It might hurt, but so did losing your front teeth after being shocked into submission and landing on your face. If she were going to keep involving herself in trouble with Erik, every combat tool she had available would help keep them both alive.
She understood the truth—the UTC wasn’t a safe place. Earth wasn’t a safe place. They were detectives. They investigated deceit and depravity, which often led to violence, even if they did their best to avoid it. Well, perhaps she did her best, and Erik tried. He was a bit like a young boy who tried hard not to eat fresh-baked cookies.
Occasionally, face smeared with chocolate, he would claim, “I tried not to eat them, but they jumped into my mouth!”
Jia kicked the downed opponents in their heads to knock them out. Compared to Emma’s more elaborate scenarios, Jia’s personal training program was nothing more than a series of interconnected gray rooms with various opponents wielding melee weapons or their fists and feet. After she got more comfortable, she might invite the AI to design more colorful scenarios.
Yeah, not yet.
After taking a few deep breaths, Jia marched to the next door, which slid open. Two large men with knives stood inside, grinning. She raised her hands and slowly crept forward.
“Let’s see what you’ve got,” she challenged.
Both enemies charged and she spun to the side, avoiding a thrust from one man. A quick chop to the wrist forced him to drop the knife. His partner growled and sliced at her, and she grabbed his arm and bent. He howled in pain as the other man tried to lunge toward Jia. His knife pierced his friend’s shoulder. He grimaced and stumbled back, yanking the blade from the wound in alarm.
Jia winced.
She’d set the realism to maximum, which left her staring at a seeping bloody shoulder wound and a man on his knees bellowing in pain. The other man tried to kick the distracted detective. Catching the movement from the corner of her eye, she spun, then grabbed his leg and pulled. He fell, and his head slammed into the ground with a loud crack. His eyes rolled up in the back of his head. The other man fell at his side, whimpering.
“Dammit!” Jia shook her head. “Participant command, end simulation.”
The room and the men vanished, replaced by the white and silver of the tactical center’s simulation room.
She shouldn’t have hesitated even for a second, and every time she practiced, she did it less.
She squeezed her eyes shut in frustration, her hands rubbing her temples. “I’m getting there, Erik. It could be a lot worse, but I’m getting there.”
Jia stepped out of the elevator into the long, brightly lit hall leading to her apartment.
Between the raid, training, dates, and family, the week weighed harshly on her shoulders. She couldn’t complain, but she also couldn’t help but be amused by how easy life had been before Erik.
No wonder cops like Jared Thompson never wanted to do anything real. It was far easier to sit around, drink coffee, and send the occasional report to a different EZ or division.
No rest for the weary. It’s only going to get harder from here.
Even if by some miracle, they finished cleaning up Neo SoCal, the people responsible for murdering Erik’s unit were out there. Their resources probably made the organized crime groups and terrorists the detectives had been dealing with seem like petty street hustlers.
Jia froze, and her heart rate kicked up. She shivered and slowly turned around, blinking in surprise when she saw nothing.
“I was sure someone was watching me,” she mumbled. She stared down the hallway, looking for any stray shadow or distorted light. The killers on Molino had advanced camouflage, according to Erik. It wasn’t impossible that they’d improved the technology.
Jia shook her head. What was she doing? She had half-convinced herself that invisible assassins were following her down the hall. That was absurd.
Or was it?
Gangsters and corrupt council members were linked to one of the most powerful companies in the UTC, which had only come to light because she and Erik had pursued it. Mysterious military-grade units were murdering Army Special Forces on the frontier. All that considered, she spent a second getting a feel for her surroundings.
Being paranoid was a good way to stay alive.
Jia took a few deep breaths and continued down the corridor. The turn toward her apartment was coming, and that would be her chance. She couldn’t flinch or hesitate like she had in the simulation. It was her life on the line.
A long distance became a short one, and the turn loomed closer. Her hand drifted into her jacket and hovered over the grip of her stun pistol. She stepped around the corner and stopped.
She waited a few seconds before ripping the gun from the holster and spinning back around the corner. A handsome blond man in a suit stood in the middle of the hall. He looked to be about her age, but with de-aging, she couldn’t be sure. Not everyone had the trouble Erik and Alicia did with their hair.
He threw up his hands and swallowed. “Don’t shoot. I don’t want to die.”
“It’s a stun pistol.” Jia narrowed her eyes, her gun pointed at the man. “It’ll hurt, but you’ll live.”
The man chuckled nervously but kept his hands up. “What if I told you I don’t want to get hurt either?”
Something was vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn’t place him.
“If you don’t want to get hurt, bound, and hauled off to jail, you’ll answer my questions,” Jia barked, her harsh voice one-hundred percent in angry detective mode.
The man nodded. “Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Jia.”
“Jia, huh?” She sneered. “I think we should be introduced before we’re on a first-name basis, don’t you?”
“Sampson Aryle,” the man offered. “You can call me Sam if you want.”
“Okay, Sam,” Jia began, her tone still short and clipped. “You want to tell me why you were following me? Or are you going to deny it?”
Sam looked away. “I-I…damn. Can I lower my arms? They’re getting tired.”
“You do that, you’re getting two bolts to the chest, and then I’m hauling your butt to jail.”
“You seriously don’t recognize me?” Sam asked.
“Why should I?” Jia shrugged. “I know I haven’t run into you at work.” She tried to remember if she’d seen him at a club. That might explain the vague familiarity.
He nodded. “I’m, uh, your neighbor,” Sam explained.
While her head shook from side to side, her eyes stayed glued to him. “Uh, no, you’re not. I know who lives around me.”
Sam sighed. “Not on your floor. I live in the building. I suppose that’s not that impressive since a lot of people do. I’ve seen you around a few times.”
“Send me an ID.” She pointed at his PNIU. “Nice and slow or buzz-buzz.” Her smile was less than encouraging. “Ouch-ouch.”
Sam slowly lowered his arms, then tapped a few commands into his PNIU. Jia’s chimed, and she lowered one arm to receive the ID and quickly run it through the NSCPD system for confirmation. His address and picture appeared in the corner of her smart lenses.
“Okay, you live here.” Jia frowned and holstered her weapon. “You were still being a creep.”
Sam jerked back as if struck. “Ouch. Okay, I deserved that.” He sighed again. “Like I said, I’ve seen you around the building a few times, and then I saw you on the news. I thought, you know, maybe we could go out for drinks or something.”
“Drinks?” Jia let out a strangled laugh. “Like, a date?”
“It’s not that funny,” Sam complained.
“Sorry.” Jia shook her head. “It’s not you. I’m a detective, and I’ve dealt with a lot of terrorists. When people start following me, it makes me think they’re trying to kill me. You could have just called.”
Sam nodded. “Good point. I’m not great with calls. I’m not great face to face, either.” He laughed, looking around as if he wished the wall would swallow him. “Really selling mys
elf here.”
Jia threw up a hand. “Let me stop you, Sam. We’ll ignore the clumsy way you went about this. Mistakes happen, but I want to make something clear.”
“Yes?” Hope infiltrated his voice.
“I’m already dating somebody,” Jia explained. “And I’m not the kind of woman who dates two men at the same time.”
“Oh.” Sam’s shoulders sagged. “That makes sense.” He looked up with a hang-dog expression. “No hard feelings, I hope?”
“Next time, don’t sneak up on me, or you might get hurt for real.” Jia waved and headed back around the corner, shaking her head.
Being around Erik was spoiling her.
About an hour later, she was settled on her couch, wearing a nightgown. A check of her plants and a shower had washed the earlier unpleasantness away, except for one small part. A lingering worm of doubt had tunneled into her mind during the conversation with Sam.
I’m already dating somebody.
That was what she had said, but when she thought it, the first image that popped into her head wasn’t Corbin, but Erik. He was a partner, not a boyfriend.
Everyone from her sister to her boyfriend hinted at the opposite.
It wasn’t like she was going to deny she was attracted to him. He was fit, handsome, intelligent, brave, and dedicated. He was also a man who had lived his life on the frontier, fighting terrorists. She wasn’t sure if his rough approach to law enforcement was appropriate, even as she slid farther toward it each day.
Was she mistaking gratitude for his help with her career for something else?
Jia grabbed her PNIU, rubbing her fingers over the silver card. She needed to talk to someone who didn’t know her and couldn’t—not wouldn’t, but couldn’t—pass judgment. After a minute of searching, she connected to a highly rated choice that fit her needs.
“Good evening,” answered a female voice. “You have reached the Rose Line, purveyors of very secure, very discreet relationship advice. Are you interested in using my services this evening? Please be aware that there is a flat charge per half-hour.”
“I am,” she replied.
“You can call me Rose.” There was a slight pause before Rose came back on, after checking her credit, no doubt. “UTC law requires I disclose at this time that I am an artificial intelligence program interface and not a human being.”
Despite the pleasant tone, there was something slightly off about the inflection. Jia had taken for granted how human Emma sounded when she spoke. “Please tell me your name so we can begin healing your heart.”
“Um…” Jia began. She didn’t care about talking to an AI in and of itself, but anything on a computer could be hacked. She didn’t know who might use her relationship problems against her, but a little caution would be appropriate. “My name is Emma.”
She rolled her eyes. Not exactly slick.
“Good evening, Emma,” Rose continued. “What is the nature of your problem?”
“I have a couple of problems,” Jia explained. “First of all, a neighbor of mine just showed up out of nowhere to ask me out. I mean, he’s barely a neighbor. He lives in the same residential tower.”
“I see. From what you’ve said, it sounds like his advances are unwelcome.” Rose kept the same friendly, calm tone and even cadence.
Jia stretched her legs out and lifted them to the side to lie down on her couch. “Yes, you could say that. The man’s allegedly seen me before, and I must have seen him in passing, but instead of calling me like a normal person or saying hello somewhere, he followed me through the halls.”
“I see. From what you’ve said, it sounds like this man made you uncomfortable. Do you feel that is an accurate assessment?”
Jia realized it wasn’t only Rose’s tone that screamed “machine,” but also her repetitive speech patterns. Emma might reuse a few favorite snarky terms, but it was hard to predict what she would say next. Rose was an AI programmed with relationship and psychology knowledge, but Jia doubted the program possessed any hint of self-awareness.
“Yes,” Jia replied. “It made me uncomfortable. I also worry that I didn’t handle it the right way.”
“I see. How did you handle it?”
She sighed, covering her eyes. “I threatened him.”
“You threatened him? Do you mean that you threatened him with physical harm?”
Jia rolled onto her side. “Yes.”
“UTC law requires me to remind you that assault is a crime and antisocial. Please avoid using force to resolve disputes unless self-defense is necessary.”
Great. Now she was getting called antisocial by an AI.
“I didn’t hurt him,” Jia countered, stung by the accusation. “And I thought he was a stalker or…” She couldn’t tell an AI she thought he might be an assassin. “I thought it was self-defense.”
“I see.” Rose didn’t speak for several seconds. “Please note that if you are in danger, it is best to contact the police or local security. Let’s get back to your issue. Are you interested in dating this man?”
“No. I just…” Jia groaned. “Was there a better way of handling it?”
“Yes,” Rose replied. “Firmly turning him down without the threat of physical force would have been sufficient.”
“I can’t believe I’m paying an AI to tell me something I already know,” Jia mumbled. “Fine. Let’s move on to my next problem.”
“Please wait,” Rose insisted, her tone no different than before. “Are you sure you’re satisfied with the resolution to your first issue?”
“Yes. May we move on now?”
“Very well. What is the nature of this issue?”
Jia took a few deep breaths before answering. “When I turned down the first man, the reason I offered was that I’m already in a relationship. That’s true, but I often find myself thinking about someone I work with. Someone I’m not in a relationship with, and I’m wondering if that means anything.”
“I see. When you fantasize about your co-worker, is it sexual in nature?”
Jia jerked upright. “Excuse me?”
“I apologize if you could not hear me. I’ll repeat myself. When you fantasize about your co-worker, is it sexual in nature?”
“It’s not…” Jia’s face burned. “I find him attractive, okay? But it’s not like I sit around thinking about him naked. It’s just, according to some people, I talk too much about him with my boyfriend, but he’s my partner at work. He’s the person I spend the most time around. Not my boyfriend, the other guy.”
“I see,” Rose replied. The repetition was beginning to annoy Jia and reminded her of why she had avoided AI therapy and advice in the past. “Emma, may I be honest?”
Jia blinked. It took her several seconds to remember she’d lied about her name. “Yes, go ahead. It’s what I’m paying for.”
“I can’t be certain, given the limited background information you’ve provided me, but if you’re fantasizing about your co-worker and it’s disrupting your existing relationship, that suggests a strong romantic attraction that you might not be able to easily ignore. You might consider changing teams or departments at work to minimize contact with your co-worker. That presumes you wish to salvage your current relationship. The fact that you’re fantasizing about another man might indicate that you’re dissatisfied with your current relationship.”
“You know what?” Jia snapped. “I’ve had enough.”
“I see. Are you sure? Sometimes direct confrontation of emotional truths can be uncomfortable Don’t let—”
Jia terminated the call. “I don’t need some stupid AI to give me advice I can’t use,” she muttered under her breath. “I can work through this. I’m not fantasizing about Erik. I have a boyfriend, and I’m satisfied with him.” She put the PNIU to the side. “Erik’s just a partner. Nothing more. That’s it.”
She nodded. She believed herself, mostly. It was a good thing Emma didn’t monitor her PNIU off-duty.
That could have gotten embarras
sing.
Chapter Six
January 11, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Apartment of Detective Erik Blackwell
Erik clipped a thin branch off a tiny tree in the center of the miniature cliffside penjing forest on his dining room table. He might have involved himself in the hobby on a whim, but he couldn’t deny how relaxing it could be.
It was nice to create something rather than blow it up.
“Excuse me, Detective Blackwell,” Emma asked, still formless, her voice coming from Erik’s PNIU. “There is information of a potentially non-criminal nature you might find useful. It is not time-sensitive, but I see no reason not to discuss it.”
He stood and moved away from his curated micro-tree, eyeing it from a couple of angles while chewing his cheek.
Did it look better with the second topmost limb in place, or would a clip give it some nice negative space to frame the top?
“What? You find a universal half-off beignets coupon?” he asked.
Emma snickered. “I could easily get you free beignets for life if you’re so inclined.”
“I’d rather support the restaurants I like by paying for my food.” Erik set his clippers on the table, glancing at his PNIU as he walked into his living room. “What do you have for me?”
“Your brother will be coming to Neo SoCal in a couple of weeks,” Emma declared.
Erik stood in front of his couch, as rigid as a statue, not responding.
“I’d ask if you were still alive, but your vital signs are strong, even if your heart rate is elevated,” Emma commented. “It would be rather anticlimactic if you died of a heart attack.”
Erik sat on the edge of the couch and gritted his teeth. “My brother’s coming?”
“Yes.”
“How the hell do you know that? Are you chatting with him?” he asked.
Emma laughed. “No. I’m sure he’s a dreary drone, from what little I’ve gathered from your conversations and public records searches. I should make it clear that I see little advantage in keeping pertinent information from you, let alone important information.”
Erik nodded. “Understood. I’d say the same thing, but it’s practically impossible for me to keep anything from you, so my decision is not very impressive.”
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