The Installed Intelligence Trilogy Collection by Phoenix Ward

Author:Phoenix Ward [Ward, Phoenix]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2020-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

Dr. Miller

Beth was led through a pair of reinforced doors after they entered the health clinic. She followed her rescuers inside and they held the doors open for her. The entrance lobby of the health clinic was still dilapidated and dirty, but the older man explained that it was to keep up the appearance of an abandoned urgent care facility. If anyone was able to peek past the wood reinforcements in the windows, all they would see is the same dusty interior they might find in any other abandoned building. Through the reinforced doors, however, signs of life were clear.

The first thing she noticed was the soft sound of classical music floating through the air, so lightly that Beth assumed she was hallucinating it for a moment. Then she felt the warm glow of a few soft-bulb lamps. It illuminated everything with the friendly aura of a campfire — dim, but not unwelcoming.

Desks with stacks of books covering a vast majority of their surfaces were scattered about the room. There were old computers built into a few of them, but they seemed to be unpowered or nonfunctional. Behind one of the desks — standing up and looking down at some document or another — was another woman Beth had not seen yet. Just a few feet from her, another man rested in one of the office chairs, kicking his feet back on the desk’s surface.

They looked up with listless eyes as the others funneled in. They didn’t seem particularly excited or worried, just curious. They wanted to see the strange detective they all risked their necks to save.

“Beth,” the older man said, a hint of Cuban in his accent, “I want to introduce you to everyone. First off, we have Lia.” He gestured towards the blue-haired woman who had driven the autovan. “She was our fearless pilot on this mission. Bash and Frank here helped get you out of that situation and offered to provide backup should anything happen on our ride back.”

The thin black man and the blond with the beard nodded as their names were said.

“Back here at home base, we have Beta,” the older man continued, waving his open-palmed hand to the woman who had been looking down at her desk. “And lounging in the corner is Seth. I am Dr. Darren Miller, and I guess you could say I’m the ringleader of our little group of outcasts. I’m also one of the original designers of the Tarov A.I.”

Beth needed a moment to take everything in. She panned to each face as they were introduced, but it felt like their names were going in one ear and out the other. Like she had filled up her memory banks and couldn’t take on any new information. A sensory overload.

The others must have sensed Beth’s overwhelmed feelings. Frank moved forward and pulled a chair up for her. He gently pushed her back into it and she sunk into the plush seat cushion.

“I know this is a lot to take in, but first you have to trust us,” Dr.

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