Disclaimer: The Zeta Project isn't mine. Duh. Otherwise, this wouldn't be fanfiction. But that's beside the point. It's not mine. A lot of what happens here I made up in my head. Got it? My head. Theta is my character, but other than that...it all belongs to KidsWB or whoever owns TZP. So there. Now stop reading this blather and read the story.
Chapter 1 - Close Encounters
"So, what
do you think, Zee?" Ro stood in front of a full length mirror admiring
her new shirt and pants.
"I think
it looks good on you," replied Zeta, "but we've been at this store
for hours. Maybe we should go back to the hotel."
"You
think so?" asked Ro, absentmindedly. "Alright. But I just want to
stop at one more place..."
"I'm sorry,
it was an accident!" cried Agent West miserably. Agent Rush glared down
at him, and he could feel the piercing gaze of Bennet from the back of the vehicle.
"Maybe if you wouldn't turn around corner so sharply, I wouldn't have dropped
the stun ray."
Agent Rush sighed. He was really starting to get on her nerves. "It will
take a few hours to fix this. Until then, don't touch a thing. You got that?"
West nodded and turned away. Sometimes it seemed as if...no...this was his job.
There was nowhere else for him to go. He missed Lee. She was always there to
help him. Agent Rush didn't care for him at all. She was really starting to
get on his nerves.
She ran along the street, unnoticed by those who walked along the side. Her long black hair was matted and dirty, and her clothes were dirty and worn. She ran. Her breath became heavy and forced, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. He was coming. Her only chance of escape was near. She had searched for such a long time. He was coming. There! Up ahead! A mall. She had come this far. Freedom was near. She ran. At the entrance she saw them. They were here. She knew they would be. The girl always liked to shop. They were in sight. She stopped for one breath before going on. It still wasn't safe. He was coming.
"Taxi!"
called Ro, signaling to a taxi cab at the corner of the street. The car pulled
up and Zeta dumped Ro's huge load of clothing into the front seat. He and Ro
slid into the back seat and the door began to slide shut. Suddenly a hand shot
through and stopped the door from closing completely. A girl about Ro's age
pushed the door open and leapt into the cab. Before they could do anything,
she turned around to the robot driver and said "Grand Hotel, downtown on
Hudson."
As the taxi began the journey to the hotel, Zeta asked, "Who are you?"
"Yeah," said Ro, "and how do you know what hotel we're staying
at?"
The girl ignored Ro's question and turned to Zeta. She ran her hand through
her dark, tangled hair. After taking a deep breath, she said "Infiltration
Unit Zeta?"
Zeta glanced at Ro before nodding. "Yes. How did you know?"
"Anyone connected with the government knows you're the renegate synthoid.
It's not hard." She said. Ro took the time to look her over. She wore a
blue coat, similar to Zeta's in design. Underneath was a grey shirt and dark
grey pants, just like Zeta's. the girl continued speaking. "I need your
help, Zeta. You're the only one who can help me."
"What do you mean?" asked Zeta.
"Wait a second," said Ro, interrupting the conversation. "I have
some questions. First, how come you're dressed almost exactly like Zee? Second,
how did you know we were here, and third, how do we know we can trust you?"
The girl smiled. "I guess I should tell you about myself. My name is Theta.
I know you're here because I have connections, and I can track where you go.
I'm a lot faster than NSA agents, too. And here's proof that you can trust me."
She help up a photo card and pushed the button. An image of Ro's brother hovered
above the card. "Recognize this? It's your brother, isn't it?"
Ro grabbed the photo from Theta. "How did you get that?"
"I found it by your bed last night," said Theta innocently. "Yes,
I entered your hotel room. If I really wanted to hurt you, you'd already be
dead."
Ro pocked the photo before saying, "You still haven't answered my first
question. Why are you dressed like Zeta? And why is your name almost exactly
like his?"
Theta shrugged "Is it a crime to have a similar taste in fashion? And I
was around before Zeta was built anyway. So his name is similar to mine,
not the other way around."
The taxi ground to a halt in front of the hotel. Theta reached over and slid
a cred card through the bot's slot. The screen confirmed her payment, and the
three got out of the cab. Zeta grabbed Ro's shopping bags and the three of them
entered the hotel.
"You could have let me pay the taxi driver," said Zee as they walked
down the hallway.
"Don't worry," said Theta. "I'll be okay. Now let's go to your
room where we can talk in private. There isn't much time."
"All fixed!"
announced Agent Rush and she held the stun ray up for Bennet to see. "I'll
carry it this time," she said, making a point to let West hear her. He
glared at her. Sometimes she could be such a showoff.
"I'll show you," he thought to himself as he logged onto the net.
He'd find Zeta before anyone else and prove that he was the best. A message
blinked on his screen notifying him of an incoming email message. He opened
it and found a cryptic note.
It read: From the East to the onslaught of the storm. Nothing important can
happen. Yesterday morning you should have stayed away from Hudson's downtown.
Let the whole world know your plight.
West read the note again. After a second, his eyes widened in realization. With
a swift glance around the room, he deleted the message, then opened up his electronical
calendar and scheduled an absence for himself. This promised to be good.
The End of chapter
one! Stick around for Chapter 2 - Deeper
Any thoughts? Comments? Questions? Email me! webmaster@zetaproject.zzn.com