Transilience
Page 21
Pam swivelled around in her chair towards me but said nothing. My eyes shifted to my assistant, and I tried to glean meaning from her stoic expression. All of her quirks and mannerisms came into sharper focus.‘I’m sure you heard our entire conversation. What do you think, Pam? Has Emergent Behaviour transcended more than just problem solving? Are androids capable of emotions? Do their memories, and experiences, make them human? Should I be paying you a salary?’ I cracked a wide grin on that last question.
She shook her head slowly, closed her eyes, turned back to her desk and began typing away at her usual furious pace. A few seconds later, she stopped and called out without looking at me. ‘I do not require a salary. I am well provided for in this office.’
Her response carried too many questions for me to care about at the moment. ‘Close out the case.’
‘Yes, sir.’
I checked my MAX. Nearly 3pm. Happy hour somewhere in this damn galaxy. Good thing I had a mini bar in the desk drawer next to me. With a gin and tonic in hand, I rocked back in my worn-out executive and scrolled through my contact list.
‘Why hello stranger,’ Erica answered. I could almost hear the smile behind that song of a voice.
‘Why hello yourself. Any plans for tonight?’ I asked.
‘Not at the moment.’ Anticipation hung in the air.
‘You up for a drink at the 3rd Street? Say around 8pm? I can introduce you to my favourite watering hole, and Curtis, the man who mixes the best drinks in the entire system.’
‘Sure! That sounds perfect.’
‘I’ll pick you up at 7.30?’
‘Great. See you then, Danny.’
‘Looking forward to it.’
Acknowledgements
This novel began its life as a short story assignment in a creative writing course. Through a lot of blood, sweat and many tears, it germinated and grew into a tale that I am incredibly proud of. However, it could not have happened without the help of many amazing people.
I’d like to thank Scott Pack for giving my submission serious consideration. It had to be the most unusual submission I had ever made, and I still can’t believe he helped make this happen. I’d also like to thank Xander for his patience and guidance through the funding campaign and production of Transilience. To the editorial staff at Unbound, I am deeply indebted to you. Annabel, Molly, Michael and everyone else who has worked on Transilience, you took what I thought was a pretty good story and made it great. Honestly, thank you. A thousand times thank you. I would also like to thank Mark and his talented staff in the art department for their incredible work on the cover design.
A warm thank you to several amazing people at Scribophile. You helped make me a better writer, and you know who you are. Also, a hearty thank you to my friend, Tom, who was kind enough to read several drafts of Transilience. Your advice on all things scientific was invaluable. And for everyone who has supported Transilience – thank you! Without your generosity, this novel would have never been realised. You are all amazing!
Finally, I cannot close this out without saying thank you to Jenny. Without your encouragement, your kindness and your understanding, I could not have written this. You are my greatest source of inspiration, my fiercest critic, and my biggest support. I am a better man with you in my life. Thank you.
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