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  Far from the cot, light from the street dimly shows through Etna's dusty windows. The light provides limited illumination within the building, and within its radius, I see a black gun. I gasp, staring at the instrument of death that's an arm's length away. The weapon's familiar to me, and yet it seems like some horrendous alien creature that has traveled from a distant planet to wreak havoc on my world. The monster will devour me if it gets a chance, so I scoot a few feet away from the gun. I would escape its psychological jaws trying to sink their terror inducing teeth into me, but there are other things in the building I have to worry about, and I slowly peek over the table and spot two armed men.

  End the Pandora Project's view...

  She didn't realize they were actually bio-mechas, and as far as Kat knew, they were ordinary men trying to kill her. They prepared to fire again, and her heart thumped harder as if it would tear through her chest.

  lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

  Unknown to her, the muscle coursed artificial adrenaline through her blood, and the synthetic hormone reacted with her body by increasing her heart rate, dilating her pupils, and elevating her blood sugar. Horrified by what was going on within her body and the men shooting at her, she put her hand to her chest again, realizing her heart wasn't acting naturally. She wondered if she was having a heart attack.

  The two Un-Men moved toward her position after calculating the best way to kill her. They aimed their weapons at her position with only one goal in mind.

  One of them stated in a monotone voice, "Target acquired, moving forward with termination."

  Chapter Two

  The Rogue

  6:43 P.M...

  The Sanctum...

  Within the dark Chamber...

  Desk lamps lit up the faces of the analysts and the supervisors as they observed Pandora's data with interest. The project was very important to the Council, so it was very important to them.

  "Lower the center screen," Mr. Morta commanded from the middle of the room.

  A screen four by eight foot lowered long ways from the ceiling, and it positioned above the Council and in the center of their table. The screen could be viewed from both sides, and it displayed an outline of a female body. Each of the major organs were visible on the screen and had bio-data streaming beside them, and the heart had such a large amount of information streaming beside it that the data overlapped the other organs. An alarm sounded within the Chamber and stopped, and at the top of the bio-screen in bold red letters blinked First Evolvement Achieved. Prattle between the analysts started as charged enthusiasm filled the Chamber, and the supervisors quickly quieted the frivolous talk, knowing their employers would be irritated with them.

  "Good... Good..." Mr. Morta said. "Pandora has achieved Ginn's Alpha Phase."

  "You mean Arcamedes' First Evolvement," Mr. Decuma corrected.

  Mr. Morta questioned, "Does it matter by which name we call it? It is the same thing. It is still the beginning of Pandora's metamorphosis."

  "True, but will Pandora take the path Ginn laid out or will Pandora take Arcamedes'?" Ms. Nona asked. "What Pandora decides to do will determine which name the stages go by."

  "Until the path is clear–" Mr. Morta started, "–both men's descriptions can be used." He studied the center screen's data on his laptop, and then he spoke, "Pandora's first stage is the ability to sense the presence of bio-mechas as predicted by both men, and Pandora's body is preparing itself to combat the Un-Men. Look at the subject's bio-electricity. The levels are high enough to trigger the Beta Phase."

  "Yes," Ms. Nona said. "The genetically altered epinephrine hormone we created for Pandora dubbed Ultra-Epi acts as a supercharged neurotransmitter. If Pandora can reach the next stage, it should have no difficulty dispatching the Un-Men."

  "If is the keyword," Mr. Decuma spoke as he tapped across a H.H.C. touch screen and pulled up reports from their operative. "Argus details Pandora has not responded to the Un-Men's presence." Mr. Decuma turned to his laptop as he stated a question, "Can Pandora achieve the Second Evolvement?" He typed on the keyboard, pulling up more reports. "Pandora seems to be withstanding the conditioning." He stated with concern, "If it does not react soon, the subject will die and the Pandora Project will end."

  "Patience," Mr. Morta said. "We did not blindly pick the subject. Wait and see what it is capable of."

  Back at Etna Toys...

  Katharine's view...

  My heart revs like the pistons in a race car as I hide behind the overturned table. Why are the men trying to kill me? Did I do something to them? I glance at the gun lying on the floor beside its open case not too far from me. Or am I a wanted person?

  The men fire again, one of the bullets grazes my left shoulder, and the pain triggers a latent instinct within me. I scurry over to the gun, grab a magazine sitting in its case, and insert it into the Beretta with mechanical precision as if I had been programed to do so without conscious thought. I pull the sliding block, it makes a metal clicking sound, and then I wildly fire six shots over the cot and miss. I freeze at hearing the men's guns cocking and then something inside me clicks like a switch.

  End Katharine's view...

  The e-field (electrical field) of her body changed, and the impulses that normally traveled down the optic nerve surged and caused a split feed. Part of this electricity rushed across her irises, giving her eyes a blue-electrical glow, and as if she had been born with a gun in her hand, Kat fired four times and hit one man in the forehead and throat and the other one in the heart and lung. It was like a trained soldier had taken over her body, and she didn't realize what she was doing until it was over. The one she shot in the head collapsed to his knees and fell back as the other one fired at her again.

  Katharine's view...

  I move back to the overturned table, wondering if the one man's wearing a bulletproof vest. I take a deep breath, rise, return fire, and the bullet hits the second man in the head, and he also falls to the floor. Silence follows, and it's a maddening silence that clears my head, lets me think, and lets me realize. My fear turns to uncertainty and uncertainty to self loathing. I slump to the floor, lean against the table, and bow my head. Disbelieving I'm the one who committed the violent actions against those men, I stare at the gun on my lap, trying to distance myself from the incident and fail. Why am I good at killing? Why did I feel nothing for the men I murdered? I put a hand to my mouth as a little bile comes up. I swallow, forcing the bile back down my throat, and it burns all the way, searing my guilt into my soul. Is this the kind of person I am? Am I an emotionless killer?

  End Katharine's view...

  Within the Chamber...

  Mr. Morta cheered, "There!"

  Analysts and supervisors high-fived each other.

  Mr. Morta looked to the center screen as Second Evolvement Achieved brightly flashed from it, and then he said, "The Beta Phase of Pandora's metamorphosis has successfully been reached." He reviewed a report from Argus. "Our operative has seen Pandora's extraordinary shooting ability, and he believes Pandora, when it is in the Beta Phase, cannot miss. It has far exceeded our expectations for the Beta Phase. We believed Pandora would have an aptness for terminating bio-mechas, but this..."

  "Yes," Ms. Nona agreed. "It will be a useful skill."

  Mr. Decuma interjected, "If it is true."

  "The data supports it, and Argus witnessed it," Mr. Morta stated and then inquired, "What more do you need to believe?"

  Mr. Decuma replied, "More data perhaps or..."

  "I want to know," Ms. Nona interrupted, excited about the outcome, and then she questioned, "Do you think Pandora can reach the Gamma Phase today?"

  "I believe we are jumping ahead," Mr. Morta replied. "There are still three Un-Men remaining."

  "Yes, and does Pandora have skill or is it merely luck?" Mr. Decuma asked. "More than half of the Un-Men remain. Can it defeat them as easily as the first two?"

  At Etna Toys.
..

  Katharine's view...

  Leaves and other debris blow in through the open front door as I stand and make my way on shaky legs to the men I've gunned down. I still feel queasy as if at any moment I'll spill my guts all over the floor as guilt continues to shame me to pain, and when I reach the men's side, I find a black oil like liquid oozing from the hole in their heads. They aren't human, they're... I remove the polarized spectacles of one, revealing not fleshy eyes but glassy robotic ones. The colored orbs shudder as power surges through its body, the spheres bug out, and its hands gnarl with the mechanical pangs of death. I stare at its eyes. The red rings with black centers show no spark of life; they're merely windows to the soulless.

  Relief pours over me as I realize they're not human. I didn't kill anyone, and I'm not a murderer, but... Did I know it before I shot them or am I still a cold-blooded killer? My queasiness eases up a little, but my confusion remains as I realize they're bio-mechas, model Un-Men. Why do I know this fact when I can't remember the simplest thing like my name? I search them, find a spare magazine on each of them, and place the ammo in my right thigh pocket.

  lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

  I sense more bio-mechas, and this time, I know their location. Three of them walk the grounds outside less than fifteen feet away from me. I franticly search the plant for an escape as the Un-Men split up, and one of them walks through a side entrance. The Un-Man fires at me as I run and take cover behind a row of machinery. Sparks fly as bullets ricochet off of metal, and I cover my head. During the attack, I lose my concentration and the position of the other two, so I blindly dash for the front door as more bullets whizz by. I return fire and hit my mark then continue for the door. I glance back at the third Un-Man as it lies face down. The last two Un-Men suddenly appear in the doorway in front of me, and I run into one and fall backwards, and then with speed that can't be normal, I fire twice before landing on my side. I strike the floor hard and knock the wind out of me. The first shot disables the Un-Man with the gun, but the one with the Bowie side steps my second shot with electrical speed as if the Un-Man anticipated my actions before I took them. I inhale, sucking in needed air as I hold my hurting ribs. The Un-Man draws its large knife and stares at me curiously. None of the others had done that, and it creeps me out to the point that I'm more afraid of it than any of the others. The dot of light I see in its glasses, no in its sunglasses glows brighter and brighter until it appears as if half the Un-Man's face is burning. Am I looking at some sort of demon?

  "The Pandora Project..." the Un-Man sings out, not in the usual monotone of its brethren. The orange colored dot-light changes to a deep red, a blood-red, and the Un-Man gazes at me as if probing my soul. "Pandora..." Its voice is sadistically mellow and toys with me, making me feel violated. "Pandora, I have found you." The Un-Man smiles as if it takes pleasure in the hunt, and it states, "Target acquired." It takes a step towards me, and I scurry backwards on my hands and feet as the Un-Man says, "Moving forward with termination."

  It lunges for me with the blade, I roll out of the way, and the Un-Man misses, striking its blade on the concrete. I rise to one knee, aim, and pull the trigger.

  Click.

  The gun's empty.

  Click... Click...

  I pull the trigger again and again, hoping a bullet will magically materialize and fire. The Un-Man slowly stands from its kneeling position, takes two quick steps towards me, and kicks me in the ribs. I grab my side and hurry to my feet, pushing through the pain as the Un-Man slashes towards me. I leap back and defensively lift my hands, and the blade cuts across my left forearm. I cry out in pain as blood spills to the gray floor.

  The Un-Man wipes the red plasma from the blade with its fingers, and its face beams as if relishing in the combat.

  "The Pandora Project," it whispers, fooling with me. "Pan... dora..."

  The Un-Man attacks again with the blade, and the air screams with each slash as if the knife cuts open its airy belly and spills out its gaseous guts.

  The Un-Man coos, "Pandora, I have found you."

  I barely evade the attacks and then run, rushing deeper into the dark building. I'm so afraid... I want someone to save me. Why is this happening to me? I don't want to be here. Someone help me... I continue running as dread lingers within my heart. I have to escape this nightmare, so I keep looking around, and I tell myself it's because I'm searching for a way out, but I can't fool myself. I'm hoping someone will appear. I'm hoping someone will be my Superman or Lassie, but no one comes to my rescue. I'm on my own, and as much as I don't want to be on my own, the fact still chases after me, intent to destroy me as much as the Un-Man wishes me harm. I keep fleeing as hundreds of questions bombard my mind, and a few of them dominate my thoughts. Why did it call me the Pandora Project, and why can't I hit it? I eject the empty magazine from the Beretta, drop it to the floor, and pull one from my pocket. I insert the new one in the magazine well, chamber a round, and fire twice behind me, and the Un-Man continues after me, ducking the shots. Is this what I was dreaming about? I'm not the predator but the prey?

  End Katharine's view...

  Within the Chamber...

  Mr. Morta said, "Not bad for the opening test. Pandora achieved the first two phases. It delivered uncanny accuracy with the weapon we provided and successfully sensed the bio-mechas, and once it has achieved all the phases, Pandora will be the perfect weapon." He drummed his fingers together as he ordered, "Set up another test, so we may analyze the range of its gifts and set Pandora down the path to perfection."

  Mr. Decuma nodded and typed up the documentation for the next test, and then he asked the male supervisor standing next to him, "Are the new reports on the project ready?"

  "They'll be right over," he answered and then went back over to the analysts, and within a minute, the supervisor approached, stating, "Here are the reports you requested on her, Mr. Decuma."

  "Her?" the Council said in unison.

  "Yes, her," the supervisor answered. He was taken aback by their reaction and asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

  "We do not refer to Pandora as she or her," Mr. Decuma reprimanded. "It is an experiment and is to be referred to as such." In disdain, he added, "To say she or her in reference implies Pandora has rights." Mr. Decuma made it quite clear as he stated, "It has none."

  "Of course, Mr. Decuma," the supervisor apologized as he handed him the H.H.C. "My error. It won't happen again."

  He returned to monitoring the analysts.

  Ms. Nona scanned the bio-data on the large center screen and then said, "There seems to be no adverse reaction to the Ultra-Epi, though, complications could arise in the future. Also Pandora's body is not rejecting the adrenal gland we genetically altered to create the supercharged epinephrine." She made a few notes. "We will have to monitor Pandora for any palpitations, tachycardia, anxiety, headaches, tremors, acute pulmonary edema, and hypertension."

  Mr. Morta stated, "We will see if it was wise to alter the gland instead of administering injections."

  Mr. Decuma finished setting up the test, and then he said, "The Factory will be more than happy to assist us in the next field trial as one of our sister departments in the Sphinx Corporation."

  "The fact that they are developing the Un-Men as their new line of bio-mecha assassins does not hurt us either," Ms. Nona added.

  "Yes," Mr. Morta agreed. "The Factory's earlier line of bodyguards was very profitable for the Sphinx Corporation, and now the Factory hopes to improve their power and standing by releasing an unmatched line of bio-mecha assassins. Pandora is an ideal forum to refine the Un-Men's programming." He smiled, pleased with the project, and then he added, "With Pandora's help, the Factory will be able to create the perfect killing machines, and in turn, the Factory will help us test Pandora and help Pandora achieve its purpose. The one seen by Ginn that will..."

  "Or Arcamedes," Mr. Decuma interrupted. "We still do not know th
e path it will take."

  Ms. Nona stated, "You are correct. Only time will reveal its path."

  The female supervisor handed the councilwoman a report, and Ms. Nona said, "There seems to be a problem. Pandora has been unable to disable one of the Un-Men." Ms. Nona rechecked the report, and then she stated, "It is a Type Four model."

  "Terminate the test," Mr. Morta ordered, sitting upright. "Request that the Factory recall its bio-mecha. For Pandora to have destroyed four of the five Un-Men is not a failure on its first outing."

  "The Factory reports a problem. The Un-Man has ignored its recall," Mr. Decuma relayed. "It seems they have a rogue on their hands."

  "A rogue, you say?" Mr. Morta questioned. "The Un-Man must be exceptional to survive this long against Pandora. This very fact is most interesting."

  "Yes, like I said a rogue," Mr. Decuma answered and then asked, "Shall I have Argus assist the project?"

  "No, not at this time," Mr. Morta replied, then he calmly folded his hands, leaned back in the chair, and spoke, "Pandora must learn to survive on its own. We not only need to develop Pandora's untested body, but its young undeveloped mind and character. What better way to develop character than to face adversity? In the past, great warriors went up against other great warriors to test their mettle. Strength and endurance grows through conflict as steel sharpens steel, so the Rogue will be Pandora's adversary."