He had also realized what a valuable asset he was to Synaptix and that he did have some bargaining power with the leaders at the top of the corporation. He had convinced those men to allow them to keep their free will. They had, and now Badger hated himself for involving them.
He realized that even if Synaptix won and got everything they ever wanted, he was doomed and he had doomed himself. Doomed to a life of boredom, a life of solitude. His only friends were dead. There would be very few with free will after Synaptix had their way.
Badger didn
’
t desire to have a mindless sex slave that obeyed his every thought. He didn
’
t want a posse to stroll with at night. He wanted conversation, and there in the middle of the desert amongst fifty-thousand living, breathing, warm bodies, he could only speak with himself. Or the faceless voice that invaded his mind every so often, and that wouldn
’
t respond to him unless it had business with him.
*
*
*
*
Thirty-one hours until the battle of Ilyeion
Max had the computer systems back at the main base on cruise control. His automated program had finished running its simulations and analysis, and the bots that Crimson had requested were in the process of being created. It was a brilliant design, a sort of mix between
gene
splicing and nanobot technology.
Half gene manipulation mixed with a viral cell and grafted into a nanobot. He had taken and reverse engineered the DNA in the cells of electric eels that allowed their bodies to generate electricity and pass it through their bodies, dispersing it externally without it harming their cells. Other scientists before Max had done most of the work of isolating the gene. He
’
d
hacked their research and stole it for himself, then expanded upon it.
By isolating the gene, cloning the recombinant
DNA
of the eel and Crimson, then injecting the product on a microscopic level into a harmless viral cell, he formed the first part of what she needed. He then created a nanobot that would flow through the blood and attach to every cell in her body, delivering this change and monitoring her for any adverse effects.
By means of this, she would have the ability to absorb electrical currents, produce her own, allow massive amounts to pass through her body, and also be able to externally discharge and disperse it, all while suffering no ill effects. It had been cooking back at the main base for roughly six hours and would be done in another three. With that task out of his way, he
was free to pursue his own desires
.
He sat down at the console and began engineering his masterpiece. It was going to truly be a work of art and a complete marvel. He wanted it to be perfect, flawless, genuine, unique, but he had a time limit. He was pressed for time and still suffering withdraw
al
side effects, but he managed to stay focused on his new idea and ignore whatever he was suffering.
He measured and mapped out everything in the drafting program to exact specifications. Luther was staring over his shoulder, double checking his work. Luther was no longer the master scientist he once was; his limited storage capacity was unable to contain his full personality. He was, however, still a valuable asset to Max.
“
So tell me, Luther, how much do you remember of your brain scanning technology?
”
“
If you are asking so as to rebuild it…enough.
”
“
I have no need to rebuild it. With some of Crimson
’
s connections, I was able to locate your machines. The rumor was they were destroyed. It
’
s funny how after people get what they want from whatever it is, these
‘
lost objects
’
typically wind up being a mantelpiece for some rich jerk who likes to brag about how he owns chunks of human history. Nobody can own history and these objects are valueless except for the value of their purpose. There it was,
sitting in some old coot
’
s home waiting to be used. He wouldn
’
t sell it so I hired one of Crimson
’
s friends to steal it for me. It
’
s in the other room.
“
Also, she followed through on my list of requests. They were all pretty simple except for the Kelmantrium I needed… And that experimental crystalline hard drive I requested. Everyone knows there were only ten prototypes made and it is too expensive and advanced at this point in time to mass produce. I am really shocked she had it to me in six hours. Guess she does trust me.
”
“
So what is your plan with all of this stuff, Max?
”
Luther asked, his synthesized voice sounding apprehensive.
“
I plan to rebuild you, Luther, to make you whole again. Also, I need a backup plan…a failsafe, in case things go wrong.
”
“
I see. You seem smart enough. Why do you need me here?
”
“
Because you are a golem, a gargoyle. I expect you to stay here and chase away any evil spirits that might come to wreck my work. Also, I wanted your take on this skeleton I
’
m building. Correct me where I
’
m making mistakes, add to my design,
”
Max said, never taking his eyes off of the screen. He hadn
’
t slept in nearly a day and a half and had no intention of doing so any time soon.
Max was stuck on finishing his work of art. He worked well into the night on his design, all the while Luther tower
ed
over his shoulder giving advice on what to change, what might make it better. Luther was getting excited as he saw it shape up in front of his eyes.
Hours had passed and most of the preliminary work had finished. Crimson stopped by to see what information she could gather from whatever she might be able to sneak a peek at. Max promptly shrunk the display and hid it from her sight. Luther refused to answer any questions she might have.
“
Max, are you going to be back by the main base before the war erupts?
”
she asked, sounding anxious.
Max tapped his feet, stood, and stretched his legs. He yawned and looked over at the clock.
“
Crap, I
’
ve been at it seven hours and I
’
m only this far… Twenty-four…twenty-four hours and it starts,
”
he said, running his hand through his messy, frazzled hair.
“
I
’
ll be back nine hours before it begins. I
’
ll sleep and be ready to support you as a sniper, shock troop, whatever. Oh. When you return go to the lab and go to the fabricator, inside will be a vial with roughly seven ounces of what looks to be a lime green serum. Inject it into your brachial vein. They are the bots you wanted. You know, the little electricity ones? Zap zap!
“
Anyhow, nine hours
‘
til show time. I
’
ll be home. Mark my words. I
really need
to finish this. I can do it. I just need no interruptions. I
’
m just going to—
”
Max was cut off by an alarm from the other room
.
“
Oh. It
’
s done!
”
he exclaimed
,
running in to retrieve his creation.
He came back into the room holding a Tubex glass syringe with a stainless steel finger control. He was staring at it madly as if it was a child he loved with all of his heart. He was chuckling softly like a mad scientist as he fixed his gaze from the syringe to Crimson
’
s catlike eyes.
“
You were an assassin for many years before you became a revolutionary, correct?
”
he inquired with a wide grin on his face.
“
Yes… Why?
”
Crimson asked, sounding a bit nervous.
“
I am going to open my mouth. I need you to shove this titanium eighteen gauge hollow bore needle through the roof of my mouth and into the Cerebral Aqueduct. Then I need you to carefully inject the contents. Trust me, I
’
ll be fine as long as your aim is good.
”
Crimson got goose bumps and the memory of what she had done to Bria
n Nash popped into her head. Through the
spheno
id and into a ventricle
was a much easier target than the Cerebral Aqueduct. Why did Max have to be so specific with his instructions?
“
You know it
’
s a difficult shot and I might accidentally kill you, right?
”
“
We all gotta die sometime, love.
”
“
I need you alive to help in this revolution. You
’
re no good strung out and you
’
re no good dead. You
’
ve avoided being a junkie so far, but I
’
m not going to assist in your suicide.
”
“
Look, I trust you…more than I trust Luther; he is a machine, but he doesn
’
t have his full…brain. You
’
ve got your full brain and some of the steadiest hands I
’
ve seen that weren
’
t…biotic augmentations like mine… Anyhow, if you don
’
t do it, I can give it a shot myself. I only ask you to do it because I trust you can do it.
”
Max shoved the syringe into Crimson
’
s hand and forced her to close her fingers around it so she wouldn
’
t drop it. She glared at him. She hated his secrecy and his insane ideas, but at the same time, she was intrigued and curious to see what he had planned.
“
Fine, Max, but if you die…I told you so, and I am going to be so pissed.
”
“
Yeah, I know,
”
he said, smiling.
Max stood in front of her and opened his mouth wide. He tilted his head back so she could see where she was placing the needle. If she went too far, she would strike his brain stem and kill him immediately. She took her aim and plunged the needle.
Max didn
’
t have any anesthetic in him and it was most certainly one of the most painful things he ever experienced. Tears flowed out of his eyes and down his face. Crimson cringed as she saw his pain. She thought she was in the right area so she drew back on the syringe.
“
Okay, I am drawing back cerebral spinal fluid. I am going to push now. You might feel a bit of a sting,
”
she said sarcastically.
“
If you are unsure of this, move back and don
’
t let me do this.
”
Max didn
’
t say a word or make a sound. He
simply
stood there like a crying statue, waiting. The seconds felt like days to him with this needle so close to his brain and blood trickling down his throat. His stillness indicated to Crimson he was sure and she pushed the syringe. Once the contents where emptied, she carefully and swiftly pulled the needle out of his head.
The second Max was safe, he dropped to the ground and started screaming and writhing, much like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum as he rolled about.
“
Damn it! Damn it! Gaarrrragghgh! That hurt like hell!
”
He was in pain, but he was okay. He would live. Crimson kicked him once, not too hard, in the ribs.
“
Get up, you big baby. You knew it was going to hurt and even asked me to do it. I don
’
t know what your crazy brain is up to, but it was worth seeing you regress from a macho man to a cringing adolescent right before me. Where is the chrysalis this big baby most certainly must have emerged from?
”
she taunted him as he smirked.
“
I hate you sometimes,
”
he said as he stood and rubbed his side.
“
You love me,
”
she said as she turned toward the door and spanked herself.
His eyes were drawn to her gluteus and he had a quick daydream that it had been his hand that had slapped it. A smile came across his face and he grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her aroun
d. He was acting like a wild man
the last several days and was about to
prove to Crimson he truly was
.