Inescapable (27 page)

‘That does not
mean it should be,’ Vali replied. ‘I hope she’ll agree to see me so
that I can apologise to her properly.’

‘That’s up to
her. I think she will. How the Hell are you getting past her
security, and how the fucking Hell are you getting the data you’re
giving us?’

‘The security
bypass… I’ll provide Jackson Martins with the data on that. I’m
quite sure he can patch the hole in a day. Every system has
security holes, Zorra. I’ll arrange another method of supplying
data to you. The data itself is given to me in a manner not
dissimilar to the way it gets to you. I receive dead drops. I don’t
know where they come from; I just know they arrive with enough
information for me to figure out where it should go to be
useful.’

‘And you have
no idea who’s giving you the data, or how
they
get it?’

‘None. You are
not the only person I give it to. It always has some law and order
aspect to it: it pertains to a crime or major criminals. As far as
I know, I have no way of controlling what I get or when I get it.
Things appear and I see that they go to someone who can use
them.’

Fox nodded,
considering, and then picked up her cup and sipped some of the
warm, sweet liquid. ‘We’re working on the last thing you sent. Not
sure what it is, but thank you. And I’ll thank you now for the
camera data that let us find Terri. Don’t mess up with Kit again. I
told you what I’d do if you hurt her, and I meant it.’

Vali emptied
his cup and frowned down at it. ‘I believe I deserve to be pruned
right now, so I think you’re being very restrained.’

New York Metro,
3
^rd
May.

‘The data you have
here,’ Jackson said, ‘is line capture from a wireless network. We
don’t have complete data, but given the identifiers Kit supplied,
we have been able to determine that the traffic is a large data
transfer from Wallace Deedle’s implant to a server in the New York
Metro area.’

Fox peered at
the meaningless strings of alphanumeric values being displayed on
Jackson’s wall. ‘Any idea what was being transferred?’

‘We don’t have
sufficient data to know exactly. We appear to have an executable
and a script to run it on arrival. I would suggest that the server
at the other end was a cloud processor unit. I’ll have the actual
machine tracked down in a short while, but–’

‘Whatever was
there has probably moved on. Worth looking, but I doubt it hangs
around in one place. How are you identifying Deedle’s implant? It
was wiped.’

‘This was
transmitted before his data was wiped out. This data was captured
in his apartment building about thirty-five minutes before
Inspector Ivers’ report indicates she hit the place.’

Kit turned from
her own examination of the data, which was an affectation given
that she did not need eyes to look at it. ‘Vali has managed to get
his hands on sufficient data to show that this “virus” escaped from
Mister Deedle before the police arrived, from intercepted network
traffic within a private building, when no one outside NAPA knew
Mister Deedle was a suspect?’

‘Someone else
knew,’ Fox said, ‘because the thing was getting Deedle out of
Ivers’ way and then making a run for it. You made “virus” sound
very iffy.’

‘Because this
“virus” is far too big. You were right in suspecting something
else.’

Jackson nodded.
‘Virus code is not this large. Viruses survive by being compact and
efficient, frequently targeting specific machine architectures or
processors. The fragments we have here suggest that the code
carries JITC headers. It is designed to recompile itself to run on
a number of hosts.’

‘Like me,’ Kit
said. ‘I would go so far as to suggest that we are almost certainly
dealing with a class four AI, a rogue one, a nomad.’

‘More bloody
conspiracy memes,’ Fox grumbled.

‘The emergence
of net fauna is more than simply a conspiracy meme,’ Jackson said.
‘Several serious theorists have suggested it is more or less a
certainty. Teresa believes they already exist. Besides, the fact
that we have this data suggests another conspiracy meme.’ Fox
sagged and he smiled. ‘This, the various camera feeds which have
been tapped and sent to you, it all seems rather like
Overwatch.’

‘Overwatch? No,
I got this. Overwatch was the supposed NIX project to watch the
entire internet, right?’

‘Correct. NIX
did a good job of making it something of a ridiculed concept among…
well, more or less everyone, but the meme hangs on. The commonest
form of it has a number of highly complex AIs monitoring internet
traffic thanks to various taps in important network routers. I have
evidence to suggest that Overwatch exists, or has existed, though I
doubt it has
quite
the oversight the meme suggests.’

‘And… someone
involved in it is leaking data through Vali?’

‘Such a system,
even a realistic one, might capture enormous amounts of data on
criminal activity, but NIX would never use it and give away what
they
can
do. Perhaps one of their people has found a way to
do some good with the system.’

Fox grimaced.
‘Believing in conspiracy memes is one thing, Jackson, but I’m not
sure I’m ready to accept that someone in NIX might have a
soul.’

‘They can’t all
be– No, you may have a point.’

Alexandria,
Niflhel.

Kit appeared on the
dock in Alexandria with a smile on her face which, a second later,
became a frown. She looked down. ‘What happened to my dress?’

Fox grinned.
Her PA was still wearing her collar and cuffs, but the remainder of
her outfit had been replaced by a white, one-shoulder, tunic-style
dress with gold edging and a belt of gold fabric which wound about
her waist. It came down to a low mid-thigh level: sort of
respectable, but also kind of humble. She was barefoot. ‘I asked
Vali to construct you an outfit change for coming here,’ Fox
explained. ‘It’s part of his penance for upsetting you.’

‘It’s… quite
nice.’ Kit wiggled her toes. ‘I kind of like it. Why did he leave
the collar and cuffs?’

‘Oh, my idea.
You’re playing my slave girl.’

Kit’s eyes
widened and she almost looked affronted. But then she squeezed her
lips together to stop a grin forming and said, ‘I think I could
live with that. You actually
are
my owner after all.’

‘I suppose I
am,’ Fox agreed, turning and starting down the dock with a bounce
in her step. ‘I don’t really think of it that way. Do you?’

Hurrying after
her, Kit was silent for a second. ‘I didn’t think of it until just
then. When I was first transferred to you,
then
I considered
you to be my new owner. I think it faded in the course of that
first investigation we did together.’

Fox gave a nod.
‘You’re my partner. Or my friend. I suppose I do have a level of
authority over you that friends don’t have, but I’d be sorry to
have to use it.’

‘Thank you,
Fox. You have not explained why we are here or why I am dressed as
your slave girl, however.’

‘Slave
fox-girl,’ Fox corrected. ‘Best to keep your tail fairly low or
you’ll be flashing your behind at everyone.’

Absently
checking where her tail had got to, Kit said, ‘Slave kitsune,
then.’

‘And we are
here because you are officially six months old today, which ought
to be some sort of birthday for an AI.’

‘Oh! You’re
right. I hadn’t considered it, but I have been executing for half a
year.’

‘I bet you
could give the timespan to the second too.’

‘If you wish,
though I suspect you don’t. It is six months now, however. I was
initialised before midday on the third of November.’

‘Glad to hear
it. With a bit of luck, Cleopatra should have had some wine sent
over to my apartment. We’re going to go there and have a drink to
celebrate your semi-birthday, and then we’ll stop off to see the
queen because I promised her she could meet a class four. In real
life, she’s a memeticist and she’s fascinated. And you’ll probably
enjoy talking to her.’

‘Okay.’
Beaming, Kit padded up the cobbled streets to the top of the hill.
Fox was not entirely sure her companion noticed the looks the cute
girl with the thick, white tail was getting as they walked. If Kit
were allowed loose in the brothel, she would likely earn a small
fortune, but Fox was not entirely sure about that idea just
yet.

At the top of
the hill, they turned left and made their way to Fox’s room, up on
the top floor of a two-storey building with dark rose paint on the
walls. Kit ran her fingers along the plaster as they climbed the
steps. ‘The detail is quite remarkable.’

‘Wait until you
see the view from the balcony,’ Fox replied as she unlocked the
door and led the way in.

There was not
much to the place, just a chest of drawers and a wardrobe, a bed
with rough, red, woollen blankets and a cotton sheet, and a small
table upon which was resting a metal bucket filled with ice which
had a small amphora pushed into it. There were two goblets of
silver as well and Fox set to pouring the wine while Kit opened the
doors and stepped out onto the balcony. There was just room to
stretch out in the space outside the window, but Kit went to the
railing and leaned on it, looking out across the town and the water
while her tail swished lazily from side to side.

Fox handed her
a goblet. ‘Happy semi-birthday, Kit,’ Fox said, smiling and lifting
her cup.

Kit grinned and
clinked her metal vessel against Fox’s. ‘Thank you. Um… thank you,
Mistress Zorra.’ She sipped the wine. ‘That’s nice. It’s different
from Vali’s mead.’

‘I think the
coding is similar. You’ll feel a little fuzzy if you drink all of
it.’

Kit took a
larger gulp. ‘It is my semi-birthday and I don’t get
hangovers.’

‘Very true. How
do you think your first six months have gone? And you can’t say
that to a human and expect a coherent answer.’

The AI giggled.
‘No. Um… I think things are working out well. I believe we have a
good working relationship, and something of a friendship. I am
particularly happy about the latter.’

‘I’m quite
surprised about it, but only because it’s not something I’d have
considered likely before I met you.’

‘I think that
more and more people will find themselves surprised like that.
Children are growing up with AI companions, and that will become
normal practice soon. Many people will be closer to their personal
agents than they are to their friends.
I
am with you all the
time, everywhere.’

‘Kind of a good
thing we’re friends then.’ Fox grinned, draining her glass.

Kit followed
suit. ‘It is, yes.’ She frowned as Fox took the cup from her
fingers and then bent to put both drinking vessels on the ground.
‘Fox?’

‘Another
present,’ Fox said. Standing up, she stepped forward, her arms
encircling Kit’s waist. Before the AI could say anything, Fox’s
mouth closed over hers. There was a moment of what seemed like
confusion, and then Kit was responding. Fox’s tongue danced around
the sharp little kitsune tongue, playing. Deftly, Fox undid the
knot on Kit’s belt and tugged, letting the ribbon of gold slip
free. Kit’s tail lifted and Fox caught it, sliding fingers through
the dense, white fur, and Kit let out something like a muffled
moan. Fox broke the kiss.

‘That… That
feels very… odd,’ Kit breathed. The physical response, the apparent
breathlessness, had to have been coded in. Some part of Fox’s brain
made a note to ask Terri about the programming.

‘Bad?’

‘No… just…
nothing I’ve felt before.’

Fox caught the
hem of Kit’s dress and lifted. Kit lifted her arms to let the dress
come free. Kit’s body was firm and smooth, maybe lacking a little
of the detail one might see in a normal human, but there were
nipples there, small and pink, and now standing out sharply.
Bending, Fox wrapped her lips around one of the little nubs and
sucked, and Kit let out a squeal of pleasure.

‘Oh! That
feels… Oh!’

Sliding fingers
over the taut, pale skin of Kit’s stomach had muscles which were
nothing but simulation trembling. Fox marvelled at the feel of the
girl’s skin, slid lower, and found carefully formed labia under her
fingers. Kit was trembling. There was anticipation, tension, and a
little fear. Fox lifted her head and looked into those big, green
eyes. ‘There’s nothing to be afraid of, Kit, but we can stop if you
want. I just felt like returning the favour, and I was
curious.’

‘So am I,’ Kit
replied. ‘Curious. I don’t know what will happen.’

Fox slid her
fingers down, between Kit’s labia over slick skin, then back up to
find the small, swollen bud. The kitsune’s eyes widened further.
‘Let’s find out,’ Fox said. She stroked and circled, and Kit’s eyes
got wider still. Reaching down with her other hand, Fox found the
tight entry of Kit’s sex and pushed two fingers into her,
slowly.

‘Ah!’ Kit
gasped, and Fox paused. ‘Doesn’t hurt. Feels… good, I think.’

‘Thinking’s the
last thing we need right now.’ Fox began to move her hands, pushing
Kit back until she was leaning on the railing, legs akimbo, propped
on her elbows with her head bent back on her neck. There was no
sound but panting breaths and the wet slap of Fox’s hand against
Kit’s body. Bending, Fox replaced her fingers with her tongue and
began to lap hungrily. The fox-girl tasted strange, more like a
strong, flowery musk than the saltier tang of human women. Kit
began to tremble and the scent grew stronger. The panting turned
into little cries of ‘oh’ as Kit got closer to whatever kind of
climax was awaiting her and Fox recognised it: Kit smelled of a
thick, musky cherry blossom. Kit’s back arched, her body straining
and almost vibrating, and then she was falling into Fox’s waiting
arms, still trembling. Fox picked her up and carried her through to
the bed, laying her down and spooning behind her.