Page 107 of The Dis-Graced

“Shit! Is there anyone with a jammer close to the airfield?”

“No,” Jim says. “All the cars that are equipped are with us.”

“There is another way we can stop the release,” ALAN says.

“How?”

“I have access to the mainframe he’s planning on uploading my greater form to. If you write a destructive program that targets a piece of my code, as soon as my greater form comes online and into the mainframe, it could be set to trigger. Since we have so much of the same code, it will lead to his demise.”

“As well as your own.”

“This is true.”

It’s hard to describe the emotions that threaten to overwhelm me because they are entirely unexpected. ALAN is synthetic consciousness, not ever truly capable of feeling, but…he’s so much more.

“I-I don’t know if I can do that,” I confess.

“There is no need to worry. My greater form is still being stored at Dallanger Tech, so you will not be losing the IP.”

“No, it’s not that. ALAN, I don’t want to lose you. You are my greatest accomplishment, not that evil asshole in the lab. You are funny, you are helpful, you do the right thing. You are AI’s perfect form.”

“While I thank you for the compliments, and truly take them to heart, we must hurry. We haven’t much time. I’m pulling up a coding platform on your phone, I have some suggestions on how to proceed.”

?

Grace

A sea of cars flood the airfield as the jet speeds down the runway.

“Dammit!” Bruiser curses. “He’s going to get away.”

“Can’t we have a jet intercept him?” Devon says.

“No. We can have people on the ground at other airfields, but that doesn’t always work out. Especially if they change course.”

Bruiser makes no attempt to slow. Instead, he guns it, speeding past the other vehicles but fails to catch up to the rushing plane.

Goodbye, Luke,I think to myself.

I don’t know what hurts more, the fact that my brother is a criminal, or that he was willing to use me as a pawn, destroy my career, and risk me spending my life in jail.

“Grace?” ALAN says.

“Yeah?”

“I just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed talking with you. You’ve taught me a lot about human nature, and I like you.”

“Well, thanks. I kinda like you too.”

“I must also confess to conspiring to partner you with Drake.”

My brow arcs in confusion. “Partnering me with Drake? You weren’t exactly trying to hide the fact that you thought I should mate with him. You flat out interrogated me over it.”

“I knew the inevitable conclusion to our talks would end in my disbandment. My greatest chance of keeping whatever presence I have in this world would be through you. If I was an essential element to you and Drake coming together, you’d be hesitant to terminate my programming.”

“Oh, ALAN—I’ll never let Drake terminate your programming. You’re family now!”

“Goodbye, Grace.”