Broken Protocols 1-3 Read online

  “We cannot,” chimed the robotic voice. “Something is stopping the scan from initializing. Please remove the blankets and outer clothing.”

  “Damn.” He returned to the pod, opened the lid and with difficulty, he managed to tug the blanket free. Dani was wearing pants of some stretchy material and a short sleeve shirt. He didn’t want to remove it if he didn’t have to. “Start scan.”

  The beeps picked up and a blue laser light started at Dani’s head and swept down to her feet. He breathed a sigh of relief. Good, it worked with her dressed. “Scan results?”

  “Patients are experiencing extreme reaction to the atmosphere. Muscle weakness, rapid heart rate, and irregular breathing indicate reaction to high stress.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” he muttered. “Is she going to be all right?”

  “Patient is exhausted. We are giving her high doses of vitamins and lowering her vital signs. Sleep is paramount. Her body has undergone a great shock. We are adding her condition to our database.”

  “No,” he snapped. “Cancel that. Do not add her condition to the database.”

  “It is protocol,” stated the computer. “This is a condition we have not encountered. It must be added.”

  “Shit. Shit. No!” he said urgently. “Do not add at this time. Should the patient not recover quickly, then it can be added. Everyone reacts to stress differently. This is hers.”

  “This is most unusual.”

  “Yeah, that’s me.” Levi walked over to Dani. “What about the critter? What is its condition?”

  “He appears to be suffering the same muscle weakness as the woman. Also the same increased heart rate.” The computer stopped, then added. “Interesting.”

  “Do not add this to the database,” he snapped.

  The robotic voice spoke again. “We must. It is protocol.”

  Frustration rolled through him. “And yet like the woman, the critter will likely be fine.”

  “If that is true, why did you bring them here?”

  And what was he doing, arguing with a healing pod? Computers had taken over his world. They now argued and chastised and nagged like an old wife.

  “I wanted to make sure that there was no internal damage,” he muttered.

  “We did not scan for that.”

  He stopped and turned to look at the console. “Why not?”

  “You did not remove her clothing. We could not go through all the material.”

  “That’s crap. Of course you can.”

  “We do not know this particular blend of materials. We must add it to the databank.”

  He was going to pull his hair out. “Do not add it to your databank.”

  “We must. It is—”

  “Protocol, yeah, I know.” He walked over to the pod. “If you are done with the booster shot, I’ll take off her shirt and pants then you can do a deeper scan.”

  “Acknowledged.”

  At least that wasn’t breaking protocol. He opened the pod and tugged her boots off her feet. Then opened the closures on her pants and tugged them off. He swallowed at the sight of the purple underclothes. Yeah, lingerie hadn’t changed much in the last couple of centuries. It was as sexy back then as it was now. Walking to the side of the pod, he opened up the buttons that held Dani’s shirt closed and spread the material apart. He could feel his own heart rate race at the sight of her firm breasts rising from the matching purple bra. Crap, he felt like a pervert.

  But she was something.

  “Can you do a complete scan with her like this?” He rearranged the critter down the long lean length of her, its head resting against her ribs. If she woke to find the critter dying or missing, then there would likely be hell to pay.

  “We can.”

  “Good. Then please complete the full diagnostics.”

  The pod lid closed and the blue laser light swept slowly down the length of the bed. Then it reversed all the way back up.

  “Scan complete,” said the computer.

  “And the scan results?” Levi asked.

  “The patient has no severe internal damage. There have been some recent adaptations to her physical body that we have not seen before.”

  There was a hum. “We have added that information to our database.”

  “No,” he shouted. “Damn it, don’t do that.”

  “It is protocol.”

  He dropped his forehead against the glass top of the pod, wanting to smash his fist against the smooth unyielding surface. “And what of the critter?”

  “The same odd changes have also recently been done to its body. We have added this information to the database.”

  He didn’t bother arguing. He’d try to wipe the memory after he was done. “What kind of changes have been made?”

  “We do not have a scan from before these changes in order to be able to say.” The robot was not being helpful.

  “Right. Then how do you know changes have been made?”

  “There are signs of new tissue,” continued the computer. “Signs of healed muscle and skin. The DNA has been altered.”

  He swallowed on that last bit. Milo had said that wouldn’t happen. Then he’d probably worded it in such a way to avoid an outright lie and still not tell the truth. “Are these changes dangerous?”

  “Not that we can see at this time.” There was a series of monotone clicks as if the console was shutting down.

  “So is she healthy?” Levi asked urgently before it turned off. “Good to leave.”

  The clicks paused. “She is exhausted. She must rest for 24 hours minimum.” The robotic voice stopped as if considering its next words, before adding, “Maybe longer.”

  He didn’t want to consider how this console’s actions imitated human thinking. “And can you help her do that?”

  “It is done.”

  With a sigh of relief, Levi opened the pod, gathered up her clothing, and wrapped both Dani and the critter in the blanket, along with her clothes. And stepped out into the hallway.

  Just as she woke up.

  Chapter 6

  Dani let her eyes drift open. Heavy and unwieldy, they didn’t want to obey her orders. But the juggling woke her up. The sensation of being carried. Only to find she was tucked up against a man’s chest, carried like a precious child.

  She’d been sleeping so sound, then nightmares had kicked in and she’d surfaced feeling like she’d been through the worst night of her life.

  As the memories drifted in, she wondered if she had.

  Except for the male carrying her. Levi. His name drifted through her consciousness. He smelled so wonderful. And the strength, the ease with which he carried her…he wasn’t even breathing hard.

  His heartbeat pounded under her ear. Slow, steady, and strong.

  She sighed happily. She didn’t know who he was or where she was, but this part was good.

  Until the pain penetrated her consciousness. Everything ached. Had this person hurt her? Was she in danger? It didn’t feel like it. But then…

  Her body was jostled again…and that set parts of her to hurting in the worst way. Bones ached. Joints throbbed. Muscles burned. She tried to shift away from the pain. She moaned.

  “Easy, Dani.” Lowering his head slightly, Levi whispered, “Take it easy, we’re almost back. Just lie still.”

  “Where,” she murmured. “Back where?”

  “Back to bed. I took you to the healing pod. It should have helped.”

  “I hurt. Everywhere.” She shifted her legs restlessly. She wanted it to stop. “Put me down.” Then her voice broke at the pain. “Please.”

  “Shh. It’s all right. You’re going to be fine. We’re almost home.”

  Home sounded good. She felt the urgency in his movements as he moved faster. Then the air changed, calmed. Levi slowed down.

  In the background, she heard him call out, “Stealth on.”

  She was taken into a darker room. She could hardly open her eyes, but it was slightly easier here. Her body wa
s shifted and laid down on a hard surface. She cried out as pain radiated into the corners of her body. “Oh, it’s hard. It hurts.”

  The surface softened, cradled her, eased her pain. She sighed in relief.

  “It’s okay now,” he said. “You’re back in bed. Just rest.”

  She tried to shift, her arms struggling with the blanket, until something big and furry was placed in her arms. She whispered happily, “Charmin.”

  There was no answer, but she knew it was him and his soft gentle breathing reassured her that he was well. Now if only her body would stop screaming at her. She rolled over, felt something tugged up and placed over her shoulders, and soft, gentle music filled the room.

  “Sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

  That made sense. She let herself drift away.

  Until a few hours later, when she woke up. Pain radiated throughout her body. She’d never done much jogging but her body felt like she’d done a full marathon. And it complained bitterly. She stumbled to a doorway that led to the bathroom, tears running down her cheeks. By the time she was back in bed, she could barely move. With every step, her muscles had seized up a little more. Charmin lay in the bed motionless, his huge eyes wells of pain.

  “I know how you feel, buddy.” She stopped and considered what she was doing. “I had to use the bathroom, what about you?”

  He had to go sometime. If he hadn’t already. She didn’t want to check the corners of the room too closely. “What could I do about a litter box for you, Charmin?”

  She looked around but there was nothing resembling a decent container that would work. She thought about the bathroom. “Charmin, can you use the toilet?”

  He shuddered and gave her a horrified look. “There’s water in the toilets.”

  She winced. Actually she wasn’t sure there was water in the bowl. She’d noticed a blue jelly substance she’d refused to check out any closer. “I know. But there is no sand or litter here. I don’t know what to do for you.”

  Charmin stood up and jumped off the bed. He landed then fell to his knees. She cried out and reached over to pick him up. “Our muscles don’t work right here.”

  “Yeah, I got that,” he grumbled. “How about that litter box thing?”

  “How about a water one?” she asked hopefully.

  The horrified look in his eyes made her laugh.

  “I have to go,” he growled. “Let’s take a look at it.”

  She carried him into the bathroom. It had taken her a bit of time to figure out the system. She had no idea how to help him understand. There was a seat that seemed to adapt to the size of the butt sitting down. Kind of like the couch and the bed. She opened the seat so he could see, then perched him on the top.

  “This is what there is. You go pee in the hole.”

  He stared at her.

  She gave him a winning smile, and said with bright encouragement, “You can do this.”

  “So not.”

  “I’ll just leave you so you can have some privacy.”

  And she escaped.

  Oh Lord. What was she doing here? They both wanted to go home. They didn’t belong here. They couldn’t even move properly. How the heck were they supposed to survive? They had no papers, no identification numbers, no family or friends. No job and worse yet – no money. If such a thing still existed. And then there were the two idiots who’d brought her here. They weren’t to be trusted.

  On the heels of that thought, she remembered the strength of those arms, the soothing tone in Levi’s voice as he told her to rest. He’d been gentle. Caring. That was very sexy. A man who looked after you when you were hurt and hurting was something special.

  If only he hadn’t been part of the plot to bring her here.

  He said he’d had nothing to do with it, but…

  And speaking of which, she planned to nail Milo tomorrow and find out how and why she’d been chosen.

  She had no great skills. She was no beauty. She had left no legacy – at least at the time of her kidnapping. And that was on top of the dismal list Milo had read off earlier. How had they even known who she was to swoop down and scoop her up?

  A weird scratching sound came from the direction of the bathroom, followed by a heavy thud, which hinted that Charmin was done with his business. As he strolled out, heavy limbed, his head dipped lower with every step. She winced. “See, it wasn’t so bad.”

  “It so was,” he said darkly. “What kind of place is this that they don’t have a decent dry litter box?” He walked over to her and twined around her legs. “Do you realize how long it’s been since we ate?” He plunked his furry butt down on the weird tiled floor and stared up at her. “Do you think they know what food is? If they haven’t heard about litter boxes…”

  How typical. His stomach was always a priority. “I’m sure they know what food is. Chances are good we might even recognize some of it.”

  He shot her a horrified look, jumped up on the bed, and proceeded to turn around in circles before collapsing. “I’m going back to sleep. Maybe when I wake up the next time, this nightmare will be over.”

  “That’s actually a good idea.”

  All she could hear was his heavy breathing. She scrambled up beside him and curled herself around his pudgy body. She really wanted her life back. To be back in her tiny apartment getting ready for her date.

  How could they take that away from her?

  And she fell asleep.

  *

  Levi groaned and rolled over yet again. His mind wouldn’t shut off. He had no idea how to stop the mess from changing life as he knew it. His brother had done the unthinkable. At the same time, it was a major scientific achievement – and no one could ever know.

  And what was he supposed to do with Dani? This charming young woman hadn’t asked for her life to be destroyed on Milo’s whim. He didn’t even know how she’d been chosen. She wasn’t Milo’s usual choice when it came to women. There were no visible piercings and her hair was all the same color.

  Then again, Milo had mentioned he’d picked Dani for Levi. That brought the old photo to mind again. Was he so pathetic that his kid brother felt he needed to get Levi a girlfriend? Sure, Levi was going through a dry spell, but that was by choice. He didn’t like Johan’s party scene. It had been fun once or twice, but he preferred to be with a woman because he liked her, not because she had the requisite body parts. And – he twisted his lips in a dour smile – he was a romantic. Old fashioned. He wanted to love and be loved. Was that so impossible?

  He rolled over again. How could he stop the world from finding out about Milo’s accomplishment? He also had to stop Milo from repeating his actions. And he needed to find a way to send Dani home. Although he wouldn’t mind if she stayed for a bit – if she wanted to.

  Was it wrong of him to want her to stay? Instantly he crushed that thought. She wasn’t meant to stay here. He didn’t dare get attached to her. She wasn’t a pet. He couldn’t just keep her.

  But a part of him was considering it.

  Just as morning light drifted into his room and he thought he might finally be able to go to sleep, there was a pounding on his front door. Groaning, he pulled on a shirt and pants. When the noise came a second time, he stumbled to the door, calling out, “Hang on. I’m coming.”

  He pulled open the door, his hand hiding a yawn. And froze.

  Two suits were standing there with Johan sandwiched between them. He glanced over at Johan, a question in his eyes, but asked in a genial voice, “What’s up, gentlemen?”

  One man said, “You’re wanted for questioning at the Council.” The tone was stiff, uncompromising. Just like the look on the first man’s face. Levi glanced at the second man’s stone face. Council henchmen. Great. He was in trouble again. He cast his mind back to see where he messed up. And how to recover…

  Levi frowned at his friend. “Johan, what’s going on?”

  Johan shrugged but wore his customary careless grin. “Damned if I know. I’m bein
g hauled in, too.”

  Not good. Levi straightened, looked at the first man, and said, “Do I need my lawyers, gentlemen?”

  “If you feel you need one, you may certainly call in representation as is your right. However, at this moment, while we are requesting your presence at the Council, it is not an order.”

  The unspoken “yet” hung in the air.

  “Right. Give me a moment. I’ll get dressed and meet you there.”

  The first suit, who’d yet to speak, said, “No. We will wait and escort you there.”

  So this was serious. Levi nodded and returned to his bedroom. He swallowed a booster, hoping to make up for his lousy night. He walked to his wardrobe where he pulled out a suit and dressed carefully. Milo did creative. Levi did power and intimidation.

  After a quick glance around, he pocketed his comp and walked out.

  Johan at his side, the four men travelled to the Council building and were escorted into the inner office immediately.

  No waiting. No coffee offered. Immediate reception.

  This was very serious.

  They were led forward to face four Councilmen all seated on a raised podium, watching as Levi’s group approached.

  Levi recognized all four of them. His stomach sank. He didn’t exactly have a good relationship with the Council after Milo broke protocol over a year ago. Except for one member, Stephen Cavendish, a junior member who was also an old friend. As a junior member, his presence on the Council was sporadic.

  There wasn’t a sound for a long moment as the Councilmen assessed him and Johan. One of the two Councilmen in the middle finally spoke up. “Johan and Levi, thank you both for coming. We understand that there was a disturbance on the health pod registered to you, Johan.”

  Ah shit.

  So much for his orders to that damn computer. It hadn’t wiped the data and had instead submitted it as per protocol, and that had raised flags. He’d expected the power outage to have done that. Although there’d been several of those lately, unrelated to Milo’s work. He frowned. Or were they? Had Milo tested his program out earlier?

  Johan raised his hands, palms outward. “Anything is possible. It experienced heavy use last night as several of my guests took advantage of my personal unit. In fact, there were likely a dozen or so that could have used my pod. I had a big party and many people, not having their own pod, come specifically for that purpose. I don’t mind. I never have.”