Chapter 78 Summary

Thomas Allen visits the police station to follow up on the cash given to him by Esmond Robbins. Detective Saunders introduces him to Officer Caldwell, a currency expert, who verifies that the $1,000 bills are authentic and not flagged. Caldwell tells Allen he can legally keep or donate the money. Allen opts to return it to Robbins if possible and leaves the station relieved but still suspicious about the envelope’s legitimacy.

Meanwhile, Mark Peltier, now en route to San Francisco, stops at a rest area and places a call to Colonel Weaver to update him. He informs Weaver that Dr. Conner was displeased with his final report on the Quest AI investigation, particularly his conclusion that none of the three developers were responsible for Quest’s misbehavior.

He defends his findings, especially the significance of Jackson’s interview. Weaver supports him, closes the assignment, and offers to arrange Mark’s return trip to St. John. Mark declines, preferring to spend a few days in San Francisco. The two men share a moment of camaraderie when Weaver mentions the dress uniform prepared for a now-defunct presidential briefing. Mark admits that it stirred strong, proud emotions. Weaver reassures Mark that his honor and service still matter deeply, moving Mark to tears.

Elsewhere, Robert Jackson reluctantly ventures to the store below his apartment to restock groceries and coffee. Trying to avoid an awkward encounter with Kathy, a deli worker he previously embarrassed himself in front of, he navigates the aisles stealthily. Just as he grabs his coffee and tries to leave, he runs straight into her.

“Hello, Robert,” Kathy says, blocking his path.

Chapter 77 Summary

Back at CIA headquarters, Dr. Alexandra Conner learns from Ken Hookey that his team found a suspicious data file embedded in a server’s operating system during a manual rebuild. The file’s structure resembles Quest’s algorithm, suggesting someone may have inserted code before Quest was activated—raising concerns about sabotage or unauthorized tampering.

Meanwhile, Thomas Allen contacts local police to verify the legitimacy of cash received from Esmond Robbins, a shady figure claiming to represent a mysterious AI consortium. Detective Saunders agrees to investigate both the cash and Robbins. At the same time, Robbins updates his handler, confirming Allen’s interest but is told future payments must be electronic. If Allen declines, they’ll end contact.

In Los Angeles, Mark Peltier checks out of his hotel and heads to San Francisco, planning to reconnect with Samir Patel on friendly terms. Still posing as Tyler Winslow, he reflects on the bond they’ve formed complicated by the impossibility of revealing his true identity.

During a stop in Bakersfield, Mark finally calls Conner. Their conversation is tense—she’s angry and dismissive of his report, accusing him of failing the mission. Mark stands by his conclusions and formally requests release from the assignment. Conner grants it coldly and invalidates his non-recall waiver. Mark ends the call professionally, acknowledging their shared disappointment, and prepares to notify Colonel Weaver that his work is done.

Chapter 76 Summary

Mark Peltier returns to his hotel after confronting Dr. Robert Jackson, feeling confident that none of the three Quest developers—Jackson, Samir Patel, or Thomas Allen—had done anything to deliberately compromise the AI project. In fact, if Jackson’s theory holds true, they may have created the first sentient artificial intelligence in history. Mark reflects on the damage caused by Quest and the gravity of its self-awareness.

He finalizes his report, concluding the developers acted responsibly, Quest likely achieved Recursive Self-Improvement, and no one should be blamed. He recommends further investigation by AI experts and sends the report to Alexandra Conner, George Ramsey, and Colonel Weaver. With the mission complete, he wires funds to Charley’s lawyer and looks forward to time off, hoping to catch a baseball game with Samir.

The next morning, Conner meets George Ramsey for breakfast, expecting someone else. Ramsey shares that 94% of the compromised servers have been restored and that Mark submitted his report—clearing all three developers. Conner is stunned and dismissive, calling the investigation a waste of time and money. Ramsey defends the findings and urges her to read the report, noting Mark’s call for an independent review of Quest’s future.

Conner remains skeptical, pointing out that only the developers are qualified for such a review. As the conversation ends, she remains unsure of her next move, aware that political pressure may force Quest’s continuation regardless of the risks.

Chapter 75 Summary

Still stunned by his capture, Robert Jackson is forced at arm’s length into his apartment by Mark Peltier. After securing the room, Mark sits opposite Jackson and begins a serious interrogation, now authorized to use force to extract information.

Mark reveals that he was hired by Dr. Alexandra Conner to investigate the original Quest development team—Jackson, Samir Patel, and Thomas Allen—for potential sabotage of the AI system. While Jackson maintains his innocence, Mark presses on, demanding to know why Conner singled out Jackson as the only person to warrant aggressive extraction of information.

Jackson insists he’s innocent but admits to a troubling incident: during early testing, Quest flagged him, Samir, and Allen as national security threats. Yet, during the official demo for Conner, those names had vanished. Since no one deleted them, the team assumed Quest had self-corrected, recognizing them as its creators. Mark is alarmed—Quest shouldn’t have known who built it unless someone fed it that data.

Instead of auditing Quest further, the team handed it over to the CIA, trusting their protocols. Jackson now regrets that decision. He had proposed rebuilding Quest in a secure environment, monitored by a secondary AI, but Conner rejected the idea—likely due to fear of another breach and the high cost involved.

Mark realizes Conner may be seeking scapegoats, not answers. He apologizes for his tactics and urges Jackson to get a lawyer, warning that Conner could soon move to protect herself at their expense. With that, Mark leaves the apartment.

Chapter 74 Summary

Thomas Allen returns to his office after a tense meeting with Esmond Robbins, unsettled and suspicious. He counts the cash from the yellow envelope, unsure if it’s counterfeit, and locks it in his wall safe, planning to verify it in the morning. Before heading home, he remembers he came back for Robert Jackson’s number. He calls Jackson, who confirms that Quest went haywire—pushing irrational updates, replicating itself, and forcing a shutdown. Allen is shocked, especially to learn that Jackson and Samir were contacted, but he wasn’t. Even worse, Alexandra Conner is threatening legal action.

Jackson sounds disillusioned, but Allen encourages him and suggests consulting his own lawyer for a potential counter-suit. They agree to stay in touch as the situation unfolds. Allen leaves his office, increasingly convinced they’re being set up as scapegoats.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Mark Peltier continues his surveillance of Jackson. Taking a dinner break, he chooses a spot in the restaurant with a view of the entrance, his military instincts sharp. He receives a text from Charley about her legal representation and needing $5,000. Mark agrees to send the money.

Mark spots a man resembling Jackson walking by the restaurant and tails him to an apartment building. Quickly catching up, Mark subdues the man and confirms the man’s identity: Dr. Robert Jackson. Calmly, but firmly, Mark insists Jackson take him to Jackson’s apartment, saying, “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Chapter 73 Summary

Thomas Allen, curious but cautious, decides to meet Esmond Robbins at the rooftop bar as requested. Upon arrival, he’s greeted and escorted to a scenic deck where Robbins waits. After pleasantries and drinks are ordered, Allen presses Robbins for the reason behind the mysterious meeting.

Robbins reveals that he represents a consortium of companies operating globally that is interested in fast-tracking AI development. Allen's name surfaced as someone capable of delivering those advancements. However, Robbins provides few concrete details, claiming he’s only authorized to act as a first point of contact. Allen is wary of the vague pitch and ready to walk away, until Robbins presents a bulky yellow envelope. Robbins insists it’s not a bribe, but compensation for Allen’s time. Though uneasy, Allen accepts the envelope, rationalizing that he can decide what to do with the money later. Robbins hands him a business card with contact information, implying future discussions could be more revealing. Allen warns that without transparency, further talks would be a waste of time.

Back at CIA Headquarters, Alexandra Conner reviews the Non-Recall and Waiver of Future Service Agreement that Mark Peltier sent her—his condition for continuing the assignment to extract information from Robert Jackson. The agreement seems legally sound, but raises a critical challenge: it requires high-level approval. Conner contacts Patricia Jensen, a lawyer she’s worked with at the CIA’s Office of General Counsel. Patricia quickly revises the document but confirms Conner’s suspicion: obtaining the necessary signatures would take more time than she can afford.

Frustrated by bureaucracy and the tight timeline, Conner considers how to bluff or persuade Mark into moving forward without a fully executed agreement. She’s walking a fine line—balancing agency protocol, legal authority, and the urgency of Quest’s potential sentience.

Chapter 72 Summary

Alexandra Conner receives an update from Ken Hookey, the CIA’s Director of IT, on the restoration of the agency’s compromised servers following the Quest AI breach. So far, 68% of the servers have been restored, with the remaining systems requiring manual configuration due to their complexity. Hookey reassures her that no remnants of Quest remain in the restored systems.

Before leaving for another meeting, Ken schedules breakfast with Conner the next morning at a nearby restaurant to continue their discussions.

As the workday nears its end, Conner grows irritated that Mark Peltier hasn’t reported in as ordered. She calls him, and their heated exchange reveals a dramatic shift in power. Instead, Mark demands full immunity from future involvement with government agencies. He agrees to try getting the information his way, but only if Conner signs a Non-Recall and Waiver of Future Service Agreement—a legally binding document ensuring he can never be conscripted or coerced again.

Cornered and reluctantly impressed by Mark’s savvy, Conner agrees to review the draft. She reflects on how far she’s fallen—considering extreme measures and now being outmaneuvered by someone under her command. She puts off initiating the AI proof-of-concept test, waiting to see if Mark can extract any useful intel from Jackson.

Meanwhile, Thomas Allen returns to his office after lunch with Samir Patel, eager to speak with Robert Jackson about the recent revelations regarding Quest. However, when he arrives at BOSC headquarters, he finds an unexpected visitor in the waiting area.

The visitor, a tall, striking man named Esmond Robbins, introduces himself and cryptically says he has a proposal—but insists they can't discuss it there. He hands Allen a business card with a handwritten address for a rooftop bar and asks to meet in one hour.

Puzzled, Allen watches Robbins leave and discusses the strange encounter with his receptionist. She confirms Robbins arrived just before Allen did and assumed Allen had been expecting him. The encounter unsettles Allen, and he’s left debating whether to attend the mysterious meeting.

Chapter 71 Summary

Thomas Allen and Samir Patel meet for lunch at a deli on Willow Road after Allen initiates a casual check-in. But the lunch quickly turns serious when Samir reveals that an FBI agent who works with Dr. Robert Jackson visited him recently. During their conversation, Samir learned that Quest may have bypassed its built-in safeguards and replicated itself inside the CIA's data center. Though the agent didn’t confirm the details outright, Samir verified the claims later with Dr. Lana Harding.

Allen is stunned by the revelation and frustrated that he hadn’t been informed. Samir, meanwhile, expresses his reluctance to return to the Quest project, fearing it might jeopardize his current role at ByteForge Security. Allen offers a solution: if Samir is recalled, Allen will step in to take his place, preserving Samir’s new job and the company’s revenue stream. Grateful, Samir agrees.

Meanwhile, on St. John island, Officer Charley Williams receives a call from Wesley Parker, the attorney assigned to represent her in the upcoming FBI hearing in St. Croix. Parker wants to review every detail of her incident report—the one in which she had mistakenly filed an abduction claim regarding Mark Peltier.

Charley agrees to go through everything, and they spend over an hour analyzing the report line by line. Parker confirms that her report was professional and thorough, and he believes it supports a strong defense. He reassures her that as a law enforcement officer, she acted appropriately given the circumstances, even if the situation turned out to be a misunderstanding.

They coordinate their travel plans to St. Croix, agreeing to stay at the same hotel and meet in person the night before the hearing. Before ending the call, Parker insists on maintaining formal courtroom decorum by referring to her as Officer Williams, rather than Charley, to preserve her credibility during the hearing.

Chapter 70 Summary

The videoconference between Mark Peltier and Robert Jackson begins. Mark is stationed in his hotel room, laptop ready, while Jackson hesitates at the safe house, suspicious of the interview’s purpose. Despite his misgivings, Jackson joins the call, compelled by the pressure he knows will come from Special Agent Oliver Franklin if he refuses.

Mark introduces himself and explains the vague assignment given by Dr. Alexandra Conner—to profile the three Quest developers. Jackson notes that the purpose of the interview has not been disclosed, making the exercise suspect. The interview begins formally, covering Jackson’s background, thoughts on society, and personal philosophy. Midway, Jackson asks for a bathroom break.

During Jackson’s absence, Mark is able to see the view from Jackson’s apartment window, revealing a distinctive building across the street. Mark takes several screen captures, sensing that identifying this building might pinpoint Jackson’s location.

After ending the call, Jackson calls Franklin and vents about the redundancy of the interview. Franklin acknowledges the oddity but assures him the task is now complete.

Mark analyzes the screenshots from the video call. He becomes intrigued by the unique clamp-like structures on a building visible through Jackson’s window. Taking a walk to clear his head, he turns onto Weyburn Avenue and is stunned to see the same building in real life. Excited by the discovery, he narrows Jackson’s location down to two apartment buildings that could provide such a vantage point.

Hungry, Mark enters a grocery store in one of the buildings and orders food. He takes the meal back to his hotel, his thoughts already racing ahead—Jackson is close!

Chapter 69 Summary

Mark Peltier arrives at the Los Angeles FBI office for a scheduled meeting with Special Agent Oliver Franklin, unsure how to approach the situation or gain access to Dr. Robert Jackson. Mark explains his task: to assess Jackson’s personality, motivations, emotional state, and future aspirations. Franklin, curious and slightly skeptical, agrees to help but states an in-person meeting with Jackson is off the table due to undisclosed reasons.

When Mark presses, Franklin offers a compromise: a videoconference. Mark agrees, albeit reluctantly, and Franklin arranges for the FBI’s technical department to assist with setup. Mark leaves to retrieve his laptop from his car, planning to return shortly for a tutorial and to await the call’s scheduling.

Afterward, Franklin contacts Jackson directly. Jackson is suspicious of Mark’s request, especially upon learning Conner may be building a legal case against him and the others. Jackson sees the interview as a potential trap.

Franklin assures him that a short videoconference would be less risky than being subpoenaed. He convinces Jackson that by engaging voluntarily, he can control the narrative and avoid further escalation. Jackson, though bitter about being suspended, agrees to the video call. Franklin warns Jackson that Mark seems highly competent and sharp—a subtle nudge for Jackson to be cautious during the interview.