melo_annechen | Three of Five, Chapter 43

Chapter Forty-three

Sela took her role as security officer very seriously. “Sir, we need to have all eyes focused on Arsène until we have a secure base of operations,” She had laid out clothes for the professor to wear in transit to the symposium. “Dressing you as an undergraduate will serve the purpose of making Arsène the Madblood of focus, and if you permit yourself to be dismissed as a minion, we can get the team into the hotel without a major incident.”

Lupin had to admit the running shoes were very comfortable, but he had not left his property in casual dress in decades. “I would not have agreed to such a plan years ago, but there are other considerations, now.” Such as that twitch Charlotte had developed when he reminisced about conferences past. “I can be low-key, I believe.” However, even to his fashion sense, the wardrobe she had ordered him to wear for the trip was rather... odd.

Lovelace had laughed a good five minutes when she had seen him in full regalia. “Did you mug a clown to get his clothes, Sela?”

“Actually, this is a much subdued version of what the kids are wearing on campus this year.” She reversed the day-glo Donegal Tweed cap so the visor rested over the nape of his neck. “I didn’t think it would be necessary to add the neon, but that just means the battery pack only has to support the wi-fi accessories and the Faraday coat.”

Madblood adjusted the cap until the headphones settled in place. "Won't that interfere with the wireless net?"

"No, this is the signal scrambler/antenna boost version," Sela said over the headphones.

“Well, that’s good to know.” He still thought the Dolphins jersey was just a bit over the top.

>>>>

Lupin had known there was something odd about Charlotte‘s conveyance, but driving from the lab to the hotel where the symposium was being held, three states over, without stopping to refuel was a boast he could not make with any of his ground vehicles. Well, not without attracting the attention of the police.

He was quite ready for the drive to be over when Charlotte spoke up a block from the hotel, addressing the androids in the back seat, “I’ll drop you two off to register us while I park the car. The professor and I will follow you from the garage.”

“Really, Charlotte, just use the valet service.” Madblood chuckled.

“Professor,” Charlotte said quietly, “would you trust a vehicle you built to your personal specifications to a valet parking attendant?”

Lupin looked at the dashboard, and realized that though he had a six-month history as a passenger, he still had no idea what 90% of the control panel did. “Ah, point taken; we wouldn’t want the lab to be liable for rebuilding a parking garage.” He considered this the most interesting trip he had occasion to make, and they had not even gotten to the hotel yet.

>>>>

“Oh, spiffing - Ines is here” the professor groaned as they entered the lobby.

Charlotte asked as she flipped her braid back over her shoulder, “Dr. Pescados-Diablo? Other than a grammatically incorrect nom de folie, what is your problem with her?”

“She won’t take no for an answer. I do not care to collaborate, and at our last meeting, she indicated she had a brilliant plan that would convince me next time we met to work for her. I really don’t want to find out what she has planned.”

“Ah - just a moment,” Lupin’s vision was temporarily blocked by red check flannel as Charlotte blocked him into an alcove while she activated her uhura - “Arsène, you’re on point - we need you to cross the lobby to the concierge desk; you may be waylaid by the woman with the green hair. Take no overt action, but do not agree to anything.”

The professor switched on his cap-link in time to hear Arsène’s response of “Understood, Lieutenant; on my way.”

Madblood asked, "Lieutenant?”

“Hush,” Charlotte replied, rummaging through the legion of pockets in her rumpled khakis. “Crud, I didn’t pack the neuralizer.”

They watched as Arsène crossed the lobby, seemingly oblivious to Dr. Pescados-Diablo. The verde-tressed scientist noted Arsène’s passage and moved to intercept him. Arsène had apparently left the link open, as the next thing they heard was the doctor’s greeting. “Hello, Wolf - have you considered my offer?”

“The answer remains the same.” Arsène replied. Over the cell phone link, Arsène asked covertly “Sir? What was the offer?”

“She wants me to work with or for her.” Madblood replied.

Ines Pescados-Diablo smiled - “I thought that might be your stance. Perhaps this will change your mind.” She then grabbed Arsène and lip-locked him.

Charlotte and Madblood stood transfixed in shock as this woman assaulted Arsène. Sela came to his rescue from the check in desk, putting a hand on Arsène’s shoulder. “If you’re finished with collecting the DNA sample, I have our room key.”

Arsène disengaged himself from his assailant and calmly replied, “Of course, shall we go?” leaving Dr. Pescados-Diablo, rather appropriately, staring gape-mouthed after the pair.

Sela joined the cell phone link - “Meet us on the sixth floor.”

“Right - try to make sure she doesn’t get in the elevator with you if she comes to her senses.” Charlotte directed the professor to the stairwell.

“Are you trying to give me another heart attack?” Madblood grumbled.

“It’s either the stairs or you can take your chances with the barracuda in the lobby.” Sela said over the link.

“You won’t have another heart attack, professor - this will be no different than the trip up from the armory to the cupola back, erm, at the lab.” Charlotte said.

“You sadist - have you been a physical therapist or other type of torturer in a past life?” Madblood said at the fourth floor landing.

“Less talking, more climbing - the sooner we have a secure location, the better.” Charlotte said, not one bit out of breath.

“Room 637; turn to your left once you exit the stairwell, fifth door on your right.” Arsène replied. “We have swept the suite, and have found no unpleasant surprises. Dr. Pescados-Diablo, however, has a rather unpleasant aftertaste.”

Madblood paused on the sixth floor landing, and held up his had to forestall Charlotte opening the door, “Chemical additives?”

“The mixture sampled had tetrodotoxin, myristicin and claviceps purpurea elements, and a serious case of sulfur-mouth.” Arsène replied.

Charlotte muttered, “Fugu, nutmeg and ergot - I think she’s given up on the ‘partnership’ option and is going straight for the ‘chemical slave’ gambit.” She grabbed the professor by the shoulder and hustled him through the door and down the hall. The door to Room 637 opened just as Madblood was sure they would crash into it. Sela slammed it shut behind them and engaged all of the locks the hotel had provided and shoved wedges under the door.

“Smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em.” Charlotte said as she dropped onto the couch.

“Analysis,” Madblood wheezed and collapsed into a chair.

“Dr. Pescados-Diablo has either upped the ante considerably, or did not bother to calibrate the dose properly. The concentrations given to me would have caused you a number of problems. If she did not have the antidote on her person, one might theorize she might have intended to kill you.” Arsène reported, “Although her lack of dental hygiene might also do it.”

“Did she have an antidote?” Charlotte asked.

“Proper tense - did.” Sela held up what looked like a turn-of-the-century epidural single shot injector, from before rapid-release patches became the norm for allergy victims. “It was in her inside coat pocket.”

“Sela…” Charlotte began.

“I swore to only use my powers for the good of the lab. Having a back-up if she gets her hands on the professor is for the good of the lab.” Sela replied.

“As for a plan - you said a back-up. Have you suggestions for a primary plan?” Madblood said after getting his breath back.

Sela and Arsène exchanged a look. “Possibly, but you may not agree.” Arsène said.

Charlotte sighed. “Lay it out and let us decide if we need to pick it up. The only trick I’ve got up my sleeve won’t help the professor avoid detection, and even then - I didn’t pack the right clothes for it.”

“Go ahead, I haven’t thought of anything that doesn’t involve leaving the symposium entirely or losing the security deposit on the room. Retreat is not a palatable option, and I‘d rather not be ejected before the conference started.” Madblood sighed, and put his head in his hands.

“It’s not so much a new plan as an addition to the security protocols we worked out beforehand. According to her profile, the actions in question might not put her off the professor, but would make it more difficult for her to gain access to him.” Sela said as she moved to stand beside Arsène.

“You’re waffling, Sela.” Charlotte said, sitting up straighter. “Why do I feel I should quote Lucas at this point?” Arsène and Sela stood side by side, with her arm around his shoulders, his arm around her waist. Suddenly, Charlotte felt she couldn’t breathe. “Oh.”

“Charlotte, what’s the matter?” Madblood raised his head. “Oh, indeed.”

“This would allow us an excuse to stick close to you.” Arsène said as he sat beside Charlotte on the couch.

Sela stood by the professor‘s chair. “If we were to cover you from the exits, we could not protect you from her or any other threats adequately. There would be those who notice we are in two places at once, but so far, we have been able to pass as organics.” She settled on the arm of the chair.

“If nothing else, if Dr. Pescados-Diablo persists in her pursuit, she will eventually become an object of jest by her peers.” Arsène stated, focusing on Charlotte.

“But that would cut out Charlotte’s chances to mingle with her peers,” Madblood began.

“I don’t have a problem with becoming a full-time bodyguard, but I’m sure the professor doesn’t want to be crowded with his intern at every step,” Charlotte weakly protested.

“There’s also the problem that this is the one gathering that you two would be spotted as silicates before the week is out,” Madblood concluded.

“True, this is why you may still reject the plan. It could require minor PDAs between panels. We’ll have to gauge the witness reactions to see if it will work with carbon-silicate pairs or if it needs to be carbon only.” Arsène was not emulating the professor at the moment, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “At any rate, one of the three of us needs to cover the professor full time until we can neutralize the threat.”

“Luckily, we arrived early enough to secure a command center. Opening ceremonies are the day after tomorrow, and we should be able to hack into the security system to monitor everyone else - and their hacks, of course.” Sela commented. “The local Radio Shack will likely pull in double last year’s profits just this week. Tomorrow we can get any supplies you might need, and work out the security profiles.” She stood, and Madblood unconsciously followed suit, prompting the others to rise as well. “We may need an early start tomorrow morning.”

“It’s late, you may want to sleep and think about it before we decide on a primary course of action.” Arsène said as he led Charlotte to one door of the suite, while Sela indicated Madblood’s door.

“Um, Arsène - could you or Sela make a run to a grocery store sometime tonight? I’d rather have full control over -” Charlotte began.

“Already in the works, Lieutenant; Go to sleep, we’ll take care of everything.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Charlotte mumbled as Arsène closed the door behind her.

>>>>

Lupin called the lab before going to bed. When the outgoing voicemail message began, he cut in, "Lovelace, please pick up."

“Good evening, sir. Have you arrived safely?”

"Physically, yes, we are fine, but it is not a good evening. Ines is here, and she has made yet another of her unwelcome advances." Lupin complained. He realized his tone had become petulant, and modulated back to a more conversational tone. "Enough of that - how is everything at the lab?”

"First explain your use of the phrase 'unwelcome advances' and prove you are who you say." Lovelace replied.

Lupin sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ines has been increasingly pushy in the past few years, and during check-in, she attempted chemical subversion. If Arsène had not been playing decoy, you might be taking orders from her this evening." He sighed again, "I'm rather sure Ines would not treat you the same way Charlotte has."

Lovelace’s quiet response was, "There was a time you would not have worried how anyone treated me.”

“An error on my part, as it is never wise to annoy those who are charged with your safety or well-being.” Madblood sighed, “And now it looks as if my past sins are returning to gnaw upon my gluteal muscle group.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sela and Arsène have cooked up a plan to keep Ines from getting too close. It involves very little effort on my part, but a great deal from Charlotte, if she agrees to the farce.”

“Considering what she’s done so far, I don’t doubt she will cooperate, whatever it is you ask of her,” Lovelace said. “Don’t worry about the lab - the perimeter is secure, and there are two Mark I squads here if anyone decides to make the most of your absence. Is there anything you need from the lab? One of the guys could run a small package to you in under ten hours, and I think we could manage to ship anything too large to carry."

"I think we can make do with what can be obtained locally for right now, Lovelace; but I'll keep that in mind if we need it. Just be careful, and keep Tony updated. We may need to update your exit plan if the property is overrun." Lupin yawned. "Sorry, that didn't come out right. I know you can defend the property, but if it comes to a choice between protecting the property and protecting yourself, bail out if you can. We can rebuild the lab somewhere else, but I'm not sure I could rebuild your experiences." Once was enough, and that was thirty years ago, Madblood thought with a shiver.

"Well - I might have someplace to stay if it came to that.”

Madblood chuckled, “With your young man? I would hope you have completed your background check on him before you have your sleepover.”

“Actually, his eldest sister has arranged a download site in a secure location. She e-mailed the address to me before you left, and Sela checked it out. It’s perfect; his sister seems to be - never mind.”

“What is it, Lovelace?”

“It’s as if she were - similar - to me. Do you know of any other SBI in the local network?”

“Not off-hand, but we can review when I get home. Be careful, and let me know if you have any problems.”

“This is a surprising conversation to have with you, Professor."

"Long overdue, then,” the professor said before he was caught unawares by a huge yawn. “Sorry, I'm about to face-plant at this point. Good night, Lovelace." Lupin disconnected the phone.

"Good night, Father." Lovelace said to the empty lab.

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Three of Five, Chapter 43

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