A.I.

Chapter 6

      The lights of Perth gradually faded behind them as Anna and Ryan drove north along Indian Ocean Drive.

"Where is the handover taking place?" Ryan asked.

"At a little town called Jurien Bay. They're meeting us at the jetty. I had previously insisted that we do the handover where there are people around rather than in the middle of nowhere."

"But at one o'clock in the morning it's unlikely anyone will be around."

"Yes, there is that, but I still have some insurance with me in case they try anything."

"What insurance?"

"I'm not telling you that. It's better if you don't know."

"Anna, will I like these people? What will they do with me?"

"Ryan, we've been through this. You have nothing to worry about. These people will love you, you're very valuable. They will probably partly dismantle you to see how you work, but they'll reassemble you again. Then they will manufacture other A.I.'s just like you so you will have company of your own kind."

"I'll miss you, Anna."

"I'll miss you too, Ryan, but this has to be done." 

They drove on in silence until Anna turned off the main road and drove through the silent town of Jurien Bay. The GPS directed them to a café by the beach.

Anna stopped the car in the carpark. She pointed to a walkway.

"That takes us to the jetty," she said, "Let's go. Remember what I told you. You let them examine you but you don't go with them until I tell you to, which will be after I have confirmed they've made the deposit into my Swiss bank account."

As they exited the car Anna checked her jacket pocket. The small box, her "insurance" was there. She hoped she wouldn't have to use it.

They started walking along the path towards the jetty.

*****

Some distance to the south Brad, Tracy and Lisa were speeding north along Indian Ocean Drive in a rented car. It had been an agonising wait after Ryan's first message to Lisa until his second message came in. 'Jetty, Jurien Bay.'

Brad had immediately set the destination in the car's GPS and they were off. But how far behind Anna and Ryan were they? Brad took a few risks increasing the car's speed to well over the posted speed limit of one hundred kilometres per hour.

"Slow down, Brad," Tracy said, "You'll kill us, or you'll get a ticket for speeding."

Brad slowed the car's speed a little. "Anything more from Ryan?" he called over his shoulder to Lisa in the back seat.

"No, nothing," she answered, "but I don't think we're very far behind them."

*****
Anna and Ryan walked slowly along the walkway towards the jetty.

Anna knew she was taking a huge risk dealing with criminals, but the thought of having all that money clouded her judgement. She had made her escape plans. In two days time she would be in a tropical island country where she could live the rest of her life in luxury. Her employers Silver Star had been good to her, paid her a good salary, but it wasn't enough, she wanted more. She saw a chance and took it. Brad Sullivan was probably on their trail again, but as soon as she had handed Ryan over and received her money, she was confident she could outrun Sullivan and make her getaway out of the country. She glanced at Ryan walking next to her. He looked sad, he obviously had some sort of feelings for her, but she didn't care. He was worth seven hundred million dollars to her, that was all that was important.