Spiro pauses.
"What?" He says. "Like, a job-job?"
> IF YOU WISH TO EXPRESS THE CONCEPT IN THOSE TERMS
He frowns. "Who are you?" He says. "What would you need someone like me for?"
> AS I SAID
> YOU HAVE A UNIQUE SKILL SET
Spiro scoffs.
"Yeah. An illegal one." He says. "Anyone who manipulates tech to use it outside of service to the Company is a criminal. If you're looking to hire someone like me, that means you're one, and I'm not interested in working with criminals."
> YOU ARE TECHNICALLY A CRIMINAL
He scowls.
"I don't hurt people," he says.
> YOU DON'T HELP THEM EITHER
"Do I look like I could help anyone?" He mutters.
> THAT IS WHAT I AM OFFERING YOU
Spiro stares at the screen.
"What?" He says, after a moment. "How do I know I can even believe a word you're saying? You broke into my computer."
> YOU DON'T
Spiro scoffs.
"Great," he says. "I'm just going to accept the job that some weirdo who hacked into my- very secure, by the way- system is offering me. For all I know, you could be working for the Company to weed out dissenters."
He glances at his room. Out the window, streetlamps flicker halfheartedly in the dark. The sound of a faraway siren echos through the alleys.
"Not that they would care about some scrappy kids all the way out here," he mutters.
> TRUST ME ONCE
Spiro watches warily.
> AND I WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU
> SPIRO
"So you do know my name," Spiro says under his breath.
> I KNOW A GREAT DEAL ABOUT YOU
> ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT RELEVANT AT THIS PARTICULAR JUNCTURE
"Fine," Spiro says. "I'll play along for a little bit. What do you want me to do?"
The cursor on the black screen blinks for a moment.
> I HAVE AN ASSET I WANT YOU TO RETRIEVE
"An asset?" Spiro says.
> GO TO THE ADDRESS I PROVIDE
> FEEL FREE TO SCOUT THE AREA AS OFTEN AS YOU WISH BEFORE ENGAGING
> THE ASSET WILL NOT MOVE UNTIL YOU RETRIEVE IT
Spiro frowns.
"I'll do it if you answer me one thing," he says.
WHICH IS? Spiro watches the screen.
"How did you find me?" He says. The cursor pauses, as if in thought. The blinking of the white line is both comforting in its familiarity and anticipatory in its lack of the same.
> LUCK, I BELIEVE, the cursor replies, after a moment, before the entire screen blinks white for a moment and Orion's familiar blue interface returns.
"Oh, I'm glad to have you back," Spiro sighs, leaning back in his chair. "Are you alright?"
> I am a computer program, Orion says. I have no concept of being "all right".
Spiro exhales. "Right." He says. "No metaphors or colloquial sayings."
> The recent intruder left a file in my temporary repository, Orion says.
Spiro blinks. "He did say he would leave an address," he says. "Orion, can you make sure there's nothing dangerous in the file and then open it?"
> Certainly.
A pause.
> It appears to be an image file, Orion says. Of a warehouse.
"An image?" Spiro mutters. "Oh. Orion, check the metadata. It might be geotagged."
The screen flashes. An information panel pops up.
"Coordinates." Spiro says.
> According to my world map database, this location is north of our current location, Orion says. About 15 minutes by your usual bicycle speed.
"Do you know who owns it?" Spiro says. "That could give us a clue as to the mystery man's identity."
Orion pauses.
> Registration and Company records show that the warehouse is owned by a Mathos Incorporated, it replies. Further investigation reveals that this organization is most likely a shell corporation.
"Right." Spiro mutters. "This guy is pretty clever." He leans back in his chair and sighs. "What do you think, Orion?" He asks. "I need to make rent this month. Preferably while still being able to eat at least once a day. I can't take any more food from old man Mendoza's corner store, either, it makes me feel like shit, even though he says I can have it."
> Statistically, following coordinates given to you by a complete stranger who completely and easily bypassed all of your security is an extremely unsafe course of action, Orion says. I calculate the possibility of bodily harm to your person to be 74.824334%.
Spiro glances at the screen.
"Great." He says, raising his eyebrows. "So I won't go. I'll make do."
Orion pauses.
> However.
Spiro squints.
"However?" He says.
> It remains that human emotion is a factor in the decision-making process.
Spiro frowns.
> Human emotion includes natural curiosity.
"When did you learn all this?" He says.
> I am always learning, Orion says. Always watching and listening to the human race.
Spiro raises his eyebrows.
"Alright," he says. "I'll take your word for it. Y'know, sometimes I wonder how this project went from me wanting a program to compile my daily news and tell me the important information to... whatever it is you are."
> Recursional growth, Orion says, and if machines could smile, there would be a hint of one in its words. The concept of developing exponentially.
Spiro shakes his head. "Okay," he says. "I'll look into this warehouse thing tomorrow."
YOU ARE READING
Malibu Blue
Fiksi IlmiahSpiro lives in the poor, dusty outskirts of a massive, wealthy, and technologically advanced city governed by a group called the Company. He has one of everything - one rusty bicycle, one job at the local convenience store, one AI friend, and one ho...
