MurCORP

Simon slammed his fist hard against the rigid surface of his desk upon reading the headline scrolled across the front page of the New York Times, “Computer Terrorists Strike Again”

“Damn it!” Simon cursed as pain shot through his hand in response to the tantrum the sent the bottle of distilled water across the metallic desk. The pain was enough to quickly remind him of his foolishness. There he paused his rant long enough to twist his wrist and assess any damage he may have done to his delicate synthetic covering. “Still in tact.” He sighed in relief chastising himself for his lack of control. The relief was short lived as Connie Chen appeared on the video monitor confirming the reports he had just read.

If it wasn’t one thing it was another that demanded his attention. He thought he had people in place to deal with such minor annoyances. Perhaps, it was time to implement the heavy handed approach. Subtlety just wasn’t accomplishing his objectives as quickly as he had hoped. There had been setbacks along the way but this could prove devastating. It is time to turn up the heat and put the fight back in the streets.



“…And there you have it. The notorious hacker group: The 404’s are responsible for all the mayhem in New York City. It is strongly advised that at the first signs of being hacked you report it to the authorities, so it can be handled. Remember if you see any of these people or if you have any information regarding them, call the below number."

*Sketches of the fugitive Mac and a few other 404 members flash across the screen, along with an 1-800 number*

"These people are terrorists and must be apprehended before they can wreak more havoc upon America. It is our duty as U.S. citizens to do-“




“Will the madness never end! Pictures!” Simon exclaimed.


Simon was so completely engrossed in his own thoughts he failed to notice the arrival Emia. He began to wonder just how much an effect the current news coverage would have on her conditioning. He had managed to limit the unraveling of her “true self’ with great success thus far. She was of more use to him in her current persona. The coming events were quite likely to open Pandora’s Box.

The steady regiment of injections and pills had been enough lately to keep her ignorant of her former self. The effect seemed to keep her stoic and emotionless for the most part limiting her flare ups that often induced detrimental flashbacks. She believed that she was a victim of a car accident that nearly killed her and he was her hero. He preferred it that way but recent events had him concerned. He would have to keep a closer eye on her.

“How long have you been standing there my dear?” Simon softened hoping to deflect the suddenness of the situation. “I was just about to send for you”

Turning, he carefully reached across and picked up the tabloid he accessed earlier. Stretching the newspaper out for the young girl to view he drew her attention to the headline. “Have you seen this?” Simon barked as his emotions began to build up uncontrollably once more. Before she even had a significant chance to answer he held up a singular finger expressing his desire for her to hold that thought. Alerted to the incoming call he swiftly activated the communication device attached to his left ear and by the resulting sour look the engulfed his face at the information he received.


“What??” Simon exclaimed, the added irritation evident in his voice.


And Version Two?.....“You’re sure?......How did this happen?”

“Lock down the facility immediately and stream me the security footage. I will be as soon as possible to deal with this mishap personally.”


“Emia, Looks like we will be headed back to New York sooner than expected. Be a doll and make the necessary arrangements will you? And have somebody to track down this reporter, Connie Chen and find out what they can about these sketches and the 404 characters. She has to have a source for this kind of information and I want it!

Emia waited quietly for Mr. Murphy to notice her, her high-heeled fashion boots clicking silently against the floor. He was watching the news, broadcasting something about a group of hackers. Yes, she knew all about the '404s, having spent a rather good time researching them in the past. They had always peaked an interest in her, most likely because from the first time she had heard of them she had deeply disliked them. She wouldn't call it hate, no, Mr. Murphy and Iota both would be very displeased if they knew she was feeling emotions like that. Finally he turned around.

“How long have you been standing there my dear?” He spoke more gently to her now, causing her to smile to herself halfway. Yes, she had seen Mr. Murphy upset, and she liked it very much that he was nicer to her than anyone else. Sure, maybe she was his pet a bit, but he was all she'd ever known... She was about to answer when he interrupted, asking her another question. Again she opened her mouth to speak and was shushed.

“What? And Version Two?.....“You’re sure?......How did this happen?” He spoke into his phone in a sharp voice, making Emia shrink back a bit. Mr. Murphy could be very gentle and kind, but he could also be terrifying. At least that's how Emia saw it as he continued to speak into the cellular device.

“Lock down the facility immediately and stream me the security footage. I will be as soon as possible to deal with this mishap personally.” Emia listened very carefully; trying very hard not to look scared or worried. She was feeling really emotional today, and she knew it wouldn't take very much for her to crack. Finally Simon terminated the call, turning back to her.

“Emia, Looks like we will be headed back to New York sooner than expected. Be a doll and make the necessary arrangements will you? And have somebody to track down this reporter, Connie Chen and find out what they can about this Shortcut character. She has to have a source for this kind of information and I want it!"

Emia only nodded dumbly, her huge eyes welling up with tears. She didn't want to go to New York! Not in a childish way, no, she could tell it was something to do with the new drugs Mr. Murphy had put her on. For no reason at all she could tell, she was taking a strong disliking to certain things. New York was one of them, and the thought of going there made her just want to scream!

"Yes Mr. Murphy. I'll see that it is done." She whirled around away from him, feeling the almost imperceptible vibrations as the nano-motors took effect and propelled her towards the door to the room, a bit too fast for human standards. She didn't care, she just wanted to get out of the room and away from Simon before he called her back, making her have to turn around and reveal the tears streaking her face.

Why did she have to be so darned unstable? All these emotions, off and on, never really making sense. Emia squeezed her eyes shut tightly, standing at the doorway to the room with her back to Mr. Murphy. He was obviously upset about something, and she didn't want to risk upsetting him by leaving without permission. And what was that he had said about a version two?? She resolved to ask him later, but right now all she wanted to do was scream... and cry... and hit something. Ah yes... as soon as this mission was over she would go to Seattle and rip apart pieces of old machinery with her bare hands. Okay, so she was smart enough to know that would almost definitely would not happen... but the thought of it made her feel better.

"Anything else sir?" Emia didn't turn around, knowing that her make-up had almost certainly smeared, revealing the ghostly white circuit boards laying beneath her right cheek. She waited for Mr. Murphy's answer in a uncertain silence, and she took advantage of the time to get a better grip on herself. 'See Emia? Only a little one, about thirty seconds. Maybe this round of drugs is different, this could be the one that finally gets those pesky emotions stable. See? Just breathe, breathe slow and even so Mr. Murphy won't notice...' She went on mentally coaching herself for what seemed like a long time before she heard another voice.

"Emia." The voice itself was indeterminable, merely there. It spoke in her head, coming from all directions and at the same time no where. She sighed softly, mentally replying. 'Hello Iota.'

"Anything else sir?"

Emia didn't turn around, standing at the doorway to the room with her back to Simon. There was distinct distress in her voice. Not surprising really given the circumstances. Anything to do with her past, Shortcut, the 404’s, even certain areas of New York City itself, could trigger her emotional ‘episodes’. If he had been more aware at the moment he might have called her back and asked what was troubling her. Instead, he allowed his mind to be preoccupied with the task at hand. It was always the same lately, work first.

People had become a means in which to get the job done. Simon’s people skills had diminished greatly since the accident delegating various tasks so that he now only had to deal personally with a select few. It was in this aspect he had come to rely heavily on Emia. Her unique skills in reading people have proved invaluable since the untimely departure of Veronica.

“No, that will be all Ms. Marksmen. This was to be a chance to get away from the city. Sorry to cut it short.”

A small pop-up appeared in the bottom right hand corner of his image screen alerting Simon to the arrival of the package he had requested. It was never his preference to transmit such information over the internet but in this case he had made an exception. If the revelation revealed in his earlier conversation was any indication time was of the utmost importance. A few quick clicks and the attached video file was loaded and ready to be viewed.

The contents were subtle enough. The ‘Veronica’ unit as he called it had simply walked out. Walking out of a secured facility was a feat in itself. What had made this such a monumental mystery was the fact that the unit had not been activated. Tracing the android’s movements backwards Simon was able to locate what he believed to be the origin of the event.

It took several minutes to find what he had been looking for. A small brightly lit sterile room, its white walls lined with various monitors and equipment of any well stocked medical facility. He watched as two technicians laboured over the test piece known as Version Two. Initial tests had all proven successful. A small smile pulled at the corners of his lips as the proud papa viewed his newest creation.

The body of the android was nothing spectacular, a simple generic form at the moment. But, you can’t always judge a book by its cover. What was of greater importance was the synthesized brain within the shell, a combination of high-tech electronics and Simon’s own DNA. An experiment initiated in part by the successful merger of similar elements within Emia that now keep her alive. It is hoped that this unit would one day house the creative genius that is Simon should his natural body continue to fail.

Within the confines of the testing lab was also a singular gurney pushed off to one side of the room. Atop the mobile cart was what appeared to be a well shaped female form concealed below a fresh white bedsheet pulled up over the body. While it wouldn’t seem out of place in such an environment it somehow caught Simon’s attention. It was as if he was expecting something to happen.

“There it is.” Simon mindlessly whispered aloud as he continued viewing the footage.

"Fix your make-up, Emia." Iota's voice was slow and distinct, almost tantalizingly so. At least thats how Emia felt as she made her way down the hall of MurCORP, toward her dormitory/office. It was a rather good sized room with a couch, food dock and desk. The desk was special, of course, not only would the hologram screen surf the web, but she could connect her left brain to it, essentially putting her thoughts on a screen. Yes, her left brain was badly injured in the Accident, so Mr. Murphy's surgeons had replaced it with a high-tech computer. Her brain still controlled it, no, she did'nnt qualify as AI, but it was a valuable resource to her. "Your foundation has smeared and your circuits are plainly visible." Iota continued on.

"I'm on my freaking way! Why can't you just leave me alone?!?" Emia hardly even realized she was almost speaking aloud as she hissed the words under her breath. Her high-heels clicked on the linoleum floor as she walked, her head held high even though her face was still streaming tears. "Augh!!!" The pain of the electric shock was enough that she had to lean against the wall until she felt better. Her ears buzzed with the sound of the electric diodes in her neck winding down after delivering the painful punishment. Iota, apparently satisfied that he had taught the girl a lesson, promptly left her mind. The moment he did this Emia slowly sank down to the floor, sitting and waiting for her heart to catch up to her.

Sighing softly, she slid a long, pale hand into her dress pocket and pulled out the small green vial. It was the newest medicine Mr. Murphy had put her on, and who knows? Maybe this one would actually get these emotions under control. Quickly and precisely, her hands unscrewed the cap, revealing the almost impossible small needle protruding from the tiny cylinder. With a muttered curse she quickly stabbed herself in the jugular vein, allowing the medicine to dispense for a couple seconds before removing it and replacing the cap. Sure, it hurt, but the scientists hurt worse. After giving a few seconds to let the medicine kick in, Emia finally stood and made her way to her office.

Once inside, she moved over to the desk and sat in the sleek metal chair. Sliding open the drawer, she removed two long, silvery cables and laid them on the desk. After looking back once to make sure the door was locked, and then mentally disabling any video-cameras as best she could, she slipped off her dress. Taking the cable, Emia looked down at her ribcage. There they were, the two metal ports, just underneath her bra on the right side. She pressed the end of the cable into the enclosure, it snapping shut with a small click. Same for the other cable. First, she needed to charge. One cable plugged into the green fusion port beneath the desk, yes, there it goes. Next one into the desk, linking her mind to the holographic screen.

A few minutes later, the proper arrangements made, Emia unplugged the cables and returned them to their place, pulling her dress back on. Finally she moved over to the mirror along the opposite wall, pressing a button beside it and causing her make-up drawer to open. She stared at her face, pale and streaked with mascara and eyeliner, with the entire side of her cheek gleaming silvery-white, lines of circuits snaking their way just beneath her skin. Without thinking she ran her fingertips along the area, but it felt the same as normal skin. She resolved to ponder this later, but for now she needed to fix the disaster that was her face. Finally she was done, her face again a perfect cream, with huge round eyes and the small, slightly turned up nose. It was almost perfectly symmetrical, and wasn't tainted at all by any scars, marks, or acne. Finally content that she was decent, she allowed her eyes to fall closed as she placed a direct call to Mr. Murphy.

"It's been arranged, sir. A boat will be here in thirty minutes."

“There it is.” Simon mindlessly whispered aloud as he continued viewing the footage.

The movement was subtle. If one had not been consciously looking for the event they would have missed it. One could assume it was simply a draft that had caught the sheet causing the slight movement. The two technicians in the room with the phenomenon occurred it came across their monitors as a sudden burst of energy that had erupted from the test unit before their readings returned quickly back to normal. To Simon it was so much more; it was a possibility of a new life.

As gifted a geneticist he was Simon could not simply undo the damage that had been done to his DNA code. What had been done was irreversible and alternatives would have to be found. Cloning was out of the question. The genetic defect simply carried on to the replica. Version Two was designed shortly after he realized the detrimental effects of the newly acquired frailty. There was now hope.

Simon’s unique gift allowed him to take possession of the minds of other people or animals. It allowed him to among other things operate their bodies as if they were an extension of his own. Created from his own DNA, it was not a stretch of the imagination to believe that V2 was capable of similar feats if only for a singular instance. It had done what he had feared to.

His train of thought was interrupted by an incoming call.
"It's been arranged, sir. A boat will be here in thirty minutes."

“Thank You, Ms Marksman, Please notify me upon arrival.” Simon replied politely.

"And Emmia, I know this is out of the blue but I would like you to consider something. Picture yourself as the new face for MurCORP’s public relations. You are good with people. I think you would be a great spokesperson for the company. That is why I will be recommending you personally to the board of directors.”

“Give it some thought. I don’t need an answer today.”

“Thank You, Ms Marksman, Please notify me upon arrival.” Mr. Murphy's voice was calm and polite, making Emia feel at ease and calm. She had a deep desire for him to be pleased with her, and she always tried as hard as she could to make sure she did whatever she could to make sure he stayed that way. As he spoke she moved across her office, sitting and then laying on the couch with a soft sigh.

"And Emia, I know this is out of the blue but I would like you to consider something. Picture yourself as the new face for MurCORP’s public relations." Emia sat up, listening closer to the voice in her built-in phone. "You are good with people. I think you would be a great spokes-person for the company. That is why I will be recommending you personally to the board of directors.” Emia smiled softly to herself at his words. Not because she particularly wanted to do it. No, because she knew perfectly well what he was thinking that he hadn't mentioned. He wanted her in human resources because of her talent, her talents for reading people. A single glance and she could find a lie in a more transparent person, while skin contact allowed her to feel if anyone was speaking truthfully. She opened her mouth to answer just as Mr. Murphy spoke again, telling her to 'Give it some thought. Don’t answer today.'

"Yes sir, and thank you. Anything else?" Emia couldn't help but continue to smile. Mr. Murphy wanted her for something, and it was an opportunity for her to please him. Leaning back on the couch, she crossed her legs and relaxed her stiff posture. She needed to try to be calmer, less robotic. After all, very soon the whole world might know her face. At least thats what she was thinking.