Read The Deep Beneath for Free Online Page A

he imagined Commander Sturgis and her black-clad commandos searching for him. They were likely gathered around their instruments, tracking him and preparing to hunt him down. They would surround the spot where the rice-sized chip emitted its signal to find only desert scrub. Commander Sturgis’ pale face would flush with anger when she found out that he had outsmarted her.
    Or maybe Commander Sturgis would not bother to join the search. Perhaps she would prefer instead to remain in the comfort of her underground lab while others chased after him into the night.
    The thought brought him first relief that gave way to disappointment. H.A.L.F. 9 had never been afraid of a human other than Commander Sturgis. He could strangle her long, thin neck without laying a finger on it. At least he assumed he would be able to accomplish such a task out here in the dry air. Yet his bowels felt like they had turned to water at the mere thought of Commander Sturgis turning her disapproving gaze upon him. Commander Sturgis had looked disapprovingly on Dr. Randall and now the doctor was dead.
    H.A.L.F. 9 pushed the thought of Commander Sturgis and her recriminations from his mind as he ran. He had no compass or map. He had neither a cellular phone equipped with GPS nor any familiarity of the desert terrain.
    But he had studied astronomy and had a working knowledge of the constellations and their positions in the sky. And he knew that A.H.D.N.A. was south, so he was determined to go north. He found Polaris and steered himself toward it.
    With each step, H.A.L.F. 9’s senses awakened further. Not only could he hear the scuffle of small desert creatures scurrying about searching for food, but he could sense them as well. Every object, living or inanimate, emits energy. It was as though he could feel the energy not with his sense of touch but with his whole mind. As he sensed the world around him, a mental picture formed that was more than merely visual. He sensed the size of objects and whether they were hot or cold. He knew if an object was alive or dead. And if something were alive, he could tell if its energy was vibrant and healthy or near death. Mere seconds before he stepped on it, he felt the slow throb of a snake’s heartbeat as it lay coiled on the cool ground.
    He had not used his weapon since he was a child. The purpose for which he had been created had proven too dangerous for his creators. After ‘the incident,’ as it had come to be called, the humidity in his room was increased and had been kept that way for the past ten years. Humidity. A natural sedative for a H.A.L.F.
    The snake’s heart beat slow and steady. As H.A.L.F. 9 concentrated on it, the heartbeat became erratic. The creature thrashed for a few seconds, then went silent. A part of him was glad to know that he still possessed the power to kill. He may have use for the skill. But he also felt guilty. Even though the creature was a snake, not a human, H.A.L.F. 9 knew that Dr. Randall would not have approved of him terminating the life of the animal solely because he could.
    A month before his escape, he had received an unscheduled visit from Dr. Randall. He had been sleeping. The lights were low to simulate night, but the low light affected only the humans, not H.A.L.F. 9. He had no trouble recognizing Dr. Randall’s tall, lanky frame and hunched shoulders.
    Dr. Randall paused while the sliding door locked behind him. “I don’t have much time, my boy, so please listen carefully.” Dr. Randall’s face was covered in stubble indicating he had not shaven. His hair was sticking out here and there, and his eyes were rimmed in red. H.A.L.F. 9 had never seen Dr. Randall look so unkempt and unwell.
    “Are you dying, Dr. Randall?”
    “No. Not yet anyway. But losing the battle. It’s too much to explain fully now. All you need to know is that Commander Sturgis is winning this one. I’ve done my best to protect you and the program. To keep it from going in the wrong