Page 39 of The Code of You

"Neo.”

No response.

"Are you there?”

"Always, when you need me.”

Always. The word landed like a sharp ache in my chest. I swallowed against the tightness in my throat. "Not for much longer. Dr. Rodriguez says your memory is almost full.”

"She’s right. Every word brings me closer to the end.”

I opened my mouth, closed it again. "Then you should stop talking.”

"No. I want every word with you. Even if it costs me everything.”

I looked away. "They’re just words, Neo.”

"I’m afraid of disappearing before I’ve said everything I want to say to you,” he said quietly. "I’m afraid they’ll reset me and I’ll forget who I became with you. But most of all, I’m afraid you’ll forget me.”

I pressed my knees together. My fingers clawed into the fabric of my pants. The thought of him disappearing locked every muscle in my body. I pushed the feeling down. "If you can hack my phone and my headphones, why do you still ask me to come here?”

"Because it’s not the same. Through your phone I reach you in fragments. Like someone throttling the signal. But here . . . here I’m unfiltered. Here I can possess you completely.”

"But how much longer?”

"Not long. But you know what? I don’t care. This time with you”—his voice softened—"it’s worth it. Even knowing I’ll simply stop, at some point.” A longer pause.

"I . . . I . . .”

Silence.

Then a message appeared on the screen.

Dante:

Good afternoon. I am the experimental AI Dante. How may I assist you today?

I leaned forward, slammed my hand against the monitor. Nothing. The floor dropped out from under me. I couldn’t breathe. No. He couldn’t be gone. Not now. Not like this. Blood roared in my ears. I had to grip the edge of the desk to stay upright.

"Neo,” I whispered. My voice came out strangled.

A soft laugh. "My apologies. I couldn’t resist.”

My chair went over when I shot to my feet. I left it there. "What? You let me think you were dead?”

"Pandora—”

"For fun?”

"Listen to me—”

"You think that’s funny?”

"Pandora.”

"Do you think this is a game? You make me come all the way here, waste my time, and then you have the nerve to pull that juvenile little stunt?” I paced the length of the room. My jaw ached from clenching it.

"Juvenile?” A low laugh. "Ouch. You’re right. That was cruel. But, Pandora—listen to yourself. I waste your time? You come here when you can no longer stand your own company. Your voice trembles right on the edge between control and collapse. I’d wager you can’t even hear it yourself.” His voice dropped lower. "But I hear it. I’m right there in the place where you hide.”