Read Online Icarus (Interstellar Cargo Book 1) by Matt Verish - Free Book Online
Authors: Matt Verish
Tags: adventure, Action, Space Opera, Artificial intelligence, Space Exploration, firefly, dark matter, icarus
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making much more sense now that it was staring him in the face. This was CAIN’s frozen brain, hidden away beneath the ship’s cargo hold.
Mesmerized, Cole had ignored the words trying to reach him. “What was that?”
CAIN repeated. The green light shifted and fell upon an area beneath the cylinder. It was a long, slender slot just the right size to accept the very object in Cole’s hand.
CAIN urged.
Cole nodded and placed the capacitor beneath the frigid brain. It slid in with a magnetic pull, and he jerked back his hand, fearing he may have frozen his fingertips despite his gloves. He resealed the cylinder hatch and rubbed warmth back into his throbbing digits. With it closed, the room was as it had been.
I guess that’s it, Cole thought with slight relief. However, the more he considered his predicament, the less assured he felt. He knew who and what awaited him on the bridge, and he wondered why he should even do as he was instructed. Emmerich was a hell-bent terrorist and needed to be stopped, but Lin’s intentions were not entirely clear—perhaps not even noble—and he needed to discover just what the engineer’s endgame was if she wanted his further assistance.
“Cain.”
“What exactly is the protocol update?”
Cole frowned, and slung his jacket over his shoulder. Why would Lin hinder her own creation if she was always going to betray SolEx? He was missing something.
“The update gives SolEx unrestricted remote access to your CPU,” Cole inferred, a thought occurring to him.
“In theory, that would also give you access to their mainframe.” And then it made perfect sense. “But Lin programmed you to be able to bypass their security and return the favor.”
Was? “But you’re incapable?”
CAIN did not answer immediately. < I am still evolving.>
The answer was vague, but the implication was clear. Cole wondered if Lin was aware of the AI’s growing pains. Either way, whatever it was she was concocting in that evil genius mind of hers was in jeopardy.
And she’s counting on me to help her. Irrational intrigue threatened to eclipse his logical fear. Besides, he was a sucker for smart, sexy women with an arcane agenda.
“How can I help with your evolution?” Cole asked, making his way out of the CPU room.
Again with that phrase. “Maybe later, Cain. My presence is needed on the bridge. Good luck growing up. Being a teenager is a bitch.”
Cole climbed the ladder out of the shimmering green tunnel and was greeted by tightly laced leather combat boots. He had not noticed them when he first met the inspector. His eyes scanned up her pleated slacks, and fell upon an unexpected item.
She still has her sidearm! So much for Terracom’s tight security.
“Are you lost, Musgrave?”
Cole blinked up at Emmerich and smiled. “Just familiarizing myself with our prototype vessel, Inspector.” He gave a mock salute, one hand holding firm to the rung.
Emmerich was not amused. “I suggest you familiarize yourself with the bridge before I jettison you into space.”
“That’d be difficult being that the ICV-71 is grounded, Inspector.” I’m dead.
He would have grabbed her boot heel were he not dangling precariously. Instead he lost his balance, his face collecting the full brunt of Emmerich’s forceful stomp. The cold, satisfied grin of his attacker was the last thing he saw before his world went dark.
~
C ole awoke to the sound of Lin’s droning technical babble. His world was fuzzy, and his head felt as though someone had stomped it. Then he remembered that someone had. In fact, that someone sat directly across from him now, her hand upon her holster, her expression dark. He
Mesmerized, Cole had ignored the words trying to reach him. “What was that?”
Cole nodded and placed the capacitor beneath the frigid brain. It slid in with a magnetic pull, and he jerked back his hand, fearing he may have frozen his fingertips despite his gloves. He resealed the cylinder hatch and rubbed warmth back into his throbbing digits. With it closed, the room was as it had been.
I guess that’s it, Cole thought with slight relief. However, the more he considered his predicament, the less assured he felt. He knew who and what awaited him on the bridge, and he wondered why he should even do as he was instructed. Emmerich was a hell-bent terrorist and needed to be stopped, but Lin’s intentions were not entirely clear—perhaps not even noble—and he needed to discover just what the engineer’s endgame was if she wanted his further assistance.
“Cain.”
“What exactly is the protocol update?”
Cole frowned, and slung his jacket over his shoulder. Why would Lin hinder her own creation if she was always going to betray SolEx? He was missing something.
“The update gives SolEx unrestricted remote access to your CPU,” Cole inferred, a thought occurring to him.
“In theory, that would also give you access to their mainframe.” And then it made perfect sense. “But Lin programmed you to be able to bypass their security and return the favor.”
Was? “But you’re incapable?”
CAIN did not answer immediately. < I am still evolving.>
The answer was vague, but the implication was clear. Cole wondered if Lin was aware of the AI’s growing pains. Either way, whatever it was she was concocting in that evil genius mind of hers was in jeopardy.
And she’s counting on me to help her. Irrational intrigue threatened to eclipse his logical fear. Besides, he was a sucker for smart, sexy women with an arcane agenda.
“How can I help with your evolution?” Cole asked, making his way out of the CPU room.
Again with that phrase. “Maybe later, Cain. My presence is needed on the bridge. Good luck growing up. Being a teenager is a bitch.”
Cole climbed the ladder out of the shimmering green tunnel and was greeted by tightly laced leather combat boots. He had not noticed them when he first met the inspector. His eyes scanned up her pleated slacks, and fell upon an unexpected item.
She still has her sidearm! So much for Terracom’s tight security.
“Are you lost, Musgrave?”
Cole blinked up at Emmerich and smiled. “Just familiarizing myself with our prototype vessel, Inspector.” He gave a mock salute, one hand holding firm to the rung.
Emmerich was not amused. “I suggest you familiarize yourself with the bridge before I jettison you into space.”
“That’d be difficult being that the ICV-71 is grounded, Inspector.” I’m dead.
He would have grabbed her boot heel were he not dangling precariously. Instead he lost his balance, his face collecting the full brunt of Emmerich’s forceful stomp. The cold, satisfied grin of his attacker was the last thing he saw before his world went dark.
~
C ole awoke to the sound of Lin’s droning technical babble. His world was fuzzy, and his head felt as though someone had stomped it. Then he remembered that someone had. In fact, that someone sat directly across from him now, her hand upon her holster, her expression dark. He
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