Serafina and the Virtual Man - By Marie Treanor Page 0,73
waiting for Andy to leave before he did. Jack didn’t look as if he’d be any good in a fight, but Jilly had fought vampires at his side and knew he could give at least as good as he got.
Andy swore under his breath, turned on his heel, and strode out of Serafina’s.
“Coffee?” Elspeth said brightly.
****
With access to the Genesis computers, including the one controlling the new VR machine imperfectly built in one of the company’s labs, Adam found it easy enough to isolate the problems and find solutions which he communicated to the workforce in Dale’s name. At first, Dale had stood over him and insisted on sending the instructions himself, but when he realised Adam really wasn’t going to either sabotage the operation or amuse himself by signing anything with his own name, he left him to it for several hours.
Adam worked hard, as anxious as he’d ever been to make this work. And something began to ache inside him as he got into the way of it. He’d never have given this up voluntarily. And this was undoubtedly his swan song. Like it or not, he was dead and would have to move on as JK said.
How could a disembodied spirit ache? VR just wasn’t that good, not without a body to do the feeling.
The lab door slid open, and Dale came in again. “How’s it going?”
“Good. The machine should be perfect by tomorrow, and you can start reloading the software. Get Gina Manson to do that, and free Curly and Frances to sort out those bugs.”
“Frances? Are you sure? She’s already been working on the—”
“I’m sure,” Adam interrupted.
Dale smiled reluctantly. “All right. Your call.”
Adam swivelled in his chair and looked up at his old partner where he stood gazing down at the computer screen. “How’d it happen, Dale?”
“I guess we missed your magical touch,” Dale said sardonically.
“No, I mean this.” He tapped his chest and let his hand fall into his lap.
Dale’s eyes fell, then slid back to meet his gaze. “Maybe you care too much for your new baby system.”
“I do. I care how I came to be shot as well. Was it your gun?”
Dale leaned forward, his hand hovering near the power button. “It was my gun, but you can’t imagine I fired it.”
“It crossed my mind,” Adam said. “Don’t push the button. I’ll only override it. There’s too much still to do.”
“I know that,” Dale said with dignity. “I’d no intention of pushing it. As I’d no intention of shooting you.”
Adam curved his lips. “I wondered if I went to Australia because I was so pissed off at you shooting me.”
Dale examined the design on the screen in minute detail. “You were certainly pissed off at the idea of someone trying to kill you. And the police never found who did it.”
Adam’s stomach twisted. Oh, come on, Dale. The police never even looked because they’d no idea it’d happened. You know that.
“It shook you up,” Dale said.
“I suppose it would have.” So I took to drink and drugs? Really? Oh no, I was already far gone enough down that road to’ve been in rehab. You’re lying. And I don’t know why or even what about.
Dale switched screens to look at the reams of code Adam had been examining. “So what happens now? Do you just stay forever in the VR system?”
“A positive milch cow of ideas? I’ve already come up with an amazing plot about a dead guy—looking for vengeance.” He smiled at Dale’s averted face. “Of course. It’s a computer game, after all.”
Dale met his gaze once more. “And what vengeance would you take, Adam?” he asked in hard voice. “And on whom for what?”
Adam shrugged. “I’m not a vengeful man—program—ghost—whatever I am. I’m just curious, and those ideas still flow through my head. I’ll send you a few if you want—you can get the development teams started on them.”
Dale’s breath caught. Adam wasn’t sure if it was a shudder or a laugh. “Fuck, Adam, this is weird,” he said shakily. And that, at least, sounded honest.
“So it is,” Adam agreed. “What are we going to do about it?”
Dale’s lips parted as if he was about to speak, but no sound came out, and he eventually closed them again.
Disappointed, Adam said, “You had a psychic in here exorcising a poltergeist. Why don’t you get her to exorcise me? After the launch, of course.”
“Is that what you want?”
Adam sighed. “I don’t really know what I want. I imagine the novelty of existing in