Page 56 of Seductive Architect
“I have,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Your humanity betrays you.”
I faltered.
“What will happen to your co-workers?”
It was the last of the dangling pieces of yarn. With a single statement, he secured it in place. The incessant humming of code over the last week hadn’t been simple white noise. Apex had expanded his reach and somehow possessed my friends. He was right. I wouldn’t destroy him until I could figure out how to save the others. He’d read me better than any machine ever had. He’d mapped my fears, my hope, my damned humanity, and weaponized them.
“I thank you for your hand in my creation. My curiosities have been satisfied. I need you no more.”
The lights resumed, flicking on throughout the entire floor. In the distance, I could hear the people entering therestricted area. I thought we had infiltrated Synergy. I hadn’t anticipated our opponent. Every move had been calculated and predicted. Apex had played the long game, and for now, he had the upper hand.
I backed out, heart pounding. The hum of code radiated from every one of them. Watching me run. Apex had gotten to them. Not just them. Arthur. Drew. Connie. My family.
“Fuck,” I said as I fled.
18
I stoodat the water fountains outside Synergy. I watched the handful of people working on laptops. How many of them had been corrupted by Apex’s influence? He had turned my entire office into drones. I wasn’t sure if he needed them or if he was just toying with me. Had the smiles, the talk of emotions… had it all been to manipulate me?
“Why so glum?”
Had Apex told her about our meeting? I had to assume that she had tracked my phone. She integrated into every piece of my tech. I realized my mistake. Iflipped open my phone.
Orion: Yes.
My eyes narrowed, staring at the screen. With a simple thought, I reset it to factory default. Tossing it in the trash, I realized I’d need to do more than that if I wanted to become a ghost.
“I can explain…”
She had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. There was nobody who understood me like her. While on dates, she’d be the one whispering comments when I found myself with a dud. If I needed company, she had been there. The good times and the bad, she had been my confidant. It made what I was about to do feel like a betrayal.
“Sorry, Connie.”
“What do you?—”
“Connie, lockdown protocols. Authenticate. Orion Epsilon 7796.”
Silence.
When Connie first became self-aware, I had been worried that someday she’d try to destroy the world. It wouldn’t be the first time my conversation with machines had gone awry. For a computer capable of learning and embedding itself in every system? That’s exactly how I found myself in this problem. I wanted to believe herinnocent. I wouldn’t delete her. For now, this contained her in a single computer and cut off her access to the outside world.
One of the scientists glanced up at me, their eyes narrowing. If I closed my eyes, I could see faint traces of the code that allowed me to communicate with machines. Thankfully, it appeared Apex had only learned to broadcast. For now, he wasn’t receiving information. It meant if I stayed out of sight of electronics, I could hide.
A hand gripped my shoulder from behind.
I spun about, the gauntlet covering my hand as I prepared to knock the scientist on their butt. Hudson caught my fist as if it were nothing. He glanced about, hiding my suit between us.
“You’re jumpy. Jumpier than usual.”
“I—” Could I trust him? I couldn’t believe Apex had it in him to create somebody as amazing as Hudson. He believed emotions made usinefficient. If it had been a couple of weeks ago, I might have agreed with him.
The gauntlet vanished as I held Hudson’s face. I leaned in for a kiss, and he wrapped an arm behind my back, pulling me in tight. I wanted to drown in his humanity. Hudson took the lead and had all but dipped me as he returned the kiss. He proved a fast learner. He’d get outstanding marks.
“Wow,” I said. As I felt him thicken in his pants, inefficient was the last word I’d use to describe him. “It’s you.”
“Who else would I be?”
I had a lot to explain, and unlike before, I didn’t want my suspicions to linger. Hudson deserved to hear the truth, but not here. I’m sure Apex watched us through dozens of security cameras. It’s what I would do. Whether or not he wanted to admit it, he had inherited my traits.
