Artificial(ish) Intelligence

Chapter 107

Josef peered out the door.

"Looking for a strange man wandering the corridors?" said his father.

"He'll be here soon," said Josef, checking the time.

"Ah, yes," said Hydan, "your special guest. You're keeping us in suspense, junior."

It was about time his father knew less than him. Finally, he had the upper hand. "Surprises are exciting," he said, returning. "Like a birthday."

"I always prefer to know in advance," said Hydan. "That disgusting shirt, for instance."

"The red one?"

Hydan Sr scrunched his nose a fraction. "If I received it cold, well, I wouldn't have kept a straight face."

"It was expensive," said Josef, dourly. "How did you know before I--"

"One hears things, junior" said Hydan, as if that were enough of an explanation.

This time was different, thought Josef. But his smugness turned to fear as the door slammed shut. Had the man arrived? He flung it open and stared out into, well, nothing. The corridor was empty. In the distance, he could barely make out a clump-clmp, clump-clmp.

When he turned back, Ms Glas' projection was whispering to his father. You might ask how a projection can possibly do this, but I've signed an NDA and you know how lawyers can be. I'm only at liberty to divulge the possible use of extra-aural spatial frequencies. Clearer, now?

The conversation conspiratorially ceased as Josef approached.

"This is wonderful, isn't it, junior?" said Hydan. "Yet more quality time together."

"Yes," said Josef, gritting his teeth, "it is."

"Oh," said Hydan, as if a thought had just occurred to him. "I did hear another piece of information. You invited my own company's largest shareholder to this little demonstration of yours." He added a mild smirk.

Josef sighed.

"But tell me, junior, did you actually speak to the fund manager in question?"

"Yes," said Josef. "The cee-ee-oh."

"You spoke to Patrick Burke?"

"His TrueRealVoice tee-em."

"Ah," said Hydan.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"He'll be here," said Josef, again checking his watch. "I was assured. There's no need to get antsy."

"Oh, you misunderstand," said Hydan, sitting back. "I've got all the time in the world!"

A knock on the door.

"And here he is," said Josef, beaming.

But when he opened the door, Zerro stared back. He hushed the man out into the corridor, leaving the room with a sideways glance.

"Where's Mathison? He needs to run through the demonstration."

Zerro thought for a moment. It was more than a jiffy but less than a period. "We got it," he said.

"Huh?" said Josef, peeking back inside the room.

"We got the selfiebot. The one you asked."

"Oh, good," said Josef, his words floating away like a mist.

"And the guy that took it," said Zerro. "We got him, too."

"Yes, yes," said Josef. "What do you want, a medal?"