Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Dual Core

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 3

When the last visitors had left and the display room closed for the night, Woodruff's hologram spoke of its own accord. "I observed something that might interest you," he said quietly as the young man was checking his computer equipment.

"Really?" asked Justin in a tone indicating that he wasn't concerned.

"One of the last visitors had a low infra-red signature."

His head jerked up from the screen that he was re-positioning. "What do you mean 'low infra-red signature'?"

"His body was not emitting the amount of heat that is normal for a human under these conditions. I also detected a small amount of electro-magnetic energy radiating from his collar, which could only be the result of the impingement of the digital dimension on this one."

Now Justin became agitated. "The only thing that would do that is another hologram!" he growled. "Someone has stolen my work!" He pounded his fist on a table, startling some of the other exhibitors who were cleaning up across the aisle.

"I do not believe so," the hologram said evenly. "I read his name tag and did a search." The screen displayed an old news report dated in the spring of 1985, describing the trial of a hit man who had attempted to murder an L.A. police officer and a federal special agent. There were two photos, one of a man with black wavy hair, and the other was of a blond-haired man with piercing blue eyes. "This photograph," he indicated the blond man, "is identical to the person that I saw earlier. He has not changed in seventeen years."

Livid, Justin clenched his fists at his sides. "Someone created a solid construct over seventeen years ago? And even set up a public identity for him?" He forced himself to calm down. "Is there any more information about this Agent Mann?"

Virtual Man nodded toward the screen and another window with more articles appeared on it. "There are references to him in several public records and media reports. He is associated with both the Los Angeles Police Department and a federal computer crimes division."

"So he was created for law enforcement, huh?" grumbled Justin. "Something must be done about that if he shows up again. I can't have anyone get in the way of our progress."

During the drive back, Automan was strangely silent. This worried Lina somewhat, since he tended to be quite talkative if he had discovered something to his interest. "Is something bothering you?" she asked.

"Mr. Woodruff wasn't being entirely truthful when he said that his project hadn't been perfected."

"Don't you need to touch someone to determine if they're lying?"

"Correct. However I could sense that the equipment being used in the display was capable of channelling a great deal more power than was actually in use at the time. Virtual Man can become solid."

"You don't seem pleased," Lina observed. "I thought you were happy with the prospect of having another hologram to relate to."

"Yes, but what concerns me is why Mr. Woodruff thought it necessary to conceal such a detail. Your theory of him using his hologram to commit those thefts has merit, given that information." His handsome face set in a concerned scowl. "Besides, in the computer world, when a program meets its own upgrade it means either radical change, or destruction."

"Oh, Auto," Lina said compassionately, and put her hand on his shoulder in reassurance. "Nothing will ever replace you. Walter, Roxanne, and I all accept you as a person, not a program. Listen, I have some ideas that could help, so when we get back-"

She was interrupted by a trill from her cellphone, the ringtone indicating that the call was from her division's emergency dispatch line. Activating speaker mode, she listened. "-on West 7th Street at Hope Street. Burglary in progress at-"

Without needing further prompting, Automan immediately steered them toward the location and accelerated.

When they arrived at the corner, there were several police cars already there. Lina got out of the Autocar and quickly found the ranking officer. After showing her badge, she asked "What happened?"

The man scratched his head in a gesture of frustration. "Same thing as the last few break-ins we've had around here. No sign of forced entry, but this time the alarm was tripped. At first it looked like a false alarm or a malfunction of the system, but there are items missing from the display window."

"Were there any witnesses?"

"This area tends to be deserted at this time of night. We'd be lucky if there were any street gangs around."

Glancing over at Automan, she noticed that he was examining the shop window carefully. As she walked toward him, he beckoned her closer. "See this?" he said in a low voice, indicating with his fingers a tiny wire embedded in the glass. "This completes an electronic circuit. Breaking the window also would break the wire and set off the alarm. Cutting the circuit does the same thing."

She swallowed, not wanting to say it. "Like an electro-magnetic field passing through the window?"

"Yes." He straightened up. "With proper programming, a hologram wouldn't make such a mistake. Either the information fed into its systems was flawed-"

"Or this was a trap!" Lina exclaimed.

At that moment, there was a loud hiss of a static discharge behind them, and one of the parked police cruisers exploded, sending shards of metal in all directions. The officers who hadn't been knocked prone by the blast retreated to the dubious safety of a series of benches and trash cans on the edge of the street. Several drew their guns, but nothing could be seen. Lina took shelter behind the Autocar, and Auto knelt beside her.

The street lights down the block began to flicker and go out as a shadowed figure approached. As it got closer, Lina could see the outline of a muscular man with glowing purple bands around his neck and waist, and purple pin-striping down his body. The police officers began to fire their guns at him, but with no effect.

"It's that hologram, Virtual Man," she said, incredulous. "How could he have discharged that bolt and still be here? You can't do that." Then she fell forward onto her knees as her hand suddenly was deprived of support: it passed through the side of the Autocar which had become unsolid. Then the car faded into translucency and de-rezzed. Cursor flew to Automan's shoulder, beeping rapidly as if in distress.

Automan's collar was starting to look dimmer. "He's actively pulling electricity from the area right now," he said for both Cursor's and Lina's benefit. "Cursor's constructs can't be solid at the same time, or the system will overload."

"Agent Otto J. Mann," called Virtual Man in his bass voice, "or 'Automan', if you prefer. Show yourself, or more will be injured!"

"Auto, you can't!" Lina pleaded. "Not at such a disadvantage!"

He smiled slightly. "I have to, or others will be hurt." Rising slowly, he walked into the middle of the road. "Here I am," he shouted back. "What do you want?"

"It is my Creator's wish that you be eliminated," said Virtual Man. "There can only be one of us in existence."

"Why?" Auto asked reasonably. "There is nothing to be gained by it. I have far more experience than you. I could help you; we could help each other."

"I need no help from you," Virtual Man said. As if to prove his point, he vanished from the street and reappeared on the sidewalk. "I have scanned you; I am faster and more powerful."

"But not better," was Auto's response. "Leave these people alone, and let's talk."

"I will not negotiate." He lifted one hand, but Auto managed to sidestep as the bolt sizzled past and hit the street, melting the asphalt at the contact point.

Lina could not stand by and watch. As the conversation was taking place between the two holograms, she flicked her hand at the nearest officer, signalling him to join her behind a bus shelter on the corner. "Pass the word - without using your radio - to locate the nearest utility junction and open it. Someone has to cut the power to the block. No questions; just do it." The man nodded and scurried away.

Although Virtual Man's attention was on Auto, he didn't miss the movement in the background and prepared to fire another bolt at the police officers. Lina wasn't about to let that happen. "Freeze! You're under arrest!" she hollered to distract him, and ducked behind the bus shelter as the electricity slammed into it. One of the plexiglass panels shattered, but the metal support structure dissipated the bulk of the charge into the ground.

"Lina!" Automan called, hoping that she wasn't seriously hurt.

"Your concern for these people is a weakness," Virtual Man stated, forcing Auto's attention back to him. "Why do you exist among them instead of using your full potential?"

It was a fair question, but Auto knew exactly how to answer it, and straightened up proudly. "My friends want me to." He noticed the other hologram's slight dimming; the firing of three consecutive blasts had weakened him considerably. If Auto kept his opponent talking, perhaps he could find an advantage. "Something you would also understand if you gave it a chance."

"Friends?" He paused, as if considering something. "I have none. There is only my Creator, and it was his wish that you be destroyed!" He raised his hand to point directly at Automan.

At that moment, all the lights in a two-block radius went out. Deprived of power, Virtual Man flickered and disappeared. Automan turned to look toward where he had last seen Lina before he too faded.

Lina sat on the sidewalk behind the damaged bus shelter, shaking with fright and worry. A paramedic rushed over to her, but she waved him off and managed to stand on her own. Then she surveyed the scene. Two patrolmen had been seriously hurt and several others had suffered lacerations when the car had exploded. It could have been much worse.

This didn't bode well. She had been forced to pull the plug on her best friend, to save him and her fellow officers from a formidable opponent. How could they deal with a renegade hologram that was immune to almost everything? How could she even explain this?

She looked up at the darkened buildings and took a deep breath to regain her composure. The first thing she needed to do was to let Auto know that she was all right. Taking out her cellphone, she sent an SMS to her computer: I AM OK. Next she sent a text to Walter: TALK TMRW. URGENT. That done, she walked out into the street to assist with the clean-up.