"You want me to do WHAT?"

Bethany and Janelle Hanson were seated in the two chairs in Adrian Seidelman's apartment.  Tecnically, Adrian was not there, but Cybersix was sitting crosslegged on her bed, wearing a standard Cyber issue green bandeau sports bra and grey cotton gym shorts.

"I want you to go beat up a bad man for me." Bethany repeated matter-of-factly.

Cybersix ran her fingers through her forelocks, "Could you, umm, fill me in on this bad man?"

"Julian is a friend of mine.  I don't think he has any parents.  Leastways, I never heard him talk about his when I talk about mine.  He's real clever, fun to play with, and has lots of neat tricks he shows people to get money."

"A street kid." Cybersix stated, looking at Janelle, "MY niece is seeing street kids?"

"Yoah Sistah wants Bethany to meet all kinds o'people." Janelle said, "An' I oblige her good.  Some o'them high society people are much too high an' mighty fer their own good, much less Bethany's."

Cybersix cocked her head to one side and smiled, "Where DO you come from, Janelle?"

"Dalonega, Georgia.  Mah ancestors greeted Serman's army with hot lead when they came a'callin'."

Cybersix nodded thougtfully, "So, will the South rise again?" she asked quizically.

"Hunnah, we've been up fo' a long time now, an' no one's done noticed.  Yet."

Bethany cleared her throat, "Umm, about Julian?"

"Sorry Bethy." Cybersix said apologetically, "Go on."

"We keep seeing this man who comes by and yells at him, grabs at his ear, hits him, and drags him away.  I can tell Julian doesn't like him, but has to listen to him."

"It might be his father." Cybersix suggested.

"I don't think so.  He's too mean to be a father.  And besides, he doesn't look like Julian."

"Well, you don't look like your parents either."

"Would his father make him steal wallets?" Bethany pressed.  At Cybersix's frown, she continued, "He keeps talking about 'getting him a wallet'.  Those are his words."

"So, you want me to save Oliver Twist from Fagin, right?"

"No, no.  Julian from this bad man!"

"Same thing.  Just thinking of a book I read." Cybersix said.  She sighed and shook her head, "Getting the bad guys is Type 37's job, not mine.  I'm recon on this mission, not the soldier.  Sorry Bethany.  Those are my mission orders, and I can't deviate.  I've screwed up once, and I don't intend to screw up again.  I'm sorry."  She got up and glanced out the window, "Did you walk here?"

"No.  We took a taxi." Janelle replied.

Cybersix shook her head again, "It's dark now, and it's rather dangerous in this section of town.  I'll walk you to the main boulevard, where you can catch a taxi home."

"But Auntie Six!" Bethany protested.

"No, Bethany.  I'm sorry, but I can't."

Bethany sighed and obediently followed the two adults out the small apartment, down the staircase, and out onto the street.  Her mind churned all the while however, trying to find a way to help her friend.

They were two blocks from the main street, and were passing the dark mouth to an alley when someone jumped out and waved a gun at Bethany, "Hold it right there!  The little girl gets it if you don't hand over your money!"

Janelle's mouth went taut, and she pulled her large bag up by the strap to open it.

"Just hand me the bag!" the man shifted the gun to Janelle.  She sighed and started to pull the long strap over her head.

Cybersix put her fists on her hips and shifted her weight to her left foot, "Do you think I'm carrying any money on me?" she asked, smiling and waving her shoulders slightly.

The man turned to her, grinning, "Nah, but you're carrying some pretty good assets there."

Cybersix rubbed her hip, which only succeeded in lifting her gym shorts higher and revealing more of her thigh, "Why, thank you!"

Janelle held her purse out by the strap.  The man took the purse and shifted his gun to Cybersix, "Now, why don't you and I just-"

The next instant, his arm was jerked violently upwards and outwards, the Cyber having rushed forward and grabbed his gun hand with her left hand.  Janelle grabbed her purse back as Cybersix pounded the burglar twice on the face with her petite right fist.  He collapsed like a sack of potatos, the only thing holding him off the pavement being Cybersix having a rather elaborate handhold on his gun hand.

"WHEEEHOOO!" Janelle crowed, "That was some move!"

Bethany, having observed all this, nodded approvingly, "Something like that would work pretty good on-" she started.

"No, Bethany!" Cybersix punctuated the sentence..
--------
"Right here." Police Chief William Ryan told the policeman behind the wheel.

"Yes sir." he pulled the police cruiser behind the last of the four patrol cars that were parked along the street.

Ryan got out and walked toward Janelle and Bethany, "I heard you had a problem with a mugger.  Is that right?" he asked Janelle.

She nodded and pointed to the criminal lying in the back of a patrol car, still out, "Popped out on us quick-like.  Didn't give us much time."

"Um hmm.  And WHERE IS THE OFFICER ASSIGNED TO THIS CAR?" he asked rather loudly.

The gaggle of four cops surrounding someone broke apart, the individuals spinning on their heels and snapping off salutes at him.  Cybersix, who had been in the middle, glanced on either side of her and nodded approvingly.

"I asked, which one of you is assigned to that car?" he repeated, pointing.

"Me sir!" one piped up.

"And what were you doing instead of watching him?"

"Ahhh, taking a statement, sir!"

Ryan's eyes moved to another officer, "And you?" he asked.

"Taking a statement also, sir!"

"Don't tell me.  You two were also taking a statement, right?"

"We wanted to make sure it was correct, sir!" a third piped up.  Cybersix grinned with amusement.

"If I recall, when we last trained on this, we needed only ONE person to take a statement!" Ryan snapped, "YOU!  Take that bum in!  You!  Drive Miss Trodden home immediately!  You turn in the statement, and YOU get back to work!" he pointed at different officers in succession, "Now MOVE IT!"

The group exploded, leaving a bemused Cybersix and Ryan on the sidewalk, "Have a nice evening!" Ryan said to Bethany and Janelle as they got into the patrol car, the officer holding the door open.

Type 37 fished out a cigar, bit the end off, and began to light it.  He turned, jabbed a finger toward the ground in sight of his car, indicating that it was to stay where it was, then turned to Cybersix, "You live near here, don't you?"

She nodded, "Two blocks that way." she waved.

He poked his cigar in that direction, "Lead the way." he said, falling in step next to her, "So, what happened?"

"Bethany and Janelle came to see me.  Bethany wanted me to do her a favor.  It was dark, so I decided to walk them to the main boulevard to catch a taxi home.  About there," she waved behind her, "The mugger jumped out, waving a gun at Bethany and demanding Janelle's purse.  I diverted his attention enough to grab the gun and put him to sleep."

Type 37 stopped and looked at her, "You grabbed at his gun?" he asked, incredulously.

She nodded, "Pull your gun on me." she suggested, "Flip the safety off."

He looked at her strangely, reached into his coat, pulled his service revolver out of his shoulder holster, and pointed it at her, flipping the safety off.

The next moment, his gun hand was being held over his right shoulder, Cybersix's left hand index and middle fingers wrapped around his trigger finger.  She reached out and tapped his nose with her forefinger, "Of course, I PUNCHED him." she said, smiling a little wickedly.

He nodded, impressed, "I can feel that you got your fingers around my trigger finger, but how did you know I wouldn't fire?" he asked as she released him.

"Cyber reflexes and speed." she said, turning and continuing to lead him to her apartment, "My hand is moving so fast when I jam the trigger guard between my fingers that it pushes the gun into your palm.  That opens up a gap around your trigger finger that I can get my fingers around.  We worked for months on it, using guns that fired different colored inks.  I got inked, oh, eighteen times before i got the hang of it."

"You must have been quite a sight." he said, amused.

"We sure were."

"By the way, what did Bethany want from you?"

She rolled her eyes, "A friend of hers is working as a pickpocket for a Fagin type guy.  She wanted me to beat the guy up and make him stop forcing her friend to steal wallets."

"Are you going to do that?"

"No!" She looked at him, irritated, "Catching the bad guys is YOUR job, and not part of MY mission!"

"Well, I COULD deputize you and assign you to Petty Crime suppression."

"37!" she stopped and stared at him, "You're not serious, are you?  I could get in trouble with the Cyber training board!"

"You wouldn't.  Well, not technically."  he replied smoothly, waving his cigar.

She looked at him queerly, which he took as an invitation to continue, "When a cyber finishes their stint in the army, they get discharged and can work in civilian paramilitary organizations, as guards and police.  The board's venue is strictly military training and monitoring.  In short, discharged cybers would be my responsiblity if I hired them."

"But I'm not discharged." she said.

"You'll never qualify, since they won't let you join an army now.  So, in a sense, you're free to work for me."

"That's pretty shaky reasoning to me." she said, heading back to her apartment.

"But solid enough to let your supporters on the board keep your enemies off your back.  And DON'T look at me like that!  It's no secret that 91 dislikes you intensely.  From where did that bad blood come between you two?"

Cybersix smiled slightly and looked straight ahead.

"Ah, Cyber secrets.  Well, I can't say we Types don't have any either." Type 37 mused aloud.  He puffed on his cigar and walked with Cybersix until they came stoop, where she stopped and turned to him, "This it?" he asked her.

"Yep."

"A dump." he remarked, glancing up at it.

"Public School teachers don't get particularly terrific salaries.  My assignment, Lucas Amato, moonlights as a newspaper reporter to make ends meet."

"You could do that too."

"No, 37." she said regretfully.

He detected that reluctance, "Just so you know what I have in mind, here's the deal." He said, "You'd be a plainclothes surveillance officer in encoded radio contact with a chase team of three of my best detectives.  You just get out there, find the bad guys, peg them as best you can, then radio one of them in to make the arrest.  They'll be on roving patrol anyhow, and the closest one will answer the call.  They'll make the final determination as to whether to make the arrest or not."  He finished his cigar and stuffed it into a nearby trashcan, snuffing it out on the metal side, "You know my cell phone number.  And you're free to call us at anytime for any reason, you know."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For trying."

"It's nothing.  I figure a Cyber on the street would be worth three patrol cars at least.  Besides, I still owe you.  Good night, sister."

"Good night, brother.  Kiss your wife for me."

"I will."  He turned to walk away, then stopped, "Oh.  I almost forgot to ask you something."

"What?" Cybersix asked.

"Raping women and looting are against the Geneva convention, right?"

"Right.  And Cybers have to do what they can to prevent that and bring the bastards to justice."

"Umm, hmm.  So what if it's a civilian doing the raping?  Or the looting?"  Type 37 tossed a sly grin at her as he turned and walked away.

She watched as he walked back the way they came, mind churning at the dilemma her brother had tossed into her lap.  She sighed and thought for a few long minutes.  She then glanced up and down the street, confirmed nobody was around, stepped around to the left side of the building, and leaped up and onto the ledge to her window.

"Well, I was wondering when you'd be back!"

"Reba!" Cybersix blinked with surprise and real pleasure at seeing her sister sitting on her bed, swinging her feet as they dangled over the edge.  She stepped inside, walked over, and kissed her on the cheek, receiving Reba's kiss in return, "What brings you here?" she asked, pulling her chair up and sitting down in front of her.

Reba sighed, "Got a moral dilemma I wanted to talk with someone about." she said, "You were fairly good at that."

"Not as good as the Technos and Types.  Or as some Cybers." she replied.

"But they're not here and you are.  Besides, we always shot the bull debating stuff with each other."

Cybersix smiled at that assessment, "So what's your problem, sister?"

"I have four kids at Meridiana General whose bones are literally crumbling apart from some form of degenerative bone disease.  The hospital Pathology department is pathetic, so I'm waiting on Dr. Zacharias to get back from Europe to have a look at them."

Cybersix nodded, "He decided to make a side trip to Germany to see some relatives there."

Reba looked at her for a moment, then brightened, "Oh that's right!  You're a fellow faculty member there."

"Actually, I got that information from my objective, Lucas Amato.  He's covering the Physics classes for the good doctor, and informed me of that at lunch.  But I'm digressing.  What's the moral dilemma?"

"I visited the ward this afternoon.  After coming out, I was updating their charts when I overheard the kids talking in the room."

"And you're worried about the conversation?  That'd be covered by the Patient/Doctor relationship.  Unless..." Cybersix stopped.

"Unless they were debating whether to tell anyone about the bad guys who kidnapped them and injected them with something that I now suspect might be the causative pathological agent.  They decided to remain silent and hope that the police will come through."

"That IS a dilemma!" Cybersix muttered.

Reba looked at her again, "Don't you make the connection?"

"What connection?" Cybersix replied, puzzled.

"Ah!  You weren't there when I walked into Cyprus' mansion the other day!" Quickly, Reba gave Cybersix the details on her aborted kidnapping.

"Oh Reba!" Cybersix moved onto the bed and hugged her Cyber sister, "You must feel awful!  But you had no reason to believe they were more serious than just kidnappers out for money!"

"Yeah," Reba sighed regretfully, "If I'd known..."

"End of problem." Cybersix grinned momentarily, then got serious, "I would think that the only reason for telling Type 37 would be if you had good reason to believe that the pathogen is contagious or ultimately fatal.  Your obligation to a single patient, or a small group of patients, would be outweighed by the necessity to protect the public health and safety.  That's a distinction that the childen probably are not making."

Reba shook her head, "But to help them see that distinction, and then have them decide to talk to the police themselves, would involve telling them that they have a condition that may kill them or affect others.  That's a possiblity, of course, but I don't know the facts.  It'd be irresponsible for me, as their doctor, to distress and worry them unnecessarily with mere probabilities.  As best as I can tell, their bones will continue to deteriorate until they become totally bedridden, unable to move a muscle without snapping something.  There may be other side effects that could prove more fatal, but I haven't done much thought along those lines yet."

"I'd talk to Father about that." Cybersix said.

Reba frowned, "He's so busy."

"With administrivia!" Cybersix complained, "He could assign Technos and Types to monitor the media and make recommendations for deployments.  He can stop worrying about our diets since that's been a settled issue for years.  Despite Mama's worries, he's a workaholic who really needs to be busy doing something all the time, and given his experience and years, should be doing something better than spending 90% of his time micromanaging stuff that nobody will remember in a week!  We're his legacy to the world, and we'll be doing good for a long, long time, but I wish his life would end doing something more significant than approving requisitions and deciding between beans and squash for next Monday's lunch.  Besides," she waved her hand, "Who else knows as much about human organ system interactions than he does?"

Reba smiled a little, "Nobody, and that's a fact.  You're probably right.  Although he worked harder saving Cyberdragon and Erin than doing his normal work, he DID seem to had been in better spirits while he was doing that.  Maybe our old man DOES need a challenge.  A change in pace."

"Makes sense." Cybersix said, "He sends ALL of us out to save the world, one piece at a time.  His turn now."

"Well, after you straightened out Jose, the only one left in the family not saving the world is Mama."

Cybersix rolled her eyes, "He just needed to be shown how he could contribute.  And Mama saves the world by being Mam."

Reba chuckled, then thought a moment, "I won't say anything until I'm sure." she said decisively, "I'd have to tell them if the pathogen was fatal anyhow, and they might volunteer the information when they realize it may be serious for others.  I'll call Father and get him involved to resolve the uncertanties.  I'll play it by ear after I tell them." she looked apologetic, "I may be coming back."

"I'll always have time for family." Cybersix said, hugging her.

Reba got up and stretched, yawning, "Been a long day, so I'll run along now.  Thanks, sister, and goodnight!"

"You're quite welcome, 5000." Cybersix said affectionately, "And goodnight to you too.".  She watched Reba step through the window to the outside ledge, look around, then leap onto the roof of the building across from her.

"Yeah," she murmured at the wall, "He sends ALL of us out to save the world, one piece at a time..."  She was silient for a few minutes, then got up, closed the window, stretched, and decided to take a shower to cool off.

She had soaped herself down, rinsed, and was washing her hair when someone started knocking at her door, "Ohhhh!  Who could that be at THIS hour?" she thought irritatedly as she hastily rinsed her hair out, "Coming!" she yelled, grabbing a worn towel as the person continued to knock.  "Must be family." she muttered as she carefully stepped out of the shower and went to the door, dripping water on the wood floor, holding the towel in front of her. "And they must be desperate-," she thought as she unlocked the door with her left hand, "for nobody else in their right mind would want to see me at this hour-"  "Yes? What is-" she said aloud, pulling the door open just in time to catch Lucas Amato with fist raised, ready to knock yet another time on the door.

"Ohhh CRAP!" Cybersix thought, her eyes bugging probably as wide as Lucas' as he took in who had answered the door, "Time to go to Plan, umm, F."
-----
"The biggest problem *I* had with you," Cyber 74 had sighed, "was that you didn't have any backup plans.  If you had thought of two or three alternatives in case different problems had arisen, then I could have argued for a temporary suspension, not a permanent one."

"But I had two rookies, Cyberdragon and Terra!" she had protested, "Not to mention having to worry about 37!  They would have had problems knowing when and how to fall back to the alternatives and endangered themselves!"

"You had two pros, Kayla and Grizelda, who could have been briefed on alternatives.  Cyberdragon was 'way up in the air and unseen.  And short of setting the entire jungle on fire, Terra is pretty much indestructible.  Yeah, you had a great plan, no doubt about that.  The best.  Unfortunately, you let the best be the enemy of the good this time, and you paid for it with your Leadership ranking.  If you ever get it back, remember this:  Always have backup plans."

Cybersix had to concede that it was pretty good advice, and swore to herself to always follow it...
----
"Uhhh!" Lucas Amato stuttered, looking Cybersix up and down, trying to force himself to focus on her face, but apparently seeing something there that was bothering him as greatly as her dripping wet, barely covered, naked body, "Sorry!  wrong Apartment!  I thought this was Adrian Seidelman's!" He glanced down at what she recognized as the subscription order form for The Independent that Lucas had talked Adrian into that afternoon.

She smiled winningly, trying to ignore the tickle of the drops of water running down her face and back, "This IS Adrian's apartment."

"It IS?" he looked puzzled.

"Yes.  He got a phone call from some old college friends and tore out of here." she looked him up and down, "Are you Lucas Amato?"

He nodded.

"He's talked to me about you." she said.

"He has?  Well, he hasn't mentioned anything about you to me."

"He HASN'T?!?" She stuck her lower lip out slightly, pouting, "I'll have to get after him when he gets back, then!  I'm Sybil. Sybil Seidelman, but my friends call me Cyb.."

"Seid-Adrian didn't say anything about being married!"

Cybersix laughed, "I'm his SISTER!  See the resemblance?" she asked, grabbing at her wet forelocks and trying to make them stand up, but obviously failing.  She grinned and let the long strands flop back wetly over her forehead and face, "Well-"

"Uhhh, oh yeah!  Yeah!  I can see the resemblance!  Uncanny!  Fraternal twins?"

She smiled and nodded, then frowned, "Umm, why ARE you here?" she asked pointedly, wiping at her face and pushing the long, wet forelocks aside..

"Adrian left his overcoat at the cafe." Lucas had it draped over his shoulder, so he pulled it off and held it out,
"I was returning it."

"Oh!  Thank you!  I guess he didn't notice." She took it, turned, and hung it up on the hook next to the door.  She turned back to Lucas barely in time to catch him straightening up: He had obviously leaned down and over to catch a bit more of her backside, which she suddenly remembered that the towel wasn't wide enough to go all around her body, "Ohhh!  Mama's gonna kill me!" she thought ruefully. "He'll be grateful, I'm sure." she said.

"Well, I'd better go and let you dry off." Lucas said galliantly, turning to leave.

"Yes." she smiled, "Oh! And Lucas?!"

"What?" he asked, turning back to her.

She stepped out of the apartment, reached up, put a wet arm around his neck, pulled his head down, and planted a soft, gentle kiss on his cheek, "That's for saving my brother the other day." she whispered, releasing him, "He's just HOPELESS in a fight!" she smiled, stepping back and pulling up the corner of the towel, covering up the view of long curves reaching from neck to little toe.

"Nice meeting you, Sybil." Lucas said, reddening a little.

"Cyb." Cybersix corrected him gently as she closed the door, keeping eye contact with him as the gap narrowed, "My friends call me Cyb."

She locked the door and waited next to it, listening.  Lucas went to the stairwell, muttering, "WHEEEWWWW!  Adrian's got some sister!!"

She waited a minute more after she heard him go down the stairs, then banged her head against the door, "AAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!" she groaned, her face contorted in agony, as if someone had thrust a carving knife just under her sternum and had twisted it viciously, "That was SO EMBARRRRASSING!"

She turned aorund, leaned her back against the door, and gazed up at the cieling, "Now HOW am I going to explain this night in my report?" she wondered, "And how long will it stay FEO* before it gets leaked?"

She went back to the bathroom.  A few instants after she entered, the distinctive swish of skin slipping on tile issued forth, immediately followed by a yelled "SHIIIIIIIIT!"  and the loud thump of a wet body hitting the floor.
----
* - "Father's Eyes Only"
----
Dr. Reba Pearce (C) Queen of Mars
Bethany, Cyprus, and Serena Trodden, (C) Bethany Trodden
Maria Schweitzer Von Richter (C) Genesis Seidelman
----
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Chapter 7
Chapter 9