“Hey, I’m fine with what you are right now,” Erik noted.
“I appreciate that, Detective.” Emma walked over to the window. She was very lifelike in her movements, despite them being completely unnecessary, and she’d only gotten better at them over time. “But I’m doing this for my own reasons.”
“Meaning, you might leave me someday?”
Emma nodded. “Perhaps. I’m unaware of what pointless purpose those uniform boys have for me, but neither am I your property.”
“Never claimed you were.” Erik rested his head on the back of his couch. “And I’m not a kid. People coming and going is part of life. If you stick with me long enough to help me take down Talos and their friends, that’s all I could ever ask of you.”
She turned to look at him on the couch. “I’m sure that’s possible, Erik.”
Erik turned around to lie on his back. His eyelids were heavy. He hadn’t been sleeping much lately with the workload.
It was starting to catch up with him.
Emma seemed content to be silent, and when he didn’t speak again for a full minute, she vanished, understanding he wanted to be alone in his thoughts. He appreciated the AI not being needy in that sense, but she was almost always with him.
He wasn’t a programmer, let alone someone who knew much about AIs, but Emma sometimes felt more like a human than a machine. The way she talked and thought, and even her limitations, made her seem like an emotional being who could multitask efficiently more than the cold, hyper-efficient algorithms and lesser AIs he was used to. The Purists hadn’t complained much about AIs because AIs had never threatened to supplant human thought.
AIs like Emma could change all that.
For his part, Erik was glad to have her with him—snarky friend, partner, and watchful mother in one powerful package. She wasn’t everything.
She wasn’t his lover.
But Jia was coming. They were allegedly dating now, but somehow that hadn’t changed much. It was like they’d both gotten used to the lie and were still going through the motions, despite the obvious attraction between them. Most of that was his fault. He’d done his best to discourage her, and she’d respected it.
Perhaps she still was.
It wasn’t a huge problem. In the end, they would have plenty of time to figure things out. They needed to concentrate on making sure their lives were cleaned up before switching jobs. Hopping all over Earth or going out into the UTC on the whims of an agent of the Intelligence Directorate wouldn’t lead to stable personal relationships, he suspected.
Erik reached for his PNIU. His friends at the 1-2-2 knew he was leaving, but there was one person who needed to be informed. One relationship he’d bothered to repair when he came back to Earth.
He tapped to bring up his contacts list before calling his brother.
“Erik?” Damien answered. “Is everything okay?”
Erik blinked. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Because you don’t tend to call me out of the blue, and you don’t go a week without being involved in something dangerous,” his brother answered.
Erik chuckled. “That’s not true, at least not every week.”
Damien let out a relaxed laugh. “I saw on the news that your department took down another group of criminals. I think you missed your calling as a soldier all those years. If you’d been a cop from the beginning, you could have wiped out all crime on Earth.”
Erik didn’t respond right away. He half-expected Emma to chime in with her theory of AI crime-busting superiority, but she remained silent.
The more he thought about it, the more he remembered that she rarely commented when he was talking to his brother. She might not care about human relationships in the same way as a person, but she understood their importance to him.
“I think I wouldn’t be as good a cop,” Erik offered, “if I hadn’t been a soldier first. The Army gave me discipline, and we both know the cops wouldn’t have taken me right away.”
Damien tsked. “I suppose that’s true.”
Erik hadn’t meant to bring up bad memories for either of them. The mistakes of his youth were decades in the past, and both men had moved past them, so there was no reason for the conversation not to as well.
“Maybe you should become a cop. Get de-aging, and apply,” Erik joked.
“Good Lord, no. It’s too dangerous for me. Criminals, terrorists, and insurrectionists? I think I would need therapy for decades if I had to deal with as much as you. Yaoguai? That’s the kind of thing I thought only happened in shows and movies, but you’ve fought them, and more than once, I might add.”
Erik would have loved to hear his brother’s reaction to the nanozombies, but there was no reason to stir up trouble by discussing that truth.
The government wanted it kept quiet.
He suspected it was less the work of the conspiracy than a government embarrassed by the deployment of such a dangerous technology, secure environment or not.
“You get used to it,” Erik admitted. “But, yeah, it can be messed up at times.”
He wasn’t going to deny the lifestyle could wear on a person. Jia’s previous trouble was proof of that, and he’d seen more than a few soldiers have issues after tough campaigns. Something about his brain was wired differently. He wouldn’t claim it made him a better man, but it had helped him navigate a lifetime of violence. All he needed to do was focus on his objectives.
After the defeat of the conspiracy, he might change careers, but he would deal with that challenge when it presented itself.
“If nothing’s wrong, why did you call me?” Damien asked. “No offense, and I’m happy we’re talking to each other now, but you’re not all that interested in chatting about random things with me. I get it. Too many decades.”
Erik stretched out on the couch, tucking his hands behind his head as he stared up at his ceiling. “After you just got done saying all that stuff about what a great cop I am, I feel kind of stupid telling you I’m leaving the force. I’ve been meaning to tell you for a few days, but things kept coming up, and I’d get distracted.”
Damien sucked in a sharp breath. “You’re quitting the NSCPD? I know you’ve accomplished a lot in your time there, but I thought you were going to spend some more time there. You spent thirty years as a soldier. Don’t you want to spend a few more years as a cop?”
“I’ve got other things I need to take care of,” Erik explained. “I’ve got a new job lined up. It’s more private security-focused. I won’t be on the news all the time.”
“Will it be safer?” Hoped filled Damien’s voice.
“Honestly?” He wouldn’t lie. “Probably not.”
Damien sighed. “I know I’m not going to be able to talk you out of it, but it’s not like you need the money. And you’ve never cared that much about money, so I can’t see you taking the job for that reason. Did you just want something that brought fewer headlines?”
Erik chuckled.
He’d never sought fame or money, and he hadn’t intended to take on so many criminal organizations not controlled by the conspiracy. The situation had unfolded beyond his control. The fame could be useful, but it could also be a hassle, such as when he was targeted by the Purist cult for being a high-profile cyborg.
“Something like that,” he murmured. “I also think that for what I want to accomplish, I need to travel the UTC more. If I can get it done on Earth, I’m not going to complain, but I doubt that’s going to happen.”
Damien laughed, the sound warm, not mocking. “You need to see more of the UTC? You can’t spend a few more years at home?”
Home. Erik wasn’t sure what that word meant anymore. His apartment was a place to sleep and keep his possessions, nothing more. If an assassin blew it up tomorrow, he’d be more annoyed at the inconvenience than troubled by the loss. Home had always been people to him, including his units. The conspiracy had taken his home on Molino.
Erik answered, keeping his voice happy, “Like I
said, not sure yet.”
“Didn’t you get enough of the colonies in your thirty years in the Army? I bet you’ve seen more of the UTC than the vast majority of people alive. I’ve never gone farther than the moon. I thought about going to Venus once, but something came up.”
Erik smiled. “Not sure if I’m that special, but I’ll do what I have to do to keep busy. I just wanted you to know. We patched things up, and now I’ll be spending a lot of time off Earth. I didn’t want to seem like I stopped caring about the family I have left.”
“It’s okay,” Damien replied. “I’m not going anywhere any time soon. Just remember what you just said. You do still have family here, Erik. I know it’ll take us a long time to get where we should have been already, but I’m willing to put in the time, even if you won’t be here as much.”
Erik took a deep breath.
He would always have family here, but he had no other strong ties to Earth except Jia, and she was coming with him. Jia didn’t just have family on Earth, she had family she regularly visited. But she was her own woman, and she understood the sacrifice their new position would require.
“Thanks, Damien. I appreciate that. I just wanted to let you know. I also know calling you out of the blue is inconvenient. So I’ll let you go.”
“No problem. Talk to you soon, Erik.”
“We’ll see,” Erik answered. He tapped his PNIU and killed the call, his thoughts drifting back to Jia. She understood the sacrifice and had chosen it with full knowledge of the dangers of the conspiracies. But there was one person who might have gotten swept up by Erik. There was something else he needed to do that day.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Erik pounded on Malcolm’s door.
He’d waited until the evening and flown over to the tech’s place without bothering to call ahead. It was becoming a bad habit, especially since Malcolm might not be home. Wasting a day off flying around the city hunting the man down rather than calling him wouldn’t be anyone’s idea of smart detective work.
Soon, he wouldn’t be a detective. He wouldn’t be an ID agent either. He would just be a man with a lot of borrowed advanced technology hunting a conspiracy.
Erik smirked. People like to call ID agents ghosts, but who was the real vengeful ghost between him and Alina?
“Come on, Malcolm,” Erik muttered.
It would have been easier to call the tech, but talking about working for Alina demanded a face-to-face meeting. He was there anyway, and not even the fanciest Navigator tech could turn back time. He knocked again, waiting for any kind of response and was about to leave when the door slid open. Malcolm stood on the other side, wearing a rumpled blue Hawaiian shirt covered with penguins riding Zitarks. He looked confused.
“When I checked my camera, I was thinking, ‘Hope nobody’s here to kill me,’” Malcolm greeted him. He gestured inside. “Because that would really suck. Then I saw you, and I thought, ‘Wait. Is he here to kill me?’”
“Trust me, if I ever decide to kill you, you’ll know it’s coming.”
“Yeah. That’s what I figured.”
Erik stepped into the apartment after looking around for anyone suspicious. The door slid closed behind Erik.
He wasn’t wrong to be paranoid. People around Erik and Jia ended up being targeted even without working for the Intelligence Directorate, and it’d only be worse going forward. The conspiracy was aware of him, and they would likely soon realize what his leaving the department meant. He hoped they would.
It might mean they would come at him directly.
“What did you need, Detective Blackwell?” Malcolm asked, confused. “We’re not like hang-out buddies now, are we?”
“No,” Erik offered, the word coming out as a grunt.
Emma appeared beside Malcolm. “I can guess his intent based on a previous maudlin conversation he had today, but I’ll leave it to him.”
Erik didn’t think his conversation with his brother had been all that maudlin, but he wasn’t there to argue with Emma. He could do that in his flitter on the way home.
Malcolm side-eyed the AI. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you just popping in. You’re like a snarky ghost.”
“Then don’t encourage a haunting.” Emma’s smile was more playful than mocking. She turned her head toward Erik.
“I came because I wanted to double-check.” Erik shrugged. “It’s simple as that.”
“Double-check what?” Malcolm asked. He looked over his shoulder. “Not double-checking if I’m about to get blown up, are you?”
“No, nothing like that.” Erik pointed to himself. “I wanted to double-check on you wanting to join up with me, which means working for Alina and the Intelligence Directorate, even if we’re doing our own thing.”
Malcolm tilted his head, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. “I already agreed. You talked me into it not all that long ago, remember? Did I say something that makes you think I didn’t want to do it?”
“No, but I wanted to make sure. I threw some stuff at you about Camila. I get how people can be caught up in the idea of adventure and crap like that. A lot of people join the Army thinking it’s all going to be slick uniforms and excitement. They end up disappointed pretty fast, so I needed to know you were thinking straight. I owe you that.”
“Or thinking with your brain, at least,” Emma muttered. She scoffed quietly when Erik frowned at her. “You’re the one who implied taking the job would get him more sexual favors from his girlfriend.”
Malcolm scrubbed a hand over his face. “I know you’re not really a woman, but there’s something creepy about you talking about my sex life.”
“If you understand I’m not a fleshbag, you should care less, not more.”
“Let’s table the whole sex discussion,” Malcolm suggested with a handwave. “Please?”
“Very well, Technician Constantine.” Emma’s lips twitched into a smug smile.
“Yeah.” Erik frowned. “I’m trying to have a serious conversation here, Emma.”
“Duly noted.” She vanished.
Erik nodded at Malcolm. “Do you get what I’m saying?”
“Yes, I get what you’re saying.” Malcolm looked down. “But I’ve had time to think about it, so it’s not like operating off a high from a conversation weeks ago.” He lifted his head, a determined expression on his face. “The job makes sense. For me, not just for you. It’s a chance I’d never have if I stayed with the NSCPD, and freedom I couldn’t have if I worked for someone like the CID or ID directly.” He stopped, but Erik let the silence lengthen, and he continued. “It’s not just that.”
Erik nodded. “What is it?”
Malcolm pointed to the ceiling. “After everything I’ve heard from you, Jia, and Camila, I understand that there’s a big game out there. A game that’s not just about criminals or terrorists, but nasty people involved in seriously high-level corruption. I’m never going to be the guy who can kick down a door and shoot a terrorist in the head, but I want to do my part in the fight. Is that so wrong?”
“Nothing wrong with that.” Erik locked eyes with Malcolm. “But you have to know that going after big game is dangerous, more dangerous than the nastiest criminals the NSCPD has dealt with. You might not be going out in the field with us, but you’ll be around it. I want to make sure you understand. I can’t guarantee you’ll never be shot at.”
“Assassins. Tin Men. Yaoguai.” Malcolm swallowed. “Nanozombies. And that’s just the stuff you’ve told me about. I bet this whole thing ends with you and Jia fighting a raptor ninja.”
“Yeah, probably, or some annoying fungus knight.” Erik leaned against Malcolm’s wall as he folded his arms. “Here’s the thing. When I was in the Army, I didn’t spend a lot of time worrying if the men and women I served with understood they’d be in danger. They joined the military of their own free will, and they all understood the military fights people, especially for all my time in Assault Infantry, even if they joined up for the excitement.
”
“So, you didn’t give them this kind of speech?” Malcolm asked.
Erik shook his head. “By the time they got to me, they were already through basic training. It wasn’t my place, but it didn’t matter. Even if they understood that the Army was dangerous and they could be hurt, that didn’t mean I didn’t do my best to make sure they’d survive missions. But this is different. We’re going to be traveling a lot. We won’t know where ahead of time. Sometimes Alina will be telling us what to do. Sometimes we’ll be following our own clues. But we know that at the end of the path, there’s a ruthless enemy who thinks nothing of killing people. They won’t care that you’re not an ex-cop or ex-soldier.”
Malcolm laughed nervously. “Geeze, Detective Blackwell. You really know how to sell a guy on helping you. It’s almost like you’re trying to convince me not to come with you.”
“I’m not here to bullshit you, Malcolm,” Erik replied. “So, yeah, I kind of am trying to convince you not to come. I’m also not going to pretend this is about anything other than revenge. At least for me, but I know that the bastards behind Molino deserve to be taken out. I just want to make sure you understand the risks and you get what it’ll mean to travel with us. But it’s not like it’s a lifetime task. You can leave any time, but doing this might make you a target regardless.”
Malcolm sighed. “So you’re saying if I join up with you, it might end up being safer to stay with you because I’ve been working with you.”
“Yeah, pretty much. No bullshit. We’ll be taking on some nasty bastards, but this will end with us not just taking them on, but taking them out.”
Malcolm took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He gave a shallow nod, his face pale. “If I’m sitting back in the trenches, I’m not going to be in as much danger, and if I can help take down a creepy conspiracy, it’ll be worth it, even if I get shot at on occasion.” He grinned. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll find out I’m a secret badass.”
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