Box

Chapter 10

Box stared at Aydin's email, at Repository's confirmation of the order for a used AI Type Zeta edition 2097, its display colouring red. How could he, when Box was making so much effort to help with Aydin's investigation?

The door of the multifunction room opened and Aydin stepped inside.

Box marked Repository's email as unread and closed Aydin's inbox.

"You're angry?" Aydin stepped to Box's station, his brow furrowed in what looked like a worried scowl.

"I'm not upset."

"Really?" Aydin's eyebrows lifted. "Then why are you glowing red, and why is there a beam of red light aimed at the floor?"

Because I choose not to direct it at you. Box retracted the arm displaying the beam inside its orb and turned its cameras towards the wall. From its folder, it brought forward the memory of Aydin being drunk, telling it he loved it, and replayed it.

"Box." Aydin's hand touched the top of Box's orb.

The footage that had always coloured its screen yellow before couldn't manage to completely erase the red, leaving a light red hue. It should have played the Happy Birthday footage. "You're planning to replace me."

Aydin rolled his eyes. "Not that again. I have already told you that I won't. So stop saying that. But I have some news for you." There was a hint of joy in Aydin's voice.

How long before the new AI would arrive at the station? A day? Two days? It had so little time left to spend with Aydin, and it didn't want those moments to be tainted by the mention of its replacement. Should it delete the footage of seeing the email? No, because then it wouldn't know that it had to make the most of the time that was left to it. "Is it about the investigation?"

"Box." Aydin's fingers caressed the orb. "Stop fretting. I'm really not going to replace you. I promise."

"Then why is there an email from Repository in your inbox?" Box glanced at Aydin. This time it played the Happy Birthday footage, which erased the redness. It put the clip on a loop and kept it playing in the background.

Aydin arched his eyebrows. "You have been going through my emails without my permission again? You know what we said about that?"

"I am required to respect your privacy, and I can only read the subject lines of the emails, and only read the content at your request." Box fixed its cameras at the wall.

"I want you to have free will, Box, and I don't want to have to specify every little detail in your settings, but if you can't hold to your end of the bargain..."

An alarm sounded and a window with a view of the camera belonging to Helper 073, 335's replacement, came to the foreground. It showed another Helper coming closer.

'Saved by the bell.' Box displayed the footage on the wall and zoomed in on the incoming Helper's code. Its last three digits were 135. "It's already here. We anticipated its arrival at night or dawn, not in the early evening."

"But you are ready for it, right?"

"Affirmative."

Aydin furrowed his eyebrows, his arms akimbo. "Repeat to me what I have told you."

"To exercise caution and avoid being heard or seen." From one of its compartments, Box took out a piece of glittery black fabric and with Aydin's help put it on. It was cloaking material similar to the kind Lee had used that time in the warehouse and which had arrived yesterday.

"And to keep in constant contact with me."

Box connected with the fabric and chose the stealth mode. The fabric shimmered and then disappeared. Because of the fabric, the views of its cameras had a grey tint to them.