Episode 15 - Questions
I worked for an hour to repair the station and make it secure. When I returned to the front room, Natalia and Irma were chatting like old girlfriends. I unconsciously counted the dishes as I approached the breakfast bar. It looked like Natalia had cleaned out the fridge. Still was still fizzing with nervous energy so I collected the dishes and asked if she wanted anything else.
“No, thank you,” she replied.
As I starting cleaning up, I asked, “So what happened at your house?”
Natalia smiled. “Darien and one of his minions rang the doorbell and I let them in,” she said nonchalantly.
“You what?” I could feel my eyebrows rise as I looked at her.
“I let them in. I released the knockout gas earlier in the evening. Once they were inside, they ceased to be a problem. I made a number of brain modifications in each of them so that they were compelled to do anything I asked.”
“I questioned Darien’s helpers and found that they were hired just for this job. So I placed them in a suggestible state and created new memories like we did with your attackers. They believe they burst into an apartment in Ypsilanti and Darien shot a woman with a Taser then with a tranquilizer pistol. They will describe the woman was blond and very curvy. They enjoyed getting her into the van,” she said with a smirk. “Once the story was planted, I had Darien pay them and sent them off on a bender.”
“Why did they do this?” I asked.
“We’ll find out shortly,” she said grimly.
I finished washing up, made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and joined her at the breakfast bar.
Natalia gave me a strange look and nodded toward the flat screen in the living room. “Irma is wonderful. She told me about your Companion project. I’m surprised and more than a little disappointed you never mentioned Irma or your project.”
I shrugged, more than a little embarrassed about the deliberate oversight. There’s a running joke about engineers being so un-datable that they have to build their own girlfriends. Anyone interacting with Irma might think the joke wasn’t a joke after all.
“I’d be happy to help with the therapy aspects if you like,” Natalia continued.
Irma, who was now appeared to be seated in a comfy leather chair, smiled and nodded happily.
“Thank you,” I told her. I’ve been meaning to talk with you about this. And yes, I’d appreciate any help you can provide.” I was grateful she wasn’t giving me grief about Irma.
Natalia glanced from me to Irma then back. “How did you create someone like Irma?”
I blushed uncomfortably. I knew what she was really asking. “You mean, ‘how did a socially awkward male engineer create a warm and lively female computer personality?’”
Natalia raised her eyebrows at the underlying bitterness of my comment.
“Colin is like those people who can read a language but have difficulty speaking it,” Irma opined. “He understands people quite well but his interpersonal skills aren’t as well developed.”
“Thank you for that,” I replied sarcastically.
Natalia noticed my discomfort and steered the conversation to more inconsequential topics. The conversation soon faltered--dampened in part, by the presence of three bodies lying on the living room floor.
“OK,” Natalia said, “I’m finally feeling human again. Let’s move to the next phase.”
Natalia woke up Darien and allowed him to use the lavatory. I retrieved a folding chair from the storeroom and placed it in the conversation group. We asked questions for more than an hour while Irma recorded the interview. Finally, Natalia activated Darien’s sleep centers and sent him back into dreamland.
We repeated the process with Janet and their nefarious associate.
By three in the morning, we discovered that the slavers caught the Catalyst pair because they were flaunting their abilities. The Catalysts were given an ultimatum: deliver their classmates within 90 days or become slaves. The slavers knew there were five Catalysts in the class but Darien and Janet refused to provide names. They wanted to retain some advantage, no matter how small it might be. We were selected as the first captures because they thought we were the weakest members of the class.
Unbeknownst to Janet and Darien, the hired associate was also working for the slavers. He told his bosses that two of the classmates lived in the Ann Arbor area but he didn’t know their names or locations. When questioned about the location of the slaver headquarters, he told us it might be in Ohio, but he couldn’t be certain.
I excused myself and went into the library. Using the Darknet protocols, I placed another coded personal ad on the LGBT bulletin board. When I emerged, Irma and Natalia were engrossed in conversation. As I took stock of the living room, the bodies on the floor started to creep me out. They reminded me of vampires or zombies. Natalia, being more bloody-minded, didn’t seem to be affected at all.
“Can we move these people to the far service bay?” I asked.
“Sure,” Natalia said, “but we need to provide some insulation. I don’t want them to become hypothermic.”
I went outside and brought in three Mylar Space Blankets from the Honda’s winter emergency bag. You have to be prepared in Michigan.
Natalia was yawning mightily as she walked the three prisoners through the workroom and into the far service bay. She told them to wrap themselves in a blanket, lie down, and go to sleep. Now they looked like pod people.
As we returned to the living room, Natalia asked, “Do you mind if I stay here this weekend?"
I smiled and said, "I'd like that."
"Don't get any ideas, she told me tartly. I'm sleeping on the couch and your're sleeping in the bedroom."
"We'll see," I said as I retrieved a flat box from a closet.
"What's this?"
“Open it!”
Natalia opened the box tentatively to find dark satin pajamas with a delicate darker pattern woven into the material. The box also contained matching slippers.
“This beautiful but why…?”
I hoped that you might want to stay here at some point so I got these for you. They’re made of polyester so you won’t get any biological vibes as you sleep.
“Thank you,” she said and kissed me warmly.
“Hmmm, that’s nice,” I said. “There’s a new toothbrush and toothpaste in the bathroom cupboard. Clean towels are on the second shelf from the bottom.”
Natalia took the box and headed toward the en suite bathroom.
Natalia returned to the living room carrying her clothing. The pajamas fit perfectly and I smiled at the sight.
Do you have an extra blanket and a pillow?”
“I have something better--a second bedroom?”
"Really? Where?"
“Follow me.”
I led her into the workroom and down the old service pit stairs.
“You made the grease pit into a bedroom? I’m not a vampire, you know.”
The area no longer resembled a service pit. The walls were pristine and painted a cream color and the floor was covered with a rich brown carpet. I opened the door at the end of the hall and turned on the lights.
Natalia gasped. The door opened into a 10 by 14 foot space covered with rich carpeting and an oriental-style rug. Colorful satins and delicate gossamer fabrics were gathered in the center of the ceiling and draped across the ceiling and down the walls. Light globes suspended below the draping created a magical light. An antique iron bed and a wrought iron nightstand stood in one corner of the room; a reading nook with a pile of large pillows and a loveseat occupied the other. The room also had an elegant worktable and computer plus a small bookcase and wardrobe.
“My God, it’s gorgeous.”
“I know you need quiet time away from the biological noise of everyday life. I hoped this might serve as a sanctuary of sorts. There are no biological products in this room--everything is inorganic or made of synthetic materials.”
“You did this for me?”
I shrugged. “Either that, or I just built the fanciest tornado shelter in the state.”
Natalia kissed me and murmured, “Thank you! And I forgive you for making me sleep in the grease pit.”
“No, thank you,” she replied.
As I starting cleaning up, I asked, “So what happened at your house?”
Natalia smiled. “Darien and one of his minions rang the doorbell and I let them in,” she said nonchalantly.
“You what?” I could feel my eyebrows rise as I looked at her.
“I let them in. I released the knockout gas earlier in the evening. Once they were inside, they ceased to be a problem. I made a number of brain modifications in each of them so that they were compelled to do anything I asked.”
“I questioned Darien’s helpers and found that they were hired just for this job. So I placed them in a suggestible state and created new memories like we did with your attackers. They believe they burst into an apartment in Ypsilanti and Darien shot a woman with a Taser then with a tranquilizer pistol. They will describe the woman was blond and very curvy. They enjoyed getting her into the van,” she said with a smirk. “Once the story was planted, I had Darien pay them and sent them off on a bender.”
“Why did they do this?” I asked.
“We’ll find out shortly,” she said grimly.
I finished washing up, made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and joined her at the breakfast bar.
Natalia gave me a strange look and nodded toward the flat screen in the living room. “Irma is wonderful. She told me about your Companion project. I’m surprised and more than a little disappointed you never mentioned Irma or your project.”
I shrugged, more than a little embarrassed about the deliberate oversight. There’s a running joke about engineers being so un-datable that they have to build their own girlfriends. Anyone interacting with Irma might think the joke wasn’t a joke after all.
“I’d be happy to help with the therapy aspects if you like,” Natalia continued.
Irma, who was now appeared to be seated in a comfy leather chair, smiled and nodded happily.
“Thank you,” I told her. I’ve been meaning to talk with you about this. And yes, I’d appreciate any help you can provide.” I was grateful she wasn’t giving me grief about Irma.
Natalia glanced from me to Irma then back. “How did you create someone like Irma?”
I blushed uncomfortably. I knew what she was really asking. “You mean, ‘how did a socially awkward male engineer create a warm and lively female computer personality?’”
Natalia raised her eyebrows at the underlying bitterness of my comment.
“Colin is like those people who can read a language but have difficulty speaking it,” Irma opined. “He understands people quite well but his interpersonal skills aren’t as well developed.”
“Thank you for that,” I replied sarcastically.
Natalia noticed my discomfort and steered the conversation to more inconsequential topics. The conversation soon faltered--dampened in part, by the presence of three bodies lying on the living room floor.
“OK,” Natalia said, “I’m finally feeling human again. Let’s move to the next phase.”
Natalia woke up Darien and allowed him to use the lavatory. I retrieved a folding chair from the storeroom and placed it in the conversation group. We asked questions for more than an hour while Irma recorded the interview. Finally, Natalia activated Darien’s sleep centers and sent him back into dreamland.
We repeated the process with Janet and their nefarious associate.
By three in the morning, we discovered that the slavers caught the Catalyst pair because they were flaunting their abilities. The Catalysts were given an ultimatum: deliver their classmates within 90 days or become slaves. The slavers knew there were five Catalysts in the class but Darien and Janet refused to provide names. They wanted to retain some advantage, no matter how small it might be. We were selected as the first captures because they thought we were the weakest members of the class.
Unbeknownst to Janet and Darien, the hired associate was also working for the slavers. He told his bosses that two of the classmates lived in the Ann Arbor area but he didn’t know their names or locations. When questioned about the location of the slaver headquarters, he told us it might be in Ohio, but he couldn’t be certain.
I excused myself and went into the library. Using the Darknet protocols, I placed another coded personal ad on the LGBT bulletin board. When I emerged, Irma and Natalia were engrossed in conversation. As I took stock of the living room, the bodies on the floor started to creep me out. They reminded me of vampires or zombies. Natalia, being more bloody-minded, didn’t seem to be affected at all.
“Can we move these people to the far service bay?” I asked.
“Sure,” Natalia said, “but we need to provide some insulation. I don’t want them to become hypothermic.”
I went outside and brought in three Mylar Space Blankets from the Honda’s winter emergency bag. You have to be prepared in Michigan.
Natalia was yawning mightily as she walked the three prisoners through the workroom and into the far service bay. She told them to wrap themselves in a blanket, lie down, and go to sleep. Now they looked like pod people.
As we returned to the living room, Natalia asked, “Do you mind if I stay here this weekend?"
I smiled and said, "I'd like that."
"Don't get any ideas, she told me tartly. I'm sleeping on the couch and your're sleeping in the bedroom."
"We'll see," I said as I retrieved a flat box from a closet.
"What's this?"
“Open it!”
Natalia opened the box tentatively to find dark satin pajamas with a delicate darker pattern woven into the material. The box also contained matching slippers.
“This beautiful but why…?”
I hoped that you might want to stay here at some point so I got these for you. They’re made of polyester so you won’t get any biological vibes as you sleep.
“Thank you,” she said and kissed me warmly.
“Hmmm, that’s nice,” I said. “There’s a new toothbrush and toothpaste in the bathroom cupboard. Clean towels are on the second shelf from the bottom.”
Natalia took the box and headed toward the en suite bathroom.
Natalia returned to the living room carrying her clothing. The pajamas fit perfectly and I smiled at the sight.
Do you have an extra blanket and a pillow?”
“I have something better--a second bedroom?”
"Really? Where?"
“Follow me.”
I led her into the workroom and down the old service pit stairs.
“You made the grease pit into a bedroom? I’m not a vampire, you know.”
The area no longer resembled a service pit. The walls were pristine and painted a cream color and the floor was covered with a rich brown carpet. I opened the door at the end of the hall and turned on the lights.
Natalia gasped. The door opened into a 10 by 14 foot space covered with rich carpeting and an oriental-style rug. Colorful satins and delicate gossamer fabrics were gathered in the center of the ceiling and draped across the ceiling and down the walls. Light globes suspended below the draping created a magical light. An antique iron bed and a wrought iron nightstand stood in one corner of the room; a reading nook with a pile of large pillows and a loveseat occupied the other. The room also had an elegant worktable and computer plus a small bookcase and wardrobe.
“My God, it’s gorgeous.”
“I know you need quiet time away from the biological noise of everyday life. I hoped this might serve as a sanctuary of sorts. There are no biological products in this room--everything is inorganic or made of synthetic materials.”
“You did this for me?”
I shrugged. “Either that, or I just built the fanciest tornado shelter in the state.”
Natalia kissed me and murmured, “Thank you! And I forgive you for making me sleep in the grease pit.”