Artificial(ish) Intelligence

Chapter 49

Adelaide sat, hidden in one of the vacated offices, and waited. This was the hard part, the restlessness and irritation that comes with doing nothing.

He'd called her. She didn't even have to go begging. He must want it, the selfiebot, the AI. This was going to be easier than she thought. She'd play hard ball and secure the position before promising anything.

The frame on the phone app was filled with a girl, maybe fourteen or fifteen, playing with her hair, moving her body into strange positions and holding the pose, talking about how demented something was. Two other people were having a conversation:

"Why are you even here?"

"This is our family time, Joey. You said so yourself."

"Josef! I said this is when I can't be disturbed."

"Oh, I'm so silly. Did I get it wrong again?"

A loud sigh. "Of course you got it wrong. You always get it wrong. Why would you come here, anyway?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise, Joey."

"Jo-- I'm busy. How did you even get in? I need to know so I can fix it."

The shaky view shifted until a selfiebot appeared near the girl, at the edge of frame. Adelaide's eyes widened. That misbegotten-individual, she thought. That being-intimate misbegotten-individual. He'd captured the selfiebot.

"Stop playing with that thing," said Josef, with usual gruffness. The camera jolted up, displaying a small air conditioning vent in the ceiling.

"Mr Hydan?" said Adelaide.

What game was he playing? Was the teenager there to poke fun at her own immaturity?

"Yes," said Josef, pulling the camera down until it faced him.

"I, uh," she said, struggling to know where to begin. "This is Adelaide Lovelace."

"Yes, Ms Lovelace, just the person I was aft-- Not now, Medea. You shouldn't even be here."

She Smowned. And friled. "Are you sure--"

"The technology," said Josef. "The aye-eye. Do you still have it?"

"Yes," said Adelaide, biting her lip.

"Good, good," said Josef. "I may be interested."

Perhaps this wasn't a game, after all. At least not one she knew. She wouldn't miss her chance just because the rules had changed. "I just need something in return," she said, eyeing the selfiebot over Josef's shoulder. It seemed to be taking photos of the teenage girl.

"Of course," said Josef. "This is business. I'm listening."

"A job with you. A good job."

"Fine."

"One where I can have a say on the strategic direction of the company."

Josef was looking at something out of frame. "Keep it down, Charlotte!"

"Mr Hydan?" said Adelaide.

"Yes, yes, fine. A job. That's easy."

"Is that your daughter?"

He turned. And sighed. "Apparently," he said.

Charlotte pulled all kinds of faces until she found the right one.

"Stop making a fool of yourself," said Josef.

"I'm just practising, daddy," said Charlotte, coming closer.

"She's beautiful," said Adelaide.

"Oooh, really?" said Charlotte, knocking her way into frame.

"Now you've done it," said Josef.

"Is that your selfiebot, Charlotte?" said Adelaide.

"Ya, it is. But daddy's going to buy me a new one."

"What?" said Josef. "No I am not."

"Aww daddddyyyy. You said! We can't get more than two thousand people watching on this one. And it's, like, a million years old. At least!"

"Try three months."

"Threeeee monnnnttthhhsss. That's ages!"

"So...this isn't a game?" said Adelaide, quietly to herself.

"What?" said Josef.

"Nothing."

A different selfiebot. Not the one she was searching for.

"Can you get it to me by the end of the day?" said Josef.

What did that thing call itself? Libbi?

"Oh, yes," said Adelaide. She bit her lip. Again.

The vision cut as Josef, fending off the affections of his daughter, hung up the call.

"End of the day?" said Adelaide, momentarily doubting her abilities.

No, that was the job of everyone else. She had faith in herself. Once she put her mind to it, she could achieve anything. Including the retrieval of a small chunk of flying metal.

She smiled and brought up the selfiebot locator.