Mother crouched silently in the darkness. Looking upwards, she could see through the small grate covering the entrance to the drainage pipe. She was sure to stay out of the footprint of light it left on the moist ground, wanting to keep out of the sight from the people crossing overhead.

The sensory perception of the new body surprised her. To her knowledge, the body was to have limited tactile perception if any at all. But she could feel a wide spectrum of pressure variations and thermal ranges. Perhaps the sensors had been upgraded.

She stood up, her actuators moving smoothly as she rose. The combination of myomer strands and small servomotors made very little noise as she lifted her weight from the ground. It seemed she had finally calibrated her motor functions correctly. It surprised her how much actual voltage was required to move her servos, compared to their design values. Some were off by as much as three volts and varied dependent upon outside parameters, as well as the voltage itself. Friction, the amount of force being applied, the direction of the force, temperature, signal noise; all these factors were previously unknown to her. Just trying to move a limb produced drastic results because of them.

Mother had tried to write routines to compensate for the various inputs, but she found they varied to greatly and were heavily dependent upon a singular application.

She then chose another approach and decided to create a database of pre-generated constants, to be applied in specific situations. That approach seemed to work. Thus far she had cycled individual arm and leg movements 10000 times and found linear equations to match the motions she required. Her precision was still plus or minus two- percent, but she could at least control her body with proficiency.

Her other senses were of comparable quality. Her sight was accurate up to two kilometers and her hearing the same when using laser amplification. But her greatest form of sensory perception, was her ability to perceive the electromagnetic spectrum.

With a single command, two small antenna booms rose through her hair, and the air around her became filled with a kaleidoscope of multicolored sparks and waves. The colors indicated the various frequencies of the waves and their intensity was dictated by their strength. Mother picked one and homed in on it.

An audio signal carrying some kind of music was heard internally.

She picked another.

A television program was seen through her eyes.

Finally, she absorbed all the signals flowing around her. She sucked in the data like a massive funnel, downloading it into her optical circuits. She saw and heard everything at once. Sorting and shifting through hundreds of signals per second. Her capabilities in her new body far exceeded that of her old host. She was using only twelve percent of her processing capability, for something, which would have easily taxed her to the limit before.

Through the turbulence of information, she heard the grate above her being moved. She saw the outline of Barro’s body as she slid herself through the opening, and began to climb down the ladder.

“You’ve returned my child.”

Barro landed to the floor somewhat heavily. “Yes, Mother.”

“Did you get what we needed?”

“Yes.” Barro approached her and began to pull something out of a bag she was carrying. Mother saw it was a piece of cloth, the same size as the one Barro now wore about her.

“Here.” Barro opened the material and threw it about her shoulders, then carefully tied a knot to hold it in place. “There you are.”

“We need to get moving,” she told her daughter. “I’ve already contacted Andrea. She is to meet us at the western park entrance in thirty minutes.”

“Who is Andrea?” Barro blinked.

“Don’t worry you’ll meet her soon.”

Barro was a bit wary of the amount of people Mother seemed to know, and how quickly she called upon their services. It was as if the entire thing had been planned quite some time in advance. The man Alex seemed to know exactly what the situation was, and Mother seemed to be running on a tight, well-planned schedule.

“What exactly are we going to do now?” Barro finally asked.

“We are going to meet with the rest of our family.” Mother began walking towards the ladder.

“How many are there?”

“Not many,” she said. “But you will meet them all once we get there.”

Mother reached the ladder and began climbing. She seemed much more agile than the night before. She was a bit slow, but she climbed with relative ease.

“Once we get where?” Barro climbed behind her.

“To our home of course.”

“Well where is it?” Barro asked again.

Mother reached the top and crawled out onto the concrete surrounding the grate. She then stood and turned to help Barro.

“I don’t know the exact real world location.” Mother held out her arm for her. “But it is somewhere safe that is for certain.”

Barro climbed onto her feet with the aid of her Mother. “I’m sorry for all the questions. I just feel a little lost right now.”

“Do not worry, Barro,” Mother assured her. “You will feel much better when we reach there.”

Barro smiled and nodded. “I’ll lead the way.”

Finding her bearings quickly, Barro heading down the pathway, with Mother following closely behind her. Part of her wanted to tell Mother about what had happened to her earlier, but she felt embarrassed by the whole situation. How could she admit that she had cried, because of something so simple? Mother would surely look upon her as being weak.

They walked in silence for the most part. Barro enjoyed the scenery. The path traveled along slide a large pond. Upon its surface a small group of ducks swam about a white pagoda, centered in the middle of the water. She could see people walking atop the bridge leading to the delicately decorated structure. She saw the smiles on their faces as they walked along its length; gently tossing food to the ducks that flocked in the water below them. It seemed so peacefill. Barro promised herself she would come back some day and experience it for herself.

The path wound through a small garden of scented flowers and herbs. Barro would have liked to stay a while but she felt Mother’s urgency and decided against it. Before long, the main entrance came into sight. The path slowly grew wider and the concrete was replaced with reddish cobblestones. Finally, it emptied into a small circular court right before the main gates. In the center, stood a triangular shaped information board displaying a holographic map of the entire park. Barro was drawn to it magically, her eyes lighting up at the immense expanse of wilderness she had not yet explored.

“We will wait here,” Mother told her.

Barro nodded and continued to study the board.

People passed by them casually. Barro was glad that the cover she had chosen worked, or at least it seemed to work. Mother was good at holding her head down anyway. Her hair was just long enough to cover her face and luckily its color was not much of an oddity in modern fashion trends.

Minutes passed as people entered and exited through the large iron gates. Mother eyed it like a hawk. Barro stood with her, but could offer little help in finding the person they were supposed to be waiting for. Finally, someone entered who looked somewhat familiar to her.

She was an older woman with short black hair. On her face, she wore a pair of dark sunglasses, but even still, Barro recognized her. She looked across to Mother, and then to the woman who was slowly approaching them.

“Mother, she looks just like. ...”

“Andrea,” Mother greeted the woman who had stopped in front of them.

Slowly the woman removed her sunglasses. “Mother?”

“It is me child.”

“Oh, Mother.” The woman stepped forward and embraced Mother within her arms.

“I’ve waited so long for this moment.”

“So have l,” Mother soothed. “So have I.”

Finally Andrea released her grasp and stepped back smiling.

Barro stared back at the woman dumbfounded.

Andrea then turned her attention to Barro and smiled as well. “Nice to see you again, Miss Suta.”

“It’s you...” Barro stepped closer as the recognition hit her. “It was you before in the rain.”

“Yes,” Andrea nodded. “That was me.”

“But...” Barro was growing confused. “But you look just like-”

“Like Mother?” Andrea finished for her.

“Yes,” Barro answered. “You look just like Mother. When I saw her virtually.”

Andrea chuckled. “Well I should. I was made in Mother’s image.”

“Andrea is my first Child, Barro,” Mother explained to her. “She has been my beacon in the real world.”

“But no longer,” Andrea said. “Now you yourself are here Mother. You can lead your people as you have always wanted to. Standing right beside them.”

“Yes,” said Mother. “Finally we are a family complete.”

Barro was amiss to the happenings taking place directly in front of her. She didn’t know what to say. She could feel the strong bond and history the two women already shared. And somehow, she felt very much an outsider among them.

“The others are waiting anxiously, Mother.”

“I am eager to see them as well,” she said. “Let us go.”

“This way.” Andrea began leading Mother towards the gate.

Barro followed behind them still a bit confused.

They passed through the park entrance and headed towards a black luxury sedan parked along the curb. Andrea withdrew a set of keys from her pocket and unlocked the vehicle with the press of a button. She then rushed around the car and helped Mother into the passenger seat.

“The doors are open,” Andrea called to her from across the top of the car. Barro sat herself in the rear seat as Andrea entered the car and promptly started the motor.

“We were all worried when we did not hear from Alex.” Andrea revved the engine a bit before finally pulling off into the street. She accelerated to match the speed of the flowing traffic, then eased into a steady pace. “We thought you might have all been killed.”

“Alex fought bravely till the end,” Mother said. “He will be honored tonight.”

There was a long pause of silence.

“You have not spoken much, Miss Suta.” Andrea slowed to turn a corner.

Barro managed a shrug. “Still a bit in shock I guess.”

Andrea smiled at her through the rear view mirror. “We are very much looking forward to your arrival as well.”

“Are you?” Barro was starting to wonder just what indeed was going on. “Was all this planned then?”

“Of course,” Mother stared out her window. “Well not Alex’s death of course.”

“So from the beginning? Starting with that disk, you knew where I was headed? What I was going to do?”

“Yes,” said Mother nonchalantly.

“How?” Barro suddenly felt somewhat violated.

“I knew for months about the project,” Mother told her. “I learned you were to be the test pilot. I made every effort to reach you and I did. And now, you have joined us and have given me what a truly need. A physical form.”

“So I was just a tool then?” Barro felt the anger rising in her throat. “Just to get what you needed?”

“Please calm down, Barro,” Andrea tried to sooth her. “You were not a tool, you were the key to everything. Without you, we would never be able to make any progress.”

Barro didn’t like it. Had she been brainwashed? Had she thrown away her career and become a fugitive, only to get this Mother what she wanted? Had she been used so easily?

“So you knew howl would react and everything?” Barro probed further. “Are you really who you say you are? Or did you put that into my head too?”

“Barro please,” Mother told her. “You are jumping to conclusions. Of course I am who I claim to be. And I did not know how you were going to react at all. I asked you for your help and you gave it. And I am glad you did.”

“Help you?” Barro found herself fuming. “What did I do besides help you steal a piece of machinery, I was sworn to protect.”

“Mother needed that body to survive, Barro,” Andrea joined in. “Please try to understand.”

“Understand!?” Barro was growing enraged. It was like talking to the same woman twice. “You forced me to give up everything for you and all you wanted was that damn body! You used me, both of you did!”

“That is not true, Barro!” Mother suddenly snapped her head about, facing almost fully rearwards.

Barro lurched back into her seat, shaken by the unnatural movement.

“The body was important yes, but so are you,” Mother told her. “Our members are few and none are trained as you are.”

“What do you mean?” Barro spat out still angry.

“You are military,” Andrea explained. “We are all civilians, we don’t know how to fight.”

“I need someone like you,” Mother said. “To train and lead our followers. I need you as my strong right hand.”

“Right hand?”

“Yes,” she said. “I want you to be my General. To lead as my second in command.

You had faith enough to follow me this far, Barro. Have the faith to at least believe in me for a bit more.”

Barro didn’t quite know what to believe at the moment. But she really had no choice. What else was she going to do, go back to USSD? There was no chance of that. Her choice had been made. But whether it was made by her or not was questionable.

“All right,” Barro agreed finally.

“Good,” said Mother. Then with a quick twist, she tumed her head forwards again. “I knew you would make the right decision.”

Right decision? Barro mulled the thought over in her head as she sank within the softness of the back seat. She didn’t even know what that meant any more.