Daemon

couldn’t let it go now. It was a machine – it wouldn’t judge her. Worse, she would never know the whole story if she declined. Didn’t a real journalist pursue the story no matter what? Wasn’t that admirable?
    ‘Yes.’
    Yet another pause.
    ‘Do you believe in God? Answer “yes” or “no.”’
    Anderson was taken aback. She hesitated, not sure whether she did or not. Then, ‘No?’
    A pause.
    She half expected a lightning bolt to smite her.
    Suddenly the British-sounding female voice cut in, speaking with its clipped, synthetic efficiency.
    ‘Your user ID is … J-92. Remember your ID … J-92. It is your identity. You have been assigned a role. If you deviate from this role – for any reason – you will be removed from the system. Follow all instructions, and the system will protect and reward you.’
    Anderson was trying to gather her thoughts to say something, but then she realized there was no one to say anything to. She had cashed in her morals at a vending machine.
    The Voice continued like the unstoppable force it was.
‘An airline ticket is waiting under your human name at the … Southwest Airlines … ticket counter at … Oakland International … Airport. Proceed to this location within the next … four … hours. If you speak to anyone else regarding this matter, you will be killed.’
    The line went dead.
    Anderson stifled a scream of terror. What had she done?
    She looked up to see video footage of body bags being lifted into a coroner’s van on the evening news – mute testimony to the truth of the threat.

Chapter 14:// Meme Payload
    From:
Matthew Andrew Sobol
To:
Federal Authorities; International Press
Re:
Siege of My Estate
    Federal authorities besieging my Thousand Oaks estate are hereby advised to refrain from further incursions onto the grounds for a period of no less than 30 days, inclusive of and commencing at 12 noon today. All those entering the grounds prior to that time will be resisted with deadly force.
    Members of law enforcement: You are not my enemy. However, it is vital that my work continue. I will do what I must in self-defense.
    Upon expiration of this deadline, you will be free to take possession of the estate, my server room, and its data. Failure to follow these instructions will result in the loss of all data and the deaths of many more people.
    Sebeck knelt on the ground next to a black body bag. He stared emptily at the fading sunlight reflected on the black vinyl.
    Ross watched from some distance away, leaning against the side of an ambulance. Five more body bags were lined up nearby. FBI agents consoled each other. There were tears on many faces.
    Sebeck took a deep breath and finally stood. He turned toward Ross with a smoldering rage. ‘Jon!’
    Ross followed as Sebeck strode through the tarpaulin walls of the makeshift morgue and into a crowd of FBI agents, local police, county tactical teams, paramedics, reporters, andtechnicians laying siege to Sobol’s estate. Literally hundreds of people ringed the place. City workers were setting up construction lights to illuminate the staging area as the sun began to set. The road was closed to civilian traffic, and something resembling a heavily armed county fair stretched along its length. Police from three neighboring jurisdictions were on hand.
    Nearby homes had been evacuated. The Feds were in the process of quarantining the Daemon; power and phone people were cutting service to Sobol’s property. Sebeck could see their hydraulic lifts clustered around utility poles a considerable distance from the estate. He guessed power was being killed to the entire neighborhood, and diesel generators added to the general din.
    Sebeck kept moving, tugging Ross through the crowd, alternately surging ahead, then turning back to face him.
    ‘It can’t be a machine. There’s a living person behind this.’
    Ross didn’t respond.
    ‘Someone was controlling that Hummer.’
    Ross looked grim. ‘My condolences on Deputy Larson.’
    Sebeck glared at him. ‘Don’t you tell me that was software.’
    ‘It could be done – using the same AI engine that controls characters in a computer game. We were the objective. We’re just infrared heat sources.’
    Sebeck shook his head. ‘Bullshit.’
    ‘Any word on Detective Mantz? He was hanging on to the trailer last time I saw him.’
    ‘Broken leg and a couple of broken ribs. Someone is going to pay for this.’
    ‘Sobol is dead, Pete.’
    ‘I don’t care. Someone