Saving Face

Chapter Twenty: Pandemonium

Pandemonium reigned at Alterego.

Renters exited the building, drenched from the fire suppressant system, while staff scrambled to wheel out all the renters' bodies. They assembled the gurneys of carefully-covered bodies, each capped with an opaque life support unit, in a distant corner of one parking lot. They roped off the area and posted a dozen staffers to keep curious media and renters at bay.

Ecstatic news crews started live feeds and hunted for stories, and more than one tried to get into the building. Police and fire trucks responded within moments, the wailing of their sirens adding to the din and confusion.

Inside the main building, Mr. Fleischer arrived in the central control room in a towering fury, his hand-crafted suit ruined.

"What the devil is going on here?" he roared. Staffers cringed away from his fury.

The head of security saluted out of habit, "Sir, we had a massive power failure and five simultaneous fire sensor alerts."

"Where's the fire?"

The man frowned. "That's the thing, sir. We haven't found any. It looks like the sensors all malfunctioned."

"All of them? At the same time?"

"It appears so."

"You idiot! It's that same saboteur. He's struck again."

"I considered that, sir, but the cameras show the vault is secure and I have men posted at the entry points to the main offices. Nothing of value is vulnerable."

Mr. Fleischer pointed to the wall of monitors that cycled through the multitude of security cameras installed in and around the facility. "Show me the outside." A technician typed a couple of keys, and half a dozen monitors shifted to views of the chaos outside.

"That's what he's after. He's causing a panic."

The fire alarm siren stopped wailing and Mr. Fleischer blew out a breath. "About time." He surveyed the views from the various cameras, "Get me Dr. Maerwynn. We need to get a handle on this situation."

Five minutes later, as he met with Dr. Maerwynn and the representatives of the local fire and police departments, a staffer handed him a printout. "Sir, all visitors accounted for but one."

"Not bad," a police officer said. "With everyone coming and going, I'm impressed you can keep such a close count."

Mr. Fleischer nodded toward the head of security. "We run a tight ship here. The missing person probably left during the confusion. We'll check the halls to verify everyone is safe."

"Yes, sir."

"Send the all-clear, and start wheeling those renters back into their suites."

The staffer nodded and turned to leave, but paused. "Oh, the missing visitor's name is Marilyn."

Mr. Fleischer's face drained of color. "What did you say?"

"Marilyn, sir."

He shared a look with Dr. Maerwynn and then turned to the chief of security. "Please show these gentlemen around the facility so they can confirm all is well."

"Yes, sir."

As soon as the door closed behind them, Mr. Fleischer turned to Dr. Maerwynn. "Sarah didn't meet us at the conference room, but when we went back to get Marilyn, she was already gone."

Dr. Maerwynn frowned. "You think she's done something rash."

"Possibly."

"This could be a disaster."

Mr. Fleischer turned to the security staffers. "Seal the outer gates. No one goes in or out of this facility without I.D. verification. Search every vehicle. Sarah must be found."

One staffer pointed at the cluster of emergency vehicles. "Sir, we can't search those. We'll need to tell the police."

"No, just verify identities of everyone else who tries to leave."

The security staffers scrambled to make calls on phones and radios. Dr. Maerwynn pulled Mr. Fleischer aside to converse in low tones.

"She must know she can't restore herself alone. Only I or my assistants can do it."

"Does she really know that?"

Dr. Maerwynn frowned. "Perhaps not."

Mr. Fleischer tapped one of the security staffers, "You, scan through all the cameras in the transfer lab. See if anyone is moving around down there."

"Yes, sir."

Dr. Maerwynn moved up beside him as images started flashing past. "We're overlooking something here, Michael. I can feel it."