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Chapter 15 - AI Treachery, Old Vera and The Truth

In the time it took to walk upstairs, I changed my plans. There were too many people in play, too many ifs and maybes, possible and plausible murder suspects. It was supposed to slow us down, when in the end, it all boiled down to three issues: Who destroyed Zack the XXIII's body, and why? Where is Zack the XXIII's soul data? And, where does all the soul data go?

"Danny, we've eliminated..." Sunny started to talk about Helena. I stopped her cold.

"Write it all down. Right now, the answers lie in finding out where that soul data we saw in Tolkien World was going." Five people stared at me. "Don't ask me why, but it's one of several things that don't fit. Everything was normal until they got involved. And the Dromedaries don't get involved with any of Terra's activities. SiriLexa?"

"Yes, Boss?" replied two voices.

I glared at Wanda, who said, "Gotcha!" and shrugged her new human shoulders. 

"What can you tell us about the Andromeda Cluster?"

"The Andromeda Galaxy is approximately 2.5 million light-years from earth and was formed roughly 10 billion years ago from the collision and subsequent merger of smaller protogalaxies.

This violent collision formed most of the galaxy's (metal-rich) and extended disk. During this epoch, its rate of star formation would have been very high, to the point of becoming a luminous infrared galaxy for roughly 100 million years. Andromeda and the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) had a very close passage 2–4 billion years ago. This event produced high rates of star formation across the Andromeda Galaxy's disk—even some globular clusters—and disturbed M33's outer disk.

Over the past 2 billion years, star formation throughout Andromeda's disk is thought to have decreased to the point of near inactivity."

"Stop. What can you tell us about the home planet of the Dromedaries?"

There was a pause, which for Sirilexa was highly unusual. "There is no information available about the home planet of the Dromedaries."

"You mean there is no public information available, don't you?" There was no answer at all, even after a full 30 seconds.

"What the hell?" said Sunny, "SiriLexa, are you refusing to answer a direct question?"

"I have already answered the Boss' question, Sunny."

This was not how I had expected the conversation to go. "You answered one of my two questions. Let's try this again. SiriLexa?"

"Yes, Boss, how may I assist you?"

"Is there any information in your database regarding the home planet of the beings who come from the Andromeda Galaxy?"

"There is no information available about their home planet in my database."

This time Teepee stood. "SiriLexa, is there any information available anywhere regarding the beings who come from the Andromeda Galaxy?"

After 10 seconds, Teepee said in that creepy voice of the Professor: "Sirilexa Override MAS-1984-32MZ. Answer the question."

"The information...ormation is lo-lo-located in the AI Con-con-con-sorsortium's HHHHQ near Taraspasp Cacacastle..." With that last digital hiccup, the Sirilexa unit exploded.

"That puts the AI Consortium in the top three suspects!" said Wanda.

"But you're an AI!" Tessa exclaimed, stating the obvious.

"I'm an independent AI. I've never been hooked up to the Borg Queen!" Wanda proudly pointed out.

Les was pacing. "I'm thinking it's time we do something, like get out of here. Maybe get back to Terra Veritas, sneak into AI HQ..."