Page 17 of Operation Iron Heart

His criticism was particularly aimed at Cathrin. When it came to Marci’s new look, he thought she was going too far.

“Well, then,” said his boss, giving an understanding nod. “You’re right. After all, she’s there as a human, not a robot. We need to ensure, however, that our substitute code hides her DNA. It’s just a couple of injections; they won’t hurt and there are no other side effects. I’m certain she’ll be given a genetic security check before you even get to the hotel suite.”

“As long as it’s not risky, you can do what you like with me,” agreed Marci. “But what about my brain?” The thought of everything that she had to learn made her head swim. “I mean, I haven’t even got a proper school education, and I’ve never been to college, either. I’m just a cleaner, remember?”

“Firstly, intelligence isn’t a matter of education,” said Cathrin firmly. “And secondly, we can implant an information chip in your brain, completely painlessly. This chip will provide you with all the technical and intellectual knowledge you need for your new role. You’ll not only know how to act in those elite circles, you’ll also be able to recall all the details of robotic production practically in your sleep. You can also use thought commands to contact our base at any time in case you need additional information.”

“So I’ll be a bit like a cyborg?” Marci suddenly felt overwhelmed and sat down with a thump. “But I won’t have to kill anyone, will I?” She looked at Cathrin and Jack, feeling awash with confusion.

“If it becomes necessary to eliminate a human or robot during the operation, Jack will take care of it,” replied Cathrin without emotion, leaving Marci feeling not entirely reassured.

Puzzled, she looked up at Jack. “And how is he supposed to protect me if he’s flirting with the President’s sister-in-law?”

“Don’t worry, Jack’s got it all under control. He’ll also be linked to you via the chip that we’re going to implant in you. When he activates the link, he’ll be able to see what you see, so he’ll always know how you’re doing even if he’s otherwise engaged,” commented Cathrin tersely. “Jack will not only be your prototype, he’s also your bodyguard and will help you complete your assignment.”

A thought struck Marci. “And what about his backstory? Wasn’t he created in MacIntyre’s laboratories? What if he’s recognised as a former combat robot?”

“We’ve thought of that,” replied Cathrin, clearly hoping to reassure her. “A while ago, we removed all the manufacturing codes from his files and gave him a completely new face. It had to be done anyway after he fled the battlefield.” She glanced at Jack and smiled. “He can thank me for making him so handsome, and for the fact that his hair and beard grow like a real human’s.”

Jack, who kept both his hair and beard short, cleared his throat sheepishly as Marci looked at him closely. His close-cropped, dark brown hair and russet three-day beard made his rugged face look even more intimidating, and when they’d first met she’d found him quite frightening. His rakish looks were more than suitable for a role as an erotic companion, however. “I can well imagine that this journalist will really go for him,” she agreed, giving Cathrin a cautious smile. Jack, on the other hand, assumed a blank expression, making it difficult for Marci to guess what he was thinking.

“And what about my boys?” she asked in a sudden panic. “Will they still recognise me when this is all over?”

“Don’t worry,” Cathrin reassured her. “We’ll take good care of them while you’re away. And you won’t look all that different.”

“How comforting.” Marci looked resigned, not certain whether Cathrin was right. She threw a questioning glance at Jack, as if seeking his approval for her new job. He responded with a confident smile. “Don’t worry, you can do it.”

“That’s what Will always used to say,” she murmured and left it at that.

The insertion of the chip in Marci’s brain went without a hitch, and Jack waited outside the operating room for the whole procedure. When she came round from the anaesthetic, she looked at him with her large brown eyes as if she’d not seen him for ages, and she was back on her feet surprisingly quickly. After only a few hours, the incision on her temple had healed without a mark thanks to the latest nanotechnology.

There was no mistaking her inner transformation, however. Cathrin had run through a few tests with her to familiarise her with her new abilities as the owner and manager of her new robot company and Marci was surprised how quickly she settled into this new role. The chip enabled her to speak not just English, but fluent Spanish, French and even Japanese as if she’d grown up speaking them. She suddenly knew everything about global politics and what she should say in the presence of certain people and what she was better off keeping to herself. She was even an expert in the production of escort robots, as if she’d never done anything else.

Jack wasn’t sure how to react to this strange, new Marci and whether she was still the sweet, innocent woman he’d instantly fallen in love with. She’d already shown that she could look after herself by protecting her boys like a lioness during Will’s absence. It was a human characteristic that fascinated Jack, quite apart from the fact that she had given birth to the children herself.

“I know everything about you,” she announced to him triumphantly a few hours later as she followed him to the training camp so he could teach her about the different weapons and communication systems. Jack nodded patiently, knowing full well that she knew nothing about his desires.

“You’re a robot in the R8 series – and you’re particularly good at learning. Your identification number 8883467 is tattooed on your upper right arm as an invisible barcode; it can be made visible in an emergency and scanned to initiate any necessary repairs. Instead of a titanium skeleton, yours is made of flexible ceramic that has the advantage over human bone of being able to withstand huge loads before breaking. It was an experimental bone material that Cathrin used at MacIntyre before the decision was made that it was too expensive and production reverted back to using titanium. There are only four other specimens in your series, including Silver, who I’ve already met. Like you and the others, he also received emotional modifications. You don’t just have a special brain that’s capable of learning more than a human’s, you also make your own hormones and that enables you to experience human feelings. And – wow.” She paused for a moment and looked at him wide-eyed. “You can not only develop the same feelings as a human, you can also use your sensors to analyse the feelings of the other person.” She laughed wistfully as Jack followed her realisation with interest. “I sometimes wished Will had been able to do that. I never got the impression that he really understood what it was like for me, particularly when he left me with the kids in the apartment in the evening so he could drown his sorrows in the pub with a few friends. I reckon a robot like you,” she said, looking at him and smiling, “would have stayed at home and been a better husband.”

Jack looked at her intently, and it seemed to unsettle her. He would have loved to tell her how happy she’d just made him.

Instead, she turned away and looked at herself in a full-length holomirror that turned your image into a 3D animation so that you could see your back at the same time.

Marci looked critically at her figure in the close-fitting, black jumpsuit she was wearing that not only emphasised her rounded backside but also her full breasts, curving enticingly in the deep V of the neckline. It didn’t escape her notice that Jack was watching her with interest.

“I know you’re not the right person to answer this question,” she said with a hint of awkwardness, “but do you really think that I look better than a female robot or do you think I’m less attractive than those sculpted creations? I mean, Will always said he loved my large breasts, but I was never sure whether he was just saying that to make me feel better.”

“Um…” Jack was rarely lost for words. He hadn’t expected that kind of question, but then had a flash of inspiration about the right answer. “I think you look absolutely stunning in that jumpsuit,” he assured her.

“So I didn’t look stunning beforehand?”

Jack’s emotional monitoring system signalled a Code Red. He was going to have to be incredibly careful how he replied. The tension in her body had increased and her temperature had risen too, albeit only slightly, as well as her heart rate. Something was clearly unsettling her.

“I just meant that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he corrected diplomatically. “Whatever you’re wearing.”

“I know that you can scan my emotions,” she said in a slightly disgruntled tone. “And I also know that, in contrast to your combat mode, you’re programmed to alleviate risky situations when they relate to conflicts within your own unit. So what was that just now? The truth, or a de-escalation measure?” She gave an uncertain smile and Jack thought, not for the first time, how pretty her teeth were.

He avoided her searching gaze, which he never normally did.