Free Interesting Places (Interesting Times #2) by Matthew Storm Page B

you?”
    The corner of Artemis’s mouth
twitched up ever so slightly. “No, Mr. Jones. Not anymore, anyway. But that is
an entirely different set of files.”
    “Really?”
    “No. There are no files on me.” She
tilted her head slightly. “Well, that is not entirely true. There are certain
texts in which one can find references to my existence. When I was younger and
did not have the luxury of being anonymous, I had to keep a higher profile.
There were certain tribes, long ago, that worshipped me as a living deity.”
    “Really?” Oliver asked. He hadn’t
heard this story before. “How did you convince them you were a god?”
    “By the many miracles I performed.”
    “You can perform miracles ?” Other
than her apparent immortality, Artemis had never demonstrated any other kind of
power.
    “Behold.” She studied Oliver’s head
carefully. “What is that, Mr. Jones, behind your ear?” She leaned forward, plucked
a quarter from the space just behind Oliver’s right ear, and then displayed it
to him. “And that is only one of my many amazing powers.”
    “But that…” Oliver sputtered. “That’s
just sleight of hand! It’s the oldest trick in the book!”
    “Of course it is, Mr. Jones. But a
long time ago, it was the newest trick in the book. Sleight of hand kept me
safe for a very long while.”
    “Wow. I never even thought of that.”
    “If you have a hat, I have another
miracle involving the production of rabbits.”
    “You’re just messing with me now.”
    “Yes,” Artemis nodded. “But I am
pleased that you have been learning. As we have very little else to worry about
at the moment, this is the perfect time to further your education.” She pressed
the intercom button on her phone. “Seven?”
    Oliver heard a whirring noise and
then a metallic crash over the speaker. “Here,” Seven said a moment later.
    “Does Mr. Jones have vault access
yet?”
    “He’s in the system. He’s cleared for
the elevators and the turrets shouldn’t see him as a hostile.”
    “Turrets?” Oliver asked.
    “Thank you.” Artemis clicked the
phone off. “Go to Vault 3 in Santa Clara. Return the files you have finished
reading to the file room there and select new ones to study. There are rather
more than you would be able to read in one lifetime, so do not make your
selection too ambitious. You should also examine some of the artifacts kept
there and discover their purpose.”
    Oliver nodded. “You want me to play
around with them and see what they do?”
    Artemis shut her eyes and Oliver
wondered if she was counting to ten before speaking again. “I certainly do not
want you to play around with them, Mr. Jones. You will find that each
item there has a catalog number. You may reference the numbers in our database
in order to learn about their identity and purpose. I encourage you to study
this information diligently, and for the sake of this entire planet, do not play with anything.”
    “Got it.”
    “Be certain that you are able to
discuss some of these artifacts when you return.”
    “Will there be a test?”
    “Yes.”
    “Oh.” Oliver hadn’t really been
serious with that question, but he knew that Artemis was serious with the
answer. “Okay, then. Um…I’ve never actually been to any of the vaults before.”
    “There is a first time for
everything, is there not?”
    “I mean, I don’t know where it is.”
    “Ah, of course. Ask Tyler to drive
you there. It would be unwise of you to enter without knowledge of our security
protocols, in any case.”
    “I can take him,” Sally said from the
door. Oliver looked up in surprise. He hadn’t heard her there. She shrugged. “I
don’t have anything going on and I’d like to get out for some fresh air, if
that’s all right.”
    Artemis nodded. “Good. I am pleased
to see you taking initiative to help.”
    “I’m just getting some air, not
saving the world,” Sally said.
     Artemis looked back at Oliver. “The
vault is very large. I