Samuel Bohovic - Hybrid - Project Vigil

“You’ll see her again, I promise.” Caroline said to prevent him from ruining her new car.

John noticed something in his pocket. He pulled it out. It was Gillian’s dog tags and half of her necklace. She cut it at half and hung it on ball chain of her dog tags. She must have put it into his pocket when they hugged for last time. Her necklace was opal stone she found once on a mission. John hung it around his neck next to his dog tags.

“Where’s Claire?” He asked after a while.

“She is plugged in my computer doing some stuff. Meanwhile, load this in your core.”

Caroline gave him blue disc that was used to install applications. John loaded it immediately. For a second everything went dark then he saw hundreds of new things. He saw world map entire and real one, he connected to some sort of worldwide network, he could see his actual location and movement speed.

“What the hell is this?”

“The Unlocker. Now you know how Earth really looks like, you can connect to the Internet and much more. There are still combat applications in you I think you can delete them.”

Caroline was… excited, all her work over years. They put it in one subject and it worked.

“No, Caroline. I can’t delete them. I made a deal with Hudson. When I come through university I’m going back in active duty.” John said holding the dog tags in his hand.

“What? Why?” They almost crashed because she wasn’t looking forward.

“I’m a soldier. It’s in my bones, my blood, my mind, my implants. You built me to fight! I can’t just live whole life knowing that normal people are dying in a war I was supposed to fight.”

“I understand.” She said “There are more things you should know about you. Hybrids live about 10 times longer than normal human, that makes almost 1000 years. You can’t be poisoned, irradiated. You can starve for months, live without water for weeks. Even if that doesn’t help you can enter stasis mode until environment improves. And more, everything is in the user manual.”

“Hybrids have user manual?” John asked because he thought it was some kind of joke.

“The one about you is more than 1500 pages long, it also contains maintenance and washing instructions.” She responded with a smile.

“Are you kidding? Because it’s not funny.” John was really annoyed by this.

“No I’m serious. You should read it. It should be on that disc.”

John browsed contents of disc again and found it. It took him few milliseconds to read it.

“Done. Caroline? How it began? Where you took subjects from? Why you used children?” Those questions burned John for years.

Caroline sighed.

“I knew this was coming. I was recruited in early stage of your development. I was supposed to take over core programming. Main purpose of project was to give our troops an edge. Most of you were orphans but… some of you were kidnapped for their talents. Don’t ask who I don’t know. Children learn faster, their minds can absorb more information. Children’s bodies are more adaptable to implants. We’ve done extensive genetic changes in you. It’s been sort of extreme but we thought we’re doing the right thing. Some subjects were more successful than others. The result was the ultimate soldier… You.”

John remained silent after that, he needed some time to process it. They drove for three hours without stop. There was mostly desert around them but John could see forests in the distance.

“We have to make a stop on next gas station. I need to go to the toilet.” Caroline said and she looked at GPS display for nearest gas station.

“You are still a classified government project so we have to be careful. Don’t take off your shirt and wear these gloves. Try not to get into a fight. Remember you are faster, stronger and smarter. And here is you cell phone, custom built for you. Claire printed your ID papers and other stuff you need. It’s all in a envelope on back seat next to my computer.”

She gave him cell phone and his old gloves he used for shooting training.

“Got it. What if my cover is blown?”

Caroline pulled a paper out of her pocket.

“Try to explain. Tell the person that this can’t get out on public. If not possible C.I.A. directive charges the person of treason.”

“What if I’m in danger of being killed?” John wanted to make everything clear.

She gave him the paper.

“Then you are allowed to use your abilities, lethal force authorized if necessary. It’s all written in here.”

The paper she gave him, rules of his release. Among all only two stood out: You have to preserve confidential nature of your existence. You may not in any way be in contact with other Hybrids.

Until they stopped on a gas station no one spoke.

“Have a walk if you need.”

Caroline said that, grabbed her things and stepped out from the car.

John checked the envelope. He looted it’s contents and put them into his pocket. He decided to go and have a walk. According to his HUD the time was 16:27 and they were somewhere near border with Utah. ‘Hell, this country is big.’ John thought for himself.

“Claire, where are we headed?” He asked looking on a back seat.

“Breckenridge in Colorado.”

“Why don’t you form a hologram? A.I.’s must be common out here so what’s the matter?”

John pulled her chip out of Caroline’s computer.

Claire showed herself only as a four inch tall figure.

“No. You created first self aware synthetic intelligence, me. This was possible only thanks to you. You are the Creator of my kind. Also, without enhanced eyesight or screen you can’t see me.”

“Wow, that’s good. Now let’s have walk. My feet are so stiff I can’t even feel them.” John inserted her into A.I.D. slot and they set off for a walk.

“You can’t feel your feet. Remember? Dodging a missile, oh wait! You actually shot down that missile, with a pistol.” Claire formed a human-sized hologram and walked beside him.

“Claire, don’t be sarcastic it’s not polite. If you could track Gillian that would be more useful.” John observed a lizard in the grass.

“Caroline promised you to see her so I don’t think it’s necessary. Anyway her signal is blocked.”

Caroline was already coming back so they had to cut the chatter and go back to the car. John sat to driver’s seat.

“Whoa! Careful there young man you can’t drive. Or am I wrong?” Caroline asked.

“Car, APC, tank, helicopter, plane. If it has wheels, wings or rotors I can drive it.” John answered while starting the engine. She sat next to him, Claire’s hologram sat on the back seat. John looked at her.

“You show yourself to get closer to humans even if they can’t see you. Is that your own upgrade of yourself?”

“Correct. You allowed me to do my own changes. I used this opportunity to develop myself. I wish I was accepted by organics, which might be easier if I look and act like them.” She smiled.

“You are making me proud of you Claire. You are already smarter than your creator.” John said turning around and letting the car move.

“Why you turned around while you talked to her? She’s within you.” Caroline asked looking confused.

“She is there you can’t see her, but she sits there.”

“Wait I can see her I just need to wear these.” She searched for something in her pockets. It took her some time before she showed him some sort of sunglasses. She looked through them.

“Why you didn’t make her look like Gillian?”

“Claire choose to look like this.” John gave Claire full control over herself after she was created. Since then she trusted him with everything.

They drove in silence for two hours and two minutes.