You Can't Trust The AI

By Nicole Luttrell

Sennett, Godfrey and the rest of Station 86 are trying to put their society back in order after the Core attack. Then a mysterious ship from a dying station arrives, bringing artificially intelligent robotic, murderous dogs.
Godfrey, Mason and April must get to the hospital safely, while Sennett is trying to protect Marshal's Joy and Howard. But the AI dogs are nothing compared to the terrors they left behind on their own station.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicole Luttrell
• Release date: Oct 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463126370

Nicole Luttrell

I'm a speculative fiction author. That means I write about dragons, ghosts and spaceships. Sometimes I write about the ghosts of dragons on spaceships.

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Copyright © 2017 by Nicole Luttrell

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Cover Art by Jeremy McClimans, 2017

Station 86 Books

Seeming

Other Books by Nicole Luttrell

Broken Patterns, Book One of Woven (Solstice Publishing)

Spook

Days and Other Stories

Episode

One

Station 86, the station of first contact, has taken a little over a month to recover from the attack of The Core. Terrorists, opposing the stance of coexistence with fellow humanoid races, assassinated all but two members of the Council. While they did succeed in luring President Ly of Khloe to the station, her life was saved by police officer Sennett Montgomery and Councilman Godfrey Anders. But the station was horrified to learn that their police commissioner, Heather Stone, and their head Councilwoman, Sonya Voit, were both Core members. While Voit managed to kill herself before standing trial, Stone currently sits in a jail cell, awaiting justice.

    Families and friends of those lost in the tragedy are healing. Leaders have stepped up to replace those who were killed or arrested. It is with great caution that the station looks to Joy Wheatly and Howard Stoat to keep things running while they decide what sort of government they'd like to have. Friends and neighbors look upon each other with distrust. There were too many Core members on the station for anyone to believe that they've seen the last of them.

    As for Godfrey Anders and Sennett Montgomery, they're doing their best to slip quietly back into their everyday lives.

    Sennett has been promoted to detective. She's moved into her deceased mother's home with her younger brother and daughter. Godfrey is focusing on his wife and his food stall. But a shuttle is heading to Station 86 that will shake their lives again.

It was a little after three in the afternoon. Godfrey was preparing his shop for the after school rush. A sign above his head read 'True Food Counter'.

    He was a tall man, with light skin and a head full of curly hair. He had a Foundation Party pin, the four squares within each other, on his shirt collar. His stall was basic, just a counter with some stools. He had a hot stove, sink, and lots of counter space. On the counter sat a bowl of real, grown apples. They'd become very popular among school-age kids, who'd never had anything but replicated apples. Soon, the market district would be flooded with hungry kids, and college students after a meal before their evening classes.

    He would also be getting some unwilling help.

    Godfrey looked up as the transit arrived. A few minutes later he saw Mason Montgomery and his niece, April, making their way towards him.

    Mason had all the appearance of a big, overgrown kid with pale skin, spiked blond hair and more tech on his face than Godfrey really felt that he needed. Two dots on his temples controlled a virtual visor. There was a silver earpiece in his left ear, occasionally blinking a green light. He also wore a scowl that seemed to be permanent.

    April, on the other hand, was exactly what she seemed to be, a happy four-year-old. She had a mop of curly hair and the same dark complexion as her mother. At least, that was the appearance that her seeming device gave her. Godfrey knew, though few others did, that April wore devices that shielded her true appearance from others. She was half Earthian, half Khloe, the very first of her kind. Her mother felt that it was safer to keep that information private, and Godfrey really didn't have a say in the matter.

    Hey there, Bit, Godfrey said as April hopped up on a stool at his counter. Did you learn anything useful at school today?

    Yeah, April said, reaching into her bag. Mason had already joined Godfrey behind the counter, grumbling as he pulled on an apron. Mr. Miller said that since I'm doing so good with reading I can try a chapter book. She pulled out a tablet and showed him the cover page. It was Socks, by Beverly Cleary. The cover image, a gray striped cat with white feet sitting next to a baby in yellow footies, was just the same one he remembered.

    Hey, that's pretty good, Godfrey said, I couldn't have read that when I was four. You Station kids are so much more advanced than we are on Earth.

    How long do I have to come here? Mason asked.

    Until you've worked off the damage you did to my plants, Godfrey replied, That would be easier if you'd stop ducking it and actually come every day like you're supposed to.

    "I haven't been ducking, my classes have been running late. I'm not leaving class to come take care of your dirty plants.

    Mister Godfrey, look at this, April said, holding up her tablet again.

    What is it? he asked. On the screen was a picture of a dog, he wasn't sure of the breed. It was small and brown, with curly fur. He's at the Humane Society, April said, I asked Mommy to get him for my birthday.

    Sennett already said no, Mason called, pulling the full trash bag from the can.

    April gave her uncle a derisive look. She might change her mind, she said. Godfrey didn't think there was much of a chance that Sennett would allow a dog into her home, especially now that she'd moved into her mother's house.

    Maybe you could ask her about it. She might agree if you think it's a good idea, April said.

    No way, Godfrey said, Your mom and I just started getting along and I don't want to mess with that.

    Amy Wilson, an officer friend of Sennett's, walked up to the booth. She was a small woman, with dark hair and brilliant green eyes. Godfrey's chest tightened a moment at