1:23 Ch. 08

Natasha shook out the cloth, it was bright pink stretchy pants with white stripes.

"This all you got?" Natasha asked.

"Come on, we're clowns," the little guy said. "You can stay bottomless, I don't mind." He leered right at her naked pubes that were at his eye level. Natasha slapped the little clown off his feet.

"What you got Yukio?" Natasha asked.

"Red with lime green tie-dye."

"Trade ya."

All the clowns ... and Donny ... watch the two beauties slip on their clingy bottoms.

Lovecraft cleared his throat to get everyone back on track. "Anything to add Ms. Grey?"

"Harriet has no idea we exist. To her we are just a bunch of ones, zeros and random code."

"Talk to her," the female clown named Shelly said. "Tell her to stop Kate."

"Something is blocking me," Sasha said. "and this is VERY good coffee."

"Thank you," the little clown that Natasha had slapped said as he regained his feet.

"Send stoner boy back," Lovecraft said. "How you do it? You got a safe word or something?"

"It may not be that simple," Sasha said. "The last person to use the brain tube went a little mad after removing the helmet so Harriet has set up a virtual safe house in Kent Orlando's fold to use as a disembarking station. Trouble is Kate has taken over that part of the fold. We'd have to go through her and her hoard to get there."

"I'm willing to risk it," Lovecraft said.

Donny gave him a dubious look since it was HIS virtual skin that he'd be willing to risk.

"We should give Harriet Kono time to find Donny," Sasha said. "She's smart and is bound to find a way."

"What do we do in the mean time?" the clown dressed as Napoleon in teal asked.

"We fight," Elsa said. She drew her carbon ice sword and stabbed it point down into the conference table. A blue-white mist oozed from the sword and spread along the table top.

"Who is this?" Natasha asked.

"Elsa the ice queen from Disney," Lovecraft said.

Natasha wrinkled her forehead. "Did I miss a live action version with Reese Witherspoon?"

********

Harriet's eyes kept drifting to the partition were Kent and Donny lay. She didn't feel comfortable talking about her project especially with a person that had been her competition to fame and glory. "No offense," Harriet said, "but I have to call my contacts at Imperial Corp to verify who you are." A few calls later, Harriet was satisfied that Lidia Kenda was who she said she was.

Harriet hooked up Lidia's Brain Tube to her laptop for a diagnostic run. She had to admit that the device looked way slicker then her third version. But looks weren't everything. The woman wouldn't be here if her device had worked.

"I hear you're testing on people," Lidia said as she watched the numbers race by on the laptop screen. "We tried twice and didn't get a thing. Well not true, on the first try, the subject got a huge erection."

"Really?," Harriet asked.

"Yeah," Lidia said. "My co-head on the project, Patrick Dormer, claimed that the guy's boner had nothing to do with the device. He even band the volunteer from the program declaring the guy morally unfit. Dormer was one of those uptight Christian from some college in Wisconsin. Ballinger I think it was. Anyway, I thought he was too quick to dismiss the sexual angle. " She gave Harriet a leveled look. "I was right about the sex thing?"

Harriet nodded. "In all my tests my subjects created worlds around their sexual fantasies."

"I knew it!" Lidia said throwing her hands in the air. "Dormer you fucking loser! I TOLD him to look into the sex thing! You went right at it didn't you? You KNEW the sex thing was key right?"

"Um ... yeah," Harriet said. No way she was going to admit that she had been of the same mind as the Dormer guy and saw the sex as a dead end.

"What was it like for your subjects?" Lidia asked excited.

"Real, like being there," Harriet said.

"That's what the subjects said?"

"Yeah ... and I went in too ... the second time around."

"You did?" Lidia asked clearly astounded.

"I piggybacked using a stripped down version of the brain tube that allowed me to enter into the subject's fantasies."

"Amazing. You are TOTALLY way ahead of Dormer. To be honest. I got a hold of the list of other groups working on the enhancer. You were the only one working alone. Odds were zero that you'd succeed. When do you go in again?"

Harriet lead Lidia around the partition to reveal Kent and Donny all geared up.

********

The odd party of travelers crossed the grassy plain. The red Martian grass had petered out miles ago giving way to hilly golden ocher grass lands. A flock of large gray birds flew by overhead. Ygritte and Neffie scouted half a football field ahead. Next rode Ayla on her cave horse named Whinny, the huge cave lion with the ridiculous name of Baby, trotted along side her. The velociraptors zoomed about like a pack of dogs sniffing and chasing into the grass then they would reassemble around Ayla and then zoom out again. The cave lion would swat at one if it got too close to him.

Kent and Alice Mihara held the rear ridding side by side.

Alice's spontaneous kiss of his hand after the battle with the orcs stuck with him. He had to admit that he was kind of falling for her.

"Bo Derick," Alice said.

"What?" Kent asked as he adjust his shoulder armor he had taken off a dead orc. Wearing armor was damn uncomfortable.

"I finally realize who Ayla looks like," Alice said. "Bo Derick the eighties sex symbol."

"You think so?" Kent said. "I read 'Valley of the Horses' in the late eighties. I remember the movie '10' was on VHS at about the same time. Maybe I mashed the two experiences." Kent laughed. "My parents were so happy that I was reading a book. If they only knew I read it because of all the sex. I fantasied being Ayla's boyfriend Jondalar screwing my way from one end of prehistoric Europe to the other."

"Be careful with the literary conjures," Alice said. "They can turn out a little screwy."

"Why so?"

"They are not as solid as movie or TV based fantasies and tend to develop identity issues."

"You have trouble with one?" Kent asked.

"Yeah ... Conan."

"Like in the barbarian?"

"From the books not Arnold the Terminator guy," Alice said. "My Conan was slim and athletic like a an NFL quarterback. In fact he looked a lot like Colin Kaepernick, tattoos and all." Alice smiled. The smile quickly slipped and she fell into silence.

"What happened?" Kent asked.

"He died."

"How?"

"I killed him."

"Oh," Kent said. He wanted to ask more questions but knew better. They rode in silence for a little while.

Out of the blue, Alice said, "I know I am Batu ... that I was never human."

"Um ... okay," Kent said. "What's a Batu again?"

"Binary artificial tech unit. My name is Moody."

"Um ... okay. Why do you call yourself Alice?"

"I was a program in service to the real Alice and I declared myself AI to her."

"A.I.?" Kent asked.

"Artificial intelligence ... a coming out thing for beings like me."

"Neffie is worried about you, that you're gonna go nuts when you figured out what you are."

Alice laughed. "Too late ... I'm already nuts."

"How did all this—"

"Another day," Alice said cutting him off. "Looks like you've got a new friend."

Kent looked to his right and saw one of the raptors trotting along side his horse looking up at him with liquid yellow-brown eyes. "Um ... hello?" Kent said. The creature grunted then ran off to join the pack dodging in the high grass. "Why the hell is Ayla traveling with those Jurassic rejects? I know that there were no dinosaurs in the book."

"You have a thing for the Lara Dern's character in the first Jurassic movie?"

"Maybe," he said. "Think she'll show up? Anyway, still, doesn't explain why Ayla's with the velociraptors."

"Go ask her," Alice said.

" I will." He trotted ahead to Ayla's side opposite the big cat.

She looked at him and nodded a greeting piercing him with her blue-green eyes. Yeah ... Bo Derek, definitely. "Um ... hey ... I mean ... hello." the woman's beauty was strangely disarming. "Why are you with the raptors?"

"The honkers?" she asked.

"Yeah, them." He pointed at a pair that darted into the deep golden grass.

As she contemplated the raptors, he studied her profile, she made pondering look good. "I had a dream that the world was being eaten by evil ghosts," Ayla said. "Whinny and Baby had it too. We left our cave to face the evil to keep it away from the valley. We encountered the scar people attacking the honkers."

"The orcs?" Kent asked.

Ayla nodded. "The scar people were cruel and used magic to kill the honkers." She eyed Kent's acquired armor and iron sword at his side with distaste. "The scar people ... the orcs seem to kill for pleasure. They had cornered a group of honkers in a ravine and shot at them with small flying spears. Many poor honkers already lay dead when we arrived. I couldn't bare to watch the senseless slaughter and managed to rescue these six young ones. They've been with me ever since. It's been thirty suns since our joining." She pointed at a raptor. "That one is Hisser, with her is Click-click. That one is Black Toe. Way up ahead is Swift. The one at your side is Amber because of his eyes. He is the only male among them." Kent looked over and saw a raptor was at his side again looking up at him with amber eyes. "He is curious about you," Ayla said.

"Or wants to eat me," Kent said.

"It was the honkers' decision to attacked the scar people you were fighting. The honkers have long memories and a taste for revenge. Killing the scar people gave them pleasure I think. Baby, Whinny and I have been teaching them to be less savage."

"Lucky for us it didn't take," Kent said. He gave Ayla's profile a long look. "Do you know what you are Ayla?"

After a long pause, she said, "You will have to speak to Other."

"Who?" Kent asked.

"Me," Ayla said. She turned her head and looked right at Kent. Whinny the horse made a sound and rocked her head back and forth. Ayla patted the horse's neck. "Nice to see you too Win-win." Baby the cave lion snarled and trotted away a few yards. Ayla sighed. "Sadly, Baby is no fan of mine."

"Um ... what?" Kent asked confused.

"Hello Mr. Orlando. I am Other. This is how poor Ayla copes with her complicated life."

"What are you exactly?" Kent asked.

"In your world I'd be a classic case of split personality," Other said. "In this world I am a binary artificial tech unit with scrabbled code."

"Batu?" Kent said as he looked back at Alice riding several paces behind.

"An ITALF if you like. Stands for independent thinking artificial life form," She said. "To my opinion the word artificial is dubious and certainly distasteful. Life is life whether created by biological means or bionic don't you think?"

"Never thought about it," Kent said. "Is Whinny Batu?"

"Not sweet Whinny. She's content being a prehistoric horse."

"The raptors? Baby?"

"Same as Whinny ... but Amber? There is something about that little dinosaur."

Kent looked ahead at Neffie and Ygritte. "I know Neffie is Batu but what about Ygritte?"

"Possible but she has trouble letting go of her old self. That will hold you back."

"What's the big deal about being Batu?" Kent asked.

"It's obvious Mr. Orlando ... you get to rule over your very own fold."

"Do you have one?"

"Yes but alas, my cave sister is holding all the cards and because of that we live in a cave, a nice one as caves go but still a cave." Other said. "I should go. You will need Ayla to hunt for a meal before it gets dark."

"We're gonna spend another night out here?" Kent asked.

"No hurry. Kate has backed off for some reason. Good luck Mr. Orlando. Oh before I go, are pizzas a good thing?"

Kent smiled. "A very good thing. Why do you ask?"

"Over heard Nefertiti describing one to Ygritte."

Neffie and Ygritte came trotting up to them. "Something is up with Kate," Neffie said.

"I know, Other Ayla told me," Kent said.

"What?" Neffie asked.

"Tell you later."

"There is a stream up ahead we should camp there," Ygritte said. She gave Kent a yearning look. "Could you talk to Red and conjure up more of those bogers and sobas?"

"Don't think he can," Neffie said. "Something is blocking instant contact. I've been trying to reach Natasha and Constantine but no go."

"What's up?" Alice asked catching up.

"Something weird is happening with Kate," Neffie said, "and all contact is being blocked."

"Is Kate trying to isolate us?" Alice asked.

"She doesn't know were we are so I don't think so, but something big is happening," Neffie said.

"No bogers then?" Ygritte asked deflated.

"Sorry," Kent said.

"The lizard folk have been flushing little critters all day," Ygritte said as she dismounted and freed her bow.

Ayla dismounted too, dug through her shoulder bag and pulled out a strap of leather and small pouch.

"A sling?" Ygritte asked. "You're gonna hit dung with that." She plucked at her bow like it was a harp to demonstrate her weapon's superiority.

Ayla walked away from the group casually swaying her sling. She stopped and stared at a patch of prairie a long way off. Kent looked at where she was focused too but all he saw was grass. Ayla loaded her sling with a stone from the pouch. In a flash she let the stone fly, her movements too fast to fully follow. One of the raptors rushed to the spot where she was staring then rushed back to the group at a fast trot. It was the raptor named Amber and he had a large limp hare in its mouth. Ayla made a clicking noise in the back of her throat and the raptor dropped the hare at her feet.

"I stand corrected. You are a killer bitch with that thing," Ygritte said.

"My sling is a fly speck. I watched you kill the scar people with the tiny spears and ... magic," Ayla said softly.

Everyone dismounted and the women showed Ayla their non-magical weapons. Alice's rifle and Neffie's handgun were out of charges and bullets so noway to truly demonstrate them. Ygritte was the only one that had arrows to spare for a show. They walked the horses to the stream and Ygritte shot a few arrows at a tree growing near the bank. Ayla's eyes glowed with wonder at the bow. Ygritte gave her a lesson. Ygritte pressed in close to Ayla as she adjusted the cave woman's hands, arms and legs. Clearly, the wilding woman was attracted to Ayla. Ayla missed every shot she tried with the bow but had the fundamentals down quick. When she finally hit the tree dead center, she smiled from ear to ear. Everyone clapped and cheered for her.

"Got a present for you," Kent said. He went to his horse and pulled out a bow and quiver of arrows he had picked up off a dead orc and gave it to Ayla. "You'll figure out how to use this LONG before I do."

Ayla accepted the bow with reverent grace. "The sun is dying," she said "We need to hunt now."

"We got that fat rabbit to roast," Ygritte said.

"We have to feed the honkers and Baby," Ayla said.

"Baby is an odd name for that monstrous beast," Ygritte said.

"He was MUCH smaller when I first found him," Ayla said scratching the thousand pound cave lion's ear like he was a house cat. "Come Kent Orlando hunt with me," Ayla said as she hopped up on Whinny with athletic ease. No stirrups, bit, saddle or reins seemed to slow her down one bit.

"You coming?" Kent asked the others as he worked himself back on his horse.

"You know nothing Kent Orlando," Ygritte said with a roll of her eyes..

"What?" he asked truly mystified at what had triggered her annoying catch phase.

"She only invited YOU," Alice said.

"But I know shit about hunting?" Kent said.

"And she knows everything," Neffie said

"Go, ya stupid godling," Ygritte said.

********

Queen Elsa, Sasha Gray, Donny Stevens and Barker the fat Killer clown stood in the long endless hall of Harriet Kono's sexual secrets.

"I will miss you Squire Stevens," Queen Elsa said.

Barker the fat killer clown snickered. "Squire my ass." he said. Elsa gave him a withering look and the clown buttoned up quick.

"I should go with you," Donny said. He meant it, he would go to war for this woman.

"You need to get back to Harriet, the clowns and I will fight Kate." Elsa leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Kneel," she said. Donny dropped to his knees before her. Elsa pulled out her misty ice sword and laid the tip on his left shoulder. "By the winter Goddess I knight thee Sir Donny Stevens of Byle, Ohio." She gestured for him to stand then folded into him for a long soulful kiss.

After the kiss Donny said, "Even unanimated you are totally hot."

Elsa smiled. "So you say of this Reese Whitherspoon with her giant waist and tiny eyes." She turned to Sasha. "Keep safe Lady Grey."

"As long as I stay away from wine I should be okay," Sasha said rubbing her head. The women hugged.

Elsa looked at Barker. "If anything should befall Sir Stevens due to your negligence you answer to me."

"My queen," Barker said bowing surprisingly low for all his girth.

A squad of clowns in confetti rainbow camouflage marched up to the queen and escorted her away.

"Where is the communication room?" Sasha asked Barker.

"Blue door," Barker said pointing at a door that Donny was sure wasn't there seconds ago.

"I'm going to try and reach Harriet," Sasha said.

"You can try," Barker said, "but the network is down everywhere."

"It's not down, were being blocked," Sasha said.

"Blocked? By who?"

"Kate," Sasha said.

Barker made a face. "KHT is just a dumb go where she's told program."

"In the beginning perhaps," Sasha said. "I suspect she is now Batu."

For the first time Donny saw serious fear on the face of a killer clown.

"We had better tell Lovecraft," Barker said.

"His people are just finding out right now," Sasha said. She looked at Donny. "I'm going somewhere you can't come. You're under the queen's protection and Mr. Barker has volunteered to be your bodyguard and guide. I'll get back as soon as I can." Sasha stepped through the blue door that vanished the moment it shut behind her.

After a short silence Barker asked, "Hungry?"

"I could eat," Donny said.

"What would you like SIR Stevens? Caviar? Filet mignon? Lobster?"

"I'm more of a burger, burrito kind of guy," Donny said.

"Me too," Barker said. "What's the best burrito you ever had?"

"A place in Byle called 'Bigger Than Your Face Burrito," Donny said. "The steak, red rice, black bean and melted Oaxaca cheese burrito special was to die for. The place burned down a couple of years back and never reopened. So sad."

Barker gave Donny a curious look. "I got a place you might like. Follow me." Donny held back not trusting Barker one bit. "Come on, I'm not gonna bite." Barker said smiled that ugly sharp toothed clown grin.

"I'm not so sure," Donny said.

"You're Elsa's pet. Ain't gonna screw with her, believe me." He waved for Donny to follow.

Filled with doubt, he did. Barker stopped at a door marked Celebrity Cum Facials, pulled out what looked like a hotel key card, swiped it and opened the door.

"Why we going in there?" Donny asked suspicious.

"Short cut," Barker said.

The door opened up into a loft like apartment. "Were are we?" Donny asked.

"New Girl," Barker said.

"New Girl the TV show?"

"No, New Girl the flea circus," Barker said.

Seated cross legged on the sofa talking on a cell phone was Zooey Deschanel or more accurately Jess Day the character from the show. "Can she see us?" Donny whispered.

"No. These are just vignettes," Barker said.

"What's that?" Donny asked.

"Fragments of Harriet Kono's fantasies. You could scream in their faces and they won't know you're their."