Chapter 11
Plan of Action
Disclaimer: Yeah, Landmark owns it all. This is the same disclaimer you read all over the internet and web. Let's be truthful, though – this could have been a great show that Landmark and Mattel let slide into oblivion. Shame on them for being before their time in the entertainment business.
--
Something was changing. Jennifer Chase's brain was drifting from a dream state toward reality. She was being forced away from the comfort of oblivion into something that she feared would be harsh. There was light that hurt, and she did her best to move away from it.
Dreams. There were so many buzzing in her head, so many pictures. Some were from an ancient and buried past that she wanted with all her being to forget. The horrors came back, along with faces and voices she would just as well forget if it were up to her. There was one face, though, that kept coming to the fore of her limited consciousness. Helene Tobias was dead, yet she was alive and well in Jennifer's memory. If the new dreams, the ones that had been added to the usual nightmares, were true, then Tobias was alive in the physical and not just the ethereal state of unconscious thought.
Jennifer wanted to stop the flow of images. She wanted to put the past as far behind her as she could, but she was being dragged into the present, into a place where she somehow knew Tobias would be waiting.
"Jennifer," Tobias' voice called, "I want you to open your eyes for me."
The Tobias voice was insistent. It was a blast from the past for Jennifer, as Hawk might have called it. Her eyes flicked open briefly, and she saw Helene's face in detail. The steel plate on the side of the doctor's head invaded the memories, placing itself in its proper place amid an aging face. Still, even above the confusion of memories butting against reality, something else was taking her attention.
Pain.
It was growing like a storm. It had been quiet at first, bearable. It was fast becoming a torrent of stimulus. The shroud of darkness was fading away, and the light was invading her senses as she involuntarily began complying with the order to open her eyes more fully.
Her whole body was now aching with ferocity, but her right side felt like an inferno. A sudden stab of pain from that area ripped her from the last remnants of the fabric of sleep and into a lit room where she lay prone in a bed.
The man she remembered seeing earlier was there, the one who had comforted her the first time she awoke. He stood over her at the side of the bed, his hand on the mattress above her head for support.
"Can you hear me, Corporal?" he asked.
Her lips were parched, and her throat was sore. She managed a nod at him, closing her eyes against the painful stab of the overhead lights. Then, a wave of stinging pain hit her torso like lightning. She arched up against it, her heart tumbling with the shock of it. Her eyes were wide again as she reeled from the assault on her senses.
Tobias' voice was calm but direct. "Give her five of methylendorphine."
Holcomb picked up a tiny vial and turned Jennifer's head slightly to insert it into the device on her neck. In nearly an instant, the pain began to fade, although it did not entirely vanish. Her heart rate slowed from its manic pace as the painkiller kicked in and took away the distress. Her eyes closed again, but time it was in relief, not exhaustion.
"You're okay," Holcomb soothed, applying a damp cloth to her forehead.
She looked up at him again, feeling more awake than the first time. Something was different. It took her a moment to realize that the tube in her throat was gone. She was able to breathe on her own. More importantly, she was able to speak.
"Where am I?" she whispered, her voice raspy and weak, speaking the first question that came to mind.
"You're safe," Tobias said.
Jennifer turned her head and felt a chill run through her body at the sight of Tobias. "I thought I was dreaming," she managed to the doctor.
"No," Tobias assured gently. "It's real. You're in a place called Sanctuary. It's a resistance cell. Captain Power and his team brought you here for treatment."
It seemed such a chore to take a breath, but Pilot made a concerted effort to take a deep swallow of air. She was rewarded with a spike of pain that felt as though she was being cut in half. Her left wrist felt crushed with the pain that mimicked what was pulsating in her side.
Tobias took Jennifer's good hand in hers. "Easy," she soothed, enduring the intense grip Jennifer applied as a result of the shock. "Drop another five," she told Holcomb, a twinge of urgency in her voice.
Holcomb inserted another vial into the device. The pain began to subside, and Jennifer's hold on Tobias' hand loosened. Sweat trickled down her neck, and Holcomb again mopped at it. Taking smaller, more manageable breaths, she recovered from the onslaught.
"Thank . . . you," she whispered in two labored breaths.
"Don't thank us too soon," Tobias said, reaching up to make an adjustment on the monitor. "We had no choice but to wake you. We need your help."
It was all so confusing, and she battled to bring it into cognitive reasoning. "I don't understand."
Pilot's mind began absorbing the facts as Tobias laid them out in order. First, Tobias gave a brief synopsis of the events that had unfolded in the previous twenty-four hours, including Jon Power returning to the base to find something of Pilot to bury. Then came the details of the bold plan to infiltrate Volcania on two fronts and the quest to stop Dread from completing the cybernetic transfer.
The pain disappeared as Tobias read out the details. Pilot found herself immersed in the story behind Tobias' quest to bring down Dread's plan. Her awareness grew, and she felt refreshed and practically fine. She told Tobias as much when the doctor was done reciting the plans for the attack.
"That's the methylendorphine," Tobias explained. "You're going to feel invincible right up to the point the stuff wears off. Then you're going to hurt . . . badly."
"Not as bad as you will be if Overmind sees you in the system. If that happens, I can't pull you out of there," Pilot warned, licking at dry lips.
Tobias reached for a glass of water on the bedstand. "I know," she said plainly, bringing the cup to Jennifer's lips. "So, here's hoping not a whole lot has changed since the last time we did something like this back at Alaceda."
The cool water was a blessing, and Chase wanted more. Tobias took the glass away, though, denying her patient too much too fast.
"Back at Alaceda, we both had clearance to be in Dread's systems," Jennifer countered.
"True."
"The security protocols will be looking for you."
"I don't think so," Tobias said optimistically. "Dread thinks I'm dead. The only protocols I'll have to worry about are the old ones that we used to bypass at the research center."
Pilot was taken aback by the notion. "I thought you were dead, too," she said quietly.
A contrite look came across Tobias' face. "I know, and I'm sorry for that. It took quite a while to recover from Dread's work. But, thanks to Holcomb," she said, giving him a fond smile, "I'm still here, and mostly in one piece."
Pilot addressed Holcomb. "What she wants to do is dangerous."
"Yes," Holcomb agreed, "but it's the only way to get in there and make it as safe as possible for the ground teams. Helene and I have talked about the risks, and she wants to do it."
Tobias sat back and stifled a yawn. "The circumstances will be different than when you used to assist me in the lab at Alaceda. This time, I'm going in using a port, not VR. I need you to help me through the layouts and watch for security checks."
Memories of seeing the autonomic systems' programming translated into visual references had been exciting. Tobias had written code to convert standard machine language into images called from a library of her creation. Subroutines were given pictures based on their function. The result was an astounding view of order and logic in a world of the doctor's creation.
At the time of their work in the core, Tobias had relied on a packet of code to convert the language to her visual perceptions. The virtual reality interface looked to the library to assign the picture to the core's structure. It was a constant conversation between two machines with human beings as the audience. With no direct access to the library, though, the interface would be nearly impossible unless Tobias had constructed an entirely new library. There would be no way to equate code to image without it.
"What about the reference library?" Jennifer asked. "If it still exists, it's going to be buried in the core, and I doubt we'll be able to go deep enough to reach it without detection. Without it, we can't translate the core's code."
"We're going to use subconscious recall," Tobias said. "I modified the port to accept the electrochemical recall of the old library style based on its location in my cerebellum."
The concept was revolutionary, in spite of all of Helene Tobias' scientific accomplishments. Jennifer felt her intrigue and wonderment of the mission increasing.
"You're recalling entire memories through the port," she said, amazed.
"That's right," Tobias confirmed, "and you're the only one who worked on the old system with the original library. I can recall most of the symbols, but there are some that I won't remember. That's where you come in to play. I'll need you to analyze the anomalies to tell me their purpose. We'll also need to think on the fly if we encounter something new."
The methylendorphine was a miracle drug as far as Jennifer was concerned. She felt no lag in her senses, and the pain in her side was completely gone. Aside from a twinge every now and then under the steel cast on her left wrist, she felt ready to get to work.
"For what it's worth, that stuff you gave me is terrific," Jennifer remarked.
Tobias gave a small grimace. "Yes, it is, but don't give its due just yet. When it wears off, it's practically instantaneous. You're going to feel like hell, assuming you're even upright and able to think at that point."
"Well, for the moment, it has me feeling good enough to get out of this bed."
Tobias looked skeptical. "I'm not sure I want you up and about just yet. The regenerators still have work to do, and your moving around will slow their progress."
"I can't be effective just laying here," Pilot protested. "I need to be at your side to do this."
Holcomb gave a deep sigh. "She's right. She needs to be where you are if we're going to get into Overmind."
Tobias considered the arguments and finally relented with a compromise. "Fine. You'll stay in bed and do the prep work. That will give you almost two more hours of rest before we have to move."
"In the meantime," Holcomb said, "I'll find you some clothes."
"Something loose," Tobias admonished. "I don't want anything snagging on the regen strips."
Holcomb nodded. "Will do." Then he was gone from the room.
Tobias closed weary eyes, then opened them to look at Jennifer with a sad watch.
"I suppose you have a lot of questions," she began.
The doctor could not have been more right. There were a thousand things buzzing in Jennifer's head, and she desperately tried to latch on to one to voice it.
"I thought you were dead," Pilot said again.
"So did I."
"Then how . . .?"
Tobias shrugged. "A little preparation and a lot of luck go a long way when you've pushed Lyman Taggart to his limit."
Jennifer's mind involuntarily recalled the events of those two days. "We were in Sandtown on a patrol. When we got back, the Overunit told me you'd been taken into custody and executed for treason."
"It wasn't like I didn't know it was coming," Tobias said with slight nonchalance. "It was only a matter of time before they caught on to what was happening. It was a dangerous game with terrible odds. I lost."
"They told me what he'd done to you."
Tobias looked down at the mechanical leg and tapped it twice with a clenched fist. "Well, it was certainly more than I bargained for, I'll admit. I was figuring on a little torture, some 'supreme will of the machines' rhetoric and a little cell time. Taggart was full of surprises that day."
Jennifer was felt an overwhelming sense of sadness fill her. "I'm sorry I wasn't there," she said quietly.
Tobias dismissed the apology firmly. "Sweetheart, if you'd been there when they came to get me, you would have been on the next slab over. No," she said, "you were where you were supposed to be for a reason. I'm glad to see that something good came of that man's tyranny."
"You helped me to see the truth," Jennifer said. "I wanted to tell you when I got back, but it was too late. That's when I left."
Tobias took hold of Jennifer's hand and gave it a squeeze. "The best damned thing you've done all your life."
Holcomb returned with a set of clothes in his hands. "I found these for you. Might be a little big, but it's all we got laying around that doesn't have someone in them already," he said with a small grin.
Chase returned the smile. "I'm sure they'll be fine," she said, reaching up to scratch at an itch on her forehead.
That was when she felt the cold metal of a plate formed to the shape of her skull. A wave of panic flashed through her as she immediately focused on the one embedded in Tobias's skin. The look on her face must have told the entire story, for Tobias was quick to allay Pilot's fears.
"It's just temporary," the doctor quickly assured her, a sound of regret in her voice. "I should have told you that earlier, but I didn't think of it. I'm sorry."
Pilot felt the curve of the plate and winced slightly as she pressed down on it.
"You had a deep laceration," Tobias explained. "There are regeneration cells inside the unit that close the wound and heal it. The same technology is fixing your wrist."
"I can't believe I thought you'd . . . ," Jennifer said, her eyes closed. Her heart was pounding again, and the monitors relayed it to Tobias. "I'm sorry."
She struggled to say what she meant because there were so many thoughts pulsing through her brain again. High above it all was the advent of guilt over thinking Tobias would have mutilated a patient in the manner Taggart had assumed she was capable of doing.
"Don't," Tobias said. "If you thought that's what I did, I deserve it. I tried to warn your captain about the technology we use here, that some of it looks like Dread hardware; but I should have worried more about the patient using it."
"I guess old habits die hard when it comes to using what you have."
Tobias gave a buried wince. "My only regret is that it was all designed for Lyman's use, not to heal those he hurt."
Holcomb shook his head. "What she won't tell you, Corporal, is that she is using it to help people now. I'd say she's more than made up for lost time," he said, ostensibly.
There was a look exchanged between Tobias and Holcomb that Jennifer could not readily interpret. She could not decide if Tobias was flattered or perturbed. That was what made the woman unique. She seldom let emotion rise above fact and practicality. At that moment, though, it seemed as though a lifetime of conversation passed between them, countering Tobias' guilty sentiment.
Chase could only imagine what Jon thought about meeting Tobias for the first time. Tobias had never been one for small talk, engaging events head-on and with abandon to attain her goals. She was to the point, finding idle chatter to be a waste of time and energy when there were more pressing matters at hand. If Jon tried to be civil with her, he probably received what most would have considered an icy response.
Holcomb did not retreat from the determination in his statement. He eyed Tobias with equal fervor. It was then that Jennifer decided he was the first person she had ever met who was a match for Tobias. If not a match, then he was certainly able to give the doctor a run for her money.
"She always did, Holcomb," Jennifer said, quietly.
Tobias chuckled and stood. "Well," she said, letting another quiet laugh out, "this lovefest is getting a little heavy. I think I'll go to the lab now and stick a probe in my brain."
The thought of that made Jennifer's stomach churn a bit, but she willed it away, not wanting to be distracted. She watched Tobias leave the room, but not before the doctor cast one more glance at Holcomb. Then she disappeared into the hall.
She looked up at Holcomb, and he sat down on the stool next to the bed.
"Looks like we both have a history with her," she said.
"Different circumstances, though," he answered, checking the cast on her wrist. He squeezed at her fingertips, watching the capillaries refill and return the skin to a normal reddish color.
"Those always change, don't they?"
Holcomb nodded. "Maybe that will change with what we're going to do. One way or another, though, this will all come to an end. Either Dread will die, or we're all going to be gravel."
She smiled. "I'll take the first choice, if you don't mind."
"Agreed," he said. "Look, I'm going to get you set up with a terminal, and then I'm heading for the lab. She wasn't kidding about the probe thing. I prefer to be there when she starts playing with the equipment."
"I understand completely," Chase said, rubbing away the grit in her eyes.
Holcomb stood and moved the terminal close to her bed where she could reach the controls. As he turned to leave, she stopped him.
"Holcomb?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you," she said, although she knew the words were an inadequate expression compared to the debt she owed them.
"The people you should thanking are the members of your team. They're the ones who got you here alive. We just put the pieces back together."
"And Doctor Tobias?"
"Well," Holcomb said, solemnly, "she's always been another story, hasn't she?"
His eyes twinkled a bit as he said it, but she could see an underlying sadness that belied the truth of the matter. The war had been long, and Tobias had been there from the start.
"Yes," Jennifer answered, "she has."