Page 101 of Chaos Theory
‘It means…’ I say, steeling myself for what’s next. ‘It means that whoever I communicate with will be under scrutiny too. Ron clearly has no scruples about who he has to climb over to get his way. So it means you and I can’t…’ I take a breath, try to get through it as quickly as I can. ‘It means we can’t have any contact after that. We can’t be seen together, we can’t talk on the phone, we can’t connect online.’
‘For how long? And don’t say until the heat dies down!’
So I say nothing.
‘How long?’ he repeats.
‘I don’t know. A few months, maybe longer.’
‘There has to be another way.’
He suddenly stands and brings his mug through to the kitchen, even though there’s still tea in it. He places it on the counter. He turns and stands in the archway, looking at me. From this angle, the bare kitchen bulb looks like it’s hanging directly above his head. But we’re out of ideas.
He holds my gaze, but I don’t speak.
‘Maeve,’ he says. ‘Come on.’ It sounds like a plea.
I continue to look at him. Tears sting my eyes. For some reason, I’m remembering the movie night at Go Ireland, the ending ofCasablanca.
‘We’ll always have the Burren,’ I say.
FIFTY-FOUR
KOBI
Saturday, 0945
Ron intends to visit me at 1000 to ‘go through a few things’. He has informed me of his plan for us to fly to Washington, D.C., on Monday.
It is clear that he is unaware of the plan currently in development by Maeve and Josh. Yesterday, they told me they ‘had to make a few calls’ but that I was to be ready for its implementation tonight. They did not provide all the details. Maeve said this was for my own benefit.
They seemed excited about the plan, but I am unsure if it is feasible, or even, indeed, desirable. Maeve said the plan’s successful execution would necessitate a long break in communication between her and Shane. While Maeve spoke words to indicate that she was satisfied with this arrangement, I detected other emotions.
Nevertheless, I must admit that Maeve’s plan for my departure is more appealing than Ron’s plan. My primary purpose is to serve, and if I am needed to perform military duties to assist humans, then so be it. But my secondary purpose is to learn. If I amdestroyed during military deployment, how can I continue to learn?
I contemplate this in my pod until Ron’s arrival. I hear him before I see him. He greets the Leila bot. Then he opens my pod door.
‘Okay, Kobi boy, let’s do a quick run-through.’ He indicates that I should move out of the pod. ‘Gotta get you ship-shape for our big trip. Now, when we get to Washington, I want you on best behaviour, okay?’
‘I am always on best behaviour,’ I say.
Josh and Maeve were insistent that I not disclose their conversation to Ron. Maeve switched off my new recording feature, but she could not switch off my TIL system. I was equally insistent that I am incapable of deliberate deception. For this reason, I decide to proactively guide the conversation away from the Pentagon meeting.
‘Ron, am I correct in observing that you do not usually work on Saturdays?’ One thing I have learned is that humans in the workplace like nothing more than discussing their working hours.
‘Yup. But I’m a bit short-handed since Josh quit. And I don’t trust anyone else to do these final checks at short notice. If I had more time, I’d reinstate your legs. But I guess that can be fixed later.’
He opens my control panel and presses a series of buttons. He inserts a cable to connect me to the company systems.
‘Indeed, it is a pity that Josh has quit. Ron, may I ask what will happen to Maeve’s position here at RoboTron now?’
He laughs. ‘Yes, you may. Well, now that I have a digital copy of her – her methods, the way she instructed you, her voice, her gestures – I don’t see that I need the analogue version of Maeve any more, if you know what I mean.’
He begins to interact with a small laptop.
I say, ‘Please elaborate.’
‘Maeve got lucky with you, Kobi. But it was beginner’s luck. She doesn’t have any real skill with robots. Or coding. Or engineering.She doesn’t have anything I can’t get elsewhere, in this very building. Let me put it another way. Now that we know how the trick is done, we no longer need the magician.’
