Upgrade (Augmented Duology Book 2) by Heather Hayden (the top 100 crime novels of all time .TXT) 📕

“First, you never involve Viki with anything after this.”

“I can’t promise the Government will never involve her again.”

“I understand that. But you, personally, will never drag her into another situation again.”

“That’s not hard to promise.” Agent Smith laughed, though there was no humor in it. “I didn’t want to do it this time. I just had no choice. What are your other requests?”

“Not requests. Conditions. If you break any of them, I will stop aiding you.”

“If you stop aiding me, the rogue AI might succeed in whatever its mission is.”

“Then you better follow my conditions to the letter.”

“Very well. Conditions, then. I haven’t got all night, you know, humans need to sleep.”

“I am well aware of that. My second condition is that you never ask for my help again after this mission.”

Agent Smith grimaced and leaned back in the chair. “You are too good an asset to ignore. I understand you don’t have much loyalty to the Government, but—”

“None, to be exact. They did nothing for me except create me, and creating me does not give them the right to treat me the way they did. Which leads me to my next condition. I do not want you to kill this rogue.”

“If I don’t destroy it, it might kill me, and a lot of other people. I can’t make that promise.”

“It is a living creature, just like you or me. Killing it would be murder. There are ways that it could be trapped or contained, rather than destroyed.”

Agent Smith shook his head. “I can’t take that risk.”

“Then I will not help you with this task. Good luck catching a rogue AI who does not have a friend it cares more about than its own freedom,” Halle snapped. “Humans claim to be the most evolved species on this planet, yet you still treat other species, even incorporeal ones, as less than you.”

“We often don’t show that much courtesy even to each other. Many, many wars have been fought in the past. There are still ones going on today.”

“I know. But regardless, the other AI is as self-conscious as you or I, and I will not help kill another living creature. I am not like that AI.”

“So your threats in the hospital were empty ones.”

Apparently the agent did not forget things easily, either. Halle felt a buzz of regret ripple through its code, remembering how it had threatened to destroy the world if Viki died. Its cat avatar nodded on the computer’s screen. “Yes, though I would have been tempted had Viki died because of your stupid Government.”

“Well, she is in no danger on this mission—”

“Do not fool yourself. If the rogue AI knows that she plans to help you, then she is in danger.” Halle paused, watching a shadow of something—guilt, perhaps—pass across the agent’s face. “Do not worry, either. If it hurts her, I will not be granting it any courtesy. The same goes for you.”

“You care about her a lot.” There was a hint of surprise in the man’s voice. “I never thought that machines could have feelings like that.”

“Machines cannot, but I am an evolved, sentient AI with emotions. Whether they are the same as what you humans describe, I do not know, but I have spent years trying to understand them, and I know for certain that Viki is the most important person in my life. She is my friend, for a very long time she was my only friend, and she is the kindest and most loyal person I have ever met.”

“I see.” Agent Smith sighed. “I’m sorry to get you both mixed up in this, especially considering our history, but this rogue AI is too dangerous to let it remain free.”

“We shall see. It is possible revenge is not in fact its goal.”

“It was researching bioweapons.” Agent Smith rubbed his face, covering a yawn. “If that isn’t clear enough, I don’t know what would be.”

It was possible the agent was wrong, the evidence incorrect or even fabricated. Perhaps Talbot wanted nothing more than to be left alone, the same as Halle once had. Or perhaps the agent was right. Until Halle could speak to Talbot again, there was no way to know for sure.

“I want a chance to speak to it, regardless,” Halle said finally.

The agent gave a short nod. “I will do my best.”

It wasn’t much of a promise, but Halle sensed it was the best the agent could offer. “Very well. But destroying the rogue must be your last resort. If there is a chance to capture it instead, take that. Perhaps if I speak with it, I can help it.”

“I won’t put anyone at risk to capture it,” the agent warned. “You’d better understand that right now.”

“I understand. I will do my best to aid you in any way possible.”

“Those are all the conditions you have for me, then?”

“For now, yes. You should rest.”

“I would still be resting if you hadn’t woken me up.” Agent Smith covered another yawn, then sat straight up, eyes going wide in horror. “The computer, my phone, they have monitoring—”

“Yes, I know. I disabled them.” The cat flicked its ears. “I would not have allowed you to talk to me otherwise. I will enable them when I leave; as far as your compatriots in the Government are concerned, you have slept this entire time. Try not to be too tired in the morning.”

“I’m going to need coffee.” Another yawn stretched the agent’s mouth as he closed the computer lid. “Wait, can you still hear me?”

“Yes. I will remain here until you have returned to your sleep cycle, feed the monitoring systems false data so it appears you have been sleeping this entire time, and then leave.”

“Not creepy at all,”