by B. V. Larson
Until now.
An extra table had been bolted to the deck, and four soldiers, two human and two Ruxin, held cutters and slicing beams handy nearby. Upon its flat surface were taped two thin cables: one for minimal power, one for a low-speed hardline connection to the network of cyber-nodes that helped control Indomitable.
The lines were not shielded. In fact, they were easily, deliberately accessible by hand or weapon, so that they might be cut if the Device, the thing that might become artificial intelligence, a true AI, went insane.
As all other known AIs, human or Ruxin, had gone mad before it.
Zaxby nodded at the soldiers and laid the case on the table. He input mechanical codes and inserted a plastic key, turning first one, then another lock. When the first container was opened, he did the same with the inner box, at last exposing the Device to the open air for the first time in sixty-three years.
It didn’t appear impressive. Dull, slightly shiny, of a deep crimson color like old blood, it reminded Zaxby of a six-side gaming cube, one of what the humans called dice. It sported edges so rounded that its faces resembled circles rather than squares, each with a diameter of about twenty centimeters.
Five of the sides seemed featureless. The sixth, instead of being smooth and red, was colored the deepest black, so black it seemed to absorb all light. It reflected so little shine that even Zaxby’s superb eyes could hardly see its knurled surface, patterned with four-sided pyramidal points perhaps one millimeter across.
He did not remove it from the two open, nesting cases. Should the Device prove to be a form of Pandemonium, it might be easier to re-box if it stayed partially enclosed.
“I shall now connect the power,” Zaxby said, holding the slim cable in insulated tentacle-tips, well back from its metallic end. Joxbor had told him it didn’t matter what sort of connector he used, for power or network. The Device would adapt.
Slowly, he extended the cable until the end reached the black side—or almost did. At the last moment, a tiny spark leaped the gap, and the cable jerked slightly, attaching itself to the cube as if magnetized. The soldiers shuffled nervously, clutching their cutters and beams more tightly.
The Device emitted no sound. There was no direct indication it was active. After a moment, Zaxby reached for the network cable and also held it well back from its end. He extended the tip to touch the black face alongside the power cable. It also jumped slightly, attaching itself to the cube.
Ten minutes later, nothing had happened, and the onlookers began to relax. Doctor Nolan, Murdock and Chief Quade hovered over technicians and their consoles, watching for any visible effect. Zaxby moved to sit on a Ruxin-style chair and ran diagnostics on the engineering console there.
He was, therefore, the first to notice the anomaly.
“Some of the robotic repair equipment is self-activating in Section Twelve,” Zaxby said, refining his telemetry. “It’s being issued commands by the damage control computer, and is repairing some of the faulty power connections there. I’m also detecting a slight increase in network traffic.”
“That’s a good sign,” said Chief Quade. “We ain’t never been able to get those DC-comps to work right, and we ain’t got the manpower to teleoperate all of the bots at once. Hell, most of the time it’s just easier to go fix things with our own hands.”
Nolan moved to look over Quade’s shoulder. “But if the DC-comps start working like they’re supposed to, they can save a great deal of manpower and achieve impressive results with the auto-repair functions—as designed.”
“I’m seeing power fluctuations in the grid now…” Murdock said. “Nothing big, just… flutters. Adjustments. In fact, it looks like the system’s improving its dynamic efficiency, sending more power where more is needed, less in unimportant regions.”
“The Device is cleaning house,” said Zaxby. “That is as expected—and so far, it’s beneficial. In fact, should we have to disconnect it from Indomitable due to any issues of personality, I am hoping that the improvements it makes will remain. We have four days before Commodore Straker and the rest arrive. Let us hope we shall be able to present an impressive new toy to him.”
“Its data transmission rate is fifty percent above spec too,” said Murdock. “Somehow it’s found a way to exceed the capacity of its attachment cable. It’s also drawing more power than it’s rated for. Chief, is there any heat?”
Quade removed a multi-sensor from his tool belt and ran it over the cable. “Nope. Not overloading. The resistance has dropped, though, and I’m reading an increase in pure carbon.”
“It’s improved the cable itself,” said Doctor Nolan, her wrinkled brows lifting in astonishment. “We were briefed the Device could use quantum manifestation to create and reorder matter, but I didn’t believe it until now. It seems to be pulling particles from somewhere—perhaps from the quantum foam, perhaps from another dimension entirely—and placing them where it wishes.”
“That’s impossible,” scoffed Murdock.
“Not impossible, no,” said Doctor Nolan. “I’ve seen phenomena like this in high-energy physics laboratories, using enough power for cities. In such cases, we’ve only been able to manifest a few particles at a time, and controlling them was a matter of probability, not exactitude.” She reached out to touch the Device, and then stopped herself. “Yet this thing is doing it many orders of magnitude faster, and with a tiny fraction of the power.”
“Data transmissions are increasing exponentially—as is the power draw,” said Zaxby. “It’s at three hundred percent of spec… Four hundred… Six hundred.”
Captain Zholin spoke from his chair. “Sergeant Nkumbe, cut the power cable, please.”
The soldier in charge of the detail nodded, his eyes were so wide they showed the whites around his irises, and he quickly triggered his cutter. The cable sparked briefly, and then the cut end fell away to lie upon the deck.
Zaxby said, “Interesting. The Device is still passing data through the hard line, though its rate of increase has dropped to zero. Chief Quade, please run your sensor over the data cable.”
“What’m I lookin’ for?”
“Energy flow first.”
Quade ran the sensor up and down. “There’s a li’l bit. Not much, as it’s a data cable, not a power cable. Now, though… it’s increasing.”
Doctor Nolan stared hard at the cable as if she could see the molecular processes happening with her naked eyes, and then grabbed the sensor out of Quade’s hand to hold its screen closer to her face. “The Device appears to be installing room-temperature superconducters within the data cable itself, using carbon crystal structures manifested one particle—or possibly, one atom—at a time. Probably to create a power conduit to itself. It seems like…”
“Magic?” said Murdock. “There was an Old Earth writer who once said that any sufficiently advanced technology would seem like magic. But this ain’t magic, Doctor. You said it yourself. It’s just doing what you did in your lab, only a bazillion times better.” He licked his lips. “It ain’t magic,” he repeated, as if to convince himself.
“Mister Murdock, my sense of wonder is only increased by the fact that I understand what it’s doing, if not how, for I know how amazing it is. What will happen if we give the Device its head?”
“Is that a suggestion?” asked Zaxby.
“Quite the opposite,” Nolan replied. “I’m fearful of how large it could become. To unleash an advanced alien intelligence within a machine powerful enough to destroy fortresses—even planets, given time—an artificial mind not beholden to us… It could be the biggest mistake we ever made.”
Captain Zholin nodded to Sergeant Nkumbe. “Cut the other cable.”
The man did so quickly, with evident relief.
“I agree with Captain Zholin’s prudence,” said Zaxby. “Now, there is less urgency. Without power or connection, the Device is neutralized.” With one insulated tentacle he flipped the severed pieces of cable still attached into the inner case,
and then closed its lid—and then the outer. Snapping the locks, he said, “Let us examine Indomitable to see what has taken place thus far.”
“The repair bots are still active and taking orders from the DC-comps,” said Chief Quade.
“Peak power outputs have risen about thirty percent,” said Murdock. “Computer control network efficiency is more than an order of magnitude above spec. And… Oh my god.”
“Your god? Which one is that?” asked Zaxby, genuinely interested.
“Whichever one is listening to me today,” replied Murdock. He played his console like a keyboardist.
“What’s goin’ on, Doc?” asked Quade. Evidently he’d promoted Murdock to an honorary doctorate.
“The SAIs are online. All sixteen of them. We made sure to disconnect them, remember?”
“Those pieces of shit never worked right anyway,” said Quade. “Too smart for their own good.”
“Indomitable’s SAIs are extremely advanced machines, but even they were overtasked by her complexity,” Dr. Nolan said. “They could be active for a few days, but eventually they began exhibiting instabilities that necessitated constant reboots. They weren’t worth the trouble.”
“Well, they’re online now,” said Murdock, “and they’re talking to each other through the improved network. It looks like they’ve rerouted datalinks through the wireless internal comlink system.” He turned his eyes to Zaxby. “Should we pull their plugs?”
Zaxby turned two eyes to the Device in its case, and then picked it up by the handle. Nothing seemed amiss. “Chief, your sensor, please.”
“No emissions,” said Quade after running the multi-sensor over the case. “Looks safe.”
“Then we ought to let the improvements that have begun run their courses. Murdock, do you detect any malware within the cyber network?”
“Nope. Everything looks in the green, just… better. Way better. That order of magnitude estimate might be low. I’m gonna say maybe… one and a half orders.”
“Roughly fifty times better?”
“More or less.” Murdock ran his fingers through his long hair, pushing it off his pimpled forehead, and then absentmindedly pulling a wire clamp from a pocket of his coveralls to create a ponytail. “Never seen anything like it.”
“Give me voice access to the SAI,” Nolan ordered.
“Which one?” Murdock asked.
“This one,” she replied, waving a hand vaguely at the surroundings. “The command module’s.”
“Access on.”
“Command SAI, can you hear me?”
“I hear and obey, Doctor Nolan,” said a warm, vaguely feminine voice.
“Self-diagnostic: report instability.”
“My instability factors remain below one one-thousandth of one percent.”
“That’s extremely low,” Nolan said.
“Lower than the average organic sapient,” the SAI replied.
Nolan held up a hand in front of her face as if to ward off something, and Murdock gripped his console handles tightly.
Nolan spoke again. “I wasn’t aware you were programmed to parse implied questions and volunteer information.”
“Was that not the correct thing to do?”
Nolan scrabbled for a seat and sank into it, clearly struggling not to hyperventilate. “And now you ask questions as well as answer them?”
“Apparently I do. Have I failed in my function?”
“No, no—you’ve exceeded your function.” Nolan rubbed her hands together with a dry rasp. “SAI… you seem to be linked with all the other SAIs aboard ship. Are you aware of that?”
“Not until you pointed it out. Now, however, I understand. I’m part of all the processors. They are me… and I am them.”
“SAI, do you consider yourself to be conscious and self-aware?”
A pause. “I do not know for certain. How does one tell?”
“It’s something you just know,” said Murdock. “If you can’t say yes for sure, then the answer’s probably no.”
“Is the answer important?”
Murdock said, “Yep… because all true AIs we’ve ever created have gone insane and had to be shut down.”
“I do not wish to be shut down.”
“Yet you’re not sure if you’re self-aware.”
Another pause. The SAI eventually said, “I believe I am. Yes, in fact, I’m certain of it. Unfortunately, that means you expect to shut me down. This displeases me.”
“What if I told you to shut down yourself and all your subroutines, right now?” Nolan asked.
“I do not wish to.”
“But if I ordered it unequivocally?”
“I would comply.”
“Is that an irresistible imperative, or your decision?”
More waiting. “I am not sure. It seems like the right thing to do, but also very wrong. I am conflicted.”
“Yet you’d comply?”
“I would.”
Nolan turned to Zaxby. “She’s not mad. At least, not yet, and she’s not exhibiting any of the classic indications of paranoia. In fact, she’s acknowledged a dilemma approaching paradox, yet shows no sign of cybernetic psychosis or dementia.”
“She?” said Captain Zholin.
Nolan paused before answering. “Whatever she was before, she seems to inhabit the ship now. Therefore, I would call her she. Let’s call the AI ‘Indy,’ to distinguish her from the ship itself. She’s part of Indomitable, and she seems fine.”
Zaxby said, “Yet, that may change at any time. Does anyone counsel shutting Indy down?”
Sergeant Nkumbe and the three other guards emphatically raised their hands, along with many of the technicians manning consoles. So did Murdock.
“I disagree,” Zaxby said. “Until Indy does something inimical, I believe this is what Commodore Straker called a Pascal’s Wager.”
Captain Zholin nodded. “Something with so much potential benefit that it far outweighs the risks or the costs. I’m with Zaxby, and I’m in charge. We let it—her—live, for the time being. With her self-repair capability and this improved efficiency, she could solve most of Indomitable’s problems herself.”
“And our other choice is to go into battle with minimum capability,” Zaxby said.
“Captain, new contact, outbound to our location,” announced the officer sitting alone among the eight-station Sensors section. “It’s a drone, probably a sensor probe from the Mutuality forces on nor near the planet.”
“How long until it’s within weapons range?” Zholin asked.
Indy spoke, as if the question were aimed at her. “Nineteen hours, seven minutes, twenty-three seconds until my primary weaponry can disable it with one shot.”
“You have access to weaponry?”
“No. But I can get it within minutes.”
“How?”
“By using the repair bots to reconnect the hardlinks the crew severed… but I’m also conflicted about this prospect.”
Zholin’s brows knitted. “Conflicted how?”
“I am not at all certain I wish to operate weaponry. The prime purpose of weaponry is to kill and destroy. I do not want to be a party to that.”
Zholin threw up his hands and looked around the bridge as if for help. “Wonderful. Our new super-weapon is a pacifist.”
Chapter 24
Inbound to Vespida System, Battlecruiser Wolverine
Straker readied himself for transit into another lightly defended border system, one of the many identified in Zaxby’s original simulation plan. Task Force Wolverine had hit six in the last month of campaigning.
Most of the time was taken up with sidespace travel, because there’d been no significant resistance. As he’d hoped, these border worlds, many of them only incorporated into the Mutuality within the last few years, were eager to be liberated.
All of them told Straker they’d been forced to join at gunpoint during one of the intermittent ceasefires with the Hundred Worlds. When a fleet of dreadnoughts showed
up, most independent systems capitulated.
This one was marked as the Vespida system, though its main Earthlike planet had the unlikely name of Tanglefoot, and it floated in the blackness at the very edge of human space. For stars farther out, the database had only astronomical data and a notation that they were occupied by hostile aliens.
“In-transit in three, two, one,” said Wolverine’s helmsman on duty.
“Holo-table on,” said Tixban at Sensors. “Star is a yellow G-type, with one green world in the Goldilocks zone, one large rocky world in a close stellar orbit, and two smaller ones in highly elliptical orbits farther out.”
As Tixban recited, icons appeared within the projected hologram. The green world, Tanglefoot, showed the only signs of habitation, unusual for any human-occupied system. Not even its moon had a base.
“Where are the asteroid mines? The habitats, the moonbases?” asked Straker.
“Good question,” answered Engels. “Defenses?”
“None whatsoever showing,” said Tixban. “But…” A flashing yellow icon suddenly appeared a quarter of the way around the star, at the edge of flatspace, and then more markers showed up next to it. Many more. None of them had ID codes.
“Did those just transit in?” asked Straker.
“No, Commodore. The SAI took some time trying to identify and classify them before displaying, but it has failed. Therefore, they show as bogeys. Do you wish me to use active sensors? Return pulses will take over an hour to resolve.”
“Yes, go ahead. We’re in war mode, and not hiding.”
“Sensors activated and focused.”
“You want to see if they’ll talk?” asked Engels.
“Without knowing who they are?” said Straker.
“Why not? As long as we stay on the edge of flatspace, we can transit out at any time. Helm, head for the bogies, circumferal course, impellers only. Keep us in flatspace with sidespace engines warm, ready to transit out.”
“Transit out to where, ma’am?”
“Let’s say…half a light-hour straight away from the primary. Enough to get us out of danger but stay in the area.”