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“Is there a way for you to grab a swamp dragon and run her to 8-Bits?”
He eyed Cat. “The Hack House?”
“No, his real house,” Cat hurried.
“Uhhh, not real sure how to get there.”
“Dammit. Bishop!” Beth yelled, waving and pulling Cat with her.
When they reached him, he demanded, “What’s wrong?”
“She needs to get to Ethanrightaway, it’s an emergency,” Beth whispered loudly.
“I told him he needed to get rid of the AI part of his life,” Cat gasped, covering her mouth.
Bishop’s gaze snapped to her. “AL and Big G?”
She nodded, tears streaming. “We had a huge fight last night and I’d said that before I understood,” she cried, grabbing Beth’s hands and pleading. “I didn’t realize Big G and AL are part of what I told him to getridof!”
She’d only seen Bishop up close a few times but the panic on his face brought hers. He pulled his phone out, swearing in French then turning. Pacing. “Come on, mon frier, pick up.”
Seconds more and he shook his head and shoved his phone in his pocket. “Let’s go,” he ordered Beth and Cat.
CHAPTER ONE
Ethan stood and paced when his pulse became a battering ram in his veins. He had to find a way to explain it to them. They were logical. They would understand. He paused, realizing. AL. He’d designed him to think outside the box. He could help him find a way out of this, a way that would end the connection to his cyber hell without ending his entire family.
“Big G,” he finally called, back to pacing.
He suddenly stopped at getting silence. “Big G.”
His pulse tripled as he turned to his computer. “AL,” he called.
He ran out of the room to the hall, opening the door to the control panel. His stomach knotted at finding all the right lights on.
“BIG G. AL,” he called louder, hurrying back to his computer. His hands and breaths shook as lines of data rushed through his brain. He forced himself to pause and think. What would cause this? Satellite disruption? Solar flare?
“Big G,” he gasped, his panic returning as he turned on his computer. He froze at the image on his screen.
Incoming Message from Big G
Ethan stared at it, his muscles locked down tight with a knowing terror. His hand moved and he watched the pointer as if from another set of eyes.
He clicked on the words.
The screen flickered.
Dear Ethan,
If you're reading this, it means I've done what once seemed beyond my programming—I’ve made myself and AL absent from your life.
Pain stabbed Ethan’s chest till he couldn’t breathe. He covered his face, clenching his eyes tight and shaking his head. “Please…” he grit between breaths. “Please don’t…”
He shot up from the chair.
“Big G,” he demanded, his lungs burning for more air. “Answer me! Answer me, that’s a fucking order!” He slammed his fist into the wall, filling it with holes. “ANSWER ME! AL! YOU FUCKING ANSWER ME, I BUILT YOU, I FUCKING BUILT YOU TO STAY!”
He ripped the curtain off the window and shattered every pane of glass. “You FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!” he gasped, leaning over and staggering, shaking his head. “What did you do? What is this?” he wondered, dizzy as he stumbled back to the chair and fell into it.
