The Milestone Protocol Ernest Dempsey (best short novels of all time .txt) 📖

characteristics of multiple elements and none, all at the same time.

The young couple couldn’t tear their eyes away from the computer monitor. Their computers, some of the best in the world, were running at their max to try to keep up with the information pouring in from the analysis.

Every experiment they’d run so far produced similar results. The element was the ultimate outlier. It simultaneously obeyed all the laws of physics, and none.

The monitor abruptly started to glitch. Lines ripped across the screen from right to left, shaking the pixels within.

“The computers can’t handle it,” Alex said urgently.

“Shut it down,” Tara ordered.

He reached over to the machine encasing the sample and hit a red button on the side. The computer screen didn’t switch off.

Tara’s concern spiked. She reached under the table and pulled the power cord from the outlet to shut down the computer, but when she stood again she found, to her amazement and horror, that the computer was still running.

“Shut it down,” she insisted.

“I did.” Alex hit the button again and again. “It’s like the element is powering itself, and everything it’s connected to.”

“Malcom,” Tara said. “Emergency shutdown protocol.”

“Yes, Tara” an ethereal voice echoed.

Smoke filled the glass case containing the Quantium sample, and finally, thankfully, the computer screen went black.

“Thank you, Malcom,” Tara said.

“Of course, Tara. Just doing my job.”

Alex breathed a sigh of relief. “That new AI really comes in handy sometimes, huh?”

“I’m happy to hear that, Mr. Simms.”

“You don’t have to call me that. Just call me Alex.” He wondered why his wife and the AI were on a first name basis, but he wasn’t, then remembered it was his own fault.

“My programming is set to—”

“Then change the programming.”

“As you wish.”

The smooth voice had a hint of an English accent, which both Tara and Alex thought to be calming in a way. They’d worked with a tech startup on the artificial intelligence program to help them run faster diagnostics on artifacts and rare samples the agency had recovered in the field.

Tara walked over to the coffeepot in the nearest corner and realized it was almost empty. She set about grinding a new batch of beans, placing the ground coffee into a filter and plopping it into the coffee maker’s basket. Then she filled the machine with fresh water from a pitcher and pressed the start button.

She’d just finished her routine when Malcom’s voice interrupted as she walked back toward the computer station.

“Tara, we have visitors.”

“What?” Puzzled, Tara looked over at a second computer monitor that was still on.

“Problem, Malcom?” Alex asked.

“Government-issued license plates, based on my scans from the outdoor cameras, Alex. They are FBI.”

“How many?” Alex asked, trying to remain calm as Sean had trained him and his wife to do.

“Six agents total,” Malcom replied almost instantly. “Three cars.” The AI switched to the interior cameras just as the six male agents entered through the front doors of IAA headquarters.”

“Great,” Tara said. “I guess we know why they’re here.” She hurried to the computer and pressed a sequence of keys, then remembered she’d unplugged the machine. “Crap. The plug.” She slid under the table and plugged the computer in again.

“Once it’s up and running, Malcom, wipe the hardware and drop all the data into our private off-site server.”

“Of course, Tara,” Malcom said easily.

“Make sure to encrypt it before you send the data dump,” Alex reminded. “Won’t do us much good if they’re tracking it and can easily intercept the information.”

“I always encrypt sensitive data, Alex, but thank you for the reminder.”

Alex shook his head. “Sometimes, I swear you’re a real person, Malcom.”

“That’s because I am, sir.”

“What?” Alex looked up into the air as if he might locate the source of the voice there.

“Just kidding, Alex,” Malcom joked. “You did program me to have a sense of humor.”

Alex pursed his lips, relieved for the moment that their creation hadn’t actually gone sentient.

“Should you two head to the safe room?” the AI asked.

“Yes,” Tara answered.

A burst of air swished nearby. A wall around the corner of the L-shaped nook opened up with its metal shelf of research equipment still attached.

The false wall stopped moving, leaving a gap of three feet between it and the frame.

“Hide the sample, Malcom,” Alex said as he grabbed his backpack.

“Already beginning the process, sir.”

It wasn’t the first time they’d had to do this, and they’d also designed Malcolm for just such contingencies. The system had been modeled after the Library of Congress’ and the National Archives’ security setup, which dropped their most valuable documents down into a reinforced concrete tube. While the IAA system wasn’t as elaborate or expensive, it served them well when it came to sensitive materials or artifacts that needed a little more protection than the subterranean lab could offer.

Tara watched as the FBI agents stalked across the lobby toward the reception desk. One of them was barking orders at Sarah, the receptionist, who pressed a red button under her desk that activated an alert on Tara’s and Alex’s smartwatches.

Fortunately, Tara and Alex were way ahead of Sarah’s warning.

“Would you like me to kill the power to the elevators?” Malcom asked.

They’d connected the AI to nearly every system in the building, some of which even Tommy didn’t know about.

“No,” Tara said. “We don’t want them to think something’s up. And they’re federal agents. Doing that might look hostile, and we do not want to give them that impression. We’ll get out through the tunnel. Send Sarah an email from my account. Date it fifteen minutes ago, if you can do that.”

“I’m hurt,” Malcom said, feigning offense. “It would be nice if you could give me a challenge now and then.”

Tara smiled at one of the cameras in the near corner. “You’re the best, Malcom,” she said.

“Now you’re just being patronizing.”

She shook her head and disappeared into the secret passage with Alex close behind. A second later, the door closed shut and a series of lights switched on along the concrete wall in the tunnel.

Tara led the way, hurrying