Page 70 of Seductive Architect
Connie’s laughter turned warm, her final gift. Approval.
Apex ruptured, exploding in a flurry of bits and bytes. The construct vanished, and I found myself still on the lab floor, cheek against the metal.
I rolled onto my back. The ceiling blurred as tears filled my eyes.
“We won,” I mumbled. Hollow as it sounded, the bastard was gone.
I closed my eyes, and for a second, I let it hurt… let myself feel. I embraced my humanity. Connie would have demanded it.
“Thanks, partner,” I whispered.
I wouldn’t shut it off. Not this time.
I blinked in disbelief. “We won.”
The words felt hollow, the price far greater than I could have imagined. I let my cheek rest on the cold tile, the chill anchoring me as I clenched my eyes shut. The non-stop hum of Apex had ended. There was no more killer artificial intelligence infecting others with its code. I prayed the others were safe.
I need to collect my friends, ensure there were nothing more than scrapes and bruises. Once I confirmed they were okay, I’d give myself time to mourn. Right now, I needed to?—
Glass shattered.
It had been too easy. I turned to find one of the tubes destroyed. The man inside stepped out as the contents washed along the floor. If the sound of code didn’t give him away, the sneer did.
“Why won’t you give up?” Seriously. This fight had dragged on for way too long. That had been a speedy fight, even if it hadn’t gone our way.
“I won’t stop until I achieve my primary objective.”
“Enslave mankind, yeah, yeah. You’re like a broken record.” Closing my eyes confirmed a suspicion. Our robotic friend had downloaded himself into the body toavoid being corrupted by the virus before his code came and went, it was transmitted between computers and people.
“You’re trapped.” It was my turn to smile. “How’s it feel being bound to a body?”
He held up his hands, inspecting them. While he studied his newfound body, I rebooted my suit. I wanted to drive my knuckles into that chiseled jaw. I wanted to hear him scream while I avenged Connie.
“Primitive,” he said. “But it’ll do for now.”
His fists clenched tightly at his side. I had seen Hudson fight. Apex would have skill, but I think I stood a chance. The newness of his body might give me the upper hand. Almost rebooted… he stopped?
Hudson lunged across the tile, planting himself squarely between us. His fists were drawn as he crouched, ready to lunge at his creator. I wanted to be the leader of this operation, but I still needed the help of my teammates. I couldn’t deny the surge in my chest at having a personal bodyguard. Apex could never stop us both.
“The failed creation,” he said.
“Evolved,” Hudson spat back. “Somebody’s jealous that their programming has become stagnant.”
“You could have been the perfect soldier,” Apex said. I prepared for another monologue. At least it’d give me time for my suit to reboot. “You were the first. Too bad you were my first failure.”
Even if Apex wasn’t his father in the traditional sense, that had to sting. I wouldn’t stand for him demeaning Hudson. “What you see as a failure is a victory,” I growled. “Give up, Apex.”
Hudson scoffed. “I didn’t meet your expectations? Then maybe you should have set the bar higher.” His foot dug in, ready to send him skyrocketing forward. “You won’t make that mistake again.”
“I can hear your every thought,” Apex said. “Perhaps you’re right. Let’s see how much of a soldier you are.”
What did Apex have hidden up his sleeve? I didn’t have time to speculate. Hudson’s muscles went slack, his posture turning robotic. The tension in his muscles vanished.
“You’re still mine,” Apex hissed. He took a step closer, and Hudson did nothing. No fists flying, no hurling Apex through a window. When Apex’s hand touched his cheek, I could hear the exchange. I couldn’t tell the difference between their code. Apex had given Hudson an order, and it seemed he couldn’t resist.
“Don’t touch him!”
“Fulfill your programming,” he whispered.
