Slowly, action begins...
Chapter 11
Tyr looked at Rommie and he couldn't believe that it was the same person he had known for some time now. She looked somehow depressed, as if she wouldn't really know what she was doing there and what was going on around her. Her eyes looked absentmindedly and confused and she was not a bit like the self conscious avatar, who used to do her job perfectly while looking at him a bit ironically. He thought that she looked a bit lost, like a girl, who found herself in a wrong movie. She looked insecure, inexperienced and overwhelmed. Tyr really had to restrain himself not to blow up his cover, not to show her he knew who she was, especially after he could notice her questioning looks which she threw in his direction. She looked at him somehow thoughtful, especially when she thought he wouldn't notice her looking at him. He was sure she was pondering if she have known him before and was trying to remember.
And that was exactly how it really was. Rommie had to repeatedly look at Tyr and she had a gnawing feeling she knew this man. Yes, he joined the organization as a contract killer, but she somehow didn't quite believe he would be a cold handed murderer. His actions confirmed the picture of an assassin, but still there was something off … just like with Harper, just like with Dylan Hunt. She felt, that she could trust these men, although neither Harper nor Tyr looked exactly reproachable. She still believed they wouldn't hurt her, completely opposite to Aidan. With each meeting with him she was more disguised, she simply couldn't stand being near him. But like he would notice it and in spite, or perhaps because, of her feelings, he was getting more and more offensive and she soon understood, he was definitely trying to get to know her intimately. Rommie felt dirty when he came to her and she only hoped he wouldn't make use of his control over her body. It was clear to her he could easily make her surrender to him and she couldn't do anything about it. Her feelings told her that she could never ever accept him. Ever more often, she thought about her mission and every time she saw those blue eyes before her; eyes of her designated target. She realized that she could love this Dylan Hunt, if she only had a chance. She also hoped, he could perhaps love her back. But she also knew, she would kill him, not being able to resist. She would lose her possible happiness, before she even had a chance to exploit it. And such thoughts pushed her in despair. She cursed the day this all began and tried to find a way to resist Aidan's orders, but she found none. Just her feelings kept on telling her, she would fulfill her mission and make the ultimate mistake by doing it. Mistake, she would regret for the rest of her days.
The operation has been carefully planned and she just had to wait for the day of the mission. The organization decided that Harper and Tyr would accompany her. Harper as a pilot and Tyr as her assistant, who would take care of any unforeseen problems. Her task was simple – find Dylan Hunt in his house and kill him. Before that, another ship would bomb the surroundings of the house to avert possible interventions.
- XXXX -
Dylan didn't know exactly how long has he been alone. He tried desperately to get free, but soon realized, hiss efforts were futile. He would really have to wait for Molly's return and try to talk her into setting him free. Finally he heard the sound of Molly coming back. He threw a look at the clock and realized in utter bewilderment that he had been tied to a chair for almost six hours. He waited for Molly and as she entered the room, he began: "Molly, please reconsider your plan again. You are making a terrible mistake but I really don't want you to do it. We have been fighting for this Commonwealth together. I don't understand how you could have forgotten all that. You are endangering billions of lives. Is it really that what you want? It's not too late yet!"
Molly smirked at him: „My dearest Dylan. As it seems you still don't understand that I never fought for this Commonwealth. I hate it! I cannot see the reestablishment of peace. You can talk as much as you want, but you're not going to change my mind."
Dylan understood that his appeal to her soul failed, but didn't want to give up just like that: "Molly, how about the crew of the Andromeda? They have always supported you, they always stood by your side and helped you when you needed help. Are you really letting them die?"
"Yes! I want them all dead! But, first we will take over the ship. Your dearest ship will help us to fulfill our destiny and destroy this abomination, called Commonwealth."
Dylan shook his head and answered: "I don't know how you're going to do it. Andromeda won't allow you to do something like that. She's a very proud ship and completely loyal to the Commonwealth. You will never persuade her to help you."
Molly grinned and answered venomously: "I won't even try! We already have our people on the Andromeda and they will simply erase your beloved AI and replace it one we made, one, which is completely loyal to us and it will take over the ship. Your Andromeda will be our first victim, well, not including you. And you will not be able to do anything about it, for you'll be a history by then."
Dylan couldn't believe his ears. "Are you really going to kill Andromeda? This can't be true! She'll never allow you to kill her. Believe me, she'll rather self destruct as let you take over." He couldn't believe how far Molly was ready to go in order to fulfill her sick plan. She really was intending to kill his ship. His Andromeda! His most faithful companion, his friend, the only person, whom he had left from the old Commonwealth.
Molly looked at him pitying: "You shouldn't dwell on this. We already know how to trick her into it. She will never know what will happen to her, she'll just fulfill her orders. I can only tell you, that Commonwealth will issue an order to erase Andromeda. She will not be able to resist. As you said – she's completely loyal to the Commonwealth and this Commonwealth will sentence her to death."
Dylan's mood sank. He knew that Andromeda really wouldn't oppose such an order from the Commonwealth. Suddenly everything looked really bad, completely lost. He couldn't even think of the consequences, such development would bring. His brain worked in overdrive but found no solution. It really looked like Molly's plan was flawless, so good that he had no chance to omit it. He sighed and let his head drop.
As Molly saw him, she grinned again: "There is something more you should know before you fade out. Your Andromeda, or, more accurate, your Rommie, will be there too. She's going to hand the ship to us on a silver platter."
Dylan looked at her in complete shock. This was something he simply couldn't believe. Rommie and this conspiracy? No, this had to be a really bad joke! She would never do something like that. She ran away, while she couldn't take it any more, seeing him together with Molly. He knew her good enough to be sure she would never do anything to harm Andromeda or her crew. "No, Molly, I don't believe you! That's absolutely impossible. She's the most trustworthy person I've ever met and she would rather self terminate than help you to erase her core AI."
Molly nodded: "You better believe it. She'll do it! Besides – do you know, why she disappeared? I know! Because she was in love with you! Poor, little android! She wanted to feel like humans do and fell for a human. How could she be so dumb? So pathetic!"
Dylan's eyes suddenly became dark as the night and he looked at Molly in seething rage: "I forbid you to talk about Rommie like that! She's the most beautiful person I ever met and I'm not allowing you to insult her! She may be in love with me, but she never was a traitor like you. So, what if she's an android – it doesn't change a thing. I admire her for what she did. At least she had the courage to stand her own."
"Well, well, well, now we're going to get sentimental!" Molly laughed diabolically. "I see I was right when I thought there was more to you and this android as pure professional relationship. You are in love with the machine! Poor guy! Finally you finally realize the truth and it's already too late. I always knew you'd realize it one day, but really … tell me, why did it take so long before you were ready to admit it to yourself? You're really even dumber that I thought. Why did you let her go? Why didn't you try to find her? I really pity you."
Dylan was enraged. How dare she talk so dirty about Rommie! He was just about to answer her as they heard a detonation, which shook the whole house. Dylan looked up surprised and asked himself what this meant. Molly grinned and said: "Good, it has begun. Your time's up. These are my friends, bombing the surroundings of the house. Soon, very soon you'll face your death. Now I have to go. I'm really glad that I could tell you all this things. Good bye forever, Dylan!"
She turned to leave as another bomb fell, but this time much too close. The house shook violently, ceiling began to crack and construction parts began to fall down. A heavy traverse fell directly on Molly and buried her. Another one fell near Dylan so that it cut the restraints, tying him to the chair. As Dylan noticed that his hands were free, he quickly threw himself aside, just in time to avoid another heavy piece of ceiling, falling on exact spot, he occupied only a second ago.
Dylan, lying on his side, legs still tied to the chair, murmured: "I guess, this was not exactly the plan!" The bombing suddenly stopped and eerie silence prevailed. He untied his legs, got off the overturned chair and stepped over to Molly. She was lying under the traverse and as he tried her pulse, he could only determine she was dead. He was just about to say something to her dead eyes, as he heard a voice: "Hunt, time to die!"
There was something unbelievable familiar with this voice and he quickly turned to see the person who was talking. What he saw made his throat tighten. There stood SHE, the one who filled his thoughts in these last days, with a gun, pointed at his head. His eyes opened wide in shock and he finally managed to say, almost in whisper: "Rommie?"
TBC
