Chapter 20: Prison
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The super prison was much larger than you would expect. It housed only a handful of prisoners but had the room prepared for many more. The entire structure was a marvel of super tech constructed by an assortment of individuals.

The building looked like a metal fortress surrounded by a wall that projected a transparent force field over the entire place. There were no visible means of offense, but that was because they shifted around. That wall circling the prison was a veritable armory.

Jeanie approached the two guards standing out front. They were identical copies of each other, armed with rifles but no power armor. They didn't need it since their bodies were disposable. Like most things here, they were super tech.

"Science Council member Lisa Gordon here to see inmates Riley Winters and Ciara Williams." Instead of the gynoid's typical bodysuit, she wore a mundane business suit to look professional. She had to buy it since Lisa didn't own a single article of clothing besides those bodysuits.

"Only those with appointments are allowed inside." The doubles spoke in sync. They also matched movements perfectly.

"Tell Warden Serling I'm requesting admittance," Lisa ordered confidently.

On the inside, Jeanie was sweating a little. She had learned plenty from taking over Lisa's drone bodies and computer systems, but precious little was available about the supers in charge of this place. Their files were understandably confidential.

"She's clear to enter." A tall woman with curly blonde hair came out of a door cut from the wall.

"Authorization accepted." The doubles froze in place without even a single muscle twitch. It was a strange juxtaposition seeing their inhuman actions with such normal-looking faces.

"Follow me." Turning around, she walked back to the entrance. It sealed itself after they passed through. The edges met so closely that it was impossible to tell a door was ever there.

There weren't very many people working at the prison, so Jeanie easily identified this woman from Lisa's files, Tara Queen. She was one of two big guns in charge of defending this place from outside attacks.

"What are you doing here, Lisa?" Without even a glance back, Tara questioned Jeanie.

"I'm working on a new project. I need access to prisoners Ciara Williams and Riley Winters." Deciding to take an honest approach, Jeanie told the truth.

The two women passed through another checkpoint unhindered by another set of the same guards. This one only had an energy field blocking the way, which shut down as they crossed it.

"Why? What's the project?" She questioned Jeanie without even a look back at her.

Jeanie wasn't certain if there was any preexisting relationship between Lisa and Tara. As far as she could tell, Lisa didn't have anyone she would call a friend. After all, nobody tried to stop her when she carved her brain out of her skull and hooked it up to an array of computers.

"Power enhancing." Those two words made Tara freeze, then turn around and face her.

"That's a dangerous topic," Tara spoke with a strange expression.

"It's closer to power extension." Jeanie decided to keep as close to the truth as possible. She found it easier to keep lies straight if they were virtually the truth.

Tara must have been able to sense Jeanie's reluctance to go into detail. Her short responses were an obvious sign of that. She accepted the desire for secrecy and continued walking. Judging by the silence, she was still thinking about it.

Finally, we made it to the front entrance of the prison's main building. Like the previous checkpoints, two guards manned the post. Tara had to manipulate a data pad built into the wall to open the way.

"Sterling won't be happy if she finds out you dropped by without an appointment, so try to make it quick," Tara told her as they entered the facility proper.

"I'll keep things concise," Jeanie spoke as they made their way to a grouping of elevators. They climbed into the far left one, and Tara selected one of the unnumbered buttons.

"I shouldn't be allowing you inside at all. One of our security measures for supers with tech powers means total isolation from any advanced technology. Your entire body is a security risk." Tara casually commented on how she was breaking the prison's rules.

Jeanie stopped to think about how easily she had gotten access. She expected to spend all day trying to get into the prison. Tara arriving and just allowing her inside was never in the plan. Now, her fortuitous encounter was beginning to feel like a trap.

"Then why exactly are you helping me?" Jeanie asked, feeling comfortable enough with her safety.

Something was reassuring about not actually being on location. Jeanie was possessing the computer core back in Lisa's lab and puppeteering this gynoid body remotely. There shouldn't be anything Tara could do to her.

Tara gave her a look that might have conveyed something to the genuine Lisa, but Jeanie wasn't sure what it meant. Shifting closer to the door as the elevator came to a stop, Tara looked away.

"I know you're working for the betterment of all. Whatever this project is, I'm sure it will bring great power to many." Tara said.

Jeanie felt a tingle down her mechanical spine; something about the way she said that triggered her instincts. At a surface level, her response sounded reasonable. Helping people was a noble cause, but Jeanie felt a darkness in her words.

Stepping out of the elevator, Jeanie followed Tara down an unadorned corridor. It split left and right, with both directions appearing seemingly endless. A couple of sensors in this body detected spatial manipulation.

"I'll give you some privacy. Keep going down this hallway, and you'll reach the cell of Riley Winters. Just follow it back when you've finished. I'll be waiting." Tara stopped where she was and gestured ahead.

Jeanie's suspicion ratcheted up, but she took the offer. For several minutes, there was no change to the flat metallic walls. She spared a few glances back to check up on Tara, with nothing strange happening.

The hallway finally ended at a singular door all by itself. Jeanie hesitated to go in. This whole process felt oddly handled. She couldn't shake the feeling this was too easy. Steeling herself for any possibility, she moved forward, activating the door's sensor and causing it to slide open.

"Riley Win..." Jeanie began speaking before suddenly going silent.

No trap waited for her or any form of deception. Just as Tara had told her, Riley Winters was inside the room. Jeanie just didn't expect her to be completely naked.

"Company?" Riley spoke from her bent-over position, giving Jeanie a clear view of her assets.

Riley didn't act very bothered after being seen naked. She straightened up and faced Jeanie. There was no urgency or sense of embarrassment in any of her movements. She almost seemed to revel in it.

"And who are you?" Riley asked while walking over to an orange jumpsuit strewn across her bed. She quickly slipped it on and zipped it up. A swish of her arm pulled her long brown hair out of the back, allowing it to cascade down her shoulders. She adjusted her glasses and narrowed a set of blue eyes at Jeanie.

"I'm Lisa Gordon." While stepping further into the room, Jeanie heard the door click shut behind her.

Riley perked up at the mention of Lisa's name, then gave her a more thorough once over. She took extra long to examine her face.

"So you're the one that took my spot in the Science Council." Riley chirped while taking a seat on her bed.

The room wasn't what Jeanie had been expecting. A twin bed with a wooden frame sat in the corner on the left, with a desk and cheap rolling chair at the foot of it against the wall. On the right was a simple bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower. The entire setup looked like an inexpensive motel room.

"You got turned down due to failing a psychological test," Jeanie explained.

About five years ago, the Science Council decided to expand. Many of the previous members had died of old age. The Council had actually gotten down to only two members. There were several new supers with tech abilities after the Titan attack, so they had many options to fill those vacant spots.

"They were scared. I could have been running that place." Riley spoke confidently. "So, what do you want?"

Jeanie made firm eye contact and got ready to discuss the details. After her talks today, she would bring the results to Morgan. This really was a project meant to enhance powers.

"What can you tell me about the integration of flesh and super tech?" Jeanie asked.

For today, this was all about collecting thoughts and ideas from some of the best sources Lisa had access to. A more permanent method of collaboration would have to be found shortly.

Riley smiled knowingly at Jeanie as she stood up and placed her hands in her pockets. She gave Jeanie another look before sauntering over.

"So, you stole my job, then my work, and now want my help?" She smirked at Jeanie over her glasses.

"That skin." Riley pointed to Jeanie's face. "It's based on my work, isn't it?"

Surprise didn't show on Jeanie's face. She honestly didn't think Riley would be able to recognize it.

"Now, why would you need my help if you already had my work? I know your power. You can copy other super tech." Riley said.

"What I have planned will require something more than synthetic skin." Jeanie could see the interest building in Riley's eyes.

A techie super could never resist the allure of working on their specialty. Her imprisonment meant she wasn't able to scratch that itch for a while.

"What parts do you want to keep unmodified?" Riley questioned.

Jeanie smiled. "The limbs and head."

 

 

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