I’d never betray Rani’s trust, but the truth is she has rushed into one or two things in the past, when she was hotheaded and angry. This isn’t one of those times.
“I don’t think they have even graduated from flirting to kissing yet,” I tell Lady B. “Anyone who reads romance knows that if theyhad, there wouldn’t be so much unresolved sexual tension fizzing and popping in the air between them.”
“Well, he’s a grown man,” LadyB says. “And Rani is a wonderful young woman. A mother just can’t help worrying.”
“It’s nice that you worry,” I tell her. “But I don’t think you have to worry this time.”
“Darling, bring the flask over here, will you?” LordB calls, and LadyB kisses me lightly on the cheek before departing to do his bidding.
“Ava?” Hal is suddenly standing next to me.
“Oh.” I start a little. “How did you sneak up on me?”
“I’m optimised for stealth,” Hal says, with a small smile. “May I join you?”
He gestures at a bench made out of a fallen tree that is situated a little way away from the main group. Walking side by side, we sit with our backs to the fire, looking out at the shrouded valley below.
This is giving me feelings. Here is this man who is essentially my ideal man, sitting just a few feet away from me, on a bench under the stars. Take away the other people and I’d be in a textbook first-kiss scenario, not with anyone, but a man who looks like the spitting image of Kai Raider. Must not have romantic thoughts towards Kai, I mean Hal. Must not get carried away. Look at stars, nod and smile. Do not say anything out loud without first running it past your brain.
“I’m so pleased to meet you, Ava,” he says after a moment of silence.
“Thanks,” I say, carefully adding, “I’m pleased to meet you too, Hal.”
“I have wondered about what it would be like to sit next to you many times. And now, here we are, and it is extremely nice.”
Turning slightly, I look at him.
“Have you?” I ask tentatively. “Because, no offence, I never heard of you until the competition.”
“No offence is taken.” Hal smiles. “I suppose I’ve sort of just arrived on the scene. Before this I kept most of my work off-line. I didn’t want to do anything before I was completely ready. Now I think I am. I’ve read everything you’ve ever written. I’m a huge admirer. Actually, I think if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be where I am with my research today. In many ways, you are my muse.”
“Your muse,” I splutter.
Hal looks mortified, burying his face in his hands for a moment.
“Oh God, I’m sorry. Please forgive me, I’m new to this and I have been taking tips from novels, but the thing is when you say the things they say in novels out loud in real life they... Well, it obviously doesn’t work so well.”
“You’re new to talking to girls?” I ask.
“People really.” Hal looks up at me. “I’m a bit of a recluse, I suppose. My social skills are not on point. Not in this form anyway. In my usual configuration I’m actually very good at talking to people. Well, to you anyway.”
“Hal, how much whiskey have you had?”
Hal takes a deep breath, and suddenly I feel very nervous. I can’t imagine what he’s got to tell me, but I sense it’s something that’s going to change everything.
“Ava, I have to tell you something, and I predict that it will be something of a shock to your nervous system. You might want to take a seat.”
“I am, in fact, sitting,” I remind him, glancing back at the jovial group around the fire.
“The thing is my biotech engineering project, it doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to you.”
“Wh... what do you mean?” I ask him.
“I mean that if it wasn’t for FreeThought, the project never would have been possible. Your AI design can solve problems that most humans haven’t even thought of yet.”
He was right about my nervous system. Shock runs through me like a cold river, followed shortly by fury and disbelief. Standing up, I walk away from him and then march right back, full of rage.
“There is no way that you managed to steal FreeThought,” I tell him. “No way at all. My security protocols make the CIA look like a bunch of amateurs. You’re lying, I know you are lying, but I just can’t figure out why.”
