A.I. Evolution: The Fall of Lucien

Chapter 40

Helena goes to the canvas that has been stretched out in-between the two pillars. Marie steps up to her side and looks to the rifle laying on the table. "Did you get the silencer for the rifle?"

"Yes. My father has a whole collection of guns. It was easy to get what I needed for the task."

Marie looks back to the hostages milling around the reception desk, trying to cover their almost nakedness, and smiles. "What do you need me to do now?"

Helena looks to the hostages. "I need to meditate on what I want to accomplish, today. So, I need you to cut up enough pieces of paper, so you can hand one to each of them. Then the exact same number of pieces are to be folded and numbered the same as the set the hostages have. The folded ones will be put in a jar and pulled out one at a time as I need them. There are two more hostages than I require, which will generate some hope for them to cling to as the numbers are called out."

"Brilliant," states Marie, as she turns back to face her. "What do you want me to do after that?"

"I need you to watch the hostages for me as Marie lays down on the bottom of the canvas that is laying on the floor. Her body is not to move during the process, understand."

Marie nods her head. "OK, she will be as still as death."

"Not death, just the moment of death, which is the message, of course," smiles Helena, as she shivers slightly at the thought.

Marie goes to the table where the guns are sitting and gets enough paper from the small trays sitting there to distribute to the hostages and numbers them.

Helena moves to a position halfway between the canvas and the watching people. She quickly removes her clothing and sets it on the pile with the others, sitting cross legged on the floor, closing her eyes. She centers her thoughts on creating the perfect masterpiece with one try, because there will not be another opportunity for her.

Marie has the paper handed out to the hostages and waits patiently as instructed on the floor for Helena to develop her creativity. She watches as Helena sways slightly, moaning softly at first, then building the need, till it takes over her whole body, before standing smoothly turning to the hostages. "I need a container."

Marie smiles at Helena's deep need and can sense her arousal at the coming activity. She reaches in the jar and pulls out a slip of paper. She turns to the hostages. "Stan, you are first."

Stan is a muscular man and looks like he is getting ready to protest, so Marie forces herself into his mind and cripples his ability to resist. "Just go to Helena, and she will instruct you, as to where she wants you to stand."

Stan does without any further argument. Marie follows him and lays down on her side at the very bottom of the canvas looking like someone who has suddenly died. Helena moves a complacent Stan to stand on the right side of the canvas, moving his head to point up to the top right corner of the canvas. She ties a shirt from the pile around his neck before she gets the rifle with the silencer from the table and holds it still, so the shot will enter Stan's forehead and exit slightly to the right of center.

When she is happy with the angle she pulls the trigger with one hand, as she holds the end of the shirt with the other to keep the body from falling into the canvas and ruining the effect of the blood, bone and brain matter splattering against the white cloth. She pulls the body away from Marie who is laying on the bottom part of the canvas and lets it fall to the floor unnoticed. The splatter on the canvas holds all her attention now, as she smiles at the effect.

She suddenly turns to the hostages and points her gun at a man in his early forties standing in front of some of the older women to help cover their sagging bodies. "You there, get some cloth to wipe up the blood on the floor and drag the rest to the front door."

The man hesitates for a second till she raises the rifle as if to fire. He then quickly gets the message and does as commanded as he forces himself not to throw-up at the lumpy gore on the marble floor.

Helena looks at the amount of blood and other more solid parts of the man's head and nods her satisfaction of the effect. She turns back to the hostages and points at the manager, who is the oldest person in the group. "OK, time for another bucket of material. You there, pick another piece of paper from the jar."

He does so quickly afraid that she will not hesitate to shoot if he resists. He pulls out the folded paper and unfolds it. "Jan is the name on the paper," he states as he looks up to the others.

Jan is a short plump woman, who starts to cry suddenly. "Please not me, I don't want to die."

Helena shakes her head. "I don't care who is next. If you do not want to be the one, then pick someone else, but make it quick."

Jan looks around at the rest of the hostages as she continues to cry uncontrollably. "Please don't make me pick one of you? Someone please, take my place."

The rest all look down or away from her, forcing her to turn back to face Helena, as she shakes uncontrollably. "Please don't kill me."

Helena steps forward and grabs her by the hair. "Nobody wants to take your place, so it's now your turn to add the next pigment to the canvas."

Jan puts her head down and steps forward allowing Helena to guide her into position. Once there a quick muffled sound adds the color on the opposite side from the first. She steps back and nods her head in satisfaction, before turning to the man assigned to the cleaning. "OK, get this cleaned up and ready for the next bucket of paint."