Chapter Twenty-Four
Amanda Conrad didn’t notice how hard her knees hit the floor as she fell next to AD-214. The cyborg captain who she had hoped to save had been killed by a person she once thought was on her side. Dr. Feldman had proved in the last few weeks that he wasn’t the man she thought he was. He stood over them now, triumphant in the destruction.
“Now that that’s over with,” Dr. Feldman said over her shoulder, “I suggest you return to your room unless there are some other Blue Squad members around here. I can take care of them too. It’s completely up to you.”
The clone cyborgs once stationed by the front door were now next to them, holding guns pointed at Amanda’s head. A wrong move would land her on the floor just like AD-214 with blood spilling onto the clean linoleum. Whirling with angry words in her mouth, Amanda turned to Dr. Feldman. “You didn’t have to do this. He wasn’t going to hurt anyone.”
“How do you know?” the doctor countered. “You didn’t think he was going to break out of Cyborg Sector. Or did you? That’s the one thing the media needs to be clarified. They keep acting as though you’re a hero for surviving your time with Blue Squad and speaking out for them. You were the one who changed his programming. You were the one who made him become self-aware. None of these problems would have happened without you. Perhaps you planned all of this.”
Amanda understood what the cruel smile on Dr. Feldman’s face meant. If media coverage about the cyborgs turned negative — and that was certainly possible now that AD-214 had broken into the hospital — he could frame her for everything. Pressure had been on Dr. Feldman ever since Blue Squad’s escape from Cyborg Sector. Some called for the immediate closure of the program, and others wanted the doctor to step down from his position. If he could blame someone else, he wouldn’t be in the hot seat. Amanda would be locked away, paying the penalty for his crimes, and he would be free to continue destroying lives.
Amanda could accept the position of a scapegoat for a good cause. What she couldn’t accept was the cruel treatment of the cyborgs who she had come to think of as friends. Amanda was about to voice her opinion when she noticed a twitch in AD-214’s eyelids. It was barely noticeable, so small that she would never have seen it if she hadn’t been watching him intensely. This minute flicker gave her simultaneous feelings of hope and dread. The cyborg captain wasn’t dead yet. He may have been saved by Dr. Feldman’s overconfidence when he stopped the taser’s electric impulses a few moments too soon. AD-214 must be suffering, either in pain or fighting to regain consciousness.
AD-214’s predicament gave her an idea. “Dr. Feldman, I need to ask you a favor.”
The man snorted with laughter. “A favor? Do you think you’re in a position to ask for things? I suppose you could put yourself in the right position...”
Amanda ignored the innuendo. “AD-214 is still functioning. I want to shut him down all the way. I know you don’t think highly of Blue Squad, but I do. I don’t want him to suffer. Let me put him out of his misery, at least.”
“He’s not dead?” Dr. Feldman asked as he took a small step backward. “Of course he is. I know what a taser can do to a cyborg.”
Amanda shook her head. “Maybe a typical cyborg would be overwhelmed, but you and I both know this one is not normal. He’s stronger than you imagined.”
Dr. Feldman hesitated as he stared at the figure on the floor in horror. “How do you plan to shut him down? You have no equipment. We’d have to take him to Cyborg Sector. It would be easier to shoot him.”
Amanda nodded. “Yes, we will have to take him to the lab,” she agreed. “But it’s the only way to get the job done. You can bring all the clones you want. I promise I’ll return willingly to my hospital room once it’s complete.”
He considered it for a moment. Amanda could see concern reflected in his eyes. He had no reason to trust her, but his fear of Blue Squad was greater than his fear of a female scientist. She felt as though she could read the thoughts running through his head, and could see the precise moment he realized the safest option was to make sure the leader of Blue Squad was undeniably dead.
“All right. You win,” Dr. Feldman agreed with a sigh. “But don’t try to pull anything. Any member of Red Squad can take you down in an instant.”
Amanda didn’t need reminding of something she could see with her eyes. There was no point in arguing with Dr. Feldman, especially considering that she was getting what she wanted. Her stomach churned nervously as the two clones lifted AD-214 between them and carried his body out the door. Cyborg Sector was right next to the hospital, conveniently placed for anyone who chose to donate their dying body and live forever. The walk there, however, seemed to last forever as thoughts and concerns raced through Amanda’s mind.
There was a chance her plan would fail. She knew everything a person could know about cyborgs, but she also knew that the human element meant sometimes the best plans ended with unexpected results. Her software upgrade was proof of unintended consequences. There was also the possibility that she wouldn’t be fast enough. She would have to keep her hands steady, but it would be hard considering the adrenaline pumping through her system.
The mismatched group had no trouble getting into Cyborg Sector and climbing to the lab. Dr. Feldman served as a living access pass to open the facilities. It was his kingdom, for now. With luck, Amanda was about to bring his reign to an end.
“Put him on the table.” Dr. Feldman gestured to a stainless steel exam platform, and the two clones dropped their burden on it with a clang.
Amanda winced as she heard AD-214’s body land harshly on the table, but she knew he would be able to take a beating. He had gone through worse trials than this, and he was still here with her. Now it was her turn to fight for his life.
“I’m not going to do anything with you and your goons hovering over me,” Amanda said, trying to make herself sound as stern as possible. “You can lock the doors and watch from the observation deck. I won’t have you breathing down my neck.”
Dr. Feldman sighed. She was wearing on his nerves. “Very well. But I’m not accommodating you any further on this.” He turned on his heel and strode off across the lab to the staircase.
Amanda got to work quickly. There was no time to waste since Dr. Feldman might realize at any minute what she intended. The scientist pulled over a cart containing a computer with numerous wires sticking out of it. She began to connect the computer to AD-214’s chip, her heart beating quickly. She had never performed this sequence of actions before, but she had to take a chance. The worst thing that could happen now was AD-214’s death. If she didn’t do anything, Dr. Feldman was going to kill him anyway.
When she had the correct wires connected, Amanda turned to the computer and began adjusting its settings. She increased the frequency, checked the readings briefly, and then turned the frequency down again. After another adjustment to one of the wire connectors on his biochip, and one more check of the monitor, she was ready to begin. Amanda leaned down and muttered into the cyborg captain’s ear, pretending she was still fiddling with the wires. Then Amanda quickly disconnected the entire setup, slipped AD-214 a quick injection, and made her way toward the observation deck.
Amanda climbed the steep steps to the floating chamber with ease. She was in good shape, and the exercise started adrenaline pumping through her body. The room was set up like a large office, with a massive wooden desk facing a transparent wall that gave a perfect view of the lab below. Like the rest of Cyborg Sector, it was sparsely decorated and more functional than beautiful.
“That was quick,” Dr. Feldman observed. “I would have thought you would take more time to terminate someone you were so concerned about.” He smiled, one corner of his mouth edging higher than the other in a smirk of satisfaction. He thought he had the upper hand again.
“He had suffered enough,” Amanda said with a sigh as her shoulders sagged. “And there’s another thing, too. I realized you were right.”
He stiffened and focused on her acutely. “I’m always right. But what specifically are you referring to this time?”
“About Blue Squad, about me...I guess about everything. I let it all get out of hand, and I should have listened to you in the beginning. You could have helped me. I might never have gotten into this mess if I had only taken your advice. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Dr. Feldman nodded. “Everything makes more sense in hindsight. I am the world’s foremost expert on cyborgs, in case you forgot.”
“I know.” Amanda let a tear drip from the corner of her eye. She had to keep him here as long as possible, but she didn’t know how long mere sympathy would last with the hardened soul running Cyborg Sector. “Most of all, I wish I had taken you up on your offer to let me stay with you. We could have worked together during this entire debacle, getting my mistake shut down and fixed. We would have made an excellent team.” She stuck out her lower lip in a pout and thrust her chest forward slightly as she leaned back against the desk. “Do you think you could ever forgive me?”
“I can imagine forgiveness being possible in the future.” Dr. Feldman moved closer. He turned quickly and pointed to the door. “Go,” he ordered the clones. They stomped out of the room and shut the door behind them. Dr. Feldman watched as they descended the stairs and marched out of the lab, closing that door as well. The two were alone now. The doctor’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. “Of course, it would take some extra work on your part. You would have to prove yourself worthy.”
“Oh, I will, Dr. Feldman.” Amanda tossed her hair behind her. “I’m ready to do my best for you.”
The doctor had his arms around her in an instant. He kissed her passionately, working her lips apart so he could explore her mouth with his tongue.
“Oh, Dr. Feldman,” she moaned as he worked his way down her throat to her collarbone.
“Alex. Please call me Alex.”
Amanda helped him unbutton her shirt, exposing her breasts. She’d left her hospital room in such a hurry that she hadn’t had a chance to put on a bra, but the doctor didn’t seem to mind. He took her nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. He had each of her breasts in his hands and eagerly pushed them into his face, smothering himself with them.
“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” he asked, words muffled by the flesh of her chest. “You wanted me all along, didn’t you?” He pushed her further back onto the desk, sending piles of papers flying to the floor.
The young scientist complied, climbing backward onto the desk and sacrificing herself to him. “God, yes. I’ve wanted you so badly.” Amanda ran her hands through his blonde hair as he plunged his face into her chest once more. Her arm movement pressed her breasts harder around Alex’s face. He moaned with pleasure as he reached for the waistband of her pants.