“Why do I get the feeling you’re enjoying this?” asks Carla.
“And none of the solar batteries are working,” Rennin says looking out the tower window trying to see anything past the gates.
“Whoever cut the power knew exactly how to,” says Wayne.
“And what else is bizarre: two hours and no looting.”
Wayne huffs, “There has been looting.”
“Not on the scale that’s the median, particularly for a city this size.”
“Martial Law keeps most people indoors,” says Wayne.
“Good god, the good Lord’s bitter joke on the world makes a good point.”
Carla makes the stern face at him. “Is it necessary to be such a prick?”
“Don’t knock it until you try it. Go on, tease him, it really helps.”
Despite Wayne’s unfortunate appearance, he does have a pair of eyes that can melt hearts, which he turns on Carla with an expression that would remelt Antarctica. Carla feels like she’s defending a hurt puppy. “Rennin, lay off him.”
Rennin straightens his belt. “I’d lay him off given half a chance.”
“You’d lay him, Rennin, that’s not the same thing.”
“Don’t be stupid… his tits aren’t big enough.”
“The space between your ears is,” says Wayne drawing an unexpected laugh from Carla.
In the lab, Caufmann has Drake in the Chair. Mia and Roths are still in the room but Mia looks like she doesn’t want to leave. Drake is still mostly unconscious, until Caufmann jabs him with a syringe. The Beta HolinMech jolts awake with fright. “What…”
“Doctor Roths, Miss Saker, excuse us. Now.”
Mia remains still but Roths firmly grips her arm, leading her out of the room. When the door seals shut behind them, nothing can be heard. Drake looks up at Caufmann. “Where am I?”
“Godyssey Laboratory, level three. You’ve suffered a slight breakdown.”
“Slight? I shot my own friend.”
Caufmann smiles, “I’ve killed several of mine.”
That catches Drake off guard but he doesn’t let it show. “What am I doing here?”
“I ordered you be brought here. You’ve been declared unfit to serve in Beta HolinMech during your induced sleep and I know enough about your father to know he’ll react quite… poorly to this news.”
“What does my father have to do with any of this?”
“You’ll get your chance to ask him but I have a job for you. Absolute secrecy is essential.”
Drake shakes his head, “I can’t. I can’t do anything right now. And I’ve heard about you, no way am I doing anything for you.”
“You don’t exactly have a choice. It’s do this job for me, or end up where you were going to be taken before I had you brought here. The asylum.”
Drake clenches his jaw. “I deserve it.”
“Irrelevant. I know you’ve voiced serious concerns about Godyssey’s conduct regarding its employees and their treatment of the androids. And have only voiced these concerns because your father will pay any price to keep you in Godyssey’s control. A curious thing, isn’t it?” When Drake doesn’t respond he continues. “You can do something good now. I need a HolinMech deserter taken out of this city.”
That gets Drake’s attention. “I’m sorry? There’s only one HolinMech that’s…” he trails off as it dawns on him. “He’s here?”
Caufmann nods, “And very frightened.”
“How do you know I won’t tell anyone?”
“Because you’re insane. Who’s going to believe you?”
“Everyone, because everyone knows you’re screwed up.”
Caufmann eyes him closely. “You murder hundreds of people and you’re called a butcher, yet never to your face. But when you try saving lives, everyone has something to say about how you’re going about it wrong or how you’ll fail. Why is that?”
“I don’t know,” says Drake quietly.
“Yes you do. It’s because anyone trying to do any kind of good is an easy target. It’s why husbands beat their wives. Their own inherent incompetence and lack of confidence manifests into violence against something perceived to be weaker, and there’s nothing easier to hurt than someone who loves you.”
“And you know everything, do you?”
“I know you shot Mia Saker when you could have taken your anger out on those responsible if you were so inclined, but that’s too difficult isn’t it? Best to take it out on your friends because they’re less likely to see it coming,” says Caufmann in a derisive tone.
“You need to stop talking.”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, we’re all guilty of it on some level. It’s a survival instinct but some are simply more cowardly than others.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I told you. You will take this HolinMech out of Raddocks Horizon.”
“How?” asks Drake.
“I don’t care.”
“It won’t work.”
Caufmann grits his teeth but remains calm. “The Skyhook will not be alerted and even if it is, it will not have the resources to chase one small ship. The HolinMech’s transponder has been cut out and there is a sarcophagus I have designed that can mask androids from close range scans.”
Drake huffs a laugh. “Chase? They won’t chase, they’ll just shoot us down.”
Caufmann hates to admit it but Drake is right, the entire idea is insane. “We have an entrance to the sewer systems but Prototype might be down there. We’ve been receiving some bizarre readings from various locations.”
“You said everyone’s going to go insane and start attacking everything so why not just let him go in the confusion?”
“He’s frail,” says Caufmann tapping his temple.
Drake looks stunned. “You want me to see a crazed deserter android and take it out of the city?”
“Do you need everything explained to you more than twice?”
“What do I do if he attacks me? I can’t wrestle a combat ready soldier robot.”
Caufmann turns away for a moment thinking fiercely. “You can with some help.”
“Why does it have to be me?”
Caufmann produces a syringe from his pocket containing a clear fluid. “You have two options. You can do this for me, or the contents of this hypo will dictate your future.”
“Poison?”
“My work is delicate. Poison is crude. Inside this needle is a substance colloquially known as Mind Killer. It’s an agent that simply stops your brain from performing certain tasks requiring the cortex. It’s the chemical equivalent of an archaic procedure called the Transorbital Lobotomy. It’s quite permanent and negates the necessity for constant sedation.”
Drake’s head instinctively moves back from Caufmann. “That’s my choice?”
“I was ordered by a Godyssey founding member to use this on you. Godyssey superiors obviously don’t want the scandal of a Founder’s son shooting up their own soldiers to get out.”
“My father,” Drake nearly spits.
Caufmann shakes his head. “Orders such as those don’t come with names, just the specific action to be taken. This choice is my offer, not theirs.”
Outside the room, Doctor Roths and Mia Saker watch through the glass like it’s a television on mute. Caufmann paces back and forth, Drake sits strapped into the wheelchair looking up with those deep self-inflicted scratches scoring his face. Mia doesn’t really care about being shot in the chest, she is just concerned about her comrade.
Being killed as a Beta HolinMech is one of the ways to a fast promotion to become an android. In her opinion, androids are the real deal, the best of the absolute best. She will be the first female HolinMech Warrior.