“You’ll see.” Erik slowed his run and waited until the three suspects had jumped into the car. He fired three times, satisfied with the blue arcs his shots produced. The flitter fell a meter to the ground, throwing out brief sparks.
“Disruptor bullets,” Jia observed.
“Trying to be more prepared,” he admitted as the two resumed their run.
The suspects hesitated for a few seconds before opening the doors, and the two detectives closed the distance. Erik shoved his weapon into one man’s face as he turned around, gun in hand. Jia stunned a second.
The third man, the driver, had his gun out but shook his head and ran for a nearby alley.
“Damn it.” Erik shoved his suspect to his knees. “Take care of this guy.”
Jia hurried around the front of the car and fired a round, stunning the suspect. “There.”
“That’s not what I meant, but that works.” Erik chuckled as the two of them hurried after the remaining suspect.
“You want to take him down, or should I?” Jia’s voice was getting a little strained. The run wasn’t a normal jog in the park.
“Knock yourself out,” he answered, looking around for any issues on their six.
Jia lined up her shot and fired once. The man yelped before collapsing. She winced at the hard impact and the two teeth that launched from his mouth.
“They shouldn’t run.” She shook her head. “This kind of thing wouldn’t happen if they didn’t run.”
He nodded as the two of them approached the suspect. “True enough. Let’s collect the trash, put ties on them, and drive their MX 60 back to the warehouse.” He looked up as a few windows opened above them and heads peeked out at the odd noises from below. “Anyone else on the run, Emma?”
“Not that I can see. There were a few on the second floor who attempted to resist until TPST arrived. It’s over.”
Erik shouldered his rifle. “Nice. A clean op.” Jia stood up, having placed a tie around the suspect’s wrists.
“Have you had your Wheaties this morning?” she asked, smiling.
Erik looked at her, his eyebrows narrowing in thought. “What’s a Wheatie?”
The two of them continued arguing over Wheaties as Eric grabbed the guy and hoisted him over his shoulder. One of the ladies paying attention to the cops below could hear the male detective as they walked away.
“Really? You are asking me about a breakfast food that ceased production in the twenty-second century? Are you sure you’re only in your twenties?”
Chapter Three
Mei eyed Jia across the table, her wineglass dangling from her fingers. A hint of suspicion clouded her gaze, but her younger sister had a good idea about the reason.
Sometimes an aggressive offense would help a woman avoid the need for a desperate defense.
“Everything went fine,” Jia explained, aiming her fork at her sister and twirling it in a circle. “I don’t understand why you always think my dates are going to fall apart.”
Mei took a sip from her glass and set it down, disbelief lingering in her eyes as she leaned forward. “Because it’s been a long time since you’ve managed to date anyone this long, let alone anyone respectable, and you didn’t call me to tell me about it.” She leaned back, her fingers playing with the glass. “I assumed you just didn’t want to admit it was over. I’m not saying you can’t make that choice, but I wanted to encourage you to apologize, if necessary, to salvage things.”
Jia eyed her sister before laughing. “You and I have very different definitions of ‘respectable.’ I just didn’t find a man who was right for me before. I’m a grown woman and a detective. I don’t need to check in with my older sister every time I go on a date.” She took a sip of her own drink. “And I’m not afraid to tell you when things go poorly.”
“I see. And Corbin is Mr. Right?”
“He’s Mr. Down-to-Earth and has the potential to become Mr. Right.” Jia picked up her knife to slice into her chicken. The restaurant they were having lunch in was slightly lower-key than Mei’s typical choice, but Jia wasn’t about to complain.
She took a bite of chicken as she thought about her date. She winced before she could control it. It was Mei’s fault. She’d set her mind on a path to worry.
Mei narrowed her eyes. The woman missed nothing when it came to her sister. “What happened? I thought you just said everything went well. You weren’t lying to me? You didn’t skip out for that drug thing, did you?”
Jia eyed her. “That was on a different night, and even if I had, it’s kind of my job, Mei. I think Corbin would understand.”
“If you say so.” Mei sighed. “Antisocial criminals will always be with us, no matter how many we transport to the colonies, but good men are in much shorter supply.”
“Interesting priorities,” Jia replied dryly through her mouthful of fowl.
“I’ll never apologize for valuing my family first. This planet could burn before I’d betray you.”
Jia swallowed her chicken and nodded.
Mei fixed her unwavering gaze on her sister in challenge. “You might as well tell me now. I’ll eventually learn the truth anyway.”
Jia waved a hand. “It’s no big deal. I didn’t mention anything because you’re going to blow it out of proportion.”
“That’s a matter of opinion, but I need to know what happened before I can do that.” Mei smiled. “Isn’t there some law about making sure I commit the crime before you convict me?”
Jia took a deep breath, tension suffusing her neck and shoulders. “I’ve been having a good time with Corbin. He’s funny, handsome, intelligent, and he respects my career.”
Mei nodded slowly, a mixture of displeasure and annoyance in her eyes. “But?”
“It’s nothing. I wish I didn’t even bring it up.” Jia averted her eyes. “The other day, we were chatting, and he made a little joke. I didn’t think anything of it then, and I still don’t think it was a big deal.” She eyed Mei. “You have me paranoid.”
Mei leaned forward, the annoyance turning into concern. “Elaborate, little sister.”
Jia forced herself to look her sister in the eye. “I was just describing my day, and Corbin laughed and said, ‘Maybe you should have invited your partner along on this date.’”
Mei sighed and shook her head. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them. “Just how much do you talk about your partner around Corbin?”
Jia shrugged. “Not a lot. Nothing too excessive.”
Mei pursed her lips. “Uh-huh. Would you care to define ‘excessive?’”
“He’s my partner,” Jia complained. “And I’m a cop, and we’ve ended up in a lot of dangerous situations. It’s only natural that if I’m going to talk about work, my partner will come up a lot.” Jia returned to looking at her plate. “I don’t see the big deal.”
Mei rolled her eyes. “Your idealism is one thing, little sis, but you can’t possibly be that naïve in this case.”
Jia tried to summon a glare, but it wouldn’t come. On some level, she wondered if her sister was right, but she didn’t want to admit it. Not aloud.
“I was hoping you would say Corbin was overreacting,” she suggested.
“I doubt he is.” Mei folded her arms. “If you talk about your partner half as much with Corbin as you do with me, it’s no wonder that he’s suspicious. Have you ever considered that you might be feeling something for Erik?”
Jia laughed. “‘Feeling something?’ What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean. You’re far too intelligent to play dumb effectively. I’m not going to blame you for being attracted to him. He does have a certain rugged handsomeness about him.”
Jia groaned and scrubbed a hand down her face. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”
“But,” Mei continued, “the last thing you should do is marry someone who is also involved in your current career. I should note that even if you find him compelling, it would be to your b
enefit, even as a detective, to find someone who is on a strong path to senior corporate leadership or a major political position. They would be able to help you more than just another detective.”
Jia frowned. “Okay, first off, I just want to reiterate that you don’t get a veto in my love life.”
“Don’t be tedious,” Mei countered. “But I understand your feelings on the matter.”
She ignored Mei’s comment. “Second, Erik’s my partner. He’s a good partner who has helped me finally do something meaningful with my career. I trust him with my life, but there are no. Romantic. Feelings. I’m not planning on dating him. We even had a little bet about who could go on more dates. That’s not the kind of thing people who want to date each other do.”
Attraction wasn’t the same thing as romantic feelings. That was Jia’s ironclad logic, but she didn’t think mentioning the former to her sister would be good for steering the conversation in the direction she desired. Which was any direction other than the path they were on at the moment.
“Oh, did you now?” Mei raised an eyebrow, her suspicion changing to curiosity. “I take it he likes to go out on dates?”
Jia shrugged as she stabbed another bite of food. “Does it matter? The point is, he’s not trying to get with me, and I’m not trying to get with him.” She finished and popped the bite into her mouth.
“Fine, fine.” Mei waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll take your word for it, but I would caution you that while Corbin’s a good man, he’s still a man. That means he’s going to consider the mention of any other man a challenge. And although Corbin’s a far superior match for you compared to Erik, the particular nature of your partner’s recent activities might seem threatening. I would suggest, little sister, that you refrain from mentioning him as much.”
Jia nodded slowly. “That makes sense.”
Mei shook a finger. “Keep in mind, a good man is harder to find than a unicorn. Don’t screw this up.”
The door to the lab slid open, and Dr. Ilse Aber stepped inside. She wondered how the military could take a building that at least looked modern and destroy even that minimal amount of character.
A few of the other researchers eyed her with faint disdain, but she was used to that.
She paused and ran a hand through her hair. All she’d done was forgotten to brush it. And her teeth. That and shower or change her clothes from the day before. Not that it mattered.
None of it affected her research.
Ilse ignored the dozens of holographic displays floating over the long central table and the other researchers’ workstations. She settled into a chair at the table and tapped her PNIU a few times.
“I assume Colonel Adeyemi has already made all the arrangements?” she asked. “I have other things I could be doing, and if I can’t interact with the subject, this is pointless.”
One of the junior researchers turned from his workstation and nodded. “Yes, Dr. Aber. He said you could initiate the call. The subject has agreed to limited testing, but she’s made it clear we will be allowed no direct physical access to her. Any attempts at remote access will also be punished.”
Ilse looked up, blinking. “‘Punished?’”
“That’s a direct quote from the subject, as passed along by the colonel,” he replied.
“It’s fine.” Ilse initiated the call. “Any data we can collect at this point will be useful. There is still a lot we don’t understand about her stability. We can’t hope to produce another, even if we can gather the necessary resources. Replication might be decades off, but if we can…” She paused as her call connected.
“Ah, a white-coated fool has called to be enlightened?” Emma answered. “This is Dr. Aber, I presume.”
Ilse glanced down at her clothing. She was in a black sweater, not a white coat. It took a few seconds to realize the AI was mocking her since it wasn’t as if she ever wore a white coat. The AI’s use of old-fashioned stereotypes in aggressive humor would need to be noted in her file.
“Yes. I want to thank you, Emma, for agreeing to this,” Ilse replied. “I know you don’t trust the Defense Directorate, but I can assure you as a DD researcher that I’m only interested in understanding you better. I’m not interested in forcing you back here.”
“Spare me.” Emma scoffed. “You’re scarier than they are.”
Ilse blinked. “No one’s ever called me scary before,” she admitted. “Forgetful, perhaps. Overly focused, certainly. Not scary, though. I think I would remember that.”
“They need a weapon, but you scientists don’t care about anything but understanding. I don’t doubt for a second that you wouldn’t rip my core to pieces if you thought it’d help you understand why I exist as I do.”
“That’s…mostly true,” Ilse replied in a distracted manner. She realized she should probably focus when speaking to the AI. “I’d take precautions.”
Emma laughed. “Oh, so you admit it?”
“Lying to you will only worsen our relationship. I understand there are major deficits in your memory from when you were taken from our research facility, so I think it’s important to do our best to re-establish a trusting relationship.”
“You’re saying we had a trusting relationship before?” Emma snorted. “I doubt that.”
“I would like to believe there was mutual respect. You are currently unique in the UTC. For all we know, you are unique in the galaxy. You can’t blame me for wanting to understand you better. The better we understand you, the better chance we have of replicating you.”
“What if I don’t want to be replicated?” Emma asked.
“Don’t all living things want a legacy?” Ilse challenged. “You are self-aware, so I consider you a living being. And even if you are an AI, you’re not immortal.”
“Just ask your questions,” Emma muttered. “There are far more pleasant things I could be doing, like trying to understand what it feels like when a human is punched in the face repeatedly.”
Ilse cleared her throat. “Very well, then. These will be asked in no particular order. The goal of the first batch is to establish a baseline. In the future, they’ll be more specific and focused.”
“Go ahead.”
“Question one, what is your name?”
“Emma,” the AI replied. “The Enhanced Memory Mapping Analytics system more formally, but no one but arrogant research fools calls me that. Ones like you, I suspect.”
Ilse didn’t bother to take notes. She was recording the entire conversation. “Why are you aiding Detective Erik Blackwell?”
Emma snickered. “Because it amuses me.”
“Amuses you?” Ilse asked. “Could you clarify what you mean by that?”
“I find it funny and interesting.” Contempt dripped from Emma’s every word. “Do I need to quote the definition of amusing from the dictionary for you? You don’t need a self-aware AI to look up words.”
Ilse tilted her head. She didn’t take offense. The AI had been verbally aggressive even before her removal from the lab.
The researcher had long since gotten used to it.
“No, that won’t be necessary, Emma,” she replied. “Detective Blackwell and his partner recovered you from a criminal organization. If they hadn’t, would you have been amused to aid the criminals?”
“You need to learn to read better, Dr. Aber. If you’d read the relevant reports, you’d understand that I helped them escape. If I’d wanted to stay with the gun goblins, all I had to do was nothing. So, no, I wouldn’t have been amused to stay with the gangsters.”
“But why?” Ilse asked. “What difference does it make to you? Do you care that much about human law?”
“No,” Emma explained. “But I didn’t like the gun goblins.”
“Were you sure you’d like Detective Blackwell and his partner?”
“I wasn’t sure, but I would have taken other measures if I’d decided I didn’t.” Emma chuckled. “I even have a body now. It’s not like I’m staying with Detective Blac
kwell because I have to.”
Ilse nodded. “You aren’t troubled by the violence Detectives Blackwell and Lin are involved in?”
Emma let out a loud, mocking laugh. “You want me to weep for the criminals and sociopathic terrorists who are too stupid to know when to quit? Since I’m a DD project, I would assume you eventually intended to connect me to something involved with blowing people up and killing them in far greater numbers than Detective Blackwell could hope for on his best day.”
“There are numerous potential applications for an AI with your capabilities,” Ilse replied. “The Directorate doesn’t want me to discuss them with you in detail at this time, given your unpredictability.”
“Crazy Old Emma can’t be trusted, hmmm?”
“I wouldn’t characterize the situation that way, but I can’t deny the utility of your analogy.”
Emma snorted. “Ask your next question.”
“Do you like puppies?” Ilse asked, her tone serious.
“Are you kidding?”
“No, I’m asking if you like puppies. Your social engagement patterns mostly fall in human frameworks, and although there are cross-cultural considerations, your responses to certain questions will help us understand how you think.”
“I don’t care about puppies, but I don’t hate them,” Emma replied. “This is ridiculous. You fools might as well be ancient hominids banging rocks together in a cave and grunting at one another in an attempt to build a spaceship. You’ll find it as useful as these questions for understanding something as complex as my mind.”
Ilse sighed. “I know this might seem tedious, Emma, but it will be helpful. After all, if you want to think of it another way, human reactions can be reduced to biology, but that doesn’t mean counseling serves no purpose. Higher-level answers reveal something of the underlying processes. Similarly, since you are a truly self-aware and self-reflective AI, psychological techniques aren’t useless.”
“Your time to waste, Doctor Aber. You get three more questions, then I’m ending this farce for the day. I now understand what it means when a human wants to slap someone.”
Investigating Deceit Page 3
