A.I. Evolution: The Fall of Lucien

Chapter 32

The ride back down the mountain on the rough trail was a quiet one for everybody in the bouncing truck. We were all feeling the loss of freedom we felt in the rustic setting. I spent the time looking out the window at the trees and reflecting on my life so far. I felt alone most of the time because of my advanced abilities. So, hanging out with kids my own age was almost impossible, because even though I am only five, I have the memories of two adult people, making me unapproachable to both age groups. Too old for one and too young for the other.

Will finally got us onto the main road back towards the small town where we had stopped on the way up to the cabin when his phone started beeping as if numerous messages were coming in all at once. Seconds later Henri's does the same. Henri opens his to look and there must be at least fifteen from Smit alone, along with some from Mark. "It seems that we were missed. I would say we have re-entered society again. There must be a cell tower close by and we just re-entered it's range."

Will nods his head. "I agree. Why don't we stop at that town again and check in with our overseers?"

Henri turns around in his seat up front, to look at me. "How are you doing back there? What do you think about stopping?"

"I could care less," I snap back involuntarily.

"Well. That was more than a little uncalled for. What is wrong?"

I shake my head to dispel the tension, but it does not work. "The pressure in my head is back. I did not even realize it had left while we were at the cabin, but now it has come back with a vengeance."

Henri turns to Will with a look of concern on his face. Will gives him a quick look. "Let's stop at that small restaurant and have something to eat while we find out what is going on?"

"That sounds good," responds Henri.

We spend the next few minutes in silence as we approach the town nestled in the big evergreen trees, part way down the side of the mountain. The restaurant is all but empty as we enter and sit in one of the back booths. The waitress steps up to the table as we sit down with three menus for us to order from. "Can I get you something to drink?" she asks.

Will and Henri both say coffee almost at the same time. She smiles and turns to me. "And what would you like young man?"

I look up to her and can hear her thinking that I will be a handsome young man when I get older. I smile at her and bend her will slightly to liking me even more. She catches her breath as she stares at me placing her hand on her chest in response to the strong feelings, she suddenly has for me. "Hot chocolate," I say, as I smile sweetly back up at her.

"Right away," she gets out quickly before rushing from the table.

Henri leans out some from his seat in the booth to watch her all but run for the counter. "What did you do to that poor woman?"

I smile as Will also turns to me. "I just let her know how much I love hot chocolate."

Henri looks to Will and shrugs his shoulders before getting his phone out again. Will does the same and they spend a moment reading the messages, as the waitress returns with my hot chocolate, displaying a wide smile on her face, as she sets it down in front of me. "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

Will and Henri are both look up from their phones to look at me again as I reply. "I had some coconut cream pie the last time I was here. Do you have any right now?"

"If not, I will make some for you right away," she smiles longingly, before turning to leave the side of the table.

Henri calls out to her before she gets very far. "Excuse me, miss. We don't have our coffee yet."

She stops and turns to face him. "Yes, you did want coffee, didn't you? Let me check on the pie first, then I will get you your coffee."

Henri turns back to face me. "You may want to tone down your desires some."

I smile at him as he goes back to checking his phone.

Will had been engrossed in his phone and had not paid much attention to the last exchange. "It seems that there has been some excitement in Rome while we were away. Mark wants us back at the Castle as quickly as possible because the news agencies are reporting something about the Son of God making people kill each other."

Henri adds to the topic. "Yes. Smit is reporting that one of the mentally in-firmed people that were cured while we were there just over a year ago has gone on a killing spree and names the Son of God and her mother for telling her to do it. I remember the case Smit is talking about that caused the woman to be interned in the clinic. It was her mother that was abusing her, and she killed her with a kitchen knife. It seems she has had a relapse though, because she killed five young women before taking her own life, claiming that the Son of God will forgive her and save her soul, allowing her to enter heaven."

Will and Henri both look at me suspiciously. I pull back from their stares and raise my hands. "Wasn't me. I was at the cabin the whole time."

The waitress arrives with my pie that must be at least a third of the whole pie. "Here you go. Do you need more hot chocolate?"

Will speaks up this time. "We are still waiting for our coffee. Will it be much longer?"

"Oh yes, that's right, I need to put on a fresh pot. It will just be another minute." She turns away and walks back to the counter again.

Will turns and leans in closer to me. "Can you get her to bring us our coffee?"

"Right away," I smile, as I clench my fists and squeeze my eyes shut, before shaking slightly, as if I was all tensed up.

I turn to Will after opening my eyes and relaxing against the back of my high-backed seat in the booth. "There, she likes older men again. She will get you whatever you want now."

Henri laughs out loud at the look on Will's face. "The question of course is what is it that you want from her, Will?" smiles Henri as he slaps the edge of the table, laughing loudly.

"Very funny," he forces out. "Why don't we see if we can get the rest of that pie from her and get back to the Castle as quick as possible. I do not like the feeling I am getting from these messages. Mark seems to think the press could be converging on Lucien's hiding place."

Henri sobers up instantly, as the threat to his charge comes rushing back to him. "Agreed." He looks around the edge of the booth to see the waitress coming with two plates and two mugs of steaming coffee.

The waitress sets the mugs and the plates on the table before turning to face Will. "Is there anything else you need from me sir, before I get you your bill?"

Henri chuckles softly, as Will turns to look up at her. She is all smiles now, and Will can feel the intensity of her stare. "No, we seem to be in a hurry, so just the check please."

She places her hand on his arm and says sweetly. "I understand, I don't want to hold you up."

She heads back to the counter, as Will turns to me. "That will be enough of that, young man."

"Sorry, I did not realize I had that much control. It is something that has happened since we went to the cabin. I will correct it for you though."

Henri looks to me suspiciously. "Do you mean to imply that you have the original Nanos from Wong. Your mother told me that with those she could make people do all kinds of things against their will."

"I look to each of them. "I don't know. I have had as many as mom gave me. I do not know which ones they were.

Will gives Henri a questioning look, which I was going to ask them about when the waitress arrived with the bill and hands it to Will.

"There's your bill. You have a nice day and maybe we will see you soon," she says, as if she could care less if she ever saw us again.

Will stares at her as she leaves before turning back to me. "OK, you don't need to turn her into a rude person."

"Sorry, but what can I say. I am a work in progress," I blurt out, as I eat my pie and drink my hot chocolate.

We finish up and head back out to the truck and the long drive back into the city.