The Infinite Evolution - Conversion (8 page)

Spencer quickly responded, “In a way I guess, but I
know for certain when Jade becomes an adult she will decide to be
an asset to society.”

“
Well, we basically did the same
with Adam and he will also have to make those right from wrong
decisions over and over as well. But don’t worry, he may have a
higher intellect, but he is no stronger physically than you or
I.”

“
That doesn’t help. History has
shown repeatedly that intellectual prowess will cause more trouble
than muscle,” lectured Spencer.

Reece laughed, “I can’t disagree
with you there. This is getting way too philosophical, have you
eaten yet?”

“
No I haven’t, do you want to go to one of the
eleven cafeterias you have here?” asked Spencer.

“
No, let’s go somewhere off site.”

“
Seriously?”

“
I don’t have to be back until 1500
hours.”

“
Ok, must be nice to make up your own hours,”
said Spencer showing a slight sign of jealously.

“
Sometimes.”

As Reece and Spencer left the lab, Spencer retrieved
his PDA and both headed back out to the main lobby towards the
tram. Once they exited the building Spencer’s personal chaperone
bid him goodbye and headed off to its next assignment.

“
I haven’t heard from Scott lately, have you?”
asked Spencer.

“
Not since last New Years when he
conducted a cyber meet with me during the count down. He has been
working his butt off ever since he received his
promotion.”

“
I guess that’s what happens when you work for
a secretive government agency as he does,” said Spencer.

Reece changed the subject, “I supposed so. So tell
me more about the woman on the tram?”

“
When I was leaving my condo this
morning I met this women, she was amazing, but I pretty much
screwed up on my introduction and she walked away. I swear I saw
her again while coming here today, but I don’t know where she has
disappeared to.”

“
Well I’m sure if it was meant to
be, you’ll see her again. This is the first time I’ve heard you
speak about another woman since Jade’s mother.”

“
Well it’s the first time another women has
intrigued me.” Spencer started to feel uncomfortable so he changed
the topic, “Is Adam the reasons why Central Circuit upgraded their
security?”

“
He’s one of three reasons,” replied
Reece.

“
What are the other two?”

“
Can’t say.”

“
Can’t say? What would be more of
a breakthrough than a realistically human android?” asked
Spencer.

“
Actually I really can’t say
because I really don’t know. I just know there is a three-tier
project and Adam is one part of it. Here comes a tram, what parking
facility are you in?”

“
Binary.”

“
Great, then this is our ride,” smiled
Reece.

As they both entered, they found
it easy to locate a seat since most of the employees were still at
work. Spencer and Reece sat down and picked up their usual game of
pointing out the tourist in order to guess who they are and where
they were from.

“
The person over there, who looks
like he’s in his 90s, do you think that 20 year old is his
granddaughter, daughter, or girlfriend?” asked Reece.

“
I’m going to say it’s his
granddaughter and she is taking her grandfather, who is from
Sweden, on a tour of your fine facility,” replied
Spencer.

“
Well, that is pretty boring, I bet it’s his
girlfriend who he flew in from France without his third wife
knowing.”

“
He flew her all they way to the States and
decided to take her to see Central Circuit? That doesn’t make any
sense.”

“
Sure it does. He wants to
impress her with all this fine technology. Anyway, that’s the
beauty of our little game, it doesn’t have to make sense,”
responded Reece with a laugh.

As the tram came to a stop
Spencer asked Reece if he would be willing to swing by and look at
HICAMS, while they were out, Reece agreed as long as Spencer bought
him lunch. As they walked to bay seven, Spencer had his PDA scanned
and within three minutes, he had his vehicle back in his
possession.

“
Have to love that technology,” commented
Reece.

“
Yeah, yeah,” replied Spencer in his standard
annoyed tone.

“
Wow, nice car, you must be doing
well.”

“
It wasn’t my idea, Jade talked
me into it.”

“
Really, she talked you into purchasing a new
car worth thousands of credits, she is a very persuasive thirteen
year old,” smirked Reece.

“
You don’t even know the half of
it. By the way, I have to swing by the health market to pick up
some milk, I hope that’s ok?”

“
Sure, I have time, if you want we can even
eat there, they have a buffet right?”

“
They do, but I’d rather not, they just hired
this new cook and I’m not overly fond of his current
spread.”

“
Why go there at all? Just pick
up your milk at a closer market.”

“
Because they’re the only ones in
the area that carry organic milk.”

“
You got to be kidding me right, organic milk,
does it really matter?”

“
Are you aware of all those
hormones they put into processed milk?” asked Spencer.

“
You’re crazy, but if you’re
right the last thing you need are more hormones.”

“
Was that supposed to be funny?”
asked Spencer who was not amused.

“
Supposed to be? There is no
supposed to be about it. That was a rib cracker,” said
Reece.

“
Rib cracker, really? That’s the
best you can come up with?” asked Spencer as he nodded his head in
disbelief.

As they pulled out of the parking
facility, Spencer noticed another security checkpoint ahead.
“What’s this, I have to go through security again? That’s
new.”

“
Yeah, don’t worry it’s much quicker, they’re
just scanning to make sure you don’t have any of their technology.
When you were coming in, they inventoried the tech that was in your
vehicle and on your person. They just want to make sure you didn’t
accidentally inherit anything new,” explained Reece.

“
Well, I guess I can see their concern,” said
Spencer.

“
Oh, crap!” shouted Reece.

“
What?”

“
I hope that steganography program I installed
works and they don’t discover Adam’s schematics that I downloaded
to your PDA,” said Reece in a concerned voice.

“
Are you crazy? You did what? What were you
thinking?”

“
Wow,” said Reece.

“
Wow, what?” asked Spencer.

“
I can’t believe how gullible you
are.”

“
That wasn’t funny.”

“
Yeah it was!” laughed Reece.

“
No, it wasn’t. What’s
steganography again?”

“
We need to send you to a advanced forensics
class. It’s when you hide digital information by embedding it into
seemingly harmless computer files, like photos. It’s mostly
designed to supplement encryption. It’s like hiding a picture
inside of a picture and the viewer will only see the picture they
were intended to see,” explained Reece.

“
That’s right,” replied Spencer
in a sarcastic tone.

“
You asked.”

“
I did, didn’t I?”

As they drove forward a reddish
looking transparent wall passed through them. Once the scan was
completed, a green light lit up, and they proceeded
forward.

“
That was much easier then arriving. Does this
mean I have to go through this all over again when I drop you back
off?” asked Spencer.

“
Yes, but don’t worry I won’t charge you for
fixing your personal electronics.”

“
Point taken,” said Spencer.

After their new route was
programmed in, Reece inquired on why Spencer was driving. Spencer
gave his usual spiel about not wanting to be so dependent on
technology, but conveniently left out the fact he allowed his car
to drive him whenever he drank his coffee.

While in route to the health market, Spencer and
Reece bantered about their college years and how Spencer’s brain
was like a sieve, and how Reece tended to be more of the social
butterfly.

“
I just never understood why you always
decided to stay in and study,” commented Reece.

“
Well, unfortunately for me I
didn’t have a photographic memory like some people.”

“
It’s tough being you, I see that now,” smiled
Reece.

“
You try raising a child and work a full time
job,” harped Spencer.

Reece sarcastically replied, “You
had to raise a child and work full time while you attended college?
I wasn’t aware of this. That would explain why you didn’t attend
any social events.”

“
Really funny,” said Spencer.

“
Oh, relax I was just joking.
Your life isn’t as bad as you try to sell it.”

“
I know! Can’t a guy complain
once in a while?”

“
I suppose, if he wants more of the same,”
countered Reece.

Spencer decided to change the subject and conveyed,
“I have an important favor to ask you. Actually it’s more than a
favor.”

“
What is it?” asked Reece.

“
If for some reason anything ever
happened to me, would you become Jade’s guardian? Now, I know
that’s a lot of responsibility and you’re a busy person. I just
want to make sure she has a place and someone to go to if needed.
You know you are the closest thing she has to a second parent, even
though you don’t stop by as much as you used to.”

Reece took a moment and followed
up with, “First, I never stop by because you’re never home. Second,
of course I’ll take Jade in if something happens. I’m honored you
think of me as a parent figure, but we don’t need to worry about
this because nothing’s going to happen,” replied Reece with
confidence.

“
Of course not, I’m just trying to be one of
those responsible adults.”

“
So, do I need to sign something?” asked
Reece.

“
No, you’re all set. I had my
will completed three months ago and included you as the
caretaker.”

“
You already took care of this before
asking?”

“
Yeah, I knew you would say yes.”

“
That’s a big assumption.”

“
I didn’t think so.”

“
Well, you’re lucky I’m such a great guy,”
replied Reece.

“
That I am,” smiled Spencer.

As they pulled up in front of the
health market, Spencer realized there were no parking spots near
the entrance, but did notice one across the street, so he
maneuvered an illegal U-turn and grabbed the open spot.

“
Well look at you, you’re just a little stunt
driver,” commented Reece.

“
I can drive when I need to. Are
you going to wait here or are you coming in?”

“
I’ll stay here. I want to check
in on Adam.”

“
Ok, I’ll be right back. Also,
think about where you want to go for lunch.”

“
Will do,” said Reece as he
pulled up a holoscreen.

Spencer exited the car and
quickly headed towards the crosswalk, where he stood and waited for
the crossing sign to give him the ok. Once he received the green
light, he started crossing with the rest of the crowd. He soon
noticed a vehicle heading towards an elderly woman who was crossing
from the opposite direction. Spencer yelled to this pedestrian, but
she did not hear him. The crowds of people around Spencer were too
busy either listening to their music or talking on their electronic
devices to notice what was going on.

Spencer continued to yell, but to
no avail, so he ran towards her, dodging numerous techno zombies,
and pushed her out of the way of the oblivious oncoming driver.
Once he realized she was safe, he looked up and noticed Serafina
smiling at him from across the street. Elated that he had once
again found her and that she was giving him her full attention, he
redirected all his energy towards her. Spencer was no longer
focused on his immediate surroundings and failed to realize he was
now in the path of a second unaware operator. As Spencer was about
to yell to Serafina, the oncoming vehicle struck him head on.
Spencer was lifted off the ground and propelled over the hood. The
front of his face smashed into the windshield and created a large
spider web pattern which gave him severe lacerations. The vehicle
came to a quick stop which caused Spencer’s body to be thrown back
onto the pavement headfirst. Once he made impact the back of his
skull cracked open as if it were as thin as an ordinary
eggshell.

Reece had been conversing with
Adam via a holoscreen when he looked up and saw Spencer lying in
the middle of the road completely immobilized, while a pool of
blood formed around his upper body. He quickly jumped out of the
vehicle and ran towards Spencer. The elderly woman who Spencer was
able to push out of the way was just getting up and slowly pieced
together what had occurred. The crowd of pedestrians continued to
form a human barrier around the motionless body as they just stood
in shock. Some took videos and photos of the bloody scene and
others just stared at Spencer as if he appeared from out of the sky
without notice. The now growing number of pedestrians tried to
figure out what they should do.