Dangerous Reality

by Malorie Blackman

  ‘Who d’you suspect?’ Jack asked. ‘A rival firm?’

  Mum’s laugh held derision. ‘Hardly! The culprit is a lot closer to home than that.’

  I looked from Mum to Jack. I didn’t need to look in a mirror to know that he had the same kind of shocked frown on his face as I had on mine.

  ‘I’d have thought it was obvious,’ Mum continued. ‘The person who sabotaged VIMS works at Desica. The person who did it is one of my own team.’

  Chapter Seven

  Moves

  ‘YOU CAN’T BE serious,’ Jack scoffed.

  But the expression on Mum’s face left no room for doubt. I couldn’t believe it. Sabotage! And by someone who worked with Mum every day. Someone who was on Mum’s project. One of Mum’s friends! I knew everyone on Mum’s project. There was Abby, Mum’s assistant, Julie, Mum’s boss, Jack of course, Mario, Louis, Caryl and Jennifer, the programmers. And then the three who worked in the QA department. It took me almost a year to figure out that QA or Quality Assurance was what the VIMS software and hardware testers called themselves. I knew all of them. I’d been to most of their houses and they’d all certainly been over to our house on numerous occasions. How could it possibly be one of them? But I know my own mum well enough to realize that she wouldn’t dream of saying such a thing unless she was convinced she was right.

  ‘So what’re you going to do now?’ I asked.

  ‘I’m going to start up the computer upstairs, link up to VIMS at work and then go through the whole system with a fine-toothed comb. I’ll find out who ruined my demo and when I do …’ Mum’s voice was so hard it could’ve cut glass.

  ‘Have your dinner first,’ said Jack gently.

  ‘No, I …’

  ‘Carol, dinner first!’ Jack insisted. ‘I know you. You probably haven’t eaten all day and you’re going to analyse the data on your computer until doomsday if you have to. So have something to eat first. The data isn’t going to run off in the meantime.’

  Mum didn’t look too sure – about the data running off, I mean. I could see that she was bursting to argue, but when Jack’s voice goes quiet but firm like that, he doesn’t budge from his point of view. And trying to make him is a total waste of time. Jack doesn’t put his foot down very often, but boy, when he does, it doesn’t shift!

  ‘What is it?’ At Jack’s puzzled look, Mum added, ‘For dinner. What is it?’

  ‘Spag bol and dolled-up ice cream!’ I told her.

  Jack gave me a look. ‘I think we can do a bit better than that, Dominic! Madam, tonight we ’ave spaghetti bolognese, with my own special sauce,’ Jack told her in a fake Italian accent that sounded more Chinese than anything else. ‘Eet is topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to be followed by vanilla ice cream with raisins and an acacia honey sauce.’

  Which is exactly what I said!

  Mum dumped her bag on the floor and smiled. She actually looked a little less wound-up. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that she was relaxed but she was a lot better than she was when she’d first entered the room. I grinned at Jack. He really was a star! I could’ve argued with Mum about having something to eat first until the cows came home and went to sleep and it would’ve got me precisely nowhere!

  Mum sat down at the table, while Jack went into the kitchen to get her dinner. I reckoned it would be all dried out and horrible by now but I certainly wasn’t going to say that.

  ‘How’re you feeling, Mum?’ I asked.

  ‘Tired.’ Mum rubbed her eyes.

  And angry and disappointed. I could read a lot more on her face than just tiredness.

  ‘I’m sorry your demo didn’t go very well today.’ I floundered, searching for something to say that would make her feel better. Then it occurred to me. ‘But at least now you know that it wasn’t Liam and me who caused VIMS to crack up.’

  The moment the last word had passed my lips, I knew I’d said entirely the wrong thing. Mum glared at me.

  ‘I’m glad you’re happy,’ she sniffed.

  ‘I didn’t mean it like that. I meant …’

  ‘Not now, Dominic. OK? I’m going to wash my hands.’

  Mum stood up and left the room. Jack came back in carrying a plate full of steaming food.

  ‘Where’s your mum?’

  ‘She’s gone to wash her hands.’

  Jack sighed. ‘What did you say to her?’

  Being around someone who’s right all the time can be wearing, not to mention more than a little annoying. I scowled at Jack, then my scowl faded. This wasn’t about me. It was about Mum and she was upset.

  ‘All I said was that at least this proves that Liam and I had nothing to do with VIMS going out of control. I wasn’t gloating. I just meant that at least Mum doesn’t have to worry about Liam and me ruining her demo.’ At Jack’s raised eyebrow, I amended, ‘Well, we didn’t sabotage the VIMS unit at any rate.’

  ‘That’s true.’ Jack nodded.

  I was surprised. I’d expected him to blow up at me and tell me not to be so selfish. Mum soon came back into the room. Jack cuddled her, then pulled out a chair for her to sit down.

  ‘So what’s our first step after dinner?’ Jack asked.

  ‘We set up the remote link to VIMS, then analyse the debug files which will hopefully be on my system upstairs,’ Mum replied before taking her first mouthful of spaghetti.

  ‘And when you find your saboteur?’ Jack asked.

  ‘I’ll call the police and have him or her arrested immediately,’ Mum replied grimly. And there was no need to ask if she meant it. It was obvious that she meant every single word.

  Chapter Eight

  Progress

  FOR ONCE MUM didn’t argue when I followed her and Jack into her work room, which was really a converted bedroom at the back of our house. Mum kept all the equipment she needed to work on her VIMS project in there and that’s why usually I wasn’t allowed in without her. In this room were two state-of-the-art computers, scanners, printers, loudspeakers, even a satellite link-up. I watched as Mum and Jack buzzed around switching on everything.

  ‘Can I help?’ I asked.

  ‘No!’ Mum replied with unflattering haste. ‘We can do it.’

  I leaned against the bedroom door, a resentful frown on my face.

  ‘Dominic, you’re much too old to sulk,’ Mum smiled.

  ‘I’m not sulking,’ I replied indignantly.

  ‘What would you call it then?’ asked Mum.

  I considered. ‘It may be a pout, but it’s definitely not a sulk.’

  ‘I stand corrected.’ Mum and Jack exchanged a look.

  I knew they were laughing at me but I refused to rise to the bait. If I got the serious hump then so might Mum, and then she’d tell me to go downstairs while she got on with her work. I didn’t want that.

  ‘So what’re you doing now?’ I asked.

  ‘I’m going to check on my computer here to see if VIMS’ diagnostic report has arrived,’ Mum stated.

  I watched as Mum’s fingers moved at lightning speed across the keyboard. Jack and I looked at each other before Jack moved to stand to one side of Mum, his hand resting on her shoulder. I moved to the other side of her.

  ‘Well?’ I asked when I couldn’t bear the suspense any longer.

  ‘It’s not here.’

  ‘What d’you mean?’ Jack asked sharply. ‘It never arrived or the file is corrupt or what?’

  ‘I mean, the file never arrived. According to this log file, the last diagnostic report sent by VIMS was almost a week ago when I was testing the system back at Desica. I was counting on the diagnostic report being here.’ Mum’s frown was razor sharp. ‘I don’t understand why it would work last week and not work today.’

  ‘So what happens now?’ I asked.

  Mum pulled at her earlobe the way she always did when she was thinking.

  ‘I’ll have to contact VIMS and hope that it can provide some answers.’

  ‘You’re going to interrogate it?’ asked Jack.
r />   ‘Why not?’ Mum said defensively. ‘He’s an artificial intelligence system. Even if the diagnostic reports have been erased, he may still know who changed the software. He should still have the necessary data in his memory.’

  ‘It’s a long shot,’ Jack said sceptically.

  ‘It’s the only shot I have left,’ Mum pointed out.

  I watched as Mum put on the VIMS VR, or virtual reality, glove. It was black, with a number of buttons on both the front and the back of it.

  ‘VIMS, access clearance Alpha-November 9829302-Tango Tango!’ said Mum.

  The big flat screen Mum had against one wall flickered into life.

  ‘Where is VIMS?’ I asked eagerly.

  ‘You can’t see him with this unit. You just see what he sees. I’d better put him in simulation mode so none of his programming is permanently changed,’ Mum added, more to herself than anyone else.

  ‘How does VIMS know when she’s talking to it and when she’s not?’ I whispered to Jack.

  ‘If you’re in the same room, you look at him directly to give him a command. If you’re doing it remotely like this, then you just use his name before the command, so you say, “VIMS, do this!” or “VIMS, do that!” Then the unit knows you’re giving him a direct command,’ Jack explained.

  ‘Why do you and Mum keep calling VIMS “him”?’

  ‘Why do you keep calling VIMS “it”?’ Jack countered.

  ‘Because it’s not real,’ I replied.

  ‘It is to me and your mother,’ said Jack.

  I turned back to the monitor.

  ‘VIMS, access your memory files from yesterday morning, 0900 hours onwards,’ said Mum.

  ‘Accessing,’ VIMS replied, its strange voice humming out over Mum’s computer loudspeakers.

  ‘VIMS, report any amendments, additions or deletions to your programming,’ Mum ordered.

  ‘There have been no amendments, additions or deletions in the requested time frame,’ VIMS informed us.

  ‘VIMS, when was the last time any of your programming was altered – in any way?’

  ‘Five days, fourteen hours, seven minutes …’

  ‘VIMS, OK. That’s fine, thank you.’

  I looked at Mum. Was it my imagination or was she more polite to VIMS than she ever was to me?!

  Mum started pulling on her earlobe so hard, I thought she was trying to get it to rest permanently on her shoulder.

  ‘VIMS, which functions were last changed?’

  ‘City mapping, location analysis.’

  ‘Jack, did you authorize those changes?’ Mum frowned up at him.

  ‘No. This is all news to me,’ Jack replied.

  ‘Well, I didn’t authorize them either.’ Mum’s frown deepened. ‘But those functions have nothing to do with what went wrong with VIMS today. VIMS, who was responsible for altering those functions?’

  ‘You,’ came the immediate reply. ‘New and amended code was downloaded by Carol Painter.’

  ‘Oh, no, it wasn’t.’

  ‘Does that help?’ I asked.

  ‘No. It only confirms that the saboteur works for me. It narrows the list down a bit though. It couldn’t have been any of the QA staff because they don’t have access to any of my development software. And apart from Jack, Julie and me, the only other ones who would know how to change those VIMS functions are Jennifer and Mario. VIMS, simulation mode.’

  Jennifer or Mario … Which one of them was the saboteur? To be honest it was hard to believe that either of them was.

  ‘VIMS, low mode, silent running. VIMS, leave the Desica building, make your way to my house and then return to the Desica building – maximum caution.’

  ‘You’re bringing him here?’ I couldn’t believe my ears.

  Moments later, VIMS made his way towards the doors. Mum mimed opening the door with her gloved hand and VIMS did it for real as I watched the monitor.

  ‘Can VIMS really come all the way to our house and then go all the way back to Desica?’ I asked, astounded.

  Mum smiled. ‘We’ve never actually tested him wheeling through the streets of our town.’

  ‘But … but it’s wheeling past the security guard now.’ I pointed at the monitor.

  VIMS was making his way to the front doors.

  ‘VIMS, activate Desica main doors and exit and suspend security guard.’

  ‘What did you say? Is VIMS going to hurt the guard?’

  ‘Dominic, of course not. What you’re seeing is not real. It’s just a simulation.’ Jack smiled.

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘We hired some professional film makers who spent weeks filming everything within a five-mile radius so that we could test VIMS’ responses to various situations, night and day, crowds and no people on the street, good and bad weather conditions. Of course, all this happened before I joined the project but the film is regularly updated. We’ve given VIMS enough knowledge of this town so that he can create various scenarios and play them back, like playing back a DVD.’

  I stared at the screen, unable to believe my eyes. ‘So none of this is real? It looks exactly like VIMS has opened the Desica main doors and is wheeling out onto the pavement.’

  ‘Yes, it does, but I’m afraid it’s not real. It’s all a simulation, an illusion. VIMS is playing back the data as if he is really moving through his environment, but I can assure you, he’s still in the testing area in the basement of Desica, even though it looks as if he’s on the main road now.’

  ‘So why’re you running this simulation, Mum?’

  ‘VI— I mean, the unit reported that his city mapping and location analysis functions had been altered. I’m just running a quick test to see if he can make it from A to B and back again without anything going wrong.’

  I stood and watched in silence as VIMS seemed to wheel through the town on his way to our house. The sky was dark and clear, with a number of people hurrying home, fighting against a chill winter wind. It all seemed so real – it was uncanny. Mum continued to direct VIMS’ movements with her gloved hand and to give VIMS verbal commands which it immediately followed as if it really was on the outside.

  When it reached our house, the light in Mum’s bedroom at the front of the house appeared to be on. I knew it wasn’t. And that’s the only way I knew what I was seeing wasn’t real. Mum directed VIMS back to Desica, making him avoid all passers-by by using any available cover to skulk out of sight until the danger was passed.

  ‘This is part of his training too,’ Mum explained. ‘There may be occasions when stealth is called for and I want VIMS to learn to judge a situation for himself.’

  Finally, VIMS was back at Desica and in its training area again.

  ‘It seems all right on the surface but I’ll have to go into work tomorrow and run some proper tests. I have to give a demonstration to the board with the VIMS unit on Monday. They want to see where all their money has gone and I don’t want a single thing to go wrong.’

  ‘But Mum, I thought we were all going to the pictures tomorrow,’ I protested.

  ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t go – this is urgent. I have to make sure that the demo on Monday goes without a hitch. Why don’t you go to the pictures with Jack?’

  ‘I wanted all of us to go together.’

  ‘Well, I can’t.’

  I struggled to keep the disappointed scowl off my face – and failed miserably.

  ‘But what’re you going to do? Are you going to sit on VIMS until Monday morning to make sure that no one attempts to sabotage it again?’ I asked.

  ‘I don’t need to,’ Mum replied. ‘I’ve changed all the access codes. No one except me can change a single line of code until after Monday’s demo.’

  ‘But, Carol—’

  ‘No, Jack. I’m not taking any chances,’ Mum interrupted. ‘No one is going to touch that machine in any manner, shape or form until after the board meeting.’

  ‘At least let me help you …’

  ‘No, this is my problem. I h
ave to sort it out myself,’ Mum replied.

  I only half listened as Jack and Mum argued about it. All I could think of was yet another promised trip out going up in a puff of smoke. Bitterly, I wished I was made of metal and ran about on wheels – then maybe Mum would take a bit more notice of me. Then everyone would take more notice of me and no one could push me around and even if they did, it wouldn’t hurt me inside the way it always did.

  Chapter Nine

  Ex-Best Friend

  AFTER EVERYTHING THAT had happened over the weekend, having to go to school on Monday was a big non-event. Liam knocked for me.

  ‘You took your time. I was just about to leave without you. Wait a sec!’ I grabbed my coat off the banister.

  ‘Hello to you too!’ Liam said.

  After smiling my apology, we set off. Liam and I discussed everything that had happened over the weekend as we walked to school.

  ‘I’m sorry I got you into trouble,’ I told him.

  ‘That’s OK,’ he shrugged. Then he surprised me by adding, ‘Seeing VIMS at long last was worth it actually. Besides, my consolation was knowing that no matter how much trouble I was in, you were in more!’

  ‘Thanks!’

  ‘What are friends for?’ Liam grinned.

  We were just getting to the part where VIMS had discovered us as the intruders in the testing room when we reached the school gates.

  ‘You should’ve seen your face when VIMS started coming towards us,’ I teased.

  ‘My face! What about your own?’ Liam said indignantly.

  ‘How would you know what my expression was?’ I scoffed. ‘The moment VIMS came towards us, you leaped up and took off like a cheetah in a panic!’

  ‘The cheetah who leaps and runs away, lives to …’ Liam’s voice trailed off.

  I had just a moment to wonder at it before I was knocked to the ground from behind.

  ‘What’s the matter, Gimpy? Can’t stand on your own two feet?’

  I didn’t need to look up to see who had pushed me. Matthew Viner. I called him Matt Vinyl behind his back. Of course, it was behind his back. I don’t have a death wish. Matt Viner. What should I tell you about him first? He can’t look at me without making some nasty comment about my leg or some other part of my body. What else should I tell you about him? He’s about my height but there’s more to him. He’s chunky, in a muscle-chunky way. He has lots of friends. Oh yes, and he hates me – everyone knows that. Nobody – including me – knows why, but it’s the truth. He can’t stand me. What else? Not much really, except that about a year ago he used to be my best friend and he’d been my best friend since infant school.