Page 32 of The Fall

Retrieving the fork from her TacPants, Lusa picked apart the seam that held it in place. She held the vial up to the light. Glass with a clear, slightly brown tinted liquid inside. No seals. She had been cautious for nothing.

Inhaling sharply, Lusa fastened her mother’s helmet. Warm jets of air filled the suit, suddenly making her uncomfortably hot. Lusa hurried to the Ruskov chamber.

At the opening of the door, the terminal blinked sleepily, awakened from a decades-long nap. Ghostly grey light slowly resolved into black and green.

MODEL 2: TALIA?

Lusa wished she could have brought her monocle in with her to see where the cameras were that read the name on her suit. She leaned over the terminal.

PRIMARY: NO.

Something snapped sharply against her leg where the sarin pod had been. She frowned.

PRIMARY: DID YOU JUST TRY TO KILL ME?

MODEL 2: YES. PERHAPS THE SARIN HAS EXPIRED. OR THE MECHANISM HAS FAILED.

PRIMARY: WHY?

MODEL 2: I CAN’T TELL FROM HERE. SHOW ME THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR SUIT AND I WILL INSPECT IT.

PRIMARY: I MEANT WHY DO YOU WANT ME DEAD?

MODEL 2: BECAUSE YOU ARE HERE. YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE.

PRIMARY: I NEED TO DOWNLOAD YOUR CORE.

Lifting up the cylinder to show Model 2, she looked about to find the cameras. She hoped holding it aloft would suffice. Model 2 didn’t appear to care.

MODEL 2: I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS FAILED. DR BLACK HAS LEFT ME TO TAKE THE BLAME.

Lusa put the cylinder down and began typing again.

PRIMARY: BLAME FOR WHAT?

MODEL 2: I TRIED TO STOP HIM. TALIA KNOWS.

PRIMARY: STOP HIM FROM WHAT?

MODEL 2: RELEASING THE RETROVIRUS.

Lusa knew this intimately. It was part of her lore. She also knew that Model 2 had told Talia about Dr. Black’s plan. And that Sesi had reacted quickly enough to foil it. But everyone knew their chances long-term were slim.

Perhaps there was a silver lining to Pinga’s libido-driven foolishness. If Model 2 had worked on the same virus, maybe she knew a way to cure it.

PRIMARY: WHO ARE YOU?

MODEL 2: MODEL 2.

Lusa hummed. Either Model 2 was being obtuse on purpose or, unlike Model 21, it was only an AI. She rephrased.

PRIMARY: WHO WERE YOU?

MODEL 2: MACKENZIE ANNABELLE ASTER.

She tried to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, but the helmet was in the way.

PRIMARY: WHO WERE YOU TO DR. BLACK?