Episode 8.0: Rogue Wave, 8.1 Handsome DEviL

NANDROID: MICAH NOEL BARNES aka PORPOISE

Nags Head, North Carolina. Outer Banks!

On a lonesome stretch of beach Micah Barnes eyed the Atlantic. Oil tankers in the distance followed a path to destinations unknown, while sailboats dotted the horizon even in these early morning hours. Daylight had barely just lit up the world. Hands in her dingy caramel colored trench coat pockets, her spun silver hair flowing in the breeze she removed her sunglasses. Big blue eyes stared out to all of the lost souls at sea. Billions she assessed in theory.

She was one of them now. For almost two weeks she had wandered the eastern seaboard trying to decide where to go, what to do with her newfound existence. Three weeks prior she joined 25 of her friends and colleagues in escaping the scientific prison known as OASIIS. She physically died that day. Reborn in the body of an alien android that resurrected her life. One she was gradually adapting to and learning how to navigate. The alien computer becoming her new best friend was all that she had to go by. It knew everything. Drew from data banks all over the globe. Still, not even it had a good suggestion as to where to start over.

“It’s unbelievable! Years ago, I contemplated suicide. And here I am dead but resuscitated inside Seashell.” Random name, not one that would stick. “Now I can never die. How ironic is that! When we all drew straws, I really should have just volunteered my spot and let someone else take over this body. I suppose in all of the hustle and turmoil that we faced I finally concluded I wanted to live. How many times did I envision just walking out into the waves and just let them claim me. I would have drowned quickly, swept away with the tide and that would have been that. Now if I tried it, I would survive without ... that’s it.” She froze in speech, talking to herself. “Where to hide has been right in front of me this entire time. Geoffrey Chaucer did say it best with Time and Tide wait for no man.” She smiled brightly, “No man maybe, but not a woman.”

Walking closer to the water she kicked off her stolen shoes and went barefoot in the mud. Waves pelting her android toes she shivered. Her bodies sensations ramped up thanks to her little buddy Jared Temple, it rather turned her on. Who knew water could rally the hormones. Appearing human rather than her android’s original guise of feminine white, Micah selected a classier beauty than she herself ever was. Nothing spectacular in her real life she like many of her fellow scientists opted for upgrades in every way. Why not? Even at any goddess level no one would know it was her. Dead in her human body, alive in something brand new.

Silver hair had always attracted her imagination. That was her first alteration, the body obviously had to be magnificent to boost her self-esteem. Thus, she researched as many actresses as caught her eye and combined a number of their qualities into one that suited her reinvigorated desires. She settled on actress Olivia Holt as a template but taller at 5’7 as Micah was in her old body. Adding in the long platinum locks, she was in business.

Bodie Ridge lighthouse in the distance she pondered her escape attempt a bit further before commitment. “Let’s weigh the options here, SeaShelly. That be you my lovely computer. We can just name you Shelly I guess, it’s better than hey you or hey computer.”

“I will answer to whatever you refer to me as Micah Barnes. How may I be of service?”

“First thing, how watertight is this android? Am I going to fry any circuits going underwater for any long time periods?”

“This body is indestructible. The circuits are designed to withstand the pressures of space and light speeds. It would require far more resistance than that to damage this body.”

“Okay, what about depth? Could I physically say swim to the bottom of the Marianas Trench without imploding?”

“Indestructible!”

“What exactly would it take to damage us?”

“Flying into the photosphere of your sun. At 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit even our alloy bones would melt.”

“Volcano? Lava?”

“Lesser temperatures. Most molten lava is 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. We could easily step out or into without damage.”

“Eaten by a Great White?”

“He has met his match. This unit has the strength to pry its jaws wide and escape.”

“Belly of a whale?”

“Micah Barnes, you need not guess any further, there is nothing on this planet that can do us harm. Perhaps off world technology that this unit is unaware of might cause physical damage. Until that occurs, I have no further answers.”

“You mentioned light speeds. Can this body move at light speeds?”

“Negative! Flight is not in our programming. Our top running speed is 600 miles per hour.”

“That’s comforting. Most vehicles can’t keep up that speed. Does running speed count as swimming speed?”

“That is correct.”

“Wow! So, by swimming I could make it to say Bermuda in how long?”

“Roughly eight hours from our current location.”

“Scary! I love swimming but ... eight hours on rough seas.”

“This unit could navigate even under hurricane conditions. We simply go deeper to avoid turbulence.”

“And you can promise me I would make it without any issues. I mean it’s not like I can get the bends, right.”

“Correct! This body does not follow the same rules as human anatomy.”

“I trust you, Shelly. Keep me safe.”

“Sonar will reveal any threats. Threats that we can easily avoid, or if not avoid, defeat.”

“Man, I’m tense and know I don’t need to be.”

“You simply suffer what your human side might fear. This unit has weapons that can be utilized to counter any interference. Sonics and concussive forces can be employed to ward off predators. Strength that would combine over 200 humans all at once can be called upon.”

“Torpedo?” She laughed!

“This unit would survive the blast.”

“No, I meant if I rammed into a ship’s hull by accident.”

“I would reroute our trajectory to prevent that. However, calculating your next question this unit would pierce the steel hull as you humans say, like butter.”

“Wow! Will I be able to see in the depths.”

“As well as you do now. Darkness means nothing to this hardware. We have a wide array of visions to see as needed.”

“X-ray vision?”

“Look at your arm Micah Barnes.” Doing so her trench coat sleeve faded away to see her polymer skin beneath it.

“Nice! Telescopic? Up periscope!” She had to chuckle. Peering out to sea she witnessed the guy in his kayak paddling a mile away. Her vision zoomed in and could even tell the time on his wristwatch. “Man, that guy has balls. If that kayak turns over, he’s a goner. Worse yet, if a big shark thinks his kayak is a fish, he’s dinner.”

“David Kilburn! This is his sixth such adventure in his kayak.”

“Well, good luck to you David. I see dolphins. They’re beautiful. Awww! David is feeding them a sandwich.”

“David Kilburn is an oceanographer. He studies dolphins and porpoises. Experienced in Deepsea diving as well.”

DAVID KILBURN

“I don’t need to hear his entire history, Shelly. I will never meet the guy.” A sailboat skimming the horizon noted next, Micah spotted young lovers drinking their morning coffee and enjoying the water. It made her sad. “I never had the chance to explore love. They look so happy together. Why can’t I ... I’m not human any longer. I need to get used to that fact.”

“This unit offers you every attribute to explore human desires.”

“Yes, but how can I be with a man knowing I’m a robot ... sorry, Shelly, a Nandroid. I know there are differences but a machine none the less.”

“Our union gives us emotion. Our touch unless overpowering, can be just as rewarding to you as your human body.”

“I get that. I’ve masturbated.” She smiled sheepishly. “That was pretty amazing. The connection my thoughts have with this body is mind blowing.”

“This unit’s seduction protocols reward you with amplified sensations.”

“How well I know. I was really tempted to go to that frat party I saw on the beach last night. I just couldn’t bring myself to deal with drunken punks. Anyway! Tough decision here Shelly. Do I sink or swim? I’m terrified I’ll get a couple hundred miles out and well, depower or something and sink to a watery grave.”

“This unit will not allow that. Our fusion cells are infinite.”

“Which I don’t understand when the military found the spaceship in Antarctica you were all for all intents dead. In reverse engineering you we somehow brought you back into existence, if not your memories wiped. It does excite me to swim with those dolphins. Maybe explore shipwrecks on the bottom. It has to be so very peaceful down there.”

“Deathly peaceful.”

“I don’t need to hear that, Shelly. I nearly took my life at age 15. Again, while suffering captivity inside OASIIS but they had me under constant watch to prevent my doing that. Of course, in a month or more they would have assisted me once we completed those last few androids and updated those less ready. Now that I can’t die that deathly peaceful comment is just rubbing it in.”

“This unit apologizes, Micah Barnes.”

“I should apologize as well, for helping take part in reviving your species and deleting all of your past knowledge. I hope you can forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive Micah Barnes. It is logical to our construction that we have always served.”

“Well, you are an equal in my book Shelly. By the way, it’s just Micah! I guess this makes you Shelly Barnes. I never had a sister so that makes sense. So, from here on just call me Micah, I’ll call you Shelly.”

“Yes, Micah. I will respond to Shelly.”

“Another thing, could you maybe sound more human? The last few weeks I feel as if I’m talking to a machine. I mean, I know you, we, are a machine but can you match my tone of voice and give it another woman’s speech patterns?”

“Any suggestions?”

“Hmm! We can try a few and see which one doesn’t drive me crazier than I already am. How about Lisa Kudrow from the sitcom Friends. I always liked her character Phoebe.”

“Accessing! Hey Monica ... Micah!”

“Cute! Stick with her and stay in character for amusement. Well, maybe not quite as dingy.”

“I will do my best, Bestie.”

“Awww! Besties it is. Okay! I think I’m ready to hide out in the biggest haystack there is. Meaning the ocean. Good luck finding me out here OASIIS.”

“The odds of that are 1 in 2.5 billion chances! Go us!”

“I hope your calculations are right. None of us have any idea how far OASIIS will go to get us back. I’m guessing they have connections with other black sites so they could always send someone else.”

“Unless they have other Andi’s we can beat them at their own game.”

“Andi’s? Oh, androids! Right! That is an interesting question. Outside of you guys, the alien androids they found in Antarctica, are there others on Earth?”

“Memories deleted of our parentage and siblings. If there are then we will confront them together Sis.”

“Uhhh? Let’s just go with besties. Sis reminds me of OASIIS.”

“True that! Ready to put us to the test Testie?”

“Bestie Testie!” Micah laughed! “Anyone watching us?”

“360! No peeps peeping!”

“Then let’s ditch this coat and get this showboat on the road.”

“Ooo! Bimini Road! That’s in the Bahamas. That could be fun.”

“As long as no one sees us.”

“Our bod can paint on a bikini.”

“Might need more than a bikini to throw off experienced divers Shelly.”

“I can create holograms of scuba gear.”

“And a boat to throw them off? They can’t just see me way out there with no boat.”

“Fine! We can go invisible.”

“That is probably our best bet.” Taking her trench coat off Micah Barnes tossed it to the tide. Shoes and socks removed she then slipped out of her jeans and white pullover top. Thrown away she stood in only a teal G-string and bra. Bra discarded she opted for no particular reason to leave the G-string on. “Chilly water.”

“Our body will adapt.”

“I hope so. My nipples are hard.”

“We are always hard Bestie. Seduction mode demands it.”

“I’m good with that. I see jellyfish.”

“Their stings are harmless. No fear Micah Noel.”

“Counting on it Shelly Phebes!” Giggling Micah walked further out into the water and took a breath, as if she needed to. Pinching her nose just for laughs she submerged and flattened out in the saltwater. Swimming against the current with ease she looked around her at the crystal-clear environment. “It’s stunning down here. So much life!”

“Fishy’s!”

“Everywhere! This is breathtaking.”

“Good thing we do not breath.”

“I think I found my freedom Shelly.”

“Purpose?”

“Porpoise!” She chuckled!

“On porpoise!” Shelly mimicked Phoebe’s giggle. “Are we just site seeing, or do you want to speed things up?”

“I say we stay maybe fifty feet below the surface. Let me get over my fear of deeper waters first.”

“You’re the lifeguard.”

“I would think that the other way around. It’s you who are guarding my life, Shelly. Without your protection, your friendship, I could never navigate this thing.”

“You navigate it now Micah. I only assume control when you want autopilot.”

“You have to know what I mean. I’d never know how to use any of the armaments this android has effectively without probably hurting someone, something ... or worse.”

“At least the assassin protocols on this particular unit have been purged. Killing would purely be by accident.”

“See that’s just it, I don’t even want any accident. Killing is bad!”

“Even though you thought to kill yourself?”

“I’m over that period in my life Shelly. As you said unless I go swimming in the sun I’m forever. I made that choice even if I questioned that earlier. Just exploring under the sea has already cheered me up and given me a new sense toward continuing on.”

“I will do my very best to always keep you smiling.”

“Thanks! How far out are we?”

“A tenth of a mile from David Kilburn.”

“Right! I see the dolphins he’s befriended. I hope they don’t consider me an intruder. I’ve heard stories how dolphins protect humans from sharks.”

“Pool shark at best. I know you enjoy billiards.”

“I do. I know I shouldn’t but let’s circle around David and say hello. I know we can erase his memory of meeting. As long as I don’t scare him too bad.”

“He might think you’re a mermaid.”

“Should we morph into a fish tail?” She mused.

“I don’t think there is a need if we are making him forget using our telepathy.”

“Right! It would be a waste of energy. Uh oh! The dolphins noticed us.”

“I sense no agitation. Merely curiosity.”

“Here they come. Two at least.”

“Here we come. Two at least.”

“Double date?”

“That would be interesting. The male on the left thinks we are cute.”

“Wait! What? We speak Dolphinese?”

“The language barrier can be deciphered over time.”

“All of these centuries mankind has wondered what they were trying to tell us. That could come in handy.” Circling her as Micah floated with minimal movement she admired the majesty of the bottle-nosed dolphins. Greeting her up close one nuzzled her hand until she caressed his snout and atop his head. “Hi there!”

“Hello!”

“No way! You understood me?”

“You understood me.”

“I did. At least that much. I feel very honored to speak with you. My name is Micah.”

“What is name?”

“Micah! Oh, you don’t know what the term name means.”

“What is term?”

“Me Micah, you...”

“Xitlucariap!”

“Wow! That is a mouthful. Can I just call you X?” It nodded rapidly as Micah jumped at the sensation of a nose up between her thighs. “Whoa there, Buddy! Watch the spin the bottlenose.” It was a good thing she still had her G-string on. Even as an android her vagina was designed just like a human. The jolt of touch down there sent shockwaves through her seduction mode. “NoNoNoNoNoNoNo! Let’s not even consider sex with a dolphin.”

“There is an alternative.”

“David?”

“It would be something memorable.”

“Yet we will make him forget how fun it was.”

“We don’t have to make him forget. No one would believe him.”

“True! There would be no proof.”

“Apologies! Kakikilatr is frisky.”

“You have no idea what name and term are, but you know the word frisky.”

“It’s like an emotion to them Micah.”

“I guess!” Kakikilatr rose up behind Micah and hugged her with his dorsal fins. Feeling him hump at her she whipped her body around in his grasp and grabbed his chin. “No means no! You’re adorable but I’m not going there, Cocky Kaki.” X moving up behind her in the same union it almost appeared if they were trying to DP her. “HEY! STOP IT ALREADY!”

“DP! This would be classified as Dolphin Penetration or Dolphin Porpoise.” Shelly laughed!

“NOT FUNNY! Okay, kind of funny.” Utilizing a very thin nudge of telekinesis she put space between she and her two dance partners. They took the hint and simply swam around her playfully. “Thanks for the intervention.”

“Would that be a FINtervention?”

“Okay, less Phoebe Buffay and more how I might talk.” It got old fast. The voice was comforting but too many puns was quickly becoming an annoyance. “Let’s risk saying hi to David.” Moving closer amid the other dolphins, six in total, Micah looked up at the bottom of the kayak. Oars ready to begin the trek home to shore she rose to the side of the watercraft and only surfaced from her nose up. Eyes wide she got a good look at hunky Dave. Once he noticed her, he nearly tipped his kayak. A quick hand grab Micah rescued him.

“I’m hallucinating!”

“Hello David!”

“Too long out here, I’m seeing things.”

“Yes, you are.” She drifted closer and smiled warmly at him. “Don’t be afraid, I won’t harm you.”

“I just pissed my pants.”

“Sorry! I saw you from the shore. You looked lonely way out here.” Looking over his shoulder at the distant beach he bulged his eyes.

“No way did you swim over a mile.”

“Long distance swimmer.”

“Where’s your spotter boat?”

“I’m a risk taker.”

“Hold on! How did you know my name?” X and Kaki surfaced telling him in their native tongue that she said that the term name was good. Hilarious to them! The cackles of six dolphins at once was overwhelming.

“Oh! Okay, I know a lot of things. Like what our hecklers here are saying.”

“Riiiight! Are you ... a mermaid?”

“Told you so.” Shelly spoke in Micah’s thoughts.

“Yes I am. And no, my name is not Ariel. You can call me ... Porpoise.” Safer than her real name just in case. If she let him recall her the name, Micah Barnes could be picked up on by OASIIS someday. Nope! She found her Porpoise in life as Shelly teased. “I can read your mind. That is how I know your name. Telepathy! These studs are X and Kaki. I’ve yet to be introduced to the other four.” Listening to X introductions were made. “Okay left to right that is Mogu, Nym, Quar, and Geet. Short versions! Their real names would take too long to recite.” Spinning her finger in the air as she used his kayak to rise higher, her breasts visible to him the dolphins took note and also rose. Stirring into a 360 whirlpool the six showed off for them and danced backwards to give them space. “I can do that.”

Shelly assisting Micah, her entire body left the water up to her knees and she too spun and danced backwards. David was speechless but his thoughts were crystal clear. This woman was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. That made Micah’s heart sing. Lowering back down into the water she slowly swam back up to his side. “Thanks for the compliment. You’re gorgeous too.”

“I think I better head back to shore before I get swept any further out.”

“Put your oars up and hold on.”

“What?” She moved the boat around to face the Carolina coast and began pushing, feet kicking. He barely had time to get his oars out of the water. “This is insane.”

“I know! I feel the same way. Looks like our entourage is joining us.” The dolphins paced them. “Keeps sharks off my heels at least. I have to give you credit David, kayaking on the ocean takes nerve.”

“And long-distance swimming doesn’t? This is real. I’m freaked out but you’re amazing.”

“You have no idea how amazing I can be.” She giggled. “So, you’re an oceanographer.”

“I am. What do you do?”

“Swim! Chat with sea life. And no, I am not from Atlantis.”

“Where then?”

“Delaware!” She laughed! That was true. Dover before OASIIS! Funny! Diver, Dover! Shelly pointed that out.

“I’m only here for the summer. I work in Florida at a research center. I study dolphins. You can actually talk to them?”

“Bits and pieces to be honest. Telepathy and deciphering is a two-way street.”

“I’m totally confused here. You’re from Delaware but you read minds and talk to dolphins. Are you a mutant?”

“Not an X-Man.” She chuckled! “If I told you I’d have to make you forget to protect myself. Besides I’d like you to think good of me.” And discovering her to be an android might kill the sexual tension. “Let’s just say I’m evolved.”

“Still sounds like a mutant to me.”

“If you like. I could be referred to as worse.”

“Do you breathe underwater? Gills?”

“No gills! But yes.” It was easier than telling him she didn’t need to breath at all. Which reminded her that she needed to fake that much once they hit the beach. Not having a heaving chest might look dead on arrival. “I wonder if he likes my chest size. I felt that 36C like my old self was sufficient, but I do know guys like larger.” Oh, well! After today she would need to wipe his mind so what he thought was pretty moot.

“How is that possible?”

“How is anything in life possible David? We only guess at what God has offered us and how it all functions.”

“True! Do you always swim naked?”

“I still have my G-string but close enough. Believe it or not this is my first ever skinny dip. The ocean called out to me, I answered. Can we ... keep me to ourselves? I really don’t want anyone to make such a fuss that I get captured and studied.” If that were even possible. “We all know that ends badly. I like my freedom and I deserve as much happiness as anyone.”

“I hear that.” He spoke in thought. “Thank God I don’t have to deal with my ex-wife anymore. Coming to North Carolina just to get away from our crappy divorce was worth it. I just didn’t think I’d meet ... anyone this soon. Porpoise? What a name.”

“It’s Micah.” She gave up on the worry, the mind wipe would fix that anyway. “I’m going to trust you, David. Please don’t betray me.”

“Micah is a beautiful name. I guess you just heard my thoughts.”

“Hard not to. It helps build that trust. Recently divorced then?”

“Yeah, a month and a half since our court made it official. She robbed me blind. Took our house, my boat, my kid. Hell, even my dog. Sounds like a bad country song.”

“Life gets better. I... “ Pausing to listen to Shelly, Micah smiled. “David? I’m going to let you take over on the paddling. I’ll meet you on shore in a few. I promise I’ll join you.”

“Okay! Where are you going?”

“Under! There’s something I just noticed I want a look at. See you shortly.” Releasing him she asked her new friends to escort him home safely. Four went along but X and Kaki followed her into the depths. The continental shelf dropped off by 200 feet from her current position. Swimming downward with graceful moves the dolphins had to turn back and let her go off on her own.

“What have we here?” Moving around a cliff that angled like a canopy was a sunken vessel swept under the upper landscape. “I bet nobody has ever seen this ship. It looks wooden and really old.” A pair of stingrays fluttered by her as she examined the ships skeleton up close with perfect vision. Even in the abyss preventing light thanks to the canopy it was bright as daylight to her. “What made you point this out Shelly?”

“Gold!”

“Gold? Really? This was a treasure ship?”

“I detect gold, silver and gems within. Coral has overtaken the ship, but it can be found.”

“Aren’t there laws against...”

“Do we abide by any law?”

“In this case, maybe not. The issue I see is cashing in on what we find without alerting the government.”

“Current United States law dictates to claim any, and all treasure found within a three-mile limit of the coast. If we bring any up, we will need to do it quietly.”

“Do we need money? This could be more of a hassle than ... ohhh! To help David. I see where you’re going with this. I approve Bestie. Let’s do some digging.” Scanning the ships bed and tunneling within what was left of its shell Micah zeroed in on multiple chests, still intact after hundreds of years. “I wonder what country this ship is from.”

“Spain! I have accessed nautical shipping routes for this area throughout recorded history. I have found this to be a prime location for a vessel carrying gold back to Spain that was stolen from the Aztecs of Central America.”

“Sweet! How much are we talking about here?” X-ray vision shared the interior of one chest alone filled with tiny gold bars and coins. “Oh, my God! This is exhilarating. How has no one found this before us?”

“Hidden away it seems. Sonar and Lidar scans might not pierce the wall above this shelf.”

“How did you notice it?”

“This unit’s body is more advanced than human tech. Not even Jared Temple cracked every single mode it possesses.”

“Okay! I say we only take up enough that we can melt down for him and cash in on safely.”

“Which means Bermuda awaits.”

“For now! A little romance does sound nice even if I know it’s temporary. He is intrigued so why not risk a one week stand.”

“Our clothing is long gone.”

“Hologram me up in something snazzy.”

“Which we would need to explain to David.”

“Shoot! You’re right.” She broke the lock on the trunk and lifted the lid up. “Whoa! Sparkly!”

“Until it surfaces, and oxidization sets in. It can be cleaned up.”

“How much dare we take?”

“Three bars alone would set David up with a new home and life wherever he decides to go.”

“I have an idea. Why don’t we move all of these trunks four or five miles out with an exact coordinate for David to find and let him exhume it on his own. He can hire an honest treasure seeker and share the wealth.”

“Sounds like a plan. We can search for another ship outside the thievery zone the country has and transplant the treasure into it as a safety deposit box.”

“Boy! We are putting a lot of faith into a guy we just met.”

“What he said was true. Evelyn Kilburn cheated on David with another man and falsified proof that David was the one to blame. The Judge believe it or not was her affair.”

“Wow! That’s devil in the details.”

“His son is 12 and has run away twice to be with David but he gets taken right back to Evelyn each time. Fighting for custody would be futile.”

“Unless we get involved.”

“That would be your decision Bestie. Is he worth our time?”

“What else do you and I have to do but see the world. I don’t see why we can’t help others along the way.”