Richard shook his head as the door behind him closed, secluding the two of them in the large computer lab. He was trying to ignore her comment. Instead, he changed the subject.
“Have you started Number 5’s reprogramming yet?”
Karen turned in her chair and pulled up several monitor screens.
“What the Director is asking is no small feat. Reprogramming advanced code like this will take time, especially if we are to not have a repeat of that incident again,” she replied strictly.
Richard’s word’s sharpened as he leaned closer. “You’re awfully calm for someone who seemed very against the idea before. You almost seem like-”
“Are you here to pry or to work? The Director assigned only us this job given the history of the project, and the fact that we are essentially the only people capable of this,” Karen interrupted.
Richard didn’t by it. “I don’t know about that. More eyes can catch things others missed.” He peered deeply at a blueprint of Epsilon and its seven petabyte code script. “I don’t like this at all.”
“That’s because you lack focus and resolve. I alone am worth over a hundred of our best Tech Agents. I however can’t say the same about you,” she responded acutely.
Richard snarled. “And I’m starting to think you lack more than just a soul.”
Karen didn’t feel like commenting on her husband’s words. Instead, she moved the conversation elsewhere.
“Where is Margret?” She didn’t even seem interested in her own question.
Richard switched gears, chuckling lightly. “What, feeling a little guilty?”
Karen barely batted an eyelash. “Nope, just trying to entertain your unfocused mind.”
Richard scowled. “So, you’re saying I can’t handle this?”
Karen shrugged, hardly paying him any attention.
Richard shook his head. “Karen, are you worried about our son? What if Epsilon is deployed and goes berserk like before, and Zack is caught in the crossfire?”
Karen began typing on the keyboard before her. “He will live, just like he did those three years ago,” she replied coldly.
Richard took on a rigid tone. “You know, regarding those events, a certain someone has been asking quite a few questions. I think you know what I’m getting at.”
Karen shrugged. “So? Your point?
Richard sighed. “I think it’s high time we told Margret what we know.”
Karen faced her husband with a grisly stare. “We signed contracts with Babel stating that we would never speak of the events that transpired.”
Richard laughed. “I’m sorry, but have you forgotten who we are talking about here? It was hard enough to convince her to wait outside while I softened you up.”
Karen’s stare glazed over. “This course of action isn’t needed,” she spat.
Her husband smirked. “You had this coming, among other things.”
Karen didn’t get a chance to respond as the lab door swung open. She merely stared at the adversary now glaring through her soul with disdain.
Karen had to hold back a grin. “Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today,” Karen chimed to herself, quoting Mark Twain.
* * *
[January 13th, 2022 - (Past) - Abingdon, Virgina - 43 Academy Drive - Night]
Zack’s fingers blazed across his keyboard. His stomach howled for solid nourishment. His diet had literally consisted of nothing but beef jerky and energy drinks. Right now, he was running on pure fumes as he came to the home stretch of his project. Finally, he fell back in his chair, completely exhausted.
At last . . . it is done.
“Zackary . . . have you completed my Avatar?” hummed the soft words of a female voice.
Zack looked to the bottom of his screen. A small window appeared on his desktop, displaying wavelengths as the voice spoke. He smiled pleasantly as he prepared an answer fitting for the source of his efforts.
“It took some time, but I managed to fully construct your Avatar from scratch. Now, despite being just an AI, you will have a body, Rachiel,” Zack responded proudly. Just the thought of the fruits of his effort was enough to make him forget his desire to eat and sleep.
“If you don’t mind, I would just like to look over your program to make sure there aren’t any bugs,” announced the voice on Zack’s desktop.
“Be my guest. It is, after all, your body.”
Several windows sprang into existence all over Zack’s screen as billions of code streamed through the open windows at blinding speed. As he gazed in awe at the speed that Rachiel was taking in the program he had so taxingly made possible, he couldn’t help but also feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. In the past, he would have never had the motivation to do such a thing. He had only one person to really thank for this, and that person finally had a body she would be able to use.
“All seems in order. You have done a splendid job once again, Zackary,” Rachiel replied soothingly, sounding pleased.
Zack felt a little embarrassed by her flattery. “This was nothing compared to what it took to construct your program.”
“Indeed. Your durability has always been one of your strongest qualities.”
“I suppose you might be right,” Zack replied with a hint of bashfulness.
Rachiel promptly changed the subject. “So, have you mentioned me to your parents yet?”
Zack’s moment of happiness nearly shattered at the question. Rachiel was a complete secret, and a secret he wanted it to remain. He had no idea what his parents would do if they found out that he created his own AI program based off of some of their old research data. Frankly, he was terrified that they wouldn’t approve, or worse, take Rachiel away from him.
I refuse to let that happen, Zack thought with intensity.
However, the problem was that Rachiel had become interested in having Zack show what he had done. Zack understood her feelings, but was worried. Rachiel was but a program, a unique and intelligent program, but a program at the core. Zack knew what his parents were like, and despite what he had told Rachiel directly, she still insisted of her existence to be known by them. Zack for some time had been dodging the issue, but was now worried that he might have to cave to her demands. In some ways, it was alarming how human and persuasive she would act. Her will was growing.
“I still don’t know if now is a good time. They’re busy-”
“They are always busy. I’m smart enough to know when you are lying,” Rachiel shot sternly.
Zack winced. Not only had Rachiel shown incredible adaptability since her creation, but she had been able to analyze and learn to completely assimilate tone and emotion into her words, making her speech commanding and strong. She was able to show great compassion and strength all through simple dialogue. It astounded Zack just how far she had progressed since her original programming.
Zack simply smiled after taking in Rachiel’s heated words.
“I can see you through the optical sensors in your computer . . . is your facial expression a form of making fun of me?” Rachiel probed with latent distrust.
Zack laughed softly. “Of course not. You simply astound me, that’s all.”
Rachiel’s tone suddenly changed. She almost sounded embarrassed. “W-where is that coming from?”
“Just stating an observation, that’s all,” Zack replied with a playful grin.
A low groan echoed over Zack’s speaker. He found it amusing and fascinating how she was able to create the emotions of her frustration.
“I digress,” Rachiel said a little snootily. “Have you managed to create a dummy account for me to log on to the Network?” she added sounding less fresh.
“I have. The program could use a few more modifications, though. I want to make sure it’s perfect before you use it. If the World Moderators find out I hacked the Cyber Network to allow an unregistered AI to take hold of its own Avatar and account, I would be lucky to escape with both arms attac
hed.”
Rachiel noted Zack’s grave words. She didn’t wish harm to befall Zack, or to be separated from him. There was a connection that she couldn’t exactly explain. Something in her code just couldn’t stand the idea of no longer being able to see Zack.
She paused as an unusual sensation grabbed hold of her core.
This feeling . . . is this what humans call love?
Rachiel was vexed by this word. She had studied it to great extent to learn all its applications and to fully grasp what the word meant. Over the months since her creation, she had begun to understand more and more what it was to be human. At first it appeared that she was merely mimicking what she learned rather than actually feeling the emotions associated with humans. However, without Zack’s permission, she updated her code and programs to allow her the ability to “feel” these emotions. Zack gave her full authority to learn whatever she wanted, but something inside her didn’t want to ask him. She wanted to learn this on her own.
Since then, Rachiel quickly began to notice how she anxiously awaited Zack’s return from his educational duties and was always so relieved to see him. These emotions overflowed within her as she dived deeper and deeper into what they all meant and felt like. The conclusion she came to seemed so simple. They were just three simple words, but they carried such heavy meaning behind them.
I love him.
Even Rachiel found these words hard to grasp. She knew these were her feelings, but she just didn’t know if what she felt was real. She hoped that when she materialized in the Network, and saw Zack eye to eye in her own body, she would know for sure if the feelings that she had were genuine. She had even prepared a gift to thank Zack for all his hard work. A simple present in honor of his diligence and spirit that he had shown her. All that remained now was to put the plan into motion. It was all she could see at that point. It made her careless in her judgment and blind to what should have been done.
“I’m sure the program is fine. You put so much effort into all of your work. I doubt there are any complications,” Rachiel said willingly.
Zack wasn’t convinced. The magnitude of what he was about to do weighed heavy on his mind. There was no surefire way that the Moderators of the Network wouldn’t notice. It wasn’t so much the creation of the dummy account, but the upload onto the Network that Zack was most worried about. He couldn’t take any chances. He couldn’t and wouldn’t allow anything to happen to Rachiel. After all, she was everything to him. She was a mentor, a friend, someone he could talk and confide in. She was everything Zack wanted from his parents and everyone around him. She was perfect; his ideal woman, made for him, and only him. No matter what, he couldn’t lose her.
“What we are doing is delicate. We have to make sure the program is perfect, otherwise we are done for.”
Rachiel noted Zack’s stern words. However, despite something telling her to not persist, she couldn’t put down the issue of wanting to push the timeline up.
“I’ve already looked it over and all is in order. There is nothing to fear.”
Rachiel couldn’t believe what she said. She had outright lied. There were some problems with the program. The problems presented only a “chance” something could go wrong, but Rachiel was willing to take that chance as fixing the program would delay things for days. She overrode all her logic and data telling her to fix the program, and simply pushed Zack. The simple act of deception was a beast she had never known.
Zack paused in thought, but only for a moment.
“Perhaps it’s all right. If you say everything is in order, far be it for me to say your analysis is faulty.” Zack smiled. “Seeing your will manifest like this often makes me forget that you are a supercomputer at times.”
Rachiel felt a sudden sting. The fissure generated within her code was alien and uncomfortable. It was like an entire piece of her program suddenly failed for but a second, only to start up again like nothing had happened. The feeling was unreal and strange. Her uncertainty to this sensation frightened her. It wasn’t like her to not understand something of this nature.
“O-of course,” Rachiel said with as little of a stammer as she could. “I would never steer you wrong. So shall we proceed with the preparations?” she urged, not realizing her own uncertainty.
Zack nodded. “Very well. It will take time for everything to load and set, but it all should be ready to go in ten minutes. Once I set the program on the server, the Network should receive it as normal, not knowing it is a dummy account, and the upload process should begin. Since it will be the first time you log in on the account, it will just take a little longer than my account will.”
“I see,” Rachiel replied, trying to sound reassured.
It was astounding. Despite her having no body, she felt like her very core was being pulled in millions of directions. It was like every word she uttered made her uneasiness grow. What was this sinking feeling? Was this what was called dishonesty?
No . . . this is what they call guilt.
“Alright, everything appears to be in order. I will begin your upload to the server now, and while that is going on I will log in before you. It shouldn’t be long before we see each other face to face,” Zack said with considerable anxiousness. He couldn’t wait for this much longer than Rachiel.
Rachiel could feel her entire matrix of code being moved and copied as Zack said this. It was odd how her infinite lines of encrypted text and grids seemed to shrink all around her as she appeared to be funneled to a new location. She was so taken back by this experience that she had forgotten, just for a moment, the heavy weight crushing her.
On Zack’s end, he quickly set himself up for the Dive to the Network server as Rachiel’s upload rounded the fifteen percent mark. With a few taps on his keyboard as he laid back in his chair, he quickly was reclined and blinded by the white light as his consciousness was processed into the Cyber Network. Zack paid the minor pain of the light little attention as he could only see and anticipate what was to come. It would be his first meeting with Rachiel where he could finally see her in humanoid form. He would be able to touch her, hold her, and interact with her like any other human. For Zack, this was the ultimate achievement—to create the perfect being for him to look up to and trust. He couldn’t ask for any more.
Simple seconds felt like an eternity, but with time, Zack was blessed with the radiating world of the Cyber Network. The server he had uploaded to was hardly occupied, which gave him the advantage to go unseen with Rachiel should anything happen. Even if Probes appeared, he was confident enough he could outwit the Blue Power Rangers quite easily. He also took some extra precautions in altering his Avatar to give him a different appearance. It was a minor hack on his account that would go unnoticed by even the lowest of AI bots roaming the Network, but he felt it would be in his best interest. He truly felt he had all the bases covered. Even if he was seen with Rachiel, no one would know exactly what he looked like and Rachiel’s account would operate like a ghost and disappear once her system left the Network. It was a perfect plan and all that was left to do was wait for Rachiel’s program to finish processing and begin its final upload procedure.
Zack glanced down at his wrist. A small screen appeared over it and displayed a long yellow bar. The bar read: fifty-seven percent complete.
One can’t rush perfection.
The time left for the program to finish was around five minutes before Rachiel would begin uploading to the current server. Given the time left, Zack felt that he might as well move around as to not grow too anxious as the clock ticked on. There was no fear or worry of where Rachiel would upload, as he had arranged her access point to be attached to his account. She would appear wherever he was once she was ready. That being the case, Zack took care to stay off the beaten path, and away from other Account Holders as he rounded the large park area he had been placed in.
The area he was in was known as a Common Zone. The server was a simple rest area used by many people to
lounge and free roam, thus allowing a carefree atmosphere and relaxing auras. Many people liked to use these server rooms as a means to escape the world outside and simply enjoy a lush, green world where few problems could reach them. It was the perfect place to hide the upload of an illegal program such as Rachiel.
I must admit, this was a brilliant idea, if I do say so myself, Zack gloated.
His thoughts were quickly derailed as he was rudely interrupted by the sudden collision of an outside force beyond his vision. The entity charged with this assault barreled over Zack and rolled off the brick road Zack was walking on. Zack was less fortunate as he had been hit to such a degree that he hardly had a spare second to brace for his fall and fell flat on the stone walkway. The pain receptors in his brain alerted him that his face was experiencing great discomfort.
“What in the-”
Zack couldn’t get a sentence through as he was yanked to his feet. When he gazed up at the person holding him up, he quickly noted her intense features and blonde hair.
“Um . . . excu-”
The girl didn’t let him finish as she spun Zack around and pulled his arm behind his back. Zack watched in horror as he saw the girl summon a large blade in a flash of light. The blade was then placed right under his neck and began to pulse like a beating heart at its yellow center.
The girl leaned in close as she whispered into his ear. “If you want to live, you will not struggle . . . am I clear?”
Zack’s body shivered. Her words had such hatred and malice layered on them that he could almost feel the pressure of them. Still, that wasn’t the worst of it. Rachiel was now reaching ninety nine percent in processing her program script. She would begin her upload in just seconds from now, and would materialize right where Zack was in the next few minutes. The procedure couldn’t be aborted at this stage, or he risked harm to Rachiel’s program and Neural Cortex. Zack would never forgive himself if something happened to her just as she first entered the Cyber Network.
Zack’s horrors only continued to grow.
A dark figure burst into existence through a black cut in space. The entity landed with grace and poise while no more than twenty feet from Zack and his captor. The person before them adorn violet armor and a metal mask. The advisory whipped its head to flip its long flowing head of hair behind its back. Zack’s eyes only continued to grow.
The Genesis Code 1: Lambda Page 19