EHuman Dawn (27 page)

He had to get to Archion and plug in.

Adam turned to Dawn and pulled her close, kissing her passionately and hoping that Edgar was watching. He kissed her as if it were their last evening on Earth—deep, intense, driving to the very core of her soul. She sensed his urgency and gently pulled away.

“What was that for?” she asked, taken aback by the tone of the embrace.

“I don’t have a good feeling, Dawn,” was all he could muster.

“What do you mean?”

“I fear we’ve run out of time. We must find Archion—tonight.”

“Why?” Dawn didn’t see the problem in enjoying a night of company with the elite members of the world. The more information they could gather the better. But she could see Adam was deeply disturbed.

“I don’t know,” Adam tried to explain, “I just find the ease of our arrival to be suspicious. You yourself said that Operation Insurrection seemed too easy—as if the WG allowed us to take over the cities.”

“And you fear that while we’re here, the WG will launch their attack?”

Adam nodded.

“I share your fears,” she agreed, “What’s our plan?”

“Oksana Natarov,” he answered.

“Oksana? Edgar’s lover?”

“Yes, keep an eye on her. See if we can find a way to get her on our side. Something tells me that her life with Edgar Prince isn’t all romance and roses,” Adam explained.

Dawn considered the woman for a moment. She knew Oksana found Adam attractive. Dawn also knew Adam had a way with women, if he felt comfortable with the situation. There had to be a way to exploit the woman’s negative feelings for Edgar.

“You’re right,” Dawn replied, “Oksana Natarov must be our target. Let’s see if we can gain her confidence.”

Adam reached forward and took Dawn’s hand. The electrical impulses from her fingertips sent a deeply erotic pulse through his body. He smiled at her.

“Once we’re done saving the world, I think we might want to look into installing some of those Pleasure Zone upgrades,” he teased.

Dawn kissed him once more.

Edgar’s sailboat approached the docks.

“I don’t want to talk to him,” Dawn admitted.

“Go on up to the mansion and get ready for the party. I’ll do the talking,” Adam offered.

“No, I’m not a coward. I won’t run from him.”

She grasped Adam’s hand tighter as they waited on the docks to face his father.

The boat gracefully navigated its way up to the slip, three eBots jumping out onto the dock in synchronicity to tie the vessel securely to the cleats. Edgar and his companion exited the boat. Edgar showed no surprise at the couple’s presence on the dock, yet chose to chide them anyway.

“Elijah and Dawn,” he began, “Why aren’t you getting ready for the party? All of your attire awaits you in your recharge rooms.”

“We wanted to watch the sunset,” Adam admitted truthfully.

The man at Edgar’s side, Morgan, eyed him suspiciously.

“Why would anyone want to do such a thing?” he remarked.

“Because, I’ve never seen the sunset upon the ocean before,” Adam replied, “I think it’s beautiful the way the sea reflects its burning colors.”

“You were a natural mariner from the start,” Edgar admitted, “From the moment I brought you out on your first sail, you took to it like a bee to honey. It was splendid. Of course, your mother didn’t approve. She feared the ocean.”

Adam looked at the man with a blank expression. He knew that Edgar was taunting him with the past. Probably even lying about it since Adam wouldn’t know any better. Dawn gripped his hand even tighter.

“My mother?” Adam queried.

Edgar smiled. Perhaps nostalgia would be the way to completely conquer his son and bring him back to his side? That would be so much more delightful than destroying him.

“Yes, your mother,” Edgar glanced at Morgan, who was keenly watching him.

“What was her name?” Adam asked. The idea of her had triggered yet another wave of anger. Adam fought hard to keep the emotion hidden.

“Atienne,” Edgar said, with almost a hint of sadness that he tried to hide.

Both men stared at each other, neither one fooling the other.

“A French man’s name, I know,” Edgar continued, “But it suited her.”

“What happened to her?” Adam asked.

“It’s time, Edgar,” Morgan announced, interrupting the conversation. Why Edgar had even brought up the subject was beyond his understanding. Atienne was in the past, destroyed long ago. If he were Edgar, he would have erased all traces of her from his database. But thankfully, he wasn’t Edgar. He placed his arm firmly upon his superior’s shoulder to make his point clearer.

“We’re all expected at the party.”

“Yes,” Edgar nodded, not at all sure what the hell had gotten into him. He hadn’t thought of Atienne in ages. Morgan was right to be cautious. Such nostalgia was quite dangerous. It was best to resort to his more destructive, yet predictable, measures of breaking a man. “You two go get dressed. I expect you to be on time. I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

With that, Edgar and Morgan walked together up to the mansion in silence, each one wary of the other. Theirs had always been a half-friendship, with Edgar giving Morgan just enough information to keep him faithful, but always leaving out enough to keep him on his toes. It was strange for his servant take control of a conversation like that. An embarrassment, really. Edgar eyed the man, who refused to look at him. Using his wireless, Edgar issued a request to the island Guardians to have the incident removed from Morgan’s database. Instantly, Morgan stopped walking. His eyes went blank for a moment, then he blinked and shook his head.

“What a strange son you have,” Morgan said with disdain, “Watching the sunset, indeed. What a waste of time.”

Edgar grinned. Work within the eHuman world was delightfully efficient.

Adam and Dawn remained at the docks until the men faded away into the shadows of the dusk.

Atienne? His mother?

Why would Edgar bring her up? Why did the thought of her made Adam want to kill Edgar on the spot? He felt like he was awash in a sea of resentment. How dare the man use his mother to bait him? It was obvious that Edgar’s treachery had depths that even Adam couldn’t truly fathom. All of the circuits in his body were firing and it took the will of Heracles to keep from chasing Edgar down and attacking him.

Dawn noticed her lover’s pain and sent a wave of relief through her hands to try and calm him down. There was no need for Adam to lose his temper yet again. He really needed to be a more penitent son if he was going to gain access to Archion. When she sensed his system had quieted down, she spoke to him softly.

“Shall we go get ready?”

He nodded.

“Now I know something more about the depths of my revenge,” he whispered in a faint voice.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t carry this Trojan Horse just to get back at Edgar for taking you away from me. I’m seeking vengeance for the destruction of my entire family.”

Dawn noted the venom in his voice and kissed his forehead gently.

“Then let’s be done with this,” Dawn replied, “We will gain access to Archion tonight and rid ourselves, and the world, of this tyrant.”

The pair began to walk back to the castle, covering the same springy, grassy lawn that Edgar had just trekked, the footprints from the soles of his shoes still evident. As they drew nearer, they could hear the crowds gathering on the veranda, their voices rising and falling in laughter, like the ocean waves they’d just witnessed. A jazz band provided the party’s backdrop. Adam and Dawn skirted the festivities, and followed a long hallway to their dressing rooms. It was time to put on the costumes his father had prepared for them.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Adam strolled along the plush red carpet to the end of the hallway, stopping before the ornate doorway of Dawn’s dressing room. When he entered, he was taken aback by her radiant beauty. She stood in front of a three-way mirror, gently turning side to side as she gazed upon herself. Her blonde hair had been piled up on her head and the loose strands formed perfect ringlets framed her face. From her ears hung large teardrop-shaped diamonds. Around her graceful neck she wore a matching diamond choker. A white, floor-length dress clung to her shapely body, accenting all the curves that the Dawn of eHumanity had been granted. Her red lips formed a smile when she turned and saw Adam standing in the doorway, himself a handsome sight in a black tuxedo.

“Well, the clothes here sure beat the ones in Avalon,” she joked, nervously.

“Elijah Prince and Dawn,” a mechanical voice called out into their room, surprising each of them, “You’re presence is expected in the ballroom!”

The two joined hands and left the dressing room, following the carpeted hallway down to the enormous front staircase, which they descended slowly. The entryway was filled with eHumans, each one elegantly dressed and decorated with the finest jewels. Every eye focused upon the couple as they continued down the steps.

When they arrived on the bottom stair, the crowd parted, allowing them access to the ballroom doors. Whispers closed in behind Adam and Dawn as they entered the ballroom and forced themselves to join the party.

“Elijah! Dawn!” Edgar Prince’s voice rang out over the mingled music and voices, “Please, everyone, welcome my son and his lovely escort—the Dawn of eHumanity herself!”

The crowd burst into forced cheers, each person clapping automatically, as if to defy Edgar Prince’s orders would cost them their lives.

“How happy I am to share this night with you, my eternal friends,” he continued, “It has been a long time since Elijah has joined our table. For centuries I have searched for my son. And now that I have found him, I will never let him go!”

Edgar’s words disturbed Adam. The rest of the crowd cheered, but there was something sinister about the whole situation. Adam forced himself to smile at his father and shook off any dread that threatened to consume his thoughts.

“Thank you, father,” he answered dutifully, “It’s a pleasure to be back at your side. I look forward to meeting all your companions.”

Adam gestured the crowd that surrounded them.

The band began to play. Edgar turned to Dawn and gazed at her beauty. He’d always been infatuated with her. As Sophia, she’d been an unremarkable specimen with no pedigree, completely unacceptable as a mate for his heir. But as Dawn, his first eHuman creation, he’d improved her and turned her into a goddess. Even though it’d been a century and a half since she’d left him, he still longed for her.

Adam noticed the way Edgar stared at Dawn, as if she’d been created entirely for Edgar’s pleasure. Adam winced when he realized that that was most likely the case. Edgar had created
Dawn in accordance with his desires. Once more, the pain of his father’s betrayal cut through him. It was time to finish him, once and for all. Across the room, Adam saw Oksana standing alone, steaming with jealousy. Edgar was a man of secrets, but he wasn’t very discreet with his affections.

Dawn noticed Oksana’s abandonment as well.

“Edgar,” Dawn cooed, “Would you like to dance?”

Edgar looked at his creation, one eyebrow raised in surprise.

“Excuse me?”

“Would you like to dance?” she continued, giving him a pouty smile for good measure.

Edgar grinned at his son.

“It would be an honor,” Edgar said with an obvious note of seduction as he entered her open embrace.

The couple began to waltz, leaving Adam alone on the dance floor. He smiled with satisfaction. Now was his chance to be with Oksana, which might be his only opportunity to get to Archion that evening. He marched towards her, taking a moment to admire her. Adam realized that other than Dawn, Oksana was the most dazzling woman in the room. There was no denying it, Edgar Prince had great taste in designing eHuman women.

“May I?” Adam asked her, holding out his hand.

Oksana’s eyes lit with surprise. She knew that Edgar would notice and that he would most likely punish her for accepting. But she had desired the handsome Elijah the moment she had laid eyes on him. He had a sensuality just like his father’s. There was no resisting him. She nodded and offered him her arm. Adam escorted her into the crowd and pulled her close, choosing to dance the rrhumba so that he could whisper into her ear. The rest of the crowd would
think he was trying to seduce her, but in reality, he needed her services in a much more dangerous way.

He could feel the erotic energy pulse through her Pleasure Zone enhanced hands. For a moment, he lost himself in a fantasy, imagining her fingers entering the plug at his spine and driving sexual energy slowly up his body to the crown of his head. It sounded like such a delight. Adam hadn’t been on Neuro for ages and the Resistance hadn’t invented any other way to have sex. Kissing Dawn was blissful, and taking over New Omaha had been exciting, but now, in Oksana’s arms, he found his old desire running high. Being an eHuman built for pleasure, Oksana sensed his yearning, and slipped her hands seductively down his back to the plug opening in his trousers, stopping short of inserting her fingers. He shivered and promptly forced himself to re-focus. He was no longer the Adam Winter of the past. He had work to do.

“Oksana,” he began, “I need your help.”

“Really,” she purred, “What could I possibly do for you?”

“What I’m about to say is very confidential. I put myself at great risk sharing it with you. But I have to trust someone here on the island and I knew the moment I met you that you were different.”

“Different? From whom?”

“From Edgar, and the rest of the New Caledonians,” he explained.

Sensing a dangerous conversation, Oksana tried to pull away from his embrace but Adam held fast, holding her form close to his own.

“Oksana, please, I know you are different. I know you aren’t happy here. You weren’t meant to be a part of Edgar’s collection, were you?”

Oksana’s body tensed at his words.

“What do you want Adam Winter?” she demanded.

“I need you to help me gain access to the Archion machine.”

“Archion machine?” Oksana had never heard of it.

“Yes, the main server of Neuro, where the operating system’s source code is installed. I believe it’s housed in Guardian Enterprise Headquarters, somewhere on this island. Do you know where that building is?”