Artificial Absolutes (Jane Colt Book 1)

by Mary Fan

  Something’s wrong.

  The elevator arrived. Devin entered. He considered trying the police again, then changed his mind and typed a message to Corsair.

  Archangel: I’m sending you a video of a robot spotted at the Via Theological Seminary of Kydera Major. I’ve never seen anything like it.

  Corsair: Is it remote-controlled or programmed to operate independently?

  Archangel: I don’t know.

  Corsair: Who sent it?

  Devin summarized what he knew. The elevator doors opened. He stepped out. As he speed-walked toward the building’s exit, he began uploading the brief video he’d recorded.

  “Error. File does not exist.”

  What?

  Devin whisked through the pages on his slate, checking filenames and locations, but found nothing.

  Archangel: Someone erased the file. Did you get any of it?

  Corsair: A few frames. I’ll upload them onto Citizen Zero’s network.

  Citizen Zero was an anti-establishment Netcrew often derided as being full of conspiracy theorists. Due to the combined paranoia of its members, its network was one of the safest places to secure files in danger of deletion. As soon as Corsair posted the images on the forum dedicated to that purpose—usually saving corporate documents or political memos from cybersecurity teams attempting to remove them from the public’s view—they would be automatically downloaded and disseminated so widely it would be impossible to track down all the copies.

  Corsair: Done, but with difficulty. No Name nearly stopped me.

  Archangel: Are you sure it was them?

  Corsair: Who else could it be?

  Fuck! Devin tore out the door. If No Name was involved, the situation was more dangerous than he’d thought. It would take at least five more minutes to reach Dad’s transport and another ten to fly to the seminary, even at top speed. I should’ve left the second she called. Why the hell didn’t I?

  “I’m in the control room.” Jane’s voice came from the slate. “Hey, Devin? Shouldn’t there be watchmen here?”

  Devin, still running, swiped his slate to return to the video window. “It’s empty?”

  “Yeah, there’s no one.” Jane panned her videophone to show him. Not only were the seats empty, but apart from a handful of indicator lights, all the equipment was shut down. “I feel as though there’s no one else in this entire—”

  The doors behind her shot open. The deep blue machine wheeled down the corridor toward her, rapidly approaching with what looked like a gun in its robotic claw, the wide barrel aimed at her.

  Jane whirled and screamed. The panic surged back.

  “Jane!” Devin yelled at her through the videophone, which she clutched tighter than she had the bar under the elevator. “Jane, run!”

  Jane bolted out of the control room and down the corridor perpendicular to the one she’d seen the machine in.

  “Zigzag, and make it random!”

  She didn’t question him. She ran left diagonally, then abruptly switched right, haphazardly making her way down the corridor. The building must have been empty, or else somebody should have heard her bang up against the walls.

  An electric blast hit the wall near her head. She yelped. “What do I do?”

  “Find the stairs,” Devin said. “And when you do, go up.”

  “Up?”

  “The thing’s on wheels!”

  Jane reached an intersection, turned, realized she was going the wrong way, and doubled back. A blast hit the wall behind her. She swung around a corner.

  The door to the stairwell was right ahead. She fought the urge to run straight at it.

  Left… Now right… Now left…

  Jane tore open the door to the staircase and slammed it shut behind her. A blast hit it.

  She ran up the stairs. After a few winding flights, her body faltered. Her heart pounded, and her breaths came in jagged gasps.

  A bang. She spun. The machine had thrown open the door. “It can’t handle stairs, right?”

  Four legs extended from the machine’s sides. Its wheels folded into its body, and its head shifted forward from the top to the side. It crawled toward her.

  “Devin…” Jane pointed the videophone at it, battling the urge to scream.

  “Listen, keep going up until it fires its next blast.” Devin sounded out-of-breath. “Then, run down toward it.”

  “What?”

  “It takes time to recharge, and you’ll be faster down the stairs.”

  “But—”

  “Do it. And don’t be predictable.”

  Jane swatted away the urge to ask what the hell he was thinking. She continued up the stairs. Her foot slipped. She caught herself as a blast whizzed over her head.

  “Run down!”

  Jane instinctively obeyed Devin’s voice. She zoomed down the steps, riding a sudden energy as she charged toward the machine.

  She jumped off the flight of stairs above it. “Screw you!”

  She soared over the machine and tumbled to the bottom of the steps. Her body yelled at her with pain, but she shut it up with adrenaline, rocketed down the remaining few flights, and crashed through the exit out into the street.

  “Jane!”

  All Devin could see from his kid sister’s video feed was a jerky succession of blurred images.

  Beeeeeeep!

  He looked up. The transport he piloted was heading into oncoming traffic. He pulled out of the lane and stopped in midair. “Jane!”

  “I… I’m all right!”

  The image steadied. Jane was a mess. Her ponytail was in disarray, her cheeks fiery red, and her face covered in sweat. But her terror was gone, and she grinned. “Holy shit, bro! I made it!”

  Devin collapsed forward in relief. “Where are you?”

  “The road by the dorm… what the hell was all that?” Jane laughed. She sounded almost maniacal.

  “You’re in the street?” The building had been empty. Whoever controlled the machine didn’t want to be seen. It wouldn’t follow her. “Are there people around?”

  “Yeah, tons.”

  “Good. Go to the nearest police station and—”

  “I know that. How dumb do you think I am?” The video blurred again as Jane sped down the street. “I’ll call you later. And you will tell me how you knew all that stuff about the building.”

  Devin started up the transport. “I’ll meet you—”

  “I can handle it. Just… go back to your reports or whatever it is you do.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I told you, I’m fine.” She sounded like her usual self again.

  If she wants to take care of herself, I should let her be. “All right, then.”

  “And… um… thanks, Devin. I don’t know… Just… thanks.” Jane hung up.

  Devin stared at the slate for a few seconds, wondering how to react. How could she be so calm?

  He shook off the vestiges of tension, turned the transport, and flew back to the office.

  Jane glanced at the videophone, yearning to call her brother and—and what? What could he possibly do other than coddle her? Her grip on her composure slipped, and the last thing she wanted was for him to see how scared she really was.

  Dammit, I’m not a little girl. I shouldn’t need my big brother holding my hand and telling me it’s okay.

  She felt herself shaking. She put the videophone in her pocket, ducked into the narrow alley by the dorm, and gripped her arms. I’m fine. I just need a minute…

  A noise. She whirled, expecting to see the machine in the street. All she saw was a handful of students.

  The air shook with the roar of engines. An unmarked Barracuda zipped across the sky and disappeared into th
e bluish-gray atmosphere.

  Adam’s in there…

  Unable to hold back any longer, Jane put her face in her hands and cried.

  Corsair: Every member of Citizen Zero has downloaded the images you sent me.

  Archangel: That was fast.

  Corsair: We’re fast. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

  Archangel: Post the pictures on the Collective’s forum.

  Corsair: Okay, but if we couldn’t identify it, they won’t be able to either.

  Archangel: Maybe an ex-employee of BD Tech or Ocean Sky will recognize it. It has to have been made by one of those companies.

  Corsair: BD Tech and Ocean Sky don’t have ex-employees, but I’ll do it just in case. By the way, I finally got the results you asked for. You’re not going to like them.

  Jane fidgeted in her chair, waiting for the police officer to return. He’d kept his face irritatingly deadpan as she told him about the kidnapping. The only things he’d said were “Uh-huh” or “I see” until he’d muttered, “Wait here, Miss Colt,” and left her alone in the small, windowless room.

  That was almost an hour ago. What the hell is taking so long?

  The image of Adam, unconscious in the grasp of the machine’s creepy appendages, played on an endless loop in her mind.

  Get outta my head!

  Looking for a distraction, Jane walked over to the screen on the wall. It displayed a list of apps. She pressed the news icon.

  Half the screen showed a blond reporter in front of the Presidential Palace. The other half displayed footage of a clean-cut young man with amber eyes and the kind of face that exuded otherworldly charisma. Topic of discussion: a law student who was making waves in the political world. He was the first person from a Fringe system to gain a coveted internship as President Thean’s assistant.

  “… Jonathan King lived on Aurudise-Three before the system was evacuated due to systematic failures in its computer networks that put the population in danger…”

  Jane switched the screen back to the list of apps. She couldn’t stand another tale of overcoming adversity to achieve great things. Being a daughter of privilege with nothing but a disappointing career ahead made her detest those kinds of stories. She didn’t need to feel any more inferior at the moment.

  She had seen Adam—he’d been right there. If she’d done something, he might be standing beside her at that very moment, telling her why she should forgive the people behind his attack.

  I just… ran.

  The machine had turned toward her seconds after she’d burst into Adam’s room. She stared at it, and it seemed to stare back. She fled as it fired a blast. The elevator doors opened, and she’d stupidly gone in, which was how she’d ended up trapped.

  If only she’d run into the room instead. If only she’d fought it—damn the consequences. She could have grabbed a chair and smashed it. She could have kicked it until she scrambled its circuits. She could have—

  “Jane Colt? Hello, I’m Counselor Mayuri. We’ve never met, but your father and I are old friends.”

  A petite woman dressed in a Counselor’s uniform stood in the doorway. A serene green robe flowed down her shoulders. Its stiff hood obscured the top half of her face. She had a soft, lined chin, and she clasped her weathered hands.

  What’s going on?

  “Do you remember how you got here?” Counselor Mayuri had a kind, motherly voice. It was downright maddening.

  “Of course I do!” Jane snapped. She caught herself and lowered her voice. “Do you know where the officer went?”

  “Don’t worry. Everything’s all right now.” Counselor Mayuri pulled out a chair and sat down. “What do you think happened?”

  “What do you mean? Adam was kidnapped. Excuse me. I don’t mean to be rude, but why’re you here?” Jane actually did mean to be rude. She hated people talking down to her, and the matronly woman treated her like a toddler. Besides, Counselor Mayuri claimed to be a friend of her father’s. That meant she either owed him a favor or wanted him to owe her.

  Colts don’t have friends—only networks.

  Counselor Mayuri gestured at the chair across from her. “Please, have a seat.”

  Jane obliged and waited for the Counselor to explain herself.

  “Adam Palmer wasn’t kidnapped.” Counselor Mayuri spoke slowly, enunciating each word as though Jane might not understand them. “He left earlier this afternoon for a religious retreat on Dalarune. The officer told me what you thought you saw. Surely you must realize now that what you described is not possible.”

  Jane was too bewildered to say anything more than, “What?”

  “According to our records, he left two hours before your supposed incident. He was extraordinarily distressed and asked to be added to the retreat at the last minute. Having to face his future duties as an executioner devastated him, and it caused him to question his faith. Naturally, he felt he needed the time and isolation to reflect and reconnect.”

  Jane bit down the desire to yell. “Listen, Counselor, your records are wrong. I saw Adam in his dorm a little over an hour ago.”

  “That dormitory was evacuated this afternoon for an automated antiseptic cleaning. No one has entered in the last three hours.”

  “I did! And there was no cleaning.”

  Counselor Mayuri rested her elbows on the table. “I know this must be disconcerting to hear, but you were never there either.”

  Jane was too stunned to speak. She bored her gaze into the Counselor’s face, wishing she could look into the woman’s eyes and see if that was some kind of sadistic joke.

  Counselor Mayuri straightened. “The officer called my office to compare your account with our records. When I found no record of anyone entering that building, I told him I’d speak with you myself. Like I said, your father and I are old friends. I’m sure you’re aware that many mental disorders, including forms of psychosis and mania, manifest in one’s early twenties. It sounds alarming, but you needn’t be afraid. Healthcare technology makes it possible to live a perfectly normal life as long as you receive treatment.”

  Jane almost wanted to laugh. “You… You think I’m having a mental breakdown.”

  “Either that, or you’re lying.”

  Jane opened her mouth in consternation. “Why would I lie? I—I was there! I was talking to my brother the whole time—you can ask him! And it’s not like there’s no trace of me. I broke a mirror in the elevator!”

  “Of course I checked our security cameras before I came.” Counselor Mayuri seemed unperturbed by Jane’s outburst. “They show nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “What about the Barracuda I saw leaving the building? Did I imagine that too?”

  “No, there was an unmarked Barracuda in the area. It belongs to a registered bounty hunter.”

  Jane slammed her fists into the table. “Your records are fake. Someone’s screwing with everyone’s computers.”

  Counselor Mayuri placed her hands in her lap. “I don’t understand why you’re so adamant. Do you want Adam to be in danger? I assure you, our records are correct. He’s at the retreat on Dalarune as we speak.”

  Jane wished intensely that the Counselor’s words were true. If admitting she was crazy meant Adam was safe, so be it. “Can I talk to him?”

  “I’m afraid not. Via retreats are about silence and isolation. Adam will be unreachable until he chooses to return, which will likely be in a few weeks.”

  Jane shook her head. Until she saw Adam again, she wasn’t about to give up and leave things as they were. “Call Devin. He’ll tell you.”

  “Please—”

  “Go over to that screen and call him.”

  Counselor Mayuri sighed. She approached the screen and searched a database until she found Devin’s contact in
formation. “Devin Colt?”

  Devin’s face appeared. He was at his desk. “This is Devin Colt. Counselor Mayuri?”

  “Yes. I—”

  “Devin!” Jane stood so quickly her chair fell. “Tell her what happened at the dorm. The machine… she thinks I’m crazy! She said Adam went on a retreat, and I’m crazy!”

  Devin blinked as though clueless. “Jane? What’s going on?”

  Counselor Mayuri started to speak, but Jane cut her off, ranting about how nobody believed her and how there must be a vast conspiracy. When she finished, she looked to her brother for support.

  Devin still appeared confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “What?”

  “I haven’t spoken to you since this morning.” His voice was measured and his face calm, but Jane knew he was lying. Some instinct within her could always tell. “I think this is all a big misunderstanding.”

  Why, Devin? Once again, Jane was stunned to speechlessness.

  He gave her an intent look. “We can talk about it later.”

  He’s gotta have a good reason. Jane nodded, swallowing her protests.

  Devin turned his attention to Counselor Mayuri. “I’m sorry, Counselor. She’s been under a lot of stress, and I’m afraid I haven’t looked after her as I should have. I apologize for her behavior, and I assure you, my father and I will remember your help in this matter.”

  Jane glared at her brother.

  “That’s quite all right,” Counselor Mayuri said. “Your father and I go way back, and I wanted to make sure young Jane was taken care of.”

  “Thank you,” Devin said. “I’ll be there soon to pick her up.”