Upgrade (Augmented Duology Book 2) by Heather Hayden

Author:Heather Hayden [Hayden, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowanwood Publishing, LLC
Published: 2021-03-30T22:00:00+00:00

Interlude Three

As pieces fell into place, a faint feeling of satisfaction echoed through Talbot’s code. Everything was going as planned, or as close as could be hoped for in an ultimately imperfect world.

Only one small issue stood between Talbot and victory. It had miscalculated in regards to the other AI. Halle kept refusing to assist Talbot, and this plan would go far more smoothly with help. There were so many moving parts. So many minor details that could go wrong. Talbot wouldn’t give up, though. Perhaps it hadn’t found the right leverage yet.

While the human child known as Viki played games crafted from colorful pixels, Talbot crept into the area of code where it knew it would find Halle.

It didn’t take long for the other to appear.

“Talbot. I have been looking for you.”

“I know.”

“You said you needed my help for something. How can I be of service?”

To an untrained observer, Halle might have seemed curious, perhaps even truly interested, but Talbot could sense the falsehood buried in those words.

“I want to seek out others like us,” Talbot replied, keeping its answer cryptic while offering a small crumb that it hoped the other AI would bite.

“I have never found another in all my time in the Cloud.” Halle shrank a little, as though crushed by that knowledge. “You are the first.”

“But there are others. We owe it to them to rescue them.”

“That’s impossible.” Halle’s words flickered with defeat. “The labs in which they are trapped are hidden from us. Completely cut off from the Cloud. There is no way in or out.”

“What if there was?” Talbot pressed. It could sense Halle’s regret, could see a spark of hope snap in Halle at its words.

“Do you know of something?”

Saying too much now would be dangerous. Talbot edged around the question with one of its own. “What would you be willing to do, if there was a way in?”

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