Victor X by T. H. Riss

Author:T. H. Riss
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: World Castle Publishing, LLC
Published: 2024-02-13T22:52:27+00:00

Chapter Seven

The phone rang.

“Hello, Victor. What’s up?”

“Hello, Axle. I need to see you this evening if possible.”

“Sure. Is it work related?”

“Kind of.”

“Okay. Do you want to meet me somewhere or just come over to the house?”

“Your house would be fine. Have you finished with dinner?”

“Yes, I have. Come on over.”

“Alright. See you shortly.”

Victor ended the call and went into his bedroom to put on a clean shirt. He then jumped back into his car and made the short drive to Axle’s house, which was located in an exclusive subdivision above the city. There were a lot of questions on his mind, and Victor was mentally preparing himself for this critical discussion. He parked his car in front of Axle’s home, a slickly designed modern bungalow featuring lots of chrome and tinted glass. He ran up to the door and announced his presence to the security system. A laser scanned him, and then the door opened to reveal Axle standing in the vestibule.

“Hello, Victor, come on in. Have you met my wife, Maggie?”

“No, I have not. Hello Maggie. I’m Victor.”

“Good to meet you,” she said pleasantly as she offered him her hand. “Why don’t you guys go into the family room, and I’ll bring you some drinks if you’d like.”

“No, nothing for me,” said Victor. “But thanks for offering.”

“Nothing for now, babe,” said Axle as he kissed her on the cheek. “Follow me, Victor.”

Victor followed Axle down the short hallway and into a spacious family room. There were large windows along one entire wall, providing a spectacular view of the city below. The room featured neutral color tones of gray and black, and there was an el-shaped sectional in the middle of the room. A billiard table was strategically placed to the right of the sectional, and a wet bar along the opposing wall.

“I love your house,” said Victor as he surveyed his surroundings.

“Thanks. Have a seat.” Victor sat at one end of the sectional, Axle at the other. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“Axle, do you consider yourself to be my friend?”

“Of course.”

“I don’t just mean a work friend, but a friend in the general sense of the word.”

“Yes, I should like to think so.”

“And, therefore, you can be totally honest with me?”

“Sure.”

“And if I told you something in strict confidence, would you maintain my trust?”

“Yes, I would. Victor, is this about work?”

“I’m getting to that. Axle, I have reason to believe that I’m different from everybody else.”

“Different? In what way, Victor?”

“In every way. You see, I think I’m a bio-hybrid humanoid.”

“Whaaat?” said Axle incredulously.

“You know, an android with flesh and blood.”

“I know what a bio-hybrid is. But you’re joking, right? I mean, you’re not being serious.”

“Yes, Axle, I am.”

Axle sat still and stared at Victor for a moment. “So, this is what was plaguing you? I think I can explain your feelings. Victor, there is a psychological phenomenon common to those of us who work in the field of artificial intelligence, where we identify so closely with AI that we start to wonder if we might be one ourselves.

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