Turing Evolved
by David Kitson
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GENRE: Suspense
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BLURB:
When
Ex-DEMON pilot Jon Carlson meets beautiful humanitarian Rachel, it's a match
made in HEAVEN. Literally, because Rachel's an ANGEL. She's also an AI
controlled android of immense power and capability. As Jon finds himself drawn
into the world of these enigmatic creations of mankind, he unknowingly becomes
involved in a program to create autonomous superweapons intended to fight the
next war.
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EXCERPT:
Now was time for me to try out my well-rehearsed chivalry.
They say it’s dead, but the attitude works.
‘No, you were trying to help me. I really should have been
sedated back there, and I know it. I’d probably be all right by now and not
have to deal with the muscular problems later if I’d just taken a little nap.’
She looked up at me, her expression searching for something
in my words.
‘And I, well, I just wanted to say thanks.’
Janet smiled at that, the same smile that had made me feel
better earlier when I was nervous. ‘Yeah, all right, you’re forgiven. I take it
your partner pulled you out unexpectedly?’
‘What was your clue?’ I asked.
‘The part when Jeremy said, “Fuck it all, I can’t even see
him now. Janet, dope him up because he’s coming out unexpectedly.”’ Janet made
a funny-sounding deep voice as she said it, which I took to be an impersonation
of Jeremy.
‘But you don’t know how close you came to receiving your own
bruises,’ she warned, and her face hardened.
Still, I was on a roll now and knew it.
‘Yeah, thanks for that, or rather, not doing that. Why
didn’t you try to jab me again?’ I asked.
‘I couldn’t find the syringe quickly enough,’ Janet said,
nodding.
‘Can I make it up to you?’ I asked.
She raised an eyebrow. ‘Like how?’
I thought about it. I probably looked kind of stupid,
standing here, chatting up a para while both my arms hung from my shoulders
like dead flesh, except for the occasional spasmodic movement.
‘I don’t know, send a pizza, take you out for lunch,
something to apologise?’ I suggested.
‘I don’t know, this is a pretty big bruise,’ she said,
looking at the side of her arm. ‘I think maybe a full dinner apology is in
order.’
That wasn’t what I expected, but it sounded better than what
I had in mind.
‘Sure, but ah, not tonight, okay? I need to, ah, recover,’ I
said. I felt like an idiot now.
Two other paras looked at me, gave each other a look, and
then wheeled the cart around behind the ambulance and started loading it into the
rear door.
‘Here’s my card. Call me,’ said Janet, and she held it out
to me.
I looked at it and back at her. Didn’t she realise I
couldn’t take it? The edge of her smile slowly lifted, and I realised she was
getting back at me as best she could right then. After letting it sink in, she
flipped the card vertically and dropped it into my shirt pocket.
‘Don’t plan on pizza. I expect a decent apology,’ she gently
warned.
‘I’m kind of new to town,’ I said.
‘Then I’ll pick the restaurant and you can pay,’ she said,
smiling, as the back of the ambulance started to close. ‘I think your partner
is waiting for you.’
I turned to look at the half-closed door of the ambulance
then, and saw what she was referring to. I could just make out Jeremy, with an
annoyed look on his face.
‘Yeah, all right. Well, I’ll call you once I’m recovered,’ I
offered.
‘Do that,’ Janet said.
‘Yeah, I’ll see you then.’
It’s difficult to walk off nonchalantly when your arms are
effectively spastic and paralysed. It’s even more difficult to get into the
cab, and it’s impossible to close the door. I was just angling to attempt to
look even more stupid and pull it in with my foot, when one of the paras came
around and closed it for me.
‘Thanks,’ I called out of the window, not game to stick my
head too far out without my arms working.
‘Don’t wait too long,’ I heard Janet’s voice, as Jeremy
pushed the accelerator and the ambulance started forward, causing me to bump my
head on the door frame.
‘Did you just pick that lady up?’ Jeremy asked, as I pulled
my head back into the cab. He didn’t sound impressed.
‘Janet?’ I asked.
‘No, the ghost you saw in your fucking dreams,’ Jeremy
sarcastically responded. ‘Of course Janet.’
‘Ahh, yeah, I think she picked me up actually,’ I said. ‘I
owe her a dinner it seems.’
‘Dinner? You’re shitting me. You’ve been here what, two
weeks? All that in training, and now you come out here first day on the job and
you pick up the para chick, just like that?’
‘It kind of seems that way,’ I said.
I almost fell over into Jeremy’s lap as he turned a little
harder than expected into the next street.
‘Damn, you’ve got balls, is all I can say. Let’s see how
long you last.’ Jeremy started to whistle as he made his way onto an on-ramp.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
David Kitson has
worked in corporate and government environments as a security analyst and
technical network architect, as well as a print and TV journalist focusing on
video games and technology news. His love of science stems back to a childhood
spent climbing trees and building rocket launchers. He lives in Western
Australia with his wife and four children.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
David will be awarding an eCopy of Turing Evolved to
3 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.
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