After all their preparations, making contact had been almost childishly simple when Dr. Frost suddenly appeared from his building and stepped into an autocab. Hunter had their cab pull alongside and with a series of hand signals they all got together in Hane's rogue cab.

The cab, provided by Hanes for an additional two hundred credits, parked in the garage of an abandoned building in Bathtown. Diane and Hunter sat stunned after listening to Dr. Frost's recitation of his recent activities.

"You mean you actually recreated Alice?" Diane asked excitedly.

"I never let on but after we made that remote to take to Vatten, I had all the codes encrypted, along with the original design codes for Alice and stored on a data blank in my old apartment. It's how I was able to make the remote originally."

"So how does that help us?"

Frost removed his glasses and wiped his eyes. "We need another remote but there is no way I can--"

"I'm not employed, with your instructions I could build one. Hunter will help." Diane said.

"You said we couldn't go to your place." Hunter interrupted.

"That's right. But we aren't at my place. Monitoring me doesn't tell them what I'm doing away from home."

"But then you knew that when we were at Hargreave's . . . that means--"

"Never mind what it means." She turned back to Frost. "Can that work?"

Hunter was still processing what her statement meant when she poked his arm.

"Winston says if I could build the physical machine from his instructions he could download Alice and take her anywhere."

"Uh- so what? What can Alice do for our problem?"

"Solve it, Mr. Lewis. She can solve it. Everything that was on the original remote was automatically sent to my data blank in real time and that includes her analysis of the slime sample she did in the lab before the accident."

Diane stayed silent. Somehow that information had never been passed on and she felt betrayed. Soon they realized that they had spent too much time with Frost and he had to get back or become suspicious. An autocab was called and using the workaround, Frost left for home.

Arrangements had been made for another meeting the following day when he would have complete instructions for building the remote machine, which would now be a standalone. With another take-out dinner and some fresh clothes and other personal items, they returned to Hargreave's.

Hunter couldn't wait to broach the subject of Diane' surprising duplicity.

"Okay, Dr. Sommers, care to explain?"

"Explain what?"

"You know what! About staying here . . . together?"

"I'm disappointed you need an explanation."

"Huh? After the way you carried on!"

She moved and stood nose to nose with him. "Yes?"

"Yes? What do you mean--" He saw the twinkle in her eyes and the slight curve of her lips and feeling all the confusion slide away, he took her in his arms and his complaint was soon forgotten.

********

Frost met them as planned with the instructions and with the help of the credit collecting Hanes, over the next few days they managed to acquire the necessary components and begin construction. Meanwhile, at the Empirium research laboratory, Frost began compiling information based on the copied slime analysis data from his blank.

Because he was working on the Alice program, his personal work went unnoticed and it was only a few days before a solution began to form on how to defeat the slime. The most difficult part now was to get it all into the new standalone Alice and find a place to set up.

It took several days for Diane to complete the machine, having had to return to her quarters more often to avoid the curious monitors raising flags. When it was finally completed they all met once again, this time at Hargreave's.

Hunter briefly explained to Frost the why and how of the location and then they got down to business.

"Diane, you did a magnificent job!" Frost went over all the workings and connections on the machine. "It's a little bigger than I expected but no matter, it's still portable and the proof will be in the pudding."

"I'm a little disappointed you felt it necessary to keep your data blank information from me, Winston. I thought we were partners."

"I apologize, Diane but I knew Empirium would find out everything you knew during your interviews. It was the only way to protect my work . . . our work."

"You're right, I should have realized." She patted his arm. "So, are we going to taste that pudding?"

"Are you going to test it here?" Hunter sounded alarmed.

"It's how we know if we are successful."

"I know, but here?"

"Hunter, it's a standalone machine. We can turn it on and off, not like the lab."

"You sure?"

"Ignore him, Winston, let's see how we did."

With a grin and a nod to both, he turned on the machine and downloaded his data blank plus the new information uncovered when he was at work.

"Will it take long?"

"The basic coding will take a while but once it is all in then the sky's the limit. Any AI loves data, the more the better. I'm eager to show you what I learned from her analysis of the slime sample she examined in the lab that day. You are going to be amazed."

"Well, while we're waiting may I pour drinks?" Hunter fetched the bottle and some glasses. "I feel I'm going to need this."

"Absolutely, we need to celebrate. And bring some of those energy buds." Diane grinned.

When the small screen finally announced that the download was complete, they all sat silently, staring.

"Your moment's here, Doc, but shouldn't you be getting back?"

"I've decided I'm not going back. When this works all our lives will change." His eyes were bright and he wet his lips.

"When it works? Are you that confident?"

"Let's see." Frost opened the file for Alice and instantly the familiar voice greeted all three of them.

"We have missed you." Diane said.

'Time is not relevant, Dr. Sommers.'

"It is to humans, Alice."

"Alice, would you explain to Dr. Sommers and Mr. Lewis how we can successfully dispose of the substance you examined from the planet Galapagos."

"What?" Diane and Hunter both reacted together.

Frost held up his hand. "Go ahead, Alice."

'Certainly, Dr. Frost. The substance known as slime can be destroyed quite easily with acidic deposition, or acid rain, a familiar occurrence in several major areas on earth.'

"Acid rain!"

"Shhhh, go on, Alice.'

'It is mainly caused by the release of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide during fossil fuel combustion. When these gases are discharged into the atmosphere, they react with the water, oxygen, and other gases already present there to form sulphuric acid, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid.'

"I still don't see--"

"Be patient, Hunter."

'Electric power generation and coal burning are the most responsible for this condition.'

"Okay, I've been patient. How does this help us?"

'On Galapagos there is no surface water, Mr. Lewis. There are no volcanoes nor are there any electrical or coal burning facilities. Your slime organism has never been exposed to these elements and therefore has no defence against their properties. The alien body can be eliminated quite simply with acidic deposition.'

"You mean it just has to rain?"

"Not quite, Hunter." Frost spoke up. "We just need to make our own low pH supply and create a way to deliver it effectively. Once that is established, the threat ends."

"How do we know we can get it all this way?"

"That's up to someone like CRS, after all they are the professionals and the one's ultimately responsible."

"Alice, do you know how that little sample regenerated itself?" Diane asked. "If any survived, could it happen again?"

'It would not be possible to determine, Dr. Sommers. The Galapagos atmospheric and biota data is not available. Without those references your question is unanswerable. I would offer my opinion that collecting more samples for testing is not a direction you would be advised to take.'

"You've got that right, Alice." Hunter poured a small drink and saluted the machine.

"I told you this would change our lives. We have the key to resolving this alien horror show and it will buy us a lot of political currency with the powers that be."

Hunter frowned. "You sure they won't just arrest us and take the machine?"

Frost thanked Alice for her help then turned off the machine, removing the data blank. "Her destruct code was downloaded along with Diane's Transition data - everything Alice had before she has again - except that on off switch."

"So if anyone turns her on and tries to run that program?" Diane smiled and nodded.

"It will be goodbye Alice once again." Frost raised his own glass.

"But we will be able to transition the way we originally intended won't we?" Diane asked.

"I was able to tweak her destruct code so you personally could bypass it with a combination aural, optical and keystroke entry." He handed her a tiny data disc. "It's a one-time use so you must memorize the contents but this will make you fireproof, Diane. You can set all the rules for your invention."

"Well, I guess it's time to take our solution to the big boys and advise them of our . . . I don't want to say demands. We can be a little more charitable than that, right? Who will it be HEEP or Empirium?" Hunter beamed.

"Empirium, and we have to make it fast before they seal off the HEEP facility and raze it like my lab."

Hunter ordered up an airlimo, sending the rogue cab back to Hanes.

"Might as well do this in style."

Frost called ahead, giving just enough information so they would not be detained on arrival.

"I'm gonna love the look on their faces," Hunter gloated, "it's what I want to see. What about you, Diane?"

"I want my condo back, sans the monitoring." Diane smiled, holding the machine with care between them. "What about you, Winston?"

"Oh, my own facility, fully equipped with you as my research partner . . . if you'll have me, and also no monitoring." She gave him a grateful smile and a pat on the arm.

 "What would you really like, Hunter?" Diane asked.

"Well if you get what you want then I'll get what I want."

Frost snorted and Diane slapped Hunter on the back, pushing him into the corner of the limo and finally breaking into laughter. The airlimo stopped at the entrance to the headquarters and they climbed out to be greeted by armed security and several Empirium officials.

"It's an honour, Dr. Frost and you, Dr. Sommers . . . aah . . . Mr. Lewis. Please, right this way the council is all assembled and waiting."

Hunter lifted the machine and followed the guards, getting a broad, teasing wink from Diane.

"You will be careful with that won't you . . . aah . . . Mr. Lewis."

THE END

A/N: I would sincerely like to thank those who gave their time reading this story.