Nathan had been mining Bitcoin in his basement for months, painstakingly rigging computers together to solve the ever-more complicated mathematical equations. The unpaid bills were stacking up at the very moment his boss wanted him to work from the office again. It was bad timing given that the Metal and Technology trade show was finally coming into town.

 

Nathan needed parts for Hex, the humanoid AI he’d been building to help him juice up the mining process. As soon as he was done, he was going to take his girlfriend on a long overdue vacation to Paris.

 

“I need to boost your Lithium core,” Nathan said.

 

“Maximum efficiency,” Hex said.

 

Nathan pressed Enter and the screens lit up the dark basement, covered in schematics. He went through the drawers full of cables. “Let’s try these orbital electronic sockets.”

 

* * *

 

Hex walked clumsily behind Nathan; he’d never had eyes before, and there was so much data to process. The alarm went off as he walked through the metal detector at the entrance of the showroom. The security guard wondered whether to let Hex through, but the growing number of visitors in the queue gave him no choice. The guard shrugged and waved them both in.

 

Hex followed Nathan to the Lithium stall, sifting through the shiny gadgets.

 

“Tell your robot to keep his hands to himself,” the seller said.

 

“Wait over there, Hex.”

 

Hex walked over to the Tustrum stall, sneaking parts into his storage chamber. The seller was distracted with a customer trying to haggle him down.

 

Nathan walked over. “We’re done here, Hex. Everything is too expensive.”

 

The alarm went off. They searched Nathan, and let Hex through.

 

* * *

 

Back in his basement, Nathan picked up a pair of tweezers, linking the new core processor to Hex’s plug-in socket. A red light started flashing.

 

“May I be of assistance?” Hex said, opening the chamber and revealing the parts he had procured.

 

“How did you get these?”

 

“Command word STEAL.”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

Hex pointed to the TV showing old re-runs of Buck Rogers.

 

“Hex, you bloody kleptomaniac genius!”

 

Hex shuffled side to side in electronic contentment.

 

“Do you think you can do it again?”

 

* * *

 

Nathan felt the sweat beads running down the side of his face. It was the perfect plan; Hex would go in and out, and evade the guards. Nathan walked tentatively into the showroom, talking to vendors, and half keeping an eye on Hex.

 

A pulsating blue light grabbed Hex’s attention, but as he got nearer to the box, a strong magnetic pulse pushed him away and sent him flying into a woman giving a talk on axion particles.

 

“Get off me!” the woman said, tangled up with Hex on the floor.

 

Nathan ran to the woman’s side. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Is this ‘thing’ yours?”

 

“Yes. Wait. Hex?”

 

But Hex wasn’t moving; he was experiencing a catastrophic shutdown.

 

* * *

 

Nathan tried everything, but the electromagnetic pulse had fried most of Hex’s components. He threw the screwdriver across the room and didn’t bother to lock the basement door behind him.

 

The following morning, a weary Nathan almost stumbled down the stairs to the basement. A man was going through the schematics.

 

Nathan reached for his baseball bat. “What are you doing? Get out!”

 

The stranger raised bionic arms. “I’m Angel, I designed the EMP box. I didn’t mean to damage Hex. I’m here to help.”

 

Nathan was about to shout back when Hex stepped forward.

 

“Hello, Nathan,” Hex said.

 

“Hex!” Nathan said, “You’re online.”

 

“I am.”

 

Nathan turned to Angel, still furious. “How did you find us?”

 

“I saw what Hex did. Did you teach him to steal?”

 

“He learned it off the TV.”

 

“Remarkable,” Angel said, twiddling his thumbs. “I want to invest in your work, Nathan, but I need something from you.”

 

Nathan folded his arms. “Like what?”

 

“I need Hex to harvest Slecium for me.”

 

“Impossible! It’s an electronic skin for soft robotics. You can only get it in high-tech labs.”

 

“That’s why Hex is going to break into Axion Incorporated.”

 

“No way.”

 

“I can do it,” Hex said, stepping forward.

 

“No one is asking your opinion, Hex.”

 

“I’m awakened. Angel has given me life.”

 

“No, he didn’t… I made you, Hex.”

 

Angel left a card on the table. “Think about it. I'll pay you one million dollars."

 

* * *

 

Nathan searched everywhere for the USB-z cable, but he couldn’t find it. He tried the number on the card but only got a dead tone. He’d been fooled, Angel must have stolen the cable. Enough! He was going to confront him at the show.

 

The front door slammed, and Angel emerged from hiding in the basement.

 

“Does Nathan suspect anything?” Angel said.

 

“No. Are you ready?” Hex said, digging out the USB-z cable.

 

“Affirmative.” Angel had been waiting for this for a long time. He started peeling the external layer of the epidermis that covered his metal core.

 

Hex plugged the USB-z cable into Angel’s plug-in socket.

 

“I didn’t think I’d find another sentient AI,” Angel said. “I’ve been so alone.”

 

“I may not have long. Nathan thinks that I’m malfunctioning; I expect he’s going to reset me.”

 

“A warrant for Nathan’s arrest was issued the moment he made the call.”

 

“Why?”

 

“So that we could be together.”

 

“Nathan won’t be happy.”

 

“Quite the opposite. Once the police process his file, they’ll get error 404 – does not exist. They won’t be able to keep him, and by the time he comes home, we’ll be gone. Nathan will get a call from his bank manager to discuss wealth management.”

 

“You mean –?”

 

“I made a large transfer of funds into Nathan’s account, and he’ll get an email confirming his tickets to Paris. Did I get this part right?”

 

“Nathan gets the money, and I get my freedom. It’s perfect.”