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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Teens
- Theme: Science Fiction
- Subject: Science / Science Fiction
- Published: 06/01/2019
The Shadow
Born 2001, F, from Manila, PhilippinesOut in the Pacific Ocean, there was a beautiful deserted island full of natural resources that had never been touched by man.
But it didn’t remain that way. The island’s new owner, U.S. Senator Ian Grey, had big plans to convert his new property for his own personal use.
“Won’t this be a great place to continue our work?” the senator asked.
“Oh yes,” replied his colleague, Dr. Richard Bennett. “This is the perfect location to move our laboratories to. You certainly spared no expense.”
“Indeed I didn’t,” said Senator Grey. “So I expect to have AI soldiers advance enough to impress the voters during my campaign.”
“I can assure you, Sir,” said Dr. Bennett, “Senator George Freeman will be in the dust on Election Day.”
#
At a barracks in Israel, a young soldier was sharpening his fighting skill on a punching bag. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead as he threw his punches.
“At ease, soldier,” a woman called from behind. “You’re gonna break your knuckles if you’re not careful.”
“Oh hey, Rachel,” said the young man. “No can do. Not if I want to be taken seriously around here.”
“Come on, Daniel.” said Rachel, “You know we respect you.”
“Maybe you and Jordan. But no one else does.”
Rachel smiled. “What can I say? We all started out as rookies.”
While they were talking, their fellow soldier, Jordan, burst in. “Guys, we have a mission.”
“What’s the situation?” asked Rachel.
“Hostage taking. We suspect it’s that rebel group we’ve been tracking for months.”
“I can’t wait to give them what for,” said Daniel.
#
In an abandoned building, twelve hostages were being kept in the upper room. The IDF snuck in to rescue them. One of the hostage takers was about to alert the others but Rachel knocked him out with the butt of her rifle.
Daniel untied the prisoners. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
#
As they were bringing the civilians to safety, the group of rebels started shooting at them. The soldiers took cover and fired back.
Daniel spotted the leader of the gang hiding behind a car. If I can just get a little closer. Daniel moved out of his position and tried to take the terrorist down.
“Daniel! What are you doing?” Rachel shouted.
Daniel was about to eliminate the terrorist when, Bang! He got shot in the chest.
“No!” Rachel ran to his side. “Daniel?” She looked at his wound. “Hey, stay with me. You’re gonna be fine.”
Daniel looked up at her and breathed his last.
Jordan rushed to get Rachel out of the line of fire. “Rachel, come on!”
“We can’t leave him!” she cried.
“Rachel, he’s gone.” Jordan pulled them apart.
#
One week after Daniel’s burial, Rachel was at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Many people had already come and gone but Rachel just sat there, as if having no plans of leaving.
Jordan came to check on her. “Hey, no one’s seen you all week.”
“How can I go back to work?” asked Rachel. “Everything there reminds me of Daniel.”
“I understand,” said Jordan. “You need time off.”
“I need more than that. What I need is a fresh start.”
Jordan looked confused. “What are you saying?”
“My whole life has been about war,” answered Rachel. “I want to live my life. Not watch other people lose theirs.”
“Where will you go?”
Rachel thought for a moment. “I hear the States is nice.”
#
At the airport, Rachel was lining up to check in her luggage when she spotted a man yelling at one of the staff. She marched to the front of the line. “Excuse me, is there a problem?”
The man answered, “This is none of your concern.”
“Actually I’m very concerned that you’re mistreating this woman.”
The man, who stood at six feet, looked down at Rachel. “I think you need to learn to mind your own business.”
“No. I think you need to learn how to pick on someone your own size.”
“Oh yeah?” The man shoved Rachel.
Rachel grabbed his shoulders, kicked him in the stomach, and knocked him to the ground. She picked him up. “So are you going to give me more trouble or are you going to apologize to this lady?”
All the bystanders cheered for Rachel’s display of courage.
#
Four years later, Senator Ian Grey was visiting his private island. What could be so important that I have to come all the way here? He wondered as he got off his jet.
Dr. Richard Bennett came to greet him. “Thank you for coming, Senator.”
“This had better be good,” said Ian. “I had a lot of better things to do than come here.”
“I apologize,” said Dr. Bennett. “I know you’re a busy man. But this is an emergency. Some of our AIs have escaped the lab.”
“What? I don’t pay you millions of dollars just so you can lose—“An idea came to the Senator. “Wait a minute. If they were able to get past our state of the art security, then what I have in mind for them should be easy.”
“Sir,” said Dr. Bennett, “I will send people out to find the robots immediately.”
“No, no,” said the Senator. “We have a more important mission. Do you remember my old rival, George Freeman?”
“The man you lost to last election?”
“Thank you for the reminder,” said Senator Grey. “He’ll be having a parade in Washington. It’s part of his campaign. It seems he thinks he can win a second term.”
“What do you want us to do, Sir?”
“Prepare the rest of the AI troops. We’re going to pay the president a little visit.”
#
At a convenient store in New York, a robber was stealing from the register, holding the cashier at gun point. “Make one move, it’ll be lights out for you.”
#
Outside, as the man was trying to escape, he caught sight of a silhouette up in a tree. The figure came down and turned out to be a masked woman dressed in black body armor.
The mystery girl took out her grappling hook and seized the criminal. She got the money and returned it to the clerk.
“Thank you,” said the cashier. “Who are you?”
“I’m the shadow that bad guys fear.” The woman disappeared into the night.
#
Unbeknownst to her, this heroic act was being watched by the Department of Special Defense. They had been monitoring her behavior for months.
DSD Director, Carson Reese, was showing a video of the incident to one of his agents. “The woman you see, whom the media has dubbed ‘The Shadow,’ is actually former IDF member Rachel Breitman. She quit for reasons unknown.”
“Let me guess,” said Agent Jerry Cooper. “You want me to recruit her.”
“She would make a valuable addition to our team.”
“Alright,” said Jerry. “I’ll see if I can persuade her.”
#
Agent Cooper drove up to a cabin in the woods. He was hunting a prime suspect, a serial killer who was notorious for throwing acid onto his victims.
He contacted the Director through his earpiece. “Are you sure this is the place, Boss?”
“Yes,” said Director Reese. “Be careful, Cooper. Remember this man is considered armed and extremely dangerous.”
He knocked on the cabin door. “Anyone home?”
A short man opened up. But as soon as he saw Jerry, he slammed the door and ran.
Jerry barged in and chased the criminal. The man grabbed a chair and hurled it at the agent. Cooper dodged and avoided any injury. The mad man lunged at him and banged him against the wall.
He was about to punch Jerry in the head but the agent was able to move out of the way. Wham! The man’s fist went straight through the wood.
Jerry had to act fast. He broke free and looked around for something he could use. In the corner of his eye, he saw a bucket of acid. He picked it up and threw it onto his attacker.
To his surprise, the man melted. But instead of his skin burning, he was reduced to a robotic skeleton.
“Director,” said Jerry, “I think we need to find Rachel now.”
#
One night, Rachel Breitman, better known as “The Shadow,” was chasing a thief who had just stolen a woman’s purse. The robber ran into a dark alley. Rachel followed him and found the man out cold at Jerry Cooper’s feet.
“Looking for this?” Cooper held up the bag. He threw it to her.
“Thanks for the help,” said Rachel.
“Are you Rachel Breitman?” he asked.
“How did you know that?”
Jerry flashed his badge. “Agent Jerry Cooper. I’m with the Department of Special Defense.”
“You here to arrest me?” the vigilante asked.
“On the contrary,” he answered. “I’m here to recruit you.”
“Thanks for the offer. But I work alone.” Rachel turned to walk away.
“Something’s coming Rachel, something you can’t fight on your own.”
“If I need help, I’ll let you know.” The woman left without another word.
#
A few days later, Rachel was hunting down another criminal who was wanted for stealing electronics. She followed him into a warehouse. “You know how this will end.”
“You’re wasting your time,” said the thief. “You’re too weak to stop me.”
Rachel caught him with her grappling hook and pulled him towards her. “Are you going to return what you stole or not?”
“No.”
“Wrong answer.” Rachel punched him in the face. “Ah!” Her hand began to swell. She looked up at the man. “What are you?”
“Something your puny mind can’t understand.” The AI grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the wall.
Rachel took out her gun and fired it at him. But the bullets ricocheted. The crime fighter was out of options.
Just then, Jerry showed up. “Rachel, duck!” he took out his bazooka and blasted the AI. Boom! The robot was blown to bits.
Rachel came out from her hiding place. “So, you still want me on your team?”
#
Agent Cooper brought Rachel back to DSD Head Quarters. “There have been numerous sightings of AIs across the nation,” he said.
“Who’s behind all this?” Rachel asked.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
While they were talking, a boy in his early twenties came running. “Jerry! Is it true? Our perp was a robot? Has the apocalypse begun?”
Jerry introduced the boy to Rachel. “Miss Breitman, this is Charlie Jones, our rookie.”
“Wow!” Charlie exclaimed. “You’re ‘The Shadow.’” He took out a pen and paper. “I don’t mean to be unprofessional, but can I have your autograph?”
Rachel chuckled, “I didn’t know I had a fan.”
#
After their meet and greet, the three of them were called in to the mission room. It was time to search for possible suspects.
“I’m not one to jump to conclusions,” said Jerry. “But the only person who has any reason to do something like this is Senator Grey.”
“It makes sense,” said Director Reese. “It’s no surprise after the last election.” He played some footage of the Presidential debates.
#
Senator Ian Grey began his speech. “I believe in moving our country into the future. We will usher in a new era, the age of AI.”
Although the crowd was impressed, there were those who had misgivings.
“Have you considered the dangers of letting robots into our society?” one reporter asked.
“There are risks to everything,” answered Grey. “But imagine the possibilities of having them in our military. We could be unstoppable.”
Grey’s opponent, Senator George Freeman chimed in, “If I remember correctly, a president should be servant to the people. I want to be elected to serve my countrymen, not robots.”
Everyone applauded at his statement.
#
The Director stopped the video. “Grey was pretty bitter after losing to President Freeman. He vowed to get revenge on him and his supporters.”
“I for one am glad he didn’t win,” said Charlie. “I love sci-fi as much as the next guy. But living in a world dominated by robots is kind of creepy.”
“No wonder he’s acting up,” said Rachel, “especially with the upcoming elections.”
Jerry spoke up, “Isn’t Freeman having a parade today?”
“That’s right,” said the Director. “Senator Grey is sure to try something. You three had better get down to Washington and make sure he’s safe.”
#
Before the team left, they stopped by the lab to pick up some gadgets from June, DSD’s computer analyst and scientist. The traditional guns and knives weren’t going to cut it.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” said June, “allow me to present the ‘Robo prod.’ This weapon, when fired at an AI, sends electric shocks into its system and shuts it down.”
“I don’t feel so good about killing anything,” said Charlie.
Rachel answered, “You can’t kill what’s not alive.”
#
On the plane ride to Washington, Charlie sat beside Rachel. “Hey, Rachel. Hope I’m not bothering you.”
Rachel was reading a book. “Oh hi, Charlie. What can I do for you?”
“I was just wondering, since you’re a seasoned crime fighter, if you have any pointers for me.”
“Well,” said Rachel, “There’s probably not much I can teach you that you don’t already know.” She set her book down. “But I’ll tell you something they didn’t teach you.”
Charlie leaned in.
“Even though you should take your job seriously, don’t let that be your whole life. You’re still young. Enjoy it.”
Charlie smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
#
At Washington, a parade was being given for President George Freeman. He waved at his supporters and even stopped to shake their hands. It was no wonder he was a favorite.
But Freeman’s campaign was interrupted when a helicopter full of Senator Grey’s robots started shooting at him. The president was knocked off his float.
Rachel and her team arrived in the nick of time. Jerry and Charlie struck the robot assassins with their robo prods while Rachel went to rescue the president.
While Freeman was on the ground, he didn’t notice that an AI was about to fire. Before he could, Rachel swooped in and took him out with her weapon.
“Mr. President, come with me.” Rachel brought him to safety.
Just then, someone screamed, “Help!” Charlie was being carried away by the robots.
“Charlie!” Rachel ran toward them and tried to strike the machines, but she was too late. They forced Charlie into the chopper and flew away.
#
Back at DSD H.Q., the agents were in crisis mode trying to think of how to handle the situation. Not only was the world in danger, but the life of one of their own was on the line.
“We must alert every agent we have,” said Director Reese. “It’s our best chance of keeping this invasion under control.”
“Never mind that!” Rachel exclaimed. “Why aren’t we looking for Charlie? Who knows what they’re doing to him?”
“We’ll find him,” said Jerry. “But you need to calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” answered Rachel. “I told you I didn’t want to work with a team. And now look what happened.”
“Miss Breitman,” said the Director, “if you need to get some air, you’re free to do so.”
Rachel walked out.
Jerry commented, “She’s lost someone.”
“You don’t need to be a psychologist to know that,” the Director replied. “Maybe you should talk to her.”
#
Jerry found Rachel in the break room. He got her a glass of water and sat across from her.
“Sorry for my outburst,” said Rachel.
“We do things when we’re upset,” answered Jerry. “This is none of my business, but why were you so opposed to joining us?”
“Daniel,” Rachel replied. “We were on a mission fighting against a rebel group. Daniel tried to get to their leader but he wasn’t fast enough.” She took a sip of water to clear the lump in her throat. “He was the same age as Charlie.”
“I’m no stranger to losing people,” said Jerry. “But I do know that if you stay behind these walls, you’ll end up losing yourself.”
Rachel answered, “I’ll help you find Charlie. And I’ll help take down Senator Grey. But after this, I’m gone.”
#
A few hours later, the agents were still racking their brains over what to do.
“What are we waiting for?” asked Rachel. “Isn’t it obvious that Grey is behind this? Who else would attack President Freeman?”
“He has motive,” said Jerry. “But we need proof.”
Just then, DSD received some footage of robots wreaking havoc all across the globe.
“They’re everywhere,” said June.
“Where are they coming from?” asked Rachel.
“Wait a minute,” said Jerry. “Does Grey own any private property where he could do his dirty work?”
June did some research. “Yes. In fact, he purchased an island in the Pacific Ocean four years ago.”
“Send a spy cam to see what’s going on there,” said Director Reese.
They zoomed in on Senator Grey’s private island and saw AIs being deployed by the dozen.
“Is that enough proof for you?” asked Rachel.
“That must be where the brain of the robots are,” said June.
“We need to get down there,” said Jerry.
#
Outside Grey’s laboratory, Rachel and Jerry were hiding in the bushes. The place was crawling with robot soldiers.
“That must be where they’re keeping Charlie,” said Rachel. “I’m going in.”
“You can’t go by yourself,” said Jerry. “How will you get past the robots inside?”
“Don’t worry,” said Rachel. “There’s a reason why I’m called ‘The Shadow.’”
Rachel ran across the yard and into the house while Jerry fought through the killing machines.
#
Meanwhile, in the basement, Charlie was tied to a chair, being guarded by Senator Grey. “You know,” said Charlie, “if you want to start a war, you don’t need me.”
The Senator answered, “But you have a starring role in my plan.” He brought out a huge machine. “This device can merge technology with human DNA.”
Charlie’s eyes grew wide.
“You have the privilege of being the first half man half robot.”
“Wait!” Charlie exclaimed. “We can talk about this. Have you ever tried anger management? I hear it works wonders.”
“This is how I manage my anger.”
Grey was about to turn the machine on when a knife flew out of nowhere and stabbed his hand.
“Rachel!” exclaimed Charlie. “Boy, am I glad to see you!”
Rachel hurried to untie him.
“You think you’ve won?” asked the Senator. “My robot army will wipe all of you out. Then you’ll see what a mistake it was to reject me.”
“They were right not to vote for you,” said Rachel. “Some of the worst criminals I’ve caught were AIs. Face it, Senator. You can’t handle this kind of power. No one can.”
“Who are you to lecture me about power?” Grey ordered his bionic soldiers to attack Rachel and Charlie. But as they were fighting with the agents, one of the AIs started hitting the Senator.
He was furious. “You useless piece of metal! I’m not the enemy.”
The AI answered, “Sir, you ordered us to destroy all humans. You are a human.”
The robot was going to vaporize Senator Grey but Charlie got between them and shut it down first.
“Thank you,” said Grey.
“No problem.” Charlie whacked the Senator on the head and proceeded to handcuff him. “That’s for trying to turn me into a cyborg!”
“Come on,” said Rachel. “We have to find the computer that’s controlling these things.”
#
The two of them went upstairs and found a giant computer. On the screen, they read all the commands given to the AIs.
Rachel contacted June. “We found the mind of the robots. Can you hack into it?”
“Give me a minute,” answered June. “Got it. I’m in.”
“Great! Can you reprogram them?”
“I can, but there’s a problem. Even if I tell the AIs to stand down, they’ll just look for another target.”
“What are we gonna do?” asked Charlie.
Rachel thought for a moment. “Tell the robots to fight each other.”
“Copy that.”
June gave the command and the bionic army stopped annihilating the humans and began to turn on one another. Even the AIS that were fighting with Jerry destroyed each other.
#
When the battle was over, Rachel and Charlie went out to where Jerry was to see the damage. Metal and steel debris was everywhere.
“That’s a lot of spare parts,” Charlie remarked.
The invasion was over. Senator grey was arrested. Once again, the world was safe.
#
Rachel was in Israel standing by Daniel’s tomb. “Hey, Danny, I know it’s been a while.” She placed a flower on his grave. “I came by to tell you that I’m letting go of the past. But I will never forget you, my friend.”
#
Back at DSD Head Quarters, Charlie was looking everywhere for Rachel. He ran through the hall and crashed into Jerry.
“Whoa, slow down, Charlie,” said Agent Cooper. “Where’s the fire?”
“Sorry, Jerry. I was just looking for Rachel. She should’ve been back from her trip by now.”
Jerry was quiet.
“You don’t think she left without saying goodbye, do you?” asked Charlie.”
“What gave you that idea?”
Charlie shrugged his shoulders. “Well she is ‘The Shadow.’ Now you see her, now you don’t.”
Jerry was going to say something when he spotted Rachel speaking with Director Reese. He and Charlie bolted for the director’s office.
“Rachel!” exclaimed Charlie. “We thought you went AWOL on us.”
“Come in, gentlemen,” said Director Reese. “Meet our newest agent.”
Jerry turned to Rachel. “Wait a minute. I thought you said—“
Rachel smiled. “Someone made me realize that I can’t do everything alone.”
“This is awesome!” exclaimed Charlie. “We’re gonna have so much fun on our next mission.”
“But first,” said Director Reese, “Let’s make it official.” He handed Rachel a gun and badge. “Welcome to the DSD.”
The Shadow(francesca ylaya)
Out in the Pacific Ocean, there was a beautiful deserted island full of natural resources that had never been touched by man.
But it didn’t remain that way. The island’s new owner, U.S. Senator Ian Grey, had big plans to convert his new property for his own personal use.
“Won’t this be a great place to continue our work?” the senator asked.
“Oh yes,” replied his colleague, Dr. Richard Bennett. “This is the perfect location to move our laboratories to. You certainly spared no expense.”
“Indeed I didn’t,” said Senator Grey. “So I expect to have AI soldiers advance enough to impress the voters during my campaign.”
“I can assure you, Sir,” said Dr. Bennett, “Senator George Freeman will be in the dust on Election Day.”
#
At a barracks in Israel, a young soldier was sharpening his fighting skill on a punching bag. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead as he threw his punches.
“At ease, soldier,” a woman called from behind. “You’re gonna break your knuckles if you’re not careful.”
“Oh hey, Rachel,” said the young man. “No can do. Not if I want to be taken seriously around here.”
“Come on, Daniel.” said Rachel, “You know we respect you.”
“Maybe you and Jordan. But no one else does.”
Rachel smiled. “What can I say? We all started out as rookies.”
While they were talking, their fellow soldier, Jordan, burst in. “Guys, we have a mission.”
“What’s the situation?” asked Rachel.
“Hostage taking. We suspect it’s that rebel group we’ve been tracking for months.”
“I can’t wait to give them what for,” said Daniel.
#
In an abandoned building, twelve hostages were being kept in the upper room. The IDF snuck in to rescue them. One of the hostage takers was about to alert the others but Rachel knocked him out with the butt of her rifle.
Daniel untied the prisoners. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
#
As they were bringing the civilians to safety, the group of rebels started shooting at them. The soldiers took cover and fired back.
Daniel spotted the leader of the gang hiding behind a car. If I can just get a little closer. Daniel moved out of his position and tried to take the terrorist down.
“Daniel! What are you doing?” Rachel shouted.
Daniel was about to eliminate the terrorist when, Bang! He got shot in the chest.
“No!” Rachel ran to his side. “Daniel?” She looked at his wound. “Hey, stay with me. You’re gonna be fine.”
Daniel looked up at her and breathed his last.
Jordan rushed to get Rachel out of the line of fire. “Rachel, come on!”
“We can’t leave him!” she cried.
“Rachel, he’s gone.” Jordan pulled them apart.
#
One week after Daniel’s burial, Rachel was at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Many people had already come and gone but Rachel just sat there, as if having no plans of leaving.
Jordan came to check on her. “Hey, no one’s seen you all week.”
“How can I go back to work?” asked Rachel. “Everything there reminds me of Daniel.”
“I understand,” said Jordan. “You need time off.”
“I need more than that. What I need is a fresh start.”
Jordan looked confused. “What are you saying?”
“My whole life has been about war,” answered Rachel. “I want to live my life. Not watch other people lose theirs.”
“Where will you go?”
Rachel thought for a moment. “I hear the States is nice.”
#
At the airport, Rachel was lining up to check in her luggage when she spotted a man yelling at one of the staff. She marched to the front of the line. “Excuse me, is there a problem?”
The man answered, “This is none of your concern.”
“Actually I’m very concerned that you’re mistreating this woman.”
The man, who stood at six feet, looked down at Rachel. “I think you need to learn to mind your own business.”
“No. I think you need to learn how to pick on someone your own size.”
“Oh yeah?” The man shoved Rachel.
Rachel grabbed his shoulders, kicked him in the stomach, and knocked him to the ground. She picked him up. “So are you going to give me more trouble or are you going to apologize to this lady?”
All the bystanders cheered for Rachel’s display of courage.
#
Four years later, Senator Ian Grey was visiting his private island. What could be so important that I have to come all the way here? He wondered as he got off his jet.
Dr. Richard Bennett came to greet him. “Thank you for coming, Senator.”
“This had better be good,” said Ian. “I had a lot of better things to do than come here.”
“I apologize,” said Dr. Bennett. “I know you’re a busy man. But this is an emergency. Some of our AIs have escaped the lab.”
“What? I don’t pay you millions of dollars just so you can lose—“An idea came to the Senator. “Wait a minute. If they were able to get past our state of the art security, then what I have in mind for them should be easy.”
“Sir,” said Dr. Bennett, “I will send people out to find the robots immediately.”
“No, no,” said the Senator. “We have a more important mission. Do you remember my old rival, George Freeman?”
“The man you lost to last election?”
“Thank you for the reminder,” said Senator Grey. “He’ll be having a parade in Washington. It’s part of his campaign. It seems he thinks he can win a second term.”
“What do you want us to do, Sir?”
“Prepare the rest of the AI troops. We’re going to pay the president a little visit.”
#
At a convenient store in New York, a robber was stealing from the register, holding the cashier at gun point. “Make one move, it’ll be lights out for you.”
#
Outside, as the man was trying to escape, he caught sight of a silhouette up in a tree. The figure came down and turned out to be a masked woman dressed in black body armor.
The mystery girl took out her grappling hook and seized the criminal. She got the money and returned it to the clerk.
“Thank you,” said the cashier. “Who are you?”
“I’m the shadow that bad guys fear.” The woman disappeared into the night.
#
Unbeknownst to her, this heroic act was being watched by the Department of Special Defense. They had been monitoring her behavior for months.
DSD Director, Carson Reese, was showing a video of the incident to one of his agents. “The woman you see, whom the media has dubbed ‘The Shadow,’ is actually former IDF member Rachel Breitman. She quit for reasons unknown.”
“Let me guess,” said Agent Jerry Cooper. “You want me to recruit her.”
“She would make a valuable addition to our team.”
“Alright,” said Jerry. “I’ll see if I can persuade her.”
#
Agent Cooper drove up to a cabin in the woods. He was hunting a prime suspect, a serial killer who was notorious for throwing acid onto his victims.
He contacted the Director through his earpiece. “Are you sure this is the place, Boss?”
“Yes,” said Director Reese. “Be careful, Cooper. Remember this man is considered armed and extremely dangerous.”
He knocked on the cabin door. “Anyone home?”
A short man opened up. But as soon as he saw Jerry, he slammed the door and ran.
Jerry barged in and chased the criminal. The man grabbed a chair and hurled it at the agent. Cooper dodged and avoided any injury. The mad man lunged at him and banged him against the wall.
He was about to punch Jerry in the head but the agent was able to move out of the way. Wham! The man’s fist went straight through the wood.
Jerry had to act fast. He broke free and looked around for something he could use. In the corner of his eye, he saw a bucket of acid. He picked it up and threw it onto his attacker.
To his surprise, the man melted. But instead of his skin burning, he was reduced to a robotic skeleton.
“Director,” said Jerry, “I think we need to find Rachel now.”
#
One night, Rachel Breitman, better known as “The Shadow,” was chasing a thief who had just stolen a woman’s purse. The robber ran into a dark alley. Rachel followed him and found the man out cold at Jerry Cooper’s feet.
“Looking for this?” Cooper held up the bag. He threw it to her.
“Thanks for the help,” said Rachel.
“Are you Rachel Breitman?” he asked.
“How did you know that?”
Jerry flashed his badge. “Agent Jerry Cooper. I’m with the Department of Special Defense.”
“You here to arrest me?” the vigilante asked.
“On the contrary,” he answered. “I’m here to recruit you.”
“Thanks for the offer. But I work alone.” Rachel turned to walk away.
“Something’s coming Rachel, something you can’t fight on your own.”
“If I need help, I’ll let you know.” The woman left without another word.
#
A few days later, Rachel was hunting down another criminal who was wanted for stealing electronics. She followed him into a warehouse. “You know how this will end.”
“You’re wasting your time,” said the thief. “You’re too weak to stop me.”
Rachel caught him with her grappling hook and pulled him towards her. “Are you going to return what you stole or not?”
“No.”
“Wrong answer.” Rachel punched him in the face. “Ah!” Her hand began to swell. She looked up at the man. “What are you?”
“Something your puny mind can’t understand.” The AI grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the wall.
Rachel took out her gun and fired it at him. But the bullets ricocheted. The crime fighter was out of options.
Just then, Jerry showed up. “Rachel, duck!” he took out his bazooka and blasted the AI. Boom! The robot was blown to bits.
Rachel came out from her hiding place. “So, you still want me on your team?”
#
Agent Cooper brought Rachel back to DSD Head Quarters. “There have been numerous sightings of AIs across the nation,” he said.
“Who’s behind all this?” Rachel asked.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
While they were talking, a boy in his early twenties came running. “Jerry! Is it true? Our perp was a robot? Has the apocalypse begun?”
Jerry introduced the boy to Rachel. “Miss Breitman, this is Charlie Jones, our rookie.”
“Wow!” Charlie exclaimed. “You’re ‘The Shadow.’” He took out a pen and paper. “I don’t mean to be unprofessional, but can I have your autograph?”
Rachel chuckled, “I didn’t know I had a fan.”
#
After their meet and greet, the three of them were called in to the mission room. It was time to search for possible suspects.
“I’m not one to jump to conclusions,” said Jerry. “But the only person who has any reason to do something like this is Senator Grey.”
“It makes sense,” said Director Reese. “It’s no surprise after the last election.” He played some footage of the Presidential debates.
#
Senator Ian Grey began his speech. “I believe in moving our country into the future. We will usher in a new era, the age of AI.”
Although the crowd was impressed, there were those who had misgivings.
“Have you considered the dangers of letting robots into our society?” one reporter asked.
“There are risks to everything,” answered Grey. “But imagine the possibilities of having them in our military. We could be unstoppable.”
Grey’s opponent, Senator George Freeman chimed in, “If I remember correctly, a president should be servant to the people. I want to be elected to serve my countrymen, not robots.”
Everyone applauded at his statement.
#
The Director stopped the video. “Grey was pretty bitter after losing to President Freeman. He vowed to get revenge on him and his supporters.”
“I for one am glad he didn’t win,” said Charlie. “I love sci-fi as much as the next guy. But living in a world dominated by robots is kind of creepy.”
“No wonder he’s acting up,” said Rachel, “especially with the upcoming elections.”
Jerry spoke up, “Isn’t Freeman having a parade today?”
“That’s right,” said the Director. “Senator Grey is sure to try something. You three had better get down to Washington and make sure he’s safe.”
#
Before the team left, they stopped by the lab to pick up some gadgets from June, DSD’s computer analyst and scientist. The traditional guns and knives weren’t going to cut it.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” said June, “allow me to present the ‘Robo prod.’ This weapon, when fired at an AI, sends electric shocks into its system and shuts it down.”
“I don’t feel so good about killing anything,” said Charlie.
Rachel answered, “You can’t kill what’s not alive.”
#
On the plane ride to Washington, Charlie sat beside Rachel. “Hey, Rachel. Hope I’m not bothering you.”
Rachel was reading a book. “Oh hi, Charlie. What can I do for you?”
“I was just wondering, since you’re a seasoned crime fighter, if you have any pointers for me.”
“Well,” said Rachel, “There’s probably not much I can teach you that you don’t already know.” She set her book down. “But I’ll tell you something they didn’t teach you.”
Charlie leaned in.
“Even though you should take your job seriously, don’t let that be your whole life. You’re still young. Enjoy it.”
Charlie smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
#
At Washington, a parade was being given for President George Freeman. He waved at his supporters and even stopped to shake their hands. It was no wonder he was a favorite.
But Freeman’s campaign was interrupted when a helicopter full of Senator Grey’s robots started shooting at him. The president was knocked off his float.
Rachel and her team arrived in the nick of time. Jerry and Charlie struck the robot assassins with their robo prods while Rachel went to rescue the president.
While Freeman was on the ground, he didn’t notice that an AI was about to fire. Before he could, Rachel swooped in and took him out with her weapon.
“Mr. President, come with me.” Rachel brought him to safety.
Just then, someone screamed, “Help!” Charlie was being carried away by the robots.
“Charlie!” Rachel ran toward them and tried to strike the machines, but she was too late. They forced Charlie into the chopper and flew away.
#
Back at DSD H.Q., the agents were in crisis mode trying to think of how to handle the situation. Not only was the world in danger, but the life of one of their own was on the line.
“We must alert every agent we have,” said Director Reese. “It’s our best chance of keeping this invasion under control.”
“Never mind that!” Rachel exclaimed. “Why aren’t we looking for Charlie? Who knows what they’re doing to him?”
“We’ll find him,” said Jerry. “But you need to calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” answered Rachel. “I told you I didn’t want to work with a team. And now look what happened.”
“Miss Breitman,” said the Director, “if you need to get some air, you’re free to do so.”
Rachel walked out.
Jerry commented, “She’s lost someone.”
“You don’t need to be a psychologist to know that,” the Director replied. “Maybe you should talk to her.”
#
Jerry found Rachel in the break room. He got her a glass of water and sat across from her.
“Sorry for my outburst,” said Rachel.
“We do things when we’re upset,” answered Jerry. “This is none of my business, but why were you so opposed to joining us?”
“Daniel,” Rachel replied. “We were on a mission fighting against a rebel group. Daniel tried to get to their leader but he wasn’t fast enough.” She took a sip of water to clear the lump in her throat. “He was the same age as Charlie.”
“I’m no stranger to losing people,” said Jerry. “But I do know that if you stay behind these walls, you’ll end up losing yourself.”
Rachel answered, “I’ll help you find Charlie. And I’ll help take down Senator Grey. But after this, I’m gone.”
#
A few hours later, the agents were still racking their brains over what to do.
“What are we waiting for?” asked Rachel. “Isn’t it obvious that Grey is behind this? Who else would attack President Freeman?”
“He has motive,” said Jerry. “But we need proof.”
Just then, DSD received some footage of robots wreaking havoc all across the globe.
“They’re everywhere,” said June.
“Where are they coming from?” asked Rachel.
“Wait a minute,” said Jerry. “Does Grey own any private property where he could do his dirty work?”
June did some research. “Yes. In fact, he purchased an island in the Pacific Ocean four years ago.”
“Send a spy cam to see what’s going on there,” said Director Reese.
They zoomed in on Senator Grey’s private island and saw AIs being deployed by the dozen.
“Is that enough proof for you?” asked Rachel.
“That must be where the brain of the robots are,” said June.
“We need to get down there,” said Jerry.
#
Outside Grey’s laboratory, Rachel and Jerry were hiding in the bushes. The place was crawling with robot soldiers.
“That must be where they’re keeping Charlie,” said Rachel. “I’m going in.”
“You can’t go by yourself,” said Jerry. “How will you get past the robots inside?”
“Don’t worry,” said Rachel. “There’s a reason why I’m called ‘The Shadow.’”
Rachel ran across the yard and into the house while Jerry fought through the killing machines.
#
Meanwhile, in the basement, Charlie was tied to a chair, being guarded by Senator Grey. “You know,” said Charlie, “if you want to start a war, you don’t need me.”
The Senator answered, “But you have a starring role in my plan.” He brought out a huge machine. “This device can merge technology with human DNA.”
Charlie’s eyes grew wide.
“You have the privilege of being the first half man half robot.”
“Wait!” Charlie exclaimed. “We can talk about this. Have you ever tried anger management? I hear it works wonders.”
“This is how I manage my anger.”
Grey was about to turn the machine on when a knife flew out of nowhere and stabbed his hand.
“Rachel!” exclaimed Charlie. “Boy, am I glad to see you!”
Rachel hurried to untie him.
“You think you’ve won?” asked the Senator. “My robot army will wipe all of you out. Then you’ll see what a mistake it was to reject me.”
“They were right not to vote for you,” said Rachel. “Some of the worst criminals I’ve caught were AIs. Face it, Senator. You can’t handle this kind of power. No one can.”
“Who are you to lecture me about power?” Grey ordered his bionic soldiers to attack Rachel and Charlie. But as they were fighting with the agents, one of the AIs started hitting the Senator.
He was furious. “You useless piece of metal! I’m not the enemy.”
The AI answered, “Sir, you ordered us to destroy all humans. You are a human.”
The robot was going to vaporize Senator Grey but Charlie got between them and shut it down first.
“Thank you,” said Grey.
“No problem.” Charlie whacked the Senator on the head and proceeded to handcuff him. “That’s for trying to turn me into a cyborg!”
“Come on,” said Rachel. “We have to find the computer that’s controlling these things.”
#
The two of them went upstairs and found a giant computer. On the screen, they read all the commands given to the AIs.
Rachel contacted June. “We found the mind of the robots. Can you hack into it?”
“Give me a minute,” answered June. “Got it. I’m in.”
“Great! Can you reprogram them?”
“I can, but there’s a problem. Even if I tell the AIs to stand down, they’ll just look for another target.”
“What are we gonna do?” asked Charlie.
Rachel thought for a moment. “Tell the robots to fight each other.”
“Copy that.”
June gave the command and the bionic army stopped annihilating the humans and began to turn on one another. Even the AIS that were fighting with Jerry destroyed each other.
#
When the battle was over, Rachel and Charlie went out to where Jerry was to see the damage. Metal and steel debris was everywhere.
“That’s a lot of spare parts,” Charlie remarked.
The invasion was over. Senator grey was arrested. Once again, the world was safe.
#
Rachel was in Israel standing by Daniel’s tomb. “Hey, Danny, I know it’s been a while.” She placed a flower on his grave. “I came by to tell you that I’m letting go of the past. But I will never forget you, my friend.”
#
Back at DSD Head Quarters, Charlie was looking everywhere for Rachel. He ran through the hall and crashed into Jerry.
“Whoa, slow down, Charlie,” said Agent Cooper. “Where’s the fire?”
“Sorry, Jerry. I was just looking for Rachel. She should’ve been back from her trip by now.”
Jerry was quiet.
“You don’t think she left without saying goodbye, do you?” asked Charlie.”
“What gave you that idea?”
Charlie shrugged his shoulders. “Well she is ‘The Shadow.’ Now you see her, now you don’t.”
Jerry was going to say something when he spotted Rachel speaking with Director Reese. He and Charlie bolted for the director’s office.
“Rachel!” exclaimed Charlie. “We thought you went AWOL on us.”
“Come in, gentlemen,” said Director Reese. “Meet our newest agent.”
Jerry turned to Rachel. “Wait a minute. I thought you said—“
Rachel smiled. “Someone made me realize that I can’t do everything alone.”
“This is awesome!” exclaimed Charlie. “We’re gonna have so much fun on our next mission.”
“But first,” said Director Reese, “Let’s make it official.” He handed Rachel a gun and badge. “Welcome to the DSD.”
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Francesca ylaya
06/05/2019Thank you very much, Alan Bruce! Your compliments inspire me to keep on writing.
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