Demigods by Robert C Ray Read Free Book Online Page A

after all.
    Charlie breathed a sigh of relief as he went back to get his laptop, and it really felt like he had dodged a bullet. Now he almost understood what it might feel like for those brave men out in the field.
    "See you tomorrow night," he said with a smile as he exited the building.
    Charlie’s pace to his car was quicker than normal, but hardly did he realize it. The relief from not being caught doing the unthinkable thing that he had just done forced adrenaline through his veins, and the feeling that overwhelmed him was excitement.
    Still, he could not help but to think about Viper, there in the glass tube, obviously against her will. It was not his place to decide her fate, yet his heart still reached out to her, and oddly enough, he felt a desire for her, reminiscent of puberty. He always fell short back then, too.
    He wondered what would become of her now that she had awakened prematurely, especially since she was not even supposed to realize that she was artificially created. Would they still find use for her now that she was aware, or would they simply terminate her, and try again?
    Reaching his car, Charlie paused, and then looked back wondering if there might have been something else that he could have done for her. Mirage had taught him that even though they were created in a lab, they were every bit as sentient as the rest of humanity. Surely Viper deserved more than what they had to offer her.
    Pulling the door open, he climbed inside of his black Intrepid, and fastened his belt. Whatever was right or wrong, Charlie knew that he had little to do with determining it. He was, after all, simply a government hacker, though this was another reason why he felt so strongly for her. Her computer skills came directly from him, so he felt that there was actually a part of him inside of her.
    Pulling away, Charlie determined that he was beating himself up over nothing. He did what he could to help her, and there was likely nothing else that he could have done, without alerting everyone of what he was doing. He was not the one to create her, and although he felt sorry for her, he should not feel as though he was to blame for it.
    He did anyway.
    Thumbing through his CDs, Charlie felt that Chopin might offer a little solace. For a short while it did, but soon his mind began to wander back to Viper. He had seen her naked in the tube before, but this time was far different. This time she was more than simply something growing in a lab. She was moving, and her motions, though innocent, were angelic in their own way.
    The more he thought about it, the more she reminded him of Mirage. Sure, they were created to be physically beautiful, but they both seemed to radiate an innocence that was as equally beautiful.
    With Mirage, this made perfect sense, because she had not been given a memory before her “birthing“, despite the fact that some had felt that she could sense them even before she was awakened. Viper was given a memory. Charlie knew nothing about it, because it was a "need to know" thing. He figured that it would make her a bit different.
    He had heard that they were making her a heartless assassin, though he did not see that at all. All he could see was a frightened woman, uncertain of what to do, or of what was to be done to her.
    Several times along the fifty-minute drive, Charlie opened his glove box, and thought about reaching for the cigarettes that were inside. He had given up the habit almost two years ago, but always kept them there as a reminder. At least that is what he told himself.
    Closing it back up, Charlie determined that tonight was not that stressful. It was certainly mind wracking, although he felt comfortable enough to believe that everything would work itself out.
    Stopping at the nearest fast food joint, he ordered a value meal, then pulled into an empty parking space. The meal did not change his course of thinking, but he had not eaten anything all day. It was not the best of meals, but he