What if artificial intelligence never knew it was helping plan an assassination?Twelve drones are stolen from twelve different owners. Twelve artificial intelligence systems are asked a series of seemingly innocent questions. No single AI knows the mission. No single conversation reveals the plan.And that is exactly the point.Daniel Mercer isn't an AI genius. He's simply patient enough to understand something everyone else has overlooked: an artificial intelligence can refuse a dangerous request-but only if it understands what you're really asking.So Mercer makes sure none of them do.As a controversial foreign prime minister prepares for a high-profile visit to Austin, federal investigator Evelyn Cross begins connecting a trail of stolen drones, unexplained deaths, fragmented AI conversations, and people who seem to know only pieces of the truth.Former Army aviator Jonathan "Jonny" Raines knows another piece.Drifter and engineer Chris Mallory knows more than he realizes.And robotics expert Dr. Elena Varek discovers something buried in an obscure technical forum that suggests the assassination may be only part of the plan.Eleven drones are meant to be seen.The twelfth is different.THE TWELFTH DRONE: INNOCENT QUESTIONS is a techno-thriller about artificial intelligence, compartmentalized information, human intent, and the terrifying possibility that the most dangerous question isn't the one an AI refuses.It's the innocent question that comes before it.There were twelve drones. A dozen artificial minds. No one knew the whole plan.
