Dr. Faraday paused to stare at me.
I shifted from side to side. “So that agent. The assassin. You’re saying he was…?”
I’m sorry for you to find out this way. But it’s true. You’re the one they sent.”
I shook my head. “I’m not buying that. Not for one hot second.”
He stared unblinkingly. “What other reason is there for your memory loss? You look back and all you see is darkness. The only memories you have are of the last couple of years in this Haven.”
My head throbbed. “There was… an accident. I think. I remember the water… almost drowning. If Hunter hadn’t saved me… ”
“Providential, wasn’t it? Have you ever asked what a Hunter model synoid was doing in the river that night?”
My head pounded like my brains were desperately seeking a way out. I placed a hand on my temple. “I… never asked.”
“It’s programmed to look after you. I downloaded your memories into its data banks, after all. That’s what I was doing the night when you tried to kill me.”
“I thought you’d erased my memory. Stick to one story, will you?”
“I never claimed to erase your memory. You knew the inner workings of the SS, after all. That kind of information is much too valuable to waste. So I downloaded them securely.”
“Into a synoid? Get real. Can’t be done.”
He smiled. “Admittedly, the project was not an easy one. Don’t think of it as a transfer of actual tactile memories the way we think of them. It was a data transfer, to keep it simple. The brain is the most highly advanced computer ever designed, but like all others it can be recoded once one understands how it processes information. Then I had to construct a drive capable of handling that amount of raw data, which I installed in a Hunter model synoid.”
I pulled out a gasper and let it sit in the corner of my mouth. “That’s what I don’t get, Doc. Why Hunter?”
Dr. Faraday sighed. “Ego and ambition, Mr. Trubble. The Achilles heel of most great minds. I wanted to show the Gestalt and the Secret Service I was not to be trifled with. I planned to use your knowledge and lethal skills at my disposal to break free of both factions. Of course all of that went out the window when you proved to be uncooperative at the most inopportune time. You managed to wake out of an induced coma, kill a guard barehanded, and then use his weapon to place those rather large bullets in me. A lot of highly explosive material didn’t take well to being shot either, and so we ended up in the river.”
I rubbed my temples again. “So that leaves me with a false identity and Hunter walking around unsupervised with a database holding my memories.”
He snapped his fingers. “This is where you need to pay attention, Troubleshooter. So pay attention! Your memory can’t truly be removed, you know. But they can be buried. People do it all the time when repressing traumatic experiences. My process was just a bit more professional.”
“So what are you saying, Doc? That I can somehow recover my memory?”
“Not without my help. If you wish to out who you really are, I can do that for you. But first you have to do something for me.”
“And that would be…?”
His eyes grew desperate. “Why do you think I’m here? The Gestalt locked me up because I’m too valuable to kill. But between them and the Secret Service, I won’t last long. You have to get me out of here. I can help you save this city.”
The gasper dropped from my lips. “You’re out of your overly intelligent mind.”
His voice dropped to an urgent whisper. “I can give it all to you, Mr. Trubble. All the answers to your questions. The missing leg, the New Man — all of it. Your memory — I can restore it. You’ll be able to know who you were before you came to New Haven. But you must get me out of here!”
I raised my hands. “Look, just calm down, Doc. I’m sure there’s another way to—”
My excuses were interrupted by a dismally familiar sound. Gunshots. A crescendo of gunfire erupted down the hall.
I looked back at Dr. Faraday. The smile on his face was resigned.
“You’re too late. The New Man is here.”
I pulled the Mean Ol’ Broad from her holster. “Come to spring you, is that it? We’ll see about that.”
He shook his head sadly. “You still understand nothing. He is the one who has the prisoners in an uproar. It’s part of his plan, you see. This is not a rescue attempt. He’s here to make sure I die.”
Chapter 11: The New Man
It’s never a good sign when unearthly howls, screams, and gunfire all unleash at the same time. I was torn between checking out the source of the racket, or sticking around for more of the gonzo gab the Savant had been spilling. When I came into the joint, I had believed he was the one pulling my strings. Things had changed.
Dr. Faraday looked ready to climb the walls. "You won’t be able to stop him. He’s the most complete combat synoid ever constructed. I know, because I designed him.”
I looked at him as I checked the ammo case on my belt. I had a feeling I was gonna need more than seven shots. “If that’s the case, then why is he trying to kill you?”
He looked pretty pitiful all of a sudden, sitting there waiting to die. "I did the design work before I deported from the UH. Someone must have picked up where I left off and did the construction. Which means there are moles in New Haven who work for the Secret Service. Don’t you see? The net is closing. The time is perfect for you to spring me while the guards are occupied. It has to be now!"
The shrieks and howls got louder. Just for safety’s sake I loaded the Replacement Killer too. No point in dying for a lack of lead. "Kinda hard to do without the codes to the cell doors. But I’ll see what I can do after I take care of this New Man Goon.”
“You don’t have a chance by yourself.”
“Don’t be too sure, Doc. I got by okay the first time.” I purposely omitted the part where I was screaming on the ground. “You still haven’t told me how he does that mind attack.”
“Mental projection of the sensation of pain. Anyone with memory implants is susceptible. If you survive, I’ll give you all the explanation you require. In the meantime, if you can’t free me then you should leave right now. You must find Hunter. He is the only one who has a chance of stopping the New Man.”
“Thanks for the tip.” I raised the Broad and cursed myself for a fool as I dashed down the hall. I didn't really want to see what was going on, but not having a choice had become my theme for the past couple of days. I rounded the corner into a world of insanity.
Every prison cell had been opened. The prisoners swarmed out like disturbed ants, screaming at the top of their lungs while leaping at their mechanical oppressors. Guards in riot gear were deep in the fray, besieged by years of pent up rage and frustration. Poddar, Rob, the Warden and her men were in a circle, battling the crazed psychos who leaped at them with zero sense of self-preservation. The androids used stun rounds and pulse-batons, but that didn’t mean they didn’t hurt like hell. I knew from experience.
I liked it better with Faraday, and had thought about going back until a few of the lunatics ran my way. Unlike the guards, I didn’t have the luxury of a stun setting. The Mean Ol’ Broad made that clear when I unloaded her. I stepped over the wounded, reloading on my way to join the others.
"You sure know how to throw a party, Warden."
She was pretty fearless as she unloaded her B52s. Then again, she could afford to be. "I don't know how it happened.” One of the guards stepped in her place as she fell back to reload. "All of a sudden, every cell just opened. There's too many of them, and not enough of us. But we have to round them all up without killing them. They’re all valuable prisoners."