"What did you just say?"
"I said I have the experimental chip that killed Vee, which has Silverhand's consciousness written on it. I'm not sure of the integrity of that consciousness, or if there's anything left after I killed that lady, but... I thought I'd ask you... would you even be interested in something like that?"
"Yeah... come to the Afterlife. urgently."
"Okay..."
After finishing my conversation with Bestia I quickly summoned Delamain, after which Becca and I finally made our way to the camp, where I told the girls the nature of the conflict they had observed from the observation post.
"So, did you call Vic?"
I looked at Triss and shook my head as if to say no.
"Then call!"
"Do you think I should?"
"And you ask me that?!"
She looked at me with a dose of disappointment.
"Well, uh. it's just that I was gonna tell him face-to-face instead of calling him... but if you think, uh.
"No!"
Triss shook her head quickly, as if to say that she didn't think my solution to this issue was any worse than what she herself had suggested.
"It's even better this way."
"Good, so after Bestia, I'll go to Vic's... so don't wait up, I'll be late. and, uh, I'm relying on you, Judy, to take that thing apart. I think you can at least get an idea of what's what."
"Okay, but I'll get Luce on board, since it's clearly not just and not so much about the tech, but about the code that translates the device."
"Good ..."
"But Kiwi will be watching you."
"Okay..."
I didn't argue with such a thing and went to the avi landing place where Delamain was due to arrive in just five minutes. And he arrived right on schedule, as always.
"Good afternoon."
"Greetings Del."
I nodded to the image of the AI that appeared on the monitor inside the avi.
"While we're flying, I'd like to make a request of you..."
"Listening..."
"I've had a small malfunction that's taken several machines out of my control... I'd like to offer you a job."
"You want me to, uh."
I looked questioningly at the AI.
"I want you to get to the cars and stay near them for five minutes. That's enough time for me to hack into the cars with a special device and bring them back under my control."
I looked wistfully out the avi window.
"Overall... I don't mind, but I have a question."
"If it's within my power and doesn't involve Delamain company secrets, I'm happy to answer your questions."
"Cars... who drives them?"
"I don't understand the nature of your question... I run all of Delamaine's transportation."
"Are you personally, or..."
"I create subroutines that take over a particular vehicle, but these programs are part of me and completely subordinate to me."
"And what are the odds that the malfunction you mentioned gave your subroutines their own self-awareness, i.e., AI? A lot less powerful than you, but still...
"Question... analyzing new data..."
Del was silent for a long couple of minutes.
"There's a sixty percent chance that a failure in my subroutines could have created new AIs. I'm searching the web for data on the machines I lost contact with..."
A couple more minutes of silence and I noticed that we were beginning to come in for a landing.
"Thank you for the fascinating conversation and new information. Based on the data obtained through publicly available surveillance cameras, I can conclude that your assumption was correct. Machines out of control have a ninety-five percent chance of being controlled by newborn AIs.
"Shall we continue this a little later?"
"I'll be waiting..."
I left the avi and walked calmly to the elevator, which lowered me almost to the very entrance to the Postmortem.
"David..."
The guard at the entrance nodded at me and opened the door to let me inside.
"Emmerick, how's the wound?"
"I'm fine. Reaper patched me up and I'm good as new."
"That's good..."
I walked past him and headed purposefully towards Bestia's office, but I was stopped halfway through.
"David, the beast is waiting for you in booth number two for private conversations."
"Thank you, Claire."
I nodded to the girl and slightly changed the direction of my movement and already five minutes later I entered the room in which in addition to the bestiary was her raner.
"Bestia, Nix..."
I nodded to them and without further ado handed the latter a container of wood chips.
"What I was talking about here."
"Nix, see if there's anything left of Johnny..."
"I'll get this and try to figure out what it even is."
Bestia nodded at these words to Raner, who hurriedly removed himself.
"Anything to say?"
"Uh-huh. if you worked with V, you don't have to call her anymore. She came to me from a third party, or at least she believed it, Arasaki, and tried to recruit me. It's weird, because even a cursory analysis of my personality.
"Should have shown you that you wouldn't agree..."
"Exactly, because I don't know what this "third force" wanted. Maybe they wanted this information to reach you and your new friend, but it's not my problem..."
"You dumped it on my head, didn't you?"
"Uh-huh...
I grinned, then turned around and left the stall, or rather tried to.
"David..."
I turned to Bestia and saw a kind smile full of gratitude on her face.
"Thank you... it means a lot to me, maybe even more than Johnny's hand you gave me and the tip on his car that I did find..."
"It's good to find..."
I nodded at those words.
"By the way, one of the guns you sold through Regina also belonged to Johnny, so you just don't realize how much you've helped me... all that stuff. they shouldn't be in the hands they were in."
"Forget it..."
I shook my head.
"I'll get back to you on that."
"I'll get back to you."
She nodded and I finally left her to get to the avi.
"So, where were we?"
Transportation out of control is under the control of newborn AI... I've done the analysis, but, uh. I need your advice. what should I do?
Del's voice was still clear, but it sounded a little uncertain to me. But... Maybe it wasn't, because he was an AI that had been around for a long time...
"Okay, let me ask you a follow-up question. can you assimilate them in you or just remove them if I'm near the cars with that device you mentioned, which by the way we're flying to Victor Vector's clinic?
"The waypoint has been set. To answer your question. both options don't look difficult to me. I can both remove and assimilate newborn AIs."
I nodded.
"Okay, what do you want to get out of this?"
"Clarify the question..."
"Do you want things to stay the way they were, or do you want to have a new experience and maybe take a step forward?"
"I... I don't know."
"Then you need to decide that, because if you want to keep things the way they are, then I would advise you not to capture the machines, but just destroy them along with the AIs that are on their carriers. If you want a new experience... I would suggest assimilating them, but not at the same time, but one at a time."
"I'll think about it..."
At that moment the avi once again shuddered and its door opened, allowing me to step outside and walk straight into the clinic to Victor.
"Uh, David?"
"Vic..."
I nodded to Victor, who was just working with a client.
"Wait in Misty's store, I've got about 20 minutes to go..."
"Hmm. I'd rather be in the courtyard, where Delamayne brings up some very interesting topics..."
"Delamaine?"
Vic shook his head.
"You're chic... is there an emergency?"
"You could say that, but it's not your thing, so just finish up quietly, and then we'll talk... you, me, and Misty."
"Hmmm..."
A quick glance was thrown at me and a nod.
"Okay..."
I spent the next twenty minutes in Del's company, except that he was quiet. He was probably trying to come to some decision about the question I'd asked him. And I was in no hurry to interrupt him with my speeches. It was a matter for Del to decide for himself.
Is it dangerous?
I don't think so...
Sure there seemed to be something wrong with the game, but in fact, even if you assimilate them one at a time, Del wouldn't change much. Still, this isn't a game and the newborn AIs won't get the same evolved personalities that can counter something to Delamain's core personality.
When I noticed a customer leaving the clinic, I quietly went inside the basement, and soon Misty was there as well.
"Well? What did you want to tell us?"
"Well, uh. I won't beat around the bush, V tried to kill me and I had to kill her--
And silence...
"Did you kill her?"
There was a bitterness in Misty's voice, something that said she'd expected something like this. No, not from this conversation, but from V's life in general. She knew that she probably wasn't going to die her own death.
"Yes... she came to me to recruit me for Arasaka..."
"What?"
Vic looked at me in surprise.
"Yeah, and she was equipped to the highest standard, so maybe the next step would be to turn her into a Borg. Even the sandi was no weaker than mine, and the skin and everything else could easily withstand the acceleration..."
"What the hell did that fool do..."
"I'll say more, she had an item that disabled all of my chrome except the optics."
"And you, uh. were able to defeat her?"
Misty looked at me in surprise.
"I did it. It may not have been easy, but I'm in the Major League for a reason... So I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. a couple dozen."
"I'm glad you're alive..."
Vic nodded at me.
"I'm glad you're okay. Of course V is sorry, but she chose her own way, I laid out her cards at her request and told her that she should stay close to her friends and acquaintances, as far away from them she will die..."
I grinned sadly.
"Anyway, since you're the only intelligent people I'm acquainted with out of those who could be called V's acquaintances, I felt it was my duty to tell you in person."
"Huh... we were the last ones."
"Yes, we are, yes you are."
Misty nodded saying that my group of mercenaries could also be considered V's friends.
"...she never had anyone else. And I'll definitely light a memorial candle for her. But to be honest, she's been pretty distant lately. so, uh."
"Yes understandable, but I still wanted to tell you in person, not call you..."
"And we appreciate it."
Vic nodded.
"Okay..."
I got up from the chair I had settled into.
"...it's time for me to go."
"David..."
I didn't have time to turn around as Vic called my name and stopped me.
"I consulted with Misty and, uh."
"We agree."
Misty finished for Vic and I grinned happily.
"Great! Make lists of what you absolutely need to purchase and have it all prepared."
"Okay..."
Vic nodded and then I left the clinic in high spirits, taking the Delamain avi back to the clan parking lot.