Alicia 2.0 mirrored Jude’s movements with perfect coordination, matching the drumming of his fingers on the chest and his seemingly steady heart rate. All through it, the smile remained plastered on her face; it was only a matter of minutes before he got agitated – that was what she was looking for because that would be when things would change, would get interesting.<br/><br/>It was like a game of chess between them with her waiting to see which move he’ll play next. Of course, they had only been warming up until now but it was time to step up the game. With a tilt of her head in the opposite direction to his, her eyes unblinkingly fixed on his, she snapped her fingers rather dramatically, the sound of the snap echoing around them and listened as the guns pointing at the guard fell down, limp and lifeless.<br/><br/><strong>“You’re free to go”</strong>she stated in a monotonous tone, not having teared her eyes from Graham’s. The visibly shaken guard couldn’t believe his luck as he scrambled out of the room.<strong>“There is an eighty seven per cent chance that he will report to his superiors; this place will be held on lockdown and you – which probability would you like to know about yourself?”</strong><br/><br/>When Graham had stopped the drumming abruptly, she had stopped as well. Instead clasping her hands and leaning forward on the table when he asked her to talk,<strong> “let’s start with you. Who are you, please don’t bore with the usual I am an analyst here to etc etc. I want to talk about you”</strong>there was an urgency in her voice, as if this was a conversation she had been waiting for ages to unfold, the beginning to the purpose behind her creation. She slumped back in her chair, her eyes softening as she turned to look behind her, at the puddle of water that stood in the corner.<strong>“Take it as a philosophical curiosity or a rhetorical musing, I don’t care. You are important and you are special...and you will tell me why”</strong>It was a desperation at this point, she needed Jude to understand on his own what it meant for him to be there, to be present in the coming fight between the machines and the humans.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Alicia Silverton ran back to her car as soon as she received the call. The drive back to the facility would take her more than two hours,<em>a breach</em>.<em>How could there be a breach?</em>She screamed inside, grimacing at the thought of finding yet another analyst. She only hoped Jude Graham was stronger.<br/>