Episode 14 - Sorting
The attackers from the woods began to revive as I finished my call to Natalia. It was time to start consolidating things here. I pointed the purloined pistol at one of the groggy combatants. “You, grab a tarp and bring it over here.”
They wrestled the drugged attackers onto the tarp and started dragging them toward the station. When we reached the damaged front door, I waved the pistol and told them to drag their load inside. They entered the station warily and collapsed as the knockout gas took effect.
Standing outside the door, I called to Irma. “What’s happening inside?”
“Seven people are unconscious. We have damage, but my systems are functional.”
“Gas levels?”
“Gas concentrations are dropping but still within the effective range. What happened out back?
“They were waiting for me with tranquilizer guns. The woman is a Catalyst and she must have found my tunnel. Natalia is on her way here with the woman’s partner, he’s a Catalyst too.”
“Is Natalia OK?” Irma asked.
“She gave the all clear code but I’m worried.”
“Do you have a plan of action?” Irma asked.
“If they have her, I don’t have a finesse move. It’s Omega-Two-Total if we are captured.”
“Command accepted,” Irma replied in a cold, mechanical voice. All vestiges of personality erased.
“Turn off the canopy and the driveway lights.” My homey little station suddenly became dark and sinister. I left the doorway and prowled the grounds, primed to neutralize any danger without hesitation or regret.
Forty minutes later, a black delivery van pulled into the East driveway and parked 20 feet beyond the canopy. I watched it’s progress intently from behind the Honda. I was holding an enormous amount of focused energy within my body all I needed was a target.
Natalia opened the driver-side door and slowly walked toward me. I noted her movement but continued to focus on the van.
“Colin,” she said quietly.
“Get behind me, and move away from the building,” I said without taking my eyes off the van.
"Colin, please," she said, placing her hand on mine.
Something twisted inside me I was forced to release the built up energy. A fierce blue-white corona engulfed us both lighting up the station and its surroundings. I pulled away from her, stunned by what she had done..
“Colin!” Natalia barked sharply. “Colin! Look at me!”
My focus shifted to her with fierce determination. I felt betrayed and angry.
“Colin, it’s me. Stand down! Collin, it’s OK!” Natalia stretched out her hand again but I stepped back warily. Once bitten, twice shy.
“Colin, I’m in control of the situation. Trust me, Colin,” she whispered. “Trust me.”
I took another step backward and trembled uncontrollably as I clawed my way back from the brink. Natalia waited patiently, her concerned eyes never left my face.
After a few moments, I could feel myself relaxing and I leaned against the Honda and took a deep breath.
“Are you really in control of the situation?” I asked.
“Of course!” she replied with a half grin.
I shook my head and smiled ruefully. “What happens next?”
“First, we simplify the situation,” she said and walked into the station.
Natalia went from person to person, touching each briefly. She approached Janet last and placed her hands on the Janet’s head for a little longer.
Natalia came to the door. “Colin, how do I clear out the gas?”
I moved closer to the door and called inside, “Irma, open the bay doors and start the ventilators.”
“Program mode?” Irma inquired mechanically.
I glanced at Natalia and said, “Sweetness and light.”
“Command accepted,” Irma replied with her normal Aussie accent.
I could see that Natalia was startled by the voice, but she said nothing.
The bay doors began to open and the fans shifted to maximum rpms.
“Colin, it will take about 15 minutes to purge the station,” Irma reported.
Natalia walked outside to where I was watching the van. “What’s with the voice?”
“You need to meet Irma,” I said resignedly. “I’m sure the two of you will have lots to talk about.”
They wrestled the drugged attackers onto the tarp and started dragging them toward the station. When we reached the damaged front door, I waved the pistol and told them to drag their load inside. They entered the station warily and collapsed as the knockout gas took effect.
Standing outside the door, I called to Irma. “What’s happening inside?”
“Seven people are unconscious. We have damage, but my systems are functional.”
“Gas levels?”
“Gas concentrations are dropping but still within the effective range. What happened out back?
“They were waiting for me with tranquilizer guns. The woman is a Catalyst and she must have found my tunnel. Natalia is on her way here with the woman’s partner, he’s a Catalyst too.”
“Is Natalia OK?” Irma asked.
“She gave the all clear code but I’m worried.”
“Do you have a plan of action?” Irma asked.
“If they have her, I don’t have a finesse move. It’s Omega-Two-Total if we are captured.”
“Command accepted,” Irma replied in a cold, mechanical voice. All vestiges of personality erased.
“Turn off the canopy and the driveway lights.” My homey little station suddenly became dark and sinister. I left the doorway and prowled the grounds, primed to neutralize any danger without hesitation or regret.
Forty minutes later, a black delivery van pulled into the East driveway and parked 20 feet beyond the canopy. I watched it’s progress intently from behind the Honda. I was holding an enormous amount of focused energy within my body all I needed was a target.
Natalia opened the driver-side door and slowly walked toward me. I noted her movement but continued to focus on the van.
“Colin,” she said quietly.
“Get behind me, and move away from the building,” I said without taking my eyes off the van.
"Colin, please," she said, placing her hand on mine.
Something twisted inside me I was forced to release the built up energy. A fierce blue-white corona engulfed us both lighting up the station and its surroundings. I pulled away from her, stunned by what she had done..
“Colin!” Natalia barked sharply. “Colin! Look at me!”
My focus shifted to her with fierce determination. I felt betrayed and angry.
“Colin, it’s me. Stand down! Collin, it’s OK!” Natalia stretched out her hand again but I stepped back warily. Once bitten, twice shy.
“Colin, I’m in control of the situation. Trust me, Colin,” she whispered. “Trust me.”
I took another step backward and trembled uncontrollably as I clawed my way back from the brink. Natalia waited patiently, her concerned eyes never left my face.
After a few moments, I could feel myself relaxing and I leaned against the Honda and took a deep breath.
“Are you really in control of the situation?” I asked.
“Of course!” she replied with a half grin.
I shook my head and smiled ruefully. “What happens next?”
“First, we simplify the situation,” she said and walked into the station.
Natalia went from person to person, touching each briefly. She approached Janet last and placed her hands on the Janet’s head for a little longer.
Natalia came to the door. “Colin, how do I clear out the gas?”
I moved closer to the door and called inside, “Irma, open the bay doors and start the ventilators.”
“Program mode?” Irma inquired mechanically.
I glanced at Natalia and said, “Sweetness and light.”
“Command accepted,” Irma replied with her normal Aussie accent.
I could see that Natalia was startled by the voice, but she said nothing.
The bay doors began to open and the fans shifted to maximum rpms.
“Colin, it will take about 15 minutes to purge the station,” Irma reported.
Natalia walked outside to where I was watching the van. “What’s with the voice?”
“You need to meet Irma,” I said resignedly. “I’m sure the two of you will have lots to talk about.”
A little while later, Irma reported that the knockout gas had been purged.
"OK," Natalia said, "Let's find out what we've got." With that, she turned and strode inside. I followed more tentatively, uncertain whether pockets of gas remained within the structure.
Natalia woke up the three men from the woods. Under close questioning, we determined that they had been hired specifically for this job. Natalia placed the men in a suggestible state and told them they and the barefoot woman waited behind an old farmhouse in Pinkney. The first team went in the front door and the target ran out the back. They put two tranquilizer darts in his chest. The guy was tall and skinny with red hair, freckles and buck teeth. They rolled the unconscious man into a canvas tarp and put him the back of Janet’s van. The rest of the team rode back in the other van.
I held up my hand to stop Natalia’s memory implantation. “Would a visual and auditory representation provide a stronger memory implant?” he asked.
‘Yes, but...”
I held up my hand again, “Irma, can you create this scenario for us?”
“Certainly, Colin.” A first person perspective for the scenario appeared on the flat screen. The scene even included a Google Earth image of a Pinkney farmhouse. After a few adjustments, they were ready to continue Natalia’s memory programming.
Two of the station-attack team were also one-time hires. Natalia and Irma created first person perspectives for them as well.
The remaining thug had been working with Janet and Darien for weeks. Natalia told him to go back to sleep. She told the one-time hires to collect all their equipment, weapons, and vehicles and return home. The actual memory of today’s events would be forgotten forever.
One of the men from the woods approached me and said, “Sir, we need our weapons.” I removed the clip from the pistol and racked the bullet from the chamber. I gave the man the empty pistol and told him where the other weapons were located. I trusted Natalia’s skill but I wasn’t about to hand over a loaded weapon.
Natalia went outside and brought Darien in from the van. Once inside the station, she told him to go to sleep. A few minutes later, a one-time hire drove away in the van.
Natalia was starting to fade and she sat down at the breakfast bar and sighed. “I need calories. This little escapade has really drained my reserves.”
I nodded and pointed to the fridge and cupboards. “Irma, would you help Natalia find what she needs? I need to start putting the station back together. Anyone and his dog could walk in on us."
“Certainly!” Irma said. The flat screen showed a slim woman with a swimmer’s physique. This version of Irma wore faded blue jeans, a loose flannel shirt, and hiking boots. Her wavy sun-bleached hair was tied back at the neck.
“I’m Irma,” she said with her soft Aussie accent. Let me show you where things are.
