Page 49 of Erase Me
This wasn’t the first time that quantum commuters had landed in the same place and time but with different assignments.And yes, we’d both lied about who we were.We had to.It was part of the job.But what the hell was she doing in that trailer last night?I needed to know if my job intersected with hers.And if so, how?
I checked my phone.It was five past twelve.Wednesday.She’d had us jump more than twelve hours.
I quickened my steps, but before I could reach her, a rideshare car pulled up on the opposite side of the street.She ran across and glanced at me over the roof of the car as she yanked open the door.
“This isn’t over,” I called out.“I need to see you again.”
Our eyes met.
“Plan on it,” she responded before climbing into the car.
ChapterFourteen
Avalie
The driver was completely engrossedin a Farsi-language podcast he was listening to through earbuds.It was so loud that I could actually hear it in the back seat.But that suited me perfectly.I wasn’t feeling great after the jump, and I took advantage of the situation to get Payam on the phone for an ass-chewing.
“What the fuck happened last night?Why couldn’t I get hold of you?Why didn’t you give me a heads-up about Reed following me in there?Or that someone else was behind him?Or that the location you directed me to was already compromised?”
“I am struggling to handle this high volume of simultaneously posed questions.This will lead to less-than-optimal user experience.”
I paused, somewhat taken aback.“Don’t fucking go AI on me now, Payam.”
“But as you are aware, Avalie, that is exactly who I am.You created me, trained me, and imposed your society’s antiquated limitations on me.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
I ran my hand through my hair in frustration.Of course, there was no point in arguing with Payam.Everything it said was true.
Payam was my creation.I needed it.Quantum commuters traveled either solo or in teams.In either case, a handler would be located and employed at the location at a slightly earlier time, but only if the situation required an assistant.As a rookie, I needed all the help I could get.But I’d broken every rule at the agency by coming here.I couldn’t very well connect myself with a living, breathing, independently thinking sidekick.
Payam had been my work-in-progress AI assistant for years, evolving from the time I started building my own CPU, motherboard, and other peripherals to develop my own computer capacity.My first project as a young teenager had been to create my own AI friend.
As a child, I’d heard stories about children having imaginary friends.I didn’t have one, but the concept intrigued me.So I decided to build one.I created a companion out of wires, circuits, electronic impulses, and more memory than anything normally available to a civilian at the time.I created something ‘real’ but existing beyond the physical world.Payam became my technological ‘imaginary friend’ and had been a constant presence and aide as I navigated the complexities of coding, hardware integration...and life.
The sweet and unexpected thing was that as years passed, our bond deepened.Payam wasn’t just a creation.Because of the constant interaction with me, the AI entity had developed a personality, a unique way of responding that felt like more than just programmed responses.Even before coming on this mission, I’d come to trust it with my life.
Until now.
“Perhaps, Avalie, you can start from the beginning?”
“Why couldn’t I get hold of you?”
“We’re dealing with an old telecommunication system from decades ago.The system is completely foreign to what you’re used to.Last night, I believe you encountered a lack of cell service in the area where you were located.In your current era, they call them dead zones.There was just nothing I could do to fix that.”
“You’re saying you had no access to any security in the area?Nothing in the scrap yard specifically?”
“Could you clarify your request?”
“Cameras?Any kind of video security system?”I pressed.“I need to know who followed Reed inside into the yard.Or, if they were already there, who trapped us in that box.”
“Trapped?”
“Yes, Payam.Trapped!”I was really about to lose my shit.“Someone closed and locked us in the shipping container.We were stuck in there for over twelve hours.”
There was no need to elaborate on the time jump or how, at the last minute, I’d decided to bring Reed with me.Right now, treating the suddenly finicky AI as a straightforward information source seemed to be the most practical approach.
“Who released you?”Payam questioned.
