Chapter 22
“I had no choice,” Shortcut said as he lay on a table in front of X and Fahrens. “I was the only one who could defeat Yvette Crenshaw.”
His voice still surprised him. It was no longer human—instead, it was cold and metallic with a human cadence.
Shortcut looked out across the lab. The human part of his consciousness recognized all the familiar shapes of the room—the digital screens, computers, desks and chairs—but at the same time, the artificially intelligent part of his consciousness saw everything as data to be manipulated. With a simple glance at X, he knew everything there was to know about his construction, personality, and his ability, more than he had ever known as a human.
He shook Fahrens’s hand, and took comfort in the first human touch he had felt since he left T
