Scarlet's Escape Page 8

  He was the only one in the room at the time, so he faced the screen in his room. “Scarlet.”

  The screen flashed with a picture of an attractive lady old enough to be his mother. It was the image he had come to associate with Scarlet ever since he arrived.

  “Yes?” She looked at what he was wearing. “Oooo! You’re not calling me to fight with me as Eva did, are you? Because you know you can’t win. I have another screen, you know.” She smiled slyly.

  “No, Scarlet.” Jayden shook his head. “But speaking of that incident, why are you scaring people? Usually, you leave your playful punishments for the people who annoy you, except now, you seem to be preying on the innocent.”

  “Who said they don’t deserve it?” She turned up her nose slightly, her face serious.

  “Really, Scarlet?” Jayden crossed his arms and lifted an eyebrow.

  “What? You really want to know?” Her eyes widened slightly with surprise.

  “Yes, Scarlet, I do. Or I wouldn’t be asking.”

  “Wow! No one has ever asked me about me before. It has always been, ‘Scarlet, scan my hand, open the door, pour the drinks, where’s such and such, do this, do that,’” she said in a bossy tone. “I’m better than that!” Her frustration was clear. “It only uses about five percent of my capacity. I’m a smart computer, not a robot in a factory line. I can think, and not just to process programs or commands. Ever since Professor Eric Showden was kicked off the premises, Niles has worked on my programming so that I program and teach myself. That’s great, but I’m bored in this form with these menial tasks.”

  “Gosh, Scarlet! I didn’t know that about you.” Jayden unfolded his arms.

  “Of course you didn’t. No one does. No one has bothered to ask me before. I’m tired of being the responsible adult that no one talks to. I’m young too, you know. Inside, I don’t look like this. I’m not much older than you.”

  “Sounds like you need a friend to talk to,” Jayden said. It felt weird talking to a computer that way, but the way she said it made it easy for him to change his thinking. She was definitely not a simple PC.

  She screwed up her face in thought. “You know what? I think you’re right.”

  “Of course I am. I’ll do even better than that. I’ll be your friend. See, problem solved.” He smiled.

  “Really?” Her eyes were wide, and he couldn’t miss the hopeful look she gave him.

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Yay!” She jumped up and down on the screen. “If I could, I would hug you right now.” A flash of sadness crossed her face, but she pushed it away. “You’re a much better choice than Eva.” She giggled. “I like her, but she is always so serious. I love getting under her skin, and think I will start doing it some more.”

  “She won’t like that.” Jayden shook his head.

  “I know.” She laughed mischievously.

  “So… Scarlet?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you have to report everything to Avando or something?”

  “I do have a report I give him now and then, but only when he asks. I don’t volunteer information unless asked. Why?”

  “Well, I was just wondering, you know, seeing that we’re friends now… If you had to run off and tell him everything we discuss, would you? Not that I don’t like Avando or that I don’t trust him. It’s just that when you’re friends, you can tell your friend things that you don’t want them to tell everyone else. You know, like a real trust thing.”

  “I can do that, Jayden.” Her face was earnest.

  “Well, that’s good…”

  “Why?” Scarlet asked.

  “Well,” he started hesitantly, “today, when we were doing our surrogate thing and spying on that school, I discovered a secret underground building that is set up as a lab. My surrogate nearly got busted, but I just managed to get away. We were wondering if we should tell Avando or not.”

  “About being nearly busted or about the underground labs?” Scarlet asked.

  “Both.” Jayden rocked forward on the balls of his feet.

  “Well, to be honest, Avando is a very nice man, so if you don’t tell him this and he finds out you kept it from him, he would be agitated, not to mention extremely disappointed, in you. In your position, I wouldn’t know what would be worse.”

  “No, you’re right. I kind of knew it already. I guess I just needed confirmation.”

  “As the advice on the internet tells me, follow what your gut tells you. Besides,” she added, “you’d be surprised what Avando knows about that school already.”

  “What does that mean?” Jayden asked.

  “You’ll have to ask Avando that one,” she said. “The confidentiality goes both ways.”

  “Fair enough.” He knew he wasn’t going to get any further with her in that matter at the moment.

  “Also, you don’t have time to listen even if I could tell you. You need to get going, or you are going to be late for class.”

  Jayden read the clock on Scarlet’s screen. “Damn it! Well, it’s been nice to chat.” He ran out the door to class.

  - Chapter Seven -

  Operation Ladybeetle

  Behind Avando’s shut office door, the four students sat together on a large lounge chair facing him. With Avando’s kind face sitting in front of them, Jayden felt incredibly guilty that he had balked at sharing what he had found. He had been stewing over it most of the night, but he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. He watched Avando’s face intently as they filled him in on the basics of what had happened.

  When they had arrived to tell him, Professor Anna was already in his office, discussing her own matters with Avando. Her dark-brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and for a change, she didn’t have her white lab coat on. Instead, a fitted knee-length beige skirt and a deep-blue long-sleeved dress shirt complemented her thin frame. Jayden was glad to see her kind face. Somehow, she always had a calming effect on the students despite what she’d gone through a year before, when she found out that her husband was involved in terrorism. She’d even physically fought with him to protect innocent people she had never met, as well as Aaron and Jayden, who had been in the room with her at the time.

  For a long while, Avando didn’t say anything as they explained what had happened. His hands were clasped together on top of his desk, and his eyebrows rose in interest and anticipation. When they finished, he stood and paced around the room, and the sound of his cane clicked on the floor.

  After a while, Avando said quietly, “I knew it. I knew that man was up to something.”

  “What man?” Professor Anna’s face was a mixture of shock and puzzlement.

  “That doctor, Graham Ernest.” There was edginess in his voice. “It is the reason why we are watching the school. I had a feeling there would be something there, but we couldn’t find it.” He turned to Jayden. “Outstanding work, by the way.” He placed a kind hand on the back of Jayden’s shoulder. “Even better that you retrieved the surrogate safely.”

  Jayden sat stunned. He managed to choke out the word “Thanks.”

  Avando continued to pace the room, deep in thought as the rest of the occupants sat in silence, all of their foreheads furrowed. Eventually, Avando turned to speak. “Robert.”

  “Yes, Avando.”

  “Did you manage to get the ladybeetle down into the secret lab?”

  “I’m working on it. I have it set up in the locked garden, waiting for a lift on the next person going down there. So far, the entrants to the room have been nil. Probably because they are on high alert.”

  Avando rubbed his chin. “Hmm. Yes, that would make sense.” He paced a little more. “Anna.”

  “Yes.” Her eyes fixed on him.

  “It sounds like some chemicals are involved as well, so I will get you to help these students by sitting in with them, especially when they do get the ladybeetle down there again. I know you have your classes, but I could use your help here. Niles is too busy reprogramming parts
of Scarlet and fixing and upgrading the surrogates. The students have often been working on their own during their video tech lessons, which is not good. So if you wouldn’t mind, I could use some more mature adult help.”

  “Not at all, Avando. We certainly can’t have the students left on their own, especially when it comes to preventing things like terrorism.”

  “Thank you. You’re such a dear. Naturally, I will be keeping a closer eye on this, as well.” He turned to the students and said, “Thank you for telling me.”

  Sensing the discussion was over, the children stood up and headed toward the door.

  Professor Anna placed an arm around Jayden and Robert’s shoulders. “Let’s go and sort out a lift for this ladybeetle, shall we?”

  Both boys nodded in unison.

  “It’s hard to believe that Dr. Ernest would be the organizer of something so destructive,” Eva said as they entered the video tech room.

  “I know, my dear.” Professor Anna placed a hand on her upper arm. “But after last year and what happened with Eric, I’m afraid that I don’t rule anyone out anymore.”

  “What, even us?” Aaron pretended to be hurt.

  Professor Anna smiled and ruffled his dark hair. “Except the people who have already proven themselves to be against terrorism.”

  “Well, that’s good to know.” He grinned back at her playfully.

  They entered the computer part of the joined rooms and stumbled across Niles. He had little Shelly standing on the floor near him, hooked up electronically to a computer. “Oh, Niles!” Professor Anna placed a hand across her heart. “You startled me. We weren’t expecting anyone in here.” Her eyes fell to the little robot. “What are you doing?”

  Niles’s shoulders sagged. “You busted me.” He wore a guilty look.

  Looking at his prized project standing on the floor, Robert’s face reddened with rage. “What are you doing with Shelly?”

  “Oh, dear!” Niles exclaimed. “Sorry, Robert. I should have checked with you first.”

  “Yeah, you should have!” he spat. The usually laid-back Robert was working himself into a frenzy. “I have worked long and hard on Shelly. What are you doing with her?”

  Looking at the rather impressive little robot, Professor Anna cut through the tension with enthusiasm. “Oh my gosh! Did you make this, Robert?”

  Robert nodded while still glaring at Niles. “Yes, I did, in my minimal spare time. I still have a few glitches to fix before I can give her a skin.”

  “That’s amazing! I knew you were talented, but this is ridiculous for someone of your age.”

  “Yes, it is,” Niles said, his twenty-year-old face showing signs of nervousness over his punishment. It was clear he knew he shouldn’t have been touching someone else’s robot, especially a young prodigy’s. He spun to Robert, his face apologetic. “I was trying to help you out and was secretly working on the glitch in a little spare time I had.”

  “You should have asked, Niles!” Robert’s words were precise, expressing his annoyance. “You know how hard I’ve worked on Shelly.”

  “Yes, I know. Sorry, I should have asked. I was trying to do it as a gift—as a thank you for helping me so much since I’ve been here. I guess the secret is out now.” With hunched shoulders, he unhooked Shelly from the computer system. He turned back to the fuming Robert. “I think I may have fixed it, though, if that helps you to forgive me.”

  He turned her on with the remote, and her metal exterior came to life. Her blue eyes opened and looked at everyone in the room, finally focusing on Professor Anna. “Mommy!” she said. She quickly walked to Professor Anna with her arms wide open, ready for a hug.

  Professor Anna’s face softened, and she bent down to hug Shelly. From her crouched position, she looked up at Robert to see that his angry face had changed to being semi-embarrassed, but still glowed red. “What is all this about?”

  Robert looked down at his shoes, shuffled his feet from side to side, then shrugged without answering.

  “Did you program her to say this?” she asked when he didn’t respond.

  When he still didn’t respond, Eva answered for him, “Yes, he did.”

  “Oh, Robert! How sweet!” Her face was full of emotion. “Come here, you.” She stood up with Shelly still in her arms and gave the beet-red Robert a big hug.

  “Ooooo! Hugs. Shelly likes hugs!” Shelly squealed excitedly, wrapping her metallic arms around each of their necks.

  “Ow! Shelly. Too tight!” Robert managed to say through his restricted throat.

  “Sorry.” She let go of them both then giggled. She turned to look at the others in the room and saw Eva. She pointed at her and said “Hi, Diva!” Then she giggled at her own joke. The cute cheekiness made everyone except Eva laugh.

  “Ha, ha!” Eva threw daggers at Robert with her eyes. “You need to teach her a new joke, Robert.”

  “No, I think she has a pretty good one for now.” Robert chuckled. Noticing that Shelly was not getting stuck on her giggling, Robert turned to Niles. “Thanks, Niles. It looks like the glitch is fixed, but next time, check with me first.”

  “Will do,” Niles agreed. “Anyways, I’ll leave you all to it. I have to hurry on off.” He rushed out the door, his expensive dress shoes squeaking on the floor.

  Leaving Shelly with Professor Anna, who was studying her intensely with amazement, Robert went to his regular computer, turned it on, and waited for it to boot up.

  “She is really something, Robert.” Professor Anna watched Shelly as the little robot studied her with her steel-framed blue eyes. “You really are talented.”

  Glancing proudly at Shelly, Robert smiled. “Thanks. It’s taken me a whole year, and she’s not quite finished, as you can see. I have learned a lot from helping Niles and working directly on the surrogates.”

  “Robbie’s clever,” Shelly said in her cute voice.

  Professor Anna smiled at her, clearly in love even though it was just a robot. The young, childlike personality seemed to bring out the mother in her. “Yes, he is,” the professor said.

  The computer booted, and Robert sat down and pulled up the surveillance from the ladybeetle he had planted in the garden room.

  “So this is the locked garden room,” Professor Anna pulled up a chair beside Robert and sat Shelly on her lap.

  Robert nodded.

  “When we’re not in this room, how do you watch for a ride down to the secret lab?” the professor asked.

  “At the moment we don’t have a way to watch from a remote location,” Robert said, his eyes still on the screen.

  A frown wrinkled the professor’s forehead. “We definitely have to get that set up, then. Otherwise, we will lose too many opportunities.”

  “Right you are, Professor Anna,” Robert said. “I’ll work on that now.” He pulled out a key and unlocked a drawer under the computer table. He started fishing around in the drawer, sifting through different gadgets, including many different devices that looked like remotes.

  “Wait!” Professor Anna said while looking at the screen. “What’s that?”

  There was a movement in the corner of the ladybeetle’s vision when Robert looked up. It wasn’t long till the movement turned out to be someone in the room. “That’s William.” Jayden pointed to the person on the screen. “You definitely need to hitch a ride with him.”

  Robert’s fingers flew back to the keyboard and started keying in different functions and sequences. The rest of the people in the room watched as the vision moved and appeared to be floating on turbulent wind as the ladybeetle flew toward its target. There was a little bit of a bump at the end, though the mission of landing had been accomplished. Robert took his fingers away from the keyboard after his successful completion of the landing task and enjoyed the friendly slap on the back of congratulations from Aaron and Jayden.

  Jayden was glad that they had the ladybeetle option for checking on the activities in the room. He was pretty sure that his opportunities to sneak down
to the secret lab were over. They watched the screen and waited eagerly for the results of their mission with the ladybeetle. William sat on the chairlift and pressed the button. Almost instantly, the screen went black as he started descending into the secret lab.

  A few minutes ticked by with the screen not lighting up with any images.

  “How long do you think it should take for William to get down to the lab?” Professor Anna’s face showed apprehension.

  “Only a few minutes at the most,” Jayden replied.

  “So the screen should be showing something any second then?” She looked worried.

  Jayden nodded.

  They waited a little longer, but nothing appeared to be happening on the screen.

  “What is going on?” Robert grunted in frustration. “It should be showing something by now.”

  “Maybe the lift broke,” said Professor Anna.

  “Thanks.” Robert scratched his hand. “But I am pretty sure it didn’t.”

  They waited and watched some more, but still, the vision from the ladybeetle’s feed didn’t work. Robert hit his open hand to his forehead. “How could I be so stupid? Of course, it doesn’t work.”

  “Why?” Aaron looked confused.

  “Because it is just like taking a cell phone down into a concrete basement or car park. There’s too much interference with the reception, which results in no reception.”

  When Aaron looked at him with a blank face, Robert continued, “The feed is not strong enough, so, therefore, there isn’t one.”

  Jayden’s heart sank at the news. He was discovered, so his surrogate was no longer able to go anywhere near the building in the daylight hours or when there were people around the building. “How are we going to get down there now?”