is, do you? I can't even find the lake on this map! It's like it doesn't exist! Dammit!" I rest my forehead against the steering wheel. "You should be driving, not me. Do you want to help me out here?" My throat gets tight and I hold back tears.
All at once, silver lights brighten the car 's console and the windscreen of the car becomes nearly opaque. Mattie's face appears on the windshield as his voice pipes through the speakers in surround sound. "Engaging autopilot. Destination?"
My heartbeat flutters in shock at the sound of his sexy voice. "Oh my God, Mattie?" It should've come out as a shout, but it comes out in a whisper.
" I am unfamiliar with 'Omygodmaddey.' Please input coordinates for 'Omygodmaddey.'"
Understanding slowly dawns on me and I whisper, "You're not Mattie! You sound just like Mattie!" My stomach tightens painfully.
" I am Source One Alpha," the deep voice coming from the speakers states. "I'm endowed with the voice frequencies of my creator, Matteyo Dillinger."
" Mattie designed you?"
" That is correct."
" What are you, a computer?" I ask incredulously.
" Negative. I am Source One Alpha."
" What's Source One Alpha? "
" In technical terms or laymen's?" he asks.
" Definitely laymen's."
" I am A.I."
" A.I.?"
The voice sighs heavily, like it 's human and not a machine. "He said you were not technologically savvy. He wasn't lying. "
" Who said that? Mattie said that? You talked to him?"
" Yes. We spoke often. He is my creator. A.I. is an acronym for artificial intelligence."
" So, you're a smart computer?"
The image of Matt on the windshield frowns. The driver 's side door opens on its own. "Call me a computer again and you can walk. Matteyo refers to me as So-wah. On the surface I'm cybernetics, but let's just say I am."
" You are? You mean you exist?"
" I do."
My heartbeat triples and I consider unbuckling my seatbelt and running from the vehicle, but I can 't make myself leave, not with Mattie's face staring back at me. I'll endure anything just to hear Source One Alpha talk to me again.
" Umm, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you." I panic a little when the driver-side door closes by itself.
" Take a sip of your water. Your heart rate is well beyond an acceptable level," SOA says.
I do as it suggests, anxious not to offend it again. "So, why don't I know about you? I must've driven in this car a hundred times and you never once spoke to me."
" I was classified."
" Mattie, uh, Matteyo didn't want me to know about you?"
" Correct."
" Why?"
" He wasn't sure if he could trust you."
" Trust me? Trust me with what?"
" It's classified."
" Declassify it."
" No."
I exhale in confusion. "Then, why are you talking to me now?"
" Matteyo gave me instructions. If you're ever in dire need of my assistance, I'm to help you."
" Right. Of course," I say with a mixture of shock and frustration.
" How can I assist you?"
My hand trembles as I rub my forehead, trying to ease my growing headache. I pause and ask, "I'm lost. Can you take me to Matteyo?"
" His remains are in the vehicle with you."
I suddenly feel chilled. "How did you know that?"
" I scanned the contents of the car."
" How did you do that?" I whisper.
" In technical terms or laymen's?"
" Laymen's! Always laymen's!"
" I scanned the contents of the vehicle on a molecular level. It's a mathematical certainty that the urn on the passenger seat contains the remains of Matteyo Dillinger."
" Okay." I rub my hands over my arms trying to dispel the goose bumps. "Have you ever been in this area with Matteyo before?"
" Yes."
" Do you remember where you were?" I ask anxiously.
" I don't forget anything."
I roll my eyes. "Okay. Where were you the last time you were in this area?"
" Matteyo's residence."
" Is it on a lake?"
" The residence is approximately fifty-two yards from a body of water."
My mouth becomes dry. I take another sip of water before I ask, "Can you take me there—on like, autopilot or whatever?"
"
All at once, silver lights brighten the car 's console and the windscreen of the car becomes nearly opaque. Mattie's face appears on the windshield as his voice pipes through the speakers in surround sound. "Engaging autopilot. Destination?"
My heartbeat flutters in shock at the sound of his sexy voice. "Oh my God, Mattie?" It should've come out as a shout, but it comes out in a whisper.
" I am unfamiliar with 'Omygodmaddey.' Please input coordinates for 'Omygodmaddey.'"
Understanding slowly dawns on me and I whisper, "You're not Mattie! You sound just like Mattie!" My stomach tightens painfully.
" I am Source One Alpha," the deep voice coming from the speakers states. "I'm endowed with the voice frequencies of my creator, Matteyo Dillinger."
" Mattie designed you?"
" That is correct."
" What are you, a computer?" I ask incredulously.
" Negative. I am Source One Alpha."
" What's Source One Alpha? "
" In technical terms or laymen's?" he asks.
" Definitely laymen's."
" I am A.I."
" A.I.?"
The voice sighs heavily, like it 's human and not a machine. "He said you were not technologically savvy. He wasn't lying. "
" Who said that? Mattie said that? You talked to him?"
" Yes. We spoke often. He is my creator. A.I. is an acronym for artificial intelligence."
" So, you're a smart computer?"
The image of Matt on the windshield frowns. The driver 's side door opens on its own. "Call me a computer again and you can walk. Matteyo refers to me as So-wah. On the surface I'm cybernetics, but let's just say I am."
" You are? You mean you exist?"
" I do."
My heartbeat triples and I consider unbuckling my seatbelt and running from the vehicle, but I can 't make myself leave, not with Mattie's face staring back at me. I'll endure anything just to hear Source One Alpha talk to me again.
" Umm, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you." I panic a little when the driver-side door closes by itself.
" Take a sip of your water. Your heart rate is well beyond an acceptable level," SOA says.
I do as it suggests, anxious not to offend it again. "So, why don't I know about you? I must've driven in this car a hundred times and you never once spoke to me."
" I was classified."
" Mattie, uh, Matteyo didn't want me to know about you?"
" Correct."
" Why?"
" He wasn't sure if he could trust you."
" Trust me? Trust me with what?"
" It's classified."
" Declassify it."
" No."
I exhale in confusion. "Then, why are you talking to me now?"
" Matteyo gave me instructions. If you're ever in dire need of my assistance, I'm to help you."
" Right. Of course," I say with a mixture of shock and frustration.
" How can I assist you?"
My hand trembles as I rub my forehead, trying to ease my growing headache. I pause and ask, "I'm lost. Can you take me to Matteyo?"
" His remains are in the vehicle with you."
I suddenly feel chilled. "How did you know that?"
" I scanned the contents of the car."
" How did you do that?" I whisper.
" In technical terms or laymen's?"
" Laymen's! Always laymen's!"
" I scanned the contents of the vehicle on a molecular level. It's a mathematical certainty that the urn on the passenger seat contains the remains of Matteyo Dillinger."
" Okay." I rub my hands over my arms trying to dispel the goose bumps. "Have you ever been in this area with Matteyo before?"
" Yes."
" Do you remember where you were?" I ask anxiously.
" I don't forget anything."
I roll my eyes. "Okay. Where were you the last time you were in this area?"
" Matteyo's residence."
" Is it on a lake?"
" The residence is approximately fifty-two yards from a body of water."
My mouth becomes dry. I take another sip of water before I ask, "Can you take me there—on like, autopilot or whatever?"
"
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