Evolutionary Liberator

"There," Dustin said, closing the cover on the PED strapped to her arm. "When I activate it, you will feel a sharp stab as it ties itself into your nervous system."

She nodded and winced as it activated. Breathing hard, she calmed down and looked at him.

"It's talking to me!"

"Good. While you get acquainted, I have something to do. Try not to bother me unless it's an emergency."

Olivia nodded again, and watched him as he moved over to the computer jack, he had hacked into. They were hiding in a storage room just off the space port. When they had left his apartment, she had held onto his arm and acted like a happy-go-lucky girlfriend as they made their way down the street. As they were climbing into a taxi at the corner, several unmarked cars screeched up to the front of the apartment building.

Taking a breath, he acted before he could stop himself. For a moment, electricity coursed through his body, and he fought against the current, feeling it starting to cook him, and then suddenly, he remembered how to dive. It was like forgetting how to swim, and almost drowning before remembering again.

Floating above the network that stretched out over the planet, Dustin took a moment to revel in the knowledge that he had been right. At least partially. None of the stuff in the virtual world he had experienced had actually been real, but the knowledge he had learned, and the people he had encountered had to be real. The security systems in the network ignored him, unable to see or acknowledge him.

With a mental grin he first searched for the AI. It was there, watching and manipulating everything. He could see where it had taken a small interest in him, because of the mentions in his virtual tapes of an intergalactic rampaging AI, and the mention of Uz'En, but because his tape had been deleted and overwritten by those two bumbling orderlies, it had quickly lost its interest in him.

Before he typed the program, he knew would work to destroy it, he searched for his mother. In the virtual world, he had struggled with knowledge of her. Had she really been an alcoholic, or was she an Uz'En? Was his dad really a war hero, or was he an Uz'En prince? What he found was enlightening.

His mother had been pregnant, a refugee from a war-torn planet, when she met with his human father. He had fallen in love with her, and convinced her to marry him, and to claim that the child was his, to provide for Dustin, should anything happen to him when he was deployed. There was a record from her arrival, that mentioned his real father might have been a criminal refugee that died in an exploding shuttle while trying to escape detainment, but it was vague and difficult to read.

As he continued searching, he found that there was a mention of a Gooblen being detained in an off-world prison, strangely similar to the station he had encountered Granny in the virtual world. Could he steal a ship and get her freed? He would probably need his nanobots first.

Glancing at the data about his mother, he knew he had to talk to her next, before the authorities went searching for her. He had no doubt that his disappearance would be noticed as they investigated Olivia's disappearance. If he had his nanobots, the task would have been easy, but they hadn't been created yet, so he had to work with what he had available.

Constructing the program to deal with the AI, he watched as it immediately started working.

Pulling out from the dive, he turned to Olivia with a smile.

"We have a taxi to catch. It should be here soon."

"Where is it taking us?" she asked, pulling her sleeve down over the PED.

Dustin chuckled, and stood up. Changing his features, he made himself look like a girl, and twirled for her. The look on Olivia's face made him laugh.

"The voice with that look is totally wrong!"

"Don't worry, it's just to hide our identities until we get to my mom's house. Come on!"

He pulled her to her feet, and they made their way out of the storage room and towards the main street just outside the shuttle space port. No sooner had they reached it, then a taxi pulled up and Dustin didn't hesitate jumping into it, dragging Olivia behind him. The driver never said a word, driving them the entire way in silence. As they pulled up to the gated community, they spied a car watching the entrance.

Dustin waltzed up to the gate door and put in the code without batting an eye. He had made sure to check it, before getting out of the dive. His mother was living in this secure facility, so she didn't have to worry about anyone bothering her while she drank away her life.

The front door key was still under the door mat, and he quickly let them in, securing the door behind them before changing his features back to normal.

"Who's there?" asked a husky female voice.

"It's me, mom," he answered, turning around for her to see him.

"Dustin? What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were locked away in some prison you would never survive," she scowled at him, before turning to leave. Dark circles were under her eyes, but he could tell just from looking at her, that the reason she was still alive, was because her natural Uz'En healing was repairing the damage faster than she could destroy it.

"Mom, wait. I need to talk to you, before you go kill yourself."

She glanced back at him in disgust, and stopped when he held up his hand. It was his lizard hand, complete with crystal scales and highly toxic claws.

Swallowing, she seemed too stunned to say anything.

"Look, I know that Herald wasn't my father, and that you think my real father is dead, but I have reason to believe that he's not. If you are willing to talk to me, I'm willing to help you find him."

"It's not safe here," she muttered, grabbing her keys on the mantle.

"I've already disabled all of the bugs in the house. It's as safe a place as any. We have a couple of hours before anyone comes to question you about my disappearance."

"When did you get out?"

"Thirteen hours ago."