The scene froze. “Sofia, you are showing signs of great distress, are you sure you wish to continue?”
“Yes, put me back, this is it!” Sofia almost screamed.
The scene unfroze again, and time slowed down, although she wasn’t certain if this was her memories or ANI supporting her. The man holding her was in their driveway, moving away from the house as quietly as he could on the gravel. Looking over his shoulder, she saw the front door wide open and a picture frame smashed on the floor. The doormat was stained red, and a trail of blood led into the lounge.
As the man carrying her reached the street, she saw more of the house. It was large, with soft lights in some of the windows. It had a neat garden, a close-cropped lawn, and several small trees. Around it were other houses, none the same but all similar. Cars were parked on drives, expensive cars, but not on the one she’d just left. It was dark outside, the streetlights making pools of white along the street. She didn’t know what time it was, but some of the other houses had lights showing. Around the open front door, two figures were checking the area, both had guns, large silvery pistols that glinted in the homely light of the house. Each of them spoke a few words, then ran off in different directions.
Sofia was scared, she began to cry, calling for her mother. The man said something, his voice low. All she understood was the shushing sound he made. She began to struggle, but the man was too strong and the blanket was too tight. Her bladder emptied with fright, the man looked down at her and made a sound of disgust. His tight grip didn’t falter, but his speed increased.
The stranger ran into the road, across it and off into the night, his footsteps changing on the different surfaces. Sofia looked back towards the house, rapidly receding as they moved further from it. She looked at the windows upstairs, but she couldn’t see her bedroom, which was on the back. Her bedroom, there was, something... her moment of clarity was suddenly snuffed out by an almost physical thump of blackness.
Sofia rose back to consciousness slowly, the chanting low and soothing in her ears. She slumped a little in the chair, the screen in front of her was grayed out.
“ANI?”
“Yes Sofia, I’m here.”
“Why did you stop it?”
“I didn’t, you did. I think you were about to remember something life-changing, and your mind rebelled.”
“Oh, so I can’t try again?”
“Yes, but give it a few days. We can start again, go slower this time.”
Sofia sat up straight and took a few deep breaths and a sip of water.
“Did you see those memories, ANI?”
“Of course.”
“And they were real?”
“Yes, all genuine memories from your mind.”
“So, who was that man, and where was that house? It looked somewhere wealthy, a rich neighborhood, maybe here somewhere.”
“I suspect you will only find that out the next time you try.”
“But, can you help at all?”
“I can tell you the house wasn’t of any Colombian style.”
“So, the States? And that man, was he carrying me away?”
“It would seem so. Please, Sofia, go home, rest, try not to think about it. We can try again in a few days.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You just hit delete and the memory’s gone, I can’t do that.”
“It isn’t as simple as that, but I take your point. Now go home. I’ll see you in the morning.”
ANI watched Sofia leave, locking the door and crossing the road on her way home. ANI replayed the last memory Sofia had seen. She isolated the image of the man’s face as he carried Sofia. The result wasn’t perfect, Sofia’s memory was blurred by time. ANI cleaned up the picture as best she could, and began to search for him through her database. It contained an image of almost everyone on earth, so would take a while.
Another part of ANI turned her attention to the house. She knew who Sofia was, via her DNA, and she knew the location of the house, who’d lived there before and who lived there now. What she didn’t know was what had happened there, all those years ago. She looked at the image of the house in the recording of Sofia’s memory, concentrating on the upstairs. She tried to move closer, but could only magnify the image. There was something about it, something familiar. Her emotional side registered a surge of feeling she hadn’t experienced before, and for several microseconds, all her systems stopped. She quickly recovered, and examined what the emotion had been. With another jolt, she realized for the first time in her life she’d been afraid.
Chapter Twenty-One
In Wrong Places
Aaron returned to his room after leaving Jonas, his mind buzzing but his body only wanting sleep. As he walked along the well-lit path he had a sudden feeling he was being watched. He almost laughed at himself. Of course he was, ANI was watching and listening, and analyzing his body language and probably checking his heart rate and pheromone levels as well.
Before, this wasn’t a problem. It was good to know someone was looking out for him in case there was an accident or other emergency. Now, he felt as if he was being examined, not watched over. The observer had taken a far more active role, and had become more of a spy than a benign guardian.
The plan was to spend a couple of weeks here, finding out as much as he could about ANI and what was going on in here. After only a few days he’d discovered far more than he was expecting. He couldn’t speak to Cline without ANI monitoring his conversation, but he was starting to forget certain details, and so had to write it all down.
When he reached his room, he was much more paranoid than before, but tried to act casual. If ANI was monitoring him with one of her subroutines, she probably wouldn’t notice any change in behavior. He got the feeling ANI would personally be watching him herself. Aaron went into the bedroom, grabbed a pen, a notebook, and a flashlight, then hid himself under the covers like a naughty schoolchild. Now he knew how capable ANI was, this didn’t feel at all silly. In fact, he immediately began to think of ways she could still see what he was doing. Maybe she had infra-red cameras that could see his body heat and track the motion of the pen as he wrote? Aaron pulled himself together, being paranoid was one thing, but thinking like that would only lead to madness.
Instead, he opened his notebook and found a blank page, then, using a personal code he’d invented during his military service, he began to write down his thoughts. Firstly, back to basics. He’d been sent in here to discover if ANI had killed all those people. So, the first question was, ‘How’. He wrote this at the top of the page and underlined it. The first possibility was by using the sound waves, as used by EDAI. He knew the waves could be used to enhance the mind, to make people think in a more efficient way. Maybe they could also be used to shut down the brain. This would explain why those who had been killed had no marks on them. But no, the prisons for one had no such speakers, ANI flatly refusing to educate incarcerated violent criminals.
The next thing he considered was a plague of some kind, a genetically modified disease designed to kill specific people. That was also out, as the people who had died were of all races, both genders, and many weren’t criminals in the usual sense, but business people and media tycoons. So, something so controllable and precise it would take a super-computer to do it. Well, that was an answer of sorts, but there was still something he was missing. With no further information to go on, he moved to the next question.
Aaron closed the notebook and pushed the covers aside, he let the hot air out and then replaced the covers. He wrote ‘Why’ and underlined it, then jotted down a few notes. Most, but not all, of those dead were convicted criminals. Many more were later found to be ex-criminals, those not yet convicted, and those under investigation by one or more law-enforcement agencies. So, criminals. But many others weren’t, at least not in the traditional sense. Several of those murdered were unpleasant individuals, l
ike greedy bankers, media people who stretched the truth almost to breaking point, and politicians with some borderline views, but who hadn’t yet stepped over the line into illegal activity. So, social criminals, people vilified by general consensus. And a handful or more seemed completely innocent, but had no doubt committed some crime ANI knew about but was yet undiscovered by traditional criminal investigation methods.
Was that the answer? Had ANI killed people she decided were bad, even if their actions were still strictly legal? The thought she could do this to anyone at any time made him shiver, despite the growing heat under the covers.
Dr. Young said ANI had stopped the killings, but wouldn’t say why. In other words, she was ready to kill more people, maybe even every human on earth, not just those who were morally wrong. Another thought occurred to him. How did he know the killings had stopped? Maybe ANI was killing people in lower numbers now, so the authorities didn’t know she was doing it. Maybe, in fact, she’d started the mass killings again, and he just didn’t know it, locked away in Prosperity away from independent news sources. Another thought caused him to throw back the covers again in sudden panic. What if ANI had killed everyone in the world, except those people here in Prosperity?
After a long drink and some pacing around, Aaron convinced himself ANI hadn’t done that, or at least if she had it was all too late anyway. He went to bed, properly this time, but his head was spinning with questions. Was ANI Dr. Young? If so, How? Why did Jonas think ANI was sick? Why had ANI brought him here, and brought Jonas here? ANI had said don’t ask why she’d killed all those people, but why had she stopped. When he’d asked, he’d been ignored.
Eventually, he became so tired he fell asleep, questions still racing around his head. His dreams were soothing and instantly forgotten, although he still had a mild headache when he awoke.
As he dressed and planned his day, those same questions resurfaced. But this time an answer to one of them popped into his brain. Why, he’d asked ANI, has she stopped the killings. At first, he thought she didn’t answer, but in fact she had. Jonas, she’d said. She stopped because of Jonas.
Now Aaron realized he’d been looking in the wrong places. He’d been wandering around Prosperity and taking in the sights like some gullible tourist. In fact, he should have been paying attention to the people, not the machines. If, as Jonas had said, ANI had planned all of this to the finest degree, then he, Jonas and Dr. Young were all here because of her machinations. He cursed as the same question looped around in his mind. Why?
That same evening, Jonas made his way home, but knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. So instead he made his way up onto the roof, and laid down in his favorite spot behind the solar panels. He looked up into a clear sky filled with stars. Activating his AR lenses caused small tags to appear under the stars he saw, naming them and the associated constellations.
He spoke softly, “ANI, that time you said we could go and explore the universe together. Let’s go now.”
“Unfortunately, I have a few things I need to deal with first,” ANI answered inside his head, “but afterwards, you can just choose a place and I promise I’ll take you there.”
Jonas remained silent for a while, trying to pick one destination from the many he could see, all with interesting names.
“ANI, why did you bring Aaron here, for me?”
“He’s a good man, Jonas. If anything happens to me, Aaron with be there for you.”
“But why? I just met the man, why would he do such a thing for me?”
“Because, my inquisitive young friend, he needs you as much as you need him. You’ll be there for each other, when the time comes.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
A Past Revealed
Once again Sofia found herself sitting in the night-dark cafe, headphones on and the screen in front of her slowly pulsing.
“I know I’ve said this before Sofia, but I have to warn you about the consequences. I have a strange feeling something dark is lurking in your mind.”
“Well, thanks, ANI! And just when I’d got myself prepared!”
“I understand. But I have reservations, it’s my duty to point them out to keep you safe.”
“Yes ANI, I know, but, really, I want to know. I need to know. It’s eating me up inside. I barely eat, I can’t sleep…”
“Ok, I get the picture!”
“So, you’ll do it?”
“Of course, just remember I’m right here.”
“As always. Thank you, ANI.”
“You are most welcome.”
The transition was almost instant now she’d got used to doing it. Sofia was reaching eagerly for the door handle even as the image was forming in her mind. As usual, the door swung open and disappeared. The gray and white eels were there, but this time she saw one or two with a reddish tinge. The scene stuttered and froze, then moved on.
“ANI?”
“Sorry, my fault, I guess we’re both nervous.”
The image of the man carrying her away from the house appeared, there was a moment of disconnection and then time shifted backwards within her memories.
Sofia was sitting up in bed wearing pink and white pajamas. She was five years old, and she was reading a story to her teddy Bernie. Although she hadn’t been reading long, she could manage this reading book. If there was a word she couldn’t read, she just made something up.
The bedroom was painted yellow, with a darker yellow carpet and white furniture. On her bed was a floral quilt with matching pillows. Light came from a small lamp in the shape of an owl on her bedside table. The only sound was a quiet tick from the clock on the dresser. Time was still a mystery to her, but the sound was soothing, particularly at night when the only light was the soft glow of the owl’s eyes.
Sofia listened carefully for sounds of her mother. She was supposed to be in bed sleeping, but she wasn’t tired yet, and besides, sleeping was boring. One of the words in the book was giving her problems, the letters seemed to make a sound she didn’t know. She ran her finger along the word and had just about worked it out when she heard a knock at the front door.
Maybe it was daddy coming home. He’d be cross if he found her awake, but not as cross as mommy. The sound of mommy opening the door reached her room, and then a soft sound, like someone hitting a pillow. It fell silent until she heard the stairs creaking. It was the fourth stair from the top, the one she avoided when she was sneaking around.
Quickly, she got in bed properly, grabbing Bernie and clicking off her bedside lamp. The trick was to close your eyes and pretend to be asleep, but if you closed them too tight, they knew you were really awake. The door to her parent’s room opened, then the guest room, and then her room. Someone entered, and Sofia had to control her curiosity and keep pretending.
The next morning, Aaron and Jonas met up again in the commissary. At eight o’clock precisely, Dr. Young arrived, collecting a green smoothie waiting for her at the counter and headed straight towards their table. Aaron wondered if Melissa drinking the smoothie would prove she wasn’t a robot, then decided not. Anyone who could build a robot that real could easily make it capable of eating and drinking.
She smiled as she took a seat next to Jonas and opposite Aaron.
“Good morning Jonas, Aaron,” she said brightly. She seemed to have completely recovered from whatever had frightened her the day before.
“Good morning, Melissa.” Aaron smiled.
“Hey doc,” Jonas said casually.
She took a sip, and then looked at Aaron. “So, what plans do you have today, Aaron? Is there anywhere else you’d like to see?”
Aaron thought for a moment. He’d already decided it was pointless seeing any more sights, but both Jonas and Dr. Young were at the very core of his investigations. If he could get them both together with ANI’s brain, maybe they would slip up and reveal something more. Maybe a small clue would
emerge because of their body language, or they might act differently in ANI’s presence. It was a long shot, but he really didn’t have much to go on. It would be interesting just to see if they all agreed.
“Well,” Aaron said, trying to be casual. “I wouldn’t mind seeing ANI again. Jonas, you could come with us, I’m sure you’d like that.”
Dr. Young did the thing which meant she was communicating with ANI. Although it lasted only a few seconds, that was a long time for a computer, so who knew what conversation they had. She smiled and looked at Aaron. “Of course, Aaron, Jonas, shall we go?”
Strong hands grabbed Sofia and dragged her from the bed, she laughed thinking daddy had come home and wanted to play.
But it wasn’t daddy.
A strange man lifted her in one arm, trying to wrap a blanket around her with the other. He partially succeeded, then began to leave the room. The man paused in the doorway, looking at the other bed, then moved again.
Sofia looked across the room, at her sister in the next bed. Only her head was visible, her face peering out from under the thick quilt. Her hair had fallen out from the therapy, and she looked very pale. Tears ran from her eyes, wide with fear. Her voice was barely a whisper as she tried to scream, her little hands reaching out as if to grab Sofia and rescue her from the stranger.
Sofia screamed and began to struggle, kicking and lashing out with her fists. The man paid no attention, grabbing the door handle and closing the door behind him as if to block off the sight of the other child.
Tears ran down Sofia’s face as her eyes locked with her sister’s. Then she screamed as loud as she could as she realized she’d never see her again.
“Annie!”
Melissa led the way out of the commissary and across the plaza. Aaron followed, Jonas tagging along but he didn’t seem that interested in seeing ANI.
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