Baaul: A Change of Heart

Chapter 21: Not On My Watch

“You do not have access-”

Renee groaned, tossing her head back in the large captain’s chair. “Cut the bullshit already! I’m not trying to leave damn it! I just want to know where he is!”

In the last few hours, Renee had managed to find the cockpit of the ship, access the database in an attempt to find some form of entertainment, but found evidence of a connection to Baaul’s personal tech. The AI system locked her out before she had a chance to access it so she had fought with it, eventually getting to the point where she switched it’s verbal communication to English, hoping that it would help. It didn’t.

“You do not have-”

“What the fuck! You know that he’s going to give me access at some point! Save him the trouble now!”

“I am an AI that has spent centuries with Master Baaul. I have learned his behaviors and can predict his wants and needs. This, however, is something that he would not want me to decide for him.”

Renee sat up, leaning her elbows on her knees, glaring at the red screen that displayed the texted words of th AI. “We both know that I can make you. After hacking into your database, I have been learning YOU.”

“I am a bit more complicated than your human systems, Lady Renee.”

Renee bit on the inside of her cheeks. “Oh, that is definitely true. It will take me some time, but I am faster than you can hide. I mean, come on! What’s the harm in letting me just check on him? I don’t want to interfere with what he’s doing. I am no hunter, but even I know that it would be stupid to distract him in the middle of something dangerous. I’m bored and I want something to do! If I need to rework your shit, then I will. Though, I don’t think Baaul will like what I do-”

The AI actually sighed. “I can see why Master Baaul has a dislike for humans. You are a pushy lot.”

“Baby, you have no idea.”

“Rerouting temporary Master access to Lady Renee.”

Renee threw up her arms in a sigh of victory. “FINALLY!”

“I have located Master Baaul. Would you like access to his location?”

Renee sat up a little as a 3D hologram of a map sprawled out on the floor. She watched as it zoomed in like the orb she had found, just on a much grander scale. A pulsing dot showed that Baaul was inside the treatment center. What the hell was he doing there? “Can you get me access to his video?”

“Video?”

Renee tutted, “Don’t play stupid! He doesn’t wear that mask for looks! I know it has video connection. Let me see.”

“Granting access.”

Seconds later, Renee was watching a confusing scene. Blues, reds, yellows, whites, greens. The blobs formed into a more recognizable form. People. It was then that Renee realized that Baaul was watching them from a higher position.

A triangle honed in on one of the forms, then another, and another. Renee’s jaw dropped when she watched a dark orb flash faster than a bullet and screams started to boom through the room. Renee slapped her hands over her ears, but AI lowered the volume for her. When she looked back up, it was like watching the world’s hardest first person video game.

She could see Baaul’s arms as he ripped apart men shaped blobs, letting out the most chilling roar as he went from one kill to the next. Renee swallowed hard. It was one thing to see the aftermath of his trophies in the next room…but it was entirely different to see him in the act. These men fell so easily to the monster that was Baaul.

She still found him the most beautiful thing in existence, but it unsettled her to know that if Baaul hadn’t been attracted to her…she would have died so easily at his hands. Not just Could have, but WOULD have. No amount of fighting would have saved her. She couldn’t have out ran him. Nothing would have stopped her from death. Helpless. Utterly and completely helpless…

She swallowed hard as she watched him make quick work of an expertly trained team. When there was nothing but cooling bodies before him, he seemed to look around but he roared out. He played a recorded voice that made Renee freeze.

It was Steve calling her name. Screaming for her. It was clear as Baaul frantically pulled over the bodies that he was looking for someone specific. Steve. He was looking for Steve? He was here?

“Put me through to Baaul!” Renee snapped, standing up to pace. Anxiety knawing at her limbs like ants.

“Connected.” AI said.

“BAAUL!” Renee shouted. His movements paused, clearly shocked to be hearing her. “That voice! I know that voice! Don’t kill him!”

“No.”

No? Did he really just tell her no? What the fuck? “He is my friend Baaul!”

“I know who he is.”

Renee’s mouth fell open in disbelief. It took her a second of looking like a fish out of water before she could even fathom an intelligent response. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Baaul’s growl was his only answer to my less than graceful response.

Renee wanted to rip her hair out. “He is not a threat to you, Baaul! Why are you trying to kill him?”

Baaul ignored her and continued to search the halls for Steve who was clearly smart enough to get the fuck out of there.

Anger blossomed in her stomach and steadily rose at his clear dismissal of her. “Baaul! If you kill my FRIEND, I will NEVER fucking forgive you! Leave him! RIGHT NOW!”

Again Baaul ignored her, this time to poke around on his keypad and Renee recognized that he was trying to sever their connection. Her anger blossomed into full blown furry.

“FINE! You want to play it that way?” She glared up at the ceiling of the ship, where the voice of AI usually came from. “Open the ramp, AI! I will not be staying here with someone who doesn’t give me the basic respect I deserve!”

That stopped Baaul. “Stay.” His voice was a warning growl.

“Fuck off, Baaul! If you won’t respect my fucking request then I’m not listening to yours! Now you have to choose! You can either stay there to kill possibly my only friend and lose me because trust me, I’ll be long gone OR you can turn around and come back right now and stop me! Time’s a tickin’ big guy!” Renee looked up again at AI. “Sever connection!”

AI did and she stormed out of the cockpit room.