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Chapter 24

The Transfer Room was a surpise. The grey cinder block walls were different than the white concrete Richard was used to, but the machines were the same. There were two chairs, a table between them and a pair of Hotwire cables on top - technology that was forbidden outside the walls of the Sands Foundation.

When HICOP became commercial Peter Sands made sure of two things. Licensing was not an option and no technical aspects of the equipment were made public. Machines built the machines in a private location, making modifications as they saw fit. He was the only person who knew how everything worked. After his death they continued without him – fully independent of human supervision.

Those rules made the room Richard was in quite unusual. He wondered if others existed and if Sands had allowed it – and if he hadn't, what was going on?

These were mysteries for another day – due in large part to his current situation - so Richard pushed them aside. There were more important things to focus on.

In one of the chairs was the enormous body from the picture. Beside it were a few pieces of medical equipment – an IV drip and a Body Scanner the most recognizable.

He approached the Husk with caution. Such a thing was impressive to see in person.

They were the product of conflict - until the act of war became outdated. Humankind finally realized there were only two options when it came to major conflict – mutually assured destruction, or survival by discussion. The choice was clear, and a great number of Husks were employed as a safety measure to help quell lingering violence while World One Council was created and peace established.

An operator transferred in using HICOP at a very specific Foundation facility - Sands had invented the bodies years previous as organic heavy equipment. Due to his secretive nature it was the only way he would allow their use.

They were indispensible until peace was achieved – then outgrew their usefulness. The program was closed soon after and the remaining Husks destroyed.

This didn't stop people from believing some still existed. There were persistent rumours that City Security used them in special cases, while others declared a handful remained available in the event of global disaster.

When he arrived beside the Husk Richard could only stare. Both eyes were closed and the face was slack – like it was waiting to be animated. The big chest moved up and down and he could hear a light whistle of air going in and out of the nose.

After a moment he reached out with a shaking finger and poked an arm. The skin was supple and felt every bit like the real thing.

Despite all that was happening he found himself excited to try it out.

To Richards surprise there was a white envelope in the giants lap with his name written across the front. He picked it up and pulled out a sheet of paper.

Dr. Sobel,

You have no reason to believe my warning, but nothing good will come of this body. It's too good to be true. Once inside Maxwell will have control over your actions and constant knowledge of your whereabouts. Run. Exit the room by way of the red door. There will be a guard on the other side. He will help with the next step.

A friend.

Richard lowered the letter and looked at the Husk. He had never wanted something more in his life. It was the answer to so many problems – and a safety net. His impulse was to take Maxwell's deal, but that also stopped him. The letter was right – everything was too perfect. Since their first meeting in Eden the Chief had never been gracious - always the opposite. That was reason enough for apprehension.

The decision was still difficult – made harder by the unknown. He had no idea who to trust or what to believe. There was no doubt Maxwell had an ulterior motive, but the letter could have been written by someone with the same intentions.

Bewildered, Richard bit his lip and stared at the wall. An image of the Trench and its sullen prisoners floated up from memory.

That was all he needed.

Huge body or not, there was no way he could spend even a minute in such a horror.

He moved to the red door. It slid open. On the other side was a guard in a grey uniform.

Without a word the guard took his arm and led him down a hallway. At the end was a concrete desk, behind it a man in a blue uniform. To the left was a huge steel door, to the right one made of glass. It was so thick Richard could hardly see through.

"Gentlemen," said the man in blue. He wore a name tag that read 'Philips'. "How may I be of service?"

"Release," said the guard. His voice was as serious as his manner.

"Excellent." Philips pressed a button on his watch, reached under the desk and brought up two pistols.

If Richard had glanced to his left he would have witnessed surprise on the face of the man beside him. The standoff was unexpected.

One gun looked normal, a standard issue Security weapon. The other had a large, round end that resembled a trumpet. With the first Philips shot the guard in the head. With the second he shot a red bolt of energy that hit Richard in the upper arm.

Richard's body went stiff and he fell to the floor. At the same time Philips dove under the desk. After that something exploded.

The sound was deafening. A deep thud followed by breaking glass and exploding concrete. Even though he couldn't move Richard felt pieces tear at his clothes and pierce his skin.

Alarms began to blare. Consciousness began to slip. As darkness enveloped him for the second time in less than a day Richard felt hands grab hold of his battered body.

Then there was blackness.