Ava Cobalt [Book 1]

2021

[January 2021]

Ava's computer beeped. A notification. She ran over to her desk and sat down.

Notification: Computer 2 is active.

Ava gasped. They had turned on Deb's Apple 2. She typed for a minute, then had access to the computer. She could actively see what they were doing. As she watched, she realized Deb was pretending to be a computer.

Ava: Foolish. If you're trying to manipulate people, at least be upfront with the fact that you're a human. Don't pretend to be a fucking computer.

She sighed, then heard a *CRASH* outside. On high alert, she crept to a window and peered out. Benjamin had slammed the door to the RV shut. He looked angry.

Benjamin: Damn it, Ava! You just had to make my life even more of a hell than what it already was, didn't you?!

He kicked a chemical barrel. Ava doubted he knew where she was, he was just sulking.

Benjamin: Looks like March 5th will be a go after all. The fools don't know what's good for them. Unless they start listening sometime soon. But looks like Deb has them wrapped around her little finger.

Ava gasped softly. Deb may not have been fully evil, but she only had her own goals in mind.

Ava: No, no, no. Stupid. And they're treating Benjamin like the full-on villain. He's not great, but he has his reasons. Ugh, this isn't going well. Time to play Change the Timeline, Ava.

Ava left the window and went to her desk. She grabbed a notepad and began writing out some ideas. Change the Timeline, was pretty much Ava trying to stick her nose in, and help guide Matt, Woods, and Sam in a semi-right direction. Ava could only do so much. She was trying to live like a normal teen, going to school included. She had convinced the school to let her in. Mostly because of Lacy. Lacy worked at the school. She helped Ava get in.

But besides school, Ava didn't know everything. She was fifteen, for Christ's sake! She didn't know much about Wesley Nathanial, or the relationship between Deb, Wes, Ben, and Nelson. She wasn't an employee of Syntec or an undercover police officer. She was an experiment and a kid!

But, she was a smart kid. She was a kid who was born into an experiment. She had grown up in Syntec. She knew her strengths and weaknesses. And she was going to try. She knew that Benjamin planned to steal the Mountaineer in a couple of days. That was something out of her control. She also had heard about the Absolute date. March 5th. God, she hated the name that Benjamin had started calling himself in the past several years.

"The Absolute."

Trying to tie himself to the Absalate. But, hopefully, he would never find it. She reverted her thoughts to ideas. March 5th. She knew the idea behind that as well. Break in, and try and get the emulator. If it wasn't there, destroy their connection to Deb. She looked at her notepad. Not a single idea was written down yet.

Ava: Ugh! Damn it, Ava! Think, idiot, think!

She groaned in frustration.

Nothing. Then, she remembered some information on Woods that gave her an idea. She waited for Benjamin to leave, then slipped into the RV. She found the notes on where to leave the Mountaineer after he stole it. She took them and replaced them with hers. She left in a hurry. She wasn't interested in cutting it close again. She hurried back to her house and locked the door. She set Benjamin's notes down at her desk, praying her handwriting matched Ben's enough that he wouldn't notice. Also, she hoped he would just read the notes, not thinking about them too much. The two locations were places Woods had been to when he was a teen, rather than places they had never even heard of. It wasn't much, but it would help them out some. Make life a little trickier for the evil side of Syntec.

[Mid-March 2021]

Ava was sitting at her desk, watching the messages between Benjamin and Matt.

Matt: Every single piece of evidence.

Benjamin: Let's see how far you get.

Ava felt her heart drop to her stomach. She already knew what that meant.

Ava: Oh no.

She watched Benjamin get into his car, and speed away. Ava quickly followed. She didn't stay behind him long. She slid into another lane and passed him. Her heart briefly stopped when he looked over at her. She sped around him and made a turn. She knew she wouldn't be of any help. Unless Benjamin went for violence. Then she'd be helpful. But she was praying that she wouldn't need to be helpful. She went down a side street, matching Benjamin as best as she could. She came to a stop sign, and Matt's Tesla turned in front of her, Benjamin quickly following.

Ava: Crap. Crap, crap, crap.

She turned in behind Benjamin trying to be inconspicuous. But she wasn't trying too hard. She knew Benjamin's focus would be on the Tesla. She soon realized they were turning onto a dead-end road. She found a place to pull over and hid her car there. She went the rest of the way on foot, sticking to the brush and plants as best as she could. She soon came to the end of the road and saw Matt and Benjamin just sitting there. She had no idea what was going on. She desperately hoped that Matt wasn't going to give Benjamin the evidence, that they had something up their sleeves. A lump formed in her throat as she watched Matt get out and open the trunk. He pulled a large case out.

Matt: Here you go! It's all right here!

He set it down.

Ava, whispering: No, no. Damn it, no.

Matt opened it, and Ava gasped.

Matt: You see that?!

He kicked the empty case away.

Matt: We never had it! You're too late!

Matt pulled the phone out from the LAPD case, waved it in front of Benjamin, then threw it to the ground. He smashed it with his foot for emphasis.

Matt: What now?

He held his arms out, like a rebellious teen against his parents. Ava saw Benjamin's hands tighten around the wheel. He slammed the gas pedal, nearly hitting Matt, and made a tight u-turn, tires screeching. She had a feeling he was probably thinking of multiple different names to call Matt. She also had a feeling that they weren't good. She bit back a chuckle and headed back to her car. She did need to make sure Benjamin didn't get to Woods before John Doe did.

She wasn't worried about being obvious now. She wasn't going to make it clear she was following him, but she wasn't going to hide it very well either. Right now, she didn't care. Benjamin was furious, and that meant he was reckless. He was dangerous right now. And she was the only one who could even come close to matching him.

By the time they got there, there was no sign of anyone even being there. She didn't get out, but she watched as Benjamin did, searching for any sign of them being there. She knew the answer. Benjamin was too late. Suddenly, Benjamin started marching towards her car.

Oh...shit.

She threw it into reverse and raced out of there. No way in hell was she going to get caught by him in that mood.

[Ava's Hideout]

She had been surprised that no cop had pulled her over on the way back. Once she had hidden the Mountaineer, she ran inside and locked everything she could lock that led outside. She was waiting for Benjamin to come storming up the house,  barging in, and taking her back to Syntec to be studied. 

She was hiding in a closet. She didn't think it would help any, but she didn't know what else to do. Soon, the sound of a car door slamming shut filled the silent air. Ava closed her eyes, she didn't want to see it coming. 

But minutes ticked by. Nothing happened. Wait. Did Benjamin not realize? Ava crept out of the closet and to a window. He was in the RV. She let out a sigh of relief. She was safe for another day.