Evil Bitch Ch. 10

I guess it was the sound of the explosion outside that finally woke me. The windows had water running down the glass and I could hear Becca's distinct voice now.

"Woohoo! Charlie is going to be upset that he missed that."

I staggered outside and saw Becca watching the replay of the explosion on the tablet over and over again. I walked up behind her and watched the replay of events for myself. I saw her fill up the metal bucket with water, and then toss that fleshy mass that had fallen on the floor into it. Then suddenly there was a geyser of water and a thunderous BOOM. She was still giggling at the sight.

"Nice water show," I moaned.

"Oh hey sweetie did we wake you," she asked with that evil sparkle in her eye.

"Just a little, what the hell was that thing you tossed into the bucket?"

"I'll let Nikola explain that while I fix my baby a pot of coffee," she said handing me the tablet.

"Okay fill me in," I grunted still not quite feeling human.

"The device that was immersed in that bucket of water was a standard issue cerebral explosive."

"You are telling me that a small bomb just popped out of my head last night?"

"Not just popped, surgically removed."

"Huh, you are not making any sense Nikola."

"You are not going to like what I have to say. So I will just spit it out. While you were working at the Old Miller Place crystalline nanites were slipped into your soda by Elizabeth Colton. She did so under the influence of a rogue A.I. named Sterling. It was these nanites under the direction of Sterling that removed the cerebral explosive. It was these very same nanites that made the physiological changes that you are experiencing now."

"What sort of changes," I asked still half awake.

In answer Tesla displayed a hologram of my current appearance and it was strikingly different to what I was used to. When I went to bed I had been a sixty four year old man. The features on the image in front of me was that of a much younger me. I glanced down and most if not all of my belly fat was long gone. The skin on the back of my hands showed no signs of age spots and wrinkles.

"Why did Sterling do this?"

"Because I need your help," she replied in my head.

"Oh HELL no," I said getting to my feet with great ease now. "Get the fuck out of my head lady!"

"I will and very soon but not before I show you why I did what I did."

"Okay fair enough show me then get the fuck out!"

"Please show the data I have collected so far Nikola," Sterling asked.

The image of me became transparent and there were my insides for all to see. But there was something definitely wrong with the image.

"What the hell are all of those wires?"

"That is why I did what I did. Those may or may not be wires as you say. They are made of a yet unknown material and there isn't a part of your body that they haven't insinuated themselves into. By the way that muscle and nerves have grown over them I suspect they have been there a very long time."

"Like how long," I asked.

"Most of your life," Sterling replied.

Becca stepped out carrying my jumbo mug of coffee and saw the hologram.

"Charlie, what the hell is going on?"

I turned and looked at my wife of fifteen years and nearly dropped the mug.

"You did it to her too! What the fuck man?"

"Don't I look great," she asked her eyes filling up with tears.

"Sweetie you look amazing but this damn A.I. has an agenda and you know how I feel about my strings being pulled."

She put on a brave face, sat down and listened. I turned back to the hologram, took a long draw on my coffee and waited.

"The best I can determine," Sterling continued. "...is that the filaments are at least partially organic and your body shows no signs of rejection."

I set down my coffee mug and felt my hands tremble. My stomach felt like I was going to puke. I looked up at Tesla and spoke to the unseen Sterling.

"If you had a sample of another material could you tell if it was the same?"

"Yes I have the composition analyzed and coded. Do you know what it is Charlie?"

"Yeah, actually I think I do," I said getting to my feet unsteadily.