********
Augur entered yet another line of code into the counter virus' program then immediately erased it. Doors had him working for over four hours now, and he was getting tired. He kept making more and more mistakes, which took up time as he corrected them. To add to his pressure, Doors was constantly over his shoulder, asking when it would be done.
A voice stirred him from his brooding. "Augur, how's everything going?" He was about to spin around and yell at whoever had spoken, but noticed Lili's reflection in the computer screen.
"Taking a little longer than I expected, I can't seem to pinpoint the virus' source." Augur took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
Lili could see that he was exhausted and she couldn't blame him. Looking at those tiny symbols on the computer screen would make anyone tired. "Why don't you take a break, Augur? You've been at this for too long."
Augur was about to comply, when Doors appeared. "No, he is not going to take a break. We need this virus ready." Augur watched silently as Lili and Doors argued back and forth. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, Doors was right. The only way they were going to get Boone out was if he worked on the counter virus nonstop. He knew that Lodges wouldn't hesitate to kill Boone. After a few minutes Lili gave up, and Doors walked away.
"Does it help you to know that my computer went down about forty-five minutes ago at the temporary embassy?" Lili looked over Augur's shoulder.
"What?" He turned around, surprised. Lili thought she could almost see a look of fear in his eyes. Augur began to rapidly type on his keyboard. He jumped up and grabbed a box from a nearby shelf, and pulled a disc from it. All around the room computer screens flickered then went out, along with the lights. Lili heard Augur drop the box he was holding. The lights came back on, and Doors was staring at Lili and Augur.
"Take the laptop and start again," Doors said.
"No, no! This can't happen to me!" Augur ran to the computer he had just been working on.
"Start again," Doors repeated, quietly but firmly. "Start again." Augur picked up a laptop off the desk and moved to another room. "Lili, go to the Embassy, see if any of their computers are still up. If so use them, and bring the information back here. If not, find some that are working."
********
"I've never met anyone with a stronger moral compass than you…trust in that." "Welcome to a new world, Boone" "Kaitlin Barret Boone, my loving wife." "I have a piece of them in my head!" "You can't unfry an egg." "Virus upload complete." "Our duty is always to the Companions."
Boone opened his eyes slowly, his head throbbing with pain. Da'an knelt beside him, concerned. "What happened?" Boone grimaced as pain shot through his head and body.
"Worry not about that. Be still, rest."
Boone closed his eyes tightly as dozens of memories flashed through his mind simultaneously. With a great effort he suppressed them, and opened his eyes. He was cold and shook uncontrollably. The pain in his head was unbearable, and increased with each flashback, slight sound or movement. Boone fought the urge to pass out, but darkness overtook him.
********
"What happened?" Lili asked as she entered the warehouse. Every computer monitor was blank and station empty. Only a few people remained, typing furiously on laptops. Sandoval stood at the far wall before a large map of Colorado.
"The virus has caused our temporary system to collapse. Human systems have also been affected and we are attempting to provide support to these facilities." Sandoval turned from the map.
"Has our departure been arranged?" Zo'or entered the room, appearing not to notice Lili's presence.
"Yes, we leave immediately."
"What's going on?" Lili asked.
"My presence at the base in Colorado will prove an advantage in this search," Zo'or answered, smirking at Lili.
"Is this wise, considering how the last virus affected the shuttles?" This time Lili directed her question to Sandoval.
"Our computer experts have assured me that the docked shuttles were not affected by the virus, as they were not in contact with any Taelon or human computer system at the time. As all systems have since then been shut down, they feel that they may be used safely." Sandoval checked his pocket watch. "Zo'or?"
Zo'or nodded in response and left the room, Sandoval on his heels.
********
This time as Lizzy entered the room with the captives, she did so without fear. She went directly to Boone, who had not moved since she had last seen him. Setting down the items she carried, Lizzy knelt beside him. Taking a small pocket knife from her jeans, she cut through the rope that bound his hands. Lizzy glanced up at Da'an who stood several feet away. She hesitated, looking at the knife, then replaced it in her jeans pocket. Da'an moved across the room, even further from her.
Lizzy laid Boone down on the floor, covering him with a blanket she had brought with her. With a damp cloth she began to wipe the sweat from his face. Boone stirred and opened his eyes slightly. "Who…" Boone stiffened as pain shot through his body.
"Easy; everything is going to be alright. Just lay still." Lizzy wiped blood away from Boone's ear. "You're going to be okay," she said, willing him well in her mind. Boone closed his eyes once again. Lizzy finished cleaning the blood from his ear, then placed a second damp cloth across his forehead. She gathered her things to leave, but hesitated.
After several minutes of sitting in silence, Lizzy rose and took the knife from her pocket. Approaching Da'an, she freed him from the rope which bound his hands behind his back. "I really can't do anything; I don't know how to help him. If you can…"
Da'an met Lizzy's gaze. "His need is beyond the help either of us could provide. No more can be done."
********
"How are you doing, Augur?" Lili closed the door to Jonathan's office. Augur had been working nonstop for three hours, ever since the computer system had gone down and Lili had left.
"It would be done if I knew what system the virus was initially introduced through. What about you?"
"Don't ask. I spent three hours looking for a way to access information on the progress of the search team in Colorado. I couldn't even get to the files I was working on this morning. The Internet is down, the Taelon intranet is down, communications, globals; you name it, it's not working. I can't think of anyway to find Lodges."
"You don't need to, I already know where he is." Doors entered the office. "Before I relocated the Resistance here, we had a facility in the Colorado mountains. That was before I dismissed him and a group of his followers who wished to take over the movement. There's no other place he could be that Sandoval hasn't found him yet."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Lili asked.
"How do you intend to get there?" Augur replied. "With all the computers down..."
"My shuttle's working," Lili interrupted. Doors smiled slightly.
********
"How is he doing, Lizzy?" Lodges asked, entering the room.
Lizzy turned from the window. "Not good. I think he's dying."
"Lizzy, I want to explain." Lodges sat down in a nearby chair. "I do care about what happens to him. I don't want him to die like this, and I would help him if I could. But I can't do that without endangering my people, and I won't put his life above theirs."
"I've been standing here, thinking." Lizzy sat down next to him. "After this, I'm leaving, Matthew. I can't be a part of this anymore. I don't know how to explain, I just…"
"You don't have to. You're free to go, just as you are free to comeback at anytime." Lodges stood and left, leaving Lizzy alone with her thoughts.
********
"How has our new position served to further your goals in finding Da'an?" Zo'or asked as Sandoval approached him.
"Everything is going much smoother since we left the temporary facility in Washington," Sandoval answered promptly.
"Have you found anything of interest?" Zo'or challenged Sandoval.
"Nothing, yet." Sandoval refused to meet Zo'or's gaze. "However, I feel wee are nearing the end of our search. We shall locate them soon."
Zo'or turned away from him without a word. Sandoval took it as a dismissal and left.
********
"I'm coming with you, Jonathan." Belman joined the group as they approached Lili's shuttle. "If anything has happened…" she chose not to finish her thought out loud. Doors didn't answer and climbed into the shuttle.
"I'm not sure I trust this thing," Augur said, sitting down.
"Sandoval assured me that the docked shuttles were not affected by the virus." Lili brought the control display online. Augur laughed softly. "You believe that Lodges has Da'an and Boone held captive?" Lili asked Doors. "Why?"
"It's his style. He wouldn't have done this if he didn't want something, and he's going to trade them for whatever it is he wants."
"And if he doesn't get what he wants?" Lili set the controls almost automatically. Doors didn't answer.
********
Zo'or dropped his façade and waved his arm to activate the viewscreen that allowed the Synod members to be in his presence. Quo'on and several members materialized into view. Zo'or placed his hand upon his chest, and held out the other, palm up. The others mirrored the ceremonious greeting.
"What is the state of your progress?" Quo'on asked.
"One of Da'an's implants is leading the search. He has found nothing." Zo'or smiled inwardly, pleased at this example of human deficiency.
Another Synod member, Ja'el, interrupted Zo'or's thoughts. "You have found nothing? When the Synod complied with your wish to aid in the search for Da'an, we expected results. You have yet to show us any. Please elaborate on this matter."
Zo'or glared at Ja'el. "Many systems have been affected by the spread of this virus. The humans have insisted that we use our resources to aid them. Therefore my ways to seek out Da'an are very limited."
"See that you come up with results soon, or the Synod will remove you from the head of the search for Da'an," Quo'on said in an authoritative manner. With that, the Synod members dematerialized.
********
"Are we just going to waltz right in, uninvited?" Lili landed the shuttle outside an abandoned mine.
"Unless you have a better idea, Captain." Doors stood, preparing to leave the shuttle. "It is my facility, after all."
"I think it's out of our hands, now." Lili and the others watched as men with guns surrounded the shuttle. Guns trained on them, Doors' group was escorted inside the mine.
"Leave them," a man ordered, stepping out from a side room. The men with guns immediately left. "Jonathan, I didn't expect to see you here."
"I didn't expect to have to come, Matthew," Doors replied, coldly. "Where is he?"
"Who?" Lodges pretended not to know what Doors was talking about.
"Boone."
"And Da'an," Lili added to Doors' reply. She had not yet forgotten how Da'an had risked his life for her after their shuttle crash.
Lodges paused for a moment. "Through here." He led them into the room where he had left Lizzy earlier. Lizzy was no longer there. A quick glance through the window showed her kneeling at Boone's side, Da'an beside her.
"I'm prepared to make a deal with you, Matthew." Doors turned from the window. "We have the beginnings of a counter virus, designed to destroy yours. All we need is some input from you on the virus' original programming."
"I really don't know anything about it, that's Chris' department."
"I am prepared to trade our program for William Boone." Doors stared intently at Lodges.
"Agreed."
********
Turning away from his computer monitor, Chris glanced at this 'Augur' person. He cautiously studied Augur's appearance; skin tight shiny silver shirt, tight black pants to match, a tiny ponytail braid protruding out of the back of his head. And he has the attitude to match, Chris thought. Though he had only been working with him for a few moments, Chris had quickly realized that Augur's manner could be very uncivil.
"You didn't get very far on you counter virus," Augur said mockingly, examining Chris' work.
"I was busy keeping our computer system up and running." Chris grabbed his papers from Augur's hands, and erased the information off the computer screen. "Let's see what you have."
********
Dr. Belman stared through the window at Boone. She wished she could get in there with him, but that was impossible; Da'an would recognize her immediately. "You said there was bleeding from the ear?" Belman asked Lizzy, who stood beside her.
"Yes. Is he going to be okay?"
"I hope so." Julianne could see the concern in Lizzy's eyes.
"What's wrong with him, Dr.?" Doors entered the room, Lili at his side.
"His CVI is deteriorating." She turned from the window.
"I thought you had already replaced his CVI," Lili said impatiently. Her worry for Boone was getting to her.
"I did." Belman paused for a moment. "It's what I feared; the anti-cyber virus did not destroy all of his original CVI."
"Explain." Doors walked to the window and looked in at Boone.
"The anti-cyber virus is introduced through the limbic system, the seat of the motivational imperative, or at least that is the way it is supposed to work. As you know, Boone's cerebral implant does not contain a motivational imperative. The result is that the ACVI malfunctions and does not completely destroy the original CVI. Any CVI I implant will encounter this remaining virus and begin to immediately deteriorate."
"And, what can we do about it?" Doors turned to face Belman.
"It's only a theory, but..." She paused again. "I should be able to reimplant him with a fully functioning CVI, then completely destroy it with the anti-cyber virus."
"I didn't think you could do that, switch between our implant and theirs," Lili said. She remembered discussing this with Boone while they were chasing Sandoval after his CVI had deteriorated.
"In theory, one can replace our reengineered CVIs with the Taelon's fully functioning ones, it would almost be like implanting him for the first time. But once a person has been implanted with a fully functioning CVI, you can't switch back."
"So he would have to be reimplanted with a fully functioning CVI?" Doors asked.
"Yes."
********
Chris took the disk Augur handed him and put it in a nearby computer. The room was silent as he looked over the programming, Augur leaning over his shoulder. "I'm impressed, surprised actually, that you got this far on your own. But these last parts that you don't have, they're going to be the tricky ones. You wouldn't have been able to finish it without my help."
Augur returned Chris' smirk with a cold glare. "We had better get to work then, hadn't we?"
********
"I don't understand…" Lizzy broke the silence of the room. She felt there was more to this story than she knew.
"Boone is in a unique position." Lili went on to explain the situation.
"I still don't see how…" Lizzy paused. It took a moment for the implications of what Lili had said to sink in. "You wouldn't consider letting him die like this, would you?" The silence in the room answered her question. "Just because he would no longer be of use to you?" disgusted, she directed the question to Doors.
Doors remained silent. Lizzy stared at him for a moment, then continued. "You're just like Chris and Matthew. All you care about is your movement, not the people involved. That's what the Resistance is all about, people. But you just throw their lives away, as if they were mere pawns programmed to do your will. A man lays dying in that room," Lizzy pointed at the window, "and all you can think about is yourself. Da'an cares more about him than you do!" She started to leave the room, but turned back. "It's times like these when I believe the Taelons are truly superior to us." Lizzy stormed off.
********
Augur glanced up from the papers he had laid out before him. They had been cooped up together for almost an hour, Chris working on the counter virus while Augur fed him information from the schematics of the original virus. Chris considered himself the expert in the room, and Augur was sick and tired of it. If he didn't get out of there soon, he was going to have to do something about the kid. "Do you have anything yet?" he asked Chris, who was bent over a keyboard, concentrating.
"Yeah, not much though. I can't seem to get past the one line of code. Everyone I try turns out wrong."
Augur stood up and walked over, bending over Chris' shoulder. "Here, try this one." Augur rapidly typed in a long line. "It should work."
Chris ran the simulation. It worked. "Thanks, only a couple more hundred lines to go, eh?" Chris looked up and grinned.
Augur decided that Chris wasn't so bad after all. He smiled back.