

### The Paradoxical Nature of Knowledge

By Ashley Douglass

Copyright © 2013 by Ashley Douglass

Smashwords Edition

## A Few Words about Me

I am a young woman on the very brink of adulthood. Just a short while ago I was in high school, wondering what I wanted to do with my life, fearing that I may not be good at anything in particular. Troubled by uncertainty yet inspired by the numerous possibilities that surely awaited me, I turned to writing. I sat on my bed, with my old laptop propped on one of my textbooks, in the dead of night. My mind whirled with fantastic ideas just waiting to be fully realized. I found a love of creating hypothetical realities centered around my hope of one day living a life which would offer me a good deal of autonomy and self-satisfaction.

Often finding myself confused and alone in my publishing efforts, I would eagerly seek out others for advice but my issues often seemed like fabricated problems, simply being an extension of a hobby that only I seemed to see any practical value in. Tired of my hopes being met with indifference, I usually keep many of my ideas to myself, though in doing so I have become somewhat isolated. Rarely do my ideas cross with others', rarely do I feel the need to express myself on topics that demand very little of my interest. A meaningful connection is very rare indeed yet through my efforts to share my books my true ideas are slowly revealed and I regain my voice.

Table of Contents

Part 1: White Collar Larcenists

Part 2: Conflicting Interests

Part 3: Her Father's Dying Wish

Part 4: Making a Stand

Part 5: Future Outcomes

The Value of a Mind

Science gropes blindly for answers, assuming that the universe will yield its information after a certain amount of probing, assuming that the universe can be mastered like any other physical entity. According to science there will be a point when all is known. A time when everything is demystified, even the human brain, a period when the only remaining mystery will lay within a young girl by the name of Maria Rivera.

A young girl about seven years of age sat on the floor amongst the many metal pieces of a disassembled toy, which she snapped into place to form odd mechanical structures. Her smallish sunbaked hands clasped a small cog as she reconstructed the engine with just a few additional springs and rubber bands. Her thick frizzy hair that formed tight spirals, fought against the restricting band with every excitable head turn as her golden brown eyes took in her new creation.

She raised it proudly as the thin plastic sheets, reinforced with bread ties, began to blur into a cloud of motion as her creation rose from her palm. A soft humming could be heard as the mechanical bug ascended into the air. It rose above the mess surrounding her as it neared the ceiling. Its delicate frame was no match for the unyielding ceiling so it came tumbling back down as she scrambled to catch it to prevent further damage.

"Maria your father will be home soon." a woman announced as the young girl looked up. The woman had flawless skin which was adored with rich brown hues. Her dark hair draped over her shoulders. Her eyes were much too bright as if enlaced with stunning lights, hinting subtlety at her inhuman nature.

She was a mockery of Maria's dead mother, made in her mother's image to watch over Maria since her father was often busy at work researching brain functions and diseases. She was the latest Robomantic's model. Her programming was complex, allowing her to perform many autonomous functions but her glassy eyes were still much too cold and her posture was still much too stiff for her to pass for being human.

Maria's gastric system produced an auditory sound as she paused suddenly desiring to rise her diminishing blood sugar levels. She knew the process of breaking down complex carbohydrates would be arduous so she desired a quick burst of energy that she readily associated with sucrose.

"I want a cookie," Maria announced as the robot slowly shook her head side to side.

"Your father has instructed me to restrict your consumption of any snacks that may be taxing to your health until he returns." she answered with a slight metallic tone, ringing within young Maria's acute ears.

"That was an order," Maria stated with her small fists balled at her sides as she glared at the humanoid machine.

"Your father has forbidden you from overriding my systems and he is monitoring my outgoing signals so it would be unadvisable for you to resist my authority." the robot pointed out but Maria, after losing her mother to a dreadful illness that targeted her brain and caused her father to retreat into his work abandoning her, did not care about idle threats.

"You are referring to another source of authority to add to your legitimacy but my father is rarely here so if my disobedience brings him back home then I choose to proceed despite your warning." Maria stated fearlessly as the robot became rigid with its vacant eyes focused over her head.

"Now retrieve my cookie!" she demanded as the robot froze at the force of her command before jerkily turning away without further protest. It marched silently into the kitchen then returned with a package of cookies in hand. The robot then gave Maria the cookies then grew unnaturally still.

"Thank you, automaton," Maria mumbled spitefully then sat on the rug with the package of cookies on her lap. She gingerly picked up a cookie then chewed it slowly as she began to reminisce about the past, back when her father use to sit by her bedside with a bottle of unmarked pills. She remember that he used to tell her that the pills would make her strong then he would give her a cookie and assure her that everything was going to be alright. She remembered that he used to make her wear an odd hat with electrodes pressed against her scalp before helping her make a fort in the living room and allowing her to camp on the rug but now it seemed that those days had come to an end.

She picked up a stuffed dog then hugged against her chest in a sense of desperate longing. It hung limply in her arms as she squeezed it plush body. Its soft golden fur was pressed against her skin as its head lolled to one side and its dark collar shifted slightly around its neck.

She did not remember much about her mother but she did recall the day that she gave her this stuffed animal. Maria asked for a pet so her mother took her to the toy store and bought her a stuffed animal and fashioned it with a leash and a collar. Then her mother told her that this would be her pet until she had proven herself to be responsible enough for a real dog. Maria was young but even then she thought the idea was funny as she dragged the stuffed dog behind her on the sturdy leash. It was an absurdity that caused laughter to bubble up in silent fits, which earned the dog the name Snickers.

An irritating buzzing began in her head along with the image of her father. She eagerly projected her conscious thoughts outward when a voice drifted into her mind.

"Honey I am coming home today. I will be there in a few minutes." said the disembodied voice.

"Good then I will be awaiting your arrival." she answered as the mental link began to fade.

"Then good bye honey." he whispered before the connection slipped away completely. Maria's mind cleared, leaving her with her own troubled thoughts when the robotic servant returned.

"I am now fully rebooted so I will alert your father of your actions." the robot stated when all the lights flickered before giving away to complete darkness.

Maria commanded the lights to return with her mind as she clung onto Snickers fearfully. Their security systems have been breached but thieves do not usually prowl around this neighborhood for the houses are well protected and those driven to such actions are far away.

"I will check the perimeter for intruders." the machine announced before it left the room. Maria watched the robot go, for once desiring its company. She held her toy tight when the front door opened. She quickly got to her feet when her father appeared in the doorway.

The wide curls that naturally formed in his dark hair seemed under-kept and the rich brown skin sagged beneath his eyes with exhaustion. His movements were sluggish and clumsy but his whole face lit up at the sight of his daughter.

"Maria I am home," he announced as she rushed over to her father, wrapping her small arms around his waist.

"You are back," she cried joyously as he nodded before stepping inside, pleased to be home once more.

"Yeah but I heard about how you overpowered Liza again." he stated as she looked down, hating how he named the machine after her mother.

"I know," she muttered as he nodded, not too upset about the news. He did not want to spoil their time together with misplaced anger when their time seemed so limited.

"Well I am just happy to see you again but anyway where is Liza?" he asked before walking further into the house, stepping on Maria's project. He lifted his foot as he studied the mess at his feet when the robotic maid reentered.

"The coast is clear," it announced as Maria's father looked down at Maria fearfully.

"What does she mean by saying that the coast is clear?" he asked when a gang of men appeared by the open doorway. They all wore masks and were obviously armed.

Her father rounded on them with his arms raised in an effort to protect his daughter as Lisa rushed over to them, inhumanly fast with no hesitation. Her programming was clear.

"You will be infringing upon private rights by steeping foot within this house without the permission of the owner." the robot announced stepping onto the porch when one of the men jabbed it in the abdomen with a short rod that delivered a powerful current to its mechanical body. The robot froze as its functions ceased and its systems failed. The men stepped pass Liza, over the threshold, as Maria's father backed away, tightly clutching his daughter's arm.

"I will do anything you want just don't harm my daughter," he pleaded as the leader of the gang nodded.

"Fair enough now lead us to your lab." he commanded as her father nodded then turned back to Maria.

"Stay here and don't get in their way." he told her firmly as she stared at him fearfully before he released her then turned to lead the way downstairs.

"Dad," she whispered as they exited the room.

What were they going to do with her father after they retrieved the pricey lab equipment? What was transpiring just beneath her feet she wandered but when she could no longer take it she snuck after them to the downstairs lab. She perched on top of the stairs peering down into the semi darkness.

"The lab equipment is over there." her father told them as he gestured in the general direction of the lab.

"What are you doing with all this anyway?" one of them asked him as he froze for a second as if frightened by the statement but he quickly recovered.

"I am a scientist." he stated simply as one picked up a piece of high-tech equipment that he used to study Marias brainwaves as a child.

"So you bring your work home with you though some of this equipment does not look standard." he committed as her father grew impatient wanting to get off the subject.

"I have a lot of work and at times I work independently. Now please just take the equipment and leave us in peace." he offered when the leader turned to him.

"This is too extensive for private research. You are up to something." the leader stated as her father backed away as he approached menacingly.

"What do you mean, I am a scientist I do research." he stated nervously as the leader pulled out his gun.

"Of course but what have you been working on?" he asked as her father became very uncomfortable, fidgeting with his zipper.

"All of my equipment is yours." her father offered.

"Your research could be valuable as well." the leader of the gang pointed out.

"It is worthless if you can't understand it." her father pointed out.

"Who says I am incapable of understanding it?" the thief challenged when a flash of understanding rolled across her father's face.

"That voice, you are that lab technician that was fired for stealing lab equipment. That is how you know of my lab. I knew your voice sounded familiar." her father accused him as he tore away his mask as if to congratulate him on his discovery.

"A lot of effort must have went into this research it would be a shame for it to be lost." he continued as he pulled out his gun.

"I will never tell you anything of my work. Its secrets will die with me." her father declared proudly, before stepping froth unafraid.

"Well I suppose we could still look over your notes and figure it out for ourselves so I guess we don't need you after all." he figured before shooting him square in the chest. A thin spew of blood briefly sprayed as he fell slowly, suspended by Maria's shock before collapsing upon the floor. His bright lively eyes dulled as blood spilled upon his chest soaking into his shirt, dying it a deep crimson.

Maria backed into a wall as her breathing quickened along with her heart. Her optic nerves mustn't be communicating properly with her occipital lobe for her father's death must be a fabrication of her mind. Her father couldn't be dead. This mustn't be happening. She must have simply taken leave of her senses. She must be going insane.

The gang stomped up the stairs carrying her father's equipment, his life's work. They paid her no mind as they trudged pass with their loot. They did not take notice of how badly she quivering or how vacant her stare had become.

The leader followed them out but paused when he noticed how distraught the girl was. He kneeled down then grasped her shaky shoulders, with his cold apathetic eyes fixed on hers.

"Now be a good little girl and silence your larynx when in the presence of your superiors or the next time we find you we might not be so merciful." he told her in a chilling voice then rose to his full height, casting her within his shadow. Then like nothing had transpired, he simply turned away, leaving young Maria weeping on the floor.

The Stagnation of Blood

Tears welded up in Maria's eyes as she held her knees to her chest with her head bowed. Her mind raced, plagued by thoughts of uncertainty and irrevocable fear. She could hardly breathe between her seemingly endless fits of sobbing.

Her father couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be. The bullet must have grazed his shoulder for surely it did not kill him. He must still be alive.

She lifted her head suddenly, her eyes brimming with determination. She had to help her father. She had to trend to his wounds before it was too late.

She got up then waddled down the stairs, her short legs forcing her to shift her weight laterally. When she reached the bottom she raced over to her father's side. She leaned over his chest, staring desperately into his dull eyes that stared back at her unblinkingly. She pressed her ear against his chest, listening for signs of life but his heart was silent and his blood flow had ceased. He was dead. There was nothing that she could do.

A horrific wail burst from her lips echoing off the walls, carrying her pain filled cry across the spacious room. Tears flooded her eyes and spilled onto her round cheeks, dripping from her small quivering chin. Her hands were stained in blood, that quickly grew darker in hue.

She eventually quieted herself, looking down at her father with glossy eyes. Her father's body laid on the cold floor, unmoving. His chest was soaked in his own blood and his eyes were devoid of all emotion. He was gone and he would never return.

He had just returned home yet here he will forever lie. She waited eagerly for her father to return all day but he was never coming back. He would never help her make a tent of blankets in the living room like he promised. They would never share another plate of warm chocolate chip cookies or camp nestled in snug sleeping bags by the hologram projector in the living room. He will never tell her another one of those childish tales that she relished so. She will never see his eyes glistening with joy or hear his voice ever again. He was simply gone.

Memories of her mother laying on her deathbed rushed back to her, for such memories could only be ignored until they are prompted to return. She was young when her mother was muttering with a pained expression as her illness attacked her brain, stealing away her personality and all her defining characteristics. Drool leaked from her lips as her eyes retreated where no one could follow. Her limbs convulsed beyond her control before death finally found her. Her body grew still as an eerie silence fell upon the room.

Her mother's death still haunted young Maria. It created a sense of loneliness that even time couldn't fill. She was tormented by the void that she knew her mother once occupied and now that her father was gone as well; Maria was all alone.

There was no one to tuck her in at night or comfort her after all was lost from sight. There was no one to be there for her as she matures and facing life's hardships. There was no one for her to adore unconditionally nor was there anyone to adore her unconditionally. She was utterly alone.

There was no one to watch over her for she had no other family. Her relatives on her mother's side were ravaged by that befouling illness that claimed her mother's life. Death came quickly causing the mind to deteriorate before medical advances could be envisioned. Death tore at the seams of her family, residing in infants unmarked by known genes. Grief flung uncles and aunts far away to solitary places hidden from the world. Death stole the others away leaving nothing but their decaying bodies behind.

Her father had no siblings and his parents both willingly choose death when age threatened their livelihood. Her grandfather Rico Rivera, who was named after her great grandfather the famous philosopher that sparked the interest in many neuroscientists in his time, allowed the troubles of old age to claim him after his wife passed. For being quite religious she chose to slip from existence peacefully ignoring the pricey technology. Maria had only seen them once for her father moved after acquiring his job at the research center. She would never see them now because they were both dead and now she had no one to care for her. She needed to do something.

She looked up at the stairs then forced herself to her feet. The robot will handle her problems for she did not want to think about any of this any longer. She just needed to reboot its systems then its highly functional programs should fix this.

She slouched over to the stairs with her head bowed. She reached up for the rail then pulled herself up the staircase as her short legs scrambled over the high steps. She walked slowly back to the front door that was left wide open. Sunlight poured into the house assaulting her eyes. She stepped out onto the porch then commanded the robot to awaken. A spark ignited within its glass eyes as its systems recovered.

She turned away from the robot unconcerned as she stooped down to pick up her stuffed animal. She hugged it tight within her arms. It was all that remained of her mother, a reminder of happier times.

"Where is Master Antonio?" the robot asked closing the door behind it.

"In the basement," Maria answered coldly as the robot nodded stiffly then hurried to the basement. Its long dark hair lifted as it hurried out of the room, seemingly compelled by a sense of urgency, maybe even compassion. Maybe the robot had emotions programmed within it, maybe it truly cared she though as she followed the machine to the stairs. She climbed half way down as she watched the robot stooped beside her father.

"His vital signs suggest that he is no longer alive. His body needs to be disposed of." the robot stated simply as Maria turned away disappointed. That robot may look like her mother but it lacked her mother's warm caring nature. It was an abomination.

Disgusted she wandered to her room. She shut the door wanting to be alone. She sat on her bed as she pressed her face into her stuffed animal as her tears soaked its synthetic fur. She should have saw this coming. They should have been able to prevent this. Her father shouldn't be dead.

She knew his brain monitoring equipment was prized among thieves but it is usually well guarded within highly secure research labs. Her father's equipment may be was less guarded but it was still within a rather secure house in the suburbs with a robotic maid constantly watching over it. Only a highly organized gang would attempt to rob them. Her father protected that lab equipment since her mother died without incident. She was hoping they weren't going to target him. She was hoping this would never happen but now she could see that it was only a matter of time before it did. Their luck simply ran out. It was simply a matter of time before she lost everything.

She buried her face against Snickers as she morbidly began to wander what horrid future awaited her. Would she be forced to live beside that unfeeling android or would she be forced to live among strangers. Either option seemed equally unacceptable for how could anyone replace her father. How could anyone duplicate her father's love for her?

Silent tears gathered as Maria laid down, pulling the covers over her head. She hugged Snickers to her chest. The moisture from her tearstained pillow pressed against her cheek as she formed a tight ball with her body.

Time slipped away as the sunlight restlessly shifted outside her window. The silence faded as the robot rushed beyond her room. She was vaguely aware of people entering and exiting her home, footsteps reverberating throughout the house. Her bedroom door opened when a man with a receding hairline entered. He was rather chubby and he was well dressed. He made his way over to her bed then pulled the cover from her face.

"Hello Maria, you may call me, Mr. Johnson." he said as Maria sat up looking him over.

"What do you want?" she demanded as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"I came to take you to a happy place where you can find new parents," he explained as anger boiled up at the thought that her parents could simply be replaced.

"I don't want new parents," she yelled as he nodded understandingly.

"But you don't want to stay here all alone either, now do you?" he asked her as she turned away.

"Leave me alone," she whined when he touched her shoulder.

"Lisa can't function as your guardian because as your servant she will be bound by your command and a child can't be expected to know what is best for them. You need someone to watch over you. They won't replace your parents but at least you will not be alone." he explained as fresh tears poured from her eyes.

"I just want my dad back." she wailed as he lightly patted her on the back.

"Don't let those saline rivers flow over great valleys and hills before they are lost at the delta," he whispered as he traced the contours of her cheek to her chin like her mother use to do when she became upset. She smiled weakly suddenly hopeful that she no longer had to be alone, that she would be forced to live with at indifferent robot.

"Okay I will go," she agreed as the man smiled pleased by her choice.

"Good then I will tell Liza to pack your bags." he stated then stood up as Maria did so as well. He took her hand, as she clung to Snickers with the other, leading her out the room.

They stood in the middle of the living room to wait for the robot to gather Maria's things. The cream carpet was soiled with ground in dirt and her invention had been trampled beyond recognition. People rushed about with police tape as a police officer stooped next to her to ask her about the murderers but she merely squeezed Snickers tighter as she shook her head.

"Don't harass the poor girl. She just lost her father. She needs to some time to rest." Mr. Johnson told the police officer who nodded getting back to his feet.

"I guess you are right but call us if she tells you anything." the cop reminded Mr. Johnson.

"Of course," he agreed when the robot appeared carrying a few large traveling bags.

"Thanks Liza," Mr. Johnson said as she approached them.

"This does not even quantify as being an effort. I will further assist you by carrying them to your auto-flyer, sir." the robot responded.

"I would greatly appreciate that," he said as Liza led the way out the open door. Mr. Johnson followed her as Maria trailed behind. Mr. Johnson lifted the door open as the robotic maid tucked her bags in the back. Mr. Johnson stepped into the craft as Maria turned back to look at her home one more time.

Its smooth man-made stone of TerraConstruct stood absolute and unchanging. It was the color of wet sand with laser sketched details engraved within its durable porous surface. Its steep slopping roof was covered in smooth metallic scales with a single gutter of sterling. Its small windows glowed with artificial light.

"Um Maria it is time to go." Mr. Johnson reminded her as she headed to the auto-flyer. She stepped into the spacious compartment lined with blue interior lights then sat on the seat of black leather. The robot pulled the door down as Maria looked out the tinted glass windows. The ground sped away as they rose into the air.

She turned to face Mr. Johnson, who was seated across from her. He smiled at her, encouraging her to ask him anything she wanted. She leaned in then whispered shyly.

"Are the other children kind?" she asked as he nodded.

"I would imagine so, I am sure you will all get along fine." he assured her as she sighed.

"Good because I have never socialized with others my age." she admitted as he turned to her.

"What!" he exclaimed looking up at her.

"Yeah I was home schooled by my dad. I rarely leave the house because he thinks I will cause trouble." she explained but his confusion only seems to deepen.

"Um well I am sure you won't be any trouble at all." he assured her though he still seemed somewhat puzzled. Maria nodded then looked out the window.

Bright lights zipped by as other auto-flyers rushed pass as they neared the city. The craft slowed whenever another craft neared them, adjusting their speed and direction accordingly. Their sleek metallic forms slid pass each other forming a stream of movement and light that flowed around the tall buildings at the heart of the city. The gleaming glass and iron rose to the clouds forming a raised platform that connected the tops of all of the central buildings.

The auto-flyer descended toward a gently sloping tunnel. It slowed as it entered a large well lit cavern. It landed in an empty space as Mr. Johnson got up then opened the door. He waited patiently for Maria to follow.

"Okay I am ready. Lead the way." she said stepping out of the auto-flyer.

"Ok first I need to register you then I will take you to the place where you will be staying." he said as she nodded then followed him to the elevator. They both stepped inside. He leaned to a push a button as the elevator rose quickly, though the nauseating feeling of the sudden acceleration was lost to her. The doors opened as they both stepped out into the hall.

"The orphanage office is this way." Mr. Johnson stated as Maria followed him down the hall to a small room with a high counter. A woman stood unnaturally still as she watched them with expressionless eyes. She was surely she was a robot for her movements were too stiff.

"I need to file some paper work for Maria Rivera" he stated as the robot nodded then disappeared in the back.

"Um you may want to take a seat." he said as she sat on one of the chairs along the wall. The robot returned with a stack of papers and a pen.

Mr. Johnson asked her a few simple questions then returned the file to the robot, who bought them to the back room. He got up then walked over the counter as the robot returned. Maria walked over to his side, holding his hand.

"Back up that file on the electronic database. It contains vital information." Mr. Johnson said as the robot tipped its head slightly then vanished into the back room once more.

"Come on Maria, it is time to meet the others in the playroom." Mr. Johnson said as Maria smiled then followed him back to the elevator. They rose at an incredible speed, rushing to the very top floor. The door opened with a ding before they exited.

They rushed across the smooth floor, passing many other elevators that rose from other buildings. Maria paused by the large glass windows, looking down at the auto-flyers below. They zipped under the platform, quickly vanishing from her sight. Lights twinkled in neighboring buildings.

"Come on Maria, it this way." Mr. Johnson told her leading to an elevator. She entered after the doors opened as he stepped in beside her. He pressed a button before the elevator descended into another building. The door opened as Maria looked up at Mr. Johnson nervously squeezing his hand. He smiled down at her then stepped out of the elevator leading her down the hall. He opened the door as Maria peered into the room.

Young children played within a spacious room as convincing holograms of trees and supple bushes with lush green leaves occupied the corners. Recording of birds played as toys paraded across the floor. Robotic dogs covered in realistic synthetic fur impersonated biological beings, their glass eyes unblinking. Dolls paced within their houses as mini auto-flyers sped along the ground on hidden wheels. Aircrafts raced across cities of blocks and ignored stuffed animals.

"This is your new home." Mr. Johnson announced as she looked up at him.

"Yeah I only hope I am welcomed, I am not always an agreeable person, at least not towards the maid." she muttered as he looked down at her.

"Wait you mean Lisa?" he asked for confirmation.

"Yeah whatever you want to call it," she agreed as Mr. Johnson became puzzled.

"But she is an android bound by your father's rules how can you defy her," he asked as she stepped into the room.

"She holds no authority over me. She is not my mother. She just a piece of junk." she stated as Mr. Johnson openly stared at her, unsure whether it was possible that was she telling the truth, for surely she couldn't causally mention overriding an android's systems. It must have been an oddly phased joke for such a statement made no sense. It was completely absurd.

A Relic of the Past

Maria stepped into the room with Snickers pressed against her chest. Mr. Johnson patted her on the shoulder then left, saying something about verifying files. The children paused to watch her pass. Their cold eyes critically judged her appearance.

She sat along a wall by a small group of young children. They stared at her shyly clinging tightly onto soft toys. A girl cradled a baby doll that cooed softly, its malleable face was warm and inviting. The boy next to her clung onto a filthy blanket. It was unrevealing at its edges and it stained fabric was torn in many places.

"Um I am Maria," Maria stated as they watched her fearfully.

Maria turned away afraid that she did something wrong when a mini auto-flyer race over to her. She looked up to see a young group of boys laugh as the toys zipped around their city of blocks, becoming airborne briefly before they flipped onto their sides, with their hidden wheels spinning.

She got up then walked over to them, hoping for better luck. They looked up at her then glanced at each other unsure what to think of her presence. She smiled then presented them her hand.

"Hi I am Maria," she introduced herself as the boys looked down at her outstretched hand as if it was an alien gesture. She slowly retracted her hand then turned away discouraged.

She walked pass two children playing with a dollhouse. A young girl with long dark red hair bounded by a purple ribbon was laying on her belly as she guided her small robotic doll though the rooms of the model house as the boy's figurine stepped into an airplane to zip around overhead. They both glared at her as she neared before turning away with upturned noses.

Everyone seemed exceptionally cold towards her. Her social skills must be horribly deficient for a whole room-full of children to despise her after hearing her utter no more than her name. If only her father allowed her to socialize with others her age. If only she weren't so peculiar.

Maria sat by a girl who was just a few years older than herself. Her dark skin was smooth like milk chocolate and her bright eyes were like golden topaz. Her shoulder length hair was contained in three braids, two laid on her shoulder blades and the last along her back. Colorful clips decorated the ends of her braids and cloth covered rubber bands held their base.

A robotic dog circled her wagging its tail. It pressed its small paws against the girl's thigh. It panted loudly with its long pink tongue lolled out of its mouth.

Maria's father once gave her a dog exactly like it but after he vanished at work and her mother died; its unnaturally hard body and false eyes began to infuriate her for it reminded her of that robotic maid. It was a poor replica of the real thing. It was lacking some basic quality that made it desirable. It lacked an emotional aspect that allowed one to become attached to it on a meaningful level. It was just a robot with interesting programming, nothing more. It was not a dog just like that android was not her mother. Its exterior may confuse her at times but those empty actions always reveal its robotic nature, crushing her hope anew.

"You must be new. I guess I can show you around if you like." the girl said as Maria smiled, relived that someone was interested in talking to her.

"That would be nice. I am Maria," Maria told the girl.

"My name is Ebony." she stated as Maria nodded pleased.

"It is nice to meet you. You are the first kind person that I have met here." Maria told her as Ebony looked out at the others.

"Nah, the others are just unsure what to make of you." she explained as Maria turned back to her confused.

"What do you mean by that?" Maria asked as Ebony pointed to the shy children hugging their toys as they eyed the others fearfully.

"Well they lost their family to domestic violence. Many of their parents killed their spouse suspecting them of committing infidelity. Many of them are traumatized by it." Ebony explained as Maria nodded slowly.

"Oh I guess that makes sense." Maria agreed as Ebony shifted her arm so she was now pointing at the large group of boys.

"They lost their parents to street violence. I suppose the desperate actions of their fathers must have had a strong influence on them because their ideology is simply comprised by their desire to seek riches by the only means they believe are available to them." she continued as Maria turned to the two playing by the dollhouse.

"And what about them?" Maria asked as Ebony looked toward them.

"Oh they are the rich kids. Their parents were killed in freak accidents. I think one lost she mother cliff diving and the other lost his parents when their private plane crashed. They are both kind of snooty and unpleasant." Ebony explained as Maria turned back to her new friend after noticing how the orphans were grouped.

"What about you?" Maria asked as Ebony turned away muttering quietly as the robotic dog wiggled onto her lap.

"Well my father went to college but he had to drop out to help my mother care for me. They had to settle in a poor neighborhood. They knew it was a bad place to raise a child so my father did all he could to find money, but good jobs for people of his level of education were hard to come by. He looked diligently until the allure of theft proved to be too great. He got in over his head when his so-called friends found out where we lived. They wanted his share from a jewelry heist and they killed them, while I hid under the bed." Ebony explained as her eyes glistened with building tears.

"My father was killed by gangsters too. They were after his equipment. He was a researcher." Maria stated as Ebony looked up at her.

"Well then I guess we are not so different." she stated when an older boy walked over to them. He pushed the rich girl out of his way, knocking down their dollhouse.

His blond hair was cut into a mallet with a long thin braid in the back. His cold eyes were an icy blue. His pale fists were tense and his expression seemed angry.

"Um I am..." Maria began introducing herself when he shoved her.

"I don't care who you are. I came over here to tell you to stay out of my way. Now do you got that Newbie?" he demanded as Maria nodded her head before he turned away to terrorize the traumatized kids along the wall.

"Who was that?" Maria whispered after he was out of earshot.

"His name is Omar. I heard his mother gave birth to him when she was just a teenager but she could not handle the responsibility so dumped him on her mother. He grew up in a bar, quickly learning from the drunken consumers how to behave. His grandmother was poor and when she grew sick she simply died. He was taken here for a few weeks then they attempted to look for his mother. She accepted him but they soon had to take him back after discovering that she was abusive and neglected much of his care. He is the oldest kid here and no one wants to adopt him because he is cruel." Ebony explained in a hushed voice.

"I guess not everyone is quite as kind as Mr. Johnson promised." Maria stated as Ebony nodded.

"Yeah well he is supposed to tell it is going to be alright even if it is a lie." Ebony answered when someone entered.

It was a young woman. Her light brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail. She was wearing shorts and a tee shirt. Her sneakers squeaked on the floor forming scuffs as she escorted everyone across the hall. Her peppiness confirmed her human nature for androids were much calmer.

"She is Ms. Pearson, the teacher," Ebony explained as Maria nodded as she followed the mass of students out of the playroom.

The room across the hall was slightly smaller with long tables forming rows. Seats were maliciously lined up behind odd helmets with tinted visors.

Everyone entered the room then took their seats, Maria choosing to sit next to Ebony since she was her only friend. Ms. Pearson leaped to the front of the room then instructed everyone to put on the odd helmets. Everyone complied as she pressed a button on a small remote.

Maria was plunged into darkness after she slipped on the helmet. Imaging flashed as words were whispered just beyond her consciousness. Information poured into her mind, flooding her senses. Her every neuron buzzed with electrical impulses as her thoughts sped. Then as suddenly as it started everything ceased.

She took off the helmet, blinking in the harsh lights, as she turned to Ebony. Ebony rubbed her eyes after setting down the helmet then turned back to the front.

"Now that download has been completed the mental retrieval test will be next week and remember you all have to complete a writing exercise tomorrow."

"What a waste of time. When will we ever need to write?" Ebony asked Maria jokingly.

"My father believed that writing is a vital piece of our culture and that literacy is extremely functional." Maria answered

"Your father must have been an aristocrat,"

"Now would anyone like to make a comment about the information?" Ms. Pearson asked looking around the room for any volunteers.

"I only want to mention that Rico Rivera must have been a very influential philosopher to inspire so many scientists to invent a false ganglia to increase the mental processing of the brain though it seems odd that he believed that the only reason he was able to envisioning the future applications of the Artificial Cerebral Processing Chip was only due to an orphan that he took in that was troubled by her overly active imagination." the rich girl in the front stated.

"Yes that seems very strange but many of the most creative individuals had a muse," the teacher pointed out as the she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah by challenging scientists to understand the complexities of the brain, he ushered in a new technological era. He indirectly reformed communication, reshaping personal relationships. He made learning more efficient and redefined the justice system." the wealthy boy added quoting her thoughts, giving meaning to those hushed words that were issued from the headphones within the helmet.

"Do you have anything to add Maria Rivera," the teacher asked as everyone turned to Maria.

"Um the justice system is more sound than it was in the past. Wittiness can falsify testimonies for their own gain and are victims of forgetfulness. The panel of peers can be extremely biases. For small cases these factors, which are vulnerable to manipulation, are negligible but in a case in involving capital offenses these factors upset the balance of justice. With the new system, inspired by the ability to read the mind, the innocent can save themselves from execution by allowing access to their memories along with hard evidence." Maria explained then looked shyly down at the table top when everyone remained silent.

"Um that was very analytical, Maria." Ms. Pearson finally commented as Maria looked up then smiled bashfully at the praise as the other students rolled their eyes annoyed.

"Well that is all for today. You are dismissed." she said as everyone rushed to the door. Maria followed at a slower pace as Ebony led the way down the hall to a small lunchroom. A poorly disguised robot watched the children from the corner. Its rubber face was unmoving and its hair was overly shiny. Its glass eyes scanned the room in a very systematic manner.

Maria sat next to Ebony when the robot disappeared in a back room then returned with a tray of warm cookies and a pitcher of milk. The robot passed out the cookies wrapped in thin napkins. Paper cups were handed down the row as cool milk was poured into each raised cup as the robot passed.

"Um that is Molly the maid." Ebony answered as Maria watched the robot return the tray to the kitchen.

"Um okay," Maria mumbled as she turned back to Ebony. She lifted her cookie, which had left puddles of chocolate on the napkin. She took a large bite when Omar approached her.

"I did not enjoy you showing off in class." he said leaning forward, his weight causing the table to squeal.

"Um sorry," Maria apologized when he snatched the rest of her cookies.

"I will take these as your apology" he said then walked back to his seat with her cookies swinging about within the napkin.

Maria stood up, causing her chair to tip over, when the robotic maid walked pass their table. She glared into its marble eyes then commanded it to retrieve her cookies. The machine stiffened then marched over to Omar.

"What?" Omar asked, rounding on the android annoyed when it jerked the cookies from his hand.

"Hey, those were mine." he yelled as the android turned away.

"I am talking to you, you synthetic hominid!" he yelled but the machine simply walked over to Maria, then placed the cookies in front of her.

"Thank you Molly," Maria told the robot as she smirked at Omar. Omar pounded on the table with his fist then turned away, leaving the lunchroom.

"I did not know Molly was even programmed to do that. She only responds when there is a fight." Ebony stated as Maria finished the rest of her cookies.

"Well it seems all tools have their uses." Maria answered as Molly recovered her systems silently in the corner, unusually still with its swiveling head fixed.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Ebony agreed timidly unnerved by the possibility of Maria's unheard off mastery of machines.

After Maria was done she followed Ebony back to the playroom, but Ebony soon left to go to the bathroom. Omar crept behind Maria then snatched Snickers from her grasp. She rounded on him with balled fists. He looked down on her as he held the dog by its neck.

"I don't know what is going on but no one makes a fool out of me." he told her threateningly as she glared at her dog, hanging limply from his hand.

"You don't know who you are messing with." she mumbled under her breath.

"Oh really?" he asked then shoved her hard in the chest, pushing her over.

"Come back with my dog!" she yelled as he walked out of the playroom. She got up slowly as her mind formed a single thought and she fumed with rage.

"He is going pay for that." she growled under her breath as she balled her small fists and all of the lights within the playroom began to flicker.

Migraines and Other Medical Abnormalities

Maria pulled the covers taut then replaced her pillows at the head of her bed as Ms. Pearson inspected the girls" work. Ebony waited for her to finish by the door then led her to the elevator along with the others who had finished making their beds. Ms. Pearson followed them after everyone had left the room.

They walked down the hall to the playroom. They sat down when Maria noticed that the boys were already there along with Mr. Johnson. Omar watched Maria from across the room with Snickers hanging by its collar, its body dangling limply from his grasp.

Maria clichéd her fists as he threw the toy dog by his side but her anger abated when she remembered how her father would tell her to think thinks through. She did not need to resort to any rash actions if a reasonable choice was still available to her, for rash actions are rarely without consequences.

She walked over to Mr. Johnson then told him about the theft. He nodded half listening then left, promising to return soon. He patted her on the shoulder then hurried off. Maria returned to Ebony's side.

"Oh don't worry, Mr. Johnson will be back in a few minutes. He usually pops in and out but what did you want to tell him?" she asked as Maria looked up at her.

"I wanted to tell him that Omar stole my toy dog." Maria told her as Ebony became alarmed.

"Oh well you may not want to tell him because if you get Omar in trouble then he will be mad at you and besides Mr. Johnson rarely interferes unless there is a fight. He does not want to keep track of our possessions. He believes that is our responsibility." she warned as Maria shook her head.

"You don't understand my mother gave me that toy before she died. I am not leaving without it. I am not afraid of him." Maria stated boldly.

"Well maybe you should be because Omar is a good fighter and he is much bigger than you." Ebony pointed out as Maria folded her arms across her chest.

She could not simply let Omar have Snickers, it meant to much to her. The elusive memories of better times were locked within its marble eyes. Snickers was a manifestation of a brief period of happiness, a period when both her parents were alive and well. She could not let that go at least not without a fight.

Maria rose to her feet then marched over to Omar as Ebony watched her fearfully. Omar got to his feet, holding Snickers by its head. Maria's stance was firm and her eyes were unyielding.

"Give me back my dog." she demanded as everyone stopped what they were doing to watch her.

"And why would I do that?" he asked as an arrogant smile began to take shape.

"I said give it back!" she repeated venomously as he gasped, his face contorting in pain. Snickers fell from grasp as he held his head, his finger buried within his hair. He dropped to his knees whining softly as she picked up the toy then turned away.

"What are you?" Omar asked her fearfully as she backed away, clinging onto Snickers for support. Everyone was looking at her nervously as if she were a monster. She turned away from Omar, unwilling to acknowledge the building fear growing within his eyes.

She hurried back over to Ebony, who stared at her with wide eyes before scooting away. She opened her mouth to comfort her but Ebony began to shiver visibly.

"Maria," someone called as she looked back to see Mr. Johnson standing by the doorway. She got up slowly then walked over to him. He reached for her hand then, as if he thought better of it, he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Um I need for you to follow me," he stated then led her down the hall to the elevator. She entered as he pressed himself against the wall, eyeing her suspiciously.

When the doors open Mr. Johnson rushed out before turning back to check that she was still following. He opened a door down the hall then gestured for her to enter. The room was quite empty with just a single table and a pair of chairs facing each other. Mr. Johnson took his seat then waited for Maria to do the same.

"What happened with Omar?" he asked her as she nervously fidgeted with Snicker's collar.

"I am sorry. I just wanted my toy back. It means a lot to me." she whispered as he leaned back as an expression akin to fear flashed across his face.

"You caused Omar... what did you do?" he asked as she squeezed Snickers a little tighter.

"I didn't mean to hurt him that bad. I just wanted him to give Snickers back to me. That was all." she muttered ashamed of herself, hating the way the other children looked at her.

"Have you always been able to do that?" Mr. Johnson asked curiously.

"Yeah but my daddy told me not to. I should have listened to him but I needed Snickers back. It's all that I have left from my home." she explained wondering if she had permanently altered the way the other children saw her.

"So you can override androids" programmed responses as well?" Mr. Johnson asked as she looked up with glossy eyes.

"I am sorry. I just could not lose Snickers. I didn't mean to scare anyone. You understand right?" Maria asked him desperately, wishing that she had thought of another way to get Snickers back, a covert way that would not have upset the other children.

"Um yeah but you need to be um... punished for what you did," he stated as she nodded slowly.

"Well then follow me." he said getting up and walking around the table as she slowly followed him still holding onto Snickers. He led her to a back of room to an empty office.

"You should um think about what you did." he told her as she stepped into the room. She turned around to face him as he closed the door. The lock clicked as she sat on the floor with Snickers in her lap as she waited for Mr. Johnson to allow her to return to the playroom.

Time slipped away silently but soon her mind lost track of its meaning. Minutes lengthened into hours, whether it was an illusion caused by boredom or the true passage of time was unclear for the room revealed very little about the outside world.

Finally, after she was sure that her time in the room was approaching infinity, the door opened. She quickly got to her feet promising never to question her father's wisdom again, unless she had a great need to. Mr. Johnson entered then handed her a sandwich wrapped in plastic. She thanked him pleased, when two others entered behind him. They were dressed in lab coats like her father when he gets off work. She looked up at them curiously.

"Um they would like to ask you a few questions" Mr. Johnson explained but she shook her head, frustrated.

"But I have already been punished. I want to go back with the others in the playroom." she stated angrily.

"Well it will be brief. They only have a few questions." Mr. Johnson said stooping down to her level.

"I don't want to stay here any longer." she yelled annoyed backing away from him.

"It won't be long." he promised.

"Then can I go back to the playroom?" she asked as he looked away, unable to meet her eyes.

"Um I am not sure that is a good idea." he admitted as she shook her head, tears gathering within her eyes.

"But I said that I was sorry." she reminded him as he nodded getting to his feet.

"You may hurt the other children. I am sorry but I can't allow you to go back with the others. You are too dangerous." he told her as she clutched Snickers, backing away from him.

"I promise I won't do it again." she pleaded as he turned away.

"Just talk with them," he muttered as he closed the door.

"So you were able to give that boy a migraine?" ask one of the scientists as she stared at the door longingly.

"If I can't go back with the others then where am I going to stay?" she asked rounding on the scientists.

"Please just answer the question." another stated as she shook her head backing away.

"I just want to go home. I wish none of this ever happened." she muttered to herself as she sat on the floor.

"I was friends with your father. We used to work together but I need for you to answer our questions. They are very important." one of the scientists told her as he kneeled down beside her.

"It was an accident. I just want to go home. Will you take me home?" she asked as he nodded.

"Yes but I have to take you somewhere else first." he admitted as she nodded as he helped her to her feet.

"Ok but then I want to go home." she agreed as he led her out of the room, where Mr. Johnson was waiting for them.

"We may need to bring her to the lab to look for any abnormalities within her brain." the scientist whispered.

"I will come with you since she is still officially under my care. Ms. Pearson and Molly will have to watch over the children until I return." Mr. Johnson announced dutifully.

"Wait, are we going to my father's job?" Maria asked excitedly.

"Um yeah we need to give you a check-up to make sure that you are healthy." he explained as she smiled.

"My father used to give me check-ups all the time." she stated happily as the scientist turned to each other.

"I heard his wife had a genetic illness, he was probably worried that his daughter inherited it." another whispered as Mr. Johnson took Maria's hand the led her out the room as the scientists followed at a slower pace.

"Oh I heard that he spent years looking for a cure." another answered in an undertone.

"Yeah it is sad the poor girl lost her mother at such a young age." the first commented before they piled into the elevator. They fell silent when they saw Maria standing beside them then a few began to sway as they hummed feeling uncomfortable within her presence.

The door opened as they rushed out across the parking area, the scientists leading the way to a large auto-flyer. One opened the doors as Mr. Johnson led Maria inside of the craft.

The spacious cabin was organized differently than most personal auto-flyers. It had large bench seats along the walls of the craft with another set in the middle facing outward forming two distinct compartments. The interior lighting was brighter than usual and the craft could be manually steered within a small cabin in the front.

Maria sat by the window as Mr. Johnson sat beside her and, the one who claimed to be her father's friend, sat across from them. The rest were seated in the other compartment. The craft rose as Maria clung onto Snickers, relishing in the feel of its push body against her cheek.

The scientists in the other compartment whispered in hushed voices as Maria glanced at the bench separating them. She leaned close to the window as she watched the shadows move in and out of view as they shifted closer to each other.

"How could this girl have given another child a migraine? Why are we taking her to the lab?" one asked barely over a whisper.

"They think that she tampered with his Artificial Cerebral Processing Chip." answered another in a whispery undertone.

"But that is impossible. Everyone 's ACPC is protected by a complex unique encryption." the first stated stunned, forgetting his fear of being overheard.

"Mr. Johnson doesn't think so. He thinks this girl is abnormal, possibly even dangerous." another answered in a muted voice when the scientist in her compartment turned to her.

"Maria I would like to ask you a question about your ability to control machines." he stated as she turned back to face him. She nodded slightly though she remain silent, waiting for him to proceed.

"Many machines are programmed to respond to mental commands but Mr. Johnson believes that you can alter the machine's programmed response with nothing more than your thoughts, is that true?" he asked as she tightened her hold around Snickers.

"But I won't do it again if you don't want me to. I will be good." she promised as he looked at Mr. Johnson for guidance.

"Um that is good," Mr. Johnson finally answered as Maria turned away pleased, looking out the window.

The auto-flyer landed by a large building. It glided through a guarded gate then parked itself between two similar crafts. Mr. Johnson opened the door then climbed out as Maria followed him. The others gathered around the craft then led the way to the building.

The glass door slid open as they entered a large room with the company's logo fashioned in the polished floors, that gleamed with the same brilliance of the light given off by the powerful lights overhead. A large classy desk was stationed at the back of the lavish room. Scientists rushed about in their lab coats as businessmen conversed in the corner with briefcases in hand.

"Maria, it is this way." Mr. Johnson said taking her hand as they hurried to catch up with the rest. She rushed down the hall as Mr. Johnson guided her pass closed doors that hid intriguing machines and other oddities awaiting public discovery. They rounded corners as Mr. Johnson jerked Maria's arm as the hurried down the maze of passageways.

One of the scientists peered into an eye scanner then discretely typed in a password, when the door rushed open to invite them inside. They entered then fanned out, making room as Maria looked at all the lab equipment that was laid out. She had only been here once but she knew it well. This was the room where her father worked. This is where he used to spend all of his time.

The scientists huddled around a large machine in one of the adjoining rooms. They spoke softly as they glanced at her through the glass walls.

"No human can tamper with someone's ACPC." one pointed out as she edged closer to the open door.

"Antonio was always very secretive. I heard rumors that he had a daughter but what if she is an android." another proposed.

"Then his talents are more widely spread than anyone would ever assume for I doubt that an android of her caliper has ever been made by any robotic company. He must have made her himself." answered a third as they all glanced at her over their shoulders.

"Um they would like to scan your brain, but don't worry it won't be scary or anything" Mr. Johnson explained before taking her hand as she nodded, for she had her brain scanned many times in the past. The procedure seemed routine.

He led her into a small room when the kind scientist entered with a portable hooded MRI. He rolled the device beside her then lowered the hood over her head and told her to remain still. He left to confer with the other scientists in the other room as he looked at the results gathered by the machine.

She sat in silence as she peered at the walls of the large tube. She already knew what the scientists were going to say before she heard their stunned gasps, for the abnormal structure of her brain was not news to her.

"I have never seen anything like this. I don't even know how to interpret it. I need to do another test. This is not definitive enough to draw any conclusions." reported one of the scientists as the hood was lifted and the machine was carted away.

"Um they want to read your thoughts, not because they think you are a criminal or anything, but because they still do not know rather you are healthy," Mr. Johnson told her as she nodded stiffly, wandering how any of this was related to her attacking Omar.

Her father's colleague entered with an odd cap which he fitted of her head, brushing away her hair near the points where the metal contacts were pressed against her bare skin. He turned on the machine by a manual handheld device as Maria became impatient, wanting to return to the others. He looked down at screen that he held in is hand, listening in on her thoughts but she completely blocked him out, causing the screen to go blank.

"I want to go home," she yelled crankily as the scientist stared at the screen puzzled.

"I can't even gage the activity level of her brain." he stated as she took off the cap, flinging it onto the ground.

"I want to go home!" she repeated a little louder as the machine turned off suddenly.

"Is there a power outage? Why aren't the backup generators working?" he asked looking down at the dark screen but his confusion only deepened as he took notice of the well lit room around him.

"You promised!" she reminded him as he nodded.

"Um stay here I need to talk to Mr. Johnson briefly." he said then followed Mr. Johnson out the room, closing the door behind them.

Maria got up then walked over to the door with her patience waning. She held onto the doorknob when she heard the others talking about her on the other side.

"Antonio must have altered the girl's mind to make her more resistant to the disease." one stated as Maria listened attentively with her ear pressed against the door.

"But he did a lot more than that." another scientists agreed.

"Yeah I told you there was something odd about her but what do you think I should do?" asked Mr. Johnson fearfully.

"She could be a threat. We need to contain her." one of the scientists stated as Maria backed away slowly as her large eyes began brimming with building tears.

A Dangerous Runaway

The door opened as Mr. Johnson reentered the room. Maria took a step back as tears fell from her eyes. He reached for her hand as she shied away holding Snickers close. The kind scientist stepped in front of Mr. Johnson as if to protect her.

"Do you want to stay in your father's room." he asked as she nodded meekly.

"Then I will take you there." he offered as she followed him out the room. He opened a door as she rushed inside eagerly looking around. The foldable bed in the corner, that her father always complained about being too lumpy, was stashed away. She touched it with her fingertips thinking it was rather push like Snickers cotton filled body that contorted within her arms. She made her way to her father's desk where papers were messily scattered about and a quantum computer sat with its sleek screen blank and its full sized pressure sensitive keypad still holding traces of the natural oils that her father left after he typed the information that he collected to be analyzed by its complex processor. Beside it was a simple high definition hologram displaying a picture of her family.

They were dressed formally as they stood stiffly with exaggerated smiles. Her father was in his best suit which was adored by sharp creases and her mother's favorite tie. Her mother was in a lovely dress that revealed her curves yet retained a sense of modesty and class. Maria herself was nothing more than a toddler, her dress was made of soft velvet and her smile was natural as her large eyes beamed up at her parents.

The hologram was stagnate, professional, unlike many at her home where the images raced about happily, their voices lost as their lips formed silent words. Emotion was etched in the shifting facial features as they reacted to the world around them, racing around in an endless loop, their happiness forever preserved within the shimmering film.

This hologram portrayed her family as unmoving figures. Their smiles seemed staged and their eyes were vacant. Their postures were unnaturally stiff and their faces held no recognizable emotion. Her parents seemed like accurate physical representations of themselves, like androids made in their likeness. Her mother's resemblance to the android, Lisa, was remarkably similar. It was an echo of her mother's presence for it mimicked her mother's image causing her to briefly forget that she was gone. For a second Lisa could pass for being her mother and her feelings of contentment would return as if her mother never left, as if her mother never died. That must be the reason her father bought her. He wanted to pretend briefly that his wife was still alive before her robotic nature reminded him anew how he failed to save her. He wanted to relive the time he had with his wife. He wanted to reverse time. He wanted to cling onto a moment that he knew could never get back.

She touched her mother's face, her fingers passing through the intangible holographic image. She wanted to reverse time. She wanted to return to the house that encompassed her entire childhood. She wanted to see Lisa's face from across the room, distance blurring false aspects of her nature as memory enhanced her features so they reflected her mother's more closely. She wanted to daydream about spending time with her father after he returned from work. She wanted to go home. She wanted to pretend that none of this ever happened and she was no going to let anything stop her from doing that.

She walked over to door. She turned the knob slowly then peeked around at the scientists who had formed a large group as they discussed what to do with her. Many had their backs to her and the others seemed solely focused on the one speaking. She needed to make a run for the door she thought as she snuck out the room, keeping to the walls. When she reached the door, she commanded it open with her mind. The heavy door clicked before it rushed aside when the scientists turned in her direction. She sprinted out the door and down the hall as the door closed shut behind her.

She raced pass stun scientists who clung onto their reports as before backing away. She sped blindly around sharp corners soon losing her bearings in the similar passageways that formed an inescapable labyrinth. Snickers swung wildly in her grasp as her heart pounded loudly, consuming her thoughts within its thundering beat.

She skittered to a stop when she saw a robo-guard step within her path. Its stocky frame of bare metal was structured like a humans but she knew the strength it could exert was far beyond any man's. Its many cameras were well concealed but two red lights were set in the place of its eyes. Its sleek body was spray painted in place of clothing. Its seamless face lacked a mouth but a loud speaker in its neck made its intentions clear.

"Unattended children are not allowed to wander without supervision." it stated in a booming voice as she glanced over her shoulder to see the scientists and Mr. Johnson chasing her.

"Maria, please see reason." Mr. Johnson yelled as the robo-guard advanced.

"Stop them!" Maria yelled as the robot froze with its thick metal arms held stiffly at its side. She slipped around its rigid body as the scientists tried to follow her. The guard came back to life as they passed then rushed at them with raised arms.

Maria slowed as her pursuers" angry protests faded. She needed to find an exit. She needed to find a way back to the lobby. She looked up when she saw a camera from her peripheral vision. She could gain access through the cameras she thought, realizing the cameras most likely communicated through wireless connections since it was easy to install and inexpensive.

She siphoned the information it was currently streaming then hacked into its invisible database. Information flooded onto her mind as she sorted through it, by time, when she saw herself enter with the scientists. She quickly identified the cameras that they passed then she programmed them to send out a unique signal to guide her to the lobby.

"What are you doing little girl? Are you lost?" someone asked touching her shoulder as she blinked, backing away.

"Don't follow me," she yelled as she turned away from him.

"Wait you can't go running off!" he yelled chasing her when she assaulted his mind. He froze holding his head with a pained expression as she continued on, trusting in her intuition, knowing the signals would not lead her astray.

She raced across the lobby as the person at the desk rose to his feet. He yelled at her as she ran out the door into the parking lot. She rushed to the nearest auto-flyer, leaning against its smooth cold frame as she fought to catch her breath.

"Stop!" someone yelled as she ignored the weatherproof keypad forcing the door open with her authoritative thoughts. The door popped open as she hurried inside then commanded the auto pilot to raise the craft off the ground, just below a grid of powerful lasers. She disengaged the lasers then told the craft her address, as it sped away.

She pressed her face against the window, watching her breath collect on the glass as she held Snickers beside her. The building became smaller as she smiled to herself. She was going home. She would be there before she had the chance to fall asleep.

The auto-flyer stopped in front of her house, as she perked up, leaving a greasy smear on the tinted window. She hurried out of the craft then rushed to the door, which greeted her thoughts by opening wide. She rushed in looking around eagerly.

The holographs still sat on the table, displaying the events of the past, unchanged by her father's passing. The furniture had remained in their familiar places, their cushions slightly dented with use. Lisa stood silently in the corner still bearing her mother's face, her expression as cold and vacant as the picture on her father's desk.

She walked over to Lisa then commanded her to return to the world that she left as power flowed through her. Her eyes grew bright as they acquired life and her limbs became animated.

"Master Maria," she stated as she looked down at Maria, having already been reprogrammed to recognize the exchange of ownership.

"Fetch me a snack," Maria demanded then sat on the rug, like she had done so many times in the past. She picked up one of the cogs that was left by her last project then thought about how she would go about improving her original design.

"Would you desire anything else?" Lisa asked handing her a platter of cookies.

"This will suffice," Maria stated coldly after she took a bite out of one of the cookies, crumbs rolling down her chin. Lisa wordlessly placed a napkin beside her then left to occupy the corner until summoned.

She began to rebuild when she came across a large boot print. The caked in mud was well-grounded in the pale carpet. She backed away when she saw something glittering a few feet away. She edged over to see that it was a glass figurine, that her mother bought long ago. It was a horse made of frosted glass but its head had shattered, during its long descent as it tumbled off the table, its body had a large crack through it and its luxurious tail was completely missing. She gathered the pieces in a pile when she saw a piece of police tape laying beside her.

She backed away horrified as the memories of her father's death returned to her in a great deluge. It was not the same. It would never be the same. Her father was gone and there is nothing that she can do that would ever bring him back.

Maybe she should have stayed with Mr. Johnson. Maybe she should have never come back to this lonely house. If only she could go back to the playroom but the children no longer trusted her, even Ebony was afraid of her capabilities. If she ever returned she would be forced to stay in her father's room, constantly being reminded of the irretrievable past by familiar objects, as she awaited her fate, surrendering all control of her future. No, she could not allow herself to be captured. She could find a better life elsewhere without their help. She would find a new life even if she had to run from everything that she knew to search for it.

An alarm wailed as rotating lights flooded the room. Vivid red colored her vision as if a film of blood had flowed over her eyes before a wave of sharp blue snapped her mind in to action. The police must have found the stolen auto-flyer and wanted her to come with them, but she refused for she had lost too much to surrender her freedom so easily. She will not live out her life in that lab, surrounded by her father's possessions. She could take care of herself, she was sure of it.

"Stall the police when they get here. I don't want them to follow me." Maria told Lisa as she walked pass the robot.

"I am unable to harm or deceive the police in any manner." she reported.

"You will protect your master," Maria told the false replica of her mother as the robot grew still before marching over to the door without a word where it stood in preparation of dealing with the authorities.

Maria snuck out the back door when she heard the police knocking loudly, as if they were attempting to knock it down with a battering ram. She crept across the lawn thankful that the evening shadows were deep as dusk slipped away.

Maria ran, her shoes slipping on the wet grass as she hurried away from her home, never to return. Snicker's presence was all that remained of her past, the only thing that she had left to cling to though she forced herself to focus on her escape, on the land as it unfolded before her, materializing from the darkness.

Her heart pounded against her sternum as she pressed herself against the neighbor's house. Her chest heaved as she smiled to herself then released a sputtering laugh, for the flashing lights seemed distant and the darkness easily concealed her shadowy figure from the cops peering eyes.

White Collar Larcenists

Maria stopped in the middle of the street as she fought to master her breathing. The sound of the sirens was almost completely inaudible. Snickers hung, its dead weight pulling against her sweaty hands.

She looked out across the street feeling like she was on the brink of collapse. She stumbled forward, her legs too sore for much else. She held Snickers to her chest as the night air rushed pass her damp skin, chilling her to the bone.

She stopped to look enviously at a warm house as she shivered. Its soft side lamp glowed in the corner of the window when a shadow crept across it as a powerful beam rent the darkness. Loud shuffling could be heard before the door was opened by two men dressed in all black, laughter being emitted from their masked faces.

"Ricky was right this is a whole lot better than working in some office for the rest of my life My parents did not work this hard for me to be drowning in debt and disrespected by all of my former coworkers. I am better than that" said the one holding a large jewelry box under his arm.

"Yeah screw the bar exam, if I stay with him I will be making a lot more than my snooty colleagues." the other agreed looking down at a diamond ring.

"Yeah but we should be careful because I don't like it when the job...um becomes complicated." the first continued as the second looked up at him.

"We just have to time it right," the second told him harshly as the other nodded sadly.

"Yeah but that poor man and his daughter..." he muttered as the second rounded on him.

"That was a big hit, possibly the biggest hit since we cleared out all that fancy lab equipment from Ricky's old job. We could not turn that down. We had no choice." he explained as the other nodded slowly in acceptance.

"Yeah it is just a shame though. It didn't need to end like that." he continued when a man, in an auto-flyer parked in front of the house, got out of the craft.

"Yeah hurry it up, before the cops arrive!" he yelled, he did not wear a mask but the darkness concealed his features well.

Maria spun around when she heard the sound of an auto-flyer approaching. The burglars noticed it too, when the lights around is frame began to flash in both red and blue as it neared. The burglars rushed toward the getaway craft as the robo-cop stepped out peering into the darkness.

"Maria Rivera you are hereby ordered to be placed under Mr. Johnson's custody." the robot announced as she stood firm for she had already made up her mind.

"No, I am not going back there." she yelled as the machine grew eerily still then marched back to its craft without a word then sat stiffly as it stared blankly ahead of it.

She turned away, preparing to run once more when the driver, of the getaway craft, existed. His face was directed in her direction. She was sure she could not easily out run this man so she waited for him to speak.

"You stopped that cop." he stated as he strolled over to her.

"What do you want!" she yelled unsure whether he was going to attack her, as she glanced back at the stationary cop cruiser for reassurance.

"You obviously," he answered as he stepped into the light, which peeled away the veil of darkness as a sense of fear gripped her.

"You're the one who..."she began when he continued to advance.

"It seems that the lab equipment was not the most valuable commodity in that house though now it all makes sense. Your father was protecting you. You are the one he was referring to in his illegible notes. You are the real treasure." he explained as she regained control over the cop.

"Kill him!" she commanded as the cop returned, rushing over to the murderer as he turned to face it. The lumbering metal contraption swing it clubbed fists as the man ducked stabbing the machine with the electric probe as he did with Lisa.

"You are going to have to try a little harder than that." he stated as he turned to her, stuffing the probe back into his pockets. She backed away when she locked eyes on their getaway vehicle. She sent it careening toward him, intending to break his legs but he leapt onto a lawn of freshly mowed grass as the auto-flyer smashed into a light pole.

"That was close," he admitted getting to his feet uninjured as she turned away, her legs haven been given new life by her building fear. She whimpered as she pressed Snickers to her chest. She could hear him gaining on her, his muscles practiced in the art of escape and pursuit.

His arms encircled her as she thrashed about assaulting his mind with unrestricted ferocity though he only winced, gritting his teeth, as he crushed her diaphragm, making her unable her to breathe. Her grip slipped from his mind as she gasped. Her prying hands became more feeble as Snickers fell from her slackened grip.

"Now behave," he commanded as he released her and she fell to her knees. Her arms were forced behind her back, bound tightly. She was pulled back to her feet when she saw Snickers, laying on the pavement. She screamed for the toy until one of the men picked it up.

"You want this?" he asked as she struggled vainly against the one holding her. "Then be good," he continued as she was led back to the damaged auto-flyer. One of them inspected the damage then announced that it had only lost the bumper.

"Good then let's go." the murderer commanded as she was forced into the craft along with the others. The ringleader sat across from her as she glared at him angrily. He smiled as he leaned back calmly, indifferent to her aggression.

"This is kidnapping," she spat as he nodded.

"Only a fool would let an opportunity like this slip by and it is not like you have anywhere to go or anyone waiting for you." he whispered tauntingly when she kicked his shin as hard as she could manage.

"You are being ill-mannered and I will not tolerate obstinate behavior." he growled raising his hand as if he meant to smack her, but he stopped when she flinched, hiding her tear stained face from view.

"But you are reasonable, aren't you?" he asked as she looked up at him fearfully.

"Please just let me go." she begged as he picked up Snickers.

"I can be reasonable as well just be a good girl and do as you are told." he said as she watched him handle Snickers rather roughly, as if looking for the cause of her attachment to the primitive toy.

The craft stopped as one of the men opened the door, then pulled her outside. Ricky, the leader stood beside her, still holding Snickers. He led the way to the door. She paused, glancing back toward the empty street when he shoved her hard in the back, causing her to stumble forward. She struggled to regain her balance as she was led through the house, to a door that led downstairs. She stared at the stairs nervously when Ricky rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Go on," he whispered as she stepped carefully into the darkness.

The lights came on revealing a finished basement with tiled floors and a computer desk nested in the corner.

"Sit!" Ricky demanded as she sat in the rolling chair with the padded lumbar support.

"Now let's get some things straight before you do something stupid." Rick said, grabbing the arms of the chair as she leaned away from him.

"You work for me now! You will help disarm alarms and keep the cops away and in exchange for your life." he stated threateningly as she spat in his face as hatred gleamed within her eyes.

"Don't mess with me, little girl." he growled, his voice seething with rage, after he whipped his face with the back of his hand then leaned close so that his murderous eyes filled her vision. He released her chair, causing the chair to spin a little as she released her breathe when he stopped the chair once more.

"You can't escape. My men can easily overpower you and I can surely catch you again if you are foolish enough to run from me. And don't think the cops are tracking you because one of my men is jamming the signal from your ACPC." he explained calmly as she looked away defeated, spotting Snickers sitting on the desk with its round head drooping and its marble eyes downcast.

She needed help or better yet a distraction she thought as she cut the power to the entire house, plunging everything into to complete darkness. She amplified the signal of her Artificial Cerebral Processing Chip, using it as a beacon to call forth her saviors. Ricky cursed as his men scrambled to restore the lights. The lights returned within a few minutes when Ricky turned on her, furious.

"What did you do? Answer me." he yelled as Maria watched him fearfully hoping the cops were still in the neighborhood and would arrive soon enough.

"I really don't want to hurt you so don't tempt me." he sneered as he pulled out a small laser cutter, then raised it to her neck. She could feel the heat radiating off the blade of focused light.

"Please don't" she whined as tears gathered in her eyes and she tried to squirm away.

"Then stop it." he commanded as tears leaked from her eyes.

"I am sorry," she whispered when there were the sound of police cruisers coming from outside. Ricky turned away as his men watched the bands of lights flash through the windows.

"Make them leave," he commanded turning back to Maria, who had freed her small hands from her cloth restraints and had cut the power once more.

"Maria!" Ricky yelled angrily pulling the chair closer to himself as he held the laser cutter firmly in his hand.

The cops rushed in, spreading out, as the rest stormed the basement where the signal originated. Their powerful flashlights illuminated the dark room then fell on the empty chair as Ricky grew silent then kicked it away from him, causing it to topple over.

"This isn't over!" he yelled when the cops converged on him pinning him on the ground before pulling him back onto his feet, after they managed to handcuff him. His men surrendered without much of a fight. They led the kidnappers outside to their large cruiser when another group of cops rushed into their auto-flyers.

"Maria stole another auto-flyer. She is heading toward the city." one of the cops announced, before speeding into the night with his blinding lights flashing. They mustn't let her get away. She mustn't be allowed to run rampant. She must be dealt with.

A Desirable Commodity

Maria sat braced on her knees as she peered out the window, steering the auto-flyer manually after overpowering the craft's auto pilot. She clutched onto the back of the seat as she pressed her face against the tinted glass. Darkness swirled about the headlights illuminating light post and towering buildings when she was nearly upon them. She veered on the brink of colliding with another auto-flyer as she sped aside the relatively slow moving stream of traffic.

Suddenly all the craft came to a stop, including Maria's, when the cops' cruiser come within sight with its blinding lights stunning the pedestrians below in stupor. She overpowered the cop's signal then drifted into the crowded stream of auto-flyers finding a clear lane, that was to be used for emergency vehicles, then sped pass the frozen crafts as the cops rushed after her. The flow of the auto-flyers picked up as the cop's signal weakened, allowing traffic to continue on, the craft only adjusting their speed when they neared.

She commanded her craft upwards in an effort to evade the cops. She blindly shot up, knocking into another craft that responded too slowly to her sudden ascent. The craft rocked violently before growing steady once more. She accelerated to meet the craft's bumper, pleased to be in the fast lane, when the cops attempted to follow her. She slipped out of the invisible lane as she rushed down to the ground as people on the wide walkway fled. She stopped the craft, so it was hovering only a few yards above the ground then sped around a sharp corner hoping that the cops lost sight of her, still being high above traffic.

Spectators ducked as she glided over them before she guided the craft into a narrow darkened lane. She cut the engine and made sure her ACPC was not sending any signals to allow her to be easily located. She picked up Snickers as she looked out the shaded windows. She was exhausted but she could not sleep in a stolen auto-flyer, the police would track it in a matter of minutes.

She exited the craft slowly then snuck down the alley. She paused before she hurried down the open walkway, racing down the block, keeping to the shadows crated by the towering apartment buildings. She entered one of the apartments, buzzing herself in with her mind, when her legs would carry her no farther. She stumbled up the stairs unsure where she was going until she saw a woman pass her on her way to work. She glanced out a window to realize that the sky was darkened will the early phases of dawn rather than night. She moaned wanting to collapse on the stairs but she had to do a better job of hiding herself than that. She pressed herself against someone's door, sensing for the telltale signal of their ACPC, which she knew every person was equipped with since birth. There was the faint buzz of feedback so she leaned against the next, though this time the room was completely silent.

She commanded the door to open then stumbled inside. The entertainment projector was left on. The images it displayed were pledged with glitches and were also pitifully flats, like shimmering pictures.

She continued in her search when an android stepped into of her. Its faces was peeling off, baring its eerily realistic teeth in what seemed to be a snarl. One of its eyes was knocked permanently askew and its thick grey hair appeared like low grade carpet. Its clothing was dirtied with use and it sported many small tears at its joints.

It began to speak but she shut it off then slipped into the bedroom, laying on the bed. Temporary complacency silenced her quibbling mind as she held Snickers tight in her arms. A sense of peace enveloped her as she drifted off into her subconscious mind as sleep overtook her.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard the sound of someone entering the apartment. She sat up, pulling Snicker's close as she listened to the footfalls of the intruder when she saw an open window leading out onto a fire escape. She scrambled out of the bed then wiggled out the window onto a levitating platform. She gripped the rail firmly then commanded the platform to descend. She unlatched the gate then ran from the apartment before she was spotted.

She raced down the walkway until she got to a flight of stairs. She pushed through the crowd, being careful not to trip on the steep steps. Everyone continued on down a long tunnel then rushed through a gate that opened at a gentle touch, quickly scanning their fingertips.

Maria got in line for one of the many gates as those behind her began pushing, eager to get to work in the city. When she got to the gate she commanded it open then followed the group to a track of magnetized plates. A red light flashed when a train stopped in front of her as the air hissed. It hovered a few feet off the track and its design was sleek and aerial dynamic. A ramp was lowered as everyone boarded quickly in search for the best seats.

Maria hurried into the train then sat by the doors. She turned toward the window as she watched the lights within the tunnel walls flash by, blurring together as they accelerated away from the station. She buried her face into Snicker's fur, finding the sight dizzying.

The train stopped as many people got up. She hurried after them, sure that she was far enough away from the slums were she abandoned that stolen auto- flyer. She could hide here for a while before heading closer to the heart to the city if she felt the need to.

She climbed off the train before it took off again, the air snatching her breathe away. She followed the crowd above ground then wandered down the walkway.

People swarmed in either direction, bumping into her. They grumbled curses as she pushed herself forward, weaving between the tightly packed crowd. She squeezed her way through as people parted watching her in confusion as she passed. She broke free of the mass of people when she saw an ATM nestled snuggly in a stone wall of amazing masonry.

She hurried over to it then looked around nervously to make sure that no one was watching her, but everyone was too busy to pay her any mind. She began extracting a large amount of money then stuffed the bills into her pockets, with Snickers slung over her arm.

A woman noticed her as she handed her a large bundle of bills then rushed off. The woman watched her get away as she held the money, uncertain how to respond to the generous young thief.

She approached an intersection where people rushed across the ancient streets, where cars once drove filling the air with their toxic byproducts. A rod rose from the center of the intersection as everyone froze to watch it as red warning lights flashed. A hologram filled the space as many backed away to see the full image.

It was an image of one of the scientists who worked alongside her father in the lab. He was in a government office but he was still wearing his long pristine lab coat. The men behind him were dressed in formal suits with classy ties. Their faces were stern and unyielding, as if their features had been chiseled from slates of granite.

"The police are searching a missing girl, who has damaged her ACPC so the police are unable to pinpoint her location. This girl maybe psychotic and dangerous so approach her with extreme discretion. The authorities are willing to pay as much as 50 thousand dollars to anyone who can provide usable information about her whereabouts. Her name is Maria Rivera" he stated when a picture of herself appeared.

She gasped, hugging Snickers to her chest when someone grabbed her arm. She stabbed at his mind as he released out of shock when the others turned to her. They called out with their minds as she sprinted away from the intersection.

She rushed headlong into the crowd plowing through with her head bowed. The cops would be there soon so she couldn't remain the open. She couldn't leave herself exposed, she thought when she was knocked over a large man. She quickly got back to her feet as he gathered his fallen things.

"Hey watch where you are..." a man yelled but stopped mid-sentence when he recognized her face. She shook her head then hurried away, shoving at adults' legs causing them to stumble.

She rushed from the crowd then slipped into a vintage store. She pushed open the door when a bell chimed overhead. She hid within a clothes rack as a man greeted the ringing bell but she remained silent as she looked at the clothes hanging around her.

"Um could I help you with something, um hello" the shopkeeper continued puzzled by the sound when she spotted a jacket made with an airy water- resistant material with a large hood that could be used to cover her face. She pulled it off the hanger then slipped it over her head when she heard the shopkeeper making his rounds.

"I know someone is there." he continued as she waited for him to pass then rushed from the store, exciting the bell to chime once more. The shopkeeper turned just in time to see her take off with his shirt, the tag still fastened to the sleeve. He rushed out of the store calling for her to stop.

"She stole my merchandise! Someone stop her. Oh good a cop." the shopkeeper said as she glanced over her shoulder to see a human police officer chasing after her.

"Stop thief." he yelled after her as she stopped knowing that she could not outrun him. She glanced up at the stream of auto-flyers then stopped them all dead in their tracks as the cop looked up at them.

"Now remove the shirt and face the wall." he commanded as she guided a string of auto-flyers down to ground level so they formed a barrier then she ran off again.

The cop looked at the line of craft puzzled as she rounded the corner tearing off the tag to avoid future questions. She found herself near a taxi dock where a large amount of taxis were loitering, waiting for their next customer. She rushed into the nearest one then commanded the auto-piloted craft to take her to the shuttle station. The craft rose then glided away as she sighed. That was too close. she needed to get off this planet and fast.

The taxis landed an hour later when a mechanical voice asked her to pay the fee. She ignored it then pressed on the doors but they were locked.

"Collecting information about delinquent," the machine continued as she disabled its cameras and sensors, hoping no information was sent to the police. She forced the door open then hurried away from the auto-flyer as she entered the building. She lowered her head knowing there were cameras in the corners and security droids directing travelers.

"Have you misplaced your parents?" a droid asked as she shook her head.

"Um no I am going to visit my relatives." Maria whispered tightening her hold on Snickers.

"Do you need assistance?" the robot asked reaching toward her as she shied away.

"No," she spat as the machine recited the regulation.

"Children of your age are not authorized to ride alone." the robot continued.

"I am of the proper age," she muttered venomously scrambling its systems.

"The line begins over there." the droid pointed out as she nodded then headed in that direction. Droids confiscated items to scan as she clung onto Snickers.

"Any objects boarding this craft must be scanned." a droid announced as she nodded.

"You already scanned it," she sneered then stepped through detectors and pass the camera, disrupting their feedback. One of the droid began to speak when she cut it off then continued onward.

"A ticket is required for admittance beyond this point." a droid chimed as she confused the robot then forced the gate open.

"Have a nice day and remember to fly with us again." the droid told her as she sat down tensely waiting for her flight to arrive.

"Flight 536 has just arrived and is now boarding." someone said over an intercom as she hurried onto the craft, facing the window as others joined her. She buckled her seat belt then leaned her forehead against the window to hide her face.

"We will reach out destination of Meteor Lake in a few hours." a stewardess informed them as the craft coasted down the runaway before drifting off with its nose pointed toward the stars, her new home.

Nestled Amongst the Stars

Maria rested her head on Snickers, using its plush body as a pillow. The rim of her large hood brushed the tip of her nose. Her breathe clung to the glass as she snored softly.

"We are approaching Mars so return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts," the stewardess announced as Maria sat up looking out the window.

She saw that they were gliding among the wispy clouds that made up Mars' thickened atmosphere. The clouds were an off white, possessing a slight yellowish hue. The reddish rock was covered in a thin layer of vegetation, a green film that adhered to the contorts of the land.

The shuttle landed then came to a stop as everyone got up. Maria followed them off the craft, through a sealed tunnel that led to a terminal inside of a large bio dome. Everyone gathered their things then lined up, heading down a tunnel of shifting light. She hurried after them as she lowered her head peering under her hood.

She looked out the clear barrier that formed the walls of the bio dome at the red pebbles that were topped with a layer of moss. The rocky plain stretched as off as she could see, bending over the convex surface of the planet. The sun sat next to a distance moon, which appeared just slightly larger than a star. It was a small disk of light, a faded afterimage of the sun.

"You are going to need a translator to understand the locals and you will receive your currency over there," a security guard explained as he gave one of the travelers a handheld device then pointed to a desk behind him.

He was dressed in a uniform and she was sure that he was armed. She could not allow herself to be spotted. She had to sneak pass him but the tunnel only allowed one person through at a time. She needed to divert his attention.

She bowed her head then set off the alarms, confusing the guard as she pushed her way through along with many others as they looked around for a potential threat. The security guard tried to calm them as she snuck by him stealing a translator and a sack of what she hoped was filled with the local currency. She hurried out into the main area of the bio dome, where the city laid, before anyone could stop her.

She paused, for she was taken aback by the greenery for she imagined the city as being sterile like space center. The houses of TerraConstruct sat amongst large trees, nested within climbing vines. Fertile gardens filled every yard and lush shrubs dotted the alien landscape. Stepping stones peeked from the freshly trimmed grass, leading to the center of the city.

She treaded lightly across the stones, passing people of every race united within their tight community by dependency, forging strong bonds of familiarity. Some had come to escape the effects of war and others has saved up their money to start a new life among the stars, desperate to leave the constant troubles involved with living in an underdeveloped country. Others simply came to fulfill a life-long dream but despite their differences they seemed to share a new culture, independent of earth. They all held a deep respect for life, for without it they would die in a matter of days. Girls wore flower dresses with wilted pelts forming the skirt and many walked about with bare feet. They spoke in an alien tongue, inspired by the combination of their languages.

She passed large orchards where various fruit trees, massive gardens of vegetables and other fruitful plants flourished. There was a barn where cows were kept, to provide meat and milk to the citizens. They were fed a mixture of algae, which does not take much time to grow and is highly nutritious. The lake was located at the heart of the city within a large crater. Large silos collected rainwater that were the result from Mar's new climatic change, then the water was purified in large filters, the excess empting into the lake.

Flowers decorated the lip of the crater that was created by an ancient meteorite long ago, their petals drifted on the lake's peaceful surface. The dense bundles of flowers formed an elaborate design that flowed up the gradual slope, clearly visible around the seller's booths at the city's center. Ferns lined the trail, their large leaves smacking her shins as she headed to the closest booth hoping to find something to eat.

Bens of fruit laid on the counter as the seller smiled, speaking in a mysterious tongue as she pointed to an orange as he held out his hand for payment. She took out the translating device then pointed at him as he spoke. She stared at the device puzzled wondering if it was malfunctioning for it said that he wanted a hand full of apple seeds. She shrugged as she showed him the device hoping he could fix it but he merely nodded. Her confusion deepened as she untied the odd sack, that she had stolen from the currency office, then reached inside. The contents slipped from her fingers like sand as she pulled out her hand to find a handful of black seeds. She stared at it as the man extended his hand. She handed the seeds to him then took the orange. She began peeling it with her fingernails, leaving a trail of citric shavings curled on the ground behind her. It was an odd currency but she guessed that farmers wouldn't value anything more than the gift of life, for every seed held a potential to bear fruit. Each seed was an investment, ensuring their survival. Nothing could be worth more on this barren planet than the promise of new life and she assumed that more exotic seeds must be prized even more highly in such an isolated place.

A child just a few years older than Maria, walked over to her. He greeted her in their unknown language as Maria nodded unsure what to do. She searched for the translating device with her left hand as she held the orange with the other with Snickers hanging from the crock in her arm. He reached for her toy as she backed away.

"That is mine!" she yelled giving up the search as the boy titled his head then smiled, muttering a string of odd sounding words.

"Um, I am going to leave," she announced as he grabbed her hood then cast it off staring at her face.

"Leave me alone," she yelled losing her patience as she pulled her hood back over her head then ran off. She couldn't take much more of this world. There had to be another city where she could live.

She stopped when she saw two men talking with a local. They were dressed in what she would classify as being normal clothing, without hand sewn pictures of trees or ferns on the front of their shirts. They were carrying out a strained conversation with the translating devices using gestures when their patience failed them.

"Yes, we want a crate of apples," one of the men explained pointing to it as the local nodded then stuck out his hand. The man handed him a small sack of seeds which the local opened, extracting a single seed. The local nodded then turned away pleased as the two men glanced at each other briefly. One grunted leaning against the crate as if their conversation had exhausted him.

"If only they would speak English then this wouldn't be so hard." one complained as the other nodded.

"Yeah their language is kind of difficult since it combines all of the grammatical features of all the languages." the other agreed as the first turned on his friend.

"Kind of difficult, I have lived here for years now I still have no clue what they are trying saying to me." he reminded him as the other laughed.

"Yeah alright it pretty difficult now could help me with this crate?" the second asked as he began to pick up the large crate as his friend helped.

"The guys at the outpost better appreciate how hard we have to work." the first grumbled.

"If it weren't for us those scientists would starve because we both know they would not leave their labs to save their lives," argued the second as the first laughed as they loaded the crate into their rover.

"Yeah let's get the last crate and head back. This place makes me sort of miss Crater Canyon." said the second as she watched them head back to the fruit stands.

When they were gone she looked back toward the rover. She climbed in beside the crate knowing she could not spend another minute in that city much less the rest of her life. There was a slat in the ceiling through which she could see the glass dome of the roof.

She grew still when the men returned with the last crate. She hide behind the other crates, holding her breathe when they loaded the back then closed the door, sealing her inside. She looked up through the slat as they both entered the rover then drove off, exiting the bio dome. An open sky filled her view as the rover bounced slightly over the beaten trail. She leaned against the crate as she ate a slice of her orange grinning to herself.

The men opened the back door lifting a crate outside as she waited for silence to fall before sneaking out. She held Snickers close as she ran across the large storage room, locating the door. She slipped outside as she looked around eagerly.

The houses were encircled in trimmed bushes with large trees on either side. The grass was kept short and there was a paved path that cut through the greenery. Huge lab buildings were situated in neat rows with their large windows open to allow the inward flow of oxygenated air within the spacious facility. Test tubes were meticulously organized, their clear fluids tinted with pastel hues. A pair of lungs sat within an enclosed container as they expanded and contracted eerily. The labs were simply marked with numbers that declined in value as she approached the outpost's center.

The bio dome was not clouded with the condensation of a large population of people or the transpiration caused by a high density of plants. The haze was gone along with the unbearable humidity. Robots were at work planting hardy shrubs outside the bio dome as scientists rode around on rovers to report on the plant's overall health.

Maria stopped when she came across a large crater. A shallow rut cut across the red soil becoming a small valley ringed with jagged hills, formed by a glancing blow of a meteorite long ago. Within the valley, by the crater's tail, was a road and a small dome made of a sturdy clear material that encased a large white pavilion connected to a greenhouse. It must have been one of the first attempts to colonize Mars but it not the first because she knew for a fact that that the first was formed into a museum. This must have been the result of the second or the third voyage.

She sat on the ground with Snickers on her lap as she looked out over the rocky reddish landscape. The sun sat on its ruby bed as the sky glowed with the sun's last rays. A huge moon rose slowly filling the sky, reflecting all of the sun's light back onto the outpost. Its battered surface seemed like it was going to scrap across the top of the bio dome, putting everyone endanger of solar radiation. It cast its light down, erasing any need for lampposts or any other sources of artificial illumination. Its dim glow was comforting for it swept away the shadows she readily associated with the night.

She yawned widely as she turned back to the houses behind her. It was getting late and she should find somewhere to sleep from the night. She began to get up but she stopped when she realized that all the houses were most likely filled. There must be a high demand for scientists and she was sure many scientists on earth were probably ecstatic about the chance of working there. Vacancies must be extremely fleeting for with their research expanding clever scientists were always in high demand. She also could not stay in the labs because she would be spotted within a matter of days and some of the experiments they were conducting could be dangerous, possibly involving high levels of radiation or toxic chemicals.

She sat back down as tears gushed from her eyes. This place felt like home but it could never be her home. She has been looking for a new home ever since her father died but now she was sure she did not belong anywhere.

She pressed Snickers against her face when a scientist walked over to her. Her long lab coat fluttered behind her as she stooped down, resting her hand on Maria's back. Maria looked up at her. Her brown hair was contained within a neat bun and her eyes seemed kind. She helped Maria to her feet as Maria stared at her still unsure whether she was to be trusted.

"Where are your parents?" she asked as Maria backed away.

"I don't have parents." Maria whined wiping her eyes with her balled fists.

"So you an orphan, how sad but where do you belong? Are you from Meteor Lake?" she said patting Maria lightly on the back.

"I don't belong anywhere." Maria wept.

"You don't know anyone for me to call? You don't know where you live?" Lora asked as Maria nodded sadly.

"Can you at least tell me your name?" she asked as Maria looked at her. There was a genuine honest quality about her expression.

"Um Maria," Maria answered as she smiled.

"Well Maria you can stay with me tonight but tomorrow I need to help you search for your guardians in Meteor Lake." She offered as Maria nodded.

"Um yeah, ok," Maria muttered as she smiled weakly for she was becoming tired.

"Then follow me, you can stay at my house for tonight." she said as Maria nodded then followed her back pass the labs.

"Um my name is Lora by the way," she said as Maria nodded meekly.

They stopped in front of a cozy house with a cute welcome mat and a wind chime. Lora touched the chime with her fingertips before she opened the door, after typing in her personal code. Maria hurried inside looking around at the small room.

"I just love the sound of that chime even though there is no wind within the bio dome." she explained as Maria sat down, setting Snickers down on the tabletop.

"Oh what a lovely toy you have there. It must be very loyal for I doubt it would ever run away." Lora told her after spying Snickers on the table.

"Yeah it's always there for me. My mother gave it to me before she died." Maria explained as Lora reach out to pat it lovingly on the head.

"What is it name?" she asked as Maria smiled for Lora sort of reminded her on her mother.

"Its name is Snickers." she answered as Lora nodded getting up.

"That is a fitting name." Lora agreed as she walked into a small kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" she asked as Maria nodded eagerly.

"Yeah but where is your android?" Maria asked looking around.

"The generator can only provide enough energy for the machines in the lab and the planters. Androids would require too much power and I don't mind cooking." Lora answered as Maria nodded, for she remembered that her mother use to like to cook because she thought it was a lost art form, which is why they did own their first android until after she died.

"Um, do you want to help?" Lora asked as Maria nodded standing beside her. She handed Maria a cob of corn to shuck as she cut some fresh green beans. She scooped them all in a pot of boiling water then seasoned it well, covering it with a lid.

"Well you are probably hungry it is a special occasion for me to have guest so I will cook some steak alongside it. Meat is hard to come by since Meteor Lake has an extremely limited supply." Lora explained.

"Um, do you need help with that?" she asked as Maria nodded. She took the corn from her them began peeling the husk away, picking off white spidery vines.

"Um thanks," Maria said as she boiled the corn as well then turned back to the steak. She rubbed herbs into the steak then grilled it on a small indoor grill. A vent sucked up the smoke, purifying the air. The meat acquired dark markings where it made direct contact with the heated mesh as a flame rose searing the marbled flesh.

After a few minutes Lora served Maria a large steaming plate of vegetables then cut an age appropriate sized piece of steak then placed it beside the steaming cob on corn.

"Well enjoy." she said as Maria picked up the piece of steak, tearing at it with her teeth.

"Oh I guess I should have cut that first." she said as Maria lowered the steak as Lora cut it into smaller pieces.

"Um thanks" Maria whispered as she ate a bite sized piece chewing it slowly.

"You are welcomed." she said as she picked up the cob of corn then nibbled around its hard core.

"Oh eat your green beans they are good for you." Lora continued after Maria reach for another piece of steak. Maria nodded then picked up her fork stabbing the green beans before stuffing them in her mouth. She chewed uncertain but it was well seasoned. It was not bad.

"You know I never had a daughter before. I never really settled down because I am always working but I wouldn't mind having a child." Lora said as Maria looked up at her. She did seem like she would be a bad mother.

"I just want to find a place where I belong." Maria confessed before picking up the corn, eating it messily, coating her face in butter.

"Don't worry I will help you find a new home. I promise." Lora swore as Maria smiled using her sleeve to wipe her greasy face.

"Are you done?" Lora asked as Maria nodded as her eyes drooped and she rested her hand on her belly.

"Yeah," she agreed as she yawned.

"You seem tired. I will make you a bed on the couch." Lora said picking up her plate, setting it on the counter before getting some covers from the closet. Maria got up then walked over to the couch, laying her head on the armrest.

"Oh you almost forget your little friend," Lora said handing her Snickers, as she took the toy. "And here is a blanket," she continued tucking her in as Maria's eyes slowly closed as she held Snickers tight with the last traces of a smile lingering on her face.

"Get some sleep, Hon," Lore whispered as she turned away, heading off to bed.

"Good night Mom," Maria whispered in response as she rubbed her face against Snickers soft fur.

The Battle at Crater Canyon

Maria stirred when she heard someone knocking on the door. She sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes when Lora appeared from her room. She answered the door as Maria got up stretching her arms before picking up Snickers to see who it was standing in the doorway.

It was a tall man dressed in a very official looking suit. His wavy hair was neatly combed and his eyes were set ablaze with a piercing intelligence.

"Lora I spoke with our superiors stationed on earth to tell them of our progress. I told them my idea to use satellites to form a large shield around the planet to protect it from solar radiation." a man explained.

"Really and what did they say?" Lora asked excitedly.

"That they will try it as soon as we either raise the oxygen levels or you perfect your bioengineered lungs." he stated as she nodded pleaded.

"That is wonderful." she agreed when he noticed Maria standing a few feet behind her.

"Who is that?" he asked suspiciously as Lora stepped aside, exposing her.

"Um, she is an orphan. Her name is Maria," Lora introduced her as the man looked her over

"Rivera," the man finished, barely over a whisper as Maria froze.

"You know her?" Lora asked excitedly as he leaned closer.

"The police are looking for her." he explained as Maria watched him carefully.

"Well I guess she must have wandered off for her to end up here." Lora agreed but the man shook his head.

"She is an extremely dangerous fugitive." he continued as Lora turned back to her shock.

"What but she is just a little girl," Lora said turning back to her friend as Maria tightened her hold on Snickers.

"I need to lockdown this outpost and inform the soldiers of her location." He said still holding the doorframe.

"Then leave," Maria stated boldly stepping closer.

"I am not letting you get away so don't get cocky." he said when he turned away, setting off the alarm. Maria rushed pass Lora, who watched her go stunned.

"Maria, where are you going?" Lora asked as she turned back unsure what to say.

"I am sorry," she muttered before she hurried away. She raced across to an unattended rover then drove it as fast as she could to the gate. She needed to get to the nearest town before the guards got there. Snickers sat in the seat beside her as she steered the rover the best that she could manage. She leaned forward on the edge of her seat as she struggled to press the accelerator. She could see through the large holes in the steering wheel but not much else. People yelled as they rushed out of the way and she veered around buildings, the tires tearing up the grass.

She hit the brakes when she neared the grate for there was a group already there awaiting her arrival. The rover skittered to a stop when one stepped forward.

"I told you I wasn't going to let you escape." Lora's friend stated as she backed the rover, cursing it for its manual controls. Someone leapt toward the vehicle, grabbing onto it smooth hood, but fell off after she spun around then rushed away from the mob, toward the center of the outpost.

She sped up the road toward the small bio dome, housing the large tent. The great rocky ridge rose as she glanced behind her to see that the mob of scientists were running after her, with the desire to protect their homes.

She stopped the rover then fled into the bio dome, commanding the doors open, then sealed herself inside. She backed away stumbling on the well-kept grass. The scientists surrounded her rover as she clutched Snickers feeling trapped.

She could see Lora's friend talking to the others. He seemed like he was trying to stop them from following her inside. Then he became very still as he directed his thoughts toward the gate where the gatekeeper could relay the message through the bio dome's thick radiation-resistant shield to the soldiers who must be swiftly mobilizing.

She began to shiver with fright for she was running out of time. She could not make it to her rover before one of the scientists snatched her and the gate was most likely still guarded. She would never make it to the next town.

She looked out the dome beyond the sloping ridge, beyond the outpost where the planting droids were at work. If she could gain control over them she would be able to fight her way pass the soldiers but the bio dome completely blocked her weak signal. She would need to wait until the planters enter the dome for the day and even then she would still need to exit her refuge. It seemed unreasonably risky, her father would never approve of such a plan but it seemed like her only option. All she had to do is wait for her army to arrive.

The scientists backed away as she got to her feet. It was too later for the soldiers had already come for her. A man still armored in stiff protective fabric stepped in front of the crowd with a hand on his Taser. The scientists left as her heart sped. She knew if she did not exit the bio dome that he would drag her out. She could not wait any longer.

She calmed her breathing then exited her refuge after glancing nervously outside the city. The planters were not visible. Hopefully they were within the outpost, within the realm of her control.

She urgently called to the droids as the soldiers walked over to her. She stepped back looking around to see that she was surrounded. She drew in her breath as she clung onto Snickers nervously.

"Don't run," the soldier instructed holding his Taser aloft as he slowly approached. She called frantically to the droids but they were nowhere in sight. Maybe her signal was still being blocked by the protective dome and the planters were simply planting in an area beyond view. Maybe she was completely defenseless she thought as she watched the other soldier slowly close in, feeding her building anxiety.

"Maria, if you resist, I will be forced to tase you." the lead soldier reasoned as she desperately reach for the soldiers' minds. Many lost their composer as they held their head stooped over in pain, tears welding in their eyes.

Maria began to run toward the rover she abandoned when she fell to the ground in excruciating pain, her ever muscle screaming in anguish. Her vision flickered as an incoherent yell burst from her lips. Tears left her eyes, forging wet tracks down her babyish face.

She sat up, breathing heavily, when she discovered the dart that delivered the shock. Its compact battery was still hot to the touch. She pulled it free, wincing a little, then cast it away angrily. The soldier approached her slowly as she struggled to her feet, unsteadily, then picked up Snickers. She could feel herself shaking.

"Just come quietly, I don't want to have to tase you again." the soldier explained as she looked around for help when she saw her army of planters finally coming to her aid. She laughed harshly as the soldier turned away to see the sea of droids rushing his way.

He fired at them but his darts ricocheted off their metal bodies, the darts' charges lost on Martian soil. The others turned toward the onslaught as Maria used the droids as a distraction to rush back to the rover. She sped off with only the top of her head visible over the dashboard.

"Maria, get back here!" the soldier yelled before the planters fell on him, brutally smashing his fragile body with their oddly shaped metal fists. She lessened the severity of the assault, fearing the droids would break their bones or cause serious injury.

She sped pass lab buildings. She could see that the main exit was still block but as she continued to drive she saw what appeared to be another gate, exiting the bio dome. She turned sharply racing across the lawn, veering onto a paved trail that led to a shuttle station, connected to the main bio dome.

She rushed out the rover then hurried through the tunnel to the loading dock. She ran up the ramp pleased that no one seemed to be present. She snuck behind a large crate as she pulled Snickers close to her.

The door closed before the engines ignited with a roar. An oppressive force knocked her on her back holding her in place. Her chest grew heavy and her organs felt as if they were being compressed. Snickers was thrown out of her reach as she fought to retain consciousness.

Then suddenly the weight lifted as Snickers drifted into view, tumbling slowly in the air, when she realized that she too was floating. She flipped over, swimming through the air as she smiled to herself. She lightly touched one of the teethed crates, pushing herself forward. She grabbed onto Snickers then allowed herself to rotate within the spacious compartment, free from gravity's restrictions, free from the dangers of Mars.

A Rather Poor Decision

Maria sank to the floor as her mass remembered its weight, as gravity returned. The exhilarating lightness of floating faded as she felt her body became more teethed to the ground, held in place like the stationary crates around her.

She must be nearing Earth. She better strap down for the landing she thought as she held onto one of the belts holding a large crate in place. Snickers was pressed under her arm with her fingers locked around the sturdy strap.

There was a powerful force that caused her to lose her grip, casting her across the cargo hold. Her head smashed into a solid box as brightness obscured her vision. She lifted her head groggily as the craft rocked violently before becoming very still.

The engine's grumbling roar faded as Maria crawled across the ground to retrieve Snickers then hid behind a large crate in the back. The door was opened as Maria's lungs became very still as she waited for the shuffling of the men to die down.

She peeked around the crate then crept to the door, peering down the long ramp. The coast seemed to be clear so she hurried out of the shuttle looking around for an exit. The loading dock was within a large room stocked with towering stacks of crates.
Maria crept along the wall hoping she would pass a door when she saw a group of uniformed officials stroll pass. They did not notice her because she was well concealed behind a mound of mysterious crated goods.

Maria shook her head horrified for she just realized that those men were not just guards but military officials. The U.S. Outpost was not connected to a public shipping company but to the government agency that funded them. She was not simply in a loading dock but in a government facility.

She had found herself in the worst case scenario imaginable. She found herself in the middle of a government base surrounded by armed soldiers and military grade fences. She was trapped but there was still a glimmer hope for she was also immersed in electronics and useable devices that could aid her escape.

Her situation seemed bleak but she couldn't give up. She had to get out of there before she was spotted she thought as she ran down a hall into a large room filled with giant war machines. She slowed, looking up at them nervously as her arms tightened around Snicker's middle, compressing the plush cotton within.

"What are you doing here little girl," someone yelled as she looked up to see a high ranking official watching her a few yards away. His uniform was well decorated with polished metals and his expression was stern. His graying hair was shaved and his eyes were inhumanly cold, as if incapable of feeling emotion.

Maria backed away as the man, instinctively reach for his gun, but he never withdrew it, instead he simply held onto it to comfort himself. Maria dare not take her eyes off him even to pull down her hood or hide her face. She took another step back when the man stopped, obviously stunned.

"You are that girl, that they are looking for, Maria Rivera," he stated as her heart quivered.

"Please just let me pass." she begged as the man neared.

"You need to come with me," the man stated calmly as Maria shook her head.

"Just let me pass," she repeated when all the war machines turned towards the man with their guns trained on his chest. The man froze looking at the field of machines around him amazed. A sly smile played on his lips.

"You are a lot more interesting than the others led me to believe." the man whispered as she turned away with one of the war machines trailing behind.

"Just don't follow me." Maria yelled as her war machine shielded her with its gun raised.

"I can't promise you that, little girl" the man stated as Maria edged out of the room.

She hurried down a hall when she came across a group of soldiers, hackers and controllers responsible for directing large squads of war machines. Many did not seem proficient at fighting but she knew all of them were taught how to wield a gun and carried one at all times.

They stopped talking when they saw Maria with her war machine stomping behind her. The machine responded to her tension by stepping in front of her with its lasers aimed at the soldiers. The soldiers reached for their guns in turn when the war machine rushed toward them without Maria's explicit instruction.

The soldiers backed away as the machine disarmed them all, its movements being too swift to follow and much too swift to block. Hard steel clamped flesh as limbs were pulled into awkward positions. Many of the soldiers laid bruised with shallow bloody cuts.

"Am I authorized to proceed?" the machine asked with its gun raised to one of the soldiers head.

"No! Don't kill him!" Maria yelled as the machine released the man then hurried to her side. She shook her head disgusted then ran off with the machine following her.

The alarm sounded as she stopped turning toward the machine. She hacked into is database to find the exit then forced the machine to lead her to safety. An intercom announced her name and her location as she forced herself through sealed doors.

She slowed when she heard a group of people approaching. She pressed herself against the wall as her war machine stepped in front of her with its laser gun raised.

"You are to use rubber bullets for she is just a child and they want her alive and well." someone briefed the group.

"Understood." everyone agreed in unison.

"Also be careful they reported that she is highly dangerous." the leader continued as her war machine edged around the corner ready to beat them into submission.

"She is just six years old how dangerous can she possibly be?" someone asked when the war machine came into full view.

"They sent a war machine to catch this girl?" someone asked nervously when Maria appeared behind it.

"Wait isn't that her?" someone asked as they raised their guns, which were already loaded with rubber bullets. Maria backed away as the war machine followed her lead.

"Is she controlling that robot?" someone asked frighten.

"That is impossible without the proper controls." someone stated when the leader of the group fired rubber bullets at her, though whether to test his subordination's claim or to knock her out was unclear, but the war machine enveloped them both within a force field. The odd bullets bounced off the shimmering barrier.

When the hail of projectiles ceased the force field disintegrated as the machine stepped toward the group with its oversized cannons raised. The interior glowed as energy collected within the large metal cylinders.

"Combat mode engaged. Targeting aggressors." the machine announced as Maria stopped its programs hastily.

"You are to use your shields only." she said before hurrying down the hall as the robot trailed close behind.

When she arrived at the door she commanded the machine to blast through the thick metal. The doors swung outward as the force of the energy knocked them off their hinges. Shrapnel was cast far and wide, lodging itself into the hard soil.

Maria ran down the shallow stairs when the soldiers slowly caught up, firing another round of rubber bullets. The war machine shielded her on the barren lawn as the soldiers closed in. A small metal sphere was tossed over to them when the force field faded, leaving them completely exposed.

"The shield has been breached, awaiting further instruction," the war machine declared before a laser shot through its chest, forming a large hole that exposed striped wires and jagged metal. The machine fell slowly as all its systems failed.

The man, Maria saw in the room filled with the war machines, slowly approached. With a lazily gesture the soldiers ceased fire as they watched him descend down the stairs, lacking any sense of urgency.

"So you are Maria Rivera," the man stated as she backed away from the motionless machine.

"Isn't that obvious by now?" Maria asked boldly when she spotted a tank parked a few yards away.

"I suppose so," he agreed pleasantly like their chat was commonplace, as if he believed that he had already captured her.

"Well it was nice meeting you but I should be going." she said when the tank raced over to her, guided by her thoughts. The soldiers, in the way, fled as the armored auto flyer glided over to her, cutting off the approaching man.

"Fire!" the man yelled as the soldiers gathered their wits. Maria wasted no time climbing onto the steel mound, gripping onto metal eaves with Snickers balanced precariously on her shoulder with its head slumped near her collarbone. The armor rang as it was hit by the endless rounds of projectiles that whizzed about. She fought with the lid then leapt inside before a bullet struck the rim and she sealed herself inside. She commanded the tank to rise then turned on its force field.

The craft shot up through the laser grid, completely protected by its shield. The powerful beams reflected in every direction, setting the grass on fire and craving deep gashes in the building. The soldiers hit the ground as the focused light passed over them, slashing through the gates and destroying watchtowers.

Maria clung onto Snickers as the craft raced off into the great unknown. It was rather unfortunate that she caused so much damaged but soon she would be safe and that is all that matters. She just wanted to go home, wherever that might be.

Conflicting Interests

A large husky man walked down a narrow hall, his polished shoes clicking on the hard floor. His dark blue uniform was pressed, the seams forming sharp imposing creases. Small golden metals were pinned in place by sturdy ribbon that swung about, in time with his confident strides. His shaven head was coated in a thin covering of silver fuzz. His stern gaze rarely missed anything of any importance.

His gestures, to those behind him, were precise and swift. His soldiers froze with a hastened step, awaiting his command. He glanced at the door when the nearest soldier opened it, revealing a large room dominated by a huge table.

The man entered silently as the others followed. He sat near the head of the table. He drew his chair then sat down with his hands folded neatly on the table. His cold eyes were focused on the door.

The door reopened when another group entered. They sat across from the man and his soldiers. They were high ranking members from Homeland Security still clad in their field uniforms as if they had only left work hours ago.

They openly stared at each other in silence when yet another group entered. Many sat at the far end but one sat at the very head of the long table, drawing everyone's attention with his presence alone.

He was wearing a classy tailored suit and a silken tie of deep grey. Faint shadowy marks lurked under his eyes, where the skin sagged slightly with lack of rest, adding to his apparent age. There was a morbid sadness about his overall expression. His stony gaze was unwavering, hardened by countless secrets.

"I have called you all here because something needs to be done about Maria Rivera. She is a threat to national security." stated the man at the head of the table when the nearest member from Homeland Security spoke.

"I have a proposition." he stated as the man, who called the meeting, nodded when he began to elaborate.

"Maria can be controlled. I believe that she is opposing us because she believes that we do not have her best interest in mind." the Homeland Security agent explained but the one at the head of the table was becoming impatient.

"What are you suggesting?" he asked, cutting off the agent's lengthy explanation.

"She wants a place to call home. She wants to replace the family that she lost. She has been hiding for years because she obeyed her father. When her foster guardian caught her attacking one of her peers, she showed remorse. She deferred to his authority. Even a random scientist at our outpost in Crater Canyon was able to detain her for a day. She can be captured, we just have to be cautious about how we approach her." the agent finished as the main listener nodded.

"Then what should we do?" the man at the head of the table, asked the agent.

"She needs to be kept within an area with no technology that she can use against us and her ACPC must be surgically removed." the agent explained.

"What if she escapes?" inquired the high government official who called the meeting.

"I doubt that it will come down to that but if it does she must be put down for she could prove to a danger to the other civilians and society as a whole." the agent stated as the mysterious government official nodded.

"Wait you can't hold her forever. Her abilities could serve us well in the future. She could be the greatest weapon of our time and she could end this war." The military official spoke up, frustrated they had not realized that girl's potential.

"General, this will not develop into a war. We will resolve this matter long before it comes to that." the unknown government official answered.

"We can't just allow them to threaten our safety and to steal what is rightfully ours for it was our scientists who found the first Daraton and theorized its potential uses. The quantum particle of dark energy would have never been found, if it was not for us, and it would have never been known how the force of gravity had been weakened by its repulsive force. If it weren't for us there wouldn't be any auto-flyers. The very idea wouldn't even make sense without knowledge of our discovery." the General stated passionately.

"They discovered the first Daraton in a lab in Europe." the government official corrected him.

"They are our allies so it was a collaborative victory but that is beside the point. We had to save up our money, decades of taxes dollars were needed to construct the lab equipment needed and only a limited amount of Daratons can be synthesized at a time. The demand among the citizens here is great enough without having to worry about the needs of other countries. We may not have been the ones to discover it but we were one of the few with enough money to capitalize on its success. We may have gained a great amount of knowledge and a reliable form of transportation but don't you remember how great the cost was. We were only capable of obtaining those particles of dark energy because of generous contributions and the fact that we are a relatively wealthy country. It was by no means easy and we can't just let our enemies take it from us without a fight." the General continued as the government official listened to him nodding patiently.

"Without a reserve of natural gas they can't transport their goods efficiently, which means they don't have the means to provide for all of their citizens. Their overpopulated cities are deteriorating around them. Some are even breaking off to form farming communities. I almost pity them." the government official stated sadly.

"We sold Daraton to them despite our needs and they repaid us by raising their prices, by such an amount they were far beyond absurdity." the General pointed out aggressively.

"As capitalists the businessmen were tempted by their need. They were trying to compensate for the cost of transportation by raising their prices." the government official stated.

"We had to regain our independence and form robotic factories or our middle class would have sank below poverty and our people would be no better than their's." General pointed out.

"True we had no choice but it worsened their situation and drove them to desperation. I wish it never came to this for the developing countries need is stifling." agreed the government official.

"They attacked our military facilities in search of Daraton. They have joined forces with likewise countries and they have decided to attack us during a time of peace. They have found ways around our war machines' defenses and have destroyed them with blasts of fire and intense pressure waves. They have fired upon our men and thrown primitive grenades at our buildings. They have stolen a resource that we have been working years to acquire. They don't deserve our mercy." the General yelled angrily, with the memory of his loyal soldiers laying dead, aligned in a row as the others rummaged through the wreckage, still fresh in his mind.

"I agree it is only a matter of time before they fly into a large city to hold up an auto-flyer company then pandemonium will fill the streets. We can't let it come to that." the government official agreed bleakly.

"Maria can stop them. I have seen what she can do. I had her in my sights yet she commanded all of the war machines and used their might against me. She was awe inspiring. Even the most gifted hacker couldn't do what she did almost naturally. The enemies' robots may seem primitive with their mechanical guns filled with beads of steel, being weighted down by heavy armor with their only form of locomotion involving wheels, but despite all of that a hacker would have great difficulty reprogramming one of the military deployment machines since they all have a unique encryption. Also all of them are able to sense when their security is being breached and can send a report to their controllers or even block the foreign signal completely. Some are almost completely autonomous so are less dependent on signals at all. Their computerized functioning should not be underestimated since I am should they stole it from us. The only one who can stop them is that girl." the General told them, thinking back to how Maria fearfully clung onto her stuffed toy appearing like any other ordinary child, but he knew she was far from it.

"But we can't control that girl. We can't just bring her to a military facility and tell her all of our secrets within a room full of military grade machines that she can command at will." the agent from Homeland Security pointed out.

"Then what are we going to do to protect our supply of Daraton and the civilians under our charge?" the General questioned.

"We just need to heighten security." the agent suggested.

"They are not merely thieves, that is not going to stop them. It will only enrage them and everyone within the vicinity will be in danger. You know that." the General stated, when the agent turned away knowing the outcome as well as any other.

"I agree with you, General. Maria could be of some use." agreed the government official, catching the agent off guard.

"But she is too powerful" the agent countered.

"You told me that you can capture her, that she could be controlled. If that is true then it may be worth a try for you mentioned that she is not intentionally attacking us." the government official reminded the agent from Homeland Security.

"But we can't be sure that she no longer poses a threat as long as she has her ACPC." the man from Homeland Security pointed out.

"We will find a way to control her. Just leave that up to us." The General assured him.

"That is far too risky," the agent argued when the General turned on him.

"Riskier than leaving ourselves unprotected?" he questioned when the agent from Homeland Security quieted himself.

"You have never failed me yet, General. I trust in the military's ability to manage the girl's power." the General stated as the government official nodded.

"Maria Rivera's capture will be a collaborative process but after she is captured, the military will be responsible for finding a way to control her. Now you are all dismissed," the government official stated getting to his feet as the others followed his lead. He bobbed his head then turned away, his eyelids dropping with undisguised exhaustion.

The General led his soldiers out the room as the Homeland Security agents conversed nervously in the corner. He strolled down the hall when one of his soldiers approached him. He saluted and referred to him as sir, with an unnaturally stiff posture and stony eyes.

"How are we going to control her, Sir?" he asked as the others listened closely.

"We are going to recruit the person that she fears the most." the General stated.

"And who is that, Sir?" he asked as the others leaned forward a little, despite their rigorist training.

"Rick Harris." the General answered simply then continued on, his many honorary metals gleaming in the florescent light.

An Invaluable Skill

The General walked down a wide hall of cement. Thick bars rose like walls as imprisoned men watched him pass, their brows were furrowed with pent up resentment. A prison guard walked ahead of him, with a large key ring swinging at his side.

The General gathered himself, reviewing the questions he wanted to ask. He thought it over, focusing on his desire to capture Maria. He knew Homeland Security would surely fail for only Rick Harris could capture her. He has already done so in the past and the General had little doubt that he could repeat this feat, which was why he was there in the first place.

The guard led him across a large cafeteria to a locked door, which he opened. The guard fumbled briefly with the keys then opened the door wide as the General entered glancing at him concerned.

"Why do you still use keys?" the General asked as the guard reattached them to the loop affixed on his pants.

"Well there has never been a breakout in this prison's history so why fix what ain't broken?" the guard explained before he continued to lead the way down a narrow hall, pass the warren's office.

"Well this is the room. You wait inside and I will go get Rick Harris for yeh." the guard announced unlocking the door as the General entered with a stiff nod of gratitude.

The room was bare, with only a small table with two chairs facing each other. The walls were featureless, painted an off white. He sat in one of the chairs, its metal legs dragging loudly across the titled floor. He rested his hands on top of the cold metal table as he awaited his newest soldier.

The door opened, attracting the man's attention. The guard entered along with a large man. He had a square jaw speckled with dark stubble and his shaggy hair was dirty and under kept. His overall appearance seemed disheveled but his eyes were cold and unyielding as steel.

The guard made quick work of linking his shackles to the legs of the chair and table. His hands were conjoined at the wrists by his handcuffs that were loosely connected to his shackles but allowed enough freedom for him to prop his hands onto the table.

The guard left after explaining that he was just outside the door if needed. Then he left, shutting them both inside, alone. The General leaned over the table as Rick watched him dully.

"So you are Rick Harris, the one who managed to capture Maria Rivera?" the General asked as Rick nodded obviously bored.

"That has already been established and call me Ricky."

"Fine then Ricky why did you capture Maria Rivera?" the General continued as Ricky glanced at him curiously.

"You know about her too." Ricky finally stated as the General nodded.

"Yeah I want to capture her too. She can serve as a weapon for the military."

"Damn right she could," Ricky agreed.

"How did you learn of her abilities?"

"My crew was clearing out this house, the family had a lot of pricy jewelry, and we just saw her just standing in the middle of the street. She looked winded and unresponsive. Then this cop cruiser came and demanded her arrest and she just sent the robo-cop away. It was then when I realized that she could enable us to bypass security systems and protect us from getting caught. I knew how valuable she could be to us."

"How did you capture her?"

"Well she fought hard. She sent the cop to kill me then attempted to run me over with an auto-flyer. I managed to evade her then I just chased her down and threw her in our escape vehicle."

"Why didn't she escape? She could control the auto-flyer so why did she stop fighting?"

"Yeah but she is terrified of me. She thinks I am going to kill her like her..." Ricky stated carelessly when the General's stare hardened. Ricky looked away, breaking eye contact.

"Finish what you were going to say." the General demanded but Ricky remained silent.

"Tell me!" he yelled getting to his feet, leaning heavily on his palms.

"I don't care about your guilt. I just want that girl but if you withhold any information regarding her I promise that you will be sentenced to something far worst than death now answer me!" the man yelled as Ricky watched him warily.

"I killed her father. She is terrified of me because she knows that I won't hesitate to kill her if she disobeys, if she fails to prove her worth." Ricky mumbled as the man began to settle down, knowing he still had Ricky cooperation.

"Why did you kill her father?" he asked sitting back down.

"He was a scientist and he kept expensive lab equipment in his basement. He had a brain interpreter."

"So you wanted the money?"

"Yeah but I wanted to keep the brain interpreter to test the loyalty of my subordinates so we could expand and take on bigger heist. I was a lab technician for some time but I was fired for stealing."

"I see but what do you think he was using the machine for?"

"It was definitely related to that girl. He had a bunch of notes but I am not a scientist and his handwriting was too messy for me to make any sense out of any of it."

"Do you still have his notes?"

"Yeah, maybe you can get something out of them."

"I intend to.

"Um, so when I capture her, she insisted that we bring that stupid toy. I think you can use that as leverage." Ricky added

"How did she escape from you?"

"She found an opening. She is very clever."

"Then we must not leave any openings or better yet you can cause her to be so frightened that she does not think to look for them. She will be too afraid to disobey us, to think about her escape."

"Are you suggesting that you want me to help you subdue her?"

"You caught her once. Do you think you can do it again?"

"Well if you free me and clear me of all charges..."

"If you catch her I will make you a billionaire and pay for your estate on the island of your choosing,"

"Then hell yeah I will catch her," Ricky readily agreed, as eagerness gleamed within his steely eyes.

A Disarming Demeanor

Maria crawled out of the hatch, sitting on the mound of chilly metal coated in slippery dew that seeped into her pants. The edges of dawn highlighted the great field of crops. A haze thickened the grey air causing Maria to shiver from the cold. Her cooled fingered burled into Snickers malleable plush sides as a gentle breeze lifted the back of her shirt.

The farming company's harvesting machines roamed in the distance. Great rows of crops fell, forming flattened areas of broken stalks where the sun attempted to pull itself over the horizon, lacking the strength to meet the new day with the same amount of gusto that she imagined it had long ago when times were much simpler. A small town lay before her but the field, that she was resting in, was so large that she had no fear of meeting the inhabitants. The shadowy figures of houses were faint like apparitions of her past life.

She was alone and now she feared that she would never be able to seek the companionship of another, that she would never be able to find another family when everyone was hunting her down like a scared rabbit. The only safe place for her was by herself in the middle of nowhere carrying out a meaningless existence. Her only comfort was Snickers but even Snickers could not keep her sadness at bay.

Tears spilled from her eyes, flowing down her face in great torrents. The wind stung the wet tracks with its biting presence as she stooped low in an effort to block the persistent gale. Her muscles felt stiff from sleeping in the cramp rigid tank with only Snickers to cushion her head on.

There was a deep humming coming from the direction of the town as she looked up to see a dark object hovering over the crops, its powerful engines tore leaves off the life sustaining plants and shook their long stalks erratically as it passed. It became more defined as it neared, the haze being pulled into its powerful slipstream that trailed behind the auto-flyer in a dense misty cloud. Its piercing lights reflected off the steel clad tank as Maria fumbled with the hatch then leaped inside, pulling Snickers after her as an afterthought. She sealed herself in as she looked at one of the monitors to see the auto-flyer park itself beside her tank. It looked like a commercial auto-flyer but she dare not leave the safety of her tank. It could be a trap.

The door lifted with an inaudible hiss as a woman exited the craft. Her face was rather round and she seemed slightly overweight. Her skin was the color of melted chocolate and she wore an apron stained with grounded in flour, which seemed oddly misplaced, due to the situation, but seemed to suit her well. She wore a lavender bandanna like a bonnet, over her straightened hair that curled gently at the ends, resting softly on her shoulders.

"I know you are in there. I saw you enter and that is no place for you to be, Sweetie." the woman stated as Maria turned on the speakers then listened silently.

"The company would not appreciate you staying in their odd aboveground storage unit," the woman told her then looked the tank over curiously, "Though I must admit it sort of resembles a grounded tank. They must be storing something very important."

"You poor dear, sleeping in this metal compartment for however long. This is not a proper place for a child to live. You should stay with me Sugar, until you find a more adequate home." the woman said casually as she touched the steel plates that hung off the tank.

"Wait you want to care for me?" Maria asked, over the intercom as hope blossomed, dispelling her fears of indefinite loneliness.

"Well yeah I can't just leave you. You are just a child." the woman stated as Maria smiled, despite herself. She reached for the hatch but stopped herself. What if she was recognized like last time.

"Are you coming out Honey Bun?" the woman asked as Maria slowly opened the hatch. This woman was not a threat and she was in a tank. She will peek out then she will see how she responds.

Maria poked her head out then gazed down at the woman below. The woman smiled then extended her hand to help her down. She felt that she had nothing to worry about so she picked up Snickers then climbed down the sloping side of the tank. The woman grabbed her then lowered her down the rest of the way. Maria glanced at the tank nervously when the woman released her.

"Um, what is your name?" Maria asked shyly.

"My name is Rhonda." she answered as she led the way to her auto-flyer but Maria stayed close to the tank. Rhonda turned back to her, puzzled by her hesitancy.

"My name is Maria Rivera." Maria stated as the woman nodded.

"That is a nice name." she stated pleasantly then turned back to the auto-flyer.

"Are you coming, Sweetie." Rhonda asked already inside the craft as Maria nodded following her. She could control the craft so she did not feel helpless even though she was leaving her tank behind.

She sat across from Rhonda as Rhonda closed the door, pausing when she noticed Maria's tearstained face. She touched her face softly with the back of her hand as she frowned.

"You poor dear," she whispered as the craft rose into the air before heading back toward the town as Maria looked out the window as the sun finally rose. The golden light of dawn rushed over the field as Maria's hope rose with it. Maybe she could hide with Rhonda and as time passed maybe everyone will slowly forget about her all together. Maybe she was finally safe.

"You poor dear, you must be starving." Rhonda stated as Maria turned back to her.

"I am a little hungry," Maria agreed though that was an extreme understatement. It was nearly a fabrication of the truth.

"I will take you to this family owned diner for breakfast. I think you would enjoy that." Rhonda stated as Maria's very heart quivered with the notion of being in public.

"I just want to go home." Maria whined as Rhonda's eyes softened as she reached out to her, hugging her.

"You don't have to worry anymore. I am going to protect you. You don't have to be afraid." Rhonda whispered as Maria nodded. She could not avoid everyone for the rest of her life, besides it was still very early. The only people she had to worry about were unfocused workers coming in to prick up their daily dose of caffeine and a few waitresses who were still fighting the temptations of sleep. If anyone recognized her, she could simply run out the shop and steal Rhonda's auto-flyer and fly back to the tank or just speed away before she was spotted again.

Maria's stomach growled in an affirmative manner for she was not sure when the last time she had eaten and the idea of a full breakfast was tantalizing. Her lips refused to decline and the only sound that her vocal cords seemed capable of producing was a longing moan.

"Um ok but I don't want to stay long." Maria managed to say as Rhonda nodded.

"Of course," she agreed when the craft came to a stop, lowering itself onto the ground. Rhonda opened the door then led the way to a small diner. She pulled the door open with a metal handle then slipped inside as Maria followed.

"Will that be a table for two?" a waitress asked in a bored tone of voice as Rhonda nodded. There were no robots lurking behind the counter or cleaning booths. It really was a traditional diner.

Rhonda sat down as Maria sat across from her, looking out the window at the auto-flyer parked outside when the waitress set a menu in front of both of them then left. Maria glanced down at the menu deciding what to order. She quickly settled on French toast when she saw a couple enter with their teenaged son in tow. They were seated a few booths down. Their son was lean and alert, in his prime, and his parents' postures seemed unnaturally stiff. They did not speak to one another, instead they merely stared in various directions.

Maria looked around at the others suddenly uncomfortable. There was an old man eating a large omelet. His head was shaved, exposing the soft wrinkles and folds on his scalp. His bright blue eyes were downcast but he glanced at her when he noticed that she was openly staring at him. There was also a man sipping his coffee at the counter. He seemed slightly too muscular for his age and there was a hardness to his eyes.

The waitress returned with two glasses then filled them to the brim with a large pitcher of ice water. Rhonda told the waitress her order as Maria requested hers as well.

"You seem jumpy Maria," Rhonda stated as Maria glanced at the door feeling restricted.

"Um, I just thought it would be less busy." Maria stated a Rhonda nodded.

"Oh, I am sure we will get our food soon." Rhonda said misunderstanding her.

"Yeah hopefully we will leave soon." Maria agreed when she saw a man at the counter. He was standing behind an old cash register. He stood with his arms held at his sides like a soldier awaiting his next command, eyes focused straight ahead.

"Are you nervous around people? Have you been isolated so long that you fear them?" Rhonda asked as Maria turned to her.

"No, I just want to go home." Maria stated when the waitress emerged carrying a large round tray. She placed a large plate in front of Maria and the other in front of Rhonda who nodded her thanks then picked up her fork.

"You really should eat something" Ronda suggested as Maria looked down at her food. The French toast was thin, saturated in sugar and cinnamon like her father use to make it. It was golden brown, crested with burnt eggs that clung to the edges of the bread. The bacon was not overly crispy but the fat was an appealing tan color. The hash browns were slowly fried so every potato shred was thoroughly crispy forming a coppery mound that filled her plate.

"Your orange juice," the waitress announced placing a second cup in front of both of them then poured a generous amount in each before hurrying off once more.

"Maria, are you ok?" Rhonda asked as she nodded then picked up her cup and took a swig of orange juice. The favor filled her mouth but there was something slightly off about the taste. She spattered coughing up the juice, which sprayed onto the table.

"Honey, are you okay." Rhonda asked again, getting up as Maria nodded.

"I need to rest. I think I am going to be sick." Maria said for she could feel her head pounding within her skull.

"Maybe you are just hungry." Rhonda suggested as Maria turned to her suddenly suspicious.

"I have to go," she announced as Rhonda watched her puzzled.

"Go where Honey Bun?" Rhonda asked, blocking her in the booth.

Maria reached for Snickers but Rhonda beat her to it. She held the toy in her hands looking it over as Maria began to weep. She flexed her fingers with her arms extended but Rhonda raised Snickers well beyond her reach.

She began to wail. Her head felt like it was being split down the middle and everything seemed frizzy and indistinct. She was aware that the others were crowding around her. She backed into a large window, her back resting against the blinds.

Someone picked her up, casting her over their shoulder. She screamed, squirmed in their arms pounding on their shoulder blades with her hard little fists. She scanned for any machines that she could use to her advantage but the store had nothing that she could command.

The door was pushed open as her vision slowly receded. Her shrill voice faded as she grew still. Her consciousness slipped away abruptly as a needle with withdrawn from her arm, which was held steady by a soft hand.

"At least that will shut her up." Rhonda stated casting the used syringe into the trash.

The Dreaded Touch of Cold Steel

Maria's face was pressed against a rough cot as she slowly opened her eyes looking around. Sterile white walls surrounded her as she sat up suddenly frightened. The room was bare, with only a metal table with a poorly constructed lamp, its naked bulb was left exposed on top of a metal rod.

Maria got up though she still felt dizzy and exhausted. She leaned against the wall looking for a window but the room was completely sealed off and she could not sense the comforting buzz of technology with her realm of control.

She hugged herself as she scanned the room desperately for Snickers but it was nowhere in sight. She was alone in this mysterious place.

She shivered when the door was opened and a rather large woman entered. Her hair was gathered into a neat ponytail. There was something familiar about her face but Maria's mind was still sluggish from her odd dreamless sleep.

Maria stepped back as the woman approached her. She attacked the woman's mind seeing no escape when the woman raised her hands to her head, pressing a stuffed toy against one of her temples. It was Snickers Maria thought excitedly as the woman straightened herself relived to have been freed from Maria's spell.

"If you do that again I will have them take your cot." the woman stated as Maria reached for her toy eagerly. The woman pulled it away then looked down at her.

"You have to do as you are told." the woman stated sternly as Maria nodded wildly.

"I will do anything just give me Snickers back," she whined as the woman threw the toy against the far wall. It fell crumpled on the cot as Maria rushed over to it. She picked the toy up then pressed it against her chest when the woman sat beside her on the cot then turned to her as Maria watched her fearfully.

"The General wants to speak with you about the war." the woman explained when Maria realized that she knew who this woman was.

"You are the one who drugged me in that diner!" Maria exclaimed.

"Stay focus." Rhonda commanded as Maria got to her feet, shying away.

"I trusted you and you led me into a trap. You said you were going to bring me home." Maria yelled as the woman got up after realizing that Maria was not going to listen to what she had to say.

"You are home." the woman stated as Maria shook her head.

"You lied! I hate you." Maria yelled as the woman backed off.

"Fine I will inform Homeland Security that this is now solely the military's issue and that your ACPC does not have to be removed but you should know that the military is not going to be nearly as patient as we have been." Rhonda stated as she exited the room.

Maria watched the door close, locking her inside as she squeezed Snickers so tight that she was in danger of tearing one of its seams, releasing large chunks of cotton. She pressed her face into Snicker's short fur to muffle her cry when the door was opened again.

"I already told you..." Maria began when her father's murderer entered the room, holding a loaded gun. She backed away knowing that she could not stop the mechanical device from firing if he chose to pull the trigger. Her breathing quickened as if she couldn't take in enough oxygen, as if she was already dying.

"So we meet again," Ricky whispered as she backed into a wall. He pressed the cylinder of the gun against her forehead as she closed her eyes tight.

"Now are you going to be good?" Ricky asked when she heard others enter the room.

"I asked you a question." Ricky stated as the gun clicked loudly.

"Please don't," Maria whimpered when Snickers was pulled out of her grasp. She opened her eyes to see that one of the soldiers had taken it.

"I will do whatever you ask." she stated after Ricky pressed the gun hard into her forehead getting impatient.

"Good now you are going to allow these fine gentlemen to handcuff you then you are going to wait until they tell you what they need for you to do. Do you understand?" Ricky demanded as Maria blinked very deliberately.

"Good," Ricky said as he backed away allowing her to distance herself from the wall when one of the soldiers handcuffed her. She winced as they were tightened, pinching her skin.

"You are to follow him out" Ricky informed as she nodded then followed one of the soldiers out of the room as the rest surrounded her.

She was led down the hall with the gun pressed against the small of her back. The one holding Snickers, carried it low, as the toy dangled from its sturdy dog collar swinging limping like a hanged victim.

There was nothing that she could do she thought bleakly when the progression stopped. They were in an open room with a single robot placed in the center. It had large treads that functioned like wheels, which adaptable to various sorts of terrain. There were braces were large guns were once affixed to its shoulders and fastens were grenades once hung at its sides.

A large man stepped in front of Maria. She had seen him before but only once. He was that man that she saw standing amongst the silent ranks of war machines, the very same one that challenged her before she got away in that tank.

"No one escapes from me," the General stated as she looked down at her shoes.

"Now can you control that machine like you did the others" he finally continued after an odd silence fell around them. She nodded then commanded the machine over to them. The machine perked up at the summons then rolled over as fast as it could. The General smiled, pleased with her success.

"It seems you are going to be our secret weapon." he stated happily resting his hand on Maria's shoulder.

Her Father's Dying Wish

"Stay still," a scientist commanded as Maria tightened her hold on Snickers. The scientist drew a blood sample within a large syringe then backed away as others finished conducting a basic medical exam. Their gloved hands prodded as they peered into her face's many orifices. She cringed at their touch as lights were flashed in her eyes and mirrors were shoved into her mouth.

"Dr. Shaw the medical examination has been completed." one of the scientists announced as a man overseeing the others nodded calmly.

"Retrieve the brain interpreter and any other non-invasive brain scanners." Dr. Shaw told the nearest scientist, who nodded the left the small crowded room.

"Now Maria tell me how you can do these things." Dr. Shaw said sitting on the cot beside her.

"I don't know any more than you do," Maria confessed.

"Then tell me about the extent of your odd dominion over machines."

"I can use my Artificial Cerebral Processing Chip to send signals,"

"Did you have to learn that skill?"

"Not really,"

"Does your father have something to do with this?"

"I guess,"

"Describe his treatment."

"He gave me medicine when I was little,"

"Why?"

"Because he did not want me to inherit my mother's disease."

"What was your mother's disease?"

"That was just it he said no one knew what it was. The doctors were baffled by it. It killed almost everyone on her side of the family."

"It lasted for generations without anyone finding a cure?"

"Yeah but it only seemed to be in her family. It must be an extremely rare genetic disorder."

"I got that brain scanner, Sir" a scientist announced by the door as Dr. Shaw turned back to her.

"You better not tamper with the results or I will get Ricky," he threatened as Maria remembered the feel of the icy steel pressed against her skin. She felt so helpless in his presence because she knew that she could do nothing to stop him. There was nothing that she could do to save her father, nothing that could be done to revert her life back to the way it was long ago.

She nodded slowly as he placed the scanner onto her head. She was encased in complete darkness. It felt like she was disconnected from the world. Her loneliness seemed more acute somehow, magnified by the surrounding nothingness. She felt like an inextinguishable consciousness lost within an empty void, like her dead father's lost soul.

Ricky was a murderer. He killed her father in cold blood. There was no remorse in his eyes, just a robotic sense of indifference. There was a murderous quality about his apathy, about his cold unfeeling actions. There was something she despised about his autonomous nature, something she feared hidden within the depths of those diabolical eyes but she mustn't allow her actions to be dictated by fear any longer.

Her father did not die fearing for his own life, he was only concerned about her safety. He wanted to protect her from danger, from the world that he knew would be against her. That is why she was home schooled and why he rarely let her out in public. He would have never wanted this life for her but he was gone along with his protection. If she wanted to change her life she would need to be the one to do it.

The scientists removed the scanner as he looked at her puzzled. She looked away knowing what she needed to do. Her eyes were silent and calculating as she waited patiently for her chance, determined to ignore all the distractions around her.

The door opened as Ricky and the others entered to test her abilities further. Snickers was plucked from her arms as she was restrained and a gun was pressed against her back. She got up slowly then allowed them to lead her out the door as the scientists whispered to each other, baffled by the results.

She was led into a large room with the same robot as before. She sighed wondering if they had anything else planned. The General walked over to her, kneeling before her. She stared past him as he explained what he expected her to do.

"The robot is being controlled by a human controller. I want to see if that makes a difference because the last time the robot was simply turned off." he explained as Maria nodded stiffly. The General got up then backed away as she focused on the enemy robot.

"Begin," the General stated as the robot rolled about across the floor beyond her control. She blocked the controllers signal then commanded the machine over to them. The General glanced down at her unsure whether she had overcome the other signal so quickly or was it still under the influence of the controller.

"Are you doing this?" the General asked as Maria turned to him.

"Of course I am," she stated as the lights went out, plunging everything into complete darkness.

"We are not going to tolerant your tricks." the General stated when she assaulted the one holding Snicker's mind. There was the tense hiss of air passing through one's teeth as she wiggled free. She stumbled toward the robot before restoring the lights once more.

"Maria, stop this nonsense." the General told her when the robot broke the chain connecting her handcuffs freeing her hands. The one with the gun aimed at her as the robot neared them.

"Drop the gun." she commanded as the robot drew near, its size and iron-clad limbs compensating for the fact that it was unarmed.

"Stop this Maria," commanded the one with the gun as the robot neared.

"I know you won't shoot me," she stated as the robot snatched the gun from him then pointed the barrel at the one that held her toy.

"You wouldn't," Ricky stated as the robot fired at his feet.

"Don't think I won't kill you after what you have done, now throw Snickers to me," she commanded as the solider complied. She picked up Snickers then backed away as the robot rushed back to her side.

"Maria!" the General yelled threateningly when she called the army of war machines from the other room. They swarmed around her shielding her from the General's wrath.

One blasted through the wall, revealing the outside world. She rushed out into the parking lot when the machine blasted another hole through the fence as the rest stood guard. She could hear the General barking out orders as the others scrambled to recapture her.

Maria stole a personal auto-flyer then glided through the hole in the fence to safety. She squeezed Snickers as she left her existence of captive behind, vowing never to return. Her father spent his whole life trying to protect her, sheltering her from danger. It was her father's dying wish that she retain her freedom, that she live a normal life and she will not fail him. She will not allow his sacrifices to become meaningless. She will not allow his death to be in vain. She was going to end this, for good.

The Termination of Fear

Maria landed behind a dilapidated building within a neglected urban area. She knew there would be plenty of resources to live off of and that there were places even the cops were wary of. She would be able to hide within the ransacked buildings. She will stay here until she finds a better place to call home.

She slipped from the auto-flyer with Snickers tucked under her arm. She crept onto the walkway though she lingered within the shadows that formed at the foot of a boarded up building. Trash littered the streets, rolling about in the wind.

She paused when she realized that someone was trailing after her. It was a lone man. His clothing was worn and old but not so much so that he appeared destitute. There was a sense of purpose in his stride and there was a sense of desperation within his eyes. He looked down at her as a smile reformed his expression.

"You are that girl they are looking for, the one worth all that money, Mary, no Maria. Your name is Maria." he told her as she backed away.

"I don't know what you are talking about." she told him abruptly then continued on walking.

"Wait, I know who you are. I never forget a face and I know that I have seen your face before." he explained.

"Well you must be mistaken." she informed him though she clutched Snickers close, knowing this man could be trouble. Maria increased her pace but the man would not be ignored that easily.

"You are not from around here. People come here for family and for business. I know everyone around here well have for I am often invited to cookouts and I recognize many of their relatives' faces." the man said as Maria began to wander if she could out run him. She glanced at his long legs that still moved with a youthful spring in every step.

"Stop following me!" Maria snapped, rounding on the man.

"Many people believe this area is dangerous. An outsider would not simply allow their child to wander these streets unsupervised. You must be lost. You do not belong here." he stated as she backed away uncertain about her course of action.

"I am going to tell my father that you are threatening me," she warned but he continued closing the distance with a sliding shuffle.

"It would be irresponsible for me to allow you to wander around here alone. I will take you to the police." he offered as he grabbed her arm.

"No let go of me!" Maria yelled when she saw a police cruiser, rounding a corner as if on cue. The man released her as the cruiser stopped in front of them and a robotic cop emerged.

"I can explain. I was just trying to..." the man stammered but the robotic cop was not focused on him.

"Maria Rivera, you are to report to the station." the cop stated in an amplified electronic voice. Maria glared at it, willing it to retrain the man with her mind. The machine quivered then silently neared them.

"You are that girl they are looking for, I knew it." The man exclaimed before the robot grabbed him. "Hey what are you doing? She is over there."

Maria turned away when she saw someone down the street waiting for her. It was a person she wished to never to see again. He was wearing a rather stylish shirt that had been crinkled as if retrieved from a hamper and stained with sweat. His hair was wild and he was in need of a shave. His eyes were inhumanly cold and mechanical like an android's.

"Not you," Maria whispered to herself as the man walked over to her calmly.

"Yes, it seems even you can't hide forever. We found your stolen auto-flyer. The others are coming I already informed them of your location but you must already know that because you can intercept any transmitted thoughts. It's over so just surrender." he explained when she glanced at the robotic cop then commanded it to release the man that had been stalking her.

"Wait, are you controlling that cop?" the stalker asked as the cop stood next to her but she did not even acknowledge that he had spoken to her.

"Never!" she whispered under her breath as her father's killer smiled.

"It's always difficult with you." he stated before he advanced toward her. The machine raised his gun as he paused.

"You wouldn't," he assured himself as she squeezed Snickers a little tighter, out of anger.

"You killed my father." she reminded him, her eyes hardened by past events.

"Yeah and I am going to capture you. There is simply too much riding on my success." he stated without any sense of regret as the machine aimed at his knee then fired. He toppled over with a yelp, barely bracing himself with his hands. He snarled before he pushed himself back upright.

"How dare you. I would have thought that you were smart enough not to wound what you don't have the guts to kill." he said as he limped forward, "You should have just given up but you chose to defy me even though you are too weak to save yourself, like your pitiful father." he sneered as the robot adjusted his aim.

"My father risked everything to save me and I am not going to allow myself to be stopped by you." Maria stated before the gun fired and Ricky fell back into the grass. His arrogance was vanquished by the bullet lodged within his chest. A blood stain formed over his heart as his limp body slammed into the ground. His eyes stared at her in shock, forever frozen.

"You are a monster." the man, questioning her earlier, yelled before running off terrified. She watched him then remembered she had to get away from that area. She jumped into the cop cruiser when she saw a group of cops surround her with their lights blazing and their alarms blaring.

"Maria Rivera surrender." someone commanded as she sent the robotic cop, she controlled, to face them. She slammed the door then turned on the engine. The other auto-flyers rose around her as she shot straight up. She bumped into one of the auto-flyers above but no damage was done.

She held Snickers close to her chest then guided the craft into traffic. She triggered the cruiser's sirens that forced all the civilian craft to freeze as she zipped by the lanes with the others in close pursuit.

She tried to confuse them by rising up over traffic suddenly though they would not be thrown off her trail that easily. They bobbed in and out of the frozen traffic like breaching whales. She sped toward the heart of the city hoping to lose them in the crowded streets. She accelerated then vanished around a corner. She spotted an underground parking dock, which she veered into. The change in speed was so violent when combined with the jerk of the initial turn that she was thrown across the cabin. The auto-flyer skittered over a small craft then crashed into the cement wall, flinging her forward. Her head banged into the padded seat.

She sat up slowly then rubbed her head and picked up her only companion, Snickers. She squeezed the plush toy as she waited for the others to surround her but she could hear nothing but her own breathing. She slowly opened the door then crept out of the auto-flyer. It seems that she had finally lost them but she knew they would find her soon enough if she did not hurry.

She ran across the parking dock with Snickers swinging limply in her arms. She had to get out of there. She had to escape.

Elusive Knowledge

A man sat at his desk with his head propped on his hand as his tired eyes scanned over the papers laid out before him. A report about Lisa Rivera's death, Antonio Rivera's messily written notes, and mystifying brain scans that defied all his previous knowledge, were set out before him. He had stared at every page in bewilderment for hours. He had practically commented it all to memory by now.

It just did not make sense how all these things could be connected but he knew that they must be. There had to be a way to explain why Maria Rivera could do the things that she could do. There had to be an answer hiding among the confusion of information, something that he was missing.

Someone entered the room as the man looked up dully, blinking back sleepiness in an effort to appear alert. The man standing in his doorway was the General that was in charge of leading this mission.

"Dr. Shaw, I need to inform you that we have lost our claim to Maria Rivera because she managed to escape from our facility and she has recently killed Rick Harris. The only way we can use her to win this war is to use the secrets that you have discovered about her abilities." he informed Dr. Shaw, who looked away ashamed of himself.

"I was unable to find anything." he admitted when the General advanced towards him.

"But it is your job to find information," he stated harshly as Dr. Shaw nodded.

"Yes sir, but I can't make sense out of it. Maria Rivera seems to me like a fluke of nature. She shouldn't be able to do what she does." Dr. Shaw explained.

"Everything can be explained. You simply need more time." the General reminded him as Dr. Shaw looked up.

"Um yes sir maybe that is it." Dr. Shaw agreed, ashamed that he temporarily believed Maria to be beyond scientific knowledge, beyond the physical realm.

"And I will form a team to report directly under you to ensure results." the General continued.

"Thank you sir," Dr. Shaw responded, pleased because suddenly he wanted to solve this mystery more than anything else. He wanted to be the one who figured out the nature of her odd abilities and to use that knowledge to bring peace to his country. It seems honorable like something a soldier would do.

"I will inform the others to check Lisa Rivera's side of the family for any documentation of genetic illness or abnormities and I will also send someone to Antonio Rivera's job to see it they have a report of all the equipment he brought home with him or any projects he mentioned in passing." the General informed him, refusing to give up when Maria's ability meant so much.

"Yes sir that would be very helpful." Dr. Shaw agreed.

"There is still time. The other agency insisted that we continue to help them capture Maria since she has proven herself to be both very elusive and dangerous. If we manage to capture her we may have enough time to collect more information before we are forced to hand he over." the General pointed out as Dr. Shaw nodded hopefully.

"Yeah maybe we can obtain a sample." Dr. Shaw agreed thinking about her brain, for surely he did not have a sample of that.

"Then we must be the ones to capture her. I will speak with the others to devise a plan." the General announced before he headed out the door to get started.

"Yeah I can't let her get away." Dr. Shaw mumbled to himself as he got up suddenly energized.

"I need to be the one to capture her." he whispered as he gathered his papers then placed them all in a neat stack on the corner of his desk.

He looked in the corner of the room at a large gun propped against the wall. He picked it up, weighing it in his arms. It has been while since he was a trained sniper but he was still well practiced. He was sure, he could wield a tranquilizer gun with the same comfort that he once did.

One of his subordinates entered as he placed the gun back against the wall, not wanting to alarm him.

"I was informed that our enemies may have sent a covert group of spies to capture Maria after they realized how much effort we have been investing in her. If they capture her, the war may shift in their favor." he reported as Dr. Shaw nodded unconcerned.

"Then we simply cannot let them capture her." Dr. Shaw stated simply.

"Um yeah but if..." he persisted when Dr. Shaw cut him off.

"They won't, I won't let that happen." Dr. Shaw stated determinedly.

"Are you suggesting that you..." his subordinate questioned.

"You have been assigned to my team." Dr. Shaw told him bluntly, throwing him off subject.

"I never received such an order." he admitted.

"Well you will so you might as well get started. The reports are all on my desk." Dr. Shaw explained, gesturing at his desk.

"Where are you going?" he asked after Dr. Shaw donned his jacket then headed toward the door.

"I am going to collect some data." Dr. Shaw responded then closed the door behind him.

Nowhere to Hide

Maria wandered down the crowded streets with a tight hold on Snickers. She waded through a forest of towering adults that rushed about on their way. Their pointer fingers were lightly touching their earlobes to alert of the silent conversations that bustled about in their heads, conveyed by invisible means via their Artificial Cerebral Processing Chips. Their eyes were focused only on what laid before them. Their paths were linear and rarely crossed like living traffic.

Maria sat down on a park bench. She swung her legs as she happily watched joggers bounce down the trail on springy legs as they bobbed their heads to inaudible music that played loudly in their ears. The small devices fit snugly in their ears as they wicked away building moisture with an uplifted hand. A dog, a real dog, raced after a disk, gliding on a cushion of air. Its long tongue flapped about as it became temporarily airborne before snatching the disk from the sky.

Maria set Snickers down beside her on the bench, pretending that she was watching the other dog, studying its movements. She smiled to herself, patting Snickers lightly on the head when a man sat next to her. He took out a portable hologram then watched the news in silence, though Maria was not sure if the outdated earpiece he wore was to compensate for natural hearing lost or specialized for the hologram. A picture of Maria appeared in the shimmering projection as the man looked up at her.

Maria grabbed Snickers then watched the old man with her face pressed against her toy's soft synthetic fur. The old man slowly raised his finger to his ear, to broadcast his thoughts, but she blocked his transmission completely. He slowly lowered his finger but he continued to stare at her. Maria waited unsure whether to run quite yet.

"The report said that you are a danger to both yourself and others. You should go home before someone gets hurt." the man nervously advised but Maria remained silent.

"Don't you want to go home?" the man persisted as her arms constricted around Snickers, pressing into its cotton stuffing so the toy folded over her arm.

"I don't have a home." she whispered into Snicker's fur.

"Of course you do. I am sure a nice cop will take you there." the man replied as Maria got to her feet.

"No, they won't," she yelled as a few of the joggers slowed to turn in her direction.

"I am sure they will give you a nice family." the old man assured her as she shook her head.

"No, they are liars." she yelled angrily, remembering how they deceived her.

"You can't live out here. It is dangerous." the old man told her reaching for her wrist but she pulled away.

"I can handle myself." she screamed as everyone turned towards her, puzzled.

"Wait, isn't she Maria Rivera," someone questioned.

"Yeah she is that girl that they are looking for." another agreed.

"I heard she is psychotic." someone else added as Maria backed away.

"You can't run forever." the old man informed her as she shook her head then raced away from the park.

"Aren't the authorities willing to pay a lot of money, just for information about her?" one asked before the whole area began to buzz with silent conversations as they alerted the police of her location.

"I am not letting her get away. I have bills to pay." one of the joggers announced before tearing after her along with many others.

Maria pushed her away pass through a stream of unaware people drifting to work, focused on distant issues. They were knocked out of their stupor by Maria's light nudge but they were racked with fear when the joggers shoved them into the ground, their expensive devices being cast onto the pavement.

Something pulled at the hood of her jacket, jerking her backwards. She fell onto the ground, clinging onto Snickers fearfully. She looked up to see the joggers standing over her. She got up slowly when someone grabbed her by the arm.

"Wait, you didn't catch her." another jogger pointed out aggressively.

"Well neither did you," the one hold her arm said in her defense.

"I grabbed her," one claimed, pushing the one holding Maria's arm away.

"Well we helped run her down." someone else argued as many turned on the one who spoke.

"We can all claim a share of the money." someone suggested as Maria unzipped her jacket then freed herself from the sleeves.

"Fine we will share it," the one claiming to have captured her agreed when Maria slipped free of the jacket only to run into someone else.

"Maria Rivera, you are to come with me," a human cop stated as she spun around, taken off guard. She backed away slowly as the joggers hurried over to them.

"Wait, we captured her so we request to share the reward that was mentioned." one of the joggers informed him.

"Actually I captured her so there is no reward." the cop told them as Maria looked up at the traffic above her. She saw a taxi lazily drifting among the sea of auto-flyers. She called to it with her mind as everyone glanced at it. Maria opened the door then leap inside.

"Do not take off!" the cop yelled rushing to his cruiser to hold the taxi captive.

"This is not my stop. Wait, what are you doing?" yelled a man inside the taxi as Maria situated herself on one of the seat looking out through the window. She commanded the craft back into the air despite the cop's opposing signal.

"Hang on." she told the unlucky man before she ascended to meet traffic.

"Wait, are you controlling this craft somehow?" the man asked her when the cop cruiser rose to meet them. She cursed her luck knowing if she did not lose him soon that he would inform others of her location then she would have to fight her way out. All the auto-flyers had come to a stop, forcing her between the lanes. The cop cruiser raced after her as she sped away.

She half guided the craft using the auto-pilot as she focused on the cop cruiser, determined to stop it in its tracks. She caused the cop's craft to swerve into the lane of stationary auto-flyers. One of the craft was knocked out of place as the cop cruiser was sent spinning beyond control. The safety systems engaged, guiding the cop's cruiser into a safe landing.

"Yes," Maria congratulated herself in a soft mutter.

"You just did that but that is impossible." the man exclaimed as she sped around a corner then merged easily into traffic, after regaining full control over the craft once more. She landed in an area that was quite a distance from her original position and offered ample places to hide. She grabbed Snickers then opened the door.

"You are Maria, aren't you?" the man asked her.

"I am sorry for your inconvenience." she apologized before slamming the door, leaving the man flabbergasted inside of the taxi.

Hidden Adversaries

Maria followed the contours of the buildings, seeking a place to hide, knowing it was only a matter of time before she was found. She paused by an apartment building. For a second, she fantasized sleeping in a cozy room, hidden from prying eyes but she knew it would be a bad idea to break in at this time of day. By now everyone was on the way home from work. If they found her in their room she may be unable to escape before the police come. She could not risk it. She had to figure something else out.

She continued down the street quickly becoming discouraged as her legs grew sore and her tired mind raced. She knew the man in the taxi recognized her and that he would most likely report his findings to the police. The only positive thing is that he would most likely be ignored because she had a feeling that there would be many false reports, with the reward being so high. It may take a while for them to sort it all out but that cop that was chasing her could track down the taxi and had access to information about all its stops. He would be able to find her with or without that man's report. They would find her eventually for there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to go.

She stopped by a playground, behind an elementary school. She stuck out one of her hands to allow her fingers to drag across the tall wire fence. The school was too poorly funded to afford a force field though she had a feeling that crime was more prevalent here.

She slipped through a gate that was left open since school was let out hours ago. She edged over to the park. She passed sturdy alloy constructions that were resistant to rust, to a large slide. She remembered that her parents use to bring to the park. They use to climb up to the top of the slide then place her on their lap before sliding down its slick surface with a yell of delight but that was a long time ago.

She walked around to the back then began climbing with Snickers slumped over her shoulder. She griped the rails tight as the chilly wind tore at her shirt. She sat at the top, looking down at the rest of the playground. Hot tears welded up in her eyes as she hugged Snickers. It was just her now at the top of the slide. It would always just be her.

A large bug buzzed somewhere near her ear, its wings vibrating, forming an annoying frequency. Its large body gleamed like metal as its exoskeleton caught the light. It landed a few yards away, resting with its wings parted to reveal a dark band of plated scales. Maria watched it, growing uneasy as it lifted again before circling her. She attempted to keep it within her range of sight though it wisely drifted behind her. Its location was only known to her due to its horrible humming wings. She swatted at it when she felt its sharp barred feet touch her skin. The insect fell beside her, oozing with unidentified liquid as a small light blinked. It was not a bug at all. It was some sort of mechanical spying device.

Maria fearfully looked at her arm but the skin was unbroken. The liquid had not been injected into her system but she knew that it was transmitting her location. She had to leave the area quickly before they come for her. She slid down the slide when an auto-flyer landed, blocking the only exit, besides the locked school. A large group of men climbed out before making their way over to her. She was trapped.

She looked up regretfully at the top of the slide when the group of men came pouring through the gate. She backed away slowly, holding Snickers against her chest. There was nowhere to run for the fence was much too high for her to climb and she lacked the expertise due to her sheltered life.

"What do you want from me." she demanded as they fanned out, walking over to her slowly, confidently.

"We want to know why you are so valuable to the military." one stated. She assumed that he must be the leader.

"So you are not a part of the military." she stated looking at the dignified precision present within their unified gait.

"We are a part of a military just not the one that belongs to this country. We came because either you present a significant problem that we can exploit or you know something that they can use against us." he informed her as she nodded, looking pass them at their auto-flyer.

"Well I am not going with you." she muttered as the auto-flyer rose above the ground.

"You are not in the position to make such a choice." he told her as the auto-flyer glided over the fence, hovering over them. Her foes looked up at the craft puzzled.

"Are you doing this?" he asked her as the craft landed between them.

"If I refused to help the army protect this country then I am surely not helping you destroy it," she yelled before she leapt into the craft.

"We are not letting you get away that easily." he stated opening the other door. She forced the craft to rise again, lifting the man off the ground. He pulled himself up easily then closed the door behind him.

"I have to admit, this is not quite the way I imagined capturing you." he told her as she glanced behind her at the open door and the others that were now surrounding the floating craft below. She could not land or she would surely be captured. She closed the door, releasing her breathe.

"So tell me, what are you planning on doing?" he asked as he prepared a syringe at his leisure. She dare not turn away even to look out the window but she needed to move the vehicle to a safe place to land for she did not have much time.

She just needed to get to the other side of the fence then she maybe to run but she would still have him to worry about. She did not have a choice, she had to hurry. She would just have to place some of her trust in the craft's autopilot. The craft drifted forward, sensing obstacles as it drifted over the fence then merged into traffic, that she was incapable of seeing.

The enemy soldier reached out to grab her wrist, holding the syringe expertly between his fingers but she slapped the syringe from his hand, where it rolled onto the floor as the craft suddenly veered off course, grazing the corner of a building. She stomped on the syringe, shattering the glass as she landed the craft in the middle of the walkway. She flung open the door then raced out as he chased her down the street. She knew she stood no chance of outrunning him.

"Help that stranger is chasing me!" Maria yelled before she raced into a small outlet mall. Many turned on him, yelling for him to stop until a mechanical mall cop grabbed him.

"Maria!" he yelled as she dove into a shop before the mall cop could verify that she was wanted by the police. She hid in the back of the store as she struggled to catch her breathe.

"Are you ok," the shopkeeper asked as she nodded then glanced back at the entrance. He was gone at least for now and she was sure it would be a while until the others got there.

She slipped out of the store then followed the other shoppers through the mall. She was not sure if she was still in danger but she felt that moving was the best response. No one paid much attention to her and none of the mall cops were in sight. She sat in a table against the wall in a crowded food court. She place Snickers on the table as she tried to think of what to do, since nightfall was quickly approaching.

She could sleep in one of the stores if she managed to remain hidden after they lock up for the night. At least that would be better than being outside in the cold where she would be completely exposed.

She looked around when she heard a chair scraping across the floor, to see the last person getting up from their table. The food court was empting and she was less concealed in her place in the corner.

She snatched Snickers off the table then squeezed her against her chest just when she saw something pierce Snicker's side. She looked down to see that there was a tranquilizer dart sticking out of her toy's rump. She pulled it out, slowly drawing a button of cotton along with it. She looked around the large room fearfully as she got up, backing behind her chair when a second dart hit the tabletop.

She dove under the table when she saw an enclosed maze, a few table lengths away. She ran over it to, with her back bent, using the tables as a shield. She throw open the door then rushed inside. She turned around quickly, holding the door after realizing there was nothing to block it. Snickers fell to the floor as she pulled on the handle with all her might, knowing in the back of her mind that it was not going to be enough to prevent him from entering.

A man, who carried a small gun at his side walked over to her causally. His strides were wide, due to his long thin legs and lanky body frame. His light brown hair bounced slightly with his every step and his hazel eyes gleamed with triumph. A self-satisfied smirk formed on his lips.

He grabbed the door handle then easily pulled it out of her grip as she sprinted away, grabbing Snickers from its place on the floor. She ran into the maze before he could fire another shot. He attempted to follow her inside but was stopped by the narrow tunnel entrance, his long legs at odds with the cramp space.

"Maria get back here!" he yelled as Maria scrambled to the highest point of the maze then looked down at him through the mesh. He was not one of the men chasing her earlier.

"Who are you." she demanded.

"I am Dr. Shaw, and you need to come with me." he told her when she saw someone enter the food court area then walk over the maze after spotting them. He was dressed like an employee and he carried a broom in one hand and a dustbin in the other. He opened the door then approached Dr. Shaw.

"I am sorry to inform you that the mall is going to close in ten minutes and I must ask you to leave." he told Dr. Shaw who pointed in Maria's direction when she ducked, pressing herself against the floor.

"My daughter won't come out. I told her that we are leaving but she won't listen. Can you help me?" he asked as she backed way slowly out of view, hoping she had not been seen.

"Well there is a larger entrance in the back. It is over there." the employee told him as Dr. Shaw nodded.

"Thank you," Dr. Shaw said as the employee nodded then left.

"Sure but I have to lock up soon so I will be back in a few minutes." he explained as Dr. Shaw entered the maze.

"A few minutes, is all that I need." Dr. Shaw told him before the door was closed, leaving them completely alone.

Maria looked back the way she that she had entered when she heard Dr. Shaw nearing her. She backed away from the sound when she found another exit. She slipped down the wide tunnel into a ball pit. She waded through quickly with Snicker skimming over the surface.

"Maria stop being foolish. There is no escaping me." he yelled as she pulled herself out of the pit then raced across a bridge of cushions. She braced herself with Snickers, pressed against the malleable walls. She found an exit down a narrow chute that lead back to the tunnel that she first entered. She slipped through the opening then rushed away from the maze as Dr. Shaw yelled somewhere inside. She ran out the door and through the food court as the employee, from before, stopped sweeping to watch her pass.

"Hey where is your father?" he asked her but she did not answer. She just sped through the mall, tearing away from the food court. She dove into a store, hiding in a clothing rack, before the owner emerged from the back room then left the store as a gate descended locking her in.

"Maria!" Dr. Shaw yelled racing pass the store she was hiding in. She sighed as his voice faded. She smiled to herself as she rested her head on Snickers. Everything is going to be alright, she thought as she closed her eyes, yawning softly.

Appealing to Logic

Maria sat up when she heard someone calling her name. She peered out of the clothing rack as she watched a beam of light drifted about within the darkness before slipping away.

"Maria your father is looking for you." someone whispered before their footsteps receded in the distance. She knew Dr. Shaw must be the cause but they were quickly moving away and she doubted that they were going to search all of the stores for her. She was safe at least until the stores were reopened in the morning. She needed to try to rest because she could not stay in the mall much longer.

She lay back down then closed her eyes as she reassured herself that Dr. Shaw most likely would move on soon enough. All she had to do was remain hidden until the morning, then sneak pass the mall cops. It should prove to be an easy enough feat for her to accomplish.

She woke up a few hours later when the owner returned to work. The gate rose as she picked up Snickers then watched the owner vanish in the back of the store. She quickly ran out of the clothing rack into the mall then began her search of the nearest exit. She slowed when she neared the food court, enticed by the smell of the food as her stomach growled loudly. She wandered in that direction when she saw a plate of fries and half eaten chicken stripes. She grabbed a handful of fries then took a step away from the table but she was soon drawn back for more. She leaned onto the seat half convinced that she had satisfied her hunger though she could not reframe from stuffing more into her mouth.

"Maria Shaw, your father is looking for you." someone called as she looked up curiously to see that one of the mall cops was looking at her. It was a human, beyond her control. She froze then backed away, remembering how close Dr. Shaw could be. There was a chance that he never left the mall.

She ran from the table, trying to remember where she saw those doors, hoping that the cop would not follow her out of the mall.

She rushed out of the doors, allowing them to swing back in the mall cop's face. The cop did not hesitate to follow her outside as she froze, for there was a line of parked auto-flyers out front.

"The military last spotted her here though I am sure she is long gone by now." one of the uniformed men stated as a woman nodded.

"Yeah I think the military has already dispersed themselves within the city and formed markers along the major streets." she informed him.

"Yeah we are probably wasting our time." he agreed when the mall cop yelled at Maria, drawing their attention towards her.

"Maria Shaw don't you want to see your father again? Don't you want to go home?" he asked her as the Homeland Security agents' eyes light up.

"Isn't that Maria Rivera?" someone asked as the one leading the group nodded slowly, stunned.

"Wait that girl is Maria Rivera?" the mall cop exclaimed after realizing that all these agents came to capture a single girl.

"Maria there is nowhere to hide from us." the leader of the Homeland Security informed her as she backed away looking around desperate for an escape. Her eyes rested on the line of high performance auto-flyers.

"I know you can escape but you can't run forever, even you must have figured that out. An emergency alert has been issued for the entire city. If you attempt to leave you will be met with the full force of the military. If you try to hide within the city we will flush you out. You can choose to fight against us but soon you will find yourself overwhelmed." he told her as she turned back to him.

"I don't have a choice," she reminded him as he continued.

"You never wanted this life for yourself. You never wanted to be fearful and alone. If you come with us we will overlook all of this. We will find you a home and an adopted family. We just want this to come to an end." he offered extending his hand toward her as she stared at it accusingly.

"Don't you want to go home?" he asked softly as she looked up at his eyes as he edged closer. She squeezed Snickers a little tighter, conflicted.

"You promise?" she asked as he nodded slightly as he advanced slowly. She looked at the others behind him. They stood stiffly with their hands hovering over concealed weapons. She backed away, shaking her head wildly.

"No you won't. You want to lock me up. You don't trust me." she whispered as the man froze.

"That is not true." he tried to reassure her as she looked back at the line of auto-flyers.

"Well I will find somewhere to call home by myself." she yelled as the line of craft rose a foot or so off the ground then mowed over the agents, knocking them onto the ground as the crafts glided forward. The leader rounded on them as they broke rank or cowered on the ground. He demanded order as the large crafts levitated over them slowly.

By the time he turned back, Maria had vanished around some corner hidden from sight. All that remained was the mall cop, that watched them with vacant unblinking eyes and slacken jaw muscles.

Making a Stand

Maria gripped the rail tightly, with Snickers held in the crook of her arm as she ascended above the narrow alley by the means of a fire escape. The small automated craft stopped at the roof as she stepped out. She crept over to the edge then peered down at the commotion below. The Homeland Security agents had gathered in front of the small mall as their leader spoke with the mall cop, who pointed at the alley that she fled down a few moments ago.

"Come on we can't let her escape." the leader yelled as the others rushed after him, down the alley and out the other side.

Maria slinked back over to the fire escape to watch them disperse down the web of ancient streets. When they were out of sight, she backed away. She knew she was going to be caught eventually if she did not do something though with the whole city on emergency alert it already felt as if she had been captured, she thought as she looked up at the force field that was spread over the city. It shimmered like the effervescent surface of a soap bubble.

It would be a declaration of pure insanity to attempt to leave the city limits so she had to accept that her range had been significantly reduced. There was no longer anywhere to run. She needed to find a way to defend herself. She couldn't waste any more time standing around unguarded.

She got on the fire escape then commanded it back to the ground, remembering to disable the fire alarm system. She leapt off after it touched down then walked through the alley, pausing at the edge of the shadows. She stepped into the light, looking around cautiously when she saw one of the military's many soldiers down the street. She slowly made her way in the opposite direction then dove around a corner.

She glanced back to confirm that she had not been seen. She slowly headed up another street when someone grabbed her from behind, slipping their hand over her mouth silencing her muffled cry.

"Now all I have to do is deliver you to the military base." he whispered to himself as she stabbed at his mind aggressively as he released her. She backed away pulling Snickers close as he convulsed on the ground and a frothy foam was drawn to his lips. She looked around, feeling guilty, as he thrashed about at her feet. His gurgling speech surfaced when she heard someone approaching them. She fled from the scene with Snickers swinging wildly behind her.

She hid a few blocks off when a mechanical cop found her. She forced it under her control, believing that it could be used for her defense. It could function as her personal guard. She led the robot down the maze of alleys until she found a large warehouse. She commanded the doors open then entered along with her guard. She could sense the system of wireless cameras stationed in the corners that she could use to her advantage. She sat on the top of one of the crates, stacked against the back wall, as the robot stood guard beside her. She placed Snickers in her lap as she reviewed the live feeds of the cameras, sensing for potential danger.

There was a man from the military lurking around her fortified warehouse. He must have seen her enter or had received some other indication that she was inside. He wandered near the doors which she kept shut, despite his command to open them, though the system did not even recognize his signature of ACPC so he was not going to be admitted access anyway. She only acted as a safety precaution. He pulled out a device that would override the security system but he seemed unsure about using it, concerned about violating privacy rights by entering.

Another soldier saw him pacing nervously as if he was on lunch break then called him over. They met on the very edge of the camera's view. All Maria could see was a disembodied elbow that hovered in the air but luckily there was audio.

"What are you doing just standing around?"

"I think I saw Maria enter that warehouse but I am not completely sure."

"Then go check."

"I don't have a warrant to search for her."

"These warehouses are government owned and you are not searching through personal items. You are looking for the girl. You don't need a warrant."

"Really?"

"Yeah now hurry we can't let her escape."

"I guess you are right."

In a few seconds later they reappeared within range, approaching fast to confront her. She widened her senses to encompass the passing traffic then directed it in front of her warehouse then caused the auto-flyers to accelerate around the building, forming a barrier. They were forced to stop before the speeding craft as one called for backup.

More arrived within minutes, bringing cop cruisers in hopes of using their transmissions to stop the dangerous flow of auto-flyers but they had no lasting effect, since Maria kept scrambling their signals.

Desperate someone tried to contact her mind through her Artificial Cerebral Processing Chip. She listened to their thoughts, awaiting their surrender.

"You can't keep this up forever." were the thoughts that drifted into her head as she clutched Snickers tighter.

"Who are you to define my limitations?" Maria demanded then broke the connection without waiting for an answer.

A Byproduct of Science

Maria broadened her senses, adopting the cameras as her eyes. Her guard stood resolute, awaiting her command a few feet away. Snicker's familiar softness was pressed against her skin.

The silence pressed in on her, filling her apprehensive mind as she scanned the visible area around her warehouse. The soldiers had long gone but she knew they would not leave unless they had a plan to capture her. She was sure that at least a few remained hidden, waiting for her to drop her guard or exit the secure warehouse. It was only a matter of time before they made their move. She needed to be prepared, though she was unsure how long she could keep this up. They were right after all she could not wait them out indefinitely.

It all seemed so hopeless that she became trapped in such a situation as this. She should be home with her new guardians. Her parents should still be alive. None of this should have ever happened.

She knew her oddness was not due to some genetic variation or she would have heard stories about her relatives possessing the same abilities. It could be related to the recent technology but surely one of her relatives would have noticed the effect before they died.

She was also aware that her father conducted some mysterious medical procedure on her so she would not be affected by her mother's degenerative disease but he did not anticipate the odd side-effects. Even after extensively studying her condition extensive for several years, he could never figure it out. He died in ignorance, despite his genius IQ.

She is an unseen consequence of science that eludes human comprehension. She was a mistake that physics overlooked, an impossibility made possible. She shouldn't exist yet she does despite all reason.

The cameras went blank as static filled her ears, causing her to wince. She detached her consciousness from the surveillance system when she heard the doors being forced open by mechanical means. She commanded her guard at her side with its gun raised, when Dr. Shaw and his team entered the warehouse.

"Put that down." Dr. Shaw commanded when she noticed that one of them was carrying a portal force field. It seemed that they had no intention of being underprepared. She commanded her guard to lower its weapon as they neared. Her guard attempted to put up a fight but its systems were scrambled with an electrical device by one of the trained men.

Maria got up then backed away slowly as Dr. Shaw approached her, leaving the company of his team. Maria looked around, though kept her main focus on Dr. Shaw's confident strides.

"So tell me how you can use your Artificial Cerebral Processing Chip to reprogram machines. I know you have to have the answer."

"I don't know because it can't be known. My father has tried to figure that out for years and he never discovered the answer because there is no answer."

"That is impossible there is always an answer. And I will find it even if I am forced to biopsy your brain."

"I am not going to let you touch my brain!" Maria yelled as she attacked his mind without restraint.

He grew very still then dropped to the ground, his body assuming an unnatural position. His muscles tensed, his body rising up as if he had suddenly been possessed by a demon. His eyes rolled back, becoming featureless milky white orbs. Everyone cringed as a scream tore from his mouth that quickly filled with a frothy foam that eventually succeed in gagging him. His body grew limp once more as he sank back onto the floor where he laid perfectly still, even the slight periodical expansion of his chest was absent as he stared at the ceiling with smooth opal eyes that saw nothing.

The others gathered around him, one stooping beside his unmoving body as he checked his pulse. He glanced back at the others fearfully before all of their eyes slowly drifted back towards Maria.

Another man took out a scanner which he passed over Dr. Shaw's body. His eyes seemed to attempt to pull free of their sockets as his eyelids pulled away as if they could not take in enough light to make sense of the readings.

"He died of a massive seizure that originated from his Artificial Cerebral Processing Chip and that spread throughout his entire brain even causing a debilitating wave of over excitation in many nuclei within his spinal cord. She did not only stop his heart. She destroyed nearly every neuron with his central nervous system." he announce in disbelief.

"That is not possible." Someone reminded him as Maria backed away, horrified.

"I didn't mean to but he wanted to pick at my brain. He wanted to kill me!" she reminded them.

"You killed him!" someone yelled.

"I just want to go home so please just leave me alone." Maria begged as someone picked up Dr. Shaw then carried him away, as if to protect him from further harm as the others glanced at the door fearing for their own safety. Maria turned to her disabled guard as it reactivated itself. It turned on the men with its gun raised.

"Get out!" she commanded as the men fearfully turned to each other before racing out the door, thinking of how she killed their leader with a mere glance. After they were out of sight, she buried her head in her hands as tears surfaced.

She shouldn't be able to do the things that she could. She shouldn't exist. She was a mistake, an unforeseen side-effect of advancement. She is the missing premise in a logical argument, the natural gap in reasoning. She was like a bacterium that grows more resistant to the efforts of science to eradicate it. She is a product of science's restless pursuit of knowledge yet she was beyond human comprehension. She is a form of chaos that develops naturally from entropy, from a decaying world.

It seems that everything could never be known for science is simply the active pursuit of past information. Information that has already been eroded by time, scrambled by countless events, lost to the chaotic working of the universe. As limited beings there will come a day when information has become so unrecognizable that it will be rendered unreadable, a day when information will be forever lost, never to be known, dubbed with exclusive title of impossible. It seems that she has become a scientific impossibility.

All Possibilities, Considered

Maria watched the men carry Dr. Shaw out of view. She was not naïve enough to believe that it was over. They would be back and next time they would not hesitate. She could not stay there. She had to do something.

She had to find somewhere else to hide but there did not seem to be anywhere on earth where she would not be found. She was even found on Mars, even the distant cosmos could not provide her with refuge. There was nowhere for her to go. There was nowhere she could call home.

If only this never happened, if only she could return to the past when she was happy. Then she remembered that she could go back in time, before her parents were born or auto-flyers were created or any of this ever happened. She could hide in the past. She just needed to get to the wormhole the historians use to gather information about the past then she could live with her great grandfather Rico Rivera, the only relative that she knew of in that time and whom she has never met. It would be odd but she wanted nothing more than to be with her family.

The idea seems odd though she knows it would be foolish to believe that she would change the future because it is common knowledge that there is only one timeline so the future has already been assured by the presence of the past events that have shaped it. If she chooses to hide in the past then it has already been done and the effects have already taken affect. Her future actions are set in stone and are no more subject to change than that of the past.

It would be the only place she would be safe but there was still the question of how she was going to escape from her warehouse unnoticed, for she couldn't allow herself to be followed. She needed to distract the soldiers guarding her warehouse then she needs to run before they know that she is gone.

She got up then walked over to the door as her guard trailed after her. She knew they were going to try to incapacitate her as soon as she attempted to leave but she also knew that the mechanical cop that she controlled was made for protection so it was equipped with a limited range force field that she could use to shield herself from their non-lethal fire. If she was lucky she would be able to eliminate them with the Taser gun, her guard carried, before they could get a clear shot of her.

She opened the door in the back of the warehouse then stepped out into the open with her guard towering over her. A Taser bullet hit the force field before dropping onto the ground. She looked in the direction the bullet came from as she led the way toward the hidden assailant. In fear of further exposure she sent her guard to take him out. The robot managed to get a clean shot when another one of her foes appeared in front of her with his Taser gun raised. She leap out of the way, the bullet missing her by a margin of inches, as her guard returned to her side then fired a rubber bullet at his temple. He was knocked out as she hurried away.

She knew they were going to wake up soon enough and that the others were going to come looking for her. She needed to distract them, she thought, when she set off the alarms. Hopefully that would add some confusion, she thought, as she ran toward the street, leaving her guard to face the military alone, needing to blend in with the others.

She slowed when she reached the streets, keeping her head bowed as she clung onto Snickers. Everyone she passed was too focused on the warehouse alarm to notice her. She dove into a parking dock in search of an auto-flyer, relieve that she was finally alone.

She got into the nearest auto-flyer then commanded the craft to take her to the Historian Exploratory Research Center, allowing the craft to guide itself out of the tight quarters and onto the streets. She watched the city slip past through the window when the craft stopped along with the others around her. Bright lights flashed by as a stream of cop cruisers raced by her, their sirens screaming as they sped toward the warehouse.

Maria smirked to herself as the craft eased forward as traffic proceeded after the cruisers passed. The auto-flyer gathered speed, swiftly transporting her to her new home, ferrying her away from that dangerous warehouse.

A Nearly Impossible Goal

Maria got out of the auto-flyer then walked over to a large stone building. A classic car sat near the walkway, where many stared at it in wonder. Its boxy designed frame rested on four wheels of inflated rubber. Large planes of glass covered both the front and the back along with a thin wheel that imposed itself on one of its passengers, sitting in their lap. Its ancient mechanics were exposed by its lifted hood, revealing a complex of tubes and hoses.

Maria made her way up the steps, figuring that she was going to see a lot more cars in the past. It did not matter if that was the first one she has seen up close.

She opened the door then entered a med-sized lobby where there were many displays about the time period and the complex physics that allowed a stable wormhole to exist for generations. There was even a large holographic projection of the wormhole itself. There was a screen that announced the next tour through the facility but she had no intention of waiting for that.

She hurried across the room but paused when she saw a simple hologram of her great grandfather Rico Rivera. She neared it to read the caption although she already knew what it said. It simply mentioned how her great grandfather was a philosopher who was intrigued by the human brain and later theorized the Artificial Cerebral Processing Chip and its effects on society. He unknowingly challenged his scientific minded students to create the technology based on his ideas. Her great grandfather was famous for helping create the era of knowledge that she currently lives in, though not for long.

She continued to the back of the room, where there was an electronic gate to prevent tourist from wandering beyond that point. She forced the gate open then continued down the wide hall. There was a room where the historians compiled their information in folders filled with messy hand written papers.

"We are almost done with the second wormhole. It should be done by the end of the year. We just need to stabilized space time to ensure that it is safe for the historians to use then we should be able to venture into the future as well as the past." one of the scientists explained to his boss waited as they passed, as Maria hid in far the corner, not even daring to breathe.

"I am sure the historians will be pleased and that we will have a lot to learn from our future selves." his boss agreed as they headed back toward the lobby.

Maria slipped into the room they exited, keeping to the walls in case there were other scientists in the vicinity. The room was luckily empty but the wormhole was left on. She knew it was the right one because the other one they were working on was in the corner in pieces.

She could hear someone coming, most likely a group of historians planning on using the wormhole, so she quickly stepped over the threshold, within the shimmering sheet of solidified air. Her lungs emptied as she staggered forward into the unknown hoping there was something beyond the haziness that had settled over her eyes.

She inhaled as her sight cleared. The sheen had vanished as she turned back to the wormhole. She hugged Snickers pleased for she had made it to the other side.

She walked over to the door when she saw the portal begin to flex as the historians followed her through. She hurried out the room mildly surprised to realize that everything was different. The lobby was filled with work desks with a dry erase board adhered to the wall. Everything familiar was gone, lost in another time.

She opened the front door to see that the building was now well guarded and that the city that she had just left was mysteriously missing. She waited until they looked away then rushed out the door and leapt over the side landing behind a bush, where the ancient car once sat.

"Did you hear that? One of the guards asked.

"No," answered the other.

"Do you think it was a local because we can't let them in." he reminded the second guard.

"I know. It was probably just one of the historians." the second explained.

"Yeah I guess you are right you have been doing this longer," the first agreed as Maria crept along the wall to a high fence with a metal sign that proclaimed it as being private property.

She turned back when she saw an elongated car enter the facility. It vibrated slightly as its noisy power source gurgled softly. The historians emerged then boarded the odd vehicle. The guards waved them out as the gates opened.

Maria, who had edged toward the gate while the guards were distracted, slipped out before the gates closed behind the odd car. She hid in the bushes briefly before following the road through the forest, soon out of sight of the guards. The trees formed a dense mass unlike any clump of trees in a park in her time. Only the road remained clear of leafy debris. Its bare soil lacked grass which she imagined would be plentiful in a wilderness such as this one.

Then she stopped, for there was another, much larger road that ran perpendicular to the road that she was currently on. A weak stream of cars rushed by, as she watched them enviously. She had no control over their velocity or their directions. She could not disrupt their automated systems. She almost suspected that their autopilots must be deflective or inactivated. Maybe people of this time actually guided their crafts manually.

She followed this new road pleased that the forest had cleared. Luckily, she made it without being attacked by any wild animals that she knew inhabited such habitats. She saw something in the distance, a small city, a civilization then she remembered that the other end of the portal was made as a physics experiment long ago. That must be the small town that encompassed the university where her great grandfather taught. She was almost there.

She walked for what must have been a mile because her feet suddenly felt tender and her legs began to ache. The town was still quite a ways off. It was like she had not moved at all. She leaned against a sign that was stationed in front of an unimpressive store. She pressed Snickers against the pole as she bowed her head in defeat. It was useless she thought when she saw a long car noisily pull up beside her. Its doors folded outward as a man looked down at her.

"Do you need help?" he asked as she nodded.

"I need to find Rico Rivera." she muttered as he nodded to her surprise.

"He is a professor at the university." he answered her as she nodded.

"Well I could take you. This is a free shuttle for students and I am sure Rico would be pleased, knowing that you are safe." he told her as she smiled then climbed up the humming steps before turned down a narrow aisle. She took a seat near the front as the inefficient vehicle grumbled as it pulled itself forward.

The small store was jerked away as the oddly shaped car sped down the road. In only a few minutes, the flat landscape had been transformed into a clean campus. Students lounged under trees with books situated in their laps or strolled across the smooth lawn with leaden packs.

The car cruised down the small street pausing only briefly by a complex of dorms before continuing through a quiet neighborhood. He turned down one of the streets then stopped in front of a cozy house. He opened the doors then glanced back at her.

"This is the right address right?" he asked as she looked at the mailbox remembering the address from her father.

"Yeah this is it." she agreed as she got up then walked pass the rows of seats, standing by the door.

"Thank you," she whispered before she stepped carefully down the steep steps.

"No problem it's my job. I just hope this is the right house because I get them confused sometimes." he admitted.

"This is defiantly the right house." she told him pleased for having her photographic memory.

"Well I have to go but if this is not the house just knock on the door and I am sure that the professor, who lives here, will help you find Professor Rivera." he suggested as she nodded then walked up the sidewalk, up to the front door.

"Thanks again." she told him as the doors closed and the odd car pulled away.

She knocked lightly on the door when she heard someone approaching. She waited as the door was pulled open. There was a man standing in the doorway. He was just like her father described him. He had kind eyes and dark curly hair.

"Who are you? Are you lost?" he asked her gently as she nodded.

"My parents are dead and I don't have anywhere to go." she admitted as he opened his door a little wider then stepped aside.

"Well you are welcome to stay here until we find a place where you belong," he offered as she smiled at him, pleased for the first time since her father died.

Future Outcomes

Maria sat on the rug, staring at Snickers, which was slumped forward with its round head lowered. The toy's once soft fur was course and there was a small hole in its side where the dart struck it. Its nose looked worn and its glass eyes were scratched. Its collar had lost its definition, acquiring an unpleasant fuzz. It was the last thing that remained of her mother, of her parents. It was all that remained of her old life.

She looked up at Rachel, her great grandmother, when she smiled down at her encouragingly. She had patient eyes and a playfulness about her demeanor that reminded her strongly of her mother.

Rico entered the room then stood beside his wife as they both looked down at her on the floor. They briefly caught each others' eye as Maria watched them confused.

"We have been considering your situation and we have talked to the local police to confirm that your records could not be found so since you have been here awhile and you are settled in..." Rico began as Rachel smiled, almost bouncing in her seat.

"I have been here for one week and five days and eight hours and thirty seven minutes and fifty nine seconds but I am fond of this place and the both of you." Maria agreed, adding definition to the word awhile.

"Sometimes it is like you have a little computer in your head." Rico pointed out playfully.

"We want to adopt you. You can be a Rivera if you want though I guess your name wouldn't really change since your last name is already Rivera." Rachel cut him off as Maria stared at them, her heart fluttering with excitement.

"You want to adopt me?" she asked, stunned by the idea of finally being granted a family, of being raised by her great grandparents.

"Yeah after our son moved out we missed his company. It would be nice to have you around." Rico explained as Maria smiled widely.

"Um yes, of course," she accepted as both of them looked to each other, beaming with emotion, squeezing each others' hands with uncontained pleasure. Maria picked up Snickers, finally feeling at home, finally feeling free of her troubles.

"I know I joke about Maria having a small computed implanted in her brain but I wonder if an artificial processor really could be inserted into a human's brain to aid the brain's ability to process information. What affects would such a thing have?" Rico began, lost within his own thoughts, as she blinked slowly thinking of the Artificial Cerebral Processing Chip.

"I know I am not an inventor but it is not impossible. There is a camp on Mars and the particle that affects the properties of gravity has been discovered. I know it a long shot but I am sure it could be done. I could test its effect on mice." he explained as she nodded.

"It is definitely possible," she agreed.

"How do you know?" he asked confused by the amount of certainty in her voice.

"Impossibilities are just outcomes that can't be properly explained." Maria stated as they both stared at her, stunned while she fondled Snicker's collar, knowing that her presence in the past has already created the future that she sought to escape.

It seems that human knowledge is often fragmented, clouded by the novelty of the future that awaits us. It is not that our world is ruled by chaos but that the deterministic forces that shape the future are greatly unknown, hidden beyond our sight, hidden by a lack of data, for we can only know the world as being as it is but we struggle to imagine what it one day might be. We often forget that the universe was born of change, of a restless productivity that never ceases. The universe is still growing, its systems becoming more complex as the universe matures. New mysteries arrive to replace the old as the restless universe reluctantly reveals its secrets. Structure arises out of chaos as the deterministic forces that guides the fate of us all is realized slowly over time by experiencing the current state of the world, forgetting that the universe is still being created, forgetting that all of its wonders have not yet come.

For how can humanity know of the future when the present is still unfolding before us? How can chemistry be envisioned before the creation of atoms? How can ecosystems be envisioned before the arrival of organisms? How can the complexity of the brain be envisioned before the formation of the neuron?

How can one anticipate the conclusion when one lacks all of the premises? How can humanity use information that it never possessed, that the universe has not yet revealed? It seems that the universe will always retain a certain amount of mystery, that there will always be unknown information to uncover, for reality is still unfolding itself, humanity is still growing, and who is to say if we will ever acquire enough data to be certain that our knowledge of the world will never be contradicted, that our scientific theories will ever be proven to be more than very informed guesses about the unknown, claims of the true nature of the universe in its entity.

We wish to understand the world, to master it, which is a basis in itself. We believe that if two events always coincide that one must be contingent to the other, that they must form an interdepend relationship with one another, but simply recognizing such a relationship does not explain the interplay of the invisible ties that bind them. It is possible that our need to understand the world has blinded us to the fact that our world is filled with unobservable forces that we can only speculate about. Even though we are heavily armed with the means to describe and test the strength of dependency of many different factors, we may never know the nature by which these factors are bound, we may never know if our theories are indeed true for the certainty on which these theories are based can never be absolute. Facts are merely an illusion constructed within the minds of men who dare to imagine a world completely within their grasp, who fear the questions that can never be answered, who fear such oddities as Maria Rivera.

###

I hope that have you enjoyed this book and that you will seek out other books written by me in the future. The story continues on my blog in the form of a fan-fiction where I introduce you to my other characters as they explore Japan. I encourage you to review my book and let me know how you felt about it.

The Story Behind the Book

This book was actually written as an indirect means to address the inherently mystifying state of knowledge. Knowledge may seem like the discovery of an objective undeniable truth but in reality it is merely an informed guess regarding limited information. Like many physical structures, with time information is degraded, evidence is lost to chaos, records become unreadable as static takes its place and the media itself falls apart, even memories are altered as one's perspective gradually changes. Vital information about Maria Rivera is lost after her father dies, leaving everyone pursing her in a state of bewilderment about the nature of her condition.

I was going to leave it as that, one could never recover information that has been lost over time, but at the end I made an escape to allow Maria a life of safety in the past, finding a happy ending preferable to a life of uncertainty or heartache. If time travel is possible then information can be recovered before the effects of time have even set in. But even if one could recover information one would still struggle to establish absolute statements of causation for there are often multiple different causes. One would only be able to make such a claim if they knew no other explanation would be adequate to produce the resulting state but even then many forces act as ghosts, going unseen yet producing predictable reliable results. To understand such forces one would need to understand the nature of reality but such things are difficult to study and even more difficult to prove with absolute certainty.

Even if one knew everything there was to know I doubt they would be able to predict the future for forces often interact oddly with each other after they have been freed from the delicate balance that we define as order. Maria Rivera is thought to be an abnormality because her father had formed an unique treatment for a poorly defined disease, tampering with the most complex organ in the human body, affecting abstract constructs such as mental abilities in unforeseen ways.

Acknowledgements

I thank every artist that contributed to the public domain, especially the artist that created this book cover. As a budding author the idea of spending hundreds on the perfect book cover, for a book that will probably never sell, is intimidating. Most writers are comfortable using words to sell their books but put them in front of a canvas and their boundless creativity is stunted. I would never be able to create these book covers without the aid of these artists and photographers.

To show my appreciation to the public domain in general, I am going to upload a number of pictures of my own into the public domain to replace the ones I took. I have been selfishly hoarding these pictures in hopes of using them to create book covers so they are sort of my personal domain of images. I no longer have a need for them so I hope that another desperate writer will make good use of them.

The Residue of Ancient Magic

Another book that you may enjoy is The Residue of Ancient Magic which is about a war between magical beings, which are commonly known as Intrintelos, and the King who has been charged to protect the citizens under his keep. The Intrintelos are hunted down like common beast for posing a threat to the kingdom and its people but the Intrintelos aren't going down without a fight. The battleground becomes even more heated when a young girl emerges from an overlooked town, possessing the incredible power of an Intrintelos.
Prologue

If only he knew what he was accepting, when his father took that crown from off his head, presenting it to him as if it were a treasured heirloom. For the first time that he could recall, his thin lips were holstered up by a surge of emotion, forming an expression that became foreign when mirrored on his face. The only grin that held any significance in a life of imposed civility.

The King rolled over, entangling himself farther in the silk covers, tormented by his own thoughts.

If only he knew what that crown entailed. If only he understood the true cause of his father's grin.

The young king swatted away one of his pillows, casting it onto the ground.

Surely he was not the cause of such a grin, he who always sought to invoke such a look of pride. It was not pride that contoured his face in such an appealing manner. It was relief. Death was nearly upon him, snatching away the burdens of life, relieving him of the duty of king, lolling him into a deep sleep where he would be at peace forevermore.

The King rose, freeing himself from the cocoon of blankets. The drafty room stole away his warmth with an icy touch.

It was now his duty to protect the people. Everyone looked to him for answers, demanding them of him with tears pouring from their eyes as they desperately grabbed hold of the bottom of his robes before the knights forced them out. Their cries were all that he could hear when he closed his eyes and all that he thought of as he sat upon that throne awaiting their return.

He peeled the silken covers off his sweat-drenched body in disgust before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He pulled himself to his feet, wincing as his bare feet made contact with the marble floor. He began to pace the length the room, his feet slapping against the stone with every step he took.

He was just a man. No magic hid within him, waiting to be discovered. He was just a man yet he must stand against beings capable of undoing reality, bending the laws of nature until impossibility becomes a word used only by the naïve. He was expected to stand against monsters, once normal citizens that have been transformed by magic, men that have become like beasts.

How could he protect his people when some have boundless power that climbs forever skyward as lesser authorities scurry about their feet in fruitless attempts to restraint them. Even he, the King, is at their mercy, for a burst of rage could destroy them all.

He spun on his heels before doubling back across the room.

Something needed to be done about the Intrinte, or so they were called, but how could he accept the solution of his forefathers? How could he order his knights to kill the people who he had been charged to protect. How could he stand by while noblemen slaughtered young children that have begun to develop odd inhuman features? How can he watch as families, that are supposed to be bound to each other, denounce their relations out of fear? Their only crime is that magic chose them among many and that they fell prey to it, unable to keep the deluge of energy at bay.

How could he give the order? It seemed like the Intrinte could be contained within the dungeon. He did not know why they couldn't live out their lives there? There they would no longer be a danger to his people and surely it would be better than death.

He glanced out the window, gazing at the full moon that sat upon a bed of clouds. The darkness, that was left unilluminated by the moon's light, concealed the rest of the land from sight.

How could he have known that creatures of such rarity, as to be thought of as nonexistent, would came in great numbers drawn by the magic that gravitated around the imprisoned Intrinte. The creatures were not a threat. They seemed relatively placid when in the presence of the Intrinte and allowed the knights to move them about on heavy chains, even approach their young. They just seemed to bask in the magic that was drawn to them though they never strayed far for they had no need of food or water when in the Intrintes' presence. Though as harmless as they were they only increased the citizens' apprehension.

He stepped through the moonbeam that cut through the shadows, continuing on across the darken room.

He did all he could to restore the prisoners' lives but with only a small portion of the tax payers money, he could not provide much. It was hard enough in the past to care for a few legitimate prisoners and he was facing a real challenge with his dungeon at full to capacity. He could not raise taxes any higher without harming his people. There was nothing that he could do.

Despite everything, the Intrinte began to wither away as starvation took them. Depression robbed them of their powers, leaving them as little more than silent beasts brooding in the shadows, watching the sunlight pass through their iron bars.

He stumbled over the pillow that he had knocked of the bed earlier before kicking it out of the way.

He almost could not blame the Intrinte when they rose from their slumber of complacency. They seemed like odd beasts that had suddenly regained their voices, violently demanding food. The knights tried to subdue them but were overwhelmed by their collective force.

The Intrinte escaped from the castle and eventual from the kingdom. He told the knights to pursue them no farther than the kingdom boundaries so not to leave the kingdom unprotected. He honestly thought the problem had been resolved after the Intrinte fled though this was simply one generation. In a short amount of time, more appeared in their place.

His eyes settled on his crown that sat on the top of his wardrobe. The heavy gold bands and the large gems made it feel like a well decorated helmet, an artifact from a war long past, stolen from a wealthy warrior.

He decided that the only way to protect his kingdom and allow the Intrinte to live free lives would be to bring them to the land the Intrinte claimed outside of the kingdom, a small piece of land that lay near the delta.

This would have been a good plan but everywhere the knights went, conflicts broke out causing many to mistrust the knights and his intentions. He knew that he had to try everything before he had to resort to sentencing a whole group of people to death. He addressed his people telling them of his plan in hopes of preventing these deadly misunderstandings in the future.

Maybe this would have worked if it had not been for Damon, an Intrintelos that managed to escape, a rebel that seemed to have devoted his entire life to attacking the knights. He needed to be captured before he caused any more damage.

There was a loud knock at the door before one of his servants entered. The King turned to face him, noticing how frighten he seemed.

"Damon has come to turn himself in but he demands to see you about his mother." The servant told him.

"His mother, why would I know anything about his mother?" the King inquired.

"He is quite insistent upon speaking with you." The servant persisted. The King knew that the knights had gone looking for Damon in his hometown. Had something happened to his mother while they were there, he wondered.

"Lead me to him," The King ordered him as he followed his servant down the shadowy corridors that were lined with stiff suits of armor.

He approached a set of double doors that were left wide open. He slowed. Damon was pacing before his throne, his smooth black mane bounced with his every step as his golden eyes flashed in the dim light.

"Damon," The King greeted him as he growled.

"Where is she," he snarled as he advanced slowly, menacingly.

"She won't be harmed if you surrender." A knight announced as Damon froze when a knight entered, dragging in his mother. A group of knights followed after him with swords drawn.

"What have you done?" The King demanded as Damon's anger welded up inside his chest, exploding in the form of a deafening roar. The knights did not stand down though fear caused a few of them to shiver violently, his reputation and ferocious form, being too much for them to handle though one was brave enough to step forward and thrust a dragger under his mother's throat.

"Stay back," the knight warned.

Let her go," Damon demanded as the knight forced his mother to her feet.

Damon growled as a drop of blood dripped onto the blade. The knights slowly advanced with their swords drawn though the King ordered them to put them away so that he could speak with Damon. The knights backed away, which caused the lone knight with the dagger to feel insecure as thoughts of Damon's fury whirled around within his mind.

The King cautiously approached with his hands raised to show that he was unarmed as he spoke in a calming voice but all Damon could hear was the sound of his own frantic heart.

"Don't hurt her," Damon warned, panic urging him nearer which only frightened the knight farther. The knight gripped the dagger's handle tightly, feeling as if it was the only thing keeping Damon at bay and fearing that if he released it that Damon would surely kill him.

When the knight gave no sign that he heard Damon, impatience urged him closer still. Love sparkled in his mother's eyes as she raised one of her hands, wishing to ruffle Damon's thick mane like she would in the past though there was urgency in her curved fingers as if she feared her fingers would never again touch her son's unruly fur.

Damon inched closer with his head bowed so his mother could reach his mane. He could feel slender fingers combing through his hair when something yanked at a handful of fur, loosening a few strands from their place. He looked up to see the knight backing away and his mother struggling to free herself. Damon roared indigently as the knight tensed and the dagger dug into his mother's exposed neck.

Blood poured like a crimson waterfall, soaking into the front of her blouse. Her head fell to one side as her eyes grew dull and lifeless. Her body became limp like a partial full bag of grain.

The knight dropped the dagger and stopped supporting Damon's mother's body, so it fell onto the ground. His mother rested in an unnatural position, not responding to the impact with the stone floor.

Damon stared at his mother's corpse in denial. He was waiting for her to twitch as blood pulsed through her body. He was waiting for her eerily unblinking eyes to stir. He was waiting for sound to surface from her motionless lips. He was waiting for conformation that everything would be alright but his mother remained motionless showing no signs of life.

Damon closed his eyes, shaking his head in denial. He could not bear the thought of his mother being dead or even looking at her corpse that defiled his memories of her. He rejected the sight of her broken body as he thought of her fair skin that emitted a comforting warmth. He thought about her eyes that sparkled with a joyous luster like polished jewels.

There was a faint groan as Damon opened his eyes. Damon's mother sat up, joints popped loudly as they bent in odd ways he was unsure her body wouldn't permit. Her eyes were milky white like those of the blind or of a dead animal left out to rot. Her skin was as pale as the light ones sees before one dies without blood to get it, its natural blush. Her blouse was still covered in her own blood and the deep gash in her neck was still visible.

She stepped toward Damon, reaching out to touch his forehead with her icy fingers. Her skin seemed to drain the heat from him. There was no heartbeat or circulation of blood to warm her, for she was merely a reanimated corpse Damon had created out of ignorance and fear of lost.

Damon backed away horrified as the knights circled her, though being too fearful, they dare not approach. She bared her flattened teeth in a beastly manner then lunged herself at her son. Damon remained frozen, unable to retreat with the knights surrounding him and having no desire to attack his mother. Damon closed his eyes, not wanting to think of his mother as this monster, as she attempted to savagely take his life but the King intercepted her, since he was the nearest one and was armed with a dagger, which he wore concealed at his waist under his robe.

The King stabbed Damon's mother though he did not anticipate that she would spin around and grab hold of his shoulders. She pulled the King down to his knees with surprising strength then sank her teeth into his neck. The King gasped as his knights rushed to his aid.

The knights managed to pull her away from the King. She struggled, impaled on their swords, as she snarled with her bloodied teeth exposed.

Damon could bear the sight no longer as the knights made easy work of cutting up his mother only to burn the pieces later. No one attempted to stop him, too busy tending to the injured King or his deranged mother.

Damon hid himself as best as he could and kept everybody at a distance, fearing his power, deeming himself unfit for company. He became more of a beast than a man, hunting for food, when a constant flow of magic could not be found, using his claws, unwilling to resort to his unnatural abilities.

The King became very ill. He lost his strength, becoming bedridden as the last of his golden brown hair of his youth faded into an ash gray. His warm eyes became overcast in milky white cataracts. Blankets and scolding soup were given to him because he grew colder with the passage of time despite their efforts. Finally it seemed as if life had left him as his heart slowed. Some would swear there were lengthy periods when his heart would grow silent though oddly he did not seem to mind or notice. His voice left him, forcing him to resort to grunts and growls.

The knights continued looking for Damon but gave up after finding no sign of him and resumed looking for other Intrinte. They managed to capture one but they were unsure what needed to be done so brought it back to the castle instead, wishing to confer with the King on the matter.

They informed the King, who seemed to have recovered much of his former vitality. He rose when they entered then demanded to see the Intrintelos for himself before deciding its fate.

The King approached the Intrintelos as an odd look flashed across his face though he quickly suppressed it. He knelt on the ground taking the Intrintelos's shoulders in each hand then sank his teeth deep into the Intrintelos's neck. His flat teeth broke the Intrintelos's skin as easily as one's teeth would an apple, his jaws being mystifyingly powerful.

The Intrintelos's eye rolled up into his head as he fell forward. The King stepped back whipping his mouth as the knights rushed to check the Intrintelos's pulse. The Intrintelos was dead.

"Bring all the Intrinte to me so that we may live in peace," the King commanded as the knights fearfully rush to carry out his orders.

There was only one way to stop the Intrinte and there was only one person who could do it. It took him years to figure it out but he finally understood what needed to be done. He has finally accepted the responsibly that has been thrust upon him.

If you are interested in another book written by me check out The Creatures that History Forgot

