Project: MI
Chapter 10

“…andthat is where it ends.” Turning away from the screen as it went black, Becklooked at Richard, a worried expression on his face. “I’ve got some peoplegoing over the patch notes. It could just be a system glitch, but I’m thinkingwhoever it was that ‘visited’ with Grey had some kind of jamming device onthem.”

Richardran a thumb across his mouth, contemplating this latest development.

“Oh,how it almost hurts to be right,” he said. “It seems our esteemed colleagueswill have confirmation now.”

“Theydidn’t believe you?” Beck asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Theywere open to the idea,” Richard replied. “But that doesn’t matter now. Is thepatch working? We’re still intercepting his Companion’s reports before theyreach the CHC?”

“Yeah,”Beck nodded. “We had to take a bit of a personal touch about this onethough—editing out the bio-readings and footage for example. Making up anexcuse is going to be easy, but I think they’ll replace something no matter howdeep we bury this. Especially now if someone is going to be putting a freakin’gap in the record…”

“Weonly have to buy time. Just bear that in mind.” He leaned forward to the screenand hit the skip button on the video. The image switched from darkness to thatof Jamie looking down with a worried expression on his face and a gold mask inone hand. “Interesting,” he said, tapping the spot where the mask was located.“Whoever it was, they know about the Pax. They came prepared.”

Becksnorted. “A faraday cage?” he asked with genuine surprise. “That’s an old one.I don’t think they got that from your computer.”

“Idon’t believe that was a related incident. Probably something completelyseparate.”

“Andyour reasoning for that is…what exactly?” Beck asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Callit a hunch,” Richard said, pulling away from the computer screen. “Anyway, I’dlike to discuss our girl.”

“Seriously?We have an x-factor throwing a monkey wrench into the spanner and you want totalk about…”

“…ourgirl,” Steiner insisted.

“Whatabout her?” Beck asked, annoyed.

“Ourcolleagues want us to continue putting her in the field.”

“Ohfor the love of…” Beck shoved himself away from the desk so that he was facingRichard more fully. “Are they serious?”

“Yesthey are. We’re on a time table after all.”

Richardpressed a hand against his temples, massaging it.

“Andyou’re fine with it? After what you saw?”

“Yes.”

Beckglowered at Richard before sighing and shrugging his shoulders. “All right,” hesaid. “It’s out of my hands. What the bosses want, the bosses get. Just keep inmind that when my ass is thrown in jail I can’t just say ‘I was only followingorders’ and get off Scott free. History already shows that excuse almost never works.”

“Youwill have the best defense attorney my money can buy,” Richard assured him witha soft smile. He checked his watch. “He should be done with school in a couplehours. I suggest that we proceed with the operation around that time.”

Beckfolded his arms over his chest and glanced at the screen. “That complicates things.”

Steinerthreaded his hands together and smiled warmly at Beck.

“Yes,”he agreed. “Frightening, isn’t it?”

Beckentered the laboratory once again with a sense of trepidation, replaceing thesubject girl being strapped in her chair once again by the lab technicians.

“Dr.Jones,” he greeted as the woman turned away from the girl to see him entering.

“Mr.Beck,” she returned with a nod of her head. “We were just about ready to fireup the systems.”

“Howwas her last round of treatment?” he asked.

“She’scalmer and more sedate. We need to run some tests just to be sure but…” Shefurrowed her brow quizzically at him. “We’re not being ordered to turn herloose again, are we?”

“Thebig man’s orders,” Beck replied in resignation. “Steiner gave me a time table,and we’re to let her out to do her job.”

“I…see.”Jones glanced at the girl as the dome was lowered to her head. “I’d like it tobe noted that I feel it is a little too soon to be engaging in this.”

“Itis so noted. Feel free to take your time though. I’d like this to be as…clean as we can possibly have it.”

Joneslooked at Beck with a bemused expression.

“Controlled,”he amended, noticing the look. “So sue me for purposefully equating the two.”

“Allright,” said one of the technicians as the machines powered up and lights cameto life around them. “We’re ready to go.”

“Runthrough the usual checks,” Jones ordered. “Monitor her brain patterns and logany unusual activity.” She turned to Beck. “I don’t care what Mr. Steinerorders, if there is so much as a single deviation, I’m not letting her go outthere. With her mind and the power of these machines…”

“…anythingcan happen, yes, I know.” Beck placed his hands in his coat pocketsuncertainly. He couldn’t blame her for her caution. Still, that didn’t changethe universal fact of their employment. Afterall… he thought before continuing aloud, “Orders are orders.”

Jonespressed her lips together into one thin line, clearly not liking his warning.With nothing more to be said between them, Jones stepped over to one of thenearby monitors and began analyzing the incoming data being fed through it.Beck took out his cell phone and checked the time. 1:30 in the afternoon. Thenext hour was going to be a long one.

There it is,she thought, feeling a gentle warmth suffuse throughout her entire body. Hervision, once dark, became full of light—full of possibilities. The whole worldwas her stage and her clay to mold. She felt that she could do anything.

“AmI getting orders today?” she asked, a smile forming upon her lips.

“Yes,”said a female voice from the light. “But first we have to perform some tests.I’d like for you to create something for me.”

Animage began to form within the girl’s mind, and she nodded beneath the dome.

“She’sstill speaking?” asked Beck.

“Sheis,” Jones replied from her computer. “I’ve decided to include discussion intoour treatments more regularly. The human mind is a social creature after all,and isolation can be just as bad for it as good.”

“Soyou’re of the opinion that trust is better than whatever she’s been gettingpumped full of in getting her to cooperate?”

“Onceher mind was broken down, yes,” Jones nodded. Turning around she pointed at thefloor. “Could you form it here, please?” she asked.

Aball of light materialized before them, causing Beck to look at Jones inapprehension. Jones did not appear the least bit disturbed, and insteadcontinued to look back and forth between the computer screen and the sphere.The light expanded, taking shape and becoming humanoid. After several moments,the shape took on definition and shadows, changing color until, finally, asmall, gruesome creature with green skin and a large, wart-covered nose andbat-like ears materialized.

“What…?”began Beck before Jones responded.

“We’veseen this image appear a great deal in her mind since yesterday’s incident. Itis often closely associated with any disturbances in her brain patterns.” Shetapped her finger against her lips, contemplating the incoming data. “Allright… Nothing out of the ordinary so far.”

“Isthat good or bad?” Beck asked, approaching.

“Thisis good. It means that the treatments appear to be working. We’re still not outof the woods yet. All right, Ran.” Jones turned toward the girl. “Animate itplease.”

AsBeck watched, the goblin-creature flipped into the air and landed on its hands,balancing itself like a circus performer. It grinned at him and Jones, andsaliva leaked out from between its bared fangs.

“Unsettlingrealism,” he noted, folding his arms over his chest uncomfortably. “It looks soreal… There’s absolutely no uncannyvalley in there at all.”

“She’svery talented,” Jones said. “Still nothing so far. We may be in the clear fornow.”

“Westill have a whole hour,” Beck said. “Make sure all the cobwebs in her brainare all worked out before letting her loose, okay?”

“Ofcourse. Alex?” she turned toward the man at the other end of the room. “Let’sturn up the power. I’d like to increase the Q-density of her projections to95-percent solidity.”

“Understood,”Alex replied.

Asthey continued, Beck looked up away from the goblin and at the girl. His eyesdropped down to the grin splayed across her face. He shivered, wondering ifthis was a good idea.

Kirastood outside the main entrance to the school, arms folded across her chest asshe watched her fellow students heading toward the buses. She furrowed her browslightly, and tapped a finger on her forearm, feeling a touch of impatiencecoursing through her.

Where is he?she wondered irritably as the flow slowed to a trickle. The possibility thatJamie had already left the building had occurred to her, as did the chance thathe used one of the more further off exits, so the uncertainty left her feelingannoyed and agitated.

Ifshe were even more honest, everything about having to ingratiate herself into astranger’s social life—and not just any stranger, a wet-behind-the-earsmiddle-schooler—left her feeling annoyed.

If only Monique could see me now,trying to hook up with some dumb kid. She grimacedat the thought. Great. That came outsounding completely wrong…

Thedoors to her side flew open again and a dark-haired teen staggered out, abewildered look on his face. At once Kira shifted her arms, getting ready fortrouble.

“Wha…?!Brad!” the teen exclaimed, surprised. “I’m sorry! I thought…”

Ared-haired, muscular teen stepped into view, one that Kira recognized, causingthe muscles in her arms to tense up, already expecting trouble.

“Youthought? I thought I made myselfclear,” Bradley said, his voice full of scorn. Kira noted that he had a bandagearound his forearm. “I told you to leave James alone. What part of that didn’tyou understand?”

James?Kira’s ears perked up. As in James Grey?This guy picks on him? She wasn’t completely surprised by that—the list ofhis victims was so long it was impossible to name them. She was a bit curiousas to why he went after a heroi. That’s…kindof like playing with a live grenade.

Thenagain, if half the things she heard about him were true, she supposed that sheshouldn’t be all that surprised.

Kind of a live grenade himselfactually…

Finallynoticing that she was there, the red-haired boy looked at her, scowling. “Whatare you looking at?”

Kiraregarded him with a dispassionate expression. “I’m just waiting for a friend.I’m not looking for trouble.”

Although if you knew who I waswaiting for, you might take it as some, she addedmentally.

“Brad,just take it easy,” said the dark-haired boy, holding up his hands in aplacating gesture. He turned at Krista and gave her a nervous smile. “Don’tworry about it. We’re taking off, okay? Right Brad?”

Thered-headed teen snorted and stormed past his ‘friend’, and was quickly followedby two more teens who Kira hadn’t noticed hanging in the background anxiously.They both shot Kira sharp looks as they fell into line.

“Sorryabout that,” the dark-haired boy said, a bit of a shaky tone to his voice. Kirashrugged, not particularly caring about the incident.

“Whatever,”she said. The boy’s smile slipped a little and he quickly turned and followedafter his group of friends.

I really didn’t need that,she thought, relaxing her muscles ever-so-slightly. Tossing her head, she blewat her bangs. Back to waiting…

Acrossfrom her, at the middle-entrance to the school, she saw a trio of students exitthe building. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward. She recognized one ofthem as Jamie Grey.

“Finally,”she muttered to herself, shrugging her bag onto her shoulder into a morecomfortable position. “Time to get this show on the road.”

Shestrode quickly across the school’s front lawn, shrinking the distance betweenthem. Before she even reached halfway, she was struck with doubt about what tosay. Her story was straight—she had taken a look at the SPCA website during hercomputer studies class—but what to say?

Shenever had been very good at talking to random strangers. She reflected thatthis was why she was friends with Monique; she did all the talking for her insocial situations.

Just get over yourself,she told herself fiercely, steeling herself. You faced killer robots and broke into corporate buildings. You candeal with one stupid kid.

“Hey,”she began upon nearing them, but no sooner did she start speaking, Jamiesuddenly grabbed the sides of his head and doubled over with a cry of pain,narrowly avoiding a beam of energy that sailed over him, striking the groundbehind him.

“Soare you going Monster-hunting today?” Justin asked, causing Jamie to jump insurprise and slam his locker closed harder than he intended. Observing this,Justin raised an eyebrow. “Jeez… Don’t have a heart attack on me, it was just aquestion.”

“S-Sorry,”Jamie apologized. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“I’llbet,” Justin said, spying Kyle approaching and flagging him down. Jamie couldonly sigh mentally and try to keep a handle on his already half-wild emotions.

You don’t know the half of it,he thought, shrugging his bag onto his shoulder. “A-Anyway, I’ve got somethings to do first…”

“Huh?”Justin looked at him, a bit baffled. “Like what? Your Cerberus was kidnappedand…”

“Ineed to check in with the SPCA website,” Jamie cut in a little heatedly.“Someone might have seen something and reported it.”

“Dude,your Cerberus was stolen by a lady who jumped, like, a hundred feet into theair. I don’t think anyone is going to suddenly report replaceing Monster.”

“Doyou have a better idea?” Jamie asked,turning away and heading off.

“Hey,hey, hey!” Justin clamped a hand onhis shoulder, halting him. Jamie turned back at him, a dark look on his face.“Take it easy, will you?” Justin continued, undaunted. “We’re on your side,remember?”

Jamie’sexpression softened and he glanced away, a bit ashamed. “Sorry.”

“It’sokay,” Justin replied, giving his shoulder a friendly pat as Kyle drew up andlooked between the pair, a bit concerned. “Just take it easy with the snappinguntil we actually deserve it. Right Kyle?” He turned toward their mutualfriend, who raised his eyebrows.

“Uh…right?”he replied tentatively. Justin flashed a grin back at Jamie.

“See?”

Jamienodded reluctantly. “I’ve…still got to check anyway,” he said as they began tolose themselves in the crowd of students. “There’s always a chance.”

“Istill think you should check in with the cops or the CHC,” said Kyle, catchingon to what the topic was about. “I mean, that guy was obviously a heroi. Thisis the sort of thing they take care of you know.”

Jamiegripped the hem of his shirt tightly, a part of him wondering if he should justtell them about the incident in the bathroom. There just seemed to be so muchgoing on, threatening to overwhelm him.

“I did send a message,”spoke up Beth, swinging from Jamie’s belt-loop. “All I know is that they’re looking into it.”

“Nothingelse?” Kyle asked. “Wouldn’t they be making a bigger deal about this if theywere? I haven’t seen anything on the net.”

“They’rea super-secretive government organization,” Justin said, rolling his eyes. “Not making a big deal about things tothe public is what they do?”

“They’renot that secretive,” Kyle remarked,scowling.

“Sincewhen were you such an expert on them? Besides, I’m pretty sure that this wholething is above Beth’s pay grade anyway.”

“I don’t get paid,”Beth replied, sounding strangely bitter about that. At another time, Jamiewould have laughed about how human she sounded, but he couldn’t summon thehumor necessary for that. Besides, a sight at the end of the hallway near theschool’s first exit added yet another reason for him to not laugh.

“Ohcrud,” Jamie said, crestfallen as he saw Bradley Norman getting into the faceof one of his crewmates, Josh, not looking the least bit happy about something.

Then again, when is he everhappy? he wondered sardonically.

“Ithink that’s our cue to go in reverse,” Justin said, taking hold of hiscompanions and steering them around in the opposite direction. Kyle looked athim a bit startled.

“Ithought you would want to face them. I mean, after yesterday…”

“Yeah,well, sometimes the best way to win a fight is to not have one in the firstplace,” Justin replied. “Sun Tsu, the Art of War,” he quoted, causing both ofhis friends eyebrows to shoot up in utter shock. “What?” he asked, confused.“You guys know I like to read.”

“Idon’t…even… Wait. There’s a book called that? Art of War?” Jamie asked, tiltinghis head to one side. Justin rolled his eyes again and pushed them along.

“You’resuch a philistine…”

“I’ma what?”

“Someoneto whom nothing is sacred,” Kyle supplied. “I read that in my mom’s Torah. Idon’t think you’re using it right though,” he continued, looking up at Justin.

“Thisis really getting educational,”Justin cracked. “It’s the end of the school day. Let’s knock it off and getdown to the real business of replaceing Jamie’s Cerberus, okay? Okay. Glad youboth agree.”

“Um…”began Jamie uncertainly. “…did you say that you’re going to help me?”

“Duh!”Justin gave him a quizzical look as they approached the school’s second exit.“That’s what friends do, isn’t it? Why wouldn’t we help?”

“Er…”Jamie chewed over his lower lip, wondering how he could best deal with thisdevelopment.

That guy…person…in the bathroomsaid to come alone, and if anyone else got involved there’d be trouble. I… Ohman… What am I going to do?

“Jamie?”asked Kyle, looking at him worriedly. “What’s up? You’re shaking.”

Behindthe boy, Justin blinked. “Dude, he’s right. Are you feeling okay? Tell me theBrad sighting didn’t freak you out thatbad…”

Jamietook a trembling breath as he pushed open the door, grateful that his friendaccidently gave him a readymade excuse for him to use. His heart was banging inhis chest so hard that it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to think.In fact, his anxiety seemed to be getting worse as he got closer to theoutside.

“I…don’twant to talk about it,” he mumbled upon leaving the building. By his side,Beth’s electronic eye swiveled up toward him, blinking worriedly.

“Jamie…”she began, only to stop as he clasped her in his hand. Justin’s glanced down,noting the act.

“Cometo think of it,” he began, “you’ve been pretty weird all day today. I’mstarting to think that there’s more going on here than just Brad’s badattitude.”

Thethumping in Jamie’s chest increased in its tempo as Jamie continued down thesidewalk, only now a strange tingling in his head added itself to the mix. Forsome reason, it felt that it was lighting up the nerves in his body, makingthem as tense as a wire. He barely held back shooting a snappy, angry remark atJustin and telling him to shut up.

Can’t think,he thought, shaking his head. What’sgoing on with me? I feel like I’m about to jump right out of my ski-

Allat once his brain suddenly seemed to scream inside his head, causing him todouble over and clutch at the sides of his skull with a cry. So powerful was itthat he didn’t notice his friends concern, or the beam of energy that sailedright over him and striking the sidewalk behind them until concrete exploded.The internal scream silenced just then and Jamie looked up, startled at thesudden quiet…and the trench coat-wearing woman that had stolen Monster from himyesterday floating in the air.

“Sonovabitch!”he heard Justin exclaim behind him. “It’s her!That’s the guy from yester-!”

BeforeJustin could finish what he was saying, three things happened. First, the womanfloating above them changed her aim at Jamie and lighting crackled around herhand. Second, a strangely familiar girl with dark hair, blue-eyes deep,focused, and determined, appeared in front of him. Finally, she grabbed him bythe shirt and threw him backward, bowling over his two friends in the processbefore replaceing himself crashing on his back within the school’s entrance.

“Inside!”the girl shouted to his two friends, suddenly dropping to one knee and grabbingthem both by their shirts as well and hauling them up. “Get inside now!”

Therewas a crackling of lightning and the smell of something burning as Jamiescrambled to his feet, trying to figure out what was going on. Looking back upat the woman, he saw that she was already adjusting her aim once again…toward him.

“Ohcrap,” Justin said under his breath, eyes widening as he dropped his bag andducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the stream of lightning that shot pasthim. The feeling of current igniting his nerves returned once more, this timeat a reduced level. He felt…fast. Notthat the world was moving quickly, but that hewas.

“Move! Move!”the girl ordered, hauling Justin and Kyle in past the doors and shoving themforward. Jamie’s eyes darted toward her, utterly baffled by her unexpectedrescue, but was distracted from taking note of the smoke curling off the backof her shirt by that strange sense of alarm screaming in his head. Drawn like amagnet, his eyes turned up toward the woman attacking them as she loweredhimself to the ground and began to approach them, hand extended and taking aim.

Therewas suddenly a sharp, burningsensation in his eyes, and before he knew it, a blast of energy of his own shotforth from them and impacted the woman, causing her to fly backward and hit theground hard, coat smoldering. Clamberingback up to his feet, Jamie was still trying to process what was going on whenhis eyes began burning again, and shot forth another beam of light, once again striking the woman and causingthe ground around her to explode, sending dust and debris flying through theair. Jamie clenched his eyes shut and clasped his hands on them, staggeringbackward and bumping into the doorframe, gasping as the realization of whatjust happened exploded in his mind.

I just killed a man! I just killed him!!! I…! My eyes! Holy…! My eyes! Whatthe heck is going on with my eyes?!

“Ohman…” he heard Justin groan. “She’s getting back up…”

Hishorror evaporating into confusion, Jamie carefully lowered his hands andcracked an eye open as the smoke began to clear, revealing the woman he hadjust shot standing, looking none the worse for wear. Jamie blinked.

Wha… What is she made of?

Thewoman didn’t answer his unspoken question, and instead looked up as a warblingsound filled the air. She scowled before vanishing from sight.

“GuardianSpheres are coming,” Ran said from beneath her helmet.

“Disengage,”Jones replied. Ran nodded, acknowledging the order.

“Disengaging.”Her mouth then took on a pout to it. On the computer screen, Jones noted abrief spike in her brain patterns. “He nearly blew up my coat lady.”

“Don’thold it against him,” said Beck from next to Jones. “He’s just doing what wewant him to do.”

Therewas a brief pall of silence, during which Beck and Jones became engrossed inthe incoming computer data before the girl broke it again, this time with asmall giggle that caused the hairs on the back of Beck’s neck to stand on end.

“SoI should hold it against you instead?”

Becklooked at Jones sharply, who was likewise looking at Ran in alarm. “Disconnecther!” she exclaimed, getting up from her chair. “Disconnect…!”

“Alreadydone, Jones!” Alex said from the other side of the room. Breathing a heavy sighof relief, Jones sank back into her seat.

“Geta doctor up here and take her back to her room.” She glanced at Beck, whoindicated that she go with him with a flick of a finger. Pushing away from hercomputer, she did as he requested. Once outside the test room, they turned toface each other.

“Thatwas…different,” Beck said simply. “Idon’t remember reading anything like that before in either yours or Alex’sreports. Well, not since the early stages of treatment.”

“Idon’t think this is going to work,” Jones said bluntly, running a hand throughher hair and giving an exhausted sigh.

“What’syour suggestion?” Beck asked.

“Nothingthat Mr. Steiner won’t reject…”

“Iwant to hear it anyway. After this, I’ll push him.”

Jonesgave him a dejected look that told him what she already thought about that.“Humor me,” he insisted.

“Wepull the plug and get her committed somewhere far and away from here. Createwhatever documentation we need to keep from incriminating the company. I don’tthink we can keep her under control forever, not with all the exposure she’sgetting again. She’s…broken inside. Idon’t know how much I can emphasize that, and Mr. Steiner doesn’t seem to seeit.”

“Oh,he sees it all right,” Beck said. “Saw itin fact. You were there. He just thinks it’s worth it.” Rubbing the bridge ofhis nose he pushed back the cobwebs of fear that were growing in his mind. “Ifit weren’t for the Dark Age…”

“…wewouldn’t even be talking about this,” Jones finished for him. She pressed herlips into a sympathetic line and tilted her head to one side. “We should getsome coffee. Settle our nerves. Maybe…convince ourselves again that we’re doingthe right thing.”

“That…”Beck scratched the back of his head as he mulled the idea over. “…sounds likethe best idea anyone here has had so far. I’ll take you up on that.”

Jonessmiled as a medical team rounded the corner and entered the test room.