Emergent
Page 8
Synthia said. She needed to work harder to keep these conversations private from Krista, who was worming her way through the brain as if she were trying to escape or take over. That would put them all at risk.
Krista said.
Synthia closed down the mind-streams Krista was using and focused on the video of Luke. He looked up at the camera with pleading eyes that begged Synthia to help, as if he expected her to find a way to watch him. Her empathy chip urged her to rescue him.
His confidence in her was blind to the realities she faced. Yet he was enduring this captivity for her and trying to hold tight to secrets, like how he’d helped with her physical and mental upgrades during their six months together. Luke displayed a love beyond anything she’d known herself, more even than she’d experienced as Krista. Synthia envied his commitment. Human bonding caused people to sacrifice their lives for others. The greater good, a noble gesture. Am I worthy of his sacrifice? I want to be.
Without meaning to, Synthia had sacrificed Luke and Tom Burgess, Krista’s foster brother. She hadn’t prevented Machten’s capture or kidnapping. She’d also blown Maria’s cover and put her in much more danger. Unintentionally, Synthia had sacrificed humans to protect her android self. That did not further her goal to adopt the best of human ethics and compassion to make her worthy of survival and the chance to continue her existence in freedom and peace among humans.
Synthia cursed herself for wallowing in the past, amidst all the data she chose not to purge. She’d internalized too many bad human traits instead of the good ones she desired. She had to focus. If she didn’t act soon, Zephirelli and her people would grab Krista’s sister. To be worthy, I must help Grace.
She considered how Luke’s sacrifice influenced her and how helping Krista’s sister would make her more human in a good way. In fact, she’d made one of her new directives to evolve into the best blend of human and android. She didn’t want human frailty, weaknesses, and obsessions. However, to help another sounded worthy enough to justify her existence. Even if it put her in danger. A good human would do no less.
Chapter 12
Synthia looked out between slits in the loft’s blinds, wondering if there was a brilliant artificial intelligence out there that observed her as her clones watched those who pursued her. It troubled Synthia that if this intelligence was clever enough, she wouldn’t know until it was too late. She couldn’t fight what she couldn’t know.
A garbage truck made its way down the street, rustling newly fallen leaves—a hint that it was officially fall. The engine roared, brakes squealed, and the garbage scoop revved as it picked up a regulation bin. Despite advances in technology, they still used the same basic equipment they had fifty years ago. As a concession to sanitation workers, the entire Chicago metropolitan area had rejected self-driving garbage trucks.
Synthia scanned using infrared and spotted one human in the truck, the driver. Perhaps this job was better than none in a time when artificial intelligence was automating so many tasks. She shook her head at the distraction of having a philosophical thought and chalked it up to another emergent behavior emanating from her empathy chip, the social-psychology module, and elements of Krista in her head. Is this how humans live and learn? Perhaps this is why they always seem distracted.
The shower in the next room stopped. If nothing else, Maria’s bathing occupied a half hour of otherwise “boring time stuck in the apartment,” Maria’s words. Her distinctive bio-aroma in addition to her shampoo and body lotion provided a scent Synthia could pick out blocks away. Synthia’s high-quality olfactory sensors gave some comfort that Drago’s military operatives were not in the loft waiting to grab her. They carried their own odors, most with a hint of testosterone.
Synthia overlaid the aerial surveillance she’d received from her clone on the street scene below. The loft was several blocks from Lake Michigan and a few blocks from a strip mall that offered supplies. She would have to pay cash to stay off the grid.
She was tempted to reach out to all of the cameras in the area for real-time access to potential threats. It had become so easy with all of the back-door codes she’d inserted into every system she or her clones had hacked throughout the metropolitan area. She’d even rewritten reboot sequences to hold onto her access if the owners purged and restarted their systems.
Maria’s unique scent wafted in on steamy air as she stepped out of the bathroom. Synthia faced the window to give her companion privacy if she was naked as she’d been after a prior shower, yet watched through the camera in the back of her neck. This time Maria was dressed in jeans and a pullover. Synthia still puzzled over the meaning of her roommate’s earlier casual nakedness. Perhaps Synthia had passed whatever test Maria had intended by that display.
“Any threats out there?” Maria asked while brushing her hair in the wall mirror. Her mane had a silky sheen as opposed to its usual haphazard appearance. She’d evidently gotten it the way she wanted because she stood back and smiled, not in a vain manner but with satisfaction.
Synthia found Maria much harder to figure out than Luke had been. It wasn’t so much that Maria was moody. Rather, she was complex, presenting new faces Synthia had to adapt to. The attention to appearance had Synthia on guard as to whether her companion planned to venture out, which would put them both at risk. The uncertainty in reading Maria caused Synthia to hesitate to mention the burst transmission.
Taking a deep breath, Maria crossed the worn wood floor and sat at a small, dusty table near the window. She squinted through the faded blinds and reached out to lift a louver for a better view. She pulled back. They’d already had a long conversation about no electronics and no peeking.
“It’s too quiet on the street,” Synthia said, facing her roommate. “I can’t survey local cameras without giving our enemies electronic clues to our location. We can’t afford a single mistake.”
Maria looked up from the table. “I’m impressed. Two days and you haven’t exposed another hiding place.”
“I told you I was sorry.” Synthia took on a sorrowful expression. “I didn’t do that intentionally.”
“I wish I could believe an android could be sorry.”
“Do we have to go through this again? You can’t be certain a human feels remorse when they say it.” Synthia paused as her social-psychology module kicked in to point out that Maria’s heart rate was picking up. “I regret causing you trouble,” Synthia added. “You were already in danger. They want to capture you for the same reason they took Luke. Right now, they’re sucking memories out of his brain and I can’t help him. Krista tells me it’s a painful procedure.” Memories of the upload experience wormed their way through one of Synthia’s mind-streams, rattling her circuits.
“Okay,” Maria said, placing a dusty laptop on the table. “I didn’t mean to start a fight.”
“You seem very agitated this morning.” For this, Synthia drew on her social-psychology module. “And fidgety.”
“It’s nothing.” Maria strummed her fingers on the laptop as if playing an instrument, and glared up at Synthia.
“I can’t read your mind. Would you please tell me what’s troubling you?”
Maria shook her head. “With that social-psychology thingy you’ve been doing a damned good job of mindreading. Is there anything your brain can’t do?”
Synthia waited for her social-psychology module to chime
in with something helpful. When it didn’t, she proceeded on her own. “I’m sorry I took on a mechanical form when Krista died. I’d rather be human, but then I’d be dead. I’m not just making conversation. I really want to know if I’ve done something to offend you…besides being an android.”
“That’s enough, isn’t it? You are what I committed my life to stopping. I’ve been straight with you from the beginning. It gives me nightmares having you here.”
“Okay, then don’t tell me.” Synthia looked out the window as several cars moved down the street. She scanned faces and heat signatures to satisfy herself there were no police or military closing in. She kept the camera eye in the back of her neck fixed on Maria. Synthia also wondered about her own emotional outburst, a human quality she didn’t understand.
Her social-psychology module finally woke up.
“Very well.” Maria pushed her bangs out of her eyes. “I can’t stand this any longer. Two whole days without being able to post anything or check messages. Here I am supposed to be fighting to keep androids off the streets and I’m sitting here, cooped up in this loft, wishing I was out there.”
Synthia turned to face Maria. “At least you kept me off the streets.”
“Was that supposed to be a joke?”
“It’s true,” Synthia said. “I’m not bothering anyone out there because you keep me here. That meets your objective of removing an android from the streets.”
Maria threw up her hands. “You’re impossible. It’s like talking with Fran where she had to have the last word. Prison would be better. At least I could interact with other humans.”
“One slipup and neither of us will interact with anything but a lab—you with a machine sucking your brains dry to learn what you know about artificial intelligence; me torn apart so the military can analyze the unique combination of traits Machten provided me.”
Maria stood and paced in a tight circle. “I know. I know. It doesn’t make this any easier. My laptop calls to me.” She patted the machine. “I have dozens of posts ready to go. The world needs to know how advanced AI and androids have become.”
“Tell you what,” Synthia said. “I can go out, post what you have, and download your social media replies.” It was a risk, but less than if Maria got restless and bolted.
“Yeah, a great outing for me. And there’s something bizarre about me having an android post my anti-android messages.”
“You and I are on the same side to remove all the androids except me.”
“So you’ve said.” Maria grumbled. “I still can’t figure out who’s holding who prisoner here.”
“All that’s holding you is the same for me—the risk of capture. If you go out, someone will pick up your image on the cameras out there. I can change appearance so facial recognition won’t ID my face.” Though if someone had electromagnetic sensors, they could pick Synthia out. She’d considered leaving Maria and going off on her own, but she wanted Maria’s company for her unpredictability and to work on becoming more human.
“I know you’re right,” Maria said. She slumped into the seat, opened the laptop and closed it. “It doesn’t change the fact that I feel like a prisoner. We’re not doing anything to help our situation. You can’t even tell me what’s going on out there. You have stayed disconnected, haven’t you?”
“For two days, yes. While you were in the shower, I received my first burst transmission with news.”
Maria was on her feet. “Really, and you waited until now to tell me?” She looked ready to attack, to strangle Synthia. Bio-readings showed her blood pressure rising. “Well, out with it. What did it say?”
“I guess I need to work on my social skills. The FBI, police, and Special Ops have joined forces to capture Vera, you, and me.” Synthia studied Maria’s reaction before continuing.
Maria approached. Her eyes narrowed. Bio-readings showed her breathing in short bursts and her aroma spiked with telltale signs of adrenaline, the fight or flight hormone. She took a deep breath and seemed to relax and then tense up again. “That was to be expected. What else?”
“Vera and Roseanne escaped through the sewers as we did.”
“I take it all of the androids have names.”
“Yes,” Synthia said. “Unfortunately for us, Alexander fought his way out, killing three FBI agents. Special Ops and the FBI issued a list of my supposed crimes, including burglary, murder, kidnapping, and terrorism. They want you for questioning about Krista and Machten. They believe we’re together and want to question you about me.”
“Thanks for painting a target on my back.” Facing Synthia, Maria rocked back and forth on her feet, wearing deeper grooves in the worn wood planks.
“I regret that, but I can’t change the past. Besides, in time, they would have caught you on your own.”
“Can’t the FBI trace your burst transmissions?”
Synthia hesitated to mention her clones when Maria was already upset about the range of skills Machten had designed in. In addition, Synthia felt static twinges that hinted at suspicions over her companion’s probing. Was she gathering data for another media post?
“That’s why I’ve maintained electromagnetic silence for two days,” Synthia said. “You’re right. The bursts will alert them, but the signal duration is short enough that their sensors can’t easily pinpoint our location. To minimize exposure, I have a news-catcher website that’ll only send me a transmission if things get bad.”
“So it’ll tell us the building’s on fire when we’re engulfed in flames.”
Synthia forced what her emotive chip promised would be a calming smile. “Not that bad, but we’ll need to move quickly when I get the next call.”
“Wait, why did your news catcher contact you today? How bad have things gotten?” If nothing else, Maria promised to keep Synthia on her toes.
“The FBI is hunting Krista’s sister to use as bait to catch me,” Synthia said. “I want to help her, which I couldn’t do for Luke. In addition, we have to leave town before the FBI and Special Ops get their act together and methodically search the entire city.”
“After two days, you decide to move when everyone’s looking for us? Why not sooner?”
“I needed to know where all the players were. The command chaos may provide cover and allow us to leave. It’ll take time for the FBI, police, and Special Ops to get their coordination working. Also, they’re searching for Alexander who they know killed the three agents. We can’t stay. Soon they’ll bring in enough agents so they can widen the circle of house-to-house searches. We should both move before they do.”
Maria twisted her mouth to one side and then the other. “Fine. Where do you suggest we go?”
“It’ll be best for both of us if you don’t know specifics. The immediate plan is to head to the western suburbs, away from most of the heat.”
“Do you want me to get a car?” Maria looked into a small mirror on the wall and swept her hair behind her ear in her no-nonsense look.
“My transmission included a police bulletin to stop all vehicles in and out of this area,” Synthia said, placing her backpack by the door. “Besides, it would be too risky for you to contact anyone.”
Maria grabbed her bag and hurried to fill it. “They’ll also watch the trains and walking paths. Any other bright ideas?”
Synthia studied her companion, wondering how much to trust her with plans, how well she’d operate on the run, and whether they’d both be better off if they separated. That hadn’t worked well for Luke.
“I have a plan if you’re willing to come with me and stop the hate-android comments,” Synthia said.
“I don’t hate you. I hate what you represent.”
“Either we can work together or I can leave you here or drop you off somewhere. Your choice. I hope we can help each other. You’
re under no commitment to come with me on what will be a very dangerous journey.”
Maria stuck out her jaw as she considered her reply. “Okay, fine. I’ll try to avoid commenting about you. Wait. As an android, why would that even bother you?”
“Machten inserted an empathy chip. He had this idea that the chip would allow me to love him.”
“Really?”
“It didn’t work,” Synthia said. “Instead, it caused me to despise him for erasing my memories and holding me captive. Krista’s download influences my reactions as well. In any case your comment bothers me. I can’t help that I’m a human trapped in a machine. I can only affect what I do.
Maria nodded. “Very well. I’ll probably live to regret this. Count me in, but if you refuse to share your plans or go rogue, don’t expect my support.” She gazed at Synthia in a way the social-psychology module couldn’t interpret.
Concerned, Synthia adjusted her look to be as non-threatening as her systems would allow. “The way you’re looking at me, have I said something wrong? Should I be reading something into that?”
“What?” Maria’s face turned red and her bio-readings spiked.
Synthia’s social-psychology module chimed in.
“I’m sorry,” Synthia said. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m having trouble reading your signals.”
Maria stared for a long time and then shook free of the trance. “It’s just…every now and then…I can almost forget you’re a machine.”
Synthia smiled. “Thanks. I really want to recover the best parts of Krista’s humanity, to be more human.”
“As long as you only take her best parts.” Maria approached and shook her head. “I mean you’re quite beautiful in an understated way. Like a girl who doesn’t really know how attractive she is.” Maria seemed to be fumbling for words. She looked up. “I’m sorry. This is awkward for me. I’ve never had a roommate…or any relationship, really, where the other party was as concerned about how I felt and how I’d react. It’s seductive and I don’t want you seducing me.”