“Yeah, do you think that you can change into him?”
“Isn’t that like screaming, ‘hey we’re hacking in!’ or something?” she asked.
“They know we’re here, who cares.”
She concentrated. Her face began to ripple and wave, her skin moving around. Her bones popped and crunched as they reshaped. Her face was identical as far as I could remember.
“What about the voice?” I added.
“What do you think?” she asked in a perfect imitation of his voice.
She lowered her face to the camera and held it there. Green lasers began scanning over every inch of her face. Up and down, then left and right. Photos of people that I had never seen before began to flash across the screen, rapid fire.
“Welcome back Mr. Scott. As per your personal policy, you are granted full unmonitored access to the entire system.” the computer said.
“Please grant Jane Doe the same access.” Shift said in James’s voice.
“Yes sir. That’s done.” The computer’s voice was so friendly it almost made me sick.
I opened the case and pulled out the cable. I plugged it into one of the free ports of the front of the wall of a computer.
“Back up database on the external drive.” I said.
“Thank you for the command. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but going to need four keys ma’am, but of course you know that already. If you could insert those now, we can proceed.” The computer said.
I tapped my earpiece twice and said, "Acumen. I have access to the computer, and I am about to insert the keys.”
“Ready when you are.” He said.
I inserted all of the keys into the side of the computer.
“Give me a few minutes.” Acumen said.
“Ah, thank you sir. The first key has been accepted. If you would please insert the other three?” the computer said as the light on the first key turned from red to green.
I waited as the lights turned green one at a time. When the last one changed I heard a blast of gunfire from above me. The noise poured down the hatch and echoed in the small room.
“I have wonderful news. The keys have been accepted and your download has begun. It is going to take approximately ten minutes. Is there anything else that I may help you with while you wait?” The computer asked.
“Display the surveillance from one floor above.” I became desperate to know what was going on above.
The screen flashed to a view that was set behind where the others were standing. Arch, Blackout, and Silence were all knelt with rifles firing at the soldiers as they filed into the room. Chrono was standing behind them. He had his arms outstretched slowing the time in the doorway so that each enemy that tried to come into the room was moving in slow motion.
The four of them ripped through the soldiers like they were the dummies on the practice field. They did not waste a single bullet, each one made contact with an enemy soldier.
I breathed a sigh of relief as an idea hit me.
“Could you display any information on AdvaGen Technologies and Joseph Madison?” I asked the computer.
“Certainly just one moment while I return the requested information.” I watched as the others continued to crush the soldiers above. I was damn proud to watch them protect themselves flawlessly.
“Joseph Madison is in stasis where his brain has been tethered to a computer by his own design. AdvaGen Technologies has been completely shut down and all remaining projects have been transferred to the Aurora Corporation Research and Development Technology department.” the computer explained.
“Joseph Madison, the founder of AdvaGen Technologies is alive?” I asked.
“Yes. James Scott ordered their deaths to be faked with clones and then the real ones put into the Morpheus Project.” the computer said.
“Who else?” I asked.
“Joseph’s wife Abbitha.”
“What is the Morpheus Project?” I asked desperate for answers. I had more question then ever.
“Unable to comply.” the screen went blank.
“Crap!” I yelled.
“Did we lose that data?” Shift asked.
The screen flickered back on and the progress bar reappeared. The transfer hadn’t stopped and we were sitting at ninety-nine percent.
“We’re still good. Almost done.” I said pulling my hair and sighing.
When the transfer had completed, I packed everything back into the case. I put the strap over my shoulder and made sure that we had all of the keys.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.” Shift said.
We started to climb the ladder her right in front of me. When we got back up onto the upper floor, we could see the true scale of the carnage of what had occurred above.
Silence and Arch were leaning on the walls and breathing heavily. Blackout was sitting on the ground back against the wall. Chrono was rubbing his head hardly able to remain standing.
Silence smiled and walked towards me, "It’s about tim…” before he could finish he stopped. He fell to his knees clutching his stomach. He pulled his hand away from his body and blood spilled to the floor. He fell the rest of the way to the ground.
Behind him a wounded guard was barely holding up a rifle. Blood ran down his face where he had been injured in his head. His sights were lined up on the spot where Silence had been standing.
I dropped the case as my entire body burst into flame and I shot across the room. I landed on the guard, grabbed him by the neck, and held him up into the air. His body disintegrated in my hand from the massive flames that were flowing from my arm.
“GET OUT OF HERE!” I yelled. My voice sounded like there were several voices on top of mine.
Shift picked up the case while Chrono and Arch picked up Silence to carry him out of the building.
Once everyone had left the room I filled it with flames. I burned everything around me so hot that the concrete crumbled under the weight of the building above. The ceiling above me burst into dust as I rose. I gave the others time to get out of the building.
When I was outside I hung in the sky above the facility. I fed flames into the building below creating more and more heat. I watched as everything crumbled into ash. I wanted to make this spot impossible to ever rebuild on in the future. I poured on every single ounce of power that I could find.
When there was nothing left but a single solid piece of smoking concrete and steel, I lowered myself to where the others were hunched around Silence.
Shift met me behind one of the trucks that were parked. She morphed back into herself, clothes and all. She opened the trucks door and politely asked for any clothes that he had in his truck. The driver gave her a shirt and some shorts. Again I was forced to dress in men’s clothes.
Ronnie coughed loudly holding the wound while blood poured out.
“Ryder, Ryder, can you hear me?” My voice shook with fear as I scooped him into my arms. His body was limp and heavy.
“Loud and clear…” he coughed.
I tapped my head set, "Sam… I mean Acumen.”
“Go ahead.” he said.
“Ryder has been badly injured. I know that Vanish is still recovering, but we need her to come and get Ryder. I don’t think that he is going to make it otherwise.” I said hysterically.
“Hold on.” he said, the line going dead.
The air around us was quiet. I could hear Shift sobbing into Chrono’s shoulder, and I dare not look at any of them. Silence coughed loudly as I rocked back and forth waiting for something to happen.
Vanish appeared and put her hand on Silence. She waited for me to let go. I kissed him and backed away. The two of them blinked away in the bright blue light. Knowing that she had come did help, but not as much as I had hoped. She’d already had blood seeping from her eyes before they had left.