Artificial(ish) Intelligence

Chapter 92

He was here! If Fivven had a heart it would have swelled. Instead, his perception sharpened, motivation ballooned.

He'd seen Mr Will Lurner arrive in the foyer. But instead of joining him, the male hu(person) made straight for the tall room with steps. Before he had a chance to despair, a helpful helperbot, on her way to a new client, asked where he needed to go. When he tried to show his appreciation she simply told him it was her job, and not to fuss about with silly notions like thank you's.

Now he was within metres of delivering those piping hot noodles. He trundled closer with such enthusiasm that he didn't notice the purple woman suddenly appearing from nowhere.

She picked him up. Smelled him.

"Mmm...food."

He spun his little wheel at full speed, but apparently the air wasn't a good source of friction.

The woman clutched her stomach and then exposed his piping hot noodles to the air. This wasn't Mr Will Lurner. This wasn't his delivery recipient. This was a thief.

She was already scoffing down the noodles by the time he realised she was the same hu(person) he'd shared a ride with, the one who liked to talk to herself.

"Why do these taste so good?" she said, rubbing her chin from the juices. "I suppose, when you're hungry enoug--"

She stopped at a notification sound. Her eyebrows creased and she tilted her head a fraction, mouth still full of not-so-piping hot noodles.

"Huh?" she said. "Suggested stream? Why do I care about-- Libbi?"

Her eyes widened as she finished her mouthful. All Fivven could think about was how Mr Will Lurner wouldn't be getting his delivery. At least not the entirety of it.

"That can't be AutomatIO," she said, staring at the stream. "You were running away from Josef..."

Fivven wondered if she was talking to him or the screen. Hu(persons) were strange creatures.

"No," she said. "He can't get his hands on you. He won't!"

Fivven suddenly felt less of the hu(person)'s warm arms and more of the cool air. Unlike Wile E. Coyote, he couldn't hang against gravity, instead speeding to the floor. He braced himself for the impact.

Doinnnggggg!

He bounced a few more times, performing an unintentional rotation in between, before finally landing.

Not again, he thought, as he watched the hu(person)'s upside-down legs crawl down the corridor. He tried his wheel but, as I've already explained, it didn't work too well against air. Why do I keep needing to repeat myself? At the periphery of his camera's view stood Mr Will Lurner's door, closed, just out of reach.