Body of a Man, Mind of Machine – Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

“So what’s the plan for today?” Jenny asked as she ate her breakfast of fruit salad, brought up by room service.

“We start hunting,” said Adrian, holding up a folder. He tossed it onto the table and several pictures slid out, men and women with the photos taken from varying locations and across years. “These are some of the people I need to get into contact with. In truth, I could easily contact them myself, but it’s better to hide how much information I have on them so that they’ll lower their guard as much as possible. Vegas is a frequent vacation spot for these people, so while I can admit to knowing about them when we meet, it is better that they not find out that I’m actually looking for them. It should just look like a matter of good fortune on our side.”

“So we’ll search the casinos for them, staying just active enough to not stand out. We can’t go on winning streaks because the casino security will be on to us before we can even cash in our chips. We have to win big and lose often. Basically, we just have to act like a young rich couple with more money than brains that can be occasionally lucky,” said Jenny.

Adrian grinned. “Correct. Now let’s finish eating and head downstairs.”

The casino was quite extravagant, with bright chandeliers illuminating the casino floor, which was carpeted with an ornate flower area rug. Placed in key points, marble pillars were supporting the cathedral-style ceiling with a maze of slot machines and game tables stretched out across the floor. Their conversation was almost completely drowned out by the ringing of slot machines, jingling of coins and chips, and the calls of celebration or woe from the gamblers that flooded through the corridors of gambling tables.

“Ok, give me a second to get into character. I need to summon my inner-dumb blonde,” Jenny said, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths. “Oh his god! This is so much fun!” she exclaimed with an obnoxiously shrill tone and a goofy smile.

“Just remember to surface for intelligence, I don’t want you to drown in the stupidity of the stereotype.”

“Actually, I kind of like it this way. The world is so much happier when you think with your boobs instead of your brain,” she teased as she twirled her hair around her finger.

“Jenny, you’re scaring me.”

“You’re so easy to mess with.”

Adrian had his face in his hands and was giving one sigh after another. He was in the Bellagio casino and had just lost a 100K at blackjack. The dealer had a smug look on his face at his suffering.

“How did it come to this?” Adrian kept muttering. He still had 500K with him, but his recent loss had just left a huge crater in his pile of chips.

“How about you quit while you’re ahead?” the dealer asked.

“Hell no. If I’m going to go out, I’m going out in a blaze of glory. I’m all in.”

“Oh, this is better than TV,” the dealer said as he handed Adrian two cards, flipping them both face-side-up, while he his own two cards facedown. Adrian gave a small but confident smile and tapped the table, having already figured out what the next card would be.

“Are you sure? You have seventeen, it’s a lot more shameful to go overboard then to stop when you know you should,” the dealer asked, giddy with the hope that Adrian would fail.

“Blaze of glory my friend, blaze of glory,” the young genius insisted, tapping again. The dealer sighed with a smile and handed him another facedown card, then flipped it over along with his cards and his jaw dropped when he saw it was a four.

“Twenty-one! Hallelujah!” Adrian hollered, falling to his knees with his fists in the air.

The dealer grudgingly pushed over his one million dollars in casino chips and Adrian poured them all into a plastic bag and strolled off. “Hmm, too easy,” he chuckled, returning to his normal personality.

Jenny and Adrian had spent almost a week in Vegas, working the casinos like hacked computer games. They spent every day and night growing their fortune merely for the fun of it while keeping a lookout. With their genius intellects, they were able to win almost every game that was within their control. They were so good that all the money they purposefully lost was pure winnings. In fact, they had more than tripled the cash they had arrived in Vegas with.

Along with gambling, they spent a lot of time touring around Vegas. They watched the fountain shows of the Bellagio, they went to see the Bodies Exhibit, looked around the Atomic Testing Museum, filled their stomachs at M&M’s World, walked around the Springs Preserve, toured the Titanic Artifact Exhibit, hiked through the surrounding canyons, drank and danced at the finest night clubs, tried their hand at golf, savored the cuisine of the fanciest restaurants, pampered themselves in the spas, and painted the town red. For the two teenage lovebirds, it was more fun than they had ever imagined

Adrian was walking through the casino, searching for his desired targets. He and Jenny would have to leave the Bellagio tomorrow morning to cut down the chances of being identified, so he wanted to make one last sweep to make sure none of his targets were in the building. Approaching the craps tables, he heard a bet placed by someone with an Italian accent and came to a dead halt. He turned to the one who had placed the bet, gaining a maniacal smile.

“Gotcha.”

After Adrian cashed in his casino chips, Jenny met up with him and kissed him on the cheek.

“That was a nice show you put on,” she said, both sweetly and sarcastically.

“In my line of work, you really have to have keen acting skills. But I really got to lay off the drinks. I can’t tell if it makes my acting skills better or turns me into an actual idiot,” Adrian sighed as they stepped into the elevator.

“Well if it does make your acting skills better, then it means we only have to wait for Marti Gras and you’ll be able to take over all of Hollywood. So how much did you make this round?”

“You first.”

“700K” she said proudly, opening up the paper bag with her cash in it.

“That’s good, that’s good… But I made a million.”

“No way!”

“What do you know, women really do make seventy cents for every dollar a man makes!” Adrian joked, causing Jenny to laugh and elbow him in the ribs.

It was two in the morning when they stepped into their room, but neither of them was very tired.

“How about we rent a movie and pig out with some room service?” Adrian suggested.

“That would be perfect,” Jenny said dreamily as she stepped into the bedroom.

Adrian picked up the phone and dialed room service. “Hi, I’m in the third honeymoon suite. Could I get a serving of fried chicken, a bottle of rum with a two-liter bottle of Coke, and a couple of ice cream Sundays? Thank you.”

Adrian sat down on the living room couch and turned on the TV. As he surfed through the list of on-demand movies, he heard Jenny come up behind him. She put her hands on his shoulders and he looked up with a smile. Jenny’s face was hidden by her huge breasts, which were covering his face. Adrian flicked his tongue between them, savoring the taste and softness.

Jenny giggled and began massaging his shoulders. “Come on, baby, get out of those clothes and relax a little.”

“That would be a pretty awkward moment when the food I ordered shows up.”

“Suit yourself,” she pouted as she climbed over the couch and sat down, leaning against him.

Adrian wrapped his arm around her and began working his fingers between her legs, making her hum and purr. Minutes after they started the movie, their food was delivered. Adrian tipped the bellhop and put the food down on the table. As per his unspoken promise, he undressed before sitting down, much to Jenny’s enjoyment. Jenny lied back against him with their naked bodies pressed together like two puzzle pieces, and they feasted while watching the movie. Eating fried chicken with Coke to wash it down while you watch a movie naked with your lover pressed against you in the Bellagio hotel is the greatest definition of Heaven.

“Jenny, could you hand me a couple napkins please?” he asked as they ate their Sundays. As Jenny reached out to grab some napkins on the table, her Sunday fell over, covering her chest in ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup.

“Oh, that’s cold!”

“Are you ok?” he asked, moving out from under her.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m blocking it now,” she sighed, using willpower to keep the stinging of the cold from reaching her mind.

Adrian smiled and leaned down, dragging his tongue up the center of her chest and licking up the ice cream and chocolate syrup.

“Ooh!” she cooed before he kissed her.

Adrian went back down, running his tongue up her chest and licking the ice cream. He wrapped his tongue around her left nipple, sucking on it hungrily. He then shifted to her right, savoring the taste of chocolate syrup that coated her breast. He kissed her again and she slipped her tongue between his lips, slurping the ice cream out of his mouth. Adrian suddenly jerked as he felt his dick submerged in something cold. He looked down and saw that while he had been kissing Jenny, she had grabbed my Sunday and… you know what she did.

“Aw, come on! What did I do to you? Seriously, I wasn’t finished with it!”

“Don’t worry baby, dessert is on me,” she said coyly as she gently pushed him onto his back.

She crouched over me and poured the rest of the Sunday on his chest. She leaned down and took a broad lick, then moved up so that he could take a turn and lick some of the ice cream off of her. They moved back and forth, licking the ice cream off each other’s chests and cleaning each other with their tongues like a pair of affectionate cats.

After Jenny licked every glob of ice cream and chocolate syrup off of his chest, she moved down and ran her tongue up the shaft of his erect cock. She traced the head with her tongue, teasing him, and then wrapped her lips around it, sucking on it gently. Before she could take the whole thing in her mouth, he stopped her and moved underneath her, getting into the 69 position.

Adrian flicked my tongue between the lips of her wet pussy as she sucked on his cock like it was a Popsicle. With the whole thing in her mouth, he sent his tongue up inside her, burying his face in her pussy. Their chests and stomachs were constantly rubbing up against each other as Jenny lathered his phallus with saliva and licked it up in an endless cycle and he probed every hot wet corner of her soft pussy, going so deep that his nose was buried between the flower petal-like lips. As she massaged his cock with her tongue and cheeks, he was rubbing her back and shoulders, trying to give her a massage.

Without warning, Jenny released his cock, leaving it with a thick coating of saliva. Her breathing was quick and shallow with arousal. She moved her pussy off of his face and onto my erect cock, grinding the soft lips against the shaft. They both got up, he on his knees and Jenny on all fours. Adrian guided his manhood to the lips of her wet pussy and forced it in, causing Jenny to gasp as he mounted her.

With his hands on her hips, he began moving back and forth, driving his cock deep inside her. Jenny gave an ongoing mix of high and low moans with each thrust, for this new position allowed him to drive far deeper into a corner of her pussy that he hadn’t been able to explore much. He leaned forward, pressing his chest against her back, wrapped his arm diagonally across her chest, and rested his chin on her shoulder, trying to make as much contact as possible as he drove my cock in as fast as possible.

“Oh god, Adrian! You’re driving me crazy!” she whined, holding onto the couch as if an earthquake was rocking the building. “Oh Adrian!” she moaned as they both had gushing orgasms, spraying each other with their juices.

He leaned back, pulling out of her with a web of semen stretching from the head of his dick to the swollen lips of her pussy. Jenny collapsed, and they were both silent for several seconds as they both tried to catch their breath. Both the couch and they were a sticky mess of chocolate syrup, ice cream, and genetic material.

“Jenny?” he panted.

“Yeah?”

“I think we need to take a shower.”

Adrian was lying on his back on the shower floor with Jenny on top of him. His erect manhood was deep in her asshole and she was bouncing up and down on it with a high moan passing from between her lips. With the hot water of the shower on their bodies and extravagant erotic feeling of his phallus been driven up Jenny’s anus, their bodies were ecstatic with physical bliss. Jenny had one hand on the center of his chest for support and was running her other hand through her long golden hair, and Adrian was running his hands all over her body, giving her a full massage.

With their bodies filled with both exhaustion and euphoria, it didn’t take much to trigger that last great orgasm. Jenny’s body was shaking like a leaf as Adrian shot countless jets of semen up inside her and she had climax after climax. Jenny collapsed on top of him, and I couldn’t help but softly laugh. Adrian turned off the water, and like with the first time they made love in the shower, he had to carry her to bed because her legs were shaking too much for her to walk. As he put her in the bed and lied beside her, Jenny rolled over to him.

“Adrian, I know how important our plan is and I fully support it, but I would be lying if I said that I wouldn’t also love to just stay here and do this with you for the rest of our lives; play these casino’s so well that it’s tragic, retire to our honeymoon suit, and make sweet passionate love until we fall asleep from exhaustion.”

“Well once the plan is complete, we can always come back here and do that. We can stay here in Vegas, get a nice penthouse, become rich—I mean richer, and give each other their hearts throughout the nights.”

“I’m not lucky to have you, I’m blessed,” she said as she snuggled up against him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Speaking of our plan, I was able to find one of my targets.”

Jenny looked up at him. “Really?”

“Yeah, I’m going to talk to him tomorrow if I can find him. Let’s just hope everything goes according to plan.”

Adrian stood at a craps table, watching the game progress. On the other side of the table was his target. He had a shaved head and was dressed in a black business suit.

“Hundred-grand on ten,” he said with his Italian accent, causing hushed muttering throughout the crowd. Several people placed similar bets, but at much smaller amounts. Before the dealer could throw the dice, Adrian spoke up. “I’ll match that bet.”

The dealer raised his eyebrows and the dice were cast, rolling up ten. Loud cheering rang through the crowd as the winners were handed their money.

“You’re quite the high roller,” the man said as they were each given a huge pile of chips.

“You’re one to talk. What do you do in order to afford gambling such large amounts?”

“I am a doctor, Dr. Anthony Alfonse. I am a family physician for wealthy clients all across Europe, and my services strike up generous payments.”

“You’re clients, or CLIENT? Doctors of your skill and profession usually cling to one rich and ailing client, but act as more than just a family physician. For a doctor that makes house calls across Europe, I find it strange that you would be all the way out here in Las Vegas, because that would mean losing valuable business, not to mention the fact that your status as a family physician to many clients binds you to them, and it would be rare for them all to avoid sickness and injury.

You’re on paid vacation, either from the hospital that you actually work at, or from your one rich client that gave you this vacation time. You would never be able to convince multiple clients to all give you vacation time.” No one was paying attention to them as the game continued, but Dr. Alfonse was glaring at him with suspicion. “Regardless of whether you are indeed a family physician or work at a hospital, the money you are throwing around shows that you are indeed well-known and well-respected. I’m looking for a business opportunity, and I’m sure someone of your profession and connections could help me out.”

“And what do you do as a profession?” he asked, trying to figure out if he should flee.

“I create medical and surgical machinery, among other things. In fact, I designed and built a revolutionary piece of technology that is being installed in hospitals around the globe. Someone of your stature should surely have heard of it. It is known as the Adroid.” The doctor’s eyes widened and Adrian nodded just as he was about to say his name. “Tell your client about what just happened here. I imagine he’ll want to contact me. By the way, do you like opera?”

Jenny and Adrian were sitting in a dark theater, watching an opera with dinner.

“Do you think he’ll show up?” Jenny asked as she ate her lobster.

“He’ll definitely come.”

Minutes after he spoke the words, Dr. Alfonse sat down on the other side of the table. “It seems that your technological and medical prowess precede you, Mr. Ashford. My client is very interested in doing business with you, and specifically told me to hunt you down the second I spoke your name. It seems the authorities weren’t the only ones searching for you,” he said calmly, but with distrust.

“I imagine that your client will not be able to come out and meet me here in Vegas, due to his condition?”

“That is correct. I have a limo waiting outside, with a teleconference system set up. He is very anxious to meet you, so if it is not too much to ask, will you please finish your meal and come with me?”

Adrian turned to Jenny. “I’m all set, how about you?”

“I’m ready to go. Just need to stop off at the bathroom and wash my hands,” she replied, wiping the butter from the lobster off her lips.

“Ah, where are my manners? You must be Jenny Sinclair, I have heard that you are exceptionally beautiful, but the rumors do not do you justice,” Alfonse said, shaking her hand. Jenny giggled at the compliment.

They walked out of the theater and climbed into a limo. The vehicle sped off the second the doors were closed. Inside, a computer with a mobile server had been hooked up the limo’s electrical system. It had both a microphone and a set of speakers for the teleconference. Dr. Alfonse turned on the computer and the image of an old man instantly appeared on the screen. He was in his early seventies and sitting in a wheelchair, and while he did appear to be sick, he did not have an oxygen tank with him, but both of his arms were in slings.

“Mr. Ashford and Ms. Sinclair, allow him to introduce you to—”

“Professor Demetri Medici, professor of history at Pontifica Università Gregoriana, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Vatican City. You are also the chairman of the largest bank in Europe,” Adrian interrupted. Everyone stared at him with disbelief.

“How do you know who I am?” Professor Medici asked with a dead-serious tone.

“Because I’ve been watching you, all of you, just like how you’ve been watching me. People like me with genius intellects have been on the watch-list of your group for decades, and I know when I’m being followed. Imagine my surprise when I find your handler here.”

Jenny tried to hide her sly grin of amusement, while both Alphonse and Medici stiffened. Adrian wasn’t holding back this time; hiding the fact that he was well-stocked with information would only incriminate him, but he had to maintain the appearance that this meeting was purely coincidental.

“And what group exactly do you think I am in?”

“The group with the same symbol as your doctor’s ring.”

Jenny switched her gaze to Alfonse’ ring and gasped when she recognized the symbol.

“The Freemasons?” she asked, gripping his arm.

“That’s correct. But contrary to popular belief, the Freemasons don’t do anything to shape this world and never have, but they do indeed keep their eyes open and watch everything. Ever since my IQ topped 300 and I began building surgical technology, the masons have been keeping a close tab on me,” he said to her, making sure that everyone could hear.

“Don’t play innocent. Ever since my IQ reached 300 and I began building surgical technology, the Illuminati have been keeping a close tab on me.”

“Then it seems that the status quo has changed. I will not insult you by denying your claims, but I was told you want to make a business deal, and I would prefer to get straight to business.”

“Of course. Now from my information on you, you are currently suffering from a disease that is causing severe clotting in your extremities. Seeing as how you are already in that wheelchair and both your arms are in slings, I would say that the disease has already progressed and is beginning to cause muscle death. I also know that many of your “business partners” are also suffering from the same disease.”

“That is correct. My disease is the result of an assassination attempt. The CEO of a bio-weaponry company exposed us to one of his diseases because they refused to let him become a member. I’m just glad that he overestimated the power of his disease. Your sources of information are as impressive as you are. How much experience do you have with surgical procedures?”

“A fair amount. For years, I have read and memorized almost every medical and surgical book I could get my hands on. I have also preformed hundreds of dissections on animals that passed away in pet stores, spent ours performing digital autopsies online, and have blueprints of the human body secured in my memory.”

“And your technical skills speak for themselves. Now, as you have said, my disease is creating blood clots in my extremities and causing muscle death. The disease does not affect the rest of my body and the clots break up before they can spread, but my limbs are wasting away. I have already had my feet amputated before they could become gangrenous, and my hands won’t last much longer. I am fine with regular prosthetics on my legs, but to lose use of both my hands would be devastating to the life I live. I would lose the ability to do anything on my own.

The loss of my hands is inevitable, but what can be done afterwards is what is important. Adrian Ashford, here is my business proposition: I want you to remove my hands and give me mechanical replacements, using your skills as an engineer. As you said, several of my “business partners” have the same disease, and they too want the same procedure done.”

Jenny turned to Adrian and saw that he had a small smile on his face.

‘Everything is going according to plan, down to every last detail.’ “And what exactly will I get in return for my services? As you said, you don’t want to lose your hands and with them lose the freedom of being able to do things on your own. I imagine your “business partners” feel the same way. What are you and your friends willing to pay for freedom and physical independence, and even more, your lives?”

“Safe asylum in Vatican City and payment of a hundred million dollars in whatever form of currency you would like.”

“That is a very generous deal, but that isn’t quite what I would like. Instead of the hundred million dollars, I want IN.”

Everyone looked at him with confusion.

“In? In what? You want to become a Freemason? Well there are easier ways to become a Freemason than—”

“No, not a Freemason. I mean higher up,” Adrian said, interrupting Medici. The limo was silent for several moments.

“You can’t honestly mean…”

“You said that you wouldn’t insult me my denying my claims, and I have been correct on every single matter. I wouldn’t even be here if I wasn’t absolutely sure that I was right on this matter.”

“If you honestly think it exists, then you are a lot less intelligent than a thought you were,” Medici laughed.

“Don’t lie to me. You’re almost 160 IQ points short of being able to lie to me.”

Medici lost his smile. “You want to become a member of the Illuminati,” he said with his tone serious.

Jenny gripped Adrian arm. “The Illuminati?! You mean the group that conspiracy theorists have been raving about for decades?”

“The very same. I’ve been watching their movements for years, knowing that they’ve also been watching mine. It’s a myth that the Freemasons control the world, but the Freemasons themselves are under the commands of a tight ring of intellectuals known as the Illuminati. While it is true, there are only a handful of people, including myself, that are not in the Illuminati but know that it is undeniably true and have even seen the proof. Just because those conspiracy theorists happen to say something that is true, doesn’t mean that they themselves are correct.

Just like the Freemasons, they take absolutely no action in the events of the world. They have a strict rule to never intervene, unless it is in the face of complete annihilation. But every member of the Illuminati must have both an incredibly high IQ and be in a position of incredible political or economic power, or have strong connections to someone with incredible political or economic power.

Along with teaching history in Vatican City, Professor Medici here is also a board member of one of the greatest banks in all of Europe. All of his friends with the disease that plagues him are in the Illuminati as well. That bio-weaponry CEO didn’t want to join the Freemasons, he wanted to join the Illuminati. So do we have a deal?”

“I will have to convene with the other members. The limo driver will bring you to an airport where Dr. Alfonse’ jet is waiting. I will have an answer by the time you get there. If you are allowed in, get on the jet and we will fly you out immediately.”

“Before you go, I have one final demand: Jenny must be allowed in as well. I’m not doing anything without her. She and I have been killing criminals across the country. I’ve brought her up to my level of intellect and physical abilities. Believe me when I say she is smarter than everyone in the Illuminati.”

Jenny wrapped her fingers around his hand and kissed him on the cheek.

“Very well,” Professor Medici said dryly before the computer was turned off.

“Dr. Alfonse, tell the driver we need to stop at the Bellagio so that Jenny and I can collect our things

“I hope they agree, I would love to see Vatican City,” Jenny said dreamily as they packed their things.

“Not just Vatican City, we’ll be able to tour all across Europe. Venice, France, London, Berlin…”

“Maybe a quick stop in Amsterdam.”

“Whores and drugs? Eh, not my cup of tea.”

“I just love you so much,” she giggled as she kissed him on the cheek. After the kiss, she just stared at him with a tender smile on her face.

“What is it?”

“I just can’t believe you’ve had this all planned out from the very beginning. Everything has come together so well that it is almost as if you could read the future.”

“Humans are predictable, and the smarter you are, the easier it is to see the root causes of every action that they make. The Illuminati may be filled with some of the smartest people on Earth, but my record is not a mere novelty. Not even they can stand up to me.”

“All this to join the Illuminati. You really are a strange man.”

“Well joining the Illuminati is only part of my plan, and once that plan is finished, they will all become obsolete. Once everything is done, I will rebuild the Illuminati. The current members have become corrupt and decadent, only changing the world in their favor instead of for its betterment. I will rebuild the world and the Illuminati; that is a guarantee. It’s time for a change, and nothing will escape the revolution. I’ll use those fools up and then toss them aside like garbage.”

“I love when you talk like a villain,” Jenny purred.

As they walked through the Bellagio lobby with the bellhop carrying their luggage, the woman behind the desk repeatedly switched her gaze between her computer screen and two teens. She was reading an article on a news website and it was about the string of massacres spread out across the country, with their pictures below the headline.

“Oh my god,” she gasped as she recognized the two teens.

As she picked up the phone, Jenny, the bellhop, and Adrian stepped out into the street. Adrian handed the bellhop ten bucks and he left them with their luggage.

“Adrian…” Jenny began. Only with their fully utilized hearing could they hear the woman behind the desk.

“I know; she’s calling the police. We can’t let them figure out where we’re going,” Adrian said as he walked over to Dr. Alfonse. “The police are on the way, we’ll meet you at the airport.”

Handed Adrian’s car keys, Alfonse nodded and climbed back into the limo. As he sped off, Jenny and Adrian calmly made their way to the parking area. The sounds of police sirens could be heard in the distance.

“I’ll draw their attention and lead them away. Once the coast is clear, get to the airport. I’ll meet you there,” Adrian instructed.

“Adrian, don’t fight them. They aren’t criminals and there is no telling what they are armed with.”

Before replying, Adrian opened up one of their luggage bags and pulled out his black coat. The pockets and interior were filled with darts, and his sheathed lance was wrapped up in it. He had only enough time to put on his bulletproof shirt before wrapping himself in his coat.

“Don’t worry, this will not be my last stand. Go inside and hijack a car. I’ll block the road and then you come out and try to run me over. You’ll just look like a scared bystander trying to get away.”

While Jenny ran off with their bags to find a good car to take, Adrian calmly walked out into the middle of the street, which had been cleared as the police approached. As the squad of police cars sped down the Vegas Strip towards him, Adrian reached into his pockets and pulled out several darts. Once the cars were in range, he took careful aim and threw the spikes with devastating power. The first car that was struck had its lights blown out and the windshield filled with cracks, making it impossible to see through. It crashed into a parked car and the siren fell silent as the airbags inflated and slammed into the officers inside.

The second car that was struck had the left rearview mirror ripped off. The driver instinctively swerved to the left, exposing his right front tire. A well-placed dart popped the tire, causing the front-right corner of the vehicle to sink. With the vehicle’s weight and inertia being focused on that lower corner, the car swerved out of control and flipped over. Adrian threw four darts at the third car, using the first two to shatter the windshield and the third and fourth to stab the cops in the front seats. The darts had only struck their shoulders and the wounds were shallow, but the car swerved out of control and crashed into a parked van. The three cop cars were now blocking the road, and as per his instructions, Adrian could hear Jenny driving towards him at top speed.

Adrian jumped out of the way of the stolen car and watched Jenny speed away, knowing that she was worried about him but also had faith. He took a deep breath and sprinted away from the wrecks, running out onto the next road and fleeing into the alley across the street from the Bellagio. His senses were on full alert as he counted every audible siren and tried to figure out their location and distance. Identifying the location and distance of each was like an equation, with compensations for sound waves bouncing off buildings and cars and being distorted by background noise as the variables. He was working on dozens of these equations at once in his mind, and using them to create a mental map of the city, with the locations of cop cars marked.

Adrian ran out into a busy street, filled with people and cars. Keeping low to the ground and parallel to the road, he sprinted down the sidewalk, shooting past everyone in his path and maneuvering through the crowds. In his mind, he was calculating the fastest route to the airport while avoiding the police. In a matter of seconds, he plotted out the full route and formed his plan. He needed to cut across the next intersection, but it was filled with cars moving at fast speeds. Adrian stepped out into the street and used his sense of hearing and sight to identify every car in the four streets leading to the intersection.

After plotting out the course and speed of every car and creating a mental simulation of distance-to-speed ratios, Adrian took a deep breath and climbed up onto a parked car. People on the sidewalk stared at him as he stood on the roof of the car, looking down the street. As a car passed by, Adrian jumped into the air and landed on the roof. Before the driver could slam his feet on the brakes, Adrian jumped to the next car, and then a third. Moving as fast as lightning, he jumped from car to car, moving before the drivers could come to a stop.

At the intersection, Adrian jumped from the roof of a sedan, to a van, and then up onto a tourism bus. He ran across the roof of a bus and jumped onto the next car. Down the street, a police siren lit up on the roof of a black mustang. However, it was a single siren that could be placed and removed at any time, not a pair of sirens like on a police cruiser. Inside were Agents Mason and Hoffman.

“Hmm, interesting, so they were able to predict I’d be here,” Adrian smirked.

He jumped off the bus and onto the next van as the traffic opened up for the disguised cop car. Jumping from car to car, he ran away from the two FBI agents as they tried to get through the chaotic traffic. In only a few seconds, they broke free of the intersection and sped after him, driving down the middle of the road with all of the cars moving out of the way. He smiled as they approached and jumped into the air, landing on the hood of their car. They stared in disbelief as Adrian looked down at them with a devious smile. Before they could react, he drew his lance and pierced the windshield, reaching down and piercing Agent Mason who was behind the wheel. Adrian stabbed him in the gut, intentionally missing all of his internal organs and innards to slow him down.

Coughing up blood, Mason stomped on the brakes, sending Adrian flying off the hood of the car. In midair, he took control of his trajectory, altered his flight pattern, and landed on his feet. He winced from the sensation of a twisted ankle. Landing on the hood of the speeding car and then on the ground like that had done a number on his joints. Adrian was lucky it wasn’t broken, but he would need some time to ease the strain before being able to run again. Blocking pain was one thing, but he always had to be aware of injuries that could slow him down or increase in severity if ignored. Moving as fast as his ankle would allow, Adrian fled down the street and ducked into the next alley.

“Go after him, I’ll be fine!” Mason said, gripping his bleeding stomach.

“You aren’t fine, that bastard stabbed you!” Hoffman yelled as he pulled a first aid kit out of the glove compartment.

“Listen, he was limping away. This is our best chance to catch him! He ducked into the next alley, go get him while we still have the chance!” Mason said, spitting up blood. Hoffman finally nodded and climbed out of the car. With his gun in hand, he ran down the sidewalk towards the alley.

In the alley, Adrian was sitting on a trashcan, trying to loosen up the muscles in his ankle so that it wouldn’t hurt to run on it. A bullet struck the brick wall above him, missing his head by only a few inches. Adrian jumped to his feet and looked down the alley, spotting Agent Hoffman.

“You’re under arrest for mass-murder and aggravated assault against my partner.”

“Your partner will be fine, that was not a lethal wound. He was an obstacle in my path and I just needed him out of my way. I don’t want to kill the innocent, especially law enforcement. However, I cannot allow my plans to be detoured by the FBI,” Adrian said calmly as he slowly drew his lance, with Agent Mason’s blood still dripping from the end.

“I don’t care what your plans are, this ends tonight,” he said as pulled the trigger of his gun.

Adrian had more than enough time to react and defend himself in the split second between when Hoffman tightened the muscles in his finger and when the hammer of the gun struck the bullet. Like countless times before, he imagined a beam of red light shining out of the agent’s gun, telling him exactly where it was aimed. With inhuman speed, Adrian moved his lance in the bullet’s path before the firing pin could even strike the primer, compensating for recoil and other variables. The bullet was fired, moving through the air so fast that not even his eyes could catch it, but it did not matter. The bullet struck his lance and was deflected, falling to the ground as a piece of crumpled metal. Agent Hoffman desperately emptied his entire clip, but Adrian’s reflexes allowed him to block and deflect every one.

“You are out of your league, detective. I have evolved to a point where your guns are useless against me. While we are of the same species, we are worlds apart in every aspect. I suggest you leave to tend to your partner, before you end up like him.”

Releasing a roar of anger, Agent Hoffman drew an extending police baton and charged towards him, about to swing it from the side.

“You’re full of openings,” Adrian muttered as he reached out with his lance.

As the agent swung his arm to strike him with the baton, the tip of Adrian’s lance pierced his elbow, driving between the bones and cartilage, completely stopping his attack like a wrench thrown into an engine. Hoffman shouted in agony and fell to his knees.

“Had I been serious with that counterattack, I could have sent the lance in all the way and completely severed your forearm. The bones in your elbow would have been crushed, the nerves torn, and the muscles ripped apart. No surgeon would be able to reattach it. I’ll say this again: leave before you end up like your partner. My plans are too important for me to be wasting time with you.”

As Adrian walked away, Agent Hoffman pulled out a stun gun and pulled the trigger. Two barbs were launched from the end, connected by long wires. They lodged themselves in Adrian’s coat but there was no effect. Adrian turned back to the agent.

“Nice try, but I made this coat to not just stop pullets. It’s also fireproof, airtight, and it insulates me from electric charges. And even if those barbs hit me, I can block pain, so the most you’d give me is some harmless muscle stimulation.”

“What the hell are you planning?” Hoffman cursed as he got to he feet.

“I can’t tell you. If word were to get out as to what my plans are, my associates would never let me continue,” Adrian said if he walked away.

“Tell me what you’re planning, goddammit!” Hoffman yelled as he charged towards him, about to punch him with his good hand. Adrian turned around and caught his wrist, completely stopping him. Hoffman was a very large man, with a great amount of strength in his punches, but his power was nothing compared to the adolescent’s.

“You want to know? Fine,” Adrian said before stabbing him in the thigh with his lance. He howled in pain and fell to the ground, holding his leg. “However, once I tell you, I will kill you. As I said, I can’t afford to let my plans be known by anyone, especially my associates. For the price of death, are you still willing to hear his plans?” Hoffman was silent. “Very well. Agent Mason, I hope you heard that, because you’re my witness.”

Adrian then stabbed through Hoffman’s coat on his right side, destroying his radio, which had been set to receive and transmit the conversation. Hoffman cursed at how easily Adrian saw through his ploy.

“Now that no one can listen in, I will tell you the truth. I have recently become a member of a very powerful society, one that people laugh at as a myth without knowing its true power. The group I am talking about is the Illuminati, the puppeteers of the Freemasons.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“The Illuminati do exist and their influence reaches all around this globe. While they have the potential to change the world, they only use a small amount of their potential, allowing genocides and wars to continue even though they have the means to end them. I will take command of the Illuminati and change that. I will use their power and connections to bring about my plan.”

“And what the hell is your plan?” the crippled detective asked angrily.

“Bringing the world to the brink of death and installing international peace. I plan on crippling the major superpowers of the globe and giving nuclear weapons to every country on Earth.”

Hoffman stared at him wide-eyed. “How the hell will that bring world peace?! It will only doom us all!”

“On the contrary. By spreading power throughout the nations of the world, I will create the ultimate force to prevent war: fear. Anger and greed create wars, but fear can prevent them. Nuclear weapons have taken this role and performed beautifully. For example: after WWII, everyone believed the US and Russia would fight each other, people were making bomb shelters in their back yards before atomic bombs were even invented. The war between America and Russia was inevitable, yet something stopped it, and that something was the atomic bomb.

With the atomic bomb in America’s arsenal, Russia stepped down its aggravated attempts of control out of fear, and when Russia achieved nuclear power, America did the same, bringing the two all-powerful nations to a stalemate. Such was the Cold War, though through my eyes, I see it as the Cold Peace. If it weren’t for the fact that America was more paranoid about communism than Russian nuclear strikes, we could have avoided fighting in Vietnam, Korea, and other countries, and the Cold War would have acted as the perfect example of peace instilled by fear.

I plan on recreating that status quo but on a worldwide scale. After the fall of the Soviet Union, literally thousands of Russian nuclear bombs went missing. Who else would possess all of those bombs other than the Illuminati?
Once I get my hands on those nukes and the Illuminati’s connections, I will distribute them to every country on earth.

Consider this; since the end of WWII, has the US waged any war on a country with nuclear weapons? Russia? Pakistan? North Korea? Ever since nuclear power went up for grabs, no two nuclear countries have declared open war on each other, out of fear of a nuclear exchange. However, America alone has invaded countless countries without nuclear weapons because they had nothing to fear. Few people realize just how many countries the United States actually have troops stationed in, but imagine if I gave all those countries the ability to tell the US we’ve overstayed our welcome.

By giving every nation on earth nuclear weapons, every country will have equal power. No one would dare wage war on another country if there was a possibility of retaliation.”

“But what about countries controlled by madmen, or terrorists taking one of those bombs?! If nuclear weapons become more available, nuclear war will be unavoidable!”
“Along with the corporate world, I have also infiltrated the third world. I’ve stabilized a dozen countries already, using my wealth to replace chaos and famine with schools and infrastructure. More than that, I’ve set up dozens of rebel groups around the world. Armed, trained, and loyal to me, they are ready to overthrow their governments upon my order. The world will think it was simple human strength that overthrew the evil regimes, but it will have all been me, installing my own puppet regimes so I can pull the strings and keep the world safe. I’ve established mercenary armies in Africa, I’ve sold weapons to terrorists that are rigged to blow with the push of a button, and I’ve overthrown several tyrants. Believe me, I’ve thought this through and been working on this for a long time.

I plan on giving every country only a very small number of nuclear bombs, so small that you could count them all on one hand. With only a small arsenal to look after, there will be no chance of any of the nuclear bombs going missing like after the fall of the Soviet Union. Unstoppable security measures will be put in place on each bomb, ensuring that they will never be stolen or lost. If one country outside of my control does indeed decide to wage nuclear war on another country, its number of targets will be incredibly small. Consider all of the major cities in America; the nation would still be able to survive if a few of them were lost during a nuclear exchange. If two countries wage war on each other, the exchange will be very brief, and the will to fight would be crushed under the loss of life.

If a brief nuclear war starts, there will be almost no chance of other countries wanting to get involved. It won’t be like a bar fight where one guy punches another guy and it turns into a domino affect. If two countries wage war, the nuclear exchange would make examples out of them, and other countries would be too terrified to make the same mistake.

I will force the great nations of the globe into submission and forever deflate their overblown egos. With all of the countries equal, war will become obsolete, and peace will be installed, whether people like it or not.”

“But that’s not peace! That’s just fear and pain crushing everyone, all forced to live under your heel and the threat of nuclear war!” Hoffman yelled defiantly.

“Exactly; peace. That is the only peace that can be established in this world of ours. I am not a misanthrope, but that doesn’t mean I’m not aware of humans’ ignorance and barbarity in this modern age and all throughout history. Humans are like junkyard dogs; the only way to keep them from snapping at each other is to lock them up. Your definition of peace is a delusion created out of denial of human nature.

As an agent of the FBI, can you honestly tell me that humans are capable of understanding each other and being happily at peace? Do you really think that our modern societies have a chance at achieving peace, when history has proven us incapable?” They were both silent for several seconds. “Before I met Jenny, my experience in a public high school was a very peculiar one. I was given the nickname Adroid because of my cold logic and inhuman personality. She once asked me how I could be so harsh and calculating, and I replied by stating I choose to see the world and solve problems in the way a machine would. That is the source of my new movement, the movement to put an end to foolish humanitarianism and idiocy. It is time for us to stop letting our emotions dictate our lives and start using true logic. Nationality, religion, and ethnicity can no longer hold any value whatsoever if we are ever to have peace, with or without my plan.

With fear breathing down the neck of every national leader, the desire to wage war will be crushed under the inevitable repercussions of nuclear retaliation, and with the military strength of every nation forcefully equalized, a new world order can be planted in the cracks caused by the revolution. The intention of my plan will flow down into the protocols of every country: use fear to bring peace. Governments will crack down on crime like never before, driving fear into those who break the law and suppressing their urge to destroy, yet they will also be cautious, fearing the retaliation of the public if they go too far with their desire to crush law-breaking.

Humans cannot create peace for a human world; there is too much moronic selfishness and dramatic emotions. Just look in on a session of Congress and you’ll see that we cannot let this world continue in the way it has been. Humans’ faulty logic and humanitarian idealism block the key to true peace, and only with the mind of a machine can those obstacles be removed and peace achieved. You can’t just set the human race off with a new beginning and hope it makes good decisions. You have to set up barriers that will keep it in check long after you have died. For me, those barriers are fear and control.

The human race is like a child; it needs its parents to make the right decisions for it because it is incapable of making the correct choices for itself. Humans may have created machines, but since machines will someday surpass humans, they must act as parents of the human race, and only with machine logic can the safety of the human race be ensured. I forsook my machine side to be with the one I love, but I did not lose my view of this world and my logic. I have the body of a man and the mind of a machine, so I can see the path to peace, and should I fail, then at least the world will be united against me as a common enemy.

That is my plan, Agent, and as I said before, I cannot let you live now that you have heard it,” Adrian said as he raised his lance. The agent looked up at him, trying to think of an argument he could make. “I would have preferred to kill as few innocent people as possible, but you refused to move out of my path. I am sorry, but I must silence you for the sake of peace.”

“You’re late,” Jenny said with a smile as she sat on the hood of the car she had taken. Behind her was Dr. Alfonse’ private jet, ready to take off.

“Sorry, I wanted to play one last round of blackjack, then I got on a winning streak… and now I’m bankrupt,” Adrian joked as he walked over to her.

“I have good news, they accepted us. We’re now members of the Illuminati. All according to plan huh?”

“A few steps off, but pretty much according to plan.”

“Our stuff has been loaded onto the jet. I guess it’s time to get going,” she said with a hint of sadness.

“Don’t worry, darling, we’ll come back here some day. We’ll come back, tour America again, work the Vegas casinos, visit our hometown, and do whatever we want. We have all the time in the world. I know it feels weird to be leaving home.”

“I’m not leaving home. For me, home is wherever you are,” she said sweetly.

“Oh my god, that is so corny.”

Laughing to point that she couldn’t breathe, Jenny shoved him off of the car.

Dr. Alfonse stepped out of the jet and walked over to them. “Mr. Ashford, Ms. Sinclair, I suggest we leave.”

“Of course, we’re ready to go,” Adrian said as he stood up.

Jenny and Adrian climbed up the stairs and stepped into the private jet. They took two seats facing each other and couldn’t help but smile as the plane took off. Dr. Alfonse then walked over to them.

“We’re going to stop on the eastern coast to refuel, refuel again in England, and from there, we’ll head to Vatican City.”

As he walked away, Adrian turned to Jenny. “We’re on our way.”

---