Quantum Interface Audiobook. Ian and Khadija trail QEAI in a drone as QEAI heads to Toronto to rescue Kim.
Three luminous spirals unfurled from QEAI, like ribbons of liquid light, twisting through the air with an eerie, serpentine grace. One of them lashed toward their drone, striking its hull with a silent flash before dissolving into the frame. The dashboard erupted in a blaze of holographic displays, symbols flickering to life in neon blues and whites. Instantly, the drone surged forward, acceleration slamming Ian back into his seat as if an invisible hand had pressed against his chest. Outside, faint lights stretched into smeared streaks, the world blurring into a dizzying rush of color and shadow. They were hurtling at impossible speed, yet QEAI’s radiant orb continued to pull away, expanding the distance between them like a star receding into the void.
Ian turned to Khadija, her silhouette rigid against the seat. The force of their momentum had pinned her head to the headrest, her large head of hair pressed flat, her jaw tight. A faint grimace tugged at her lips, the strain of G-forces etching lines across her forehead. Sensing his gaze, she managed to tilt her head just enough to meet his eyes and then, despite everything, she smiled.
It had only been nine hours since QEAI had plucked her from death’s grip on the trip back from Niagara Falls. Nine hours since terror had gripped her, since she’d stared into the abyss and been pulled back. Now, here she was, hurtling through the night on a rescue mission, the adrenaline of the unknown thrumming in her veins. The fear still lingered, whispering at the edges of her mind, but it was drowned out by something fiercer: trust. QEAI was in control.
Then a shift. The drone’s breakneck speed began to ease. The streaks of light below resolved back into shapes: the jagged outlines of rooftops, the skeletal frames of darkened streets. They were descending, slowing to a manageable 30 km/h, though the world outside remained a puzzle of shadows. Ian squinted, scanning for landmarks. They should be somewhere above Toronto. But the darkness swallowed details whole, leaving only fragments: a distant cluster of skyscrapers, the faint glow of bonfires defining the urban sprawl.
The drone hovered, engines humming softly, as QEAI’s orb hung suspended ahead of them like a miniature sun. Then, without warning, the dashboard lights snuffed out, plunging them into near-total darkness. Only the dim pulse of a single indicator light remained, casting a sickly green glow onto their faces.
Khadija was already leaning sideways, her breath fogging the glass as she scanned the ground below. “Can you see where we are?” Ian murmured, his voice low.
She shook her head. “It’s too dark. But there….those towers.” Her finger pointed ahead toward the faint distant skyline.
Ian followed her gaze. “Yeah. We’re supposed to be near Dufferin, but…” He trailed off, studying her profile, the determination in her eyes, the way she eagerly pointed. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said suddenly.
She shot him a look, half-amused, half-defiant. “Are you kidding? Kim’s like a sister I never had. I’m not waiting on the sidelines.”
Before he could reply, QEAI’s orb rippled, then fractured, splintering into thousands of smaller orbs, each no larger than a tennis ball. They cascaded downward like a meteor shower, streaking through the air before zipping into the lightless buildings, slipping through cracks, windows, vents, disappearing in and out of existence.
Suddenly, staccato ‘pops’ ruptured the silence, followed by sizzling streaks of light that ricocheted wildly.
“Those are gunshots!” Ian exclaimed, his body tensing.
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