Null Set by S. L. Huang

Author:S. L. Huang [Huang, S. L.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Action & Adventure, Humorous, Fiction, Science Fiction, Technological, Thrillers
ISBN: 1250180309
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 2019-07-09T06:00:00+00:00

eighteen

RIO DIDN’T insult me by trying to ask me any questions about how I’d done it. I wasn’t going to answer, and he, apparently, was not willing to attempt the application of his … usual methods.

Given that, we didn’t have much more to say. I swallowed any of my own doubts about the effects of the brain entrainment, forcibly reminding myself of the statistics we’d seen cascading out of Checker’s programs. It was working. I would make it work. Rio or Yamamoto or anyone else—if they got in my way, I’d plow through them and win.

As for Simon, I made him leave with Rio. He kept swiveling his head back and forth between us as if he wanted to plead with me but was forcing himself not to because he knew it wouldn’t do any good.

Smart man. Or maybe just telepathic.

Once I was satisfied they’d gone, I went out and found Checker and Pilar right where I expected—in the Hole, watching a feed of the living room from one of Checker’s security cameras.

“We should abort,” Checker said immediately. “If we reprogram the hack—”

“What? Not a chance in hell!” Checker wasn’t going to stop me either. “You’ve seen the statistics. We’ve got a real chance to change the city here—we’re not going to fold the instant someone tries to throw up an obstacle. Not for Rio or anybody else!”

“I—I think I’m with Cas,” Pilar said. “If we’re making a difference—Cas, as long as you’re sure this guy can’t, um—”

“He can, that’s the point,” Checker said shortly. “You don’t understand; you haven’t been in this world long enough. There are times you cut your losses and run, and when someone like him targets you…”

“Since when have you been the cut-and-run guy?” I said. “You’re the person who wrote me fifty fucking pages about how this could prevent another Nanjing or Hitler. And now we have proof it’s saving LA and you want to wuss out?”

“I was also against this from the beginning,” Checker snapped. “And even though we’re seeing an effect—shit, maybe because we’re seeing such an effect, it’s gotten goddamn frightening. Cas, you’re the one who doesn’t want anyone so much as touching your brain even though it would be helping you—how can you feel like this is all okay? Are you really fine with saying we should have this much power?”

“It’s not the same thing,” I gritted out.

“Rio thinks it is,” Checker shot back. “Arthur told me what he said. I may not be religious, but I have a moral system, and I can’t believe I’m on his side on anything, but his reasons here make sense. You can’t tell me they don’t!”

“Why can’t both sides make sense?” Pilar was studying the ground like she wanted to disappear into it. “Why can’t what we’re doing be a little bit wrong but also be right? It’s not like life is black-and-white. I know you guys think I’m naïve on a lot of this stuff, and I know I am—but you two are trying to draw lines where there just, there aren’t any.

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