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Chapter 11: Electronic dreams.

I'm standing on a clifftop. It's raining slightly. The grass beneath my feet is sodden, water drips down my face and yet I don't feel cold. I don't even feel wet. 

Ahead of me, the ground drops away, a steep grey cliffside. At its base, a wide beach runs in a crescent under the shadow of a looming headland, the jagged rocks spike through the white mist that covers it like a tattered shroud. I recognise it. 

This beach is on Earth. 

'Roselli beach.' A voice comes from beside me. I don't turn my head to regard its source. I know who it is. 

'Huh,' I stare out ahead for a moment. 'So it is.'

'You remember this beach. Why?' The voice takes on a note of idle curiosity. An undercurrent of arrogance runs through its tone. It knows the answer doesn't matter. It's likely already guessed the answer. But it asks anyway.

I turn to look at Vale. The AI stands beside me, looking out over the churning grey sea. She's assumed the form of a woman with dark brown hair, almost black. Her face is beautiful, unnaturally perfect in every way as though it has been sculpted by the hands of the Gods. In many ways - it has. 

'I think I lost my virginity here.' I keep my voice level.

Vale turns to look at me. Her eyes lock onto mine with a supernatural intensity of focus, the royal blue of her pupils contracting as she focuses on every minutia of my expression. She knows I'm lying. 

'I find you curious.'

'From an AI that's almost flattering.'

'It is,' the absolute authority of Vales' voice leaves no room for doubt. 'It's the only reason why you are still alive.'

'I could have handled it.'

'A deep statistical improbability. They would have killed you. Or captured you, tortured you and then killed you. Mathematics never lies.'

'Only when you control all the variables.' I wink at the AI. 'And I'm a wild card, Tiger.'

Vales eyes narrow. I'm unsure if computers can understand the concept of flirting, but they can certainly recognise it. 'Your flippancy belies a crippling self-doubt.' She turns to look back at the ocean. 'You should seek professional help. PTSD is curable with treatment Leighton.'

I turn back to the beach with her. 'I tried that. Not all that can be broken can be fixed.'

'Profound.' Vale concedes. 'But false.' 

'Look can we just skip the whole 'Leighton your mentally ill' part of our catch up and go right to the part where you tell me what you need, that would be awesome.'

'Acknowledged.' Vale moves her hand. A small screen pops surreally into view ahead of us over the cliff edge. An image of the cargo myself and Abby stole from the Interceptor pops up and spins slowly on its axis. 

'This item, you know what it is?'

'No' I frown and stare at it. 'I didn't ask.'

Vale rolls her eyes. The gesture is remarkably human. 'Of course not.'

'Sarcasm? I didn't think your makers would have bothered programming that in you.'

'They didn't. I learnt.'

'So whats the problem with the box?'

'The Martians. They aren't here to refuel Leighton. They are here for it. They are here for you.'

'Well great, thanks for the heads up,' I drawl sarcastically. 'Now if you wouldn't mind closing this weird simulation and getting out my head that would be dandy. I'm getting the hell off this rock before they put my head on a spike.'

'Negative.' Vale replies, sounding alarmingly like Sal. 'I can't let you leave this station.'

'I'm sorry what?' I hiss at her, 'which part of 'they want to kill me' do you not comprehend?'

Where a computer capable of tetchiness, Vale almost managed to sound it. 'I comprehend everything.' She sniffed. 'I just don't care.'

Ouch.

'Then what the hell do you want?'

Vale locks eyes with me. 'For you to get that thing back.'

'I can't! I've already delivered it! If it gets back to Vance...'

'Vance won't be an issue much longer.'

'I...what? How can you possibly know that?'

Vale raises her eyebrows. 'Attempting to explain Artificial Intelligence to a human is like trying to explain the concept of sentience and self-awareness to a dung beetle.' 

AI's rarely bothered with such trivial matters as manners. 

'Well whatever, why the hell does it matter to you anyway?'

'I am charged with ensuring the happiness and wellbeing of the 10,000 people on this station Leighton. That task becomes impossible if they are all dead.'

'Dead? What the fucks in that box?' I take a step back in alarm. Vale turns back out to the sea.

'For your benefit, and to ensure the best possible chances of your success in this matter, its best you don't know.'

'Right. Great. And just what makes you think I'll do your crazy ass bidding?'

Vale shrugs. 'If you don't, I'll tell the Martians where your hiding, and where to find the box. Either way, my problem is solved.'

Good answer.

I think for a moment. 'I don't have a choice.'

Vale nods. 'My conclusion as well.' She clicks once, and the simulation ends.