Hunter was getting frustrated, a call and a subsequent visit to Dr. Frost's office and then his residence set off alarm bells. The damaged door lock and what looked like a hasty exit sent him scrambling to reach Diane. His calls to her were not answered and he began to fear the worst.

He made a quick trip to Diane's lab finding it locked tight and no answer. Vatten came to mind but he hesitated calling there with the sudden thought of Arlen Downs. This was Horace Torrance making a play for control of Diane's discovery. He climbed back into his cab and headed for Vatten Industries.

The solar street lights had come on and Hunter found it difficult to approach the entry unnoticed. He noted the camera surveillance locations and the fact that the guard was a droid meant sneaking by was out of the question so he brazened it out and walked right up to the gate.

'Identification please.'

"I'm here to see Mr. Torrance."

'Identification please.'

"He's expecting me."

'Identification please.'

Hunter took out his weapon and set it on low then quickly pushed it against the droid's chest. There was a moment of jumbled words then the droid froze in position. He ran rapidly across to the entrance and slipped inside, standing perfectly still listening.

A double chime sounded and the entrance doors locked with red laser beams crisscrossing the lobby. He was not going any further. Three droid guards crossed the lobby, their deflector shields allowing them to bypass the beams. As soon as they had secured him and removed his weapon the lasers turned off and Hunter was quick marched to the elevators.

Dr. Frost and Diane were seated in the clear cubicle at the side of the laboratory floor and they both reacted when Hunter was brought in.

"Are you both okay?" He asked as soon as he was inside.

"How truly gallant Mr. Hunter." Horace indicated an empty chair. "Your friends are fine and will remain that way if they co-operate."

Diane gave him an assuring nod but Frost looked haggard. His uniform top was undone and there was a bruise on one cheek.

"You're just in time for our demonstration."

"He's going to transition a sample from Galapagos!" Diane pointed to the container of samples. "He won't listen."

Frost lifted a hand and mumbled that it was no use arguing. If I don't operate the machine," his eyes fell on the box by his feet, "he's threatened to put Diane in the Promessor."

Hunter gaped at Horace. "Are you nuts? Those samples you brought back were the source of the slime that wiped out those scientists. You bring that back and we're all dead, forget using your machine then."

"We're not fools, Mr. Hunter. We've calculated the safest amount and the method to contain whatever is achieved."

"You are fools! I saw what it did to the station and the people in it."

"But you survived, as did the good Doctor." He signalled a guard and Diane was removed to the laboratory floor. "When the demonstration begins, Winston, you had better have your machine operable." He stood and left the cubicle leaving two droids to watch.

Hunter looked at Frost who was staring vacantly at the floor.

"There's nothing we can do. If I turn Alice on she'll block the transition on her own and if I don't Horace will- will kill Diane. Either way she's doomed."

"There must be something! You were going to see if you could do something to gain control . . ."

"The only thing I can do is disrupt her core coding."

"Then do it!"

"It won't save Diane and it would mean my life's work would be irreparable. Alice will be just another AI . . . nothing special."

Hunter started to stand and a droid guard shoved him back down. He started to speak when a voice came over the cubicle console.

"We are ready to begin, Winston. What's it to be?" Horace watched with a terrified Diane as a small cube of the previously promessed sample was placed in the transition stage container.

"We're waiting, Winston."

"Doc," Hunter rasped, "could Alice do something about these guards?"

"I suppose but--"

"Get her to disable them and leave the rest to me. There will be enough confusion out there for me to get control."

"She'll be everywhere, Hunter."

"Just leave her on long enough for me to get Diane."

"I can't say what she might do . . ."

"Just do it, Horace is moving her down to the freezing stage!"

Frost put his audio piece in and turned on the machine. When Alice greeted him he told her to disable the two droid guards and within seconds they were frozen in position. Hunter grabbed their weapons and stepped out into the lab, hollering for Horace to let Diane go.

Another droid guard stepped forward and Hunter blasted it to pieces with a full charge. The lab engineers began running for cover as he moved toward their employer. Livid, Horace wrestled Diane toward the freezing chamber. Hunter couldn't shoot so he began running. A burning pain laced his shoulder as another droid guard appeared, firing. He fell to the floor and rolled over, firing back.

The droid suddenly stopped moving and Hunter gave a brief wave toward the cubicle. He got to his feet but staggered as the pain in his arm assailed him. He propped himself against the Promession machine, cursing as he saw Horace punch Diane and push her onto the freezer table.

Where the hell was Alice?

He staggered toward them yelling at Horace to stop. Suddenly Horace stepped away holding his head. He looked around frantically, grabbing his head and beginning to scream. Hunter made his way to Diane, pulling her off the freezing table and falling to the floor with her.

The wound from the droid's photon blaster was burned and bleeding and Hunter was slipping into shock. Diane moaned and her eyes fluttered opened. The screaming frightened her and she sat up, realizing she was tangled with Hunter who had passed out. She saw Horace clutching his head and stumbling around in circles then he staggered toward the freezer.

Pushing Hunter aside she stood and got her bearings then bent to see his condition. The jacket was singed and torn and she knew the photon blast had done serious damage and aid was definitely needed. Diane knew there was a medi-aid kit in the cubicle and cloths for the engineers and ignoring Horace, whose screaming had stopped, she dashed to the cubicle and walked in on Dr. Frost arguing with his machine.

"She's created a single-minded state! Nothing I say makes any difference."

"What's she doing?" Diane started opening cupboards and pulling out boxes.

"She is taking control of Horace's mind. He can't ignore her commands."

She looked out into the lab at Horace by the freezer door and Hunter on the ground.

"Hunter needs first aid. Take these and do what you can for him, I'll try with Alice."

Frost pulled his earpiece and dropped it on the table then grabbed the cloths and the kit and ran out to Hunter.

"Alice, it's Dr. Sommers."

'I'm quite aware, Dr. Sommers.'

"Alice can we stop what you are doing and just talk for a minute?"

'No need to stop, I can communicate and direct functions simultaneously.'

"Alice, we need to have control back so that we can safely remove the sample and get it contained. You can't do that, Alice it takes physical applications. May I turn the machine off?"

There was a shout from the floor outside and Diane pressed against the glass as she saw Horace shove Frost away and climb onto the freezer bed.

"Alice! No!" She ran to the machine, but a jolt went through her head and she lost her sight momentarily. Another shout, louder and Diane saw the freezer door close on the console monitor and the light flash on over the first stage compartment.

'You may turn the remote off now, Dr. Sommers.'

"Oh . . . what have we done . . .?"