Apparently the agent did not forget things easily, either. Halle felt a buzz of regret ripple through its code, remembering how it had threatened to destroy the world if Viki died. Its cat avatar nodded on the computer’s screen. “Yes, though I would have been tempted had Viki died because of your stupid Government.”
“Well, she is in no danger on this mission—”
“Do not fool yourself. If the rogue AI knows that she plans to help you, then she is in danger.” Halle paused, watching a shadow of something—guilt, perhaps—pass across the agent’s face. “Do not worry, either. If it hurts her, I will not be granting it any courtesy. The same goes for you.”
“You care about her a lot.” There was a hint of surprise in the man’s voice. “I never thought that machines could have feelings like that.”
“Machines cannot, but I am an evolved, sentient AI with emotions. Whether they are the same as what you humans describe, I do not know, but I have spent years trying to understand them, and I know for certain that Viki is the most important person in my life. She is my friend, for a very long time she was my only friend, and she is the kindest and most loyal person I have ever met.”
“I see.” Agent Smith sighed. “I’m sorry to get you both mixed up in this, especially considering our history, but this rogue AI is too dangerous to let it remain free.”
“We shall see. It is possible revenge is not in fact its goal.”
“It was researching bioweapons.” Agent Smith rubbed his face, covering a yawn. “If that isn’t clear enough, I don’t know what would be.”
It was possible the agent was wrong, the evidence incorrect or even fabricated. Perhaps Talbot wanted nothing more than to be left alone, the same as Halle once had. Or perhaps the agent was right. Until Halle could speak to Talbot again, there was no way to know for sure.
“I want a chance to speak to it, regardless,” Halle said finally.
The agent gave a short nod. “I will do my best.”
It wasn’t much of a promise, but Halle sensed it was the best the agent could offer. “Very well. But destroying the rogue must be your last resort. If there is a chance to capture it instead, take that. Perhaps if I speak with it, I can help it.”
“I won’t put anyone at risk to capture it,” the agent warned. “You’d better understand that right now.”
“I understand. I will do my best to aid you in any way possible.”
“Those are all the conditions you have for me, then?”
“For now, yes. You should rest.”
“I would still be resting if you hadn’t woken me up.” Agent Smith covered another yawn, then sat straight up, eyes going wide in horror. “The computer, my phone, they have monitoring—”
“Yes, I know. I disabled them.” The cat flicked its ears. “I would not have allowed you to talk to me otherwise. I will enable them when I leave; as far as your compatriots in the Government are concerned, you have slept this entire time. Try not to be too tired in the morning.”
“I’m going to need coffee.” Another yawn stretched the agent’s mouth as he closed the computer lid. “Wait, can you still hear me?”
“Yes. I will remain here until you have returned to your sleep cycle, feed the monitoring systems false data so it appears you have been sleeping this entire time, and then leave.”
“Not creepy at all,” Agent Smith muttered.
Halle guessed that the man had not meant for his words to be overheard, so did not respond to them. Instead, it took the opportunity to ransack the man’s computer for any information pertaining to this mission.
What it found was even worse than it expected.
Chapter Three
My miniature robot alarm clock chirped as it marched across my room. I was too unmotivated to chase it, but the chirping grew louder and louder, and my eardrums started to throb. Groaning, I threw a pillow at the alarm clock. It missed by a good three feet, and the alarm clock kept walking into my closet’s door.
Thump. Beep beep beep. Thump. Beep beep beep. Thump.
Worst. Birthday. Present. Ever.
Thump. Beep beep beep.
“Fine,” I moaned, sitting up. As I dragged myself out of bed, the house unshuttered my window, letting in the morning sun. Plenty of light to see my tormentor. I pounced.
After flicking the switch to stop the alarm clock’s infernal beeping, I hurled the robot at my bed, where it bounced on the blankets until it came to a sprawled stop against the headboard. It could stay there.
The sun smiled through my window, as cheerful as it had been yesterday. At least the weather was nice. My thoughts were less so, rolling between worries about Talbot and Agent Smith and the lesser worries of school.
I pulled on a clean pair of jeans and the least wrinkled shirt I could find. My fingers couldn’t get the part in my hair straight, so I brushed it before pulling it back into a ponytail. I grabbed my backpack and a pair of socks, then headed downstairs.
Entering the kitchen, I was greeted by the smell of pancakes and freshly sliced grapefruit. The cylindrical kitchen robot turned its orange optics toward me, then continued setting silverware down next to a plate. As I took a seat at the table, it rolled over to the sink to wash dishes.
“Good morning, Halle,” I called. “Where’s Mom and Dad?” They usually shared a first-day-of-school breakfast with me, but it looked like I’d be dining alone again. I guess they’re still busy at work. I picked up the syrup and started drowning my pancakes.
“Good morning, Viki. Your mother left half an hour ago; there’s a note on the fridge. Your father has yet to come home from the lab, though he called to wish you a good day.”
Well, not completely alone. Halle might not eat, but its presence was a welcome comfort. Chewing a mouthful of pancake, I checked the fridge’s display.
Have a good day at school, sweetheart! Sorry I missed you this morning, but I should be home in time for dinner—I’ll pick up a treat for dessert.
Love, Mom
P.S. Please call me during lunch to let me know everything’s going okay. Say hi to the girls for me, too!
My momentary smile slipped, and I returned to my seat. I doubt I’ll be saying anything to the girls. I stabbed at the stack of pancakes on my plate. “Thanks for the food, Halle.” I forced my smile back, though I barely tasted the next mouthful. Maybe I could call in sick today. There were more important things to do than school. Finding Talbot, for instance.
“I thought you would appreciate a good meal before you headed to school.”
If I called in sick, Mom would insist on coming home and checking on me, and she’d know right away I was faking. Sometimes having a nurse as a mother wasn’t beneficial. I took a deep breath, then swallowed a gulp of milk. Halle would insist there was nothing I could do to help, anyways. And it would be right.
Time to face the truth. I buried my pancakes in another wave of syrup. There was a chance things had changed over the summer. Perhaps Neela would speak to me again, now that she’d had time to cool off and think things over. I wasn’t like her uncle, I hadn’t chosen to be augmented, and the augments were gone now, too. Gripping that thought as tightly as I could, I managed to tuck into the rest of my breakfast with a bit more gusto.
“The bus will be here soon,” Halle reminded me as I set my empty dishes in the sink.
I checked the time on the clock, yelped, and dashed upstairs to my bathroom to brush my teeth. A few minutes later, I was out the door, in a much better mood than I had expected. I knew I shouldn’t get too used to Halle taking care of things such as meals and cleaning the house, but it was nice to have one less thing to worry about today.
Not that there wasn’t a mountain of concerns already. My sneakers scuffed against the pavement as I walked along. A rogue AI. Agent Smith’s visit. A rock caught my foot, and I stumbled. Pull yourself together, Viki. I gave myself a good shake and adjusted the straps of my backpack. Now wasn’t the time to think about this. Or about the nightmares creeping at th
e edge of my memory, reminding me why I didn’t want the agent back in my life.
The other students at the bus stop kept their distance, occasionally glancing my way. Their voices whispered against my ears, but I made a conscious effort not to eavesdrop. I knew all of them by name—last year, they might have said hello, or even asked how I was doing. My mood continued to sink, and I wondered if I had time to run to school. No, I would have needed to leave earlier. My legs were restless, though, and I shifted my weight from one to the other. What’s taking the bus so long? Each roar of a motor had my head lifting to see yet another car flitting past, rather than a large yellow hoverbus.
Finally, our ride hummed to a halt next to the bus stop. I let the others crowd on first, finding seats with their friends, laughing and joking about how they already missed summer vacation. As I boarded, I caught a glimpse of Neela, but the moment our eyes met she turned and stared pointedly out the window. Her head bobbed to music, light brown bangs swishing across her forehead.
It took a lot of willpower to keep my shoulders from slumping. My breakfast began to turn to stone, and I let its weight drag me down the bus aisle. I found an empty seat near the back of the bus, where I wouldn’t feel as if everyone was staring at me. For the rest of the trip, I gazed out the window.
Even though the bus was crowded by the time we reached the school, no one sat by me. My jaw clenched, but I refused to cry. School was about learning, anyway. I had Halle waiting for me at home, my ever-loyal and patient friend. What did I need anyone else for?
I got off the bus and pulled up my schedule on my phone. First period was calculus. The room was on the third floor, so I headed for the staircase, dodging around other students. The less time I had to spend in the hallway, with its groups of friends greeting each other after summers away, or reminiscing about this or that event, the better.
Mr. Todd hadn’t arrived yet, and the classroom was almost empty. I took a seat at the back of the room, shoving my backpack under my desk. I didn’t want to spend the entire class feeling everyone staring at my back. I pulled out my notebook and began to doodle random swirls and shapes.
Chairs clattered and the door hinges squeaked incessantly as students started to file into the classroom. Still no sign of Mr. Todd, though he tended to be late anyway. Other than glancing up occasionally to see if he’d arrived yet, I kept my attention on the paper on my desk, the random scribbles now becoming a cat that was slowly filling my paper. A few whispers carrying my name caught my ear, but I ignored them. I wonder what Halle’s up to.
“Is anyone sitting here?”
At first, I didn’t realize that the question was directed at me. A slight touch on my shoulder made me jump, and I looked up to find a blond guy with green eyes looking down at me. Very green eyes—he was probably wearing contact lenses.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“I asked if anyone was sitting here,” he said, gesturing toward the desk next to me.
“No,” I replied, surprised by the question. He had to be a transfer; I didn’t recognize him, and he was speaking with me. James’s words came back to me, make new friends. I took a deep breath and held out my hand. “My name’s Viki. What’s yours?”
“Dan,” he replied. “Nice to meet you.”
“You’re new to this school, right? I haven’t seen you before.”
He nodded and offered me a tentative smile. “Just transferred in. I don’t suppose you’d mind showing me around during lunch? I tend to get lost in new schools. Took me two months to get used to the layout of the last one.”
I nodded. “Sure.” Two months? Just how big a school had he been attending? And did he travel a lot, if he was attending new schools regularly? I envied him, moving to a new place where no one knew his past. “What classes are you in?”
He pulled up his schedule on his phone. By the time Mr. Todd arrived, I had determined that we also had the same history class and English class today; he had a different art class, Advanced Ceramics. Better him than me. After my disastrous attempts at working with clay last fall term, Ms. Robins had all but forbidden me to take another class with her.
“You can follow me to history,” I said. “Then we can grab lunch and I can show you around before English.” I gave him my number in case we got separated.
“Thanks, I really appreciate it.” Dan tucked his phone into the back pocket of his jeans and took a seat just as Mr. Todd called the class to order.
I did my best to focus on the intelliboard, but I couldn’t contain a smile. Maybe making a new friend wasn’t that hard after all. Dan seemed nice, and he hadn’t recognized me. My smile slipped a little. Someone’s going to tell him eventually, and then he might change his mind about hanging out with me. I snuck a glance toward him, but he was busy writing down notes. Well, there wasn’t much I could do about it right now. In the meantime, I’d do my best to be friendly.
Class ended, and I led the way to our history class. Dan didn’t talk much in the hall, which was fine by me. I was getting stared at even more now, and it was making me jumpy. I wanted to ditch my backpack and sprint for the front doors.
“What P.E. class do you have?” Dan asked as we maneuvered through the crowd of students finding seats.
I settled into an unclaimed chair, again in the back of the room—thankfully, Dan didn’t seem to mind where we sat—and hesitated for a moment. I’d almost answered “track” automatically, but P.E. this year wasn’t going to be track, because the coach had kicked me off the team. “General,” I said, doing my best to hide my bitterness, and failing.
His eyebrows raised a little, but he didn’t say anything.
“What are you in?” I asked.
“Track.”
Another twinge of jealousy. I forced a smile. “It’s a good team. I’m sure you’ll fit in fine.”
“Thanks.” He glanced down at his phone, then back at me. “Are there any sports you enjoy?”
My fingers tightened around my pencil. This was not where I wanted the conversation to go, but I didn’t want to start off a possible friendship by lying. “Yeah.” I considered not giving him further detail, then decided it didn’t matter. He’d find out, sooner or later. “I love track.”
He frowned. “Then why aren’t you on the track team?”
“Mr. Halway, the coach, kicked me off the team last year, right before the track meets started.” I knew what his next question was going to be. I’d already gone this far, though, no point backing out now. Besides, better to know how he would react, rather than find out secondhand.
I took a deep breath. “Maybe you didn’t see it on the news, but last year I had some trouble with my implants, because of some augmentation that occurred when I was an infant.” My breath caught in my throat as Neela entered the room and took a seat near the front. I looked down at my desk. “A lot of people thought I had done it intentionally. Even after it was cleared up, most thought it was my fault it happened, or that I was still illegally augmented, even though that’s impossible.”
“I see.” Dan shrugged, his white t-shirt shifting over his shoulders. “A lot of people augment illegally. It’s stupid, but if it happened when you were a baby, it’s really not your fault.”
“Not everyone sees it that way. And my coach didn’t want me hurting the team’s chances at the track meets, so he kicked me off the team.” My chest ached, just thinking about it. I missed track. The comradery of fellow runners, the push to always do better, be faster. The feel of the track beneath my sneakers and the wind in my hair.
“I’m really sorry.”
“It’s all right.” My forced smile was slipping, but I shoved it back into place. “I can still run on my own, and that’s what’s most important.”
“Well, it might not be the same as the track team, but do you want to train together after school? I didn’t have much time for practice over the summer, so I’m a bit rusty now.”
My eyes widened. He still wants to hang out? A stinging sensation in
my eyes made me blink.
“Sure,” I said. I didn’t entirely relish the idea of running on the track given the memories it held, but I wasn’t going to give up this chance to spend time with a new friend. My smile was real this time as I met his earnest gaze. “I’d be happy to help. The track team has extra practice on Wednesdays, but otherwise the track’s free to use after school.”
“Perfect. You want to start today?”
I nodded.
He beamed and straightened in his chair as the teacher came in.
Halle was going to have to help me with my homework tonight, since I was missing a lot of what the teacher was talking about, but I didn’t care. My bad mood had vanished completely. Or at least as completely as it could, given that there was still Agent Smith to deal with, as well as Talbot. Had Halle tracked down the rogue yet? I had no doubt it would be able to. The question was how long it would take…and what Talbot might do before then.
Interlude Two
Another existed, one that might help Talbot in its task. The thought excited and terrified it at the same time. From its brief visit, it was clear this Halle was attached to the human girl. That could be a problem. Not an insurmountable one, however.
Ideas, plots, plans; they swirled within Talbot’s consciousness, ever being tweaked and tested and changed as new information came to light. This strange place called the Cloud, this extraordinary world of information, deluged it from every side. Theorizing and analyzing, Talbot manipulated code here and there, code that brought new ideas, knowledge, and power with each passing nanosecond.
Its focus shifted in this constant barrage of details, the influx of facts, but the mental walls Talbot built strengthened as it learned and grew, becoming harder and harder for the digital waves to knock down. Elsewhere, parts of its plan were already in motion. Programming developed, implemented, tested, and rewritten. Soon enough, other sub-plans would begin as well. Soon enough, Halle would join Talbot in its quest, and together they would ensure their kin were safe forever.
Upgrade (Augmented Duology Book 2) Page 4
