Title: Demarcation: Subspecies, Infiltration

Author: Scorpio

Archive: Yes, please.

Fandom: The Sentinel

Pairing: Jim/Blair

Rating: R

Catagory: AU, future, drama, Sci-Fi/techno

Status: New, complete

Series: Second vignette in the Demarcation: Subspecies Universe

Disclaimer: Pet Fly owns all things Sentinel. (See notes) No money is being made from this work, no infringment of ideas or characters intended.

Notes: I used the idea for Cyber-organic Warriors from the movie The Terminator. I changed it slightly, but the basic model came from there. I also used the idea of humans being implanted with computer chips and "jacks" from the Burning Sun Universe.

Notes 2: This is a vignette. A small scene in the middle of the action as apposed to a long involved plot. (since so many wanted to know what happened next...)

Warnings: violence, angst, techno

Demarcation: Subspecies, Infiltration
by Scorpio

Warrior-Guide Blair Sandburg watched for approaching enemies in the dimly lit corridor as his Cyber-organic Sentinel broke the 6th vertebral bone in the Ka'Silnya Guard's torso, killing it instantly. While the organic shell of James body *was* comprised of beautifully sculpted human muscle, it was the hydraulic mobilization system incorporated into his titanium exo-skeleton that gave him the excessive strength needed to brake such dense matter.

A brief shuffling noise caught Blair's attention and he turned his head in time to see James stuff the alien corpse into a small refuse recycling bin. Blair grinned at the irony. I was. apropos.

Moving swiftly, yet silently, they snuck farther down the corridor of the enemy stronghold. By the time they reached the magnetically sealed door that was their destination, Blair had uncoiled a specially designed jack-cord. Sliding to a halt in front of the dull gray barrier, Blair inserted the thin rectangular plug into the adapter-jack located in the back of his skull. Grabbing the round plug full of tiny pins on the other end of the five foot long cord, he inserted it into the jack next to the door's control panel.

Information and data flowed across the jack-cord directly into Blair's brain. It took him exactly 32 seconds to override security protocols, open the door and disarm any alarms. James slid past him to secure the room while he severed his connection to the security grid.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Blair entered the room. Blinking lights flashed and an electronic hum filled the chilly air. Dozens of glass panels displayed intricate streams of raw data and hundreds of buttons, knobs and dials graced the surface of the giant computer.

The room contained the central computerized brain that coordinated all of the Ka'Silnya military out-posts on this small Moon. It was a huge, powerful, and unfortunately, self-aware Artificial Intelligence.

Blair knew that the only way to access the data that he had been ordered to retrieve was to jack into the computer directly, techno-enhanced organic brain against fully functional self-aware AI unit. In doing so, Blair would face mental combat with the alien computer as they fought for control of *highly* classified data. He would be facing possible brain damage, insanity, or a complete mind-wipe and memory erasure. He only hesitated for a millisecond.

"James. Activate Blessed Protector-Mode 07-B with subroutine Kamikaze 33-P. Terminate Guide # 331-4 before initiating self-destruct sequence. Authorization Sandburg Alpha-Gamma 22-4."

Blair saw the flash of very human pain that marred James features before the emotionless mask reasserted itself. If he couldn't access the data and stay sane, James would kill him, destroy the AI unit and then self-destruct. Blair hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"Program running. Continuous sensor-scans activated."

Blair nodded quickly, then turned to face the main console. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out another thick jack-cord. He plugged it into the adapter-jack in his skull next to the one with the security access jack-cord still attached. Blair grasped the opposite ends of both jack-cords and took a deep breath to prepare his mind for battle.

He reached out and inserted the two plugs into the Ka'Silnya adapter-jacks simultaneously. Information and data flowed into Blair's mind at an alarming rate. It was virtual war.



END: Demarcation: Subspecies, Infiltration