Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Chapter 2

the same accident that caused the loss of his leg at age six also stimulated the latent genetics that ran in his family to trigger a mutation. Although becoming one of the ‘exo-humans’ the government monitored would prove to be the least of his worries once he stumbled upon his family’s secret.

Brought to you by the warped mind of Nuuan

"This is not going to work," The lead hacker turned away from his laptop to the suit, "The program is adapting faster that we can compensate."

"I thought you said you were in the system?" the suit glared at the hacker.

"We are! But this system, it's unbelievable." The hacker tried to explain, "I think it maybe sentient."

"It's what?" the suit seemed confused.

"Sentient, self-aware, artificial intelligence," The hacker gulped, "I think it let us in a honey pot and it's been playing with us the whole time."

While the man in the suit was no hacker he understood many of their terms and knew a honey pot was some type of computerized trap. Dropping off the edge of the table he had been half sitting on the suit yelled, "EVERYONE OUT NOW!" Seeing a couple of the hackers begin picking up their laptops, "Leave those!" the suit ordered, "Cell phones and anything else that has computer chips, drop ’em and run!”

Suddenly the lights went out, leaving only the soft glow of the multiple laptop monitors to illuminate the large room, each monitor displaying the same image, a bright blue background with the words "GAME OVER," written across the screen.

"What the fuck is that!" the suit yelled.

"I think it’s done playing," another of the hackers mumbled as the computer screens flickered off, leaving the room in pitch darkness, a moment later a single emergency exit sign flickered to life above one door.

The silence was broken by the sound of a megaphone, "This is the FBI come out with your hands in the air!"

~o~O~o~

"Whatever do you see in that Dweeb Mel?" The blond busty girl sitting across the cafeteria table from Melanie asked.

"Yeah Mel, it's like you and David have hung out so much over the past couple months that people are starting gossip about you two being an item," another girl that was sitting with them said.

"David is not a dweeb!" Melanie said after swallowing the food she had been chewing. "And who cares what other people think. David is my friend."

"What's he got that Jason Kefirs doesn't have? Or anyone else on the football team that you keep turning down?" The first girl asked.

"A brain?" Melanie giggled, "and he's a lot nicer than most of those apes you guys date."

"Hey!" several of the girls shouted in unison.

"We all agreed never to dis each other’s boyfriends." A red head at the table chimed in.

"So why are all of you giving me crap about David then?"

Several of the girls gasped and there was an audible, "ewww!" from several others.

"So you are saying that you two are an item?" The redhead asked.

"If that's what it take for you all to leave me alone about him, then yes we are." Taking her tray Melanie stood up and left the table.

From behind her she heard one of the girls, "I bet it's because his family is rich."

"No way," another said, "both her mom and dad are doctors. They have plenty of money."

"Yea but he is a Wiley!" A brunette at the table replied.

"You mean he is related to those Wiley's?" The redhead asked, "I babysit his little sister on occasion and they don't act rich."

"Not just related," The brunette answered, "they own Wiley Enterprises."

A dark blond who had been sitting quietly, "I've never heard of it."

The redhead looked at her, "They make all kinds of medical stuff for handicapped people. My Uncle has one of their prosthetic legs, it's hard to tell that it isn't real."

The first girl added, "I heard they do a lot more than that. Some guy on TV was screaming about how they refused to sell the body armor they make to the DEHA."

"It was the Paladins they refused to sell to, not the DEHA," the redhead interrupted, "And what the person from Wiley said was that the Paladins and the Church of Untainted was not a recognized law enforcement organization and therefore could not buy the military grade equipment.

After placing her tray and utensils in the appropriate places so they could be washed by the cafeteria staff, Melanie walked up to where David and his friends always sat. Everyone was at their usual seats, with Bart and David at the end of the table sitting across from each other with a chessboard between them. Both of the two were concentrating on the game to the point the building could have been on fire and neither would notice. "Mind if I join you?" Melanie asked.

Both Matt and John's eyes grew wide, Matt's mouth opened but said nothing, John nodded, his mouth agape also. John regained his composure first, began to get up from his spot beside David, "You want my seat Melanie?"

"No, I'll just borrow one from this table," She smiled at the two students sitting at the table beside them who had both forgotten the game of chess they were playing together as they stared at Melanie, their minds finding it inconceivable that one of the hottest girls in school had decided to come and sit in the same area they were in.
Pulling the chair around, Melanie sat at the end of the table between Bart and David.

"David, I need to talk to you." David grunted. "David? Are you listening?" Melanie asked.

"They both get like this during a game Mel, Melanie," John spoke, "They get into that zone of theirs and nothing short of the bell ringing will bring either out of it."

"That's why we sit here where it's the loudest." Matt pointed over their heads to the large school bell above their heads. "Unless you got a way to get that bell to ring they won't hear anything any of us say."

"Oh really?" Melanie grinned at the table full of boys, "I think I can get his attention."

"I'd love to see that!" John chuckled.

Reaching over, Melanie took David's chin in her hand, while gently turning his face toward her. Leaning forward she kissed him on the lips.

"Melanie," David whispered just before she leaned into another kiss with him. Without looking away from Melanie, David fumbled until he found his king on the board then laid it on its side.

"What! You can't surrender now. I haven't even begun to defeat you," Bart looked up to find David and Melanie locked in a kiss. "Melanie Bell, what are you doing at our table? You don't play chess!"

"I don't know Bart," John grinned, "I'd have to call the move she used checkmate in one!"

"Checkmate in one move is impossible! Everyone that plays knows that!" Bart argued.

"She did it!" John laughed.

Noticing the audience what she had drew, "I, I need to go," Melanie whispered from where she and David continued to stare into each other's eyes before she stood and almost ran out of the cafeteria.

~o~O~o~

"I'm home." David yelled as he entered the house.

"How was school today honey?" He heard his mom's voice coming from the kitchen.

Walking into the kitchen, "Uh it was kinda weird."

"How was it weird dear?"

"Melanie kissed me," David blushed.

"Your first kiss?" David's mother smiled, "You two aren't slipping around and smooching are you?"

"We, um, I wasn't. Melanie came up and sat with us during lunch. She kissed me in the middle of the cafeteria!"

"Oh I see now."

"You do?"

"Of course," his mother smiled, "Did you kiss her back?"

"I did the second time."

"She kissed you twice? This is serious," His mother held back a chuckle while trying to act concerned.

"It is?"

"Did it make you feel like you had butterflies in your stomach? Did your heart race? Did you want it to never stop?"

"Yea, all of that, How'd you know?"

"Can't stop thinking about her either, can you?" Reaching over and putting the back of her hand against his forehead, "Yes, I think you have come down with a bad case of it."

"Mom, tell me what's wrong with me!"

"I'm sorry," David's mother stepped over to her son giving him a warm hug, "I couldn't help myself, I had to tease you about your very first girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" David looked at his mother shocked at what she said.

"Why else would she kiss you in front of everyone," His mother laughed, "If not to show all the other girls in school that you were hers?"

"But why did she run off after that?"

"Maybe you should call her and ask?"

Running off to his room, David went to do exactly that.

Once his mother was sure David would not be able to hear her, she spoke, "Sara?"

"Yes, Mrs. Wiley," an unbodied female voice answered.

"I got an idea, can you make sure David is not able to reach Melanie or anyone at her home?"

"I can do that Mrs. Wiley," The incorporeal voice answered, "But since David does not seem to be in trouble, may I ask why?"

"I want this to be a surprise," reaching for the phone that hung on the wall.

~o~O~o~

"Hello?" Mrs. Wiley heard after the third ring.

"Hi Mary, its Teri," Mrs. Wiley said into the hand set.

"Oh Hi Teri, we were just talking about you."

"Really?" Mrs. Wiley chuckled.

"Yes, we had to pick Melanie up form school today. She was pretty upset and the only thing we can get out of her is something about David. Is David ok?"

"Yes, he's fine, a bit confused but fine. He's upstairs trying to reach Melanie now."

"Phone hasn't ringed here until you called?"

"Oh I had Sara block him so he couldn't get through, that way I had time to call and talk to you."

"Sara?" Mary quizzed, "Oh! Melanie told me about that supercomputer you guys have."

"Yes Sara will eventually be the next evolution in smart houses."

"So can you shed any light on what is going on?"

Chuckling again, "Apparently Melanie kissed him today at lunch."

"You're kidding!" Mary chucked, "So I guess his reaction wasn't what she expected."

"Probably not, we know how dense boys can be."

Mary laughed, "You're telling me! I practically had to hit Dan over the head, when we were in medical school."

"So do you guys have anything planned tonight?" Mrs. Wiley asked.

"Not a thing," Mary replied, "Are you thinking what I am thing?"

"I thought I would call Steve and have him pick up some steaks on his way home. He and Dan can sit out back and play with the grill, while you and I can contemplate what our grandchildren would look like."

"I'll make up some twice baked potatoes and green bean casserole that we can throw in the oven when we arrive."

~o~O~o~

After a great meal, David and Melanie had wandered hand in hand over to a short stone wall that bordered their back yard where they could sit and talk without being overheard by the adults or David's kid sister. Very few words were spoken between them, although several short kisses were shared when they thought their parents were not looking.

"That is so cute," Mary smiled as she tried to keep the two teens from noticing that she was watching them so closely.

"Isn't young love so amazing?" David's mother turned her gaze from the two teens toward Mary.

Both men stared at the two women with a confused look on both their faces, "David and Melanie?" Melanie's father, Dan asked.

"Men!" both women said in unison, while Mary rolled her eyes, Teri laughed.

The fun was shattered by an ear piercing scream coming from the direction of where the two teens sat on the wall.

"Melanie!" Her mother screamed as she stood up.

"DAVID!" His mother screamed.

The father's turned to see three men dressed in black clothing had pulled the two teens off the wall and were holding the two teens as they struggled in their grip. All four adult began to run towards the struggling teens when the wall the teens had been sitting on began to shudder and a section of it magically reformed into what resembled a roughly human form that towered several feet over the men holding the teens.

The newly formed behemoth clenched one of its rocky fists and swung at the man holding Melanie. It's fist connected with the man's head with a bone shattering crunch, sending the man sailing through the air, where his lifeless body fell to the ground ten yards away. Seeing this, the two men holding David turned and fled, half dragging the boy with them across the remainder of the yard into the cover of the trees.

"Save David!" Melanie screamed at the giant rock monster, which immediately took off at a lumbering run after the men and David.

"What the hell was that?" Melanie's father looked at the other three adults.

Mary was holding her daughter, who was crying. "It was Mel's"

"Our Melanie is a mu--"

"NOT NOW DAN!" Mary shouted.

"You, you knew?" Melanie looked up at her mother.

"Of course I knew sweetheart, I'm your mother."

"But, but you sent Diane away?" Melanie sobbed.

"Diane wanted to go so she could learn to control her power sweetie," wiping a tear from her daughter's cheek.

None of them noticed the small coyote robot fly off in the same direction using some strange backpack device with a helicopter blade mounted above it, strapped to its back.