Serafina and the Virtual Man by Marie Treanor Read Free Book Online Page A

usual way.
    JK: Bollocks. How’d you get access to my computer?
    Exodus: You gave me it.
    JK: No, I fucking didn’t.
    The scan results began to flash up at the corner of her screen. They included one huge new data file that she certainly hadn’t put there. Although not identified as harmful, it was numbered, like the files she’d stolen from Ewan. They seemed to have moved from the memory stick without permission. It was spooky, like Hal taking over the ship in 2001 .
    Exodus: I won’t harm your computer.
    JK: Damn right. What do you want?
    Exodus: Something’s wrong. You woke me up.
    JK: Hey. YOU contacted ME.
    Exodus: I mean earlier. You’re the girl with the soft skin.

Chapter Four
     
    The beautiful girl on his monitor dragged her hand through her rumpled hair, tugging it as she stared at her own computer screen. She looked different but no less gorgeous without all the makeup, her hair damp and clinging as if from a recent shower. But she was definitely the same girl he’d met this morning. Just… softer. And she was some technical whiz too, judging by all the stuff on her tiny laptop.
    He remembered the soft skin of her cheek under his fingers, the big, defiant blue eyes staring at him from a lovely, carefully made-up face. The face she showed the world. But even this morning, here in Dale’s lab, he’d been intrigued by the layers of character and tragedy behind the mask she wore. To say nothing of the intelligence that shone out of her eyes like the sun.
    Letting go of her hair, she began to type.
    JK: Where are you?
    Exodus: Dale’s.
    JK: Why? What are you doing there?
    Exodus: Don’t know. Don’t seem able to leave.
    JK: Who are you? What’s your first name?
    Exodus: Call me Adam.
    JK: You invaded my computer, I’ll call you whatever I like.
    He grinned at that. Fair point. Would she pursue it? Apparently she would.
    JK: What’s your first name?
    He hesitated from habit, because he had such a ridiculous first name. And because he’d no idea what her reaction would be. Only one way to find out.
    Exodus: Genesis.
    JK: Aye, right. You’re Genesis Adam? Cofounder of Genesis Gaming? Now calling yourself EXODUS?Please.
    Exodus: I was Genesis Adam. I died.
    JK: Genesis Adam certainly did.
    Exodus: The night of the break-in at Dale’s.
    JK: I hate to break it to you. But Genesis Adam died two months after the burglary. In Australia.
    It was his turn to stare at the screen in total silence. Such a small thing to be thrown by, but he felt suddenly rudderless, dizzy, without any certainty to hold on to. He thought he’d remembered it all, knew what he was, what he’d done and where. But this, this wasn’t even part of any nebulous thought he ever recalled crossing his mind.
    Exodus: I don’t remember that. Why was I in Australia?
    JK: You emigrated.
    Exodus: I did? Why?
    JK: You tell me.
    He only wished he could. Right now, this girl was his only link with the present or the past, his only way to any knowledge at all.
    Exodus: What happened after I was shot?
    JK: This is your story. Why should I do all the work?
    Exodus: You don’t believe me.
    JK: No, but don’t take it personally. I’m hard to fool. I just can’t see where you’re going with this.
    Exodus: Why did you wake me up?
    JK: I didn’t.
    She did. She must have. She’d been the only one there when he’d arrived… But her lovely face looked sculpted in marble as she stared at the screen, waiting for his response. Her full lips had thinned and set, her eyes were wide and wary. And when she shoved her unruly hair out of her face, her hand shook.
    Fuck. She didn’t know anything about him. That was the truth. She’d flicked the switch by accident, copied the wrong file by accident, and now he was stalking her. Frightening her.
    Blackness clawed its way up his spine. He was on his own.
    Exodus: OK. Sorry. I’ll sort it out. Thnx.
    Exodus is offline.
    He pushed himself away from the computer, flummoxed, ashamed but not yet defeated. Only