The Island Project: A Thriller (10 page)

CHAPTER 25

KAMUELA’S HOUSE, RICHARDSON BEACH

15 OCTOBER, 4:00 P.M.

Bennett was laying down on the couch holding an ice pack to his face when Kam called for him from down the hall.

“Mr. Bennett! Come take a look at
this
.” He said it with noticeable excitement.

Bennett sat up and placed the ice pack on the coffee table. He headed back to Kam’s bedroom, which upon entering looked to be more of a command center than a bedroom. Three large screens were displayed in front of Kam’s desk. Cables, hard drives, laptops cluttered every square inch of the room. A large server station sat in the left corner with fans whirring all around it. Bennett tried to find a place to stand among the densely packed gadgetry.

“Check this out.” Kam pulled up a window and typed in a string of commands. He worked quickly with impenetrable focus. His tongue poked just slightly from his mouth and rested on his upper lip while he typed. A moment later, lines of code began stacking up on the screen. Bennett scanned over a few of them.

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_B/EXTERIOR/GATE_A/ENTRANCE

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_B/EXTERIOR/GATE_A/SIDE_DOOR

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_B/EXTERIOR/GATE_B/ACCESS_DOOR

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_A/INTERIOR/BULDING/DOOR_EAST_END

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_A/INTERIOR/BUILDING/DOOR_WEST_END

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_A/INTERIOR/BUILDING/DOOR_SOUTH_END

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_A/INTERIOR/BUILDING_MAIN/LOBBY

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_A/INTERIOR/BUILDING_MAIN/MAINTENANCE

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_A/INTERIOR/BUILDING_MAIN/SERVER

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_A/INTERIOR/BUILDING_MAIN/CONTROL

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_A/INTERIOR/BUILDING_LAB/EAST_DOOR

ROOT_DIR/SYSTEMS/ACCESS/SCTR_A/INTERIOR/BUILDING_LAB/SOUTH_DOOR

“Those are building access codes, right?” asked Bennett.

“Right. I can see them, but I can’t open them yet. They’re encrypted…but give me a little while.”

“Don’t bother with those,” Bennett said. “We’ve already got the key so I don’t need them. How about company files? Anything in there that identifies them? I’m just trying to find out any background info we can get.”

“Let me look,” Kam said. He typed quickly, opening and closing windows at a stunning pace. “Well, this is the only folder readily available—the Public folder. It will take a little more time to get in since it requires security clearance. It looks like there are a few files in here though.” He pulled up a few more lines of code on the screen.

ROOT_DIR/PUBLIC/CERTA/INTRO/ARCHIVE

ROOT_DIR/PUBLIC/CERTA/INTRO/DOCUMENTATION

ROOT_DIR/PUBLIC/CERTA/INTRO/ORIENTATION

“Try this one.
Orientation
,” Bennett said pointing at the screen.

Kam clicked on it and a text file opened up. The CERTA logo displayed at the top of the page followed by a few lines of text.

Center for Excellence in Robotic Technological Advancements

A division of the Department of Defense

This information is classified and owned by the DOD. Unauthorized ownership or reproduction of the contained document(s) is illegal and subject to prosecution. Violation of this addendum is immediate grounds for indictment.

“
Center for Excellence in Robotic Technological Advancements
? These guys make, like, robots and stuff?” Kam said.

“I’m not sure. That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Bennett replied while browsing over the text. “Whatever they’re doing, they’re very secretive about it.”

Bennett read on. The next page was an introduction to the company.

Founded in 2003 by the Department of Defense, CERTA has contributed to major advancements in machine-automated technology. For further information on CERTA, contact the DARPA main office at 958.438.9194

“That’s it?” asked Bennett.

Kam typed in a few keystrokes. “It looks that way. Not much of an orientation,” he replied sarcastically.

“Are there any other files?” Bennett asked.

Kam opened up a few other documents. They all contained vague information about the company and each page directed the reader to contact the DARPA main office.

“And that’s everything in the Public folder?”

“Looks like it...”

Bennett’s phone rang. It was Kelly. She was probably checking in on him to make sure he was ok. She had been quite concerned since receiving Bennett’s call right after the beach fishing incident.

“Hey, Kell.”

“How’s your face?” she said sounding concerned.

“I appreciate the concern, but I told you I’m fine,” Bennett chuckled. “It’s barely a scratch.”

“I feel bad. This wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t break your camera and steal the keychain. Really, I—“

“Kelly, It’s fine. No harm done, really.”

“Well, OK.” She paused. “Maybe we should call this whole thing off, Tom. We’re probably getting in over our heads and I don’t want anything else to happen.”

Bennett could tell the incident in the ocean had caused Kelly to second guess their investigation, and she was concerned with what had happened to him. Bennett, however, felt charged by the information he had pulled from the keychain and now wanted to press on. He wasn’t ready to put this away yet.

“Kell, I think we’re just scratching the surface of this thing. Kam was able to crack that keychain—we’re pulling up some pretty interesting stuff.”

“Oh yeah?” Kelly inquired.

“It turns out
CERTA
is an acronym for Center for Excellence in Robotic Technological Advancements. These guys make robots for the Department of Defense— which obviously explains the secrecy.”

“Robots? Really? Like What?” Kelly sounded intrigued.

“Well, I can only speculate. But I imagine that since CERTA is a part of the DOD, they are military robots.”

Kelly paused. She was processing everything that Bennett had just told her.

“You don’t think…”

“The cats?” Bennett answered.

“Yeah. You don’t think those are—
robots
, do you?”

“I guess it’s possible. There’s only one way to know for sure…”

“We go in!” said Kelly. Bennett could hear the enthusiasm in Kelly’s voice. 

“Right. Tonight, we’ll go…after hours, when everyone has left. We’ll find out if it’s real, then we’ll put this all to rest. Hopefully they didn’t notice the keychain missing.”

“Yes,
let’s hope
,” Kelly said dourly.

“Ok, we’re finishing things up here, then I’ll head over.”

“Ok, see you soon,” said Kelly.

Bennett hung up.

Kam had been listening in on the conversation while he was working on the RFID. “You guys are going in there? You’re crazy.” Kam shook his head.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Bennett agreed. “I’ve never been one to turn down an adventure though.”

“Well, you can have it. That’s way too much excitement for me. I’ll have my own adventure too, but from my couch—with my Xbox controller in hand,” Kam said shaking his head.

Bennett laughed. “Well I really appreciate your help with this Kam. You’ve been very accommodating.” He gave him a pat on the back. “I’m going to head over to Dr. Adler’s to check in.”

“Ok, sure. I’ve copied all of the files over, so I don’t need the RFID anymore.”

Kam pulled the RFID keychain out of his reader and handed it to Bennett, who placed it in his pocket.

“I’ll keep working on this though. I’m sure I can break through some of these encryptions,” Kam said.

“Sounds good.”

“Oh, and Mr. Bennett? A word of advice…”

“What’s that?” he asked.

You should probably stay away from the water…”

Bennett laughed. “I’ll be taking my truck. Thanks Kam. I’m not going anywhere near the ocean for a while.”

CHAPTER 26

CERTA FACILITY, CONTROL ROOM

15 OCTOBER, 5:00 P.M.

Rick Danner stood in the control room searching through emergency contact information files for Kenneth Braden. He was rifling through names when he heard a sound, deep within the building. It was a heavy, pounding sound that reverberated through the empty halls and carried deep into the core of the building. Danner looked up at the monitors to check the cameras. His eyes were immediately drawn to monitor “F” which revealed a man looking directly into the camera. The man’s eyes were wide in a terrified expression as if he were being chased by a demon…

It was
Charlie
—Jim Covington.

He was screaming for his life.

PART 2

EVOLVE

CHAPTER 27

CERTA FACILITY, CONTROL ROOM

15 OCTOBER, 5:02 P.M.

Rick Danner bolted through the control room and threw aside an empty chair in his path. He exited the den and began sprinting down the long hallway toward the lab, the soles of his boots slamming against the hard floor underneath—echoing off the walls. He was halfway down the hallway when he made a hard stop.

His gun
…

He had forgot the shotgun.

He thought quickly whether or not to go back and get it…

No time.
It didn’t matter. He had his .45 pistol strapped to his waist. He pulled it out and readied it. Danner knew as long as his aim was accurate, the revolver would suffice.

It’ll do.

He continued down the hallway, sprinting toward the commotion. The pounding sound became louder and louder as he rounded the end of the hallway and reached the lab. He slid his keychain across the receiver and the door opened slowly. He grabbed the side of the door and pushed, trying to assist the motor and speed it up. The door opened. Danner scanned out across the lab floor.

There
.
On the far wall
—
the door
.

He could see Jim’s shadow bouncing around through the window, backlit by the setting sun shining in. Danner sprinted across the lab floor, dodging machine devices and stations set up by the scientists. He finally reached the door and slammed his keychain against the receiver. The door hissed opened revealing the outdoor atrium.

The atrium was an enclosure built against the east wall of the facility. It was a large transparent room, about forty feet wide and twenty feet tall, surrounded by ballistic glass. Originally built as a relaxation room for the employees, the atrium was a place for the scientists to come clear their mind and channel their creativity. One door opened into the building. The outside entrance was placed in the center—the door in which Jim Covington was currently beating like a punching bag.

He could see him—just a few yards away.

The inside of the atrium was fascinating. Danner could see the forest around him in stunningly clear view. The atrium glass was bulletproof, yet amazingly transparent—almost non-existent. The haunting and persistent pounding disrupted the tranquility of the environment.

Covington spotted Danner through the door.

“Riiiiick!”
Covington yelled out to Danner. He sounded terrified.

Danner burst across the atrium and lunged toward the door with his keychain out.

His hand was inches from the receiver when Covington’s body was slammed violently into the atrium door. There was a loud, metallic
CLANG
, followed by a muffled groan. The entire atrium shook from the blow…it took a moment for the tremors to slowly dissipate.

Covington’s body fell limp and he slid lifelessly down the face of the door. Danner watched him, stunned. He noticed Covington’s hands appeared to have severe burns across both of them. The flesh of his palms was ragged and bulging.
Both hands were charred black.

As the body gave way, the juggernaut immediately came into clear view—standing behind him. Its head was down, body poised. It stared directly at Danner through the glass.

Danner stared back at the robot, absorbed— as if they two were both meeting for the first time. He certainly hadn’t known this version of juggernaut. This robot was frighteningly responsive and astutely aware. It appeared to stare into his eyes as if reading Danner’s reaction and physical response.

A moment passed while the two of them stared at each other. Then Danner slowly brought his keychain up to the receiver to open the door. He aimed his revolver out in front of him—his barrel pointed low and fixed on the juggernaut’s belly. He gripped the pistol tightly and exhaled.

The keychain touched the receiver and Danner listened for the beep, signaling the opening.

It never came.

He tapped the keychain against the receiver once…twice. Nothing.

Danner shifted his eyes slowly from the robot up to the key receiver. He was touching it dead center, but it wasn’t recognizing his key. It wasn’t even registering an error tone.

The juggernaut remained on the other side of the door, awaiting Danner’s move. Danner looked closely at the receiver and noticed the power indicator light was out.

The receiver was broken
—probably from the impact of Covington’s body against the door.

Danner hooked his keychain on his belt and gripped his gun with both hands. He readied himself upright and assumed an attacking stance. With his gun steadied, he thrust his right foot forcefully into the center of the door, attempting to kick it down. The room shook around him but the door stayed intact.  Danner gave it another go… kicking the door harder this time.

Still nothing.

The juggernaut took a few steps back and watched on as Danner pounded on the door of the atrium repeatedly. The door wouldn’t budge. It was locked into place and he wasn’t moving it at all.

Danner stepped back away from the door and moved aside. The juggernaut mimicked his movements and moved sideways—positioning itself directly across from Danner.

…Motion mirroring…

Danner knew about this. The robot was utilizing its ability to mirror movements and learn from its subject. It was an enhancement program that was part of the A.I. onboard the robots. The robots would mimic the movements of a subject as a way of learning new functions. They also used the functions to identify subjects. The juggernauts were primarily trained as transporters, but they were also programmed for search and rescue. Part of the training was learning and identifying characteristics of the various subjects they encountered. It would mimic behavior and store it’s findings in case the subject needed identifying in a future instance.

The robot was reading him. It was learning his movements.

Danner felt helpless behind the glass wall. All he could do was stare back at the robot. He knew if he left the atrium and went through another exit, the robot would disappear. He couldn’t lose it now. It was right in front of him. Danner became irritated and began pacing around the room. His fury boiled up and he yelled at the top of his lungs directly at the robot.

“Aaaaahhhuh!”
Danner kicked the glass again.

The robot just stood there, moving slightly back and forth in a rhythmic sway. It was an eerie movement and almost gave the effect that the robot was breathing.

Danner holstered his revolver. He walked up to the glass and placed his palms upon it, resting his weight. He stood there for a moment catching his breath.

The robot took a step forward and moved in close to the glass as well. It cocked its head to the side as it watched Danner, studying him. Danner was amazed at how the robot portrayed remarkably lifelike behavior. It had such catlike mannerisms. Danner almost found himself seeing it as exactly that—a living, breathing animal.

He had never taken the time to inspect them up-close like this. The aesthetic detail was fairly minimal. Up-close it was easy to determine that it was a robot and not an animal. However, just stepping a few paces back and looking at the creature—its movements and mannerisms—Danner supposed it could fool someone who didn’t know better. The scientists noticeably modeled the robot’s movements after an actual cat and took great measure to ensure authentic characteristics. Its natural posture, which was slightly crouched, head down and shoulders raised gave it the appearance that is was in hunt mode…akin to a cat stalking a mouse.

Danner knew the name, Juggernaut, was given due to the robot’s size, strength and ability to maneuver through difficult terrain. The juggernaut models were intentionally separated from the WildCat family of robots. Perry didn’t want to group it with the other catlike robots they were creating. Although the structural foundation of the robot was taken from the WildCat models, he made a conscious decision not to name it after a feline species. He wanted to make it clear that it wasn’t a cat; it was a machine of warfare. However, looking at it now, Danner couldn’t help but see it as a living predator—it was certainly killing like one.

The sound of an approaching vehicle grabbed Danner’s attention. He looked to the right to find an old pickup truck pulling up the driveway. It was Tegan’s truck.

Tango
had arrived.

Through the chaos, Danner had forgotten that Tegan was on his way over.
Good timing, he thought.
He couldn’t afford to have Tegan scare the robot away, though. Danner knew this was his opportunity to catch Lorry. In fact this may be his only chance.

He had to warn Tegan.

Danner retrieved his cell phone and dialed Tegan’s number. He watched through the glass as Tegan exited his truck and began walking through the parking lot toward the building.

Pick up the phone Tegan!

It rang once, then twice. Tegan didn’t seem to notice his phone ringing. He continued across the gravel lot toward the door.

Danner looked back at the robot...which was still fixed on him. Then, as if it sensed something, the robot turned its head and locked eyes on Tegan.

Tegan stopped walking and reached into his pocket. He must have heard his phone ringing finally. He held it up to his ear. “Rick, I just got here, I…”

Danner cut him off. “Tegan listen to me. The robot is here. We’re on the east side of the building and I can see you right now. Stop where you are…
don’t move
.”

Danner watched as Tegan froze and slowly shifted his eyes over to the atrium. Danner continued calmly instructing Tegan what to do.

“Walk slowly back to your truck and get in. Be absolutely quiet. Don’t make any sudden movements.”

Tegan began to slowly turn around and head back the other direction. He quickly calculated his distance. From where he parked the truck to where he stood was roughly thirty yards. Danner and the juggernaut were standing about fifty yards away.

Danner watched the robot which was still locked on Tegan—studying him, but not pursuing.

Tegan walked slowly back to his truck. He had taken a few paces forward when his phone slipped from his left hand and dropped to the gravel.

Tegan stopped…he cursed under his breath.

The robot sprang from where it was standing and entered a full out gallop, flying toward Tegan. Danner yelled into the phone.
“Tegan, run!”
The phone was on the ground, and Tegan was unable to hear him. Danner realized that Tegan couldn’t hear his warning.

The robot was closing in fast—amazingly so.

THEY WERE FAST…FASTER THAN HUMANS.

Danner knew he had to get his attention. Tegan’s back was turned to the advancing robot.

He had no idea what was going on.

Danner began pounding on the glass walls and screaming.
“Rrrruuuunnnn!”

Tegan must have heard the banging because he turned around quick and faced the oncoming juggernaut. He saw the robot closing in and immediately turned and ran.

Tegan was in top shape, a quick runner. He burst across the parking lot at a fast pace and made a straight line for his truck. Danner watched from afar, the robot gliding through the air at a remarkable pace. It was closing the gap quickly—only about thirty yards from him.

Run Tegan! Come on!
Danner continued yelling from behind the glass wall.

Tegan was getting close, only ten yards from his truck now while the robot was already halfway across the parking lot. Tegan ran hard all the way to the truck, pumping his legs as fast as they would go. He reached out his left hand to grab the door handle. The robot leapt through the air, soaring—lengths above the ground. Tegan ripped open the door and threw himself into the cab just as the robot’s massive body came tearing down onto the open door. It slammed hard into the metal with a shrieking metal-on-metal
CLAANNK,
knocking the door clean from its hinges. The robot was sent tumbling to the ground, pinning the metal door beneath it.

THEY WERE POWERFUL—FRIGHTENINGLY SO.

Tegan stared at the robot for a moment and then watched as it pulled itself up and gathered its footing. Then the robot locked sights on him again. Tegan turned the ignition and started up the truck. The entire drivers door was missing leaving him completely exposed. He had to move. He slammed on the gas pedal, spitting gravel in all directions behind him. The truck fishtailed and spun in a circle—an exhaust cloud billowing into the air behind it.

Danner, meanwhile, had run back into the building and was making his way to the front entry. He reached the lobby and exited the front doors to find Tegan driving circles in the parking lot. He ran out toward the parking lot and stopped just clear of the truck’s path. He could see the robot through the smoke, crouched in the middle of the parking lot, watching the vehicle.

Tegan straightened out the truck and screeched to a stop on the far side of the lot. He sat idling in the corner, his headlights lighting up the robot in front of him…the reflection of the lights glowing like fire in the juggernauts eyes.

Danner now realized he was exposed. He had nothing but his revolver, which at the moment felt rather inadequate. The robot switched its gaze back and forth between the two men, as if calculating its next move.

“Tegan, now!”
Danner yelled out.

Tegan floored the gas pedal and the truck lurched forward. The tires shot gravel high into the air as the truck moved forward, gaining speed. The robot held its ground and lowered its body. Tegan steered straight at the robot and kept on the gas. Danner watched on, anticipating a collision. Deep down he knew the robot would move though.

THEY WERE PROGRAMMED TO AVOID CONTACT.

The truck closed in on the juggernaut, which held its ground and stayed completely still.

10 feet away.

The truck came bearing down. Just before impact, Tegan yanked the steering wheel to the left, swinging the body of the truck toward the robot like a quarter-ton baseball bat.

The robot still didn’t move.

As the truck body swung around fiercely, Tegan watched for the robot to jump. He estimated that he would have a better chance at connecting if he broadsided the thing. The truck drifted across the gravel—gliding sideways towards its target. It seemed to coast across the surface in slow motion.

The truck connected.

It hit the robot hard, swatting it across the parking lot in a trail of dust. Danner couldn’t believe it. Tegan had actually hit the robot.

Tegan struggled to keep control of the truck as it continued momentum, tilting up on its right side. He hung from the steering wheel as the truck continued tilting. He attempted to balance out the weight inside the cab. The truck paused for a moment in the air, hanging sideways, then came back down on all four tires with a loud clanging sound.

The robot came to a stop on the far side of the parking lot. It remained still in a jumbled heap on the ground.

Tegan exited the truck. Danner walked over to meet him.

“You ok? That was
some
hit,” said Danner.

Tegan looked down, checking for any visible wounds. “Yeah, I’m good. Can’t say the same for her.”

They both looked over at the robot, which was still motionless.