ANA Reborn by Carl Facciponte - HTML preview
Download the book in PDF, ePub, Kindle for a complete version.
Chapter 8
eneral Lance Coopers strode into the AI G Concepts Manhattan Executive Office Complex and rode to the eighteenth floor. He marched past the administrative assistant's desk without waiting for her to ask if she could be of any service.
With a firm voice, he declared in passing, "I'm General Coopers here to see Frank Wright," and continued toward the dark-oak office door of the President of Research and Development.
"Excuse me, General, I'll announce you. You can't just walk in on Mr. Wright. Please, sir!"
Lance responded, "Sure, I can." Without looking back or breaking stride, he said, "See? It's easy." He reached the door, turned the brass doorknob, and entered Frank's office.
Frank looked up from his desk. "Hello, General Coopers. Thank you for coming. Did Lisa step away from her desk? She usually announces guests."
77
ANA Reborn
"Nah, she's still there." Then, looking around,
"You've redecorated since the last time I was up here. I see you still have the Bourbon Bar, though.
Thank you, don't mind if I do," he said, walking to the private bar and pouring three-fingers for himself. "Want one, Frank? Nothing but the best for my friends," he mocked.
"Yes, Lance. I believe I will need it, "and then in a forlorn voice, "Pour me a triple, too, would you?"
They sat at the small round cherry table.
Glasses clinked, and the men took a sip.
"What can I do for you, General? You have a way of not preparing your audiences with an advance agenda."
"Oh, sorry, Frank. Habit, I guess. We never tip our hand to the adversary too soon. Naturally, in this case, we are both on the same side of the line."
Frank mustered up as much sincerity as he could. "Of course. We certainly are on the same side, General."
Lance leaned forward, pointed his bourbon and index finger at Frank, and asked, "How are 78
Carl Facciponte
our little battle-bots doing? I have my guys monitoring them remotely, but I want it straight from the horse's mouth."
Frank leaned back in his chair, away from Lance, in a defensive posture. "They are doing wonderfully. The speed at which they are socializing is astounding. Most people outside of the lab would never suspect they are AIs."
"Good. Good." Lance settled back into his seat.
"And are they still living in the lab? It’s been two months since they were animated."
"Yes, they are. We want to be sure they are okay for apartment life before we set them up in Gabriella's apartment."
"I understand, Frank, but we need to move the program forward a few weeks. We have Gabriella's place waiting for them at 200 East 69th Street. I need to have them socialized faster for an assignment coming up this summer."
"What's their relationship going to be for this assignment? Fellow soldiers, brother and sister, lovers, husband and wife? How do we bill it?"
Lance thought for just a second. "For this assignment, it would be better if they were 79
ANA Reborn
soldiers married to each other. Then, it wouldn't arouse suspicion when I keep them together all the time to work for me."
"And papers?"
"Just like before. If anyone investigates them, they will have all the necessary paperwork, certificates, former schools, and work history records. It's even more detailed than the Witness Protection Program. Hell, criminals find people in the WPP all the time. We do better work than that."
"And my part?"
"Easy. We have some Afghanistan National Army troops in a quiet region needing additional training. This is a non-combat role in a country with a lot of combat. Ralph Thornton will train their troops. Ana and Rhett will provide support.
It's an easy way to get them used to the culture and terrain. They're just machines, but no sense in making it harder on a machine than we have to.
We don't abuse our rifles or jeeps, either. Your job is to settle them into the apartment on their own, and then we'll ship 'em out. Got it?"
Frank said he understood. "Anything else, General?"
80
Carl Facciponte
"No. You know me. Give everyone just one thing at a time to do to make it easy on them. I'm all about making things easy for people." Frank shifted uneasily in his chair.
General Lance stood, drank down the remaining bourbon, slammed the glass down, and marched toward the door. He turned before going through the archway and said, "Thanks for the drink. That's good stuff. I must pay you guys too much." He nodded his goodbye and strode off.
Frank sighed and walked out to talk to Lisa instead of asking her to come in via the intercom.
"Lisa, could you set up a half-hour meeting with Francine, Martha, Ana, Rhett, and myself for some time this week? I'll go to the lab."
"No problem, Mr. Wright. Will there be anything else?"
"Yes, tell me what the General isn't telling me."
"I don't understand, sir."
"Don't worry about it. Neither do I. There is more than troop training in this, but I don't know what. Guess we'll find out, right?"
81
ANA Reborn
Lisa shook her head in confusion. "If you say so, sir."
"Don't worry about it. I'm just an old man talking, but somehow I don't like this a bit."
***
Lance called the NYS Governor's Office on the taxi ride to his NYC office. "This is General Lance Coopers. Put me through to the Governor,"Lance ordered with no hint of civility.
"Sir," the Governor's administrator said with an edge in his voice, "do you have an appointment?"
"I don't need an appointment to speak to him.
What's your name, boy?"
"No need for hostilities, sir. The Governor is free now. I'll put you right through. Thank you for your patience."
Lance gave no response.
"Hello, this is Governor Vomitare," the Governor said into the phone.
"Hello, Lorenzo. This is Lance. I need you to do something for me. It's not a big thing, but I don't want to go through any military members, 82
Carl Facciponte
city government, or police department. Besides, we work well together man-to-man. "
"What do you need, Lance?" the Governor asked with some hesitation.
"It's an easy one. I need to line up five trained thugs for a job. I need a couple of people beaten and robbed."
"That sounds like it could go through a much lower level channel. So why call me about it?"
"Well, these are no ordinary people. Not famous, but not average. They are particularly good at self-defense. I need professionals the NYC police can't track. Just hit and vanish to the four winds. Can you give me some names? I can have my people work with them if you trust them."
"Lance, you are always up to more than you let on, but our fake terrorist strike in The City gave me a lot of ammunition to tighten the rules on gun ownership and swung the election in my favor. There was only one casualty, an unknown blonde lady who apparently had no relatives to complain about her death. Sure, I can give you some names."
83
ANA Reborn
Lance smiled. "Thank you, Governor. I appreciate it and knew I could count on you to know some good mercenaries."
84
Carl Facciponte