"Do you understand the mission parameters?"
Beacon's gaze remained ahead, as she drove her host's squad car down the town's main road, rapidly approaching her destination. The purpose of The Machine coursed through her mind as she reviewed her mission and prepared to put her newly perfected form to the test.
"I understand, Unit Zero." The nanites buzzed throughout her form with anticipation. Was she nervous? Was it even possible for her to be? "Using the memories and appearance of the host body, we will infiltrate the station. I will isolate Sheriff Lane Grant in his office and begin his conversion. By the morning, all human life in the building will have been converted for the glory of The Machine."
"Acknowledged. This Unit will accompany you in disguise. It will assist where necessary and monitor your progress."
Beacon smiled, ready to prove herself as a valuable asset to the machine. Her function was set and she was eager to carry it out. The end of humanity was fast approaching.
~~~
Deborah Fischer's head rested solemnly in her hands as she looked out through the glass of her detainment cell. As her head slowly cleared from the drunken cloud that had plagued her for hours, she developed a throbbing headache: a constant reminder of her foolish mistake. She'd had her fair share of run-ins with cops in her partying days, but those were far in the past, before raising kids and sending them to college.
She scarcely remembered departing the bar earlier that evening, stumbling towards her car after wishing her friends a pleasant rest of their evening. Dropping her keys on the ground and loudly swearing before finally getting into her car and taking off. The bright flash of light in the distance that caught her by surprise before the flashing red and blue lights behind her coerced her into pulling over. Answering questions and performing tests before being told she was being detained for driving while intoxicated.
At no point did Debbie fight it. She knew she'd been caught and was willing to suffer the consequences. At the station, Officer Clemonts offered her a glass of water which she gratefully accepted. As she sobered up, she answered the officer's questions and was eventually led to the detainment cell with a small plate of microwave chicken and a big glass of water and told she could leave once her head was clear.
So there she sat, sipping water and nibbling on food, all while enduring the growing pain in her head. She brushed a short blonde curl out of her face and looked down at herself, still wearing her teal dress and white strappy heels. She sighed, coming to terms with just how sour the evening had turned.
"How are you feeling in there?" A voice called tenderly from the other side of the door. Debbie looked up to see the young Officer Clemonts smiling gently from across the glass. Her mid-length brunette hair was up in a tight bun to accompany the professional look of her officer's uniform. Her round face and soft cheeks reminded Debbie so much of her own daughter, now working towards her PhD in environmental science.
"I'm doing better. My head is pounding, but I'll be alright."
Debbie gave an appreciative smile, hoping to be let out, but their conversation was cut short when the front door to the Sheriff's office suddenly swung open. A second officer stepped inside, a woman apparently in her thirties. She was followed by an individual with cuffed hands and a sullen look. Officer Clemonts' attention immediately shifted to the new visitor, and Debbie's gaze soon followed.
"Hey, Katie! What do we have here?"
The newly-arrived officer led her arrestee over to a desk and motioned for the figure to sit down. From this distance, Debbie could hardly make out any details about the individual, especially with the thick coat draped over the figure's shoulders. An odd choice, given the otherwise pleasant weather out tonight. Debbie briefly recoiled at the notion that this person might be locked in here with her shortly. All the more reason to want out.
"Evening, Liz. Just some public intoxication and trespassing. Didn't give me a name, but I'm sure our friend here will answer questions if you ask nicely." The second officer, Katie, smiled and joked with the younger one. Clearly the two got along well. It kind of reminded Debbie of the relationship she'd had with her daughter until...
Debbie shook her mind clear of those thoughts. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on her own mistakes, considering they were what got her into this mess. She watched as the two, Katie and Liz, chatted briefly and the third figure sat patiently at the desk.
"I've gotta talk with the Sheriff. Do you think you can watch over our friend here and see if you can get some info for me?" Katie started walking towards a door on the far wall, almost certainly the Sheriff's office.
"You've got it!" Liz gave a huge smile. "Good luck in there. Don't let the Sheriff keep you too late."
Debbie watched Katie grasp the door handle and pause, letting out a dry chuckle. "It shouldn't take too long, don't worry..."
~~~
Beacon closed the door to the Sheriff's office and looked across his desk. Sheriff Lane Grant wore a brown uniform and sported short grey hair and a clean-shaven face. His eyes were glazed over as he read over reports on his screen, the contents of which were already buzzing through Beacon's head as her nanite swarm scanned all electronics in the room. She quickly downloaded and processed the contents of the Sheriff's computer as well as his cell phone, including a long chain of texts to his wife. Another late night at the office clearly meant another night sleeping on the couch. Little did Jeanie Grant know that her husband would not be returning home the same.
The nanites throughout Beacon's system buzzed with anticipation, a droning pleasure forming as she considered every move with care and precision. "Good evening, sir."
Sheriff Grant looked away from his screen and nodded to Beacon, oblivious to her corruption and intentions. "Evening, Katherine. What can I do for you?"
Beacon smiled, as her processors easily scanned and retrieved all stored data on Sheriff Lane Grant and her host's former relationship to him. The two of them had always gotten along well, though never as anything more than coworkers. The man's organic form was considerably older than her host body, by about 15 years, but even so she knew that Katie had once found him quite attractive. His sharp jawline and rugged, handsome charm made him a desirable object of human affection, but the Machine desired something different from him. His appearance would be of little consequence.