A Complicated Web

Chapter Thirty: Internship

The next time Kally woke up, she felt more like herself. Maybe it had something to do with having been previously drugged with whatever that stuff was. Maybe it was due to something else. Either way, she felt grateful not to feel like she had the last time. And she hadn't thrown up. That was very important.

There was one small difference, however, that she definitely didn't like. There was something around her neck that hadn't been there before. When she reached up to touch it, some kind of smooth material met her fingers, almost like plastic, but not. And if she felt all the way around it, she found where it fastened behind her neck. Her fingers tingled with the potential of energy coming from that band and she immediately knew she didn't like it.

"Admiring your new jewelry?" Ms. Kendrick spoke up from the far wall. She'd been leaning against it only a moment before. But now she moved towards the confused girl. "It's merely a precaution to ensure you don't try anything we'll all regret. After we hacked into some security feeds from Stark Tower, I felt the deterrent necessary."

Kally frowned as she bit her cheek. This didn't bode well. "So you put a shock collar me? What kind of sick and twisted people are you? I don't even remember doing any of that stuff. And when the others showed it to me, I still couldn't believe it."

Ms. Kendrick shrugged. "Perhaps it was a fluke brought on by an adrenaline rush. Perhaps it was something more. But until we can be sure of that, the collar stays." Her last words came out as cold as ice, her eyes flashing dangerously. "After all, I'm not entirely sure that it will be enough for us to continue to threaten the safety of your little friend. You seem to have a history of quiet defiance."

Teeth grinding, Kally balled her hands up into fists. "What do you want with us?" There were too many potentials to rule anything out just yet and she knew it.

The smile Ms. Kendrick gave her in return was more than menacing. "Your cooperation and skills, of course. You're an expert programmer, albeit new to the field. But that freshness only seems to add a sense of imagination to the process that adults lack." She leaned over Kally so that her shadow loomed over her. "What we want from you is a special program. I heard you were working on an artificial intelligence, and our man was quite impressed with your little science experiment back at the convention."

Kally's eyes went wide. "You want me to create an AI for you? Why?"

Ms Kendrick raised a brow, giving a slight nod towards one of several cameras in the room. She watched Kally writhed in pain from the jolt sent through her. "That's enough," she said to the air and the electrical current shut off. "Ask the wrong questions and you'll get the same treatment. Try to escape or do something to compromise your task, you'll get even worse. Not to mention your little friend will suffer just as much, if not more than that should you refuse to cooperate."

Kally felt sick to her stomach, her body still not quite responsive after the shock sent through her system. It didn't take a genius to realize the device had been placed at the precise location to cause maximum pain. Almost limply, she nodded, her tongue feeling numb. Part of her wondered where that extra whatever was that had allowed her to kick butt back at Stark Tower.

"That's a good girl," Ms. Kendrick smirked as she moved away. "I'll give you the night to think about things. Tomorrow, you begin work on your little program. We'll let you know the specifics then. Until that time, do try and get some sleep. You're going to need it." She walked to the door, which opened with a soft click as the electronic seals were released. The door closed just as silently after she'd stepped through to the other side.

Kally closed her eyes against the lingering pain, picturing Hiro in her mind. If they were willing to do that to her, what would they do to Hiro if she didn't cooperate? And what were they going to use Hiro for? The obvious answer was they wanted him to build some kind of robot. She just wished she knew what kind and why.