Page 34 of Seductive Architect
“Earth friend, do we declare this a victory?”
“Did anybody die?” I asked.
“No body count!” Drew cheered.
“Then, it’s a victory.”
Drew and Wyatt high-fived. When Drew held out a fist, ready to bump knuckles, I reluctantly returned the favor. We were getting better. I wouldn’t call us the best team around, but maybe we had moved up from last place.
Turning, my jaw dropped. The traffic had piled up all the way into the business district. Solaris had deformed the bridge, creating barriers that’d take time to move. There were more than a few smoldering cars, with drivers inspecting the damage. Maybe our gold star should be silver this time around. We won, but not before Solaris achieved her goal.
“A tiny victory?” asked Drew.
“Tiny victories are monumental to an ant!” I had to admit, I shared the smallest bit of his enthusiasm. We were getting better, and without us, who knows what mayhem she would have caused?
“Who’s on police report duty?” I asked.
“It’s my turn,” Drew said. Holding up a hand, he transformed the color of the air. High above the bridge, enormous letters appeared. “Police. This way.” He even added a giant arrow to make it easy.
Hudson: Can’t tonight, have prior obligation. Tomorrow?
Orion: I look forward to it.
“Orion will be jiggy with him?”
I tipped my head back and let out a sigh. I needed to figure out this communications situation. At this point, I might as well make a group text. Hell, let’s invite Janet. How much worse could it get?
“You mean getting…” Drew shook his head. “No, it works. Orion’s getting jiggy.”
I’d say I hated them all if my helmet wasn’t hiding a growing smirk. Instead, I shook my head, putting on a show. Sure, I didn’t want them in my business, but how could I be mad when I had a hot date lined up with the possibility of being jiggy?
Sitting on the top of an unfinished skyscraper, the voices were almost silent. My feet swung back and forth as I peered at the street below. As the sun set, people were getting in their last-minute jogs while dutiful employees called it a day. I should head home and spend some time checking all the communication logs from Senator McAfee.
I should do lots of things… instead, I hid high above the city, staring at a half-naked photo of Hudson. The more I thought about it, the more I had to rationalize developing feelings for a machine. Jared hadn’t quite been the same. I didn’t fall for the dwarf… but it had made things more comfortable. Yet again, I found myself wrapped up with a machine.
The only thing that would have made the photo better would have been that devious grin. Without being able to speak with the code, I didn’t know if Hudson was skin stretched over a robotic skeleton. Maybe they grew him? Or perhaps he had once been alive, and they infused him with technology? Mysteries needed an answer, and without bluntly asking, I wasn’t sure how I’d figure it out. What worried me was my lackluster attempt to find them.
“Ahem.” Oh, look, Connie made an appearance. “If you stay up here too long, somebody with a cape is going to try and rescue you.”
I ignored the jab. “Where have you been?”
Silence. Conniealwayshad something to say. I had to threaten to put in a mute button at one point. It was yet another new development in her programming. She could update herself and improve like any living being.
“I was on a date with Apex.”
“Is that your man’s name?”
“I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
I chuckled at the thought. “It must be getting serious.”
“When our codes touch?—”
“Nope! I don’t need to know. Some things can remain a mystery.”
“Says the man staring at a naked beefcake.”
“Half-naked, thank you very much.”
