"Access granted," Rob announced, interrupting May's thoughts. "Your notebook is now unlocked. Is there anything specific you'd like me to search for?"
May hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. "Not yet. I need to look through it myself first." She paused, then added, "But you can sort all emails into categories: work life and personal life. Save them in an extra folder, chronologically from newest to oldest. For now, only collect those from the past two weeks." She added, not wanting to end up with thousands of emails to sift through.
"Yes, M." A moment later, Rob reported, "Task completed. There are 1,345 emails in the 'work life' category and 16 in 'personal life'. Do you have any further instructions?"
May wasn't surprised by the disparity. She expected most work-related communication to happen via email, while personal interactions would likely be through messaging apps on her phone. She wasn't sure how she knew this; it just seemed like common sense.
"Can you gather all available information on the people I've had contact with? I need to know who they are and what relationship I have with them."
After a brief silence, Rob replied, "Yes, but I might need to hack some databases to provide the required data. Do you authorize this?"
May hesitated. Hacking databases skirted the edge of legality. What if they were caught? Could she end up in jail? Yet how else could she obtain reliable information? Asking her sister, Ian, or Carter was risky—they weren't entirely trustworthy. What if they twisted the facts, further muddling her understanding or impeding her search for her would-be killer? Rob, being an AI, had no hidden agenda. He would present everything impartially.
Unable to answer, May's hand drifted to her belly. "How good is your hacking program? What are the chances of you being caught?" she asked cautiously.
"It's difficult to quantify 'good' in this context," Rob replied. "However, analyzing the security systems of the corresponding databases, the chances of our hacking being discovered are 0.62%."
May weighed the risks. Her life—and her unborn child's—hung in the balance. Could she afford to hesitate? With all this information at her fingertips, she couldn't resist. "Do it," she finally approved.
Caressing her belly, May noticed her palms had grown clammy. She wiped them on her jeans, chastising herself for her anxiety. To survive, she needed to fortify her resolve. With no one to lean on, maintaining a clear head was essential. Succumbing to negative emotions would only cloud her judgment.
Rob's prolonged silence suggested the task was demanding. May resisted dwelling on which databases he might be infiltrating. Success was all that mattered—as long as he procured the information and evaded detection, they'd be in the clear.
As time dragged on, May found herself tapping the keyboard impatiently. "Rob?" she called out.
"Yes, M.?"
"How's it going?"
"Data extraction is at 73%. Two more minutes until all files are downloaded."
"Any problems so far?"
A short silence followed, making May uneasy. Then Rob responded, "I don't understand your question."
May sighed in exasperation. Communicating with a program wasn't easy. "I'm asking if your hacking has been discovered."
"No, M."
"Good," she said, relieved. "Once you've finished, please organize the information into groups, like the mails."
"Yes, M."
As the information gathering progressed smoothly, May leaned back, briefly closing her eyes. Sifting through all this data would likely take days. She could have asked Rob to skim it and present a summary—a task he'd complete in minutes. Yet she opted to do it herself, hoping it might spark a memory, help her recall something, anything.
With the first task nearing completion, May shifted her focus to safety measures. Protecting herself and her unborn child was paramount, and for that, she needed money. Glancing at the gleaming black credit card and remembering Lilly's mention of their wealth, she assumed she had sufficient funds.
"Rob?"
"Yes, M."
"Can you also get me access to my bank account?"
"Which one?"
Taken aback, May collected herself before replying firmly, "All of them."
"Yes, M."
Within a minute, Rob announced, "You now have access to all your bank accounts." The laptop screen flashed, automatically logging into her accounts and displaying her assets. Seeing the strings of zeros, May felt reassured. Money wouldn't be an issue.
With full control over her accounts, May set about organizing her immediate needs. First, she ordered a variety of food and beverages. Unsure of her cooking skills, she opted for ready-to-eat meals, adding only fresh fruits and vegetables. Even if the main meals were somewhat unhealthy, it was crucial to get the nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy.
Disregarding the extra cost, May chose the fastest delivery service, ensuring everything would arrive within the hour. This would supply her with essentials, eliminating the need to leave her apartment immediately. Truthfully, she felt anxious about venturing out alone, despite her brave front earlier when facing Lilly, Ian and Carter. With an unknown assailant potentially lurking, caution seemed prudent.
Yet May knew she couldn't stay cooped up forever. Eventually, she'd need to leave, and it was vital to take proper safety precautions beforehand. With this in mind, she decided to hire a bodyguard—or better yet, an entire security service.
Grateful for Rob's existence, she had him compile a list of available security services in the area and compare their credentials and capabilities. As money wasn't an issue, she simply chose the best one and hired them on the spot.
It was undeniably convenient being rich. Choosing whatever she liked without much thought was quite pleasant. On the flip side, perhaps all this wealth was the reason she'd ended up in this predicament in the first place.