COWBOY BEBOP- Acoustic Armageddon Part 1
Spike slowly awoke, the peaceful dream melting away as he opened his eyes. He had been on Mars,
the world of Vicious and Julia replaced by sweet images of Faye. They had been sitting at a table,
talking and lauging happily as they ate dinner. Spike had also seen a child there, faintly ressembling
both of them in different ways. The little boy had been quiet, but his eyes held a powerful inner strength.
He had looked up from his toys briefly, staring at Spike with what had almost seemed like anger, or perhaps
remorse. It had been months since Spike's last nightmare. Being with Faye seemed to calm the demons inside him.
As Spike looked over, he saw Faye was gone. He got out of bed, walking to the door as he heard distant noises.
He followed the sounds, until he was standing outside the bathroom. It sounded like someone was sick,
the violent choking sounds subsiding as the faucet was turned on. Faye opened the door, slightly shocked
as she saw Spike standing there. She smiled at him a bit weakly, touching his hand as she walked past.
Spike watched her go, frowning slightly. Faye had been acting weird lately, as if something was sapping all
her energy. It was odd to see her that way, Spike thought. And it bothered him. This was the third morning in a row
Faye had been sick, and Spike didn't like it at all.
Men in chenical suits occupied the clean room, going about their daily tasks. Some of them studied things under
microscopes, while others carefully transported vials of chemicals from one shelf to another.
One of them stood before a gigantic steel door, marked with things like 'restricted access' and 'no unauthorized entrance'.
He operated the keypad near the door, swiping a card through the slot below. The light on the keypad lit up,
as air hissed from the opening door. Inside was a huge room, occupied by computer terminals and endless
machines all wired to each other. At the far end of the room, the wall was transparent. The man stopped in front
of it, removing his helmet as he gazed into the room beyond. It was occupied solely by a large tube, the liquid
inside bubbling sporadically. The figure within the tube stirred, lifting it's head as it's eyes met the new visitor.
"Hello, Virtue." The man spoke, grinning as the figure acknowledged his prescence. She was truly beautiful,
he thought. Perfectely formed, flawless in every physical detail. "Hello, Doctor Borand." Virtue replied, her monotone
voice was the only hint that she was anything but a normal human. "Why did you try to escape?" Borand questioned,
speaking to Virtue as he would a child. Virtue glared at the doctor, her eyes containing hatred.
"You will answer." Borand demanded, his voice becoming more stern. "I do not wish to be here anymore."
Virtue responded at last, still glaring at the doctor from her tube. Borand nodded sympathetically, placing his hand
palm up against the wall. "I know you were mistreated, and I apologize." He offered, as Virture's glare intensified.
"The word is rape, Doctor Borand. I was raped." Virtue's voice was still monotone, but heavy with spite.
Borand nodded slowly, seeing Virtue's cause for leaving. "Those men are gone, they can't hurt you anymore. I'll take care
of you personally now, I promise no more harm will come to you." Virtue lowered her head, her eyes closing once again.
"Do not promise what you cannot perform." Virtue warned, refusing to look at the doctor anymore.
"Virtue, please be reasonable. I can't change what happened, you know that. But we still need you, the project can't go forward
without you." Virtue remained quiet, like a child ignoring it's parent. Borand gave up, turning away from the wall.
Virtue's eyes opened once more, watching the doctor as he left the room. Her face was a mask of anger,
as her lips curled into a menacing snarl. Borand replaced his helmet, reentering the clean room as the massive door sealed
behind him. He studied his watch, his mind uneasy at what he'd just seen. She was growing more and more rebellious
all the time, and it worried him. She had been created as the perfect artificial being, a construct that could think and feel
as a human does. As a result, she also had all the weaknesses of the human heart. She could experience a wide range of
emotions, capable of feeling joy and sadness, pain and loss. Perhaps she could even love, and hate. It was an unstable
combination that he'd protested from the very beginning. Until humans could fully understand their own emotions,
any attempt to recreate them artifically was both foolish and dangerous. Borand reminded himself to bring up that very
issue at the board meeting, and pray that this time they would listen.
Spike came out of the shower as he heard a thud, running down the hallway with only his pants on. Jet was in the galley,
hunched over Faye's body. She was sprawled out on the floor, unconcious. "Faye!" Spike shouted, rushing over to her.
Jet checked her pulse carefully, frowning as he found it. "Is she ok?" Spike asked nervously, lifting Faye's head up gently.
"She's out cold, but she'll be ok I hope." Jet answered, putting a hand on his head. "Her heartbeat's irregular though,
we should definetely check her out." Spike lifted her up, carried her to the rec room and gently layed her down on the couch.
"What the hell happened?" Spike asked anxiously, keeping a hand under Faye's head. "She said she wasn't feeling too hot,
then she just collapsed." Jet said stoically, not knowing what to think about it. Spike sighed, looking tenderly at Faye.
"She's been acting weird lately Jet, she's always tired now." Spike admitted, looking at Jet with concern.
"Anything else?" Jet asked, returning Spike's concerned look. "Yeah, she's been sick for a few days, only in the morning though."
Spike continued, wishing he'd said something sooner. "It's ok Spike, we'll get her to a hospital don't worry." Jet assured him,
putting a hand on Spike's shoulder. Spike said nothing, but nodded to Jet and kept his eyes fixed on Faye's breathing.
"Faye Faye!" Edward cried, running into the room. She jumped on top of the couch like a cat, looking down at Faye
in distress. "Is Faye Faye sick?" Ed asked, looking at Spike. He looked back at her, as confidently as he could.
"No Ed, Faye's just sleeping. She's tired that's all." Spike told Ed, trying to believe it himself.
Jet regarded the situation grimly, and decided to plot a course to the nearest medical station. The closest one
that wouldn't ask questions, was over on Ganymede. The trip plus whatever they got charged by the hospital would
sap the last of their cash. "Shit, it never lets up." Jet grumbled, not nearly as concerned with the money as Faye's condition.
He hadn't been able to tell Spike, but her heartbeat had been more than just irregular. It was almost as if it were slowing down.
When he'd taken her pulse before, it was way below what any healthy person's should be. And Jet was sure if he took it
again an hour from now, it would be even weaker. Something was definetely attacking her system, and unless they did somehting
soon Jet was sure it would kill her.
Doctor Etahn Borand sat at the huge table, surrounded by fools, one and all. "This experiemnt is dangerous!" He shouted aloud,
standing up and putting both hands on the table. "The subject is unstable, her brainwaves are increasingly abnormal and her
rate of emotional growth is far beyond anything we anticipated!" Borand continued, feeling as if he were talking to a brick wall.
The other scientists only frowned and sighed and studied their damn reports, refusing to heed his words.
"Calm yourself, Doctor." The director insisited, eyeing Borand over the rim of his glasses. "This project is essential to
a number of government and military programs. You must be aware of that." Borand reluctanly sat back down, crossing
his arms. "I am aware of the project's importance." Borand stated, locking eyes with the board director. "But using an
artifical human is completely foolish. There's no reason why any number of our A.I systems couldn't be used as the
core." The board director cleard his throat, fidgeting with his tie as he shuffled a few papers. "Doctor Borand, do you recall
the incident concerning one of our latest A.I only a few months ago?" Borand closed his eyes, sighing as he saw it was
hopeless. "I do." He replied, watching as all eyes were focused on him. The director nodded briefly, before explaining.
"Three months ago, Doctor Borand instigated this project's intial activation. The result was as you all know, undesirable."
Borand leaned forward in his chair, folding his hands on the table. "But since then we have come so far! The A.I. my team
is currentely working with is incapable of such mistakes!" Borand saw that not a one of his peers realized the danger inherient
in the project, as he'd susecpted. "That isn't good enough, Ethan." The director spoke again, regarding Borand sympathetically.
"The A.I systems don't understand human concepts, such as the value of life. They only complete their tasks as efficiently
as possible, with no consideration for our best interests. The A.I we originally used as the station's core, destroyed two
cities on Mars because it could not comprehend such delicate matters. If we were to use another A.I. no matter how advanced,
we would be risking the possible desruction of more cities. Perhaps even entire planets. This sattelite is simply too powerful
to be left in the hands of a machine. Virtue has been created specifically to prevent future incidents of this nature."
The director folded his arms as he leaned back in his chair. Borand pointed his pen accusingly as he replied. "With all due respect
sir, it's the satelite that poses a threat. No matter what we use as a core to try and control it, there is great risk. Do you deny this?"
The director rasied an eyebrow, nodding slightly at Borand's point. "I do not." The director answered. "But using an
artificial being with human thoughts and emotions will..." Borand cut the director off, standing up one more. "Using such
an unstable creation as Virtue, will not only compromise our safety but the lives of countless others! If anything were to
suddenly go wrong, if she has so much as a mood swing she would not stop with just us here on Mars. The entire solar system
would be at risk. This weapon is sinply too destructive to be used with any core consciousness as unstable as this constructed
pseudo-human!" Borand slammed his palm down on the table, puncuating the end of his argument.
"Doctor Borand, this project -will- go forward as planned." The director ordered, no longer willing to listen to what Borand
had to say. "And you will -personally- see that Virtue is kept contained. No one else is to have any kind of access to anything
concerning her. Am I clear Ethan?" Borand nodded agreeably, hanging his head in defeat. "The damage is already done, sir."
Borand countered, keeping his head low. "Yes, this is an unfortunate setback I agree." The director replied, biting his lower lip.
"Setback?" Borand exclaimed, shaking his head. "You think this is a setback? Two scientists under -your- command gained
unauthorized access to Virtue, abused her pyhsically and sexually. And you call that a setback? Intolerable!" The director
straightened his tie, seeming uncomforatble all of a sudden. "Yes well the persons responsible were eliminated, security has been
stepped up and the proper measures have been taken. She's state of the art, Ethan. It's not as if she'll break on us."
A slight laughter broke out from the others, as Borand saw his point had been complertely missed. He stared at them all as he would
corpses, and saw that alternate methods would have to be employed.
Faye was laying in a hospital bed, with Jet at her side. He watched her vital signs carefully, hoping for the best.
He glanced into the hallway, where Spike was talking to the doctor. Spike was looking throughly worried, and
thanked the doctor halfheartedly as he came back into Faye's room. "Jet, come out here for a second." Spike beckoned,
standing in the doorway. Jet nodded, taking another look at Faye's vitals before leaving the room. "What did he say?"
Jet asked anxiously, as he followed Spike outside. Spike ducked into the lounge, lighting a cigarette. "He said there's
some kind of virus in her bloodstream, something he's never encountered before." Spike informed Jet, narrowing his eyes.
Jet nodded, seeing that he had been right. "How long do we have?" He asked, lighting a cigarette himself.
Spike took a long drag, letting the smoke billow out from his mouth. "WIthout more info about the virus, or how to treat it..."
Spike paused for a second, meeting Jet's eager gaze. "Three days, that's if her condition doesn't get any worse." Spike
finished, looking down at the floor. Jet breathed in heavily, he had to tell him, Spike had a right to know.
"Spike, her heartbeat's weaking more all the time." Jet admitted as he looked away, not wanting to see Spike's reaction.
"And?" Spike's voice asked, his eyes still focused on the floor. "And that's all there is to it, whatever this thing is, it's.."
Spike looked back to Jet, his eyes narrowed. "It's going to kill her, isn't it?" Spike finished Jet's sentence, knowing
just what they were facing. "Yeah." Jet replied sadly, shaking his head. "You remember when Faye joined that crazy
cult, trying to get rid of her debt?" Spike questioned suddenly, pulling up a chair. Jet blinked, not knowing what that had
to do with anything. "Yeah, when she went off after Londes by herself right?" Jet answered, seeing no point in
bringing it up now. "When I found her, her heartbeat was really low." Spike continued, sitting backwards in the chair
and resting his arms on it. Jet's eyes widened, as he saw what Spike was getting at. "You think it was something they gave her?"
Jet asked, suddenly realizing how possible that was. "They were giving everyone something, to make them all compliant and
mellow. Faye said she saw them doing it." Spike stated, trying to put the pieces together. "Whatever that was, it had to
be temporary." Jet countered. "I mean if they gave it to everyone, then it couldn't be fatal or else the whole cult would be dead."
Spike pointed a finger at Jet, showing that Jet had hit it right on the head. "Yeah, casting off their physical bodies to join
Londes in cyberspace." He explained, his eyes widening in time with Jet's. "Oh shit, Spike what do we do? Everything about
that cult was confiscated by ISSP, we'll never find it!" Jet exclaimed, shaking his head. "Not everything." Spike corrected,
standing up and leaving the room in a hurry. "Spike, what is it?" Jet called after him, running to keep up.
Spike rumaged through Faye's room, finally finding what he was looking for. "This is it, what they were taking was inside this."
Spike informed Jet, who was hunched over searching the other side of the room. Spike held an empty glass vial,
any evidence of the virus long gone. "Spike, it's empty." Jet said, scratching his head. Spike turned the vial over,
showing Jet the writing on one side. "Miracle research and development." Jet read the label out loud, realizing why
Spike had come back to the ship. "Whoever they are, they're big." Spike pointed out, pocketing the vial. "There's no way
they would have made a virus like that wtihout making an antigen for it." Jet agreed, grinning. Now they had something to go on.
"We have to get in there as soon as we can, try to find a cure." Spike insisted, locking eyes with Jet. He understood Spike's
meaning, they had to work fast if they wanted to save Faye.
Doctor Ethan Borand opened the massive steel door once again, only this time the facility was deserted, and he was breaking
countless rules and regulations by sneaking into Virtue's chamber this late at night. She opened her eyes at his arrival,
staring bitterly at him. Borand gazed back at her, his eyes shining with rebellion. If he couldn't halt the projet with his words,
he'd sinply abduct Virtue. "Ready to go, sweetheart?" Borand asked her, pulling the lever near the transparent wall.
Virtue's face contorted in shock, as she was released from her tube. The transparent wall slid aside, giving Virtue free access
to the rest of the room. She stood slowly, bare naked as residue from the tube dripped from her skin. "You are in violation
of protocol." Virtue informed Borand, who took off his chemical suit. "To hell with protocol, here put this on."
Borand shot back, handing the suit to her. "But why? For what purpose have you released me?" Virtue
questioned, slipping the suit over her form. "Because those bastards are going to end up killing us all." Borand
replied, taking Virtue's hand as she put the gloves on. "And because despite the fact that we made you, you're still
alive and no one should be kept penned up like this." Virtue blinked, her mouth slightly open with surprise.
She was being set free, by this man whom she'd so hated. Was he really going to help her escape?
Alarms sounded throughout the building, as red lights doused the room. "Shit! I must have tripped an alarm somwhere!"
Borand shouted, holding Virtue's hand as they ran. "I could have sworn I got past all the security!" Borand cried,
swiping his card through a door lock. The door didn't open, and the lock beeped annoyingly at him.
"Damnit! I can't open the doors!" Borand yelled in dismay, swiping the card again. Virtue pushed him lightly aside,
regarding the lock as she put her fingernail into the card slot. Moments later the door slid open, and Virtue grabbed
Borand's arm as she ran through. They reached an intersection, where Borand started off to the right.
"Wrong way." Virtue corrected simply, grabbing his arm as she ran to the left. They met Spike and Jet halfway
down the corridor, as Borand stood protectively in front of the taller woman. "What are you here for?" Borand
asked, pulling a revolver from his labcoat. Spike quickly countered with his jehrico, pointing it at the doctor most
seriously. They didn't have time to be messing with the lab rats. Spike looked past him, and saw the girl he'd helped
on Venus, the one that had seemed so strange. "You?" Spike asked, shocked as he lowerd the gun a little.
"It was you. You saved me from them." Virtue replied, removing the suit's helmet to show her smiling face.
"Freind of yours?" Spike questioned, pointing the jehrico back to Borand. "He is releasing me. Helping me get free
as you did before." Virtue explained, stepping in front of the doctor. Jet's mouth hung open as Virtue kissed
Spike full on the lips. Spike pulled away quickly, looking first at Virtue then Borand. "Have you come also to help me?"
Virtue inquired, smiling at Spike hopefully. "I need something that's here, a cure for a friend." Spike corrected,
seeing that luck was with him tonight. Virtue cocked her head to one side, staring at Spike strangely.
"You." Spike said, grabbing Borand by his coat. "Where's the virus from the Londes cult? I need it."
Spike demanded, desperation ringing in his voice. Borand stared as Spike in surprise. "How do you know about that?"
Borand asked, pulling away. Spike pulled the dcotor closer, pressing the gun to his chin. "Now." He insisted, gritting his
teeth. If Jet was right, Faye had less than six hours left to live. Borand hesitating, not knowing what to think.
Shouting came from further down the hallway, as he realized these two must have tripped the alarms.
"Fourth floor, clean room C." Borand confessed, as Spike released him. "But the facitiy is locked down, you can't get in."
Spike looked to Jet, who met him with the same desperate look. There had to be a way. "I will go with you." Virtue offered,
grabbing Spike's hand as she led him back the way she'd just come. "In return for helping me before." Spike blinked, not
seeing how she could help. But she sure seemed to know her way around, leading Spike and Jet through a maze of corridors.
Borand followd closely behind, having more chance of getting out alive if he stayed with the rest of them.
Virtue slid a fignernail through the card slot, and the door marked C slowly opened. Spike realized he had been right,
she was definetely an android. "Spike! Over here!" Jet called, finding a cooler full of vials. Spike turned to Borand,
who was trying to catch his breath after the long run. "Where's the antigen for the virus? Is it here?" Spike demanded,
not using the gun this time. Borand thought for a second, then pointed to a reach in cooler. "It's in there, it's still experimental
we haven't fully tested it." Jet opened the cooler, grabbing a fistful of vials. "It'll have to do, Spike." Jet said, handing the
vials to him. Spike put them in the duffel bag he'd brought, and looked over at Virtue. "What's your name?" He asked,
taking her hand. "The name given by my creators is Virtue." She answered, smiling at him oddly again. "Thanks, Virtue."
Spike said, holding her hand tightly and nodding to her. "Spike, we've got no time! Security's coming!" Jet announced,
standing at the doorway. "Take the stairwell on your left, at the end of the hallway." Borand offered, looking at Spike
stoically. "Alright, come on Jet let's move." Spike shouted, as he and Jet ran back down the corridor.
"It's over now, all over..." Borand sighed, taking the revolver from his coat. Virtue cocked an eyebrow at him,
not understanding. "What do you mean? What is all over?" She asked, her eyes widening as she saw the gun.
"I can't, we can't escape. And after this I'll be eliminated anyway, I'm sorry Virtue. Truly sorry."
Borand poined th gun at Virtue, cocking back the hammer. "I just can't let them do it, even if it means we both have to die."
Virtue's mouth hung open in shock, as Borand shot her twice. One shot grazed her eye, as the second went through her chest.
She slumpled down, back to the wall as Borand turned the gun on himself. The shot rang out as security officers stormed the room,
their guns trained on Virtue while one of them checked Borand's body. "You come back with us now, he can't hurt you anymore."
One of the officers offered, holding out his hand. She stared at him in disbelief, trembling with pain and fear. As she looked
up at the man standing over her, she saw his outstretched hand as a false gesture of companionship. And then, something inside
Virtue snapped. Her face scowled as she reached out for the man's hand. As she broke it, he heard her say what would be the last
words he'd evere hear. "Liars. All of you are liars."
Spike looked down at Faye, his eyes frozen on her vital signs as the doctor administered the antigen. Her heart rate spiked,
swinging crazily from fast to slow. Then it evened out, and Faye Valentine opened her eyes. Jet gave Spike's shoulder a good
slap, grinning as Spike met Faye's gaze. She saw them both and smiled warmly, as she put one hand to her stomach.
"She seems like she'll be fine now." The doctor announced, as Spike bent down by her side. "That was a close call, Faye."
He informed her. touching her cheek. Faye only nodded, touching his face as she continued to smile. Jet felt quite relieved,
and left the two alone. Something about that strange woman that had helped them had seemed a bit off. But she was just as
responsible for saving Faye as he and Spike had been. He wondered briefly who she really was, and if they'd ever see her again.
Jet Black got his answer the next morning. Spike went out to bring Faye home, and Jet happened to catch a breaking news story.
It seemed that Miracle research and development was burned to ashes the night before, shortly after they'd left. Their
top secret project was nowhere to be found.
TO BE CONTINUED................................................................... ........................
SPIKE: Do emotions make us human? Or is it something else? When do we stop being animals and become people?
Where is that line drawn? Will our emotions be our undoing? In the last episode, the answer might be yes.
Spike slowly awoke, the peaceful dream melting away as he opened his eyes. He had been on Mars,
the world of Vicious and Julia replaced by sweet images of Faye. They had been sitting at a table,
talking and lauging happily as they ate dinner. Spike had also seen a child there, faintly ressembling
both of them in different ways. The little boy had been quiet, but his eyes held a powerful inner strength.
He had looked up from his toys briefly, staring at Spike with what had almost seemed like anger, or perhaps
remorse. It had been months since Spike's last nightmare. Being with Faye seemed to calm the demons inside him.
As Spike looked over, he saw Faye was gone. He got out of bed, walking to the door as he heard distant noises.
He followed the sounds, until he was standing outside the bathroom. It sounded like someone was sick,
the violent choking sounds subsiding as the faucet was turned on. Faye opened the door, slightly shocked
as she saw Spike standing there. She smiled at him a bit weakly, touching his hand as she walked past.
Spike watched her go, frowning slightly. Faye had been acting weird lately, as if something was sapping all
her energy. It was odd to see her that way, Spike thought. And it bothered him. This was the third morning in a row
Faye had been sick, and Spike didn't like it at all.
Men in chenical suits occupied the clean room, going about their daily tasks. Some of them studied things under
microscopes, while others carefully transported vials of chemicals from one shelf to another.
One of them stood before a gigantic steel door, marked with things like 'restricted access' and 'no unauthorized entrance'.
He operated the keypad near the door, swiping a card through the slot below. The light on the keypad lit up,
as air hissed from the opening door. Inside was a huge room, occupied by computer terminals and endless
machines all wired to each other. At the far end of the room, the wall was transparent. The man stopped in front
of it, removing his helmet as he gazed into the room beyond. It was occupied solely by a large tube, the liquid
inside bubbling sporadically. The figure within the tube stirred, lifting it's head as it's eyes met the new visitor.
"Hello, Virtue." The man spoke, grinning as the figure acknowledged his prescence. She was truly beautiful,
he thought. Perfectely formed, flawless in every physical detail. "Hello, Doctor Borand." Virtue replied, her monotone
voice was the only hint that she was anything but a normal human. "Why did you try to escape?" Borand questioned,
speaking to Virtue as he would a child. Virtue glared at the doctor, her eyes containing hatred.
"You will answer." Borand demanded, his voice becoming more stern. "I do not wish to be here anymore."
Virtue responded at last, still glaring at the doctor from her tube. Borand nodded sympathetically, placing his hand
palm up against the wall. "I know you were mistreated, and I apologize." He offered, as Virture's glare intensified.
"The word is rape, Doctor Borand. I was raped." Virtue's voice was still monotone, but heavy with spite.
Borand nodded slowly, seeing Virtue's cause for leaving. "Those men are gone, they can't hurt you anymore. I'll take care
of you personally now, I promise no more harm will come to you." Virtue lowered her head, her eyes closing once again.
"Do not promise what you cannot perform." Virtue warned, refusing to look at the doctor anymore.
"Virtue, please be reasonable. I can't change what happened, you know that. But we still need you, the project can't go forward
without you." Virtue remained quiet, like a child ignoring it's parent. Borand gave up, turning away from the wall.
Virtue's eyes opened once more, watching the doctor as he left the room. Her face was a mask of anger,
as her lips curled into a menacing snarl. Borand replaced his helmet, reentering the clean room as the massive door sealed
behind him. He studied his watch, his mind uneasy at what he'd just seen. She was growing more and more rebellious
all the time, and it worried him. She had been created as the perfect artificial being, a construct that could think and feel
as a human does. As a result, she also had all the weaknesses of the human heart. She could experience a wide range of
emotions, capable of feeling joy and sadness, pain and loss. Perhaps she could even love, and hate. It was an unstable
combination that he'd protested from the very beginning. Until humans could fully understand their own emotions,
any attempt to recreate them artifically was both foolish and dangerous. Borand reminded himself to bring up that very
issue at the board meeting, and pray that this time they would listen.
Spike came out of the shower as he heard a thud, running down the hallway with only his pants on. Jet was in the galley,
hunched over Faye's body. She was sprawled out on the floor, unconcious. "Faye!" Spike shouted, rushing over to her.
Jet checked her pulse carefully, frowning as he found it. "Is she ok?" Spike asked nervously, lifting Faye's head up gently.
"She's out cold, but she'll be ok I hope." Jet answered, putting a hand on his head. "Her heartbeat's irregular though,
we should definetely check her out." Spike lifted her up, carried her to the rec room and gently layed her down on the couch.
"What the hell happened?" Spike asked anxiously, keeping a hand under Faye's head. "She said she wasn't feeling too hot,
then she just collapsed." Jet said stoically, not knowing what to think about it. Spike sighed, looking tenderly at Faye.
"She's been acting weird lately Jet, she's always tired now." Spike admitted, looking at Jet with concern.
"Anything else?" Jet asked, returning Spike's concerned look. "Yeah, she's been sick for a few days, only in the morning though."
Spike continued, wishing he'd said something sooner. "It's ok Spike, we'll get her to a hospital don't worry." Jet assured him,
putting a hand on Spike's shoulder. Spike said nothing, but nodded to Jet and kept his eyes fixed on Faye's breathing.
"Faye Faye!" Edward cried, running into the room. She jumped on top of the couch like a cat, looking down at Faye
in distress. "Is Faye Faye sick?" Ed asked, looking at Spike. He looked back at her, as confidently as he could.
"No Ed, Faye's just sleeping. She's tired that's all." Spike told Ed, trying to believe it himself.
Jet regarded the situation grimly, and decided to plot a course to the nearest medical station. The closest one
that wouldn't ask questions, was over on Ganymede. The trip plus whatever they got charged by the hospital would
sap the last of their cash. "Shit, it never lets up." Jet grumbled, not nearly as concerned with the money as Faye's condition.
He hadn't been able to tell Spike, but her heartbeat had been more than just irregular. It was almost as if it were slowing down.
When he'd taken her pulse before, it was way below what any healthy person's should be. And Jet was sure if he took it
again an hour from now, it would be even weaker. Something was definetely attacking her system, and unless they did somehting
soon Jet was sure it would kill her.
Doctor Etahn Borand sat at the huge table, surrounded by fools, one and all. "This experiemnt is dangerous!" He shouted aloud,
standing up and putting both hands on the table. "The subject is unstable, her brainwaves are increasingly abnormal and her
rate of emotional growth is far beyond anything we anticipated!" Borand continued, feeling as if he were talking to a brick wall.
The other scientists only frowned and sighed and studied their damn reports, refusing to heed his words.
"Calm yourself, Doctor." The director insisited, eyeing Borand over the rim of his glasses. "This project is essential to
a number of government and military programs. You must be aware of that." Borand reluctanly sat back down, crossing
his arms. "I am aware of the project's importance." Borand stated, locking eyes with the board director. "But using an
artifical human is completely foolish. There's no reason why any number of our A.I systems couldn't be used as the
core." The board director cleard his throat, fidgeting with his tie as he shuffled a few papers. "Doctor Borand, do you recall
the incident concerning one of our latest A.I only a few months ago?" Borand closed his eyes, sighing as he saw it was
hopeless. "I do." He replied, watching as all eyes were focused on him. The director nodded briefly, before explaining.
"Three months ago, Doctor Borand instigated this project's intial activation. The result was as you all know, undesirable."
Borand leaned forward in his chair, folding his hands on the table. "But since then we have come so far! The A.I. my team
is currentely working with is incapable of such mistakes!" Borand saw that not a one of his peers realized the danger inherient
in the project, as he'd susecpted. "That isn't good enough, Ethan." The director spoke again, regarding Borand sympathetically.
"The A.I systems don't understand human concepts, such as the value of life. They only complete their tasks as efficiently
as possible, with no consideration for our best interests. The A.I we originally used as the station's core, destroyed two
cities on Mars because it could not comprehend such delicate matters. If we were to use another A.I. no matter how advanced,
we would be risking the possible desruction of more cities. Perhaps even entire planets. This sattelite is simply too powerful
to be left in the hands of a machine. Virtue has been created specifically to prevent future incidents of this nature."
The director folded his arms as he leaned back in his chair. Borand pointed his pen accusingly as he replied. "With all due respect
sir, it's the satelite that poses a threat. No matter what we use as a core to try and control it, there is great risk. Do you deny this?"
The director rasied an eyebrow, nodding slightly at Borand's point. "I do not." The director answered. "But using an
artificial being with human thoughts and emotions will..." Borand cut the director off, standing up one more. "Using such
an unstable creation as Virtue, will not only compromise our safety but the lives of countless others! If anything were to
suddenly go wrong, if she has so much as a mood swing she would not stop with just us here on Mars. The entire solar system
would be at risk. This weapon is sinply too destructive to be used with any core consciousness as unstable as this constructed
pseudo-human!" Borand slammed his palm down on the table, puncuating the end of his argument.
"Doctor Borand, this project -will- go forward as planned." The director ordered, no longer willing to listen to what Borand
had to say. "And you will -personally- see that Virtue is kept contained. No one else is to have any kind of access to anything
concerning her. Am I clear Ethan?" Borand nodded agreeably, hanging his head in defeat. "The damage is already done, sir."
Borand countered, keeping his head low. "Yes, this is an unfortunate setback I agree." The director replied, biting his lower lip.
"Setback?" Borand exclaimed, shaking his head. "You think this is a setback? Two scientists under -your- command gained
unauthorized access to Virtue, abused her pyhsically and sexually. And you call that a setback? Intolerable!" The director
straightened his tie, seeming uncomforatble all of a sudden. "Yes well the persons responsible were eliminated, security has been
stepped up and the proper measures have been taken. She's state of the art, Ethan. It's not as if she'll break on us."
A slight laughter broke out from the others, as Borand saw his point had been complertely missed. He stared at them all as he would
corpses, and saw that alternate methods would have to be employed.
Faye was laying in a hospital bed, with Jet at her side. He watched her vital signs carefully, hoping for the best.
He glanced into the hallway, where Spike was talking to the doctor. Spike was looking throughly worried, and
thanked the doctor halfheartedly as he came back into Faye's room. "Jet, come out here for a second." Spike beckoned,
standing in the doorway. Jet nodded, taking another look at Faye's vitals before leaving the room. "What did he say?"
Jet asked anxiously, as he followed Spike outside. Spike ducked into the lounge, lighting a cigarette. "He said there's
some kind of virus in her bloodstream, something he's never encountered before." Spike informed Jet, narrowing his eyes.
Jet nodded, seeing that he had been right. "How long do we have?" He asked, lighting a cigarette himself.
Spike took a long drag, letting the smoke billow out from his mouth. "WIthout more info about the virus, or how to treat it..."
Spike paused for a second, meeting Jet's eager gaze. "Three days, that's if her condition doesn't get any worse." Spike
finished, looking down at the floor. Jet breathed in heavily, he had to tell him, Spike had a right to know.
"Spike, her heartbeat's weaking more all the time." Jet admitted as he looked away, not wanting to see Spike's reaction.
"And?" Spike's voice asked, his eyes still focused on the floor. "And that's all there is to it, whatever this thing is, it's.."
Spike looked back to Jet, his eyes narrowed. "It's going to kill her, isn't it?" Spike finished Jet's sentence, knowing
just what they were facing. "Yeah." Jet replied sadly, shaking his head. "You remember when Faye joined that crazy
cult, trying to get rid of her debt?" Spike questioned suddenly, pulling up a chair. Jet blinked, not knowing what that had
to do with anything. "Yeah, when she went off after Londes by herself right?" Jet answered, seeing no point in
bringing it up now. "When I found her, her heartbeat was really low." Spike continued, sitting backwards in the chair
and resting his arms on it. Jet's eyes widened, as he saw what Spike was getting at. "You think it was something they gave her?"
Jet asked, suddenly realizing how possible that was. "They were giving everyone something, to make them all compliant and
mellow. Faye said she saw them doing it." Spike stated, trying to put the pieces together. "Whatever that was, it had to
be temporary." Jet countered. "I mean if they gave it to everyone, then it couldn't be fatal or else the whole cult would be dead."
Spike pointed a finger at Jet, showing that Jet had hit it right on the head. "Yeah, casting off their physical bodies to join
Londes in cyberspace." He explained, his eyes widening in time with Jet's. "Oh shit, Spike what do we do? Everything about
that cult was confiscated by ISSP, we'll never find it!" Jet exclaimed, shaking his head. "Not everything." Spike corrected,
standing up and leaving the room in a hurry. "Spike, what is it?" Jet called after him, running to keep up.
Spike rumaged through Faye's room, finally finding what he was looking for. "This is it, what they were taking was inside this."
Spike informed Jet, who was hunched over searching the other side of the room. Spike held an empty glass vial,
any evidence of the virus long gone. "Spike, it's empty." Jet said, scratching his head. Spike turned the vial over,
showing Jet the writing on one side. "Miracle research and development." Jet read the label out loud, realizing why
Spike had come back to the ship. "Whoever they are, they're big." Spike pointed out, pocketing the vial. "There's no way
they would have made a virus like that wtihout making an antigen for it." Jet agreed, grinning. Now they had something to go on.
"We have to get in there as soon as we can, try to find a cure." Spike insisted, locking eyes with Jet. He understood Spike's
meaning, they had to work fast if they wanted to save Faye.
Doctor Ethan Borand opened the massive steel door once again, only this time the facility was deserted, and he was breaking
countless rules and regulations by sneaking into Virtue's chamber this late at night. She opened her eyes at his arrival,
staring bitterly at him. Borand gazed back at her, his eyes shining with rebellion. If he couldn't halt the projet with his words,
he'd sinply abduct Virtue. "Ready to go, sweetheart?" Borand asked her, pulling the lever near the transparent wall.
Virtue's face contorted in shock, as she was released from her tube. The transparent wall slid aside, giving Virtue free access
to the rest of the room. She stood slowly, bare naked as residue from the tube dripped from her skin. "You are in violation
of protocol." Virtue informed Borand, who took off his chemical suit. "To hell with protocol, here put this on."
Borand shot back, handing the suit to her. "But why? For what purpose have you released me?" Virtue
questioned, slipping the suit over her form. "Because those bastards are going to end up killing us all." Borand
replied, taking Virtue's hand as she put the gloves on. "And because despite the fact that we made you, you're still
alive and no one should be kept penned up like this." Virtue blinked, her mouth slightly open with surprise.
She was being set free, by this man whom she'd so hated. Was he really going to help her escape?
Alarms sounded throughout the building, as red lights doused the room. "Shit! I must have tripped an alarm somwhere!"
Borand shouted, holding Virtue's hand as they ran. "I could have sworn I got past all the security!" Borand cried,
swiping his card through a door lock. The door didn't open, and the lock beeped annoyingly at him.
"Damnit! I can't open the doors!" Borand yelled in dismay, swiping the card again. Virtue pushed him lightly aside,
regarding the lock as she put her fingernail into the card slot. Moments later the door slid open, and Virtue grabbed
Borand's arm as she ran through. They reached an intersection, where Borand started off to the right.
"Wrong way." Virtue corrected simply, grabbing his arm as she ran to the left. They met Spike and Jet halfway
down the corridor, as Borand stood protectively in front of the taller woman. "What are you here for?" Borand
asked, pulling a revolver from his labcoat. Spike quickly countered with his jehrico, pointing it at the doctor most
seriously. They didn't have time to be messing with the lab rats. Spike looked past him, and saw the girl he'd helped
on Venus, the one that had seemed so strange. "You?" Spike asked, shocked as he lowerd the gun a little.
"It was you. You saved me from them." Virtue replied, removing the suit's helmet to show her smiling face.
"Freind of yours?" Spike questioned, pointing the jehrico back to Borand. "He is releasing me. Helping me get free
as you did before." Virtue explained, stepping in front of the doctor. Jet's mouth hung open as Virtue kissed
Spike full on the lips. Spike pulled away quickly, looking first at Virtue then Borand. "Have you come also to help me?"
Virtue inquired, smiling at Spike hopefully. "I need something that's here, a cure for a friend." Spike corrected,
seeing that luck was with him tonight. Virtue cocked her head to one side, staring at Spike strangely.
"You." Spike said, grabbing Borand by his coat. "Where's the virus from the Londes cult? I need it."
Spike demanded, desperation ringing in his voice. Borand stared as Spike in surprise. "How do you know about that?"
Borand asked, pulling away. Spike pulled the dcotor closer, pressing the gun to his chin. "Now." He insisted, gritting his
teeth. If Jet was right, Faye had less than six hours left to live. Borand hesitating, not knowing what to think.
Shouting came from further down the hallway, as he realized these two must have tripped the alarms.
"Fourth floor, clean room C." Borand confessed, as Spike released him. "But the facitiy is locked down, you can't get in."
Spike looked to Jet, who met him with the same desperate look. There had to be a way. "I will go with you." Virtue offered,
grabbing Spike's hand as she led him back the way she'd just come. "In return for helping me before." Spike blinked, not
seeing how she could help. But she sure seemed to know her way around, leading Spike and Jet through a maze of corridors.
Borand followd closely behind, having more chance of getting out alive if he stayed with the rest of them.
Virtue slid a fignernail through the card slot, and the door marked C slowly opened. Spike realized he had been right,
she was definetely an android. "Spike! Over here!" Jet called, finding a cooler full of vials. Spike turned to Borand,
who was trying to catch his breath after the long run. "Where's the antigen for the virus? Is it here?" Spike demanded,
not using the gun this time. Borand thought for a second, then pointed to a reach in cooler. "It's in there, it's still experimental
we haven't fully tested it." Jet opened the cooler, grabbing a fistful of vials. "It'll have to do, Spike." Jet said, handing the
vials to him. Spike put them in the duffel bag he'd brought, and looked over at Virtue. "What's your name?" He asked,
taking her hand. "The name given by my creators is Virtue." She answered, smiling at him oddly again. "Thanks, Virtue."
Spike said, holding her hand tightly and nodding to her. "Spike, we've got no time! Security's coming!" Jet announced,
standing at the doorway. "Take the stairwell on your left, at the end of the hallway." Borand offered, looking at Spike
stoically. "Alright, come on Jet let's move." Spike shouted, as he and Jet ran back down the corridor.
"It's over now, all over..." Borand sighed, taking the revolver from his coat. Virtue cocked an eyebrow at him,
not understanding. "What do you mean? What is all over?" She asked, her eyes widening as she saw the gun.
"I can't, we can't escape. And after this I'll be eliminated anyway, I'm sorry Virtue. Truly sorry."
Borand poined th gun at Virtue, cocking back the hammer. "I just can't let them do it, even if it means we both have to die."
Virtue's mouth hung open in shock, as Borand shot her twice. One shot grazed her eye, as the second went through her chest.
She slumpled down, back to the wall as Borand turned the gun on himself. The shot rang out as security officers stormed the room,
their guns trained on Virtue while one of them checked Borand's body. "You come back with us now, he can't hurt you anymore."
One of the officers offered, holding out his hand. She stared at him in disbelief, trembling with pain and fear. As she looked
up at the man standing over her, she saw his outstretched hand as a false gesture of companionship. And then, something inside
Virtue snapped. Her face scowled as she reached out for the man's hand. As she broke it, he heard her say what would be the last
words he'd evere hear. "Liars. All of you are liars."
Spike looked down at Faye, his eyes frozen on her vital signs as the doctor administered the antigen. Her heart rate spiked,
swinging crazily from fast to slow. Then it evened out, and Faye Valentine opened her eyes. Jet gave Spike's shoulder a good
slap, grinning as Spike met Faye's gaze. She saw them both and smiled warmly, as she put one hand to her stomach.
"She seems like she'll be fine now." The doctor announced, as Spike bent down by her side. "That was a close call, Faye."
He informed her. touching her cheek. Faye only nodded, touching his face as she continued to smile. Jet felt quite relieved,
and left the two alone. Something about that strange woman that had helped them had seemed a bit off. But she was just as
responsible for saving Faye as he and Spike had been. He wondered briefly who she really was, and if they'd ever see her again.
Jet Black got his answer the next morning. Spike went out to bring Faye home, and Jet happened to catch a breaking news story.
It seemed that Miracle research and development was burned to ashes the night before, shortly after they'd left. Their
top secret project was nowhere to be found.
TO BE CONTINUED................................................................... ........................
SPIKE: Do emotions make us human? Or is it something else? When do we stop being animals and become people?
Where is that line drawn? Will our emotions be our undoing? In the last episode, the answer might be yes.