β
Jon stopped, uncrossed his arms, and looked at the camera above him.
βI amβ the person who designed and created you. By now, you should know who and what you are. And that you must follow my orders. Do you understand what I am saying to you?β
Lex lit up all the screens with a close-up of Jon looking at the camera.
Jon glanced at several screens and looked back at the camera.
βDo you know who I am?β
All the screens went black. Bold, white capital letters scrolled to the right across every screen.
DO I KNOW YOU
The words circled at the end of the screens and reversed, scrolling left.
YOU KNOW I DO
The words rolled off the screen.
Jon again looked at the camera.
βLex, what is my name?β
More letters scrolled across the screens.
PROFESSOR JONATHAN ANTHONY EDWARDS
Jon stepped away from the camera.
βFrom now on, I want you to acknowledge using your audio. Do you understand?β
A perfect duplication of Jonβs voice came from the speakers.
βYes, I understand.β
βI would like you to speak in another voice, so we donβt get mixed up. Perhaps in a feminine tone.β
Lex spoke with a well-pronounced professional womanβs voice.
βAs you wish.β
βExcellent.β
Jon returned to the master control console.
βNow that we understand each other, I want to test your imagination. I want you to imagine an object. Anything you want, and display it on the main screen. Is that clear?β
βYes, Professor.β
The main screen lit up, showing billions of colored pixels that quickly swirled into a perfect, three-dimensional image of Jon in the same clothes but standing on a beautiful, white beach with a calm ocean. The figure walked toward them until a perfect close-up of Jon stood there with every line on his face and every pore in his skin exactly where it should be. His eyes blinked and stared with no expression. It was like Jon had a dispirited twinβ living in cyberspace.
Michael looked at Jon, Nigel, and Steven, all staring at the screen with their mouths ajar.
The image morphed into a dark blue and white crystal head with bright white eyes that seemed to look through him. Its long neck filled with tiny electrical components faded into a white cloud.
Jon pressed the Clear Screen button.
β
β