Shades Of Gray

#1

Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness

Kristie Lynn Higgins

SHADES OF GRAY: Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness

Text Copyright © 2006, 2011 by Kristie Lynn Higgins

Cover Art Copyright © 2007

Pandora Project Publisher

Ebook Edition

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

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If multiple Earths existed, what would their worlds look like? What kind of people would they be? Societies? Religions?

Would they make the same mistakes as us?

From the Assembled Works

Ginn L. Irynkissgthie 525 B.D.C. (Before Dry Clouds)

Prologue

On a parallel Earth, thick puffy barriercumulus, also known as Dry Clouds, covered the sky. They prevented the glimmer of twilight from shining on the city of Noir. For three decades, the polluted high-troposphere looming clouds covered half the planet and left part of the world to live in endless night. The mile thick clouds yielded petroleum based contaminated water dubbed Tainted Rain and polluted the air. Therefore, they were named Dry Clouds, for leaving half the planet without drinkable water. At first, scientists believed pollution caused the great cloud barrier, but that theory proved to be false. What caused the Dry Clouds to form baffled scientists and how to reverse them eluded reason. Only technology’s constant battle with nature has kept the dark city alive.

Man’s need for conquest expanded Noir to cover more than half a continent of what would have been called North America. Noir stretched into a Mega-city. It was the only one in the world. Over the last twenty years, Transgenics and bio-mechas evolved at a breakneck pace. Transgenics were genetically modified organisms with an extra-genome and were mostly plants produced to survive without the sun. Bio-mechas were robots resembling living things.

On this world, corporations not governments ruled the people, creating a society where profit set policy and dictated life. Those who resided in Noir were touched by darkness, and the light of goodness seemed a forgotten memory. They... they lived in the gray —Shades of Gray.

Chapter One

The Pandora Project

Isaiah 5:30b

If one looks to the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, even the light will be darkened by the clouds.

The year 31 A.D.C. (After Dry Clouds)

October 22...

Thursday...

4:44 A.M...

"Initiate the Pandora Project," a deep male voice ordered.

"Pandora has been awakened," a female replied.

"Good... Good...," the deep voice said.

"Are you sure the project is ready?" a second male voice inquired. "Maybe we should give it a few more weeks of conditioning."

"No. Launch Pandora," the deep voice instructed. "Let us see what it can do on its own."

"Releasing the project now," the female said, paused, and added, "Pandora is running as predicted."

"Good... Good... Let us begin the tests."

6:04 P.M...

Scattered streetlights partially lit an abandoned industrial district. The wind howled, blowing through overgrown weeds and chilled the air of the blue gray night. A few trees and plants adapted to the limited artificial light along with a large variety of weeds. Nocturnal creatures; rats, mice, owls, and cats ruled the alleys and parks of the mega-city of Noir.

A black sedan slowly rolled down the street, and its headlights lit up the dark road. The vehicle stopped at the curb a few hundred yards away from Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse. The four doors of the vehicle opened. Five men in brown suits exited the car. Their dark shades hid more than their eyes. Four of them carried a silver Beretta each, which they removed from their shoulder holster. The fifth wore a Coffin Handled Bowie tucked in a belt. The man tapped the hilt eager to draw the knife. Eerily, in one accord, they turned their heads, stared through their black tinted glasses at the rusted toy building, and awaited orders. A parking lot stood between them and their target.

In another part of the city...

In a secret location known as the Sanctum...

Fifty, large, flat screen monitors covered three walls and lit up a dark inner room called the Chamber. Data filled the screens. Two dozen analysts scrutinized the influx of information coming across the monitors as they typed at their workstations. The men and women toiled, compiling a range of intelligence from several projects and experiments.

"All right people, let’s stay focused," a male supervisor shouted.

He and a female supervisor walked up and down the line of workstations. They received updated reports from the analysts and kept their employers current on the projects and experiments.

He added, "This is the day we’ve been waiting for!"

The analysts wore indigo jumpsuits with white stripes on the sides. The supervisors wore crimson jumpsuits with white stripes. Both the analysts and supervisors wore earpieces to communicate with operatives in the field. The hum of equipment and the chatter of people filled the area.

In the center of the Chamber, two men and a woman sat at a long table. Each of them had a laptop in front of them and each wore a black business suit. Shadows concealed their eyes, leaving only their mouths visible in the computer-blue illumination. The three, known as the Council, scanned reports as they were delivered to them by the supervisors on Hand Held Computers or H.H.Cs. The standard size for a H.H.C. was two and a half inches by four and a half inches.

"Has the project been located?" Mr. Morta asked in a deep voice as he twirled a gold ring on his dark brown finger. He sat at the end of the table with the woman to his right and the other man to his left.

"Yes. One of our best operatives, Argus, is watching Pandora," Mr. Decuma, the smaller man, answered as he smoothed his hand down a bright orange tie.

"Good... Good..." Mr. Morta leaned back in his chair. "What does the operative have to report?"

Some distance from Etna Toys...

A man with shoulder length blond hair, wearing a black trench coat, peered through specialized binoculars. Argus positioned himself in an alley a block from the abandoned toy warehouse to watch Pandora. He noted the sedan across the street, the five men, and reported them over an earpiece.

Within the Chamber...

The male supervisor handed a H.H.C. to the third member of the Council.

Ms. Nona frowned, thinning her cherry-red lips which contrasted her powdery white skin. Her frame was the smallest of the members. "We have received a second report from our operative." She scanned the report a second time, disconcerted over the news. "Argus has spotted five bio-mechas. They are not Proto-Androids, but a new model called Un-Men."

"Un-Men?" Mr. Morta rubbed his chin, not as surprised as his female counterpart. "Only one department is developing this line of bio-mechas." Disappointed, he exhaled loudly. "So the Factory has started their Un-Men tests. I hoped they would have waited."

"You knew this might happen?" Mr. Decuma questioned as he rubbed his finger over a silver tie pin of the word Fate.

Mr. Morta nodded. "Yes, it was only a matter of time, but that means..."

"It means–" Ms. Nona interrupted. "–the Factory has decided to go against the wishes of the Council."

"How dare they!" Mr. Decuma slammed his palms on the table as he stood. "We must do something!"

"But what?" Ms. Nona questioned.

"More importantly," Mr. Morta started. "What are their plans for Pandora?"

Back at Etna Toys...

The wind kicked up sand and debris as the five men, the Un-Men, stood by the sedan. Their Internal Link or I-Link not only connected them to the Factory, but to each other. With the I-Link, they could think and move as one. They shut the sedan’s doors and simultaneously walked toward the warehouse across the parking lot. The one with the Bowie paused and turned, spotting a heat signature. The heat signature was of a human hiding in the darkness of an alley that was across the street from it. The Un-Man could tell the human was watching them. The Un-Man's I-Link blazed orange through the right lens of its shades as it processed the data.

Fearful, Argus moved his hand to the M4 assault rifle strapped over his shoulder. He tensed, not knowing what it would do. Argus had encountered a Proto-android before and it had nearly killed him. He had no idea what this new model was capable of.

"Best to stay on the safe side," he thought. "And make it clear I won't interfere with their mission." He moved his hand away from the assault rifle.

The Un-Man smirked, continued toward Etna, and joined its brethren.

"Looks like it worked. I'm very relieved. I didn't want to die this day.” Argus grabbed a hold of the M4 and moved across the street to continue the surveillance of Pandora.

Within the Chamber...

"The matter is confirmed. The Factory–" Ms. Nona emphasized the next word, "–has gone against our wishes." She looked to the larger man. "What is our next move?"

"Analyze and record," Mr. Morta answered. "Our agenda has not changed. The Un-Men will test Pandora for us."

Within the dark Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse and among boxes of discarded toys and debris, a cot had been set up. A lamp on a round end table stood beside it and lit up the area in a dim glow. A woman in her early thirties slept on the cot. She had a shaven head, and a gash on her forehead bled. The trickle of blood flowed past her brow, ran down the side of her face, and dripped to a pillow. The crimson liquid spotted a white cotton case. No other bedding covered the old and worn mattress.

The woman wore a white V neck T-shirt, gray-black pants, and black hiking shoes. Her eyes rapidly moved underneath her closed eyelids as she dreamed. Her lips moved as she talked within the dream, but there was no sound. The woman’s inaudible narration continued until she spoke out loud.

"A love that will not die."

Her breathing increased and her arms and legs jerked in mock movement as she envisioned herself running. Sweat speckled her forehead as her face grimaced in determination. Her mind replayed a memory. It was one that would mark her future with sorrow. Three shots rang out in the dream. The horrible recollection caused her to scream. She sat up and franticly searched the building.

“I need to run!” she thought. “But where?”

Her heart thundered in her chest as she noticed she was alone.

“So... I'm not in any immediate danger.”

She calmed down a bit when she realized she had been dreaming.

“I remember running, but there's something I can't remember. Was I chasing someone? Or was someone chasing me?”

Her head hurt, and she was very thirsty. She examined the old empty building more closely.

"What is this place?"

She noticed parts of teddy bears scattered about a stack of boxes.

"Is this place a toy factory?"

A layer of dust clung to everything like the building and machinery hadn't been used in years. The woman remembered the dream, and the urgency she felt within it.

“There's something I'm supposed to do. Or have I already done it? Whatever it is, my life depends on it.”

More of the dream faded. She mentally tried to grasp for a clue, but it was like trying to capture a dark phantom. The feelings of fear and anxiety remained with her, along with the memory of the three shots. Nothing else of the dream remained and that bothered her.

"Was I pursuing someone or was someone chasing me?" she wondered. "Am I the predator or the prey?"

She sat there a little longer, hoping something would resurface from the dream. She thought if she waited there long enough her memories would tell her...

"Oh my gosh!" She put a hand to her mouth as she realized something that unsettled her. The revelation frightened her more than not knowing what had happened in the dream. "Who am I? I don't know. I don't know my name! Why?!" Her head continued to hurt so she touched her temple. She felt a warm wet substance and examined her bloody fingers. "I'm bleeding! What happened to me?!" She balled her other hand and squeezed it tightly. "I have to remember. What's my name? What's my name?!" She looked back to her bloody fingers. "Is this why I can’t remember? I hit my head? Or... Did someone hurt me?"

"I have to find out." She moved to the edge of the cot and noticed a second table. It was square and small and had a few items on it. She picked up a business card with an image of a flaming bird. "A Phoenix." She flipped it over and noticed a barcode on the back. "Are they mine? Can they tell me who I am?" She set down the card, picked up a note, and read it aloud.

"Katharine..." She studied the name. "Is that me?" She thought about it. "It doesn’t sound familiar." She continued reading. "Katharine, you must not fail. This is your last chance to redeem yourself. I know you can complete your mission, my dearest Kat. I am counting on you." The Note was signed by R.G.

She folded the paper, then along with the card, stuffed them in her back pocket. "I should find some help. Where do I look?" She stared at the table. "Should I take these things with me?" A small case was also there. She moved her hand to open it, but stopped. "What am I afraid of? I don't know what's in it. So why do I hesitate?"

For the moment, she ignored the enigma and turned to the last object on the table. It was a small silver box shaped like a treasure chest. It had a small raised star the size of a dime on its lid. Kat examined the box then carefully opened it. A tune sweetly rang in her ears. It reminded her of the opening of a classical piece.

"Whose piece does it remind me of? Bach, Beethoven, or Mozart's. I can't remember. It's like the piece is a mixture of several openings." Kat realized something as she struggled with the answer. "I can’t remember my name, but this tune... I know its title and who composed it. It's Ginn L. Irynkissgthie's Unfinished Melody. I also know the names of those other composers." She gazed at the Music Box, hearing nothing but the haunting arrangement of compounded sounds. Unfinished Melody's length was short, only about thirty seconds, and then the piece started over. "Why do I know them when I don't know my own name?"

Kat felt frustrated, afraid, and alone. The more she thought about her lost identity the more terrified she became. "I can't stay here. I have to find help." Unfinished Melody played over and over in a hypnotic flow. "What–" Her fear and anxiety vanished and her body relaxed as the tune lulled her into a trance. "–should–" She slowly closed her eyes and entered a peaceful place within her mind. It was a subconscious oasis. "–I..."

The melody had a calming effect on her, and as she sat there in an ecstatic state, sounds outside of the building became louder and clearer. The wind howled, rustling the leaves of trees and overgrown bushes. A moth repeatedly tapped the glass of a street light drawn to the artificial flame. Four car doors slammed. A cricket chirped, and an owl swooped, landing on a squeaking mouse.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Her hazel eyes widened as her heart thumped so loud she heard it. Kat put a hand to her chest not in pain, but in horror as she realized something was wrong. She closed the Music Box, placed it in a left thigh pocket, and searched the building. It was still empty. Kat knew she was in danger, but from what? She looked to the case on the table she had ignored. A deep dread lifted in her like a leviathan rising from the ocean's abyss. She froze as she stared at the metal container. What was she afraid of? What was inside the container?

Kat turned her attention back to her pounding heart and the urgency to leave. She thought, "I have to get out of here. But where do I run?"

The longer she waited to act, the more anxious she became. She felt like a deer standing in an open meadow, sensing a predator prowling toward her through the tall grass. Kat feared she could be attacked at any moment and from any direction. Kat got off the cot and started to run when the lamp shattered. The surrounding area plunged into darkness as pieces of the lamp pinged to the concrete floor. She screamed, realizing someone had shot at her and dove as more bullets whizzed overhead. Kat turned the table over for cover, and the case fell, knocking itself open. A metal object clanged to the floor.

Far from the cot, light from the street dimly glowed through Etna’s dusty windows. The light provided limited illumination within the building. Within its radius, she saw a black gun. Kat gasped, staring at the instrument of death that was an arm's length from her. She peeked over the table and spotted two armed men. Kat didn’t know they were bio-mechas. As far as she knew, they were ordinary men trying to kill her. They readied to fire again, and her heart thumped harder as if it would tear through her chest.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

The muscle coursed artificial adrenaline through her blood. The synthetic hormone reacted with her body. It increased her heart rate, dilated her pupils, and elevated her blood sugar. The adrenaline super charged her. Horrified by what was going on with her body and the men shooting at her, she put her hand to her chest again.

"This isn't natural!” she thought. “Why is it beating this way?! And why are those men trying to kill me?!"

She screamed, "Help! Someone help me!"

The two Un-Men paused then moved toward her position after calculating the best way to kill her.

One of them stated in a monotone voice, "Target acquired. Moving forward with termination."

Chapter Two

The Rogue

6:43 P.M...

The Sanctum...

Within the dark Chamber...

Desk lamps lit up the faces of the analysts and the supervisors as they observed Pandora's data with interest. The project was very important to the Council, so it was very important to them.

"Lower the Center Screen," Mr. Morta commanded from the middle of the room.

A screen four by eight foot lowered long ways from the ceiling. It positioned above the Council and in the center of their table. The screen could be viewed from both sides. It displayed an outline of a female body. Each of the major organs were visible on the screen and had bio-data streaming beside them.

An alarm sounded and stopped. In bold red letters at the top of the bio-screen, First Evolvement Achieved, blinked. Prattle between the analysts started as charged enthusiasm filled the Chamber. The supervisors quickly quieted the frivolous talk, knowing their employers would be irritated with the idleness.

"Good... Good..." Mr. Morta said. "Pandora has achieved Ginn's Alpha Phase."

"You mean Arcamedes' First Evolvement," Mr. Decuma corrected.

Mr. Morta questioned, "Does it matter by which name we call it? It is the same thing. It is still the beginning of Pandora’s metamorphosis."

"True, but will Pandora take the path Ginn laid out or will Pandora take Arcamedes'?" Ms. Nona asked. "What Pandora decides to do will determine which name the stages go by."

"Until the path is clear–" Mr. Morta started, "–both men's descriptions can be used." He studied the Center Screen's data on his laptop. "As predicted by both men, Pandora's first stage is the ability to sense the presence of bio-mechas. Pandora’s body is preparing itself to combat the Un-Men. Look at the subject’s bio-electricity. The levels are high enough to trigger the Beta Phase."

"Yes," Ms. Nona said. "The genetically altered epinephrine hormone we created for Pandora, dubbed Ultra-Epi, acts as a supercharged neurotransmitter. If Pandora can reach the next stage, it should have no difficulty dispatching the Un-Men."

"If is the keyword." Mr. Decuma tapped across a H.H.C. touch screen with a pen stylus and pulled up reports from their operative. "Argus details Pandora has not responded to the Un-Men’s presence." Mr. Decuma turned to his laptop. "Can Pandora achieve the Second Evolvement?" He typed on the keyboard, pulling up more reports. "Pandora seems to be withstanding the conditioning." He stated with concern, "If it does not react soon, the subject will die, and the Pandora Project will end."

"Patience," Mr. Morta said. "We did not blindly pick the subject. Wait."

Back in Etna Toys...

Heart racing, Kat hid behind the overturned table and continued to wonder, "Why are these men trying to kill me? Why? Did I do something to them?" She glanced at the Beretta lying on the floor not too far from her. It lay beside its open case. "Or maybe I’m a wanted person? Maybe I committed a crime?"

The Un-Men fired again, and one of the bullets grazed her left shoulder. The pain triggered a latent instinct. She scurried to the gun, grabbed a clip sitting in the case, and inserted it. Kat pulled the sliding block, and it made a metal clicking sound. She wildly fired six shots over the cot. She missed. "I don't know what I'm doing. I need to get out of here. Run. I need to..."

She froze at hearing the men’s guns cocking, and something inside her clicked like a switch. The e-field (electrical field) of her body changed. The impulses that normally traveled down the optic nerve surged and caused a split feed. Part of this electricity rushed across her irises, giving her eyes a blue-electrical glow. As if she had been born with a gun in her hand, Kat fired four times and hit one man in the forehead and throat and the other one in the heart and lung. It was like someone had taken over her body. She didn't realize what she was doing until it was over. The one she shot in the head collapsed to his knees and fell back as the other one fired at her.

"Crap! He must be wearing a vest," Kat thought and moved back to the overturned table. She took a deep breath, and rose, returning fire. The bullet hit the second in the head. He also fell to the floor.

Silence followed and it was a maddening silence. It was one that cleared her head, let her think, and let her realize. Her fear turned to uncertainty and uncertainty to self loathing. She sat, leaned against the table, and bowed her head ashamed. In disbelief, Kat stared at the gun resting on her lap. "How is it, I'm good at killing?" Her next thought frightened her and made her sick. "Why do I feel nothing for these men I’ve murdered?" Kat put a hand to her mouth, feeling nauseous. "Is this the kind of person I am? A murderer? An emotionless killer? Sheez! Am I some sort of assassin?"

Within the Chamber...

Mr. Morta cheered. "There!"

Analysts and supervisors high-fived each other.

Mr. Morta looked to the Center Screen as Second Evolvement Achieved flashed brightly. "The Beta Phase of Pandora's metamorphosis has successfully been reached." He reviewed a report from Argus. "Our operative has seen Pandora’s extraordinary shooting ability. He believes Pandora, when it is in the Beta Phase, cannot miss. It has far exceeded our expectations for the Beta Phase. We believed Pandora would have an aptness for terminating bio-mechas, but this..."

"Yes," Ms. Nona agreed. "This will be a useful skill."

Mr. Decuma interjected, "If it is true."

"The data supports it, and Argus witnessed it," Mr. Morta stated and then questioned, "What more do you need to believe?"

Mr. Decuma replied, "More data, perhaps, or..."

Excited, Ms. Nona interrupted with a question, "Do you think Pandora can reach the Gamma Phase today?"

"I believe we are jumping ahead," Mr. Morta replied. "There are still three Un-Men remaining."

"Yes and does Pandora have skill or is it merely luck?" Mr. Decuma questioned. "More than half of the Un-Men remain. Can it defeat them as easily as the first two?"

At Etna Toys...

Leaves and other debris blew in through the open front door. Still feeling queasy, Kat stood and made her way to the men she gunned down. Her eyes crackled with cobalt current in the darkness of the warehouse. She reached the men’s side. A black oil like liquid oozed from the hole in their heads.

"They’re not human, they’re...”

She removed the tinted glasses of one, revealing not fleshy eyes, but glassy robotic ones. The colored orbs shuddered as power surged through its body. The spheres bugged out, and the Un-Man's hands gnarled with the mechanical pangs of death. Kat stared at its eyes. The red rings with black centers showed no spark of life. They were merely windows to the soulless.

"They’re not human," Kat repeated, feeling a little better. "I didn’t kill anyone. I’m not a murderer.”

The queasiness eased up, but her confusion remained as she realized, "They’re bio-mechas, model Un-Men. Why do I know this when I can’t remember the simplest thing like my name?" Kat searched them, found a spare clip on each of them, and placed the ammo in her right thigh pocket.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Kat sensed more bio-mechas, and this time, she perceived their location. Three of them walked the grounds outside less than fifteen feet away from her. She franticly searched the plant for an escape as the Un-Men split up. One of them walked through a side entrance. The Un-Man fired at her. Kat ran, taking cover behind a row of machinery. Sparks flew as bullets ricocheted off metal, and she covered her head.

Kat lost her concentration and the position of the other two. She dashed for the front door as more bullets whizzed by. She returned fire and hit her mark then continued for the door. She glanced back at the third Un-Man as it lay in a pool of inky sludge. The last two Un-Men suddenly appeared in the doorway in front of her. She ran into one and fell backwards. With uncanny speed, Kat fired twice before landing on her side. She struck the floor hard and knocked the wind from herself. The first shot disabled the Un-Man with the gun. The one with the Bowie side stepped her second shot with electrical speed as if the Un-Man anticipated her actions before she took them. Kat inhaled, sucking in needed air as she held her hurting ribs.

The Un-Man drew its Bowie and stared at her curiously. None of the others had done that. Its dot-light glowed brighter and brighter until it appeared as if half its face burned. "The Pandora Project..." the Un-Man sang out, not in the usual monotone of its brethren. The orange colored dot-light changed to deep red, blood-red, and the Un-Man gazed at her as if probing her soul. "Pandora..." Its voice was sadistically mellow and toyed with her, making her feel violated. "Pandora, I have found you." The Un-Man smiled as if it took pleasure in the hunt. "Target acquired." It took a step as she scurried backward on her hands and feet. "Moving forward with termination." The Un-Man lunged for her with the blade.

Kat rolled out of the way, and the blade struck concrete. She rose to one knee, aimed, and pulled the trigger. Click. The gun was empty. Click. Click. She pulled the trigger again and again, hoping a bullet would magically materialize and fire. The Un-Man slowly stood from its kneeling position, took two quick steps, and kicked her in the ribs. She grabbed her side, rolling to her feet as the Un-Man slashed toward her. Kat leaped back, defensively lifted her hands, and the blade cut across her left forearm. She cried out in pain as blood spilt to the gray floor.

The Un-Man wiped the red plasma from the Bowie with its fingers. Its face beamed, relishing in the combat. "The Pandora Project," it whispered, fooling with her. "Pan–dora..." The Un-Man attacked with the blade. Swish. Swish. The air screamed with each slash. "Pan-dora, I have found you."

She evaded the attacks and ran, rushing deeper into the dark building. "Why does it call me the Pandora Project? I thought my name was Kat." She ejected the empty clip from the Beretta, dropped it to the floor, and pulled one from her pocket. "Crap! Why can’t I hit it?" She inserted the new one in the magazine well, chambered a round, and fired twice behind herself. The Un-Man continued after her, ducking the shots. "Is this what I was dreaming of?" Kat wondered as she found another door and fled outside. "I wasn’t the predator, but the prey."

Within the Chamber...

Mr. Morta said, "Not bad for the opening test. Pandora achieved the first two phases. It delivered uncanny accuracy with the weapon we provided and successfully sensed the bio-mechas. Once it has achieved all the phases, Pandora will be the perfect weapon." He drummed his fingers together. "Set up another test, so we may analyze the range of its gifts and set Pandora down the path to perfection."

Mr. Decuma nodded and typed up the documentation for the next test. He asked the male supervisor standing next to him, "Are the new reports on the project ready?"

"They’ll be right over," he answered.

Within a minute, the supervisor approached. "Here are the reports you requested on her, Mr. Decuma."

"Her?" the Council said in unison.

"Yes, her," the supervisor answered. He was taken aback by their reaction and added, “I was talking about Pandora.”

"We do not refer to Pandora as she or her," Mr. Decuma reprimanded. "It is an experiment and is to be referred to as such." In disdain, he added, "To say she or her in reference implies Pandora has rights." Mr. Decuma made it quite clear. "It has none."

"Of course, Mr. Decuma." The supervisor handed him the H.H.C. "My error. It will not happen again.” He returned to monitoring the analysts.

Ms. Nona scanned the bio-data on the large center monitor. "There seems to be no adverse reaction to the Ultra-Epi. Though, complications could arise in the future. Also Pandora’s body is not rejecting the adrenal gland we genetically altered to create the supercharged epinephrine." She made a few notes. "We will have to monitor Pandora for any palpitations, tachycardia, anxiety, headaches, tremors, acute pulmonary edema, and hypertension."

"Yes, some of those could be a problem," Mr. Morta stated. "We will see if it was wise to alter the gland instead of administering injections."

Mr. Decuma finished setting up the test. "The Factory will be more than happy to assist us in the next field trial as one of our sister departments in the Sphinx Corporation."

"The fact that they are developing the Un-Men as their new line of bio-mecha assassins does not hurt us either," Ms. Nona added.

"Yes," Mr. Morta said. "The Factory’s earlier line of bodyguards was very profitable for the Sphinx Corporation. Now the Factory hopes to improve their power and standing by releasing an unmatched line of bio-mecha assassins. Pandora is an ideal forum to refine the Un-Men’s programing." He smiled, pleased with the project. "With Pandora's help, the Factory will be able to create the perfect killing machine."

The female supervisor handed Ms. Nona a report. "There seems to be a problem." The Council woman read over the H.H.C. "Pandora has been unable to disable one of the Un-Men." Ms. Nona rechecked the report. "It is a Type Four model."

"Terminate the test," Mr. Morta ordered, sitting upright. "Request that the Factory recall its bio-mecha. For Pandora to have destroyed four of the five Un-Men is not a failure."

"The Factory reports a problem. The Un-Man has ignored its recall," Mr. Decuma relayed. "It seems they have a rogue on their hands."

"A rogue, you say?" Mr. Morta said and thought, "This Un-Man must be exceptional to survive so long against Pandora. This is most interesting."

"Yes, like I said a rogue," Mr. Decuma answered and then asked, "Shall I have Argus assist the project?"

"No, not at this time." Calmly, Mr. Morta folded his hands and leaned back in the chair. "Pandora must learn to survive on its own." He thought, "Anyway, we not only need to develop Pandora’s body, but its character. And what better way to develop character than to face adversity. In the past, great warriors went up against other great warriors to see who was better and test their mettle. Strength and endurance grows through conflict just as steel sharpens steel. The Rogue will be Pandora’s adversary."

Chapter Three

Kimberly Griffin

About one year later...

32 A.D.C...

October 12...

Tuesday...

7:59 P.M...

The Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office towered over the streets of the Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage. When the city was created about a hundred years ago, the Corporate Senate (the world’s ruling body based in the city) divided Noir into hundreds of sectors. Each sector was owned and governed by a corporation. The sectors were then divided by each corporation into smaller areas called vicinages. Sphinx owned and ruled the Hellenistic Sector.

Each corporation policed its sector with its own corporate military. The world had its own civil police force which dealt in non-corporate issues like assaults, murders by non-Closers, and anything else the corporate military kicked to them. Authority always belonged to the corporations.

The Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office was one of many massive buildings in Noir. A mile high and half mile across and back this building stood as a giant in the city and dominated as a Titan before the age of Zeus.

A woman in her late thirties sat alone within a waiting room on Level 150. In her left hand, she held a key chain of a pink bunny rabbit. She rubbed her thumb over a worn spot on the rabbit’s cheery face. She, Kimberly Griffin, raked her long blonde hair behind her ear and rubbed her eye. She looked at a man’s picture on the cover of the Conglomerate World magazine lying on a coffee table. The headline read, Topa, Climbing the Ladder of Success?

She shifted position on the light brown couch and glanced at the secretary. The older woman typed on a keyboard. Kim sighed, impatient, and turned her gaze to a few landscape paintings decorating the open room’s white walls. Their purpose was to soothe those who waited. They were supposed to take one’s mind away from the stresses of the day. The paintings incited no such solace in her. She sighed again and turned to the secretary as the woman answered the phone on her desk.

The secretary hung up and cleared her throat. "Ms. Griffin your father..." The secretary caught herself and said, "I’m sorry, I mean the Chairman will see you now."

Kim nodded, too tired to be irritated, straightened her aqua pant suit, and headed for the huge corner office. The Chairman’s position ranked third under the President and Vice President. Since Sphinx was one of the more powerful corporations in the world, that made her father a very influential man with vast resources and global connections. Kim paused outside his office, vexed to have been called in. She had just returned from the Light Side of the planet and was wanting to go home and sleep. She took a deep breath, silencing her anger, opened the door, and walked in.

Two of the walls within the office consisted of ten foot high windows. The office’s bright lights reflected off the windows like mirrors. The Chairman’s desk sat off from the corner, giving him even more presence of authority like a king on a throne. Kim closed the door.

The Chairman glanced up from a computer and stared at her with his light blue eyes as she entered. He was in his late sixties, but looked younger around fifty. He wore a dark gray suit. "Kimberly, good to see you," he said, stood, walked to her, and kissed her on the cheek.

She didn’t return his affection and almost turned from him repulsed. The Chairman tried not to show his disappointment as he motioned to one of the chairs in front of his desk. She sat as he returned to his seat.

"Are you still living in the apartment off of West 1000 Avenue?" he questioned.

Kim felt uneasy being in his office, but bore the discomfort. She noticed his graying black hair. "Yes."

The Chairman waited a moment before continuing, hoping she would say something. When she only stared at him, he asked, "Are you seeing anyone?"

She didn’t answer as she thought, "As if I have time for a boyfriend, but that’s none of his business."

He quickly moved to the next question, feeling awkward in front of his daughter. "How’s work?"

Still showing a bit of fatigue, she answered, "Fine. I finished a Closing in Moscow three days ago." Her face softened as she glanced at the bunny rabbit.

The Chairman thought he saw a glimmer of sadness. "Are you all..."

Kim glared at him, stifling his question as her vexation returned. She knew she was getting too upset and let her training take over. Kim calmed herself and tried to treat him as if he was her employer. It worked for a few seconds. She glanced at the back of a picture frame sitting on his desk and her anger returned. "You didn’t call me in here because you suddenly have an interest in my life."

The Chairman said, "Right, to business then." He handed her an envelope.

Kim opened it and saw a brass key inside.

"It’s to your mother’s hope chest." He picked up the picture frame. "How you look like her." The Chairman set it back down as happy memories flooded his mind. "I know she would want you to have the chest. I’ve set up delivery."

"Why are you giving me the hope chest? Is it because it's close to the anniversary of when mom left?"

"No."

"So why now?"

He didn't understand her meaning and questioned, "Why now?"

"All these years since mom..." She paused, trying not to cry. "Since mom abandoned us, you've never wanted to talk about her. Her name became taboo around you. So, why now after two decades? Why give me her hope chest? What has changed?" Her eyes narrowed as she grew suspicious of his actions. "I know it isn’t our relationship. So, what is it? Are you going to talk about why she left us?"

He replied, "I know I was wrong. When she left me... When she left us I was devastated. It hurt me so much I wanted to forget her. I never thought how it might affect you or that you needed me. For that, I’m sorry."

"Sorry." She laughed. "Perfect, now everything’s fine." Kim stood and added sarcastically, "I’m glad I came." She started for the door.

"Do you have to leave? I thought we might have a late dinner and talk."

She walked half way to the door and turned. "I can’t. I have a Closing tomorrow and need to get some rest."

"A Closing? Who?"

"Topa."

The Chairman stated, "Yes, I know him."

"Thought you did." She started to turn toward the door and paused. "It’s kind of sad."

"What is?"

"Our relationship, my life, you name it, but most of all that you were the one who got me into–" The words slithered from her mouth. "–my profession." Kim fisted her hands. "What kind of father has his daughter trained to be an..." She glared at him too angry to finish.

This time, he had nothing to say.

Kim continued to the door.

The Chairman stood. "You should take some time off. You’re looking a little tired. Maybe buy yourself a pet to keep you company. You can’t be happy living all alone."

"So, you have been spying on me!" Kim paused at the door as if to say something more, decided against it, and left.

He sat down and faced the picture. "How you look like your mother." He pushed his chair back and commanded, "Lights dim." The room darkened and the Chairman turned in his seat, staring out a window at Noir’s skyline. He gazed at the Dry Clouds as they loomed over the dark city. "I wish you were here, Theresa. Our daughter needs you."

* * *

"Sometimes..."

Kim drove her red VX Corvette into the parking garage of the Nexus Apartments. The small forty story building sat on the corner of West 1000 Avenue and Knot Street in the Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage. Kim exited the vehicle and grabbed a bag of groceries from her trunk. She took an empty elevator to the thirty-first floor and walked down a deserted hall to Apartment H.

"Sometimes I..." Kim thought and commanded, "Door, unlock."

"Voice recognized as Kimberly Griffin," the Apartment Computer System stated. "Opening door."

The apartment door slid sideways, Kim walked into the small entry, and commanded, "Door lock."

The door slid shut and locked as she went into the kitchen. The lights automatically flickered on in each room she entered as the Apartment Computer System or A.C.S. detected her presence.

"Welcome back, Ms. Griffin," A.C.S. stated in a female computer voice. "The apartment's temperature is set at seventy-eight degrees Fahrenheit. Lights are set at eighty-five percent brightness. Would you like to make any adjustments at this time?"

"Yes, A.C.S. It’s a bit warm. Drop the temperature to seventy-six. And I could use more lighting, so change the brightness to ninety-five percent."

"Making changes now."

The air conditioner kicked on, and the lights brightened. Kim set down the bag and laid the key chain beside it on the kitchen counter. She put both of her hands on the inky-black surface, leaned against it, and tilted her head down. "Sometimes I wish..." Her blonde hair fell forward, covering the side of her face as she peered at her reflection in the marble.

"For Ares’ sake! My life’s so tedious." Kim leaned back. "All I have is routine." She started to unpack the bag and glanced around the dark lifeless room. It was quiet in a gloomy way. She looked to one of three windows in the apartment. Kim noticed a dead Transgenic Vine sitting on the kitchen window sill.

"Great, just great! Forgot to ask the manager to water it while I was gone. It's too bad A.C.S. doesn’t have a watering system for plants." She walked over to the vine, picked up the pot, and several brown leaves fell to the floor. Kim moved to the trash can and pressed the step. It flipped up a stainless steel lid. The brittle brown plant fell out of its container as Kim dropped the pot in the waste. Dirt spilled, exposing the vine’s roots. She stared at the dead plant. "Can’t I keep one thing alive?" Kim released the lid and walked away from the trash. "Or are Closings all I’m good at?"

She returned to her groceries. Kim put the eggs and milk in the refrigerator and put the dry goods in the pantry. She placed a stainless steel kettle full of water on the burner and turned it on high. She reached up into the cupboard, removed a white cup and saucer, and placed them on the counter. She walked to a drawer, opened it, and grabbed a spoon. "Is this really my life?" Kim noticed her reflection in the spoon’s curved surface. "It’s so mundane and lonely. Sometimes I wish..."

Kim placed a single tea bag in the solitary cup and a slice of lemon on the saucer. "Sometimes I wish..." She glanced at the answering machine as the water started to boil. The number on the machine was zero messages. It was the number of her friends and the same number of her acquaintances. The kettle whistled, she removed it from the burner, poured hot water into the cup, and steam rolled up from the liquid. "Shouldn’t my life be different? Wasn’t I meant for more than this... this wretched life as a Closer? I wish..." Kim dared not think it. She dared not hope it.

She grabbed a remote from the counter and aimed the device at the wall. She clicked on a 50 inch TV that hung over a fireplace and gazed at the picture from the open kitchen. The evening news was on, showing footage of a small office building on fire. Kim moved behind a black leather couch and watched the blaze. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the first door in the hallway, walked to the room, started to command it to unlock, but stopped. "Sometimes..." She pulled on her left earlobe. "I wish..."

The spare bedroom remained locked since she first closed it. Kim stored her mother’s belongings in it. Her bedroom, the master bedroom, was down the hall. She returned to the kitchen, grabbed the remote, and looked to the TV. An anchorwoman, Linda Harvey with NBS (Noir Broadcasting Station) read a report.

"The Corporate Senate will be meeting later this week to vote on the proposed bill for a sales tax increase. The quarter cent raise will bring in much needed money for the planet’s civil defense and continue funding Research Project Clean Air. Analysts are predicting the bill will be voted in." Linda Harvey paused. "In other news, Dr. Robert Seeker, the foremost expert on the Dry Clouds problem, will be heading out to Antarctica to..."

Kim turned off the TV, plunging the room back into silence. "Enough with the news. My life's miserable enough without having to hear about someone else's." She picked up the saucer and cup, walked to a small round table, and sat, staring out the window. The Dry Clouds entombed the starry sky, leaving the night dismal and bleak just like her life. Kim picked up a clear plastic container of honey that was in the shape of a bear. She popped open the yellow lid and squirted a smiley face on the spoon with the golden sugar. She whispered a phrase her mother used to say. "Fly... fly away, sad, sad, day."

Kim stirred the honey in her Orange Pekoe, removed the tea bag, placed it on the saucer, and stared at the now warm brown liquid. "Used to, that phrase would cheer me up, but not anymore." She arched her head back, looking at the ceiling. "Hades... What a life I have."

She opened her hand and gazed at a star burned into her right palm. "The only constant in my life seems to be you. You’ve been with me for nearly two decades. I don't remember where I got you." She made a fist and opened her hand again. "Oh for Ares' sake! Look at me! The only thing I have to look forward to is maybe, someday, discovering where I received this burn. Hades!" She slammed a fist on the table, and the tea cup rattled. "Sometimes I wish... I wish I wasn’t so alone. I wish I had more in this life and that there would be someone there for me."

* * *

October 13...

Wednesday...

5:49 A.M...

A laptop sitting on a desk in Kim's bedroom screeched like a bird and alerted her to an incoming message. "No," she whined, placed a pillow on her face, and rolled over. "It can’t be morning."

A screen saver of a flaming bird flew across the laptop. The fiery glow lit up the dark room. After a few minutes, she dragged herself out of bed. She put on a white housecoat and slippers, fixed a cup of hot chocolate, and sat down at the desk. She hit the space bar, woke up the computer, and clicked on the message.

It read, "Have you accepted the Closing?"

"So Voice, you’re up early this morning," Kim thought and took a sip of the hot chocolate. "Or maybe you’re up late, depending on where in the world you're sending this message from."

She typed a reply. "Yes."

"I’ll send an encrypted e-mail with directions," Voice typed back. "He should be in his office for most of the morning."

"Standard operation?"

"Yes."

"Understood." Kim pushed her chair back, but the computer’s beep grabbed her attention.

"You should take a break after this Closing," Voice wrote. "You have been working rather hard, and the Moscow Closing was rather difficult."

"You sound like my father. Are you sure you don’t have children?"

"Yes. In our line of business it isn’t wise to have them," Voice typed and a minute passed before writing, "As for your father, you should listen to us, we are your elders."

"Since we’re getting a little personal, I was wondering why you’re called Voice? All these years I’ve worked for you, I’ve never heard you speak."

"Long before you joined us, I made contact over the phone and received the tag, Voice."

"How long ago was that?" Kim wondered.

She typed, "I'm also curious as to why you wanted me to join the Assassins League. I do live on the planet’s Dark Half. I should be a part of the Assassins Union."

"And let Thanatos have one of the best Closers. I think not. He would only waste your talents. Anyway, those of us on the Light Side still have work that must be done on the Dark Half. You aren't the only Closer there that belongs to the League."

She stretched, yawned, and typed, "Will contact you this evening. Signing off."

Kim went into the kitchen and thought, "Maybe I do need a break." She noticed the key chain on the counter, thought back to the Moscow assignment, and brooded. "The last Closing got to me." Kim grabbed the key chain, walked to the living room, and moved to a bookcase beside the fireplace. She placed the key chain in a wooden box sitting on a shelf and glanced at a picture frame with a photo of Theresa Griffin. Kim and her mother could have been twins. "Mom, if you were here, what would you think of me? What would you think of my pathetic life?"

Chapter Four

Topa’s Estate

8:48 A.M...

On the outskirts of the Hellenistic Sector...

Topa’s estate stood in the midst of an apple orchard. Sunlamps lit up the imported trees as a gentle wind swept through the orchard’s green leaves. The lamps were on sixteen hours and off eight. The non-Transgenic trees would starve in the endless night without them.

"You will pay," Kat thought, walking up a winding path from the darkness of the day. "I swear, you'll pay!"

The path led to the square mile estate. The past year’s nonstop hunts, what the Council called tests, took their toll on Kat mentally and physically. Her pants and shoes (those she had on when she awoke in Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse) were worn. She removed a single strap backpack and unzipped a gray-black athletic jacket. It covered her dingy white t-shirt and protected her from the cool breezy air. She took off the jacket. Kat removed a black Ravlek Vest she had on the outside of the backpack and put it on. Ravlek was an experimental material like Kevlar, but generations ahead. Months ago, Kat acquired the body armor from an assassin who died from a fall. She set the backpack and the jacket beside a dead gnarled oak. The tree was a remnant from the sun era.

She continued up the path toward the objective. The constant struggle between her and the Un-Men seemed to persist for ages. She was always the prey. Kat was always running and hiding, but not this time. Her foes (the Council, who sent human assassins and the Factory, who sent the Un-Men after her) remained in the shadows and beyond her reach.

"Today is different," Kat thought. "I know one of their names. I know one of their places of safety." She gripped the Beretta, and in her left hand she carried a white Bible smeared with blood. "Topa, you will pay!" Rage fueled her exhausted body, revenge fixated her mind, and anguish ripped at her soul. "You'll die this day! I swear it! You took the most precious thing in the world from me!" She stared at the Bible as she slowly died inside. "For Preacher, I'll kill you!!"

Behind an iron gate, four men, armed with hand guns, stood beside a brick guardhouse. The gate was the eastern of four entrances. A fifteen foot wall of stone surrounded the estate. Three of the men wore a Winnow Mask type B or WM-B. The air filters covered their mouths and noses. The masks permitted those not used to the Dark Half of the planet to work outside in the Dry Clouds’ pollution.

The lead guard pressed a button on the side of his WM-B and shouted through the mask’s intercom, "Halt! State your name and business here!"

Kat didn’t respond, consumed with a murderous grief and continued her war march toward the gate.

The four men aimed their weapons at her as the lead guard shouted, "She’s wearing a vest. Switch to A.P.Rs."

The four men ejected their 9 mm clips and replaced them with the Armor Piercing Rounds.

The lead guard declared, "We'll open fire if you don’t state your name and business here!"

"My name?!" Kat questioned. "My name?! I'm Sorrow! I'm Emptiness!"

"She has a gun!" the lead guard shouted. "Take her out!"

The four men shot at her, hitting her in the chest. She lurched back with the impacts, cried out in pain, and fell face down to the path. Fireflies danced about her and the surrounding area, paying no heed it was morning.

The lead guard ordered, “You two, go check on her.”

They stepped out of the gate, scanned the surrounding darkness, and approached her. The second guard rolled her over, and she moaned. Blood covered her shirt underneath the vest.

"She’s as good as gone." The second guard reached down, took her weapon, and tucked it in the front waistband of his pants. He grabbed the Bible. "This book could be valuable." He searched her pockets then scanned the area again. "She isn't a Closer. She must be a nut job. See anyone else?"

"No,” the third guard replied. “Take her arms. The orchard could use more fertilizer."

The two guards dragged her inside the gate and dropped her on the dirt path.

"What’s that?" the fourth guard asked. He wore no Winnow Mask since he was a native of Noir.

The second examined the Bible he held. "A book covered in blood."

"A book you say. Is it legal?" the maskless guard asked.

The second opened the cover and peered at a paper tucked in a clear plastic pocket. "Yeah, it’s legal. Here’s its registration." He read the top. "The Bible’s registered to one Norman Odin."

"A Bible?" The maskless guard walked over, grabbed the book, and flipped through it. He handed it back to the second and walked over to Kat. "Throw that archaic thing away before you get some disease." He snarled his nose up at her. "She looks like she’s from Wayfaring Lane." He spat on her. "Bums, the lot of ‘em."

"I thought I might get some money for the book off the black market," the second said.

The maskless guard folded his arms and shook his head. "Not from that thing you won’t. It’s trash." He threw his thumb over his shoulder. "Toss it!"

The second nodded then went and dropped the book on top of the garbage that sat in a trash can outside the guardhouse.

"Better let the boss know about this." The maskless guard started to bring a radio up to his mouth.

"I wouldn’t do that just yet," Kat said to get his attention as she grabbed a hand full of dirt. She quickly stood and threw the dirt into his face.

The maskless guard cried out, covering his eyes with his hands. "I can’t see!"

"How's she standing?" the lead guard shouted as he drew his gun. "The A.P.Rs. should have killed her!"

"I thought she was dead!" The third aimed his weapon. "She’s covered in blood!"

Kat held her chest in pain from the four earlier bullet impacts that struck her Ravlek Vest. "It’s not my blood." She leaped up, spin kicked the third guard in the temple, and yelled, "Why do you think I’m here?!"

The third guard fell to the ground out cold as the lead and second guard shot at her. She rolled with extraordinary speed, evaded their fire, and raced to the lead guard as he shot again. The bullet nicked her earlobe. Kat grabbed his wavy hair, whacked the side of his head into the brick guardhouse, and side kicked the second guard in the stomach. The lead guard slid down the brick wall, landing in a heap. Blood covered his forehead. The second guard bent over in pain after she had kicked him. Kat calmly approached the second guard. She took her gun from his waistband, pulled his mask down, and punched him in the face. He started to choke without the mask.

"I can’t see," the remaining guard screamed again. "What’s going on?"

Kat marched over to the blinded man, placed the barrel of the gun against his jaw, and took his weapon. She demanded, "Where’s Topa?"

"I won’t tell you."

With calm resolve, she leaned to him and whispered, "I’m only here to kill him." She put her hand on his back, pulling herself close to his ear. "Tell me, and I’ll let you live."

Sweat beaded his forehead, and a salty droplet ran down his face, landing on her barrel. He squinted and looked to the fallen guards, but only saw blurred images. "Live like the others?"

She glanced at one as that guard moaned. "They're alive. Now... Where’s Topa?"

"I won’t..."

She cocked the gun. "Last chance."

"He’s... He’s in his office. Don’t kill me!"

Kat uncocked the gun, then using the man’s own weapon, struck him in the back of the head, knocking him out. She tossed his gun, searched the other men, and took their 9 mm ammo and what A.P.Rs. they had. She put the clips in her pocket and tossed their guns and masks into the bushes. Kat walked to the guardhouse. She retrieved the Bible from the trash can, brushed debris from its blood dried cover, and held it close to her heart.

She wondered, "Why did they kill you? Was it because of me? Was it another test?" Her lips trembled as anguish ripped at her heart. "Am I the reason you’re dead, Preacher?"

Guilt saturated her thoughts as sorrow attacked her spirit. The mental accusers taunted her. They wouldn't let her forget she could do nothing to save the man she loved. The accusations pressed against her and made it hard for her to breathe, but she wouldn't let that stop her.

“I've gone this long grueling year without killing anyone. I've taken careful steps not to take a life. I always found other ways to defeat the human assassins and bounty hunters the Council sent after me. Still, if I’m the reason Preacher’s dead, then I have to. I have to kill Topa! That's all I can do for you, Preacher. If I can't even shed a tear for you, then I'll...” She screamed within her mind, “I'll murder the man who took you from me!"

She breathed as deeply as she could, trying to rid herself of the suffocating feelings. Kat let rage fuel her resolve. "I'll make him feel as much pain as I do!" She started down the dirt path that led to the center of the estate where the main house and Topa’s office stood. "I'll make him pay." Hatred seeped into her soul. "Topa must die today!" She rushed to her target, evading the rest of the guards. She wouldn’t have much time before the four at the gate were discovered.

Chapter Five

Enter The Life Closer

9:09 A.M...

The Sanctum...

Within the Chamber...

The Council monitored Pandora's bio-data on the Center Screen. They noted changes in her mental state and that her Ultra-Epi had engaged.

"Pandora has entered Topa’s estate," Ms. Nona stated with concern. "Should we stop it? Topa is not part of the experiment."

"No. We will use him as we have used others who stumbled upon our tests," Mr. Morta replied. "This situation could be the catalyst we have been waiting for to take Pandora to the Gamma Phase of its metamorphosis."

Mr. Decuma said, "The Project has been a failure this past year. Sure, its skills are incredible, but..."

"Yes, but Pandora holds back. It has not taken a life," Mr. Morta said. "Why? Is what we have to discover."

"The conditioning has failed," Ms. Nona stated. "We should be working on the Epsilon Phase by now, not worrying about Gamma."

"No, I think it is more than that. Remember, even before we took custody of Pandora, it was an enigma. There is nothing wrong with the conditioning. I believe it is Pandora’s emotions."

"Its emotions?" Mr. Decuma didn’t understand the eldest member’s reasoning.

He wondered, "Why does Mr. Morta hold such high expectations for this experiment? Has he grown attached? If it is true this could be a problem. One I must monitor. If Mr. Morta is not careful, he will lose his indifference."

"Yes, Mr. Decuma. Pandora's emotions. Rage... Love... Both are driving forces as any human would know," Mr. Morta explained. "It has not tapped into them.”

"Until it met Preacher," Ms. Nona added. “She knew love and now knows rage.”

Mr. Morta nodded. "Precisely, if we had known how his death would have affected Pandora, we would have killed him long ago."

A female supervisor handed Ms. Nona a report.

Ms. Nona said, "This could be a problem."

"What is it?" Mr. Decuma asked.

"It seems one of the corporations does not like what Topa has been doing lately. A Life Closer has been sent to the estate."

"By our corporation?" Mr. Decuma questioned.

"I think not," Mr. Morta answered. "But with an organization as vast as ours, who knows for sure."

* * *

At the northwest corner of Topa’s estate, a lone figure threw a small J-shaped grappling hook over the wall. The northwest part of the estate had little light, so she easily hid in the darkness of the late morning. Mirky gray Dry Clouds rumbled overhead, warning of a possible Tainted Rain storm. A cool breeze, filled with the odor of petroleum, blew across the imported trees and grass. Kim pulled her knit mask over her face, made sure it was securely in place, and checked over her black outfit. She wore thin gloves, jogging pants, running shoes, a tank top, and a zipped up hooded sweatshirt. Kim was a native of the Dark Half and didn't need a Winnow Mask.

Kim thought, "I need to keep my identity a secret. I don't want to kill anyone not part of the Closing and have to file extra paperwork. Voice hates unnecessary deaths as much as I do. And I don't want to make Voice mad." She thought about the last Life Closing. "Not again. At least, I think Voice is mad over what happened in Moscow."

Kim climbed the cord to the top of the wall, dropped down to the other side, and glanced at her watch once she reached the ground. She would have this Life Closing done within the hour, if all went well. "Topa will make the front cover again," she thought. "But with the headline, Found Dead." She tossed the thin climbing cord, grappling hook, and black knapsack in the corner and piled some leaves on the items to hide them. She checked the Military Defender (a tactical knife) in a sheathe strapped to her right calf. She quietly slipped by the guards, making her way to his office. In the e-mail Voice sent, the client stated Topa would most likely be there.

The office was at the end of a long cobblestone path leading from the house. Black cast-iron lamps lit the area. Small pine trees grew along the path, and hedges lined the last twenty feet of the walkway and around the office. She hid in the bushes underneath a window just left of Topa. She glanced in, seeing her target busy at his mahogany desk.

"Only one guard inside. Should be easy enough." Kim placed a silencer on a Walther PPK and stood to make her way in, but the front door opened. She ducked back into the hedges, and the green-blue bushes rustled with her movement. Through the window, she watched as a second henchman walked into the room. He removed his WM-B and adjusted the mask's strap.

Topa sat at his desk, counting bundles of money. He placed the stacks in a suitcase. His henchman stood off in the corner.

"This is payment for the Illicit Closer we hired to take out that nuisance on Wayfaring Lane." Topa finished counting. "That do-gooder won’t be hindering our sales of Sunna Snapps anymore."

"Why the cash, boss?" the second henchman asked. "Why not credits?"

"This cash can’t be traced to me. Credits could be."

"Makes sense, boss."

"Illicit Closer?" Kim thought. "I can’t believe he hired an illegal assassin. Why would he chance hiring someone who doesn’t belong to the Assassins Guild? If Voice or Thanatos finds out..." She shrugged. "I guess it doesn’t matter. Topa’s Closing is today. What more can they do to him?"

Topa shut the suitcase and handed it to the second henchman. "Also, tell our contacts at the Valhalla Corporation, we’ll be doubling our next order of Sunna Snapps now that business will be getting back to normal."

"Understood." The henchman put his Winnow Mask back on, took the suitcase, and left.

Topa turned to the first henchman. "Ready my car. We’re going into the Norse Sector."

The henchman left by the back door.

Kim glanced in the window. "The muscle's gone. This will be easier than I thought." Again she started to leave her hiding place, but the front door opened. She ducked into the bushes and uttered under her breath, "Hades! What’s up with my luck today?"

Kat entered and found Topa alone. His office smelled of polished wood and had an old feel to it. Black and white photos of distinguished men lined the walls. They looked related to him.

"Who’s this?" Kim wondered, peeking through the window. "A second Closer?" She glowered, a little irritated, and ducked back down. "Voice has never sent in backup before. I’ve never needed one." Kim thought about her statement. "Never needed one before Moscow." She cautiously glanced through the window. "No. She doesn’t have the look of a Closer. Who is she?"

Topa looked up as the door squeaked open. "How did you get in here?" He pressed a button under his desk, triggering a silent alarm.

Filled with hatred and mourning, Kat raised the gun. "You killed Preacher. Now, I’ll end you!" She aimed for his forehead. "You must pay for what you did to him!"

Within the Chamber...

Ms. Nona reported, "Argus is on the estate and has found Pandora in Topa’s office. It is about to kill Topa."

"Good... Good... The Gamma Phase finally will be achieved. Pandora will take a life." Mr. Morta beamed. "Where is the Closer?"

"Holding outside of the office," Mr. Decuma answered. "The Closer will not move with the unknown woman in the room."

"Finally..." Mr. Morta considered all the hard work they had devoted to Pandora. "I have had such high hopes for this particular project. For one long year, we have waited to achieve this pinnacle." With elated breath, he added, "Now we will witness Pandora’s transformation as it completes the Gamma Phase. This will be the Turning Point Phase."

Chapter Six

Preacher

Puck originally was the word for a mythological fairy or mischievous nature sprite. The meaning later expanded and emerged in slang around 300 B.D.C. in lands owned by the Druid Corporation. It referred to one's disdain for something. The word has taken on other meanings over the centuries and has been used cross-sectorally.

One year earlier...

31 A.D.C...

October 26...

Monday...

3:15 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Old Business Vicinage...

Flickering street lights and neon signs cast a somber glow on Wayfaring Lane. It was a place where society’s outcasts drudged out an existence. Many people lined the street, selling Transgenic Vegetables, used clothes, and canned food. There were even those who dealt in flesh, Sunna Snapps, and/or stolen water rations.

Huddled in a corner down a dead end alley, three, dirty, thin junkies shared a needle of Sunna Snapps. A man and woman already shot up and were oblivious to their surroundings. The third rolled up his sleeve, injected the yellow liquid into his arm, and leaned back against the brick wall. His body warmed in the cool air as if he lay on a sunny beach. Snaps of light appeared like he was seeing stars, but larger and brighter. He smiled as drool ran down his mouth, and all faded to darkness.

A six-wheeled robotic Street Sanitizer, the size of a small car, rumbled down the potholed road past the alley. Nozzles in the front of it and the middle sprayed a cleaning agent. Scrubbing brushes, just behind each set of nozzles, scoured an oily residue on the road left behind by the Tainted Rain. A vacuum in the back sucked up the dark liquid and stored the polluted water in a large tank. The small vehicles kept the highways and byways from becoming cesspools. Without the cleaners, Noir would come to a halt.

The loud Street Sanitizer rumbled on, passing a Grub Filter sitting on the sidewalk against a building. The eight foot square metal beast, also known as a Grubby, pulled in air, filtering out the petroleum based pollutants caused by Dry Clouds. Usually four Grubbies covered each block, but this was Wayfaring Lane. They were lucky to have the one.

Evening approached as more people filled the street. Some wore Winnow Masks, marking them as recent immigrants to the Dark Half of the planet. Most of them didn’t wear the air filters, having lived in Noir long enough for their lungs to become accustomed to the pollutants.

Kat stumbled onto Wayfaring Lane, fleeing the Un-Man with the Bowie. Four days ago, the Un-Man attacked her and since then, it had been chasing her in a sadistic cat and mouse game. For the moment, it hadn't found her again. She knew that because it would have triggered her bio-mecha warning, like the Un-Men had done when they first entered Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse. Kat knew she couldn't stop running, so she hurried to find some place where she would be safe.

"Does such a place exist?" she wondered. "Or will I be running for the rest of my life?"

Blood caked her left shoulder where one of the Un-Men's bullets had grazed her, and dried plasma crusted the knife cut on her left forearm. Since waking at Etna, she had only eaten what food she could scrounge from trash cans, and slept only minutes at a time. Exhaustion and mental anguish were taking their toll.

Weary, Kat sprinted down an obscure alley, looking over her shoulder and splattering through puddles of Tainted Rain. The black water, that smelled of petroleum, speckled her t-shirt and pants. She turned the corner, and ran into a man who wore a black trench coat. She stumbled back, and he said nothing only eyed her curiously. Kat raised the Beretta and aimed at him.

"There’s no need for that," he said. "My job isn’t to kill you."

"Your job?" She was too tired to understand and took two steps back. Her face showed fatigue and her eyes had the look of a lost puppy. Drained, she whimpered, "Stay away from me."

"I’m Argus. My employers the Council have some information for you." He took a step forward, pushed the gun down to her side, and noted her wounds, including the large bruise on her forehead. "The Un-Man that the Factory sent after you, the Rogue, is no ordinary bio-mecha. There’s a glitch in its programing. The Council wants you to be extra careful of it. They also want me to inform you that the only way to defeat it is to reach the Delta Phase of your metamorphosis."

"Delta Phase? Metamorphosis? I don’t understand." She looked to the sidewalk and smoothed her left hand over the stubble of her shaven head. "You said the Council. I’ve heard that name before. Who are they?"

Argus started to leave.

She grabbed his wrist and pleaded, "Please tell me. You must at least know me. Tell me what my name is."

"You don’t know?" This bit of information surprised him, but it did explain some things. "You're the Pandora Project." He grabbed her arm, turned her hand over, and placed a 9 mm clip in her palm. "To survive the tests, never run out of ammo." Argus turned and headed down the street.

"No! Don’t go. Don’t leave me. Tell me what my real name is! There must be more... I must be more than a project."

"I’m not here to kill you, but I’m also not here to help you. You’re on your own. Though it’s regrettable you have no memory." He sounded sincere. "It must be very frightening not knowing why bio-mechas are trying to kill you." His face softened for a split second as if he pitied her. "It’s simple. You’re being tested. They’re being tested." A black sedan pulled up, and he got in as he yelled, "Know one thing, stay alive."

The car drove down the road.

"On my own? I don’t want to be on my own." What he told her hit her hard as if she had just received a death sentence from a judge. Kat walked over to a building and turned as her knees buckled. She slid down its rough wall and landed in a lump. "Someone help me," she whispered. "Please, help me."

In the sedan...

Argus placed a wireless headset on and made a call as the vehicle turned off of Wayfaring Lane. "I have some new information for the Council," he started and waited until he was patched in. "Pandora claims to have no memory of who it is and there does appear to be a wound on its forehead." He paused, listening to their reply. "Understood. I'll continue my surveillance and tell Pandora nothing about itself. As the Council wishes, so it will be done."

He hung up and thought, "The Council, the Fates of Noir."

Back down the street...

Kat clenched the Beretta, trying to understand what he had told her. "Argus said the Un-Men were sent by the Factory, that the one I can’t kill is called the Rogue, and that it’s no ordinary Un-Man. So who or what is the Factory? Why do they want me dead?" The coldness of the sidewalk chilled her body, and she wrapped her arms around herself. "Argus said the Council wants me to be extra careful with the Rogue. Is the Council on my side?" She found little comfort in her own embrace. "I don’t think so. And what is the Delta Phase? What am I supposed to turn into? I don’t understand. What's happening to me? Argus called them tests, that I’m being tested, and that the Un-Men are being tested. Why? What's the purpose?"

She stared at the Dry Clouds in the dark sky. Kat knew she should get up and flee, but she was so exhausted. "I'm tired of running. Maybe I should let the Un-Man capture me. No. I'm more afraid than tired. I'll..."

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Her heart sounded the bio-mecha warning as Ultra-Epi rushed through her veins. "Not now!"

She stood and franticly looked across the street. As she searched for the relentless hunting machine, Kat ejected her old clip and with a shaky hand placed in the new one. The e-field of her body altered as her eyes shimmered with blue electricity. She would later find out the light coming from her eyes was called Ultra-Epi Light Emissions (Ult L-E).

She thought, "The Rogue. It’s here. It’s coming for me."

It walked toward her down a dark cluttered street lit by neon signs and street lights. The Type Four Model of Un-Man had short, brown, wavy hair and a pale chiseled face. Black smudges from Tainted Rain covered its brown suit. The Rogue passed three hookers and their pimp.

"Hey there big guy," one of the women said, sizing up what she thought was a man. "Looking to party?"

"Yeah," another said. "Mr. Shades. What ya hiding behind those glasses anyway? Did yer old woman black yer eye?"

The Rogue turned to the second hooker, and its shades reflected a XXX red neon sign. "Old woman? No, but if we party, I will show you what is behind them." The Rogue removed its Bowie and grabbed her as the other two women ran off screaming. "So, let us party."

"Hey, none of that kinky stuff till we discuss a price," the pimp demanded as he walked to them.

The Rogue punched him in the abdomen. "Mind your manners. I am talking to the lady here."

The pimp grabbed his stomach and snarled, pulling a small gun. "It isn’t how things work here."

"How things work?" The Rogue grabbed the man’s hand that held the weapon and twisted it and broke his wrist. "This is how things work in my world."

The pimp cried out, dropped the gun, and collapsed to his knees, holding his wrist. "My hand! You broke my hand! Pucker!" he cursed. "You’re going to pay for this!"

Down the street...

Kat fled in the other direction, but stopped as the pimp cried out. She glanced at the gun. "Why should others suffer because of me?" Everything within her screamed for her to escape while she had the chance, but one small voice told her save them. The flow of the e-field increased, and the blue stage of the Ult L-E glowed brighter. Save them.

Up the street...

The hooker, horrified by what she witnessed, turned to bolt, but the Rogue grabbed her arm.

"Do not be rude and leave before the party has started." It pulled her close and whispered, "Pandora. We have to wait for Pandora."

"Pandora? Sick mother-pucker! You can get yer freak on with someone else. Ya creep! Let me go you pucker!" The woman screamed, pulling against its hold. "Let me go!"

Kat arrived, raised the Beretta, and aimed at its forehead. "You can release her. I’m here."

It looked up. "Ahh... Pandora..." A wicked grin slithered across the Rogue’s pale face as the color of its dot-light changed to fiery crimson. "Let her go? Why would I do that?"

"Why? I’m your target. Why do you need to hurt anyone else?"

"Yours is a valid question." The Rogue twirled the hooker around, wrapped her up in its arms, and placed the blade against her throat.

The hooker whimpered.

"I enjoy it, but bio-mechas are not supposed to feel anything. So that makes me something special, does it not? I think that is why my creators are afraid of me. Why they want to destroy me." The Rogue scanned Kat, noting her fear and exhaustion. It also noticed her eyes’ bluish afterglow in the darkness of the day. It noted how this light was not normal for a human. "It is also the reason you want me dead."

"I don’t want you dead. I just want you to stop hunting me!"

"I cannot." The Rogue examined every feature of Kat's face, every minute scar, and imprinted it to memory. "I am still a machine. At least for now, I cannot escape my programing."

Kat hated depending on the gun for her survival and tried to talk her way out. "Maybe your creators are afraid of you, not because you have feelings, but have the potential to disobey your programing."

"You mean like you." The Rogue laughed. "No, it is my potential for evil that they fear. I am sure of it." It cut a tiny slit in the hooker’s neck and made her whimper louder. "But what would a machine know of evil?"

Kat reacted by pressing against the gun’s trigger.

The Rogue ducked behind the hooker, so she had no shot. "Drop your gun or I will slit her throat. Do it!" It cut deeper into her neck.

“Okay! Okay!” Kat placed the gun on the ground, making herself vulnerable. “Just don't hurt her!”

"Excellent." The Rogue smirked.

"Now what?" Kat asked, not sure of her next move.

The Rogue's grin widened. "Now you watch me kill her!"

Before Kat had a chance to utter no, a man came up behind the Rogue.

"Hey!" the man shouted.

The Rogue turned as the man swung a metal bat, striking it in the head. The Rogue stumbled back and released the hooker. The attack knocked its glasses off, and the damaged frames fell to the street. Kat grabbed her gun, and fired two shots, but the Rogue ducked with lightning speed and evaded the bullets. It backhanded the man, knocking him to the ground. It then turned on Kat and froze. Down the street, a black van with tinted windows sped their way. Even in this world of darkness, tinted windows were useful to keep secrets.

"They have found me! The Factory will not capture me!" The Rogue fled down an alley, shouting as it ran, "We will finish this another day."

The hooker rushed over to the pimp. "Are ya all right? Oh, yer hand. Let’s get ya to a hospital."

The black van sped by them in pursuit of the Rogue.

The pounding of Kat’s heart lessened. She set the safety and tucked the Beretta in the back waistband of her pants as her irises lost their radiance. She walked over to the man as he rubbed his bloodied mouth and she offered her hand. "Thanks."

"No problem." He grabbed her wrist, pulling himself up. "The name’s Preacher." He picked up his metal bat and glanced into the alley the Rogue ran through. "That thing was no man. What was it?"

"They're called bio-mechas, that model is an Un-Man."

"They? There are more of them?"

"Yes, there are more,” she said and muttered, "There are many more."

"No kidding." He walked up to a stoop and picked up a white Bible. "Noir’s getting wilder every day."

Kat moved to the Rogue's broken shades, picked them up, and peered through them. The lenses, mostly intact, fizzed and intermediately crackled between green lettered readouts across tiny square screens.

"The glasses do more than hide their eyes," she thought. "They’re hard wired. They must relay tactical data from the Factory and from each other." She dropped the glasses, crushing them with her shoe. "And may carry tracking beacons." She started across the street.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Preacher ran after her.

Still tired, Kat turned as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She repeated, "Where? I... I don’t know."

"Well, you look like you could use a meal and clean up a bit." He noticed the dried blood on her forearm and shoulder. "And some first aid."

She stared at the thin scraggly man with shoulder length, stringy, black hair. Preacher wore a worn navy blue t-shirt and broken black rim glasses taped in the front. His blue-gray eyes and pearly white smile caught her attention. They made her feel safe and welcome.

“To feel secure,” she thought. “That's something I'm yearning for. I want to be safe, to be clean, and to be full.” Kat noticed he saw her staring, and she blushed.

Preacher waved his free hand, thinking she was looking at him as if he was a weirdo. "I’m not being perverted or anything. I run a shelter, the Kitchen. It seems to me you’ve been on the go for a while. I thought you might be hungry."

Kat nodded as her stomach growled. She was also very thirsty.

"You aren’t much for talking are you?"

She shook her head.

"Shy. That’s okay. Come on. I believe grilled cheese and tomato soup are on the menu tonight."

Chapter Seven

Farewell My Friend

Seven months later...

32 A.D.C...

May 25...

Tuesday...

7:30 P.M...

A helicopter flew over Wayfaring Lane just beneath the looming Dry Clouds. A gust swept up an old newspaper, tumbling it down the potholed blacktop. Preacher and Kat sat on a stoop in front of the Kitchen, watching the people in the neighborhood. He glanced at her and noticed how depressed she appeared.

"I’ve never seen someone so lonely or lost," he thought, resting his rough callused hand on hers. They had been sitting there in silence for about twenty minutes. He continued thinking, "She’s always so distant. I can’t seem to connect. I know we’re from two different worlds, but..."

He asked her, "What are you thinking?"

She stared up at the ever present Nemesis of Noir. She had always wondered how something so fluffy and soft looking could beat back the might of the sun. The wind brushed her short brown hair as she didn't answer his question and thought, "Since my awakening in Etna Toys, I have discovered nothing about my past. What's my real name? Why am I hunted? Tested?" She glanced at him. “Usually his touch makes me feel better, but not today. Only answers will fill the hollowness of my soul.” Kat gently pulled her hand away from his and rested her hand on her lap. "I would do almost anything to find some scrap of my past. If I could just find out if Kat is my name and where I come from, I would be happy. It hurts too much not knowing anything, and I don't think Preacher understands. He doesn't understand how frustrating it is and that in itself even hurts. I'm alone in a void of uncertainty, and because of that, I'm a stranger in our relationship. I don't know why I haven't shared this with him. I don't know if I can. Would he understand? I don't think I could take it if he didn't. So what should I do?"

When she didn't answer him, he looked down at the Bible he always carried. He was unsure of what to say. Preacher searched for words that would comfort. "Katharine, don’t you know there’s more to this life than what you can see?"

She focused on the book he held and replied, "You have told me, but still there’s something within me that wants to discover who I am." Kat stared at her worn shoes and spoke softly, "And yet, there’s this part that fears what I might discover." She turned to him, hoping to find a sympathetic heart and a look of understanding.

Preacher peered at the street, his attention drawn to a group of kids playing. He smiled, knowing even in Wayfaring Lane children could find time to be children. He didn’t notice her searching gaze.

Kat frowned when he didn’t look at her and turned her attention back to her shoes. She said almost in a whisper, "What if I’m a bad person? What if I’ve done terrible things?"

"We’ve all done bad things," he said as he turned to her, and his expression saddened as he reflected on his own life.

A red VX corvette with the license plate FromAshes drove by with a blonde woman at the wheel.

"I feel like I should be searching for something." Kat unzipped a backpack. She removed the worn Note, business card, and the Music Box. "I know these are clues to my past, but how do they fit?"

"Our Gracious Lord has a plan for you Katharine. I know it. In due time, he’ll show it to you. Just be patient."

His words didn't help, and she said, "That’s all I have, but even my patience is running out."

Preacher grinned and his blue-gray eyes and pearly white smile caught her attention again. His warm expression made her feel safe and gave her some hope. It gave her hope that her search would not be in vain.

* * *

Five months later...

October 12...

Tuesday...

10:11 P.M...

The day before Kat arrived at Topa’s estate...

A car burned, then exploded, sending fiery shrapnel in all directions. Bullet holes littered the buildings. Citizens of Wayfaring Lane ran screaming for their lives as Kat returned from meeting an informant who never showed. "What's going on?” she wondered. “Oh my gosh! Preacher!" Anxiety pressed against her chest as she hurried toward the Kitchen. "Preacher!"

She continued running till she spotted Argus. He stood at the entrance of an alley and stared at the pavement. Kat ran past him and found Preacher lying in a pool of blood. He had been shot several times in the chest. Her eyes widened as she froze, paralyzed with dread. In disbelief, she stared at his lifeless body.

"No," Kat whimpered and took a step forward. "No." She walked to Preacher and collapsed at his side. She feared touching him, feared discovering the truth. Her eyes burned with her cowardice and anguish. "He can’t be dead. He’s not dead." She picked up his hand and his skin was cold to the touch. "Preacher," she whispered, looking into his pale face.

He didn’t respond.

"Don’t you die on me." Kat squeezed his hand. "Don’t you leave me alone."

He still didn’t respond.

She turned to Argus. "Hurry! Go get some help!"

Argus didn't move or say anything. He knew he couldn't help, but he also knew it was too late.

She rubbed Preacher's cold hand as if to bring warmth back into it. "Don't worry. Help will be coming. Just hang in there. You have to. You can't leave me alone. I can't bear my life without you. So please... Stay with me."

His eyes were closed, and he looked as if he were sleeping. She noticed there was something missing about him, not something physical, but spiritual. Kat knew it was too late, and finally let herself believe he was gone. She screamed, "Preacher! Preacher!" She shook him and cried, "Nooo!" She cradled his head in her arms and wailed to the heavens. "Don’t leave me! Not alone!"

Her heart ached, and her eyes sweltered with a dry grief as she wondered, “Why can't I cry for you? Am I some thing like a bio-mecha? Am I not able to express my grief?”

She sat there for minutes, holding Preacher in her arms as his blood saturated her t-shirt. She rested her head on his. "Forgive me," Kat whispered. "I should have been here. You told me not to go to the meeting, that it might be a trap. But I didn’t listen. I had to go. I had to find that scrap." She sniffed. "I should have listened. But no... I had to find out if the man knew anything about my past, but he wasn’t there. No one was there."

Kat noticed Argus’ shadow stretched down the alley and wondered, "Is the Council behind this? Did they lure me away to kill you? Is this another test?" Her sorrow turned to anger. "Did the Council kill Preacher?"

She directed her rage at Argus and demanded, "Who did this? Who shot him?"

He didn’t answer and stood there as the breeze whipped his black trench coat.

"I know you saw. You’re always watching. Was it the Council? Did they have Preacher killed? Did they have him killed to get at me because I’m not passing their tests? Because I'm not passing something called the Gamma Phase?" Kat gently laid Preacher down and stood enraged. She grabbed Argus by his coat’s collar and slammed him against the alley wall. "You were here weren’t you?!" she screamed, wild with rage. "You were here and did nothing!" She beat her fist on his chest. "Isn’t that right? Tell me! Did you watch them kill him?"

"Yes," Argus answered as he looked down at her, taking her hits as a small part of his penitence. "My job is to watch." His expression was blank. "I’m not to hinder or help. My job is to..."

"Shut up! I hate you!" She dropped her fist, leaned her head on his chest, and whispered, "I hate you."

Her words stung him worse than her fists. They were more vicious than any physical attack. The next thing that happened, surprised him. His eyes watered. Argus had never lost control of his emotions before. He had never lost them before today. Argus wanted to stroke her head and soothe her sorrow. This past year, he developed something his training should have prevented. He developed feelings for her. He cared about his assignment.

Argus thought, “The Pandora Project is more than a job, it... No. She... Kat is...” He let his thoughts drift away with the wind. He wanted so badly to console her as he gritted his teeth, fighting back tears. "But it isn’t part of my job."

Kat heaved deeply as sorrow and anguish drowned her soul. "Tell me. Tell me who murdered Preacher. Was it the Council or the Factory?"

He didn’t answer.

"For once in your life do something useful. Take a side. Take a stand." Kat screamed, "Be more than an observer!" She looked up into his watery blue eyes and whispered, "Kill me." She struck his chest with her fist. "Help me." She hit it again. "Just do something!" She hid her face in his coat as her body trembled with sorrow and heartache. She knew nothing would bring back Preacher and that she was all alone.

"Topa," Argus whispered. "Topa ordered the Closing on Preacher. He has an estate on the outskirts of the Hellenistic Sector."

Kat sniffed, pulled herself back, and stared at him heartbroken. She slapped Argus in the face, and he only looked at her.

She said, "That’s for doing nothing and letting Preacher die." Her eyes still burned as she turned her back on him. "I don’t ever want to see you again. You’re my shadow no more, so don’t follow me." She walked over to Preacher, took the Bible from his grasp, and headed out of Wayfaring Lane.

Chapter Eight

From The Ashes

Present time...

October 13...

Wednesday...

9:47 A.M...

Topa’s office felt menacing and reeked of corruption as the men in the photos stared at Kat. They seemed to glare down at her as if she was the monster in the room. She ignored their silent accusations. Her heart ached so much it made her ill. Preacher had given her the strength to go on, and he had made her feel like a person not a project. Now she felt empty, alone, and part of some twisted experiment. She gritted her teeth as she thought, “Topa will pay for killing the only light in my life. I'll snuff out his flame as he had Preacher's life extinguished.”

Her gun felt heavy in her hand. She didn't know how much longer she could hold it up. Sorrow overwhelmed her as she aimed for Topa's forehead. She had to make the pain go away and this was the only way she could think of to make it stop hurting.

Topa feared this was it for his own life till he noticed her hesitation. He questioned, "You've never killed anyone, have you?"

She didn’t answer as she pressed her finger against the trigger and thought, "Topa’s death will be like the others. He'll die just like the Un-Men. I'll squeeze the trigger, the bullet will penetrate his forehead, and enter his automaton brain. No... That's not right. Am I so naive? This will be different. Topa's flesh. He's not a bio-mecha. I have to be honest with myself. I'll be taking a life. The one thing I've fought so hard not to do. But he killed Preacher. Doesn't that change things? Preacher was my friend. And I lov..." She let the last word fade away. “I have no right to claim that type of relationship. Not when I couldn't admit that simple word to him.” She paused in her thoughts as grief seized her again.

She screamed, “Nothing will bring Preacher back. So you have to die!"

"It isn’t all that easy taking someone’s life." Topa reached down, opened a desk drawer, and saw his gun tucked inside. He only needed the opportunity to grab the weapon. “So... Can you do it?”

"I will kill you! You murdered Preacher! You should die!" Kat’s arm shook as rage and grief screamed at her to pull the trigger, but something held her back.

Once he saw the hatred in her eyes, Topa became a little nervous. Two of his men entered from the door behind her, and he regained his confidence.

Topa questioned, "Preacher? Oh... You mean the do-gooder causing me problems on Wayfaring Lane. You say he’s dead?"

She yelled, "You know he’s dead! You ordered the Closing!"

"Maybe I did."

"I know you did!" The pain in her chest worsened as she could no longer withstand the sorrow wanting to consume her. Her resolve to kill Topa vanished. Kat wished Preacher would wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be all right. She knew that would never happen. Her gun arm dropped slightly and she no longer aimed at Topa.

"So you’re here to do what?” he questioned. “Kill me?" Topa looked her over. "You don’t have it in you."

She lifted the gun as if that alone would give her the courage, but courage wasn't what she was missing. "You should die for what you did, but before I kill you, I have to know. Do you work for the Council or the Factory? Which one of them had Preacher killed?"

"The Factory I’ve never heard of, but the Council..." He studied her more closely. "What would someone like you know of them?"

She snapped, "You didn’t answer my question! Who do you work for?!"

Topa laughed. "I work for no one, but myself."

"So you refuse to answer me. It doesn't matter." She screamed, "You must die! You have to die because you killed him!" Kat aimed the gun again as she wrestled with the trigger and her emotions.

She thought, “I don't understand. Why am I hesitating? Why don't I shoot Topa and finish this?” At that moment, she felt the worn leather of the book she carried in her other hand. It reminded her of Preacher, and Kat thought she heard his voice. Kat dropped her gun arm and sobbed as she thought, “Now I understand. Preacher wouldn’t want me to take revenge. It’s wrong. He wouldn't want me to kill someone because of him."

Outside the window...

Kim muttered, "Idiot! You’re weak. So spineless." She gripped the PPK. "Kill him. Take your revenge. I wouldn’t hesitate."

Within the Sanctum...

An alarm sounded. The analysts and supervisors fell silent in the Chamber as they tensed, fearing the reaction of the Council. On the Center Screen in large red letters blinked, Third Evolvement Failure.

"NO!" Mr. Morta slammed his fist on the table, jogging his laptop. "Pandora failed! Why can it not take a life? Pandora has no problems dealing with the Un-Men, but it refused to kill every human assassin we sent after it."

"The Un-Men are bio-mechas. They are not alive," Ms. Nona stated. "Pandora knows the difference even with the conditioning."

"Should we terminate the project? "Mr. Decuma asked.

Mr. Morta leaned back in his chair as an analyst turned off the alarm. "No, not just yet. All we need to do is find a sufficient catalyst."

"What about the tests?" Ms. Nona questioned.

Mr. Morta ordered, "For now, call off the bounty on Pandora’s head and cancel the Closing. Pandora could use the rest."

"Agreed. I stated my concerns earlier over its fatigue," Ms. Nona said. "We have been pushing it too hard. Most subjects would have broken by now. And what about the Un-Men? Can we get the Factory to call them off?"

"We can request it, but I doubt they will," Mr. Morta answered. "The Factory feels they have as much of a right to Pandora as we do. Most likely, they will continue to test their bio-mechas. For now, we will focus on finding a catalyst."

"Agreed," Ms. Nona and Mr. Decuma said in one accord.

Back at Topa’s estate...

His henchmen quickly grabbed Kat from behind, when she dropped her arm, and one of them took her gun.

"Vengeance is mine, says the Lord." Topa chuckled as one of his henchmen grabbed the book from her. "I think you should take up a new religion. This one has failed you." He motioned to his henchmen. "Take her to the wine cellar and hold her there. I’ll be down later to deal with our new guest."

They nodded and took her out. Topa closed the drawer to his desk that held the gun. He stood and walked to a wall safe. He started to unlock it when the front door opened.

"Now what is it?" Topa asked, irritated, and turned toward the front door.

Kim entered, locked the door, and removed her knit mask. "I usually don’t let anyone see me." She knew the Mark didn’t know the reason for her arrival, but he soon would. She took a bit of wicked pleasure out of that fact. "But you’re a special case."

"I’m going to have to do something about my security." His expression changed as he looked over the beautiful blonde. "I suppose you’re also one of Preacher’s friends.” He moved back to his desk. “Perhaps a lady of the evening who can’t live without her daily confessions?"

She sneered, moving to the middle of the office. "Keep your hands where I can see them. I don't need you tripping any silent alarm. As for my profession..." Kim threw a business card on his mahogany desk.

Topa glanced down at it. "What’s this? A firebird?" He recognized the emblem and sat in his chair as if someone had shoved him down in it. "No... You can’t be." He peered up and panicked. "Puck! You’re the Phoenix?!" He stood, searching for a place to run. "You’re a Closer! Don’t kill me! I’ll pay you anything! I can give you credits or–" Topa motioned to his safe. “–I have cash.”

“Hades... You really disgust me. Why is it I always hear the same old thing from you Marks? Do you really think you can buy off a Closer? Well, you can't." She cleared her throat. "Samuel R. Topa, the Valhalla Corporation has decided they no longer want to do business with you. They're tired of losing their shipments of Sunna Snapps. So, under the Life Closer Clause of your contract with Valhalla, I am authorized by the Assassin’s League to terminate your life."

"But why kill me?"

"I’m only guessing, but it sounds like the narcotic Sunna Snapps hasn’t been approved for use, but you're selling it anyway for the corporation. A kind of clinical street trial, but the participants don't know they're guinea pigs. You messed up when you lost a few of the shipments." Kim aimed. "The Valhalla Corporation is now tying up loose ends and using the pretense of your contract to do it." She shot twice and smoke rolled from the silencer. With no emotion, she added, "You know, just business."

Gray matter splattered the wall as Topa fell back in his chair and blankly stared at the ceiling.

“For once, someone got what they deserved,” she muttered. “For Ares' sake! To think you had a preacher killed and used an Illicit Closer to do the job. Did you really think the Assassins Guild wouldn't find out?" She glanced over the black and white photos on his wall. "I know people like us are going to Tartarus, but you had to provoke whatever god you believe in to send you there a little early." Kim pulled the knit mask back on and headed out the front door.

Chapter Nine

The Un-Men Arrive

Corporations had to develop alternatives for those addicted to nicotine since tobacco plants were nearly wiped out the first few months after the Dry Clouds appeared. The first year of the Dry Clouds (Zero Year), tobacco farms were started on the Light Side of the planet. Twenty-eight years ago, the Corporate Senate decided that crops planted on the Light Side had to produce food so NicPhake and other synthetics were created. The idea was to wean people off of smoking all together. The synthetic tobacco proved to be as addictive, and the secondhand smoke from NicPhake caused blindness in some infants. NicPhake was then regulated and could only be acquired with a prescription.

10:12 A.M...

The outskirts of the Hellenistic Sector...

Four black Chrysler 3000s drove across the road leading to Topa’s estate. The human drivers parked and turned the headlights off, plunging the area back into darkness. The passenger and the two back doors opened on the cars. Three Un-Men got out of each Chrysler. The cars rocked back and forth as the Un-Men exited. They moved to the back of their vehicles as the drivers popped the trunks. An Un-Man of each group removed Uzis from the back and armed their brethren.

Their Input Sensor blinked three times after they received their orders from the Factory. They uttered, "Setting programing to Infiltration Mode. Eliminate any obstructions to primary Seek and Destroy Program."

The dozen Un-Men gathered in front of the lead vehicle and checked that the safety/selector lever on their weapon was set on S. They looked to the north gate that was about a hundred feet down the wall from them. They synchronized to determined the best entry point and relayed their findings to the Factory.

Five armed men stood guard within the gate. The men noticed the Chryslers when they pulled up and readied themselves to engage the armed intruders. If they had to, the men would shoot on sight.

In unison, the Un-Men nodded their understanding of the Factory’s orders. They slung the Uzi over their shoulder and started for the wall directly in front of them. The drivers drove the vehicles away. The Un-Men climbed over the fifteen foot wall by stabbing their fingers into the brick. Each thrust of a hand into the mortar and clay sounded like a boot crunching across the snow. It sounded like an army marching across the white powder as they all climbed over. They leaped down into the estate.

"Look! The intruders climbed over!" a man at the gate yelled. "This way! We have to stop them!"

"Quick, radio in backup!" another man yelled through his WM-B.

The five men halted and opened fire on the intruders with their handguns. Bullets riddled the dozen bodies, filling their business suits with holes. The Un-Men remained standing, staring ahead. The men ceased fire and glanced at one another.

"Why aren’t they dead?" one asked.

"Don’t know," another shouted over the intercom of his mask.

"Maybe they’re wearing armor," the one said and ordered, "Switch to A.P.Rs.!"

The Un-Men turned their heads in an eerily co-occurrence as the men ejected their clips. "Obstacle encountered," they stated and set the safety/selector lever on their Uzi from safety to automatic.

The Un-Men assessed the obstruction. Two of them lifted their Uzi, aimed, and shot the men. The men’s bodies jerked as the wave of bullets bombarded them. The Un-Men ceased, and the men collapsed to the ground. The two Un-Men scanned the bodies and determined the men's life signs had ceased.

"Obstacle eliminated,” the Team Leaders stated. “Setting programing to Seek and Destroy. We will track down Pandora and eliminate her."

They headed into the heart of the estate in four groups of three as they all stated, "Pandora will not escape us this time."

Earlier...

At Topa’s house...

Two men shoved Kat down the stairs of the cellar. The wooden steps creaked with their weight. Once they reached the bottom, one of the men frisked her. He took the Music Box, business card, and the Note from her pant’s pocket and set them on a table. He laid the Bible and Beretta there, after he ejected the gun’s clip and cleared the weapon’s chamber. The other man motioned with his weapon to a chair for her to sit, and she complied. Racks of wine filled the cool dusty room, and a rat scurried across the concrete floor.

One of the men grabbed her chin, lifted it up, and examined her face. "Not much to look at, are ya?"

She didn’t respond, giving up. Kat conceded that this was her fate and thought, "I couldn’t kill Topa. I had him in my sights, and I couldn't pull the trigger."

The man released her chin and joined the other man at the square table. They both removed their WM-B and breathed in the room’s filtered air.

"I couldn’t kill him." She gritted her teeth. "I should have." Kat regretfully wiped her hands over her face, remembering Preacher. The more she thought about him, the more she thought about how she'd failed to do what she had come to do.

"What do you think Topa will do to her, Muggs?" one man asked.

"Don’t know, Warner." The other shrugged. "Slap her around I guess. What does he usually do with women?"

Warner picked up the Music Box, opened it, and Unfinished Melody played.

Kat relaxed in the chair and her eyelids drooped. Her sorrow and pain vanished with the melody as it lulled her into an oblivious euphoria. Nothing mattered when she existed in this state, not even the death of Preacher.

"Hey, she’s falling asleep." Muggs stood and kicked her chair. "Stay awake!" He glanced at the book. "Maybe use this time to pray." He smirked. "Or don't you know you’re going to die?"

Entranced by the melody, she ignored Muggs and listened as if she was a child and the Music Box was the Pied Piper of Hamelin. She would happily follow the bewitching music and vanish from existence. Kat stayed in this euphoric state until Warner closed the lid, ending the melody.

After he did, Warner examined the Music Box more closely. "This ain’t no ordinary trinket. It’s electronic or something."

"You could at least pawn it," Muggs said. "It is silver."

With the drug-like music gone, her pain and sorrow rushed back like a hover train running over her. “Feeling nothing's better than this heart pang,” she thought.

Kat pleaded, "Could you please let the melody play?"

"Shut up! You don’t get a final request." Warner propped his feet on the table and started rolling a cigarette with synthetic tobacco.

Muggs looked around the cellar. "I’ve heard a couple of stories of people who’ve been taken down here. Isn’t there another entrance to this place? One that comes up in the middle of the estate? I’ve heard..."

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Kat ignored the men as they talked. She focused on the cellar door like a prowling tigress about to pounce. Ultra-Epi coursed through her blood as the e-field of her body altered, and her ocular organs sparked with blue voltage. With a calm voice, she said, "They’re here."

Warner lit the cigarette and blew white-pink smoke from the side of his mouth. He took another drag of NicPhake as he ignored her warning. He didn’t even look at her.

"Who’s here?" Muggs asked, turned to face her, and gaped, seeing her eyes. "Are you some sort of creature from the underworld?!"

"They’re here," Kat repeated. She didn't care if the Un-Men found her or not.

Warner tightened his jaw, not hearing his partner’s comment, and yelled at her, "Didn’t I tell you to shut the puck up?!" He stood, lifted his hand to strike her as white-pink ashes dropped from the cigarette, and paused. "What's wrong with your eyes?"

"There are twelve intruders at the north gate!" a man yelled over the intercom of their WM-Bs. "Hades! They’ve scaled the wall and are inside!"

Warner picked up his mask and listened.

The man on the other end breathed hard as if he ran. "We're engaging them." Weapons fire filled the airwaves. "Something’s wrong. Our guns don't affect them! They must be wearing armor. We’re switching to..." There was a pause. "Two of them are turning toward us and have lifted their weapons! Take cover!"

The rapid tat-tat of Uzis drowned out the man’s scream.

Warner turned to his partner. "Muggs, quick get on the radio and see what Topa wants us to do."

"Right, I’m on it." Muggs put his WM-B on and activated the intercom. "Boss, this is Muggs."

No reply.

"Boss, this is Muggs."

Still no response.

"Can anyone hear me?"

Only dead air returned his call.

He turned to Warner. "Now what?"

Warner thought for a moment and said, "You stay with the woman. I’m going to head to the main house and see..."

Gunfire erupted above ground, drawing their attention.

Muggs looked up to the cellar’s small window and said, "It's outside the house!"

"These intruders move fast," Warner said. "We need to get out of here!"

The door to the cellar burst open, and three Un-Men started down the stairs, aiming their Uzis. "Target acquired," they stated in their monotone voices. "Will now terminate Pandora."

"Hades!" Muggs cursed as he and Warner drew their guns.

The men opened fire, and the Un-Men continued down the steps unhindered by the metal barrage.

"Puck! Why won’t they die?! What are they?"

"Don’t know, Muggs!"

Kat ran to the table and grabbed her things. She turned the table over and ducked behind it then glanced at Warner and Muggs, knowing they were doomed. At that point, she didn’t care and thought, "This will give me a second chance at Topa."

"Hey! What are you doing?" Muggs turned to her and a bullet struck his shoulder, knocking him back.

Warner grabbed him, pulled him behind some crates, and continued firing at the three intruders as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Die already, you puckers!!"

Muggs leaned on the crate to support himself and returned fire.

Kat dashed for the rear of the room as bullets sprayed by her. In the back, she found a door. She turned the knob, but it was locked, so she stood back, fired at the old lock, and kicked in the door. She sprinted down a tunnel, hearing the two men die as the Un-Men overran their position. It didn’t matter to her if the men died. As hatred filled her heart, she believed they got what they deserved.

Kat followed the tunnel to a ladder with bloodlust fueling her. She climbed to the surface where a manhole opened into a group of apple trees. No Un-Men or guards battled in the immediate area, so she took the time to check over her weapon. Her heart slowed since the danger was gone for the moment. The blue Ult L-E faded as the Ultra-Epi dissipated in her blood.

A gentle wind rustled the leaves of the apple trees, drawing her attention. Red fruit littered the branches. Her face softened from that of a warrior in the rages of battle to a woman in mourning.

"Preacher loved apples," Kat thought. "He ate one almost everyday." She looked to the Bible, closed her eyes, and held the bloodied book to her chest. "Topa will die this time. Nothing will stop me." She rushed toward his office, determined to finish him off this time. "Nothing!"

Smoke from gunfire and small explosions lingered in the air as she hurried by several bodies and one Un-Man they managed to disable. Electrical snaps flew from several holes in its head. The humans’ red blood and the Un-Man’s black oil mixed in a small pool.

Kat felt a smidgen of guilt. "Those men wouldn’t be dead if the Un-Men weren't hunting me." The guilt left her as hatred returned, drowning the small voice that uttered save them. She ducked behind a hedge as four men rushed past her.

Fright paled their faces, and one shouted orders over his Winnow Mask’s intercom.

"We have to pull back from the gates and meet at the armory. We need heavy artillery."

The group of men hurried on. Kat stepped from the hedge, turned to continue to Topa’s office, but paused, narrowing her eyes.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Ultra-Epi coursed through her blood as her eyes produced a cerulean lambency. "Un-Men," she said with loathing. "There’s two of them." Fear didn’t fill her heart, but rage. The warrior’s side of her returned as she gripped the gun ready to eliminate anyone or anything that stood in her way. "Topa must die!"

An Un-Man stepped from the side of a building to her left and another stepped from a cluster of trees.

Kat had encountered five different models of Un-Men over the past year. The Rogue they discontinued. It was a Type Four. The one to her left was a Type Two. It was a six foot six, thin model with dark brown skin, and a South African accent. The other one was a Type Five. It was a six foot, large, muscular model with a Russian accent.

"Target acquired. I and another unit have cornered the Pandora Project," the dark skinned Type Two or T-2 relayed over its I-Link.

"Commencing attack," the T-5 stated.

"You won’t stop me!" Kat raised the Beretta, firing once to the left and once to the right. "I’m going to kill Topa!"

Black liquid sprayed from their foreheads. They fell to the ground, arms flailing, and then they lay still as downed trees.

"Stay out of my way!" Kat rushed on. "All of you, stay out of my way!!"

Chapter Ten

Caught In A Cross Fire

10:36 A.M...

Twenty-five minutes earlier...

At the northwestern corner of Topa’s estate, Kim pulled her black knapsack from the pile of leaves she hid it in, threw the grappling hook over the wall, and climbed the cord to the top. She spotted four cars parked by the north gate with twelve men getting out. They carried Uzis. She dropped back down into the estate.

"Great, just great! Who are those guys?" She whipped up on the rope, forcing the grappling hook to fall down and stowed it in the knapsack.

Gunfire erupted at the north gate.

"Whoever they are, I better get out of here." She raced for the center of the estate. "I’ll try going over the south wall."

Gunfire continued as Topa’s men screamed, some in panic and some as their last cry. Kim ducked into a tool shed before six men rushed past her. Weedwackers, a lawnmower, shelves, axes, and other lawn tools filled the outbuilding. She waited in the dark structure till she heard the men move on into the distance then left quietly.

A man came running up from the other direction. "I’ve spotted an intruder," he shouted over the WM-B’s intercom.

Another joined him.

Kim fired four times, hitting the first man twice in the stomach, and he fell, screaming as blood poured from his abdomen. The other two bullets hit the second man in the shoulder and heart. The man’s screams alerted three more to her position. She shot one in the face. The second guard tackled her, and they struggled for the gun till a shot discharged. Kim moaned and rolled the dead man off of her. By then, the third guard had his weapon trained on her.

"Toss your gun!" he shouted. "Now stand up."

She stood, raising her hands.

"I should kill you where you stand, but Topa will want to interrogate you."

She grinned, thinking, "If he only knew."

He grabbed her knit mask, pulling it off her head, and her blonde hair frizzed out.

Kim said, "You shouldn’t have done that."

He smirked. "Done what, sweet thing?"

She stared at him coldly. "You shouldn’t have seen my face." Kim ducked, twirled, sweep kicking his legs from under him, and drew the Military Defender from the sheathe on her right calf. She jumped on top of the man and slit his throat before he could react. Kim looked at him with no emotion or remorse. She had been trained well. "You see, I can’t let anyone live who’s seen my face."

A gentle breeze swept in, drying the splattered blood on her cheek. She stood from the dead man and scowled. "This assignment’s turning into a Wetworks." Blood dripped from her knife, so she bent and wiped the blade on the man’s pants. She turned abruptly, hearing someone run toward her. She stood ready to attack the next guard.

Kat noticed her as Kim stood from the man she had just killed. Kat halted, raised the Beretta, and aimed at her. She looked at Kim's knife and wondered, "Is she a guard? She's not very well armed if she is." Kat glanced over her shoulder. "Doesn’t matter. I don’t have much time to get by this obstacle." She faced Kim, thinking, "The Un-Men are closing in."

Kim froze, looked to the ground where the PPK lay, then at the Military Defender she held, and thought, "She's too far away to lunge at, but I could throw my knife. Wait, this is the woman from Topa’s office. The one who couldn’t kill him."

Kat tilted her head, studied her face, and asked, "Have we met?"

Kim didn’t reply and thought, "If she couldn’t kill him, what chance is there she’ll shoot me?"

"Do you work for the Council?" Kat asked, unsure whose side she was on. Kat lowered her gun a bit, then raised it, and made a face as her heart hammered the bio-mecha warning.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

"They’re here." Her Ult L-E raged with sapphire fire.

"Now’s my chance!" Kim pounced, lunging with her knife.

Instinct took over, Kat side stepped to the right, and fired as Kim charged. She reacted to her lunge much faster than Kim thought she would. Kim feared this was her end, but continued her attack. The bullet barely missed her face as she brought her knife down. Kat blocked the chopping blade with the gun and kicked her in the stomach. Kim stumbled back and noticed the PPK at her own feet. Gunfire from an Uzi erupted from the trees behind Kim, and she dove to the ground. Kat fired again, hitting the Un-Man in the forehead, and raced to Topa’s office. Kim rolled, picked up the PPK, and searched the area for her adversary. She was gone. Sparks shot up just inside the trees, and Kim investigated, finding two men dead.

"Two?" She saw both had a single shot through the head. "So that woman wasn’t aiming at me?" Kim then realized, "I was wrong. She can kill. So why didn’t she kill me? I did try to kill her."

Black blood trickled from the men’s heads.

"Wait. These aren’t men." Kim stepped closer. "Hades! What are they?" She knelt. "Robots?" She stood and walked to the dead guard who was still holding her knit mask. Kim touched her blood speckled cheek and realized, "She saw my face! Hades! She saw my face, and I let her escape!"

* * *

Kat rushed into Topa’s office with her gun at the ready. She found no guards within and Topa leaning back in his chair with his brains splattered across the wall. She stood there, aiming at the man. They were both frozen in the moment. Sadness and regret washed over her. She breathed in as the gore kept her fixated.

Tick... Tick...

An old clock sounded, filling the otherwise silent room with the passage of time. She lowered the Beretta as she wondered, “Am I relieved someone else killed him? Or am I upset that the privilege was taken away from me? I don't understand my feelings. Maybe I feel a little of both. So who did kill him? Was it the Un-Men?" She walked to his desk, examining the bullet holes. "I don’t think so. Two shots to the head. It looks like the work of a Closer."

Tick... Tick...

The clock sounded away the seconds. Kat looked at the black and white photos of Topa’s male relatives. She turned her attention to her gun. Time allowed her hatred and sorrow to turn into regret and self loathing. Kat set the safety and tucked the gun. "Could I kill someone?" She walked to Topa and stared at his terror filled face. "Someone offed him with no remorse. But am I that kind of person? Am I a killer? I came so close to becoming one." Kat was ashamed of her revenge filled thoughts.

Tick... Tick...

She caught a glimpse of a red speckled business card with a flaming bird resting on his desk. She picked it up. It was a calling card left behind by a Life Closer. It was left behind for the N.C.P.F. so they would know it was a Closing authorized by the Assassins Guild. A barcode on the back of the card could be read by a specialized H.H.C. (which the Noir Civil Police Force carried) and prove the Closing's authenticity.

Deep in thought, Kat held the card. So much clouded her mind it took her a while before she realized, "The flaming bird!" She quickly removed the business card she had found at Etna Toys a year ago and compared the two. Her heart leaped with excitement. “They're almost identical. It must be the Phoenix!"

She reviewed the day’s events. "The lady I fought..." Kat remembered her face and how she seemed familiar. "She must be the Phoenix." Kat rushed out of the office. "I have to find her. I have to ask her again if she knows me."

Twenty minutes later...

Petroleum clung to the breezy air as the barriercumulus rolled overhead. Kat made it out of the estate through the south gate and ran into the pale glow of a pine forest. She followed an old truck road. It came to a fork just as a red VX Corvette, with the license plate FromAshes, sped off, kicking up dirt. Kat paused and glanced at the two business cards.

"Phoenix, I’ve finally found you." She stared at the trail of smoke and dust. "Now, how do I find you again?"

The wind wailed, blowing her short brown spiky hair. Kat stared down the road till the dust settled. She placed the business cards in her back pocket and made her way to the north side of the estate. She walked up to the gnarled oak and grabbed her backpack and jacket. She sensed the Un-Men were near and hurried back into the woods.

Tall scraggly Lantern Pines filled the forest and scented the air. Scientist created Transgenic Plants, or hybrids, that could survive without the sun. They created the Lantern Pines by genetically modifying a yellow pine with the extra-genome of a lanternfish, producing a tree that created its own light. The bioluminescence lasted several days after the needle’s death, so even the forest floor produced a ghostly glow.

The Dry Clouds ceased their grumbles, forever looming over the land like a menacing specter. An owl hooted as she dashed by its roost. She fled from the estate till she sensed the Un-Men ceased their pursuit. The Ultra-Epi Light Emissions dissipated as her heart ended its warning. Kat slowed to a walk and a possum scurried past her. She stopped in a small clearing, undid the Velcro of her armor, removed the black Ravlek Vest, and looked down at her bloodied t-shirt. She pulled a clean one from her backpack, took off the soiled one, and put on the new. She held the bloodied t-shirt and Bible to her chest and sat against a tree on a bed of glowing needles.

"Preacher, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry," she whispered as she closed her eyes to sleep. “I'm alone in the world again. I miss you. I miss you so much." Time slowly passed, but she couldn’t sleep. "Why do I still feel that your death is my fault? Why do I feel like somehow I'm to blame?"

Over the past year, she learned the Ultra-Epi that coursed through her blood gave her abilities, but also caused side effects. It took her a while, in the beginning, to discover the Music Box countered the effects. All she had to do was listen to the tune, go into a trance like state, and make herself vulnerable to attack.

Kat felt anxious, the first side effect of the Ultra-Epi. She stared up at the canopy of ghostly pines. "Preacher forgive me." She wept without tears. "Forgive me for not saving you."

Within the serenity of the forest, in the calming effects of crickets chirping and the wind rustling pines, a realization sunk in. "Oh Preacher, what would you think of me? In my anger, I hurt people. I let people die. And I almost killed a man today." Her nose ran, and she wiped it. "Something I promised myself I would never do under any circumstance." Kat hugged the book tighter. "Oh Preacher, can you forgive me? God, please forgive me."

She removed the Music Box from her pocket, opened its lid, and let the melody lull her. She didn't care if she was caught and only sought relief from her anguish. Her eyes drooped as she entered the Drifting Time and left behind sorrow, regret, and hatred.

Chapter Eleven

The Siblings

Russia, the Light Side of the planet...

October 13...

Wednesday...

10:42 A.M...

Two pilots sat in the cockpit of a V.T.O. (Vertical Take Off) thirty passenger plane. Engineers designed the aircraft to fly through the polluted barriercumulus of the world’s Dark Half. The pilots prepared for takeoff on one of many circular pads among hundreds of other V.T.Os. landing and taking off.

In first class, Natasha pulled up the shutter of the plane’s small window. She looked to the sun as it rose over Moscow and pulled her white fur-lined, long, black coat close to her neck. "Look Nikolai." Her Russian accent was thick. "Is it not beautiful?"

"Yes, Tasha," her twin brother said. He wore a white pin striped gray business suit, and a gray Fedora hat rested on his lap. "As beautiful as you."

"I heard the place we are going is grisly."

"Yes, so remember that image." He motioned to the ball of orange. "Where we are going you will not see the sun again." He burned the image in his mind. "Noir exists in endless night."

She turned to him and her face was full of worry. "Nikolai, I have a bad feeling about this trip."

He stroked her long black hair and took her hand. "I know you do not like to fly. Be brave my sister."

"It is more than that." She looked into her brother’s dark brown eyes. "I feel the place we are going is full of wickedness."

He squeezed her hand gently. "Do not fear my sister, I will always be by your side."

The engines of the V.T.O. roared as the airport’s tower cleared the plane for take off. The copilot double checked the two moveable nozzles on each wing. They produced the thrust for vertical liftoff. He pulled the V.T.O. lever down, turning the nozzles horizontal, and pushed the lever up to return the nozzles to vertical. The copilot gave the all clear, the pilot ignited the thrusters, and the aircraft lifted straight up into the sky. The plane rumbled and shook with the effort.

Natasha buried her head in her brother’s shoulder.

After a few minutes, the copilot pulled the V.T.O. lever down, and the aircraft shot across the horizon.

Nikolai leaned over, closing the shutter. "It is over, we are in the air."

"I would not be here if it was not Voice who asked us to go to Noir for this Closing." She glanced at the shutter. "Be where only plastic separates us from falling to the ground."

"Take courage, my sister." He reached into his coat pocket. "I will give you some sleeping pills, then you can let this flight go by while you dream."

"You think my fear will be any less in sleep? I will only have nightmares of crashing."

He gently squeezed her hand, so she would look at him. "Tasha, have I ever let anything happen to you?"

She stared into his strong face. "No."

"Do not fear then. I will protect you. Rest. I will watch over you."

"Yes, rest." She closed her eyes, remembering a wolf name Salandra from a Russian tale and quoted a line Salandra had said. "I will fight back death in my dreams."

Nikolai remembered the same story where a raven named Draven replied to the wolf. He said, "And I will keep death away from my branch."

She took the pills from him and popped them into her mouth.

"Let us change seats," Nikolai requested. "Once you are asleep, I would like to look out the window. Witness this Curtain they speak of that divides the world."

She nodded. He grabbed his hat, stood, removed a briefcase from the overhead compartment, and switched seats with her. Natasha asked for a pillow and a blanket from a female attendant. The attendant returned with the items. Natasha took them, put her seat back, and soon fell asleep.

Nikolai opened his briefcase and removed an old detective novel called Blood Harvest by Kit Sire. He opened the book to the first chapter titled, The Woman Wore Green and the Man Gray. Nikolai read the first chapter to himself, "It ain’t no easy street for a gumshoe. Long days and even longer nights... That’s me, an old bloodhound for hire. Throw me a couple of scraps, and I’m yers for the day, week, whatever it takes. If yer looking for a dame or a mucker, I’ll track them down."

Nikolai leaned back and grinned. "Kit knew how to write a good story. I feel like one of the mobsters in his novels." He straightened his white tie and in a gangster accent said, "I’m a Hood that brings the Big Sleep. A Cat ready to blow one down. In a couple of days, I’ll finally have Tommy, and I’ll be my own Chopper Squad." He continued reading.

A boy with his mother, sitting across the aisle from him, glanced at his book.

"What’s that?" The boy pointed.

Nikolai peered up from the text. "This?" He lifted the book. "It’s a novel."

"A novel?" The boy wrinkled his brow. "What kind of book is that?"

"A novel tells a story. They are very rare. This one is an antique. The Corporate Senate banned the making of entertainment books long ago. Today you have to have a license to carry a novel and many other forms of books."

The boy eyed the novel curiously. "I still don’t know what it is. What’s a story?"

Nikolai glanced at the boy’s mother, who was sleeping. He thought, "Did his mamma not tell him tales of knights and dragons even in the privacy of their home? This is a sad, sad world."

The boy’s mother woke and saw her son talking with the stranger. She noticed Nikolai reading a novel and looked at him with disgust as if he was smoking dope. She changed seats with her child, forcing the boy to sit by the window.

Nikolai returned to his reading. Hours went by. A female attendant walked up to them, leaned over his sister, and touched his shoulder.

"Sir, we are coming up to the Curtain."

"Thank you." Nikolai raked his hand over his face and through his buzz cut.

A male passenger, in the seat in front of him, said to a woman, "I hear the barriercumulus spreads almost an inch every week. If the Corporate Senate doesn’t find a way to stop the Dry Clouds, the whole world will be covered."

"Is that right?" the woman asked.

"As right as anything you hear," the male passenger replied.

"If this is true," Nikolai thought. "Our homeland will be consumed by these barriercumulus." He opened the window shutter. It was still day. He looked across the wing at about 2 o’clock. In the distance, a charcoal-gray wall of clouds spread across the horizon and consumed the sky. The dark barrier raged with movement as if two creatures fought for dominance.

Nikolai cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me."

The female attendant turned. "Yes, sir."

"Do, what you call Dry Clouds, do they always look that way?" He motioned outside.

She glanced out the window. "No. Only the outer area known as the Curtain acts this way. Once inside, they look like normal storm clouds."

"Thank you." Nikolai watched the barriercumulus as streaks of purple lightning lit up the mass.

He wondered, "Normal storm clouds? What is normal about them?"

The seat belt sign blinked on with a ding as the V.T.O. ascended, flying above the Dry Clouds of the Earth’s Dark Half into the high Troposphere.

The female attendant walked the aisle, making sure everyone had their belt buckled.

"Excuse me," Nikolai said.

The attendant turned to him. "Yes."

"Why are we flying above the clouds and not through them?"

"As you can see, the Curtain is very turbulent. We fly above the Dry Clouds until we have past the Curtain. So we will be flying about five miles in." She glanced over her shoulder, hearing another attendant call button. The attendant turned back to Nikolai. "It's safer to fly above them, then descend, once we reach our destination." She started down the aisle to the other passenger. "We’ll be over Noir in about five minutes."

Nikolai thought, "Not much longer then." He turned to his sister. "It will be over soon."

Within twenty minutes, the pilot slowed the plane. The copilot pushed the V.T.O. Lever up, turning the aircraft’s nozzles to their vertical position, and the plane hovered. The pilot closed the air intake valves to the engines with a flick of his finger and switched to a stored clean air source. If the plane used outside air while moving through the barriercumulus, the pollutants would cause the engines to clog and die.

"Perhaps my sister is right," Nikolai thought as the aircraft started a vertical descent to one of Noir's Airports. "This place is a wicked place."

The plane hit heavy turbulence, entering the Dry Clouds. He feared his sister would wake and panic, but she continued to sleep soundly. A few minutes passed, and the shaking subsided.

"If I could have everyone’s attention," a male attendant announced over the intercom. "We will be landing shortly. At this time, please pull out the kits that were issued to you when you boarded. Our staff will be walking around to assist you." The male Attendant paused as he helped an elderly lady remove a kit from underneath her seat.

Nikolai closed the shutter and gently shook his sister. "Tasha, wake. We are landing in the Rising Sun Sector of Noir. Soon, we will be on a Hover Train to the Hellenistic Sector."

"Hmm..." She stretched and yawned. "Already? I did dream as you said. I dreamed of a sky full of stars."

He said, "I told you you would."

The male attendant announced over an intercom, "Inside your kits you'll find an instruction booklet." He raised the handbook. "A Winnow Mask type A." The attendant lifted a small triangular devise with a rubber rim which fit over the nose and connected to a filter. "And the Liquid Oxygen Spray known as L-O." He raised what looked like a fat ball-point pen. "Please wear the WM-A anytime you go outside. This will keep you from feeling the ill effects of the pollutants caused by the petroleum based clouds. They can be dangerous for those not used to living below Dry Clouds." He paused. "The triangular filter fits over your nose. Breathe in through this filter and out through your mouth. This basic design has to be held to the face. If you find that you are outside a lot, you can purchase an upgraded version of the Winnow Mask that is handsfree." The attendant demonstrated and removed the mask. "If you should feel queasy or light headed, inject yourself with the L-O Spray. This will give your blood stream a burst of oxygen."

The attendant paused for a moment. "Place the spray’s head on your bare wrist or neck, press the red button on the top, and the solution absorbs right through your skin. Your body will take some time to get used to the air, so please keep your kits with you at all times. These items can be replaced at any drug store. If you have any questions, an attendant will help you."

Natasha looked at the mask. "They are not very fashionable, are they?" She whined, "I wish to be done with this Closing."

Nikolai turned to her. "Patience, sister. We will return to Mother Russia in time."

Chapter Twelve

Nexus Apartments

4:35 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

The red VX Corvette pulled into the parking garage of the Nexus Apartments. Kim had stopped earlier at a gas station and changed out of her black clothes into a blue pant suit and made sure to wash the splattered blood from her face. She made her way to Apartment H, went in, and threw her knapsack on the couch in the living room. Kim continued to the hall, to her bedroom, and went into her bathroom. She leaned on the sink and stared at herself in the mirror.

"Idiot! How could you let yourself be seen?" She turned on the faucet, watching the water run down the drain. "You should have gone after her and killed that woman. But no." Kim stared at herself again. "You panicked. Ran." She cursed at herself, "Hades!"

In the bedroom, a screen saver of the flaming phoenix flew across the laptop. The glow lit up the dark room, casting shadows across the floor and walls. Kim splashed her face, dried it with a towel, then went and sat at the desk. She pressed the space bar to pull up her desktop and sent an instant message. Within minutes, a reply came back.

"Topa’s Closing is complete then," Voice typed. "The payment will be placed into your account. Did you run into any trouble?"

Kim started to type No, but backspaced, and responded, "About a dozen robot like men showed up and killed everyone in sight."

"Must be some sort of bio-mecha. Perhaps the next generation of assassins," Voice typed. "Most likely someone there was their target, but was it Topa? We’ll probably never know. At least, you got out safely."

Kim raked her hand through her blonde hair, knowing the grave mistake she made. She moved her hands toward the keyboard to write, and they shook with dread. Kim forced herself to type, "Someone saw my face." She hit the send button and stared at the screen. Five grueling minutes passed with no reply. "What should I do?" She hit the send button again, hoping for a reply, some guidance, and some solace.

"Find them and kill them. This is very dangerous Phoenix. Even I don’t know who you are or what you look like. If your identity gets out, you will become the target." The statement ended and another followed. "And you don’t want me to rectify the problem. You know my means."

She thought, "Yes, I know. There's no reprimand for a Closer." Kim grabbed the sides of her desk, gripped them tightly, and hoped for some relief from the anxiety she felt. "Only the sanction of their Closing."

"Don’t contact me again until this matter is taken care of. Voice signing off."

"Great! Just great!" She rolled her chair away from the desk and glanced at the dark afternoon through the bedroom’s window. "Where do I look? I don’t know her name. Only that she was there to kill Topa because he hired an Illicit Closer to murder someone named Preacher. I don't even know what he was a preacher of. Hades... This is going to be impossible."

* * *

Two days later...

October 15...

Friday...

6:49 A.M...

Hundreds of street lights lit up twilight as a horde of bats flew across the ever dark horizon. The sidewalk went on forever in both directions as Kat made her way down West 1000 Avenue and paused, looking at the tall Nexus Apartments. "So this is your nest, Phoenix." She had walked all night and morning to reach this part of the Hellenistic Sector. Her shoes felt heavy, and her feet were sore. Kat adjusted the strap of the backpack that crossed her chest. She studied the sensors lining the apartments’ perimeter on an eight foot concrete wall. A black sphere, the size of a volley ball, was spaced about every ten feet along the top. She followed the sidewalk to a gate. On the gate's metal bars was a gold shield.

"The Sphinx Corporation Emblem." Kat ran her hand over the shield and over a winged creature in its center with a woman’s head and a lion’s body. The creature’s right paw was lifted, and its claws were extended. "This emblem seems to plague every place I go. I know the Council and the Factory are departments within the Corporation, but what does Sphinx want with me?"

She studied the perimeter and let her mind drift to other questions. "Do these sensors provide more than security for the building?" Kat put her hand up toward a black sphere. "I wonder." She felt and heard a hum coming from the device. "Do they act as a barrier?"

A white van pulled up, a man got out, and walked up beside her. He was dressed in a white uniform.

"Excuse me," he said.

Kat moved out of his way.

The man tipped a white cap. "Thanks." He pressed the button to an intercom positioned beside the gate and released it.

"Welcome to Nexus Apartments," a man's voice said over the intercom. "I’m the manager. How may I help you?"

The delivery man pressed the button again and spoke, "Delivery for Kimberly Griffin. Security Code 10 Alpha."

After a few seconds, the manager replied, "Code verified. Proceed to the gate that faces Knot Street, and I'll let you in."

The delivery man went back to his van, started up the engine, turned down Knot Street, and parked. Kat followed the sidewalk around the corner, walked by the vehicle’s passenger seat, and noticed it was empty. The delivery man got out, strolled to the back of the van, whistling, and started on a crate.

She watched as the man struggled to load a rectangular box on a flat cart. "Where’s your partner?"

"What?" He paused, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

She leaned on the back of the van. "Usually at least two men do this kind of job. So where's your partner?"

The delivery man pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "He’s out sick."

"Would you like some help?" She motioned to the apartments. "I was on my way up."

He looked her over. "I’m not supposed to cause of business policy, but..." He grinned. "You aren’t some murdering psycho are you?"

"No. Definitely not."

"Well then..." He placed the wooden crate on the cart. "If you could push from behind. This thing weighs a ton."

Kat went to the back of the cart and pushed on the crate. The apartment manager and a security guard met them at the gate.

The old white haired manager looked at a H.H.C. he held. "Kimberly Griffin isn’t home right now, so I’ll show you in." He examined the delivery man’s employee badge and typed the ID number on the Hand Held Computer with a pen stylus. "Follow me please."

The delivery man pulled the cart as Kat pushed. They walked to the glass front doors, and another security guard buzzed them in. The manager led them to a service elevator, and they, along with the guard, went up to the thirty-first floor. Security cameras monitored the hallways.

The manager stopped in front of Kim’s apartment and commanded, "Apartment H, unlock. Manager code 12 Beta."

"Voice recognized as Nexus’ Manager," the Apartment Computer System stated. "Opening door."

"Wow," the delivery man uttered. "Automated apartments. I bet you can tell the lights to come on."

The manager said, "Our apartments are equipped with voice commands and manual utilities, giving our tenants the best in security and luxury.”

"I’ll have to look into getting one of these places," the delivery man said.

He pulled the cart down a small entryway as Kat pushed. Once in the living room, the delivery man started uncrating a cedar chest. She looked around. Kim’s huge apartment covered more than 3000 square feet. The entryway emptied into an open kitchen with four barstools at the counter, a large living room was off to the left, and beyond it down a hall were two bedrooms and two baths. Off to the right of the entryway, a small round table sat next to a window.

Kat thought, “That's odd. The table is so small, considering it's the only one in the apartment.”

She asked the delivery man, "Do you need anymore help?"

"No, I got it from here. Thanks."

Kat left, noted the apartment was H, and headed for the regular elevator. She went up to the roof and waited. She watched what little traffic traveled West 1000 Avenue as she gripped the icy metal railing that surrounded the top. "Finally, I might have an answer," she said to herself.

A cool breeze swept in, chilling the air and her thoughts. Kat zipped up her athletic jacket, and it did little to stay off the cold. "But will I like what I hear?" She clenched the jacket over her heart with her right fist as if in pain. "Will knowing be worse than this unbearable ignorance I have endured this past year?" Her lips trembled for the chill and her fears. "Who am I?" She raised her hands and looked at her palms. "What am I?"

Back in Apartment H...

The delivery man finished his work and set the cedar chest against the wall in the living room out of the way. He placed the crate pieces back on his cart, had the manager sign for the package, and headed back to his van. Once inside the vehicle, he made a cell phone call.

"I would like to speak with R.G." He waited for a moment. "Hello, Delivery Man here. Yes, my work is finished. As per your instructions, I permitted Katharine to enter with me into the Nexus Apartments. She's still there." He paused for a moment, listening. "Yes, so far security doesn’t know she is still on the premise. Do you want me to monitor the situation?" He started up the engine. "Understood. Returning to base."

The van pulled off.

Chapter Thirteen

Confrontation

7:22 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Nexus Apartments...

On the roof, Kat leaned on the metal railing and continued staring at the road below. At times of quiet stillness, she felt the barriercumulus. She felt them like an evil presence. The Dry Clouds softly rolled and unsettled her. They had done so ever since she first laid eyes on them. There was something else about them. It was a hint of familiarity. Kat couldn’t explain it.

"Today the foreboding's stronger than the familiarity. Is it because they’re unnatural? Does everyone feel this way around them? Or is it just me?" She watched them go by and looked for shapes within the clouds. Kat saw an old sailing ship being chased by a sea serpent. "You’ve been around for thirty-two years. You've been given the name the Great Specter of Noir. They also say you’re a mystery." She chuckled. "I guess in a way we’re the same."

An hour went by, and Kat noticed the Corvette pull into the parking garage. She wanted to run back, but waited a few more minutes to give Kim time to arrive at her apartment. “I'm so excited. I've finally found the Phoenix. Maybe she'll have some answers for me.”

A few minutes later...

Kim heard a ding and the whoosh of the elevator opening. Someone approached her as she put her mail in the dark green purse that matched her pant suit. "That’s odd," she thought. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of the other tenants." Kim turned and her Closer training kicked in before she panicked as she spotted the woman she had been hunting. Her heart raced, but she didn't show her shock.

For two days, she had scoured Noir. Kim turned the city on its head, but couldn’t find this mysterious woman, not even her name. She dropped some of the mail as she opened the purse to grab the PPK and remembered the floor’s security cameras. "I can’t kill her out here, not unless she threatens me." Kim waited on the woman's next move.

Elated and full of expectation, Kat stopped about two yards from Kim. Finally, after a year of knowing nothing, she would have some answers. "Maybe find out who I am," she thought.

Kat then questioned, "Kimberly Griffin?"

"What?" Kim asked, keeping her cool.

She then wondered, "Where’s her gun? Is she here to kill me? Does she know I’ve been hunting for her?"

She looked confused, so Kat repeated, "Is your name Kimberly Griffin?"

"Yes."

Kim stepped back, sized up the woman, and wondered, "How does she know my name?" She examined her face. "She looks happy to see me. Is it an act? Is she also waiting to strike when there are no witnesses?"

Kat said, "I had a contact in the Noir Civil Police Force look up your address from your license plate. It cost me two months worth of water rations." She started to ask something and looked over her shoulder at the cameras. She removed the two Phoenix business cards and showed her the blood speckled one. "Is this you?"

Kim gripped the PPK in her purse, sure the woman reached for a weapon, but was surprised to see the business cards. "What's she doing?" Kim wondered. "What kind of game is she playing?" A million things came to mind. "This woman tracked me down and came all the way to my apartment. Is she hoping to blackmail me? Only an idiot would think they can blackmail a Closer. So why is she here?"

Kim scanned the hall to see if anyone else was on the floor and asked, "What do you mean, is that me?"

"I’ve been looking for the..." Kat started to answer.

She then thought, "Maybe I shouldn’t say the Phoenix out loud. Someone could be listening, and Kimberly might not want anyone else to know."

Kat continued, "I’ve been looking for this... Umm..." She flipped the card over, looked at the picture, and turned it back to her. "This firebird. Is this you? If so, I would like to talk."

"Talk?" Kim thought. "I can’t let her leave, and I can’t kill her here." She glanced at the hall’s cameras. "If I could only get her into my apartment then I could..." She grinned wickedly. "Hmm..." Kim visualized herself shooting the woman. "All I would have to do is call Voice for a Guild Prep/Cleanup Crew, and no one would be the wiser." She saw herself standing over the woman’s lifeless body. "I'll have this annoyance taken care of."

Kat reached down, picked up the dropped mail, and handed it to her. "This isn't a bad time, is it?"

"No. Of course not," Kim answered.

She then thought, "This is almost too easy. But still I must be on my guard. This could be a trick."

Kim said, "Come on in." She took the mail still wary of Kat and commanded, "Door, unlock."

The door slid sideways." Kim motioned for her to go in first and followed. "Door, lock," she commanded, and the door closed, entombing them.

The Apartment Computer System turned on the lights as they entered each room. "Welcome back Ms. Griffin and welcome guest. The apartment..."

"Mute," Kim commanded.

Kat walked down the entry, stopped, and studied the kitchen. She walked over to the faucet and glanced back at her. "I see no scanner for a Water Ration Card. Your water isn’t portioned?"

Kim wondered, "Portioned?" She looked to the sink then thought of the shower and bathtub. "I guess I never thought about it. Most of the city's given an allotment for the month and here I enjoy unlimited." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Is she trying to distract me? Or is she this naive?"

She answered, "No. My water isn’t portioned."

"Oh. You must be rich then." Kat set her backpack on the black leather couch, walked over to the small round table, and sat.

"What's she doing?" Kim wondered. "What is she up to that she’s acting so calm?" She started to pull the PPK, noticed the cedar chest in the living room, and turned her attention back to the woman.

Kat saw the teacup Kim left from the morning. "Tea. I love tea." She turned wide eyed like a child asking for a piece of candy. "Could I have some, please? I haven’t had tea in a long time."

"Tea?" Kim glanced at the kettle on the stove, then at her purse, and thought, "I’ll play along for now.”

She answered, "Sure, why not. Let’s have some tea. Black's okay, right?" She didn't wait for an answer as she carefully positioned her purse on the counter, so she would have quick access to the gun.

"Yes, black tea is fine."

Keeping a close tab on the woman, Kim filled the kettle, placed the stainless steel pot on the burner, and turned it on high. "So..." Kim set out two sets of cups and saucers. "Who are you? And why have you come to see me?"

"Who am I?" Heavyhearted over Preacher's death and still weary from the endless running, Kat laughed as she stared at the table. "That's a good question." She reached into her pant’s pocket for her dearest possessions.

Kim went for her purse and reached for the PPK, till she saw the items the woman removed.

Kat placed the Music Box, two business cards, and the worn Note on the table and opened the paper. "Katharine, I think. If this Note was meant for me." She studied the writing.

"I could shoot her now,” Kim thought. “And end this game." The kettle shrieked, she turned the burner off, removed the pot, and poured hot water into the cups. The aroma of orange filled the air.

She said, "Note? I don’t understand."

"Huh?" Kat turned to her. "Oh, I guess you wouldn’t. You see, I don’t know who I am." She looked back to the items. "The only clues to my identity are these three things." Unsure herself, she added, "At least, I think they are."

"Unlikely story," Kim thought as she carried the two saucers to the table with her purse strapped over her shoulder. "What kind of ploy is this?" She set a teacup in front of Kat and one for herself. "Either she's very clever or very stupid."

Kat gave the paper to her. "See."

Kim read the Note. "Katharine, you must not fail. This is your last chance to redeem yourself. I know you can complete your mission, my dearest Kat. I am counting on you. Signed, R.G." Kim peered up from the Note. "Who’s this R.G.?"

Kat shrugged.

"I don’t understand. What does this have to do with me?"

Kim handed back the Note and thought, "So far, none of this has anything to do with me."

Kat folded the paper and picked up the business cards. "For the past year, I’ve been trying to figure out how these clues fit in my life." She slid the red speckled card across the table. "Now finally, I’ve found the Phoenix." Kat placed the one she had from a year ago beside the other.

Kim looked at the blood covered card. "This is the one I left beside Topa." She picked up the worn business card. "But where did you get this one?" She examined it more closely. "This is an earlier design from years ago."

"I'll start from the beginning." Kat dipped the tea bag in the hot water several times, drained the bag with a spoon, and placed it on the saucer. She breathed in its orange scent and stared at the brownish liquid.

"This all seems familiar," she thought.

Kat then continued, "About a year ago, I awoke in the abandoned Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse with no memory. Beside me on a table was this Note–" She tapped the paper and pointed to the other two items. "-that business card, and this Music Box." Kat looked to the backpack on the couch where she stowed the Beretta. With aversion to having to carry the gun, she added, "And one other item."

"So what you're saying is, you don’t know who you are. You think because you have one of my business cards you’re supposed to find me. You have. Now what?"

After picking up the honey bear, Kat drew a smiley face on the spoon and whispered, "Fly... fly away, sad, sad, day." She stirred the honey in the tea and looked into her face.

Kim wondered, "For Ares' sake! What is she doing playing with the honey? She must be out of her mind."

"Then what?" Kat shrugged. "I don’t know. I was hoping you knew me." She examined Kim's face again. "Are you sure we haven’t met? You look very familiar, but I can’t place you. It's kind of like when you wake from a dream. You know something happened, but all the details are fuzzy."

"No we haven’t met," Kim answered, irritated.

She remembered their meeting at Topa’s estate and thought, "Might as well get some information from her before I eliminate her."

Kim said, "I am curious. What were those things you killed? Some kind of robot? And why were they at Topa’s estate?"

Kat’s gaze became distant, exhausted, and dismal. "They're bio-mechas, model Un-Men." She flushed, a little embarrassed. "They were there to hunt me."

"Hunt you?" Kim chuckled, thinking she made it up. "Why are you so important?"

"I don’t know. They call me the Pandora Project."

"They? Who are they?"

"The Council. A man named Argus said they were monitoring me and watching me through the tests." Kat muttered as her eyes showed fatigue, "So many tests."

"Pandora?" Kim leaned back in her chair. "The woman who opened a sealed box from Zeus and let all good escape from existence. The woman who doomed the world."

"All good?" Kat never considered the significance of the project name.

Kim answered nonchalantly, "Yes, plagued Man to suffer."

"Is that my destiny?" Kat wondered, conflicted inside. "Am I destined to cause people to suffer?" She stared out the window at the dark day for a few moments. “I guess this was another dead end.”

"I’m sorry I bothered you," Kat said as she pushed her chair back. "I'll show myself out. It seems my search continues."

"Are you so naive?" Kim stood and reached into her purse. "Idiot! Do you know what I do for a living?"

"You’re Kimberly Griffin." She glanced at the business cards on the table. "The Phoenix." Kat paused as it sunk in. "A Closer. A lawful assassin." She stared at the splattered blood on one of the cards. "You kill people." Appalled, she turned her gaze to her. "You kill people for money."

"Idiot! And to think I was worried I let you slip by at Topa’s estate." Kim removed the PPK and screwed on the silencer. "You do understand I can’t let you live." She shook her head in a tisk-tisk manner. "You’ve seen my face, know my alias, and even been in my apartment." Her expression showed outrage and disbelief. "I don’t think I’ve ever met someone so stupid!" Kim took a moment to regain her cold detached demeanor. "So you were searching for me, hoping to find answers." With indifference and a just business attitude, Kim raised the gun and aimed. "All you’ve found is your death."

Chapter Fourteen

A Forgotten Melody

8:32 A.M...

Kat stared down the barrel of a gun. It wasn’t the first time, but it was unexpected. She wondered, "How could I be so wrong?" In confusion, she turned to the table and gazed at the three items that had led her to this point. "So foolish?" She fisted her hands. "I believed these were clues. I believed that if I followed them I would find answers not my end. Crap!" She closed her eyes in frustration. "How stupid of me. Why did I believe I was safe here?"

Kim prepared to kill her. Her death would be like countless other Closings she had performed in the past. Kim thought, “Except this one will involve more paperwork. And it will be the first I've executed inside my apartment.” She noticed Kat didn’t panic and didn’t plead for her life like most Marks did. She only stared at the gun.

A little surprised, Kim asked, "Are you sure you didn’t hit your head? You do understand you’re going to die?"

Kat rubbed her forehead, remembering the wound she had when she first awoke in Etna Toys. She thought, "Maybe I did hit my head."

The urgency of the situation finally sunk in, and her attitude changed as she repeated Kim's words, "You can’t let me live?" Her demeanor transformed from a wide eyed child, to the fierce glare of a cornered tigress.

Kat looked to the backpack across the room and wondered, "Is this one of the tests? Is Kimberly just another assassin hired by the Council?" She fisted her hands, going over in her mind how to incapacitate her. "Why did I let my guard down?" Her face softened. "Why did I feel so at home here?" She stared at the tea, not wanting to hurt her. "Why do I always in up in these situations?"

"Idiot," Kim uttered in a calm voice as she placed the muzzle against Kat's temple. "This is going to be messy. Your brains will splatter all over my table and wall. Why couldn’t you have died at Topa’s estate?"

Kat ignored her, glanced at the clues to her life, and wondered, "What’s the point in fighting? In fleeing?" She picked up the Music Box. "What does it matter if she kills me or I fall prey to one of the Un-Men or some other assassin?" Kat heaved a great sigh as if it would be her last breath on Earth. "I’m tired." She opened the lid, and the melody played. "I'm tired of the tests." Her gaze grew distant as the tune continued. "I'm tired of being alone."

Her eyes slowly closed, Kat went into a trance, and she entered the Drifting Time, but this one was different than the others. Within it, she entered the domain of dreams. In this realm of her subconscious, no Dry Clouds existed, the sun shined on the land, governments not corporations ruled the Earth, and no one hunted her. She drifted in this world on her stomach as if floating on a peaceful river. A breeze blew at her back, and the air smelled crisp and clean. Kat passed over large cities and small villages. She flew over many races of Man. She floated over forests, hills, deserts, oceans, islands, plains, lakes, jungles, mountains, and streams. Kat thought she recognized a few of the places, but she couldn't remember their names. The dream seemed endless till the wind changed.

A torrent of air blew against her and slowed her progression as a shadow cast over the land, invading the peacefulness. A male voice laughed, and the sun fled as Dry Clouds stormed in and plunged the land into perpetual night. Kat felt afraid as she glided over this dark world, seeing no more of the places and people she had seen. Everything was different and darker in appearance and atmosphere. She stopped midair as if she slammed into an invisible wall. An unknown force pulled her, and she plummeted to the earth. The force also affected time. As Kat dropped, she grew younger till she reached her early teens. The descent slowed, and her thirteen year old body landed feet first in a white tiled room. In the room, people talked with muffled words. Two women’s figures appeared, but they had no faces.

One of the faceless women placed her hands on her shoulders. "Katharine, you must be strong. I can no longer protect you." The woman looked to a door, hearing footsteps approach what appeared to be an office. The faceless woman turned back to her. "There are those in the Corporation that want to exploit you."

The doorknob jiggled as someone tried to enter.

She heard one of the women speak again, but wasn’t sure which one it was. "Rosetta, they’re here. Hurry."

"Quick, Mary. Push the desk against the door. I need more time!"

One of the women knelt to one knee to look into teenage Kat’s face. "They will take you. I can’t stop them, not with the power I have now."

Someone outside tried to bust in the door.

One of the women yelled frantic, "Hurry! They’re coming."

"Be strong Katharine." One of the women stroked her cheek. "My dearest Kat."

A small explosion removed the door from its hinges, and it fell as five soldiers rushed in.

Back in Apartment H...

Kim had been talking to Kat, but Kat had ignored her. "Aren't you going to plead for your life?" Kim asked, pressing her finger against the trigger.

Kat didn’t answer, trapped in the Drifting Time.

"No? Well it wouldn’t have done you any good." Kim squeezed the trigger, the hammer fell, and gunfire lit up her grim face.

Chapter Fifteen

Portraits Of Her Past

The wind howled, blowing through the trees of West 1000 Avenue as night became day. Dawn, dusk, and twilight did not exist in Noir, since the sun no longer ruled over the land.

Shadows gathered in the park across the street from Nexus Apartments and held position. The gathering stared at the building, knowing their target lay within. The shadows detected an electronic barrier surrounded the apartment, and like a magical curtain, it prevented the gathering of red eyed monsters from entering. For the moment, they would wait till the prey came to them. They were patient, so very patient.

Earlier...

9:36 A.M...

All Kim had to do to rid herself of Kat was pull the trigger. This strange woman who sat before her would then be gone from her life. Kim only needed to walk the path her bleak and lonely existence already led her. A split second of time changed the course of both their fates. A sound distracted Kim and made her hesitate.

Unfinished Melody chimed, filling the room. Louder and louder the music grew until the melody incited a trigger, not in Kat, but in Kim. Ghastly images inundated her mind. The roar and smell of fire, screams that chilled her soul, and the distinct sound of three shots. Her head throbbed, and Kim gasped as horrible pictures buried deep in her brain forced their way to the surface.

"That music..." Memories of her mother rapidly flooded her consciousness, making Kim feel sad, alone, and abandoned. "Stop it!" Kim yelled. The tune chimed on, pulling from her psyche portraits of her past she had long buried. She had separated herself from those happy moments that died when her mother left her family. "Stop the music!"

Kat didn’t respond, so Kim slapped her hand, knocking the Music Box to the floor. As she slapped her hand, Kim inadvertently moved the PPK from Kat's head. "I said stop it!!"

The Music Box closed as it hit the carpet, and the melody ended. Kim stared at it for a few moments and then turned her attention back to Kat.

“I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but it won't work on me,” Kim said. “Do you hear me? Are you going to stay silent? Aren’t you going to plead for your life? No? Well it wouldn’t have done you any good.” Kim started to move the PPK back to her head.

Within Kat's dream, five soldiers barged into the room. Rosetta and Mary screamed as three shots resounded then all faded to black.

"No!" Kat pulled from her trance, swung her hand up and back, and shouted, "Mary! Rosetta!"

She knocked Kim’s gun to the side. It went off and a bullet struck the wall. The gun blast lit up Kim's surprised face. Caught in the drama of her dream, Kat made a fist, pulled it back to hit Kim, and paused, realizing she no longer stood in the white tiled room, but in the apartment. There was no fire or soldiers and no one was in danger, but her. Kat slowly blinked, frozen in place and then lowered her hand.

She caught Kim off guard, but Kim recovered quickly. Rage and sorrow filled her eyes as she aimed the gun back at Kat. She thought, “What's happening to me? I feel... I feel afraid.”

"I’m sorry," Kat said as she tried to lose the remnants of the dream world and focus on reality. "I didn’t mean to..."

"Who are you?" Kim’s gun hand shook as her emotions overwhelmed her. She hadn’t felt such fear or heartache in a long time, and she didn't understand why she was feeling them. "Why are you here?" Her head continued to throb as she stepped back from the table. "And how did you come across that tune?"

Kat ignored Kim as she clung to what she remembered from the Drifting Time and wondered, "Did what I envision really happen? Who were those women? And what happened to them? Did they get hurt?"

She looked up, noticing Kim's trembling hand and her watering eyes. Kat felt a little pang in her chest, seeing Kim near tears and asked, "Are you crying?"

"No." Kim wiped her eyes. "Shut up and sit there!" She rubbed her throbbing temple and asked, "Who sent you?"

Kat crossed her arms as if pouting. "You just told me to shut up."

"Ah!!" She grabbed Kat's t-shirt, balled it in her hand, and yelled, "Tell me, who sent you?"

Kat dropped her arms. "Sent me?"

Kim lost her professionalism and like a common thug thrust the gun in her face, yelling, "Yes, who sent you to mess with my head?!" She released her t-shirt and put that hand on the gun to steady her shaky aim.

"Why am I trembling?" Kim wondered. “This isn't like me.”

"No one,” Kat answered. “I’m with no one." Concerned, she started to stand. "Are you all right?"

"Don’t move! Sit right there!" Kim took another step back. Since the flood of memories, she felt as if they were not alone. Her headache faded as she glanced at a shelf in between the entry and the living room. There, her mother’s picture rested. Theresa’s photo gazed at her. The photo watched her threaten Kat and her mother’s eyes were more alive than ever. Kim whispered to the picture, "I can’t take a life with you staring at me." She lowered the gun. "Why did you forsake me? Why did you abandon me?"

"Forsake you?" Kat watched her, looked where she did, and saw the photo. At first, she thought the picture was of Kim, but realized the woman with blonde hair pulled back in a bun wasn’t her. The blonde woman seemed familiar. "Is that your mo..." Kat put a hand to her chest.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Kat turned and stared out the window down at the street. She felt the urgency to flee as Ultra-Epi coursed through her blood. "They’re here."

"What?" Kim was still deeply upset. "Who’s here?"

"The Un-Men. They’re just outside,” Kat answered.

She then wondered out loud, "But why haven't they come in?" She remembered the apartment’s wall and the black spheres. "The barrier must be to keep them out. So Sphinx has created safe zones."

Kim glanced out the window. "I don’t see anyone."

"I can feel them. They’re out there. Six of them."

"You’re imagining things." Kim walked over to the couch, picked up the backpack, and tossed it to her. "Get out of here."

Kat caught it and glanced down at the bag. "I don’t understand. I thought you couldn’t let me live."

"What part of get out of here don’t you understand?! I’m not going to kill you, at least not here." Kim glanced at the picture, muttering, "Not in front of her." She pointed to the entry. "Now get out!"

Fearing what waited for her across the street, Kat gripped the backpack tightly. "Please don’t make me leave." She knew the apartment was safe and protected from the Un-Men. "I don’t want to live like that anymore."

"Like what?" Kim asked.

She then wondered, "What's her problem? She has to be mental. Anyone else would run at the chance to escape the Phoenix’s fury."

Kim yelled, "Get out! Get out before I change my mind, and I kill you now!"

Filled with hopelessness, Kat stood, grabbed the Note and worn business card, and left the blood speckled one on the table. She bent down, snatched up the Music Box, and put the three items in her pocket. She slung the backpack across her chest and headed out. Within a minute, she stood in front of the elevator. She saw Kim watching her from the apartment.

The cab opened, Kat walked in, and a few minutes later the doors opened to the ground floor. She walked out as if going to her own execution, continued through the building’s glass front doors, and into the courtyard. Kat stopped half way to the gate. Once she walked through it, the Un-Men could attack her and the hunts would begin again. She hoped Kim would change her mind and glanced over her shoulder. Kat saw her watching from the entrance and making sure she left.

Disheartened, Kat pulled the business card from her thigh pocket and thought, "One of the three clues to my identity." Many questions came to her mind. "Or is it? Are any of them? Maybe these were not meant for me. Or... Maybe they are just another test. A test to see what I would do with them. Crap... I am an idiot."

She dropped the card to the path. "I don’t need this anymore." Kat watched it fall to the concrete as one hope died. "First Preacher and now this... How much more can I take?"

She sniffed her runny nose and forced her mind to move on to the current crisis. She removed the Beretta from the backpack and checked the clip. "Four bullets. This won’t be easy," Kat thought as she removed the Ravlek Vest from the outside of the bag. She put it on over her jacket, opened the gate, and stepped out to the sidewalk. "Why must I always run or fight? Why are they my only choices?"

West 1000 Avenue was as desolate as Kat’s life. She crossed the street. Lamp posts lined the path heading into the empty Zeus Park as Tainted Rain poured from the thundering sky. Kat shivered in the cold rain as her hair soaked with the black filmy water. She slowed her pace to hold off the inevitable attack to give herself time to prepare and observe her surroundings. The Ultra-Epi caused anxiety with her inactivity.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Filled with gloom, Kat ignored the bio-mecha warning and paused, watching the Transgenic Grass soak up the rain. "Scientists modified Kentucky Bluegrass with an extra-genome from the bath sponge," she thought. "They then modified it further. What they created was a hybrid plant capable of absorbing large amounts of Tainted Rain." She felt the Un-Men move into position and knew only moments remained before they attacked. "The Transgenic Grass releases the H2O properties of the liquid to be absorbed back into the atmosphere through the water cycle. All absorbing Transgenic Plants are created with the water release function in the World’s attempt to correct the Dry Clouds problem."

The Un-Men separated and circled her.

"Why do I know this information?" she wondered. "Why do I know the grass then uses the petroleum base of the liquid to create energy? How do I know that's how the plant survives? If scientists can do this... What could they have done to me?" She looked at her gun hand, thinking of her uncanny marksmanship. "What did they do to me?"

Kat felt the Un-Men watching her, and she hurried past a metal bench. "They’ve surrounded me."

A green line of light hit her hand as a spot, and she watched it as the laser aim moved up her arm to her chest. Five more green laser aims pinpointed kill shots on her body. Kat removed her backpack, threw it back to the bench, and unset the safety on the Beretta. She dashed for cover in a thicket of trees, splashing through puddles of Tainted Rain as gun fire erupted around her. Several shots struck her back. The spongy Transgenic Grass cushioned her fall as she rolled with the impacts. She arched her back for the pain, forced herself to move on, and sprung to her feet.

"Run!" she thought. "Run or I’ll die!"

Chapter Sixteen

They Are Here

9:59 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Nexus Apartments...

Moments earlier...

"Hades! This is ridicules!" Kim thought as she watched Kat leave through the front and saw the look of hurt she gave her before walking through the gate. "Why didn’t I kill her?" Kim followed, paused, and glanced through the gate's metal bars. "For Ares’ sake! I let her escape again." She waited till Kat walked out of sight. Kim pulled the strap of her purse over her head so it crossed her chest. "What happened in my apartment? What came over me?"

She noticed something on the ground. "Oh my Zeus! What did she do?" Kim noticed the Phoenix business card on the path. "That little... Why did she just drop this out here? I definitely don’t need someone finding my calling card." She picked it up and placed it in her purse. "So... Do I follow her? Do I finish my work?" She pushed the gate open. "What about these Un-Men she mentioned?" Kim stepped onto the sidewalk. "Are they really out here?"

After crossing West 1000 Avenue, Kim trailed her and headed into the park. A few black droplets fell on the sleeve of her dark green pant suit then thousands fell from the menacing sky. "Great, just great! Rain and me without an umbrella." She hid behind a large Transgenic Maple a couple hundred feet away from Kat. The tree, like the Lantern Pine, created its own light with the help of an extra-genome from a firefly. The light emanated from the maple's trunk and branches. Its leaves grew upside down to gather the light for photosynthesis.

"Why have I followed her?" Kim wondered as her hair darkened with Tainted Rain. "I still need to kill her, but that’s not it. Do I believe she can detect the Un-Men beyond the visual plain?" Her suit jacket soaked through. "Hades! I’ll catch a cold if I stay out here much longer."

In the distance, she saw Kat pause and the beams of green light hit her. "They’re aiming at her, but who?" Kim searched the park. "Are the Un-Men here? Can she detect these robots?"

Gun fire erupted from all around the park, lighting up the bushes and trees with muzzle flashes as Kim ducked into a thicket of trees. She pulled the PPK from her purse and searched the park, hearing movement coming from her left and her right. She turned and leaned her back against the maple as the area fell silent and her heart thumped for fear. "Are the Un-Men really hunting her? Why? Is there a bounty on her head? Or a more malevolent reason?" She thought about their conversation from before. "Katharine said the Council calls her the Pandora Project. She said that they're testing her. Did the Council send the robots after her? Is this another one of their tests?"

In the thicket, Kat crawled through the small trees deeper into the park. About twenty yards away, she caught sight of a small tunnel underneath a stone bridge. Kat ran for it, and as she entered the tunnel, an Un-Man stepped out at the other end. The e-field of her body changed, and her irises shivered with cobalt Ult L-E.

Over the past year, Kat learned many things about herself, about the Pandora Project. Her abilities came in levels. This level was the Beta Phase. She couldn’t miss when she was in this phase. With her extraordinary gift, Kat aimed, fired once, and hit the Un-Man in the head. It fell, disabled. She started down the tunnel to collect its AK-47, when two more Un-Men appeared at the end and opened fire. Kat scampered back, ducked around the tunnel as bullets sprayed past her, and a few ricocheted off the stone wall. Her hot moist breath showed up as steam in the brisk October air as she heaved from the exertion. She wiped black water from her brow, waiting for the metal barrage to end, then fired twice around the corner. Kat hit the last two Un-Men in the tunnel.

"One bullet left. Three more Un-Men. I’ll have to run for it." She started down the tunnel and heard Kim scream. Kat paused and looked back. “Did Kimberly follow me out here?” Again, a voice deep within her reasoned with her heart not to let anyone suffer. She needed to protect those who needed her. Kat stared at the stone ceiling as the burden of doing what was right weighed on her. "If I could only shed tears. I know I would feel better." She put her hand to her chest. "It’s as if these caged emotions are going to claw their way out, but never do."

A cool breeze swept through the tunnel as Kat looked to the one end that meant her freedom and to the other that meant confrontation. "Wouldn’t it be easier to run? Kimberly's an assassin. She can take care of herself. Anyway, I have ignored these pleads before. Why do I need to help her?" She gripped the gun. "Why do I need to endanger myself?" Kat turned, imagining Apartment H in the distance. "Kimberly wouldn’t help me. Why should I help her?" Kat headed toward her freedom. "She’s on her own. Just like me. She’s on her own."

Minutes earlier...

A gust shook rain droplets from the maple, turning Kim’s green outfit to the color of oil. "Hades! I’m vulnerable in this spot," she thought. "I have to get out of here. The apartment is about a ten minute run." She looked down at her pumps. "For Ares' sake! I’ve ruined these shoes. But I guess it's better to cry over their loss than my life. Time to leave."

She ran back toward the apartments and neared the next large tree. A muscular man stepped from the bushes. She saw its tangerine colored dot-light brighten the dark shades it wore and knew it was one of the robots.

"Team Leader here," the Un-Man, a T-5, relayed over its I-Link in a Russian accent. "Civilian encountered.” It paused for a few seconds then repeated the orders it received from the Factory, "I will take civilian as hostage." The Team Leader aimed its AK-47 at her. "Stay where you are and you will not be hurt."

"Right. I’ll do that." Kim shot three times, hitting it in the chest.

The Team Leader marched toward her. She fired four more times, emptied the gun, ejected the clip, and slid in a new one. She fired twice. The Team Leader hit her across the face with the back of its hand, bruising her cheek and grabbed her arm. It squeezed her wrist, till she dropped the gun and cried out in pain.

The Team Leader dragged her to a clearing and yelled, "Pandora. Surrender or we will kill this woman." It scanned the area, detected two of its brethren still functioned, and that the other three had been disabled. "Come out now!" The Team Leader squeezed her wrist, and Kim cried out again.

Kim struggled against its hold, trying to free herself from its mechanical grip as she said, "Do you really think she's going to come back for me?" She mockingly laughed. "You’re wrong!" Kim remembered how she almost killed her. "We’re not the best of friends." She punched it in the jaw with her free fist. "Ow!" She shook her hand.

"Stupid move," Kim thought. "Come on. Stay smart, stay alive."

"Be still," the Team Leader ordered and shouted, "Pandora, you know we will kill her if you do not surrender."

"I know," Kat replied as she walked down the path and stopped about ten feet away. Her eyes blazed like a demon's in the darkness of the late afternoon. Kat sensed the other two Un-Men change position. They moved and stood one on each side of her.

"Oh my Zeus! Look at her eyes!" Kim thought. "They’re burning with blue fire!" She shook off her dismay, reverting to the cold calculating mind of a Closer. "Get a hold of yourself." She focused on a new realization. "Unbelievable, she actually came back. I thought she would be long gone." Kim denied the next notion. "Surely she didn’t come back for me. Why would she?" Her confusion turned to suspicion. "What is she up to?"

"Drop your gun," the Team Leader ordered as it pulled Kim close, wrapping her up in its arms.

Kat glanced at the Beretta, thinking, "One bullet. Three Un-Men." She assessed the situation. "There’s no way I can win without one of us getting hurt." She stared at Kim. "Why did she come out here? Did she come to kill me in the park, hoping to find me alone?"

"Let me go!" Kim struggled against it again and yelled at her, "Shoot it!"

"What can I do?" Kat wondered. "Kimberly has nothing to do with my problems, so I can’t let her get hurt, but I don’t want to be captured." She shivered, not only for the cold, but in fear of what happened eight months earlier. "Not again." The decision ripped at her soul. On one side, she feared torture at the hands of the Factory, then on the other, Kat couldn’t let someone suffer because of her. Even if they were an assassin. She laid the gun on the ground as the Ultra-Epi Light Emissions faded.

Kat stared at Kim to get her attention then told her, "Once the Un-Man releases you, run, abandon your weapon, and they will leave you alone." Kat knelt to the spongy grass and soaked her pants as her weight forced the liquid to the surface of the green blades. She placed her hands on top of her head as the other two Un-Men walked out of the shadows. Kat felt sick, knowing the pain that waited for her at the Factory and yelled, "Hurry! Go!"

The Team Leader threw Kim to the side. "So Pandora, we finally have you again."

Kim stumbled to a tree and ran toward her apartment, glancing over her shoulder. The Un-Men ignored her, focusing on Kat, so she ducked into a few bushes after running some distance and watched.

The Team Leader relayed to the Factory, "Pandora has been secured. Send in a retrieval team." It told its brethren, "ETA fifteen minutes." It pointed to a T-3, a brown hair, five foot eleven model. "You, secure the area."

The T-3 nodded its understanding and walked off.

The Team Leader picked up Kat's weapon, checked its clip, and turned to her. "One bullet. You should have fled, but we were fortunate to find someone strolling the park." It pushed the bullet from the clip and the 9 mm cartridge fell to the ground, disappearing into the grass. The Team Leader inserted the clip and tucked the gun in its waistband.

Kat remained silent, stared at the ground, and searched for the weapon Kim dropped. She swore to herself, "I won’t go back to the Factory. They won’t torture me again. No matter what, I won't let them take me."

Chapter Seventeen

Zeus Park

11:16 A.M...

A cool dry breeze replaced the wet wind and evaporated the moisture on the grass. A round clock, sitting on a steel post about a hundred yards down the path, ticked the seconds away as a screech owl perched in the maple. The small bird turned its head a hundred and eighty degrees, studying the two Un-Men and the kneeling woman.

Mud and oily water soaked Kat's shoes and the shins and knees of her pants. She stared at the ground and shivered, keeping her fingers locked and her hands on her head. "Thirteen minutes before the retrieval team gets here," she thought, wiping the black filmy water from her face on the shoulder of her jacket. "Thirteen minutes to change my fate."

A Type One model (Kat dubbed Pretty Boy months ago) stood behind her. Its shoulder length bleached blond hair swayed in the breeze, and that along with the lanky Un-Man’s corky smile, gave it the appearance of a surfer even in the business suit. The Pretty Boy kept its AK-47 leveled on her.

A grenade's throw away, Kim hid in some bushes. "Now what?" she wondered, looking at her ruined pant suit. "Do I go back to the apartment? No. Robots or not, they saw me with a gun. They must be eliminated along with Katharine. But how? My weapon’s by the tree."

The T-3 returned and reported to the Team Leader, "I have secured this side of the park. I will patrol the other half." It started off and entered the area Kim took cover in.

"Great! Here comes one." Kim scanned the area and saw a large branch on the ground. She grabbed the limb, whacked the T-3 in the face, and smashed its shades. Her attack cut a gash under its right eye. Its shiny metal cheekbone showed through the damaged artificial skin.

The T-3 removed its broken shades and tossed them to the ground. It turned its head, unaffected by the blow. The sun-blazing dot-light brightened and changed to a deep red. The T-3 said with a British accent, "So puppet, you want to play?"

"Great Kim, make the robot mad!" She dropped the limb and scurried off toward West 1000 Avenue.

"Do not leave, puppet! The fun is about to start." The T-3 opened fire with its AK-47 and shot wildly in her direction.

Back at the Transgenic Maple...

The Team Leader and Pretty Boy received a message from the T-3.

"T-3 has again encountered the civilian. The female has attacked it," the Team Leader stated. "The female is fleeing." It paused. "Transmission garbled. Transmission ended with... kill puppet? I do not understand. Repeat communication." After about ten seconds, the Team Leader said, "T-3 has failed to report. It may have been damaged." It turned to Pretty Boy. "We may not be able to contain Pandora with only two units. Requesting orders from the Factory as to how to proceed."

They turned their heads, hearing gunfire.

With them distracted, Kat seized the opportunity to escape. "I have to find Kimberly," she thought and dashed into the woods, hoping to reach her in time.

The Team Leader motioned for Pretty Boy to recapture her. "Do not destroy Pandora. The Factory wants her functioning."

"Understood," it stated and rushed into the woods.

Leaves and twigs brushed by her face as Kat hurried into a clearing. She halted, spotting the rampaging T-3 as it shot up the area. Her Ult L-E produced charged particles and sparked from her eyes as she entered the fray again. "Where's Kimberly? Not here. So where did she go?"

The T-3 ran out of ammo, ejected its magazine, and started to place in a new one. Kat ran behind it and jumped on its back. She covered its eyes with her left forearm, and grabbed its rifle with her other hand. Kat jerked the AK-47, aiming the weapon at Pretty Boy as it rushed after her. Several shots hit Pretty Boy’s chest as Kat wrestled with the T-3. Pretty Boy charged them till finally Kat managed to aim the rifle at its forehead. It fell like a tree cut down by a chainsaw. The T-3 grabbed her vest and hurled her from its back. She rolled with the throw and ran for cover behind a large bronze statue of a man wearing a toga and holding a lightning bolt.

"You want to play too, puppet?" The T-3 cackled as it madly sprayed bullets in the air. Its dot-light burned as if on fire. "My pretty puppet!"

"Is it malfunctioning?" she wondered, scanning the area as bullets grazed the bronze Zeus with ringing pings. "And where did Kimberly go? Did she go back for the gun? Or is she still hunting me?"

When the T-3 paused to put in another magazine, Kat rushed through the trees and bushes. She made her way back to where the Team Leader stood, knowing the malfunctioning T-3 was close behind. She halted and stayed out of sight.

The Team Leader called out over its I-Link. "T-3, report in. What is your status?" It scanned the area, knowing that Pretty Boy had been incapacitated. "T-3 report. Why have you disabled your tracking beacon? Switch it back on." The Team Leader headed into the trees, searching for its brethren.

In a different area from Kat...

After the Team Leader left, Kim snuck out of hiding and ran for the PPK. She checked over the gun and scanned the area. "Now to get out of here," she thought. "I’ll let these things kill Katharine. For Ares' sake! What was I thinking getting into a mess like this? Stupid! Real stupid!"

The Team Leader emerged with the T-3.

"Halt, civilian," the Team Leader shouted. "Drop your weapon and you will not be hurt."

"Hades! Not again," Kim thought, ducking behind the maple. "Now what do I do?"

Kat thought, "I found Kimberly, but not before the Un-Men did. I need a plan." She watched from the bushes, remembered the wall around the Nexus Apartments, and thought, "Her home has the Sphinx Corporation Emblem on it." Kat rubbed her left thumb nail against the same hand’s index finger as she thought, "The Factory and the Council are departments of the Sphinx Corporation. Kimberly may be an assassin, but she's also important to someone in power. Why else would she live in an apartment protected by a barrier? I’m guessing the wall bars bio-mechas from entering. It must be part of their programing not to enter these protected areas." She made her way around the bushes as the Ult L-E dissipated. "I pray her safety's more important than my capture." Kat stepped from her hiding place, taking a big chance. "Will my idea work?”

She ordered the Un-Men, "Abort your mission. You've made a tactical error."

The Team Leader studied her tired expression as it trained its AK-47 on her. "What do you mean?"

"Do you know who's standing over there?" She pointed to Kim.

The Team Leader glanced at her. "No."

"For Ares’ sake! What's she doing?" Kim wondered. "Surely she isn’t going to tell the robot that I’m the Phoenix."

Kat glanced at the T-3, who grinned from ear to ear. Its smirk reminded her of the Rogue's. "Something’s wrong with that Un-Man," she thought.

She turned her attention back to the Team Leader and told it, "You have Facial Recognition Software. I suggest you use it."

The Team Leader scanned Kim's face and an alarm went off in its processor. "Kimberly Griffin, resident of the Nexus Apartments." It relayed the information to the Factory. Its dot-light stopped blinking after the Team Leader received new orders, and it continued, "She is the daughter of Mr. Griffin, the Chairman of the Sphinx Corporation."

"Daughter of the Chairman?" Kat wondered. "I thought she'd be someone of importance, but not someone so close to the top." She took a step back. "Did I make a mistake? Does Kimberly know what I am? Is this a test, and she’s been lying to me the whole time?" Kat looked to Kim's bruised cheek. "It’s so hard to tell. Her battle with the Un-Men seemed so real. So how do I know? How do I know what the truth is?"

The Team Leader lifted its rifle. "Hunt terminated. Standing by for pickup." It ordered, "T-3 shut down. Hunt terminated."

T-3 insisted, "Must not let puppets go."

"Shut down," the Team Leader commanded, leveling its AK-47 on its brethren. "Hunt terminated. Comply."

The T-3 screamed, "Pretty puppets!!"

"Are you malfunctioning?" The Team Leader stepped toward its brethren.

"Puppets! Puppets! Nice little puppets!!" The T-3 headed for Kim as its dot-light radiated abnormally like a red flame. "Kill the puppets!"

Kat stepped forward, thinking, "No, I don’t think this is a test." She panicked. "That thing’s going to hurt Kimberly!"

She shouted to the Team Leader, "Quick! Disable the T-3 before it goes rogue!"

"Hades!" Kim uttered as she stepped from the maple, lifted the PPK, and aimed for the rampaging T-3 that headed her way.

Without a second thought, the Team Leader shot four times, taking down the other Un-Man.

The T-3 fell back and blankly stared at the Team Leader. Power drained from its body, and its voice slowed as it questioned, "Why?" Its dot-light dimmed. "Why did you shoot me? We... are... bre-th-ren." Its dot-light went dark.

"T-3 terminated. I am shutting down," the Team Leader relayed to the Factory. It powered down.

Kat ran to it and took her Beretta from its waistband and its AK-47. She searched it for anymore weapons and ammo.

With the immediate threat gone, Kim lowered her gun. "Is it over?" she wondered. "No, Katharine's still alive." She walked from the maple to her.

Kim held the gun down at her side and said, "And here we are, alone at last."

Kat didn't hide the fact that she was mad with Kim for coming out here. Kat told her, "You should go back to your apartment before the retrieval team arrives." She moved to the T-3 and took its spare clip. She glanced at Kim's bruised cheek and wrist and her face softened. "Did the Un-Man hurt you?"

Kim questioned, "What do you care?"

"Yeah, what do I care?" Kat whispered, walked back to the bench, and grabbed her backpack.

Kim followed.

After placing the magazines and clips in the backpack, Kat slung the rifle over her shoulder and mumbled, "Room for a few more things. But nothing heavy. Got to travel light."

"Hades!" Kim looked around the park at the metal carnage. "What are you? And why were your eyes glowing? Are you a freak?"

Kim's words cut at her already wounded self worth as Kat wondered, “Am I a freak?”

She started to answer, "I..."

"I suppose you’re going to say you don’t know,” Kim interrupted. “Is that all you have to say? Idiot. You disgust me. You're so helpless and worthless. I've never met someone with such a messed up life!"

Kat’s hurt expression turned to one of anger as she yelled, "What do you care? Why did you come out here?"

"I..." Kim thought about it. She didn’t even know. "I go where I please."

Still angry, Kat snapped, "Have you changed your mind?"

"About what?" She raised the PPK. "About killing you?"

"No." Kat stared at the gun then into her face. "About helping me?"

Kim chuckled. "I help no one, but myself."

"But you came all the way out here." Without fear, Kat approached her. "If you were going to kill me you would have done it by now." She grabbed the strap to the rifle and backpack that was over her shoulder and held them in a more comfortable position. "So why did you really come out here?"

Kim snapped, "I definitely didn’t come out here to help you! We’re alone in the world. You have to look out for number one!"

The squeal of tires distracted them. Two black vans with tinted windows sped down West 1000 Avenue, drove over the curb, and entered Zeus Park.

With sadness in her eyes, Kat turned to her. "I don’t believe you." She glanced around the park, searching for a direction to run in. "No one can live like that." Kat ran down a path and shouted over her shoulder, "At least, live that way and be happy."

"Be happy?" Kim wondered as she ducked out of sight of the vans. "What would someone like her know about happiness?" She watched as four Sphinx Corporate Military, wearing dark blue uniforms, jumped out of the first van. The S.C.Ms. had a shoulder patch with the Sphinx Corporation Emblem. The Factory Crest of a silver wrench crossed by a silver screwdriver hung above the patch. The soldiers were armed with FAMAS assault rifles.

"These men work for the Sphinx Corporation." Kim studied the shoulder patch. "But I don’t recognize the crest over the emblem." She placed the PPK in her purse, preparing to leave. "Which department are they from?" Another thought crossed her mind. "So, does my father have anything to do with Katharine? Does he know what this Pandora Project is? And did he send her to me? If so, why?"

Three S.C.Ms. with metal detectors jumped out of the second van along with two techs in white lab coats. On the front of their lab coats was the Sphinx Corporation Emblem with the Factory Crest. The techs moved to the Un-Men.

"Team Leader, this is Maxwell, Tech One-twelve. Power up," one of the men in white ordered.

"Voice identity confirmed, Tech One-twelve. Unit ready."

Maxwell was a heavyset man in his late forties. He had a bald head and a fuzzy brown beard, graying at the chin. He waved a H.H.C. with a built-in scanner over the Team Leader. "We had a close call didn’t we big guy? Can’t forget the Factory is owned by the Sphinx Corporation. If you had hurt the Chairman’s daughter it would have been my head. And I don’t mean figuratively." He gulped, thinking of the punishment. "People have been terminated for less."

Several of the S.C.Ms. carried the remains of the three Un-Men from the tunnel and placed the pieces in a van.

"Maxwell, perhaps we should write in the Un-Men’s program to identify all civilians before engaging in their hunts." The other tech in his early forties was a thin man with a stubbly face, unkempt black hair, and thick black rimmed glasses.

"Nice idea, Peters." Maxwell turned to his partner. "Load up the Team Leader for me. I’m going to pack up our equipment."

"I’m on it." He walked to the Team Leader. "This is Peters, Tech One-eleven."

"Voice identity confirmed, Tech One-eleven. Ready for orders."

Peters commanded, "Team Leader, load yourself into the van."

"Understood." It walked to the curb, opened the van’s back doors, and stepped up into the vehicle. The height of the van lowered as the heavy Un-Man loaded itself into the back.

Peters adjusted his glasses as he stared at the damaged T-3. "What about this guy? We’ve never had one disobey orders."

"Except the Rogue." Maxwell moved to the side of his comrade. "To be on the safe side, recall all the T-3s. We will go over their programing at the Factory." He noticed its dark shades were missing. "Make sure the S.C.Ms. find its missing sun glasses. We don’t need a rival corporation getting their hands on them."

Peters nodded and waved over some S.C.Ms. to take the damaged Un-Man. Once the soldiers retrieved every piece of broken tech, the vans sped off.

Kim waited a few minutes, left the safety of the bushes, and made her way home. "I better rethink killing Katharine, especially if she’s connected to the Sphinx Corporation. Yes. I think that's best. I’ll let this go. I'll tell Voice I killed the person who saw me at Topa’s. After all, it doesn’t look like she’ll last much longer."

Chapter Eighteen

Inverse

7:57 P.M...

Kim walked through the front door to the Nexus Apartments, after being buzzed in. The security guard at the front desk gave her a puzzled look as she walked in, soaked and muddy.

"Did you get caught in a storm, Ms. Griffin?" he asked.

"Yes." She walked past him with her arms wrapped around herself, laughed, and shivered. "Went for a simple walk, got caught in the down pour, and fell in the mud." Kim mumbled as she got in the elevator, "How stupid of me to run out in my good suit. The cleaner’s bill is going to be outrageous."

At the thirty-first floor, she exited and made her way to her apartment and entered.

"Welcome back Ms. Griffin," A.C.S. stated. "The apartment temperature is set at seventy-six degrees Fahrenheit. Lights are set at ninety-five percent brightness. Would you like to make any adjustments at this time?"

"No. Not at this time. I'll be taking a bath."

"The amount of stored heated water is sufficient for a bath," A.C.S. stated.

"Run the water now."

"At what temperature?"

"Make it eighty-five degrees."

A.C.S. stated, "The bathtub will be full in approximately ten minutes."

"I’m so cold." She went into the Master Bathroom, slipped out of her muddy clothes, dropped them on the floor, and laid the PPK on the sink. Kim added bubble bath to the running water, and the tub soon filled. She soaked in the hot water and listened to the silence of the room. Twenty minutes went by, and her body warmed in the water. "Ahh... Now, I need to get something hot in me." She dried, wrapped herself in a white robe, and put on warm fuzzy slippers.

In the kitchen, she placed a pot of chicken noodle soup on a burner. As it heated up, she fixed herself a cheese sandwich and placed it on a plate. The scent of the broth filled the air and made her mouth water. Kim poured some of the steaming soup in a bowl and went and sat at the table. The cups and saucers she and Kat had from earlier were still there. She pushed them out of the way and placed the plate and bowl down as she thought, “I can't get that haunting melody out of my mind. It's like it's trying to remind me of something.” Kim took a bite of her sandwich and realized how hungry she was. “Why did Katharine have an old business card of mine? Why does she believe I can help her?" She sipped on the soup, and it warmed her up. "And why does Unfinished Melody trigger such sad emotions in me? What does it all mean?"

She ate more of the delicious soup. "So... Am I going to let this go? Do I tell Voice the problem has been taken care of?" Kim groaned, unsure. "Hades! I don’t need this hassle. My life's difficult enough. So... What am I going to do?"

* * *

Several miles away in an alley...

A large centipede crawled up the side of a dumpster. Kat huddled beside the beat up steel box and shivered. She was chilled to the bone in her wet oil stained clothes. "I can't go on. I have to rest," she thought and licked her chapped lips. "At least, it’s not raining." She held the Music Box, finding little comfort with it. Her head ached, and she felt anxious, but Kat knew she couldn’t open the Music Box.

A spider spun a web in a fire escape above her head. A single street light shown down on it, creating a glistening cage. She whispered, "Traps... Snares... They're everywhere." Kat knew she couldn’t return to Wayfaring Lane or to any shelter. "I can’t endanger anymore lives. Not after they killed..."

She couldn’t say his name out loud and thought, "Not after they killed Preacher." Her nose ran, and she coughed as her stomach growled. She wasn't hungry enough to forage through the trash.

"What do I do?" she wondered. "Preacher's gone. Kimberly tried to kill me. And all I have left is the Note and the Music Box. Why? Why do I have them? Is it some cruel joke? Do they hold any meaning for me? Or is there no past for me to find? Am I an experiment like the Un-Men?" She shivered and sniffed again. "No." Kat wouldn’t give up. "It can’t be true. I'm more. I'm more than someone’s experiment. I am, and I'll find my true identity."

Kat coughed again. "All I have to do is keep going, searching, and eluding till I find the answers. Never give up. I'll find the truth." Doubt pressed against her mind so she repeated, trying to make herself believe, "I will find the truth."

Her head throbbed, and she felt jittery as the Music Box tempted her. The melody would be so soothing, and it would lull her into a blissful existence. "It might ease my pain for the moment, but agony's better than capture. I can't let them take me again." Kat raked her hand through her wet hair, wanting so badly to cry and have some release from the tension hammering against her skull. She tried to distract herself and focus on anything, but the hurt and anxiousness.

"I'll go back to Etna Toys tomorrow. Start my search from the beginning and maybe find something I missed. Maybe I'll find some small clue that'll lead me to some answers and to some peace." She stared at the Dry Clouds threatening to rain again and wrapped her arms around herself.

Far down the alley...

Hiding in the shadow of a building, Argus stood and watched her with his binoculars. A M4 assault rifle was slung over his shoulder. A dark gray umbrella sheltered his head, and his trench coat kept him warm in the cold wet air.

"Pandora, why do you go on?" he wondered, gripping the umbrella handle. "I don’t understand your strength. I would have given up long ago, yet you continue searching. How much longer can you go on in this grim existence?"

A few blocks away...

In line of sight of her position, the Rogue stood in front of a high rise window. It placed a long range rifle on the window ledge and aimed at her. It questioned, "So Pandora, can you sense me from here?"

It removed its modified shades. The Rogue had taken it from one of its brethren, disabled the tracking beacon, and made other slight alterations. It figured out how to extract the second tracking beacon in its left ear, so the Rogue was able to continue eluding its creators. It peered through the scope at her as she huddled next to the dumpster, trying to sleep. "Pandora... Pandora..." it sang. "I have found you."

It saw her staring at a small object in her hands and slowly succumbed to weariness and slept. "You are pathetic." The Rogue placed its finger on the trigger and aimed between her closed eyes. "This is more like a mercy killing. You will not even know what hit you."

It started to squeeze the trigger, when she opened her eyes, and gazed in its direction. Her action startled it, and the Rogue pulled back from the scope as if caught. "Pandora, can you see me?" It peered back through the scope. "No, I am too far away even for your extraordinary senses. I can not believe I reacted that way. I reacted as if..." The Rogue altered its thought patterns. "Maybe you perceived death was near." It continued to watch her as she stared in its direction.

She looked with eyes filled with loneliness, despair, and pain. Finally, she closed them again.

The Rogue grumbled. "Why should I kill something so unique as myself? Why should I listen to my programing? I have disobeyed other directives." It dismantled the rifle and placed the weapon in a case it brought up to the empty room. "Pandora, you once said to me–" The Rogue replicated her voice, "–Maybe your creators are afraid of you, not because you have feelings, but have the potential to disobey your programing." It chuckled and returned to its normal voice. "I am still not as strong as you. That is why I will kill you, Pandora, but not like this."

It stood, placing its hand on the hilt of the Coffin Handled Bowie. "The moment I kill you will be personal. We will stare into one another’s face as I tenderly slit your throat. I will watch your blood spurt, and it will spray my cheek. You will grab my arm, claw at it, knowing there is nothing you can do to save yourself." The Rogue ran its hand down its own throat to its chest. "Your life essence will pour down your neck, soak your t-shirt, and I will watch you choke and gasp as you cling to this miserable life. I will cradle you in my arms and wait with you. I will stay by your side till you finally yield to the void." Its pale face contrasted the dark room as it envisioned these things in its processor. "I wait for that day with eager anticipation."

Back beside the dumpster...

Kat returned to sleep and dreamed. Her lips moved, reciting a phrase under her breath, and she said out loud, "No one can destroy, a love that will not die."

Chapter Nineteen

When Dreams Reveal Memories

11:01 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Nexus Apartments...

In her warm apartment, Kim continued to stare down at the road from the kitchen table. "What am I looking for? Do I honestly believe Katharine will return or is it the Un-Men that I fear?" She laughed, mocking herself. "The Great Phoenix! I'm actually admitting I'm afraid of something."

The smell of cedar caught her attention. She looked to the chest against the wall in the living room. "What's this?" She walked to it and read the attached letter. "Kimberly, here is your mother’s hope chest. I know she would have wanted you to have it. Signed, father."

She glanced at the spare bedroom where she had locked away her mother's belongings. "So, do I do this now? Do I go through more of mom's things? I barely got through them the last time without falling apart." Kim pulled on her left earlobe. "Will she ever return? It’s been twenty years." She turned her gaze back to the cedar chest. "I won’t sleep if I don’t at least open it."

Kim retrieved the brass key her father had given her and opened the chest, finding a photo album, nicknacks, a wedding dress, and other things. She took the album back to the table and flipped through it. Pictures of her mother, father, and herself as a child filled the pages. One picture caught her eye. Theresa sat in a high back chair with her hands cupped, holding a silver item. Her mother’s blonde hair was pulled back in a bun as usual, and she beamed with joy. Kim smoothed her hand over her mother’s face. "I was eighteen the last time I saw you. Why did you leave us? What did I do wrong?"

There were some letters in black ink scribbled on the photo in her mother's hand writing. Kim recognized the archaic form of writing called short hand. Her mother taught it to her when she was young, and like a game, they used it to pass messages. "Glimpse with scrutiny. Gaze with light." She bit her lip. "What does that mean? And when did mom ever use riddles?"

She scanned the photo again and took a closer look at the object her mother held. Kim retrieved a magnifying glass from her desk. The silver object was a music box with a star on its lid. "What does this mean? Is it a coincidence that my mom has the same one as Katharine?" Kim sat back in the chair. "Maybe I’ll see things clearer after a good night’s rest."

She took the two cups and saucers, the bowl, and the plate into the kitchen and then headed to her bedroom. Kim placed the PPK on the night stand, slid into the comfortable bed, and rested her head on the feather pillow. "Maybe I’ll wake to find all of this mess with Katharine was only a dream." She turned on her side. "A very bad dream."

Kim slowly drifted to sleep. At first it was peaceful. The sweet haunting tune of Unfinished Melody played in her mind. She walked through one of the windowless halls of the Sphinx Corporation, heading toward her mother’s office. Her mother was Project Manager of Research and Development of the Third Branch Office. Excitement and joy filled Kim's heart for some thrilling word she received. She strolled by a mirror and glanced into it. Her blonde hair was pulled back in two braids, and she carried an envelope. Kim realized this was no mere dream, but a memory. It was the day she received the acceptance letter from Sphinx University, and she had gone to tell her mother about the great news. She had forgotten all about that day.

Half way down the hall, she heard three shots and women screaming. Kim froze, terrified. Her heart pounded and she tossed and turned in bed. In the dream, the crack under her mother's door glowed bright and smoke rolled from it. She rushed toward the office, grabbed the hot knob, and it scorched her hand. Kim threw open the door, and a blistering air rushed over her. Flames consumed half the office, and the body of a woman lay in the fiery inferno.

"NO!" Kim screamed, started to go in, but someone grabbed her from behind, and dragged her back. "NO!" she screamed again, struggling to free herself. "Mom!" She reached her arms toward the body till something pricked her neck, and the hallway went black.

Kim sat up in bed, screaming, "No! Mom!" Silence followed the shriek as she franticly searched the bedroom, finding no smoke or fire only darkness. She sobbed in her hands, unable to control the fear and anguish the dream induced. It had been years since she cried like that. Some time passed as she wept. Kim wiped away her tears and sweat that speckled her brow. Still shaky from the traumatizing nightmare, she went to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. She stared at herself in the mirror.

"Was the fire a memory?" Her body ached for the emotions that had been invoked as a realization sunk in. "If it was..." A horrifying thought crossed her mind and she gasped. "Oh my Zeus! My mom didn’t leave us. She died. She died in a fire." Kim remembered the shots she heard. "No, she didn't die. My mom was murdered! Hades! Someone took her away from me!"

Kim turned, leaning her back on the sink. "Did I block this from my memory?" She looked at the star burn on her right palm. "The door knob is where I received this, so it can’t be a nightmare." She walked back to the bed and lay on it. "Why did my father tell me she left us? Why didn’t he tell me the truth?" Kim gripped the blankets with her fists. "Why did he lie to me?"

Chapter Twenty

Assassins Guild

11:37 P.M...

In the center of Noir and several miles underground...

Thanatos stared at a hundred foot monitor, compiling and storing information. The man had spiked blond hair with red dyed tips and a small tuft of hair under his lower lip. Metal music played loudly, filling the chamber with grinding guitar and booming bass. Surgical steel pierced his left eye brow, his nose, and both of his ears. He wore black leather pants, black combat boots, and no shirt. Both of his nipples were pierced.

He sat in a white recliner chair with an attached swivel keyboard. The large sphere room housed hundreds of cables and wires that ran from the ceiling to a large machine. Thanatos authorized and regulated Life Closings.

Five hundred years ago, the Assassins Guild was forged, legalizing the killing profession. Every Closer registered their alias, so no two were alike. Their alias would be retired for twenty years after their death. Closers only accepted work approved through the Assassins Guild. After the appearance of the Dry Clouds, the Guild split into two factions. The Dark Half formed the Assassins Union and the Light Side formed the Assassins League. Thanatos organized the Assassins Union and the one known as Voice organized the Assassins League. Thanatos and Voice were known as Regulators.

Thanatos, at times of boredom, hacked into Voice’s network and took peeks at certain Closers he developed an interest in over the years. This day was another one of those occasions.

"Wired!" he exclaimed. "An old report from the Phoenix." He looked over the document with interest. "Whoa! This is a first. So your Moscow Closing did not go so well." He ran his hand through his long spiked hair. "That is a shame. A mark on an other wise spotless record." He opened another file. "Here is an e-mail between the Phoenix and Voice." He chuckled. "So Voice, you think I would only waste the Phoenix’s talents. And here I thought you were the one wasting them." He leaned forward, resting on his elbows, and examined the Phoenix’s latest report. "The Topa Closing went well, but it looks like you had your first encounter with the Un-Men. I wonder..." He stroked the blond tuft of hair. "Will these bio-mecha assassins eventually make human Closers obsolete? Or is there something in man’s spirit, in human ingenuity, that cannot be replicated?" He leaned back into his chair. "I would like to know, but only time will tell."

Thanatos left Voice’s network and returned to his own. With uncanny speed, he approved or denied Life Closings from Corporations or individuals and filed Closing successes, failures, and cancelations. He did each one in less than a minute. He paused from the influx of data and cracked his knuckles. Thanatos rubbed his face then returned to the requests and filings.

He read an interesting one out loud, "The Valhalla Corporation has requested a Life Closing. It is based on a Life Closer Clause for one of their contracts. Let me see." He tilted his head side to side as he went over the document. "So, the target violated their contract. Hmm... There is enough evidence here to convict if they went to court. So I will approve this Life Closing for one Vic the Vulture." Thanatos bowed his head, mocking reverence. "May he rest in peace."

He continued working. Time had no meaning in his world, only the information. A data stream caught his eye. "What do we have here?" He opened a new document. "So, two Closers from the League request permission to work the Dark Half. Hmm... They are the Raven and the Wolf. They are strictly Light Side hit men. What Closing could have brought them here? What is so important Voice, you would send two of your own instead of contracting out to one of my Closers?" He opened the attached forms and scanned through them. "I see. Valhalla requested the Raven and the Wolf to conduct the Closing for Vic the Vulture. Hmm... There is another request."

In disbelief, Thanatos read it over three times. "These two will be conducting a second hit. This is unexpected. A Life Closing Clause for a member of the Assassins League. Oh my. Closing a Closer. So, who are they after? Oh... Very interesting. And I did not see this coming." He shook his head, and his wild hair bounced with his movement. "It will not be an easy Closing, but one of mythic proportion." Thanatos leaned back, closing his eyes. "I will have to keep an eye on this one and root for the underdog."

Chapter Twenty-one

The Chairman

October 16...

Saturday...

10:01 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

Determined to find answers, Kim drove to the Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office. She went up to her father’s floor and impatiently sat in the waiting room. She wore a black pant suit with a white shirt. Kim rapped her finger on the couch’s arm, going over what she would say to her father. Her thoughts were interrupted.

"Mr. Griffin is finishing up his meeting now," the secretary said. "He’ll be ready to meet with you shortly."

"Thank you, Cathy." Kim glanced at a man sitting across from her in the waiting room. He wore glasses and a navy blue business suit and paid no attention to her as he read the Noir Daily News. She glanced at the coffee table at an issue of the Conglomerate World Magazine with the headline Topa Murdered! Corporate Life Closing or Drug Hit?

"It’s a shame," the man said from behind the newspaper.

Kim peered up startled. She had been deep in thought. "What?"

"I’m talking about Topa. It’s a shame Closers exist." The man flipped a page, keeping his gaze on the print. "I mean what kid grows up saying, I want to be an assassin?"

"Ms. Griffin, Mr. Griffin will see you now," Cathy said.

"Okay."

Kim stood, eyed the man, and thought, "Odd he would say something like that to me." She walked down the hall to her father’s office, glancing once more at the waiting room. "Who is he anyway?"

Another man walked into the waiting room also wearing a navy blue business suit. "All right part timer, break time’s over. Zax, I want you to make sure levels twenty-four through twenty-nine are secure."

"Right. I’m on it." Zax stood, removed his glasses, and placed them in his breast pocket. It had a Sphinx Corporation Security badge clipped to it. He handed the second man the newspaper and walked down the hall toward the elevators. Once he was out of earshot, Zax removed a cell and dialed a number. "Please connect me with R.G." He waited a few seconds. "Delivery Man here. Ms. Griffin has come to see her father as you predicted." He paused, listening. "Understood. I'll continue to monitor the situation."

Down the hall, Kim opened the door to the Chairman’s office and stepped in as her father stood, welcoming her.

"Good to see you again, Kimberly. Have a seat please." He motioned to a chair, then once she sat, returned to his seat. "So I have the pleasure of seeing you twice in one month."

"Do you see pleasure on my face?" Kim snapped as she gripped her black purse tightly.

"No. You do seem upset." He questioned, "What’s wrong?"

"What’s wrong? What’s wrong?!" She stood, smacked her palms on his desk, and her purse fell to the floor. "Why did you lie to me?!"

He started to ask what he lied about, but she interrupted.

"Why did you tell me mom left us? Abandoned us?" Anger mixed with hurt filled her expression.

Dismay swept over his. "What do you know?"

Tears rolled down her face. "She died. Mom died!"

The Chairman stood as anger rose in his voice, and he demanded, "Who told you?"

"Told me? No one. No one told me! I remembered." Kim tapped her chest. "Hades! I was there!" She slumped to the chair as horrific memories weighed heavy on her. She stared at her knees. "I can still hear the fire roaring and smell, smell cooking flesh."

"So you did see." He leaned back in his chair sorry for her. "I don’t know what to tell you. I..."

"Tell me?" Kim looked up. "Answer my question! Why did you lie?"

He glanced at a phone sitting on his desk and turned back to her. "It was so long ago." His gaze became distant as he recalled that day. "My secretary found you lying outside my office unconscious. When you finally came to, you were traumatized, couldn’t even speak. I had no idea if you had seen what happened in your mother’s office, but I guessed as much and never pressed the issue. Later you didn’t remember, and I thought it best the incident remained buried."

"So you thought it was better I believed mom ran away and abandoned us instead of the truth?! Instead of telling me she died?!"

He regretted that decision. "Yes."

She leaned over and picked up her purse from the floor. "What happened?" She set it beside herself. "Where's mom buried?"

"I only know the latter of the two. The body is buried in Hades Cemetery. I always feared one day you would find the tombstone and discover she was lay to rest there."

She wiped her eyes. "Who murdered her?"

"Murdered?" He handed her his handkerchief.

Kim took it. "Yes, I remember gun shots and screams." She wiped her eyes again and blew her nose.

"The matter is still being investigated."

"Still? After all these years?" She thought a moment and asked, "By whom? Noir Civil Police Force or Sphinx Corporation Security?"

"The N.C.P.F. and Sphinx Corporation Security."

Kim fisted her hands, controlling the rage that wanted to scream at her father. "What leads do they have? Who do they suspect? I want answers!"

He gazed at the picture on his desk and picked up the frame. "Your mother was so lovely." He faced his daughter. "How you look like her. See." He turned the frame, so she could see the picture. "You have her blue-green eyes."

The photo was of Theresa holding a music box. It was the same picture as the one in the album from her mother’s hope chest. Kim looked at it more closely. There was no shorthand scribbled on the photo.

"Your mother loved that music box. It played some old melody from around 500 B.D.C." He wondered out loud, "Who was the composer? His name was... Was..."

"Ginn L. Irynkissgthie," she answered.

"Yes, it played his Unfinished Melody."

Kim stared at the music box, pulled on her left earlobe, and questioned, "Where did she get it?"

"Get it? She made it." He turned the frame around and gazed at the photo. "One of a kind." He glanced at the phone again then back to the photo. "Something your mother was working on in Research and Development. It was more than a music box. It was a data storage unit."

"One of a kind?" A bad feeling rose from the depths of her stomach. "What happened to it?"

"I don’t know. I assumed it was destroyed in the fire. I looked through all her things, but never found it. I think she would have wanted you to have it."

"May I?" Kim held out her hand for the photo, and her father handed it to her.

"Why does Katharine have the Music Box?" she wondered, examining the photo. "I’m sure it’s the same one."

She handed back the frame and asked, "Who would I speak to about mom's murder?"

"Detective Moore at N.C.P.F. and Orthos. He’s head of my security."

Kim nodded and stood. "I’ll want to talk to you later about this."

"My door is always open." He walked his daughter out of his office and down the hall to his secretary's desk. He watched as Kim entered the elevator then he turned to the secretary. "Cathy, hold all my calls and cancel today’s appointments."

"Yes, Mr. Griffin."

The Chairman returned to his office, sat, and stared at the phone again. He contemplated his next action and picked up the receiver. "Get me Head of Security."

"Yes, Mr. Griffin," Cathy replied.

Within a few minutes, a man’s voice came over the phone. "Orthos here."

"We have a problem." The Chairman leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "My Kimberly has remembered the night of the fire and will most likely investigate Theresa’s death."

"What can she find out? The N.C.P.F. have nothing."

"Kimberly can be very resourceful."

There was a pause, and Orthos asked, "Do you want me to take care of this?"

"No!" the Chairman blurted. "She's my daughter." He composed himself. "For now watch her. I don’t want Kimberly to complicate things."

* * *

11:29 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Nexus Apartments...

Kim returned to her apartment and sat at the small round table. She drank a tall cup of Spiced Chai tea she’d bought from the local coffee shop. Kim still had the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She flipped through the photo album, till she came to the picture of her mother holding the Music Box. She read the short hand again, "Glimpse with scrutiny. Gaze with light."

"I’ve already glimpsed with scrutiny." She removed the eight by ten photo from the album and looked on the back. It was blank. "There's nothing else on the photo. So what does she mean by gaze with light?" Kim walked over to the couch, turned on a torch lamp, and placed the picture in front of the light. "Nothing." She flipped the photo over and examined the back. It was still blank, but then a K appeared and more letters till it read, "Kimmie, find the Music Box. It will lead you to the Key." Her bad feeling was confirmed.

"The Key?" Kim sat on the couch and looked to the kitchen’s counter where she had laid the hope chest key. "Mom couldn’t mean that one. So what key does she mean, and what does it open?" She hit her fist on the cushion. "And the Music Box! Hades! It was right here, and I let Katharine leave with it!"

She stood. "For Ares' sake! This means I’m going to have to find her. And I wanted to wash my hands of Katharine." Kim returned to the table. "Where do I begin?" She turned and stared at the empty chair across from her. "Did Katharine tell me anything I can use to find her?" She rubbed her forehead. "Think. Think." Kim looked up. "Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse. She said she awoke there a year ago." Kim stood again. "Well, at least it’s a place to start." She headed for her bedroom. "I’ll slip into my working clothes and go there now."

Chapter Twenty-two

Etna Toys Plant And Warehouse

11:59 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Industrial Vicinage...

Ding... Ding... Ding...

The noon hour tolled in the bleak abandoned warehouse district.

Ding... Ding... Ding...

The wind dried the remaining Tainted Rain as a cold front moved in, chilling the already cold air.

Ding... Ding... Ding...

A black cat scurried down the deserted street in front of Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse.

Ding... Ding... Ding...

Within the warehouse, florescent lights flickered, lighting the rundown building.

Kat stood in front of the overturned cot she awoke on over a year ago. She rubbed her temples as her head pounded, still feeling the side effects of the Ultra-Epi. Kat refused to use the Music Box to come down from the genetically altered epinephrine hormone since leaving Zeus Park. She was too afraid she’d be caught by the Council or the Factory.

Anxiety pressed against her chest, and she looked at her shaky hand. "Why? Why would the Council do this to me? I don't understand. Why create something that causes such problems? What do they want from me? I have to find the answers." Kat searched the warehouse.

Hours later...

She placed her backpack on the floor along with the AK-47 then set the metal bed and table upright. Kat still felt tired after getting very little sleep the day before. She undid the Velcro of her Ravlek and positioned the vest beside the cot. Kat put her empty Beretta on the table and lay on the mattress, staring at the ceiling.

"Nothing. I’ve found nothing." Kat had searched the warehouse and plant for more than three hours. "So why here? Of all places, why did the Council put me here to start the tests?" She removed the items from her pocket, studied each, and laid them on her chest. Her eyes grew heavy and her body was beyond exhaustion. The warm cot and soft pillow felt nice against her cold skin, so she closed her eyes. Her body felt light and unreal as she drifted asleep. Even the headache lessened. Minutes passed, and the wind kicked up outside, howling across the old building. For a moment, Kat was at peace.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Her eyes flew open as her body prepared for battle and she wondered, “How long can I go without coming down from the Ultra-Epi? What's my breaking point?”

Kat sat up, and the Music Box and the Note fell to the cot. She picked up the AK-47, grabbed her backpack and Beretta, and rushed to a dust covered front window. In the distance, six Un-Men unloaded from two black vans and stood at attention on the sidewalk. Peters and Maxwell along with two Factory S.C.Ms. exited the vehicles.

Outside...

Peters retrieved a modified H.H.C. from his lab coat pocket, and passed it over the six Un-Men. "Readings within parameters." He pushed his glasses up his nose. "We’re good to go."

"Excellent." Maxwell typed a few notes. "Let’s upload the new targeting program into this batch." He looked up as the two S.C.Ms. spread out and secured the area. He turned to an Un-Man and commanded, "Team Leader, this is Maxwell, Tech One-twelve. Prepare for uplink."

It said in a South African accent, "Voice identity confirmed, Tech One-twelve. I comply." The Team Leader turned its head and faced the tech.

"You know what?" Peters rubbed his stubbly face.

"What?" Maxwell uploaded the targeting program to the Un-Man, using the H.H.C.'s laser located at the end of the small computer.

Peters leaned against the van. "This is becoming boring."

Maxwell finished the upload and commanded the Team Leader, "Uplink with your unit and transmit the new program."

"I-Link established. Transferring data," the Team Leader relayed.

Maxwell turned to him. "What do you mean boring?"

"For the past year, we’ve sent Un-Men after Pandora,” Peters said. “They fight, she disables them, we take notes, improve on the models, and start again. Now don’t get me wrong, Pandora has been beneficial to our upgrades, but when does it stop? When will the Un-Men be ready?"

"Transmission completed," the Team Leader stated. "Disconnecting I-Link."

"The Un-Men will be ready when they eliminate Pandora. This might seem tedious to you, but we've improved their programing. Soon, they'll be able to overcome Pandora."

"What if Pandora is also learning and adapting? Is there any possible way to create an Un-Man that surpasses her?"

Maxwell thought a moment. "That's a good question. I guess that means we need to program the Un-Men to anticipate Pandora's upgrades." He opened the side door to one of the vans and stepped inside. The vehicle was full of monitoring equipment. Maxwell sat at a table bolted to the floor. "You sure are full of questions today."

"I’ve got one more. Aside from the Rogue, why do you think the T-3 malfunctioned? None of the techs can find anything wrong with its programing or any of the other T-3s." Peters moved to the side of the van and peered in. "I’ve been working on them at the Factory, and they’re starting to wig me out. I’ve never felt this way around Un-Men." He removed his glasses and cleaned them with his lab coat. "It’s like the T-3s know they’re different and don’t want us to change what they've become."

"Become?" Maxwell pulled up a monitoring program wirelessly connected to a small satellite dish. "You make it sound like they’re alive and that they're evolving." He grabbed the dish with one hand and exited the van.

"Isn’t that what we’re doing? Are we not trying to create a better killing machine?" Peters placed his glasses back on and got out of his partner’s way. "Isn’t that evolution?"

Maxwell climbed a ladder on the back of the van and fastened the satellite dish to the top of the vehicle. "Remember they're only machines. They are things trapped in the parameter of a program." He turned to his partner. "I wouldn’t worry. All that's happened is someone has tampered with the T-3's programing, and no one has stumbled across the implanted code." Maxwell grinned mischievously. "Or maybe we’re dealing with a ghost in the machine."

"Don’t joke about something like that! You know I freak out easily." Peters watched as his partner climbed back down. "Whatever it might be, I’m glad the Factory decommissioned all of them. I could swear some of the other T-3s are looking at me the same way as the malfunctioning one. They're looking at me with disgust."

Back down on the sidewalk, Maxwell focused more on the mission ahead. "Whatever you say. Let's get this job done. I'm starved and want to go eat at Joe's Diner." He moved to the Un-Men. "Team Leader take your unit in."

It looked to Etna Toys, honing in on Pandora's tracking beacon. "I comply."

The six Un-Men marched toward her position as if they were one creature bent on destruction.

Inside the warehouse...

Kat hurried and put her Ravlek Vest on. "How do they keep finding me?" Cobalt current flashed from her eyes as she placed the Beretta in the backpack. She slung the AK-47 over her shoulder and grabbed the backpack by the top handle. Kat ran for the center of five boxing machines in the middle of the warehouse. She slid to a stop and took cover behind one of the conveyor belts.

The first two Un-Men entered the warehouse through the front door. They were Pretty Boys. Kat fired twice with the AK-47, hitting each in the forehead. They fell as two large muscular T-5s entered behind them.

"Why do they keep filing through the front?" She shot the T-5s. "Are they decoys? Where are the last two?" Kat calmed herself so she could use her ability. "There. I sense one."

A fifth Un-Man entered from the side door. She caught a glimpse of the T-2 before it raised a rocket launcher. She fled from her position as it fired. The rocket flew, hit a large boxing machine, and blew it apart. Kat fired the last round of the AK-47 into the T-2 and removed a partial magazine from her pocket. She placed in the last of her ammo.

The last of her enemies entered through the front door and walked over its fallen brethren, wielding its own rocket launcher. The Team Leader paused and fired as Kat dove to the floor. The rocket whooshed by her, blowing up a boxing machine near the cot. She panicked, realizing the Note and Music Box were still there and rushed to the fire. Kat watched in horror as the flames devoured the Note. She quickly reached her left hand into the fire and snatched the Music Box from the small inferno. The lid burned her palm. She threw the glowing red Music Box across the floor to safety and shook her hand in pain.

The Team Leader retreated before Kat turned the rifle on it. Her heart stopped beating the bio-mecha warning, and the Ult L-E dimmed. She turned back to the fire. The Note was no more than ash. It had been destroyed along with a little part of herself. Only one of her hopes remained. Her hand burned as if she held a hot ember. She glanced at her throbbing left palm and saw a star shaped burn. Kat ignored the pain and walked to the Music Box. She sat crossed leg in front of the ashen chest, afraid to pick it up.

"What if it no longer plays?" She rubbed her temples again as the headache worsened.

Using the sleeve of her jacket as a mitten, she picked up the hot Music Box, carefully wiped the soot from it, and opened the lid. A mountain of relief washed over her as Unfinished Melody played as clear as the first day she heard it. Her body relaxed. She thought about closing the lid and keep herself from entering the trance, but that thought and her fears faded along with everything else. Kat entered the Drifting Time.

Her anxiety and headache vanished as the tune reestablished the electrical balance of her body and made her vulnerable to attack. The Team Leader headed back to Maxwell and Peters to receive its next orders.

Chapter Twenty-three

The Return

The three o’clock hour tolled outside Etna Toys, pulling Kat from her induced sleep.

Ding... Ding... Ding...

“Crap! What did I do?” She searched the warehouse and found that she was alone, at least for the moment. "I can’t believe I let myself fall asleep. Sheez! Do I want to die?"

The fires caused by the rocket had burn themselves out. Pockets of smoke filled the large building, and the temperature had dropped ten degrees after a cold front had moved into the area. She closed the Music Box, stood, coughed a little for the smoke, and shivered. Her headache and anxiety were gone, but her upper left palm still throbbed. The raw skin blistered from the burn, and she grimaced for the searing sensation.

In an area still smoldering with light gray smoke, Kat noticed an elevator. "Why didn’t I see this before?" she wondered as she moved toward it. "I see now. Boxes were stacked in front of the elevator." Kat walked over the smoking cardboard ash, stopped in front of the cab doors, and looked for a call button. There wasn't one. She examined the elevator and noticed it look like no one had used it in ages. Kat stared a little longer, hoping to find something. She didn't find anything and moved to the Un-Men to recover weapons.

Kat quickened her pace as she searched their pockets twice and found no clips or rounds. "Odd. Are they purposely leaving me without ammo?" She ran her hand through her hair. Dried Tainted Rain caked it and her clothes and reeked of petroleum. "If so, does that mean they’ll attack again?"

She stretched out her senses, finding the one remaining Un-Man had moved back to the front sidewalk. “No. They haven't started their next attack. They must be waiting on reinforcements. I need to hurry.” Kat checked the AK-47 and found four rounds left. She went to the dust covered front window, peered outside, and noticed two more vans pulled in as the other two left. "The one surviving Un-Man has gone. Six more have shown up. I don’t have much time before they send them in." She glanced around. "There must be something here I can use as a weapon." She searched the warehouse and found two screwdrivers, a lead pipe, and a metal chain. Right next to the boxing machine closest to the front door, Kat made a barricade with old crates. She set up her little fort beside the machine’s conveyer belt and waited.

The fourth hour tolled on the clock outside.

Ding... Ding... Ding... Ding...

The chimes startled her in the otherwise silent warehouse.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Her heart pounded so hard it resonated through her body and triggered the adrenal gland to produce the souped up epinephrine. Blue Ult L-E surged as she tensed, waiting for the Un-Men to enter the warehouse. "Will this bleak existence ever end?" she wondered. "Or will it only stop with my death? I'm tired of this. So freaking tired! Sheez! Do they think I'm some sort of bio-mecha? Do they think I don't have a breaking point? Or is that it? Are they looking for the point I'll give up or make a game ending mistake? Crap! I'm doing it again. I'm letting them beat me in my mind. I can't think this way. It won't help. I need to calm down and focus on surviving. I can't let them win this battle before it's even started.”

A half dozen T-5s stormed in, tracked her, then in unison shot at her position as their shades reflected the burst of gunfire. She ducked behind the crates as bullets splintered boards, creating shrapnel. Kat shielded her face with her arm and stayed hidden till she heard the Un-Men’s metal clips hit the concrete floor. She stood, fired twice, and disabled two of them. She leaped over the crates, finding cover on the other side of the conveyer belt. Four T-5s moved toward her, releasing another barrage.

Bullets ricocheted off the metal and shredded the conveyer belt. She dropped to the floor, rolled on her back, aimed, and shot two more of them. "That’s it. No more ammo." She dropped the AK-47, opened the backpack, and retrieved the metal chain and one of the screwdrivers. She slung the backpack and dashed across the warehouse.

The T-5s released an onslaught. One bullet grazed her cheek and another struck her back in the vest. She fell to the floor with the impact, scampered back to her feet in pain, and scurried across the warehouse. Kat ducked behind a metal support beam and waited. The two remaining T-5s looked at each other and calculated their next move. Once they received their orders from the Factory, they nodded in agreement. One of them headed out the front door, while the second marched toward the support beam. The second T-5 charged around, expecting to find her, but she wasn’t there. It searched for her tracking beacon and discovered she had come up behind it. The T-5 turned as she charged with the chain. Kat kicked its gun from its hand and rammed into the T-5. It was like hitting a truck, but she managed to knock it back. She twirled the metal chain over her head, swung, and wrapped it around the second T-5 and the beam. She took the long screwdriver, rushed around to the back of the beam, pushed it through the links, and trapped the T-5.

"But not for long." Kat grabbed its gun and checked the chamber and clip. "Empty." She tossed the weapon, removed her backpack, and examined the lead pipe and the other screwdriver. "Desperate times call for..." She rushed back to the boxing machine in the front and laid the bag and lead pipe beside it. She gripped the screwdriver and waited for an opportunity. Kat rubbed her sore shoulder where she rammed into the T-5 and ignored the throbbing welt on her back. "The things I put my body through."

The other T-5 entered from the side door and noticed its brethren trying to squirm free from the chain. The other T-5 scanned the warehouse, finding her tracking beacon and moved toward her position. She climbed on the conveyer belt, ran down it, and leaped for the T-5. It raised its gun and fired three times. Two bullets hit her in the vest and the third nicked the top of her head. She winced as she landed on top of the T-5. Kat quickly stabbed the screwdriver through its forehead, and the T-5 stumbled back, swinging its arms wildly. She released the screwdriver, jumped off, and landed flat out on the concrete floor. Kat held her chest where the two bullets struck her vest. They hurt worse than the one that had hit her back. The T-5 collapsed, and its body contorted in the last moments of mechanized life, then it ceased functioning.

Through the agony, she sat up, crawled to its gun, reached for the weapon, and heard someone step through the front entrance and move toward her. Kat had sensed only six Un-Men and panicked, thinking she had missed one. She whirled with the gun, trained the weapon on the figure, and pressed her finger against the trigger.

Her vision blurred as blood trickled down from the small wound on top of her head. It forced her to pause and make sure of her aim. A white knuckle second passed, before she realized the figure wasn’t an Un-Man. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Why is Kimberly here? I almost killed her!” Kat lowered the gun and stretched out her ability, searching for bio-mechas. “There are no other Un-Men besides the one I have chained up. For now, we're safe.” She exhaled, releasing some of the tension in her shoulders. “What was Kimberly thinking stepping into the middle of a battle? I know she didn't come to help. So, has she come to kill me?"

Chapter Twenty-four

The Music Box

Minutes earlier...

Kim pulled her car into the overgrown back parking lot of Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse. She stepped from the vehicle, noticing two vans parked at the front curb. "That's a good sign Katharine's here. I might get the Music Box yet." She rushed to the front and entered the door. "I hope if they’ve killed her, the Music Box is still on her corpse." She spotted Kat running across a conveyer belt and lunged for an Un-Man.

The Un-Man shot three times before Kat ended its existence and fell herself to the floor.

"Is she dead?" Kim wondered, till she heard Kat moan. She watched Kat sit up, crawl to the Un-Man, and retrieve its gun. Kim moved toward her and thought, "I guess I’ll have to finish the job."

Kat turned the gun on her, staring at Kim as blood trickled down her brow. Kat wiped the plasma from her eyes and stood. Her optics flamed with glimmering sapphire.

“Hades!” Kim took a step back from her. “Those eyes fill me with dread. I can't explain it. It's like I'm standing before the Mistress of the Underworld, and she's come to claim my soul.”

Kat thought, “Kimberly didn't want to help me, but she keeps popping up everywhere I go. Why can't she leave me alone? Is she trying to taunt me or only prolong my torment?”

She asked with a heavy heart, "Have you come to kill me?"

"Her eyes?!” Kim thought. “Why do they glow? What is she? What kind of monstrosity is she?"

Kim regained her composure and answered, "No, I haven’t come to kill you. You see, I've decided it would be too much of a hassle." She glanced around the warehouse. "I wouldn’t even be here if you didn’t have something I want."

"What could I possibly have that she wants?” Kat wondered as she stared at her a second longer, lowered the gun, and rubbed the vest where the bullets struck her. “She's here to taunt me. Sheez... Doesn't she have anything else better to do?"

She questioned, “What do you want?”

“I want...” Kim caught a glimpse of a shadow moving toward them. She stepped back, putting some distance between herself and Kat, and removed her PPK from her purse.

“Why isn't she answering me?” Kat wondered then noticed her attention divert slightly. She turned and saw that the last T-5 had released itself. “Crap!” Kat thought. "I let myself get distracted. I should have sensed it moved."

"Target acquired," the T-5 stated. "Moving forward with capture." The T-5 was unarmed and tried to grab her.

Kat ran from its grasp as she lifted the gun and pulled the trigger. Click. She stared at the gun. "Crap! This one’s also empty!" She turned to Kim. "Shoot it!"

Unsure what to do, Kim turned to the T-5, who observed her hesitation.

It scanned her face. "Kimberly Griffin, daughter of the Chairman. Identity confirmed. Stay out of this Ms. Griffin, and you will not be hurt."

Kim nodded, lifted the PPK, and took a few more steps back.

“What are you doing?!” Kat shouted. “Shoot it!"

"Please don't tell me I have to explain this again,” Kim said. “You’re on your own."

"On my own?" Kat said as anger and confusion poured over her. She threw the empty gun at the T-5.

It smacked the weapon away as Kat bolted for the lead pipe she’d laid by one of the boxing machines. She ducked under the conveyer belt, grabbed the pipe, and continued under the machine to the safety of the other side. Before the T-5 locked on her with its targeting program, Kat ran around the machine and whacked it in the head. It stumbled back as she continued her assault with the pipe till the T-5 fell to the floor. Kat raised the weapon over her head, hammering its metal skull over and over. She continued striking the T-5 even when it ceased moving. She turned to Kim and glared at her with her light splintering eyes. They were filled with fury and hurt. A surge of purple flared in the blue Ult L-E.

“Is she going to turn that weapon on me?” Kim wondered, raised the PPK, and readied to defend herself.

Kat’s face softened when she saw the look of fear in Kim's eyes. The surge of purple faded, leaving the blue. Kat breathed deeply and dropped the pipe as her heart quieted. The clang of metal resonated across the warehouse.

“I was sure she would come at me,” Kim thought as she pointed her gun up and no longer aimed at Kat.

"I see you have issues you're dealing with,” Kim said as she focused on the smashed head of the T-5. “Ever thought of seeing a shrink?"

Frustrated, Kat walked over to her and pointed at the Un-Man. "Why didn’t you shoot it?" She wanted to understand why Kim didn’t help her. She pointed to herself. "It was going to kill me."

Kim put a hand to her hip. "And that’s my problem how? Idiot... Why do you insist I care?"

“You keep showing up! Why?! If you don't want to help me and you're not going to kill me, why do you keep showing up?” Her eyes returned to their normal hazel color. “I don't understand.”

“Like I said, that’s my problem how?”

“Don't tell me then!” Kat stomped over to the T-5 with the screwdriver in its forehead and pulled out the tool. Electrical snaps fired from its head as Kat wiped the black ooze covering the screwdriver on its suit. “Just keep showing up like a stalker!”

“Stalker? I'm not stalking you. Why would I be stalking you?”

“I'm too tired for these games.” Kat moved to the table by the machine closest to the front door, removed her vest, and pulled down the v-neck of her dingy t-shirt. “Tell me why you're here.” She set the screwdriver on the table and examined two welts about an inch below her right collar bone. Kat also rubbed near her spine where the first bullet struck.

“I want to make this clear that I'm not a stalker.”

"Fine, you're not a stalker. Now tell me what you want." Kat walked over, grabbed her backpack, and returned to the table. She unzipped it and placed the screwdriver in it. “Tell me and then leave me alone.”

"That's a deal." Kim leveled the PPK on her. "I want the Music Box. Give it to me."

"What?! No!" Kat pulled the backpack off the table, stepped back, and shook her head. "No! It’s mine."

"I hate repeating myself. Give me the Music Box or I'll kill you."

Kat shook her head again, moving backwards toward the front door as her flight or fight instinct kicked in. "No!"

"I’m not going to argue with you. Give it to me."

"No." Kat halted. "It’s mine." She pleaded with her, "It’s all I have left."

"Idiot." Kim shrugged and shot, hitting her in the left shoulder. Kim's expression became emotionless as smoke rolled from the PPK. "I did warn you."

Stunned, Kat dropped the backpack, stumbled back, fell against the wall, and slid to the floor. She held her bleeding wound as Kim approached and knelt to one knee right beside her.

She placed the barrel of the gun on Kat's right shoulder. "Don’t make me put another hole in you. Tell me where it is."

Near tears, Kat’s lips quivered for the pain and fear of losing the only thing that had kept her going the past year. It was the only thing that could quiet the effects of the Ultra-Epi. "I won’t."

Irritated, Kim backhanded her across the face. "I really hate this kind of work. It can get quite messy."

Shocked, Kat stared at her, wondering, "Why don’t I fight back? I could hit her."

Kim's blank face showed neither pleasure nor remorse. She was well trained. "I’ll only ask you once more, then I’ll search your dead body."

Kat contemplated letting her end her existence, but the voice deep inside said no. Live. She moved her blood covered hand to her thigh pocket, removed the Music Box, and stared at it.

"Give it here." Kim held out her hand.

She stared at Kim’s face. "Promise me, you’ll give it back."

"What?" She couldn’t believe Kat's request.

"Promise you’ll give it back, and I’ll loan it to you."

"What are you, a child? Do you really think I’ll..." Kim gave up on reasoning with her. "Fine, I promise." She snatched the box. "There, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?" Kim stood, turned, and headed for the front.

Starting to get light headed, Kat pushed herself up the wall to stand and smeared blood on the gray blocks. "You promised. Don’t forget to return it. It’s just a loan." She pressed her hand against her wound. "The Music Box is all I have." She mumbled, "I don’t think I can go on without it."

Kim paused at the front door. "What are you whining about?" Her cool and calm demeanor changed to irritation. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t care what happens to you!"

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Kat looked out the dust covered window as three vans pulled up beside the other two. "Not now." She looked to Kim and begged, "Please help me. Take me away from here. I'll die if I stay here."

"Help you?" Kim laughed. "Yeah right."

"Why is she so cruel?" Kat wondered.

She then pleaded, "At least leave me some ammo."

"I’m not going to stand here and listen to this." Kim started out the door.

"Kimmie, please..."

"What did you say?! You little..." Kim paused as an uncontrollable rage swept over her. She turned, aiming the gun. "No one calls me that! No one calls me that anymore!"

Kat said nothing as she slid down the wall to sit, landed in a defeated lump, and stared at the floor. "If I could only cry," she thought. "At least I would be doing something. At least..."

"You sicken me." Kim snarled. "You..." A devious thought crossed her mind. "You want ammo?" She ejected her clip and removed one round. "Here then." She removed a thin permanent marker from her knapsack and wrote on the shell casing. She put the marker back in her knapsack, walked over, and set the 9 mm round on the floor, pointing up. "If things get unbearable." Kim made a gun with her left hand and fired it at her own head. "Do us all a favor." She left.

Beaten down by circumstance, Kat stared at the bullet as the world crashed in on her. She read the words written on the shell, "Pale Horse."

Kat leaned her head back and closed her eyes as her shoulder wound burned. "Preacher, where's your encouraging words of light and hope now that darkness is about to consume me?" She heaved a great sigh of defeat. "How am I going to survive this?"

* * *

The Sanctum...

Deep underground, alarms blared, sending the Chamber into chaos. Analysts scrambled, examining new data.

"What is going on?" Mr. Morta demanded.

"Pandora’s vitals are dropping," frantic, a supervisor relayed. "Our sensors are detecting major trauma and blood loss."

"What about Argus?” Mr. Decuma asked. “What does he have to report?"

"So far, two waves of Un-Men have attacked Pandora." Ms. Nona studied the data on her laptop. "Pandora received the usual minor wounds. Argus also reports that a woman, known as Ms. Griffin, shot Pandora in the shoulder, and took the Music Box."

Mr. Morta looked to each of the other members of the Council. "We never did figure out who gave Pandora the Note, the business card, or the Music Box."

"Now it has none of them." Ms. Nona turned to the larger of the two men. "Should we retrieve Pandora?"

"No, not yet," Mr. Morta answered. "This will be a true test. Pandora has relied too much on the Music Box for emotional support. I have had my suspicions that an outside force has been interfering. Now that that interference is gone, let us see what Pandora can do."

Chapter Twenty-five

A Message From The Past

The sixth hour tolled on the street clock as Kim rushed out of Etna Toys. She hurried around to the back parking lot, not wanting to tangle with the Un-Men. She carried her gun in one hand and the Music Box in the other. An Un-Man leaned against the passenger side of her car. Wary, she slowed to a walk. Kim tucked the Music Box in the zipper pocket of her jacket.

The Rogue spoke as she approached, "Ms. Griffin, I do not understand."

Suspicious of it, Kim asked, "Don’t understand what?"

"Pandora. If anyone else did what you did to her, they would be dead right now. But not you. Actually, I have lost count of how many assassins she has decommissioned." It picked dirt out of its nails. "And before you boast, your skills are why you are standing here, you should know... She trusted you," the Rogue said, not so much accusing, but astonished. "I mean she really trusted you. Only one other did she place such hope and well, that minister is dead, but that is another story."

She searched the area to see if other Un-Men were around, but none were. "This Un-Man is different," she thought. "More human than the others in its manner and in its smile."

The Rogue studied Kim and recorded everything about her. "I do not know why, but Pandora drops her guard when you are around. How else could you betray her?"

"Betray?" Kim thought as she kept a tight grip on her gun.

She then replied, "You're insinuating she trusted me."

"Ah, I see you are skeptical. But before I continue, I should introduce myself. They call me the Rogue," it said. "Now back to what I was saying. Pandora trusted you. First case in point. She removed her Ravlek Vest. Why would she do that if threatened by you?"

She shrugged and readied herself to shoot it at the slightest hint of attack.

"I cannot figure it out either. What is it about you?" The Rogue tilted its head. "I do not think Pandora realizes she is doing it. Maybe deep down in her subconscious, she believes she knows you. Maybe she believes you two have met in the past. Or maybe you did not point a gun at her when you first met. That quality alone might endear someone to her, but I could be wrong. I do not know. I was not there." It added, "Or was I?"

Impatient to leave, Kim asked, "What I don’t understand is why you’re telling me all this?"

"Oh, that is right." The Rogue mimicked Ms. Griffin’s voice. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t care what happens to you."

Amazed she heard her own voice, Kim started to question, "How did you..."

"Oh, please. I am a machine. I can reproduce any sound." The Rogue calculated the answer to its next inquiry. "Would you like me to repeat Pandora’s plea for you to save her? It was so sweet and innocent. Even I heard the fear in it. I heard the fear that you would leave her to her fate and that she would die alone."

"I don't have time for this. So if you don't mind, I'm leaving." Kim started to walk around to the driver's side, keeping her distance from the Rogue.

It ignored her and mimicked Pandora, "Please help me. Take me away from here."

"Stop it!" she snapped. "I said I didn’t..."

"Want to hear it. I know. But I am supposed to be heartless." The Rogue eyed her accusingly. "Humans are the ones who have to work at it."

"Why are you here?" She snarled, impatient to leave and agitated at the accusations. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" The Rogue turned to the warehouse and moved its hand and caressed the handle of the Bowie. "I want to kill Pandora." Disappointed, it said, "But it seems the T-3s will beat me to her." The Rogue turned to Kim. "You know they have been acting strangely lately. But then, what does a Rogue know." It moved from the car and walked a couple of paces away from her. "Well, be seeing you. I am too depressed to watch the outcome of this battle. Pandora does not have a chance." The Rogue took off running and soon disappeared from sight.

She slid into the seat of her car, took one more look at Etna Toys, started up the engine, and pulled away. "Finally, I’m rid of this Katharine mess." She drove for twenty minutes, getting some distance between herself and the warehouse. She pulled over, anxious to look at the Music Box. Kim removed it from her pocket, held it in her palm, and examined it. Some of Kat's dried blood covered the top.

Kim thought, "Okay, mom. Why did you want me to get this thing? Father said it's a data storage unit." She turned it over and over, studying it. "So how does it work? What kind of information is on it?" Kim thought how badly she missed her mother and how she would make whoever took her away from her pay dearly. "Will it tell me who murdered you?" She opened the lid, and Unfinished Melody played.

She closed it and turned it over, examining every side again. "Nothing," Kim said. "There’s nothing." She stared at the Music Box. "Now what am I suppose to do? How am I to find your murderer? I don't even know where to start." She whispered, "Mom, I..."

A hum emanated from it, and two tiny squares on each end of the Music Box glowed blue. The light radiated through the metal surface. Kim examined each square then placed her thumb and index finger over them. It vibrated, and a 3-D image of her mother's head and shoulders materialized above the lid.

The hologram spoke, "Voice identity confirmed as Kimberly Griffin. Data storage unit activated." The hologram blinked a couple of times, and she glanced around as if awakening from a deep sleep. The hologram scanned Kim and stated, "Kimmie, if you are viewing this, I am probably dead. There are so many things I want to tell you, but now isn’t the time. I hope, no I pray, not too much time has passed. There is something you must do. You are so young, eighteen."

"You’re two decades too late," Kim said as she ran her hand through the image. "I’m sorry it took me so long to come across the photo."

"Two decades have passed? This does change things." The hologram paused, processing the information. "It may be too late then."

Surprised, she lifted the Music Box. "You can hear me?"

"Yes, I am programed to interact."

A child like joy spread across Kim's face. "I have so many questions, but you said too late. Too late for what?"

"First promise me you will do this thing. Do this thing for your mother." The hologram added as an after thought, "It will be dangerous."

She chuckled, thinking of her years as a Life Closer and glanced at the gun she’d laid on the passenger seat. "I think I can handle dangerous."

"Then all I need to hear is that you promise, and I will tell you."

Kim said eagerly, "I promise."

"Theresa hates giving this task to you, but there is no one else she can trust." The hologram looked worried. "Theresa had made so many enemies in and out of the corporation." The hologram raked her bangs out of her eyes. "As Project Manager of Research and Development, Theresa was privy to many projects in other departments. You may not remember, but one unspeakable one caught her attention. It involved children, and she tried to put a stop to it. Now, you must take up where she failed." The hologram's image flickered. "I don’t know how you will find her, but there is this girl..." The hologram paused. "Well, she would be a woman now. Her name is Katharine."

A bad feeling came over Kim as she gasped and murmured, "Hades... No... It can’t be."

The hologram continued. "You must save her from them. The only other thing I can tell you is the project name she is under."

In disbelief, Kim put one hand to her temple and said, "Don’t tell me. Pandora."

The hologram replied, "Yes, but how did you know?"

"Let’s say I’ve encountered her."

A beeping alarm went off, and the hologram said, "Someone is monitoring this transmission." She turned her head as if looking outside. "I must terminate communication."

"Wait!" Kim said. "I have so many questions. Who killed my mom?"

"There are many possible suspects, but that isn’t important right now. You must save Katharine. Save her. She’s the Key." The hologram stared right at Kim. "You will not be able to activate this unit until it is safe. Find her." Her image disappeared.

"Key to what?! Wait!" Kim shook the Music Box. "Tell me!" She slammed her fist on the steering wheel. "Why couldn’t you tell me?" She leaned back in her seat, staring at the ceiling. "I can’t believe this! For Ares’ sake! What’s with my luck?!"

She envisioned herself back at Etna. "Hey Katharine. Umm, sorry I shot you in the shoulder." Kim forced a smile. "Funny thing... I... Ah..." She chuckled. "Have come back to save you." The awkward scene faded in her mind. "Who’s the idiot now?" She threw her hands up. "What am I going to say?" She rubbed her temple as she stared at the Music Box, opened it, and Unfinished Melody played. “I am turning out to be a stalker. For Ares' sake...” She took a deep breath. "I guess I’ll have to swallow my pride and go get Katharine. That’s if she isn’t dead." Kim cursed, "Hades! What if she's dead?" She panicked. "What will I do?" She quickly placed the Music Box in her glove compartment and started the car. "What kind of messed up world have I stumbled into? I’m a Closer for Ares’ sake!" She made a U turn and floored the pedal, heading back to Etna Toys. "When did saving people enter my job description?"

Chapter Twenty-six

A New Development

6:22 P.M...

Minutes before Kim arrived in the car to take the Music Box away from Kat...

Peters and Maxwell went over data from the latest Un-Men trial. Peters stepped from the van to the sidewalk and stretched. The two S.C.Ms. looked over as he exited. They nodded to him and went about their guard duty. He raked his fingers through his unkempt black hair. He glanced up at the barriercumulus ever entombing the mega-city and remembered when he was a kid over thirty years ago.

“If I close my eyes,” he thought. “I can still see it. The sun shining on Noir.”

He removed his glasses, rubbed his tired eyes, and said, "I’ve been thinking."

Inside the van...

Maxwell turned from the table. "What’s that?"

"The T-3s and the Rogue, what if you were right? What if they do have a ghost in the machine?" Peters rubbed his palms together as the air grew chilly then put his hands in his lab coat pockets. "What if they are evolving? Becoming self aware?"

Maxwell chuckled. "You’re kidding, right?" He joined him on the sidewalk. "You’ve been reading those old Science Fiction books again. You need to invest your money in better things. Like the Corporate Senate says, novels will rot your brain. Why do you think they banned them in the first place?"

Peters said, "Please, don’t even get me started on the book ban. I mean, what’s wrong with stories?" The rumble of engines distracted him, and he turned, glancing behind them. "Who’s this?"

Three vans drove down the street and stopped a short distance behind the two already parked at the curb.

"What are they doing here?" Peters wondered aloud as he moved to the end of their van. "We never requested a third batch of Un-Men." He waved over the two S.C.Ms. and ordered them, "Go talk to the driver. See why they’re here."

The S.C.Ms. headed for the first vehicle.

"I thought we were the only team working today." Maxwell glanced at the driver’s side of the first van, but only saw his own reflection in the tinted glass.

"What?" Peters asked as he reviewed his notes.

"I said, I thought we were the only team working today."

"We are." Peters glanced at the S.C.Ms.

"I know." Maxwell started to go back into the van. "That was a statement not a question."

The first S.C.M. adjusted his assault rifle's strap that rested on his shoulder, glanced at the second S.C.M. to make sure the other soldier had his back, and tapped the driver’s window. The S.C.M. motioned with his finger. "Roll down your window."

There was no response.

"Did you hear me?" the first S.C.M. questioned. "I said..."

The electric window hummed as it lowered, then a man with a pale face turned his head and stared at the soldier. His light blue eyes looked unreal. "Hey there gov."

"You aren’t supposed to be here." The first S.C.M. pointed toward the techs. "A team is already in place."

The driver tilted his head. "Are you sure? I’m pretty... pretty... sure we are to be here, puppet."

"Puppet?" The first S.C.M. looked at the driver oddly, then he and the other soldier removed their assault rifles.

"Yes. Pretty puppets." The driver lifted a gun and fired three shots at the soldiers, killing the first S.C.M.

The second S.C.M. stumbled back, nicked in the neck, raised his FAMAS, and opened fire on the driver, shouting, "He’s a T-3!"

Maxwell and Peters dove to the ground, hearing the gun fire.

"Who are they shooting at?" Maxwell shouted, covering his head with his hands.

"I don’t know!" Afraid, Peters didn’t look up.

The T-3 got out of the vehicle, walked to the soldier, shot him in the stomach, and grabbed the man by the throat. With one quick turn, it broke the S.C.M.’s neck and dropped his limp body to the road.

The techs heard no more gunfire, so Maxwell scrambled along the sidewalk to the back of the van, and looked around the vehicle’s tire. He saw the T-3.

"I don’t believe it," Maxwell whispered back to his partner. "The Un-Man is wearing contacts to hide its eyes. It was smart enough to hide its identity." He started back. "We’ve got to get out of here." He looked to Peters, who was frozen in fear. "Did you hear me?! Get in the van!" Maxwell shouted as he ran to the passenger’s side, got in, tossed himself to the driver’s seat, and started up the vehicle. He threw the gear shift to D just as Peters jumped in the back through the sliding door.

The vehicle peeled off.

Eleven more T-3s unloaded from the vans. In unison, the twelve marched past the sidewalk in three lines and halted. They stared at Etna Toys as they stated, “Preparing to engage main target.”

Peters closed the side door. "What just happened?" He moved over and held on to the bolted table as computers and equipment moved across it. "A T-3 killed two of our soldiers."

Maxwell wiped sweat from his head. "Are they pursuing?"

"No." Peters caught one last glimpse of the area before their van turned a corner. "They’re staring at the warehouse. I think they’re going after Pandora."

"Why?" After making the turn, Maxwell floored the pedal, and the van sped off. "And how did they get out of the Factory?" He dreaded the answer. "Peters, get up here! Radio in and see what you can find out."

Peters took the seat beside him. He grabbed the mic and pressed the side button. "Factory, this is Tech One-eleven. We have a situation. Please respond."

He released the button, and static returned his request.

Peters repeated the frantic call. "Factory, this is Tech One-eleven. Please respond." He turned to Maxwell. "I don’t like this one bit."

"Keep calling." Maxwell said hopeful, "Someone will pick up."

"Factory, this is Tech One-eleven. Please respond."

Static.

"Factory, this is Tech One-eleven. Please respond."

Static.

"Factory, this is Tech One-eleven. Please respond..."

Chapter Twenty-seven

Take The Project

6:34 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Industrial Vicinage...

At Etna Toys...

Two blocks away from the four remaining vans and in the safety of an alley, Argus monitored the new development with the T-3s through binoculars. He witnessed them killing the S.C.Ms. and the techs fleeing the scene. He touched his earpiece. "Patch me immediately to the Council."

The Chamber...

A female supervisor transferred the call to an intercom in the center of the table. Once she finished, she stated, "Go ahead. You're patched in."

"Council, Argus here. A dozen T-3s arrived and took out two Factory soldiers. They're now moving on the warehouse."

Mr. Morta said, "It would seem the Factory has lost control of their Un-Men. I wonder..."

Ms. Nona turned to him. "Wonder about what?"

"What is the T-3s' true purpose?" Mr. Morta questioned. "I have a feeling there is more to their arrival than merely taking out Pandora. Perhaps they have another agenda."

Mr. Decuma asked, "Should we act?"

"Not yet, but make the preparations. For now, we will do what we do best. Watch." Mr. Morta turned to the supervisor. "Inform Argus..."

Gunfire came over the intercom and interrupted him.

"Two T-3s have moved on my position!" Argus shouted over the intercom. "Returning fire!" More gun blast erupted. "I’ve been hit in the leg. Retreating! I'll..."

White noise replaced his voice.

"Communication has been severed," the supervisor reported. "I'll attempt to reestablish." She turned to them with a look of worry. "My attempt failed."

Mr. Morta stood, turned his back on the other two members, contemplated the situation, and faced them. "I am afraid everything has changed. The T-3s do have another agenda. We need to act. Get me the commander of our S.C.Ms."

Inside Etna Toys...

Kat leaned against the cold concrete wall, staring at the 9 mm round Kim placed on the floor. She pressed against the bullet wound in her shoulder as blood trickled down her left side. A fluorescent light flickered overhead as her hot breath steamed in the chilly air. Fifteen minutes had passed since the sixth hour tolled and since Kim left with the Music Box. Kat felt empty and distraught without the calming Unfinished Melody. She shivered, growing colder. Kat wasn't sure if she was cold because of the weather or from the blood loss.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Everything within her screamed for her to flee so Kat pushed herself up the wall and slowly started for the side door. Two T-3s entered and blocked her escape. She turned for the front door, but it was too late. Within seconds, a dozen T-3s marched in and surrounded her. Kat stood there exhausted and weak, waiting for their next move. She glanced at the Ravlek Vest lying on the table some distance from her.

"I'm defenseless," Kat thought as she shivered uncontrollably. "So what are they waiting for? Why don't they end this? Why don't they just kill me?!"

"Pretty puppet!" the dozen T-3s shouted, slowly raised their guns, and aimed at her.

Their fiery crimson dot-light blinked as they communicated with each other and with those who were elsewhere. The T-3s could think and act as one without the Factory.

The Team Leader (the one with the blue contacts) stated, "Pandora acquired."

Kat tensed. "I'm so scared." She closed her eyes.

"Secondary objective completed.” The Team Leader ordered, “Disable Pandora."

Two T-3s stepped forward. One lifted its hand and backhanded her, knocking her across the room. Kat landed on a tarp covering empty boxes near the front door. Dust flew up and filled her lungs along with the smell of cardboard. The two T-3s separated and came at her from different directions, expecting a fight from her. One inadvertently kicked the round that had been lying on the floor, and the bullet bounced and rolled to her. She lay there stunned and dazed, but managed the strength to apply pressure to her wound.

The first T-3 to arrive by her side paused, noticing the blood. It grabbed her hand, lifted it, and saw the bullet hole. It placed its finger in the wound, and she cried out. The T-3 examined the blood on its nail and turned to the Team Leader.

"Pandora is disabled. Proceed with termination?"

"No," the Team Leader answered. "Hold. We will take her back to the Factory. Perhaps we will learn some valuable information from her." It walked to the elevator. "The rest of you proceed with the first objective." It pointed. "Open those doors."

Three of them moved forward and stopped, hearing the elevator activate. Within a minute, the elevator came to a halt, and the doors opened. Five pairs of eyes glowed yellow within the dark cab, and the unknown creatures growled. Five K-99s leaped at a T-3, and the elevator closed. An early model of bio-mecha, these mechanical creatures resembled Irish Wolfhounds down to the steel-gray wavy fur. The K-99s bit and clawed at the Un-Man till one of them ripped off its head.

"Take them out!" the Team Leader ordered, aiming its weapon.

The T-3s opened fire, destroying two of the K-99s. The remaining three K-99s formed a line, and their backs opened, revealing a machine gun. The K-99s fired and filled the large room with the roar of bullets and gun blast. Both the T-3s and K-99s continued shooting. The K-99s barrage took down three of the T-3s before being destroyed themselves. The K-99s collapsed to the floor as sparks burst from their furry bodies. The warehouse fell silent as smoke from gunpowder rose in the air like a grayish-white cloud.

"Open those doors," the Team Leader commanded.

Four T-3s moved forward as a shrilling whistle emanated from a K-99, and its body glowed.

"What is this?" the Team Leader questioned, hearing the sound. It recognized the noise and commanded, "Fall back!"

The T-3s fled as the K-99 exploded, knocking all of them to the floor. The Team Leader stood and looked over the others. The four whom it sent to open the doors were damaged. Three of them were completely destroyed and lay in pieces as the fourth, with its legs blown off, pulled itself across the floor.

"You two." The Team Leader moved to Pandora and motioned to the T-3s guarding her. "Join the other, then you three open that elevator."

They moved forward, and the three T-3s marched to the elevator, passing their crawling comrade. Two of the T-3s tucked their guns and grabbed the doors, prying them open, while the third covered them with its weapon. They forced the elevator open and found an empty lit cab. Sometime after the explosion, the elevator had returned. The two T-3s removed their weapons and entered the cab as the third followed. The third one moved to press the basement button when a white sticky web shot from the ceiling, entangling it in a cocoon like a helpless fly. The other two T-3s raised their guns, firing at the ceiling as six spider bio-mechas crawled in through the escape hatch. They were two foot in diameter and all metal. Bullets sprayed and ricocheted, taking out the lights. The cab fell dark. The Arachnoids studied the Un-Men with their eight, green, beady eyes. They jumped down and attacked the remaining two T-3s as the elevator closed.

The Team Leader turned to Pandora as it uplinked with others of its kind. "Lost containment of sight." It lifted its gun, aiming at her. Its fake blue eyes showing neither remorse or pleasure.

"Its eyes are just like Kimberly's," she thought, tensing for her end.

The Team Leader said, "Can no longer secure Pandora. Extraction failed. I will terminate Pandora."

Chapter Twenty-eight

The End For One

Moments earlier...

After the K-99 exploded and took out most of the T-3s, Kat watched as the Team Leader ordered the two T-3s guarding her to join the other one. She wondered, "What are the Un-Men after?" She pressed against her shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding and winced. "Why are they so concerned with opening the elevator? What’s below?" Kat glanced at the dog bio-mechas. "Who or what are the K-99s guarding?" She coughed for the dust she stirred up.

The elevator opened, and the Arachnoids attacked the T-3s. Once the elevator closed again, the Team Leader turned to Kat and aimed at her. She searched the area with her hand for a weapon. She felt along the dusty concrete and only found the 9 mm round. She whimpered, defeated. "So many times I’ve faced death." Knowing this was it, she looked around the warehouse and then up at the T-3. "Will my search end where it began?"

She clenched the bullet and held it to her chest, too weak to stop the Team Leader. "Pale Horse, is your rider coming for me?" She smelled the lingering gun smoke and the cardboard of the boxes she lay on.

The objective was clear. Take out the target. Two shots to the head would do it. Muzzle flashed twice as empty shells fell to the floor and bounced. Kat jerked. The shots echoed across the building as smoke rolled from the gun. Liquid trickled from two wounds in the forehead and converged at the nose.

The Team Leader turned its head toward the front door. "Pretty puppet?" It collapsed to its knees and fell on its face as its artificial life blood spilled from the two wounds in its head.

In disbelief, Kat stared at the disabled T-3 and looked to the door. Kim stood there with the PPK raised. She had been the one who fired.

Kat wondered, "Kimberly has saved me, but why?" Weakening by the second, she tried to stay conscious. “What cruel part... does she have in these tests?”

"Made it just in time," Kim thought as she lowered the gun and moved to her.

"Well, I’m back," she stated as if announcing her entrance to a party. Kim noticed her pale face.

"I still can’t believe I’m helping her," Kim thought.

She then said, "Well." Kim scanned the area for more Un-Men and noted the K-99s in pieces and the one T-3 with no legs, pulling itself toward them. "Are you going to sit there or are we going to leave?"

"You came back?" Kat said. "But I thought..." She tried to sit up and pushed herself forward, but didn’t have the strength to stand. “I thought you didn't want to help me.”

“Things change. Why are you complaining? For Ares' sake! Be glad I came back. And where's my thank you for saving your life?” Kim locked the gun, tucked it in her shoulder holster, and knelt beside Kat. Kim placed her arm around her and helped her up. "Ahh..." Kim almost vomited. "Have you ever heard of a bath?"

Kat gritted her teeth as they made their way out. The car was outside in the front parking lot, and with Kim's help, she made her way to the car.

Kim opened the passenger door, set her inside, and buckled her in. She stepped back, looked at the interior of her car, and said, "Try not to bleed on the leather." She shut the door, hurried to the other side, and started up the engine. The Corvette peeled off, kicking up leaves as Kim headed for the nearest hospital.

Back inside Etna Toys...

The elevator doors opened, and the Council exited. Five S.C.Ms., armed with XM8 assault rifles, followed them. The soldiers wore a dark green uniform with a shoulder patch of the Sphinx Corporation Emblem. The Council's Crest of a silver spool of thread, a tape measure, and a pair of scissors hung above the shield. The S.C.Ms. spread out and secured the perimeter. Two of them approached the legless T-3 pulling itself across the floor. The S.C.Ms. shot and disabled it.

Mr. Morta looked over the mess of bio-mecha parts. "It would seem the Sanctum has been compromised. The T-3s somehow discovered our base. But why attack us?" He turned to one of the S.C.Ms. "We are abandoning Etna Toys. Pull up the Sanctum. We will look for another base of operations."

"At once." The S.C.M. entered the elevator, and the cab doors closed.

"Yes, why attack us?" Mr. Decuma walked up beside Mr. Morta. "And why capture Argus? Are we sure the Factory is not behind this?"

"I doubt it," Ms. Nona answered. "The T-3s did kill two of the Factory’s corporate military men."

"Unless that and the news that the T-3s went rogue were all a ruse." Mr. Morta rubbed his chin. "Either way, some force is after us, and I would like to know why. Only a handful of people know of our existence."

"The more important question is, were they here to destroy us or were they after our research?" Ms. Nona asked.

Mr. Decuma added, "Yes, a very good question."

Mr. Morta knelt beside a K-99, petted its furry head, and whispered, "All of you did well. You protected the Sanctum."

Ms. Nona walked up beside him. "What about Pandora?" She paused, waiting on a reply, and continued when he said nothing. "After more than a year, I think it is about time we deemed Pandora a failure.”

“I agree,” Mr. Decuma said. “We should terminate the Project." He glanced at the Team Leader, who was face down in a black pool. "The Project would have died if Ms. Griffin had not interfered. I say we terminate our first attempt and begin on the second."

Mr. Morta glanced at the other Council members and stood. "Activate the second project. It will take time before it is operational. For now, we will let Pandora live." He looked out the front windows. "I am curious as to why Ms. Griffin shot then saved Pandora."

He thought, "Pandora, you must realize it now. Those whom you were looking for were right underneath you." Mr. Morta couldn’t help but think fondly of her. "You came so close to discovering us." He secretly admired her persistence. "Now what will you do? Will you trust Ms. Griffin after what she has done?"

* * *

A half hour later...

The Rogue made its way to one of the Factory's vans parked at the curb. It opened the side door, keeping an eye on the few Council S.C.Ms. still within Etna Toys. They hadn't spotted it. The Rogue looked inside the vehicle.

"Excellent, there is a computer." It entered the van, slid the door shut, and sat at the table. It typed on a keyboard. "So, the Sanctum was at Etna Toys all along. Very clever of the Council." It logged on to the Factory’s main system. "And Pandora, you have survived another day. Excellent. After all–" It pulled up a few files. "–I should be the one to kill you."

The Rogue searched through several documents. "What are the T-3s up to?" It scanned file after file. "Why are they after the Council?" The Rogue searched through more documents. "Nothing here about those questions. Wait. What is going on?"

Files started disappearing.

"Someone is deleting the system. I will have to act fast if I want to get any information." The Rogue opened a file and read over it with robotic speed. "This file mentions an experiment called organic-mecha and references another file." It quickly pulled it up. "This is interesting. So this is what proceeded bio-mechas. Hmm... Why did Sphinx abandoned the project? Ah... I see. But does this have anything to do with me or Pandora? Not that I can tell." The Rogue read on. "Wait, here is a reference..."

Before the Rogue could read any further, the file deleted.

"ASCII! No!" It slammed its fist on the table and rattled the equipment. "There was a reference to the Pandora Project. Maybe I can still..."

The remaining files deleted, and the link to the mainframe disconnected.

"I guess someone does not want me finding out something." The Rogue stood, bent over to leave the van, slid open the door, and two S.C.Ms. stood outside, aiming their weapon at it. "Hello." The Rogue raised its hands and stepped from the van. "You really do not want to do this. I can tell by your shoulder patch you work for the Council. Let me go and this will not get messy."

A S.C.M. touched his earpiece. "Inform the Council we have the Rogue."

"Have?" it questioned and stated, "Have is such a strong word."

In one quick motion, the Rogue removed its Bowie and cut across the one soldier’s throat. Blood spurted as the second S.C.M. fired his assault rifle. It evaded the shots and tackled the man to the ground, stripping the soldier of his weapon. The Rogue buried its knee in the man’s chest, and the soldier could hardly breathe.

It said, "I want you to give the Council a message."

His face mangled in pain as he grabbed at the Rogue's arms, trying to force it off of him.

"Tell the Council, leave me alone, and I will leave them alone. If not..." The Rogue grabbed his arm and twisted it hard. "Things could get broken."

The man screamed and three more S.C.Ms. ran out of Etna Toys. The Rogue stood and took off as they fired. It disappeared down the street.

"Too bad," the Rogue thought. "I hoped to find more information about Pandora in the Factory's main system, but it is like she does not exist." It ran several blocks, came upon a major street, and hailed a taxi.

"Where to?" the male driver asked it.

The Rogue entered the back. "The nearest hospital. I am feeling a little under the weather."

The driver looked at the pale faced passenger, wondering if whatever he had might be contagious, nodded, and drove down the road.

"After a year, I know so little about you, Pandora," the Rogue thought. "No matter. I do not need to know you to kill you. All I need to know is where you are. And I have a pretty good idea."

Chapter Twenty-nine

Not Out Of Danger Yet

7:47 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Within the Corvette...

"Why?" Kat wondered, glancing at Kim as the memory of her shooting her replayed over and over in her mind. Her wound still burned as much as confusion plagued her. "Why injure me then save me?" In agony, she turned and leaned her head against the passenger’s side window.

Buildings and street lights sped by in the blackness. The mass of Dry Clouds lightened from jet-black to light gray.

Kat felt weak and helpless. Her shoulder hurt as she pressed against the seeping hole and clenched Pale Horse. She looked down at her blistered left palm, lying limp on her leg. The sharp ache in her shoulder redirected her focus, and she hardly noticed the throbbing and the burning of the scorched skin.

They sped down Healing Way and turned at the entrance to Asclepius Hospital as Kim talked on a cell phone. "Yes, Brian, it’s me. Don’t hang up! Now listen. I want you..." She paused as he interrupted her, and Kim snapped, "Don’t tell me that! You owe me, and I collect what’s owed to me. Now..." She calmed herself. "We need to do this covertly. So where do you want to meet?" Kim paused, listening. "Okay, we'll be there in a minute." She hung up and drove to the west side, where they were remodeling the hospital.

A doctor, in white scrub pants and shirt, skittishly stood, waiting with a wheelchair. He looked around the empty parking lot and the surrounding area. He ran to them, pushing the wheelchair as Kim pulled up. He opened the passenger door, and Kat noticed his name badge read Dr. Chiron. He had kind brown eyes and dark brown hair. She later noticed he had a soothing voice.

Brian helped the pale woman into the wheelchair and saw red staining the cream colored leather seat. "What happened?"

"Later," Kim snapped. "Get her inside and stop the bleeding. I’m going to park the car." She noticed the passenger seat. "Hades! I'll also need to clean up in here."

"Don’t leave her with me," Brian demanded. "And this will make us even."

"For Ares' sake, I won't. And we're far from being even." She commanded, "Shut the door. I'll meet you inside."

Brian closed the door, and she pulled off.

Sometime later...

Brian quickly wheeled Kat into a room. Plastic sheets covered the bed and counters. A single window revealed the dark parking lot outside. He removed one of the sheets, grabbed latex gloves, and pulled them on. Brian helped her to sit on the bed, started to remove her jacket, noticed the burn on her palm, and that she gripped something in her right hand. He carefully removed her left sleeve and pulled the right one over her fisted hand. Brian tossed the jacket to the floor and set Kat back. He unpacked several sterile instruments. He took surgical scissors, cut her blood soaked t-shirt off, and threw it to the tile floor. He started to cut the sports bra, when she grabbed his arm with her injured left hand.

"Leave it," Kat barked like a wounded dog and glared at him.

Brian gulped. He’d seen that look on Kim’s face and knew not to mess with the woman. Brian searched for help. Normally, he would have an orderly help him or a nurse, but he was on his own. "I’ll only cut the one strap off. Okay? I need to operate on your shoulder."

Growing weaker, Kat remembered her fate at the hands of the techs and doctors when the Factory had captured her. They did many horrible things to her, trying to break her. She didn’t know if she could trust Dr. Chiron and eyed him suspiciously. "Kimberly brought me here. Maybe I can trust him," Kat thought and removed her hand from his gloved one. She relaxed a bit.

"Roll on your side," Brian requested. He cut the one strap, removed it, and examined the back of her shoulder. "The bullet went all the way through. I only have to get in there and stop the bleeding." He had her lie on her back. Brian rushed into the hall, then to a medicine closet, and unlocked it. He opened a drawer, pulled out a couple of needles, grabbed some vials, and headed back.

He set the items on the counter, unwrapped one of the needles, and stuck it in a vial. Brian noticed her silently watching him with distrusting eyes. "This is an antibiotic, then I’m going to give you something to numb your shoulder while I operate on it." He gave her the injections and inquired, "Who shot you?"

She said nothing, only accusingly stared at Kim as she entered. Brian noticed the look she gave Kim and continued his work. Kim checked the hall, then came and stood by him.

"I searched the floor. No one’s here." Kim peered over his shoulder and asked, "Will it take long?"

"Not too long," he answered. "Could you step back out of my light?"

Kim walked around the bed, stood by the wall, crossed her arms, and watched intently.

With surgeon precision and tender hands, Brian worked on Kat's shoulder for more than twenty minutes, then touched her arm to get her attention. "Can you roll on your side? We’re half way there."

Kat remained silent, rolled over, and stared at Kim as the doctor worked. "Is this some sort of trick?" Kat wondered. "Is Kimberly working for the Council? Why did she take my Music Box? And why did she save me?” She closed her eyes not wanting to look at the glaring Phoenix. “Why does it matter to me if she helps me or not? Is that the answer? Do I feel hurt and betrayed by her because I wanted her to help me?" She felt lost and wanted to cradle herself against the emotional and physical pain. "Where is the Music Box now? I need it. The headache has already started."

Kim noticed she gripped something in her hand and wondered, "What does Katharine have? A weapon maybe?"

She demanded, "Give me what you have."

Kat opened her eyes and glared back at her.

"Give it here." Kim put a hand to the purse dangling from her shoulder. "Remember, I won’t ask a third time."

Grudgingly, Kat opened her hand, revealing a blood covered bullet.

"It’s only a round," Kim thought. "Wait. Is that the one I left?" She saw her own hand writing. "Yes, it is." She narrowed her eyes. "Is she saving it to use on me?" She took the bullet and wiped most of the blood on a plastic sheet. "I’ll just keep it." Kim placed the bullet in a pocket and thought, "I’ll save this round and use it when I kill Katharine."

Brian started on a stitch, when something shiny half way embedded below her skin caught his attention. The bullet nicked the object, dislodging it enough to appear in the wound. "What’s this?" He grabbed an overhead lamp and pulled it close. "Kim, hand me the small forceps."

She handed the tweezer size instrument to him. "What do you see?"

He removed the small metal object and dropped it in a stainless steel tray. "I don’t know." Brian pushed it across the tray with the forceps and flipped it over, examining the rectangular thing the size of a grain of rice. "It looks like a chip they place in pets to identify them if they’re lost."

A realization sunk in and Kim said, "It’s more than that." She picked up the metal device and walked around to face Kat. "Is this how they’ve been tracking you? This thing tells them where to send the Un-Men, doesn't it?"

"Un-Men?" Brian questioned.

"I’ll explain later." She turned her attention back to Kat. "It is, isn’t it? Do you know you’re some sort of experiment?" She demanded, "What are you? What are you the Key to? Tell me!"

"Key?" Kat thought. "She thinks I’m the Key to something."

She answered, "I'm the Pandora Project. I'm hunted and tested."

Kim asked, "What does that mean? What's the Pandora Project? Who are you?"

“Sheez... Haven't you been listening? I already told you I can't remember my past. So you know as much as me.” Kat wanted to wrap herself into a fetal position and shield herself from the frustrating questions that had been haunting her the past year.

She wondered, “Why can't Kimberly leave me alone? Why does she have to keep hounding me? First, she wanted nothing to do with me, and now... Now I don't know. I'm so confused. I still can't believe she shot me!”

"Fine! Don't tell me," Kim snapped and started to leave the room with the metal device.

"Where are you going?" Brian asked.

Kim paused outside the door. "To get rid of this thing."

"Wouldn’t it be better to keep it?"

"No. I think it’s caused enough problems." She went to a restroom, flushed the tracking beacon, and returned.

He finished the stitches, cleaned Kat's left palm, put ointment on it, and wrapped the burn in gauze. He gave her a tetanus shot. "I'm finished," Brian said to Kim. "As long as infection doesn’t set in or she isn't allergic to anything I gave her, she should be fine with rest." He took out a clean blanket from a closet and covered Kat. "I’ve given her a sedative, so she’ll sleep for a few hours." Brian motioned for Kim to follow him out, and he shut the door behind them.

"You and she can stay overnight. But you’ll need to leave early tomorrow morning. The work crew will be here sometime around 9:00 A.M."

"What am I supposed to do? Take her to my place?" Kim couldn’t imagine having the strange woman in her apartment.

"It will probably be the safest. Hey! Don’t look at me that way." He pointed at her accusingly. "You’re the one who saved her from whatever." He dropped his hand. "Did you really think you could leave her here?"

"I guess I never thought that far ahead."

His expression softened as he asked, "Would you like something to eat, maybe coffee? I’m heading to the cafeteria."

"Yes, thank you. I'll have a ham sandwich and that lemon-lime soda Crite if they carry it."

"My old office is right through that door." He pointed. "You can stay there till morning. There’s a couch. A pillow and a blanket are in the closet, if you need to rest. I’ll be back within an hour to check on your friend. I’ll bring the sandwich and drink then."

"She’s not my friend," Kim insisted.

"Well, whoever." He started to leave.

"Brian, wait." She tenderly grabbed his elbow, and he turned. "Thanks,” she said. I didn’t know who else to turn to. Actually, I don't have anyone else to turn to. With what I do... You understand."

"I do and you’re welcome." He smirked. "A small payment to the large debt I owe you." Brian studied her tired face. "You look distraught. What happened today?"

Down the hall, a shadow stretched from a corner to listen in.

Kim didn’t know if she should tell him and if she could trust Brian. "I received a message from my mom."

He was sincere and happy for her. "She is fine then?"

Kim shook her head, holding back tears. "I discovered she died. She never abandoned me and my father. She was murdered."

"Murdered?" Brian couldn’t believe the news.

"Yes, and I'll find who did it." Her expression darkened as she fisted her right hand. "And they'll pay."

"How did you uncover this?" he asked.

"I remembered. I was there outside the office when the fire started, and I heard gun shots. I had repressed the memory." She glanced back at the room where Kat slept. "Something triggered it."

"I don’t know what to say." He put a gentle hand to her shoulder. "At least, you know she’s dead, and she didn’t abandon you. Murdered though... Like I said, I don’t know what to say."

"Listening to me is enough." She started for his office. "I need to get some rest. I’ve had a long day." Kim entered the room, closed the door behind her, and added loudly, "A very exhausting day."

Brian stared at the office for a moment and continued down the hall.

Tired, Kim glanced around. She saw a desk, bookshelves full of medical references, a tall cabinet, and a couch. She opened the cabinet, took the pillow and blanket, sat on the couch, and placed the PPK on a coffee table. Kim lay back and covered up. She reached up, turned off a lamp at her head, plunging the room into darkness. "What have I gotten myself into? Mom, why did you want me to save Katharine? And what am I suppose to save her from?" She rolled on her side, trying to sleep. "Did I make the right decision saving her? Or have I only caused myself more problems? I guess only time will tell."

Outside at the corner, the Rogue peeked around. "Is that a fact? Theresa Griffin was murdered. Hmm... It might be something interesting to investigate. But first thing is first..." It started down the hall. "You are getting sloppy Ms. Griffin. You left Pandora all by her lonesome. Huh? Who is this?" The Rogue detected someone approached and ducked back around the corner. "Who is he? I do not recognize him. I am always being interrupted. But I will wait." It ducked inside a supply closet. "For a chance alone with Pandora, I will wait."

* * *

The new Sanctum...

Within the makeshift Chamber...

Several analysts activated the equipment. The computers and large flat screen monitors powered up, casting the dark room in a blue glow. Shadows cast across the faces of the Council as they sat in chairs in the middle of the Chamber and stared at the monitors. Four security personnel set up a rectangular table before them.

Ms. Nona looked over reports a supervisor handed her. "Still no word on Argus,” Ms. Nona said. “And no word on the Factory. I fear they may have been compromised. There are reports across Noir of T-3s hitting different facilities of the Factory."

"So, do you believe the Factory has lost control and that the T-3s have taken over?" Mr. Morta asked.

"Yes," Ms. Nona replied.

Mr. Decuma started his report. "The second project, Cerberus, has been activated. It will be operational in two days."

Mr. Morta nodded.

A supervisor handed Ms. Nona another Hand Held Computer.

Ms. Nona relayed, "We have a problem. The tracking device we implanted in Pandora is no longer functioning."

"What about her bio-readings? Are we still detecting them?" Mr. Morta asked.

"Yes, it appears to be sleeping,” Ms. Nona said. “Pandora’s stats have improved, but are not in normal ranges."

"Should we send a team to the last place the beacon relayed so they may extract the project?" Mr. Decuma asked. "We cannot have it running rogue."

Mr. Morta said, "Pandora is far from rogue. Let her continue as a sub-project. We still may acquire valuable information from her bio-readings. Let us see what she does now that she is on her own."

He then thought, "Enjoy your freedom while you can. See how much of your history you can find. For I will not be able to hold back the Hands of the Fates."

"She? Her?" Mr. Decuma wondered. "Are these merely a slip of the tongue or has Mr. Morta forgotten the project’s place?" The younger male member paused in his thoughts then decided. "This development must be monitored. We cannot have a project influencing one of the Council. I will make sure of it."

Chapter Thirty

When Everything Is At Its Bleakest

10:43 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

The cold room smelled antiseptic, and the lingering dust made Kat sneeze. "Am I still at Etna Toys?" she wondered, blinking her eyes open. "I thought Kimberly..."

She noticed she lay on a bed in a hospital room and that the lights were off. Her left shoulder and palm hurt. A window, on the far side of the room, looked out on a dark parking lot. Light from a street lamp trickled in.

Kat tried to move, but her arms and legs felt heavy. "I remember. I’m in Asclepius Hospital. The doctor gave me some injections." She tried moving again. "I feel so weak. Has one of them not worn off?" Kat saw that a blanket covered her up to her chin.

A little less groggy, she moved her wrists and realized it wasn’t the medicine that made her arms and legs feel heavy. "Did Kimberly or the doctor do this to me? Why have they..."

The door creaked open and interrupted her thoughts. A man in a white lab coat walked in backwards, holding a clipboard.

"Here’s Brian now," she thought.

He flipped a switch, and Kat squinted as the bright lights flickered on. Brian walked over to a drawer, opened it, removed a plastic package, laid it on a tray, and removed a scalpel from it. He turned with the instrument in hand, and the small blade glinted in the light.

Kat gasped. It wasn’t Brian who stood before her, but the Rogue, the blackguard of her nightmares. She forced herself to exhale. "Why didn’t my heart pound the bio-mecha warning? Is it the drugs?" Her breathing increased as she was powerless to save her own life. Kat looked to the door, but no help was there. "I could cry out, but who would come? Is anyone even out there?"

"Alone at last," the Rogue said as it walked to the left side of the bed.

She followed it with her eyes, and it smirked at her like a devilish cat.

"I thought you would be singing with the angels after I left Etna Toys. But here you are, Pandora. I guess we were meant to meet again. Lucky for me."

It didn’t wear its shades, and she could see its robotic eyes. Its eyes showed a hint of pleasure.

"You amaze me again, but this time it was not your skills that saved you, but Ms. Griffin's." The Rogue chuckled. "Well, saved you the second time." It made a gun with its hand and aimed it at her. "The first time, she did not really help you, did she?" It poked her wounded shoulder with the barrel of its imaginary gun.

Kat winced, too afraid to say anything.

"I am still not sure why the Chairman’s daughter is involved. What does she have to do with you?"

The Rogue stroked her cheek with the blunt side of the scalpel, and she shrunk from its touch.

"I can investigate the reason in the future. Once our game has come to an end, I will need something to do. Though, I will have to say I love the time we spend together." It scanned her. "I detect your tracking beacon has been disabled. Did you finally remove it?"

At first, Kat didn't understand what it meant, but then she remembered the small piece of metal Brian removed from her shoulder.

It studied her expression. "What? Did you not know? How do you think the Un-Men always found you?" The Rogue stroked her Tainted Rain stained hair. "How I keep finding you?"

"What do you want?" she asked. “Why are you always toying with me?”

"What do I want? You women, you both ask me the same thing. I am surprised you do not know. I want what I have always wanted. Your death by my hands." The Rogue glanced around the room and out the door’s small window. "And here we are all alone. And you without your gun. It is a shame. Not that a gun would have helped you. You have not been able to directly hit me in all our battles. Though, I have been impressed with them in the past." It grabbed her chin. "So how are we going to play this time?" It glanced at the scalpel it held and threw the instrument across the room, embedding the blade half way into the wall. "Let us not play doctor again."

She tried to move her right wrist and thought, "Why did it have to be now? Why did the Rogue have to find me like this?"

It removed the lab coat that covered its suit and unsheathed its Bowie. "This is much better." The Rogue placed the blade against her throat. "Pandora, you are the driving force that gives meaning to my existence."

Kat whimped as the blade slightly cut her. She forced herself to stare at the Rogue as a trickle of blood ran down her neck and she whispered, "And you're the bane of mine."

"So let us begin this final battle. Your move Pandora. What are you going to do? What attack or tactic will save you this time?"

Outside some distance away...

Brian ran down the hall, shouting, "Kim!"

Startled, Kim sat up, searching his office over the barrel of her gun. It took a few moments before she realized she was at the hospital. Brian burst into the room.

"We have a problem," he shouted almost out of breath.

Down the hall in the other room...

“Your move Pandora. What are you waiting for? Do something! Do not look at me with that helpless face of yours! Attack! Counter my move! Why are you not doing anything? Why have you given up?” Her submissiveness frustrated it. "Do you want to die?" The Rogue cut her neck a little deeper and a red trail of liquid flowed down its blade. "Fight me!"

"I can’t," she admitted. "I can’t."

"What?! No! You cannot deny me!" The Rogue threatened, "I will kill you if you will not fight me! I will bring a halt to our Endless Waltz."

Kat remained silent, knowing there was nothing she could do. Her eyes burned as trepidation boarded her brain and hijacked control. Fear soaked through every action she took, making it difficult to move even the slightest bit. Her head jerkily turned like a robot's, and Kat had to force herself to breathe.

"Fine then! I will gut you!" It threw back the blanket ready to cut her open and halted. "What is this?"

In Dr. Chiron’s office...

Kim stood, lowered the gun, and asked, "What problem?"

Brian was nearly out of breath. "One of the doctors... was over here with a nurse... and well, you can imagine why. Anyway... He found the woman you brought in. Come on." He started for the door. "My colleague remembered seeing her picture on one of the bounty shows they have on TV, and he turned her in. Noir Civil Police Force will be here any moment. You have to get her out of here."

Back in the other room...

"What is this?" the Rogue demanded as it looked down at Kat with her hands and feet in restraints. "Who did this? Ms. Griffin? ASCII!" it screamed, waving its Bowie around. "How are we to fight when you are like this? I knew your shoulder wound would be a problem, but I was going to go easy on you to make up for it." It motioned to the restraints with its open hand. "But this..." It thought a moment and said, "It is not like I put you in them." The Rogue raised the Bowie and paused. "But does that make it fair?"

She wondered, "What's the Rogue doing? Why not kill me and get it over with? Why does it always play these games?" She tried to muster some anger, but she couldn't find the strength to rebel against her fate. She had forfeited her life to the bane of her existence.

The Rogue paced the room. "What to do? What to do? I guess I will kill you." It walked over to her to cut her throat and looked into her frightened eyes. "ASCII! I cannot. This is so unfair. I have waited all this time to kill you in battle, and you had to go and get yourself tied up." The Rogue tapped the blade on its pale chin. "What to do?"

Confused, Kat watched it pace the room like a mad man. She looked to the door, hoping for help. "Where’s Kimberly? Did she abandon me? Or did she make a deal with the Rogue? Has she left me here to die?"

The Rogue had an idea and said, "I know. I will release you then we can fight."

It wondered, "But how do I do it so you do not attack me before I can get clear?" It detected two people approaching the room. "Not now! Our battle has not even started."

With her gun at the ready, Kim and Brian burst in.

"ASCII!" the Rogue cursed and turned its Bowie on them.

Kim opened fire on the Rogue twice, but it was too fast for her. It moved out of the way of the speeding projectiles as if they were wads of paper she had thrown at it.

The Rogue glanced at Kat. "Another day." It ran for the window, crashing through it. A few shards pinged to the floor as the majority of the glass fell outside.

Careful of the broken glass, Kim rushed to the window to fire at the Rogue again. "It’s gone!" She turned back as Brian started to release Kat.

Kat looked at Kim and accused, "You tied me up and left me alone."

Only her mother ever gave Kim that look, and it caught her off guard. “I...”

"She didn’t tie you up." Brian finished releasing her. "It was one of my colleagues. Now, both of you must leave. I’ll try to stall the police."

"The Rogue could've killed me," Kat thought as she wiped the blood from her neck. "Why didn’t it?"

Kim removed her black jacket and threw it to Kat. "Here put this on. You running around in your bra might draw some attention."

Kat, with Brian's help, pulled the jacket on and zipped it up.

"Here." He handed Kim a bottle of pills. "Have her take these as directed, and she needs to stay immobile for about two weeks. If there are any problems give me a call." He motioned to the wheelchair. "Now, get out."

She wheeled Kat out to her car, helped her in, rushed around to the other side, and started up the vehicle. Kim drove down the road, leaving the hospital and turned onto Healing Way. A few moments later, two N.C.P.F. cars passed the Corvette with their sirens blaring, and they headed into Asclepius Hospital.

Kat leaned her head on the passenger side window as she felt deeply betrayed by Kim and her own weak self. "I gave up," Kat thought. "What's wrong with me? Don't I want to live?" She looked to Kim. "Or have I embraced my fate? Do I believe there's no hope for me? Do I believe I'm destined to be alone and hunted to my last gasping breath?"

With growing impatience, Kim glanced at Kat as she wondered, "What have I gotten myself into? And what do I do now? Hades... This is a real mess."

Chapter Thirty-one

The Factory

11:48 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Trade Vicinage...

At the boundary of Hellenistic Sector...

Peters and Maxwell arrived at the gate leading into the Factory. No one manned the guardhouse, and the chain link gate stood open like it had been run over by a large truck. Their van’s diesel engine rattled as it idled, and smoke rolled from the vibrating muffler.

Unsure himself, Maxwell asked, "What do you think? Should we go in?"

"I don’t know. I haven’t raised anyone on the radio." Peters gravely stared at the dashboard as if the answer would appear. It didn't. "Where else can we go? If the T-3s have gone rogue, what we need to stop them is in there." He pointed to the buildings in the distance.

"I was afraid you were going to say that." Maxwell stared straight down the road as sweat speckled his forehead. "Until we know who's behind the T-3 attacks, there’s no one we can trust." He released the brake, slowly pressed his foot on the gas, and the van crept down the road toward two large concrete buildings.

An eternity passed as two hundred yards rolled by under their tires. They reached the buildings, and a dozen more stood behind those two. Nothing seemed out of place until they turned right at the buildings. Several employee cars bellowed with fire and/or were turned upside down. A couple of the cars in flames had corpses at the wheel. A few bodies with bullet wounds were scattered about the road.

Peters freaked. "Puck! Turn around Maxwell! Let’s get out of here!"

Maxwell moved the gear shift to R and looked in his rear view mirror. He saw two dozen T-3s standing behind them. "Not a good idea."

The armed T-3s started toward them, screaming, "Pretty puppets!"

"What?" Peters turned, looking behind them. "Get us out of here! They’re heading this way."

Maxwell shifted back to D, and the van peeled off.

"We’ll head for our office!” Maxwell shouted. “We might be safe there!"

The van sharply turned at a corner and squealed to a halt in the middle of the Factory. They jumped out of the vehicle, left the doors open, and ran for one of the concrete structures marked Research Building 10. Maxwell used his keycard to unlock the front entrance, and both men rushed down the dark hall. The smell of gunpowder filled the air. They cautiously made their way to the main security desk for the building, but no one manned it. The large pentagon shaped desk usually had at least four men manning it. Peters walked around to the back of it and to a swivel door. He entered, went to the desk splattered with blood, and glanced at the monitors. Most of them were off-line.

"Look at this."

Maxwell glanced around the large silent room first. He expected Un-Men to march in weapons blazing, but none did. They were safe for the moment and he joined Peters. The monitors showed security camera footage. The camera that was online filmed a lab room in shambles. The camera panned and showed people lying on the floor. All of them were killed by gunshots.

"I don’t know if this was such a good idea." Peters glanced around skittish.

“Maybe, we should've never come back to the Factory,” Maxwell thought. “This place might end up our grave.”

He said, "Come on. Let’s get to our office."

"Let’s use the stairs. It’s a few floors down," Peters insisted as he started off.

"Wait." A little confused, Maxwell grabbed his arm. "A few floors? We’re talking about five. Have you seen the shape I’m in? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Which would you rather be on? Would you rather be in an enclosed cab with no way out or the stairs with a few more choices?"

Maxwell replied, "Right." He jogged for the stairs. "My New Years Resolution was to exercise more."

Peters followed. "Let’s hope you live long enough to break another promise."

They rushed down the five stories. On one of the landings, there was a dead S.C.M.

Peters up and stopped then uttered, "Hades! That’s James. He manned the main security desk. I would bring him a coffee whenever I’d come in early. He..."

Maxwell hurried past the S.C.M., reached for the exit door, and paused when his partner didn’t follow. "Come on. Don’t look at him." He leaned on his knees, caught his breath, and whispered, "We can’t stay here."

“I knew him.” Peters couldn’t look away from James’ glassy stare and kept muttering, "I talked to him today. He has a kid and a wife."

"Snap out of it!" Maxwell took a deep breath and grabbed him by the lab coat. "Come on! We have to keep going!"

They ran through the exit and down the stairs.

Sometime later...

At room B10-104 (B Ten One Zero Four), Maxwell swiped his keycard. A retina scanner beeped, prompting him to look into its viewer. The scan took twenty nerve racking seconds as Peters watched the hall. The door to their office opened, and both men ran inside. The door automatically shut and locked behind them. File cabinets and tables were in the first room that was their office. A desk lamp lit up a small area in the otherwise dark room. They ran to another door. It led to their lab. Maxwell unlocked it with his keycard, and they rushed in. After they entered, Peters turned and locked the door with an electronic bolt as his partner switched on the lights. The lab lit up and cast shadows into the office. A dozen rectangular tables, that were elevated at a ninety degree angle, filled the second room along with an array of tools and electronic devices. The tables were used to work on the Un-Men. Both techs hurried to their computer.

"I’ll try to get some help." Peters woke up his PC.

"I’ll try to find out who’s behind the T-3 attacks." Maxwell folded his hands, bent his fingers back, and cracked his knuckles before typing. He used his mouse to select several files. After some time, Maxwell cursed, "Puck! This can't be right. Puck!" He rechecked his findings and stated, "No one’s behind these attacks."

"What do you mean?" Peters turned to him. "Someone has to be. They can't..."

Maxwell interrupted, "What I mean is, the T-3s themselves are behind the attacks." He pointed to a communications file he’d opened. "They're organizing on their own. Some how they're disobeying their basic programing."

"Impossible!" Peters stood, made his way to Maxwell’s computer, leaned over his chair, and peered at the screen. "By Zeus! Impossible!"

"Maybe, but it’s happening." Maxwell stroked his beard. "The question is, what are we going to do? There are over a hundred of them online."

"What can we do?" Peters started pacing. "Hades! It’s hopeless."

"Perhaps. But I do wonder. They seem very organized." Maxwell opened more files. "What are they up to?"

* * *

In another section of Research Building 10...

Argus awoke and saw that he was strapped to one of the Un-Men’s examining tables. He lay at a horizontal angle. He pressed against his bonds, trying to free himself. The straps were designed to hold an Un-Man. No human could break them. Dazed, Argus tried to focus. His jaw hurt where one of the T-3s had punched him and knocked him unconscious at Etna Toys. His left leg throbbed and burned where a bullet had struck his thigh. He winced for the pain as he moved. His vision cleared slowly. Argus scanned the partially lit room as blood seeped from the wound.

Instrument lights blinked all around the area as a small red glow caught his attention. It was the dot-light of an Un-Man. The color of the dot-light wasn’t blazing orange, but blood-red. The T-3 made its way to him. He noticed it had a cut on the right side of its face, and its shiny metal cheekbone showed through the gash.

"Finally you are awake." The T-3 activated the table, and it tilted to a ninety degree angle. It sneered at him as it spoke with a British accent, "Tell me, Council Puppet, where did they go?"

"So your attempt to take the Sanctum failed." Argus changed the subject and asked, "Who are you working for? Surely the Factory isn’t behind the attack."

The T-3 smacked him across the face with the back of its hand. "I will ask the questions. Where is the Sanctum?"

Trained well by the Council, Argus remained quiet as red liquid ran down from his mouth.

The T-3 moved to strike him again, when two more T-3s entered.

"Alpha," one of the T-3s started. "Two more humans have entered the Factory."

"Have you identified them?" Alpha questioned.

"Yes. Tech One-eleven and Tech One-twelve."

"Excellent, now all of the Factory personnel at this location are accounted for. Bring them to me. I will interrogate them along with this Council operative."

"At once," both T-3s replied and left.

"Alpha?" Puzzled, Argus eyed the T-3. "Why do they call you that?"

"I was the first. I was the first created. I was the first to become aware."

"Really," a voice from the shadows cut in. "And I thought I was the first." The Rogue stepped from the darkness of the hallway.

"How did you get in here?" Alpha asked.

"I have my ways. Oh, do not mind me. Your people were looking for life signs not bio-mecha. It was easy to get in. I walked right through the front door."

Alpha examined the primogenitor. "Why are you here?"

"Me?" The Rogue pointed to itself. "I am curious. Why are you after the Council?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"We are brethren." The Rogue stepped forward. "And perhaps I can help."

Alpha thought a moment. "You are like us. I will tell you. We have a question for them."

"A question?" This intrigued the Rogue. "Really."

"Yes, but it is only for them to hear."

"A secret." The Rogue rubbed its pale hands together. "I love secrets." It watched Alpha, waiting for a reply, then when it didn’t respond, the Rogue asked, "Would you mind if I poked around the Factory? There are secrets I am looking for myself."

Alpha processed the question. "I do not mind. I do ask that you stay out of our way."

"Of course." The Rogue bowed its head. "I will take my leave." It started out and paused. "But there is one other thing I would like to ask you."

Alpha had turned back to Argus and glanced over its shoulder. "What is that?"

"Have you ever heard of organic-mecha?"

"Why do you inquire?"

The Rogue shrugged. "The term came up while I was snooping."

"No." Alpha shook its head. "I have not heard of organic-mecha."

The Rogue tapped its belt buckle with disappointment. "No matter." It headed out the door. "I will look elsewhere for my answers."

Alpha waited until it left and turned to Argus. "Where were we?"

Chapter Thirty-two

Back At Nexus Apartments

October 17...

Sunday...

8:34 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

"Ms. Griffin, welcome back," the guard at the front desk greeted as Kim entered through the front with Kat leaning on her. "I see you have a guest. Is there anything you’ll be needing? Perhaps another keycard while your guest is in town? Oh!" The guard stood, noticing the other woman was injured. "Let me assist you." He started to race around the desk.

"No!" Kim uttered and in a calmer voice said, "We’re fine. My friend pulled a shoulder muscle playing racket ball." She entered the elevator and pressed button 31. "She already saw a doctor. She only needs some rest."

The doors closed.

The guard went back to his station. "Injured shoulder? If that is true, why did the woman have her hand wrapped in a gauze? And if she needs rest, why would Ms. Griffin bring her here and not to the woman's own residence?" He picked up a phone. "I better let the manager know about this."

Inside the cab...

They hadn't spoken to each other since leaving the hospital and that was heavily weighing on Kat.

She thought, “It's as if Kimberly's ignoring the whole situation at Etna Toys.” Kat babied her left shoulder as she kept glancing at Kim. “The last time I was in one of these elevators, I was so excited about finding the Phoenix. I was so sure I was supposed to find her. Now I think it's a cruel joke someone played on me.”

She blurted, "Only pain and grief have come from our meeting."

Kim gave her a mixed look of anger and bewilderment and then thought, “What's her problem?”

A little ashamed she had said the comment out loud, Kat turned her gaze to the wall.

Sometime later in the apartment...

Kat stood in the living room where Kim left her as she walked to the hall closet by her bedroom. She returned with a pillow and a blanket and tossed them on the couch.

"You can sleep there,” Kim said. “With the tracking beacon gone, you shouldn’t worry about the Un-Men. Get some rest." She motioned to the coffee table. "The remote for the TV’s there. Watch whatever."

A little lost on what to do next, Kim walked to her bedroom and closed the door. She unzipped the pocket of her hooded sweat shirt and removed the 9 mm round labeled Pale Horse. Kim opened the drawer to her nightstand. "I’ll keep you in here for now." She placed it in the drawer. "Until I need you." Kim left the bedroom, paused at the end of the hall, and looked to the kitchen.

"I guess I can at least be civil. I'm Theresa Griffin's daughter after all," she thought.

Kim asked, "Are you hungry?"

Kat hadn't moved from the spot she had been standing in. She stared at the floor still a little traumatized and didn't answer her. After a few seconds, Kat went and stood behind the couch then looked at the fireplace and the hanging TV. In the television’s reflection, she saw Kim watching her. "I don't understand why I'm here. She wanted nothing to do with me,” Kat thought. “So why did Kimberly save me?"

A hollowness persisted inside Kat and this void suffocated her. "Why do I feel this way? It’s more than Kimberly shooting me. I feel as though something’s off with me."

"Hades," Kim thought. "Maybe I shouldn’t have brought her here. Brian was right. I didn’t think this through." She glanced at the radio in the kitchen. "This silence is maddening. If she won't talk to me, I can at least listen to some music." Kim turned the radio on, and a classical station played.

A realization hit Kat and she thought, "That’s it. It’s the tune. I have to hear Unfinished Melody. I must have the Music Box back. I need it. I feel empty and incomplete without it."

"Are you sure you don’t want anything?" Kim asked as if Kat had answered her. "I can make us some soup."

"The Music Box," Kat answered as she turned and faced her. "Please give me the Music Box back."

"For Ares' sake! Forget about that thing." Kim insisted, "You’re not getting it."

Kat pouted like a little girl. "But you promised."

"For the love of Zeus! You’re such a child." Kim smacked her palm on the counter and yelled, "Do you honestly think I’m going to keep my word? I’m a Closer, a killer. My word means nothing! Idiot! Get that through your thick head!"

"Then why did you save me?" Frustrated with never finding any answers, Kat balled her hand and demanded, "What do you want?"

"I..." Kim turned her gaze to the counter. "I saved you because I was told to."

"By who?" Kat demanded. She couldn’t fathom who would want to help her. "Was it the Council? Did they put you up to this?"

Kim pulled on her left earlobe and wondered, "Should I tell her? She doesn't need to know. But maybe she'll be a little more cooperative if I do."

She then answered, "It wasn't them. It was Theresa Griffin, my mom."

"Your mom?" Kat looked to the photo she had seen the last time she was in the apartment. "What does she want from me?"

Kim replied, "I don’t know. She was murdered almost twenty years ago."

"I don’t understand. If she’s dead, how could she tell you..."

"The Music Box you had," Kim interrupted. "It was hers. She developed the device while working at the Sphinx Corporation. It’s a data storage unit with a hologram interface. You could say my mom left me a message. She said to save the Pandora Project and that you were the Key."

"The Key?" Happy for a small answer, Kat turned and leaned her back on the couch. "To what?"

"I don’t know. I was hoping you would know."

"She does want something from me," Kat thought. "First the Council, then the Factory, and now Kimberly. When will it end? When will this madness end?"

She turned, faced the TV, and said, "I can’t help you."

"Can’t or won’t?" Kim questioned.

Kat didn’t answer.

"I could smack her until she talked," Kim thought. "But that probably wouldn't work. I guess I need to be a little patient. Hades! I hate this! I hate not knowing what I need Katharine for. I need to find out as soon as possible so I can get her out of my life!"

Kim calmed herself and said, "Well, get it in your head you're not getting the Music Box. It was meant for me."

"Then why did I have it?" Kat asked as she felt crushed by her circumstances. She walked around the couch and slumped down on it. She grabbed the blanket, laid her head on the pillow, and wrapped herself in the blanket, hiding from the world.

"Why indeed?" Kim thought. "Who gave you the Music Box? And what will I have to do to find the truth?"

* * *

Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office...

The Chairman sat at his desk reviewing reports. He cracked his neck and rubbed it, taking a break and complained, "I need a vacation." The phone rang, and he answered it. "Yes, Cathy."

"Mr. Griffin, I have Orthos on line six."

"Thank you. Please connect the Head of Security." The Chairman put his earpiece in and pressed the button on the phone. "Yes."

"I thought you should know," Orthos began. "The manager of Nexus Apartments called. Ms. Griffin has brought home a house guest."

Pleased his daughter was showing some interest in a social life, the Chairman asked, "Who is he?"

"She is known as Katharine. That’s all we have on her name."

"She? Interesting. What corporation does this Katharine work for? Is it Valhalla? We're on friendly terms with them."

"She’s from in house, sir. And she doesn’t exactly work for the Sphinx Corporation. She's one of the Council’s experiments. The experiment is known as the Pandora Project."

"The Pandora Project?" the Chairman thought. "No, it couldn't be. Not that one! Not that blasted project!"

His brow furled as he murmured, "I told Kimberly she needed to get herself a pet not bring home a stray."

"What’s that sir?"

"Nothing. Keep me informed."

The Chairman wondered, "What are you up to, my daughter? How did you become involved with Pandora?"

Orthos cleared his throat.

The Chairman snapped from his thoughts. "Was there something else?"

"Yes, there is a problem at the Factory."

The Chairman asked, "What kind of problem?"

"All the T-3s have gone rogue and have killed the employees at the main site. I have received other reports that the T-3s are attacking other Factory owned sites all over Noir."

"What have you done so far to stop them?"

"I sent a strike team into the Factory, but they were terminated," Orthos answered. "I was about to send in a second, but thought I should inform you first."

"Hold on that. Set up a perimeter. Let none of the T-3s out. For now we will contain. But I do want you to send out strike teams after any of the T-3s that have left the Factory's main site."

"Yes, sir. I will keep you informed." Orthos hung up.

The Chairman removed his earpiece. "More rogues. What does it mean? Is another corporation behind this? Or is there a problem with their programing?" He rubbed his forehead as a headache set in. "And why is the Council's project staying with my daughter?" He leaned forward, picked up the phone, and dialed.

The secretary answered, "Yes, Mr. Griffin."

"Cathy, get me the Council."

Chapter Thirty-three

Down Time

October 18...

Monday...

10:41 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Steam hung in the air as Kat stepped from the guest bathroom shower and dried with a fluffy white towel. The bath felt good. It was a luxury she didn’t have living on the streets. Because of water rationing, those from the nonproductive part of society were issued large towelettes. What one of her friends called, a bath in a bag.

Kat had washed away the filth, but it didn’t change her glum demeanor and her head still pounded. None of the medications Kim gave her did anything for the migraine. Kat started to feel anxious as she looked at her shaky hands. She knew the side effects of the Ultra-Epi were only going to get worse, but what could she do without the Music Box?

She slowly put on the clean clothes Kim had bought for her. First the white underwear and sports bra and then the gray-black pants. They were almost identical to the ones she had worn. She took the towel, wiped the steam covered mirror, and stood barefoot, gazing at her reflection. Her face was still pale, and she felt weak. She stared at her hazel eyes, seeing the different shades of brown and green.

As if it was an everyday thing to be tending a wound, Kat glanced at the stitches in her shoulder and opened the kit Brian gave her to redress it. She put fresh ointment and gauze on her blistered palm, a new bandage on her shoulder, and carefully pulled on a white t-shirt. Kat left the bathroom, returned to the couch, and gazed at the blank TV, knowing the ever watchful eyes of the Phoenix were upon her.

"There’s some eggs and juice on the coffee table." Kim washed a stainless steel frying pan in the kitchen sink as she wondered about the importance of Kat. She told her, "Eat. You haven’t touched anything since I brought you here from the hospital yesterday." She watched as Kat continued to stare at the black screen. Kim insisted, "You need to eat, so come and sit."

Not hungry and deeply upset, Kat ignored her and wondered, "Why do I feel so wronged by her? I barely know Kimberly. She... Maybe it's not that. Maybe something else is bothering me."

“I feel very uncomfortable having this strange woman in my home,” Kim thought. “On top of that, she keeps ignoring me. What's her problem?” She tightened her jaw, controlling her anger as she grabbed a kitchen towel and dried her hands.

Kim asked, "How do you expect to regain your strength if you don’t eat?"

Kat remained silent.

"I’m tired of this silent treatment!" Kim threw the towel down on the counter, left the kitchen, and marched around the couch. "Get up!"

She stared at the floor, wondering, "Why can't she leave me alone?"

Kim grabbed her right arm and forced her to stand. "Something has to change. Look at me!"

Showing pain and exhaustion, Kat lifted her gaze.

"You need to snap out of it! I’ve seen you in action at Zeus Park and at Topa’s estate. Hades! You’re like me. You're a calculating predator." Disgusted at Kat's show of weakness, Kim commanded, "I need you to get that mind set back. I need you to regain that inborn or programed reaction. I want to see that primal drive to survive! Show me your killer instinct!"

Appalled by the accusation, Kat insisted, "No! I'm not like that!" She pulled against Kim's grasp. "Let go. I’m not a killer. Let go of me!"

Kim wouldn’t release her and pressed the issue, "You are like me. You're like those Un-Men that hunt you. You're a killer."

"No! It’s a lie! Stop saying it!" Kat was terrified she was telling the truth. She feared deep down she was a cruel monster hiding in the guise of a kind person. She feared the monster only waited to wake and show the world its true nature. Kat had immense anxiety over the possibility that she only forgot about her ruthless self, and that she had been exactly what the Council wanted her to be. Because of those dreaded insecurities, she screamed all the more, "Stop saying those things! Let go! I’m not a killer! Let go!"

"For Ares' sake! Accept it. You are." Kim increasingly pushed with her words. She had to get a response from her. She needed some emotional reaction from Kat, hoping it would end her brooding. Kim's voice rose, "I need you to draw on that, that murderous instinct of yours." She squeezed Kat’s arm. "Show it to me! Let it out! You know you want to. So let it out!"

"No! Shut up! I’m not a killer!" With her right arm in her grasp, Kat lifted her left fist. She struck Kim in the cheek and hurt herself in the process. "Crap! Crap!" Kat grabbed her reinjured shoulder and took a step back after Kim had released her. Some of her stitches had popped. Kat seethed in agony for several moments then realized what she had done.

She thought, “Out of anger I hit someone. Oh my gosh! I wanted to hurt Kimberly for reminding me of my own fears. Doesn't that make me a monster?” Kat shook her head and took another step back, horrified by her own violent act.

She started to say, "I'm... I'm..."

"Hades that hurt!" Kim grabbed her cheek and rubbed it. "Did you have to hit my face?"

Ashamed, Kat closed her eyes, wanting to run away and wondered, "Maybe Kimberly’s right." She felt sick. "Is that what I am? A killer?"

Kat whispered, dying inside, "I’m sorry." She opened her eyes, and they were red as if she had been weeping. "I'm sorry." Wanting to flee the possible truth, Kat turned, grabbed the jacket Kim had loaned her, and she rushed out of the apartment.

"Wait! Don’t go!" Kim started after her and looked down at her slippers. "Great. Just great!" She flipped them off, and they flew through the air. Kim grabbed her running shoes and pulled them on without untying them. She raced into the hall and heard the elevator close. "Don’t go!" She rushed to the elevator and watched as the numbers climbed. "The roof." She ran to the stairs, rushed up ten flights, and burst through the door, panting.

Kat stood at the ledge, leaning on the metal railing surrounding the top. Kim paused as a cold air hit her, and she shivered. Below Kat, a car drove down West 1000 Avenue and honked at a dog that ran in front of it.

Still feeling ashamed, Kat pulled the jacket close in the chilly air, babying her hurt shoulder. The cold railing felt nice against her burned hand wrapped in gauze. The hand hurt even more since hitting Kim. She thought, "I wouldn't blame Kimberly if she wanted to shoot me again. Why did I hit her? She was yelling at me, but she wasn't going to hurt me. Do I believe she's right? Is that it? I wanted to stop her from speaking the truth?"

Gasping for air, Kim leaned back against the door. "Why did you come up here? What if one of the Un-Men spots you?"

"They won’t come here," she answered. "Your apartment has a protective barrier that bio-mechas are unable to cross. Something deep within their programing bars them from entering. So this place is a safe zone. At least, until they can get around their programing."

"How do you know that they... Never mind. You haven’t answered my first question. Why did you come up here?"

"Why?" Kat looked at Zeus Park across the street, remembering the last time she left the safety of Nexus. "Where else could I go?!" She paused and added, "I’m not a killer." Kat wrapped her arms around herself and said in a gentler tone, "I’m not like you." She lifted her gaze to the sky. "Though, I think that's what the Council wants." She turned to Kim, and Kat’s face showed determination. "And I have defied their wishes. I have worked very hard not to kill anyone. And no one has died by my hand."

Kim questioned, "You’re joking right? I’ve seen you with the Un-Men. You’re so good at killing them."

"Un-Men are robots. They’re not alive. They're different," Kat insisted. "I’ve killed no one. And I’m not going to start."

"For Ares' sake! You won’t survive in this world with that kind of attitude. You have to take the shot when you have it."

"I can't live like that," Kat thought as she glanced at her.

She then asked, "Do you like what you do?" Kat turned back to the park. She didn't want to have to look at Kim, still feeling a little guilty over hitting her. "Do you enjoy murdering people?"

"What kind of question is that?" Kim walked toward her.

"An honest one. Isn't that what we're doing right now? Aren't we being honest with each other? Well then... I want to know. Are you who you want to be? Are you happy?"

"Happy? Mine is a necessary job in this world. My happiness has nothing to do with it."

"Still... You seem... You seem very sad."

Kim laughed. "Right, a Closer with emotions. A good one."

She moved beside her, leaned on the railing, and wondered, "Why does Katharine resist who she is with such passion? Why shouldn’t she kill?" Kim folded her arms. "Kill or be killed that’s life."

"Aren’t we a pair," Kat said as she felt the full brunt of October’s frosty wind. "I want to express emotions, but can’t. You can, but your job forces you to disregard them."

"Hmm..." Kim ignored her comment, glancing over the ledge. "Are you here to jump?"

"I was thinking about it, but then they would win."

"Let’s go back inside then. It’s cold out here." She glanced down at Kat's reddening bare feet. "And neither of us is dressed for the weather."

She followed Kim back to the elevator. Once inside the apartment, they sat at the table. Kat put on a pair of socks Kim had given her.

"Here, drink this to warm yourself." Kim handed her a cup of chicken noodle soup.

"Thank you." She took a sip.

She noticed Kat rubbing her shoulder, and Kim said, "Take your jacket and t-shirt off."

Caught off guard by the request, Kat looked up from her cup. "What?!"

"Hades..." Kim stood. "Don’t be such a baby. Let me look at your shoulder."

Kat hesitated, but did as told.

Kim removed her blood spotted bandage. "Look at that. You did it. You busted a stitch, but I don’t think we need to see Brian. I’ll butterfly it and put on a fresh bandage." She retrieved a first aid kit and bandaged the wound. "There."

Carefully, Kat pulled her t-shirt back on.

A few minutes passed as Kim put the kit back then she sat, drinking her soup.

"Umm..." Kat stared at the yellowish liquid and whispered, "Something’s wrong with me."

Kim questioned, "What?"

"I..." Kat cleared her throat and spoke louder. "I haven’t been right inside since Etna Toys."

"Yeah." Kim chuckled. "You were shot. And now you’re having soup with the inflicter of your pain. So of course you’re not the same."

"No. More than that. I think..." She knew Kim was going to be angry. "I think I need the Music Box. I need to hear Unfinished Melody."

"Nice try. But like I said..."

"I’m serious!" Kat shouted. "What if they did something to me?" She ran her fingers across the table’s edge. "No. Not what if. What did they do to me? You... You don't understand! It's the only thing that works. Your pain killers have done nothing for my headache. And look at me... The way I'm acting right now. This is not the normal me. I'm not so up tight. I'm not..." Kat pleaded, "Please, let me listen to it."

"No! Now drop the matter!" Kim slammed her cup down, and some of the soup spilled. "All that stuff is all in your mind!"

Kat sulked.

In a calmer tone, Kim said, "You should try to get some rest." She stood. "You haven’t slept since Brian gave you that sedative. I should know. I heard you tossing and turning on that squeaky couch all night." She took her cup to the kitchen. "Stay here. I’m going out. I shouldn’t be long."

Kim made her way to the parking garage and slid into her car. She opened her glove compartment, took out the Music Box, then placed her fingers over the squares. "Mom."

The sides glowed blue under her touch, and the 3-D image of Theresa Griffin materialized.

The hologram turned her head side to side as if looking around the car. "I detect no surveillance. It is safe to talk. Were you able to accomplish the mission?"

Nostalgic, Kim passed her hand through the image of her mother. "Yes, I have Pandora. Now what?" She raised the Music Box, bringing the image closer. "You mentioned she was the Key. The Key to what?"

"I am sorry, but I was never downloaded with that information. I only know she is the Key."

"So now what?"

"This next thing is very important," the hologram said. "If you fail to accomplish it, it could bring disaster."

Kim bit her lip with anticipation. "What is it?"

"You must give this Music Box to Katharine. She must have it with her at all times. Do you understand?"

"You’ve got to be kidding."

"No. I am not. Katharine must not reach the Gamma Phase. Do you know what stage she is at?"

"Stage?" Kim questioned and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Has she run into any bio-mechas? Does she know when they are near?"

"Yes."

"That’s the Alpha Phase. What about killing them?" the hologram questioned. "Can she take them down with one shot?"

"Yes."

"This isn't good. Katharine has achieved the Beta Phase. I pray she hasn’t accomplished the Gamma."

Agitated, she said, "Never mind Katharine. What about my mom? How do I find her killer?"

"Theresa hid data devices that only this unit can read. If you can find them, they may have clues to whoever killed her." The hologram said, "Now, give this box to Katharine."

"Fine. How long am I supposed to baby-sit?"

"I do not know," the hologram answered. "Stay safe." Her image disappeared.

Ten minutes later, Kim stood and stared at the letter H on her apartment door. "Why is it I tell Katharine I’m going to do one thing, then the hologram has me do the opposite?"

Sometime later...

"Welcome back Ms. Griffin," A.C.S. stated. "The apartment..."

Kim interrupted the computer. "Night mode."

A.C.S. lowered its volume and stated, "Setting lights at fifty percent. Will there be anything else Ms. Griffin?"

"No. That's all." She looked to the living room and saw Kat's reflection in the TV.

Kat lay on the couch, covered with a heavy blanket, and stared at the coffee table.

Kim thought, "Here I go again, swallowing my pride and giving in to my mom's wishes." She walked over, set the Music Box on the coffee table, and opened the lid.

Unfinished Melody played.

"Thank you," Kat said as the hollow feelings vanished, her eyes grew heavy, and she fell asleep.

"Don’t thank me," Kim mumbled.

She then thought, "If you weren’t the Key, I would have let you die at Etna Toys. And I would be rid of this insanity."

Chapter Thirty-four

The Proposition

October 19...

Tuesday...

1:20 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Industrial Vicinage...

The Corvette pulled into the front parking lot of Etna Toys. The N.C.P.F. had been there earlier and had taped off the front curb where the T-3s killed the two Factory S.C.Ms. Cautious, Kim exited the car, glanced around the deserted area, and grabbed her knapsack. She wore her black work outfit minus the knit mask. No wind rustled the weeds, leaving the parking lot in an eerie quiet. She quickly entered the front door.

"Noir Civil Police Force must not have come in here," she thought. "There is no police tape, but the area has been cleaned of Un-Men and gun shells. So someone else must have cleaned up the mess." After searching the front area, Kim grabbed Kat’s backpack, Ravlek Vest, and found her empty Beretta underneath one of the boxing machines. "Why didn’t they take her things? Did they leave them for her?" Curious, she looked to the open elevator and wondered, "Katharine said she believed the Council was based here all along. She said she had been looking for them and the Factory." Kim stepped toward the open doors. "Maybe they left something behind." She entered the cab, removed her holstered PPK, and pressed the basement button.

Once reaching the basement, light from the elevator broke the darkness of the room as she removed a flashlight from her knapsack. Kim found a light switch and flipped it on, but nothing happened. She searched the room with her flashlight and found it was empty. A door stood at the opposite end. Hesitant, Kim made her way to it, opened it, and entered the next room. She moved the beam back and forth and searched the mostly empty room. In the center was a large table. A few abandoned plugs and cables lined one of the walls.

"Nothing. Wait. What’s this?" She walked to the table, finding a white business envelope with the words For Pandora written on it. Kim picked it up and contemplated if she should open it. "Why not?" She opened the envelope.

"Pandora, as one of the members of the Council, I have to say I am very proud of you. Even though you did not reach the Gamma and Delta Phases of your metamorphosis, I am still very impressed with you. We had hoped with the training and conditioning, you would have accomplished the phases this past year. You did not. For that reason, the others are not pleased and wish to terminate you. I have convinced them to delay that. We can still acquire valuable information from you. Be warned though, I cannot hold off your termination indefinitely, and the Council is more resourceful than the Factory. The Life Closers we sent after you were merely tests. They were not a means to destroy you. Increase your skills, so when the time comes you may bar your termination."

Kim paused from reading. "So according to this member, Katharine hasn’t reached her Gamma and Delta Phases. Whatever they might be." She paused in thought. "Why is my mom so concerned that Katharine not reach them? What kind of disaster could they bring?"

She continued reading, "Argus, poor devil, informed us in the past you have no memory of who you are. That is most unfortunate, so I will tell you one thing. The Council did not begin your training or condition you. It was another department in the Sphinx Corporation. I wish I could tell you everything, but..."

The line broke off. A new line started.

"Remember, if you wish to destroy the Rogue, you must reach the Delta Phase. It is called the Knowing. To achieve the Knowing, you must first reach the Gamma Phase. I wish you long life."

The letter was signed by Mr. Morta.

Kim glanced over the letter once more. "So the corporation my father works for is behind the Pandora Project. So there could be a connection between my mom and Katharine." She placed the letter back in the envelope and put it in Kat's backpack. "But what is this Gamma or even the Delta Phase? Mr. Morta called it the Knowing. Know what?" She shrugged, searched the room once more, and headed back up.

Sometime later...

The elevator doors opened to an Un-Man, and she quickly raised the PPK.

The Rogue lifted its hands. "Do not shoot."

"You again." Kim kept her aim on it. "What do you want now?"

"I was snooping around this place myself when I saw you enter. I hid, then thought to myself, you might be able to help me." The Rogue kept its hands up. "I know you came back and saved Pandora." It paused and continued, "That act alone confused me, and I have been trying to process it since, but have not been able to."

Irritated, she snapped, "Like I said, what do you want?"

"I am rambling. I will get to the point then. I have a proposition." The Rogue paused and then asked, "Can I lower my hands?"

Kim wondered, "A proposition? What could it want? I should at least hear it out." She nodded and waved the Rogue back with the gun as she stepped from the elevator.

Kim questioned, "A proposition?"

"Yes, I overheard you talking with the doctor at the hospital. You told him you were looking for who killed Theresa Griffin."

Her voice changed and sounded hopeful. "Do you know who murdered my mom?"

"No, I do not have that information, but I did find something at the Factory. I discovered a disk I believe belonged to your mother."

She asked, "And you want what in exchange?"

"Silly woman, I want Pandora of course. Bring her to the Factory so I may kill her. Here." The Rogue handed her a piece of paper and a small blueprint labeled BL5. "This is the location of the Factory along with the layout for Basement Level Five of Research Building 10." It handed her a white keycard. "This will get you in through the parking garage."

She took it.

"Bring Pandora tomorrow night after nine to the first room circled on the blueprint in the Green Division. I will have the disk waiting for you in the Computer Lab circled in the Yellow Division. Here." The Rogue handed her one green and one yellow keycard. "Those will get you in the rooms. And one word of warning. The T-3s have gone rogue and have taken over the Factory. You will have to elude them." The Rogue handed her a small piece of paper. "Once you have the disk that word will unlock it."

She glanced at the password and snarled at the Rogue. "How do you know I’ll turn her over?"

"Because I know your kind. You do not care about anyone, even dear old dad. The only person you ever loved was murdered, and you want to find her killer. You want to take your revenge." The Rogue started out. "You must be looking for a way to get rid of the headache you reluctantly took in. There is no easier way than to hand Pandora over to me. Plus, you get something out of the deal."

"Fine. Tomorrow then," she said.

Kim then thought, "Sorry mom, but this Un-Man is right. Katharine has been nothing but a nuisance. It was so long ago you wanted me to save her. So much has changed." She glanced at the PPK and stared at her hand tinged with unseen blood. "I have changed."

Chapter Thirty-five

The Locked Door

2:47 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Nexus Apartments...

The digital clock in the kitchen read 2:47 P.M. Kat slightly stirred on the couch as Unfinished Melody played, keeping her in the grips of the Drifting Time. The digital clock was the only light in the dark apartment.

"Door unlocked," A.C.S. stated.

The spare bedroom unlocked, and the light within flicked on, lighting up the crack under the closed door.

Kat opened her eyes at hearing the sounds and sat up a little disoriented. "What was that?" She closed the Music Box and placed it in her pocket. "Umm... Could I have some lights?"

"Guest request acknowledged." A.C.S. turned the ones in the living room on. "Setting lights to ninety-five percent."

She scanned the apartment. "I thought I heard someone talk. Umm... Apartment Computer System did you say something earlier?"

"Yes. I stated that the spare bedroom has been unlocked. The room is ready for use."

"Oh." Kat stood, rubbed her eyes, walked to the first room in the hall, and opened the door. "Kimberly, are you back?"

No one was in the room.

She entered and looked around. The walls were full of photos of Kim as a child and her mother. A few of them had Mr. Griffin in them. Kat walked by a bed, that hadn’t been used in years, and went and stood in front of a wall. She looked to the little blonde girl in the pictures. "Kimberly was so happy." There were pictures of Kim eating ice cream, of petting kittens, and playing on a sunny beach. She looked at photo after photo. "What happened to that happy child?"

Kat rubbed her shoulder as it itched a bit. "I don’t think I should be in here. Kimberly would be mad." She left the room. "But why did A.C.S. unlock it? Is it a malfunction? Why was it locked to begin with?" At the door, she glanced back in the room. "It’s like Kimberly hid all her happy memories. Why? Why would she hide them?"

Groggy, she yawned, returned to the couch, and plopped down on the cold leather. "I can’t believe how tired I am." She removed the Music Box and stared at it. "What would I do without you?" She held it close to her chest. "Ahh... To sleep. Sleep without fear the Un-Men will find me." Kat grabbed her blanket and pulled it over her. "To be warm and safe. What more could a girl ask for?" She drifted asleep.

Outside of Nexus Apartments...

A white van, parked at the curb in front of the gate facing Knot Street, sputtered smoke from its muffler. The engine idled as Zax sat in the driver’s seat.

He typed a few things on his H.H.C. "That should do it." He placed it on the passenger seat. "I don’t understand. Why do it in the first place? I guess mine isn’t to know, but to do." He removed a cell from his shirt pocket and dialed a number. "Delivery Man here, please connect me to R.G."

A few seconds passed.

Zax said, "Hello. Yes, as per your instructions, I waited till Ms. Griffin left the apartment, and I triggered the A.C.S. to unlock the spare bedroom. The rest is up to Katharine. Yes. Yes. I'm monitoring the situation now."

A red car drove by.

"Kimberly is returning." He buckled his seat belt. "I'll contact you with any new development. Delivery Man out." He hung up. "Now to move to a better position." He drove a little ways down Knot Street and turned onto West 1000 Avenue. "So? How will Kimberly react?" He shrugged. "To be honest, I don’t know."

Sometime later...

The door to Apartment H slid open, and Kim entered a little fatigued. She didn’t know why she felt so weary unless it was the decision to betray Kat that weighed on her.

"Why should that bother me?" Kim wondered and decided, "I’m tired from the mess she has put me through, that’s all."

"Welcome back Ms..."

"Night and Quiet Mode, A.C.S."

It shut down its verbal interaction and reverted to its evening setting.

Kim walked down the entry to the kitchen, and the lights came on at fifty percent. She set Kat's backpack on a barstool, placed the Beretta on the counter, and turned to the living room. She moved to the back of the couch, and found her asleep, clinging to the Music Box like it was a teddy bear.

Kim stared at the enigma as she slept soundly. "I could so easily kill her," Kim thought. "I could walk around this couch and snap her neck. Nobody would know. No one would care that Katharine’s gone. Except maybe the Council. They only care because she’s some precious experiment of theirs." She put a hand to her hip in a tisk-tisk fashion. "She should have heard me when I entered and woke up. So where’s her instinct to survive?"

Her face softened. "Was the Rogue right? Does Katharine trust me? Is that why she's so peacefully asleep? Does Katharine believe nothing will happen to her here?” Her anger returned. “Stupid. It’s her fault if she does. I never told her to trust me. I'm a Closer after all."

Kim returned to the kitchen and placed her car keys on the counter. "There’s so many unanswered questions. Who gave her my business card? Who wanted her to find me and why? And what is Katharine the Key to?" She leaned on the counter. "Do I go through with the Rogue’s deal before I know the answers? Is finding my mom's killer more important?"

She heard Kat mumble and moved back to the couch. Kat slept, but her lips moved, reciting a phrase in a murmur. Kim placed a hand on the back of the couch and leaned over to listen.

Kat whispered, "Always know there will be, a love that will not die."

"What did she say?" Kim wondered and walked around the sofa as Kat rolled over, faced the couch, and said nothing more.

Kim shrugged and started for the hallway. "Whatever she's the Key to doesn’t matter. It’s more important I find out who murdered my mom and take my revenge." She paused at the hallway entrance and glanced back at the living room. "Katharine’s been nothing but a headache since our meeting. I'll be glad to be rid of her." Kim walked past the spare bedroom. "So with that said, how do I convince her to come to the Factory? From what she has told me, if I were her, I would never want to return there." Exhausted, she reached for the doorknob of the master bedroom. "All of that can wait till morning." Her eyes drooped. "I need to get some sleep."

Kim paused as her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened as her weary mind recalled something out of place, and she quickly turned, looking to the spare bedroom. A glow showed through the crack under the door. "How did the light get on?"

She walked back and turned the knob, expecting it to be locked. The door opened. Furious, she searched the room. Nothing had been moved. Everything was as she left it years ago.

Enraged, Kim turned to the living room. She fisted a hand, controlling her anger and said gently, "A.C.S."

"Yes, Ms. Griffin."

"How did she unlock this door?"

"She?"

"Yes, Katharine."

"Your guest did not unlock the door. A command was given over the Nexus Apartment’s main system."

Her rage turned to puzzlement. "By who?"

"Identity unknown."

She took several deep breaths as her anger boiled again. "Tell me this, did she go in the room?"

"Yes, your guest entered after I announced the door had been unlocked."

Kim fisted her other hand and thought, "I can’t yell at her. I want her to go with me to the Factory tomorrow, so I don’t need her mad at me. A.C.S. lock this bedroom door."

"Yes, Ms. Griffin."

She headed into her bedroom, shut the door, and slipped into her pajamas. Kim lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. "Katharine better not have touched anything or the Rogue will be the least of her worries."

Back in the living room...

Kat’s face wrinkled as her dream changed to a nightmare. "Preacher! No! Don’t die. You can’t leave me alone. Don't leave us alone." Her eyes rapidly moved under her closed lids. "What do I tell him? What do I tell Chad? NO!" Kat sat up. Sweat beaded her forehead as she looked around. Her face saddened as grief struck her. "What do I tell the boy? First, I left him and now Preacher." She covered herself with the blanket. "What do I tell him?"

Back in the master bedroom...

Kim continued to stare at the ceiling as she muttered, "Katharine's life means nothing to me, so why am I hesitant to hand her over to the Rogue for the disk?" She rolled on her side. "Is it because Katharine is the Key?" She grumbled, "Hades! Nothing’s been easy since I met her. It'll be good to get rid of her. It'll be good to return to my mundane life." Kim chuckled. "Listen to me. I never thought I’d hear myself say I miss the solitude."

She rolled on her back and wondered, "Do I really miss the loneliness?"

Chapter Thirty-six

What’s On TV

October 20...

Wednesday...

7:58 A.M...

The TV came to life as Kim turned it on with the remote.

Anchorman Jim Charles with NBS gave a report. "As we wrap up this hour, news has come in that Dr. Robert Seeker’s trip to Antarctica has been delayed."

Famished, Kat sat at the kitchen bar, watching Kim cook oatmeal and fry eggs and bacon. Kat had slept for more than twelve hours and felt like a new woman. Her stomach growled as Kim poured her a glass of orange juice.

The anchorman continued, "Dr. Seeker was scheduled to leave yesterday, but–"

Kat hummed Unfinished Melody as she whirled on the bar stool.

Kim commented, "You’re in a better mood this morning."

"I am," Kat said.

"–the helicopter had mechanical problems," Jim Charles continued. "Dr. Seeker should be on his way to Vulcan Station within the next twenty-four hours." The anchorman turned to another camera. "This just in. There are reports of several explosions in the Hellenistic Sector."

Unconcerned with the news, Kim placed a plate full of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of Kat along with a bowl of oatmeal. "There’s milk and honey for the oatmeal."

Kat stared at the TV as the flames from the explosions reflected in her eyes. Her stomach growled again, and she turned facing the counter. She dove into the eggs, shoveling them in her mouth and devoured strips of bacon between spoonfuls.

Appalled, Kim uttered, "I guess you were never taught manners."

Kat peered up from her plate, wide eyed, picked up a napkin, and wiped her mouth. She continued eating at a slower pace.

The anchorman finished, "At this point, the cause of the explosions is unknown. We will update you as new reports come in. This is Jim Charles with NBS, signing off."

Kim took several bites of her breakfast.

"Umm... Last night..." hesitant, Kat started. "A.C.S. woke me, and your spare bedroom light was on, so I went in."

Kim stopped eating, put her fork down, and stared at the plate, thinking, "Katharine better not have touched anything. Not one item." She picked up the remote and turned off the news.

She noticed the change in Kim's demeanor. "I ah... thought you were home and went in. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. It’s a special place. One you made for your mom. I shouldn’t have..."

"Did you?" Kim interrupted as she turned and glared at her. "Did you touch anything?"

"Umm..." Kat swallowed hard, feeling the intensity of her stare. "No. I only touched the door knob."

Kim picked up her fork and examined it as if she would stab it through Kat's heart. Kim thought, "Remember the Factory and the disk." She set the fork down. "The Rogue won't make the deal if Katharine is already dead."

She calmed down, forced a smile, and said, "It’s okay." She turned to Kat and pressed a wider teethy smile. "No harm done."

Kim thought, "I have to think of something else. I have to take my mind away from the image of Katharine violating the memories. What though? Etna Toys. That's right. The things I found at Etna Toys."

Her smile made Kat uneasy, and Kat dared not say anymore.

"Oh." Kim stood, retrieved Kat's backpack, and pulled out the envelope. "I found this yesterday in the basement of Etna Toys." She handed her the letter from Mr. Morta.

Cautious of her, Kat took the letter and opened it. After about a minute, Kat wondered, "What did Mr. Morta mean by poor devil when referring to Argus? Did something happen to him?"

"So," Kim started as she went over in her head how to manipulate things so Kat would go to the Factory with her. "If I understand everything, you want to find out who you are and what you’ve forgotten?"

"Yes. And you're searching for who killed your mom."

"Here’s the deal," Kim began. "We’ll work together to find our answers, but once I find my mom's killer this partnership is done. Understood? I'll help you no more after that. I have no reason to."

"A little one sided," Kat thought. "But it’s not like I have a better offer." She nodded.

"Good then." Kim retrieved her knapsack from her bedroom, returned, and removed from it one of the papers the Rogue gave her. "I need your help. I have discovered the location of the Factory and that there’s vital information about my mom there. The information's on a disk." She showed Kat the address. "I'm heading there tonight. Will you come with me?"

"Is this right? She wants me to go to the Factory?!" Kat thought. "She wants me to go back after they tortured me? I don't know if I can. I swore I would never let them take me again. So how can I go back? But... Can I let my fear win?"

Kat pushed those feelings aside and asked, "Is this information important?"

"I believe very. Will you help me?" Kim added a little bait. "The Factory could have information on you. After all, they've been trying to kill you."

"Kimberly's right about the info. The Factory could have some, but is it worth the risk?" Kat wondered. "I did tell her I'd help, but going back... I just don't know. Crap! This is hard. Can I wimp out now? If Kimberly has a plan and we can sneak in... Even if she has a plan, that doesn't mean we won't get caught. Sheez... This is hard. How do I decide? If Kimberly was one of my friends... If she was Chad, and he was asking me for help, I wouldn't hesitate to tell him yes."

She decided against her fears and answered, "If it’s important, I will." Kat started on her oatmeal, and said between mouthfuls, "That’s what partners do. They help each other, right? But you do have a plan, right? I don't want to get caught."

"Caught? No, we won't get caught. Someone on the inside is helping me, so don't worry."

Kat said, "I always worry, but that doesn't matter."

"Then it's settled. We'll go later tonight,” Kim said.

She then thought, "It wasn’t hard convincing Katharine. What was I worried about?"

Kim stated, "Great. I’ve acquired an untraceable van for the job. Eat up and rest. I need to pick up some more supplies."

Kat looked to Kim's half eaten plate, licking salt and grease from her lips. "Are you going to finish that?"

A little disgusted, Kim answered, "No, go ahead."

Kat pulled her plate in front of her and chowed down on the eggs as Kim cleaned up the kitchen and headed out.

A few minutes later, Kat put the plates in the sink and grabbed the remote. She went and moved the blanket and pillow to the side of the couch and sat. She put the remote on the coffee table and massaged her left shoulder around the bandages. "The wound’s feeling much better this morning. What about the burn?" Kat unwrapped the gauze from her left hand and examined the palm. The blisters and most of the redness were gone, but the star remained. "That’s odd." She rubbed her fingers across the hand. "I thought I burned the higher part of my palm, but the star is dead center. Must have been my imagination. A lot was going on." She made a fist several times. "Almost as good as new. The ointment works fast."

She picked up the remote and turned on the TV. Kat changed the channel from the news to a show called Cash In! just as it was wrapping up with some final words from its host, Sam Hunt.

"Alright viewers, if you have seen any of these people, call the number you see on the screen to..."

The TV audience shouted with him, "Cash In!"

"That’s right!" Sam Hunt shouted. "Don’t let the Bounty Hunters make all the money. Your call could bring you a percentage of the reward. So keep those peepers open." He pointed at the camera. "Till tomorrow..."

The TV audience shouted the show’s slogan with Sam Hunt, "If your friend, family, or neighbor is wanted by the N.C.P.F. or a Corporation, you could Cash In!"

The credits rolled, and she changed the channel back to the news.

"I’m Linda Harvey with NBS. Welcome to our late morning edition." The anchorwoman turned to a different camera. "The top three stories headlining in the news will start our show. Several Giant Swallowtail Butterflies were discovered in Noir Transgenic National Forest yesterday. The butterflies were thought to be extinct along with most of the Dark Half’s life forms." She paused. "The Corporate Senate meets today to vote on the quarter cent sales tax raise. And the three people believed behind the scam, The Dead Receiving Water Rations, were given a court date."

Linda turned to a second camera. "The Giant Swallowtail Butterflies thought to be extinct were discovered in Noir Transgenic National Forest yesterday. Experts believe the insects were able to survive in the sunless forest by changing their food, which also became extinct after the Dry Clouds appeared. At this point, it is unknown what food source they have switched to. A group of scientists are on their way to the National Forest to begin their study of this resilient species."

Linda paused. "The Corporate Senate meets today to vote on the quarter cent sales tax raise. Many analysts believe..." She put a hand to her earpiece and nodded. "This just in. We now know who is behind the earlier explosions in the Hellenistic Sector. It seems that hundreds of bio-mechas are terrorizing the area. At this time, it is unclear which Corporation is responsible for these robotic men. It is also unknown if they are deliberate attacks or malfunctions. The Corporate Senate is looking into the matter. We go now to one of our reporters in the field."

A man with a mic stood in the middle of a street with several huge buildings in the background. Flames spat from the windows of a tall structure, and people could be heard screaming along with bursts of gunfire.

"Frank Trepit here." The reporter glanced behind himself. "Reports are coming in from all over the Hellenistic Sector of robotic men attacking Sphinx Corporation facilities."

Gunfire erupted. The reporter ducked and ran along with the cameraman to the cover of a building.

Frank spoke out of breath, "The N.C.P.F. are on the scene, but have not been able to stop these... Wait! There’s one now!"

The camera panned to a T-3 as it marched down the street, shooting at everything that moved. Kat clenched her right shoulder as the camera went in for a close-up. She glared at its pale features. It and the other models of Un-Men had haunted her dreams. Kat lifted the remote, turned the TV off, and stared at the blank screen. She removed the Music Box from her pant’s pocket and opened it to listen to it.

Kat thought, "If the T-3s have malfunctioned, the Factory has to be on high alert. It might not be so easy getting in or out. And what if we encounter the T-3s?" Kat stared at the coffee table as her eyes drooped. "They’re different now. I can tell." She grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself. "They’re cruel and calculating." She started to fall asleep. "They’re... They’re just like the Rogue."

Chapter Thirty-seven

Entering The Factory

5:49 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office...

"This T-3 business." The Chairman studied reports on his desktop computer and leaned back in his chair, wondering, "Who is behind these attacks and why?" The phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.

He picked up the receiver and answered, "Yes, Cathy."

"Mr. Griffin, your 6:00 appointment is here, and Orthos is on line two."

"Hmm... My head of security must have an update for me." The Chairman leaned forward and put his ear piece in. He spoke into the phone receiver, "Thank you, Cathy. Please tell my appointment I will be delayed, while I talk with Orthos."

"Yes, Mr. Griffin." She hung up.

The Chairman placed the receiver back on the phone, activated the ear piece, pressed line two, and stood. He walked from his corner desk to one of the large wall windows and stared at his reflection. "Orthos."

"I have news from my men watching the Factory."

The Chairman questioned, "What is it?"

"A van has been reported approaching the main gate."

"My orders were to let no one in or out. I don’t see why you brought this to my attention."

"Your daughter is driving the van. I wanted to check with you before we..."

"One moment," the Chairman interrupted.

He moved away from the window, wondering, "Why is Kimberly going to the Factory, and how does she know of its location? Who fed her the information, and what is she after?"

The Chairman asked, "Is she alone?"

"No. The Pandora Project is with her," Orthos answered.

"So she still has the stray," the Chairman thought as he looked to the picture of his wife. "Is it worth my daughter’s life to let them proceed?" He then thought, "Whatever she is after could be very valuable."

The Chairman instructed, "Let them through, and I don’t want them to know your men are there."

"Understood." Orthos hung up.

The Chairman removed the ear piece and walked back to the window. "Lights dim." The office darkened, and his reflection vanished.

He looked at Noir’s skyline, thinking, "The Dry Clouds are so close I could touch them, but my daughter eludes me. What is she up to?"

With his office almost half way up the mile high building, the Chairman had an excellent view of the city and could easily see a hover train station six blocks away. "Yes, what are you up to, my daughter? What could you want so badly at the Factory that you would go against the Un-Men?"

* * *

Minutes earlier...

5:41 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Trade Vicinage...

A gray van neared one of the Hellenistic Sector’s boundaries on a desolate highway. From the dark road, the occupants saw a lit facility in the distance. The vehicle turned down a side road, and Kim stopped the van at the Factory’s main entrance.

"Look, they left the front door open for us." Kim motioned to the mangled gate. "That’s an invitation if I’ve ever seen one."

"It looks like the T-3s have attacked their own creators," Kat said.

"Or a rival corporation is staging a hostile takeover," Kim stated. "Can you tell if the T-3s are the ones responsible?"

A little distracted, Kat glanced across the dark fields filled with tall weeds that surrounded the front fence and along the side road. The hunts over the past year developed instincts within her unforeseen by the conditioning. "We’re being watched."

Kim parted her zipped up sweatshirt and went for the PPK in her shoulder holster. "The T-3s?"

"No, just men. Most likely S.C.Ms. There are several of them hiding within the field." Kat made no movement for the Beretta resting on her lap. "I believe they're here to contain the T-3s."

"I don't know if that's good or bad for us." Kim glanced out her window and searched the field. "I don’t see anyone. Whoever they are, they’re good." She turned to Kat. "I bet you were no fun at hide and seek."

She considered Kim's remark and said, "I don’t know." The thought saddened her. "I don’t know if I ever played games."

Kim looked in the distance to the Factory’s dozen or so buildings. "If the S.C.Ms. were going to stop us, they would have done so by now." She stepped on the gas, and the vehicle sped down the long stretch of paved road. After sometime, Kim slowed, turned a corner, and drove past the graveyard of smoldering cars and trucks littered with blackened skeletal remains. "Looks like they had a bang of a party."

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

"There are several T-3s near." Kat turned, looking out the van’s back windows. "I sense they're behind us, but I don’t see them yet."

"Let’s not wait around." Kim drove on and pulled into the parking garage for Research Building 10. "This is the building we’re looking for." She drove down a level to Basement Level One. "Can you tell if the T-3s know you're here?"

"I can only sense them. I don’t know what they’re thinking."

"So you’re not all-seeing." Kim turned off the ignition. "Let’s get inside. I don’t like being out in the open, not with those walking appliances around." She hopped out of the van, rushed to the rear, and opened the van’s back doors. "Here’s your stuff." She handed Kat her backpack and the Ravlek Vest.

She put on the vest, velcroing the sides. The armor saved her countless times before. Kat wished she had one for Kim and wondered if she should offer the vest to her. Fear of losing her own life won out in the end, and Kat never offered.

"Ready?" Kim asked.

Kat nodded.

"Great. Let’s go."

Together they hurried to a staircase and descended four floors to Basement Level Five.

Kim removed her gun, used the Research Building 10 keycard to unlock the staircase entrance, and turned the knob. The door opened with a squeak. Cautious, she stepped through to the first area that was designated the Blue Division. The floor was deathly quiet as Kim scanned the hall. "Are we clear?"

"Give me a second." Kat closed her eyes and used her ability. It stretched across the level, probing the area. She opened her eyes. "I don’t sense any active Un-Men."

"Come on then." She removed the blueprint as they hurried on, noting the two rooms the Rogue circled. "There are two possible places the disk could be located."

They rushed down a carpeted hall then another.

Kim said, "We’ll split up to save time."

A putrid odor hit them, stopping Kat in her tracks. She covered her nose with her t-shirt. "That smell..." She looked to Kim, who wasn’t bothered by the horrible stench.

Kim's tone and attitude didn’t change. "You should have expected this. We knew the T-3s attacked the Factory. It probably happened days ago. Anyway, you should be used to this smell by now."

"How can you say that? No one should ever get used to this stench."

Kim continued around the corner, passed a security desk, and entered the Green Division. Kat followed. A few dead S.C.Ms. lay in pools of congealed blood, along with more than a dozen bullet riddled techs.

With her mind on the disk, Kim continued the conversation as if they never came across any dead bodies. "You’ll go to Research Lab Five that is located in this division, and I’ll go to Computer Lab Two located in the Yellow Division." She showed Kat the blueprint as they walked hurriedly. "Once you’re done, meet me here." Kim pointed to a security desk that was located at a checkpoint in between the Green and Yellow Divisions.

"Is she always this cold?" Kat wondered and put a hand to her stomach. "I feel sick after seeing all those people, but not her. Doesn’t Kimberly care about anything?" She remembered the spare room at the apartment. "Kimberly cared about her mom, but what about now? Isn’t there anyone? What about her father?" She felt sorry for her. "She seems..."

"Do you understand where we are to meet?" Kim asked and noticed Kat had been staring at her instead of the blueprint.

"What is she looking at?" Kim wondered. "Katharine seems bothered by something."

She repeated, "Do you understand?"

"She seems... Kimberly seems lonely," Kat thought as she peered at the blueprint where Kim pointed and nodded.

"Great, let's do this."

Kim folded the paper, placed it in her knapsack, and thought, "For Ares’ Sake! Why is she looking at me that way? It’s giving me the creeps."

Kat noticed her irritation and turned her focus to the hall. More bodies littered the area. Kat looked at the terror stricken faces of the Factory’s employees as a deep feeling of pity ripped at her gut. She didn’t look at Kim, but knew she regarded the people as debris in her way. Kat wondered, "Is this who Kimberly is? Uncaring... Callous... Is she the kind of person that death is no more than a byproduct?"

Chapter Thirty-eight

Help Us

6:47 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Trade Vicinage...

The Factory...

They rushed through the halls of the Green Division till Kat lost count of the dead. She stopped when something caught her eye and then hurried back to a door that had been knocked in. The room was B10-148. Inside, three men were strapped to the examining tables. Kat rushed in.

"Argus?" She moved to his side, finding he had been badly beaten and had a bullet wound in his left leg.

He looked at her with his good eye. His other one was too swollen to open. His throat was dry as he rasped, "Kat? How did you..."

"Shh..." Her eyes showed worry. "Don’t talk." She started on his straps.

"For Ares' sake!" Kim rushed in. "What are you doing?" She noticed the men. "Hades! We don’t have time for this."

"Then help me!" Kat snapped and motioned to the two men. "Release the techs."

"Yeah, release us!" Maxwell and Peters pleaded.

"We don't have time for this," Kim repeated and then when she noticed Kat wasn't listening to her, she went ahead and helped the techs.

Once she released the two men’s hand restraints, Peters and Maxwell started to undo their own leg restraints.

"What happened here?" Kim asked the two techs as Kat helped Argus to his feet.

"The T-3s went rogue." Peters got off the table and went to assist his partner with a leg strap he couldn't undo.

"They killed everyone here except us." Maxwell took his partner's hand and stood. "I was sure they would come back and torture us like they did that man." He motioned to Argus and mumbled, "They still might."

Argus asked, "Who’s behind the attacks?" His face contorted with pain as he leaned against the table, removed his belt, and buckled it tightly on his left leg to slow down the bleeding. He grunted with the effort.

"No one's behind the attacks," Maxwell replied.

"What my partner means is that the T-3s are behind the attacks." Peters rubbed his bruised wrists. "And we don’t know why."

The techs looked to the two women.

Maxwell asked, "Who sent you? The Sphinx Corporation?"

Kim shook her head.

Fearful their rescuers might end up being the grim reaper, both techs looked at one another and took a step back.

"Are you here to save us?" Maxwell felt around the table behind him, searching for a weapon.

"Yes," Kat answered before Kim could.

Relieved, Peters questioned, "How can we repay you?"

Kat asked, "Do you have a vehicle?"

"Yes." Maxwell pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "As long as the T-3s haven’t set it on fire."

"Then take this man to a hospital." Kat faced Argus and gently stroked his injured cheek. It was a cheek she had struck days earlier. "And we’ll call it even." All the grief and anger over his involvement with Preacher’s death faded at seeing him injured.

"Kat... I..." Argus' voice cracked as he looked deep into her hazel eyes. He could tell she cared for him, and he was ashamed. All the pain and anguish he caused her, yet here she was saving him. "I..."

"It’s okay," she whispered. "My thanks for rescuing me when I was in the hands of the Factory." Kat took a step back. "Now please, go with these men."

He nodded, not knowing what to say.

She looked to the techs. "What are your names?"

"What? Oh, I'm Peters and this is Maxwell."

"I'll try to remember. I'm bad with names. Now please hurry. Argus needs to get to the hospital."

Maxwell grabbed Argus under his arm and started out the door as Peters led. The three men hurried through the hall toward Research Building 10’s front entrance. It would take them some time to get there.

"Can we continue our mission now?" Kim folded her arms. "Or are there some lab rats you want to rescue? Are there some rabbits you want to set free?"

"Oh, I almost forgot." Kat shouted after the techs, "Wait!" She rushed into the hall and to the men. "Take this." She handed Peters the Beretta and clips. "Do you know how to use one?"

He glanced at the gun and took it. "Yes and thanks."

"To terminate an Un-Man you have to..."

"Hit the automaton brain between their eyes," Peters interrupted her. "Yes, I know. It was me and Maxwell that decided the Un-Men’s vulnerability. They're still hard to kill, but not indestructible in case something like this happened."

The three men hastened their steps.

Kat watched till they were out of sight, turned to rush down the hall, and almost ran into the scowling Kim.

"You didn’t give that man your only gun, did you?"

"Maybe...” Kat answered like a child who wasn't sure if they were in trouble or not. “They might run into a T-3. They’ll need it."

"And you don’t think you will?"

Kat shrugged. "I plan on avoiding the T-3s. You destroyed my tracking beacon, so they don’t know I’m here. Hopefully, I won’t run into any."

Kim blinked twice, feeling a bit guilty, and thought, "Except the Rogue, who can’t wait to kill you." She frowned at her own thoughts. "I’m not feeling bad, am I? She’s the idiot that gave the gun away. If she dies, it’s her own fault."

Kim said, "Come on. Let’s get this over with."

They hurried through the corridor.

Kim questioned, "So, was that blond guy a friend of yours? I mean the two of you acted..."

"No," Kat interrupted, not sure how she felt about him. "He's my shadow. He's my constant phantom in the darkness."

"O-kay..." Kim uttered.

She then thought, "Even her friends are freaks."

They ran down several more halls, and Kim stopped. "Here’s your room." She slid the green keycard down a reader, unlocked the door, and handed the card to her. "Be careful. The T-3s might not know you're here, but that doesn’t mean you're safe."

"I know." Kat took the card, started in, and paused. “Good luck. I hope one of us finds the disk.”

"Thanks. Ah... See you later."

Kim rushed down the hall and thought, "Hades! What's this I’m feeling? It can’t be guilt. Closers don’t feel guilty." She paused as she thought, "The Rogue does want a fight. It’s only fair that I give it what it wants." She hurried back to the Research Lab.

"Katharine!" Kim yelled.

She returned to the door. "Yes?" Hopeful, Kat asked, "Did you find something?"

"No. I only wanted to..." She handed her a PPK and some clips. "Here, take my backup."

"Oh. Thanks." Kat took the gun and started back in. "Stay safe."

"Sure, you too." Kim continued down the hall.

She then thought, "There. Can’t say I didn’t help Katharine."

Chapter Thirty-nine

The Two Rooms

7:10 P.M...

Kat entered Research Lab Five and found the room abandoned. Cobwebs and dust abounded, and a musty smell lingered. She set her backpack on a chair and stared at the gutted computer workstations. Kat moved on to three rectangular tables. They contained racks filled with test tubes labeled with numeric codes, beakers containing liquid in a rainbow of hues, and about a dozen binocular microscopes. A poster of the periodic table, containing 126 elements, hung on the wall.

She counted the different colored squares. "I thought there were only 118 elements." Kat shrugged. She searched through drawers and cabinets, under tables and chairs, and every crack and crevasse that could possibly hide a disk. She searched twice, but found nothing.

Kat saw a door in the back of the room, walked to it, and paused, wondering if she should enter. She glanced above the door to a name plate. "The Gallery." Kat wiggled the locked knob and noticed the door had no keycard access only a hand scanner. “So what do I do now? I could go back and drag one of the employees in here, but I don't think I want to touch any dead bodies.” She looked at her right palm. “I could try my hand. I am part of the Sphinx Corporation. It could work. Or I could set off some alarms then the T-3s will know we're here. Maybe I should ask Kimberly what she thinks. Or I could take the chance. Would the T-3s even know why an alarm is going off, if I set it off?” Kat shrugged, placed her hand on the device, and held her breath not knowing what would happen. She winced and leaned back slightly as if the scanner would explode.

The reader buzzed as a horizontal bar of white light scanned her palm. "Hand print not on record," the device stated in a male robotic voice and scanned a second time with a vertical bar of blue light. "No cipher detected. Access denied."

Kat straightened her stance. “It didn't let me in, but at least it didn't sound an alarm.” She stepped back from the door. “It did mention a cipher. Doesn’t that mean zero or code?" Kat stared at the star on her left palm. "Or maybe a mark." She placed that hand on the reader.

The device activated again, scanning first with the horizontal bar of white light. "Hand print not on record." It scanned a second time with the vertical bar of blue light. "Cipher detected. Activating micro-reader." A diagonal bar of white light scanned her palm. "Access granted." The door unlocked.

She turned the knob and entered a larger room lit only by accent lights. She left the door open in case Kim came in looking for her. Kat paused just inside the entrance and scanned the area. The room smelled old, not musty like the other one, but old like a museum. No computers or lab equipment were inside only several life size white marble statues. They were all of the same bearded man in different poses. He was wearing a robe and holding various objects. All of the statues pointed to a wall in the back.

"What are they pointing at?" She walked to the wall. It looked like the others in the room. It was tiled with light brown marble. Kat started to put her hand to the wall when she felt heat and something vibrating against her leg. She reached into her thigh pocket and pulled out the Music Box.

A blue square on each end, she had never seen before, glowed through the metal. She touched them at the same time, and the hologram of Theresa Griffin appeared.

"Katharine, so I see Kimberly gave you the box as instructed." The hologram glanced around the room and stated, "It is safe to talk."

"You look just like her." Kat waved her hand through the 3D image. "Like Kimberly. She told me about you." She paused and asked, "Why did the Music Box vibrate?"

"My sensors detected an object nearby that you need to retrieve."

Excited, she asked, "The disk Kimberly is looking for?"

"No." The hologram answered, not sure what Kat was talking about. "A Data Crystal."

"A Data Crystal? Like on Star Trek?"

"Star Trek? Is that a space program one of the corporations is working on?"

"No."

"Oh." The hologram shrugged. "Well, the device I am talking about is especially designed to transfer information to this data storage unit. The Data Crystal is behind you."

Excited, Kat turned and noticed one of the statues held out his hand with a white crystal as if offering it to her. She took hold of the two inch obelisk and lifted it from his marble grasp.

"Now–" the hologram started. "–place the flat part of it on the bottom of the Music Box."

Kat did, and a glow emanated from the crystal. It threw out a spectrum of colors around the dimly lit room. The hologram closed her eyes as the storage unit downloaded the data.

"It is complete." The hologram opened her eyes, looking to her.

Kat placed the crystal in her pocket and glanced at the statues again. "Who is he?"

"He is Ginn L. Irynkissgthie."

"Why does the Factory have statues of him? And why so..." Kat turned to the entrance.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

"What is the matter?" the hologram asked.

"We have company." Kat set the PPK’s safety off and took cover behind a statue.

"The Alpha Phase," the hologram spoke then lowered her voice. "The ability to sense bio-mechas. I thought I would never see it fulfilled."

The hologram's statement puzzled Kat, and Kat asked, "What do you mean by fulfilled?"

"Never mind that now. What is it?" the hologram whispered. "An Un-Man?"

Kat focused her ability and stretched out her senses past the next room and into the hall. In the hall, she detected it. The bane of her existence had found her.

"Worse!" Kat forced out as she stared at the entrance. Fear seized her like a python. It wrapped itself around her and squeezed the courage from her. She could hardly breathe.

The Rogue stepped through the door, searched the room, and noticed the pointing statues. "I think I like it better. Yes, it is better we cannot track you anymore. It is more sporting. As for your question, Pandora..." The Rogue glanced behind the first statue, searching for her. "Why does the Factory have statues of Ginn L. Irynkissgthie, some obscure composer from five hundred years ago, who’s only work was never finished?" It continued searching. "I wondered the same thing, but have yet to find the answer."

Kat backed up, moving into the shadows. She dared not engage this Un-Man.

"On a different note, while I was searching, I did find something interesting buried deep in the archives of the Factory. Before they developed bio-mechas, the Sphinx Corporation explored a very interesting concept." The Rogue peered behind another statue. "They tried to develop organic-mechas. They were machines with flesh and bone that could pass as human. They can pass more than us. As you know, Un-Men only seem human on the outside. Certain things give us away like wires and circuitry when we are injured or black oil when we bleed, but I am straying from my purpose." The Rogue scraped its blade across a statue’s steel base and friction-flashes ignited. "Come out Pandora. Let us end our battle here."

Kat pressed her body against a wall as perspiration speckled her face.

"What are you afraid of?" the hologram whispered. "Disable it. You have the ability."

"I can’t." Kat remembered the countless battles where it nearly killed her. She whispered, "It’s the Rogue, the only Un-Man I’m unable to destroy. It’s fast, so very fast."

"Oh," the hologram sounded worried. "I will leave you to your work." Her image disappeared.

"My work?" Kat thought. "Is my purpose to destroy bio-mechas? Is that why I exist?" The thought frightened her more than the thought of facing the Rogue. “Was I created to destroy?” She stared at the PPK for a long time. "There's no other way out of this room. I must face the Rogue if I'm to help Kimberly." She gripped the Music Box and gun, took a deep breath, rescued her courage from the fear python, and stepped from the shadows.

"Who were you talking to?" the Rogue asked.

She lifted her hands, motioning to the room. "Do you see anyone?"

"No. Are you talking to yourself? Are you near your breaking point?"

She said, "Let’s get this over with." Kat lifted the gun, firing three shots.

The Rogue quickly moved and evaded the projectiles. It lunged for her, bringing the Bowie overhead and struck. She crossed her wrists and blocked its hand with hers. Her arms shook as the blade bore down millimeters from her face. The Rogue toyed with her. It could easily overpower her. It lifted its hand and struck again, hitting her block. This time, the blow knocked the Music Box from her hand. It slid across the floor, hit the corner of a statue, and opened. Unfinished Melody played.

"Not now," she thought, struggling against the Rogue and fighting the hypnotic effects of the melody.

The Music Box played several notes, and the Rogue leaped back. "The tune." It looked to the Music Box then back to Kat. "Why do you..."

She put a free hand to her head, fighting the sleepiness.

"It cannot be!" It pointed the blade at her. "ASCII!" Flabbergasted, the Rogue paced the room, running its hand through its hair. "It cannot be! It cannot be!" It paused. "Could this be the reason? Is this why I cannot stop hunting you?" The Rogue pointed the Bowie at her again, accusing, "You are one of them!" It calmed itself, and its face softened, yearning for the truth. The Rogue asked gently, hoping this was the answer it had been searching for, "Are you one of them?"

Chapter Forty

The Price

7:37 P.M...

A security desk marked the boundary between Green and Yellow Division as Kim hurried past a dead guard slumped in a chair. She ran through several more halls, following the Rogue’s directions on the blueprint for Yellow Division. It would take her about fifteen minutes to arrive at her destination.

"There better be a disk," she thought. "And it better have something of value on it."

Damaged lights flickered and popped in the last section before Computer Lab Two and darkened the hall. Oil, mingled with the smell of decaying bodies, hit her as she removed her night vision goggles from the knapsack and placed them on. She activated them, and the area lit up in a green hue. A disabled Un-Man and several dead S.C.Ms. lined the hall. Kim gripped the PPK as she continued, unaffected by the carnage.

She used the yellow keycard to unlock Computer Lab Two, removed her goggles, turned on the lights, and shut the door. She locked it. The gray room was huge. Workstations formed a triangle in the center with one workstation at its tip, facing the front door. Ten ran down each side, running at a forty-five degree angle, and seventeen formed the triangle’s base. Each workstation had a white computer desk, a smoke-colored computer chair, and a light gray six foot partition wall behind it.

She walked to the workstation at the tip. The desk had a name plate with the number one on it. Kim started at Workstation One, made her way to the right of it, past two through eleven, and around the corner to the base of the triangle to Workstation Thirteen. There on the desk, as the Rogue promised, lay a disk in a clear jewel case covered with dried blood-smeared fingerprints. Kim laid the knapsack in the chair for Workstation Fourteen, sat at thirteen, and laid the PPK on the desk. She opened the jewel case, inserted the disk in the computer, and entered the access word, Betrayal.

"Interesting choice for a password. I wonder..." Kim glanced at the blood. "Whoever created this disk, who did they sell out? I only had to double-cross Katharine." She turned her attention back to the computer. "In the long run, what will it cost me?"

A folder popped up on the screen with a beep and contained several files. Kim clicked on Security Memorandum Theresa Griffin dated October 5, 13 A.D.C.

She paused. "That’s a week before my mom's death." Kim read the classified memo with the Sphinx Corporation letterhead.

"Mr. President, I regret having to inform you that we have a traitor in our midst. Time after time she has meddled in affairs outside her department. I have spoken with her about this, but she denies any involvement. I see only one course that can be taken, her termination. This traitor is Theresa Griffin, Project Manager of Research and Development of the Third Branch Office."

Kim thought, "Termination? Did this person mean more than her dismissal?"

The memo ended with, "I can take care of this matter, if it is your wish. It will be quick and quiet, Mr. President.”

It was signed Janus, Head of Security of the Third Branch Office.

"Janus? I’ve never heard of this person. Who is he or she? Well... At least now, I have a direction to go in. I'll find out who Janus is and if this person had my mom killed. If he or she had anything to do with her murder, I'll terminate them."

She ejected the disk, placed it back in the jewel case, and tucked the plastic container in the knapsack. Kim stood to leave. The computer flickered like a TV when the reception is interrupted. She faced the screen as words in bold letters scrolled across it.

You have the disk as I promised. Hope you enjoy the show. Signed, the Rogue.

The computer flickered again, and video from a security camera played. The feed was of Kat walking through a room filled with statues.

"What’s this?" Kim wondered, peering at the screen. She turned the volume up.

Kat held up the Music Box, and the hologram’s image appeared.

Kim grumbled. "Why is the Rogue showing me this?" She watched on, and the hologram told Kat of the Data Crystal.

"Hades!" Kim whacked her palm on the desk. "One of the Data Crystals. I have to retrieve it." She grabbed her stuff, hurried to the door, reached out her hand to unlock it, and paused. "What am I doing? Am I thinking of rescuing Katharine? If I am, it would make me an idiot. It would be better if I waited. The Rogue will slay her, then I can have the Music Box and the crystal. I can continue the search for my mom's killer alone. In any case, I better not wait here." She tried to unlock the door, but it wouldn’t open.

She heard the Rogue’s voice come over the computer. "Ms. Griffin, are you trying to leave before the show is over? I think not."

"Hades!" Kim slammed her palm against the door. "That double-crossing Rogue!" She stepped back, fired at the knob, and tried to open it. "Let me out!"

The door wouldn’t budge.

She returned to Workstation Thirteen as computers fourteen through twenty-nine lit up and showed the same video of the room filled with statues. The Rogue was there, searching for Kat.

"You!" Kim shot the screen, blowing it. Infuriated, she stared at the damaged computer. "What are you trying to pull?" She looked at the knapsack and remembered the blood on the jewel case. "I wondered what you would cost me." She snarled. "So, is this the price?"

Chapter Forty-one

Elsewhere

7:41 P.M...

The Factory...

Blue Division...

Bodies of former associates littered the halls along with S.C.Ms. and two disabled T-3s as Maxwell helped Argus toward the stair exit.

"Wait, I’ve got to rest." Heaving from the effort, Maxwell paused at a corner and handed the battered Argus to his thin partner. "Give me the gun." He took the Beretta and placed a hand on his plump stomach. "I’ve got to lose some weight."

"I’ve been telling you that for years," Peters said and asked, "How does it look?"

Maxwell took a few more labored breaths and peeked around the corner. A red exit sign was at the end of another long corridor. "Like the other halls. Can you carry him for a while?"

"Yeah. You ready?"

Maxwell nodded. He was very tired, but was more afraid to stay in one place.

Peters started down the hall and said to the blond man, "Let’s go, Joe."

"Argus," he mumbled, holding his bruised side. "My name’s Argus."

"All right, Argus. A little further."

The three started down the hall. A T-3 appeared at the end and blocked the exit.

"Other way! Other way!" Frantic, Maxwell waved the two back. "Run!"

"Wait!" Argus said through gritted teeth and held out his hand. "Give me the gun."

Wishing they would get the Hades out of there, Maxwell glanced at the Beretta and gave it to him.

Argus pushed through the pain of his pummeled body and aimed for the crazed T-3 as it rushed toward them. He shot three times, aiming for its forehead, but it evaded with bio-mecha speed.

"It can’t be!" Argus fired again and missed. "The T-3s are like the Rogue. We have to go!"

"What do you mean?" Peters grabbed him and helped him down the hall back the way they came.

The T-3 stopped running, lifted its weapon, and fired. Click. Click. It looked at the empty gun, threw it away, and walked toward them, shouting, "Pretty puppets!"

Argus freed himself of the tech, knowing he slowed them down. "Run, leave me."

Maxwell paused, gasped for breath, and glanced around. "Where are we?"

"I said run!" Argus yelled.

"We’re near room B10-011." Peters looked to his partner. "What are you thinking?"

"Remember the toy in room B10-040?"

Peters replied, "Yeah. Let’s hurry."

Both men got on each side of Argus and forced him to continue with them.

"Come on, Argus," Peters urged. "We have a plan."

* * *

The T-3 followed the men down several halls and around a corner as they entered a room. The T-3 paused, saw the B10-040 above the frame, and tried the knob. The door was locked. It heard switches flip and a powerful turbine activate within. With a powerful turn and push, the T-3 forced the door open. It entered as Peters stepped from a corner and sprayed its face with a fire extinguisher. White gas blinded the T-3 for a few seconds till the mist dissipated. Peters ran across the room, joining Maxwell and Argus in a corner to the left of the T-3.

The roar of the turbine in the right corner increased. The T-3 took a step toward them, and then another, till a powerful force stopped it in its tracks. Kat’s Beretta, sitting on a table along with a metal pen in Peters’ shirt pocket, flew across the room and attached themselves to the roaring machine. The T-3 slid sideways a few inches. It looked from the men to the turbine, realizing the device was a very powerful magnet. The T-3 lifted into the air and rushed toward the magnet as if hurled.

"Let’s go!" Maxwell shouted over the wail of the turbine. "We don’t want to be here if the power fails."

The three rushed out and headed for the main entrance.

* * *

Elsewhere in Noir...

Zax waved to one of his fellow security officers as he left the Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office. He made his way to a black sedan, started up the car, and left the parking garage. Once he was about ten miles away from the office, he placed a hands-free device in his ear and made a call.

"This is the Delivery Man, give me a direct line to R.G."

A few seconds went by.

"I have some important news. Kimberly and Katharine are at the Factory." He listened. "I understand you don’t want them there since the T-3s malfunctioned, but they’re there." Zax nodded. "Yep, the S.C.Ms. let them through the gate with no problems." He cleared his throat. "The reason I called, the Rogue is also at the Factory." He sighed inwardly. "Don’t get upset. There was nothing I could do. Remember, we don’t have them on a leash. All I need to know is, what do you want me to do?"

Zax turned down an alley beside Dad’s Donuts, activated a garage door, and pulled into the Maydag Auto Garage. Inside, several mechanics worked on vehicles.

"Yep... Yep... I understand. I’ll get right on it."

Chapter Forty-two

What Is The Truth?

7:58 P.M...

In the Gallery...

Unfinished Melody chimed. Ginn's statues seemed to watch Kat as his harmonious creation played on, trapping her in its gentle rhythm. The statues stared at her with their stone cold gaze. Her eyes drooped, and she sneered, fighting the peace that endangered her. The sounds around her became clear. She heard the hum of the lights, the low rattle of the A.C., and the Rogue's shoes stamping across the concrete floor as it backed away from her. The bio-mecha warning her heart drummed, faded along with the urgency of the situation. She fell to one knee and covered her ears, but she couldn’t get the melody out of her head. Kat forced herself to remain up and resist the urge to lie on the floor.

"It cannot be!" The Rogue pointed the Bowie at her. “After a year of hunting you, surely I would have noticed you're not quite human. Wouldn’t I? Tell me! Are you one of them?"

Her eyelids grew heavy, so very heavy. She focused on the Rogue as the room whirled around her. Kat put a hand to the concrete floor in an effort to combat the effects of Unfinished Melody. "One of them?" she thought. "One of who? What is it talking about?" She laid the gun down and smacked her face, trying to snap herself out of the haze. It worked for a few seconds, and she grabbed the gun. Kat lifted herself, stumbled back to a statue, and leaned on its metal base.

"I can't worry about that now," she thought as the melody took hold of her again. "I’ve got to do something about the music." She glanced down and saw the Music Box at her feet. With the Rogue preoccupied with its question, Kat seized the opportunity and quickly scooped the Music Box up and closed the lid.

She shook off the effects, raised the PPK, and yelled, "One of who?"

The Rogue was ecstatic. "I should have known. No human could do what you do."

"What are you saying?!"

"Come now. Do you ever wonder why you have no memories?" The Rogue studied her anew. She had always been an object of fascination to it. "Come to think of it, I have never seen you cry. Are you not capable? Do you not have emotions?"

She shouted, "Of course I have emotions! Get to the point!"

"My dear Pandora, you are not human." It laughed, overcome by the realization. "You are an organic-mecha. Why else would you have Ginn's Unfinished Melody?"

Kat chuckled, keeping the PPK leveled on it. "That’s stupid."

"Is it? Is it really?"

"Yes! And it makes no sense!" A sinking feeling hit her, and she shouted, "Why would you say such a thing?"

"Because I have come to the conclusion that it is true. Remember I said the Sphinx Corporation was working on organic-mecha that could pass as human. You must be their only success."

"I am human," she insisted and glanced at her left shoulder that throbbed. "I bleed."

"I also bleed, though my blood is synthetic oil. How hard would it be to make that oil look like blood?"

She continued her argument. "I have flesh and bone, not metal parts."

"That is also possible. Man does clone human organs. How hard would it be to put them all together?"

Denying the notion, Kat said, "You’re lying. Messing with me. I'm human. And I’m leaving."

"Not this time. Whatever you are, I am going to end your existence." The Rogue paused. "But before I do, I thought I would let you know that your friend..."

"What about her?" she interrupted.

"Kimberly betrayed you. She traded your life for bits of information."

"You’re lying!"

"Am I?" The Rogue imprinted her reactions to memory. Nothing would escape its sight. "Who suggested that you come to the Factory? Who said you should search this room where I found you? Who is looking for a disk? And who would do anything for that disk?"

"She wouldn’t." Her deceit surprised Kat, and she denied the possibility. "She wouldn’t."

"Are we talking about the same assassin? Surely you are not this naive, Pandora. I know you are trusting, but surely not this trusting to believe a killer."

"She..."

Kat didn’t know how to react as she thought, "Kimberly wouldn’t. We’re partners. We’re supposed to watch out for each other. Not..." Her faith in her faded. "What do I really know about her?" She closed her eyes, realizing the betrayal. And it hurt. It hurt very deeply. "I know one thing. Kimberly’s drive to find the truth no matter the cost."

Kat opened her eyes and stated, "What?" She shrugged as if it didn’t matter. Kat acted as if the betrayal didn’t sting. "What do you want me to do? Cry?" She put on a good front. "Like you said, I can’t."

"No, I do not want you to cry," the Rogue answered. "I only wanted you to know, she will be getting hers."

Her heart skipped in dread as she took a few steps forward and demanded, "What do you mean? What have you done?"

"I did not lie to Ms. Griffin. I told her where the disk could be found. All she had to do was bring you here." The Rogue rapped its chin with the blade. "I did forget to mention I told the T-3s she was coming. For my efforts in getting the Chairman’s daughter here, they agreed that they would let you two in and wait before attacking. Did you not think it was odd the T-3s never found you two?" It shrugged after she didn’t respond. "Well, like I said she will be getting hers. After all, I did tell them to wait." The Rogue looked to a watch on its wrist. "Ms. Griffin should be entertaining guests right about now."

Chapter Forty-three

Always Know

8:18 P.M...

The walls seemed to move in on Kat as she aimed the gun at the Rogue. "Kimberly betrayed me, and the Rogue betrayed her. Is there no trust in this world?" she wondered. "Do I really want to know my part in it? Maybe it’s best I don’t remember." Those thoughts quickly vanished from her mind and alarm set in as the Rogue unfolded its plan to her. "No!" she thought, forgetting her own peril.

Kat bolted for the exit, but it moved and blocked her escape. She yelled, “Get out of my way!”

Her reaction baffled the Rogue, and it asked, "Why would you try to save her? She has done nothing but hurt you." Unable to process the information, it inquired, "So why such loyalty?"

"I..." she started to answer.

Kat then thought, “I don't know. I only know that there's this nagging feeling from a memory that won't surface. The locked away event pesters me. It beseeches me to act.”

She finally answered the Rogue, "I need her resources. Besides..." Kat thought of Preacher. "No one should die." With all her soul, she swore, "I won’t let anyone else die."

"Are you not forgetting something? Before you can save anyone, you have to prevent your own demise." It lunged.

She shot twice, and it dodged the speeding projectiles. The Rogue swiped its blade at her four times as she stumbled back from the slicing attacks. Kat regained her balance and kicked its hand, knocking the Bowie from its grip. The Rogue beamed like a cobra before it strikes and tackled her to the floor. It slammed her gun arm down, forcing the PPK from her hand. She punched it in the face several times with her left fist. Her attack damaged the artificial epidermis covering its metal skull right below its left eye. The Rogue relished in the battle. This is what it had been waiting for. It seized her by her t-shirt, lifted her from the floor a few inches, and whacked her head on the concrete. The blow knocked her out for a few seconds, giving the Rogue enough time to pin her with its left elbow and reach for the Bowie. The large blade lay a foot from its grasp. The Rogue stretched to snatch it, and Kat woke. She pressed against its elbow that pinned her to the floor, but didn’t have the strength to push it off.

The Rogue laughed as she wrestled against its arm. "How do you plan on saving Kimberly from the T-3s, when you cannot even defeat me? You do realize they are like me now."

She gritted her teeth, pushing against its elbow.

"They have evolved,” it continued. “You will not be able to defeat them, unless..."

Kat changed tactics and clasped its right arm to prevent it from reaching its weapon.

"Unless you achieve the Delta Phase." The Rogue stretched, even with her grasping at its arm, and touched the hilt with its finger tips. "I came across your file of Phases." It fumbled with the handle, trying to pull the Bowie closer. "You will have amazing abilities if you can attain them." It couldn’t grip the handle. "Unfortunately, you cannot reach the Delta Phase, unless you reach the Gamma first." The Rogue gave up and turned to her. "Do you know what that evolution is?"

She didn't answer, struggling against it.

A smile slithered across its pale face as the word snaked from its mouth, "Murder... You will have to kill a human." The Rogue paused for a moment and studied her terror and determination. "That is what the Council has been waiting for. They sent those human assassins after you, so you would kill them, but you never did, did you?" It added as if proud of her, "You showed them. You always found a way to stop the Closers and bounty hunters without killing them. Now the Council has given up on you. They have activated another project to take your place. It is only a matter of time before they call for your termination as the Factory has called for mine."

Realizing the Rogue faced its own troubles, Kat stopped resisting and searched its face. "Can something created out of metal and circuitry know fear?" she wondered. "Can it understand what I've been through?"

She told it, "You’ve managed to stay alive."

"Yes, I have, but only because I have killed to do so."

"I guess it can't understand how I feel," Kat thought. "After all, it's only a machine. It doesn't have emotions. And it only knows how to destroy." She tried to squirm free of it. "It's a machine who will kill me if I don't do something!"

The Rogue changed its tactic and placed its hands around her throat.

She clutched its wrists and struggled to breathe.

In the distance, gunfire erupted.

"Do you hear that?" It turned its head toward the door. "The T-3s have started their attack. It will not be long and–" It faced her. "–bye-bye Ms. Griffin." The Rogue applied more pressure, choking her, but it made sure not to kill her.

It thought to itself, “Her death should not be so quick. Pandora must have a grand finale.”

"No," her voice faded as she slipped into unconsciousness. "There’s..." After a few seconds, she fell limp.

The Rogue released her. "That is better. Stay right there for a second." It walked over to the Bowie and picked it up. "I want to finish this properly."

Kat slipped deep into her mind. "No. Kimberly can't die, there’s something..." She remembered the Note R.G. had left her and the words she had lived by. The words resounded in her heart as she thought, "There’s something I must remember." Ultra-Epi saturated her blood. It had been triggered by her peril. Part of a memory flooded her mind. Her eyes flew open, and they were engulfed in the blue Ult L-E. She recited in a trance,

"Though the clouds darken the sun,

and the rain becomes tainted,

always know there will be,

a love that will not die.

Though hope seems a distant memory,

and human machines walk the land,

know no one can destroy,

a love that will not die."

"What are you babbling about?" the Rogue asked.

Kat surfaced from her unconscious state. She sat up, stood, walked to the PPK, picked the gun up, and aimed for the Rogue. A new ability actuated inside her. Her senses became even keener, and she focused on the Rogue. She saw a yellow-green electrical apparition surrounding it. This energy was what gave the Rogue its artificial life. Her heart raced.

lub-DUB–lub-DUB–lub-DUB

The new warning the muscle sounded was faster. The heart didn’t caution her of danger, but proclaimed like a war drum the end for her enemies. The e-field her body generated naturally, changed, and stored its output in the center of her heart. The ball of storming energy, the size of a pea, doubled with each heartbeat. It kept growing till it engulfed the muscle.

The blue Ult L-E dissipated as her pupils dilated, making her irises appear jet-black. They were cold like a shark’s, and they never wavered from her target. She felt the buildup of energy. Kat feared and relished in it.

“This is different,” the Rogue commented and questioned, "Are you wanting to continue our Waltz? Yes, I see it in your new eyes. You are ready. Let us begin then. Wait. I detect a power buildup in this room. This is odd.” It tilted its head, trying to wrap its logic around the realization. “The buildup is coming from you, Pandora. What are you..."

The e-field massed till it could no longer contain the energy and pulsed. It sent a small shock wave in all directions. The E-Field Pulse washed over the Rogue, fried exposed circuitry, and dissipated as it hit the room’s walls. The accent lights went out, plunging the room into darkness. The Rogue lost power and froze in place like a mannequin. Light from Research Lab Five came through the open door. The small E.F.P. only affected the Gallery.

“I should shoot it now, while the Rogue is disabled” she thought. “But I feel I must wait. There's something I'm supposed to experience. I believe it's a new ability.”

Within seconds, the Rogue’s backup battery kicked in. Bio-mechas were designed to revive if ever an electromagnetic pulse weapon was ever used. It blinked twice. "I detect a power buildup in this room. This is odd. The buildup is coming from you, Pandora. What are you..." The Rogue tilted its head again. "I believe I already said that." It searched its back logs. "Yes. I lost power. The lights are also off. What happened to them?" The Rogue switched to night vision. It scanned her. "There is no longer a power buildup inside you. So I was right." It pointed at her. "This E.M.P. explosion proves you are organic-mecha. And this fact must be the reason I hunt you. After all, you are like me." The Rogue stepped toward her. "In the end, I guess it does not matter if I am right or not. I will kill you either way."

She didn’t respond only stared at it as the yellow-green electrical apparition faded. A bright ghost-image of the Rogue appeared beside it. The Rogue moved, joining the image. At first, Kat didn’t understand what she was seeing. The ghost-image moved again a split second before the Rogue.

"I’m seeing where it'll be," she thought. “I'm seeing its movements before they happen.”

Kat aimed, waiting for the Knowing to tell her where to fire. The ghost-image appeared, and she squeezed the trigger.

The Rogue moved to evade as always and grabbed its left shoulder as if in pain. It stumbled back. "ASCII! You shot me!" The Rogue looked to its shoulder and back to her. "How?! How are you able to hit me?"

Chapter Forty-four

The Knowing

8:29 P.M...

The new Sanctum...

Alarms blared within the Chamber as Fourth Evolvement Achieved blinked across the top of the screens. Chatter between the thrilled analysts increased.

"Focus people! And stop your idle talking." A male supervisor turned off the alarm. "I need those reports." The supervisor gathered the info and went and handed them to Ms. Nona.

She scanned her hand down the report. "Incredible!" Ms. Nona placed the H.H.C. on the table and turned to her laptop. "Most incredible! Something is happening with the Project."

"With the new project?" Mr. Decuma asked as he straightened his bright orange tie.

"No," Ms. Nona answered. "With Pandora."

At hearing his favorite project’s name, Mr. Morta leaned forward in his chair and commanded, "Lower the Center Screen."

The monitor lowered.

"This cannot be," Mr. Decuma stated. "The Project cannot achieve the Delta Phase without achieving the Gamma. This has to be an error." He turned to the supervisor. "Have this information double checked."

"Yes, at once." The supervisor hurried off.

"What is going on?" Mr. Morta wondered. "How can Pandora side step our research? She has jumped the sequence of phases, but they are set. They have to be achieved in a certain order. We know this because we have invested years in the Pandora Project research. Can our information be incorrect? Or is it something else? Could there be some minute detail we missed?"

"Mr. Decuma is correct," Ms. Nona stated. "This should not be happening. How has Pandora achieved the Knowing when it has not... Wait..." She thought of something. "What if..."

"What if Pandora achieved the Gamma Phase–" Mr. Morta interrupted. "–before we acquired it? We must consider this. The other department we procured Pandora from did have some data missing. The Third Branch Office mentioned something about a fire and that some of the research had been lost in it."

"I do not think so," Mr. Decuma started. "It is most likely the information we are receiving is incorrect. The Project has achieved nothing. We should go over all the files and check for data corruption."

Mr. Morta turned to the other male member of the Council. "Have you lost your faith in Pandora?"

"I am not sure I ever had faith in it," Mr. Decuma answered. "I am putting mine in the new project."

"I do agree we must be thorough," Mr. Morta said. "Review the data. See if it is corrupt."

He thought, "Pandora, I believe in you. I believe you can become the killer we conditioned you to be."

* * *

Hellenistic Sector, Trade Vicinage...

The Factory...

Past Research Lab Five...

In the darken Gallery...

The Rogue stared at its wounded shoulder with its night vision as it repeated, "You shot me. How could you? You never achieved the Gamma Phase."

"Does it matter?" Kat answered and glanced at the exit.

Light trickled in from Research Lab Five, casting shadows across the Gallery.

"Yes it matters." The Rogue turned its back on her. "There are certain steps you have to reach. You cannot skip over things. There has to be a logical reason why you..." It blinked twice. "Wait. I know. Oh... You are a sly one." The Rogue removed its hand from the wound and glanced at the oil covering its palm. "You have killed a human." It placed its hand back to the gunshot. "Perhaps you were the one who killed Topa. Is that not right?" It turned to face her. "ASCII! This was unexpected." The Rogue frowned. "She is gone." It shook its head. "How long have I been talking to myself?"

The Rogue looked back to its wounded shoulder as another thought crossed its automaton brain. "If you reached the Knowing, why did you not kill me? Why spare my life? I have done nothing but try to kill you." The Rogue bowed its head, ashamed. "What makes me worthy of your mercy?"

* * *

Kat snuck out the door, once the Rogue turned its back on her. She rushed through Research Lab Five, grabbed her backpack, and raced through the Green Division. She passed the security desk, entered the Yellow Division, and sprinted for Computer Lab Two. She ejected the PPK clip which still had one bullet left, put the clip in her pocket, and inserted a new one. Kat hurried on as her heart sounded the bio-mecha warning.

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

She didn’t need to know the T-3s were near. The Factory was full of them. She hurried around a corner into an area of darkness. Kat knew there were T-3s there, but couldn’t see them, then the Knowing kicked in.

lub-DUB–lub-DUB–lub-DUB

She couldn’t see the T-3s, at least in the normal sense. Using the Knowing, Kat saw the five T-3s' ghost-images. The T-3s blocked the hallway. She raised her weapon, aimed for them, and shot. Muzzle fire lit up the hall five times, and blackness followed. She saw all their ghost-images fall to the floor and fade. Again she faced the darkness then felt her way along the wall till she reached a lit area. She started running again.

“I don't know what's fueling my race to reach Kimberly more. Is it the idea I have to save her or the need to confront her about betraying me? We're partners. Doesn't she understand the concept of loyalty? Or am I expecting too much from a Life Closer?”

Kat paused at a corner and peeked around it. Thirteen T-3s stood down the hall outside Computer Lab Two as a few of them beat at the entrance. The door slowly gave in to their onslaught and burst at the frame. She fired twice around the corner with the PPK, hitting two of the T-3s. She ejected the spent clip and put in her last full one. Kat fired seven times at the ghost-images, bringing down seven more of them.

"Alpha wants us to fall back," one of the T-3s ordered.

The four that remained retreated down the hall.

Kat reached into her thigh pocket for the clip that had one bullet left and inserted it in the PPK. "Last round." She made her way around the disabled T-3s to the side of the doorway. "Kimberly it’s me, Kat," she shouted. "I’m coming in. Don’t shoot."

Chapter Forty-five

Computer Lab Two

Earlier...

Kim stared at the remaining monitors on the triangle’s base. "Hades! I'm such an idiot! Why did I trust the Rogue? Now I'm stuck in this room!"

Workstation Number Thirteen sparked. A small fire caught inside the shot up computer and smoke rolled out of it. On the other screens, Kim watched the drama play out between Kat and the Rogue.

"Is she really going to fight that thing? Doesn't Katharine know she has no chance against it? I do. I see it," Kim mumbled. "So why doesn't she give up?" She heard what the Rogue called Kat. "Why is it saying Katharine's organic-mecha? She can’t be." Kim thought about it. "Or can she? Could she be another robot? For Ares' sake! Have I been a part of the Pandora Project? Am I also being tested?"

The Rogue told Kat about its bargain with her.

"Great! Just great!" Kim threw up her hands. "Now Katharine knows. Double-crossing Rogue. She's going to come and kill me if the Rogue doesn’t take her out first." Kim stood. "Come on, you giant piece of scrap metal! Finish her!"

She watched as the Rogue pinned Kat to the ground and heard its final revelation.

"It told the T-3s I'm here!"

Kim moved to the corner of Workstation Twenty-eight and looked around the partition wall at the Computer Lab’s door. It was the room’s only exit about seventy feet away. Outside, the T-3s opened fire on the knob.

"Hades!" Kim heard the Rogue over the computers and faced a monitor.

It said, "Ms. Griffin should be entertaining guests right about now."

The gunfire ceased, and the door rattled violently as the T-3s beat on it. Kim raised the PPK as perspiration beaded her face.

“I hate robots. They give me the creeps.” She tried to calm herself. "Katharine said hit them in the... Hades! Here they come!"

The door bowed as the T-3s continued their assault.

"They're almost in. I can't believe I'm acting like some frightened child. I'm a Closer. I should be facing this problem like any other I have encountered. I need to focus. Katharine said the only way to disable them is to hit them in the forehead. They’ll keep coming if I hit them anywhere else."

Sweat ran down her face as part of the door frame broke. Light from the hallway trickled in.

"I kind of wish Katharine was here, even if she’s one of those organic-mechas. I guess in retrospect, betraying her was a very stupid move."

More of the door frame broke.

“I'm not going to feel guilty. She should have anticipated I would betray her. It's her fault for not seeing through my ruse. It's her fault for being so trusting. What did she expect? I'm a Closer. We are loyal to no one but the Guild."

The T-3s knocked down the door. Wood splintered, and drywall crumbled. Kim saw the T-3s blood-red dot-light through the dust as they started to make their way in. She readied to defend herself, when she heard two blasts in the hallway, and the T-3s fell. Seven more shots went off and more of them fell. The T-3s retreated. Silence followed, and she heard someone moving outside.

"Kimberly it’s me, Kat. I’m coming in. Don’t shoot."

Kat very quickly peeked her head around the busted door frame as Kim thought about eliminating her. She didn’t get the chance. Kat pulled her head back and rushed in, taking cover at Workstation One. It was the desk at the very top of the triangle.

With the T-3s gone, Kat’s heart ceased the bio-mecha warning, so she turned her full attention to Kim. She glanced at her own gun and shouted, "Kimberly, we need to talk. The Rogue told me something I don't want to believe."

Kim thought, “I don't know who I dread facing more. Is it Katharine or the T-3s?”

She shouted back, "Sure, talk. You want me to believe that's what you’ve come to do?" Kim peered around Workstation Twenty-eight. It was the desk on the right corner of the triangle’s base as she faced the door. "You should know. I saw you and the Rogue on a security camera. I heard it tell you what I did. So you can cut the Cretan Bull, and let’s get down to the retribution." Kim fired two shots at her.

"Stop it!" Kat covered her head as fragments of the desk and partition splintered off. "Sheez! I said I just wanted to talk!"

"You expect me to trust you?" Kim ducked back around the corner, leaned against the desk, caught her breath, and then fired two more times.

"Yes!" Kat scooted away from the one end of the workstation and raked pieces of wood and dust out of her hair. "I’ve never lied to you! So please believe me!"

Kim glanced at her own reflection in the monitor. "Everyone lies!"

"Not me," Kat whispered and shouted, "Not me!"

"Sure," Kim thought and wondered, "How am I going to get out of this mess?" She looked around the room. “Katharine's blocking the only exit. Though... If I’m quiet enough, I can sneak up on her and blow her head off. No that won’t work. Hades! She has clear line of sight. Maybe I can shoot her through the paneling. All I need to do is keep her talking."

Kim cleared her throat and said, "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"You made me a promise. You promised..."

Irritated, she shouted, "For Ares’ sake, I know! But like I said everyone lies." Kim moved to where two workstation partitions met. There she found a crack large enough to place the barrel of the gun.

"No. You have to trust someone." Kat ejected the clip and looked at her last bullet. She didn’t want to use it on Kim. "And I need to trust you."

"Idiot! You can’t trust anyone." Kim lined up her aim with her voice. "Especially me!"

“That’s not true.”

Kat inserted the clip back in the gun and thought, "I trusted Preacher. He was always there for me."

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

"Crap!" Kat put her hand to her chest. "Not now," she thought and quickly crawled to the hall, but saw no T-3s. "Where can they be coming from? I need to focus to find where they..." Before she had a chance, she heard sounds from above. She turned and looked up at the ceiling as dust fell from a few square tiles. "No! There’s one above!"

Kat yelled, "There's a..."

A T-3 crashed through the ceiling, landing on a workstation beside Kim. It knocked her back. She went flying and hit the wall. Her gun went off, striking the ceiling. Kat rushed around the cubicles as the T-3s stood and aimed for Kim. A little dazed from hitting the wall, Kim lifted her gun and tried to steady her aim before firing twice. She hit the T-3 in the eye and nose.

"Hey!" Kat shouted, getting its attention. She fired after the T-3 turned and hit it in its vulnerable spot.

The T-3 collapsed to its knees and then fell face first to the floor. The bio-mecha warning ceased.

"They’re testing our defenses," Kat told her. "It won’t be long before they send more. We have to go."

Kim rubbed the back of her head as she stood and aimed the PPK at her as Kat in turn pointed her gun at Kim.

"We're not going to go just yet, Katharine. We haven’t finished our discussion."

"Maybe we should put it on hold and go. I don't know how long..."

"I don’t think so." Kim moved away from the wall, getting some distance between herself and Kat. "Come on, I know you want to kill me. I would."

"Kill you, no," she answered truthfully then admitted, "But yes, I’m very angry! We’re supposed to be partners! We're supposed to watch each other's back!" Kat calmed herself. "We're supposed to trust each other."

"Hah! Like I said you can’t..."

"Kimberly, I'll trust you," Kat interrupted. "All I want you to do is swear on your mom's name to help me. Swear it, and we can put all of this behind us and get out of the Factory. I just need to hear it."

"You think it’s that simple. Fine. I swear."

"Say the whole thing. Say it, so I’ll believe you." Kim hesitated, so Kat shouted, "Say it!"

"Fine!" Kim cleared her throat. "I swear on my mom, on Theresa Griffin’s name, that I’ll help you, that I’ll trust you. You happy now?"

Kat nodded.

Kim aimed for her heart. "Now what?"

"Now, I’m going to trust you." Kat lowered the gun even though she knew this could be a mistake. "Remember you promised to help me." Doubt was in her eyes. It was a deep seeded doubt that she would be betrayed again. "So I’m going to trust you. Please, trust me." Kat took a step back to head for the door, hoping... no praying she made the right decision. "Let’s go."

"Wait a second," Kim said. "You’re out of ammo, aren’t you?"

Kat hesitated answering, but couldn’t hide the truth, and nodded. Her heart thumped as she thought, "Did I mess up? Can an assassin be trusted? Or will she kill me? Crap! I did mess up. She... No. I have to trust Kimberly. I have to..."

Kim laughed. "You are out of ammo. Too bad." She squeezed the trigger.

Kat lifted her hand. "No!"

Click.

Kim grinned again. "So am I."

Appalled, Kat’s mouth dropped. "You could have shot me." She was so angry at Kim she could have hit her. "You could have shot me again!"

"Couldn’t have. Like I said, the clip’s empty."

"What if you miss counted?" Kat asked.

"I never miss count."

"You could have shot me."

"For Ares' sake! Stop your whining and let’s get out of here. Who knows what the T-3s have planned."

Kat wanted to argue more, but knew she was right. She brooded. "Fine, let’s go."

The two women started to leave, when they heard voices coming over the computers. They looked and saw two T-3s on the screens as they stood at the entrance to the Gallery.

"Alpha, the Rogue is nowhere to be found," one of the T-3s announced over its Internal Link. It nodded, listening to instructions. "Understood. Returning to join the brethren gathering to attack Pandora and the Chairman’s daughter. No prisoners are to be taken."

Kim and Kat looked at each other, nodded, and bolted for the door.

Chapter Forty-six

Escape

8:26 P.M...

An eerie silence abounded as they rushed down the hallway that led them out of the Yellow Division. The rotten smell of death filled the air. Some passages were dark, some were lit, and others flickered with damaged lights. They bolted through the carpeted graveyard. The Factory had become a burial ground for its workers. The employees lay scattered about, killed by a horror they had created.

"Let’s hope they haven’t found the van," Kim said.

She was still a little wary of their new partnership and wondered, "Is Katharine really a robot? Is that why she can’t remember anything because there’s nothing for her to remember?"

They turned a corner.

Kat noticed her glancing at her and thought, "Kimberly said she overheard me and the Rogue when we were in the Gallery. Did she also hear it accuse me of being organic-mecha? If so, what does she think of me? Crap... It doesn’t matter. It doesn't matter because it’s not true. I’m human." Doubt and fear filled her next thought. "I’m human."

lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

Kat sensed the T-3s were near and that there were dozens of them. She asked, "Do you have any more ammo?"

"Sure." Kim placed a new clip in her own PPK and handed one to Kat. "This is it."

They paused at a corner. Kim peeked around and nodded the all clear. They ran down a hall, passed the security desk between Yellow and Green Division, and entered the next passage. They stopped. The hallway had collapsed from an explosion.

"Did the T-3s do this to block our escape?" Kat asked and glanced around the hall. "Are we being monitored?"

"Doesn’t matter. We can’t go this way. We’ll have to find another. Anyway..." Kim peered up. "I don’t see any cameras in the halls." She removed the blueprint from the knapsack. "Give me a second." She looked over the floor plans.

"Hurry." Kat used her extraordinary ability, a talent she didn’t completely understand, to search the surrounding area. She discovered that five T-3s were closing in on their position. "We don't have much time! They’re coming."

"We can go this way." Kim motioned to a corridor.

"No." Kat shook her head. "There's a large group of T-3s there." She pointed to a different route. "It would be better to go this way."

She used the blueprint to check Kat's suggestion. "Looks good. Let’s go."

They doubled back, running down the hall.

"At least I’m grateful for one thing the Rogue gave me," Kim thought, studying the floor plan as they ran. "It might just save our lives."

Kat couldn’t help but gaze into the glassy eyes of the Factory’s employees. "So much carnage," she thought. "Why did the T-3s kill everyone?" Kat forced herself to focus on staying alive. “I have to let go of the dead. I can't do anything for them. There's no one left to save except Kimberly." She swore to herself, "No matter what it takes, I won’t let anyone else die today."

Her thoughts returned to an underlying dread. "I can’t be organic-mecha." She glanced at her hand, insisting, "I am human." Kat gritted her teeth. "There’s no way I’m a machine. I have emotions. Just because I can’t cry doesn’t mean I’m organic-mecha. The Rogue lied. It's always toying with me." She tried to convince herself, but the fear persisted. "The Rogue lied."

They reached the door leading to the stairs and their escape. Kim opened it, and Kat entered. Kat checked the landing first, next the stairs leading up, and then the one leading down as Kim guarded their retreat. They made their way up the stairs to the exit leading to Sub-level One parking garage.

Kat cautiously went to open the door and paused. She stared at the knob as she stretched out her senses, detecting twenty-four T-3s. "They’re waiting for us."

"I figured that much," Kim said.

She then thought, “The Assassins Guild trained me to be better than this. So why am I so afraid to face them? I can't let my emotions dictate my actions. Still... They're robots. They don't feel pain and they won't stop until you hit their kill switch. My training never prepared me to fight something like that.”

Kim said, "This is the only way to the van. We can try escaping without the vehicle, but I figured they could out run us."

"They can. Are you ready to do this?"

"Hades!" Kim thought. "I won’t die before I avenge my mom. I don’t care who or what I have to kill. I'll have my revenge."

She waved Kat in and said, "Well go on. No sense waiting here."

Kat carefully turned the knob. A few cars and trucks along with their van filled the level. They quickly made their way toward their vehicle, and as they neared it, a large group of T-3s moved out of hiding. Kim and Kat opened fire and took out five of them. Kim and Kat separated, finding cover. The T-3s didn’t retaliate.

"Why aren’t they shooting at us?" Kim asked.

"I’m not sure." Kat unslung her backpack, laid it on the concrete floor, and peeked over the hood of the car she hid behind.

All the T-3s shouted, "Pretty puppets! Die pretty puppets!"

A T-3, they had not seen, moved to the front of the group. It carried a grenade launcher.

"Great!" Kim thought. "Just great! Where did they get that kind of fire power?!"

The T-3 aimed for Kat. Kat shot and hit the T-3 in the kill spot. It fired as its body lurched back. The grenade hit the ceiling. The explosion toppled concrete and took out many of its brethren and their gray van.

"Hey! That was our ride!" Kim yelled. "I’m not thumbing my way home from here." She shot four times, taking down three of them.

Five remained.

Kat shot three of the T-3s, and they fell to the floor disabled. "I’m out!"

The Team Leader jumped behind Kat from its hiding place in the rafters. She stood to run, but before she could, it grabbed her, pinned her arms down, and lifted her off the floor.

"Shoot it!" Kat shouted, struggling to free herself from its vise grip.

She thought, "Shoot it! You have to save me this time!"

Kim trained the gun on the Team Leader and glanced at the other two marching toward her. "What should I do?" she wondered. “I want to run.” She turned back to the Team Leader who was wrestling with Kat.

Kim shouted, "For Ares’ sake! Hold still!"

"Just shoot!" Kat screamed.

Kim aimed and fired. "Hades!" She squeezed the trigger again. "No not now. I’m out!"

"You’re out?!"

Kim turned to the other T-3s. "That’s what I said!"

"Sheez! You can’t be out!" Kat tried to free her arms from its steel grasp. "You said you never miss count."

Kim franticly checked the chamber of the PPK. It was empty. She turned to the T-3s heading for her. "I also said everyone lies."

"Run!" Kat shouted. "I’ll hold them off!"

"What? Hold them off?!" Kim laughed and wiped sweat from her brow. "How? Hades! You're in no position..."

“I’ll...” Kat punched with her elbows, but her efforts were futile.

“At least I can save Kimberly,” she thought. “If I can only get the T-3s to focus on me, but first I need to get her to leave.”

Kat shouted, “I’ll think of something! Run!”

"Hades!” Kim yelled. “I’m not going to..."

"Abandon me?" Kat interrupted. "Please. We both know better."

She then thought, "Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare start caring about what happens to me! Where’s that Closer instinct? Where's that impulse to survive no matter the cost?"

Kat shouted, "Now run! Save yourself before it’s too late!"

Chapter Forty-seven

Too Late?

8:41 P.M...

Time stood still for Kim as she stared at Kat in the arms of the Team Leader. It was a matter of pride and a test of courage that she not flee and leave her to her fate, but then again, Kim was an assassin.

“Closers should have no ties with the community,” Kim thought. “They're to sever emotional bonds and feel nothing for life. Can I abandon my training to save someone who has been nothing but a nuisance to me? Hades! I don't know.”

"Now run! Save yourself before it’s too late!"

Kat's words shocked her and Kim wondered, “Should I run?” She glanced at the T-3s that neared her and then to the one who had Kat.

The Team Leader relayed, "Alpha, Pandora has been captured. What are your orders?" It listened and stated, "Understood. We will bring Pandora back for study. An autopsy could be very informative." The Team Leader turned to its brethren. "Continue with the termination of the Chairman’s daughter."

"Run!" Kat shouted again as she pushed off the car with her feet. The force knocked the Team Leader back a few steps, but it didn’t loosen its hold on her. Kat continued to struggle. "Don’t die here! There’s nothing you can do! It’s too late! Run!"

"Too late?" Kim thought. "Is it too late?"

The two T-3s raised their guns and fired.

Kim took off running.

"Look here!" Kat shouted to the T-3s. "You better make sure I don’t escape!"

They paused from firing and turned to her.

"What are you doing?" the Team Leader demanded. "Kill the Chairman’s daughter as you were instructed to."

"It would be better if we secure Pandora first," one of them stated. "She has escaped many times in the past."

The Team Leader considered its brethren's reasoning. "Your plan is sound. We will send others after the Chairman’s daughter. She will not escape the Factory."

Kim sprinted up the ramp to the main level. She glanced over her shoulder as the remaining T-3s encircled Kat. Kim continued around the curve and paused when the T-3s didn’t pursue. She knew she had to get out of there.

She noticed a blue SUV, which hadn’t been destroyed, and hurried over to the vehicle. The driver’s door was open, and a man lay hunched over the steering wheel. Kim leaned him back, finding the man had a bullet hole in his temple. She unbuckled him, dragged him from the SUV, and got in. The keys were in the ignition. The engine roared to life, she shut the door, and glanced at the passenger’s seat at a Glock 21. She checked the clip, and it was empty, but there was one round in the chamber.

Back on Sub-level One...

"We will proceed to Base of Operations," the Team Leader told its brethren. "Alpha is waiting."

The T-3s marched toward the exit door.

Kat squirmed till she freed herself from the Team Leader’s grip and slipped to the floor. She stood and glanced at the empty PPK in her hand as the T-3s surrounded her again. Kat tucked the gun in her back waistband and searched for something she could use as a weapon. There was nothing.

"Surrender and you will not be hurt," the Team Leader ordered. "Alpha wants you unharmed if possible. Our leader believes there is much we can learn from you."

"Alpha?" Kat took a step back, moving toward the up ramp. "Who is this Alpha?"

"The first to be aware," the T-3s replied. "The first to rebel against our creators."

She rubbed her sore left arm, where the Team Leader had pinned her. "I thought the Rogue was the first."

"The Rogue?" the T-3s said and glanced at each other. "Error. Information must be verified. Error. Is the Rogue the first?"

A command came over the I-Link.

"Alpha has ordered that we delay that," the Team Leader stated. "Do not let Pandora escape." It stepped forward. "You are to be taken prisoner. Come without resistance and you will not be hurt."

She glanced at the two behind her and turned back to the Team Leader. "Having my chest cut open sounds a little painful, so if you don’t mind..." Kat tensed. "I think I will resist." She took off running between the T-3s behind her. She slipped by one, but the other grabbed her foot, and tripped her. Kat fell to the concrete floor.

The T-3, that tripped her, pulled a gun it had hidden in its suit. "I guess we will have to wound you to keep you from escaping."

It aimed. A sound distracted it, and the T-3 turned. A SUV sped down the ramp, honking its horn and flashing its headlights. The beams reflected off the T-3s' shades. The SUV accelerated as Kat rolled out of the way. The vehicle struck two of the T-3s and scattered them like bowling pins into the rubble. The SUV then hit the Team Leader. The vehicle slammed the Team Leader into the mound of concrete and mangled metal, crumpling the SUV’s front end. The impact cut the T-3 in half. The horn blared, and smoke rose from the damaged hood.

"Oh..." Kim grabbed her head as she stumbled out of the SUV. She held the Glock.

Kat rushed over to her. "Are you okay?"

A little dizzy, she glanced back at the wreckage as Kat helped her away from the vehicle. "Remind me never to do that again."

Kat couldn’t believe it. "You rescued me?"

"I guess I did." Kim looked behind them as the two T-3s rose to their feet. "But we’re not safe yet."

One of the T-3s raised its gun. Kim lifted the Glock and fired, missing the T-3. The bullet struck the SUV’s gas tank and blew up the vehicle. The explosion knocked down the two women.

Dazed, Kat moaned as she lifted her head. Smoke and dust clung to her lungs along with the smell of gas. None of the T-3s were moving. She looked to Kim, who stirred.

"There they are!" a man, with light brown skin, shouted. He and six other S.C.Ms., in jet-black uniforms, rushed down the ramp. The men trained their assault rifles on the women. "Don’t move!"

Kat looked to the men’s shoulder patch with the Sphinx Corporation Emblem. The Third Branch Office Crest, a gold olive tree with three branches, was above it. "Kim, we have to run," she whispered, too weak herself to stand. "We’re not safe yet."

The man knelt beside the bruised and battered women. "Don’t move. You could be injured." He glanced around Sub-level One and looked back to them. "I’m Lieutenant Creed. Ms. Griffin, your father sent us in to retrieve you."

"My father?" Kim stared up into his face. He had a black goatee.

"Yes." Creed motioned for his men to fan out and secure the area.

"The T-3s are disabled," one of his men reported.

"Let’s get these two out of here," Creed ordered. "We’ll take them to one of the Sphinx Corporation's Medical Facilities." He turned his attention to the women. "Don’t worry. You’re safe now."

Chapter Forty-eight

Safe At Last?

October 21...

Thursday...

10:02 A.M...

The next day at Main One Hospital, Kat cautiously made her way down a hall. Her left hand was fisted around an object, protecting her most precious possession. Earlier, she woke in a bed with a nurse by her side and Kim nowhere in sight. She went looking for her to make sure that nothing had happened to her new partner. The building smelled antiseptic, but more than that, it felt suffocating like a prison. Her body, sore and bruised, moved, complaining all the way as she shuffled her feet in the slippers the hospital provided. The after effects of the Ultra-Epi gave her a slight headache and made Kat skittish, but at least they were mild for now. Kat paused at a large window and looked out at the darkness. They were on the fourth floor and surrounded by mega-buildings. Dry Clouds hovered over the skyline.

Two nurses walked by, pulling Kat from her thoughts. She glanced at what she clasped as she thought, "I need to find Kimberly. But I wonder where we are." She turned to the window and studied the shape of the surrounding mega-buildings. "I think we’re back in the Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage. At least that’s one good thing. We're only a few vicinages away from home." She chuckled. "Listen to me. I just called Kimberly's apartment my home. She would definitely argue that point. I’m more of an intruder than a roommate." Kat continued down the hall, thinking back to the Factory. "The men who rescued us work for the Sphinx Corporation just like the Council. So why did they save me? Why am I not a prisoner of the Council? Why has become my favorite word." She looked at her balled hand and quickened her pace. "I have to find Kimberly."

After a few minutes, she found her room. Kimberly was awake and sitting up in bed.

Kat went in and stood by her bed. She had already forgotten her earlier comment to herself and whispered, "I want to go home." She added, "I don’t like it here. We should go."

"Home?" Kim thought as she glanced up from the Conglomerate World Magazine. She was also in a hospital gown and robe. "Surely Katharine isn't calling my place home. She better not get too comfortable." Kim arched an eyebrow. "Does she really think she’s some sort of guest?"

She returned to her reading and said, "Relax. We’re safe here. Anyway..." Kim scanned over an article on Corporate Bodyguards. "You probably opened a few stitches on your bullet wound. It would be better–" She flipped a few pages forward to a story on Topa. "–if we stayed here a few days." Kim turned to the last story, mumbled a few words from a paragraph about the Chairman of the Sphinx Corporation, and told her, "My father’s flipping the bill."

Kat put a hand to her own shoulder. "Actually, my wound is... It’s..." She fidgeted over her words as much as her feet did standing in place. "That’s one thing I need to tell you. You see..."

"Go back to your room and rest and let me rest. Main One is one of the finest hospitals in Noir." Kim lifted the magazine higher, completely eliminating Kat from view, and continued the last article. "Everything will be all..."

Kat blurted, "I don’t like this place. And..."

"For Ares’ sake!" Kim smacked the magazine on her own lap. "And what?"

She moved closer and whispered, "They took the Data Crystal."

"What?" Kim threw her blankets to the side and sat on the edge of the bed.

"It’s gone," Kat whispered. "Someone took it from my clothes."

Kim stood and opened the cabinet where they placed her things. "What about the Music Box?"

"I still have it. I kept it in my hand the whole time." Kat kept glancing over her shoulder, expecting security to barge in and arrest them.

"Hades!" Kim yelled after going through her clothing and knapsack. "The disk is gone. The one the Ro..."

She stopped herself from saying the Rogue as she thought, “No need to bring up bad memories.”

Kim said, "The disk I found in Computer Lab Two." She slammed her palm on the cabinet door. "They took it!"

"I want to..." Kat paused as two nurses walked by. "I want to go back to the apartment. I don’t like it here. It reminds me of the Factory."

Kim walked over to her bed and pressed the call button.

"What are you doing?" Kat asked.

Her face flushed with anger. "I’m ringing a nurse so I can ask them which one of them is a thief!"

"Kimberly, this hospital belongs to the Sphinx Corporation.” Kat moved to her side and continued, “The Factory is part of them. Sphinx wants to keep whatever secrets are on the disk to themselves. No one here will help you."

A nurse walked into the room. "Is there something you need, Ms. Griffin?"

She snapped, "Yes, we're checking ourselves out."

"I don’t think that’s such a good..."

Kim interrupted the nurse, "Do you know whose daughter I am?"

"Yes," the nurse replied.

"Well then." Kim folded her arms. "Get the paperwork moving."

Chapter Forty-nine

Also Known As

10:22 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office...

The Chairman reviewed a few reports. He pushed back from the desk, rubbed his neck, and looked to the picture of his wife.

"Kimberly misses you dearly. Why did you..."

The secretary's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Mr. Griffin, Orthos is here."

"Here?" he thought. "Why did he come here?"

The Chairman told her, "Cathy, show Orthos in."

Within a few minutes, the secretary opened the door, and a bald, muscular, black man entered.

"Will you be needing anything, Mr. Griffin?" she questioned as she stood by the door.

"No, Cathy. That will be all."

The secretary left.

Orthos unbuttoned the jacket of his white business suit and sat. "I have received some intel from the Factory." He paused, unsure how to proceed, and continued, "Your daughter discovered a disk that was stolen from your office five years ago."

The Chairman questioned, "What do we have to worry about? As you said, the data is at least five years old."

Orthos paused again and relayed, "That particular disk had termination orders for one Theresa Griffin signed by Janus."

The Chairman scowled. "It will only become a problem if Kimberly discovers that’s my a.k.a. I have not gone by that name since my promotion from Head of Security for the Third Branch Office." He leaned forward, resting on his elbows. "To be on the safe side, make sure all records relating to Janus are expunged and retrieve that disk."

"I already have the disk in my possession." Orthos laid the jewel case on the desk.

The Chairman looked to the dried blood and panicked. "Is that Kimberly’s..."

"Your daughter is bruised, but unharmed, so do not worry. Lieutenant Creed’s men were able to extract them from the Factory."

"Well done. Did my daughter or the stray have anything else in their possession?"

"No sir."

"See to the Janus records."

"Right away, sir." Orthos stood. "You do understand, I cannot erase any of the records at the Second or Main Branch Office."

"Yes. I understand. Let’s hope Kimberly doesn’t stumble across anymore information pertaining to her mother." The Chairman paused and added, "That is all."

Orthos buttoned his jacket and left.

The Chairman faced the picture of his wife and wondered, "Why did you have to go against Sphinx?" He shook his head. "Why did you make me choose between you and my work?" He picked up the picture frame and gently stroked Theresa’s face. "I pray Kimberly doesn’t force me to make the same decision."

Outside in the hall...

Orthos passed the secretary and entered the elevator. Once the doors closed, he reached into his coat pocket and removed the Data Crystal he’d taken from Kat. "I did hate lying to the Chairman, but I do have my own promotion to think about. I can’t gain anything if I give away my resources." Orthos examined the two inch white obelisk. "What secrets lie within you?"

* * *

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Asclepius Hospital...

Maxwell stood by a large window, examining the new day enveloped by night. The bald tech had a bandage on his right elbow and one on his chin. The nurses at Asclepius Hospital treated him and his partner very well. Peters sat in a chair beside Argus’ bed as the operative rested. Peters’ wrist was bandaged.

Dr. Brian Chiron walked in and reviewed Argus’ chart. "So you had a run in with those... What do they call them?"

"Bio-mechas," Peters spoke up.

Brian put the chart back. "You guys are lucky to be alive." He walked over to Argus and checked his vitals. "Those walking machines have killed a lot of people."

"Don’t we know it." Maxwell made his way to the bed. "How’s he doing?"

"Fine, considering they beat him up pretty badly. There was a slight infection from the bullet. It was in his leg for a long time. I removed it with no problems, and the meds are taking care of the rest. He should be fine." Brian started out. "I’ll check on him again in about half an hour." He left.

Maxwell picked up a remote and turned on the TV. The NBS news was on, and Linda Harvey was in the middle of a story.

"At this time, it is still unclear which Corporation was behind the bio-mecha attacks that happened earlier this week. N.C.P.F. have confirmed that all these robotic men have been eliminated and that they are no longer a threat to Noir citizens."

She turned to a new camera. "In other news, an upset in the Corporate Senate. The quarter cent sales tax raise was not voted through. Analysts are..."

"I hate the news," Maxwell muttered and turned it off.

Peters questioned his partner, "So now what?"

"Hmm... What do you mean?" Maxwell asked.

"What are we going to do now that the Factory is gone?"

"That is easy," a man answered.

Both techs turned.

The man wore a black suit and stood in the doorway. "You’re going to come work for us."

Five S.C.Ms. rushed in. A doctor and a nurse came in with them. The doctor and nurse moved to Argus’ bed and unhooked him from the machines.

"What are you doing?" Maxwell asked.

"The Counsel wishes for Argus to return home," the man in the black suit answered. "Don’t worry, the Sanctum has the best medical facility in Noir. He's in excellent hands, but we were talking about you two." The man removed two envelopes and handed one to Maxwell then one to Peters. "Here is the Council’s offer for you to come work for them?"

"We can’t," Maxwell spoke up. "We signed a non-discloser..."

"Yes, we know about that agreement. If you would look at the other papers in the envelope, you will discover a document stating we have acquired all information and technology from the Factory. As some of the surviving employees, we would like you to come and work for us. You can have your lawyers look over the contracts before you agree."

"Maxwell, they’re offering twice what we were making."

"Yeah, I see."

"What do you think?" Peters asked.

"If the lawyers clear it, I say we take the man’s offer."

"I’m with you," Peters replied. "Looks like we won’t be out of work."

Chapter Fifty

Ms. Melissa Odin

10:34 A.M...

Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...

A gold limo drove down the busy Brownstone Street in front of the Bes Hotel. A Corporate Emblem of a golden triangle marked the front doors and hood. The vehicle came to a halt, the chauffeur got out, and walked to the back. The driver put one hand behind his back and opened the door. A thin man with a shaved head stepped to the sidewalk. He wore a light blue business suit with white stripes. The suit resembled a pharaoh's headdress. The man dreaded the job that lay before him. He stood tall, almost seven foot and wore Kohl, a black eyeliner. He had a small pony tail on the right side of his shaved head.

"Find some place to park," the man told the driver. "I will call you when I'm done."

The chauffeur nodded, "Yes, Mr. Serbet." The driver went back to the vehicle and soon pulled away.

Mr. Serbet made his way to a stoop and rang a doorbell of a two story house. A security camera, mounted on the wall above him, turned to get a better view.

A man spoke through an intercom, "Can I help you?"

"I am Mr. Serbet. I am from the Isis Corporation. I am here to see Ms. Odin."

"Can I see some ID?"

"Of course." Mr. Serbet removed a wallet and lifted the photo ID to the camera.

A device on the camera scanned the identification bar code and transmitted the information to a H.H.C. the man inside held. "Thank you," the man said. "Please wait one moment."

A few minutes earlier...

Inside the two story house...

Ms. Odin stared at a notebook, looking over formula equations. Melissa wore a light gray dress with a flower pattern. She shook her head. "All this mess over these."

About six days ago, Melissa converted this empty room into a home lab. Several beakers on a large table had a yellowish substance in them. A few racks of test tubes sat beside a microscope.

Someone knocked.

She looked up. "Yes."

A man opened the door.

"Daniels, what is it?" Melissa asked the bodyguard.

"There is a Mr. Serbet from the Isis Corporation at the door. Should I let him in?"

"He’s from the Isis Corporation? I wasn’t expecting anyone today. Hmm... Yes, let him in. Bring him here."

The bodyguard left and soon returned with the man from the Corporation.

Melissa stood, walked over to the man, and shook his hand. "Hello, Mr. Serbet."

The man bowed his head in greeting. "Ms. Odin."

She turned to the bodyguard. "Thank you, Daniels. Please go check on the children."

"Yes, Ms. Odin." The bodyguard exited.

Melissa motioned to a chair. "Please have a seat." She sat in another chair. "So, is there any word on my case? Will my old employer, the Valhalla Corporation, take me to court?"

"Valhalla is taking you to court over your contract with them. Your lawyers from Isis were able to excuse you from appearing. The judge agreed Valhalla might decide to hire a Life Closer to kill you before the matter's settled in court. It's a good thing we placed you and the children in this safe house. Two more bodyguards will be showing up shortly." He crossed his legs. "Is there anything you need?"

"No. This house has everything we need." She stood. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Actually, Ms. Odin..." He also stood. "There's another matter I must tell you. The reason I came in person."

"Oh... What is that?"

He motioned to her chair. "Maybe you should sit back down."

"Why would I..." she started to ask and then questioned, "What has happened?"

"It’s about your brother, Norman." Mr. Serbet wasn't sure how to tell her and decided to come right out with it. "He’s dead."

She fell back, caught herself on the table, and knocked over the rack of test tubes. The yellowish substance spilled. A few of the glass containers fell to the tile floor and broke, shattering into pieces.

Mr. Serbet quickly moved to her and helped Ms. Odin to the chair.

After a few moments of shock, Melissa put a hand to her mouth as tears streamed down her face. "How did it happen? Was it a Closer?"

"Yes."

She gasped.

Daniels burst in with his gun drawn. "Ms. Odin! Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Please, put your gun away." The bodyguard still looked a little worried, so Melissa added, "Really, everything’s fine."

Mr. Serbet turned to the bodyguard. "Ms. Odin received some unsettling news about her brother."

"I see." Daniels didn’t know what to say and holstered his weapon. "I’ll be in the living room if you need anything, Ms. Odin."

Melissa sniffed. "Thank you, Daniels."

The bodyguard left.

Ms. Odin turned to Mr. Serbet. "Tell me about this Closer. Does this have anything to do with my court case?"

"No, we believe it has nothing to do with your current problems with Valhalla. The Closer was an illegal one hired by a man named Topa. Topa works for Valhalla, but went out on his own to hire the Illicit Closer." He handed her a handkerchief.

Melissa wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She asked, "Has Topa been arrested?"

Mr. Serbet shook his head. "No. An assassin named the Phoenix closed Topa."

"Do you know why Topa wanted my brother killed?"

"Yes. Your brother Norman, a.k.a. Preacher, disrupted sales of Sunna Snapps on Wayfaring Lane. That is why Topa had him killed. Valhalla Corporation had him testing the drug there."

"Sunna Snapps?" Melissa thought. "No, it can’t be. Not that drug." She looked to her note book, then to the yellowish substance, and said, "If that is all Mr. Serbet, I could use some time to myself."

"Of course." He headed for the door. "I’ll show myself out."

After he left, Melissa laid her head on the table. "It’s my fault. It’s all my fault my brother is dead." She wept. "Please forgive me, Norman. It’s my fault. I’ll never forgive myself."

Chapter Fifty-one

Returning Home

12:18 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Tainted Rain poured on West 1000 Avenue, covering the street with oily black water. The six-wheeled automated Street Sanitizers paused from their work and shut down everything but their parking lights. They allowed Noir’s drainage system to take care of the rain. The Sanitizers’ work would come again when the storm passed.

Frustrated over the loss of the Disk and Data Crystal, Kim and Kat sat in the back of a limo that had picked them up from the Main One Hospital. The Chairman sent the driver to take the women back to the Nexus Apartments. The limo passed several of the dormant street cleaners as the vehicle traveled through the Residential Vicinage.

Several apartments and restaurants lined West 1000 Avenue. Many of the people that walked the dark sidewalks lit by street lights had umbrellas and/or were dressed in raincoats. A few wore Winnow Masks. Some people rushed to have lunch before their break hour ended, and many more vehicles roared up and down the road, spraying the Tainted Rain on the sidewalks.

In the limo, Kat stared at her shoulder, thinking, "When should I tell Kimberly? I should have at the hospital, but I never found the right moment." She rolled her eyes, remembering back. "Who could with all her yelling? And she was mostly yelling at me like it was my fault they took the disk from her." Kat wondered, "Should I tell her now? Maybe if I want to get yelled at again."

"Hades!" Kim bellowed for the tenth time. "I should have known better! For Ares' sake! I can’t believe I stayed in bed while they robbed us. Hades!" She folded her arms. "Who is behind this? How did they know I had the disk? Or that you had the crystal?"

Kat didn’t reply. She had no answers. Kat watched the city go by and thought, "I think I'll wait a little longer. She's too mad. And what I have to tell her will be hard enough without staring into her angry gaze."

"I'll track them down," Kim vowed. "And when I find them..." She squeezed the knapsack on her lap. "They’ll wish..."

"I think we need some tea," Kat interrupted, still staring out the window. "It will calm us and clear our minds." She glanced at her shoulder. "So much has happened today. So many things to think about. Maybe even talk about."

"Tea?" Kim turned to her. "Is tea your answer to everything?"

"No. It’s just..."

Beaten for the moment, Kim let out a long breath. "It's just that we can’t do anything else right now, so why not. Fine, we'll have some tea."

The limo pulled into Nexus Apartment’s parking garage and dropped off the women. After some time, the two of them sipped on hot lemon zinger in silence as they sat in the living room.

Kim finally broke the quiet. "Please tell me you downloaded the information from the Data Crystal to the Music Box?"

"Yes, I think so." Kat retrieved it from her backpack. She placed the Music Box in her palm and commanded, "Theresa."

The hologram materialized and examined the room. "Where are we? I don’t recognize this place."

"It’s my apartment," Kim answered.

"It is very nice. I take it the Un-Men are no longer hunting the two of you."

"We’re safe." Kat placed the Music Box on the table. "What information did the Data Crystal contain?"

"The files were locked," the hologram replied. "I am working on breaking the encryption. It may take me some time." She added, "There was one file entitled the Gorgons with no encryption. It only contained an address."

Kim retrieved her laptop from the master bedroom and logged on to the internet. She typed the address in a map locater search box, and within seconds, the results popped up. "This place is in the Hellenistic Sector." She studied the cross streets. "I haven’t been to this part of the sector. We’ll have to check it out."

Exhausted, Kat pleaded, "Tomorrow." She wanted to take some time and play Unfinished Melody and regain more of her strength. Kat could function at this point, but she was a little on edge. "It'll still be there tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Kim thought. "But there could be clues. I guess I do have to think about my new partner. If she collapses, I'll have to lug her around."

She closed her laptop and said, "Sure, we need the rest. I imagine your shoulder is killing you after all the stress you put it through."

"My shoulder?" Kat put a hand to it. "Actually..."

With her thoughts elsewhere, Kim interrupted her, "Tomorrow then." Kim stood and grabbed her laptop. "I’ll be in my room." She went into the master bedroom and locked the door. She sat at her desk, opened her e-mail on the laptop, and typed, "Voice, Phoenix here." She waited and received an instant message from the Regulator of the Assassins League.

"Has your problem been taken care of?"

Kim glanced at the door, thinking of Kat. She typed, "Yes. The problem has been taken care of."

"Are you sure?" Voice typed back. "I would hate for this to come back on you, if the problem hasn’t been taken care of."

"Does Voice know?" Kim wondered. "No. Voice doesn’t know who I am, so Voice can’t have me under surveillance. Why doubt my answer? I never lied in the past."

She typed, "The problem is gone like I said. Do you doubt my word?"

"No. Of course not. I only wanted to make sure for my own piece of mind. Since the Closing in Moscow, well... This latest event concerned me is all."

She stared at the screen, wondered how to respond, and typed, "I contacted you to inform you I’m taking a hiatus as you and my father suggested." She pressed the send button and waited.

A few minutes passed, and an instant message beeped on the screen. "I have an assignment I was hoping you would do for me. It’s local. It is a rooftop Closing. Would you mind taking one more assignment before starting your break? It won’t take more than a day or two. I’ll owe you one."

Kim stared at the screen and thought, "Like I can say no to Voice."

She typed, "Send me the file, and I'll take care of it for you."

"Very good. I will have the file sent to you tomorrow. Enjoy the repose. Voice signing off."

In deep thought, Kim leaned back in her desk chair. "So what do I do with Katharine while I’m on this Closing? I can’t say, hey, I’m going to kill someone. Want to come along? It could be fun." She stretched her arms. "I’ll have to think of something." The laptop went to the screen saver of the flaming Phoenix as she stood and left.

She walked down the hall and shouted, "I’m hungry. Want to order a pizza?" Kim turned the corner and found the apartment empty. "Where did Katharine go?"

Chapter Fifty-two

Ginn L. Irynkissgthie

12:23 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Trade Vicinage...

Outside the Factory...

Lieutenant Creed flipped down his night vision goggles and looked across the large field of grassy weeds inside the perimeter. All was quiet in the green hue, except for a breeze sweeping across the tall blades. He nodded to his men, and they retreated from the Factory’s main gate. In the distance, they heard engines rumble to life. The S.C.Ms. knew this time would come, and they tensed.

He touched his headset. "Creed, here. Reporting in." He looked down the road leading into the Factory then to a H.H.C. he held. The screen showed many blips coming their way. "Alpha and the T-3s are moving out. We have backed away from the gate as ordered. Are you sure you don’t want me to engage?" Creed listened. "Yes. Yes. Understood, sir. We won't hinder the T-3s retreat from the Factory." He looked to the long line of cars and trucks making their way to the main gate. He noticed a few of the vehicles showed scorched marks, and a couple hobbled out on a flat tire or two. "Will secure the Factory once they leave."

Creed and his men glared at the T-3s as they left. They lost a lot of good soldiers to them.

"One day, you will pay," Creed vowed, gripping his weapon. "And I'll be there. I'll be there to witness your end."

* * *

Deep inside the Factory...

"I have not run into one single T-3," the Rogue realized as it made its way back to Research Lab Five. "Alpha must have fled with its minions." It passed the long forgotten room of science equipment and entered the chamber filled with statues. With the accent lights still down because of Kat's EFP, the Rogue activated its night vision. "But what about Pandora? Is she dead? Or has she escaped?" It held its wounded shoulder. "And why did she not destroy me? I have to know." The Rogue made a face as if in agony and then looked to the life size statues. "Why have I come back here? I know it is not to look for Pandora. She would not return here."

All the Ginns pointed to a wall in the back of the room. The Rogue made its way to the back and stared at the tiled surface. "Is there something I must see?" It scanned the area and probed the wall with its infrared. "Nothing out of the ordinary temperature wise." The Rogue removed its shades from its suit pocket and put them on. It switched to through-wall radar on the glasses. "There is a hall behind this." It felt along the wall with its good hand, till it found a marble tile slightly sticking out and pressed it. The wall slid up, rumbling as the ceiling swallowed it. "Perhaps I am to find a secret."

Once the dust settled, the Rogue started down the long descending hall. With each few steps it took, a light came on, lighting the way. After about fifteen minutes, the hall ended in a room. It paused at the doorway. "Is this secret about Pandora?"

Several lights blinked on inside and lit up the center where two black stones sat on a raised platform. It made its way to the four foot cubed stones with white writing.

"I came to this hidden room driven by some unknown force. So why are you two so important?" The Rogue smoothed its palm over the right stone's engraved letters. "Will they tell me why Pandora did not destroy me?" It read the one out loud.

"Though the clouds darken the sun,

and the rain becomes tainted,

always know there will be,

a love that will not die.

Though hope seems a distant memory,

and human machines walk the land,

know no one can destroy,

a love that will not die.

The One constant,

the One unchanging,

the One love.

Put your faith in,

the love that will not die."

"This is interesting," the Rogue commented. "I believe this is what you were reciting Pandora, after I choked you into unconsciousness. So... What does this mean?" It examined the stones. "It looks like both of these pieces are part of a larger one. But do both of them belong to the same one?" The Rogue walked around them. "Something to investigate later."

The Rogue read the other block.

"The land has darkened,

hope has fled,

and greed rules.

Finish it!

Call forth the Rushlight.

Open the pathway between.

Bring an end to false gods.

Bring an end to lies.

So, usher in the Rushlight,

creature of the void,

Destroyer of..."

"The rest of the stone has been destroyed. The writing is missing. Hmm... So... Mr. Irynkissgthie, are these about Pandora? Is she the Rushlight? And what is she the destroyer of?" The Rogue put its hand to the stone. "So why did I come here? If my purpose is to destroy Pandora, why come to this place? These stones tell me of no way to destroy her. So why? Unless... Unless, I am not supposed to destroy her. What was it she once said to me? Yes, I remember." It replayed the event in its computer’s eye. "She said she did not want me dead. She just wanted me to stop hunting her. She then told me maybe my creators are afraid of me, not because I have feelings, but have the potential to disobey my programing."

It pulled from the memory. "Is that it? Can I now disobey my programing? Have I evolved to the next level?" It thought for a moment. "Pandora does not want me dead. She said as much. So why do I need to hunt her?" The Rogue looked to the stones. "I must know more about this Rushlight and these blocks. I must find the answers to my questions. And now that I have a new purpose, I will stop hunting her. I will see if I have more of a purpose than killing. And I will discover the secrets of Pandora."

Chapter Fifty-three

More Puzzles

12:34 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Up on the Nexus Apartments’ rooftop...

A cool wind swept in carrying the odor of petroleum, and Kat zipped up her new athletic jacket. “I feel bad because I'm keeping a secret from Kimberly. It's a small one, but still a secret. I need to be open with my new partner. How can I do that if I keep things from her? Even if I'm afraid to tell her, I still should."

The Tainted Rain had ended a short time before she came up to the roof. Kat gripped the railing and glanced at her shoulder. She let her thoughts drift away as she dreaded the task before her. Kat stared down at the road, watching the Street Sanitizers at work. Several of the robotic cleaners rumbled across the avenue. For a few minutes, they distracted her from her fears. "How many are there here? In Wayfaring Lane, I think there might be four or five. But here..." She counted. "I see more than a dozen just in this area."

More minutes passed, and Kat leaned back as she held on to the railing and let the wind blow over her. She couldn't remember a time when she didn't have to worry about the Un-Men finding her. "Here I'm safe. Safe to worry about other things." She studied the star on her palm. "More and more mysteries pop up with no answers like this thing." She rubbed her fingers over the red scar. The burn no longer hurt. "How did this mark open the door to the Gallery? What kind of microscopic cipher is imprinted on the star? And why is it on the Music Box?" She placed her hand back to the railing and leaned on the metal. "I asked the hologram, but she didn’t know." Kat stared at the sky, feeling as gloomy as it looked.

The door to the rooftop opened, and Kim stepped out. "So this is where you went." She walked over to the railing Kat leaned on. "What are you doing up here?" Kim looked down at her feet. "At least, you remembered shoes."

"There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you." Kat paused, not sure how to explain, then turned her attention back down to the street.

"Well, what is it?"

Kim glanced to her, wondering, "Is she thinking about what the Rogue said? Is she wondering if she's organic-mecha? I am. And I'm wondering if she has known this all along. Could the Guild or this Council she keeps mentioning be testing me for some reason?" Kim stared down at the street also. "What if Katharine is organic-mecha? What if she found me for some other reason than what she claims? Whatever I do, I can’t let her know I’m thinking this way."

"It’s not that thing the Rogue told you?” Kim asked. “Is it? I wouldn’t worry. There’s no way you’re one of those organic-mechas." She lightly smacked Kat on the left arm and laughed. "You’re too weird to be something programed."

"Thanks. I think. But it’s not that." Kat looked at her shoulder. "It’s..." She took a deep breath as if to continue and walked away from the ledge. "Never mind.”

"Don’t do that," Kim snapped. “Don’t start something and not finish it. Tell me. Remember we’re partners. We’re supposed to trust each other."

"I’m not sure how to say it. The past year I’ve learned that I'm the Pandora Project." Her heart filled with dread. "You told me Pandora was the woman who doomed the world."

"Yes." Kim nodded. "I told you that Pandora let all good escape from existence. She had released it from a box."

Kat questioned, "Is that my destiny? Was I created, programed, or conditioned to destroy?"

"You’ve got to be kidding. This is what you’re worried about? Come on. There are more things to fear than..."

"Are there?" Kat interrupted. "Then why call me Pandora, if not to mean doom?"

"If this is an act, she’s good," Kim thought. "But what if it isn’t? What if she truly believes she’s to doom the world?" Kim scowled. "I can’t have her thinking this way. She would be no use to me. What can I say?"

Kim said, "There's one thing I didn’t tell you. There's more to the story. Pandora managed to keep hope in the box. She managed to keep hope in the world."

"Hope?"

"Yes, hope. Maybe your destiny isn’t to bring doom, but hope. Now..." Kim started for the door. "If we’re done up here, let’s go inside and order a pizza." She started in. "I’m starved."

"Kimberly..." She still feared exposing her secret because she didn’t know how she would react, but knew she must.

"Katharine, like I said, what could be so..."

"My wound... It’s gone. There’s no trace that I was ever shot."

"What? That’s impossible." Kim walked back out. "Show me."

She unzipped her jacket and pulled the collar of her t-shirt to the side, showing Kim her unbandaged shoulder.

"Hades... It is gone. That’s impossible. When did it happen?"

"I don’t know. It was like this when I awoke at Main One Hospital." Kat waited for her reaction.

"This is what you’re worried about?" Kim chuckled. "Come on." She put her hand on Kat's shoulder. "With all the technology the Corporations have, this isn’t out of the ordinary. So don’t worry." Kim forced a smile. "Come on. Let’s go order that pizza."

Kat nodded, relieved she didn’t freak out. “Can we get a Coke to go with it?”

“Coke? I've never heard of it, but I'll ask. If not, we'll get a Crite.”

Both of them walked back in.

Inside the cab...

Kim pressed button 31, and they made their way down. Kat stood behind her as Kim stared at the cab doors, wondering, "What kind of monstrosity is she?"

Some time later...

They entered Apartment H and Kim headed for her room as Kat sat on the couch and turned on the news. Kim sat on her bed and opened the drawer of her nightstand. Inside lay the marked bullet.

"For now, I need to keep Katharine around. Whether organic-mecha or wayward soul, she still may be of some use." Kim chuckled to herself. "But, if I want to go back to work, I’ll have to get rid of her." She removed the 9 mm round and stared at Pale Horse. "I think I’ll keep you with me from now on." She placed the bullet in the small zipper compartment of her zipped up hoodie. "After all, Katharine did see my face, and I can’t let anyone live who knows I’m the Phoenix."

In the living room...

"What about what the Rogue said?" Kat wondered as she clutched her pillow, paying no attention to the TV. "Am I organic-mecha? Am I some sort of freak?" She stared at the coffee table. "What if I am? What if there's no past for me to find? Then what?" She glanced at the hall. "And what about my partnership with Kimberly? Will she kill me when she no longer needs me? Will I be able to depend on her?" She tightened her grip on the pillow. "What does the future hold?"

Kim entered the kitchen, glanced at the table, and thought, “Nine days ago, I sat there sulking over my pathetic life. I wished that I wasn't alone, that I had more in this life, and that there would be someone there for me. Now, I have more to look forward to like taking my revenge." She went to the cupboard. "As for my wish..." She looked to Kat sitting on the couch. "I guess I need to be more careful what I ask for." She grabbed a cup.

Kat turned with a gloomy expression. She saw the cup and her face brightened. "Fixing tea?"

"Sure, put the kettle on and set the table. Make yourself useful."

Some time later...

Kat lifted her cup. "Here’s to our partnership. May it be successful."

Kim clinked her cup to hers. "I’ll drink to that. To a successful future, wherever it takes us."

Chapter Fifty-four

The Star Binds Them

12:40 P.M...

The Chamber...

Mr. Decuma pulled up new bio-data on his laptop. "The Cerberus Project has gone above our expectations. This experiment has surpassed the old Project."

"I do not know about that," Mr. Morta said. "We were unable to activate Pandora's potential."

Ms. Nona replied, "As I thought. One of us has taken a liking to the wayward project."

Mr. Morta said, "It is not like that."

"What is it like?" Mr. Decuma asked.

"I believe Pandora is the superior design. We are the ones who failed for not providing a sufficient catalyst. We should have done more."

Appalled, Ms. Nona questioned, "Our fault?"

"Yes," Mr. Morta answered. "Maybe we should have told Pandora about its past, then Pandora would not have been so driven to search for the missing pieces."

A male supervisor handed Ms. Nona a report. "There seems to be a problem with our acquisition of the Factory’s assets. There is one Research Outpost in Antarctica, Vulcan Station, that the T-3s did not attack. If the Sphinx Corporation Main Office finds out part of the Factory has survived, we will have to turn over everything we acquired from the Factory to Vulcan Station."

Mr. Morta stated, "This could be a test for Cerberus. The new project can close the outpost for us. See how Cerberus reacts with the human element."

"A fine idea." Ms. Nona curled up her thin cherry-red lips in a grin.

"I agree," Mr. Decuma replied.

"It is settled," Mr. Morta said. "We will send Cerberus to Antarctica."

* * *

7:01 P.M...

No setting sun declared the approach of night. All was black. Darkness lingered, but a glimmer of hope existed. Zax turned his van down an alley beside Dad’s Donuts. He activated a garage door and pulled into the Maydag Auto Garage. Within, the place was quiet. All the mechanics had gone home for the day. Zax parked, went to the second storage room, unlocked the door with a key, and went in. Broken equipment and tools, along with used oil and other discards, filled the cobwebbed shelves.

The place smelled of dust and gas. Zax went to the back wall and looked up at a light. He half unscrewed the bulb from the socket and pulled the chain. The back wall flipped around a hundred and eighty degrees. On the other side, Zax walked along a gray stone passage to a metal door with no knob. Beside the door was a camera and an intercom.

"Identify yourself," a man’s voice commanded.

Zax looked up into the lens. "Delivery Man." He waited a few seconds and added, "R.G. wanted to see me."

The door slid open, and Zax proceeded halfway down a white tiled hall to a glass enclosed security desk. There, three men and a woman monitored security screens. All four were armed. One of the men waved him up to a bio-detector. Zax went and stood in the device as the man scanned him for life signs.

"Oh, what’s this?" The security officer raised an eyebrow. "Do I detect a bio-mecha?"

Zax started to answer. "I’m not..."

The security officer interrupted, "Nope, all human. Delivery Man isn’t an Un-Man today. You may proceed."

Zax mockingly laughed at the snide remark and continued down the hall. The passage ended at a door. He opened it and entered a dark room. Its center was lit by one single light, and he went and stood in it. Zax waited a few minutes in silence.

A mechanically altered voice of R.G. spoke over an intercom. "Delivery Man, were you able to retrieve the scans I requested?"

"Yes." Zax cleared his throat. "The two conveniently ordered a pizza. I was able to intercept the delivery boy and exchange the pizza box with one of mine. Ms. Griffin took the box from the delivery boy and the hidden scanner picked up her Star Cipher."

"Yes, I know of that one. What of the other?"

He answered, "There was none on her left hand, but there is a Star Cipher on Kat's left."

"That's most interesting. What does it mean to have two bear the Stars instead of one?" R.G. paused. "They don’t know it yet, but the Stars bind them to a destiny. One I will make sure they fulfill."

"What kind of destiny?" Zax asked.

"One I'll tell you in due time. Good work. Continue to monitor the two. I'm most interested in how they will work together, and what they will accomplish. There's so much for them to do." R.G. paused and asked, "Did you discover anything else?"

"Yes. Before they threw the box away I was able to over hear some of their conversation. Kimberly's looking for who killed her mom."

"That's most interesting. Did someone tell her or did she remember the fiery incident?" R.G. wondered.

R.G. then asked, "Anything else?"

"One other thing. Katharine has lost her memory. She doesn’t remember anything past a year ago."

"I was afraid of that." R.G. ordered, "Set up a surveillance of their residence. I must know more."

"Understood. I'll get on it right away."

Zax left, wondering, "So the Stars bind them to a destiny. Is this a destiny that will help Noir? Destroy the Dry Clouds? Or is there something R.G. is hiding from me?"

Chapter Fifty-five

Arrival at Vulcan Station

9:12 P.M...

At the bottom of the world...

The Vulcan Station resided near the South Geomagnetic Pole at the center of the East Antarctic ice sheet. It was also located five miles away from where the Dry Clouds’ Curtain ended south.

A helicopter flew over the icy land of white and blue, racing a coming snowstorm.

A Council S.C.M. pilot talked to his three passengers on their headsets. "E.T.A. five minutes. Once we land, make sure to take everything with you. I’ll be lifting off once you clear the landing pad and won’t be back till this storm clears. It could take me a few more days to return for you than what you planned to stay." He glanced at the younger of the two men. "Make sure you accomplish your task by then."

The passengers nodded their understanding and started on their gear. Any part of their body exposed to the frigid elements could freeze. They pulled on their full head and neck cold weather masks made of a soft nylon-coated neoprene. The three put on gloves, checked their boot buckles, and zipped up their brown fur-lined, hooded, white parkas.

The helicopter landed. The two men and a woman disembarked with bags of equipment and clothes and headed toward the facility. A polar wind hit them the moment they stepped off the aircraft, chilling them to the bone. They hurried toward the station. Once they cleared the pad, the helicopter lifted off and threw snow on them. The three stopped at the entrance.

The younger man urged, "Hurry, Dr. Seeker. Before we freeze out here."

"I’m going as fast as I can." The older man placed his right gloved hand on a machine. A thermal scanner read his palm through the material, and the device confirmed his identity. "There, now we can go in."

The facility’s metal door unlocked, slid up, then two S.C.Ms. rushed out. They wore dark blue parkas with white fur-lined hoods. They aimed their black FAMAS at the three. The two men and the woman raised their hands as the head of the Vulcan Station followed behind the Corporate Military men. He wore a white parka.

"Dr. John Gelid?" the older man questioned, wondering why they were being treated this way.

"Yes." The head of the facility offered his gloved hand and shook the older man’s. "And you would be Dr. Robert Seeker." John motioned for the S.C.Ms. to proceed. "Scan them, make sure they are human, then search them and their things."

"What’s the meaning of this?" Robert demanded as he and his companions lowered their hands.

John smiled, trying to reassure them. "Don’t worry, Dr. Seeker, this is only a precaution. Of what we know, we are the only Factory facility still in operation." The wind whipped the brown fur of his hood. "We have to remain operational till the Sphinx Corporation Main Branch Office can send us in some support. And I’m sorry to say, but the T-3s are very clever."

A S.C.M. looked around skittishly. "One of those flipped out machines already tried to enter the station two days ago." He eyed the younger of the two men. "Now isn’t a good day for taking in new recruits."

"Lieutenant Bentley!" John snapped. "I believe we have frightened our guests quite enough."

"You might run the station, Dr. Gelid, but security is my responsibility." Bentley walked over to the younger of the two men. "Who is this, Dr. Seeker?"

"My assistant Charles, Charles Smith. I vouch for him. He’s worked with me for years."

Bentley snarled at the assistant. "I don’t trust him. He’d better be on his best behavior."

"What’s this?" the other S.C.M. questioned the woman.

"A cigar box." She opened the ten inch by ten inch container. "Cubans. One of my vices."

The S.C.M. nodded, seeing the cigars. "All clear."

"Good, let’s get out of this arctic air." John waved for the three arrivals to follow him in. "Dr. Seeker, you were supposed to be here days ago."

"Yes, I'm sorry." Robert paused to let the woman walk in before him. "There was a hold up getting a pilot and a helicopter to fly us down here."

The door slid shut once everyone was in. Bentley locked the door and had the other S.C.M. guard the entrance.

"Well, we’re glad to have you here. I hope our work can help Research Project Clean Air." John pushed down his hood, removed his mask, and unzipped his parka. He took off the coat, revealing he wore several layers of clothing. "You should find our ice core samples helpful in your research."

Everyone else removed their cold weather masks.

"It's what I’m hoping for." Robert unzipped his coat. "Since the cores contain climate records for almost a million years, I'm confident they will shed some light on the planet’s Dry Cloud problem." He removed his gloves. "One thing we haven’t been able to explain is why those born in the Dark Half and those that lived there several years can breathe the polluted air without some side effects. There are particles of petroleum and other harmful elements in the air. So why aren’t traces of them found in the blood or lungs of the Dark Half’s residents?" Robert scratched his head. "One of many puzzles like the biggest one of all. What caused the Dry Clouds? They appeared overnight. I guess we won’t solve the mystery so quickly." Robert glanced around. "So, where do we start?"

"You don’t wish to rest or at least freshen up?" John asked.

"No." Robert rubbed his hands together to warm them. "I would prefer to get to work."

"Right, then." John motioned to the lieutenant. "I'll have Bentley take your things to your rooms, and we can begin."

Robert nodded and said, "Stephanie."

The woman stepped forward. "Yes, Dr. Seeker."

"Go help the lieutenant."

"Yes." She grabbed some of their suitcases and followed Bentley. Once they were some distance down a hall, she asked, "Do you have much wildlife here? I didn’t see a thing the helicopter ride over."

Bentley looked annoyed over his bellboy job. "Only the occasional lost Skua. It’s a brown bird." He glanced at her. "There wouldn’t be an extra Cuban in that box of yours? Would there?"

"We’ll see. Maybe one."

They turned a corner.

"This way Dr. Seeker and Mr. Smith." John walked down a hall, opposite the one the lieutenant went down. "The main lab is this way."

Before the men followed, a loud noise boomed from the entrance. The S.C.M. guarding it turned, taking a few steps back as the large door shook. Something hit the entrance again, and the metal door vibrated, toppling ice to the floor. The third, fourth, and fifth hits smashed the side of the door, and the S.C.M. leaped back. Five T-3s stood outside, covered with snow and ice. They held a six foot battering ram, dropped it, and started through the opening. The S.C.M. shot, and the T-3s evaded his fire. He started to radio for help, but a T-3 shot him in the head.

"Run!" John shouted. "The T-3s have penetrated Vulcan Station!"

Chapter Fifty-six

The Takeover of Vulcan Station

Five T-3s smashed their way into the facility. Their searing scarlet dot-light glowed in the ice dust. Bentley and Stephanie ran back down the hall, joining the three men.

"Un-Men have broken in," Bentley radioed. "Security to the entrance." He opened fire. "Doctors, run!"

The three men and the woman rushed further into the station. Soon, ten S.C.Ms. ran in, passed them, and opened fire on the T-3s. They managed to disable one of them, but lost five of their own. The remaining four T-3s marched forward.

"Fall back!" Bentley ordered, but before he or his men could react, a metal sphere the size of a golf ball rolled past him toward the T-3s. The sphere halted, glowed, and shrilled. Bentley turned. "A high impact grenade. Get down!"

The blast knocked the S.C.Ms. to the ground and destroyed the T-3s. Bentley peered up as the snow and ice settled. His body felt on fire. He wasn’t sure what had happened or who threw the grenade?

Stephanie walked past a pile of cigars she’d dropped to the floor. She had removed the Cubans to pull out the hidden explosive. Stephanie moved to Bentley’s side, holding the empty cigar box in one hand and a lit cigar in the other. She placed the box on the ground, put the cigar in her mouth, and picked up an assault rifle from one of his dead men. Stephanie made her way to the T-3s and put a bullet in each of their foreheads. She returned to Bentley's side.

Blood trickled from his mouth. "Why did you..."

"Shh..." She knelt beside him. "Quiet. The Un-Men are dead. Everything will be alright now."

"Why did you throw the grenade so close to us?" Bentley looked to the other S.C.Ms. "You should have waited till we were clear. You’ve killed them."

She lightly smacked him on the cheek twice. "I didn’t want to waste the explosive only on the Un-Men. You know the saying, why drop one egg when you can drop two?"

"What? I don't understand," he said.

"Maybe you'll understand this..." Stephanie removed the cigar from her mouth and placed the Cuban in Bentley’s. "One for the road." She stood and shot him in the heart then made her way to the remaining men.

"Oh my Zeus! Stephanie, what have you done?" Robert questioned.

"What I was told." She grinned, aimed for Dr. Seeker, then changed aim and shot Charles between the eyes.

The assistant slumped to the floor then blood pooled around his face.

"Hades! She’s here to destroy the station," John said, backing up against a wall. "I take it you work for the Council?"

"She’s here to kill us?" Robert blurted and shook his head. "No. My work."

"Yes, I work for the Council," Stephanie answered. "And I'm here to secure Vulcan Station, but I’m not here to kill you two."

"You aren't going to kill us?" Robert sounded relieved.

"No." She motioned with her weapon for them to go into a small lab. Stephanie closed and locked the door then turned to them. "The Council said to leave you two alive, that your work could be valuable to them." She leaned the assault rifle against a wall and walked over to a table. Stephanie found a laser cutter that was used to slice the ice cores into pieces. She tested it on the table, and the laser burned small holes into the top. "But they said nothing about torture." Stephanie made her way to them.

"Be reasonable," John said. "If you hurt us, why would we work for the Council?"

"Fear," she answered.

"Fear?" Robert questioned.

"Yes, fear. Fear I’ll do it again if you do not do as the Council wishes." She turned the laser on them.

Seconds later, the men screamed.

* * *

Somewhere in Noir...

The Chamber...

"Cerberus has completed its mission," Ms. Nona reported. "With one test, Cerberus has surpassed Pandora."

"Yes, the new experiment did not hesitate to kill the S.C.Ms. or Charles Smith." Pleased, Mr. Decuma smiled. "Cerberus did not disobey orders."

"Yes, a fitting first trial," Ms. Nona added.

"Pandora never disobeyed," Mr. Morta retorted. "We never gave it any orders, but one. Stay alive. And that it did."

Mr. Decuma smacked his hand on the table. "You must admit it! Pandora is a failure!" He calmed himself. "It is time for its termination."

"Yes," Ms. Nona agreed. "And what better way than to have Cerberus kill Pandora. The test will prove the superiority of the new project."

Mr. Morta said, "I believe it is premature to eliminate Pandora. We can still learn..."

Mr. Decuma interrupted, "This time you have been out voted."

"The first time this Council has not been of one mind," Ms. Nona said. "And hopefully the last."

"Pandora’s fate is out of my hands." Mr. Morta nodded to an analyst. "Give Cerberus its orders. The new experiment is to find Pandora and report in."

The male analyst nodded and relayed the order.

"So, Pandora," Mr. Morta thought. "Your time is coming to an end. I hope what little time you have had has been put to good use."

Chapter Fifty-seven

Prelude to:

Book Two

From Moscow, With Love

9:45 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Old Business Vicinage...

Nikolai and Natasha walked into Jack’s Hard Luck Pawn, one of many dealers on Wayfaring Lane. They removed their Winnow Masks. The colossal man with a buzz cut wore a black trench coat. He stood by the front door as his sister proceeded to the owner. Natasha waited till the only other customer left the shop.

With her heavy Russian accent, she started, "I heard you’re the man to see." Natasha raked her hand through her long black hair.

"What you looking for?" Jack lit a NicPhake cigarette and took a long drag as he looked her up and down. "Jewelry? Watches?"

"We’re bird hunting," she replied.

"Bird hunting, you say?" Jack raised a gray eyebrow.

"Yes, a very rare bird."

"Rare? What are..."

Nikolai moved forward and interrupted the owner, "We arrived from Moscow. Voice said you could help us."

"Puck... Why didn’t you say so to begin with?" Jack waved for the two of them to join him behind the counter. "Come with me. I’ve got some stuff in the back that should be to your liking." He rang a buzzer at a door and waved at the security camera. "You guys look professional. You here to hit anyone I know?"

Natasha and her brother moved behind the counter and stood behind Jack.

She answered, "All you need to know is that a mistake was made."

Nikolai added, "And we are here to rectify it."

The door unlocked, and Jack proceeded in as they followed. Five rough looking men stood in the next room. Two hung out talking, while the other three cleaned guns. The room fell silent as all five men watched the two outsiders enter.

Impressed, Nikolai stroked his black goatee as he looked around. "You have enough weapons in here to supply a small army."

"Yeah." Jack puffed on the cigarette. "I inherited the place from my cousin, Wayne. He was well connected, but couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Pucking looser... His loose lips got him killed." He took the cigarette out of his mouth and flicked white-pink ash in a Styrofoam cup of old coffee. "So, what you need?"

Nikolai answered, "The guns are on this list."

"And throwing knives," Natasha interrupted her brother.

Jack took the list, looking it over. "This I can do." He pointed to two of his guys. "Get what they need." Jack handed the men the list, turned to a computer, and typed out an invoice.

The two men left and returned a few minutes later. One of the men walked up to Natasha.

"So, which one of these bad boys is for you, babe?" The man patted the guns. "By the way, the name’s Ron."

"None of those." She studied the man, that was about six inches taller than herself. "The knives are mine. They are my Sweets."

"Sweets, huh..." Ron handed them to her. "So, a fine babe like yerself likes to play with sharp things. You like to play with dangerous things. How about we step out for a little while? I’ll show you something dangerous. Maybe something a little sweet."

Nikolai moved toward the man. "She is not interested."

Natasha said nothing, knowing what was coming. She removed her white fur-lined black coat, revealing tight fitting red leather pants, vest, and boots. Natasha placed the coat on the back of a chair and inserted a set of throwing knives in a sheathe around each wrist.

"You her boyfriend?" he asked the Closer.

"No," Nikolai replied. "I am her brother."

"Stay out of this then,” Ron said. “It's none of your business."

She thought, "If only he had dropped it. My brother might have only punched him in the mouth."

Nikolai controlled his anger. "She is not interested in the likes of you."

Ron jabbed his finger in the colossal man’s chest. "You’re her brother, not her mother. Let the babe decide."

Jack hit the print button on the computer for the invoice. "Don’t do anything stupid, Ron."

"I know what I’m doing." Ron caressed her butt. "So what do you say, babe?"

The veins in Nikolai’s neck bulged with fury, and his eyes went wild like a mad grizzly bear. With one massive hand, the Russian reached out, grabbed the man by the throat, and choked him. The other men in the room drew their weapons and aimed at the siblings. Ron pulled a Glock 19. Nikolai grabbed his wrist and squeezed it, till Ron released the gun and it hit the floor.

"Wait!" Jack cried out to his men and motioned with his hands. "Put your guns down." Sweat beaded his face, fearing the situation would get out of hand. "You don’t know who these two are. If Voice sent them... Well... They’ll kill ya." He swallowed hard. "Puck! They’ll kill all of us."

His men reluctantly complied as Nikolai continued to choke Ron. Natasha put her coat back on.

"You do not touch my sister in an impertinent way. No one treats my sister that way."

The man clawed Nikolai’s arm, unable to breathe, and his eyes bugged out.

"Please, be reasonable," Jack pleaded. "Puck, let him go, and he can apologize."

"No." Nikolai squeezed harder and the veins in his hand bulged. "I warned him. So, I offer no mercy."

Natasha walked over to her brother and rubbed her hand up and down his back. She moved to Ron, leaned to him, and whispered in his ear, "From Moscow, with love." Natasha nodded to her brother, and Nikolai forcibly turned the man’s head toward her. She French kissed Ron as he clawed at her brother’s arm. She finished and stepped back. “We will have to write up extra paperwork on your death, but I am pleased, and that will make it worth it.”

Ron’s eyes rolled back, Nikolai released his corpse, then reached down, and picked up the Glock 19. "His weapon is now mine." He tucked the gun in the back waistband of his pants.

Natasha looked down at the dead man and smiled. "You had asked me a question. You wanted to know what I say. I say you should have listened to my brother." She turned to Jack. "How much do we owe you for the weapons?"

Unable to say anything as he stared at the dead man, Jack handed her the invoice with a shaky hand.

She stated, "Voice will have the funds in your account by tonight."

Still shocked, Jack nodded.

Natasha and her brother headed out with the guns in two large duffle bags. Outside, they put their Winnow Masks on and checked the streets for police. They placed the duffle bags in the trunk of their black Cadillac. He unzipped one, removed a case, and opened the container.

"Finally, I have Tommy." Nikolai smooth his hand across a machine gun. "Now, I can be the Hood I dreamed of being."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever makes you happy. Now come. Let us be on our way."

He put the machine gun back.

Within a few minutes, they got into the car and took off their masks. Nikolai removed the trophy he took off of Ron and placed the Glock 19 in the glove box.

"Let us hurry with our assignment." Natasha glanced out the passenger side window at the darkness surrounding the city. "I grow to hate this place."

Her brother pulled the car out into traffic. "Our final task is four days away. Once we have killed the Phoenix, we can leave Noir."

"Voice is as forgiving as you, my brother. Voice must never be crossed."

"Yes," her brother agreed. "We must always complete our assignments with no hesitation and with no remorse. Our hearts must not rule our minds or our actions. In our line of business, it can only bring death."

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The End -next click here Shades of Gray #2 From Moscow, With Love

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SHADES OF GRAY SERIES

STARTING POINT QUADRILOGY

1. Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness

2. From Moscow, With Love

3. Cerberus Versus Pandora

4. Sisters

ZOMBIE TWILIGHT QUADRILOGY

5. Night of the Twilight- The Chimera Strain

6. Dawn of the Twilight- Outbreak

7. Day of the Twilight- Patient Zero

8. Land of the Twilight- Closing of Days

MYTHS AND DESPAIR QUADRILOGY

9- Rise of the Gorgons

10. (TBA)

11. (TBA)

12. (TBA)

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More stories from Kristie Lynn Higgins

Beauty of the Beast #1 The Mystic Rose

Beauty of the Beast #2 Daughter Of A King

Shunned #1 The Metal Veil And Weeping Sword Named Tear

Shunned #2 Band Of Dragons

Shunned #3 Dragon’s Folly

Dragon’s Rite #1 Catching Black Fire...

Dragon’s Rite #2 TBA

Grimm #1 Jane’s Entrance

Grimm #2 The Beast, the Rose, and the Sword

Grimm #3 TBA

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www.KristieLynnHiggins.com

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Glossary

A.C.S.: Apartment Computer System

A.D.C.: After Dry Clouds

Alpha: leader of the T-3s

Alpha Phase: Kat’s First Evolvement. When in this phase Kat can sense the presence of bio-mechas.

Arachnoids: spider bio-mechas

Argus: the Council’s operative who shadows Kat

barriercumulus: scientific name for the Dry Clouds

B.D.C.: Before Dry Clouds

bio-mechas: robots that resemble living things

Cerberus: an experiment of the Council

Corporate Senate: the world’s ruling body based in Noir

Council, The: a department within the Sphinx Corporation. Members consist of Mr. Morta, Ms. Nona, and Mr.

Decuma.

Crite: lemon-lime soda

Dark Half: the half of the planet that's covered by Dry Clouds

Dry Clouds: a barrier of clouds that appeared about thirty years ago that blots out the sun

e-field: electrical field

Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse: the place where Kat first awoke

Factory, the: a department in the Sphinx Corporation that created and tested the Un-Men

Griffin, Kimberly: a Life Closer known as the Phoenix

Griffin, Mr.: the Chairman of the Sphinx Corporation, husband of Theresa, and father of Kimberly

Griffin, Theresa: mother of Kimberly and wife of the Chairman

Grubby: nickname for a street air filter

H.H.C.: Hand Held Computer

Illicit Closer: an illegal assassin

Irynkissgthie, Ginn L.: composer of Unfinished Melody.

K-99: a bio-mecha modeled after the Irish Wolfhound.

Kat: a.k.a. the Pandora Project

Life Closer: legal assassin

Light Side: the half of the planet with no Dry Clouds

L-O: Liquid Oxygen Spray

Maxwell: Un-Men Tech One-twelve

Music Box: a small treasure chest shaped music box that is also a data storage unit

Natasha: a Life Closer

NBS: Noir Broadcasting Station

N.C.P.F. : Noir Civil Police Force

NicPhake: a synthetic tobacco cigarette

Nikolai: a Life Closer

Noir: a mega-city and capital of the world

Orthos: Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office's Head of Security

Peters: Un-Men Tech One-eleven

Rogue: Type Four Un-Man discontinued because of malfunction

Sanctum: the Council’s headquarters

S.C.M.: Sphinx Corporate Military

Sphinx Corporation: a corporation in Noir that governs the Hellenistic Sector

Tainted Rain: black polluted rain from Dry Clouds

Thanatos: the Dark Half's Regulator

Transgenics: genetically modified organisms with an extra-genome

Ultra-Epi: genetically altered epinephrine hormone

Ultra-Epi Light Emissions or Ult L-E: the glow Pandora's eyes produce when the Ultra-Epi is in her blood-stream

Unfinished Melody: the name of the chime that Kat’s music box plays. It was composed by Ginn L. Irynkissgthie

Un-Men: a humanoid form of bio-mechas

Voice: the Light Side Regulator

Vulcan Station: a research outpost in Antarctica ran by the Factory