Scott Medbury - Inga

Redfern saw the big man shuffle a little and look his way before resting his head on the robot’s shoulder. He heard them talking quietly now and then and wondered what such a conversation might be about.

Redfern waited a minute and then reached across and carefully lifted the receiver, placing it gently on the desk before putting both hands back on the keyboard.

Neither the robot nor the man seemed to notice; they continued their quiet but sporadic conversation. After another minute, he dared to dial a line out and then tapped 9-1-1 before quickly moving his hand back to the keyboard.

He saw the timer on the LCD start up. He had been connected.

“Okay,” he said, in a loud voice. “I think you can put the gun away now; it’s almost done.”

Ivan looked at him suspiciously, and Redfern quickly pointed at the screen.

“See? Almost there, no need for the gun anymore.”

“Why are you yelling?”

“I’m not yelling,” said Redfern more quietly, pushing his chair back to block his view of the phone.

Ivan stood up, spotting it immediately. Redfern cowered in his chair as Ivan strode over and slammed the phone back onto its cradle before grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up out of the chair until their eyes were level.

“You just fucked up” said Ivan, shoving the muzzle of his weapon under the man’s chin.

“Please, I’m sorry! I just…”

Suddenly Inga was there, the lead still running from her head to the computer.

“What is wrong, Myfriend?”

“He tricked us. He has called someone.”

“Is this true, Tom Redfern?”

“Disarm him! You are programmed to prevent a human coming to harm!”

“Due to damage to my systems, I am not compelled to implement the first law of Robotics. This may be due to a malfunction or a corrupt file.”

As if to punctuate her point, a shrill beep sounded from the computer and Redfern looked at the message displayed on the screen.

Scan of Apex Model 0167 completed. Disk 2 corrupted. 1,879 files lost or damaged. Recommend replacement and reprogramming.

“Oh, what the fuck!”

“Please answer the question, Tom Redfern. Is the statement made by Myfriend true?”

“Yes,” he said, distracted. “I called the police. You killed a lot of people… but we have a bigger problem.”

“You thought you could help by calling them?”

Redfern looked back to her and nodded, his eyes big.

“Myfriend, I sense no malice on the part of Tom Redfern, please do not shoot him.”

Over the music, they heard sirens in the distance. He looked back at Redfern and shook him.

“What is this new problem?”

Redfern pointed at the screen.

“She’s not a Sinthetica model, she’s an Apex.”

“What?”

“Apex… she’s a military grade combat prototype.”

Ivan shook him again and Inga placed her hand on his forearm.

“Please, Myfriend… Tell us more Tom.”

“I think whoever tried the hit on this Molenski guy wanted to make sure of it.” He looked at Ivan. “She’s dangerous man, you have to let me deactivate her.”

Ivan tensed and pushed the gun harder under Redfern’s chin.

“Say goodnight motherf…”

“ No Myfriend !”

Frustrated, the big man looked at her then nodded. He lowered the gun before pushing Redfern away.

The technician relaxed and looked at Inga with a new respect. There was something about her, and it wasn’t just damaged hardware or the fact that she was potentially even more dangerous than he first thought.”

“Thank you, I…”

Without warning, Ivan lashed out and smashed the handle of the gun against Redfern’s temple. The technician fell back heavily into his chair.

He pushed the unconscious man back to his desk and grabbed his security pass from his shirt pocket before straightening. Inga was looking at him with her eyebrow raised.

He shrugged sheepishly.

“What? I didn’t shoot him. Come, we have to go.”

Andre and his crew were a block away when his phone rang. Half expecting a call from Hedley Whittaker, he was surprised to see BOSS Calling on the screen of his phone.

“Yes, Boss?”

“There is a change of plans. Come back to the estate.”

“But Boss, we’re just about to arrive and I haven’t had a call from Whittaker. That means they haven’t moved…”

“I said turn around and come back!” Molenski yelled.

“Okay,” said the Russian’s chief lieutenant, his voice tight.

He told the driver to take the next turn. Barely a minute after the call, they were headed back the way they had come. Multiple police vehicles screamed past going in the direction of the Genitix building.

“Looks like the heat is on,” said the driver.

“Yes,” said Andre, thoughtfully. “The boss must have had a heads up.”

If not, one way or another the traitor will be taken care of tonight.

Ivan led Inga out of the robotic boneyard and into the hall. He decided not to risk the elevators in case they were caught in the foyer. They headed instead for the internal fire stairs.

It took them nearly seven minutes to make their way down into the basement parking level. When they burst through the doors, they were as surprised to run into the two uniform cops as the officers were to see them.

“Freeze!” one of them yelled, pointing his already drawn gun at Ivan, as the other reached for his.

So fast that it was almost unnatural, Ivan disarmed the cop with two swift moves of his hands and then turned the confiscated weapon on him. The officer raised his hands in surrender.

Even quicker, Inga snap kicked the weapon from the other cop’s hand as he drew it and sent it clattering across the concrete floor of the parking garage. The shocked cop backed up, reaching for the Taser on his belt. Again, she was too fast; her next kick struck him in the chest, and he flew backward, cracking his head on the polished concrete as he landed heavily. He didn’t get back up.

Ivan stared at her, admiration on his face.

“What?” she asked, in a distinctly human way.

“Nothing,” said a smiling Ivan. He turned back to the cop he had disarmed. “Handcuffs… carefully.”

“Okay, stay calm, no need for any more violence,” said the officer, keeping one hand up and reaching slowly for his handcuffs.

Ivan watched warily as the cop handed them to him. Ivan gestured to an exposed gas pipe a few feet away.

“Good, now, walk over there.”

A minute later they were back in the SUV heading for the exit; one cop safely cuffed to the pipe, sans radio, the other still out cold and cuffed to another pipe.

There were no signs of any other police in the basement and when they turned off the ramp and onto the side street it was also clear. Ivan had a feeling that it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

He sped as fast as he dared towards the cross street at the rear of the large building. Just as they made the turn, he saw the flashing lights of a cruiser turn in behind them at the other end.

Inga noticed.

“Did the law enforcement officers in the vehicle see us, Myfriend?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Where will we go now?”

“We’ll head back to Mateo’s restaurant. We should be safe there until morning, but I want to leave by 5 am at the latest.”

“Yes, Myfriend.”

Driving as sedately as possible, Ivan picked up speed when they were clear of the CBD.

“So, what was that back there?”

“I do not understand the question, Myfriend.”

“You attacked that cop. You’re not supposed to…”

“…harm a human, or by inaction allow a human to come to harm.”