Whisper don't scream
"What is it, dear?" said dad while taking heavy breaths. This was tough on him at his age.
"I can't get the door open! Now what?" There was a hint of panic in her voice.
John took a look at the electronic lock and for the first time, he looked concerned.
"Do you know any way of breaking this lock?" asked Rachel.
"No, I don't," replied John honestly. "And you can't just shoot the lock and expect it to open either. These things are placed specially to prevent forced break-ins."
"No way!" cried out Rachel. "We need to get through this urgently!"
"True," nodded John. "I am sure the master control room is just beyond this door."
"Jesus!"
John said after a short pause, quietly, "I am sorry, girl. I never had to commit crimes before. I didn't learn how to break electronic locks."
"And that's another reason I love you so much!" spoke Laura for the first time. She was smiling at John, locking her eyes into his. Then she gently moved Rachel aside and stood in front of the door bearing her weapon at it. Before either John or Rachel could stop her, she fired her weapon at certain points of the door. Then kicked it in a swift motion. The door's locks broke and it flew open.
"Mom!" gasped Rachel. "How did you do it!"
Laura smiled sweetly. "I just reminded myself that I am an android. And somehow I knew where to shoot!"
"Wow!" breathed John. Then he leaned towards her face and planted a kiss on her lips.
Rachel looked away, smiling. Leaving her parents behind, she stepped inside through the door. Four hallways stretched from the entrance into the dark oblivion beyond. The beginning point of each hallway was illuminated and Rachel could read the overhead signs. The very middle one said: Server and Data Storage. It was obvious to her which direction she needed to take next.
"At last, the fruit of our endeavor is coming into view," said John from behind. Rachel saw him staring intently into the dark hallway beyond them. There was something about that darkness that brought a chilled feeling into her stomach. She gulped in the accumulated saliva and stepped into the dimly lit path. Her parents closely following behind her. The only thing that calmed her heightened senses was the forsaken state of the place. There was only that one guard who crossed their paths thus far. And Rachel was able to take him without issue. There was a slim chance of encountering anyone else. She had noticed a sign saying: Café and Bunker to the far left from the entrance door. That is where everyone must have gone to. The thought boosted her morale as her determined steps carried her to the end of the hallway. It was utter darkness there. Nothing was visible except for some faint neon-green glow here and there. Beeping, cranking and all sorts of electrical noises were coming from the chamber that existed just beyond a door.
Rachel stood silent and fidgeting. She was at a loss for action. There was no handle on the door, nor was there any sort of obvious function that would hint her how to operate it. With a questioning look, she turned back and faced her dad. John nodded and came forward as Rachel stepped aside. He stood in front of the door and pulled some card-like thing out of his pocket. Then he slapped the object right on top of a pair of green lights. The lights' intensity increased and there was a soft click. A blue glow creeped out from inside as the door slid away.
"Where did you get that from, dad?!" queried Rachel with surprise, gesturing towards the object that he placed over the lights.
"Ha-hah!" chuckled John. "Swiped it from that guard you took down earlier!"
John's quick thinking brought a smile to her face. But it vanished as her vision turned towards the blue glow inside the chamber. They walked in slowly. Ten-foot tall and one and a half foot wide boxes stood all around them. Countless colors of mild lights flashing on them. Loud mechanical noises were coming out; cranking or clanking. Hissing sounds, air intake sounds, and all kinds of beeping sounds somehow made the air heavy.
"Jesus Christ!" breathed John. "Their temperature management is absolute shit! It's so hot in here. The processors and data storage are cooking! And so much noise! Just what are they playing at here?"
Rachel wondered why her dad was suddenly so worked up about these machines. Then recalled how he loved computers, and how machines like these were involved with his past occupation.
"Calm down honey," said Laura softly, suppressing laughter. "Who cares if our enemy's system is carelessly put together? Besides, didn't you say this is their temporary base?"
John made a grunting noise in reply. Meanwhile, Rachel left them behind and made her way through the jungle of tall boxes into a clearing ahead. Faint white light was coming from the ceiling there and illuminating a circular place.
Rachel reached there and saw many monitors and panels attached to metal cylinder-like objects. She turned her head towards her parents who were making their way towards her and called them in a whispering voice. John came out first and stood beside her.
"Dad!" she whispered excitedly. "Do you think you could access this?"
"Oh, of course, dear!" said John with an odd smile. "Let me first see what kind of interface this computer has."
John walked towards a monitor and punched in some commands. Soon, a small robotic hologram appeared in the air right above the monitor.
It spoke, "Issue your command."
John and Laura both laughed leaving their daughter in a confusion.
"What's going on guys?" asked Rachel.
"Well girl, this thing does not have a firewall and anyone could come into this room and access this computer's database. Makes sense since this place is their temporary camp," said John.
"I guess they never imagined people with ill intention would be able to get this far in the first place!" smiled Laura.
"I see!" said Rachel, also smirking at the carelessness of Dean's men. Understanding the compromises, they had to make to set up such a complex operation here with a limited timeframe. "Well, dad you better get to digging through their database." She gestured all around her and said, "And it looks like there is a lot of it here."
"It shouldn't take long," replied John as he proceeded to interact with a monitor and its panel. Laura put her weapon hanging from her shoulder by its strap and also began working on another monitor beside John. Rachel found herself watching her parents working on the monitor with all of their focus engaged in it. She could use computers that were available for general purposes, but machines like these were completely alien to her. So, there was nothing left for her to do but leave it all to dad and mom. Mom. She did not notice, but Rachel was intently watching her mother closely. Her prediction was coming true as she observed her mother behaving like a normal person more and more. She is coming around! Rachel told herself, hopeful. And if we manage to lift Dean's control over her, then I might have my mother back! And dad's depression may finally go away! The depression that the old man tries to hide burying his face in a book all the time.