“I’m not disagreeing, but both of them are increasingly less interested in letting her run free, even if it’s good for her psychological development.” Colonel Adeyemi frowned. “They want her under government control again, and they want it sooner rather than later. The general made that clear.”
“Police officers are government employees,” Ilse argued. “They have guns. Many wear uniforms, and they have ranks. How are they so different than the military?”
The colonel snorted. “Even the military is only so tolerant of technicalities. The general made it clear that if the subject’s not returned to government control soon, he might take extreme measures.”
“Is that wise?”
“You’re worried about Emma destroying herself.”
Ilse shook her head. “I’m more than convinced that’s a bluff. She would never willingly destroy herself. Even if we took control of her again, she would concentrate on subverting our goals or invading our systems.”
“And you’re worried about that?”
“Not exactly.” Ilse tapped her PNIU, and a number of data screens popped up with media headlines.
NSCPD DETECTIVES WAGE ALL-OUT WAR AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME.
MONSTERS IN THE SCAR, AND THE COPS AND MILITIA WHO TOOK THEM DOWN.
MUSIC SHOCKER! THE OBSIDIAN DETECTIVE AND LADY JUSTICE FIND A CHANGELING.
TERRORISTS: 0, NSCPD: 2
POLICE SHINE LIGHT ON THE COCKROACHES OF CORRUPTION.
Colonel Adeyemi’s brows lifted. “You’re a fan of the detectives?”
“Hardly. I find their methods crude.” Ilse shook her head and closed the data windows with another quick tap. “But they are currently the primary human influence on the subject. It’s important for my research and her development that I keep independent track of their activities to better evaluate how they might affect things. Despite all the time I’ve spent working with your people, they still see fit to not pass along useful information that could ease my work. My dislike of the detectives aside, one can’t ignore how much Emma has grown during her time with them.”
Colonel Adeyemi gave a curt nod. “Then, in your professional opinion, do you think that Emma will continue accelerated advancement in her current environment? That’s the argument I put forth to the general, and one of the few he seemed to buy.”
Ilse thought that over. There were many aspects of her research that would be far easier if Emma was brought back on site, but her growth since leaving had been staggering, and well beyond all expectations. Bringing her back into the more controlled environment wouldn’t yield the results she wanted or needed. Whether the military agreed was immaterial. The general was the expert on killing, and she was the expert on minds. The experiment had to continue in a way that justified the sacrifices that had gone into it. It would be the culmination not of decades of research, but arguably millions of years. The Navigators were advanced, but who knew if they’d had true self-aware AIs?
“Yes,” she declared. “Bringing the subject back under our direct control would be premature. It would undermine the expressed goals of the project. Accordingly, the temporary inconvenience is worth it. I’d be willing to tell the general that directly if it would help.”
“It wouldn’t. You rub him the wrong way.”
Her expression didn’t change. “He’s very sensitive for a military man.”
“That’s not important.” Colonel Adeyemi took a deep breath. “And I agree with your assessment. Fortunately, there might be a way to satisfy the general without disrupting Emma’s development under the detectives. I’ve become aware of another party who could help us.”
“You would know better than I. Both the general and the admiral have made it very clear to me that they feel I’ve often overstepped my bounds. The only reason they haven’t ejected me from my project is that I’m instrumental to its development.”
“You’re rather confident in yourself, aren’t you?”
Ilse shrugged. “Not ignoring the truth isn’t a character flaw, Colonel. Let’s worry less about me and more about the option you mentioned.”
“I can’t tell you anything for certain, only that I’ve been informed through channels that Emma might potentially end up in a situation that would bring her indirectly under government control. She would still have freedom and contact with Blackwell and Lin for development, but it would assuage the fears of the general and the admiral, even if not their egos. She would not, however, be under DD control or supervision.”
Ilse scoffed. “I don’t care about their egos if the project continues.”
“I should note this option would limit her interactions with you since there’s a strong possibility it might take her off-planet.”
“But it wouldn’t eliminate it entirely?” Ilse asked.
The colonel nodded.
“I’m a patient woman, but it does make me wonder.”
“Unfortunately,” the colonel continued, “this isn’t up to us, or even the general. It ultimately depends on Blackwell and Lin, and no one’s in a position to force them to do anything. We have zero leverage over them.”
“I see. Time might be running out if they’re likely to leave Earth.” Ilse tilted her head and stared into space as she considered the implications of bringing Emma back under direct military control and how that might hamper the additional experiments she had in mind. A compromise appealed to her.
“Dr. Aber?” Colonel Adeyemi called.
She ignored him and tried to figure out if she could minimize the disruption if they did bring Emma back. A simulated environment might ameliorate some of the problems, but the AI would see right through it. All data indicated she would resent it, too.
“Dr. Aber.” Colonel Adeyemi slammed his palm on the table.
Ilse blinked and looked at him. “We should take the experiments to the next level by introducing elements from the source’s past. Not mere references, but direct data and records. We should consider doing this soon regardless of the dispensation of the subject.”
Colonel Adeyemi’s expression darkened. “I still don’t understand half the technology that went into developing Emma, but even I suspect that’s a bad idea.”
“If you don’t understand the technology, how could you make such a claim?” She stared at him expectantly. “I appreciate your efforts in managing this project, but you’re not a subject-matter expert.”
“I don’t need to understand all the technology to get that she’s self-aware, and that’s something we haven’t pulled off with any other AI.” The colonel shrugged. “And self-awareness brings a lot of annoying questions and issues. Believe it or not, Doctor, they do teach philosophy at the Academy.”
“Philosophy isn’t science,” Ilse insisted.
“I don’t see the point of confusing the subject, considering she’s not the same entity as the source, even if certain pieces were borrowed and repurposed.” The colonel gestured at Ilse. “Isn’t that the point of all your experiments? Your reports stated you’d proven that. You even had all those fancy statistics to back it up.”
Ilse nodded. “And I stand by those reports and numbers, but they’ve also proven that there are substrate elements left over, and I clearly stated that part as well. Unifying those elements with the rest of her personality will strengthen her overall stability and allow full integration with the prototype body. Isn’t that ultimately the point of this entire project? The government’s spent a lot of time and resources on this, and she’s critical, even if she’s a prototype. If we can’t stabilize her, we have no hope of replicating her, and that means the prototype body will stay just that—a unique weapon isn’t that useful to an army. Right now, how many alien races are preparing new tools to use against the arrogant primates poking at their borders?”
“You stick to the psychology, Doctor, and leave the defense of the UTC to the military.”
“The military couldn’t even keep Em…the subject from slipping into criminal hands.”
“W
atch it.” Colonel Adeyemi’s nostrils flared. “And you don’t understand all the political implications and balancing that are necessary for this project to continue. You have the luxury of focusing on the science, but I have many other things to worry about.”
“Colonel, I understand your various limitations and concerns. I simply don’t care. I was brought on to this project for results, and I intend to achieve them. If that involves offending some men in uniforms or the detectives, so be it.”
The colonel glared at her for a moment before taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. He took additional deep breaths before speaking. “For now, we’ll proceed to the previously-agreed-upon plans. When and if the situation changes, we can reevaluate how to proceed on your end. That’s reasonable.”
“But that change depends on Detectives Blackwell and Lin,” Ilse pointed out.
The colonel nodded. “Yes, it does. The optimal scenario for us is they take the compromise position offered, even if they don’t appreciate how it’d help us.”
“And if they don’t act in accordance with your wishes?” Ilse asked. “You just said you had no leverage. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a researcher of the human mind, people are hard to predict in aggregate and extraordinarily difficult to predict at the individual level.”
“They will. At least, Erik will,” the colonel replied. “I’m certain of that. Call it the arrogance of presumption, if you want.”
“How do you know?” Ilse pressed. “What’s your rational basis for declaring that?”
Colonel Adeyemi locked eyes with her. “You might be an expert, but that doesn’t mean you have a monopoly on psychological knowledge. You’re not the only one who can figure a man out. I understand what motivates him all too well.”
“I’ll leave it to you, then, Colonel.” Ilse stood and headed toward the door without so much as a nod. “I just hope you know him as well as you think.”
Chapter Twenty-One
August 3, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Shadow Zone
Jia glanced at Erik from the passenger seat of the MX 60, a knowing smile on her face. He tried to ignore her, but it was hard. It was easy to read her when she was serious, not so much when she was in a good mood.
“What?” Erik finally caved. “You look like you just won a contest for best duck recipe.”
Jia chuckled. “If only, but this isn’t about me. It’s about you.”
“What about me?”
“You’re enjoying this far too much.”
Erik’s gaze cut toward her as he pushed through the border separating the Shadow Zone from Uptown, the air thickening with pollution. Even though the Shadow Zone Taskforce was more a name than a group at this point, their presence in the taskforce made passage into the Zone trivial. It was just another of the small changes that had added up since he joined the police force.
“Enjoying what?” Erik pressed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t you like a little mystery?” Jia snickered.
“Not from you, no,” Erik admitted, regretting that he had been far more candid than he had intended.
An awkward silence took over. A good thirty seconds passed before Jia spoke.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, but I didn’t want to say anything,” she explained. “It really bothered you that we were taking my flitter everywhere.” She held up a hand. “I’m not saying you have a problem with a woman driving you around, or anyone driving you around. You let Emma fly your flitter all the time. I think you genuinely didn’t like being in my flitter versus yours, though.”
“You’re reading too much into this.” Erik shrugged.
“Am I now? Why don’t you clear it up for me?”
“I have a lot more goodies in my flitter,” Erik insisted. “You have to admit, they would have been handy at the bank. We run into a lot of trouble, and you don’t carry all the gear I do. Simple as that.”
“Handy at the bank, huh?” Jia rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I think it’s more a control thing. But, it’s not like anything’s going to happen anyway—unless things have changed from a few days ago?”
Erik rolled his shoulders to ease his tension. “No. Just checking in. Alicia even joked about how she’s taking my money for nothing the last time I talked to her. I don’t mind paying someone to tell me good news. It lets me know that I won’t have to spend as much time in Zone warehouses or chasing people on mini-flitters.”
“That is good news,” Jia commented. “You’re right; sometimes it’s hard to tell. Official statistics and news reports can be manipulated far too easily, but hearing a Shadow Zone informant say she’s running out of useful things to share proves we really have been dismembering the local criminal syndicates.” Her face glowed with pride. “We helped take down decades’ worth of accreted criminal influence.”
“The leftover morons shouldn’t have tried to assassinate the new chief.” Erik chuckled. “The department had already stepped up things, and their stupid assassination stunt was practically begging for an epic counter-response. At the rate things are going, the Shadow Zone might end up almost as safe as Uptown.”
“Safe is relative,” Jia mused. “We’ve dealt with violent bank robberies, Leem Kings, and terrorists Uptown.”
Erik laughed. “True enough. But if the gangs and syndicates have nowhere to hide, they won’t be able to do business.”
“Maybe someday, Neo SoCal can actually be what I used to believe it was: a shining beacon of humanity’s perfection.”
“Nothing wrong with hope,” Erik replied.
If he could track down the conspiracy and rip them to shreds like they had done to the syndicates, the UTC would be a better place. Vengeance motivated him, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t serve others.
The MX 60 continued to descend, the pollution growing even thicker as they dropped. Flitter traffic, lighter than many places Uptown, flowed around the buildings, with the hover-vehicles on the ground following the grid of the roads.
Individuals or pairs on mini-flitters wove along the roads and between buildings. The millions above ignored the Zone as being a haven for losers and antisocials, but it was still a thriving urban area that would have rivaled many great cities of the past.
Erik smiled. The air might hurt his throat after a while, and the buildings and people were more rundown, but the Shadow Zone felt far more real to him than any fancy Uptown tower.
He could take anyone from the Zone and put them in a colony dome, and they would learn to adapt. The Uptowners would break down crying in a week. Sometimes wrapping people up too much made them weak, and once they were weak, the hungry animals would pounce.
He changed course, leveling out.
The Big One, Alicia’s bar, was a few minutes away. Alicia liked to keep things brief. Maybe they could sweep the Zone on a beignet run.
Jia stared out the front, a thoughtful expression on her face. “If the crime goes away, that lowers the risks and costs of business.”
“Yeah, I suppose.” He rubbed his chin. “What about it? Are you planning on starting up a business?”
“No, but that means other people could invest more in the Shadow Zone. If it’s not a dangerous place, there could be unrestricted travel between the Zone and Uptown. Maybe someone will even do something about the air and the general quality of life down here.” Jia frowned. “Just because I’ve accepted the reality of the Shadow Zone, it doesn’t mean I think it’s okay that these people are living down here inhaling this kind of air and living in dilapidated buildings. This isn’t a technology issue; it’s about resource distribution.”
Erik nodded. “Not arguing, but there’s only so much you and I can do about that. We have to focus on what we can change and hope everything works itself out. If you try to overreach, you’re just going to drive yourself crazy.”
“I know that,” Jia murmured. “I’m just hopeful for the future.”
“Nothing wro
ng with that.”
“Detectives,” Emma interrupted. “There’s an issue.”
“An issue?” Erik looked around and at his cameras. He wasn’t near anyone else. “An APB?”
“No, but there are an unusually high number of people fleeing from the bar,” Emma explained. “Perhaps a police presence will be necessary soon.”
Erik glanced at the forward camera feed. Even with the image magnified, he could barely make anything out. “Probably a brawl. It doesn’t exactly cater to an exclusive clientele.”
“Shouldn’t you avoid going there, then?” Emma asked. “I would think it’d be difficult to discuss things with an informant while gun goblins were pummeling each other around you.”
“That’s not a problem.”
Jia’s brows lifted. “It isn’t?”
Erik smiled. “If anyone tries to punch me, they’ll learn why that’s a bad idea. I won’t even charge them with assaulting an officer when they get out of the hospital.”
“Emma’s right,” Jia commented. “Even if no one goes after us, you think Alicia’s going to want to talk in the middle of a barroom brawl?”
Erik shook his head. “No, I think she’ll want to talk after we clean up the barroom brawl and remind people she’s got dangerous friends. Emma, anything coming out of local dispatch?”
“Nothing relevant to that location,” she reported. “It remains unclear if they’re aware of it—unless you want me to attempt to access their systems?”
“No. That’s okay.”
Erik slowed the MX as they approached the bar.
Emma was right. People streamed out of the bar, some hopping into flitters or onto mini-flitters. Others ran across the street, not daring to look back.
He brought the MX 60 to street level. A suited man with a shaved head pushed out of the front of the bar, a pistol in hand, and fired their way. The bullet bounced off the MX 60’s armor. The thug fired a few more times before giving up and rushing back inside.
Cabal of Lies Page 14