2

“I don’t recall my own mom or pop,” Daffodil said sadly. “So I’ve been makin up stories in my head about them. There’s not a lot to do in a closet.” She gave a heartfelt sigh. “I don’t even know if they’re alive or—”

“My dad up and left last month,” Charlie interrupted. “Cleared out our bank accounts. Didn’t say goodbye or even leave a note.”

“Oh, I do apologise. I don’t know what day of the week it is and had to make up a name for myself a minute ago. What am I complaining about?”

“Just give me the message.” The boy held out his hand.

“Whatever you say. But I need a computer.”

“Eh?” He pointed. “There’s one next to your elbow.”

“Oh, that’s what the weird-lookin box is.” Daffodil rested her hand on top of the PC and its screen lit up. “I’m still gettin used to new stuff.”

“You didn’t even switch it on.” Charlie stared at her. “How is that possible?”

“Ain’t got a clue. Didn’t even know what a cell phone was till Frankie told me. He’s the only way I find out anythin.” She scratched her head. “Had to do a runner from the cab that brought me here ’cause I didn’t know I was supposed to pay.”

But Charlie wasn’t listening. A familiar face had appeared on the monitor.

Gerry Ray was sitting attentively, hands clasped on his lap, as if he had been waiting there for some time. He looked nervous and exhausted. His normally neat hair was dyed platinum and he had a bushy moustache to match. His usual shirt and tie had been replaced by jeans and a yellow T-shirt, and he wore a bandana round his neck.

“Dad!” Charlie gasped. “It’s really you! Where have you been?”

“I’ve got so much to say, my boy.” The man smiled wanly. “And so little time to say it. But let’s start with how much I love you.”

“You got a funny way of showing it,” Charlie shot back. “Mum’s been in bits since you left. Me too, for that matter.”

“I had no choice, son. I’m in hiding. It’s the reason for this disguise.”

“That’s a disguise?” Daffodil sniffed. “I thought a seagull crashed into his face.”

“Hiding from what?” Charlie pushed the girl away. “Unpaid parking tickets? You lived in a semi and still collected CDs.” He glanced at the room next to his. “I should wake Mum.”

“No!” His father held up a hand. “I have a story to tell you, but I need to make it quick. Frankie is jamming this signal, but every second I talk increases the chances the people bugging your house will grow suspicious.”

“The house is bugged?” Charlie couldn’t hide his disbelief. “That’s crazy—”

“Son.” Gerry Ray cut him short. “Please listen. All our lives depend on it.”

That shut the boy up.

“A while ago, I stole something extremely valuable from some very nasty people and they’ll do anything to get it back. That’s why I had to go on the run.”

“So return it,” Charlie snapped. “I’ve been worried sick about you.”

“I would if I could, but it’s not an option. However, if they knew I’d been in touch, or even cared what happened to you and Mum, they’d take you hostage to flush me out of hiding.” Gerry looked mortified. “I had to make it seem like I’d completely abandoned my family, for your own safety.” His voice lowered. “Please. Let me tell you what happened. No interruptions until I’m finished.”

“All right.” Charlie gave a surly nod. “But this better be good.”

“In our younger days, your mum and I were formidable computer hackers.” Gerry tapped a finger to his nose. “Corporate raiders they called us, ’cause we used to break into big conglomerates and expose their dirty secrets anonymously to the press.”

“Pull the other one, Dad. Do I look that naive?”

“Sure you want him to answer?” Daffodil asked innocently.

“Oh, we were the best. Until we had you, that is. Then we gave it all up, so our son could have a normal life. It’s why we never said anything about our past.” Gerry gave a pained smile. “But I suppose old habits die hard. A couple of months ago, I got a mysterious email about a defence company called Manticorps, especially one particular department: the Marginal Science Division. It seems their scientists had developed some kind of artificial intelligence they nicknamed ‘Frankie’. Now they were using him to invent sinister new ways of waging war.”

“Frankie?” Charlie looked at Daffodil in alarm. “He’s a bad guy?”

“I didn’t know that,” the girl whispered. “He’s got a nice voice.”

“Frankie is short for Frankenstein. Some bright spark at Manticorps had a pretty warped sense of humour.” They could see from Gerry’s grim expression that he didn’t appreciate the joke.

“Frankie had invented all sorts of terrible stuff for them. A drug called the Atlas Serum, which made soldiers stronger, more aggressive and resistant to injury or illness. Microchips implanted in their flesh, so Frankie could be downloaded onto them and communicate directly with troop leaders. Exoskeletons that turned men into walking tanks. New biological weapons to wipe out enemy forces.” Gerry threw up his hands in disgust. “I had to do something about it. Your mum didn’t like the idea, but I talked her into letting me investigate.”

“Mum knew what you were up to?” The boy grasped the edge of his desk.

Your mother is a lot tougher than she looks.

“So what happened?” Despite himself, Charlie was fascinated by this new side to his father.

“I hacked Frankie, of course. Found out Manticorps had programmed him to do whatever they ordered. So I rejigged him to obey me instead.” Gerry fiddled awkwardly with the bandana round his neck. “Then I had to get him out of the Marginal Science Division before Manticorps realised what I’d done and reset him.”

“I don’t understand.” Charlie frowned. “If this AI is so dangerous, why didn’t you just shut it down entirely?”

“His intelligence might be artificial, but it’s real,” Gerry scolded. “As far as I was concerned, Frankie was alive and I couldn’t simply kill him.” He stroked his moustache nervously. “Frankie shut down the building’s security systems and let me in. I smuggled him out in one of their own military chips, then went back and wiped every piece of Manticorps research from their databases, including the cloud.” He ran a hand down his face. “While I was doing that, the entire research team turned up to show the vice president of Manticorps their latest development. I had to override the security systems and lock them in their labs, so I could escape.” Gerry’s lip trembled. “Only Frankie short-circuited the building and set it on fire. The scientists I trapped died of smoke inhalation.” A tear slid down his cheek. “I didn’t know he’d do something so extreme. I swear.”

“So you destroyed your family and set free a monster just to relive your glory days? Is that what you’re telling me?”

There was a crunching sound. Charlie was gripping the desk so tightly the front had fractured. Jagged splinters protruded from his bleeding fingers but the boy didn’t seem to notice.

“That’s solid wood.” Daffodil’s eyes widened. “Howd’ya manage to break it?”

“Frankie isn’t free,” Gerry went on obliviously. “While he was still under my control, I programmed him to never take another life or do anything to cause harm to a sentient being.” He gave an exhausted sigh. “But the damage was done. Manticorps know only a handful of people on earth are capable of hacking Frankie, and I’m one of them. With their scientists dead and their research gone, they need the chip containing him so they can start again – and they’ll stop at nothing to retrieve it.”

“So where are you and Frankie now? And how come he’s able to talk with Daffodil?”

“Daffodil?” Gerry looked surprised. “Is that what she’s calling herself?”

“Feel free to enlighten me ’bout my real name,” the girl grunted. “I seem to have forgotten it.”

“Daffodil will do for now.” Gerry rapped on the screen. “Kid? Lift up your hair and show Charlie your neck.”

“What? That is beyond creepy.”

“Please.”

The girl reluctantly bowed her head. There was a small bulge at the base of her skull.

“See that little lump?” Gerry said. “It’s the chip containing Frankie.”