Wolfus Linx closed his eyes wearily. “Son, the only way I see this as feasible if is we can get the ANADs to configure into something a little more human-like. You know…with a head and a face…and two arms and legs. I know they can do that…I’ve seen them in that kind of config.”
That sounded hopeful. “Sir, I’m sure ANAD would readily agree to such conditions. It’s true they prefer to swarm naturally…kind of like little clouds…but ANAD has multiple configs that resemble humans. All we have to do is tell him which one.”
Linx shook his head like a great lion. “It’s a crazy idea, Kraft…damned looney, if you ask me.”
“It’s nuts,” Kraft agreed.
“But it just might be what we need now. If Winger here’s heading up joint efforts with Frontier Corps and trying to shut down those quantum generators in Kolkata, you’re going to need backup you can count on, Kraft.”
“We have perfectly good backup with Major Dana Tallant, sir. She’s c/o of 2nd Nano and one of our best atomgrabbers.”
“She hasn’t been to the Shavindra temple in Kolkata, Colonel. It would take time to bring her up to speed. ANAD has been there…and dueled with the enemy bots. Using ANAD keeps unity of command…we won’t lose any time getting ready for another assault.”
Linx liked the idea. “It’s crazy, Winger, but I think we should try it. We’ve got to bring ANAD along, get them more completely into our way of doing things.”
Kraft could see that he was being overruled. Best to get onboard with CINCQUANT now. “Winger, get over to Containment and work out what you need to get ANAD configged for his new role. I want to see config details by 0800 hours tomorrow. If this cockamamie scheme of yours is going to work, we’d better make sure ANAD looks like something vaguely human.”
“Yes, sir.” Winger saluted and left Kraft’s office, his mind racing with ideas. ANAD as a commander…It was a giant step for the little guy. Winger’s own embedded ANAD element was also at Containment, getting some kind of new hot rod effectors Doc Frost had cooked up.
Winger fairly sprinted across the grassy quadrangle. It was a cool, breezy early autumn day at Table Top and a few leaves swirled around the parade grounds in miniature cyclones. Beyond the edge of the mesa, the Buffalo Mountains were already white with an early dusting of snow.
Inside Containment, Dr. Irwin Frost was hard at work in the main lab. At the center of the lab, a heavy and squat tank draped in thick ganglia of cables and wiring sat, surrounded by work benches and instrument consoles. Two technicians, both quantum engineers with the Corps, worked with Frost.
Johnny Winger cycled through multiple airlocks and stood beside Frost.
The doctor was squinting at a grainy image on the viewer screen in front of him. He noticed Winger out of the corner of his eye as he adjusted resolution on the scope.
“I’ve got the innards of one of the Shavindra bots you brought back inside right now. Thought I’d take a look and see what makes the bugger tick.”
Winger watched as the image resolved to a finer view. From a latticework grid hung shapes that slowly became clearer…two squat barbells with tetrahedral globes at each end. The barbells crossed at right angles. As Winger looked on, he could see scores of effectors undulating gently in the cross currents of the growth medium.
“They’re all effectors,” Winger marveled. “Must be hundreds of them. I saw that in Kolkata. I was driving ANAD and I couldn’t find any place to get in close and attack. “Tried my bond breakers too.” Winger shook his head, remembering the frustration of the assault. “Damned things just up and grew more effectors every time I zapped him.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Frost said. He tweaked the imager, bringing the imager in for an extreme close-up on the processor core. “Notice all the bumps on the core…know what those are?”
Winger had seen them in Kolkata. “No idea, Doc. Some kind of quantum pimples?”
“You’re not far wrong, Johnny. Unless I’m mistaken, those bumps are quantum traps…what amounts to extra power for the central processor. This little bugger has extra reservoirs of qubits for souped-up processing speed.”
Winger understood immediately. “That explains why he could replicate so fast. I’d blow off a few dozen effectors and before I could say ‘doodad’, he’d grow ‘em right back. Plus he could change config in a heartbeat.”
“ANAD struggled with this guy,” Winger went on. “I had some tactical moves I tried that seemed to help but that’s only because I don’t always go by the book. Where is ANAD anyway?”
Frost indicated a separate containment vessel in the corner. “Getting a face lift over there, Johnny. Here…I’ll give you a rundown.” He extracted his hands from the remote manipulators and safed the containment chamber.
They went over to the smaller containment vessel where ANAD had been parked a few days before.
“I’ve been working on some changes to ANAD’s basic program, kind of tinkering,” Frost admitted. He booted up the viewer and in a minute, the screen was filled with the scaffolding that supported the master assembler in containment. A dark mass of semi-spherical shapes throbbed in the center of the grid, like a bunch of grapes, beating to some inner rhythm.
“We’re having some issues fully integrating him into our battalion operations, Doc. There’s scuttlebutt around the mountain that the whole Symbiosis project’s in trouble.”
Frost sniffed indignantly. “Nonsense. What’s happening are normal growing pains.” Frost extracted a thoughtpad from his lab coat and pressed it into Winger’s hand. “While I load some new configs into ANAD’s core, read that.”
“What is it?”
Frost had a bemused smile on his face. “A little report I’ve been working on…sort of a history of the Symbiosis project to date. I’d like your thoughts since you work with ANAD everyday.”
“Sure, Doc…” Winger fingered his way through the text and video clips, scanning quickly as he kept one eye on what Frost was loading into ANAD’s core.
Then he read:
Notes on the Evolution of Autonomous Nanoscale Systems
By Dr. Irwin Frost
Northgate University, Autonomous Systems Laboratory
2080
….two aspects of ANAD’s “life” define what it means to exist as a nanoscale assembler with quantum computational abilities:
1. Symbiosis: All of 1st Nano battalion has already undergone the implant procedure. This means that elements of the ANAD swarm (or hive mind or collective; terms are interchangeable) are hosted by individual nanotroopers. They reside in containment in implanted capsules and are ‘coupled’ to their host, ideally forming a hybrid man-machine warrior with extraordinary capabilities.
Symbiosis has not been without some glitches. There have been coupler problems (leakage of quantum signals into other parts of the host brain). There have been tactical or combat integration issues (when or how are the ANADs to be deployed in actual operations). There have been instances of launch and recovery problems, even containment breaks, where the ANAD assemblers have slipped out of the shoulder capsule into the host’s body. Sometimes this kind of abnormal behavior has been encouraged by the host. NOTE: This is in violation against Lab recommendations and Corps regulations.
2. Swarm Operations: Though each assembler nanobot is a single entity, ANADs are swarming ‘creatures.’ They are programmed and designed to congregate into mass formations and to show distributed intelligence. In some ways, this behavior may be viewed as analogous to a hive mind or collective mind.
In 2080, ANADs are still legally required to be kept in strict containment. However, Quantum Corps’ 3rd Nano experimental unit is using loose containment with control and dispersal protection in many operations. This means that ANADs in 3rd Nano are being permitted to operate outside strict containment most of the time, as long as C & D mechanisms are in place.
Public non-contained swarm operations a
re a new experience for ANAD and for humans. Each is trying to get used to the other. By nature (i.e. by design and programming), most ANAD-type assembler swarms form loose, cloud-like structures when they swarm in public. Sometimes the assemblers aggregate into vaguely human-like shapes and forms. There seems to be a testing period here as ANADs and humans experiment with what swarm configurations are publically and socially acceptable.
Some ANAD swarms even mass into pretty realistic swarm configs that resemble human forms quite closely except upon on detailed inspection (there is a fuzziness at the edge of the swarm that gives it away). This is more commonly done when swarms are in close quarters with a lot of humans, in a confined space like a building.
In the open, left to themselves, ANAD swarms naturally config as loose clouds, amorphous fog-like banks of assemblers. They move about by flowing across the landscape somewhat like fog particles. Occasionally, they constrict themselves into tighter, glowing spheres, almost like miniature suns.
By programming, ANADs are designed to seek out other entities like themselves and congregate. Swarming is a kind of prime directive embedded in the basic architecture of the core processor. This directive is also known as the First Rule.
The Second Rule says that ANADs must do no harm to humans or other living entities. Quantum Corps swarms are provided with patches to get around this basic prohibition, to enable them to participate in combat operations.
The Third Rule says that ANADs must obey their programming and follow human commands except where such action would violate Rules 1 and 2 (see above).
The Fourth Rule says ANADs must take all measures to survive as a swarm and propagate the swarm (replicate structure), except where there are conflicts with Rules 1, 2 and 3.
Many of the Rules follow behavior inherent in bird flocking, fish schooling, etc.
“Seems to sum up things pretty well,” Winger decided. He handed the pad back to Frost.
The Doc indicated some of ANAD’s newest improvements. “Take a look at this, Johnny.” He highlighted one of the assembler’s effectors, zooming in on a vaguely spherical shape. The effector was studded with loose waving chains of molecules, like a hairy ball. “Peptides like normal but with carbene grabbers at the end. You can snag anything with them and they won’t let go.”
“There must be hundreds of them, Doc. How did you get so many packed in so tight? I would have thought van der Waals forces would be too great. That thing should just fly apart.”
“Ah…it’s my little secret concoction. It’s in the architecture, Johnny…it’s all in how you overlap the bonds. Like a building…you get the molecules to fit together just right and all their bonds work together, supporting each other…just like an arch.”
Winger watched the upgraded master assembler for a few moments. “Doc, I’m still not sure exactly what happened at Kolkata. It was like ANAD was slogging through mud, compared with these Shavindra bots.”
“In a way, you were. Those quantum traps I showed you give Shavindra extra processing speed. Everything he does, he does faster. But I’m working on some improvements to ANAD’s basic architecture that should help.”
“That’s good to hear, Doc. I can’t help but think there are better tactics we could use against Shavindra. We made a standard approach to the temple. We deployed like we’ve trained so many times. Everybody did their jobs to the letter.” Winger shook his head ruefully. “And we got our butts kicked. I’m running out of ideas.”
Frost’s face lit up. “Why not ask ANAD for his thoughts?”
“You mean…right now?”
“Sure. The acoustic coupler’s working. While in containment, the quantum link is down but you can still talk the old-fashioned way. He’s part of your team, isn’t he?”
Winger nodded. “We’re trying to make him part of our team.” He selected ACSTC COUP ACTIVE on the touch screen. “ANAD, can you hear me? ANAD, this is Base….”
***ANAD receives acoustic signal…processing sender as Winger, MAJOR John, 1st Nanospace Battalion…***
Winger thought the coupler made him sound like a five- year old boy, with a bad cold.
“ANAD, load close-quarters tactical assault routines. Evaluate probability of success against Shavindra using each listed tactical approach.”
The assembler’s core processor crunched the numbers and in less than a second, a beep indicated the end of the run.
***Displaying analysis on screen***
The assembler had sent the results to the touch screen. Tables of data showed probability distributions for all possible tactical scenarios against Shavindra mission parameters stored in ANAD’s memory.
Winger studied the results. There weren’t any surprises. “ANAD…provide analysis…no, correct that. ANAD…provide additional options.”
For several moments, ANAD did not respond. Then the petulant voice of the five-year old came through the coupler speakers.
***ANAD has generated thirty-two additional tactical scenarios with similar conditions…now retrieving scenarios for transmission***
“ANAD, provide top three scenarios, ranked by probability of success.”
***ANAD computing probability distributions. Base…ANAD is also computing risk values for each scenario, with permutations of initial conditions***
“Very well, ANAD. How long will this take?”
***Base, ANAD desires to be released from containment…for further analysis***
Johnny Winger thought he had misunderstood. “Excuse me, ANAD, what was that?”
Again, the voice of a five-year old. ***Transmission of scenarios would be improved by seventy per cent if ANAD could simulate effects in real-time***
Winger frowned, looked over at Doc Frost, who was busy checking containment parameters on the panel. “Doc…he wants out of his room.”
“So I heard, Johnny. It’s highly irregular…I’m still in re-generation mode now, still have a couple of billion cells to re-do. If he leaves containment now, I’ll have to start all over again.”
Winger understood. And there was the small matter of Corps regulations regarding autonomous nanoscale mechanisms. “Understood, Doc. I really need the little guy whole and hearty. ANAD, just hold on, okay? Doc’s adding new stuff to your core processor.”
***ANAD can segment core and still function with stored programs in effector controls…ANAD wishes release from containment***
Frost was vigorously shaking his head. “It’s not possible, Johnny. His effector controls are just molecule clusters. Density, architecture, there’s nothing there to store data in…unless—“ Frost looked up with a quizzical stare at Winger. “—unless he’s somehow encoded stuff in the atomic bonds of those molecules. It just might be—“ Frost started pecking away at a nearby keyboard.
“Doc, can we release the guy or not?”
“Huh…oh, hmmm….” Frost thought for a moment. If he aborted the re-gen process now, two days’ worth of work would be wasted. Still…”—let’s try it, Johnny. Maybe ANAD knows something we don’t.” To himself, he was already thinking certain patterns of mutation can resemble evolutionary processes in autonomous replicating systems.
Frost cycled through the lock program on the containment control panel. A narrow port above them on the side of the tank suddenly snapped open with a series of clicks. The sound of high-pressure gas being vented came up in a shrill whistle, lasting a few seconds. Then came a louder click.
Containment was now breached. The path was now open.
“Release enabled, Johnny. Tell ANAD he can come out now.”
Winger did just that. He watched the aqueous grid wavering on the screen. The mass of spheres that was the ANAD master assembler began to shrink and in less than a minute, was gone completely.
At the same time, a faint twinkling mist had begun to issue from the release port above them.
Frost and Winger watched as the mist billowed out into the room. I
t spread and filled the air around the containment vessel like a clinging ground fog. Slowly, a faint human-like form began to materialize out of the fog, the barest hint of a face, then arms, then legs.
Several minutes later, the outlines of a slightly wavering ‘person’ had been formed from the assembly of countless trillions of nanobotic mechs, precipitating out of nothing into a human simulacrum, quivering at the edges, but solid enough to appear real if a bit ghostly from a distance.
The face was broadly reminiscent of Irwin Frost himself.
“Real cute, ANAD,” Winger observed.
Doc Frost came up to the still twinkling mist to examine it more closely. “I squeezed a little more speed out of his routine, Johnny. Changed a few steps.” He checked his watch, then studied the ANAD swarm again up and down. “Just under two minutes, to this point. He’s still filling in details, as more structure is built. We should have a near-normal human config in about eight more minutes.”
Winger was more interested in what the master assembler had to say.
“Okay, ANAD, you’re out of containment. What did you want to show us?”
***ANAD analysis of alternatives has generated seven tactical scenarios, all with risk values above standard threshold values. These scenarios deviate from standard procedures. ANAD computes two of these scenarios have success probabilities above seventy per cent.***
“In plain English, ANAD, what are these scenarios?”
***ANAD has just executed simulation of scenario number one…transformation of assembler swarm from natural config into biocompatible forms. Additional algorithm improvements will make rendering simulated forms faster and more accurate***
Winger could see the face and outline of the simulated ‘Doc Frost’ steadily thickening, filling in detail, right before his eyes. The Doc Frost sim was still translucent, with twinkling lights flashing inside as the assemblers broke atom bonds and built structure. It wouldn’t pass for the real thing, but was recognizably Doc nonetheless.
“You mean simulating human faces and forms, ANAD? What kind of scenario is that?”
***ANAD recommends simulation as ‘masquerade’ (WORD PARSED FROM MEMORY)…ANAD configures as Shavindra-style nanobotic assembler…analysis indicates deception tactics have greater success probabilities***
Johnny Winger and the Hellas Enigma Page 12