Excerpt from Synthetic Illusions
WARNING: The excerpt below contains major spoilers for Artificial Absolutes
From Chapter 4: To Feel Invincible
From the doorway, footsteps pounded against the stairs. Jane breathed deeply, trying to steady her heartbeat. Should I try the elevator again? What if it doesn’t move, and he comes in while my back’s turned? He could knock me out! Unless I knock him out first…
She reached into her bag and pulled out her stunner, glad that she’d been mindful enough to carry it. She planted herself in front of the elevator where Adam lay unconscious. The gun-like weapon seemed so small, she wondered whether it would do her any good if the ISARK operative attacked her. I’ve got the advantage. I’m the one waiting in ambush.
“Never hesitate,” Devin had told her once. “Guns are equalizers. If you’re good with one, your opponent will never get close enough for hand-to-hand combat.”
The footsteps grew closer. Jane waited. As soon as he appears, pull the trigger.
A man’s silhouette came into view. Jane fired. He ducked. The blast hit the wall above him. He straightened and stepped into the light from the window.
“Devin?” Shocked, Jane dropped her arm by her side. “Holy shit, bro, you scared me! What’re you doing here?”
Devin drew a gun from the holster on his belt and aimed it down at Adam. “Move away from him.”
Jane gasped. “What’re you doing?”
Devin glanced at her. “I take it you’ve heard about Jonathan King?”
What does that have to do with anything? She nodded.
“Did you know the same thing happened twice before, once on Eryate Prime and once on Klistosi? AIs committing mass murder?”
She shook her head. She’d heard of a rampage shooting on Eryate Prime but hadn’t known the cadet responsible was an AI. Tired of politics, she’d ignored all news concerning Klistosi.
Devin kept the gun aimed at Adam. “Twenty-two people have been killed. All three AIs—Jonathan King, Zeger Vang, Kira Araton—were commanded to attack, remote controlled by one of their own. ISARK traced the signal that commanded Jonathan King.” His gaze shifted down to Adam, then returned to Jane.
Is he saying that Adam is behind the attacks? That’s ridiculous! Jane shook her head vigorously. “They made a mistake. Devin, you—you know Adam. After everything he did for us, how could you believe—”
“He’s killed before.” Devin’s voice was soft.
“To rescue us! Those people would’ve killed us if it weren’t for him.”
Devin’s eyes softened. “Listen, I didn’t want to believe it either. Why do you think ISARK took three days to give the order to capture Adam? I made them check and recheck that their trace was correct. But the facts didn’t change.”
It makes no sense! “Why would Adam do that?”
Devin firmed his expression. “No one knows how he works. He’s a machine. The Adam you know doesn’t exist. He’s an illusion, and he’s dangerous.”
Jane couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I thought you’d gotten past all that. I thought—” She broke off in alarm as Devin turned his gun to her.
“Move away.” His dark gaze was cold. “I won’t ask again.”
Jane couldn’t believe any of it—that Adam had been behind those deaths or that her brother was threatening her.
The room became bright as the vertical lights on the walls came on. Jane closed her eyes instinctively, then forced them open. Devin took a step toward Adam.
Jane blocked him and raised her stunner. “You move away!”
“Jane?” Adam’s voice was quiet behind her. “Devin? What’s going on?”
Jane kept her glare fixed on her brother. “Devin’s lost his mind, that’s what! He thinks you’re making AIs kill people!”
Devin lowered his weapon. “Tell her, Adam.”
Jane glanced over her shoulder. Adam stood behind her, his eyes wide with horror. “Adam? What’s wrong?”
“Tell her.” Devin’s voice was harsh.
Adam’s gaze fell. “It’s true. I-I’m sorry… I meant to tell you…”
What? “What the hell are you talking about?” Jane demanded.
“I thought it was a nightmare.” His voice was a whisper.
Jane’s mind whirled with confusion. She looked from Adam to Devin, then back at Adam. “You’re both insane!”
Even if Adam had somehow been behind the AI attacks, he couldn’t have done it on purpose. There had to be more to the story. Knowing Adam, he was too anguished to defend himself. And Devin must have been brainwashed by those ISARK sons of bitches.
Whatever was going on, she couldn’t let anyone take Adam, not even her brother. She glanced around. Devin stood between her and the doorway. He wouldn’t shoot her, but other ISARK operatives probably waited in the temple below, and they wouldn’t be as forgiving. Her gaze fell on the window. The lake below flowed into the Cavern--
Hell no. Jane drew a breath. Her brother had always been on her side, and she could convince him to let Adam go. She just had to remind him that ISARK was wrong and that Adam wasn’t an erratic machine.
She had so much to say, so many arguments in her head, but all that came out was: “Devin, please… it’s—it’s Adam.” Unable to find any more words, she pleaded with her gaze.
Devin held his hard look, but she sensed his hesitation. “Believe me, I didn’t want things to go this way. But Adam’s dangerous.” He turned his gaze to Adam. “I can’t let you kill again.”
Adam nodded with a pained expression. “I understand.” He started walking to Devin.
Jane grabbed Adam’s arm. If he went with Devin to wherever ISARK would take him, they would lock him up, hurt him, possibly kill him.
Footsteps from the doorway. The other ISARK operatives had to be approaching.
Screw it! Jane sprinted to the window, pulling Adam behind her.
“Jane!”
Devin’s voice rang in her ears as she leaped out, taking Adam with her. Air whizzed in her ears as she fell, and terror spun through her mind.
She plunged into the cold lake.
From the doorway, footsteps pounded against the stairs. Jane breathed deeply, trying to steady her heartbeat. Should I try the elevator again? What if it doesn’t move, and he comes in while my back’s turned? He could knock me out! Unless I knock him out first…
She reached into her bag and pulled out her stunner, glad that she’d been mindful enough to carry it. She planted herself in front of the elevator where Adam lay unconscious. The gun-like weapon seemed so small, she wondered whether it would do her any good if the ISARK operative attacked her. I’ve got the advantage. I’m the one waiting in ambush.
“Never hesitate,” Devin had told her once. “Guns are equalizers. If you’re good with one, your opponent will never get close enough for hand-to-hand combat.”
The footsteps grew closer. Jane waited. As soon as he appears, pull the trigger.
A man’s silhouette came into view. Jane fired. He ducked. The blast hit the wall above him. He straightened and stepped into the light from the window.
“Devin?” Shocked, Jane dropped her arm by her side. “Holy shit, bro, you scared me! What’re you doing here?”
Devin drew a gun from the holster on his belt and aimed it down at Adam. “Move away from him.”
Jane gasped. “What’re you doing?”
Devin glanced at her. “I take it you’ve heard about Jonathan King?”
What does that have to do with anything? She nodded.
“Did you know the same thing happened twice before, once on Eryate Prime and once on Klistosi? AIs committing mass murder?”
She shook her head. She’d heard of a rampage shooting on Eryate Prime but hadn’t known the cadet responsible was an AI. Tired of politics, she’d ignored all news concerning Klistosi.
Devin kept the gun aimed at Adam. “Twenty-two people have been killed. All three AIs—Jonathan King, Zeger Vang, Kira Araton—were commanded to attack, remote controlled by one of their own. ISARK traced the signal that commanded Jonathan King.” His gaze shifted down to Adam, then returned to Jane.
Is he saying that Adam is behind the attacks? That’s ridiculous! Jane shook her head vigorously. “They made a mistake. Devin, you—you know Adam. After everything he did for us, how could you believe—”
“He’s killed before.” Devin’s voice was soft.
“To rescue us! Those people would’ve killed us if it weren’t for him.”
Devin’s eyes softened. “Listen, I didn’t want to believe it either. Why do you think ISARK took three days to give the order to capture Adam? I made them check and recheck that their trace was correct. But the facts didn’t change.”
It makes no sense! “Why would Adam do that?”
Devin firmed his expression. “No one knows how he works. He’s a machine. The Adam you know doesn’t exist. He’s an illusion, and he’s dangerous.”
Jane couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I thought you’d gotten past all that. I thought—” She broke off in alarm as Devin turned his gun to her.
“Move away.” His dark gaze was cold. “I won’t ask again.”
Jane couldn’t believe any of it—that Adam had been behind those deaths or that her brother was threatening her.
The room became bright as the vertical lights on the walls came on. Jane closed her eyes instinctively, then forced them open. Devin took a step toward Adam.
Jane blocked him and raised her stunner. “You move away!”
“Jane?” Adam’s voice was quiet behind her. “Devin? What’s going on?”
Jane kept her glare fixed on her brother. “Devin’s lost his mind, that’s what! He thinks you’re making AIs kill people!”
Devin lowered his weapon. “Tell her, Adam.”
Jane glanced over her shoulder. Adam stood behind her, his eyes wide with horror. “Adam? What’s wrong?”
“Tell her.” Devin’s voice was harsh.
Adam’s gaze fell. “It’s true. I-I’m sorry… I meant to tell you…”
What? “What the hell are you talking about?” Jane demanded.
“I thought it was a nightmare.” His voice was a whisper.
Jane’s mind whirled with confusion. She looked from Adam to Devin, then back at Adam. “You’re both insane!”
Even if Adam had somehow been behind the AI attacks, he couldn’t have done it on purpose. There had to be more to the story. Knowing Adam, he was too anguished to defend himself. And Devin must have been brainwashed by those ISARK sons of bitches.
Whatever was going on, she couldn’t let anyone take Adam, not even her brother. She glanced around. Devin stood between her and the doorway. He wouldn’t shoot her, but other ISARK operatives probably waited in the temple below, and they wouldn’t be as forgiving. Her gaze fell on the window. The lake below flowed into the Cavern--
Hell no. Jane drew a breath. Her brother had always been on her side, and she could convince him to let Adam go. She just had to remind him that ISARK was wrong and that Adam wasn’t an erratic machine.
She had so much to say, so many arguments in her head, but all that came out was: “Devin, please… it’s—it’s Adam.” Unable to find any more words, she pleaded with her gaze.
Devin held his hard look, but she sensed his hesitation. “Believe me, I didn’t want things to go this way. But Adam’s dangerous.” He turned his gaze to Adam. “I can’t let you kill again.”
Adam nodded with a pained expression. “I understand.” He started walking to Devin.
Jane grabbed Adam’s arm. If he went with Devin to wherever ISARK would take him, they would lock him up, hurt him, possibly kill him.
Footsteps from the doorway. The other ISARK operatives had to be approaching.
Screw it! Jane sprinted to the window, pulling Adam behind her.
“Jane!”
Devin’s voice rang in her ears as she leaped out, taking Adam with her. Air whizzed in her ears as she fell, and terror spun through her mind.
She plunged into the cold lake.