Chapter 34
She'd only play this role once
After Scott explained his plan Andrea had several questions. He answered as best he could and in the end she agreed to play the role.
"I'm no actress and I have very little confidence in my ability to make this believable, but I will try" Andrea then added. "I'll only do this once, this is not something I'm comfortable with."
Leaving Luke alone in the control room, Scott and most of the company took refuge up one flight of stairs. They figured having Luke there with his handheld unit plugged in would put whoever they sent a little off balance.
Luke had guess correctly and the response time was about what he expected.
"Whoa, what are you doing, who let you in here, who are you?" The technician asked as he entered the control center and saw Luke busy at the computers. "You shouldn't be here, this is a restricted area."
"What do you mean I shouldn't be here? I am the writer of this original program and I have every right to check on it." Luke lower the small unit he held as he continued. "Who the hell changed my program? There are no longer any safety stops on the power output. Did you make these changes? Who requested these changes? What is the purpose of these machines now?" Luke unplugged his control unit, walked over to the technician and, after checking and then poking the name tag on his shirt, forcefully ask. "So Jim, who is your employer? I demand some answers."
Luke had the technician back on his heels with the barrage of questions he attacked him with. It took a moment before Jim could come up with a response.
"I, well, I work for Sargon Electronics." Jim said as he pointed at the patch that adorned the sleeve of his work shirt. A representation of this massive structure was prominent in the middle of the patch with a red lightning bolt running through its center.
"These are your facilities?" Luke asked. "Everything in here belongs to your company?"
"Well yes, we take care of all these stations, a hundred of them." Jim said.
Hearing the cue "Everything in here belongs to your company?", Andrea came out from behind the generator that was the center of the large room.
"Help me, I desperately need your help in my escape from them. They have invaded my home planet and taken my father hostage, against his will. They are trying to conquer the universe with their mind control. I don’t know who they are but I know they are alien and violent and they mean business.” Andre kept asking for help as she approached the two, both seemingly surprised.
"Oh shit, oh no how did she become activated?" The technician was in a panic and started searching through his tool bag. He found and took out a remote control unit and started pushing buttons as he pointed the small unit at Andrea.
Andrea kept coming toward them, ignoring the frustration exhibited by the excited tech.
"Crap crap crap, this isn't working." Jim tossed the remote device aside and pulled a phasers out of the bag he carried. Before anyone could react he pointed it at Andrea and fired point blank. Showing no ill effect from the powerful discharge, Andrea continued her progress toward the frighten man continuing her request for assistance. "Run run, oh shit, no no, we got to get out of here." Jim kept shouting as he headed for the stairwell and a way out.
Scott came down the steps and blocked his path as he tried to exit. "What's up? You leaving?"
"She's going to blow, got to get out." Jim said as he tried to get around Scott only to be blocked now by Fortried who had stepped into view.
Andrea came up behind the tech and said. "I need your..."
Jim was gone, when Andrea reached out and touched him, he fainted.
They moved the unconscious Jim to a chair and sat him upright holding him in place. As they all gathered around, Jacque splashed some water in the slowly recovering man's face. As he came alert he was still in a panic to get away. He stared a hole through Andrea as Fortried, with just his hand laying on the front of the man's chest, prevented him from rising.
"Are you afraid of little old me?" Andrea teased. "I wouldn't hurt a fly so why do you fear me?"
Jim, with considerable difficulty, pulled his attention from Andrea and took stock of his captors. Pointing at Andrea, "She's not an android, is she?" He asked when his eyes finally came to rest looking at Scott.
"Of course not, she is flesh and blood just like you and me. Now what would make you think she was an android?" Scott smiled as he spoke, figuring Jim would know his question was rhetorical and no answer was expected.
Expected or not Jim said. "Her words, her phases, they are part of the program..." Jim cut off his outburst as he realized he might be saying too much.
"So, evidently you know about the use of the exploding androids to kill a certain people. The question is, did you program them and, if you did, by whose order?" Don asked before Scott could get those same or similar words out.
"Hey, I'm just a technician, I load the programs, I don't write them." He held up his hand in a stop motion as he spoke then wiped his hand across erasing the idea of his writing them. "I did see the demo video once and I recognize those words she spoke. How did you get those words, most people hearing those words are, well, they're not with us anymore."
It took some time and numerous questions before the complete picture was exposed. The Sargon Electronic Corporation was run by a board of twelve members. These board members were the top people from the major munitions producing companies, the very backbone of this galaxies economy. They were the major exporters of munitions and a definite opponent of the Coordinators organization. A peaceful galaxy was not lucrative so they did what they could to insure there were customers for their wares.
Jim didn't think the board would purposely set up to personally kill anyone but yes, they would make the equipment available for those who would have such intentions, that was a given. Jim, however, did not have the same opinion of the board leader. He felt that she was very dangerous and wouldn't even think twice about erasing a profit hampering obstacle, even several human ones. He was almost positive that she secretly set up the small factory that produced the exploding androids, all with Andrea's beautiful face.
"I would like a meeting with this board, do you think that is possible." Scott asked.
"No way, they only meet with major buyers or prominent "want to be" world leaders." Jim shook his head as he replied. "You don't look like a world leader very much."