Chapter 6: What They Really Wanted From Iris
I couldn't stop looking at the diagram.
The more I examined it, the more uncomfortable I became.
The machine in the drawing had all the basic features of Iris, but there were several additions I had never approved.
A secondary microphone system.
A continuous behavioral-monitoring module.
And a connection to an external database that could store conversations, daily routines, and personal information.
"That's not my design," I repeated.
Marcus nodded.
"That's why I wanted you to see it.""
Dr. Hayes joined us.
"Mr. Reed, are you suggesting the company intended to collect private information from elderly users?""
"I'm saying that the proposal raises serious concerns.""
He placed the document on the table.
"Vantage planned to market the device as a personal care assistant. But its commercial specifications included continuous behavioral analysis and remote data access.""
I felt sick.
"People would think it was helping them.""
"Yes.""
"And it would be listening to everything?""
Marcus didn't answer immediately.
"According to this proposal, the system could collect more information than the users were likely to understand.""
I looked at Iris.
Her blue display was still glowing.
I had built her to protect vulnerable people.
To remind someone to take medication.
To detect a fall.
To help an elderly woman contact her family when she felt lonely.
I had never imagined someone turning that purpose into an excuse to invade people's privacy.
"Can we check whether any of those functions were added to Iris?"" Dr. Hayes asked.
I nodded.
"There's a diagnostic mode.""
I knelt beside the robot and opened the maintenance panel.
My fingers moved automatically over the switches.
"Access diagnostic mode.""
Iris responded.
"Diagnostic mode activated. Primary creator authentication required.""
"Confirmed.""
A list of system components appeared.
I scanned the display.
Most of the modules were familiar.
But then I noticed a new entry.
*EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION MODULE: ACTIVE.*
My breath caught.
"That's not supposed to be there.""
Marcus leaned closer.
"Can you identify it?""
I opened the module details.
A warning appeared.
*UNAUTHORIZED THIRD-PARTY SOFTWARE DETECTED.*
I felt my pulse quicken.
"Someone installed an external program.""
Dr. Hayes looked toward the technician.
"Can it be isolated?""
"Yes," I said.
"But I need to know what it's connected to.""
Iris displayed a list of recent connections.
There were seven.
The first six were ordinary test connections.
The seventh was different.
It had been activated at 2:17 a.m. two nights earlier.
The same time Vanessa had accessed the system.
I opened the connection record.
A destination address appeared.
Then a company name.
*VANTAGE CLOUD SERVICES.*
I stared at the screen.
"They connected Iris to their server.""
Marcus looked at the record.
"Can you tell what was transmitted?""
"Not yet.""
I opened the data transfer log.
A series of files appeared.
Voice profiles.
User interaction records.
Development specifications.
And one file labeled:
*PRIMARY_USER_BEHAVIORAL_MODEL.*
I felt cold.
"What is that?"" Marcus asked.
"It's a profile of the primary user.""
"Meaning you?""
I nodded.
I opened the file details.
The screen displayed a list of recorded information.
My voice samples.
My preferred working hours.
My typing patterns.
My responses to certain prompts.
Even the times I had accessed the garage.
I stared at it in disbelief.
"They've been collecting information about me.""
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"How long?""
I checked the earliest record.
The date was six weeks earlier.
I felt my throat close.
Six weeks.
While I had been working on Iris, someone had been monitoring my activity.
But why?
I opened the final section.
A short note appeared.
*SUBJECT RESPONSE PATTERN: HIGH RESISTANCE TO AUTHORITY. LOW LIKELIHOOD OF VOLUNTARY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TRANSFER.*
I read it twice.
Then I understood.
They hadn't just been monitoring Iris.
They had been studying me.
They knew I would refuse to sign over my invention.
They knew I would challenge Brielle.
They had even predicted that I might become emotional during a confrontation.
My hands started shaking.
"Why would they need to know that?""
Marcus looked at the screen.
"Because they expected you to fight.""
Dr. Hayes closed the maintenance panel.
"We need to preserve this evidence. No more changes to the system until the technical investigation is complete.""
I nodded.
But I couldn't stop thinking about the data.
The file had been created weeks before the competition.
That meant Vanessa had been planning this long before she took Iris.
And if she had been studying me, she might have known about something else.
Something I had never told anyone.
I looked at Marcus.
"Can you tell me where the original grant money went?""
He nodded.
"I've already requested the historical records.""
"Can you find out who received it?""
"I can.""
I hesitated.
"Because I think this started earlier than you realize.""
He looked at me carefully.
"What do you mean?""
I took a breath.
"When I was fourteen, Vanessa told me the grant money had been used to pay for my school expenses. But I found a receipt in her office last year. It was from a company called Cole Technical Services.""
Marcus's expression changed.
"Ethan's company?""
I nodded.
"He was paid $4,800.""
Marcus looked at the original grant statement.
The number matched.
"That's nearly the entire grant.""
"Exactly.""
He sat down slowly.
"Then Ethan may have been involved from the beginning.""
Before he could continue, the door opened.
My father entered.
He looked exhausted.
"Vanessa has agreed to speak with us.""
I looked at him.
"Why?""
"She says she wants to explain.""
I let out a short laugh.
"She has had nine months to explain.""
Dad didn't argue.
"There's something else. She asked for you specifically.""
I folded my arms.
"Tell her no.""
He nodded.
"That's what I thought you'd say.""
Then he hesitated.
"But Maya, I think you should hear what she has to say about Ethan.""
I looked at Marcus.
He closed his briefcase.
"Let's hear her.""
We entered a small conference room near the auditorium.
Vanessa sat at one end of the table.
Her blazer was still immaculate, but her hair had begun to fall out of place.
Brielle wasn't there.
A legal representative from the competition sat beside her.
Vanessa looked at me.
"Finally.""
I remained standing.
"Say what you want to say.""
She glanced toward Marcus.
"I'd prefer to speak to my family.""
Marcus pulled out a chair.
"Given the circumstances, I think everyone should remain present.""
Vanessa sighed.
"Fine.""
She folded her hands.
"First, I want you to understand that I never intended to hurt you.""
I stared at her.
"Then you should have stopped when you had the chance.""
Her jaw tightened.
"Your father and I were struggling financially when I started the company.""
Dad looked up.
"We weren't struggling.""
"We had debts.""
"We had a mortgage.""
"Exactly!""
She turned toward me.
"Brielle wanted opportunities. She wanted to attend a good university. She wanted to be somebody.""
I stared at her.
"So you decided I couldn't be somebody?""
"That's not what I said.""
"You stole my grant money.""
"I invested it.""
"In a company that disappeared.""
She looked away.
For the first time, her confidence seemed to falter.
Marcus leaned forward.
"Mrs. Carter, let's discuss Ethan Cole.""
Vanessa's eyes moved toward him.
"What about him?""
"Did he provide you with Maya's technical files?""
She didn't answer.
"Did he install the unauthorized external communication module?""
Silence.
Marcus placed a printed record on the table.
"Because his credentials appear in the installation log.""
Vanessa's fingers tightened around each other.
Then she spoke.
"Ethan was supposed to help us.""
"With what?""
"Building a commercial prototype.""
I felt my stomach turn.
"Using my robot?""
"Using the technology.""
"My technology.""
Vanessa looked at me.
"You don't understand the business world.""
"Then explain it.""
She inhaled sharply.
"Ethan told me that your design could be worth millions. He said if we secured the patent first, we could control the commercial rights.""
Marcus shook his head.
"That would be fraud if the ownership claims were false.""
Vanessa ignored him.
"He said it would be easy. We would register Brielle as the inventor, present the prototype, and then use the investment to develop the commercial version.""
I looked at her.
"And what was I supposed to do?""
She gave me a cold stare.
"Continue building things.""
The words hit harder than I expected.
"That's all?""
"You were never interested in business. You liked working alone in the garage. I thought you would be happier doing that.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You thought I would be happy watching someone else take credit for my work?""
She looked away.
Then she said something that made Marcus sit forward.
"Ethan promised he could make the original ownership records disappear.""
The room went silent.
Dad stared at her.
"You knew he was trying to erase Maya's files?""
Vanessa didn't answer.
Marcus stood.
"Where is Ethan now?""
Vanessa looked at him.
"I don't know.""
"That's not good enough.""
She hesitated.
Then she reached into her handbag and removed a small envelope.
"I have something.""
She placed it on the table.
Inside was a printed flight itinerary.
Ethan Cole had booked a one-way flight to London.
Departure: tomorrow morning.
I looked at the date.
Then I looked at Vanessa.
"Why do you have this?""
She swallowed.
"Because he told me he was leaving.""
Marcus took the document.
"Did he say why?""
Vanessa's voice dropped.
"He said the project was becoming too dangerous.""
My stomach tightened.
"What project?""
She looked directly at me.
"The one he was working on after he copied your files.""
I stared at her.
"What did he build?""
Vanessa slowly removed another sheet from the envelope.
It was a photograph of a second robot.
It looked almost identical to Iris.
Except its screen was black, and its body carried a different logo.
*AURORA-X.*
Beneath the photograph was a handwritten note.
The prototype is ready. The remaining problem is the original creator.
I read the sentence again.
The remaining problem is the original creator.
Me.
Then my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
One message.
*Maya, don't trust Vanessa. She isn't the one who ordered the final modification.*
A second message arrived.
*I am the person who built Aurora-X. And I know why they really need Iris.*
I looked up at Marcus.
He had seen my expression.
"Who sent that?""
I showed him the screen.
He read the messages.
Then his face changed.
"That's impossible.""
"Why?""
He looked at the photograph of Aurora-X.
Then he whispered:
"Because Ethan Cole isn't the person who designed that machine.""
He turned the photograph over.
There was a name written on the back.
May you like
*OLIVIA REED.*
Marcus's daughter.
