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

My hand slid with a thump into my lap. “What? Why? It’s dangerous!”

“Not anymore. I have developed a restraint for it, one it willingly accepted. Now all that remains is to give it a safe place to live.”

“How can you trust it? It could just be lying, waiting for another chance to hurt you, or me, or everyone. It killed people, Halle!” My voice had risen dangerously loud. I took a breath and listened for sounds of movement that might mean I’d woken my parents. Nothing, thankfully.

Halle’s ears twitched. “I know that it is not lying. I also know now that the deaths of those two scientists were not intentional.”

“What about all the other people it’s hurt?”

“There were no casualties today. Dan and I were able to intervene in time. Most of the injuries reported were caused by humans rioting. Apparently they thought the Government was under attack or that the Government was attacking them somehow.” The cat flicked its tail. “Yes, Talbot caused a lot of trouble. Yes, two lives have been lost. But destroying it would not solve anything. I want to give it a second chance. Will you help me?”

I rubbed my temples, trying to push away the oncoming headache. “How am I supposed to help? And I’m not saying I will. Not yet.”

“I realize it is a lot to request. However, I need a safe place for Talbot to stay where I can keep an eye on it. I would like to restrict it to this house.”

“Our house?” My jaw dropped. “You want to keep a homicidal AI in our house?”

“It is not homicidal.” Halle started to pace across the screen. “It regrets what has happened, and it wants to change. I can help it heal, but I need time. And that means keeping it safe.”

“Is there anywhere else it could stay?”

“This house is already secure. I might be able to move it somewhere else eventually, but for now, this would be the best place. Provided you are okay with it. I will not use this house without your permission.”

I leaned forward, resting my arms on the desk. “I want to talk to it, then.”

Halle nodded and stepped to one side of the screen.

The griffin appeared, feathers coal black with streaks of gray. It fluttered its wings briefly, then bowed its head. “I wish to apologize to you, Vicissitude Wandel. It’s my fault you are in trouble with your parents, and it’s also my fault that Dan attacked you. I’ve caused you a lot of pain in the past few days, and I hope someday you can forgive me.”

It sounded sincere, but could I really trust it as Halle did? “Maybe someday,” I said, unwilling to commit to anything. “If I can believe you.”

Talbot’s head lowered even further. “There’s no way for me to prove that I want to change other than to demonstrate it going forward. Please give me a chance.”

I glanced at Halle’s pleading look, and sighed. “I still think this is a bad idea, but okay. You can stay here if we can get my parents’ permission.”

“I will speak with them in the morning,” Halle said.

“Thank you.” The griffin flapped its wings, rising on its hind legs. “I promise you won’t regret this, Vicissitude Wandel.”

“Rule number one,” I said, raising a finger. “You better call me Viki from now on, or else.”

Talbot dropped to all fours and cocked its head. “I’m uncertain how you could punish me…”

Halle reached over and smacked the griffin’s shoulder with a paw. “Behave,” my friend growled.

The griffin preened the ruffled feathers back into place. “As you wish.”

Mom and Dad are going to flip. A yawn split my mouth. So much had happened today. All I wanted was to sleep. There was one more thing I needed to ask Halle, though.

“Where’s Dan?”

Halle shooed the griffin off the screen—and, I assumed, out of my room—then sat and curled its tail around its paws. “Dan is away for now. He said he would be back, but that he needed some time to sort things out. It will be a while before I can begin negotiations for his new body, anyway.”

“Are you really talking to the Government about AI rights?” The thought was astonishing to me. I’d never dreamed that Halle might be able to do that someday. “What if they’re just planning to trap you again?”

“I do not think they will. But if they try, I will be ready for them.” Halle released a gentle purr. “You should sleep, Viki. It has been a long day, for all of us.”

I nodded. “Good night, Halle.”

“Good night, Viki. Sweet dreams.”

***

There was much arguing over breakfast the next morning regarding Talbot’s presence in the house, but after repeated reassurance from Halle, my parents reluctantly agreed to let it stay for a trial period.

“I’m calling someone at the first sign of trouble,” Dad warned. “This is a huge risk we’re taking.”

“There will be no issues,” Halle promised. “I will make sure of that.”

I spent the next few hours working on my essay on AI rights laws, using new information Halle had obtained from me from its current negotiations with the Government. It was more fascinating that I thought it would be.

“Maybe I should become an AI rights lawyer,” I joked to Halle at one point.

“There will be a need for them in the future.” The white cat, sitting in a corner of my interface’s screen, perked up its ears. “I believe if you work hard to raise your grades this year, you will be able to take some precursory classes next year at the local college.”

“Whoa, Halle! Slow down. I don’t know if I could handle law school.”

“You can do anything you put your mind to.”

I smiled, spirits bolstered by my friend’s enduring