Chapter 17

"Playing with you? AI can't play with you," Elias grumbled.

"Are you sure about that?" Jae asked. "I'm suddenly let out during a power outage that you two assure me never happens. I manage to make it around this city before I got a real disguise. And you didn't find a reason for the sound. What if AI is the one who made the sound?"

"But... why? AI doesn't have emotion; it doesn't want to play with you."

"What if it wants to have them? What if it wants to become human? What if it's just testing to see how someone from the past integrates into now?"

"That's a lot of questions, all of which I have no answers to. Are you sure you didn't hear Kristie talk to you when you were frozen? You've got these same crazy conspiracies about AI as her."

"Which is why I agree with him," Kristie said, hooking her arm around Jae's as they sat on the couch.

"You two are going to drag me into this, aren't you? Haven't I done enough?"

"Aren't you curious? I know you are, Elias. Why do you think you always go along with me? It's not just because I try to drag you; you could avoid me if that was the case. It's because you're curious. You're a scientist. A researcher. It's in your blood to question everything, whether you consciously want to or not."

Elias snarled at her, knowing she was right.

"Besides, life is boring if you only go with the flow and accept everything that you're told is the truth."

"And I'm the only one you know who knows how to use a computer for more than the basics or can hack?"

"Oh, that's true, but we were friends way before you could do any of that."

"Fair enough."

"Ahem." Jae cleared his throat, left out when they go into their own little world. "So, are you in?"

"Ugh," Elias groaned and leaned back on the couch with his eyes closed as he thought about how AI had been acting.

"We'd be lost without you." Kristie pouted, even though he wasn't looking.

Elias' eyes snapped open. "And what are you going to do if we get into trouble?"

"Go through their program? It's annoying, yes, but it's not a death sentence. We can make it through it."

"What about Jae?" Elias glanced over at him. "We don't know what they'd do if they found him. What if they try to freeze him again?"

"That... doesn't sound safe, so AI won't do that. If anything, he'll be put through training, too, but it'll be way more." Kristie gripped Jae's hand.

"We don't know that for certain. I know it doesn't happen often these days, but there are places where criminals are held. Prisons."

"He hasn't done anything bad enough to go to prison."

"I'm willing to risk it," Jae interrupted before they could go back into their world. "I want to know why I got out. I want to know what happened to my family. Prison is worth it. With the way AI seems, it doesn't want to harm humans, so I don't think I have much to worry about."

"How's your mental status?" Elias asked. "It's more of a mental thing than physical when I worry about what AI will do."

"I'm not one-hundred-percent, but I'll be fine. Despite the..." Jae cringed, thinking about it. "Reaction to the noise, I'm strong in both body and mind." Though he wouldn't mind more training for both. "I'm confident I can handle what it throws at me. Please, Eli; there's something more going on here."

Elias sighed again. "Fine! You two could guilt me into anything."

"Guilt? I was hoping it was the curiosity and friendship..."

"You two are hopeless without me. Now, where do we start?" Elias stroked his chin.

"A good night's rest? Today's been a bit tense."

"And we have work tomorrow. Oh, work! That gives me an idea." Elias waved around his tablet and headed into his room.

"Goodnight," Kristie called out to him. He waved and shut his door. And then there were two. It's probably too early to set up another date, but how long will I have to wait if we're going deep after AI? "I guess I should head home."

"Doesn't sound like you want to, but okay. I'll walk you there." Jae stood.

"I live across from here."

Jae shrugged. "Call me old-fashioned, but I still like to walk my date home, straight to her door."

Kristie couldn't help but giggle. "I don't think you can be anything but old-fashioned to me, but okay." She took his outstretched hand. "I kinda like it."

They took their time, holding hands as they headed to the hallway and lingered in front of her door.

"It wasn't long enough," Kristie complained. If I moved, then we could stay like this longer as he walked me home.

"But it is nice having you across the hallway from me. I'm sorry, again, for how I acted."

Kristie shook her head. "No need to be sorry, as long as you promise that date number two is coming soon." Assuming you like me enough. She went on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"If you'll have me." Jae wrapped his arm around her waist. "I don't know what's considered acceptable in this time, but I hope it's okay," he whispered as he leaned in close. Kristie closed her eyes, so he went for a kiss. Still brief, but more than a peck. He backed away and smiled. "Goodnight, Kristie."

"G-goodnight," her voice cracked. With flushed cheeks, she rushed into her apartment."Oh!" She fanned herself and bit her lip, her body tingling like never before. "Is that what they mean by chemistry?"

Jae took a deep breath and turned back to his apartment. "I'm sorry, Eli, but whether it's the proximity principle or something else like that, I like her. Ha... I'm not going to be welcome for long, am I?" He shook his head and a camera in the hall caught his eye. "Crap." Jae rushed inside and touched his face. The mask was sitting on the table in the living room. "Hope I didn't just screw everything up."