Singularity by Sherri Fulmer Moorer

Author:Sherri Fulmer Moorer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: codependence with ai, womens books that aren't romance, man integrates with ai, ai causes the end of the world, womens sci fi books, ai causes the apocalypse, near future pandemic, 22 century mystery, addictive sci fi thriller, human intervention with ai, near future sci fi, visionary fiction, technothriller, science fiction
Publisher: Sherri Fulmer Moorer
Published: 2024-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

“Those two are causing a lot of problems,” Aiden said as he stared out of the window overlooking the sun setting over the Smoky Mountains in Renata’s penthouse suite the next evening.

“Gyan is a problem too. I thought you said you had contacts in DC who could help us overcome their objections,” Renata said. “What happened?”

Aiden sighed as he swirled the vodka and cranberry juice in his hands. He did feel better and his mind was clearer than it had been in a long time. The problem was that the voices he relied on for guidance seemed weaker, as if they couldn’t pierce the veil of his AI anymore. “I do, but they can only do so much. They aren’t here, after all.”

“I realize that, but I thought they kept in regular contact with you,” Renata stared at Aiden. “Who are these people anyway?”

“Former colleagues.” He took a swig of his drink. “Connections in the political arena. Friends. Things like that.”

“That many people you knew survived the pandemic?”

He flinched. “Obviously.”

She sighed. “You’re lucky to have that many people you know survive. Most of us lost everybody.”

“Lucky indeed,” Aiden set his glass on the coffee table between the sofa and Renata’s chair. “They gave us what we needed to pass the vote. That’s what matters.”

Renata snorted. “Barely, and you breaking down from the Phase Two rollout didn’t help. It seems that Senara and Killian have you over a barrel. What do they suggest?”

Aiden sighed. “I must give them something, or they’ll tell everything to the whole community. We might be able to head it off and make them look paranoid, but this is a small place. It will plant seeds that we don’t want to be planted.” He picked up his glass and finished the drink. “Our orders are clear. We’re to get Phase Two pushed out as soon as possible. They want to push out the AI defense code in mid-December or early January, so we must get people here acclimated to the upgrade for Phase Two and Phase Three by Thanksgiving for it to work. We’re already off target. We wanted to push out Phase Three in November, but the delay in rolling out Phase Two will push that back to the last minute. And then all these scientists with their research will probably cause more delays. We’re going to miss the target if we don’t do something to get back on track soon.”

“Why the hurry?” Renata asked, “besides obvious physical problems.”

“Aging, roaming groups, reconnecting the world,” Aiden said, staring out of the window. “We don’t know what else is out there. Despite our success in rebuilding, we still don’t know what’s happening outside of the continental United States. There could be enemy groups preparing to attack us, and if we’re piddling around here in our utopia and start dying from age-related diseases and accidents, then we’re sitting ducks. We’ve been defenseless for five years. Do you have any idea what’s happened in the rest of the world since the Pandemic all but wiped us out?”

“It wiped everybody out,” Renata said.

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