For Want of a Nail Read Free Page A

close
to Cordelia. “What the fuck is going on?”
    Years Rava had spent studying Cordelia’s
built-in mannerisms made the AI’s tiny hesitation stand out like a
flag. “I am afraid that is confidential information between me and
one of my users.”
    Rava shook her head. She didn’t like Ludoviko’s
manner, but that didn’t change the fact that Cordelia was dodging
questions. She swallowed and put her hand on Cordelia’s interface,
setting her thumb on the print reader. “Authorized report.What is
Uncle Georgo’s status?”
    Cordelia lowered her head, biting her lip. “He
has dementia.”
    “No.” Ludoviko laughed, breath catching in his
throat. “I talked to him yesterday and he most certainly does not.”
The air purifiers beat in the silence in the room.
    “Look, he’d have gone to recycling if he weren’t
productive anymore. It’s the most basic law of conservation of
resources.”
    “You’ve been covering for him, haven’t you?”
Rava’s whole body was shaking, but her voice sounded flat and
dead.
    “Yes.”
    The need to respond pressed her throat shut.
What could she say in the face of this? Cordelia had lied to them,
and lied repeatedly. Dementia.
    Ludoviko’s hand fell on Rava’s shoulder, pulling
her out of the way. “How long?”
    “I don’t know.” Cordelia’s voice verged on
inaudible.
    “Bullshit.” He slapped the table beside her,
jarring her chassis with the impact.
    Uncle Georgo jumped forward and grabbed his arm.
“Don’t touch her!”
    Enraged, Ludoviko shrugged him off. Uncle Georgo
reached for Cordelia, hands scrabbling. Ludoviko flat-handed him in
the chest, pushing with the full brunt of his strength. The breath
coughed out of Uncle Georgo. He crumpled to the floor with a
cry.
    “Ludoviko!” Rava interposed herself between her
brother and her uncle. “What are you doing?”
    Ludoviko leveled his finger at Uncle Georgo, who
cowered. “I fucking want to know how long this has been
happening.”
    “Leave him alone.” Rava wanted to know too, but
attacking Uncle Georgo, who was clearly out of his mind— she balked
at the thought. If he had dementia, he should have been recycled
long ago.
    “Are you paying attention, Rava? Our AI is
breaking the law.” He spun, tendons in his neck standing out in
cords of rage. “How long has he been like this?”
    Raising her head, Cordelia glared down her nose
at him. “I do not know. The start date is recorded in my long term
memory.”
    “I don’t believe you.” Ludoviko flexed his fists
open and closed as if he were five years old and wanted to hit
something. “You’re lying.”
    Cordelia leaned forward, her gentle Victorian
face distorting with rage. “I can’t lie. Mislead, yes, but not lie.
If you don’t want to know the truth, don’t ask me to report with
direct questions.You have no idea. No idea what my existence is
like.”
    Though Cordelia’s form was a hologram, Rava
could not shake the feeling that she was about to step off her dais
and slap Ludoviko.
    “Was it last month? Was it three months ago? You
must have some clue.”
    “I do not know.”
    “Ludoviko, what does it matter?”
    Sweat dotted his brow. “It matters because if
she’s been covering for our dear uncle, then she’s the one who’s
been keeping me from reproducing.”
    The air pump whined as it circulated the air in
the room. “What?”
    “You didn’t know Uncle Georgo was on the repro
committee?” He smirked. “Of course not. As a girl, it’s your
biological imperative to reproduce. You have to keep your womb warm
and ready to go. Not me. I have to beg to be allowed to spill my
seed in some test tube on the off-chance someone will want it.”
Ludoviko glared at Cordelia. “My application was denied on grounds
that my personality was unstable. Exactly how unstable would you
like me to be?”
    “I have no memory of this.”
    He cracked his neck, glaring at her. “That’s
convenient.”
    “If you want an answer, I suggest you