Around midnight, Melissa was waiting at the pickup area of Newport Airport, at least two hours’ drive south of Milford. The plane had landed after 10:00 p.m. She waited just inside the airport terminal where it was dry and away from the wind. Maintenance workers and cleanup crews worked as she waited. She remembered that old man. The journey hadn’t fared well for him; they’d taken him off the airplane in a stretcher.
Melissa could hear the wind howling, and drifts of snow swirled into a funnel outside; it looked like a small snow tornado. She zipped her coat to her neck, and her ears were cold.
If I feel this cold inside, I can only imagine how I will survive out there.
“Hey, do you need a ride?” a voice asked.
Melissa looked over to see a man in his mid-thirties. He was carrying a backpack.
“I’m waiting for someone,” she replied.
“Well, it doesn’t appear that he will show.”
“He will be here soon. Running late because of the weather.”
“If I had a beautiful woman waiting for me, I would make sure I was there to pick her up. Here . . . allow me.” He put his arm around her. She let him because she was cold.
“Where you from? I can’t place your accent.”
“I’m from the UK.”
“Ooh . . . I like it. It’s . . . sexy,” the man said.
She felt his hand in an area where it had no business. She pulled away.
“I’m sorry. My hand slipped. It won’t happen again,” he said.
“You’re damn right. Get away from me, creep.”
The man raised his hands and started backing away.
“It’s cool. Just wanted to keep you warm.”
Damn creep!
About ten minutes later, an airport security agent approached.
“The airport is closing. You will need you to leave.”
“It’s freezing outside.”
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“I’m sorry,” the agent said.
Melissa exited the airport, putting her hat on. Sleet peppered her face, and a chill seemed to run through her entire body. She checked her phone: a missed call and a voicemail.
“Hey, Melissa, I’m almost there. Hope you’re warm,” Julius said in the message.
There were only a few people left waiting outside the terminal. She noticed an older sedan around the corner.
This better be him!
The car had stopped just short of her position. She looked into the window, but between the tinted windows and the snow she couldn’t see anyone in the car. The window rolled down, and she recognized Julius. He was middle-aged, had his hair slicked back, and wore glasses with large frames.
“Melissa?” he said.
“It’s about damn time,” Melissa said as she opened the passenger door.
“I think you should get in the back,” Julius said.
Melissa did as he asked; she had immediately noticed an exhausted Alexei Breven sitting in the passenger seat.
After a very long time, Alexei broke the silence.
“It surprised me to get your call. At first, I thought you were calling on behalf of the Shadow Dealers, but then Julius convinced me otherwise. I thought I should meet you in person.”
“Boss, where are we going?” Julius said.
“Tage Manor,” Alexei said.
“Why did you call this parley?” Alexei said.
Melissa explained her father’s plans in some detail, leaving out any details about April turning into Delta.
“He calls his group the Timeslicers,” Melissa said.
“How powerful is his AI?”
“Well, I know it has taken over the processing power of other AIs, so powerful enough.”
Melissa’s lower lip began quivering. I hardly know my own daughter. I was absent for most of her life, why do I have these feelings? She took in a few deep breaths, wiped some tears from her eyes before continuing.
“My daughter is dying,” she said at last. “My father needed genetic material to save her, but he’s gone too far this time.”
“What do you mean?”
“April, my daughter, is dying. My father wants to transform her . . . into a robot, cyborg . . . a monster,” Melissa said.
I’ve said too much! she immediately thought.
They rode in silence for quite some time; Melissa looked out at the road. Drifts of snow were forming, and fresh snow was falling.
“How long until we are at Tage Manor?” she asked.
“About a half hour. The snow is making driving . . . fun!” Julius said.
Alexei appeared to be in thought. He hadn't said a word since her robot story.
“So . . . what do you think?” Melissa said.
Alexei rubbed his eyes. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days.
“You trusting me is a start. I think we need a better evaluation of the situation before we can act. We are all meeting at Tage Manor to strategize and to discuss next steps,” Alexei said.
“Who will be there?”
“Other Collective Systems staff and a few guests who have information. I’ve called Natasha in. She manages a group of teenage interns who whose accomplishments are impressive.”
Julius turned off the main road and onto a smaller street hidden by a forest.
“Damn it, the road isn’t clear; hold on to something,” Julius said.
The slick road threw the car into a skid. Julius corrected the vehicle and got it back under control.
“I’m thankful for the all-wheel drive in this baby!” he said.
Several minutes later, they pulled up at Tage Manor. The entire house seemed to be lit up.
How many people are here? Melissa wondered.
A tall man, about the size of a football player, grabbed Melissa’s bags out of the trunk and brought them inside. Melissa admired the grandeur of the place as she entered. She noticed a tall man with gray hair, perhaps in his late sixties, approaching the group and extending a hand to Melissa.
“Hello, I’m Eldon Tage. Welcome to my home.”