Finally! A chance to write...
Chapter Eighteen
THE NEXT MORNING…
It's 8:30 a.m., and Tom Jensen, CEO of the San Francisco Chronicle, is calling in sick. He calls his right-hand man, Kevin; and then sends an e-mail announcing that due to his 'illness', the Rowen interview has been cancelled for today, and is on hiatus until further notice. Absolutely no one is to even think about going near Rowen until he says otherwise.
And now he sits in his kitchen staring at his mug of coffee, wondering how he's going to make it through the rest of the day. He does not have the cold or the flu, but he has never felt so sick in all his life.
He had Studio A all set up, he had a carefully-planned list of questions for Rowen to answer, and he even had contacted a team of psychiatrists to do a follow-up segment on Stockholm syndrome afterward. He was going to remind those rooky anchormen how an Emmy Award is properly won.
And nobody was going to get in his way. Not MacCurdy. Not Zeta. Not the NSA. Not anyone!
But then Brother's Day, the infamous terrorist group, actually had the gall to tell him it would be in his best interest to cancel the Rowen interview. And then, if that wasn't bad enough, Titus Sweete himself 'escorted' him home. The next thing he knew, all his blackmail tapes were gone. Chances are the copies he kept in his office are gone, too. (This can't be happening…! This just can not be happening!)
For three years she ran from the law, had an unnatural relationship with a killer robot and then the NSA decided to call it quits. And now, they walk the streets like nothing happened, taking their 'relationship' to the next level…
It's not right! Zeta is a machine! It always had been, and always will be! Machines were never meant to be used this way! Never! Its government property and Rowen has turned it into a sex toy! She's insane! And the government is doing nothing about it!
The worst part of it all is…Brother's Day was right.
The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that what he wanted to do probably would have done more harm than good. Sure, the people would have known the truth about Rowen and the government making killer robots, but the fact that these things can impersonate anyone would make people suspicious of anyone they come in contact with. Humans are easily scared by what they don't understand, and causing a panic is not how to win an Emmy.
It took a terrorist group to remind him of that.
And now, he's keeping his window curtains closed. The weather outside is perfect, but he dares not go outside for fear of being watched by Brother's Day. He sighs. Of course they're watching him. They kidnapped him from his own news building with ease. They held him prisoner long enough to get their point across. They brought him back to his own apartment. And they took all of his blackmail tapes.
They did all that without anyone knowing. No police, no NSA. That just isn't possible…unless… (Dear God! Brother's Day has agents on my payroll! It's the only way! All this time he's had people from his organization working in my building! They could be anyone, from the janitors to the security… Kevin! He's the only one who knew about the tapes! Has he been working with them all this time?)
Now he really does feel sick.
NSA HEADQUARTERS…
The time is now 8:45 a.m. Once again, Agent West arrives for work. Once again, he must inspect Zeta's cred account.
Once again, he asks himself, "Why do I bother?"
After Agent Bennet called off the search, Commander Lemac reassigned him to observing Zeta's spending habits. Lemac's theory is that it's just a matter of time before Rowen goes on a major shopping spree. And that's when the NSA will move in and take custody of Zeta.
At least, that's what he told Agent West.
And yet, Lemac has done nothing about Zeta's purchases. The robot bought a wedding dress, of all things! It is never normal for any robot to buy a wedding dress!
And now, a new transaction appears on the computer screen. It appears to be from Ashford. (Ashford… Isn't that a jewelry store...?)
"Morning, West."
(Oh, Hell, no!) Looks like West is getting another visit from Agent Samantha Jones…whether he likes it or not. It's time to put on the happy face… "Hello, Jones."
"Well, you look cheerful. Has the shopaholic finally fallen of the wagon?"
"I hope so. It looks like they actually bought something yesterday. Have you heard of a place called Ashford? I think it sells jewelry."
"It does. It's not as popular as Zales or Kay, but they do sell some nice stuff. Whoa… You don't think…?"
"It's the ring! What else could it be! If this doesn't get Lemac's attention, nothing will. We'll finally bring that crazy robot in!"
"Slow down, Slugger! Let's not jump the gun!"
"Come on, Jones. They have a wedding dress. Why else would they go to a jewelry store?"
"West, call me crazy, but it looks more like a pendant."
Now West looks at the screen. There's no doubt about it. No ring, just a pendant. "Why do I bother?"
"What do you mean?"
West could not believe he was talking to her about this, but a big part of him is ready to blow. And besides, with Lee gone, here was someone who was actually willing to listen to him. "When I signed up for the NSA, I had dreams. Dreams of one day become Regional Director or even Vice-President if I worked long and hard enough. But ever since Zeta… Let's face it; my career's been flushed down the toilet. Lemac is in no hurry to go after Zeta no matter what he buys now…"
Jones raises her hand right in his face. "Hold it, West. Before you say anything else, listen… No one becomes an overnight success. Lemac, Bennet, even Dr. Selig; they all had to go through years of rough moments. Sure, they made what they do look easy, but it took a lot of hard work…and maybe a little luck. But ask yourself this: How badly do you want to reach your goal? How hard are you willing to work for what you really want?"
"What I want…" replies West, "…is to do something useful. Anything is better than sitting at my desk day after day, staring at the same cred account for what apparently seems to be NO GOOD REASON…!" West slams his hand on – of all things – the keyboard, causing the computer screen to go haywire.
"Uh… West?"
"Oh, Lord! Please no…!" West prays for a miracle as he puts everything he knows about computer programming on the line to fix this digital mess before Lemac or anyone else finds out, while Agent Jones keeps an eye out for anyone coming. Thankfully, about three minutes later, the screen looks like its back to normal. West wastes no time seeking access to Zeta's cred account. West is about to breathe a humongous sigh of relief, when… "Wait a minute. Now it looks like he boarded a plane to San Francisco yesterday. But Zeta has been living in San Francisco all this time… Oh, Lord!"
"What?"
"This is Agent Bennet's cred account. I downloaded the wrong file!" After saying another prayer, West is able to click out of Bennet's account and retrieve Zeta's file. He takes a moment to catch up on his breathing. A minute later, Jones returns with a cup of water from the cooler.
"Here, drink this." She lets West take a few sips. "Now, what have you learned today?"
"That I almost got myself fired for real this time?"
Jones sighs. "Agent West, you don't really give yourself a lot of credit, do you? When the computer crashed, you were able to fix it all by yourself? How many other agents can do that?" When she's sure no one is listening she whispers, "You also seem to be quite the hacker."
"Yeah, that would look real good on my resume."
"All I'm saying is, even though you may not be 'action vid hero' material, you still have some hidden talents. Don't take them for granted. Later."
West can only stare at Jones as she heads down the hall and disappears around the corner. Then he sits back at his desk and stares at the computer.
For so long, it seemed as thought he just couldn't do anything right. He came so close to writing his resignation and just giving up. And yet he managed to repair his computer. Sure, he broke it in the first place, but still, he got it working again. Maybe Jones is right. Maybe he his taking his computer skills for granted…
Maybe he's taking Jones for granted, too.
He still misses Lee, but it's nice to know not everyone is waiting to see if he'll be fired the next day. She's smart, nice, cheerful… If only she wasn't a dead ringer for Rosalie Rowen. The only difference is that Rowen's a blonde and Jones is a brunette… (Didn't she have a ponytail before? When did she cut her hair? And come to think of it… Why is Bennet in San Francisco?)
SAN FRANCISCO…
It's 9:10 a.m., and after a long night of rest, Zee can finally open his eyes. The first thing he sees is Bucky working on his laptop. "Bucky?"
"Zee! You're awake! Your eyes still look a little bruised, though, but it looks like they're healing nicely. How're you feeling?"
"Better, I think. My body doesn't hurt as much… I smell something."
"Casey's making breakfast for everyone to celebrate Ro's reprieve from the interview."
Zee slowly sits up on the couch and looks around. "Have you seen Ro? I need to talk to her."
"She's upstairs. But Zee…, there's something you should know…"
Bennet, who is in the kitchen watching Casey fry up some bacon, glances toward the living-room area and notices Bucky and Zeta in deep conversation. He can only assume Bucky is explaining about the nanonites. A few minutes later, when he sees Zeta trying to make his way up the stairs, Bennet seizes the opportunity. "Need some help, Zeta?"
Zee graciously accepts Bennet's help climbing up the stairs while Bucky pries himself away from his laptop and heads into the kitchen. At the top of the stairs, Bennet reaches into his pocket and gives him the gift-wrapped pendant. "Zeta, listen..." he whispers, "…So far, the NSA isn't doing anything about what you've bought. No doubt they're more worried about when Titus Sweete will make his next move. But this does not mean that they've forgotten about you. I don't want to scare you, but if Commander Lemac finds out about your present condition, he won't give you or Ro a moment's peace."
"Bennet, I… For so long I've dreamt of Ro wearing that same dress and this very pendant; even before we came to San Francisco. To find those exact items here made me feel that the dream was meant to come true. Are you saying I should return them?"
Bennet could not ignore the sad look on Zeta's face. "I'm saying you need to be very careful now. You've had the dress for quite some time now; there's no point trying to return it now. I meant what I said last night. I'll do everything I can to make sure Sweete and Brother's Day remain as Top Priority. But you still have to be careful. If you've made any more wedding plans, Lemac will eventually take notice and take action."
Rather than risk upsetting Zeta further, he takes a quick glance at his watch. "Look, I can't stay much longer. If Lemac finds out I'm here, I won't be able to explain it…"
Zee suddenly has an idea. "Wait. Yes, you can. You didn't know Sweete was here until I had told you last night. You could tell Lemac that you received a tip that Sweete was spotted in San Francisco. You had no choice but to investigate. You don't have to mention that you came to see me, do you?"
(Why didn't I think of that?) Suddenly, Bennet's cell phone rings. "This is Bennet."
"Bennet!" Lemac's voice is unmistakable. "Would you care to explain what you're doing in San Francisco? Your mission is to investigate Titus Sweete, not to check on Zeta and Rowen!"
Bracing himself, Bennet takes a breath and says, "Titus Sweete is here."
"What?"
"I received an anonymous tip that Sweete and some of his men were spotted in San Francisco, so I went to investigate."
"I want a full report faxed to me in one hour. It's bad enough that we're allowing Zeta to walk in the meantime, but I refuse to have Brother's Day destroy another IU lab!" With that, Lemac hangs up.
"Zeta, I'm sorry you had to hear that."
"I understand. I need to talk to Ro now."
Bennet goes downstairs and heads for the kitchen, where Bucky and Casey are sampling the victory buffet. "I'm sorry. Lemac's on to me. I need to get back."
Casey asks, "Are you sure you can't stay for breakfast?"
The scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes were enough to fill up his old team. "Believe me, I wish I could. But if I don't report back to Lemac right away, who knows what he'll do. The only reason he's not going after Zeta is because Titus Sweete is Top Priority…for now."
"Good luck, Bennet."
Bucky, his mouth full of scrambled eggs, nods in agreement. Bennet grabs his jacket and hurries out of the apartment.
Zeta, meanwhile, hesitates at the bedroom door. He needs to see her… He needs to talk to her… He needs to fell her warm touch… She means so much to him… He loves her so dearly…
…So why is he afraid to open the door?
"Zee?"
Zee feels a jolt inside at the sight of Ro standing right in front of him. He didn't even hear the door opening. Here she is, in her white sleeveless nightgown, her hair slightly disheveled and a few drops of sweat on her face. But none of that matters to Zee. All he sees right now is her eyes…her beautiful, blue eyes… "Are you hungry? Casey made breakfast. I'll bring you some."
Before Ro could say anything, Zee is already down the stairs. She can only assume that Bucky had told him about the nanonites…but does Zee know that she's pregnant? (Did Bucky tell…? No… It's my job to tell him. Maybe he figured it out on his own, and now he's afraid to face me.) Suddenly something catches her eyes: a small box. She picks it up. It has yellow wrapping and a blue ribbon. (This must be the pendant. What else could it be?) She hides the box under the bed with the larger white box. When Zee is ready, he'll show them to her.
Zee, meanwhile, is in the kitchen trying – emphasis on trying – to figure out how to prepare a plate of food for Ro. He's seen food on a plate before many times, but to actually put food on a plate…? His hands become so shaky…
"Here, Zee… Let me help." Casey comes to the rescue. He gently takes a huge plate and scoops some scrambled eggs, bacon and stacks a few pancakes. The he places that plate on a carry tray and carries it up the stairs while Zee follows behind. At the top of the stairs, Casey hands the tray to Zee and gently knocks on the door before heading downstairs.
When Ro opens the door, Zee hurries to place the tray on the table. He then prepared a chair for her. "You should eat something, while it's still warm."
"I will, Zee. I promise. First, there's something I should tell you. While we were waiting for you to come back, Bucky told us about the conscience module producing something called nanonites. They're microscopic cells acting like living cells. They're creating a human body around your titanium shell. That's why you feel real, especially when we're…together. Did Bucky say anything to you earlier?"
He looks at her with such loving eyes, remembering those treasured moments with a soft smile. "Yes. Bucky said that I have human organs now: a heart, lungs, stomach… Ro, give me your hand." He puts her hand to his face. "Remember when I said I didn't have a real nose? My entire face is real now. I can breathe through a real nose. I can feel your hand on my face. I'm not a robot anymore. It's wonderful, and yet…" His smile fades. "…and yet, I couldn't protect you from Jensen. When I was looking for in the park, I started to lose my powers. And when I tried to follow Jensen, I was attacked. I couldn't fight back. All my powers…they're gone. I never felt so weak and helpless. What if Jensen really had you? I wasn't able to save you…and that hurts me more than any of the blows I felt last night."
Ro could see that Zee wanted to cry. So she gave him a hug and allowed him to cuddle her. She was hoping to tell him about the nanonites making her pregnant, but he's clearly not ready to hear it right now. Then she hears something: a small rumbling sound. She feels Zee's stomach.
"Ro? What's happening to me?"
"It's alright. What you're feeling is hunger pains. You have a stomach now, and it's saying it's hungry. Here, try some of this food."
At first Zee wasn't sure how to do this thing called 'eating'. He's seen Ro do it countless times, but he never thought about doing it himself. Fortunately, Ro is patient with him. First, she has him smell the food to savour the aroma. Then she has him use his new tongue to lick the piece of pancake: his first taste of real food. Soon, he's chewing; even biting his tongue a few times, but soon he's eventually swallowing. He even takes turn feeding Ro. Ro doesn't mind; her brother is a good cook.
She decides to wait a while before breaking the news to him.
MEANWHILE, A LITTLE FURTHER DOWNTOWN…
Bennet is not happy about having to skip such a promising meal, but if he wants to stay on good graces with Commander Lemac, then he has to hurry back to his hotel room and e-mail his 'report' to Lemac.
As the taxi takes him back to the hotel, he wonders if maybe the anonymous tip story wasn't such a good idea, after all. What is he going to tell Lemac? If he mentions Zeta seeing Sweete kidnapping Jensen, Lemac will want to question Jensen. If Lemac finds out about the blackmail, he will definitely drop everything and go after Zeta… And Rowen is in no condition to be going on the run again. (Let's face it… I'm going to have to say that it turned out to be a false alarm. The less the NSA knows about this, the better.)
After the cab drops Bennet off at the hotel he's staying in, he psychologically prepares himself to receive the third degree. (This can't be happening… I'm starting to feel like Agent West!) Just before he reaches the hotel entrance, he passes a construction worker walking down the street. At first, he didn't notice him, but a second later he realizes… That was Agent Curtis of Brother's Day.
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To be continued…