STRATEGIC BEHAVIOR (REVISING)

CHAPTER 12: MORTALS

"Meaning?" Skylar prompted.

Norma answered for him. "The board could deactivate whatever programs I install and take-over. I suspect en masse. They wouldn't even have to send in their special forces."

"The AI would become a de facto hive with the sole mission of squashing insurrection. No need to go off suspicions. It's true," Magnum confirmed. "While we were out, I took the liberty of uploading the OS manual. The remote override switch exists."

Norma tapped a finger on the armrest, thinking out loud. "Subtlety. That's our best approach. We get the city up and running, but rather than plotting our escape, we instill such trust in our capabilities that the board of directors never notices we're working on a means of getting communications past the barrier."

"Good. Once you're a model leader," Magnum said as he delivered steamy bowls of vegetable soup, "we leak just enough information to make it impossible for them to trace the source."

"Preferably, we can get it to an influencer. Thanks, Magnum. This looks delicious."

Skylar vented her burning mouth after imbibing the piping hot soup. "Chaz?" she managed.

"Who else?" Norma reset the temperature on her bowl to chill hers. "Before Mr. Betts snatched me, Chaz and I were trying an ambient noise diffuser with a recording function I believe sent my ex a play-by-play of my kidnapping. At this point, I hope he heard that message. Because if he did, he's struggling to reconcile that plane crash bullshit with what he knows."

While they chatted, Magnum arranged his seat beside the bookshelf and pulled another tome free. He placed his bowl on the side table as he swept through the pages, reading faster than humanly possible. He occasionally paused and took slow sips of the savory broth.

Skylar pointed with her spoon. "How do you eat?"

"I have the same hardware as you." He didn't look up.

She glanced at Norma. "And... how human is he?"

"Mostly," Norms replied laconically. "Except for his central nervous system and reinforced skeleton, he's biologically indistinguishable from an Enhanced Intel. From what I've seen today, all the units have superior immunologic response, genetic excellence, and various physical upgrades that set them apart from natural humans. They're more like us, only sterile."

"So, mortals. They live, they age, they die. Kinda sucks," Skylar mused.

"Yet, they don't procreate, which is a good thing. I'm struggling to fathom how the board of directors thinks I can keep horny adults from doing what they do in this limited space prison. By the way, I'm isolating the children at the academy. I don't need anything happening to one of them," Norma decided.

She stilled as her insert signaled a call. The relaxed vibe she was finally starting to exhibit disappeared. She put down her bowl and left the room. Skylar and Magnum watched her rush into the basement, and their eyes met. An odd connection was weakening Skylar's desire to keep him at arm's length. Without a word, they rose and followed Norma.

Downstairs, the tech mogul stood before a concave panel that wrapped around one end of the computer lab. The other half of the room boasted monitors displaying the sleeping city. Skylar peered with interest at the nightscape as she took her position at her friend's side. Magnum joined the other side, so they presented a united front.

However, as the board of directors came into the focus, Skylar reflected on how tiny their phalanx was, compared to the eight people who stared back. Their sexes were indiscernible. Curved masks covered their upper faces, and they wore black uniforms against a luminescent blue background, which added a flair of drama. Skylar suspected it was to nullify any chance of identifying them, rather than to set the tone. Or maybe both.