feel better? It seemed unlikely that any human life existed, other than in eHuman form, but Adam wasn’t about to argue with her.
He turned and looked out to the sea again, noting that Edgar’s boat was getting closer.
“He’s returning,” he whispered in disgust.
Dawn nodded, the setting sun cast an amber glow across her beautiful face, bronzing her like a statue. They watched the red disk gently descend with each moment into the v
ast ocean that surrounded the island, while Edgar’s sailboat slowly returned to the docks on which they stood. He’d arrive at the slip within minutes.
At that moment, all things became crystal clear within Adam’s mind.
Tonight was the night.
He had to get to Archion and plug in.
Adam turned to Dawn and pulled her close, kissing her passionately and hoping that Edgar was watching. He kissed her as if it were their last evening on Earth—deep, intense, driving to the very core of her soul. She sensed his urgency and gently pulled away.
“What was that for?” she asked, taken aback by the tone of the embrace.
“I don’t have a good feeling, Dawn,” was all he could muster.
“What do you mean?”
“I fear we’ve run out of time. We must find Archion—tonight.”
“Why?” Dawn didn’t see the problem in enjoying a night of company with the elite members of the world. The more information they could gather the better. But she could see Adam was deeply disturbed.
“I don’t know,” Adam tried to explain, “I just find the ease of our arrival to be suspicious. You yourself said that Operation Insurrection seemed too easy—as if the WG allowed us to take over the cities.”
“And you fear that while we’re here, the WG will launch their attack?”
Adam nodded.
“I share your fears,” she agreed, “What’s our plan?”
“Oksana Natarov,” he answered.
“Oksana? Edgar’s lover?”
“Yes, keep an eye on her. See if we can find a way to get her on our side. Something tells me that her life with Edgar Prince isn’t all romance and roses,” Adam explained.
Dawn considered the woman for a moment. She knew Oksana found Adam attractive. Dawn also knew Adam had a way with women, if he felt comfortable with the situation. There had to be a way to exploit the woman’s negative feelings for Edgar.
“You’re right,” Dawn replied, “Oksana Natarov must be our target. Let’s see if we can gain her confidence.”
Adam reached forward and took Dawn’s hand. The electrical impulses from her fingertips sent a deeply erotic pulse through his body. He smiled at her.
“Once we’re done saving the world, I think we might want to look into installing some of those Pleasure Zone upgrades,” he teased.
Dawn kissed him once more.
Edgar’s sailboat approached the docks.
“I don’t want to talk to him,” Dawn admitted.
“Go on up to the mansion and get ready for the party. I’ll do the talking,” Adam offered.
“No, I’m not a coward. I won’t run from him.”
She grasped Adam’s hand tighter as they waited on the docks to face his father.
The boat gracefully navigated its way up to the slip, three eBots jumping out onto the dock in synchronicity to tie the vessel securely to the cleats. Edgar and his companion exited the boat. Edgar showed no surprise at the couple’s presence on the dock, yet chose to chide them anyway.
“Elijah and Dawn,” he began, “Why aren’t you getting ready for the party? All of your attire awaits you in your recharge rooms.”
“We wanted to watch the sunset,” Adam admitted truthfully.
The man at Edgar’s side, Morgan, eyed him suspiciously.
“Why would anyone want to do such a thing?” he remarked.
“Because, I’ve never seen the sunset upon the ocean before,” Adam replied, “I think it’s beautiful the way the sea reflects its burning colors.”
“You were a natural mariner from the start,” Edgar admitted, “From the moment I brought you out on your first sail, you took to it like a bee to honey. It was splendid. Of course, your mother didn’t approve. She feared the ocean.”
Adam looked at the man with a blank expression. He knew that Edgar was taunting him with the past. Probably even lying about it since Adam wouldn’t know any better. Dawn gripped his hand even tighter.
“My mother?” Adam queried.
Edgar smiled. Perhaps nostalgia would be the way to completely conquer his son and bring him back to his side? That would be so much more delightful than destroying him.
“Yes, your mother,” Edgar glanced at Morgan, who was keenly watching him.
“What was her name?” Adam asked. The idea of her had triggered yet another wave of anger. Adam fought hard to keep the emotion hidden.
“Atienne,” Edgar said, with almost a hint of sadness that he tried to hide.
Both men stared at each other, neither one fooling the other.
“A French man’s name, I know,” Edgar continued, “But it suited her.”
“What happened to her?” Adam asked.
“It’s time, Edgar,” Morgan announced, interrupting the conversation. Why Edgar had even brought up the subject was beyond his understanding. Atienne was in the past, destroyed long ago. If he were Edgar, he would have erased all traces of her from his database. But thankfully, he wasn’t Edgar. He placed his arm firmly upon his superior’s shoulder to make his point clearer.
“We’re all expected at the party.”
“Yes,” Edgar nodded, not at all sure what the hell had gotten into him. He hadn’t thought of Atienne in ages. Morgan was right to be cautious. Such nostalgia was quite dangerous. It was best to resort to his more destructive, yet predictable, measures of breaking a man. “You two go get dressed. I expect you to be on time. I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
With that, Edgar and Morgan walked together up to the mansion in silence, each one wary of the other. Theirs had always been a half-friendship, with Edgar giving Morgan just enough information to keep him faithful, but always leaving out enough to keep him on his toes. It was strange for his servant take control of a conversation like that. An embarrassment, really. Edgar eyed the man, who refused to look at him. Using his wireless, Edgar issued a request to the island Guardians to have the incident removed from Morgan’s database. Instantly, Morgan stopped walking. His eyes went blank for a moment, then he blinked and shook his head.
“What a strange son you have,” Morgan said with disdain, “Watching the sunset, indeed. What a waste of time.”
Edgar grinned. Work within the eHuman world was delightfully efficient.
Adam and Dawn remained at the docks until the men faded away into the shadows of the dusk.
Atienne? His mother?
Why would Edgar bring her up? Why did the thought of her made Adam want to kill Edgar on the spot? He felt like he was awash in a sea of resentment. How dare the man use his mother to bait him? It was obvious that Edgar’s treachery had depths that even Adam couldn’t truly fathom. All of the circuits in his body were firing and it took the will of Heracles to keep from chasing Edgar down and attacking him.
Dawn noticed her lover’s pain and sent a wave of relief through her hands to try and calm him down. There was no need for Adam to lose his temper yet again. He really needed to be a more penitent son if he was going to gain access to Archion. When she sensed his system had quieted down, she spoke to him softly.
“Shall we go get ready?”
He nodded.
“Now I know something more about the depths of my revenge,” he whispered in a faint voice.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t carry this Trojan Horse just to get back at Edgar for taking you away from me. I’m seeking vengeance for the destruction of my entire family.”
Dawn noted the venom in his voice and kissed his forehead gently.
“Then let’s be done with this,” Dawn replied, “We will gain access to Archion tonight and rid ourselves, and the world, of this tyrant.”
The pair began to walk back to the castle, covering the same springy, grassy lawn that Edgar had just trekked, the footprints from the soles of his shoes still evident. As they drew nearer, they could hear the crowds gathering on the veranda, their voices rising and falling in laughter, like the ocean waves they’d just witnessed. A jazz band provided the pa
rty’s backdrop. Adam and Dawn skirted the festivities, and followed a long hallway to their dressing rooms. It was time to put on the costumes his father had prepared for them.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Adam strolled along the plush red carpet to the end of the hallway, stopping before the ornate doorway of Dawn’s dressing room. When he entered, he was taken aback by her radiant beauty. She stood in front of a three-way mirror, gently turning side to side as she gazed upon herself. Her blonde hair had been piled up on her head and the loose strands formed perfect ringlets framed her face. From her ears hung large teardrop-shaped diamonds. Around her graceful neck she wore a matching diamond choker. A white, floor-length dress clung to her shapely body, accenting all the curves that the Dawn of eHumanity had been granted. Her red lips formed a smile when she turned and saw Adam standing in the doorway, himself a handsome sight in a black tuxedo.
“Well, the clothes here sure beat the ones in Avalon,” she joked, nervously.
“Elijah Prince and Dawn,” a mechanical voice called out into their room, surprising each of them, “You’re presence is expected in the ballroom!”
The two joined hands and left the dressing room, following the carpeted hallway down to the enormous front staircase, which they descended slowly. The entryway was filled with eHumans, each one elegantly dressed and decorated with the finest jewels. Every eye focused upon the couple as they continued down the steps.
When they arrived on the bottom stair, the crowd parted, allowing them access to the ballroom doors. Whispers closed in behind Adam and Dawn as they entered the ballroom and forced themselves to join the party.
“Elijah! Dawn!” Edgar Prince’s voice rang out over the mingled music and voices, “Please, everyone, welcome my son and his lovely escort—the Dawn of eHumanity herself!”
The crowd burst into forced cheers, each person clapping automatically, as if to defy Edgar Prince’s orders would cost them their lives.
“How happy I am to share this night with you, my eternal friends,” he continued, “It has been a long time since Elijah has joined our table. For centuries I have searched for my son. And now that I have found him, I will never let him go!”
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