Machine Learning (Captain Allen and DPD SWAT POV)

The Manifest

"Did you get hurt?"

I looked in my reflection staring back from the side of a stainless steel mug. I no longer wore a bloodied head wrap, but a gauze patch, instead. A sling hung off of my chair where my arm was supposed to be. Scrapes, blisters, and cuts ran as far as my skin dared to show itself.

"No. I'm reviewing a manifest of inbound ordinance and supplies for next month. There's some shit here listed I've never heard of."

"Maybe I can help. What is it?"

"You know I can't tell you that."

"What can you tell me?"

I pondered. She was my only "contact" to the outside. She might actually know something, but I wasn't immediately sure how to ask her without getting thrown in the brig.

"Ever heard of a manufacturer called 'CyberLife?'"

She paused, that time around...as if she was reluctant to answer me.

"Yes."

I creased my brow, not that she could see them...or my hand motioning for her to continue.

"And?"

She nearly cut me off, "David, is the US military buying from CyberLife?"

"Just tell me who they are, please."

I heard typing in the background before she spewed information.

"Huge artificial intelligence company. The two founders have been traveling around, selling patents for their algorithms and software to security firms, marketing agencies, all sorts of shit. But the rumor is, their main product hasn't even made an appearance yet."

"What main product?"

"No one really knows yet. They're saying it could be robots...like, fully-functioning robots that can talk just like you and I."

All crazy robot shit aside, I couldn't help myself, "I don't think anyone can really talk like you and I..."

That's when I had the absolute pleasure of hearing her other practiced tone. The one that had been conditioned for me, and me alone. That voice she took when I could hear her smile, the way she looked at me...

"There's something else no one else can do like you and I, Dave."

That's all it took for me to feel a twitch. She always loved teasing me, and fuck, it'd been a long 8 months without the company of my wife.

I gulped, "Okay, okay...I'm calling a full retreat."

"You're boring."

"Babe, I'm on a secured line, for fuck's sake..." I frowned, invoking the belt loop trick, "But hey, I have to get going. I'll see you and Tali soon, okay?"

I sighed, knowing the sad voice was coming. They always went through stages, these phone calls.

"...Okay."

"Give her a kiss for me."

"I will."

"...I love you." I swallowed hard.

"I love you too."

And that was the end of it.

Thankfully, our goodbyes were always quick. Like ripping a band aid off instead of peeling it back. Made things easier. Made refocusing less painful.

Back to business.

Thirium-310. Manufactured by CyberLife, purchased by the DoD. There were two people that came to mind that might know something about an artificial intelligence firm...but only one former chemist.