by David Archer
“Personally? By yourself, Noah?”
“Not exactly,” Noah said. “I’d like to requisition a piece of equipment from Wally. He’s got something special out there that I think would be perfect in this situation.”
“Certainly, whatever you need. Just give him a call in the morning and I’m sure he can get it shipped out to you pretty quickly.”
“Thank you,” Noah said. The line went dead and he dropped his phone into his pocket.
“Do you think she’ll go for it?” Sarah asked. “I know it sounds crazy, Noah, but I’d really like to do this.”
“I think Parker will agree with me. With any luck, all three of you will be headed for Vegas within the next few days.”
“Okay, cool,” Renée said. “That’s somewhere else I’ve never been.”
“Just remember it’s all about the mission,” Noah said. “These people call themselves Life Gift America, right? Well, they are about to come face-to-face with Team Beauty of Operation Lifesaver, and get a taste of what they do to their victims.”
NINETEEN
“Yes?” Wally Lawson said the following morning, when his receptionist told him he had an incoming call. “Who is it?”
“It’s Camelot, sir,” the girl said.
Wally snatched up the phone and hit the button to activate the line. “Camelot? Hey, how’s it going?”
“It’s going,” Noah said. “Wally, Allison said I could ask you to ship me a special item. How is Esmeralda?”
Esmeralda was something Wally and his people had been working on for a couple of years. She was a five foot six inch humanoid robot, capable of interacting with humans in almost every possible situation. She was not an artificial intelligence, but the computer she used for a brain could respond perfectly to more than a million different possible scenarios. It had required the programming skills of more than a thousand people to cover so many different potential situations, and then they had to iron out the bugs that kept her from appearing fully alive.
Robotics engineers from all over the world had worked on the project, although they were not aware of its true purpose. By combining technology from all of those engineers, Wally’s people had managed to create an automaton that was indistinguishable from a human female without taking her apart. Using recent advancements in artificial musculature and creating a realistic but simulated circulatory system, it was even possible for her to pass for human during an X-ray procedure, unless it was aimed at her head.
Her skeleton, however, was one of the most important features. It was made entirely of the special explosive that came out of the 3D printers. This made it possible for her to detonate herself with enough force to level a large building, or to detach a hand and used it as a separate bomb that she could detonate from a distance. For example, she could grab onto a car’s door handle and then release the hand. When the car was some distance away, she could send a command to the detonator in the hand to set it off, blowing the vehicle and its occupants to bits.
She was also capable of carrying chemical or biological weapons within herself. A pressurized gas canister could be tucked inside her chest cavity, allowing her to emit the gas through her artificial respiration. Wally hoped to one day be able to send her into the most dangerous missions, to help preserve the lives of the E & E team members.
“Esmeralda? She’s doing well, very, very well. We’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to send her out into the field. You think this might be it?”
“I do. There’s a good possibility I’m going to be meeting with several of the principals in our target organization next week, and I’d like to have her with me.”
“Okay, no problem. How do you want her set up?”
“I probably won’t be able to carry any weapons into the meeting. I want to have her follow me to wherever the meeting is held and keep my weapons handy, but I may need her to enter a building and detonate.”
“That’s no problem,” Wally said. “All you have to do is tell her where to go and when to go off. We’ll give you a code that you can speak to her, that will tell her to obey your instructions. The thing is, we’ve got some new features built into her that you might find helpful.”
“Like what?”
Wally giggled. “She’s been programmed to the point now that she can actually use weapons,” he said. “She’s the most accurate sniper you will ever see, but she can also use a handgun more accurately than anybody alive. If you tell her to go after a specific individual, there’s absolutely no possibility that she’s going to fail. She’ll use every possible weapon, including guns, knives, her hands or even self detonation to make sure the target doesn’t escape, but she’s also programmed to avoid any possible witnesses or collateral damage.”
“Sounds like she wants to take over my job,” Noah said. “How soon can I get her?”
“Let me see,” Wally said. “We can send her on a charter flight directly to your local airport. I can have her down there by two o’clock this afternoon. Can you pick her up?”
“Yes, no problem. Any special instructions I need to give her?”
“Not really,” Wally said. “As soon as you see her, look at her and say, ‘I have a pretty dog.’ That will be the code that tells her to obey your commands from that point on. If you don’t blow her up, we can reset her later.”
“All right, get her on the way. I’m going to make her my receptionist for right now. Can she handle that?”
Once again, Wally giggled. “You bet. Should be the best secretary you ever had. Is there anything else I can get you?”
“Yes. Can you send somebody out to the armory to get me a few extra MP9’s? I’d like to have about six more of them, and several magazines for each.”
“Consider it done. Esmeralda will have them when she gets there.”
Noah ended the call and turned to Marco, who was sitting across the desk from him. “That’s all set,” he said.
“So, now we just wait for the Dragon Lady to make a decision on the girls? I’m not really sure I like that, Noah.”
“You’re the one who wanted Renée to join the team,” Noah said. “Did you honestly think she’d never have to be involved in the killing? This is the perfect job for her to gain experience on. Jenny will run the show, but I think it would be good for Renée to be there to see what happens.”
“I know, I understand. I just don’t like it. If she can’t handle it, I don’t know what it would do to her.”
“Marco, she’s been working for years for an outfit that kills people,” Noah said, “and she knew it. She’s been with you for months, knowing full well what you do for a living. Renée isn’t a squeamish little college girl, and she’s had the training. It’s time for her to become an actual field agent.”
Marco grimaced, but said nothing.
“I’ll be fine, honey,” Noah heard Renée say to Marco through the subcom. “Believe it or not, I’m actually looking forward to this.”
“Yeah?” Marco said. “That’s about half of what worries me.”
Noah’s phone rang as Allison called.
“Camelot,” he said as he answered.
“Parker thinks you’re a genius,” Allison said. “Team Beauty is a go. We’ve got surveillance waiting for Schlatter and Carrigan, so as soon as we have locations on their facilities, you can send the girls out to Vegas. They can pretend to be tourists while they wait for the order to move. This is actually working in my favor at the moment, because I have new missions that I need to use the other teams on, anyway.”
“All right,” Noah said. “I’ll let the girls know.”
“I’m not done with you yet,” Allison said. “Esmeralda? Noah, are you sure about this?”
“I think she can do what I need, and Wally agrees that it’s time for a field test. After talking to him a few minutes ago, I think I’m going to have her go after a couple of the partners on her own. That should tell us whether she’s actually going to be able to replace any of our teams in the futur
e, don’t you think?”
“I suppose so,” Allison said, “but there’s always the possibility she could be discovered. If the world ever found out there was a robot running around that really could pass for human, especially a robot that is capable of exploding and killing everyone around itself, there could be a panic.”
“Wally thinks she can avoid getting caught. Under the circumstances, I think the risk is justified. We’ll find out if robots can actually replace human assassins, and these people will come to a fitting end.”
Allison sighed. “All right, Noah, I’ll leave it up to you. Just do your best not to let anybody take her apart.”
She hung up the phone and Noah dropped his onto his desk.
“At least we aren’t shipping anything today,” Marco said. “Your transporters are sitting in the break room. Want me to go send them home?”
“You might as well. I don’t really want anyone else around when Esmeralda arrives, anyway.”
Ten minutes later, they were alone in the building. The morning passed slowly, interrupted only once by a phone call from Harold Conley.
“Rob, it’s Harold,” he said. “You made quite an impression on those boys last night. Mr. Carrigan wants you in New Jersey on Monday. Think you can make it?”
“Sure, that’s no problem. My wife is getting ready to go on a vacation with some friends, anyway. It’s perfect timing, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Yeah, wish I felt that way,” Conley said with a chuckle. “From the way Carrigan talks, you will be my boss when you get back. Just remember what I said about remembering your friends, will you?”
Noah grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t forget you.” He said goodbye and hung up the phone, and Marco chuckled.
“Damn straight,” he said. “You’re sending him a special present. Me.”
At twenty minutes to two o’clock, Noah got into the Charger and headed for the airfield. He arrived just as a small Cessna jet touched down, and watched it taxi toward the terminal. The pilot opened the hatch and Esmeralda stepped down, smiling and chatting amiably with him as he set her large suitcase on the ground. Noah waited until they said goodbye to each other, and Esmeralda turned toward the gate. Her eyes locked on him instantly, and she watched him as she approached.
“Esmeralda,” he said, “I’m Noah Wolf. I’m supposed to meet you here today.”
“Oh, hello, Mr. Wolf,” Esmeralda said. “It’s a pleasure.” She held out her hand and Noah shook it gently.
“Can I take your bags?” he asked, and she passed over the small carry-on as he picked up the big one, and then let him lead her toward the gate. When they were out of earshot of the pilot, he said, “I have a pretty dog.”
Esmeralda smiled at him. “Oh, that’s lovely,” she said. “I’ll be happy to do whatever you say, and the bigger suitcase contains the other items you requested.”
He opened the door for her to enter the car, and she did so in such a lifelike manner that he was surprised, even to the point of carefully holding her skirt as she sat down. He put her bags into the trunk and walked around to get behind the wheel. As he drove away, he looked over at her and said, “Esmeralda, you do a very good job of appearing to be human.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I understand you’re aware of my true nature. I am not an artificial intelligence, but a simple automaton that operates off of complex programming. I’m programmed to respond to almost every possible situation I could run into.”
“Yes, I know. I suppose I was actually offering a compliment to your designers.”
“They did a very good job. I’m programmed to function as a normal human female in every situation, except when my instructions dictate otherwise. My base personality is programmed to be a little bit shy, so that I don’t draw a lot of attention to myself. However, I can converse on thousands of subjects, and I have a built-in interface that will allow me to download information from the Internet at will. I have a direct satellite link that enables me to access the Internet from just about anywhere in the world.”
“That could come in handy. Can you receive a subcom signal?”
She looked at him. “What is a subcom signal?”
Noah quickly explained the subcutaneous communicators that he and the team used. Esmeralda listened quietly, but then shook her head in the negative.
“Unfortunately, no. I was not provided with the proper transceiver to be able to do so. I can, however, make a telephone call from within the computer in my head. That would enable me to be in contact with someone on the telephone, but no one around me would be aware of it.”
“I may be able to work with that,” Noah said. “Are you capable of driving a car?”
“Oh, yes. I have a Colorado driver’s license in the name of Esmeralda Kirtland. I can drive any wheeled vehicle, ride any motorcycle, pilot any aircraft and operate almost any kind of machinery.”
Noah nodded. “Those will come in handy one day, I’m sure,” Noah said. “You will be serving as my receptionist for the next few days. I understand your programming includes that function?”
“Yes. I just need you to tell me how you want me to answer the telephone and how to handle walk-in visits.”
They continued talking during the ride back to the office, and then Noah led Esmeralda inside.
“Esmeralda, this is Marco. He’s part of my team, but here he goes by the name of Jim Coolidge,” Noah said. “Marco, this is Esmeralda.”
Esmeralda smiled at him. “I’m pleased to meet you, Jim,” she said. “I’m here to help in your mission however I can.”
Noah showed her the reception desk and told her how to answer the phone if it rang. He had been forwarding the calls to his cell number, but it took only a moment to turn off that feature so that she could answer the phone on her desk. The system had a button that would allow her to automatically forward any important calls to his cell, anyway.
“Now, do we need to arrange an apartment for you?” Noah asked.
“That’s already been taken care of,” she said. “I was informed before I left that I have an apartment in the same building that you live in. I’m supposed to stop at the management office by four o’clock to pick up the keys.”
Noah glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost three already.
“All right,” he said. “It’s close enough to quitting time for today, anyway. Come on, I’ll drive you to the apartment building and let you get settled in. Is there anything else I need to get for you?”
“No, thank you,” she said. “I brought along a few changes of clothing, and other things will be arriving in a package tomorrow. If you think it necessary, I could pick up some groceries for appearance’s sake.”
“I don’t think you’ll be here that long,” Noah said. “I can have my wife put some things into your cabinets and refrigerator, just in case anyone had reason to come into your place. I don’t suppose you actually eat, do you?”
“I can,” she said. “I don’t actually digest the food, but it’s rendered into a thick fluid that I can evacuate later, when I’m alone. I do drink water, to replenish the moisture necessary for my mouth and eyes, and for the rendering process.”
“Wow,” Marco said. “So, when you go to the bathroom…”
She smiled at him. “If I were to be observed, it would appear perfectly normal.”
Marco simply stared at her. “So, then, you are—what do they call it, anatomically correct?”
“Yes, in every way.”
Marco opened his mouth, then closed it. He turned to Noah and said, “A genuine living doll.”
Noah nodded. “Wally explained it to me,” he said. “It was anticipated that Esmeralda might be sent to seduce a target, and might have to be able to function.”
Marco’s eyes darted back to the robot, and then to Noah again. “TMI, man,” he said. “Way too much information.”
They left the office a few minutes later and Noah drove to the apartment building. He showed Esmeralda where
the manager’s office was, then stood back and watched as she signed the lease and picked up her keys.
“Your apartment is just down the hall from mine,” he said. “I’ll show it to you, and then I’ll introduce you to my wife, Sarah.”
They took the elevator up and Esmeralda put her bag into her apartment, then familiarized herself with it quickly. When she was finished, she followed Noah back to his door.
Sarah looked up from where she was sitting on the couch when they entered. Jenny and Renée were beside her, and Neil was sitting in another chair. Marco was just coming out of the kitchen with a can of beer.
Noah closed the door behind them. “Esmeralda, this is my wife Sarah. Sarah, this is Esmeralda.”
Sarah stared at the robot for a moment, then turned to Noah. “What do I say?”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sarah,” Esmeralda said. She looked around the apartment for a moment, then smiled. “You have a beautiful home.”
Sarah looked back at Esmeralda. Her eyes were wide as she said, “Oh. Thank you.” She stared for a couple of seconds, then remembered herself. “And it’s good to meet you, too.”
“Hi, Esmeralda,” Jenny said. “I’m Jenny, and this is Renée. That tall, skinny guy is my boyfriend, Neil.”
Esmeralda looked at each of them, smiling. “I’m delighted to meet all of you,” she said. “I hope I’m not intruding.”
“You’re not,” Noah said. “I just wanted all of them to become familiar with you. We tend to meet in the evenings at one apartment or the other, so that we can have dinner and talk about what’s happened during the day. You should probably join us while you’re with us.”
“And speaking of dinner,” Sarah said, “I wasn’t expecting you home so soon, so I haven’t started anything yet. I was thinking maybe we could go out for dinner, but…”