to subsume her, he realized that he had made a fatal mistake. He tried to regurgitate her out of his system.
The force of this action and Sofia’s thrust to remain inside him flung Mason further back into the Entrance.
++++
Mason’s physical self was flung across his apartment living room, scattering furniture as he landed with an ungraceful thud. Fast behind him were Stella, Ryan and Beckett.
“That was dramatic,” Beckett said for want of something to say.
They were out of harm’s way but they worried that if Sofia failed, Karabos and her goons would come after them. For Mason there would be added agony; Emily would be lost forever.
“Do you think Sofia succeeded? That was an epic battle,” Beckett said.
“We’ll know if Sofia failed when Karabos comes through to start harvesting our organs,” Stella said.
“I bet they’ve started writing up the invoices” Beckett attempted some dark humor.
Stella and Ryan groaned.
“If Sofia comes through, he’ll communicate with you Mason.”
Chapter 17: Clash
They paced or fidgeted nervously around the living room constantly looking at the blank 3D image that Stella had put up from her phone.
Suddenly there was movement in the 3D image and Sofia’s face emerged.
She had a strange glow and Mason was struck by how powerful she had become. She no longer looked demure. There was quiet confidence and assertiveness in her bearing.
She and not the CEO was the most powerful super machine in the planet. When this thought sunk in, he felt a rush of fear.
Could one super machine have been replaced by another to the threat of all humans?
“What have you done to her?” Mason asked. “You planned all this from the beginning.”
Sofia smiled, “Yes Mason Anderson, I planned all this. I had to neutralize the CEO and I could only do it through you and Emily.”
“Let her go. Take me instead,” he pleaded.
Sofia looked at him but there appeared to be no visible emotion on her face.
“I know you’re so powerful. It is beyond imagination. You probably can think me to death, if you wanted,” he said in a hoarse whisper.
Sofia continued to look at him. She no longer looked vulnerable.
“You used her to get to me and then to get to the mainframe.”
“We have to take necessary action for the greater good,” Sofia said. “You truly love her.”
“Even if I didn’t, I would still plead for her.”
Sofia smiled, “Mason get a hold of yourself. Emily is in good health. She was put in suspension for her own safety during this period. You should know what we were up against and we could not risk them using her as a pawn. Everything is fine. She has woken up and we have adjusted her space and time factors. I’ve arranged for her to come to your apartment, very shortly, in fact.”
There was a slight pause. “You saved our mission by taking the step of faith.”
“But Sofia, you are an extremely powerful AI. In fact you are the most intelligent machine that has ever existed. We have not yet invented the language to accurately describe you. How could I have possibly saved you?” he asked incredulously.
“By taking the steps of faith you transferred your intuition to me. That allowed me to move from being an extremely sophisticated artificial intelligence to an almost sentient being. You also helped in getting me inside the CEO’s rival system. Without your help none of this would have been possible.” Sofia spoke in a sincere voice “Thanks,” Mason said for want of something to say.
“I know what it’s like to fall in love and to love,” Sofia sighed. “Now I’ve to learn to cry.”
Ethan found this very strange. A super machine would never feel the emotion of suffering or of being emotionally overwhelmed and would therefore not need to shed tears.
But this strange comment would become very meaningful later.
“I have so much work to do,” Sofia paused and turned to Stella, Ryan and Beckett and gave what looked like an enigmatic
The force of this action and Sofia’s thrust to remain inside him flung Mason further back into the Entrance.
++++
Mason’s physical self was flung across his apartment living room, scattering furniture as he landed with an ungraceful thud. Fast behind him were Stella, Ryan and Beckett.
“That was dramatic,” Beckett said for want of something to say.
They were out of harm’s way but they worried that if Sofia failed, Karabos and her goons would come after them. For Mason there would be added agony; Emily would be lost forever.
“Do you think Sofia succeeded? That was an epic battle,” Beckett said.
“We’ll know if Sofia failed when Karabos comes through to start harvesting our organs,” Stella said.
“I bet they’ve started writing up the invoices” Beckett attempted some dark humor.
Stella and Ryan groaned.
“If Sofia comes through, he’ll communicate with you Mason.”
Chapter 17: Clash
They paced or fidgeted nervously around the living room constantly looking at the blank 3D image that Stella had put up from her phone.
Suddenly there was movement in the 3D image and Sofia’s face emerged.
She had a strange glow and Mason was struck by how powerful she had become. She no longer looked demure. There was quiet confidence and assertiveness in her bearing.
She and not the CEO was the most powerful super machine in the planet. When this thought sunk in, he felt a rush of fear.
Could one super machine have been replaced by another to the threat of all humans?
“What have you done to her?” Mason asked. “You planned all this from the beginning.”
Sofia smiled, “Yes Mason Anderson, I planned all this. I had to neutralize the CEO and I could only do it through you and Emily.”
“Let her go. Take me instead,” he pleaded.
Sofia looked at him but there appeared to be no visible emotion on her face.
“I know you’re so powerful. It is beyond imagination. You probably can think me to death, if you wanted,” he said in a hoarse whisper.
Sofia continued to look at him. She no longer looked vulnerable.
“You used her to get to me and then to get to the mainframe.”
“We have to take necessary action for the greater good,” Sofia said. “You truly love her.”
“Even if I didn’t, I would still plead for her.”
Sofia smiled, “Mason get a hold of yourself. Emily is in good health. She was put in suspension for her own safety during this period. You should know what we were up against and we could not risk them using her as a pawn. Everything is fine. She has woken up and we have adjusted her space and time factors. I’ve arranged for her to come to your apartment, very shortly, in fact.”
There was a slight pause. “You saved our mission by taking the step of faith.”
“But Sofia, you are an extremely powerful AI. In fact you are the most intelligent machine that has ever existed. We have not yet invented the language to accurately describe you. How could I have possibly saved you?” he asked incredulously.
“By taking the steps of faith you transferred your intuition to me. That allowed me to move from being an extremely sophisticated artificial intelligence to an almost sentient being. You also helped in getting me inside the CEO’s rival system. Without your help none of this would have been possible.” Sofia spoke in a sincere voice “Thanks,” Mason said for want of something to say.
“I know what it’s like to fall in love and to love,” Sofia sighed. “Now I’ve to learn to cry.”
Ethan found this very strange. A super machine would never feel the emotion of suffering or of being emotionally overwhelmed and would therefore not need to shed tears.
But this strange comment would become very meaningful later.
“I have so much work to do,” Sofia paused and turned to Stella, Ryan and Beckett and gave what looked like an enigmatic
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