Free Machines of Eden by Shad Callister Page B

take my chances with
the computer. At least she pretends to be rational.
    At the end of the passage another hole had
been cut in the wall. A small halogen lamp was
hooked to the lip of the hole, obviously Nut’s doing. Past it, another smaller tunnel sloped downward several meters . He followed it and found a final hole in the
floor . He dropped through into a regular hallway.
    Much nicer. It was well-lit, air-conditioned, and there was
even carpet. And up ahead, a cushioned bench against the wall, the
first piece of furniture he had seen.
    “ Welcome to Level Two,
Adam ,” Eve’s silky voice
called.
    Ah . Of course.
    “ I’m very happy you
finally understood where your best interests lie. I’ve prepared a
beverage for you in the lounge. It’s just up the
hallway.”
    “ Thanks ,” John said . “ Neurotoxin cocktail?”
    “ No, Adam. Your suspicion
and condescension do you no credit.”
    He approached the corner
carefully, peering around it. “Well, it could have something to do
with all the attempts on my life since arriving here. And the fact
that no one will give me a straight answer.”
    “ For that I need to
apologize. You must realize that I have enemies, Adam. At first I
thought you were one of them. Please forgive me. I should have
given you the benefit of the doubt, as I requested it from you. And
I did say that once you came to Level Two, I would tell you all. By
the way, what did Nut say about me?”
    Nobody knows, huh,
Nut? “He didn’t say
much ,” John replied . “Nut’s a
little loopy.”
    “ I didn’t think you two
would bond ,” Eve
laughed . “ Nut’s cognitive pathologies are
extraordinarily complex. But we have an arrangement that has been
mutually beneficial so far.”
    “ Like what, he takes care
of your laundry? ‘Cause it was obvious you aren’t doing
his.”
    That silvery laugh again,
so appreciative. He wondered again how much she had cost to
program, how long it must have taken, and who the muse might have
been.
    “ Nut does odd jobs I can’t do myself , simple ones that don’t require a
lot of trust. In return, I give him access
to supplies . I
hope you didn’t believe any of his paranoid accusations; he is well
taken care of here. He chooses to live in the maintenance shafts of
his own free will.”
    John continued down the hallway, still on
his guard but no longer attempting
stealth . I’m
right where she wanted me, and I'm not happy about it.
    “ Well, I’m here, and you
promised answers. I’m listening.”
    “ Thank you, Adam. I only
wanted your undivided attention and a measure of proven loyalty. I
will take what I can get from you, at this point. If you’ll relax
and step through into my Project, I’ll show you. After you get
whatever refreshment you need, of course.”
    He was in a large,
comfortable lounge. There were faux-leather sofas, tables, an
automatic bar, and restrooms. There was a stairway on one end with
a sign pointing up it that said Dormitory, and as he entered soft
piano music began to play from hidden speakers. An assortment of
prepackaged sandwiches slid down onto a cafeteria-style shelf by
the bar as the area lit up.
    “ We can speak while you
eat. Step right through to the observation area when you're
ready.”
    “ Thanks,” John said slowly,
looking around. “Where are the other people?”
    “ You have Level Two to
yourself, Adam.”
    “ Shouldn’t there be staff,
workers, researchers?”
    “ Not anymore. We are
almost fully automated now. I keep everything running
smoothly.”
    He used the restroom, which
he’d been needing for the past hour, passed on the sandwiches, and
took a bottle of water from the bar. Dehydration was just as
dangerous as potassium cyanide.
    “ I’m ready to see your
project, honey,” he called out, approaching the wide doorway at the
far end of the lounge and cafeteria. “Promise not to kill me right
away?”
    “ I promise. Next time I
try to kill you, I’ll let you know beforehand.” A pause.