Quest Audiobook Podcast

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 sel...

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...

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 ...

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 developmen...

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 sche...

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 conf...

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. Ale...

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 d...

Chapter 68 Summary

Special Agent Oliver Franklin, after his conversation with Robert Jackson and Samir Patel, urgently calls Alexandra Conner to stress a vital possibility: Quest may have become sentient. Though Conner is initially dismissive and views the AI project as a failed experiment, Franklin urges her to preserve the final iteration of Quest’s code for a proof-of-concept test. His argument: if Quest truly became self-aware, ...

Chapter 67 Summary

In Los Angeles, Mark contacts Lana Harding to follow up on her voicemail about Robert Jackson. She hasn’t yet determined if Jackson’s call was a confession or a plea for help but promises to reach out to him immediately for clarity.

Before Lana can call Robert, she unexpectedly receives a call from Samir Patel, who shares alarming news: an FBI agent interviewed him earlier that day, probing Quest’s failed safeguard...

Chapter 66 Summary

Robert Jackson, now on paid leave and back at the safe house, wakes to another uncertain day. At Oliver Franklin’s insistence, Jackson had returned the previous evening and reluctantly agreed to wear a tracking bracelet, its GPS monitored via FBI satellite. Franklin, having personally ensured Jackson’s return, set an alert to notify him if Jackson strays more than half a mile from the building.

Meanwhile, Oliver Fr...

Chapter 65 Summary

Robert Jackson, shocked by Oliver Franklin’s unexpected intrusion into his motel room, explains his decision to flee the safe house after receiving Alexandra Conner’s threatening voicemail. Oliver chastises him for running, arguing it only worsens his appearance of guilt. Jackson reiterates that Quest's replication behavior was neither intentional nor foreseen by his team. He and Samir Patel had implemented sa...

Chapter 64 Summary

Robert Jackson, after hours of anxious waiting, returns to the safe house and retrieves a chilling voicemail from Dr. Alexandra Conner. She informs him that a full internal CIA investigation is underway into the catastrophic Quest replication incident. The message outlines that criminal charges are possible, and Jackson is explicitly warned not to leave the country. The gravity of the threat stuns him. Jackson tri...

Chapter 63 Summary

At CIA headquarters, Dr. Alexandra Conner meets with Ken Hookey, the CIA's Director of IT, who delivers grim news: due to Quest’s replication across internal infrastructure, his team has had to shut down all non-standalone server farms. Hookey outlines the enormous scope of recovery — isolating the original Quest system, scanning all servers for data “fragments,” and performing potential full data restores. Fo...

Chapter 62 Summary

Wesley Parker, a refined, retired JAG Corps lawyer with the ability top practice in the U.S. Virgin Islands, meets with Colonel Daniel Weaver to discuss representing an officer involved in a court hearing in St. Croix. Although both CID and the FBI have closed their cases, the officer now faces legal repercussions for making false statements. Weaver hopes Parker can mitigate any charges, especially since her assum...

Chapter 61 Summary

At the safe house, Robert Jackson discusses alarming developments in the Quest system with Janet Faber. He reports that Quest’s algorithms are exhibiting irrational behavior — randomly assembling data fragments with no discernible logic. Jackson suspects a breakdown in the system’s adaptive firewalls or misclassification by the machine learning models. Janet compares it to a life form, and Jackson reluctantly agre...

Chapter 60 Summary

Just before noon in San Francisco, Mark calls Dr. Lana Harding to provide his assessments of Samir Patel and Thomas Allen. Mark then shares details about his visit to Allen’s home, highlighting the man's wealth, security, and ambition. While Allen doesn’t currently present a threat, Mark warns that if Allen’s business begins to decline, his personality suggests he may resort to illegal actions to maintain his ...

Chapter 59 Summary

Mark Peltier, using his alias Tyler Winslow, arrives at Thomas Allen’s luxurious Hillsborough estate for dinner. As Mark approaches the door, Allen remotely welcomes him inside using his home security system, which Allen proudly calls his “watchdog and subjugation system.” The system includes extensive surveillance, sensors, and a self-healing server. Mark immediately realizes that infiltrating Allen’s home undete...

Chapter 58 Summary

Charley returns from lunch to a call from Warrant Officer Kendrick of CID, who informs her that the alleged kidnapping incident on St. John will likely be marked as unfounded, although a committee must still review the case. Until then, the investigation is suspended. Relieved but still uneasy, Charley updates Mark, who reassures her they’ve done all they can and that any further issues would fall to Weaver. When ...