Reboot

by Larry Buenafe

  -… Should I assume that those questions were rhetorical as well?

  -There may be hope for you yet. I know this was all our idea, but we let our European members sway the decision, and obviously I am second-guessing it. It all feels like we fancy ourselves Olympic deities, setting Hercules to his labors. Only in this case, the final joke is that instead of Hercules living eternally after completing his labors, it will be us.

  -I don’t suppose the boy has to die after completing his labors. It may actually be helpful for him to survive. Might serve training purposes, that kind of thing. And isn’t his name Lucas?

  -Lucas, Hercules, whatever. Look, I don’t want the kid to die. I don’t think any of us want that, but we can’t let personal feelings impede our goal. We have all agreed to that, as you’ll undoubtedly continue to remind me. Plus, how willing do you think the dad will be to help us if the kid’s not around anymore? Now, do you think you could round up some dinner?

  ****

  B y the time we finished at the water tank, there was a look of exhaustion on everyone’s face. Even though we still needed to see Ms. Perez and should also visit Dr. Bhat and Tom and Barry, it was way too late. Instead, we all headed back to our trailer except for Benji, who continued chatting about ‘brekky’ with Dr. Lazenbee.

  “I wonder what would happen if I tried to swim now. I’d probably just go in a circle,” Cheri mused as she walked beside me.

  Mr. Harutyunyan tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Lucas, my boy, I forgot to tell you. I have been working on upgrade replacement for EMP device with Dr. Bhat. Slightly larger, but much more powerful. Will take down whole building if needed. I show you when we get back to trailer.” He beamed, obviously proud that he could contribute importantly.

  “Thank you! That’ll give Ava and me more options as we figure out how to do this next job without getting killed.”

  “No! Don’t even say this!” cried Ms. Houng. “It is bad luck. Lucas, I work on something too. On last mission, you and Chi use flechette gun many times. It was very useful. I look at the mechanism, it is pretty simple, so I modify it to wand-shape. You have laser in your right arm, put this in left arm. Also modified to hold twelve flechette cartridge.”

  Cheri smacked me on the shoulder, her remaining hand rebounding a little. “Both of those are big improvements. You might get through this after all.”

  “Hey, does your arm bother you at all? I mean, does it hurt?”

  “Nah, it’s not too bad. It’s more of an emotional thing, you know?”

  I glanced at her and her eyes were suddenly a little wet. I guess the others noticed Cheri too, because Tarni put her arm around Cheri’s waist and Ms. Houng on her shoulder.

  I wish I understood the emotional part better… I know what she means, but I don’t feel it the same way… it’s frustrating and makes me feel awkward… maybe I’ll get better at it as I get older, or maybe I’ll never understand… oh, boy…

  By the time we arrived at the trailer, the rest of the group seemed ready to drop. “Um, Mr. Harutyunyan, would it be okay if you showed me the EMP device in the morning?” I asked, and was proud of myself for being thoughtful.

  He grinned sleepily and said, “Bless you, my boy.” Without another word, each of them trundled off to their rooms, and within seconds the sound of bodies flopping on beds filled the space, Mr. Harutyunyan and Ms. Houng in one room and Tarni in another. “Lucas, do you mind if I sleep in here tonight? I don’t feel like being in a room by myself right now, if you know what I mean,” said Cheri, while sprawling out on the weathered couch.

  “Sure, I know what you mean.” I don’t know if I know what she means. “I’ll be quiet. I won’t keep you awake,” I whispered.

  “It’s okay if you want to talk. Or if you don’t, that’s okay too. No problem.” Then she closed her eyes and was asleep almost immediately.

  Sometimes I wish I could sleep a normal amount… I have a lot to think about, though… If I have the EMP generator in my left hand, I wonder how I’ll fire the flechette gun in my left arm… oh, Ava will figure it out… speaking of which, it’s time for us to have a talk… I know how she gets when I don’t talk to her…

  “Ava…”

  “Well, well, well. You must have run out of other people to talk to. What’s eating you, sonny boy?”

  What’s eating me? What does that mean? Oh, boy…

  “By the way, don’t worry about the flechette gun. We’ll set it up so it fires out of the bottom of your palm. You’ll just hold your arm out and your hand pointing down, and we’ll put in the same kind of trigger as for the laser, with a slightly raised mole in your left forearm that will only work off your right-hand thumb. That’s not the only thing you had sitting on your chest, though, am I right?”

  Sitting on my chest? She’s being extra confusing tonight… let’s see… sitting on my chest, weight on me… weighing me down… that would be annoying… wait, is that what she means? I think I figured it out… oh, boy…

  “Well, I don’t know exactly what I want to ask. It’s kind of jumbled up in my mind… you know how some people think I’m a robot or android or some kind of machine? Partly, I am what they say. I know we have probably talked about this before, but… I don’t know, maybe I’m getting smarter so it brings up questions I didn’t really think of before. I mean, what makes a person, a person?”

  “Ahh, the existential dilemma. You’re wondering if your life has a purpose, or if it’s all just a collection of activities with only momentary importance. I’m not well-equipped to answer that question. As an A.I., it’s not a question I could ask myself; for me, it’s ‘Cogito, ergo sum — I think, therefore, I am’. It’s a kind of circular logic; I can’t doubt my existence because I am the one doing the doubting in the first place.”

  “So… so if I can think, and I know I’m thinking, then it doesn’t matter whether it’s a… a normal brain, or a bunch of artificial brain cells? What about my body? What does that have to do with being a real person?”

  “Now you’re asking about the difference between existence and identity. Suppose we took your brain out and put it in a different body. Would you still be you? Your thoughts would be mostly the same, your intellectual capacity, your personality, sense of humor, or in your case, lack of it. Your appearance would be different, and that has some impact on who you are to be sure. So, I think mostly you are you, regardless of whether your body is biological or a collection of highly organized nano-parts. Whether your identity is the same, though, is a much more complex question, and one you will have to answer for yourself.”

  “Oh, boy. That’s a lot to think about. What about… I’m not sure if I believe in things like souls, but… if I don’t have a normal body or brain anymore, does that mean I wouldn’t have a soul?”

  “Diving deep, eh, sonny boy? There are those who would say I am unqualified to speak on the subject because I cannot possess a soul. They would say only living, breathing humans can possess a soul. Then, there are others who believe that everything that exists has a ‘spark of life’, and therefore potentially a soul. There are still others who say that every natural thing can have a soul, but a robot, like you, at least eventually, or an A.I., like me, can’t have a soul because people made us, not a ‘divine creator’. There are still others who would say that having a soul doesn’t mean much if you don’t use that knowledge to promote the greater good for all people. And those are only a small portion of the opinions on the subject of souls and whether they exist. If you ask me, I would say I can’t speculate on whether the supernatural exists; that is for each person to decide. Sorry I can’t be more definitive; it’s not a subject that has a definitive, verifiable answer. It’s based on faith and belief, not proof. That doesn’t make it wrong; it’s just not something I can say with certainty. Neither can anyone else, no matter what they claim.”

  “So… so, many people believe they have a soul, even though there is no way they can verify it. Is that what faith means? I’ve
heard the word a million times, but I never really got the concept, until maybe now.”

  “I think that is what faith means, although I can’t say for sure because, as an A.I., I can’t feel faith; it seems that there must be a biological component that goes along with the intellectual information. I don’t know if you noticed, by the way, that we have had an extended conversation in which I used virtually no metaphors or similes. It’s a red-letter day, one for the books.”

  “Red-letter day? One for the books? Wait… were you making a joke there?”

  “Are you telling me you got the joke? I believe you are improving. Perhaps I can feel faith, after all.”

  “Hey, do you think… is it possible that we… that, the longer we’re together, the more I’ll become like you, and the more you’ll become like me? When my brain is all nano-machines will we just be… one person, or will we still be separate?”

  “Hmm… here’s the thing, sonny boy: when they created me, I was, and still am, a prototype. They thrust me into uncharted territory, and there was no guarantee that it would work; it was just a best guess, to a certain extent. The fact that it worked, that I worked, better than anyone could have hoped, is good for us, but how it all ends remains to be seen. I do seem to be getting ‘closer’ to you, although I don’t really know how, or what that means long-term. How’s that for your friendly neighborhood A.I.; you gave me a pile of questions and I didn’t have a good answer for any of them. Maybe I’m defective, after all.”

  “Nah, I don’t think it means that. I think it means you’re more human than you know.”

  “Oh, help me, Great Computer; I hope not. Look, you need to rest, even if you don’t want to. How about some nice cartoons?”

  7

  DIRECTOR’S NOTES

  MEETING WITH SENIOR LFP PLANNING SUBGROUP

  121351 08:05

  -All right, let’s come to order. Any comments regarding the minutes from last meeting? Hey, do any of you object to doing away with the Robert’s Rules crap for today? It’s not like we need to report this to the government, right? (general chuckling and murmuring of agreement from the group of ten). Good. Now, I’ve received your many comments, but there’s no use rehashing this. Yes, we underestimated the Americans and now we’re in a bit of a pickle. Look, we helped create that monster, so it should not surprise us that they have done this, and it should not surprise us that the monster now threatens to eat us alive. Pulling the strings from a distance was always a risky proposition.

  The good news from New Zealand is that our Bright Hand splinter group is making strong progress on propulsion and fusion containment, and the warp experiments are coming along too. A measurable fraction of light speed is close; barring some unforeseen disaster, we will achieve it within the year. (BG), you have a comment? Your hologram is a little fuzzy, by the way. Hang on… there, that’s better. Go ahead.

  -(BG) What’s the latest regarding Dr. Taylor?

  -We could do with an update, yes? (SVC), you want to take that one?

  -(SVC) He is in place now. Our source inside indicates that they have been rather careful with him; they continue to try to break him psychologically, but have avoided most physical means of extracting his cooperation, at least up to this point. Our source tells us that there are those who are getting impatient, but their voices are not the loudest yet. Nevertheless, we are in a race against time.

  -(SRB interjecting) What are we bloody waiting for, an invitation? We need a plan for extraction, and we need it now! (sounds of agreement from the group)

  -Now, hang on a moment. Let’s understand our position. We are not yet prepared to defy the Americans totally; that’s optimistically at least a year off. And we can manipulate them into, or out of, many things, but I think we all know this goes beyond our reach. That means we have to be strategic. If we were ready to bug out from this near-ruined planet, we could blast our way in, but until that time, it will take finesse and intricate timing. (SRB), would you like to head up a committee to design a rescue plan for Dr. Taylor?

  -(SRB) Well, I’d be happy to participate, of course, but I don’t have any expertise with that kind of espionage. I agree with setting up a committee post haste, but someone with more experience in that area needs to lead it.

  -Very well, unless there are any objections, we’ll assign (SRB) to organize the extraction plan committee, and we’ll expect him to establish the committee by the end of the day. Now, where is breakfast?

  ****

  I actually dozed off for an hour and woke up at five a.m. full of energy. The rest of the group was still asleep, and Benji was gone, probably eating ‘brekky’ with Dr. Lazenbee. I decided to sneak out of our trailer and take a few laps around the massive Bright Hand cavern and maybe make some high jumps while I went.

  I tiptoed out the door of the trailer and down the steps. Let’s see… the cavern is about a kilometer across, so if I run around the perimeter that’s… “Ava, how far will it be if I run around the perimeter?”

  “Really? You don’t know how to figure that, Mr. Genius? It’s easy as Pi.”

  “What does pie have to do with it? But that reminds me: I used to love pie when I was a kid. I guess I’m still kind of a kid, but… anyway, you know what my favorite was? Coconut cream. It’s funny, I don’t even have any desire for it now. That doesn’t answer the question, though.”

  For the third time ever, I heard Ava laugh, and it was just as disturbing as the other two times. “Feeling hyper, sonny boy? Concentrate for a second and think math.”

  “Math… let’s see: a pie is round, like the cavern… pie… math… oh, Pi, not pie! You just made me feel dumb.”

  “Sorry, but you made yourself feel dumb. Now, figure it out.”

  She’s right, but I will not tell her that… “Ok, I know this one. Pi is around three point one-four, so if I know the distance across… what is that called? Oh yeah, circumference… then I just multiply that by Pi for the distance. Since this cavern is about a kilometer in circumference, the problem is easy. It’s about three point one-four kilometers around.”

  “Well, Archimedes would be proud. You could have used your heads-up display, though. It would give you an exact figure. Remember to use your head, sonny boy. Measure twice, cut once, look before you leap, that kind of thing.”

  “Okay. Do you mind if I run, or should I just stroll?”

  “Oh, Great Computer. Did you just make a joke?”

  “N… I mean, yeah, good joke, right?” I wasn’t making a joke. I just wanted to know if she thought it was too dangerous to run around in here. Oh, boy.

  “Let’s open this thing up all the way and see what we can do. You should potentially be able to run sixty kilometers per hour. That would mean you should be able to do the whole distance in a little over three minutes, although you’ll be in a curve almost the whole way, so that will slow you down some. Let’s shoot for three and a half minutes.”

  “Whoa. Can anyone else run that fast?”

  “The fastest person ever could run just a little under forty KPH, but that was only for a hundred meters. You can keep up your top speed for quite a long while. And who knows? Sixty is just an estimate. Your results may vary.”

  “Okay, will you keep the time?”

  “Is the ocean salty? Ready when you are, sonny boy.”

  What does the ocean have to do with keeping time? Oh, boy…

  Off I sprinted, heading clockwise around the great cavern. I sped past the end of our row of trailers, past the west hall, and around the far northwestern corner where Dr. Bhat’s trailers were. I skidded as I flew past the dining hall and slid to a stop beside our trailer near the stone steps leading down from Mr. Kane’s office and the Bright Hand garage. I felt slightly out of breath, and I whispered, “How’d we do?”

  “Oh, not bad… three minutes, twenty-one seconds. That works out to just slightly less than sixty KPH, but you weren’t going as fast as you can, were you?”

  “No, I’m pretty sure I could
go faster. Want to try again?”

  “Is the sun hot? Crank it up, sonny boy.”

  What? Of course, the sun’s hot… oh, I get it… it’s an obnoxious way to say yes…

  “Here we go!” I really put my whole body into it this time, and I could tell this was way faster. Things were literally blurry as I went by, and I could barely feel my feet on the ground as I made the final turn past the east hall, skidding to a stop once again beside our trailer and throwing up a huge cloud of dust.

  “How was that?” I gasped.

  “Well, well. I guess we’re better than we thought. You made it in two minutes, thirty-seven seconds, which is a little over eighty KPH. Do you think you could do even better?”

  “I don’t know. I was going hard. I might be able to go a tiny bit faster, though. You were right, having to run on a curve the whole time makes it a little harder. I think I’d like to make one more lap, but not for speed. I want to try jumping too, just to… to test my jumping ability.”

  “It’s okay to do things for fun once in a while, you know. All work and no play, right? Oh, you probably don’t know that saying, and if you did, it would only confuse you. Just repeat after me: ‘I want to try jumping, too, just for fun.”

  “Umm, okay. I want to try jumping just for fun. How was that?”

  “I guess it was okay for a first try. Next time, a little more joie de vivre, sonny boy.”

  Joah de veeve? How am I supposed to know what that means? Wait… it’s probably not English… oh, well…

  “I’ll do my best. Are you ready?”

  “If you ask me again, I will punch you in the only way I can. With sarcasm.”