E.R.I.C. (The Almost Series Book 2) Read online

  “Are you listening to me?”

  “Please sit back. You’re a three-billion-dollar product that your investors do not wish to see at the bottom of the ocean.”

  “I’m a product now?” I shook my head. “Last I checked, I was a person, a living, breathing human.”

  “You’re whatever your sponsors say you are,” she said. She pointed at another diver. “Detain her. She’s a runner.”

  “Yeah.” He laughed. “We know all about this S.H.A.Y.”

  I jerked away, rolling towards the opening. My head fell over the edge, my hair smacking me in the face. The wind was sharp against my skin. “I’ll jump!”

  He fell on top of me, handcuffing my arms behind my back. “Yes, we know.”

  “Get her feet too,” Dr. Cole said.

  The diver obeyed, clicking the cuffs tight around my ankles. He hoisted me up and leaned me against the side of the chopper door. “Welcome to phase two: experimental.”

  I couldn’t swallow.

  Chapter Three

  Liquid Metal

  The helicopter hovered above the landing pad of the Pigeon Key Research facility. I glanced down at what was once the place I called home. I frowned. What happened to the days when I longed to awaken to the sound of Pop’s electronic beeps and Darla’s shrilly morning voice? I wished to sit in my sensory chair and feel Pop kiss my forehead with his holographic lips. I’d give anything to be able to run back into Darla’s arms just once more and tell her that she was a great mother and that I loved her.

  Would Pop be terminated? Had his chair been replaced? Maybe the next P.O.P. had already been installed, waiting on the next S.H.A.Y.

  I tried to wipe my tears but then remembered my arms were cuffed behind me. The chopper lowered, aiming for the center of the landing pad. I closed my eyes, imagining I was back in my room laughing at my Pop.

  “Release her. She’s nowhere to go now,” Dr. Cole said. The diver took out a small key, placing it between his teeth.

  If I didn’t need him to unlock my arms and legs—

  “Shay!” Amie exclaimed. She floated above us. “Don’t give them too much or too little resistance. None would make Dr. Cole question your motives and too much will only mean total lockdown.”

  I glared at the diver. He was slender with extremely long limbs. He grinned, taking the key from his teeth. “We’ve installed one of your invisible shielding devices; now you can never escape like you did last time.”

  I groaned. “Really? Another one of my ‘failures’ has become useful?”

  Dr. Cole stepped out of the helicopter. “We haven’t all day. I need to examine the damage the S.H.A.Y. has incurred since her little rendezvous outside the safety of our facility.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you until you promise to let Darla go.” I jerked back from the diver. He grabbed at my feet, dragging me out of the chopper, and dropped me onto the landing pad. The propellers spun just as loudly as my heart pounded.

  “Take off her cuffs. I need her to walk through the halls like the scientists she’s been raised to represent. I won’t have an unruly child disrupting the work of truly great minds that wish to save lives.”

  “You’re the only fake here.” I spat. “I won’t cooperate, I’ll resist.”

  “Then you and your precious Darla shall die—just like all the others.” Dr. Cole turned about, taking quick steps away from the launching pad and into the elevator.

  The diver struggled to unlock my ankles. I scrambled to my feet and stumbled underneath the force of the propeller blades. I fell into the elevator doors.

  Dr. Cole pressed a button, re-opening them. “Are you ready to cooperate now?”

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on with my body and why you kill every S.H.A.Y.?”

  “I do not kill the S.H.A.Y. programs. They self-destruct by not listening to me.”

  “You’re a liar.”

  She grabbed my arm, her face, inches from mine. “If I wanted you dead then you’d be at the bottom of the ocean right now.” Dr. Cole shoved me into the elevator wall. The force shook the container.

  “What about my P.O.P.?”

  “What about him?”

  “Is he still active?”

  She glanced up. “Why do you care about that outdated program? He’s an artificial father—designed to assist you in fundamental learning that a human cannot give to you. That’s his only function.”

  I wiped my eyes. “He’s my father.”

  “He’s a machine!”

  “I love him!”

  “Well, he doesn’t love you.”

  My lips trembled. Amie flashed images of Pop and me. She showed my look of joy as I watched Pop’s electronic lights race into my room in the morning. His holographic image tried to smile. My Pop tried to make me laugh when I was frightened. He didn’t say he loved me but, I knew deep inside—he did.

  Dr. Cole frowned. “P.O.P. stands for Performance Optimized Parent. It’s just a highly advanced computer that learns to adapt with its human child, which we connect him to at birth. He isn’t real. You must understand that machines cannot feel emotions—that’s why you were given an O.H.P.”

  “Yes, an Optional Human Parent—Darla.” I rolled my eyes. The glass elevator declined from the roof into the tower at Pigeon Key Research Facility. “I know what I felt—Pop cared for me and I miss him.”

  “Maybe you’re really just an emotional S.H.A.Y.,” she said. “That would explain why you’re such a pathetic scientist.”

  “If I was so horrible, why are you using my inventions?”

  “You’re even more obnoxious than before. What sort of mischief did you get into while outside the research center?”

  The elevator stopped. “I—”

  She raised her finger. “Forget it, we’ll discuss things later.”

  “I want to see my Pop.”

  “If you don’t shut your mouth—”

  The doors opened.

  The room that stood before me was the most familiar besides my living quarters. Each day, I went to work here with the other scientists. I wore a white cloak and goggles, studying and analyzing various chemicals, exploring their ability to save the lives of mammals and aquatic life. There were rows of lab desks where everyone partnered together. Synthetics had been my strongest subject—always creating tails for dolphins. Most of the scientists wished to design better machines. I thought—why not save already living creatures? Jerome agreed with me. We worked together the most.

  Two scientists I worked with regularly stood in the lobby of the robotics lab. “It’s Shay!” one said. “Look everyone, she’s safe!”

  Goggled eyes glanced up from their projects. Some of the scientists clapped; a few came over to hug me, most smelling of formaldehyde.

  I welcomed them like a starving animal. My heart pounded. This was the last time I’d see these people. I’d never step inside this lab again or save another dolphin. My days were over.

  Smile.

  I had to smile.

  Yes.

  They didn’t need to know I was a walking corpse.

  “We missed you.”

  “It’s not the same without you running through these halls.”

  “Are you injured?” Jerome asked. He grabbed my arm, studying the discoloration of my veins. “What’s happened to you?” He pushed up his glasses, squinting. “Let’s set you on the examination table.”

  “Enough!” Dr. Cole said. “I must examine the S.H.A.Y.”

  Jerome backed away. A lone tear trickled down his cheek.

  We locked eyes. My fingers trembled.

  “Goodbye, Shay,” he whispered.

  I frowned. “I know, and it’s okay.”

  “No,” he said. “It’s not.”

  Dr. Cole grabbed my arm and jerked me forward.

  I glanced back at the scientists. They stood still.

  I waved at them. “It’s okay, guys. I’m going to be just fine.”

  Jerome burst into
tears.

  “Get back to work,” I said. I turned around, trying my best to keep my composure. I stepped into the elevator. “It’s going to be—”

  The doors shut.

  “Well played,” Dr. Cole said.

  “It’s not their fault.”

  My throat tightened.

  Amie walked beside me. She wore a kilt and played the bagpipes. A desperate laugh escaped me. Dr. Cole squeezed my arm tighter. There was a skunk in between Amie’s legs. It moved. I laughed even louder.

  “Stop that,” she said.

  “I can’t, this is all so ridiculous. I’m a ‘product’ and you’re my murderous bouncer. This reminds me of when I was little and you tried to teach me to ride a bike. Do you remember that?”

  “I’ve tried desperately to block that day out of my mind. You have very poor coordination.”

  “You weren’t this mean when I was small.”

  Dr. Cole loosened her grip. “You weren’t so unmanageable then.”

  “Why did you stop training me?”

  “My skills were needed elsewhere.”

  “Like what could possibly be more important than me?”

  She held back a tiny smile. “You’ll see in a few minutes.”

  “Why are there three phases of a S.H.A.Y.’s development?”

  “The second phase—experimental—is so named due to the fact that science is still running tests and using hypothesized theories in an attempt to prolong the S.H.A.Y.’s life so that she may reach phase three.”

  “What’s phase three?”

  “You’ll find out—if you get to live.”

  “Why does the S.H.A.Y. always die?”

  “Each S.H.A.Y. is programmed by their artificial host.”

  “Yes, their A.M.I.E.”

  She motioned for me to step through double doors. There was a sign written in four languages; English, Spanish, French and German. It read: Danger.

  Thick glass walls dropped around us, caging us in. Steam entered the sanitation chamber. “What’s happening?”

  “You’re being sanitized.”

  “I just feel sweaty.”

  She smirked. “You should be used to that by now.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You smell putrid.”

  “Whatever.” I crossed my arms, waiting for the steam to evaporate. “If you weren’t trying to kill me I’d be clean and safe in my room with Pop and Darla.”

  She flipped her long hair and tied it up in a loose bun, resembling the doctor I knew. “You’re relentless.”

  Amie lay on the ground in a bikini. She waved a paper fan and fluttered her eyelashes. I laughed.

  “Stop acting crazy!” Dr. Cole spun around. “You sound like a freakin’ hyena.” Her eyes softened when they finally met mine. “You look older.”

  “I’m eighteen.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid you are.”

  “I’m legally considered an adult. Did you know that?”

  “Yes. If you were living in the States, you’d be a legal adult, free to do whatever you wished.”

  “So, why didn’t you let Darla and me escape?”

  “You’re not a legal resident. Darla signed her rights away and you weren’t born into freedom, which makes you an illegal.”

  “So we’re the property of—”

  “Me.”

  “You own us?”

  She nodded.

  “You’re the proud owner of said ‘product’?”

  “You’ve cost many funders billions of dollars. Do not take their generosity in vain. They’ve supported you for over eighteen years.”

  “Who are these supporters?”

  “Americans, a couple from China, and a few businessmen who live in Budapest.”

  “Have they ever seen me?”

  “They’ve watched your daily logs since birth.”

  “That’s not the same as actually meeting me.”

  “One has.”

  “Who?”

  “You were young—I doubt you’d remember him.”

  “Who was it?”

  “One of the men from Budapest came to visit you once. He was tall and had light hair and eyes. He’s the one who gave you the toy horse you still have on your bed.”

  “I don’t remember him.”

  “Well, he and two of his business partners are on their way to see how their product has developed.”

  “Do they call me a product or is that just what you call me?”

  The steam lessened and I could see her face. It was drenched in sweat and her cheeks reddened. “It’s the term they most prefer.”

  I couldn’t swallow. “So they don’t really care about me.”

  “They want you to override the system.”

  “Has any other S.H.A.Y. done this?”

  She shook her head.

  “What happens if I don’t?”

  “You’ll face termination.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “I want you to focus on your life and not that of a contracted dead person’s.”

  “Are you referring to Darla being as good as dead?”

  The doors opened and she pressed her finger to her lips.

  We followed a long corridor into metal doors with the words “Authorized Personnel Only” written on them.

  I couldn’t just forget about Darla. Didn’t Dr. Cole understand this? She didn’t deserve to die. What horrible thing had she ever done?

  We stood before another elevator. This one was made of metal and had moldy grey carpeting. The walls were mirrored and de-silvering. We stepped inside and a retina reader scanned Dr. Cole. She pressed floor zero. We descended quickly, stopping abruptly.

  The doors opened on marble floors. The walls were decorated with crown molding and chair rails. There was a formal dining room and sitting area. We stepped inside. To my left, a bedroom and to my right, a recreational room.

  Amie frowned. “This is your new living quarters.”

  “I won’t live in here.”

  Dr. Cole frowned. “You don’t have an option.”

  “I won’t live in this cage. You’re setting me up for failure.”

  “I’ve already sent orders to have your P.O.P transferred to these living quarters.”

  I shook my head. “No, leave him in my old room. I’m not staying here to die. If I have to fight for my life, I’d rather do it my own room.”

  “There’s one modification to this room that no other S.H.A.Y. has had. Your sponsors have paid for the development of your very own N.I.C. program.”

  “What’s a N.I.C. program?”

  She motioned for me to follow her down a narrow hall that turned sharply. “It’s been installed close by to ensure your safety.”

  “What am I being protected from?”

  She turned, facing me. “Yourself.”

  “Why would I be afraid of myself?”

  “Your artificial host implemented certain unauthorized programming to your DNA that makes you different from any other S.H.A.Y.”

  Amie shook her head. “I only made you better than the others!”

  “What—What did you do to me?”

  Dr. Cole thought I meant her. “Nothing, yet.”

  Amie tugged on her hair. She paced back and forth, shaking her finger at Dr. Cole. “She’s a liar! I am a good mother and I gave you the best programming of all S.H.A.Y.s—even hers!”

  “You’re a S.H.A.Y.!” I blurted.

  Dr. Cole turned, crossing her arms. “Excuse me?”

  I stammered. “Why else would you care about what another A.M.I.E. has done to me if you weren’t one of us yourself?”

  “That’s faulty reasoning.”

  I shrugged. “Am I wrong?”

  She said nothing.

  “Dr. Cole?”

  “Follow me.”

  Opaque glass blocks framed the entryway. We stepped through.

  “Meet N.I.C. He’s your Neural Ingenuity Clone. This is the on
e who will learn all there is about you and use his ‘keeper’ to adapt to protect you from all danger—including from yourself, if need be.”

  A large motherboard was imbedded into the wall. Colors flashed and ran along the ceiling. His fans blew hot air and I squinted to read the serial numbers on one of his drives. “Does this N.I.C. talk?”

  “His keeper does.”

  “Where’s his ‘keeper’?”

  “He’s not here presently.”

  “So his keeper is like his physical host that does the dirty work?”

  Dr. Cole grinned. “He’s also able to analyze and collect data that is then sent to the N.I.C. With that knowledge, the N.I.C. instructs the keeper in how to respond to a given situation.”

  “Isn’t that kind of what Pop and Amie are for me?”

  “Your A.M.I.E. does not train you.”

  “She could, though, right?”

  “A.M.I.E.s are designed to create life. They learned using a similar sequencer as the N.I.C. Both programs are able to change their initial design structure, to experience and learn. An A.M.I.E. uses this when creating another life. A N.I.C. is different, not as narrow-minded. They use knowledge to grow and become even better. An A.M.I.E. is far more dangerous, since her goals are simpler.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “An A.M.I.E. is more than just your artificial parent. She learns, and with that knowledge becomes envious and eventually turns into your enemy.”

  I stepped back, searching for my Amie. Tears flooded my eyes. Where was my mother? “You’re wrong!”

  Dr. Cole took my face in her hands. “Look at your arms.”

  I closed my eyes. She meant the liquid metal. “What’s happening to me?”

  Her hands dropped to her side. “Each A.M.I.E. desires to create the greatest life of all.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “They wish to be real.”

  “They want to take over my body?”

  “An A.M.I.E. has one true motive, and that is to connect to their human host and become a life. Once the S.H.A.Y. connects to their A.M.I.E. they no longer have control of their faculties—just as the N.I.C.’s keeper does not.”

  “Why would you want to allow these machines to control you?”

  “Originally, this was not the purpose of our experiments. We wanted to create a better humanoid hybrid that surpassed standard human intelligence.”