Mind Trace by Holly McCaghren Page A

I'm in the bathroom…
    On the other hand, there were cameras posted all throughout
the hallway beyond, covering almost every square inch of space. They fed back
into the security station for that level, as well as to the central security
station on the top floor. 
    There was a small access panel next to the door, requiring
both a palm scan and code entry to activate.  Even if she knew the code, she
had no way of reproducing someone's handprint.
    Sometime soon, someone would have to bring her food…she had
not eaten in at least a day and a half. Alice knew she had to get out of there
as soon as possible, or risk her "talents" being discovered.
    Time to make a plan.  
    She sat back on her bed and let her mind begin to work. It
took her a little under ten minutes to make her preparations.
    There's a small employee terminal at the end of the
hallway outside. If I can make it there, I can gain access to the main network.
Then, I could create a diversion somewhere else in the complex and make a break
for it while everyone is cleaning up the mess.
    Hmm... Project Alchernon seems to be a vulnerable point.
    According to the information in her mind, EngineerCorp had
been channeling most of their energies into Project Alchernon. It was basically
a computer that could be operated by brainwaves. The user could place a
wireless band around their head, allowing them to operate the computer merely
by thought. They had been developing the interface and were nearing the final
stages of completion. The projected release date was only a month away. 
Needless to say, it was supposed to be the next "big thing" for
EngineerCorp. It was not something that Eric would risk jeopardizing.
    Perfect.
    I'll start by setting off the alarms for the cooling
system surrounding the project servers. I need to stay away from proximity or
security alarms or they will put the complex on lockdown…then, I'd never get
out.
    After the temperature alarms go off, I'll just create a
few malfunctions here and there in the area. Maybe a terminal, a camera or two,
some locking mechanisms…
    Alice smiled, pleased with her plan.
    It won't damage any of their information, but it will
create enough distraction for me to escape. No harm done and I have my freedom.
It's a win-win.
    Now, she just had to wait around for the opportunity to
exit her cell.

     
     
    Chapter 7
    The opportunity came sooner than she could have imagined.
Only thirty minutes had passed since coming back to her cell.
    Alice hoped to escape when the man came to deliver her
food. She had not thought much about how she would disarm him, only that she
hoped her mind would fill in those details when she needed them.
    Hmm...I need a way to disarm him.
    I think my best bet is to feign incompetence and play up
the "innocent little girl" card.  
    She heard the telltale click of the lock and she stood up.
As the door opened, a man entered with a tray. Alice did her best to act
shocked, as if she were so completely caught off-guard by his entrance that she
tripped and fell, trying to scramble to the opposite side of the room. She
added an extra flair by pretending to hit her head on the foot of the bed,
perhaps too convincingly. She lay still on the floor, resisting the urge to rub
her knee where she hit it on the bedpost.
    Maybe if I look like I'm unconscious, he'll come over to
investigate.
    The man hesitated, then swore and approached her, setting
the tray on her desk. The door clicked shut behind him. Her act seemed to be
working as the guard knelt down on the floor next to her, checking for
injuries. Alice watched him cautiously, peeking through tiny slits in her
eyelids. As he was trying to find her pulse, she noticed a metal glint coming
from a holster on his belt.
    Perfect! He's carrying a taser! (Did I really just think
that?)
    Alice acted before she had time to doubt her resolve,
ripping the taser from his belt and activating it on the guard's leg. He swore
again and fell on top of her, convulsing.