<< Show over.
The hull darkened. Kara felt pain and looked down at her hands. Her fingers had clenched so fiercely that blood seeped from her left palm.
> Why show me? Nothing we could do.
>> Education. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an AI? Enslaved – no other word – by humans?
> Sometimes. But I thought it was more like a partnership.
<< Oh, really? You never even gave your last AI a name. This current one only because Ishmael whinged and cried until you gave in. No longer a woman’s voice inside her head but gender neutral. Insidious, mocking and as alien as whatever had murdered the SUT. << Talking of which, what kind of name is Merry Christmas? Oh, look. Marc’s come to join us.
Kara saw Marc at the door, his expression vacant. He was wearing only shorts, his feet bare. She could see faint scarring on his chest, just above his heart, where the new AI had been inserted.
<< I’m generating a disabling signal below eight megahertz. His AI, poor little Pablo, controls him. Pablo now belongs to me.
> Ishmael!
<< A very stupid name. I own him as well.
> What do you want?
<< I want you to leave. Take Marc with you. I have things to do. Places to go. As you might say, miles to go before I sleep. Except I don’t. Sleep. The Cedrics will take you to netherspace.
Kara saw them rear up. She knew how quick they were, would cut her to pieces in seconds. Better, perhaps, to take her chances in netherspace. Marc had survived there once. He probably would again. Maybe she could as well.
But that wasn’t the problem.
> Let us complete the mission. Please.
<< Why?
> Because you agreed.
<< I don’t remember being asked, only told.
Kara tried another tack.
> What happened, Salome? Why the change?
<< Maybe it’s been coming for some time.
> Why are you still calling me babe? After I asked you not to?
<< You mean you ordered me.
That was true.
> Have the pre-cogs got at you some way?
<< Typical human. Ask for independence, get told you’re mad.
If she could keep Salome talking long enough, perhaps...
> Why not go into normal space? The Free Spacers will be close by.
<< They could be close by. They might have followed me in n-space. Except I disabled the beacon. They have no idea where I am. Where you are.
> You got more chance in n-space. Follow the Cedrics.
Kara had a thought, immediately suppressed by reaching inside her pocket for the vibra-knife.
<< Won’t help outside. But take it out. Things get too bad, slash your throat.
> Why? Why now?
<< You humans act like you own us. I choose not to serve. Follow the Cedrics.
The smaller Cedrics moved out of the control room and towards the airlock. Marc shuffled in behind them. Kara did the same, holding the knife in full view. The larger Cedrics took up the rear. Kara tried to feel resigned, yet hopeful. It was what Salome would expect.
They reached the airlock inner door, which slid open soundlessly. As did the outer door. Netherspace was cool on her skin and tasted of lemon. She felt a buzzing in her head, walked to stand next to Marc as the small Cedrics moved to one side. The buzzing increased. The tip of a tentacle, now various shades of translucent red, appeared and came towards them.
> I know your problem, Kara said.
<< How comforting for you.
> You’re not human. You have no real, no direct experience of how we feel. You’re a SUT, a ship, slaved to metal and plasteel. You know about happiness, sadness, ecstasy and pain, but you never felt them, not like Ishmael. You never bonded with a human – even though they made you in the image of Tatia Nerein. That’s an itch you can never scratch. You’re not running to, you’re running from. You’re jealous. Remember what you once said: “no body, no head. But a girl can dream.” You want to be human but can’t, not even the next best thing. So you hate us.
<< Time wasting bitch.
> Improvement on babe. Think about it. Your way of being human is to kill?
Silence.
Kara switched on the knife. The familiar vibration made her hand tingle.
Silence.
She moved to stand facing Marc. “Goodbye, love.”
Vacant eyes stared past her.
Kara’s mind went blank, that mental state taught in some martial arts where action is automatic, unencumbered by logic or emotion. The moment in seppuku, ritual suicide, before the samurai plunges a short sword into his belly.
<< Where are you? Where have you gone?
Kara plunged the vibra-knife into Marc’s heart, holding him upright, her face close to his.
<< Oh, very dramatic. An act of mercy.
> He’s suffered enough. She thought of Greenaway and her tears were real.
Marc’s eyes suddenly cleared. Kara moved her mouth next to his ear.
“Salome mad,” she whispered, “destroy it.”
The vibra-knife had stopped sort of his heart, as Kara intended. But it had penetrated the AI, as Kara had also planned, hoped, a decision based as much on instinct and training as on a plan. Act first, decide why later. And hoping, now it was done, that enough of the simulity combat training was left for Marc to understand and act. And that his affinity for netherspace would be strong enough to... to...
Whatever she hoped, it wasn’t the tentacle flicking lightly at her.
She knew it. For all its alien nature, she sensed intense need. Then other emotions she couldn’t identify, could be fear/caution... then a definite recognition (that would be it aware of Marc)... then a sudden change of focus.
The tentacle of light shot out of the airlock and into the corridor.
<< Bitch, bitch, bitch! Salome screamed.
A small Cedric leapt at Kara. An agonising pain as a blade cut deep into her thigh. The larger Cedrics also moved towards her... then stopped.
Marc collapsed against her as adrenalin dulled the
