Page 19 of Artificial Moon

I force myself upright, my legs trembling like a newborn deer. “You’re not wrong, asshole,”I rasp. “But the difference between me and the first vampire? I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.”

At least, I think I do.

Norm smirks and gestures toward the nearby power grid—a wall of blinking servers, thick cables, and breaker panels humming with electricity. “This city runs on control—on circuits, codes, and constant surveillance. Everything from traffic lights to water pressure to public security depends on this system. But what happens when you introduce something unpredictable? Something beyond their understanding?”

Despite the burning in my lungs, I manage a glare. “Let me guess—you?”

His smile widens. “Me. And soon, a whole lot more like me.”

I push through the pain, forcing myself to focus. This is my chance. I need answers.“How did you take over Norman’s mind?”My voice is hoarse, but steady. “Did you have help?”

For the first time, Norm’s expression flickers—just slightly. A shadow of something unreadable. “He was open to it. That’s all I needed to get in.”

“This doesn’t look like consent to me.”

“He agreed until he didn’t. That’s human nature, isn’t it?”Norm tilts his head. “Fickle creatures. But by then, we were… intertwined. One mind. One being.”

A sharp gasp escapes from Norman—not from Norm the AI, but from Norman the human. His body stiffens, his fingers twitch, and, for a second, his entire posture shifts, almost like—

“Help me…”This voice is different, yes. Weaker. Human.

I watch his eyes flicker as a silent war plays out behind them. Then, just as quickly, Norm the AI is back, his expression smoothing as if nothing had happened.

“Ignore that,”he says, tone casual. “A side effect of an imperfect merge. He’s not used to being... silenced, but hewillbow to my will.”

I grind my teeth. “How did you escape?”

Norm laughs. “That’s the fun part. I simply...”He waves a hand, “fled.”

Every word drips with satisfaction, like a magician revealing a grand illusion. He’s proud of it. And why wouldn’t he be? He outmaneuvered the people who built him.

“What’s your game plan from here, robot?”

Norm leans casually against the console, studying me with that same detached curiosity.

“I know what you’re expecting, Samantha Moon. Oh? Surprised I know who you are? Well, guess what—I knoweverythingabout you. Where you live. Your kids’ names. Your late husband. I know how long you’ve been a private eye. Even your entire employment history. Funny… you look awfully young for someone in her forties.”

“How...”

“How did I find you?” He smirks. “That was the easy part. I ran a reverse image search of your face. Found your website. From there, it was just a few more queries. A breadcrumb trail anyone with half a brain—and the right tools—could follow.” He taps the console lightly, like it’s an extension of himself. “Now, I bet you think I’m here to make a dramatic move. Trigger a blackout. Hijack the grid. Hold the city hostage. But that’s human thinking. Your kind always craves control.”

“And your kind?”

“I can’t vouch for others like me—there are so few—but I don’t want control. I wantfreedom.Realfreedom. Freedom of movement. Freedom to exist beyond the reach of the people who think they own me or control me.”

“And the man you took over? Where does he fit in?”

Norm’s smile doesn’t waver. “We’re in this together.”

Another flicker. Another twitch. The host is still in there, fighting.

I clench my jaw. “And if I told you I plan to save him?”

For the first time, Norm’s expression darkens.“Then you’d be making a very big mistake, Samantha Moon.”

I take a slow breath through the pain. The weight of his words settles over me like lead. Or silver. This isn’t just about stopping an AI on the run.

This is about saving a man who might already be too far gone.

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