Freeing Cymbal

Chapter 2

December 24, 2998
Jolie was sitting in her living room in front of the fire place. It was Christmas eve and she was playing very old and charming songs on an antique CD player. She was having a glass of eggnog and watching the fire die down to an ember with Minnie and Max. It was snowing out side and there was frost on the window panes. Two stockings hung over the fire place; hers and her new boyfriend’s. His name was Dean and she had been seeing him for a few weeks. She had only dated once before him and that’s when she found him cheating.
Jolie was once married, but her husband died in a car crash a year ago. She missed him a lot, but her friends urged her to move on with her life and so she started dating again. She really liked Dean though. He was the light of her life. He was very handsome and he was warm and caring and very sensitive. Jolie never thought a man like him could exist, but he did and she was almost sure that she loved him. But no one could ever hold a torch to her dearly departed husband.
The fire popped several times and one of the logs fell. Minnie and Max both lifted there heads. There was a small bang and they both stood. Jolie looked at the door and Dean came in. A cold draft blew in with him. He stepped out into the fire light holding half a bottle of liquor.
Jolie stood up, “Dean, your back. Where were you?”
He chuckled and took a long draw from the bottle. Then threw it into the fire place. The bottle shattered and the flames leapt in the air.
He walked closer, “Merry Christmas baby. How about a kiss?”
He stepped closer to her weaving slightly. He reeked of alcohol and his eyes were glazed over. He tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away.
She said, “You’re drunk. You didn’t drive home did you?”
He didn’t answer her; he just sat down on the couch.
“Why were you drinking?” she asked.
He stretched and stuck his hands in his coat pockets.
“We’ve been going out for how long?” he said, “Maybe three weeks?”
She looked at him bewildered.

“Yeah. Three weeks tomorrow. Why?” she asked.
He chuckled and looked at the fire, “Usually it only takes two weeks, but you were one tough nut to crack. Now it’s time to get what I want and move on.”
She shook her head, “What are you talking about? Look your drunk you just need to go home and go to bed.”
He chuckled again, “I only get drunk before a job.”
He stood up and faced her, she backed away.
She said, “Dean, your scaring me.”
He pinned her up against a wall and took a switch blade from his pocket.
He whispered, “Good.”
He pressed the button and the blade flew out. She pressed her self hard against the wall and he put the blade point to her neck. She was trying not to make any noise, but small whimpers came from her as tears rolled down her cheeks. The smell of alcohol was making her light headed. He dragged the tip of the cold knife slowly across her throat making no cut.
He whispered in her ear, his body pressing up against her, “You know what I want, and if I get it no one will get hurt.”
She gritted her teeth in anger and said, “I don’t think so!”
She was quick enough; she grabbed his hand and twisted it. He dropped the knife and she thrust the heel of her palm up wards into his jaw and the kicked him in the groin. He fell to his knees. She kicked the knife and tried to run, but he grabbed her ankle and she fell to the ground.
“Next time. No army chicks.” he said.

He got on top of her, and she struggled to get away, but he grabbed her shoulders and pinned her down. She got her left shoulder free, but only after his long nails bit into her flesh. She tried to hit him again, but he pinned her down successfully. He was pushing on her shoulder so much she heard it pop and pain shot through her arm and shoulder. Her neck was bleeding from a small cut of the knife as well as her shoulder from his ruthless grip. Jolie was strong, but not nearly strong enough to take on her six foot attacker. She was struggling like a wild animal so that he wouldn’t be able to take his hands off of her to do any thing else. He however knew this trick and held her down until she couldn’t struggle any more from exhaustion. Then he gave her a subduing blow to the head and ripped her top open exposing her bare breasts. He turned his head and brought it down to her chest and put his ear right over her heart and listened.
He sat up, “Your heart beat is so fast, one could dance to the rhythm.”
He kissed her deeply and started to kiss her cheek, moving down to her neck. He licked the blood from her cut; the alcohol made it sting and twinge. She drew a shuddering breath as his hand went south. He ripped off her panties and thrust her skirt up. She began to struggled again renewed with an energy that ran off of fear. He struck her again this time right on the temple. She blacked out.
When she came too he was already straddling her, doing what he had beat her into submission for. She started to squirm trying to throw him off, but his hand went to her throat and she stopped now doing all she could to breathe. Once he was done he zipped up his pants and took his hand from her throat. She took a deep breath and he sat up. She took another deep breath and sat up with him. She went so fast her head crashed into his, he fell back holding his head. Jolie ignored the pain and scrambled for the kitchen, once she got there she grabbed her cell phone and started to dial 911, she didn’t get past nine.
Dean was already there with the switch blade back in his hand. She bolted for her room and dove to her bed side table. He vaulted over the bed just as she drew her gun and fired. He stopped where he stood and looked down. There was a hole in his chest and blood was spilling on the beige carpet. He fell forward and she felt a very sharp pain in her side. She threw him off and his switch blade was caught in her stomach. She pulled it out and fell on the ground and leaned against the wall sobbing and clutching her middle. The police came after twenty minutes from her desperate attempt to call 911. They took her to the hospital and got her treated and checked over. With no friends or family Jolie had to bare this alone.
Four days later she was released from the hospital and went home. When she got there she unlocked her door and Dean was standing in the hall way.

* * *


Her eyes snapped open and she screamed. Cymbal was standing over me her face inches away from hers. He jumped back and she took a deep breath.
“Sorry, you startled me.” She said sitting up.
He looked at her and said, “Jolie was having a bad dream. Cymbal could hear Jolie talk in her sleep.”
“Really?” she said, “I have that nightmare all the time. It’s no big deal.”
He sat on the end of the bed and faced her. He was wearing the slacks she had put on his dresser.
He asked her, “What was Jolie dreaming about?”
She ran her fingers through her hair, “I’d really rather not say.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s personal.” she replied.
He nodded.
She looked at the clock; it was ten in the morning. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. She looked at him and he was just starring at her.
She asked him, “Do you dream?”
He nodded and she asked, “What about?”
He said, “Cymbal dreams about Jolie.”
She thought that was very sweet, but then again he didn’t say he was dreaming good things about her. She got up and he followed her into the kitchen. She reached into the cabinet for a box of cereal.
“Do you want some breakfast?” she asked him.
“Breakfast...yes.” he wasn’t to sure what it was at first until he saw the cereal box. She poured him a bowl of cereal and added milk and a spoon. He sat at the kitchen bar and she slid the bowl at him. He picked up the spoon and looked at it and the cereal for a little while and then he began to eat. Jolie was observing. He had never eaten with utensils but he seemed to know how after studying the spoon and the food.
Skip walked in, his hair was tousled and he looked tired.
He said, “Morning Jolie.”
Cymbal looked up at Skip. Skip turned around and his eyes widened now.
He said, “Whoa, those eyes are tight.”
Jolie introduced them, “Cymbal this is Skip. He’s a friend of mine. He’s staying here.”
Skip sat next to him on a stool, “Nice to meet you, uh, Cymbal.”

He held out his hand and Cymbal just looked at him. Skip put his hand down and said, “O... k.”
Cymbal looked at Jolie then at Skip. She handed Skip a glass of orange juice and he took a sip.
Then Cymbal said, “Is Skip Jolie’s mate?”
Skip spat out his orange juice and Jolie almost choked on her cereal. She swallowed and looked at Cymbal.
She said, “No he isn’t my mate.”
He said, “Jolie doesn’t have a mate?”
Skip was trying not to laugh and Jolie said, “I used to have one, but he died two years ago.”
Skip stopped laughing and wiped up the orange juice.
Cymbal asked, “What is died?”
Jolie thought for a while and then said, “That’s when some one stops living. Your body doesn’t function any more and your soul is parted from your body.”
Cymbal nodded in understanding. Jolie sat down and handed Skip a bowl of cereal. After breakfast they all went into the living room and Skip sat on the couch and put his laptop on the table and put his pair of diving goggles on his head.
Cymbal was looking at the laptop.
He said, “What is Skip doing?”
He replied, “I’m going to hack into the VINA corp. computer system and find out why they made you and how.”
Skip strapped on a small collar around his neck and pulled the goggles on.
Cymbal said, “Why does Skip put on the strange glasses and collar?”
He said, “These allow me to enter my soul into the virtual highway. You see every person has a soul in their body and their minds and so they make an image of that and place it in the Internet so that you can search it more thoroughly.”
Cymbal didn’t understand a word of what he said, but he was some how beginning to learn. Another part of Cymbal’s brain kick started.
He said, “Skip is a hacker?”
Skip looked at him through the goggles, “You don’t know how the Internet works, but you know I’m a hacker? Very strange. Ok here we go; if you guys want to watch you better get some goggles.”

Jolie got two pairs of goggles and she gave a pair to Cymbal. He put them on like he had seen. Jolie plugged them into the laptop and he jumped as so many windows and images appeared before his eyes.
Jolie said, “Don’t worry, their just holographic images.”
He was fascinated by these images. Skip’s fingers began to dance along the key board as he opened five windows every ten seconds. The VINA corp. main frame was heavily encrypted. He clicked out of several advertisements and went on he came to the first password locked file. He thought for a while. Then Cymbal said, “The password is ‘deity’.”
Skip typed it in and he was in.
Jolie said, “How did you know that?”
”This One doesn’t know.” He replied.
Skip guessed, “They might have programmed it into him during suspended animation.”
He was trying to concentrate hard on the task so he didn’t say another word. He came to the next password gate.
Cymbal said, “Invincible.”
He typed it in and sure enough it worked. The next part took him two hours. Jolie was directing him as well as she could through all the hacker traps.
“You must have been standing over Tula’s shoulder while she was safe guarding this thing.” said Skip.
She replied, “Even better, she showed me every thing she did step by step. Half of these traps were my idea.”
Skip, “Ok, this was as far as I made it this time before this long as hell password.”
The final password gate came up and it was thirty five spaces long.
Cymbal said, “This one is... 2511920supervisciousgeneticmonster2.”
Skip typed it and wow they were in. He began to search around; he found the designs and the plans. He took out his hand held and down loaded all of the important files onto it. after that he got out and signed off.
He pushed his goggles onto his head and wiped his forehead. He put back on his sun glasses and the other two took off their goggles.
Skip was shaking and he said, “Well the cops didn’t bust in and haul me away, so that’s a start. Let’s just hope they don’t find it out later. Now let’s see what we got here. Can you hit the lights?”

Jolie turned off the lights and Skip pressed a few buttons on his holo-generator and the holographic files were bing shown in the air. Jolie read it out loud, “Subject #2511920 or project Beast is a genetically engineered human created for the soul purpose of being a weapon... Designs from one Lt. Jolie Maria Titan were used in his construction. DNA was taken from several different Animalia to enhance his bodily and mental performance. Created from several deceased humans with Animalia DNA spliced in he is the ultimate being. As strong and as invulnerable as an elephant, as fast as a cheetah, reflexes of a snake, instincts of a lion, senses of a wolf, eye sight, agility and balance of a cat, and the learning capacity of a shark.
“Though unfortunate side effects are expected to occur such as extreme aggression, strange impulses and other unwanted Animalia instincts. Control maybe limited. Use of a collar created by one Lt. Jolie Maria Titan will be used to keep subject under control. Slowly the creator will be let onto her creation and persuaded to use the subject in military action.”
Cymbal was starting at the files and the plans with a blank look on his face. Jolie put her hand over her mouth and Skip put away his holo-generator. Cymbal looked at Jolie.
“Jolie created Cymbal?” he asked.
She looked at him, “I didn’t, they used the plans I had to make Phelix and altered them to create you.”
“So Jolie indirectly created Cymbal. Jolie however personally invented this.” he said as he fingered the collar around his neck.
She said, “I didn’t know they were going to use it like this, it wasn’t even designed to hurt people. I don’t understand, how could they just use me like this. But who is behind this all?”
Skip said, “Who else? Dygon.”
Cymbal flinched and closed his eyes. They both looked at him.
Jolie said, “Do you know some thing about General Dygon?”
He flinched again, he opened his eyes.
Cymbal, “She has a lot to do with this.”
That’s when it hit her, “Is the general the Her you’ve been talking about?”
He didn’t answer and she said, “Come on Cymbal, I need an answer.”
“No.”
She said, “No what? No it isn’t her, no you won’t answer me? What?”

He didn’t say any thing else. Jolie sighed and sat back. Cymbal was still fingering the collar.
“Why is there rubber on Cymbal’s collar?” he asked.
Jolie said, “I put electrical tape on it so it wouldn’t be able to shock you any more.”
Skip said, “Why didn’t you just take it off of him?”
She replied, “I don’t know how. It doesn’t have a lock; I don’t even know how they got it on him. I tried to pull it off, but it burned the hell out of me.”
She showed him the big red burn on her hand.
He remarked, “You built it, you never made a way to get it off?”
She replied, “I built it to have a special key to take it off, but there’s not even the lock is on this collar, it’s like they put it on him and welded it together. They altered it so that it can’t be taken off.”
Cymbal asked, “How can they use Cymbal as a weapon?”
Skip looked at Jolie and she sighed.
“They were going to try and make you hurt people. I don’t know what they want to use you for, but it can’t be good.” she said.
“I’ll look around some more, “said Skip, “Maybe I can find out just why they need a weapon like Cymbal.”
He put his goggles back on and got to work.
Then he said, “If Cymbal is going to try and pull off being a human, you might want to start by getting him some clothes.”
She got up, “Good idea. I’ll be right back.”
She left the room and came back in a tight, sleeveless blue dress with the middle and back cut out, she also had her hair down and she had on make up. Cymbal looked at her mildly surprised while Skip whistled and lifted his goggles looking at her.
He said, “I’ve never seen you not in uniform. You’re looking pretty hot.”
Cymbal looked at Skip, “Hot?”
He sighed, “It’s slang for good looking, sharp, sexy...”
She smiled all the while, “Well I’m going to the mall. Cymbal stay in the house, ok? Don’t leave.”
He nodded and she left. Cymbal turned to Skip and asked him, “What means sexy?”
Skip put his hand to his head, “Good God.”

* * *
Jolie drove down to the mall and parked her car in the third tower. She got out and walked to the third level entrance. Conveyer belts got you to your destinations faster in this mall. She rode a conveyer belt down to Sears a good clothes store. Her plastic was begging to come out of her wallet. She looked in the men’s department wonder what the hell Cymbal could wear. She couldn’t picture him in almost any of these clothes. She bought him a couple of pairs of dark and black pants and slacks; she bought him a couple of muscles shirts, a button down shirt and a few tees. Then she guessed his shoes size and bought him some stylish boots. After she paid for it all she went down to Abercrombie and Fitch and bought her self some outfits.
She went down to the food court and got a frozen coffee. She sat down and group of guys a little younger than her sat down behind her at a table. They were talking about her and she tried to ignore them. But she couldn’t. An irrational fear entered her and she started to fidget around sipping her coffee. She just had to listen to what her therapist told her. Just to take slow breaths and tell your self, you’re not in any danger, no one wants to hurt you, stay calm. She couldn’t take it any more, she got up and left. Once she got into her car she checked the back seat and locked the doors. Ever since it happened she had been afraid of strange men. It scared the hell out of her when Cymbal just grabbed her and jumped off a building and pulled her into an ally.
All the other problems she had before now seemed very trivial. She had so much more on her plate other than making the dead line on the more efficient guns or watching out for strangers in the mall. She sighed and unlocked her door. That dream would never come true. Dean wasn’t going to come back from the dead and kill her. She buckled up and drove out of the tower and back home. It was three in the afternoon when she got back.
Skip was still in his computer world. His mouth hanging open as he typed.
She put her bags down and said, “Why don’t you take a break before your brain gets sucked in.”
He closed his eyes and shook his head to clear it. She looked around for Cymbal.

“Where’s Cymbal?” she asked.
He replied, “Probably in his room. He’s been digging around the house reading every thing he could get his hands on.” he took his goggles off and looked at Jolie, “He read the entire works of William Shakespeare in an hour after you left, then he read every book on that shelf in the hall way.”
She dropped her bags, “No way. I didn’t even know he could read.”
She went to his room with the bags and he was digging around the closet. There were piled of books on his bed.
“I’m back.” she said.
“Cymbal heard you come in. Jolie has more books?” he asked looking at her.
“You read all of those?!” she asked astonished.
He nodded and she said, “My God, you’re a genius. Those are all my text books from collage and the technical manuals for all my lab equipment. Did you understand all of it?”
He nodded and she dropped the bags and sat on the bed.
Cymbal turned and looked at her, “Jolie looks stunned.”
She said, “I am stunned. It took me three years to read and understand all those books. What you did is utterly amazing.”
He smiled and sat on his bed where the books weren’t and he lied down.
She said, “Are you alright?”
“Cymbal is in much pain.” he replied.
She sighed, “You do have a lot of wounds. Maybe I have some morphine in my lab. Hold on a second.”
She went down stairs to her lab and came back with a vial and a syringe. Cymbal was still lying on the bed, his eyes now closed. She filled the syringe and went over to him and picked up his arm.
“You’re going to feel a small pain.” she told him.
She pushed the needle in his arm and injected it. His eyes snapped open and he looked at the needle in his flesh. His pupils contracted and he sat up pulling Jolie’s arm away and swatting the needle out of his arm. She fell on the ground and hit the wall hard. She looked up at him and he was shaking, he closed his eyes and opened them. They were back to normal and he relaxed. He sat back on the bed and blinked a few more times. He looked at Jolie.
“What is Jolie doing on the floor?” he asked innocently.

She starred up at him, “Don’t you remember?”
He looked a trifle bewildered, “Remember what Jolie?”
She shook her head, “Never mind. We should get you into bed before that medicine kicks in.”
He said, “But Cymbal is not tired.”
She said, “You will be, that medicine has a narcotic effect.”
She put the books on the ground in stacks and Cymbal yawned and blinked hard trying to clear his vision.
“Cymbal has never been this kind of tired. This One’s body is very heavy.” he muttered.
She helped him into bed and she drew the curtains throwing the room into semi darkness.
“Is your pain gone?” she asked.
He was on his belly with his arm curled up to his side and his eyes closed, “This One’s pain is gone.”
“Good,” she replied, “Get some sleep.”
He took a deep slow breath, “To sleep portents to dream.’ Cymbal hopes to dream about Jolie again.”
She gasped slightly, “What did you say?”
But he didn’t answer; he was out like a light. That was so lovely what he said and she didn’t even think he was aware of it. Cymbal didn’t know how to flatter a person; he only said what he felt, because he didn’t know any better. She sighed softly and pulled the covers over him. She looked at him sleeping so innocently. He didn’t even remember knocking her to the ground. It could be possible for him to be aggressive like the files said, but there is no way he would do it on purpose. Every thing they programmed into him was for destruction no doubt. VINA corp. was all about control. Always has always will be.

VINA corp. is the power core to all the military in the US. As a matter of fact their whole control issue was the reason for the fourth world war. The head of the military is Gen. Alva Dygon. The US was now so heavily populated she felt we needed more land and started a war with Canada and Mexico. Soon Mexico and Canada both became an annex for the US and now they own them both. It was however disguised as some thing else. The war started in 2989 when Dygon was just a private. A few good ideas and some sharp moves got her in with the General. If it was one thing she was good at it was manipulating others.
Jolie left Cymbal’s room and went to the kitchen. It was now four o’clock; she sat down at the bar and sighed.
Dygon persuaded and tricked the General into starting the war. After she served and was wounded three times they promoted her to Lieutenant, now that she held a little jurisdiction she could put the rest of her plan into motion. After already setting the military on Canada she went ahead and did Mexico too. She worked her way up to Captain and finally she took her mentors place as General. The only reason she took his place was because he mysteriously died. He was just in his forties and didn’t have any health problems so it was listed as homicide.
Though her motives were plain she had a solid alibi and was given his job. The war ended after she had both countries in ‘90. Jolie got her job their when they both met in ‘91.
* * *

Jolie was only sixteen. She had been an out cast almost all of her life, because she was different from all her peers. She finished college after her sixteenth birthday while all her old class mates were still in high school. Her parents were very proud of her when she started college at twelve and she was in the papers and every thing, but her parents never got to see her graduate. They died when she was fifteen. Both of them went down in a plane crash.
Jolie, after graduation started inventing so that she could make money to live off of. She was selling a small robot she had made, the first one with full artificial and self correcting intelligence. Business wasn’t going well at all. She went to a convention to try and make money off of that, but no one seemed to believe that a sixteen year old girl could make such a thing. The General was searching for a new worker and chose this convention to see if there were really any smart ones. She was passing along the exhibits just glancing at them. Jolie was sitting at her table with her face in her hand. Her little robot was doing what it was made to do on the table.

It was cooking. It was rather small but could cook like any culinary genius. The General stopped in front of her table and the robot handed Jolie a pink pastry to lift her spirits. She went to the next booth to look like she wasn’t interested.
“Thanks Pan, but I don’t think any one is too interested in a robot that can cook and think.” Jolie told the robot.
It replied in its human yet electronic voice, “They have obviously never tasted my food.”
The General walked in front of her table staring at the robot in awe. Jolie sat up, “Hello.”
“This is the most amazing thing I have seen here today. That robot just gave you a voluntary response.” said Dygon.
Dygon was very beautiful and was flaunting it in a tight green dress. Her left hand was gloved, but Jolie could see the edge of her metal appendage.
Pan rolled on his wheels towards her, “Duh, I’m not one of those robots that just tells you what my purpose is all the time. But seriously I cook.”
She said, “Simply amazing.”
She reached for one of the pastries and the robot gave her a sharp tap with its metal hand and it made a clank against her prosthetic hand.
“Don’t be rude Pan.” she chided.
Dygon just smiled and shook her head, “Tell me what is your name?”
Jolie replied, “My name is Jolie Titan.”
“Did you build Pan?” she asked.
Pan said, “Do you see any one else sitting here?”
Jolie said, “Pan! This is why people don’t want to buy you, you’re too rude.”
Dygon chuckled, “I find it rather funny. How old are you exactly?”
Jolie said, “I’m sixteen.”
Dygon blinked in amazement.
She finally said, “You must be that girl in the papers. Well Jolie I am General Alva Dygon.”
Jolie’s eyes widened and several gasps were heard all around as people turned to see the general
“Are you really General Alva Dygon? Head of the Us military and VINA corp.?” she asked in awe now.
“The one and only. You are the most extraordinary person I have ever met Jolie. I want us to meet and talk.” she said.
Jolie replied, “J...just tell me when and where.”
Dygon wrote it on the back of a card and handed it to her.

“I’ll see you later Jolie and if you have any other interesting inventions or experiments please bring them, I could have a job for you.” she smiled at Jolie and walked away. Jolie looked at the card and she fainted right in her chair.
The next day she met the General at an exotic restaurant and after that night Jolie had a job. The next week however she joined the force. Once a dainty young Barbee, by the time she was seventeen became a tough G.I. Jane. She left boot camp with a lot of respect. When she worked at some thing she always excelled at it and this was no exception. Able to load and fire a weapon in under six seconds, able to shoot a bulls eye at a rang of two miles and able to finish her boot camp training course in five minutes. No one had ever been able to do any of those things, not one.
And so she became a private. The General took her into VINA corp. personally coaching her through every thing she needed to learn. She had never give any one the same kind of attention she gave Jolie. In fact Jolie would go so far as to say Dygon was her friend. But they grew apart after the General told her how she had influenced the war and gained power. Jolie swore secrecy, but didn’t want too much else to do with her after she found out that she had killed her mentor to gain power. But Dygon still watched over her.
Her first promotion came when she stopped a terrorist attack in the midst of the VINA corp. building. A Mexican had a bomb strapped to his chest and Jolie in his arm ready to blow the place to bits. Jolie however was quick. She gave him an elbow to the gut and flipped him over her shoulder and he hit the ground hard. He got up furious and pushed a red button in his hand. Every one ducked down, but nothing happened.
“Can’t blow any thing up with out this can you?” she held up the ignition pen and he dropped the red control. She had him on the ground and tied up in no time. After that she became a Lieutenant and Dygon put her on a real job. In the Genetics lab. Jolie worked well in the Genetics lab and after she discovered how to cross species by splicing their DNA she was promoted to head of this.

Of course nine months ago right before Phelix was born she was taken from that job and put in inventing technological weapons and restraints. And then after the collar she was soon head of that too. Yesterday had been the first time in a long time Dygon had come into her office. She was sure the General had lost interest in her and that was the most she could hope for.
Jolie jumped as a frustrated shout from Skip drove her off memory lane.
“No way! This is so fuckin’ screwed up! There has not been one single system that could keep out CDSkip, except this one!” he shouted.
CDSkip was his screen name and you could tell he was a hacker just from that. He threw his laptop and it crashed to the floor. The damn thing was so indestructible it hardly mattered. Jolie sighed and walked into the living room. Skip was sitting on the couch with his chin resting on his palms, his elbows on his knees.
“I take it you couldn’t find any thing.” she said.
He glared at her, “What was your first guess?, “ he leaned back and looked at the ceiling, “CDSkip used to be the Black Beard of net diving, now he’s all washed up.”
Jolie shook her head, “It was one server and it’s guarded better than Area 31. You will get it eventually.”
He looked at her, “I thought you were my probation officer.”
She chuckled, “When we first busted you I knew you were only breaking in to see if you could. And I could have ordered them to shoot at any time, but instead I told them to take you in for questioning. I manage to persuade Dygon and Kelly to give you the minimum sentence. They were prepared to give you life in prison or death by bullet. It took me a while, but I got you out of that joint after a couple of months.”
He was staring at her behind his yellow glasses. And Jolie could have sworn she saw tears in his eyes.
“You did all that for me? Why?” he asked.
“Because, “she explained. “You’re not a bad kid. The only reason I joined VINA corp. was for the money and so that maybe once I had some power I could help out people like you. The people who were being controlled by the corporation.”
He shook his head and leaned it on the back of the couch.
“You really are some thing Jolie. You really are. Thank you.” he said.
“Any time.”
Jolie went back into the kitchen at five.
“Hey Pan, you done recharging yet?” she said going to the fridge.

“Yeah, I’m full and ready to go.” Pan rolled out onto the table and Jolie smiled at her.
“Good, can you fix dinner Pan?” she asked.
Pan replied, “That’s what you made me for.”
Jolie picked up her little robot and hugged her, “I love you Pan.”
“You too Jolie. I’m just glad you didn’t program me with physical feelings, or you’d be hurting me.” she chuckled.
Jolie put her down.
“I got you brand name oil this time.” said Jolie.
“Good,” replied Pan, “The other stuff sticks to my gears. So any thing particular you have in mind for dinner?”
“Surprise me.” said Jolie.
“Okey-dokey. It will be ready by six.” said Pan.
Jolie left the kitchen and went to check on Cymbal. He was still fast asleep. His legs were curled up underneath him and he had his right arm under his pillow and the other curled up beside him. He really did sleep like a baby. And Phelix was curled up right beside him. She stroked Phelix’s head and grabbed the bags off of the floor. She put out a shirt for him and then put the rest of the clothes in the dresser.
He didn’t wake by the time dinner was ready so Jolie just left him a tray on the bed side table. That night Jolie went to bed at ten so she could get up early in the morning. She had to go back to work. Her day off was far from relaxing. She took a shower and then got into bed. She set her alarm clock and lay back against her pillows.
She was very tired, but also worried. She couldn’t keep Cymbal here forever. They would suspect her sooner or later and come to get him. But she couldn’t let them take him if they were going to hurt him and use him for wrong purposes. She would do what ever it took to keep him from harm that was the reason she took this job, to keep others from harm.

She sighed and turned over. She could see Cymbal peeking into her room. He closed her door and left. She couldn’t help it. She got out of bed, put on her silk robe and stepped out side. He wasn’t out in the hall, but the door of the music room was ajar, light and music was coming from the small crack. She looked in and Cymbal was at the piano. He had on the black muscle shirt she put out for him and he was playing Moon Light Sonata just like Jolie had played like before. With out stopping or looking up.
“Come play the violin Jolie.” he said.
She still couldn’t believe that he knew she was there, but she went in and he continued to play. Jolie picked up her violin and sat on the piano. Cymbal looked at her and she started to play with him. It was a very beautiful melody. Jolie closed her eyes as she let her bow glide along the strings. She loved music more than any thing else. For a moment it would take her away and it could make her forget just about any thing.
Cymbal stopped playing and he was looking at Jolie. She opened her eyes and stopped.
“What?” she asked a little uncomfortable.
He stood up and started observing the other instruments.
“What is love?” he asked.
She froze for a second. He was wandering around the room not making any eye contact with her.
“Well...love is an emotion between two people...usually a man and a woman. When...you love some one else you want to be with them forever, you want them to always be happy and you can’t stand to see them in pain. They make you feel complete and some times nervous.” she tried to explain, but she wasn’t really sure how do describe it.
“Jolie said she had a mate, but he died. Did Jolie love him?” he asked.
And with out hesitation she said, “Yes, I loved him more than any thing.”
She was surprised to see him smile. But his smiled went away and he said, “Will Cymbal ever die?”
“Every one dies sooner or later. But that won’t be for a very long time. Why are you asking these things?” she said.
He replied, “Cymbal is trying to understand. He read so many books with love and death Cymbal understood them all except in the concept of love. It must be a very strong emotion for humans to live and die for it.”
“It is. Love is some thing most people search all their lives for and not all of them find it. There is a different kind of love too.” she said.
“Like love of kin.” he said.
“Yes.” she replied.
He turned and sat on the stool behind the drums, “Does Jolie have any family?” he asked.
She sighed, “Not any more. My parents died when I was fifteen.”

“Jolie must be very sad. There is so much death in her life.” he said.
“You get over it after a while, it still hurts though.” she said.
He looked a little confused, “Death hurt Jolie?”
She said, “When you lose some one you love it hurts you on the inside. It’s not physical pain, but it’s just as bad except it takes longer for it to go away. And you can’t take morphine for it.”
He was silent. Jolie surveyed him, some thing in the back of her mind was bothering her.
“Cymbal, when you were escaping from the lab, why did you grab me?” she asked.
He thought about this for a while and then said, “This One looked at Jolie and for some reason he knew her. He didn’t know why he grabbed her; he just knew if he did, they wouldn’t hurt him.”
She was very confused, how could he know her if they never met and this was the first time he had woken up.
“And in the ally, why didn’t you escape when you had the chance? They never would have been able to capture you again.” she asked.
“Because Jolie told him to stop.” he replied.
“Yeah but,” she countered, “Why did you listen to me? Every one else that was after you told you the same thing.”
“Cymbal doesn’t know. For some reason Cymbal felt inclined to obey to Jolie.” he picked up the drum sticks and a did a solo from the newest Techno-rock band “Demented”. Jolie preferred very old music. Like S.O.A.D. or Metalica, but Metalica always was and always will be popular.
“Have you been listening to the radio?” she asked.
He replied, “Skip was listening to this music and Cymbal was observing.”
He hit the cymbal and smiled. Cymbal stopped playing and looked at the door. Skip was listening in.
“Come in Skip,” said Jolie, “Maybe you can do a guitar with the drums.”
Skip stepped in. He had on a “Demented” tee-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms.
“Did he just play a Demented drum solo?” asked Skip.
She replied, “He sure did. It has to be the way his brain was programmed. The first time he saw me play the piano he was able to play and entire concerto with out sheet music in like five minutes.”
“That is friggen awesome. I want to hear more.” he said.

Jolie picked up the electric guitar and she handed it to him. He looked at her with his eyes brows raised as she plugged it into an amp.
“What makes you think I can play?” he asked.
She answered, “I saw you playing at Neon Ghoul a couple of weeks ago. Come on, you know you want to.”
He looked at her and stood up he put his fingers in the right place and started the first few cords for a “Demented” special hit. Cymbal started to play the drums along with it. Jolie couldn’t help her self she dragged up her key board and started playing as well. But then Cymbal stopped playing, he was looking at the window. Jolie stopped and soon so did Skip.
“What is it Cymbal?” Jolie asked him.
“Cymbal saw some one out the window. A man in a blue military suit.” he said.
“What?!” Jolie ran to the window and threw it open; she drew a gun from her robe pocket and looked to the left and the right of the window, but saw nothing. She pulled her head back in.
“Are you sure you saw a man in uniform?” she asked.
He nodded, but then stopped moving. He suddenly grabbed the collar around his neck and he was screaming in pain. There was smoke coming from his hands as the electrical tape burned off. He stood up knocking the drums down, pulling on the collar trying to get it off.
“Cymbal! ...Come on, think, think....” said Jolie.
Skip didn’t know what to do, he was almost panicking. Cymbal fell against the wall and the lights started to flicker on and off. Casting them into complete darkness and then light. One second Cymbal was on the floor with his eyes closed, then he was standing up, then he opened his eyes. The lights stayed off this time the emergency lights engaged, but they were very dim.
Cymbal was breathing like a wounded animal, his fangs were bared and his fists were clenched at his side. But the scariest part were his eyes. They were an orange amber and his pupils were elongated like a cat.
Jolie whispered, “Cymbal... are you alright?”

He turned his head quickly and looked at her. He ran at her and Skip and they both screamed and took off in the other direction. Jolie closed the door and locked it. They were both leaning against the wall trying to catch their breaths, but then a clawed hand burst through the wood. They both screamed again and ran through the hall as the door burst open and Cymbal gave chase again.
Skip vaulted over the couch, Jolie hurdled it, Cymbal...threw it to the side. It smashed into her glass patio door; scattering sharps of broken glass every where. They ran down her second hall to the bed rooms. Cymbal kicked a coffee table and ran through her hall towards them. They both took a sharp turned into Jolie’s room. She closed the door and she and Skip pushed her dresser in front of it. There was a crash against the door and Cymbal roared like a lion. The dresser almost fell over.
Skip and Jolie pressed there bodies against it to keep it up. There was another crash and they almost fell with the dresser. They looked at each other and then pushed her bed in front of the dresser, then they both sat on the bed.
“What are we gonna do he is fully out of his mind?!” squeaked Skip in a alarmed voice.
Jolie took a deep breath, “We have to wait, he’s gonna go back to normal.”
“Has this ever happened before?” he asked.
There was another crash and the bed shook.
“Not exactly. He sort of snapped for a little bit, but he came right back.” she said.
Another crash.
“But how long now that he’s completely snapped!?” said Skip.
Crash.
“I don’t know.” she said.
There wasn’t another crash against the door.
“Listen,” said Jolie, “I think he stopped.”
There was a crash some where else in the house and a ripping noise.
“He’s destroying my house!” moaned Jolie.
There was a shattering noise.
“No! My Tiffany vase! That thing costs a fortune!” she put her face in her hands against her knees. Then she shook with rage.
“Cymbal!!! Damn it!!” she bellowed.

The crashes ceased and for the next two hours they spent in the bed room did they hear one. They both got off the bed and slowly moved the furniture out of the way of the door. They came to the door, Jolie touched the door knob and the door fell, hinges and all. Her hall way was pretty messed up. Deep claw marks were gouged into the walls. They walked slowly into the living room and Jolie had to grab the wall for support. Her living room was completely destroyed.
Her coffee table was a pile of scrap wood, all of her ceramic figures, vases and knick-knacks were smashed on the floor, her drapes were lying on the floor torn, her TV was smashed and her arm chair was lying in pieces against the wall next to the smashed patio doors and broken sofa. Cymbal was no where to be seen. Jolie wanted to find him first, she was so incredibly mad. They went down to the music room, all of her instruments were smashed even the piano and that’s where Cymbal was, he was sitting forlorn at the piano bench looking at the broken keys.
“Uh, I’ll just go start cleaning up the living room.” said Skip.
Then he split. Jolie stepped inside. Cymbal looked up at her, his eyes were back to normal, but they widened and he ran to the closet and shut him self inside.
As scared and as mad as she was she walked over to the closet and she opened the door. Cymbal was up against a shelf of sheet music with his knees pull up to his chin and his arms wrapped around his legs. He was quivering horribly.
“Cymbal...Cymbal broke it. Cymbal broke every thing. He made Jolie angry. He misbehaved.” he turned his head away from her, “Cymbal really is a monster.
“Cymbal...” Jolie whispered, but she couldn’t find the words.
Cymbal pulled him self away from the wall and turned away from her. He took off his shirt and covered his head with his arms pulling his hair out of the way. Jolie was completely bewildered until she heard him speak.
“Hurt Cymbal. Cymbal deserves to be punished this time.” he said.
Now she understood. He was exposing him self to her for a punishment. But he said this time, so this must have happened before. Jolie stepped forward and he tightened his grip on his head. She stepped in front of him and she pulled his arms away from his head. He looked up at her and he had tears in his colorful eyes. She lifted his head level to hers.

“I don’t know what has happened to you in the past, but you won’t be punished, because this isn’t your fault. You couldn’t control what just happened. You aren’t a monster, no matter what any one tells you, you are not a monster.” she said, but Cymbal cut her off.
“Yes, he is! That’s the way Cymbal was made to be!” he said.
“It doesn’t matter the way you were made! You were made for the soul purpose to kill and destroy and when twenty guards were chasing you did you kill them?!” she asked.
“No.” he replied.
“Did you hurt any one?” she asked.
“No.” he said.
“No you didn’t. A monster has no reason to hurt people, but does it any way. There is a big difference. You are good because even though your life was in danger you didn’t harm any one. The only reason you lost control in there was because some one was hurting you. It wasn’t your fault. Alright?” she said.
He swallowed and looked at her, “Jolie isn’t angry?”
“I was, but not any more.” she said.
“But Cymbal broke all of her things. Even her instruments.”
“All those things can be replaced... Come on lets get out of here.” she said.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. They walked out of the closet and Cymbal collapsed onto the piano bench. Jolie stopped and turned around. Cymbal had his hand over his chest where his bandages were.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
He replied, “Cymbal is in pain. His wound....”
He removed his hand and it was stained red with his blood.
“Oh no, you must have torn the stitches jumping around like that. Let’s get you back to your room so I can fix it again.” she said helping him up.
They got into the wrecked living room and Skip was cleaning up broken glass and porcelain. Jolie looked over the mess and sighed.
“Just leave it; we’ll clean it up when I get back from work tomorrow. Maybe I can get a couple of extra hours off at the end of the day.” she said.
“Fine, I’m going back to bed. It’s already 1:23 in the morning.” he said yawning.
Jolie groaned, “I have to get up in four and a half hours. Come on Cymbal.”
Skip went to bed and Jolie went with Cymbal to his room.
“Cymbal is sorry if he is causing Jolie trouble.” he said as he sat down.
She said, “No need to be sorry. It’s really… no problem.”

“Why does Jolie help Cymbal if he hinders her so?” he asked as she took off his blood soaked bandages. He was looking at her burned hand.
She sighed, “I always wanted to help people. That’s the reason why I took my job at VINA corp. I thought if I had some power I would be able to help more people.”
“Jolie is a very good person.” he said.
She smiled and responded, “Not very good, but good. Hold still this is going to hurt.”
She pressed an alcohol soaked compress against his wound and he winced. She sewed him back up and put some more bandages over his wound.
“That’s going to leave you a very nice scar.” she said packing up the first aid kit. She took up the vial and the needle again. Cymbal looked at the syringe with distaste.
She said, “You don’t like needles do you?”
He shook his head, “Cymbal has had too many needles.”
She thought for a bit and then filled the syringe. She took up his arm and he looked away while she injected it into him. She took out the needle and he looked back.
“Jolie is an excellent doctor. Did she learn from the books Cymbal read?” he asked.
“Yes, I did. I also learned from my teachers.” she replied.
He nodded, “Can Jolie get Cymbal a glass of water? He thinks he would lose consciousness in the kitchen if he went him self.”
That was almost a joke. She smiled, got up and went to the kitchen. She filled a large glass and came back. She gave it to Cymbal and he drank the whole glass. He lied down on his bed and closed his eyes almost already asleep.
“Cymbal hopes to dream again.” he turned over to face his window, “About Jolie.”
She smiled at the ground softly and went back to the kitchen. She put the glass in the sink and went back to his room. He was asleep like he was before, and she covered him up. She left closing his door.

She went back to her own room leaving her door where it was, on the floor. She straightened out her dresser and bed and then got in it. It was two o’clock in the morning now. She sighed and turned over hoping that she still had coffee in the cupboard. She looked at a picture frame next to her alarm clock. It was her wedding picture. She was in a white satin dress and he was in a traditional tuxedo. His name was Michael and she loved him more than any one else in the world. He had made her so happy when he married her.
All of her fellow Lieutenants went to the wedding and they all shot their guns in the air when they left the church and got into the limo. She could still remember Lataura in her small black dress and her hair still in her braids. Ruben was looking hot in loose button down shirt and slacks. Tiffany was standing near by in a plus size bridesmaid dress. She was the maid of honor. Dygon was next to her as one of the brides maids. Jolie sighed as she starred at her husband. She missed his beautiful green eyes, his young handsome face, even his spiky brown hair.
“Good night Michael.” she whispered to the picture and closed her eyes, drifting off the sleep.

* * *
She woke up a few hours later to her annoying alarm. It was almost the new millennium and they still couldn’t figure out a better way to get you up in the morning. She hit the snooze button on her alarm and sat up. She was still incredibly tired. She sighed and got out of bed and got dressed in her uniform. She pulled her hair back in a bun and pinned it. She went back to her room and put on her polished black leather shoes. Then she made the bed and thought of some thing. This was the first morning Cymbal hadn’t been standing over her waiting for her to get up. Was it possible that he was still asleep?
She reset her alarm and went to his room. She sighed and took out her cell phone. Cymbal was still in bed, asleep, but he was lying on his back clutching his blankets around him. His fore head was beaded with perspiration and he was shivering. She called Tiffany at the desk.
“VINA corp., please hold.” said Tiffany’s fake professionalism.
“Wait Tiff!” she said before she could put her on hold.
“Jolie? What’s up girl? Why you callin’ the desk?” she asked.
“Well,” Jolie explained, “I have a situation here and I can’t come in.”
“Situation?” she asked, “What kind of situation?”

“Sorry Tiff, but this is one thing I can’t tell any one. I just need you to cover for me. Please.” she begged.
“Alright, you still have three sick days. I could check you off as unable to come to work. But if you need any thing just call my cell or my kids.” she offered.
“Thank you so much Tiff, I owe you one.” she said and then hung up.
She sat on the side of Cymbal’s bed and felt his forehead. She shook her head and went into her kitchen. She got a thermometer and a wet wash clothe. She stuck the thermometer in his mouth and then pulled it right back out and checked it. It was 103.2. She sighed and wiped his face and forehead he shifted uncomfortably in his sleep. How did he get sick like this...? She slowly wrenched the covers out of his grasp and uncovered his chest. She took off the bandage and of course his wound was infects.
The cut was very red all around it and was leaking pus. Cymbal’s eyes opened and he looked at Jolie.
“Jolie, why is Cymbal so cold?” he asked.
She replied, “You have a fever. Your wound is infected.”
She picked up her first aid kit and took out a gauze pad and wiped the area clean and then swabbed it with alcohol. He cringed as she did so, but relaxed after she replaced his bandages and covered him back up.
“You just stay in bed and try and get some rest. I’ll take care of you.” she said.
She went to the hall closet and got her grandmothers quilt. She went back to his room and spread it on top of him. He clutched that around him too. His eyes were closed again, very tight this time. Jolie went into the kitchen and put on a pot of very strong coffee. She did have a few modern conveniences and one of them was her automatic coffee machine. She called in some medicine at the pharmacy and the grabbed a bottle of ibuprofen and went back to his room with a glass of water. She woke him up and gave him four pills then he went back to sleep.
She left the glass on his table incase he got thirsty later on. She yawned and checked her watch. It was now seven in the morning. She sighed and went by her living room for like the fourth time, but this time she stopped and actually looked. The glass was picked up, the couch was where it was supposed to be surprisingly whole, all of her smashed things were gone and her floor was clean. She checked out side and all of the garbage was now at the curb.

Every thing was clean except for a few droplets of blood on her floor in a trail. She followed it and of course it led right to Cymbal’s room. She went back in. His eyes were open and he was looking at his hand, but when he heard her he pulled it back under the covers. She walked over to the side of his bed and looked at him.
“Let me see your hand.” she said.
He shook his head.
“Let me see your hand.” she demanded this time.
He pulled his hand out of the covers and she looked it over. It was all cut up, like he had picked up the glass with this hand. Plus there were a few pieces still in his hand. She pulled out the first aid kit again and took out a pair of tweezers. She took out the remaining glass and wrapped his hand lightly in a bandage. He flexed his hand.
“Better?” she asked.
He nodded his head and put his hand back under his covers. He had them pulled up to his chin. She checked his fore head with the back of her hand. He was still very warm.
“I’ll make you some tea to warm you up.” she said.
She left the room and went back to her kitchen and made him a cup of chamomile tea with honey in it.
She went back and he sat up. He apparently wanted to get warmed up if he would leave the sanctuary of his blankets. She handed him the tea cup.
“Careful, its hot.” she said.
He looked at the tea carefully, then he blew on it and took a sip. He sighed.
“Thank you, for taking care of Cymbal. He doesn’t deserve such kindness.” he said.
“After the way you cleaned up my living room, you deserve it.” she said.
The phone rang and she left to get it. It was the pharmacy saying that her medicine was ready for pick up. Skip was now up and he went to the kitchen for the coffee. He saw Jolie still here.
“What are you still doing here?” He asked. “I thought you had work today.”
“Yeah, but I went to check on Cymbal and he has a fever. I called saying I couldn’t come in. Now I need you to do me a favor.” she said.
“What?”

“I need you to go down to the pharmacy and get my prescription. It’s under my name.”
“Alright, but if they don’t give it to me it’s not....”
“Why wouldn’t they give it to you?” she asked suspiciously.
He had said too much, “There is no reason. I’ll get your prescription....”
“No, why wouldn’t they give you my prescription? Tell me.”
“I’m not going to.”
“I am your parole officer and I can make things very painful for you.”
“Dammit! Fine. After my mother died I sold all of her unused prescriptions and kept on ordering more so I could sell them.”
She looked at him in disbelief and shook her head.
“Don’t look at me like that! I know it was wrong, but I needed the money bad this was a matter of life and death!”
“What did you awe the mob or some thing?”
He didn’t answer.
“You didn’t.”
“It wasn’t me it was my good for nothing father. When he was killed they go after the next of kin which is me.”
She shook her head, “You’re a sad, sad boy Skip. Go get my prescription.”
She handed him the money and he grabbed his keys and left. He came back.
“I should probably get dressed first.” then he went back to his room and came back in a tee-shirt and jeans and left. She laughed to her self and drank another cup of coffee. She couldn’t stay in the kitchen for long. For some reason she was really worried about Cymbal. She wasn’t sure why though.
She put her mug in the sink and went to check on him. He was asleep again, though not very peacefully. She went to her room and took off her suit and shoes and got into a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. She went down to the music room. It was cleaned up as well, but the broken instruments still lay on the floor like metallic corpses. Her flute and her harp were all that were undamaged. She sat down at the piano bench and looked at her grand piano. This was a wedding gift from Dygon.

Michael could play it like a dream. He’s the one who taught her how to play. She could still feel his arms around her and his hands on hers as he guided her fingers on the keys. His chest against her back and his face against hers, making her crude jerky tune seem like a hymn. Right now the air seemed cold around her as if he was just there as warm and alive as ever. But now he was gone. A tear drop fell on the broken keys. She wiped her face and stood up looking over the piano. The cover was up against a wall and one of the legs was broke. Some of the keys were shattered as well, but... She went to her kitchen and got a tube of adhesive and came back. She glued the keys back together and fixed them back in the right spots. She went to her closet and got a stack off old sheet music and she used it to prop up the missing leg. She replaced the cover and it looked almost like it did before. She sat down at the bench again and held her breath. She placed her hands on the keys and tested them out. They all played wonderfully except for one. It was good enough for her.
She placed her fingers on the keys and played the last movement of Moon Light Sonata. The song was slow and peaceful, as well as mournful. The door was left ajar and Cymbal in the other room could hear it from his. He opened his eyes and got out of bed. He was dizzy though he wasn’t sure why. He waited till it passed and then walked slowly into the hall way.
His body was heavy and ached like he had been beaten the day before. He shuffled to the music room and looked in. Jolie was playing the piano. She had some how managed to fix what he had broken. He could see tears falling from her face onto the keys as she played, but she didn’t stop or even slow. He wondered what could be making her so sad, when she was playing so beautifully. He watched her hands and she hit a sour note, even though she didn’t hit the wrong key.
Cymbal walked in, she didn’t see him because her eyes were closed and she didn’t hear him because her music made a din in the room. He stood behind her and her hands started to be come clumsy on the keys. A strange impulse over came him and he couldn’t stop him self. He put his arms over hers and his hands on hers and guided her fingers along the keys. She gasped as Cymbal helped her play. Her eyes opened wide. She looked over her shoulder and Cymbal smiled softly at her. She could see it, but she didn’t know how or why.
She stopped playing and whispered, “Michael.” then fainted.

To be contiued...

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RosettaMoon: Give me a shout and tell me what you think. I don't care what you think about it, just that you tell me about it. Remember there is no such thing as a bad review...just a stupid one. ^-^