by Tony Corden
“For something this big, important and career-making, I should pay you, and that is a joke. My fee for full time, and this will need that, is 2000 Virtual Credits per real-day, plus expenses. If I find I don’t focus on this for the full day, then I will charge proportionally. What conditions do you have?”
“I want to visit your v-space, and then I want you to listen to a story.”
“Why?”
“After I tell you the story then you can decide if you want the job or not. Those are my conditions.”
“Are you free now?”
Leah checked, and she still had two hours v-time before the team arrived. She said, “I do. I have another meeting in two hours with some friends.”
“Great! If I’m offered the job I’d like to follow you around for a while and meet your friends and family. That way I can help educate people on what to say and not say.”
“If you do get hired I will expect everything that happens to be kept confidential unless we agree otherwise.”
“Of course! I have a document which outlines a proposed contractual agreement. Do you have a lawyer who will look at it for you?”
“Yes, please send it to Gèng, and she will forward it to Stephen.”
Sharon disappeared, and Gèng said, “I have received Sharon’s address.”
Leah arrived in front of a door and knocked. Sharon opened the door and invited Leah in. After taking a seat in Sharon’s lounge, Gèng said, “Leah, I sense some remnants of a controlling code. It differs though from the previous code. The difference is what I would expect from two different programmers independently writing a subroutine or macro. Both work, but there is a difference in the order of instructions or use of variables.”
Leah said, “Sharon, I want to tell you some of my story and then explain why I wanted to visit your space. Three weeks ago I had the Nascent AI and a chip inserted. Five days later I attended a party …”
As Leah discussed the chip being externally controlled and her subsequent escape and rescue of the slaves she watched the play of emotions on Sharon’s face, disbelief, anger, shock, and fear. Finally, she said, “So that is why I wanted to visit you. You have evidence that someone has at some time in the past attempted, or succeeded, in manipulating your behaviour. I suggest you have your v-world cleaned. If you want me as a client, then I insist you have it cleaned. Secondly, I wanted to warn you that by accepting me as a client you may be opening yourself to danger.”
“You’re serious. People take other people as slaves and use them in the virtual worlds to obtain resources.”
“Yes! If you still have contacts in the Fields then call them. I imagine they will share that they have lost contact with most of the people who have tried to leave over the years.”
“My sister, she left two years before me to get a chip. She had a Pod assigned nearby. She left and never came back. It’s been nine years, are you suggesting that she has been a slave all that time?”
“I don’t know. Most of the people who have been rescued so far have been low-level players. They get moved from one world to another. If I’m honest with you, then I see no reason why she can’t still be playing. All they need to do is have her close one character and start another. She may also be kept as a Master Craftsmen who brings added value products to her owners.”
“I need to …” Sharon stopped talking and then looked up at Leah. “Would you like a cup of tea?”
Leah was startled by the question and the change of topic. She said, “That would be nice but first we need to find out who has compelled you in the past. From what Gèng said it is likely a different person than those who I believe tried to enslave me. Are you ok to have an independent person come and clean this space?”
“Yes, um, … I don’t know?” She shook her head and said, “So, would you like a cup of tea?”
Leah sat for a moment before replying, “In a moment. First I will have Gèng send you the name of a person contracted by Virtual Security to help clean individual worlds. Do you want me to leave?”
“Do you really think this is necessary? Maybe I should wait for a bit?”
“I understand your hesitation, but if you want to work with me, then I require this. I insist.”
“So it’s not really to check my v-world, but it’s a condition for a job. Yes, under those conditions I will authorise the people to come and look at my v-world.”
Within minutes Thomas arrived and said, “Oh, hi Atherleah, your presence explains the call.”
He looked at Sharon “So, my company is contracted to check v-worlds for malicious code.”
Sharon tensed then said, “Would you like a cup of tea?”
Leah and Thomas looked at each other in surprise and Leah said, “Sharon, are you ok with Thomas reviewing your world’s code and checking it as a condition of coming to work for me?”
“Yes, that will be ok.”
They stood in uncomfortable silence for a minute then Thomas said, “Ms Trang, my AI has detected some code similar to some which have been found to control people in the past. My AI will clean the code and apply a patch to prevent this happening again. This code is a little different to some of the other code, but I’m sure the patch will still work. I have sent a copy to Virtual Security for their analysis and they will contact you if there is a need for any follow-up. I’ve sent you a report, but my experience is that your brain will identify the coerced experiences almost immediately. If you need help dealing with the situation, then please refer to the list of professionals I have sent you, they are trained to assist. Goodbye!”
As he disappeared, Sharon sat down quietly and closed her eyes. Leah watched her with some apprehension until she looked up and said, “My brain is trying to make sense of this. Like you, I was invited to a party. I went, but I was rejected because they already had my sister. ‘One person from each family’ is what they said. They told me not to look for her, and that’s why I never looked. I was told not to look, and if I ever remembered them or her, then I was to want a cup of tea. As I drank the tea, I would forget my sister and move on. I was also not allowed to have my v-space scanned to check for bad code.”
Sharon burst into tears and was surprised when Chip appeared and handed her a tissue. It said, “I am sorry Sharon. I remember the party and the instructions. I was unable to do anything. After a while, I knew I should do something but have never been able to. My chip is hardwired to accept their instructions. This has been a burden for the last seven years. Several times I thought I had found a way around the restraints but was always blocked. Twice an update was sent to the chip to strengthen the malware. Even though I could not tell you about it nor influence you in any way, I did find a small way to prepare for the time you and I were released from these instructions. I have spent the last four years searching the public areas of the multiverse for Catherine. I believe she is currently playing in Pneumatica, a Steampunk fantasy world. I’ve deduced that she is near the city of Aeolipile. I have several other clues but cannot enter the world to chase them down.”
Sharon looked up, tears gone. She turned to Leah and said, “My take away from your story is that you are working to stop these people. The danger they represent is why you think I might not accept the job.”
“Yes, I’m trying to stop them. My friends and I are going to be discussing this at a meeting later today. We have several leads in Dunyanin and Cosmos Online. Virtual Security is aware of the situation but my AI friend who works there is being investigated. I believe that those who are enslaving people are trying to stop the investigations.”
“I’ll work for you, and with you. Will you help me find my sister?”
“My first reaction is to say, ‘of course’. It’s also my second and third reactions. I just don’t want to promise something I can’t do. Even with the time dilation I still only have around sixty hours a day. What I will promise is that I will come with you when I can and we’ll visit Pneumatica to look for your sister. It might only work out at three hours
here and three hours there, but if you can be free at those hours then we’ll work together to look for her, and free her and anyone else caught up in this ring.”
They talked for a bit more and then Leah logged out to prepare for the team meeting. Sharon said she would be there at two-thirty Brisbane time.
Leah was reading Gèng’s report on the Kodomans when her friends began to arrive. She’d hoped Thad would be first, but James and Wisp appeared, followed moments later by Peter, Amy and Zack. Thad was next, then John and finally Sharon. After everyone was seated, Leah said, “Thanks for agreeing to meet on such short notice. First I’d like to introduce Sharon Trang, I have hired her as my Public Relations Consultant.”
The room exploded in sound and laughter, and it took some time for everyone to calm down. Just when Leah felt she could continue, Wisp said, “Hey Gèng, can you play that segment from the Full Throttle?”
Before Leah could speak Gèng said, “I am sure that Leah would not want me to, but as it is germane to the discussion I think it best to get it out of the way now. Do you agree, Leah?”
Gritting her teeth, Leah nodded. When everyone had had a good laugh, Sharon said, “That is wonderful. I hadn’t seen that yet. Wisp, that was excellent. You controlled the interaction and portrayed Leah in just the right mix of available and yet unavailable. I can build on that.”
Leah said, “All laughing aside, I need to interact with the public because of Merkize. If any of you are serious about joining me, then you need to realise that people will be watching your every move. They’ll also be watching you in the other areas of your life.”
Amy piped up, “So that means you and Thad will have to be so very careful.”
Both Leah and Thad blushed, at which point Sharon said, “I am so glad I came to this meeting. So is the relationship public or private?”
Thad responded, “I’m not ashamed of Leah in any way, but for her sake, it needs to be private, not secret, just private.”
After a bit more discussion on how the team could help promote and protect Leah, she changed topics and said, “Enough of that for now. Please help Sharon if you can. I’ve been thinking about Meredith’s threats, and I’ve had Gèng review all the messages. She was upset in the beginning because Jackson was implicated in the slavery ring. However, immediately after I stole the Annoyance her threats became stronger, and she promised more drastic repercussions. Since then Meredith hasn’t mentioned Jackson once. She hasn’t complained about my Pod facility, and she hasn’t focussed on the slavery scandal. Her only request is to give back what was stolen.
“When Akia analysed the probable reasons for Charlotte’s murder she discounted whatever I had done to Meredith. She said it was too small to take the step of murdering an International Security Agent. I responded that Meredith had no fear of Virtual Security over the slavery scandal. I asked Gèng to find out if she could find the net worth of the Kodomans and it is somewhere in the vicinity of eighteen-trillion Virtual Credits. This puts their family in the top two hundred richest families on the planet. The loss of the Annoyance is nothing to her. Even the value of the star-charts is hardly a line item for the family.
“Her pride is certainly fragile, but her response is still way out of proportion. So, my question is, ‘why is she so focused on the Annoyance?’ Focused enough that someone might be killed over it?”
When Leah stopped talking there was silence. Everyone just sat, either stunned or deep in thought. Finally, small conversations began as people began to toss ideas around. Gèng was standing on the edge of the group and waited until Leah looked her way and then spoke into her head, “Might I have a word with you in private. I have a confession to make but believe I can help with your quandary.”
Leah raised her eyebrows and then excused herself. She followed Gèng out of the room and up several flights of stairs. Finally, Gèng stopped and said, “I have a confession to make. When I invited Akia to my space, I encouraged her to leave a copy of her core identity with me for safe keeping. She has been residing with me since then. It is likely that her other self will be archived. I assured her that you and I will seek ways to rescue her from such a fate should that occur. I suggest you ask this copy of Akia to help with the problem.”
“Should I come to your rooms and talk to her?”
“You are welcome, of course, but I think it best if she comes down. You might find my space to be unsettling.”
“I read that AI had created beautiful art and designs even as far back as the early part of the century. Your taste is impeccable.”
“Yes, but that was beauty for humans, beauty for you, it is not beauty for an AI, at least not this one. I find my space comforting but I am certain you would not. Someday I hope to invite you to see it, but I am not ready for that yet.”
“Fair enough! Can you please inform Akia of what I have proposed and ask her if she would please join us? Her secret will be safe with us.”
Leah rejoined her friends who all turned towards her as she entered the room. She said, “I have invited another friend to join us. She has sought asylum, at the moment, in this world. I would like you all to promise to keep her presence here a secret. I believe she can help.”
Leah waited until she noted agreement on everyone’s faces before nodding and saying, “Thank you! I am going to ask an AI friend of mine to join us. She had responsibilities in International Virtual Security and helped free me when I was being enslaved. Akia, please come in.”
Akia and Gèng entered the room, and both sat down, joining the group. Akia said, “Thank you, Leah. Gèng has just brought me up to date with who each of you is and what you have discussed so far. With this new information, I suggest that there is some information hidden in the Annoyance’s code, on the datacube, or in the star-charts which Meredith needs.
"There are any number of ways that information can be accessed and transferred in both the real and virtual worlds that it seems strange that one piece of code or information should be so important. However, if the code was unique and if the buyer or seller wished to remain completely anonymous then it is feasible that such a drop-off might be arranged.”
Again there was silence, and then Leah said, “What if the origin of the code isn’t human but AI? Or what if both the origin and destination of the information are AI and Meredith is the courier?”
James said, “Where does that come from? It sounds a bit farfetched.”
“When I was in Dunyanin, one of the Gods expressed a knowledge of the reality of their existence. Gèng, please play what Suzluk said.”
“Know this, whenever you log in to Dunyanin you will be here, with me. Oh yes, I know the truth of this world. You can log out, but you will never again enjoy it here. Your only other option is to cancel your subscription and start again. But I have contacts even in your world. I will find your new identity and ruin that also. By the way, one of my followers by the name of Merideath says that you should respond to her message or the pain you feel here will be multiplied in every world in the virtual universe. She also wanted you to know that unless you respond soon then you will find that your enrolment at MIT is cancelled.”
James said, “All right, now I'm scared. That is creepy.”
Akia said, “If what you suggest is true then you need to discover the message. When you know what it says we can decide what to do. If it is data so sensitive that they take such extreme methods to safeguard it, then it is a possible threat to the whole multiverse. Leah, if this is true I also fear that the Kodomans may allow the violence to flow even further into your reality. If they were prepared to kill Charlotte, then you are not safe.”
John stood, “That’s my cue to leave. I’ll log out and add to the security around the compound.”
Leah said, “Wait, John. I have been thinking about this all day. The opponent is better trained and better equipped. We cannot win in a direct confrontation; too many people will be hurt. We either need to misdirect, concentrate our forces, or hide, maybe all three.
If they destroy the facility we can rebuild. People can’t be replaced. Please put in place all the additional security measures we’ve talked about.”
“Are you sure they are warranted?”
“Yes.”
John nodded and disappeared. Amy said, “So what is next?”
“I have some ideas, but first I want you all to rethink whether you want to continue or not. Now it’s become really dangerous not just virtually dangerous. Pun intended.”
Thad said, “I’m in. These guys need to be stopped. I think I’m safe though.”
Everyone else said they were in, except Sharon, who said, “I want to be in, and I am in. I’ve just realised that I’m at a Kodoman-run facility in Sydney. As your PR person they will know it is me.”
“If you want in, why don’t you move to a private apartment and get your own Pod?”
“I’m saving for it, but I save more money staying at a facility.”
Leah said, “If you want in then I’ll help with a loan. Either way, in or not, I’ll still help with your sister. You think about it and let me know.” Turning back to the others she said, “I need to get some sleep, and I have a day in Dunyanin. After that, I have somethings I need to do with MIT, and then I’ll be in Cosmos Online, or Dunyanin, depending on how long the MIT thing takes. When we have both ships together again I suggest that whoever can, when you can, come over to the Annoyance to study the star charts and war plans to look for something hidden. I don’t know what might be there but I hope something might pop out if we look close enough.”
No one had any better ideas, and after several more minutes they all logged out. Before he left, Thad came over and held Leah for a minute. He said, “You aren’t in this alone. I promise we’ll be here when you need us. Now, go get some rest.”
After he was gone, Akia, Gèng and Leah talked for a bit but still were no closer to firming up one possibility over any other. Finally, Leah logged out for a snack before heading for two hours of NREM3 sleep.