“In the second year of the war, forty-two female soldiers volunteered for cybernetic conversion. Evelyn 489 was one of the first. Only five of those females remain alive today. Two are in long term medical treatment pending massive mental upgrades. Evelyn 489 is a third who has been diagnosed with severe brain trauma. Due to her still active weaponry, she was incarcerated instead of being sent to a medical facility. The missing two females return geophysical search pings, but their locations change too rapidly for them to be apprehended. Both of them remain on the renegade cyborg list.”
Eric tucked away the info about the two females still on the run. Peyton probably needed to be aware of that information. He lifted his chin and stared as he spoke. “Your choice of terminology is a point of a confusion for me. Evelyn 489 is not incarcerated. She’s in protective custody until she can be restored.” His eyebrows shot up in shock when Brad shook his head.
“Your statement is inaccurate. Her record lists her location as
incarcerated
. It is a documented fact that she killed Dr. Jackson Channing. Cyborgs can’t be tried for such crimes under current laws, but they also cannot be set free to kill again. I believe Evelyn 489’s records are a correct reflection of her situation.”
Eric watched Brad’s hands go to the virtual keyboard. They flew across it, pulling up files as fast as the screen in front of him could accommodate displaying them. It didn’t take long before Evelyn’s cybernetic enhancement schematic appeared next to an overhead view of her nude body on a medical table. Her unclothed body was every bit as beautiful as he had imagined the first time he’d seen her. The screen image was taken before cybernetic pulses had started sculpting her luscious curves. She was unquestionably hot, but what had been done to her body during her conversion was appalling.
“Damn. What I’m seeing is so bad my mind is rejecting the information. It looks like her uterus was removed and replaced with a radioactive materials containment unit.”
Eric narrowed his gaze when Brad’s completely guilt-free one met his. He hadn’t expected to see sympathy, but he had at least expected to see a little confusion over his swearing comment. It irritated him when Brad merely shrugged again.
“If I am interpreting your emotional reaction correctly, you seem highly disturbed by the woman’s sacrifice. Evelyn 489 was very aware of what was intended when she agreed to her conversion. A female’s empty pelvis is perfect physical storage for whatever is needed to be discreetly transported behind enemy lines. Her fallopian tubes and ovaries were left so that minimal hormonal adjustments would be needed long term. I imagine the implants she received back then still keep her hormone levels as optimal as any female half her chronological age.”
Eric grunted his disgust. “But all the theories about female hormones not adversely affecting cybernetics didn’t hold up over time. Isn’t that right?”
His eyebrows lifted again when Brad ignored him and turned back to the screen to pull up more data. He watched him peruse the additional information he’d retrieved. There was a long pause before Brad answered. Eric continued to stare, letting Brad know he damn well expected a reply.
“No. Early theories about the long term effects of female conversions did not prove to be correct,” Brad admitted at last.
Eric nodded, even though Brad did not turn his way to see his head moving. “So what is Evelyn 489 carrying in her containment area?”
“Dr. Channing and his team at the time did her initial conversion. She was the first chosen for a weapon of mass destruction. I cannot confirm its contents as the military maintained complete secrecy about that part of every Cyber Soldier conversion. Her original records hinted at it being a neutrino explosive capable of taking out a village, enemy camp, or even a small city.”
“Damn…” Eric said, glancing at the military photo still on his screen. So she had been loaded up by the military just like King had been.
Brad went on talking, either unaware of his shock or not caring. By now Eric was guessing it was the latter. Something strange was going on with Dr. Smith.
“What is known for certain about her specific containment device is that someone took one too many precautions with the installation. It cannot be opened without setting off the explosive inside it. This was done to ensure the weapon would never be disarmed by an enemy cyber scientist. Such extreme action was taken based on the assumption Evelyn 489 would die in the line of duty.”
Eric crossed his arms. “Well, that assumption about her future was wrong, now wasn’t it? She’s still alive. So what are the chances of the entire containment center being safely removed from her body?”
Eric frowned when Brad instantly shook his head and stared at the screen.
“Chances of safe removal have been estimated at twenty-five ten thousandths of a percent or in more common terms—the odds of success are 1 in 463,000.”
“I don’t understand. Why so low? Is it the radiation from the weapon that’s the problem?”
“No. Danger from radiation is minimal, so long as the containment center remains unharmed. It is made of titanium and nearly impenetrable by normal means. However, the containment center was intentionally wired to Evelyn 489’s human heart. When she dies or suffers a mortal wound, a countdown timer will start and follow her slowing heart rate. No breach of the containment center could happen fast enough to stop the detonation of what she carries. Her death is unavoidable and will destroy the surrounding area wherever she is located when it finally happens.”
“You said Evelyn 489 was the first female to carry that level of weapon which implies there were others. Where are they? Have any of the others been restored?”
“None have been restored or recovered. All others like her either died in service or have been destroyed since. This is why she was marked as expendable and used for other testing purposes. She was slated for discreet destruction when Dr. Channing chose her for his Cyber Wife project. The adjustments he performed were primarily neural, but they still produced many unanticipated physical and mental side effects. He ceased his experiments eventually, just not in time to avoid the glitch that led to her irrational retribution.”
Eric had to force his jaw to unclench before he could speak. His definition of irrational was a hell of a lot different than Evil Brad’s. He made himself speak calmly. The massive effort it took surprised him.
“Do you have a level of access to Evelyn 489’s files that I don’t have?”
“Yes, but I released access to all her files to Dr. Kyra Winters upon my conversion. If you wish, I can remove all holds on any files you have security access to read.”
Eric watched Brad carry out his command with unfailing precision, copying everything while still continuing to read new data as it appeared. His instincts started pinging again.
“Did you get a processor upgrade during your last maintenance check?”
“Maintenance made some adjustments that allow my processor to work five times faster than before. It is not flagged in my record as an upgrade. It is listed as a necessary repair. My proficiency level for most activities has increased by eighty-seven point four percent.”
Eric narrowed his gaze, studying Brad’s profile. His emotional investment in the investigation of Evelyn 489 hadn’t thrown him that much off his game. He’d bet one of those adjustments involved a brand new processor Kyra didn’t know about.
“I found a locked file attached to Evelyn 489’s official cyborg record. Any idea how I can open it? I tried all the access keys you gave me when we looked into Seetha Harrington’s disappearance. None of them are working on this particular file.”
Eric stared hard at the man when Brad finished reading and turned to him. Brad just shrugged.
“The lock on the file is layered. It prevents you from seeing the data within the file, but also from knowing its exact location on other databases. Her more detailed cybernetic records were moved after her second conversion.”
“Moved? Where? I mean… to what other databases?” Eric demanded, getting specific. His anger flared and his face grew hot when Brad lifted one shoulder. His anger at the uncaring man was destroying his normally cool head. Guess his level of emotional investment in Evelyn 489 was higher than he realized.
“Most female cyborgs were moved into the Cyber Wife program. Evelyn 489 was contracted to Dr. Channing. He did her programming himself after she was placed in his care. As I explained before, she was selected because of her expendable status. It was assumed she would be turned in for destruction after Dr. Channing released her from the contract.”
Eric spoke through nearly gritted teeth. “Yes. You’ve said that twice already and I’ve heard you both times. But Dr. Channing didn’t do
all
of Evelyn 489’s programming. I distinctly heard you inform Dr. Winters that
you
were the one who programmed her to kill Jackson Channing.”
Brad didn’t even flinch at the accusation, but he refrained from shrugging again. Eric figured he was projecting his pissed off vibes pretty strongly, no matter how hard he fought not to show he was upset.
“I have data recall about making the comment to Dr. Winters, but in actuality the claim was not entirely true.”
Eric glared. “Not entirely true? Are you admitting you
lied
when you were bragging to Dr. Winters about your cybernetic accomplishments?”
“No. I did not directly lie to Dr. Winters. I did program Evelyn 489’s military chip to have her kill her contracted husband. However, my programming pointed to her Cyber Wife contract for her target, not to a specific person. In the strictest sense of your accusation, I suppose I did lie to Evelyn 489. Her restoration is an impossible task. While she logically understands this to be a cyber science fact, her human side had not given up hope at that specific moment in time. Her mental state made her amenable to agreeing to receive the additional programming.”
Eric curled his fingers into his palm. It was all he could do to keep from plowing a fist into Evil Brad’s face. “Well, here’s a true statement for you, Dr. Smith. Your confession has pissed me off. Besides the Cyber Wife database, where else is Evelyn 489’s data stored? Tell me now.”
“Information I once considered critical is stored in my private files. I kept records to protect myself from those who threatened to seek my death if I revealed what I had done. Evelyn 489’s records are what the military would refer to as
strategic leverage
.”
Eric leaned back in the chair. It was nothing Peyton and Kyra hadn’t imagined Evil Brad capable of being involved in, but having it confirmed was still an eye-opening experience. He didn’t have to ask who was behind the work. They already knew how corrupt the United Council of Nations was when it came to cyborgs.
“Brad, I need you to give me immediate access to any and all files about Evelyn 489. That’s an order. You are programmed to obey me.”
He was amazed as he watched Brad frown and turn back to face the monitor before stopping to stare off across the room.
“No,” Brad said finally.
At the flat refusal, Eric’s blood pressure shot up unchecked. He straightened in his chair, preparing instantly for battle.
“No? That’s not the right answer, Brad. I am definitely going to seek your death myself in the next ten seconds if you don’t deliver every piece of data you have on Evelyn 489 and all those other female cyborgs to my private com. I will be looking for the same level of detail in all forty-two files that you’ve demonstrated exists about Evelyn 489. Produce it…
now
.”
Brad turned to face him again and started blinking rapidly. Eric saw his eyelids flutter, opening and closing. One eye twitched. It was like watching someone have a seizure. A flashing blip appeared in his gaze as his pupils widened. Then suddenly whatever was happening simply smoothed away. It left behind a nodding, very solemn cyborg who turned calmly back to his keyboard, not looking at him as he responded.
“My apologies, Eric 754. I have self-corrected my programming malfunction. I will now deliver all files to you as requested. Is there any piece of data on Evelyn 489 that you would like me to flag for immediate attention?”
Eric snorted, still mad about being told no in the first place and more concerned than ever about whether or not he was getting to the truth. Apparently, Brad’s hearing needed to be checked. He knew damn well what Eric had been searching for.
“Yes. I want the file with Evelyn 489’s real name flagged.”
“Would you like to receive that information first?”
Eric narrowed his eyes. Was Evil Brad trying to cover up his breakthrough blip by pretending to be super accommodating? Just because Kyra had throttled some of his urges, the truly evil soul who had tortured Rachel was apparently still living inside the body of the male in front of him.
“Yes, Brad. I would like the one with Evelyn 489’s real name first.”
A file he’d never seen before instantly appeared on his com screen. Eric perused the data anxiously, breathing out slowly when he saw PENNINGTON in giant letters across the top. The female captain’s service record and her personal history were finally accounted for.