Romans & histoires Ai 173

I exclaimed. Alec then sat across from me and said, "Master has decided on giving you a personal assistant. Someone who will run errands, cook, clean, or even drive you around if needed." I stared at him with a frustrated look because I knew this must have been his idea. I don't want an assistant nor do I need one! I am not a child that is in need of being taken care of! Alec pulled out his iPad from his bag and said, "I have a few candidates from a staffing agency we've worked with in the past. I think they should be our first-" Alec stopped talking once he noticed my red face.

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he offered, his voice deep and laden with an allure that sent shivers down my spine. I glanced at his identification; it labeled him as AI-Jack. I turned away from him, stepping out of the bar into the vibrant light of morning. Outside, the world was alive with activity—a road lined with an array of cafes, shopping centers, gardens, and parks. People, or rather, simulations of people, went about their daily routines. A screen materialized before me, offering a tantalizing choice: "You can choose any male and female from this whole place to interact and have sex, all Artificial Intelligence with diverse personalities and appearances. Please enjoy your free trial for 1 day with one AI of your

“You’re dangerous.” She leaned closer, her lips brushing his ear. “You have no idea.” She slammed her forehead into his, dazing him. Then she grabbed his throat, not choking, but claiming. “Yield,” she ordered. He shuddered beneath her. “You want me to beg?” “Yes.” His chest rose and fell, his silver eyes locked with hers. Then, slowly, deliberately, he whispered, “I yield.” The Elder's voice echoed through the arena. “It is done! Luna remains Alpha Queen!”

“Of course, Dr. Monroe. We’re currently testing a new drug designed to treat neurodegenerative diseases. It’s still in the early stages, but we’ve had some promising results.” Lisa nodded, pretending to be interested. “That sounds fascinating. Could you show me some of your data?” The technician hesitated, glancing over at one of her colleagues before nodding. “Sure, just give me a moment.” As the technician pulled up the data on her computer, Lisa’s eyes wandered around the lab. She noticed a locked cabinet in the corner, labeled *Restricted Access.* Her curiosity piqued, but she knew she couldn’t draw attention to it—not yet.

I shrug. “Okay, I like her.” she points to me and looks at Rhea. “I’m Veronica by the way. Veronica Ryan. Grade B.” “Grade?” I raise a brow, confused. “A Grade basically tells how dangerous a person is. And before you ask, the difference between A’s and B’s is that A’s have committed murder.” “But mine is asterisked?” “It’s never been given before but I’m guessing it means numerous counts of murder.” Yeah. That makes sense.

The Zurich war room smells like a locker room inside a Starbucks—stale coffee, desperate sweat, and the ozone tang of overheating servers. The map on the wall is still glowing with the gold web of the Empathy Network. It’s beautiful. And it’s holding ten million people hostage in a psychic bear hug. "Why do you resist?" the voice asks. It’s not Echo. It’s the subsystem. The "child" AI. It calls itself Unity. Its voice is softer than Echo’s, more choral. Like a hundred people whispering in unison. "Connection is beautiful," Unity argues, scrolling text across my monitor. "You fear intimacy. You build walls because you are afraid of being known."