Ramez Naam - Nexus

"Here you go," Feng said as he opened the door for the boy to exit. "Door to door service!"

"That was very stimulating, Kade," Shu told him. "Let's talk soon."

"It was, Dr Shu. Thank you for dinner. I'll be in touch on the dates for the Shanghai visit." He shook her hand and turned. "And it was good to meet you, Feng. I'm glad we talked." Kade nodded, held up his hand in salutation, and was gone.

Feng got back into the driver's seat.

Thoughts?Shu asked him.

Feng put the car in gear, looked both ways, cautiously eased back into the riotous traffic of Bangkok. Shu knew he was taking the time to collect himself, to be sure he knew his own mind before he answered her. Always so careful, after all this time.

I made them that way, she reminded herself.

The boy is dangerous,Feng sent to her. He poses a great risk.

He could be a great asset,Shu replied. He's done impressive work to have come so far so fast.

Not as impressive as your accomplishments, Feng told her.

Feng, the humans outnumber us by orders of magnitude, she sent back. No matter how capable I am, I can't do it alone. I can't do it with just the team in Shanghai. If we're going to prevail, we need more on our side. More who can move the frontiers forward. Those individuals are rare. Kade is one of them.

Is that the only reason?Feng asked.

He knew her too well. The old anger rose up. The painful memories. Yang Wei, her mentor, burning to death in that limo, a victim of the CIA. Along with…

Nausea struck her. Her hand went unbidden to her belly. She forced herself to pull it away. This body was a traitor. Anger was better than sorrow.

I hate them, Feng. The CIA, the ERD, they are the same. I despise them for the beautiful minds they've destroyed. I hate them for the pain they've inflicted. And yes, I resent the ERD for using him as a weapon against me. How dare they? The ignorant, venomous fools. I'm not a machine, Feng. I feel emotions as strongly as ever. And what I feel towards the Americans is rage.

Feng was silent for a moment, then spoke into her mind. You could compel him.

Shu chuckled. Was Feng testing her?

You know my view on that, she replied. If I took control of him, what would that say to anyone else? Would I need to control them all? How much would they accomplish as my puppets? I would become no better than our masters, and no more effective. No. We're most capable as autonomous beings who choose to come together. Our as sociations must be voluntary.

She felt Feng's satisfaction with her answer. If it was a test, she'd passed. The line between loyalty and compulsion remained clear.

I remain concerned, Feng sent. The Americans respect you. They will not settle for surface answers. They may burrow deep, even destructively so. The memories and block you implanted may not hold.

They won't harm him, Shu insisted. They want to use him to spy on me. And short of quite destructive methods, what I've done will hold.

Perhaps, Feng replied.

The Americans can't hurt me, at any rate.

Perhaps.

Feng refused to accept just how unassailable she'd become.

They can inconvenience you,he sent. Greatly.

Yes,she replied. That they can.

They can perhaps goad our masters into hurting you,Feng went on. Or worse.

It was a possibility. One that bore more safeguards against it.

So what do you recommend?she asked.

Feng was silent for a moment, threading the Opal through wet Bangkok traffic.

I think the Americans should not get the chance to deeply interrogate Kaden Lane.

You mean that we should liberate him?she asked. Or that we should kill him?

Feng was silent again.

I mean that the Americans should not get the chance to interrogate Kaden Lane.

I doubt our masters would agree to either silencing him or whisking him away to China on such short notice, she sent.

Feng took his time replying.

What they do not know of, they need not agree to,he sent. Accidents happen. Bangkok is a dangerous place.

You've become so hard, Feng,she sent him. You would kill this boy? An innocent?

Your safety is my priority. He threatens it.

What about the woman, the agent he's with?

Feng considered. Challenging. Not impossible.

I would rather have him alive, and on our side, than dead.

You may not have that choice,Feng replied. We must all act within the choices we are given.

Su-Yong Shu leaned back into the plush seat of the Opal, and contemplated.

The Wild at Heart bar was a sprawling three-story club in the heart of Bangkok's tourist district. It was 9pm, halfway into the 8pm to 10pm mixer, and the place was packed with students attending the conference. Kade meandered through the throng, lost in thought. What had he expected of Shu? That she'd be completely innocent of what the ERD had accused her of? That she'd be a monster?

She was neither. The opportunity she was offering him was beyond his wildest dreams. Could he accept it? Could he fool the ERD? Could he live with himself if his work was weaponized, was used to harm innocents?

Could he become posthuman? A demigod? An immortal?

He got in line for a drink, peeled off two hundred-baht bills for something strong and alcoholic. The Nexus link on his phone came alive before the drink reached his lips.

[sam] Welcome back. Meet me on the roof.

Kade shrugged and made his way to the roof, downing his drink as he went. Show time. Again.

He found Sam with her back to the party, looking out onto the street and the chaotic, rain-soaked capital of Thailand.

"Hey."

"Hi there." She smiled at him, put her hand on his arm.

[sam] Put your arm around me.

[kade] What?

[sam] Just do it.

She turned back to the street, leaning against the banister. Kade grimaced, put his arm around her, joined her in leaning out for a view. Sam pressed her body closer. The rain made the night almost cool. Her body was distinctly warm, and firm, and curved under his hand… [sam] Give me your other hand.

[sam] I need a few drops of your blood. [kade] What?

[sam] I need to see if she's dosed you with anything.

[kade] I would have told you.

[sam] Maybe. If you knew. If you could. Hold out your hand.

Kade did as he was told. Sam took his free hand in hers. With her other hand she produced a small black rectangular device. She pressed it against the tip of his finger. He felt a brief sting, then a tiny bit of suction. Sam held it there for a few seconds, removed it, put it back in her pocket.

She snuggled against him, gave him a smile. "So, you had a good dinner?"

[sam] How'd it go?

[kade] Good. She invited me to come visit the lab, see if I was a good fit for the postdoc position.

[sam] Excellent. Now, walk me through the dinner. Let me see it and hear it from your perspective.

Show time indeed. Kade let himself sink into the alternate memories Shu had scripted in his mind. They fit like a mask, like a garment over his mind, like a role he was playing on a stage. He opened himself to Sam.

She roamed through his memories of the night. He watched her. She skimmed the early part of the conversation, focused on the work portion, absorbed the deliciousness of the meal, the sensuality Shu exuded as she savored the food.