Jaguar

by C. A. Gray

  Jaguar

  Uncanny Valley, Book 3

  C.A. Gray

  www.authorcagray.com

  Copyright and Disclaimers

  Jaguar

  By C.A. Gray

  Copyright 2018, C.A. Gray

  All Rights Reserved

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No Portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, audio recordings, facsimiles, photocopying, or information storage and retrieval systems without explicit written permission from the author or publisher.

  Published By:

  Wanderlust Publishing

  Tucson, AZ

  FREE eBOOK

  THE LIBERTY BOX (Book 1)

  Kate Brandeis has it all: a famous reporter at the age of twenty-four, she’s the face of the Republic of the Americas. She has a loving fiancé and all the success she could wish for. But when she learns of the death of a long-forgotten friend, her investigations unravel her perfect memories, forcing her to face the fact that she’s been living a lie.

  Jackson MacNamera, trained from a young age in the art of mind control, returns to the Republic for his mother’s funeral. Within a few hours of his arrival, authorities collect Jackson and take him by force to a room ironically called The Liberty Box, where he must choose between surrendering his thoughts to the new Republic, or fleeing for his freedom.

  Kate, bereaved and confused, finds her way to a cave community of refugees, where Jackson seems to offer her an escape from her grief. The two forge an uneasy bond, and in the process Jackson learns that Kate has some insight which may help the hunters in their attempt to free other citizens from the tyranny of the Potentate. Against the expressed wishes of the Council, the hunters plot a series of daring raids, attempting to prove that not only is freedom possible, but that the citizens are not too far gone to desire it. But with the odds so stacked against them, can the refugees succeed in their rescue missions right under the Potentate’s nose?

  Also by C.A. Gray:

  Intangible: Piercing the Veil, Book 1

  Invincible: Piercing the Veil, Book 2

  Impossible: Piercing the Veil, Book 3

  The Liberty Box: Book 1

  The Eden Conspiracy: The Liberty Box, Book 2

  The Phoenix Project: The Liberty Box, Book 3

  Uncanny Valley: Book 1

  The Silver Six: Uncanny Valley, Book 2

  Acknowledgements

  First, thank YOU, for reading my work! I’m so grateful to you for spending your time with my characters. I so hope you’ve enjoyed them so far!

  A huge thank you to my mom, who let me use her maiden name as my pen name (Cynthia Ann Gray!), who serves as my primary editor, who lets me bounce ideas off of her and helped me brainstorm, and generally is the source of all my best ideas.

  To my husband, Frank: thanks babe, for all your support and encouragement. I’m so grateful!

  To my editor, Jim Strawn: I couldn’t do it without you.

  To my street team: you guys are the BEST. I love your enthusiasm!

  And thank you Lord, for giving me the time and opportunity to put my ideas out there.

  Prologue: Liam Kelly

  Madeline’s eyes glowed a dull reddish color that told me she was still in maintenance mode.

  “Software update complete,” she declared, her voice flat and even more mechanical than usual.

  I reached behind her neck to hit her power button, letting her boot up. As she did, I reread the letter I’d just written.

  Rebecca,

  You’ll find that Madeline’s functionality is a bit changed: as I write this letter, I am installing a much older operating system on her, and adding in a few morality failsafes—meaning if she deems that your best interests conflict with another person’s rights, she will err on the side of the latter, rather than the former. I am also installing my software upgrade block on her, so that if Jaguar does distribute a creativity upgrade which might put these changes in jeopardy, she won’t be able to access it. But she retains her memory chip, so you will find her personality and her memories with you unchanged. I knew it would be too much to ask you to part with your best friend.

  That said, even if she isn’t dangerous anymore, she is “just” a robot, Bec. You once said yourself that it means nothing for someone—or something—to choose you, if there is no possibility that they could do otherwise. C.S. Lewis once wrote, ‘To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken.’ Loving Madeline was never risky; loving people is.

  But it’s worth the risk, Bec. Trust me on this.

  Liam

  I sighed, dissatisfied. It didn’t say what I really wanted it to say—but then, it couldn’t. Would what it did say be enough—considering this would have to be my goodbye?

  I folded the letter, using the tip of my pen to puncture a hole through the top of it. I threaded it through a string just as Madeline ‘awoke.’

  “Liam?” she asked, sounding confused. “Where is Rebecca?”

  “I’ll give you back to her soon, I just needed to update your programming a bit. I also need you to deliver a message to her for me—but only after I’m dead, do you understand me?”

  She blinked at me. “But… why would you be dead?”

  “I’m sure she’ll explain that to you, I haven’t got time now. The message is this.” I sighed deeply, and confessed, “I lied. I told her I didn’t love her because it was the only way to keep her from coming after me. I wanted to keep her safe. But when she finds out I’m dead, tell her—” my voice caught. I breathed through it, and added with more determination, “tell her I’ve always loved her. From the very beginning. Can you do that for me?”

  Wide-eyed, Madeline nodded. I knew the look: she was trying to read my emotions, so that she could respond properly. But I was hiding them as best I could, so she didn’t know how she was supposed to act, either.

  “But…” Madeline’s digital eyes flashed back and forth, “if I don’t tell her until after she finds out you’re dead, won’t she be furious with me that I didn’t tell her sooner, when she could still do something about it?”

  I leveled her with a glare, and she shrank back. I knew she would. “Madeline, when your objectives of making Rebecca happy and keeping her safe come in conflict, which are you programmed to do?”

  “Keep her safe,” Madeline said meekly.

  I relaxed. I’d just reinforced that programming, but I wanted to make sure it took.

  “Good. That’s right. Now do it.”

  I powered her back down then, and wrote Rebecca’s name on the front of the letter, tying it around Madeline’s neck. Next, I went to the dome room where I knew Mack would be tracking satellite data. Francis sat beside him, and they both looked up when I entered.

  “Liam,” Mack said, his voice heavy.

  I walked up and handed him Madeline. “Will you put this on the hovercraft and make sure Rebecca sees her?”

  A look of confusion knitted his brow even as he accepted the bundle. “You can’t just give her to her yourself?”

  I swallowed and shook my head. “I’m afraid I have to leave right now. I’m gonna try to convince my father to dismantle Jaguar before it’s too late—and show him Giovanni’s database of human test subjects. My brother’s name is on the list, so he’s not dead after all. M already knows all this,” I added.

  As I spoke to Mack, Francis flipped his netscreen closed and walked over, handing it to me. “You’l
l need this. To communicate with us.”

  I pursed my lips, and nodded. The netscreen’s LP address would be networked to the Commune, of course. It was optimistic to think I’d ever have the opportunity to communicate with them again, but I did like the idea of having at least some possibility of keeping tabs on the group.

  Mack gave me a side hug, which was all we could manage, between Madeline and the netscreen. “Good luck,” he said gruffly. “Stay safe.”

  I gave a short, incredulous laugh, but nodded. Then I turned to Francis, who stood there rigidly with his arms at his sides, watching me with no expression at all. Since he wasn’t gonna help me, I crossed the full distance to him, and embraced him with my one free arm. He hesitated, before raising up his own arm to pat my shoulder a few times.

  “Thanks,” I told him.

  “For what?”

  “For all your support over the years. It’s been an honor. You’re—one of my best friends, Francis.” It felt odd to say that out loud, but if ever there was a time to do so, it was now.

  He blinked very fast, as if he didn’t comprehend what I’d just said. “I—am?”

  I smiled in spite of myself. “Yes, believe it or not.” I glanced back at Mack, who looked more touched than Francis did. “Okay.” I gave them both a swift nod, and left the room after that. No point in lingering. I really didn’t want to run into Rebecca again after our last encounter, anyway. If I saw how much I’d hurt her, I’d probably cave and kiss her right there in the hallway, consequences be damned.

  The others were mostly busy packing up, as I knew they would be. They didn’t look at me, and I didn’t bother to say any other goodbyes. I’d already said the ones that mattered.

  All I took with me were the LED glasses Francis had made, and the netscreen he’d just handed me. I left the compound for the last time, took a deep breath, and climbed into one of the golf carts waiting in the outside tunnels. It was amazing how loud the wind sounded as I sped toward the silo where we kept the cars. I savored every sensation, like a man going to the gallows: the wind through my hair, cooling the humidity on my skin. The roaring sound in my ears. The jostle of the wheels on the uneven ground below, vibrating through my body.

  When I arrived at the silo, I took down the keys to the same old suburban I’d taken to the Quantum Track the day M sent me out for supplies. That was also the day I’d taken the hovercraft back to Casa Linda in abject terror to search for Rebecca, and the day both Andy and Val had arrived at the compound. I hesitated again, closing my eyes, savoring the ‘lastness’ of the moment—but only for a moment. Then I opened them again, raised the silo door, and climbed into the suburban, putting the keys in the ignition.

  The wheels kicked up dust from the unmarked trail I blazed, heading toward the nearest Quantum Track station. I hadn’t gotten very far when I noticed specks in the sky. As I got closer, I realized they were hovercrafts.

  And they were moving toward the compound.

  My heart felt like it dropped into my stomach. There was nothing I could do to warn them. Surely Mack would have seen them already, wouldn’t he?

  Would they get out in time?

  Chapter 1: Rebecca Cordeaux

  Our hovercraft skimmed the ocean, just like the Quantum Track tubes did. Mack said radar wouldn’t detect us down here—they’d be looking for us in the sky. Navigation was a little harder, but our pilot bot would detect any obstructions—ships or land—well before we were at risk of collision, and could reroute. The blueness of the water mesmerized me, at least lulling, if not soothing the ache in my chest.

  Dad had been right all along, and so had Liam. Robots really were a threat to humans. I had proof of that now, if I’d ever doubted it before: not only had they tried to kill Liam, Francis and me in Geneva, but Julie and Jake, two of my best friends, were now dead. The real culprit was the Silver Six, of course—but I felt angry with Julie for having run back to get Queenie, forcing Jake to run after her. If she’d never found that stupid dog, or if she’d just let her go, they’d still be alive. They’d be here with me right now.

  But she couldn’t have known that. She’d thought she could make it back in time.

  The vision of exploding tunnels played in my mind on repeat, merging into the dust cloud Liam’s car had left behind as it sped away.

  I’m in love with Liam.

  The words still felt foreign to me. All this time, I’d thought I’d been in love with Andy. Yet Andy had done nothing but alternately bore and irritate me—and that was before I knew he was capable of betraying us all. By contrast, whenever Liam had been around, I became hyper-aware of him, as if everything else in the room had been muted by comparison. How had I not understood what that meant?

  And how long had I loved him, anyway? He’d so often seemed frustrated with me, and I finally understood why: he’d known, when I didn’t even know myself. That’s why he didn’t ever seem to give up on me, no matter how I tried to put him off. He knew exactly how he affected me, so he kept getting increasingly bold, trying to elicit a reaction I could no longer ignore.

  But unfortunately, the stronger my emotions, the more I’d buried my head in the sand, pretending to feel nothing—even to myself.

  Mack was right, I thought. He said I’d been using Madeline to hide from real relationships, ever since my dad’s death. I’d had plenty of friendships, but not deep ones. Not really. I’d show only so much of myself to my human friends. All this time, I’d just been using Andy as a shield, to hide from my real feelings for Liam. Because if I’d admitted them to him when I should have… the many times I should have… I’d have opened myself up to the possibility of losing him. The way I’d lost Dad.

  Pretty much like what just happened.

  But Liam didn’t die in the explosions, I reminded myself. He’s alive, at least for now. And Madeline had told me—on accident, it turned out, but told me nevertheless—that he did love me, after all. He’d lied to me to try to keep me from coming with him. But now I knew the truth.

  Liam had to survive this. He would survive this, if I had anything to say about it.

  Francis plopped down next to me without waiting for an invitation, shoving his netscreen into my lap and pressing play on a video. The opening screen was a symbol of a Phoenix bursting into flames.

  I blinked back tears. Jake made that symbol.

  “I cleaned up the laughing and outside noise from Madeline’s recording of the film,” Francis explained. “Didn’t have to do much of anything to Giovanni’s interview, since we were all silent during that anyway. As soon as we arrive at the new compound, I’ll release them on the Commune to distribute to the labyrinth.”

  “Shouldn’t we film someone talking about what just happened in the caves, too?” Val murmured, creeping up beside us. Francis and I both looked up at her in surprise—it was the first time I’d heard her speak since we’d left. I’d assumed she was still in shock.

  Larissa, overhearing, piped up, “Definitely! If they doubt your story, Becca, then Giovanni’s will back it up, and what just happened to us will clinch it!”

  Francis pointed at Val. “Okay. Your turn.”

  Her eyebrows shot up, and she looked at me in alarm. “My turn?”

  Francis nodded. “We’ve already got Cordeaux’s and Giovanni’s stories on film. The rest of us chose to be here, but you never meant to be a Renegade. Let’s do your story next, and you can finish it with the bombs and our escape. Come on.” He beckoned Madeline with his fingers. Madeline turned wide eyes to me, looking for my approval.

  It was funny, how differently I felt toward Madeline all of a sudden. It was like I’d been play-acting on stage—but then someone brought up the house lights, and I saw the set for what it was. I still felt a deep sentimental attachment to Madeline, but I felt the same way about inanimate objects I’d owned for a long time, too. Now, instead of seeing her as my best friend, I saw her only as a robot, programmed to serve me. Programmed to mimic my
emotions, but lacking any of her own. I’d known all this before, but it’s one thing to know and another thing to know.

  I nodded my approval at her, suddenly feeling tired. She rolled forward, positioning herself before Val.

  “But—” Val protested. “I’m—” she gestured wordlessly at herself, and I knew what she meant: she was in a daze, barely functional, and as disheveled as we all were. She was a pretty girl, but she’d never looked worse. She finally stammered, “You can’t film me like this!”

  “It’s better,” Francis insisted inexorably. “It’s gritty. It’s raw. How better to manipulate the emotions of the public?” He pressed record on Madeline, and pointed an index finger at Val as he announced, “And… rolling!”

  Val blinked at Madeline, looking like a deer in headlights. “Hi.” She glanced at me, and I gave her a smile of encouragement and a tiny nod. She smoothed her hair self-consciously. “I’m—Valerie Hamilton. Everyone calls me Val.” She glanced at Francis, who made a reeling motion with his hand as if to say, get on with it, and he mouthed at her, Renegades? Val cleared her throat and said, “I… didn’t mean to join the Renegades. I did it on accident, because I ran into an ex-boyfriend, Liam Kelly Junior of General Specs, and—” she gave a weak giggle. “I guess I made a spectacle. That’s what he said, anyway. He said Halpert and the Silver Six had already tried to kill him and some of his friends for finding out they were all robots—he was pretty weak when I saw him, because he’d been shot in the chest a few weeks earlier, actually. He said I’d have been in danger if he’d just left me out in the open, so he took me to their underground hideout.” Her eyes glazed over. “I know this sounds weird, but even though that meant I had to leave my life behind, being with Liam again was like a happy dream. I’d never stopped loving him, and I’d fantasized for years about him showing up on my doorstep again one day. So when I saw him on a crowded street out of nowhere, I thought it was fate, bringing us back together again.” I winced, and felt everyone’s eyes on me except Val’s. She didn’t seem to notice, though—Val was just Val. Heart on her sleeve. Her eyes filled with tears. “But we only had a few weeks together. Our compound didn’t stay a secret: one of the members of our group betrayed us, and the Silver Six sent bots to bomb our hideout. The traitor escaped, and two of our friends were killed in the explosions. Now we’re on the run for our lives, and Liam is gone—since his dad is the head of General Specs, he’s going to talk to his dad about dismantling Jaguar—”