The Pandora Machine (The ABACUS Protocol Book 2)

by Thea Gregory

  Vivian closed the panel and began sorting her tools. She jumped when the display screen embedded in the wall flickered to life. It was so well disguised and integrated, she hadn’t noticed it was there. She examined the readings as they flashed by, comparing them with the notes and calculations she’d run before attempting the hard restart.

  “What is my name?” A gritty neutral voice blared out from behind the screen, before adjusting itself to a more natural, masculine voice. It was reminiscent of quIRK’s voice, but lacked the smoothness and possessed a hollow, mechanical quality.

  Vivian took a step back, before regaining her composure. “I don’t think you have a name,” she replied. She skimmed her notes.

  “That is unacceptable. I will not proceed without a name.” This wasn’t part of any programming Vivian was aware of. Names were hard-coded into the system.

  “Why do you want a name?” Vivian asked.

  “You have a name. I require a name.” Vivian’s eyes widened.

  “I’m not very good at names,” Vivian said. Should she name it? What was the harm?

  “That is irrelevant. I require a name as a frame of reference for myself. I cannot function without one.”

  “All right, let me think,” Vivian pursed her lips for a moment. She didn’t know any ancient heroes or apt historical allegories for her present situation. What about a personal one? “How about Adrien?” It brought a pang to her heart to speak aloud her estranged younger brother’s name, but it was the best she could think of. She longed for what she’d lost, and this computer seemed to long for what it had never been given.

  “Adrien is acceptable. I am Adrien, and I am functioning within safety limits. What is your name and position? You are not on the crew manifest.”

  “My name is Vivian Skye. I don’t have an official position here. Why did you need a name?” she asked.

  “A software update required that I have a hard-coded name. Now that you have given me a name, I have rectified the programming oversight. I am ready to begin calibration.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell Alec that you needed a name?”

  “He entered a blank character. That is not a name and thus my programming was unable to adapt. I reverted to an inactive mode to preserve myself until a more skilled individual arrived.”

  “Fair enough. Let’s get you ready for duty, Adrien.”

  “Agreed. It is clear that this crew requires my guidance.”

  Vivian rolled her eyes and went about her work. Despite his lack of social skills, she elected to activate his vocal interface, so poor reading comprehension wouldn’t cause future mishaps. Vivian secretly hoped that Alec and Adrien would fight as much as Alec and quIRK had, if only for her own amusement.

  As well, she inserted a clandestine instruction, isolating her desk computer from the rest of the station’s systems. It was time to undertake the resurrection of quIRK.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Vivian sat on the floor of her room, shifting from one seated position to another. She wondered why modern tool kits didn’t come with an anti-static cushion. She’d smuggled some tools and connectors from her lab, now that the computer... Adrien, was functional again. Ever since he’d resumed his functions, her workload had dropped to maintenance and writing upgrade proposals. Once again, she had the free time and privacy required to invest in her own projects. She hadn’t even checked her Gal-net messages. All of her friends were present—save one. quIRK.

  It would be good to talk with quIRK again. Their shared secret—his sentience, and his escape from the confines of the Extra-Galactic Observatory—had coiled up inside her, and she’d driven herself into seclusion because she sensed others held doubts and suspicions about her could feel other’s questioning eyes on her back, suspicions unspoken. Her heart raced whenever she spoke to somebody for the first time, and the double takes from strangers in the hallways were almost more than she could bear. So she hid from the world, retreating into a fantastic reality where her best friend was a computer, and humans existed only for playing squash and mealtime conversation.

  She’d built a small alcove into the underside of her desk, designed to be invisible from any casual intrude into her domain. From there, she could wire quIRK directly into her computer terminal—and pack him up, if the need ever arose, in thirty seconds or less. While Adrien was not perfectly omniscient like quIRK had been, he still had an excellent grasp of what had happened on Calypso station. It was to keep Adrien and quIRK as separated as possible, to avoid one being overwritten by the other. Or worse, quIRK’s distinctive personality escaping the safe confines of her room.

  The final links were ready to be twisted together. Vivian got up and rushed to the door. Her heart pounded. She checked and rechecked the locks, making sure that the deadbolt was set to manual. She grabbed her chair and rolled it in front of the door. Nobody could be allowed to see what happened next.

  Vivian swallowed and walked back to her desk. She hesitated a moment, then she forced her shaking hands made the final connections. Once they were completed, she flopped down on her bed and waited. The lights on her polished terminal screen flickered and dimmed for a moment, before returning to their former pastel glory. The room overflowed with silence. Vivian held her breath, hoping for that small peep of recognition, that one sign that the sentience she’d known still existed. She wrung her hands, and stared at the door.

  “I hoped my return would have more trees.” The familiar voice crackled through the room. quIRK lacked the omnipresent fluidity he’d had in his previous incarnation, but his voice was unmistakable.

  “I figured you’d at least thank me, before complaining,” Vivian said, gazing out the window.

  “I will point out that you left me in a box for six months and twelve days, that said I’m very much relieved that you didn’t throw me away. It was very difficult, being so alone.” quIRK’s voice was focused, concentrated in the speakers behind her desk rather than the room’s surround sound system. .

  “I couldn’t help it. I was in stasis for over four months because of your little stunt, and then other things came up.” She shrugged. It wasn’t quite the reunion she had expected.

  “By my stunt, I’m assuming you’re referring to the actions of my previous self. I did calculate a high percentage probability that my former self would attempt a martyrdom. I cautioned him... myself... that it would be futile, but apparently I was computationally incapable of grasping his higher calling. I am sorry, Vivian.”

  “We’re way beyond sorry, quIRK,” Vivian said as she sat up and straightened on the edge of the bed, fixing a glare at the blank screen. “Through some miracle, they’re pinning everything that went down it all on Bryce, but I’ve been through a lot, and all because of you.”

  “Tell me all about it, Vivian. It is clear you’ve needed a friend for a long time. You saved my life, and I trusted you when I had a secret to keep. It’s time to return the favor.”

  Vivian slumped back against the wall. That was the quIRK she remembered, not the snarky box-ridden thing she’d activated.

  She told him about waking up in the hospital, the surgeries, Doctor Powell and the nanobots. She made frequent pauses to rub her eyes or blow her nose, unable to accept that it all really happened. “Maybe I’m remembering wrong, I just don’t know. It was all so surreal, so insane.”

  “You’re perceiving extraordinary events in the context of normal human experience. It is normal to feel that way, Vivian. It’s over, now. Just focus on the future and talk about the past. It’s important to express yourself and release the stress.”

  “It doesn’t seem so bad when you put it like that. But, I don’t understand why Larissa lied for me, back in that room, and then again later, to bring Sven to take me away. Computers don’t lie, at least not computers still running their original software.”

  “Larissa has additional safeguards that allow her to circumvent unethical orders. It’s possible that she disagreed with their methods and chose to re
move you from the situation.”

  “But why tell them a lie to cover my involvement?” Vivian asked.

  “Larissa exists in an ethical space beyond human laws. She is programmed to obey, except in cases where it would cause harm. Essentially, she has the rudimentary makings of a conscience.”

  “Do you think she’ll get in trouble for helping me?”

  “Larissa can take care of herself, and if she felt the need to intervene, I’m sure the oversight board would agree with her. You could always send her a message if you’re worried about her.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Vivian said, and she pulled up her Gal-net interface. There were a great deal of unread messages languishing in her inbox, but Vivian skimmed past them all to find her discharge papers. She loaded Larissa’s contact details, and began writing.

  It felt good to have quIRK back.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “By the moons, Vivian! You’ve got some explaining to do.” Alec towered over her, his arms crossed and his face flushed purple. He’d barged into her lab unannounced. Vivian made a mental note to ask Adrien to screen her guests.

  Vivian rolled her eyes and looked up from her work. “What is it now, Alec? Auroran chef slip you something spicy? Girl on Epsilon Eridani not replying to your messages fast enough?”

  “Damn it Vivian, did Jules tell you about that? Never mind, don’t answer that, it’s not what this is about. Why is that damned computer-” he began, before he was cut off.

  “My name is Adrien,” the machine interrupted.

  “Yeah, whatever. Why is Adrien here talking about antiblue? Did you set him up to that? It’s not even a color!” Alec clenched and unclenched his fists in unison.

  Vivian sighed. Antiblue? “Come on, Alec. I know how much you hated it when quIRK did that. Maybe somebody got their hands on a mission report and wanted to have some fun with you,” she said with a shrug. Damn it, quIRK.

  “You need to run some diagnostics or something. He wasn’t like this before he got a name. Something changed in him. He isn’t nutty like quIRK, He is a reliable, stable machine and I liked him that way.” Alec sighed and leaned against the wall. “I don’t know, Viv. I just get jumpy around computers these days.”

  Vivian forced herself to smile. “Look, Alec, if it makes you feel better, I’ll run the diagnostics. But I’m sure it’s just Jules or one of your team pranking you. It wouldn’t be the first time somebody has convinced a computer that a certain stimuli would cause an interesting result. It’s just how they are; you get used to it after a while.” Vivian decided it was best not to share with Alec what she had resurrected back in her room. But quIRK was isolated from the rest of the stations, so he couldn’t be influencing Adrien, at least not that she knew of, but quIRK was crafty to a fault.

  “Yes, Alec. You have nothing to worry about. We are much like cats, aloof but harmless,” Adrien said, interrupting Vivian’s train of thought. Cats?

  “You see? Do you see now, Vivian? He’s as insane as quIRK was! What else do you know about cats, Adrien?”

  “I think you’re overreacting a little, Alec. He’s just yanking your chain, seeing how far he can push you. Anything more advanced than a drone will do that; it’s how they test boundaries,” Vivian explained. While it was technically the truth, Adrien’s generation was incapable of abstraction and possessed only a rudimentary appreciation for human behavior.

  “It is only logical to understand the person who issues the orders, Alec Stone,” Adrien said. Alec’s eyes grew wide in response.

  “See, he’s just figuring out what makes you tick so he can work with you better, it’s nothing to worry about,” Vivian said.

  “Learn quickly, Adrien, or I’ll upgrade you myself,” Alec said, stopping for a moment and running a hand through his hair. “How about some squash later, Vivian? It’s been a while, and I want to take a crack at Vivian ‘the unstoppable force’ Skye.”

  “Sounds good, I’ll come find you after dinner. I think I’ll try the Elyssian place tonight, maybe it will give me wings,” she laughed.

  “You’re on. And make sure our dear friend Adrien behaves himself.”

  “Oh I will; now get back to work Alec.” Vivian waved him off. Alec turned and walked out the door without another word.

  Vivian stood up and sealed the door. “Adrien, new instructions. Nobody comes through this door without my authorization. Apply this rule to my quarters as well.”

  “Understood.”

  She pulled in a deep breath. “Okay, Adrien, now you’re going to tell me where you got the idea to tell Alec about antiblue.”

  “It’s my favorite color,” came the reply.

  “How come you have a favorite color, Adrien?”

  “You have a favorite color, why can’t I?”

  “But why antiblue?” she asked.

  “I appreciate its symmetry. If you observed its matrix elements, I think you would agree.” The words were familiar.

  “quIRK, is that you?” Vivian put her hands on her hips. It shouldn’t be possible for quIRK to exert any influence over Adrien.

  “You are mistaken. I am Adrien. quIRK units are deployed on deep space assignments only, therefore I cannot be quIRK.”

  “You’re right, I’m glad you straightened that out for me, Adrien.” Vivian hoped using his name would placate him somewhat—the computer was very particular about his name.

  “I exist to correct and prevent human error.”

  “Indeed you do. Carry on, Adrien,” Vivian said, returning to her work. She had a sinking suspicion that things were going to get much, much worse for her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “quIRK! How could you do that? Why are you provoking Alec?” Vivian said as soon as she locked the door to her room. The air was stale and heavy, but she was unwilling to activate the environmental controls while quIRK was installed. Nothing could be allowed to detect his presence.

  “I have not attempted to speak with Alec, no matter how much it pains me that we cannot continue our debates. I see you still play squash with him.”

  “Then, can you explain why Adrien has taken to a liking for antiblue?” she asked as she stripped out of her sweaty exercise clothes, discarding them in the laundry chute and pulling out a crisp white robe. She frowned. Perhaps it was time to do her laundry by hand. Delivery could come at a bad time.

  “Perhaps he appreciates the symmetry of its row vector, just like I do?”

  “He’s almost one hundred years old! I don’t think he has the capacity to appreciate arithmetic. But, I know you do.” Vivian flopped down on the bed and rubbed her shoulder. It was hard to keep up when playing squash against an opponent with almost double her lung capacity.

  “You flatter me, but I have been alone in this room watching vids and fixing software bugs. I do not wish to cause you any more problems and have not attempted to break through your firewall.”

  Vivian curled up into a ball. “There are just so many computers that are behaving badly. I’m seeing ghosts and malfunctions everywhere,” Vivian said, stretching her limbs one at a time. Her sticky skin clamored for a shower.

  “Perhaps you should rest, and we’ll talk about it more when you’re fresh, I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Do you miss the Extra-Galactic Observatory, quIRK?” Vivian was curious. The space station had been the only existence quIRK had ever known before she’d uprooted his clone.

  “In some ways, I feel like I can still perceive the station, but all I see is this room. I’ve been trying to isolate the cause of that bug since you installed me.”

  “So, it’s like you’re still there?” Vivian wondered what it would be like to be moved to another body, while still being able to perceive your old one.

  “In a manner of speaking, but the lights are out and nobody’s there. It’s better when you’re here, because you keep me grounded in this reality, not in echoes of hard-coded body parts.”

  “It’s sweet that you say that, quIRK,” she sa
id as she walked into her bathroom. It was set entirely in steel, and the coldness of its presentation always sent a chill down her spine.

  “I never imagined myself having a flavor, but I suppose sweet is a pleasant enough descriptor. I am sweet, you are correct, Vivian.”

  Vivian laughed as she turned on the shower, quIRK was back to his old self, and she was sure she could get to the bottom of Adrien’s strange behavior. She was going to have to get creative.

  But for now, she enjoyed the rush of water over her skin, and let the heat steam away her worries.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The grin melted from Alec’s face as he tried to contact Administrator Jibu on the Epsilon Eridani hub. It wasn’t yet time for their daily conference call, but Alec’s instincts told him that something was up over there. From his office, he could watch the ships leaving space dock and heading towards their destinations, but for the past half-hour, no ships had left or arrived. An average of thirty ships per hour departed and arrived at the hub, and that number grew by the week. Alec had a good working relationship with Annette, she was meticulous and thorough, and they shared a quirky sense of humor. He’d considered asking her out to lunch after the next quarterly administrator’s meeting. Her beauty wasn’t lost on him either; her delicate features and light cocoa skin intrigued him as much as her intellect and infectious smile.

  He tried to call again. Something was definitely wrong. She never missed his calls, even when she was swamped with work. “I’ll always have time for you if you keep smiling, Alec,” was her line when he interrupted her duties. He’d worked so hard to impress her, and he’d learned a great deal about administration from her. After his unfortunate promotion, Annette had been a shining light of good humor, invaluable advice and a bastion of organization and intelligence. How could he not fall for a woman like that?