Legacy of a Mad Scientist (49 page)

"Then where is she?"

"She has to come this way."

"Fuck you!"

"We're just doing our job!"

"And the other one?"

"They took a full load back to the center."

"He's in custody."

"We should split up."

Ashley didn't wait for the flashlights to turn in her
direction. She retraced her steps back down the darkened tunnel.
She continued on, into the darkness, jogging smoothly, trying hard
not to panic.

The lights were behind her now; she was cornered.
Then she reached the cave in. The tunnel that snaked its way
through the superstructure had cracked open, spilling filler earth
into one side of the tunnel and exposing a wicked gash in the
other, leading into the man-made facility.

Ashley knew it wouldn't take her pursuers long to
reach her. She was cornered, trapped, unless she crawled into the
fissure. She saw the flashlights then heard the staccato stomps of
their footfalls. Ash didn't wait to make out their voices. The dirt
that filled in the gaps of the structure had hardened a bit, upon
exposure to the air. She pushed herself into it.

Ashley tried to grip the wall of the superstructure
but slid downward, deeper into the crevice. She wondered how such a
thing could happen to such a large facility. The section was almost
large enough to be a city by itself. She could see the crack. She
wasn't too deep, yet.

She pushed deeper and screamed as the dirt beneath
her feet gave out. Ashley slid through the earth, riding the soft
edge of the broken section.

She dodged struts rushing toward her from odd angles,
threatening to take an eye or rip an internal organ into the
external world. The ride seemed to have no end.

She was terrified that the crack would vent her into
the open sky, ten thousand feet above the earth, far from any
potential safety nets.

Finally, the sliding earth spilled Ashley into a
vaulted room, onto the top of a ten-foot mountain of dirt. Ash
tumbled down the mound into the midst of a construction crew,
engaged in repairing the rip. A cloud of dust and debris billowed
from the girl as she stood and brushed herself off.

Aside from a few scratches, Ash seemed okay. As soon
as she was assured of this fact, she bolted from the vault, the
workers calling after her.

Sprinting down the new, well-lit tunnel, sprinting
for her life, Ashley out distanced them immediately. She ran into
the curve, all the tunnels seemed curved, and Ashley ran right into
the heart of it.

Suddenly, as if she’d been splashed with cold water,
Ashley realized why her pursuers gave up so quickly. Then she heard
it, the rumble.

Ashley increased her speed. It was her only option.
Overhead, the magnetic cable was mounted to the ceiling.

When the train came, there would be no room for her
small body, but Ashley continued running. She managed her breathing
and launched ahead with a speed she didn't even know she was
capable of. Ashley gave it everything she had.

There, up ahead, was the platform. Just as Ashley's
eyes and brain recognized the promise of safety, her mind also
recognized the increased illumination coming from behind her. Then
the train rounded the corner, and she grew a shadow.

The train operator jerked the horn in reflex, telling
Ashley something she already knew, but waking up the sleepy
passengers waiting on the platform. Everyone leaned out to watch
the approaching train. They pointed and watched the sprinting girl,
who was sure to be crushed.

Ash redoubled her efforts.

Ahead, to the left, she spotted the small offshoot, a
walkway and stairwell. There was a short gate at the top of the
stairwell. She pushed hard at the ground.

The train screamed again, desperate not to run her
over.

Ash made the walkway just one step before the train
would have killed her. The wind in its passing carried her up the
stairs. Ashley's foot found the top of the gate two steps earlier
than she'd anticipated.

Now she was hurtling into the crowded platform,
trying to keep her balance and control the accelerated momentum.
She stepped out, planting her right foot on the window of a
passenger car, as the train slowed for its scheduled stop. The step
was all she needed. It was enough.

Ashley landed, sliding across the tiled floor, the
waiting passengers making space for her.

They applauded her, as she and the train both came to
a complete stop. The engineer dashed out, he ran up and hugged the
filthy girl.

Ashley smiled, was polite, even posed for a few
photos pointing to her footprint, high on the train's glass
window-sidewall.

Then the appearance of a uniformed driver snapped the
young girl back to reality. She said her goodbyes and abandoned the
platform for a nearby restroom.

Ash had no change of clothes and no way to disguise
herself. She simply washed her face and arms, and dried them as
best she could.

After encountering the mercenaries, Ashley was glad
that Geoff had been taken by innocent truant officers. The young
officers, only eighteen or nineteen, were doing their two years of
public service. From the conversation she overheard, it was clear
that they weren’t working with the Federal Agents pursuing her.

If Geoff was with other kids, he was probably safe.
Even though she knew that couldn't possibly last long.
If she
didn't do something smart, something different and mighty soon,
they would find him. And if she didn't do something right now, they
were going to find her.

Ash spotted the nearby shopping center and headed for
it. She watched the people she passed without looking at them. None
of them were watching her, which was a good thing, from every
possible angle.

A small park ran alongside the shopping center. Ash
was hungry, but didn't want to go into any of the stores. She
headed toward the park. That was when she spotted him.

The Chinese man was sitting on a bench. He wasn't
looking at her, but turned to meet her gaze. He patted the bench
next to her, gesturing for her to take a seat.

She did.

"Ashley. I knew your father," he said. "My name is
Dr. Lao Te. It's been a long time since I've seen you."

"Not that long," Ashley replied. "I saw you in the
park the other day, and at the library. I even saw you in the
transit terminal."

"Yes. You really took that boy apart. Don’t you think
you may have over done it?"

"I didn’t kick him. He deserved what he got."

"Did he? Very much your father's daughter," Lao
smiled.

"How did you know him?"

"We worked together, when we were younger."

Ash said nothing. Dr. Te spoke crystal clear English;
only the pacing of his words was unique. He took his time with each
thought, as if fixing it in his mind before actually vocalizing
it.

Looking at Dr. Te, Ashley realized he must be older
than seventy, maybe over eighty. His skin looked thin and brittle.
Every hair on his head was white, even his eyebrows were without
pigment. His eyes were bright and clear, almost luminescent. His
clothes were from China, or at least Chinatown, an authentic silk
shirt, canvas pants and thin cloth shoes.

"How much do you know about your father's work?" he
asked.

"I know this is important," Ashley showed him the
prototype. "I think it's what they want."

“Indeed.”

"Geoff says it can think."

"Your father wasn't so sure."

"Geoff's not guessing. He said there are two of them.
He says there’s another one, that someone has it and that they’re
looking for us."

"And so, what will you do?"

"Well this, it was my dad's, and now it's mine. No
one is ever taking it from me."

Lao was silent.

"How do I know you really worked with my dad?" Ashley
asked.

Lao smiled.

"It's just that I don't know you," Ashley
explained.

"True. You have no reason to trust me." He looked at
the sky.

Together they sat quietly for a moment.

"You aren't trying to kill me," Ash observed.

Lao smiled, "That would be quite problematic for us
both."

"What do you mean?" Ashley asked.

Lao composed his thoughts. "It seems anyone who has
tried to kill you, has been unsuccessful."

They watched pedestrians and shoppers drift past the
small park.

After a long moment of silence, Lao asked, "What will
you do next?"

"I don't know. They caught Geoff. They killed my
parents, right out in front of our house, for the whole world to
see. My dad sent us out into the forest. He told us to go to
Mexico."

"They say David was about your age, when he fought
Goliath. Youth is no reason to give up on the path to
enlightenment."

"The path to what?"

"The path is the reason you get out of bed in the
morning. If you were not on the path to enlightenment, you would be
dead."

"So then, what happens when you find enlightenment?
You die?"

"Some people die. Some people just start over, but
the second time, it's easier."

"Did you find your enlightenment?" she asked.

Lao smiled at her. "I like to think I did."

"So then, what do you think I should do?" Ashley
asked.

"A popular saying today is, ‘if you drop your car
keys in the garage, do not look for them under the streetlamp, just
because the light is better."

Ashley stared at the cobblestones under her feet. The
rocks resembled the stones used for their backyard patio, only
glossier. Here, they had been polished and washed regularly. The
absurdity of the entire structure made her laugh. Here they were,
sitting in a fake park on a fake street, on a manufactured
anti-gravity hub, floating six thousand feet above the ground.

At home, Ashley had always been impressed with the
way the forest asserted itself. The way Mother Nature threatened to
cover the patio with moss growing along the mortar grooves. The way
the forest climbed over the grass, and the grass crowded the
stones. Here, there was none of that.

Here, the earth had been tamed. Man had moved off her
surface, to pollute the skyline with his floating cities and flying
vehicles. Ashley was struck with the idea that mankind had gone
from being a maggot on in the earth's skin, to a swarm of flies
above its surface.

Feeling awful, she realized she'd love to see it all
burn. Except for the fact that Geoffrey was out there, somewhere.
Even if she could destroy the whole world, she wouldn't, not today.
She had to find her brother.

"I have to get Geoffrey back," She said. "Ross gave
us travel visas."

"Ross, Kelly Ross? He's here?"

"He was. They killed him." Ash was quiet for a
moment. She laughed, "His name was Kelly?"

“Well, Kelton, yes.” Lao looked at her. "You cannot
get your brother back without exposing those who have taken your
parents."

"Expose them to who? They run the whole world."

"Anyone with power has enemies."

"Is that why you're here?"

"No, I can't really help you. Sitting here with you
like this... is the extent of my power here."

"So what, get proof and go to the police?"

"That's what I would do."

"I'm just a kid. This is crazy."

"Your father was a cautious man. If there is any
proof to be had, it's going to be at your home. They must have left
something."

"Yeah, a dozen agents, staking out the house."

"How do you know?"

"Ross thought there might be some security footage,
but he said it was surrounded. They're just sitting there, waiting
for us to show up."

"Hmm."

"I told him that we should kidnap one of them and
interrogate him, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"Probably very wise. A tortured man can give you
nothing but his pain."

"I'll take it," Ash said.

"It would be best for you to remain cautious. You
still have much to lose. Your thirst for revenge might be great,
but it might also prove expensive."

"I'm sick of running and hiding. I'm not doing that
anymore. I can't just give up. If they left something, I will find
it."

"People always leave something. It's in their
nature."

Ashley laughed. "You're not really here are you?" She
looked at the rectangle. "You're in my head."

"Yes and no," he answered.

With her left hand, Ashley reached out and passed her
fingers through the edge of the illusion.

"I'm in Jerusalem," Lao answered.

"You're talking to me over this thing?" Ashley nodded
to the prototype.

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

"All I can think of is to go home?"

"Seems you've tried everything else."

Ashley laughed. "Seems?" she asked with a smile,
squinting into the afternoon sunlight.

Lao smiled.

Ashley and Lao ate lunch together, rather, Ashley
ate, and Dr. Te told her stories about her parents. He'd known her
mom since childhood, and actually it was he who’d first introduced
them. Ashley's father had been infatuated with Ana from the moment
they met.

A few times Ashley thought she was going to burst
into tears at the stories Lao was telling her. As she finished her
meal, Lao explained that he had to go offline and that she would be
on her own for at least the next twenty-four hours. At his advanced
age, his health required long periods of rest. He wished her luck
and asked her to be careful. Taking his leave, he simply rose and
walked through a nearby wall.

Sunday, August 2, 2308

A short time later, feeling good after the proper
meal, Ashley moved stealthily through the sporting goods store. She
didn't think anyone was looking for her, but she reasoned that it
would be profitable to avoid others, so that when the time came,
she wouldn't be out of practice.