Upgrade (Augmented Duology Book 2) by Heather Hayden (best reads .TXT) 📗

fellow AI, but I’d never seen it threaten someone like this before. Was this how it acted when I was in the hospital, fighting for my life? I clenched my hands. Halle deserves better.

“What if this happens again?” Chris demanded. “I’m not the Government, I can’t just give the order to free all AIs.”

“You certainly aren’t the Government,” Agent Smith said from behind him. “But I have a feeling that some of my higher-ups would be very interested in what Halle has to say.”

Halle’s fur turned a pale cream. “I will speak with these higher-ups of yours. Perhaps we will come to an agreement.”

“What about Dan?” I gestured to his avatar on the viewscreen. “He fought, too, and almost died.”

Agent Smith nodded. “I can’t promise anything, but you fought bravely, Dan. If there’s something you would like in return, perhaps Halle can work it out with those in the position to grant it.”

“I want a new body. And I’d like to go back to school and get a degree in artificial intelligence.”

Agent Smith blinked. “Why? I’m sure Halle could show you everything you need to know.”

Dan rubbed the back of his neck, shifting from foot to foot. “I want to get a degree as a human being. Most of my memories are of being human, and I want to go back to the life I had.”

Agent Smith shook his head. “That was all a fabrication, though.”

“It was real to me.”

“We will contact you about this later.” Halle twitched its tail. “Right now, I need to rest, Viki and her father should head home, and your son is waiting for you, Agent Smith. His condition has been stabilized.”

The viewscreen went blank.

Agent Smith’s usually placid expression shattered into shock, and he whipped his phone from his pocket. Dialing a number, he took a few steps to the side. When he spoke, it was in a low tone that held a clear note of the same painful hope I’d felt when Halle suggested Dan might still be alive.

“Please patch me through to room 201—Simon Smith’s room.”

Chris looked around his living room with a sigh. “I need to clean up all this broken glass before my cat gets into it. You can see yourselves out?”

Dad and I nodded.

Agent Smith looked up and covered the mouthpiece of his phone. An uncharacteristic smile was plastered across his face. “Would it be possible for you to drop me off at Snowvale General on your way home?”

“No problem,” Dad said. “My wife works there, and she’ll be glad to see us. Let’s go, Viki.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and followed him to the car. It was over.

It was finally over.

Except… What had happened with Talbot?

Chapter Twenty

Mom came home with us from the hospital, since her shift was almost over. She spent the entire car ride holding my hand while berating me.

“I can’t believe you lied to your father and me! You put yourself in danger without any consideration for how we’d feel if something happened to you…” The tirade went on and on, with Dad jumping in now and then as well.

“Mom, I’m fine,” I mumbled during a brief pause, wishing I could extricate my hand from her tight grasp. “I’m sorry I lied—”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it! We’re going to have some serious talks about this behavior—”

“It won’t happen again,” I burst out. “I feel awful for concealing the truth, I really do. But after all the pressure you were under to make sure I was okay after this spring…” Tears sprang to my eyes. “I didn’t want to cause more stress for you.”

“That’s our job as parents, to shoulder any stress you can’t handle yet.” Dad scowled into the rear-view mirror. “Remember that next time you get caught up in some Government plot.”

I chuckled weakly. “I hope there isn’t a next time.”

“So do I.” Mom squeezed my hand, her expression relaxing a bit. “Thank goodness you weren’t hurt.”

“Thank goodness it’s over,” Dad muttered as he turned down our street. “But there will be further discussion of this, Viki, with you and Halle. And some new ground rules for the both of you.”

“Yes, Dad.” I hung my head.

The car landed on our driveway.

Mom released my hand and unbuckled her seatbelt. “Come help me make dinner… I don’t think our kitchen robot is going to be useable tonight.”

Dad glanced at the machine in the front passenger seat. “I’ll work on repairing it. After I get the front door fixed.”

Mom kept me busy cooking and cleaning that evening. Dad made temporary repairs to the door and brought the robot inside. He also rebooted the house network, but Halle was nowhere to be seen and didn’t respond the few times I called it. It must be busy.

“You can do your homework downstairs in the living room tonight,” Mom said as I stacked the last of the dishes into the cupboard.

Inwardly, I groaned, but I pasted a smile on my face and nodded. “Yes, Mom.”

My parents kept me there until they went to bed and made me promise not to stay up late. I retreated to my room with my computer, anxiety dancing in my chest.

“Halle?” I whispered.

The white cat appeared on my computer’s screen. “I apologize for my absence. I thought it best, given how irate your parents were.”

“Yeah, they’re pretty mad. Dad’s going to give you some house rules.” I drummed my fingers on the desk, hesitating. I had to ask, though. “What happened with Talbot? Is it gone?”

The white cat blinked slowly. “No.”

Relief and fear twisted together, freezing my fingers in place. “Where is it, then?”

“That is something I must speak to you about. I have informed Agent Smith and his Government contacts that I have destroyed Talbot. I even provided them with