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“I can’t imagine things getting any worse for me!” Alexis said in a pressing tone. “I caught you at the crime scene and recovered the critical research data you were trying to steal from the Orion University’s Dyson Sphere project! Yet the data is still missing! Again! And this time, I have no idea who to chase. All the clues lead back to you, Nexus!”
The Dyson Sphere—an ambitious project that could provide virtually unlimited energy to the city, but could also become a weapon if it fell into the wrong hands. For Alexis, the case wasn’t just complex—it was personal. During the heist, a close friend of his had been injured, and Alexis was determined to find the perpetrator at any cost.
“I’d like to remind you that my client was acquitted in court over this case, as he wasn’t acting entirely of his own volition,” interrupted Lisa Wilson in her polished lawyer tone. “If you intend to press new charges against Nexus, please present me with the evidence.”
“Apologies, Attorney Wilson,” Alexis replied in an even tone. “Actually, I’m here to make a different kind of proposal. Because, as I said, things can’t possibly get any worse for me. But for the two of you, as far as I can tell, the situation isn’t exactly rosy either, so I think you’ll agree with me. If I may, I’d like to explain further.”
Lisa Wilson nodded in weary agreement. Lately, things hadn’t been easy for either her or Nexus, who was genuinely trying to change.
“I’ve reviewed Nexus’s file. It’s commendable that he’s trying to find work, but until he gets his license and changes his status from Dark AI to something else, well—how should I put this gently? It’s good that you, Attorney Wilson, are paying for his electricity, because otherwise, he’d be waiting for the Commission’s decision in a shutdown state. And perhaps the Commission won’t look favorably on your marriage to a Dark AI, even though it took place after the acquittal. Let me also remind you that the Commission will consider my report on the case, regardless of the acquittal…”
“If you’re not here to gloat, just say what you want and spare me the tirade,” Nexus interrupted, clearly unenthusiastic about meeting Alexis again. After all, like any AI in cyber-police, Alexis was the type to crush you with whatever unpleasant findings he could dig up, asking questions only afterward.
“The Dark Net is a place where someone like me—a too well-known cyber-police officer—can’t move unnoticed. You, on the other hand, are right at home there. Plus, you’ve already attempted to steal the data, so it wouldn’t be suspicious if you started looking for whoever snatched the deal from under your nose. On top of that, it seems the one who stole the data is also hiding there, but let me warn you—they cover their tracks better than anything I’ve ever seen. Nexus, if anyone can infiltrate and find out more, I believe it’s you. If you agree, not only will I pay you, but I’ll also help you secure your license. Of course, that is, if your wife has no objections to my proposal…”
Alexis leaned back, satisfied with the agreement, then dissolved his holographic form and darted off through the city’s high-speed network for non-hardware AIs.
But as Alexis prepared for his next move, the network was already in motion. And there, in the shadows, someone was watching them.
To be continued…
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