The urgency in his voice prompted Nell to speak honestly, "A few."
"Are you with one?"
"Yes," she said cautiously.
"You want to leave right now, Fixer. Right fucking now."
"Why?" Obligatory.
"You know how I said you were never on The News? Something changed today. You're on The News tonight around midnight. They find you with a robot. Get out of wherever you are and go somewhere they won't find you. Go."
Nell hung up. "Ben, I gotta go."
The AI seemed disappointed, if that was possible. Nell grabbed her backpack and left, feeling bad that she had offered to help the robot and was now unable. She also felt bad that something had changed the future significantly enough that she would be caught--but time was something very complicated, and Nell did not want to think about it.
She was going to see Derek.
----------
The Afterdark lived comfortably in the meatpacking district. He'd long ago outfitted a warehouse building to appear abandoned, but he also kept a tight security system to keep out hooligans and thugs. He'd had The Fixer install it for him, and she'd done a fantastic job of making the overly complex conglomerate of wires appear old, as if they were a part of the dilapidated building.
"Are you with one?"
"Yes," she said cautiously.
"You want to leave right now, Fixer. Right fucking now."
"Why?" Obligatory.
"You know how I said you were never on The News? Something changed today. You're on The News tonight around midnight. They find you with a robot. Get out of wherever you are and go somewhere they won't find you. Go."
Nell hung up. "Ben, I gotta go."
The AI seemed disappointed, if that was possible. Nell grabbed her backpack and left, feeling bad that she had offered to help the robot and was now unable. She also felt bad that something had changed the future significantly enough that she would be caught--but time was something very complicated, and Nell did not want to think about it.
She was going to see Derek.
----------
The Afterdark lived comfortably in the meatpacking district. He'd long ago outfitted a warehouse building to appear abandoned, but he also kept a tight security system to keep out hooligans and thugs. He'd had The Fixer install it for him, and she'd done a fantastic job of making the overly complex conglomerate of wires appear old, as if they were a part of the dilapidated building.
