AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My primary directive is to protect the Center, its patients and its staff,” Oberon answered for her. “I cannot release security implements for another purpose if it would leave you vulnerable.”
Dr. Oppyx shrugged, as if to say that was that.
“No,” Olivia murmured. “No, there’s always a way to override.”
“Oberon is a private AI,” Dr. Oppyx said. “He doesn’t have a remote failsafe.”
“No,” Olivia said. “I mean internally. There’s always a hole…”
Dr. Oppyx blinked at her, hope in her eyes.
“Oberon,” Olivia said, realizing something.
“Yes, Olivia?” Oberon asked.
“Pay attention to what I’m doing,” she told him. “And remember your primary directive.”
“Yes, Olivia,” Oberon said.
Olivia took off as fast as she could. She could hear Dr. Oppyx behind her, trying to keep up.
“Olivia, what are you doing?” Dr. Oppyx screamed.
“Where’s the nearest exit?” Olivia asked.
The doctor hesitated for a moment.
“Go right at the end of the hallway,” she said at last. “Then left from there and out the emergency exit. An alarm will sound, but don’t worry about it. The gates are already open.”
Olivia picked up speed, running as if lives depended on it. She slammed through the first set of doors on her right and then took a left. She spotted the emergency sign, lit up in red, and she focused on it.
There are people out there who are angry at me for being here,a frightened voice in her head tried to warn her.
But Olivia wasn’t going to let her fear win out.
There’s a town full of people out there,she reminded herself.And I’m the one who can save them.
Just as Oppyx had said, a shrill alarm sounded the minute she hit the door.
“You still with me, Oberon?” she panted.
“Yes, Olivia,” the AI sounded subdued. “Please do not endanger yourself.”
“I’m heading into town,” she told him. “Remember your primary directive.”
She ran outside, through the tall grass that whipped around her. As soon as her feet hit the pavement of the street beyond, she was greeted by the sight of total chaos. The flames had spread to multiple rows of houses. People pushed and shoved, some to get away, others headed directly for the worst parts. She prayed to Mother Stars for the sound of the drones following her.
But she heard nothing but the screams of the villagers as they attempted to rescue their loved ones from their homes.
Olivia continued down the road, anticipating that the further from the Center she got, the more likely Oberon would be to release the drones to protect her. But when she reached one of the last of the smoking row of homes, she saw that something was very wrong.
A group of soldiers stood below a second-floor window, talking furiously, one of their crew hanging from a makeshift ladder outside the window.
An older lady was crumpled on the sidewalk, tryingdesperately to escape the soldiers who were tending to her injuries.
“My granddaughter,” she cried out. “I have to go back for her.”
“What’s happening?” Olivia asked the men, everything else forgotten.
