Read Online Half Life (Russell's Attic Book 2) by SL Huang - Free Book Online
Authors: SL Huang
Tags: thriller, Artificial intelligence, Speculative Fiction, Urban, Superhero, female protagonist, Robots, sff, Mathematics, mathematical fiction, contemporary science fiction
Ads: Link
daughter. Well, I’ll be damned. She did exist. “Did you notice where they took her?”
“I was busy packing up and leaving, but it looked like they were going back to Denise’s office. And the next day was when Denise was gone and they were cleaning out her things.”
The next day? I didn’t believe in coincidences. “And they said it was medical leave?”
“‘They?’ No, uh-uh, there was a resignation letter from Denise. I filed it. It had her signature.”
Which could have been faked. “Did you know her well?”
Pilar wrinkled her nose thoughtfully. “Uh, not real well. I mean, we didn’t go out for drinks together or anything, if that’s what you mean. But we were friendly and stuff at work. She was just nice, you know? More than anyone else in the department, anyway; most of ’em are these frigid engineer types.”
How Checker would have squawked if he’d heard her stereotype his people that way. “Wasn’t Denise an engineer, too?”
“Oh, yeah, of course. But a lot friendlier of one. She would actually stop and talk to me at the office, that kind of thing. I really liked having her around.”
“What did you talk about? Did she confide in you?”
“No, you know, it was more like, ‘the weather’s hot today isn’t it’ and ‘did you see the Kings game last night’ and ‘thank goodness the weather’s cooled down this week.’ Small talk sort of stuff.”
“Did she ever mention her daughter?”
“Not that I remember. Or her husband—I didn’t even know she was married until everything went down at Arkacite, with the lawsuit and everything. I mean, I guess she probably had a ring, I didn’t really look, but she didn’t talk about her family.”
“How did she die?”
Pilar’s eyes popped wide, making her look startlingly like a character from one of Checker’s animes. “She’s dead?”
“You didn’t know?”
“No, I—her letter said she left for health reasons, but…” She slumped, letting her head hang, her hands lying still in her lap. “I’m real sorry to hear that. I liked her.”
I never knew what to say in this sort of situation. “Was she sick before she left the company?” I asked, for lack of a better question.
“No, not at all,” answered Pilar, subdued. “At least, not that I ever saw, but I guess she might’ve been and I didn’t know…she’s really dead? I wish I’d known. I would have gone to the funeral.”
We sat in awkward silence. An ocean breeze stirred the air, and shouts and laughter of the beachgoing crowds reached us faintly from the boardwalk.
“Nobody at work talks about her,” murmured Pilar. “I assumed it was ’cause of the lawsuit, you know, like she’s frowned on there now because she’s suing them—I mean, it’s her husband’s name on the suit, but I had figured he was doing it on her behalf or something if she was sick, and…I don’t know. It makes more sense now, I guess.” She hugged her arms around herself. “What does the company have to do with their daughter? I mean, if Denise…passed, shouldn’t her husband already…I mean…”
Apparently Pilar had somehow missed Warren’s very loud, very public, and very insistent allegations. “Warren insists Arkacite kidnapped her.”
Pilar’s eyes got huge again. “What! Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“I mean, they’re a soul-crushing company to work for, but kidnapping? Besides, why would they want to?”
“I don’t know,” I said again.
“I don’t even want to go back tomorrow now,” said Pilar. “If I didn’t have student loans and my car payment and rent and credit card bills, I wouldn’t.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, either.
“You know,” said Pilar, “I could look around for you, if you like. I mean, not a whole lot—they’re always nosing after us for people leaking tech secrets, so I can’t poke around too much—but I can at least check the computer system, see if any files seem funny. I mean, if you want me to?
“I was busy packing up and leaving, but it looked like they were going back to Denise’s office. And the next day was when Denise was gone and they were cleaning out her things.”
The next day? I didn’t believe in coincidences. “And they said it was medical leave?”
“‘They?’ No, uh-uh, there was a resignation letter from Denise. I filed it. It had her signature.”
Which could have been faked. “Did you know her well?”
Pilar wrinkled her nose thoughtfully. “Uh, not real well. I mean, we didn’t go out for drinks together or anything, if that’s what you mean. But we were friendly and stuff at work. She was just nice, you know? More than anyone else in the department, anyway; most of ’em are these frigid engineer types.”
How Checker would have squawked if he’d heard her stereotype his people that way. “Wasn’t Denise an engineer, too?”
“Oh, yeah, of course. But a lot friendlier of one. She would actually stop and talk to me at the office, that kind of thing. I really liked having her around.”
“What did you talk about? Did she confide in you?”
“No, you know, it was more like, ‘the weather’s hot today isn’t it’ and ‘did you see the Kings game last night’ and ‘thank goodness the weather’s cooled down this week.’ Small talk sort of stuff.”
“Did she ever mention her daughter?”
“Not that I remember. Or her husband—I didn’t even know she was married until everything went down at Arkacite, with the lawsuit and everything. I mean, I guess she probably had a ring, I didn’t really look, but she didn’t talk about her family.”
“How did she die?”
Pilar’s eyes popped wide, making her look startlingly like a character from one of Checker’s animes. “She’s dead?”
“You didn’t know?”
“No, I—her letter said she left for health reasons, but…” She slumped, letting her head hang, her hands lying still in her lap. “I’m real sorry to hear that. I liked her.”
I never knew what to say in this sort of situation. “Was she sick before she left the company?” I asked, for lack of a better question.
“No, not at all,” answered Pilar, subdued. “At least, not that I ever saw, but I guess she might’ve been and I didn’t know…she’s really dead? I wish I’d known. I would have gone to the funeral.”
We sat in awkward silence. An ocean breeze stirred the air, and shouts and laughter of the beachgoing crowds reached us faintly from the boardwalk.
“Nobody at work talks about her,” murmured Pilar. “I assumed it was ’cause of the lawsuit, you know, like she’s frowned on there now because she’s suing them—I mean, it’s her husband’s name on the suit, but I had figured he was doing it on her behalf or something if she was sick, and…I don’t know. It makes more sense now, I guess.” She hugged her arms around herself. “What does the company have to do with their daughter? I mean, if Denise…passed, shouldn’t her husband already…I mean…”
Apparently Pilar had somehow missed Warren’s very loud, very public, and very insistent allegations. “Warren insists Arkacite kidnapped her.”
Pilar’s eyes got huge again. “What! Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“I mean, they’re a soul-crushing company to work for, but kidnapping? Besides, why would they want to?”
“I don’t know,” I said again.
“I don’t even want to go back tomorrow now,” said Pilar. “If I didn’t have student loans and my car payment and rent and credit card bills, I wouldn’t.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, either.
“You know,” said Pilar, “I could look around for you, if you like. I mean, not a whole lot—they’re always nosing after us for people leaking tech secrets, so I can’t poke around too much—but I can at least check the computer system, see if any files seem funny. I mean, if you want me to?
Similar Books
