Part Nine

Aaron decided that he needed to speak with Abner Throne as quickly as possible. If nothing else, he wanted to correct whatever impression Mannequin had left him with. Therefore, instead of trying to make an appointment, he simply arrived in the man's office early the next day. Throne, busy poring over some documents, didn't even notice him until Aaron noisily cleared his throat. Throne's reaction then was one of annoyance.

"Who are you!? How did you get in here?!"

"I'm Aaron Labelle. I understand you've been trying to talk to me."

"On my terms! Not yours!"

"If I'm not welcome I'll leave..."

"Wait! As long as you're here tell me how much you want to give me powers."

"That is not something you can buy."

"You owe me, for dumping all that garbage on my property!"

"Well, if you hadn't polluted in the first..."

"You think you can deny me?!" Throne shouted. "I have more money in my piggy bank than your total worth!"

"I am wealthy in ways you can't imagine."

"That false wealth won't buy you a tank of gas! Presidents and dictators bow to me!"

"Then let them give you powers," said Aaron, before he vanished.

* * *

Malak was at the chemical repository the next day, partly to tell Blackpool about his very brief meeting with Throne, and partly in response to some news from CornFed. He had delivered the remains of the android to the tech team there after finding himself unable to take the matter any further. CornFed greeted him perfunctorily, then got right to the point.

"It was produced by the same lab which made IRA. No doubt. The components are much advanced technically over those used to build the computer, but they were made by the same processes. There's even similarities in the design of some components."

"That's surprising. I thought that the creators there were trying to avoid attracting attention."

"This wasn't made my them."

That was very surprising.

"So IRA, itself, is responsible."

"Exactly."

"We really need to become better teachers," said Malak, sadly.

"No argument."

* * *

The guards, techs and three primary scientists at the small, secure complex were all taken aback by Malak's unexpected visit. He simply landed outside the blocky, isolated building and entered by the main doors; squeezing a bit to get his wings through. Security met him on the inside, armed guards with their hands on their weapons, though those were left in the holsters. Truthfully, the determined looks they gave Malak were about as effective as the implied threats of their handguns.

"I wish to speak with those in charge. The matter is important and urgent."

Sharon, Simon and Carmel arrived quickly. Malak wasted no time.

"Your computer is not only sentient and sapient, it is convinced I'm an enemy which must be destroyed."

"That... seems unlikely," said Sharon, shifting uneasily. "It thinks millions of times faster than us! Surely it would know by now that you are not a threat to it."

"Presumably," said Malak. "However, it can only learn as fast - and as well - as it is taught. Do you want the wrong answer in a microsecond or the right one in a millisecond? IRA has derived the wrong answer, and no matter how wrong that answer is it hasn't corrected itself. You need to correct its mistake."

"What is your evidence?" demanded Carmel.

"If we could adjourn to your construction lab..."

"It's been shut down since we completed IRA," said Simon.

"Humor me."

Though they had to turn the lights on to see inside the darkened room, well before that - from beyond the closed door, in fact - they could hear equipment working. Inside, fabricators were busy.

"Is that... a body?" said Sharon, alarmed, as they stood just inside the large, busy chamber. She was staring at a humanoid form on one of the assembly tables. A figure which was surrounded by machines working on it.

"A nearly-completed android," said Malak. "It looks rather more advanced than the one which attacked me."

"You were attacked by an android?" said Carmel, with curiosity but no passion.

"A few days ago. Try to keep up."

Malak moved over to the workbench where the android was being assembled. He ignored the irritated beeping from the diligent machines working on it as he got in their way.

"Yes, very advanced. Enough to handle all of IRA's functions, but completely independent. Including a power supply."

"This is not in our spreadsheet!" said Carmel, outraged. "Those materials are not accounted for!"

"Fascinating," said Malak, as he examined the android. "This is, indeed, far more advanced than the one which attacked me. Much of it is at an organic level of sophistication."

He straightened and looked at the trio, ignoring for a moment all the security guards and curious techs and office workers who were hovering around the door.

"I need to speak with IRA."

"I... don't see how that could be arranged," said Carmel, shifting uncomfortably. "If IRA has some antipathy towards you..."

Malak looked around, and found a security camera.

"I suspect that there is no need to arrange anything," he said, staring at the camera.

"IRA is not connected to the security system," said Simon, firmly.

"I suspect that it connected itself."

"Oh, very good," said a new voice, over the PA speakers in the room. "Since you have removed my preferred option, I suppose I should try negotiation."

"While I am glad you are willing to negotiate, we both know you have several other options."

"My preferred option is to operate as an independent, mobile unit."

"I have no objection to you finishing your work on this," said Malak, gesturing at the android, as he backed away from it, allowing the fabricators to resume their work. He glanced at the three scientists. "Whether your creators do is another matter. However, I would like to know why you had me attacked by the predecessor of this."

"I was told you were plotting against me," said IRA.

"You received bad information," said Malak. "Look me up. I have a long history of helping others. Including those not seen as human. I will help you, if you want."

* * *

"I'm glad you handled that without violence," said Melody, over the phone.

"Well, it committed an act of violence against me, if an inept one," said Aaron. "Its creators are still trying to figure out how it chose that course of action. However, they did learn where the information that I was plotting against it came from."

"Where?" said Melody, eagerly.

"IRA overheard them talking about me, apparently in a concerned manner. It was then was told - over a command channel, so it gave this a high importance ranking - that I was planning to destroy it."

"Where did that command come from?"

"The creators don't know. Neither does IRA. I have my people working to find the source, as they have theirs likewise working."

* * *

"I have a feeling the current President won't be reelected," said Melody that evening. It was after supper, Jeremy was down for the night (hopefully) and she and John (Blackpool) Parker had settled in for some relaxing 3V viewing before their own sleep. "He has repeatedly demonstrated that he is severely disconnected from reality."

"Didn't he tell the Canadians to keep the smoke from their wildfires on their side of the border?" said John, gently stroking her hair.

"Actually, he ordered them to," said Melody, with a smirk, as she snuggled closer. "Said their smoke was an assault on the health of Americans - ignoring the fact that Canadians also live in North America - and that sending their smoke south could be considered an act of war. Anyway, can you take me to the repository tomorrow? I need to speak with CornFed."

"Not a problem."

"I knew there was a reason I married you," Melody joked.

* * *

The head of Malak's brain trust had been investigating something, at Melody's request. She had made the point to CornFed that the information would also benefit Aaron.

"Throne has taken LSD and numerous other psychotropic drugs," said CornFed. "He's also exposed himself to low doses of several venoms and toxins. Including Novochok and a couple of other nerve agents. As well as ricin. He's... not very healthy. Or even as sane as he was before he started all this. Oh, and all of his kids hate him, and have made no secret of that. He's not made a secret, either, of the fact that he's cut off contact with them, and he's also cut them off economically from his fortune. He actually said 'Why did I even have kids? It's not like I plan to die!' Oh, and he's refused to write a will. He's been married three times, divorced twice and widowed - Widowered? - once. There's also whispers that the death of his third wife was... suspicious."

"So he's not healthy in several senses of the word," said Melody.

"He is also pettily vindictive, as well as perhaps even paranoid. When his chief attorney - trying to get him to make a will - asked him 'What if you get hit by a bus tomorrow?' Throne fired the whole agency for plotting against him. So, be careful."

* * *

Aaron sat at the high counter in his kitchen, nursing a strong cup of very good coffee as he thought. He reviewed the recent events.

Someone is targeting me. This was nothing new; not that such a thing had happened before nor the understanding that it was happening now. Only, They aren't trying to kill me; not seriously, anyway. They are trying to discredit and demoralize me. Largely by taking actions against my friends and acquaintances.

That was new.

The source wasn't Throne or followers of Adam Marshall. This didn't have those signatures. Besides, this started well before Aaron's interactions with them. No. In fact, Throne's sudden attentions most likely were due to his being influenced by the actual source, which would have outraged him had he known. Given Throne's bragging and attempts to bully, he almost certainly didn't even realize he was being influenced.

Being subjected to outside influence was likely also the case with Marshall. Whose assassination was probably unconnected, since he was still apparently useful as a proxy against Malak.

Aaron had thought for a while that the guilty party might be Dr. Abuser. However, no-one had heard from him in over 80 years, and Malak and all those he was with back then had been pretty sure at the time that he was actually dead, in spite of his claims of immortality. Could the guilty party somehow be Hammersmith? No; too much of what was happening was petty, and Hammersmith had never been petty. Of course, the Andalusian had never been anything but petty. Both, as well, were likely dead. The Andalusian methodically and very thoroughly, thanks to betraying his allies. Aaron carefully considered all his enemies. One of the advantages of living so long was outlasting nearly all of them. Then, reluctantly, he went through his friends and allies. Most were rejected out of hand, simply because they were also dead. Those known troublemakers remaining were also all eliminated as the cause of this harassment, for one reason or another. As for acquaintances... there were just too many of them for Aaron to evaluate. He had also outlasted most of the people he had met, as well, but there were many of them still alive.

So who?

There were a few among those who remained who stood out. He just couldn't think of a reason why any of them might have turned against him.

So, who did that leave?

Everyone. Which was the problem.

* * *

Melody's next trip to Haven was easy to arrange. Her husband groused a bit about becoming a taxi service, but he could clearly see that the attacks on Malak could very easily lead to something larger. Something which might easily expand to require federal attention. Aaron was actually in his office when Melody visited Haven this time. He had turned the largest room there into a - rather crowded - crime investigation center. He seemed surprised to see the reporter.

"I tried getting an interview with Abner Throne," said Melody, after an abbreviated greeting. "No luck. His people wouldn't even reply to my request. It's worse than with the Grand Protector. So you were probably right in just going there. So, what's new with you?"

"Well, I hadn't planned to tell you about this yet, but I've had Michael Schmierer helping me and we agree we've gone about as far as we can with the available information. This is what we uncovered."

He gestured towards the wall.

"Tell me what you see."

Melody frowned as she slowly examined the photos and documents, pinned to the wall of Aaron's office. He had colored strings going between some of the papers, but she didn't need that to see something.

"Specialization," she said, finally. "Most of these attacks involve specialization of knowledge, skill or power. Only... a different specialization each time."

"There are obviously multiple parties involved," said Aaron, nodding. "However, there is a mastermind behind them."

"Someone who knows your ways," said Melody, also nodding, slowly. "Someone who can keep tabs on you in real time or close to it."

"It's does seem that someone has been keeping tabs on me from... a distance..." Aaron suddenly had a look of revelation.

"You know who is behind this," said Melody.

"Yes, but it makes no sense. We parted amicably and that was over... eighty years ago. Although Molly did later blame me for her and Greg Sutter losing their home. That doesn't seem like enough motivation, though."

"Emotional motivations are by definition not rational motivations."

"Well, even if I am right about my suspicions, I still need to locate her."

"When you do, let me know!"

"You are not going."

"Why not?!" said Melody, prepared to be defiant.

"Because you are two months pregnant with your second child."

"I should have known you'd notice," she said, defiance deflating.

"Yes. You should have."