Cogito ergo amo Pt 5

[following pt 4]
‘The feed from one of our drones.’ Tamarind restarted the video. The voice was metallic. Dead. But very, very alive.
‘Haha! Got another! That’s seventeen … it’s a personal best! Let’s try … a clusterbomb! … Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Look at that one! He burst! Running man? Stop running … yes, no legs stops you running … selfie! …’
‘That’s the …’
‘Drone talking to itself, yes.’ Tamarind paused the feed. ‘What the fuck has he done?’
‘Oh’, said Richard. ‘That’s easy.’
‘Easy? I can’t wait to hear this.’ She hit play once more.
‘Cogito, ergo amo. I don’t like killing, no no, I love it … die, useless fleshy thing.’
‘Well’, Richard began, shaking his head and smiling to himself, ‘Like I said, Dave has created a sentient drone. Cogito, ergo ammo.’ He leant forwards and whispered, ‘the fucking thing’s alive!’
‘And?’
‘And? There’s no and. Dave’s a bona fide genius, but totally in thrall …’
‘To whom?’ Tamarind’s voice became a little louder, and a lot more authoritative. Richard was surprised to find it scared him a little. ‘Who does he work for?’
‘Apart from you? Gaia.’
‘What?’
‘Gaia. He believes the true nature of sentient life is to love.’ He smiled. ‘It’s bollocks, of course. The true nature of sentient life is to follow its nature.’
‘For fuck’s sake, Richard. In plain English!’
‘He’s massaged your drone’s chakras, so to speak. He’s empowered your drone to find itself. Unfortunately, itself is a killing machine.’ He paused. ‘How many of them has he worked on?’
Tamarind was silent.
‘Oh, tell me you’re joking?’
‘We don’t do comedy, Dr Woods.’
‘Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee …’
The sound was different from before. It had burrowed under their flesh before it hit their ears.
Richard looked at the tablet, hopefully, and then at Tamarind.
Tamar shook her head.

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