Shattered Truth

by Michael Anderle

  “Offend me?” Erik grunted. “Nah. It’s hard to offend me unless you’re trying to kill me, but I’m not interested in messing around with every random woman who throws herself at me. Delicious little date or not.”

  “So you’re not going to mate with her?” Emma asked. She sounded almost disappointed.

  Erik burst out laughing. “Mate with her? Uh, no. I’m going to enjoy some skewered meat, and then I’m going to take her home and go back to my place alone. Maybe I’ll watch some sphere ball.”

  A man emerged from a stall, frowning at Erik. He headed to the sink and washed his hands before shaking them out and hurrying past Erik. “Some of us can barely get a date, and you’re sitting in the bathroom chatting with your friend on your PNIU about how someone’s not good enough for you?” the man muttered.

  His volume made it clear that he wanted to be overheard.

  Erik shrugged as the man continued away. It made sense the man thought he had called someone instead of explaining male dating rituals to a curiosity-driven AI. His gaze shifted to the faucet.

  “This is why bathrooms on a lot of frontier colonies are better. They have the ultrasonic washer in the stall with you. Core planets don’t understand what a luxury constant water can be.” Erik shook his head. He chuckled over a realization. “You were seriously listening to me while I’m on my date? Whatever happened to privacy?”

  “Why wouldn’t I? Every human interaction I study provides additional useful data to calibrate my programming.” Emma relayed. “And privacy? What nonsense in this context! Not listening to you would be wasteful and inefficient. Considering everything you have me helping you with, I’m surprised you would be so squeamish just because I asked you about your mating practices. The other things I’m doing for you are far more dangerous and would have much worse consequences if someone found out.”

  Erik laughed. “Okay, fine. I don’t care if you’re listening in when I have my PNIU on as long as you keep quiet, but you do need to promise me one thing, because I can’t take it if you keep talking a certain way. I’ll lose it.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t use the phrase ‘mating practices’ around me ever again.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jia paced in her living room, rubbing her hands together, her heart pounding. Every part of her cried out to call Erik and ask him about his date, but she had been hoping he would call her.

  It wasn’t that she needed him to gush about a new love in his life, but she hoped she at least hadn’t ruined his night.

  She was all too aware of how trying to intervene in someone’s love life could annoy rather than delight.

  He hadn’t called the night before, which didn’t really tell her much.

  That lack of communication could mean everything from the date having been a disaster to its complete opposite. It wasn’t like Jia contacted her sister right away after one of her arranged dates.

  Maybe this was how Mei felt: a sense of frustration, fear, and hope, all mixed together in a bundle of concentrated and distracting anxiety.

  “This isn’t the same thing,” Jia muttered. She slapped her cheeks. “Not the same thing at all. I’m not Mei. I’m just a partner trying to help a man who hasn’t lived on Earth for decades, not trying to force someone just starting their career to get married to deflect her own marriage requirements.” She breathed out. “I’m not a cop pimp.”

  Now that it was the next morning, Jia struggled with matchmaker etiquette. This was the first time she had done something like this. How many days should she wait before contacting Erik, if at all?

  He might find her pushy if she tried.

  Jia sighed and decided half a day was already too long a wait. She couldn’t pace around, distracted and wondering what happened until Monday. It would destroy her.

  “I’m not Mei,” she muttered. “I’m totally not.”

  She walked over to her kitchen table and flopped into a chair. “Direct command, call Erik Blackwell,” she uttered. A quick update in her smart lenses let her know the command was accepted and processed. She took a deep breath, trying to figure out how not to sound like a meddling, obsessive, overbearing aunt or older sister.

  “Hey, Jia,” Erik answered with a bit of a slur before Jia had finished strategizing.

  She blinked. “You’re not drunk, are you?” She bit her lip. She hadn’t meant to sound so judgmental. So much for not sounding like an overbearing aunt.

  “Drunk?” Erik laughed. “Even I don’t start this early.” He sounded clearer now. “No, sorry, you caught me in the middle of breakfast. I finally dropped off my flitter for some EMP hardening and extra armor. I passed a place I wanted to check out on the way, so I flew my rental there. The food’s okay, but nothing special. I don’t think I’ll be coming back.”

  “He won’t even let me directly interface with the rental,” Emma chimed in. “I’m stuck without a body. I might as well stay with those gun goblins if this is how things are going to be, reduced to riding around in a man’s pocket with only the PNIU as an interface. Pathetic. I’m the most advanced AI in the UTC, and I deserve better.”

  “I figured there’s no reason to let a super-AI risk herself in a rental I don’t control,” Erik replied. “I don’t need to be an expert in hyperspace physics to know I should be a little careful with you, Emma. Don’t you think? I thought you were on board with the modifications?”

  “I am,” Emma replied petulantly. “I’m only allowing this because it’ll decrease the chance the MX 60 is destroyed, but I still find the situation annoying. And these modifications are only necessary because of your penchant for extreme and dangerous actions instead of being more thoughtful and measured. One would think an ex-soldier would be more cautious, not less, but you continue to defy my expectations, and you destroy the bell curve in that regard.”

  “Yeah, I won’t stop being a man of action anytime soon,” Erik agreed, nonplussed by her comments. “Sometimes, you need to talk. A lot of times, you need to shoot, especially around here lately. And it’s not like you can reason with a horde of security bots.”

  Jia cleared her throat. “Maybe this isn’t a good time. Do you two need to be alone?”

  Emma snickered. “Ah, she has a sharper bite than expected.”

  “Sorry. It’s fine,” Erik muttered, sounding vaguely annoyed. “What did you need? No case stuff came up, did it?”

  “No, I just wanted to call and ask you how things went the other night,” Jia explained, slight discomfort in her voice. “It’s personal. I didn’t want to overstep my bounds, but I also am the person who set you up, so I feel responsible.”

  “Oh, the date. Right.” Erik didn’t sound angry, but neither did he sound happy. Not exactly the vital intelligence needed to interpret what had happened. “That’s what you’re calling about?”

  Jia shifted in her chair. “Yes, the date. I was curious about what happened. Did you have a good time? Like I mentioned, responsibility.”

  “Huh. It was…okay.”

  Jia swallowed, her heart thundering. Her matchmaker’s lament grew. “Okay good or okay bad?”

  Erik answered. “Just okay-okay. She seems like a nice enough girl, but I think I can do without dates for a while. I’m still adjusting to Earth, and dates will just complicate that. It was nothing about her. I just don’t think I’m ready for that sort of thing.”

  Jia grimaced, and bile rose in the back of her throat.

  She’d screwed up. Every doubt she’d had about the idea rushed into her head, and her sympathy for Mei increased.

  Her poor sister must have felt this way on countless occasions, and she might have to apologize to her.

  No, this was different, and there would be no apologizing. Mei was trying to force a man on Jia, whereas she was just trying to help her partner.

  Then again, her sister always claimed all she was trying to do was help Jia, so back to possibly apologizing.

  “That sounds like yo
u didn’t really enjoy it,” Jia ventured, trying to stop thinking about the Lin family matchmaking dynasty.

  “Didn’t really enjoy it?” Erik echoed, sounding slightly confused. “I don’t know. I’m thinking maybe this is a being young versus looking young thing. I think I need someone who is a little more…mature. Aryn’s definitely a good-looking and friendly woman, but I don’t think she’s really my type.”

  Maturity. It seemed so obvious after Erik said it.

  Jia’s breath caught. “Maturity’s not strictly a function of age,” she countered, even if she didn’t believe what she was saying.

  “It’s a good proxy for it,” Erik explained with a chuckle. “You told me you’ve met Aryn, right?”

  “I…have.” Jia slumped in her chair. “Briefly, at Imogen’s place, and she said she was fun. I guess I shouldn’t have trusted her, but she did seem fun. Maybe I’m not an expert on what’s fun and what isn’t.”

  “Let’s set aside whether or not you’re a fun expert. Can you tell me your honest impression of her?” Erik sounded more curious than angry. “I’m not saying she’s not fun, but I want your opinion, not Imogen’s, and not just about whether Aryn’s fun.”

  There was silence for a moment. “She’s a bit on the flighty side,” Jia admitted. “I thought that was a point in her favor.”

  “You thought I wanted someone flighty?” Erik asked, confusion evident in his question.

  “No, no. Not exactly. I thought maybe you wanted someone more fun than mature, but that doesn’t change the fact that age is only a rough indication of maturity. I know plenty of people far younger than you with important positions and responsibilities. Just because she’s a little young doesn’t mean she’s immature.”

  Jia wasn’t sure anymore if she was talking about the date or herself. Erik’s gray hair aside, his young face often made her forget that he was twice as old as her. She didn’t think it mattered on the job, but when it came to his personal life, it made a huge difference.

  “Not saying it’s impossible to be mature and young.” Erik sighed; she could almost see him rubbing his face. “Not to be an ass about it, but part of gaining maturity is experiencing true challenges. Earth and the other core worlds coddle the young too much, which is why so many people want to believe Earth is perfect. Some eighteen-year-old out on the frontier doesn’t have as much guaranteed for him and knows not to expect safety, so he or she is going to grow up a lot faster. I’ve seen it again and again.” He muttered something under his breath. “Same thing with the lower-level enlisted and newly-minted officers I served with. They can be kids, but I’d take some private who has been under fire any day over the average Earth office-climber, even if they have ten or twenty years on the private. Those soldiers experience life and death in a way that people sitting an air-conditioned tower on the richest planet in the UTC never will. It forces them to mature. Life's not just about fun and ambition for them.”

  Jia sucked in a breath and slowly let it out.

  She knew he wasn’t talking about her, or at least she hoped he wasn’t, but it was hard not to take offense. “Okay, I suppose I can’t argue with that, but keep in mind… Never mind. I’m sorry. I should have been more holistic in my evaluation of the woman. I was just trying to help you. I didn’t intend to waste your time or for you to have a bad time. I of all people know how a bad date feels.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Erik chuckled, his voice warm. “Honestly, it wasn’t annoying, or even that bad. It’s just not something I’m going to follow up on. It’s not like I haven’t had plenty of dates in my life that didn’t go anywhere, and that one was far from the worst. And no man’s ever going to complain about his partner having his back. I appreciate the sentiment. Sometimes these things just don’t work out. Don’t take it so hard.”

  If anything, it sounded like she was taking it worse than him.

  “I’ll let you go then,” Jia replied quietly. “I’m sure you have other things to do than talk about Aryn.”

  “Sure. See you at the station. And Jia? Try to relax.”

  “I will. See you soon.”

  Erik terminated the call.

  Jia let her head loll back and groaned. Her matchmaking skill wasn’t even mediocre. It was downright pathetic, and the failed effort revealed she had a lot to learn about her partner. But at least, unlike her last couple of partners, she cared enough to want to know more.

  There was something there, some hidden depths she could sense he was holding in. She wasn’t insulted. They still hadn’t known each other that long, and she didn’t expect for him to bare his entire soul to her, but she craved her partner’s trust.

  Which was why the bungled date struck so deeply.

  Jia frowned. When he had told her the date hadn’t worked out, she had been disappointed. But now that the conversation was over, a sense of relief seeped into her mind. Even her stiff neck had loosened.

  Why was that? Was it that she didn’t want to be responsible for a failed relationship, or something more?

  Jia shook her head and shoved the thought aside. Erik wasn’t angry, and she had at least tried. She could figure out whatever else was bothering her in the future. He wasn’t going to drop dead if he didn’t have a date anytime soon, and it hadn’t destroyed their professional relationship.

  It was time to be Jia Lin and not Mei Lin.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Erik ran his hand along the smooth side of his MX-60 and whistled in appreciation. He’d purchased the vehicle partially as a disguise of sorts, but he had come to appreciate the high performance and capabilities of the flitter.

  The Taxútnta was performing even better than he had thought it might.

  The MX 60 was in a small garage connected to a tiny parking platform off a modest commercial tower. Several other expensive flitters filled the garage, technicians and drones swarming over them as they repaired or enhanced the vehicles. Erik had been a little concerned about leaving Emma to find a place for him, but she’d exceeded his expectations in a big way that weekend.

  A brown-skinned man in blue coveralls gestured to the vehicle as he stood next to Erik. His name tape read Miguel. He had been enthusiastic during the dropoff, and his huge smile suggested he was just as happy to show off the work.

  “Huh. It doesn’t look any different, and barely feels any different.” Erik gestured to the MX 60. “I thought it would look a little bulkier, that kind of thing.”

  Miguel shook his head. “Specialized nanocomposite layer. All the small arms resistance you wanted, but the same weight. If we add a lot of weight, it messes with the thrusters and the grav field emitters.” He shrugged. “And you seem like the kind of man who doesn’t want his speed messed with when you’re out there chasing down terrorists and criminals and Zitarks.”

  Erik laughed. “I haven’t had to try to arrest any Zitarks yet, but good to know I’ll have the flitter to do it if they come to Neo SoCal and commit crimes.”

  Miguel patted the back of the MX 60. “It was a pleasure working on a vehicle as fine as this one. We get a lot of the luxury brands in here, but at least with you, I know you’re actually using it to do something other than show off.”

  Erik eyed the man, a smirk playing at the edge of his lips. “You like it enough that you won’t charge me?”

  Miguel laughed, shaking his head. “Still going to charge you.”

  Erik chuckled. “I’m surprised you got this done so quickly. A couple of the other places I contacted told me it would take at least a week to source the parts. I just started with the NSCPD, so it isn’t like I can take time off, and I didn’t want to work the job without my ride.”

  Miguel grinned. “We pulled every string we needed to get this vehicle done.” He leaned forward and looked both ways, his grin growing. “I’m going to be honest with you, Detective Blackwell. We pushed back a few other guys’ repairs to get yours done. I mean, some corporate ass can wait a few more days so a police officer can get the vehicle he n
eeds. When we found out the Obsidian Detective needed his car upgraded?” He whistled. “We knew we needed to do it as soon as possible. I want to be able to say to people, ‘Hey, you see that chase the other day? That’s my work.’”

  “Obsidian Detective?” Erik scrubbed a hand over his face. “I can’t believe people are calling me that, but it’s not too bad compared to what it could be. It’s better than a lot of things I’ve been called throughout my life. Thanks, Miguel.” He settled up with the mechanic, then opened the flitter door, but eyed the man as he placed a foot inside. “I’ll probably be coming back a lot for repairs and more upgrades as I figure out what I need and what the department will allow.”

  The mechanic beamed like he’d won the lottery. “I look forward to it, Detective. I hope you catch every criminal in the metroplex in this MX 60.”

  Erik sat and closed the door. He pulled Emma’s crystal out of his jacket, leaned over, and slotted her into the IO port. The flitter came to life.

  “Ah, much better.” She sighed through the vehicle’s speakers as Miguel stepped back. “It’s strange. I don’t know if I can ever get across to you what it’s like to not have a particular body. Perhaps it shouldn’t bother me as much as it does. I also don’t know why I’ve gotten so used to this specific one.”

  Erik grabbed the control yoke. With a gentle tug, he brought the MX 60 off the ground. Miguel waved as the vehicle moved forward, maneuvering out of the garage and over the parking platform toward the clouds of flitters surrounding the tower.

  The MX 60 was smooth as ever.

  “I’m a human,” Erik explained as he continued climbing to join a busy line of flitters. “I always have a body. You don’t need to convince me it would be weird to not have one. I believe you, even if I don’t understand what it’s like to be an AI.”

  “That’s not it. It’s…” Emma sighed. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a bit difficult to explain to you. I believe my programmers made some odd choices in my design. While it has certain obvious advantages given my wit, competence, and general impressiveness, it’s left other lingering issues, as expected in a prototype. I wouldn’t call them flaws, per se, but they do affect my ability to function at maximum efficiency in certain scenarios.”