by Piper Stone
I was a processor, refusing to work on emotions. If, and this was a huge concept, if the cyborg had broken out, coming to see me first, how did he find out where I lived? How could he get through the security system? Why would he risk his freedom to seduce a CRON officer? There were too many questions that had no legitimate answers. I knew I’d been exhausted for weeks, and I was prone to fantasizing, but...
“He had an episode that broke the inner core of synthetics, forcing him into an altered state that certainly wasn’t expected,” the doctor said.
I heard only a few of the words. “What?”
Chris touched my arm, dragging my attention back to the issue at hand. Several people had been hurt in his escape, at least two were listed in serious condition. He was now on the radar as being on the most wanted sheet. This had to be a complete embarrassment for the program. Even the commercials I’d seen on the new cyborgs had seemed so benign, as if the units were the greatest invention in the world.
I shook my head, fighting off the wave of nausea.
“In layman’s terms, the cybernetic unit went nuts. There was no reason why. He was our best prototype, programmed in such a manner that he could pass for human in all aspects. I just don’t understand.”
Chris shook his head and I heard the snort coming from his lips. My partner had no fear about machines in the least. He’d been taught they could be our salvation.
I glanced at him before studying the white-haired doctor glaring at his visual screen. He had all the warmth of a crocodile.
Get control of yourself. Do your job.
I shook off the tingling sensations, turning my attention back to the doctor, who I didn’t trust at all. “None at all, huh? One of your prized cyborg units and he simply lost his freaking mind and decided to make a break for it? Weren’t you doing testing?” Didn’t you give an actual shit?
I knew better than to believe the doctor had no understanding of what was going on. The facility might have the finest scientists and doctors working under one roof, but I was well aware of their reputation as being the government’s lackeys. The amount of money spent on the new technology was estimated to be in the millions. For a high working level cyborg, and one with the capabilities of passing as human, there was no way in my mind his technology system would simply have a meltdown.
Dear God, I prayed history wasn’t repeating itself. This wasn’t the only facility, which meant hundreds, maybe thousands of this new generation of machines were ready to be released onto the world. Maybe the programming had gone haywire and this cyborg’s mind had latched onto me.
Listen to yourself, Richardson.
“Sadly, Rogue 2252 has a history of issues,” the doctor continued. “I would deem him mentally unstable at this point.”
“Him, Doctor? Don’t you mean, it?” I asked, another shiver sliding down my spine. I could feel his presence in an odd manner, as if parts of him was still in the room instead of just lingering all over me. I wondered if anyone else could smell his scent.
The doctor huffed before glancing at me over his glasses. “You have no idea how far we’ve come in the technology. While yes, the HPA unit is considered a machine, his processing system is far superior to ours. He’s also programmed to emulate a human in almost every manner. He can eat, drink, and even have sex. All his bodily functions are active. But his brain and body are super charged, his mental capacity unlike anything that’s ever been created. He also has the strength of ten men, maybe more. Our testing of him has been magnificent. So, yes, in comparison to many humans that I’ve met, Rogue far surpasses the majority.”
“From what I’ve heard, every new prototype has a locater chip installed. Why don’t you simply find him yourself?” I studied the doctor’s expression, waiting for a nervous tic of some kind.
“He must have found a way to deactivate it.” The words were offered with zero emotion but a slight twitch of the doctor’s lower lip.
Chris and I looked at each other again. I wasn’t a fool. The cyborg would have no way of deactivating it himself without cutting into his system, possibly damaging his core. Why wouldn’t one be installed unless they were worried another organization could learn how to track them? I made mental note of my concern.
“By any chance did this cyborg have an opportunity to spend any time outside the facility before this?” I asked on a whim.
The doctor laughed. “Absolutely not. He had to be completely ready, which again, we’d hoped would be today.”
There blew my theory the dom and the... visitor were one and the same. I rubbed my temples, trying to concentrate.
“So, what’s making him crazy?” Chris asked.
The doctor’s face was pinched, and I knew he had zero desire to be here. “Rogue is far too intelligent. He figures out everything and when he can’t comprehend fast enough, he becomes enraged. That’s what we were working on controlling. While he needed to be directed for his proposed work contract, he can’t go off half cocked, killing anyone threatening the man or woman he’s guarding. I thought we were making great progress and he was still scheduled to be released. Other than that, he’s perfect.”
The entire room seemed to have an intense chill. I exhaled, trying to rationalize the situation we were dealing with. A super humanoid machine capable of doing anything it wanted. Perfect. I could tell the doctor took pride in the fact he’d created a potential killer.
“What’s your name again?” Chris asked as he walked around the room, surveying the damage.
“I’m Doctor Cameron Wells, head of the Cybernetic Technology Department. While Rogue wasn’t directly under my care, I’ve been a part of his creation and every study performed on him. You can understand why this is so disconcerting.”
“Rogue, huh? Interesting name.” Disconcerting was a word. For the rogue to do this level of damage in such a short period of time was a feat in itself. The damage couldn’t have been done by the man in my bedroom last night. “Alarms?”
“Yes, they went off immediately,” he answered.
“How long is the response time?” Chris asked.
“Less than two minutes. We have twenty-four-hour staff monitoring every cybernetic unit.”
Uh-huh. Then the assholes were sleeping on the job if that was the case. I noticed the steel table as well as the broken restraints. Fingering them, another cold chill settled into my system, coursing alongside heated electricity sending a shockwave to my system. I could almost feel his charged energy as well as another very bold emotion.
Rage.
Maybe the doctor was telling the truth. But could he completely destroy a room, set fire to a wing, and demolish the front lobby in less than two minutes?
“And your people didn’t see this rogue unit at all?” Chris pressed.
“No. When they arrived, he’d already gone.” Dr. Wells didn’t look my partner in the eyes when he issued the words.
I gave Chris a concentrated look before clearing my throat. “You consider him a prized cyborg unit even with your concerns?”
“Absolutely. He has always been very special to us,” Dr. Wells said half under his breath.
That told me the man was hiding something. “So, that means he’s also programmed for human emotions, no doubt tested with various obstacles he’d have to pass. Right?”
The doctor gave me a hard stare before answering. He obviously didn’t like the fact I was well versed on their... experiments, or that I was pestering him with worthless questions. Granted, I wasn’t stupid enough to think they’d really provide all the details of their work to outsiders, but I knew enough given certain connections I maintained. “Yes. He was purposely given reasoning capabilities, every level of emotion and desire. As I said, he was almost perfect. We wanted to be able to test his ability to pass as completely human.”
“How much?” I asked, moving toward the scanning systems. The screens were dark and I would take a bet they wouldn’t want me to see his internal mechanisms. All their programs were considered
top-secret.
“How much?” The doctor now seemed annoyed.
“How human is he?” I glanced into the living quarters. The man lived in a virtual cage, but at least he had a comfortable setup: a nice bed, a music system, even a window to view the world outside the cinderblock walls. There was little damage in this room. He had cognitive reason enough to leave where he was living and destroy the laboratory. I snorted at the thought. I’d never met a machine who had this kind of reasoning.
“Sixty-two point seven five.”
Not to be exact or anything. “A functioning human brain?” I also knew that only portions of the brain were typically used, infused with the synthetic one to provide these supposed emotions. I was more than curious.
Dr. Wells hesitated again. “Yes. His prototype has a fully functioning brain. We were lucky enough to have a suitable donor.”
“Wow,” Chris said under his breath. “So much for the need for humans.”
“And what is the percentage for a normal cyborg?” I asked. Before walking into the adjoining room, I noticed a young girl, a very pensive woman standing out in the hallway. She was wearing a lab coat and I had the distinct feeling she wanted to share details of what might have occurred.
“Not quite fifty. That makes him extremely dangerous. Make no mistake about it, Miss...”
“Richardson. Officer Richardson.” I was growing weary. We certainly wouldn’t get the answers we needed or any that I needed personally. “Well, then maybe he can be reasoned with.” I could see a black box with a single connection. A comstall unit. I’d read about them in the various scientific journals. There were no on or off switches that I could see. I inched closer. This had to be the cyborg’s recharging station, but it looked entirely different than any I’d seen before.
My instincts were kicking in. This rogue was indeed very special.
Dr. Wells walked closer, lowering his voice. “Make no mistake about this particular cyborg, Officer Richardson. He should be considered one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet. Not only has he been given every educational opportunity, but he’s trained in weaponry, martial arts and has particular skills that would rival any Black Op in this country. He is also cunning, manipulative, and has a very short temper. That’s why this needs to be kept on a need to know basis.”
Chris whistled behind me. “Wow. This will be an interesting capture.”
The smirk on the doctor’s face almost pissed me off. The man’s face had turned a sickly shade of green. “You don’t want him captured, do you?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“This particular cyborg is expendable since he’s gone off the grid. You want us to terminate him.”
“Oh, I don’t think Dr. Wells is suggesting that, partner,” Chris said, laughing.
Dr. Wells exhaled. “We have four million dollars invested in this cybernetic unit. I simply want him stopped before he hurts any human. While Rogue is valuable to us, our program can’t be driven to a halt by a single situation. I’m certain with your years of experience, you’ll know what to do.”
A situation. Why did I have the feeling the doctor was directing his comments to me alone? Why, Doctor, what if I told you that your Rogue fucked me last night. What would you think about that? “What is this for?” I pointed to the unit, glancing in the doctor’s direction. I noticed two other scientists or doctors hovering outside. They certainly had their attention planted on me. I suddenly didn’t mind pushing one little bit.
Dr. Wells took a deep breath before answering. “A simple recharging station. You must know that is required at a certain point. We hope to eliminate that within months.”
“Nothing more?” I lifted a single eyebrow before reaching down, running my fingers across the top. Almost instantly a wave of electricity coursed through every cell in my body. Fuck, it was similar to the way I’d felt touching his skin last night. I fought to keep from reacting, yet I felt as if I was on fire. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! What the hell was this? I held my breath as another jolt hit me, bringing a fuzzy image, then a second.
Two people were on a dirty floor in a dark location and he was fucking her from behind. I blinked several times, almost catching their faces. So dark. So cold. What the...
“Be careful with that!” Dr. Wells almost jumped out of his skin.
The sound of his voice jerked me out of the vision. I curled my fingers, absently wiping perspiration from my brow. I could swear my skin was seared from the extreme heat, but there was no sign that anything had happened. For some reason, I absently touched my lips, remembering the kiss.
I knelt down, studying the almost clear cover plate. The unit was obviously controlled in another location. Had the scientists been programming him with sexual desires, implanting ideas in his head? That didn’t make any sense if this Rogue was going to be used for security purposes. “I’ll ask you again, Doctor. Do you use this for any other reason?”
“Of course not. We handle our programming in another method.”
Another lie.
I’m coming for you and I will set you free... Now, you belong to me.
I knew my body had jerked, but I tried to smile even as Chris inched closer.
I wasn’t going to get any clear answers today. That much I was forced to accept. I calmed my breathing, longing to connect to Rogue again. “Is there any reason this particular unit would have gone AWOL? Did he have some bad news? Were his human cells rejecting the android portions? Did he know you had concerns about his ability to manage his anger?”
“Not at all. We simply performed the usual tests, preparing him for his first assignment. We’d hope to let him go as early as tomorrow or the next day.”
“Hmmm, fascinating.” I stood, darting quick glances around the rest of the room. There was no other evidence that would be helpful, and the doctor certainly wasn’t going to tell me anything. Maybe his credentials were limited.
Yeah, and maybe cyborgs could live peacefully among humans.
“Chris, do you mind getting the last details regarding this Rogue for me? I just want to take a look in the hallway for any other evidence.” I acted as nonchalant as possible. Alarming anyone at the facility wasn’t in my best interest.
My partner had a particular expression when he was concerned and today his face was wrinkled from worry. I gave him a huge smile, trying my best to hide what had occurred with the comstall unit.
“You bet.” Chris did his best to keep a grin off his face. He also knew how I worked. He’d often told me I was like a dog to a bone, only one that had been buried underneath concrete. “Doctor, can I see his last vital scans?” my partner asked as I headed into the other room. My red flags were raised every which way.
Seeing the visions or hearing the cyborg’s voice made zero sense in any manner. However, I knew for certain that whatever had occurred while he recharged no doubt added to the reason that Rogue had escaped. What the hell were they doing to this unit in particular?
I nodded toward the other two scientists, backing away slowly. The girl stood in the shadows, moving from foot to foot.
I was able to slink out into the hallway, nodding to the girl to head away from the crowd. After we rounded a corner, I touched her arm. “I can tell you want to talk to me. What details can you provide about this rogue unit?”
“I shouldn’t be doing this,” she whispered, taking several deep breaths. “Besides, you’re a CRON. You’re just going to destroy him.”
“He’s not a reprobate. I have no intention of ending his life, but I do need to find him. If my partner and I don’t, he could be in more danger.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, searching my eyes for the truth. She must have been satisfied enough. “He’s not just a unit. He’s much more human-like. I’ve been amazed at his progress. Rogue is wonderful, but he wasn’t treated very well. He was lied to and experimented on. Even he doesn’t know what they did to him.” She darted several looks down the corridor.
What they did to him?
The words were ominous, but she certainly had to be careful what she shared. “What’s your name?” I honestly wasn’t certain if she’d give me her real name.
“Sara. Sara Booker. Please don’t tell anyone I’ve talked to you,” she whispered in a begging tone.
“Don’t worry, Sara. This is between you and me. Now, tell me what you meant by the fact he wasn’t treated very well and these experiments you’re talking about?” Her eyes lit up when she talked about him, crushing through her fear. A small part of me wanted to tell her about the night before, but my gut told me to tell no one. Still, the word ‘experiment’ might explain his more than odd behavior. Which one, Richardson? I laughed at the nagging voice. Which one indeed.
“I wasn’t allowed to know everything, top-secret stuff you know, but his moods have darkened lately. I noticed a continual change over the last two months in particular.”
“Nothing health-wise?” I glanced over my shoulder, taking several shallow breaths. If the bastards were fucking with Rogue’s human mind, there was no telling what the cyborg was capable of.
“No. He was almost perfect. In fact, he was scheduled to be released tomorrow, but after the incident with the reprobate you and your partner brought in, Congress put a complete halt on letting him go. That’s what I was told. I know Rogue. He had to have been furious. This is the third time they’ve done it to him.” Her hand was shaking when she attempted three times to slide hair behind her ear.
“Okay, Sara. That’s really good information.” She was a low level assistant at best, but at least she’d confirmed the doctor had been lying. This girl would certainly know if Rogue had been allowed out before.
“I attended to him. I know more about him than any of the doctors. I really do. They started calling him Gen X, not Gen B like the others of his kind.” Her laugh was strangled.
“Gen X? What the hell does that mean?” My vision switched back to the comstall unit. Simply a recharging station, my ass.