CHAPTER TEN
After the day's events, the Hyperbrain craved peace and quiet. The girl provided physical pleasure, but she was a pain to be around. The Hyperbrain had managed to leave Ingrid Smith's presence with all of her sanity intact, and was now seated on Harvey's bed, wondering what to do next.
It was too early to strike against the 'SPLAT' group, but there was no harm in simply venturing around the area, particularly now that the neighbourhood was blanketed in darkness.
Rising to her feet, the Hyperbrain adjusted her clothes before slipping out of the bedroom. She slunk out of the house quietly, making her way towards the University. This was the foundation of her plans and where she had been created. In her brief time controlling the Hunter boy, the Hyperbrain was intrigued as to any changes that had occurred at the University in her absence, and if they could be used to her advantage.
She marched briskly towards the University, facial features stoic. The streets were deserted, as expected, but once she came within sight of her destination, a figure in the distance entered her vision. As the figure closed in, the Hyperbrain was hit by recognition. The figure was of one Professor Claudia Rowe, and judging by the blank look and glazed eyes, the woman was hypnotised.
One name uncovered by the boy's memories, drifted to the forefront of the Hyperbrain's mind, but 'the Headmaster' was gone.
'So, who hypnotised you?'
Waiting until the Professor passed her, the Hyperbrain curled her lip and continued on into the University. All alarm detectors were useless against her telekinesis, as she merely waved her hand in the air, the detectors powering down in seconds.
She entered the premises, heading towards her Domain. She hadn't visited the room since taking over Harvey Hunter, as she had been too occupied with figuring out how to be human.
The Hyperbrain smiled as the door hissed shut behind her, the lights flickering on at the wave of her hand. The lights illuminated the entire brain-scanning machine, the sight of the attached chair evoking the sacred memory of her possession of the youngest Hunter child. She sighed, gliding towards the chair.
The memory was intoxicating. One moment, she had been gloating to the terrified boy, the next, she was downloading herself onto the chip and merging herself with the boy. The struggle had been brief, and only a short time later, she had emerged into the world, human and prepared for domination.
The Hyperbrain grinned gleefully, sighing again as she turned away from the machine and tilted her head at the sealed door. Harvey's screams faded away as she pushed aside the memory, her eyes and hands glowing green as she forced open the door and headed off down the corridor. She marched down the corridor, peering into each room that she passed. Nothing caught her interest, until she came across a room that contained human life within its walls.
A man sat at the desk, bent over his piles upon piles of paperwork. Metres in front of his face, a beaker full of blue liquid bubbled away. The Hyperbrain wondered if the liquid was of either the 'tea' or 'coffee' variety that she had heard humans blathering on about, and if the liquid was 'tea' or 'coffee', how it would taste.
Cursing under her breath for letting herself get distracted, the Hyperbrain jolted as she spotted a framed photograph on the crammed desk. The photograph was of a boy, a child that the Hyperbrain recognised, but could not put a name to a face.
Only when the man straightened up, letting loose a yawn as he stretched his limbs, did the Hyperbrain realise who the child in the photograph was. The man turned his face to the side slightly, massaging his sore neck with the palm of his hand.
The Hyperbrain stared at Tim Dexter, the photograph of his son, Michael, staring at her, frozen smile imprinting onto her brain. This man had created the program. Had created the hologram of the program. Had created her.
She glanced down at her glowing green hands, speechless at the fact that her creator was sitting metres away from her, and that so far, he was oblivious to her presence.
She willed the glow away and backed into the corridor, eyes narrowing. Tim Dexter may have created her, but she held no ties with him.
Her creation had stemmed from his mind, but her future plans were all of her doing.
And he would not stop her.
The Hyperbrain turned on her heel and walked back the way she came, hands splayed in front of her eyes. She flexed the human fingers as she exited the University. That little trip had heightened her motivation even more.
For one way or another, the humans would be defeated, and it was fate that it was to be at her hand.