Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Sera smiles at me from the driver’s seat with the window rolled down. All around us, my team watches in complete awe. Steve, my co-lead, makes an okay sign at me. Sera is sparked up, living up to her name, excitement emphasizing her natural beauty.
“Let’s hold off on the questions for now, Ally,” she says. “Would you mind driving me around the studio? Please, avoid any obstacles.”
“Of course, Seraphina.”
The car takes off, Sera holding her hands up to show she’s not touching the wheel. Steve walks up next to me, breathless. “This is incredible. Ally hasn’t responded like this since before the sabotage.”
“Sera’s been working on it nonstop,” I say, pride whelming in my voice. “She’s one of a kind, Steve. I don’t think she even knows how special she is. She’s a genius. She’s… she’s everything.”
Steve smiles. “I’m happy for you.”
“It’s unusual to see you smiling.”
“It’s unusual to see you in love.”
“Touché.”
When Sera completes the circuit, everyone applaud, me most of all. She climbs from the car, her chest rising and falling hard. She looks so vivacious, so ready for the grand adventure of life. “This is just the prototype, so I don’t want to… Wait…” She laughs, looking at me. “Why am I giving a speech?”
“Don’t stop, Sera!” I exclaim.
She grins. “Okay. As you all know, this is just the prototype. I also want to stress that I could only insert my empathetic model because your high-standard work allowed it. But I think this is promising?”
“It’s promising for sure,” Steve says. “In fact, if Luke doesn’t offer you a job, I will.”
When she rolls her eyes, I approach her, taking her hands. “He’s right, Sera. You belong here, with us, where you can see this project through to the end. I know you have other considerations, but I truly believe this is the best place—”
“Yes,” she says, her eyes glistening with emotion. “If I patch things up with Ellie, I can fly and visit her. I won’t let guilt make my decisions for me. Luke, being with you is the only thing I want.”
I pull her into a hug. She holds me tightly.
Steve clears his throat. “The only thing you want… besides expanding upon and implementing your empathetic-AI approach, yes?”
That gets another chuckle from the team.
Sera grins. “Yes, besides that.”
“Phew,” Steve says jokingly, whipping at his forehead.
“We should hold a press conference,” I say after a moment, smoothing my arm over Sera’s shoulder as I turn to the team. “I’m sure our PR people would love some footage of the car driving smoothly… we can hold a press conference and announce our progress. Sera and I—”
“Woah, wait a sec,” she says. “You want me at the press conference?”
“Of course,” I say, full of conviction. “You’re a member of the NeuroDrive family now, and you’re the one who tamed the rogue AI. You belong at my side.”
“Are you sure?” she murmurs. “I don’t want any special treatment.” She glances at the team.
“Sera, relax,” Steve says. “If you’d come in here with an idea that turned out to be crap, then the boss started acting like a love-struck teen…” He winks at me. “Talking about press conferences, that would be one thing. But this is different. You’ve done what we couldn’t and should be very proud of yourself. You deserve this.”
“Seriously,” I say. “If you can stop Steve from being so grumpy all the time, you’re a very special person.”
In fact, she seems to have that effect on every grump I know. She had the same effect on Victor, turning him from pessimistic to excited for us.
“Okay,” she says, nodding. “Let’s do this.”
The team breaks off into smaller groups as we prepare for the interview. I guide Sera to a quiet corner. “You meant it, Sparkplug. You want to stay here.”
“Yes,” she murmurs, clasping my hands. “I want to be your partner: in business, in pleasure, in… in everything else.”
“In love,” I say fiercely. “In family. In the future.”
I kiss her with passion, and she claws onto me.
She pulls back after a minute and sighs. “We still have to fix the Damien situation.”
“Graham and Eleanor will be here this evening. We’ll handle that then. In the meantime, let’s get this video recorded and prepare for the press conference. I can’t wait to have you at my side.”
“I’m not stepping on any toes, am I? I meant what I said about not wanting special treatment.”
“Steve was telling the truth. You earned this.”
“I feel like I’m in a dream,” she murmurs. “No, that’s not right. A dream and a nightmare. Life keeps throwing me between the two.”
“Soon, it’ll just be a dream, our perfect dream, for the rest of our lives. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She hugs me, pressing her cheek against my chest. “I freaking love you. How does that feel so natural to say?”