Page 56 of Scion

“ ‘Nearly got you killed,’ ” grumbles Atti. “It was once.”

“It was at least three times. If I need the cold percentages, I’ll ask.” Plenty of neurals have the ability to dissect scenarios and run the numbers on probable outcomes, and they can do it almost as well as Atti. Most of them can, actually. The problem is that once you start choosing the “best” option every time, you become machine-predictable. “I need you in my ear because I need someone to bounce ideas off. I don’t need you second-guessing all of them because the hard data says they’re bad.”

“Well, I don’t really need hard data to know—”

“Yeah, yeah.” I tap off the terminal and stand. “You’re just going to have to trust me on this one. Faux-zure’s angry, and coming, and coming alone. I’m sure of it.” Almost mostly entirely.

“Fine. Let’s say you’re right. Let’s say it’s coming, by itself, via the Loop. It survives the surprise at the end because unless it’s much worse at this than you, it’s not a surprise. There’s still the very real issue of it being stronger than you.”

“Which is exactly why we’re here,” I remind her cheerfully, heading for the door. “Time to get a little help from my friends.”

“THAT’S A LION, AZURE.”

“I am aware.”

“A really big lion.”

“Technically my really big lion.” I continue to shield my face from the torrential rain, and flash a falsely confident smile up at the miniature drone that allows Atti to see what’s going on.

“Does he know that?”

I watch the massive bio—Richard, Jasa called it?—pad toward us out of the whipping, windswept forest. Not hurried, but not exactly relaxed, either. The drenching deluge lashes at the creature, but its gaze remains very much fixed on me. “I’m about to tell him.”

“Oh. Well. This will go just fine, then.”

I ignore the AI as thunder rolls across the rain-glistening, thrashing forest, which I can see clearly only thanks to my ocular revs. I keep all the rest of them tightly active, and put my hands up and outward in a supplicating pose. “Hey, Richard. Remember me?”

The lion growls, lip curling back to show its very large and very sharp teeth. It meets my eyes. At my eye height. I’d forgotten how damned big it is.

Thunder cracks again.

“I know. Your master’s not here. She’s… um… not here,” I continue, raising my voice slightly to make sure it carries through the downpour. I have no idea how much these things understand. Hesitation? Tone? I have to be careful. “But you do remember you’re not supposed to kill me, right?”

The lion stops, and very slowly, its snarl eases to a cold stare.

“Great. Good. Good lion.” I shield my eyes from the rain again. The storm’s a Cat 3, according to Atti, but we’re on the very edge: I’ll have to watch out for falling trees, but otherwise, being out here shouldn’t be a problem. “So there is going to be someone coming out of the house soon. Another bio, but it will look exactly like me. Except… no left hand.” I demonstrate by briefly popping my hand into my sleeve and waggling it around.

“Oh, yes. No formal analysis needed. This is going to work perfectly,” says Atti in my ear.

I ignore her. It does feel stupid, but Jasa spoke to it like a person. Like a child. There were no codes, no activation phrases. “Your master—Jasa—is in danger from this bio. I’ve lured it here because it’s stronger than me, much stronger, but I think you and your… friends… can probably kill it. Can you help me?”

The enormous lion just sits there in the driving rain, considering, for a long time. I probably look like a drowned rat to it, at this point. A very, very nervous drowned rat.

“Say ‘please,’ Azure. Don’t forget to be polite,” chastises Atti.

“I’ll lead it into the forest,” I press to the bio. “As deep as I can. Just give me a direction.” Suddenly there’s a rumble, the ground beneath us trembling. Behind us, the house quivers, and then dust and debris jettison out the front door. “See?” I add, gesturing. “It’s here.”

The lion gives what I can only interpret as an irritated huff, and turns and heads back into the wildly shifting shadows.

“I think he wants me to go with him,” I whisper after a moment.

“I think he wants to eat you,” whispers Atti.

I shoot the drone an annoyed look.

“But I know Faux-zure wants to kill you, so… be careful, I guess.”

“Yeah.” I roll my eyes, remove the earpiece, seal it in a Faraday pouch, and glance toward the door of the house. Almost a kilometre away.