by Joe Canzano
Aiko laughed. “A lucky guy wouldn’t have been hit.”
“It’s all relative. Once you were hit, you were lucky.”
“Can you remove the fragments?” Suzy said, trying hard to fight her feelings of doubt.
“I can,” Maria said. “But he really should go to a hospital to get it done—because no, I’m not a doctor. I’m guessing a hospital isn’t an option.”
“I didn’t mean to insult you,” Suzy said. “You’re guessing right.”
Maria shrugged. “I’m not insulted; I would’ve asked the same question. Give me a minute to get ready. You can wait in the other room while I take care of him.”
Maria left and Ricardo followed her. Suzy grabbed Aiko’s hand and squeezed it. “You’ll be fine,” she said in a fierce voice.
It had to be that way. She couldn’t lose him.
Aiko grunted. “I’ll make it, Suzy. But be careful in this place. Don’t trust anyone.”
“Do I ever?”
Aiko stared at her. “There are people you can trust.”
Suzy frowned and looked away.
Aiko started to speak but then winced in pain as Maria came back into the room. She was now wearing a blue surgical outfit. Suzy could tell this wasn’t the first time Maria had done this. She seemed right at home with the idea of repairing gunshot wounds. Maybe it was something Ricardo’s sister had seen a little too often.
Ricardo turned to Suzy. “Wanna play cards?” he said. “You might win some money now that Maria is busy.”
“No, thanks.”
“You’re not a gambler?”
“I’m not a card player. So what else is in this building?” And where are the possible escape routes?
“This is just a hangout, Suzy.”
“A hangout with a secret entrance?”
He tilted his head and gave her that smile again. “Hey, I know you’re worried, right? But we’re safe here. The cops won’t bother us.”
“I’m glad you’ve got the local cops in your back pocket, but our trouble is bigger than that.”
“They’d still need to tell the local guys they were coming. It’s standard procedure. And even if they didn’t, we’d still get notified. Do you want a drink?”
“No, thanks. Maybe some water—no, wait, I’m okay. I don’t want anything.”
“You think I’m going to drug your water?”
“Ricardo, I’m not thirsty.”
“Are you too busy being paranoid?”
“Maybe.” She almost added, “Why are you helping us?” but managed to keep her mouth shut. She silently congratulated herself on her rare restraint. But it was a question that was nagging at her brain.
Sure, guys often took a liking to her. But this usually involved buying her a few drinks and then trying to get her naked. Rarely did anyone make the effort to include a smash-up car shootout and a visit to somebody’s underground crime headquarters. Then again, there was a first time for everything—but she didn’t think this was that time.
“Don’t worry, my sister will fix him up,” Ricardo said. “She got all the brains, and I got all the beauty. Although I guess she got the beauty, too—so maybe I got nothing.” He was standing beside her now with a glass of water in one hand and a bottle of Modelo in the other.
She took the water but didn’t drink it. “Thanks. Yeah, your sister seems to have some experience. She’s had a lot of practice, huh?”
He shrugged at her sarcasm. “Suzy, I’m not a bad guy. I never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. You know what I mean?”
There it was again. That look in his eyes—like he understood something. Or maybe he was just a good guesser.
She took a short sip from the water glass. “Maybe I do.”
“So, how about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
She stopped drinking the water. She wasn’t going to talk about it now. Sure, he was a good-looking guy who’d probably just saved her life, but it just wasn’t going to happen.
“I had one sister, Trish,” Suzy said. “She died.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. How did it happen?”
“Suicide.”
He winced, but kept his gaze steady. “I’m sorry to hear it. It must have been tough on your family.”
“Yeah, I guess. But it was tougher on me,” she said, instantly regretting her bitter tone.
“What? Your family didn’t care?”
“If they’d really cared it wouldn’t have happened.”
Ricardo hesitated, and then said, “I’ve just got Maria and we’re doing okay. Really, she’s doing better than me.”
“And you’re both involved with Los Pocos?”
“It’s not a great time to talk about that stuff, Suzy.”
“You’re the one who asked about my dead sister.”
“Sure, but I didn’t know she was dead.”
“Well, now you know.”
Ricardo took a swig of his beer. “Are you sure you don’t want a real drink? It’s going to be a while.”
“All right... Just one.”
She watched him walk off into the other room. He had a nice cowboy kind of swagger, and she had to admit, he was being sweet. And I’m being a bitch—but really, this has been a bad day. Then again, what was this guy’s game? It would be best to stay cool and keep a lid on her libido until Aiko could move and they could get the hell out of here. Then she’d thank Ricardo and be on her way. Maybe.
She sat on the edge of a chair near the operating room. She hadn’t slept lately, but ‘lately’ had been happening for years, and besides, she wasn’t tired. Too much adrenaline was shooting around in her system. Her brain was stretched like a snare drum, and someone was beating on it with a couple of sledgehammers.
The door opened and Maria stepped out. She looked at Suzy as she jumped to her feet.
“He’ll be fine,” Maria said. “There were three fragments in his chest and two in his leg; I got them all. It wasn't as bad as it looked. But he did lose some blood, and we didn’t have enough here. I used a synthetic but he should rest for a while.”
“Thanks,” Suzy said, nodding her head. “Thanks a lot for helping him.”
“It’s okay.”
“He’s been my friend for a long time.”
“He’ll be fine.”
“I’ve known him forever.”
“I understand,” Maria said. “He’s going to be okay. But tell him to stay out of gunfights. It’s a bad way to live.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Suzy sighed. “No, but I’m working on it. Thanks again.” Then she looked Maria in the eye. “By the way, what exactly does your brother do?”
Maria looked right back at her. “He does the best he can.” Then she paused and spoke in a milder tone. “He’s also a pilot—a good one.”
Ricardo walked into the room, carrying two glasses of tequila. He handed one to Suzy.
“Here you go,” he said. Then he looked at Maria. “So, did you tell her anything bad about me? Like I’m just too damn rich and charming?”
“No,” Maria said. “I like to tell the truth, Ricardo. So I warned her about your poetry.”
Ricardo grinned. “It’s true, Suzy—my poetry is powerful. You shouldn’t listen to it unless you’re tied down. Otherwise, the emotion will knock you through the wall.”
Maria rolled her eyes while Ricardo waved his hand and said, “Maria is like a beautiful flower. But her petals unfold like a blanket of blades.”
He grinned again while Suzy sipped her burning tequila.
Suzy said, “Ricardo, your sharp little sister tells me you’re a pilot. Do you have a ship?”
“What?” he said, giving his sister a pointed glance. “No. I only fly them. Do you have a ship?”
“I had one. But it’s gone now and I’m looking for something new.”
Suzy turned to Maria. “I need to see Aiko.”
“He’s resting,” Maria said.
“I need to see
him, and we need to get the hell out of here.”
Maria frowned. “He should sleep. I gave him an anesthetic and the effect needs to wear off. After he leaves, he should avoid any real activity for a while.”
“He’s perfectly safe here,” Ricardo blurted. “No one will find him, trust me.”
“All right,” Suzy said. “We’ll wait a bit.”
“Good. Do you want something to eat?”
“Maybe. But do you have a bathroom?”
“Sure. It’s right down the hall.”
“Thanks. I’ll be right there.”
As soon as Maria and Ricardo walked away, Suzy slipped into Aiko’s room.
He was sleeping so she shook him a bit.
“Aiko… Aiko! Are you asleep?”
“What? What?” His eyes popped open and he looked around quick, trying to get his bearings.
“Suzy,” he said as the fog cleared from his eyes. “Where are we?”
She was busy looking him over. “We’re in some kind of safe house, but it’s probably not safe. Listen, how did the Strike Force track you to the bar? Did they track your allcom?”
“No way,” he said, shaking his head. “I deleted everything that could be used for tracking… I also have an old-style phone, like you. It’s a throwaway, and totally untraceable. But who knows? The Feds put out a top security blast across every channel. Maybe a local cop spotted me at the spaceport and called it in. Then they followed me to the bar. Maybe…someone picked it up and guessed I was coming to see you—I mean, we do have a history, right?”
“Yeah, we do. Can you move?”
He was trying. “Sure,” he said while stumbling out of the bed. “I’m stitched up in a few places with a skin synthetic, but I can move.”
“Great. We need to get out of here.”
“I know, but is it a good idea to move too soon? We ditched the van close by and they must be combing the area. Ricardo seemed to think this place was protected by the local cops.”
“Our problems aren’t local. The Strike Force might find us. They could be here any second.”
“That’s true, but we can’t be too impatient, Suzy. Okay?”
She snorted and checked the clip on her pistol. “What’s the story with this brain?” she said. “Why is it so special compared to other AIs?”
Aiko was fumbling around now, finding his pants and shirt. He put them on and then sat down on the bed.
“Suzy, this is a special AI. This one can really solve problems. In fact, it might even be able to create an AI better than itself. Do you understand?”
“Sure. Your brain is into self-improvement. And it can help a robot build a better robot.”
“Yeah, but it’s more than that. The AIs we have now don’t really think. They use sophisticated software to simulate thinking by comparing thousands of options and then picking the best one—based on information supplied about those options. So they can have a conversation with you in a bar, and pour you a drink, and navigate a spaceship. They do this stuff really well, in fact so well that they seem to have personalities. But they can’t innovate. They can’t connect two ideas that have never been connected before and create something new—until now. This one uses a different approach that combines software with neuroscience. Your dad took an actual human brain and merged it with a sophisticated micro-computer. He created a ‘hybrid AI’ no bigger than a real human brain yet so much more powerful. It was a great achievement—but then we ran into a problem.”
“Oh, yeah?” Suzy said. “What kind of problem? Was it the whole ‘brain got too smart thing’? Don’t you guys ever go to the movies?”
“No, that wasn’t it. What happened was your dad discovered one of the guys running the project was plotting to steal the brain. Your dad confronted the guy, and the guy killed him. I didn’t know how many others were involved, so I swiped the brain and ran.”
Suzy frowned. “My dad confronted someone?” Did she feel more rage at the idea of his death—or more shocked that he’d done something that seemed brave. “Who was the guy, Aiko?”
“Blurr. He’s a Special Agent and a top guy working on the project. In fact, your dad got him the job.”
Blurr. The name was familiar to her.
“I know him!” she said. “My dad was friends with him! He brought him over a bunch of times. He was the guy who was after us—the guy with the silver boots when we were under the dumpster.”
“Right. That was him.”
She reached out and snatched Aiko’s shirt by the collar. “I could have shot him right there! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Aiko winced in pain. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
“Because, Suzy, you would’ve been killed or captured. And I would’ve been killed or captured, too. You’ve got to pick your battles… I didn’t want to drag you into this, but I wanted you to know what happened to your dad. And you need to know where the brain is—in case something happens to me.”
Suzy turned away from him. Her heart was pounding.
“Nothing’s going to happen to you,” she said.
“I hope not. Blurr’s an evil guy who wants to sell the brain on the black market to the highest bidder. I couldn’t go to anyone else at the Agency because your dad and Blurr were my only real contacts—and I didn’t know who else to trust. So I hid the brain on Choccoban, and now I’ve got to hide myself. And I’m standing here with the only person I trust.”
“Oh, fuck,” Suzy said. “You want to know something? I’m not that great.” She leaned toward him and tried to keep her voice from trembling. “Aiko, here’s the thing—I need money. My grandmother is sick. I haven’t talked to her since I left, but I monitor my mom’s posts to the family, and she needs a new heart. When you called and said you were coming, I was thinking, ‘Cool, maybe he can help me get some cash.’ But we’re talking about half a million earthos—and now I’m wondering if the brain is worth that much.”
Aiko’s jaw dropped. “Suzy, are you listening to me?” He waved his arms and then winced in pain. “I’m sure it’s worth a lot more than that—but the brain can’t be sold! We have to keep it hidden until we’re sure it’ll end up with somebody good. This was your father’s life’s work.”
“So was my sister, and he ignored her. If I can get something good out of this brain, I’ll take it.”
“You can’t sell the brain! Someone evil might buy it.”
“I don’t care who buys it. As long as their money is good and my grandmother gets what she needs... Just tell me this, why would anyone look for it? Wouldn’t it be easier for the government to just make a new one?”
Aiko hesitated, like he wasn’t sure if he should answer. “No,” he finally said. “They’d have to start from zero. Your dad took all the research, all the info—all the backups of the backups—and put it into one file that I saved with the brain. So no one else has anything. He was a very thorough guy.”
“Sure, he was thorough. When it came to his job.”
“He was also brilliant, Suzy. Look, I’m not defending the whole situation with Trish and your Uncle Leonardo. I’m just saying your dad had his good points.”
“And I suppose my uncle had his good points, too, right?”
“No, but he was your father’s brother. They grew up together and they were close.”
“That’s an even bigger reason why my dad should’ve done something!”
“But he did do something.”
“It wasn’t enough, Aiko. And that’s why I took care of it myself.”
“Okay, you did, and so Leonardo’s dead. But that’s also why you’ll be running for the rest of your life.”
“Fine,” she said. “I like running.”
“You’ll get tired of it.”
“Maybe. But I have no option.”
Aiko shook his head and gave a short laugh. “Well, I guess I’m running now, too.”
“Yeah. Maybe we can do that together.”
He smiled at her.
“Maybe we can.”
The door to the room opened and Ricardo peeked in.
“Hey, I didn’t think this guy had visiting hours,” Ricardo said.
“They’re over now,” Suzy said. “It’s checkout time. Let’s go, Aiko.”
Ricardo stepped into the room. “Suzy, you can’t go out there.”
“Oh, yeah? Just watch me. Your sister did a great job, and Aiko’s as good as new. The world is waiting for us.”
Ricardo jabbed a finger at her. “Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about. He might be fine, but if you go charging out there and get caught two minutes later, the SF will find this place—and that would be on my head, right? Do you want to get me in trouble after I put my gorgeous butt on the line for you?”
Suzy hesitated. There was some logic to Ricardo’s words, and there was nothing she hated more than too much logic. Also, he was kind of gorgeous—and he was trying to make her feel selfish, and it was working. But she still knew they had to get out of here fast, and that was based on some logic of her own.
“Ricardo, these guys aren’t after us because we haven’t paid a couple of parking tickets, and you guys don’t pay the local prince of the policía enough to keep his mouth shut when something really big comes breaking down his door. One of your crooked cops is going to talk when the government comes calling.”
“I don’t think so. We deal with this stuff all the time.”
“No, you don’t,” Aiko said. “This is different. We need a spaceship. We need to get off this planet.”
“What?” Ricardo said.
“Where’s your ship?” Suzy said.
Ricardo stared with wide eyes. “Are you kidding me? I don’t have a spaceship. It belongs to my partners.”
Carlos came running in with his ear to a phone. “Strike Force on the way, Ricardo.”
“Damn!” Ricardo said. “That’s crazy.” He turned to Suzy. “I guess you were right.”
Suzy grimaced and pulled out her pistol. “It’s a little early in our relationship for me to say ‘I told you so’—but can we please get the fuck out of here?”
Maria grabbed Ricardo’s arm. “What’s going on?” she said. “We’re supposed to be protected.”