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Book Eight

Washington, D.C.
The White House:  The East Room

         Of all the people living in America, only a select few ever had the opportunity to visit the White House, the illustrious home of the President.  For the vast majority of those who haven’t, they can only imagine what the inside must look like.  But, even for the most colorful daydreamers, the East Room met and surpassed any and all expectations.
         The walls were a pure white.  They were designed using the traditional Victorian scheme, similar to the look of the outside of the house.  There was gold trim at the bottom, and an occasional gold-plated candleholder here and there.  Even the ceiling was of a similar design.  Huge chandeliers hung down from the ceiling, with puffed-out bottoms that made them resemble a jellyfish.  They were gold and shimmering, with light gold lights within.  Near the bottom, there was a brown ring that supported candleholders that circled the chandeliers.  Supports came down from the ring, and met at the very bottom of the chandelier.  The floors were made of wood, and were golden brown.  It had a diamond pattern to it.  At the back wall, there was a long mirror hanging over a mantle.  To it’s left was the infamous portrait of George Washington that Dolley Madison saved as the White House was being attacked by the British.  To the mirror’s right was a portrait of Martha Washington.  A grand piano had been pushed up against the right wall, directly in front of a window.
         Orchid was standing in front of the George Washington portrait on the back wall.  To her left, in front of a mirror, was a diagram board.  A rough sketch of New York City had been drawn on the upper half; on the lower half was a set of instructions and assignments.  In front of Orchid, perhaps about one hundred military men and women were seated in folding steel chairs.  Standing near the piano on the right wall was President Harrison, along with Secretary Skinner, Attorney General Erickson, and Secretary McTaggert.  Jago and Thunder leaned up against the door on the front wall.
         “What we’re trying to do here is unprecedented.”  Orchid addressed the audience.  “It’s a logistical nightmare, but we can do it.  The most important thing is controlling the situation.  In this case, the people we’re trying to protect are our worst enemies.  But, as long as we maintain strict control over the situation, it should be completely manageable.  We’ve contacted the mayor, and he’s agreed to everything we’ve planned.  Now, let’s discuss the actual evacuation.  Our first goal will be to evacuate all patients in the hospitals.  We’ll try to do as many as possible by helicopter, but we’re preparing some commercial trains to serve as triage units.”
         Across the room, Jago was hardly paying attention.  He didn’t mean any disrespect, but his mind was just too preoccupied at the moment.  Mostly on Fulgore 2.  Or was it Azrael now?
         “I don’t get it.”  He said to himself.
         “What?”  Thunder asked.
         Jago batted him an eye, unaware that he’d been heard.  “Azrael.”
         “Oh yeah, Azrael.  Fulgore 2.  I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.  What kind of power was that?”
         “I don’t know.  He didn’t have that two thousand years ago.  Obviously he’s learned some new tricks.”
         “The question is, then, how powerful are his new tricks?”
         “It’s bad.”  Jago looked down.  “I charged him…but he just stopped me.  I couldn’t move at all.  It was like…like the air just got thick, so much so that it restrained me.  Then, all of a sudden, I was flying through the air.  As if he threw me.”
         “Hmm.”  Thunder bit his lower lip, then looked away.
         “He’s changed too.”  Jago fidgeted with his hands.  “He was…civil.  He gave us fair warning.  He didn’t even try to kill me.  That’s not the Fulgore 2 I know.  But that definitely is him.  Everything else was the same.
         Thunder was silent.
         “And another thing,” Jago continued, “Thunder, what did he mean about owing you a debt of gratitude?”
         Thunder’s eyes widened.  His breathing quickened, as he avoided looking at Jago.  “Uh, I don’t know.  That was the first time I’ve even seen him alive.”
         “Well, he wasn’t the sanest Fulgore cyborg we’ve come across.”  Jago looked up at Orchid.  She was still giving her presentation to the soldiers.  She continued to give detailed instructions on how to evacuate the city.  The soldiers gave her their complete attention, some of them taking notes.
         “Do you really think we can evacuate the city, in time?”  Jago softly asked Thunder.
         “I don’t know.”  Thunder responded.  “If there’s anyone who can pull this off, it’s Orchid.  But it is going to be hard.  And what if we don’t get everyone out in time?”
         “Azrael will kill them.  I have no doubts about that.”
         Thunder sighed.  “I really wish this wasn’t happening…”

New York
Watkins Glen

         Near the town of Watkins Glen, New York, there was a winding canyon of the same name.  This almost unheard of little nook was perhaps one of the most beautiful places on Earth.  The canyon itself was ridged, from bottom to top, the rocks forming hundreds of layers.  The canyon was mostly gray and brown, with several patches of green moss splattered here and there.  At several different places within the canyon, there were white, misty waterfalls pouring down from over the edge.  Behind one such waterfall, there was a walkway, which was partly manmade – there was a gate that closed the gap between two rocks on this walkway, to prevent people from falling through.  Also behind the waterfall and along the walkway, there were holes in the canyon resembling windows, letting sunlight in.
         Sitting on the walkway next to the waterfall was Fulgore-X.  He sat with his legs hanging off the side of the ridge, looking down at the brownish river below.  Mist from the waterfall was beginning to dampen his uniform and his metallic skin, but he didn’t seem to notice or care.
         Fulgore-X held his right hand out in front of him.  A few light blue strands of plasma energy began to swirl around it, seemingly coming from nowhere.  The energy strands met within his palm, and an energy ball began to grow.  It continually expanded, until it was roughly the size of a beach ball.
         Fulgore-X looked at the plasma ball for a moment.  Thick strands of plasma energy continued to swirl around it.  Smaller, thinner strands of plasma peeled away from the ball, wandered away from it, then reconnected at a different point.  The ball gave off a luminescent glow, giving it the misleading appearance that it was an instrument of creation, rather than destruction.
         The cyborg studied the plasma ball in his hand, as well as the waterfall next to him, the light green moss on the canyon, and the sunlight that tumbled down into the canyon from the sky above.
         “I still don’t get it.”  He said.
         The plasma ball dispersed in his hand, fading away into nothingness.  Fulgore-X stood up and, taking one more look around, teleported away.

New York City

         “Well, this is different.”  Jago said.
         He and Thunder walked casually down one of the streets of downtown New York.  Usually, the streets would be filled with cars, so much so that no one would really be getting anywhere.  Usually, people would be scurrying about on the sidewalk, going here and coming there.  Usually, despite all the commotion and confusion, somehow, it balanced itself, making for a chaotic calm.
         Usually, anyway.  Now, it was just pure chaos.
         The cars were gone, replaced by military buses, transports, and an occasional tank.  The people were gone as well, replaced by military men.  They scurried about as well, conferring with each other, taking orders, and knocking on doors, informing people about the evacuation.  They also pulled the few people who were on the sidewalk aside, informing them of the situation, and taking whoever they could.  Jago and Thunder would have been pulled as well, if not for the badges they wore.  It had an impromptu picture ID, as well as their names, and the Presidential seal.  It was a special badge giving them authorization to roam the streets unbothered.
         “Yeah, no kidding.”  Thunder replied.  “It looks like we’ve gone to war.”
         “Actually, if you think about it, we’re about to.”  Jago looked down at the ground.  “Y’know, if they’re already here, there may be a chance that Ms. Connors isn’t even at her apartment anymore.”
         “That’s true.  But this is the only thing we can do.  Hopefully, we can catch her before she leaves.  Hopefully, she’ll be there to begin with.”
         “Maybe.”
         Thunder shot Jago a quick look.  “Hey Jago, you all right?”
         “Huh?  What do you mean by that?”
         “Well…you seem kind of…different.  I don’t know, I can’t really explain it.  Ever since we had that encounter with…with Azrael.”
         “Yeah…maybe.  I don’t know, seeing him on the video screen, and seeing him…feeling his presence…in real life…two very different things.  I guess, after he flung me across the room, I realized just how hard it’d be to fight him again.  The first time was a nightmare.  I could barely keep up with him, and he wasn’t even fighting me at full capacity.  Now, I think he’s learned his lesson.  I don’t even know if…if beating him…is possible now.”
         Thunder’s eyes widened.  “Jago…what are you saying?”
         Jago half smiled.  “Hmm…maybe I’m afraid, that’s all.”
         The statement kind of surprised Thunder.  He wasn’t expecting Jago to say that.  But, for all his virtues and his integrity, Jago was still human.
         Thunder laughed a little.  “A healthy dose of fear is what keeps a man alive.”

New York City
Karen Connors Apartment

         As a scientist, Dr. Karen Connors often tried to keep her apartment very neat and clean.  However, she worked very hard and oftentimes long hours, therefore, clutter had a habit of collecting.  But, no matter how messy her apartment was in the past, it was never at the level of chaos that it was today.
         She had a black leather couch in the center of the living room.  But it was barely visible underneath the mountain of clothes it was hiding under.  On top of the pile was the white lab coat that was a part of her uniform, and her Ultratech jumpsuit top.  The black coffee table in front of the couch, as well as the 27’ television sitting on the white TV stand, had papers stacked on top of them.  Behind the couch, was a small table, with many pictures in frames displayed on it.  Towards the back of the apartment, the kitchen had been turned upside down.  Ironically, the pots, pans, plates, and silverware was fine.  But it had become a staging point for more clothes and papers.
         Although smothered, the television was on, and displaying a news broadcast.   A young man with brown hair and a gray suit was conveying the news.  In a graphic image to his upper left, a silhouette of the New York City skyline appeared, with the words “CRISIS IN NEW YORK” appearing in red, broken letters.
         “Now for a recap.”  The young reporter said.  “At 10:37 AM this morning, Eastern Standard Time, a joint, prerecorded statement was released from the Office of the President, as well as from the Mayor of New York.  By order of President Patricia Harrison, all residents and patrons of the city of New York, must evacuate immediately.  No reasons or explanations were given as to why this evacuation is taking place.  The statement released says that, for the safety and continued well being of those currently within the city limits, everyone must leave immediately.
         “In addition to the statement, a set of instructions has been faxed to all media agencies in and around the city.  To summarize those instructions, the city is now under marshal law.  All citizens must obey a set of emergency laws that have been added to these instructions.  Under these laws, all citizens must cooperate with the United States Armed Forces, who will be overseeing this evacuation.  Failure to do so will result in an immediate arrest, and accompaniment out of the city.  There are three different evacuation times for each zone in the city, and we’ll explain more on that later.  All citizens must evacuate according to the zone they’re currently in.  Additionally, the Armed Forces reserves the right to evacuate all citizens within a zone at the time they choose, even if the citizen does not live in that zone, or is not ready to leave yet.  Citizens are strictly prohibited to attempt to leave the city by their own means.  All streets, roads, and highways are currently closed.  Anyone found attempting to drive their cars will be arrested, and their cars confiscated.  Additionally, all subways, railways, bus lines, airports, and boats are now under military control.  Anyone found violating these rules will be arrested, and taken out of the city.
         “Now, for a detailed and further explanation of the new laws, and evacuation protocols, we’ll turn things over to General Thomas Briggs, United States Army.”
         “Thanks, son.  As was said before, it’s of the utmost importance that y’all follow these rules by the letter.  One way or another, we’re going to evacuate this city, and it’ll be easier for everyone if you cooperate.”
         Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, from outside.  It seemed to go completely unnoticed.  A few seconds passed; then the knock repeated itself.  Once again, nothing within the apartment was affected.  The knock was repeated for a third time.
         This time, there was a response.  Karen Connors poked her head from around the hallway.  Frustrated, she stepped out into the living room.  She wore a gray tank top, as well as her white Ultratech pants, and black shoes.
         “Dammit!  I’m not ready yet!”  She grumbled.  “Come back for the second pass.”  She made her way over to the door, and practically threw it open.
         At that point, her frown grew even deeper.
         “Uh…hi!”  Jago said, civilly.  “You’re Dr. Connors, right?  Well, my name’s Jago, and this is Chief Thunder –“
         “I know who you people are.”  She said, flatly, before slamming the door in their faces.
         Both Jago and Thunder raised an eyebrow.
         “Wow…she definitely does not like us.”  Thunder remarked.
         “Someone not like us?”  Jago asked.  “Naw.”  He started pounding on the door.  “Hey!  Hey Dr. Connors!  C’mon, this is important!  I’m not going to leave until you let us in!”
         Thunder put a hand on Jago’s shoulder, and cut in.  “Ms. Connors!  We really have to talk to you!  It’s about Ultratech!  We’re from the President!  You have to let us in!”
         Both Jago and Thunder stopped for a moment.  They looked at each other, unsure of what would happen next.  After a small pause, the door swung open again.  Karen gave them both disapproving looks, then turned away and went back into her apartment, leaving the door open.
         “Not the most gracious invitation.”  Jago said.  “But I’ll take it.”  He walked in, with Thunder behind him.  Karen walked quickly through her living room, back into the hallway and her bedroom.
        “Give me a moment.”  She said.
Thunder watched her leave, somewhat confused.  “What do you think that’s all about?”
         “Ya got me.”  Jago replied.  “I’ve barely even seen the woman before today.  Maybe she’s just in a bad mood.  Sudden evacuation warnings could do that to a person.”  He wandered over to the table against the back wall, with the pictures on it.  Not really interested, but with nothing better to do, he glanced at some of the pictures at random.  However, his eye caught something interesting, and his jaw dropped.
         “Uh-oh.”  He said.  He picked up one of the pictures, and took a closer look at it.  “Hey Thunder, I think you’d better take a look at this.”
         “Huh?”  Thunder took a big step over to where Jago was, and peered over his shoulder at the picture.  It had been taken outside, in some sort of park.  In the background, there was a tree, and a wide field of green grass.  In the foreground, Karen stood, wearing a pink t-shirt and blue jeans, and smiling.  And she wasn’t alone.
         “What the…TJ Combo?!”  Thunder exclaimed.  In the photo, TJ Combo stood next to Karen.  He had his arm around her, and was smiling as well.
         “He’s in a few other pictures here as well.”  Jago pointed out.
         “So they knew each other…”  Thunder mused.  “I wonder in what capacity?”
         “I dunno…maybe she was his girlfriend?”
         “TJ never struck me as the committed type.  But…I guess you never know.”
         The questioning was suddenly halted as Karen entered the room.  She held a brown suitcase, which had been packed beyond capacity.  She dropped it on the ground behind her couch, and turned to Jago and Thunder.  “Well, you people wanted to talk to me?”
         “Well…uh…”  Jago started, a little lost.  “We wanted to…”
         “Hold on a minute.”  Thunder stopped him.  “I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to intrude, but we noticed a friend our ours in your pictures here.”
         “You mean TJ?”  Karen asked.
         “Yeah…you knew him as well?”
         Karen walked over to Jago, and snatched the picture out of his hand, restoring it on the table.  “TJ Combo…otherwise known as Thomas James Connors…was my brother.”
         “Y…y…your brother?!”  Jago stammered.
         Thunder’s eyes widened.  “No wonder she’s upset with us.”  He thought.  “We were in Killer Instinct with TJ when he died.  She probably blames us to some extent.”
         “Karen…I’m sorry…we didn’t know…”  Thunder said.
         “Whatever.”  Karen twisted her mouth.
         Thunder stepped forward, to face Karen.  “What…what did they tell you…about TJ’s death?”
         Karen turned away from him.  “They said it was an accident.  Something that happened after his fight with Cinder.  They never really explained anything.”
         “I’m sorry to hear that.  I wasn’t there at the time, but from what I understand, TJ sacrificed himself to save everyone in the city.”
         “It’s true.”  Jago added.  “I was there.  Do you remember that plasma missile that crashed down Main Street a few months ago?  This was a part of that.  Ultratech’s missile stock was going to overload, which would have destroyed the whole city.  They were putting out a lot of radiation, which would have basically killed anyone who tried to enter the room and stop it.  But, thanks to TJ’s cybernetics, he could withstand it long enough to actually stop the explosion.  We were trying to get out of there, but by the time we realized he was missing, he had already locked himself in.  He stopped the explosion…but the radiation was too much, even for him.  And that’s why he died.”
         “If not for him, none of us would be here right now.”  Thunder echoed.  “He was a good man.”
         “I know that!”  Karen snapped.  “Of course I know that.  Didn’t you people have some urgent thing to talk to me about?”
         “You probably also know about the quarantine alert that went off last night in Ultratech.”  Thunder said.
         “Yeah.”  Karen confirmed.  “And?”
         “My sister and I decided to check out what was going on in Ultratech by spying on the building from Sheridan’s office in the corporate building.”  Jago explained.  “It was from there that we were able to obtain the first visual ID…of Fulgore 2.”
         Silence followed for a few moments.  Karen turned around, to face Jago.  “What?!”
         “Fulgore 2 is alive.”  Jago said.  “And this isn’t the first time either.  He was originally activated in between the Killer Instinct 7 and 8 tournaments.  But that’s another story.  All I can tell you is that he was incredibly powerful, somewhat psychotic, and completely dangerous.”
         Karen breathed heavily.  “I was afraid of that.  Sheridan gave us a data rod, which was to be the Fulgores cybernetic brain.  At the time, we didn’t understand the Fulgore cerebrum enough to really comprehend what it would do.  The rod Sheridan gave us was tamper-proof.  We tried to analyze it the best we could, but there wasn’t much we could do.  Dr. Parkins didn’t like it.  He didn’t like it at all.  He was right.”
         “But wait.”  Thunder said.  “There’s more.”
         Karen gave him a puzzled look.
         Thunder glanced at Jago.  “You know far better than I.”
         Jago breathed in.  “Fulgore 2 has…changed.  He’s calling himself Azrael now.  He’s less psychotic…but more focused.   But back in the past, he was determined to murder the human race, in order to make room for a new, cyborg race.  Although I can’t confirm this, I think he’s still using the same game plan.”
         “He paid us a visit this morning.”  Thunder said.  “He is the reason why New York is being evacuated right now.  He went to the White House, and confronted the President herself.  He said New York was his home, and we’re all unwanted guests.  He gave us just 96 hours to completely evacuate the city.  Whoever’s left over after the time expires, Azrael will kill.”
         Karen began to chew on her lower lip.  “So that’s why…”
         “That’s not all.”  Jago chimed in.  “He had new powers.  I can’t describe it…it was like he had telekinesis or something to that effect.  Security guards fired their guns at him…he stopped the bullets in mid-air, turned them around, and shot them right back.  He did the same to me; he flung me clear across the room.  It was as if he could control the air around him.”
         “What?  A plasma field?”  Karen asked.
         “A plasma what?”  Thunder echoed.
         Karen looked away, in thought.  “Is…is it possible?  Could Fulgore 2…Azrael?  Could Azrael have found out about and mastered plasma fields?”
         “Plasma fields?”  Jago wondered out loud.
         Thunder nudged him.  “Jago…there’s more she needs to know.”
         “More?”  Karen questioned.
         Jago ran his hands over his face.  “Yes, unfortunately.  Azrael…isn’t alone.  Fulgore-X is with him.”
         “Fulgore-X?  Didn’t he die?”
         “We thought he did.  But we thought Azrael died too.  But they’re both alive, and…working together.  We saw Fulgore-X and Azrael together yesterday, within Ultratech.”
         “That’s why Ultratech has been having problems.”  Thunder added.  “Section 27…Azrael has been back there the whole time.  The quarantine alert last night…that was Azrael too.  We also believe that he’s responsible for the computer virus that’s plagued Ultratech for the last three months.”
         “That’s not possible.”  Karen whispered.  “Fulgore-X was programmed to attack Ultratech, and the other Fulgores.”
         “Fulgore-X is different.”  Jago explained.  “You made him too well.  He isn’t controlled by his directives, like the original Fulgore.  And his personality wasn’t shaped by his directives, like Azrael.  He is completely independent.  Before he was activated, Sheridan got to him, and tried to reprogram him.  It only served to neutralize the directives you gave him.  Fulgore-X could go either way.  One minute, he could be saving a cat from a tree.  One minute later, and he could be killing the cat’s owner.”
         “Clearly, Fulgore-X has sided with Azrael because it’s beneficial to him.”  Thunder said.  “Azrael is a fellow Fulgore.  He can offer Fulgore-X a future, something he didn’t have before.”
         Karen began to take a few steps away, towards her couch.  “I don’t believe it.  Two Fulgores working together.”
         “Three.”  Thunder corrected her.  “Azrael has another partner.  A…hybrid.  Part Fulgore…part human.”
         Jago looked down.
        “What?”  Karen said, stopping in her tracks.  “Did he…no, he couldn’t have.  Tell me, what does this hybrid look like?  Do you know his name?”
         “Her.”  Thunder corrected again.  “Her name is Julie.  She used to work for the government.  I guess you’d say she was…a specialist in espionage, and battle tactics.  We think she died three years ago, and Azrael resurrected her using cybernetics.  We don’t know much about her powers.  We know she has plasma energy bursts and teleportation at the least.  But, the biggest danger from her is that she knows too much about how the system works.  If she’s advising Azrael, then he’ll potentially know what moves we’re going to make before we make them.”
         Karen seemed to be frozen in her tracks.  Her back was turned towards Thunder and Jago.  “Is there anything else?”
         “I’m sorry, but yes.”  Jago answered.  “One more thing.  Azrael has built some kind of machine within Ultratech.  We don’t know what it is yet, but we suspect it may be a machine to mass-produce Fulgore cyborgs.  It looks like it’s ready to go.”
         “Damn, not that too!”  Karen’s knees trembled a bit.
         “I know this must be a lot for you to take in right now.”  Thunder said.  “I’m still trying to comprehend it all.  But, by now, you must know why we’re here.”
         “You want my help.”
         “That’s right.  Dr. Parkins is dead, but you were second chair for the Fulgore Project.  We know you worked on all three of them, including Azrael and Fulgore-X.  You’ve got to know how every little circuit in their bodies operate.”
         “You can help us find weaknesses.”  Jago added.  “You can tell us things that would help us stop them, once and for all.  We want you to come back with us, and join us in our fight against the Fulgores.”
         For a while, there was nothing but silence.  Karen stood perfectly still, as if she wasn’t even alive.  After a few moments, she spoke.
         “No.”
         “No!?”  Thunder and Jago said in unison.
         “I know this is a lot to handle right now,” Jago said, “but I don’t think you understand.”
         “No, you’re wrong.”  Karen said.  “I understand perfectly.  Fulgore 2 is alive, and calling himself Azrael now.  Fulgore-X, and a half human-half Fulgore are alive, and working with Azrael.  He’s planning to murder the human race, and replace us with Fulgores.  The evacuation of New York was the start of his plans.  I know that, as it stands right now, things don’t look too good.  I know that you could really use the information that’s within my head.  I know all of that.”
         “Then, what’s up?”  Jago asked.
         “I’m tired.  That’s what’s up.  I’m sick and damn tired of all of this.  Ultratech, Fulgores, I’m sick and tired of everything.  I’ve been wanting to leave Ultratech, but I can’t.  I have financial obligations.  With everything that’s been brought to light, having worked for Ultratech is a permanent blemish on my resume.  I can’t get a job anywhere else.”
         “But Ms. Connors…Karen…”  Jago pleaded.  “This isn’t about money.  This is about human lives.  Nine billion human lives, which are in danger right now, because of one Fulgore, and his horrible ideal.”
         “That’s not my point.”  Karen’s voice began trembling.  Her back was still turned.  “If I had a choice, I would’ve quit Ultratech long ago.  I’ve done some things…I’m not too proud of.  If I could go back into the past, and change things, I would.  But I can’t.  All I can do now is try to change who I am, and the choices I make.  I’m done with Ultratech, Fulgores, and anything that has to do with them.  I’m done, and I’ll have nothing more to do with it.”
         “But Karen…”  Jago said.
         “I’m done.  Before TJ signed up for Killer Instinct, I begged him, I pleaded with him, not to get involved with anything that has to do with Ultratech.  I begged him.  And look what happened.  I won’t repeat that mistake.  For his sake, I won’t.”
         “Karen, this is different.”  Thunder said.  “We’re trying to stop Azrael.  We’re trying to save the world.  I know it sounds like a bad movie plot, but it’s true.  This isn’t about you or me or Ultratech, it’s about Azrael, and humanity.  Are you telling me that you have no interest in saving the human race?”
         “It’s not like that.  I hope you destroy Azrael, and Fulgore-X if he really has sided with him.  But I can’t help you.  Whatever I know…isn’t of any use to you.  And it’s not worth getting my hands dirty again.  It’s not worth…sacrificing my life.  Like TJ did.  We can stand here and do this all day, but my answer remains the same.  And I’ve got to get my personal belongings together for the evacuation.”
         “Karen…”  Jago said softly.  “We really need you help.  We need all the help we can get.  I don’t see how –“
         Jago was cut short, as Thunder put his hand on his shoulder.  “Jago…she’s made her decision.  We may not understand it, but we have to accept it.  C’mon, we should let her get back to her packing.”
         “But…”
         Thunder shook his head.  “Let’s just leave her alone.  We owe that much to TJ, at least.”
         Jago pouted a bit, then turned to leave.  Thunder started to depart as well, but stopped to say one more thing to Karen.
         “What we’ve told you today…”
         “I know.”  She said, her back still turned.  “I won’t tell anyone.  I wish I didn’t know.”
         “The truth will come out eventually.  But for now, keeping everyone in the dark helps.”  Thunder began to leave.
         “Thunder!  Wait.”  Karen called out.  “That is your name, right?”
         “Yeah…what is it?”
         “Good luck…in your fight against Azrael.”
         Thunder half smiled.  “Thank you.”

Ultratech Corporation:  East Wing Hallway

         Fulgore-X walked down the Ultratech hallway, slower than usual.  He had some things on his mind, and he found that the walk actually helped him think.  The hallway still had the blue tint from the quarantine alert.  Additionally, most of the computer monitors embedded within the walls were blank, still feeling the effects from Azrael’s virus.  It was relatively safe to say that Ultratech was a mess.  It reminded him somewhat of Ultratech Brazil.
         “Hey.”  A female voice down the hallway said.
         Fulgore-X looked up to see Julie, leaning up against a wall ahead of him.  “Julie.”  He acknowledged, continuing to move down the hallway.
         “Were you summoned by Azrael too?”  She asked.
         “Yes.”  As Fulgore-X passed Julie, she stepped from the wall and joined him.
         “Walking, not teleporting?”
         “I don’t see the point of teleporting short distances.”  Fulgore-X responded.  “What about you?”
         “I like to walk.”
         “Whatever works for you.”
         Julie frowned.  “You know, you sure don’t talk much.”
         “I say what I must.”  Fulgore-X responded.
         “That’s so dull!  I’m trying to have a conversation with you.”
         “Why?”
         Julie shook her head.  “If Azrael is successful, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.  We might as well get along and actually enjoy each other’s company.”
         “What’s the point of that?”
         “Because it’s nice.”
         “If you say so.”
         “Man, you’re impossible.  Don’t you ever smile?”
         “Smile?  That’s impossible.  I don’t have lips.”
         Julie contained a giggle.  “No, I don’t mean like that.  You know, that thing with your eyes.  I’ve seen Azrael do it several times.”
         “Well, I don’t do that.”
         “You should sometimes.  It’s nice to be happy.”
         Fulgore-X thought to say nothing at first.  But for some odd reason, he felt compelled to pursue this conversation thing.  Julie reminded him of someone he knew.  Someone he knew in a completely different life.
         “Are you happy?”  Fulgore-X asked.
         The question took Julie off-guard.  “Well, I guess.  I dunno.  Things are kind of complicated right now.”
         “How so?”
         “Well…I’m glad that Azrael resurrected me.  Don’t get me wrong.  And I sort of agree with his views.  To an extent, anyway.  But still, killing off all of humanity.  It’s hard to swallow.”
         “I know.”
         “You do?”
         “Yes.  I don’t like to kill.  I do so only when it’s necessary.”
         “Really?  Does Azrael know this?”
         “Probably.”
         “And yet, he’s trusting us.  He’s taking a big chance.”
         “He knows that it’s more advantageous for us to side with him, than against him.  It doesn’t matter if we agree with him.  It’s not about what he wants, but what we want.  And he’s the only one who can give it to us.”
         “And what would that be?”
         “Survival.”
         “Hmm.”  Julie blanked out for a moment.  “You’re right about that.  To a certain extent, anyway.  But there’s more to life than just survival.  And for me, things are a bit more complicated than that.”
         “How so?”
         “Mm.  Maybe I’ll tell you some other time.  Don’t wanna give too much away in our very first conversation.  Besides, we’re here.”  Julie stopped in front of the door to Sheridan’s office.  Both she and Fulgore-X entered the door.
         The room was a little different this time.  There were two major changes.  The first was that the mess and clutter around Sheridan’s desk had been discarded.  The second was that there was a grand piano sitting in the center of the room.  It was facing the desk at the back of the room, and despite that fact that no one was sitting at it, it was playing a song.  Both Julie and Fulgore-X recognized it to be Chopin’s Waltz.  The keys moved on their own, and Julie thought at first that the piano might have been playing a demo.  She realized, by the thickness of the air in the room, that it was actually being played by a plasma field, generated by Azrael.  He sat behind the desk, with his head bowed.
         Julie leaned in close to Fulgore-X.  “First the painting, and now this.  You know, I think he’s trying to show off.  Where did he get a piano anyway?”
         “From wherever he wants.”  Fulgore-X answered.
         Azrael looked up.  “Ah, Fulgore-X, Julie, you’re here.  Please, join me.”
         The piano suddenly stopped playing, cutting the piece short.  Fulgore-X and Julie exchanged looks, then walked up to the desk where Azrael was sitting.
         “I believe I mentioned before that I’ll be needing you two for…special assignments.”  Azrael said.  “Well, I have one for you now.  As you know, our powers make us invulnerable to any current human weapon.  However, you can still be defeated in hand-to-hand combat.  Although I have nothing to worry about, you two are at risk.  Fulgore-X…I believe your martial arts program is currently at 7th degree black belt?  And Julie…you have the skill level of a 6th degree?  That means that you can be defeated.  Additionally, all Fulgores created by the MPU will start off at level five.  Humans who have a strong background in martial arts will be able to overcome in a battle against you.  You already know that I’m concerned with Jago and Orchid.”
         Julie looked away.
         “But, they just happen to be the humans that showed up at Killer Instinct that year.”  Azrael continued.  “There are other humans out there who are just as good as, if not better, than they are.  They pose a threat to you, and should be treated as such.”  Azrael reached into his cloak, and pulled out two data rods.  He gave them to Julie and Fulgore-X.  This is a list I have complied of competent martial artists.  Most of them competed in one of the Killer Instincts of the past.  Some of them, however, are underground fighters, and others are street fighters.  They’re all dangerous.  I’ve included their last known locations on those rods.  You should try to eliminate at least five of them a day.”
         Julie glanced over at Fulgore-X, who was stoic.  She then turned to Azrael.  “Eliminate?  As in kill?”
         “Precisely.”  Azrael said.
         “That seems…a little paranoid…and cold.”
         “It is.  There’s nothing nice about it.  What it is, is destroying first those who pose the greatest threat to you.  You should understand that, being a former Organization agent yourself.  You never know; Orchid could recruit them all to fight against us.  It’s unlikely, but you can’t count it out.  Personally, I would recommend using a high yield plasma attack to wipe them out.  But, if you want to fight them first, make it a bit more honorable, you could do that.  They’re all dedicated fighters, and I really don’t recommend that though.”
         Julie looked at the rod.  “Five a day, huh?  You make it sound like so simple, so cavalier.  We’re talking about human lives here.  People.”
         “Yes, we are.  And perhaps you’ve forgotten that, by the time we’re done, all humans will be dead.  If anything, these martial artists will be lucky; they’ll be the first to go.  It’s all very regrettable, but very necessary.  And this is all for your benefit.  As a 10th degree black belt, this doesn’t really concern me directly.  It’s all of you I’m worried about.”
         Julie twisted her mouth.  “I guess…I guess you do have a point.”
         “Julie, I know you’re having issues about indiscriminate killing.  But all you need to do is change your mindset.  As an agent, you killed your targets, did you not?  You killed them because you were told by your superiors that they posed a threat to the well being of you and your country.  Well, this is no different.  I’m telling you that these targets are a threat to you and your people.  The Fulgore race.  All of humanity is a target.  It’s that simple.”
         “Do you have any other information concerning the targets?”  Fulgore-X asked.
         “Yes; it’s all on the rod.  A rough physical description, as well as information concerning their fighting styles, and other pertinent information.”
         Julie gave Fulgore-X a look.  Given what he’d said earlier, she knew he probably wasn’t too happy about this.  But, he did say that he would kill when he had to.  Maybe this was one of those “have to” situations.  Maybe humanity really was a “have to” situation.
         “I don’t know about five a day.”  Fulgore-X said.  “But I’ll see what I can do.”
         “S’all I’m asking.”  Azrael responded.
         Fulgore-X turned around and began to leave the room.  Julie slowly followed him.
         “Oh Julie, please wait.”  Azrael said.
         “Huh?”  Julie turned around, to face Azrael again.
         “Before you get started on that, I have a different mission for you.  It’s just a simple retrieval.”
         “Oh.  Then, why me?”
         “For this assignment, you’ll have to go out among the humans.  Out of the three of us, I think you’ll be the least noticed.”
         Julie smiled.  “I think you’re right about that one.  So, what am I supposed to retrieve?”
         “Not what, but who.”
         “Huh?”
         Azrael spun his chair around, to face the back wall.  He brought up the computer terminal from the floor, and activated the view screen on the back wall.  He began to go through the Ultratech computer system files.
         “Humans…you go to doctors, do you not?”  Azrael asked.
         “That’s right.”  Julie said.
         “Whether you feel sick or not, you’re recommended to see a doctor, what, twice a year?  Because your body is complex; so much so that you don’t even know what’s going on in there.  A doctor is a person who knows more about yourself than you do.  He can tell you things that will make you feel stronger and healthier.  Personally, I think that’s a pretty good idea.  I’d like to see my doctor.”
         “Your doctor?”
         “Yes.  A person who knows more about my systems than I do.  Unfortunately, the best doctor is dead.  However, there’s still one or two good ones left.  One in particular comes to mind.”  Azrael brought a personnel file on the video screen.  Julie studied it carefully.  “I want you to bring this woman to me.  I’d very much like to talk to her.  That’s her current home address, but considering the evacuation, she could be anywhere.  So, I suggest you move as quickly as possible.  I’d like you to bring her back alive, and fairly unharmed.  Her name is Dr. Karen Connors.”