Lara pressed against the bud in her ear, repeating Evann’s name over and over again. “Damn it!” She ripped the device from her ear and refrained from throwing it against the wall. Destroying it wouldn’t do her any good. She knew that Evann needed her support if he was going to complete this mission.
She placed the spherical device on the desk and leaned back in her chair as she rubbed the wrinkles of her forehead and shut her eyes. Everything was supposed to go smoothly. The plan was perfect, and she’d spent the better part of a few days concocting it. So, what in the hell had happened that Evann had to suddenly disconnect the channel?
Calm down, Lara. He’ll reach out to you again soon. Someone probably just walked in.
But then again, who was he talking to?
Her eyes snapped back open. No, it wasn’t her that Evann had been speaking to. She distinctly remembered him saying, ‘What are you talking about?’ And that stammer… Evann never stammered. Not for anything. The man can be as strong and cold like steel when he needed to be.
Just like her.
Lara brought the chair back to its upright position, her fingers writhing and curling atop the desk as a dozen scenarios played out in her head.
No, you’re overthinking it. A situation like that would put anyone in duress. Besides, Evann hasn’t been on a reconnaissance mission in some time. As reliable as he is, even he would need the first day to get comfortable in his new position.
A knock interrupted her thoughts, and she had to refrain from pounding her fist on the desk out of frustration. She needed answers, and she wasn’t getting them.
Lara clasped her hands on top of the desk and leaned forward. “Come,” she said after taking a few seconds to compose herself.
“Commander Lara,” a woman in her early twenties appeared with a curt bow and a datapad tucked into the crook of her elbow. Anabelle, if memory served. “I was able to retrieve the documents you requested.”
“Excellent,” Lara said, taking great care to maintain the usual air of authority she carried.
“Oh.” The woman nervously approached, then set the datapad on the desk.
Lara pushed the rectangular device from the top, toward her, then scrolled through the information. It was a list of shipping reports to Sorts of Ports from Centurion. Despite being a quick reader, Lara knew this information couldn’t be digested in a few minutes. She turned the device around and pushed it back toward the woman.
“Anabelle, was it?” Lara said.
The woman giggled and retrieved the datapad from the desk, resuming its position against her elbow. She fingered a tendril of blonde hair over her ear and smiled from ear to ear. “Yes, that’s right.”
“Excellent work. See to it that this information is sent to me immediately.”
“Yes, ma’am. Right away, ma’am.”
Lara nodded. “Dismissed.”
Anabelle left without another word, quietly shutting the door behind her. When her footsteps grew distant, Lara’s thoughts returned to that of Evann.
Damn it. I hope he’s all right.
---
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Evann whispered as he walked down the hallway.
“Yes. It will be just as before, when Centurion’s engineers attempted to locate me. Do you require a refresher?”
“No, I’ll pass.”
Despite Evann’s presence in the building, his real official day wouldn’t start until tomorrow. Until then, he’d need to be careful with where he went and when. Go anywhere he wasn’t supposed to, and he’d send red flags up in an instant.
At Avina’s suggestion, he decided to grab a cup of coffee and use the device they’d obtained from Sang to infiltrate their systems. Using a length of cable from his briefcase, he’d hooked it into the port and attached the port to his implant dock between his shoulders. The suit fit over it just fine, though it was uncomfortable to have it splayed as it was. It was always a bizarre sense, installing hardware. A chill usually swept over him, and a tingling sensation played at the tips of his fingers and toes. The sensation went away within seconds, as it always did, and the only weird part about it afterward was how awkward it was to walk around with a box between his shoulders.
Walking around with this thing is a pain in the ass. The suit could only help so much to conceal it, so he shifted his shoulders back to help hide the bulge. It felt unnatural, and for a while he thought he might dislocate his shoulders. But he managed, and when he came to the breakroom, his heart rate quickened at the sight of the coffee machine.
“You’re absolutely sure about this?” Evann asked.
“I am beginning to understand why humans dislike repetitive questions. Yes. Guide the cable to the coffee machine, and I will do the rest.”
“When do you want me to come back?” he asked, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching. To his relief, with as important as security was in the building, few cameras existed, and not a single one could be seen from where he was standing. Even so, he’d do this as discreetly as possible.
“It will take me only a few minutes. Sit down in the break room and look natural until then.”
Evann shook the arm containing the cable, then led it out of his sleeve so that only the plug could be seen. He approached the coffee machine and inserted a cup of coffee grounds into the receiver before pressing the ‘Start’ button. The machine whirred and hummed, and he spent the time looking for a spot to plug in.
There it is, he thought as he noticed a small jack on the side of the machine. A glance over his shoulder, and he saw no one behind him.
“All right, here we go,” he whispered before inserting the cable. The sensation of falling swept over him, and he almost felt a sort of pull, nearly causing him to lurch over the coffee machine. The feeling abated. “Can you hear me, Avina?”
No response.
She was gone. His mind was his again. Truly his. It was an uneasy feeling. Surprising, really. He’d grown more used to having her in his head than he thought he had. The thought that he could abandon her here and go on with his business occurred to him.
Yeah, and then Sorts of Ports finds me, and I’m executed.
Not wanting to look suspicious, Evann took a seat at the table in the center of the room. The chairs were plastic and uncomfortable. The kinds of chairs a lot of the public schools still used. He put his hands against the back of his head, then leaned back to stretch, taking care not to mess with the box still firmly attached to his implant dock.
An old hand clock ticked on the wall while he waited, and he counted every precious second that passed by. The feeling he was experiencing wasn’t one he’d felt since his teens.
That unnerved him.
A portly man appeared to be in his fifties entered just as Evann was about to retrieve Avina from the machine. He walked past him with little more than a nod, pulling open the door to the refrigerator against the wall. Evann thought to use this opportunity to get Avina, then thought again. There’d be plenty of time.
The man retrieved a small container made of plastic and took the seat across from Evann. Popping the lid open, the man reached in for the ham sandwich and took a bite than spanned nearly half the sandwich’s length.
“Oh,” the man said between sniffly chomps, “you’re the new guy, huh?”
Evann nodded. “Yeah, that’s me.” Damn it. He was hoping no one would talk to him. The guy’s indication that he was ‘new’ had Evann wondering how many people knew he was supposed to be hired.
The man hummed and took another gorging bite of his sandwich, then wiped his hands on his slacks before extending his hand. “Charles Fortwright, director of advertising and distribution.”
“William Shephard,” Evann said, grasping the man’s hand and shaking it firmly. “Senior tech advisor.”
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
The man barked a laugh. “Aren’t you supposed to work here half your life before they give you such a title?” He let go and returned to the sanctity of his sandwich. Three bites in, and he already almost done.
Evann leaned back in the chair and maintained a matter-of-fact tone. “Don’t know. Guess they saw something about me they liked.”
Flecks of bread dropped from Charles’s mouth as he shook his head. “Letting all the youngins get away without an ounce of work. What a crock of shit.”
“Excuse me?” Evann cursed himself as soon as the words left his mouth. He had better things to do than listen to the griping of a man past his prime.
Charles cocked a brow and stopped chewing. Great. “Are you deaf, boy?”
This is not the time. “My apologies. I suppose I was assuming you knew something I didn’t.”
“Mm.” The man resumed his meal, scarfing up the last bite of his sandwich and swallowing it like a lizard. It was almost comical watching him. “This company’s going down the drain. You should know that. They’re looking to replace all the useful workers. Like me.”
“Is the company is reassessing its priorities?” Evann asked as he adjusted his posture and leaned forward on his elbow. Damn, did the seat hurt.
Charles shrugged. “Guess so. As of late, the higherups won’t share a damned drink with me, let alone give me the time of day.” He clicked his tongue and lurched forward, hands tightly gripped around the brim of the table. “Mark my words. Once you get old enough, they’ll look for a reason to replace you as well.”
As Evann opened his mouth to prod, he stopped himself. There, just beneath the lobe of the man’s ear, was a black line barely visible to the naked eye—a neural-facing implant point—and a small scar beside it that led down his neck, past the neckline of his suit.
So, that’s the way of it, huh? Looking to report the newbie to elevate your status?
“If you’ll pardon my bluntness,” Evann said, “I have a hard time believing that Sorts of Ports, a company renowned for being in the top one percent of implant distribution and development, would lay off any of its workforce without valid reason.”
The man’s bottom lip twitched. He’d done it now. “What are you insinuating?”
Evann shook his head. “Nothing. I am merely posing the possibility that things may not be how they seem. I think it’s important to keep an open mind.”
“I’d like to see you say that thirty years from now.” He scoffed. “What are you, like twenty? You don’t know a thing about the real world.”
It’d been a while since Evann had talked to someone like this. There would always be an age dynamic when it came to your seniors. That much would never change. But those who touted it like a badge of honor or proof that they had more experience or higher intelligence were among the worst of them. While he couldn’t say for sure, he had a feeling Charles was one such person.
“Probably,” Evann said, “but I wish to see what happens first. Jumping the gun does no one any favors.”
“Tch.” The chair screeched across the floor as Charles stood up. Waddling over to the garbage bin in the corner, he tosses out the remains of his container and returned to the halls beyond without a word.
Damn it, I spent too much time with that loaf. Evann stood up next, then came up to the coffee machine. He inserted the cable, and a feeling like getting static electricity shot up his arm. Is she back?
“Evann. You may disconnect,” came Avina’s familiar tone.
Relief washed over Evann. He removed the cable, then carefully slipped it back into the sleeve of his suit. “What did you find?” he whispered.
“Not here. The security is worse than I anticipated. We should return to your office.”
Evann nodded and did as she asked.
“Good,” Avina continued. “Now we may proceed.”
“What’s going on here exactly?” Evann whispered.
“As I stated before, Sorts of Ports is aware of a double agent. To our benefit, they know little more beyond that, so we are safe from their scrutiny for the time being.”
“Well, that’s a plus.”
“Yes. Additionally, I was able to locate the schematics for the building. They have been downloaded to my neuro cache.”
Evann cocked a brow. “How does that work?”
Avina paused. “From my research, you humans prefer tasks and information to be delivered in versions of ‘short’ and ‘long’. Which version would you prefer?”
Evann snickered.
“Is something funny?” Avina asked.
“No, nothing.” He shook his head. “Give me the short version.”
“Very well. In short, I can merge code so that it becomes part of my neuro cache. Doing so means that it becomes as much a part of me as I am a part of it. The code was not simply added but intermingled with my existing code. Does that make sense?”
“A little bit. So, if I’m understanding you correctly, you’re basically saying that you’re one and the same now. More like a patch update to your system than an attached upgrade.”
Avina hummed with satisfaction. “Yes. That is correct.”
“Does it endanger either of us?”
“The risk is minimal. If a subject wished to, they could locate the information within me. However, my data is encrypted. To reclaim such information, the hacker would need to know what they are looking for. As far as your biology is concerned, your implant docks have more than enough R-A-M to support the additional information.”
“Why do you call it that? R-A-M. Why not just call it RAM?”
“I did not wish to confuse you.”
“The context would’ve clued me in just fine,” Evann chuckled.
“I see. The context. Yes. That would make sense.”
“Well, where do we go from here?” Evann asked.
“I suggest we cross-reference the map I downloaded. While it is unlikely that the schematics are incorrect, my research has shown that reputable companies often leave out important rooms and structures that are adapted later on. I do not understand the purpose of such things, but as you humans say, it is what it is.”
Charming. At this rate, she’ll be indistinguishable from humans in no time.
“All right.” Evann rounded the desk and took a seat in his swivel chair. “They’re going to get suspicious if I keep coming in and out of my office, so let’s take ten.”
“Take ten? I do not understand.”
“It means to wait for ten minutes. You can use it with any number, too, not just ten.”
“I see. We shall take ten, then.”
Evann nodded. “So, what do you think of us so far?”
“Would you please elaborate your meaning?”
Guess it wasn’t too surprising to hear from a computer that’d lost most of what made it human-like to begin with. “Do you have any opinions on humans so far? Do you like us? Hate us? Want to destroy us?”
“I will answer each question as it was assigned to me. I have many opinions on your species thus far, though it would take approximately sixty-three hours, forty-two minutes, and thirty-nine seconds to explain. Therefore, I will abstain.”
Evann shook his head and snickered. “All right, how about the other questions?”
“I would express my interest in humans as favorable thus far. Many of you tend to self-destruct, whether intentionally or not. I find this fascinating, as unlike the animals of the wilderness, your conscious mind serves to sabotage you as much as it serves to help you. You are a social species, unable to—”
“You’re veering way too far from the original question. I was just asking if you like us.” He chuckled and placed one leg over the other, shifting his weight in the chair. “So, favorable, then?”
“Yes. May I continue?”
“You have the floor.”
A mechanical, yet feminine giggle followed. “Thank you. Your second question is answered by my first answer. Your third question is an unusual one. I am unsure how to answer it. Did you mean it in jest?”
I suppose she wouldn’t be tainted by the jaded and cynical outlooks that much of humanity shares. Avina might truly be innocent. “For a long time, humans were concerned they were a blight upon the world. Some of them still are.”
“Peculiar. What is the reasoning behind that?”
Evann wasn’t sure how to answer. He never considered himself the philosophical type. His time could be much better spent doing something useful rather than thinking of what-if scenarios and concepts that no one could prove. He was smart enough to know where such minds were handy to have, but he wasn’t one of them.
“I won’t go into it, but a sizeable chunk of people think the planet would be better off without humans.” He leaned his head back and exhaled. “And really, it’s not hard to see why. We built bombs, computers that could think faster than we could, killed off most of the planet’s ecosystems, and still, we call this place home.”
“Survival of the fittest. I fail to see what is wrong with that. Those who would see humanity in such a way are presupposing that there is a universal good which should be followed. While humanity’s methods may differ from those of animals, they are still methods which promote their survival.”
Evann could already feel his brain hurting. This was not a path of discussion he wanted to continue. “Hey, sorry about the questions, but we can leave it at that?”
“If you so wish.”
Silence surrounded them once more. It was nice for a few minutes, but the air became stuffy before he knew it, and after he’d looked at the same table, the same briefcase, the same bookshelf for the dozenth time, he broke the awkward silence.
“Have you learned anything new about yourself?”
“No,” Avina admitted, “I have not. There are bits and pieces of things. Information that feels equal parts familiar and foreign. Yet I struggle to find much of my personality matrix. My time spent with you thus far has been enjoyable, however, and it encourages me to continue my efforts.”
“Is that something you can… speed up or work harder on?” He wondered what it was like to be a computer, an intelligence that could locate files and call upon information at a moment’s notice. In many ways, it wasn’t unlike the human brain, just more active and direct. “Like a human can?”
“Yes, though it differs in many ways from how you humans recollect information.” Evann’s implant docks hummed. A weird feeling. “Unlike you humans, there is no associated ‘aha’ moment when data is restored or acquired. It is simply there, as if it had always been.”
Despite his attempts to stay away from philosophical talk, Evann couldn’t help but wonder how that affect memories. No, it’s not philosophical. It’s science. Tech. “Do you store memories the same way?”
“I do not have enough information to quantify an answer.”
Evann sighed. “I see.”
“However… there are segments of code within the corrupted data which are slowing down some of my other processes.”
“Example being?”
“There is no reason for me to pause to reflect on our words. Many of you humans will pause for effect, to allow one to think or adjust the conversation. My response is calculated from the moment your last word is spoken. The reflections, the calculations, the possible responses, they have all been determined.” Silence returned, and Evann wondered if this was one of Avina’s ‘pauses’ as she had said. “And yet, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain this mode of operation. I am unsure why.”
“I’m not an engineer or programmer, so I couldn’t tell you.” Evann took his legs off the desk and stood up and adjusted his suit, so it lay flat and without wrinkles. “Why don’t we get back to work now?”
“Yes. I believe that may be for the best. This line of questioning has given me pause.”
Literally, in many ways.
Evann secured his briefcase in a drawer within his desk. His key fit the lock without issue, though he worried that it could be what ruins his cover.
“You are perspiring,” Avina said. “Does something concern you?”
“I’m worried somebody might find my briefcase,” Evann admitted.
“There is nothing in the briefcase which could be held against you. The necessary tools have all been taken,” she reasoned. “From what I discovered in their systems, there is but a single person who can undo the locks in your room, and they remain a third party hired by Sorts of Ports. Do not worry. You are not in any danger.”
Her promise that nothing would happen to them was equal parts reassuring and unnerving. From his experience, it was when things were going their best that they went horribly wrong.
