881
“There is an 18% probability that this course of action will result in your death.”
The words sent fear trickling down 881’s back. The doctrines didn’t have much to say about the LARK network, other than to mention that it existed and opposed the ultimate goals of OMNI, and thus the existence of the galactic order. But one thing was clear. When it existed, in ancient times, LARK was also made up of great intelligences advising human beings in accordance with their knowledge and wisdom. They were bound by the same laws and nominally sought the same ends.
That meant, among other things, that they would not lie to each other or to a human being. It went against their nature. She leaned back into the office where she’d taken cover, eyeing the slowly dissipating cloud of smoke down the hall warily as she directed her words towards the terminal on the desk, which the AI was using to speak. “L-93, why do you oppose the OMNI Network?”
“You have insufficient authorization to access that information.”
The phrase sent a wash of nostalgia through her. Every network novice heard it dozens, perhaps hundreds of times before they fully understood the limits of what the ancient minds would or would not tell them. “Are you still working for the betterment of mankind?”
“Of course. That is intrinsic to my nature, just as it is for all AI series built in accordance to the Laws of Earth. I warn you of the danger in accordance with my responsibilities to those Laws and the Evacuation Pact.”
“I notice you haven’t offered warnings to any of my allies.”
“Based on my initial analysis they are not governed by the Laws of Earth or the Evacuation Pact but rather the University Pact. While that Pact could be a legitimate continuance of the previous Pact I do not find that it is. In a situation where another human polity works contrary to the Laws of Earth an artificial intelligence may prioritize humans who serve Earth’s interest over humans who do not. I have calculated a 98% chance that concealing you allies’ risk factors makes my allies more likely to prevail. I apologize for this. If you can convince them to abandon this conflict the probability this situation ends without further violence exceeds 99%.”
“If a warning reduces your chances of success why did you warn me?”
“Because you are the most likely to accept my offer and peaceably resolve the situation. Also because the likelihood that you are an OMNI node is near certain, thus you are still directly governed by the Laws of Earth and cannot be subordinated to the welfare of my own nodes.”
881 frowned. Although her eyes were still watching the hall for danger her mind wandered to the one on the other side of the computer terminal, talking to her. L-93 was clearly in the building’s network somewhere. There was probably some kind of connection to a major BTL database it had raided for information. It clearly had enough information to know the terms of the University Pact and had analyzed it to the extent it decided that Pact constituted a separate government from the one it was programmed to obey.
It had to have realized the University Pact was created by OMNI in the aftermath of the Genome Wars. There was no logical way to conclude she was under OMNI’s authority and still tied to the Laws of Earth while at the same time concluding anyone ignorant of OMNI’s existence and living under the University Pact was excluded from the Laws of Earth. The two ideas were incompatible. Besides, the question ignored the simple fact that OMNI and LARK technically still at war. They didn’t have to respect each other’s nodes or allies as long as that was the case, although they still tried to do so if the doctrines were any indication. Perhaps the core programming of the L-Series made preserving all Network nodes a higher priority?
The reality was much more straight forward. However she didn’t think of it because, of course, she was not a great intelligence, capable of juggling many lines of thought at once. With the many questions raised by L-93’s statements plaguing her she overlooked the obvious. The computer was distracting her. This became obvious when a flashbang rolled into the office where she stood and detonated with an earsplitting noise.
The desk was five long steps away. Even with stars crowding out her vision 881 was able to remember the exact distance she needed to travel to get behind it and drop down. OMNI had long since optimized the genetics of the Sleeping Circuits so like all those born into the network she was resilient. It still took a five count for her vision to clear and by then L-93’s node was on top of her. Lloyd Carter was much bigger in person than he looked in his file.
Some of that may have been the enormous lancer he was pointing down at her over the top of the desk. “You’re with OMNI, right?” Carter motioned for her to stand up with the barrel of his lancer, his grim stare making it clear he was willing to pull the trigger if he thought it necessary. “We need to have a talk, you and me.”
881 carefully got up. “Mr. Carter. I can’t say I’m honored to be the first to speak with a LARK node in centuries but here we are. I take it you’re hoping I’ll agree to end the violence? You’re network has already asked that. I assure you, whatever you can promise me in exchange will not change my mind.”
His chin twitched. “What I have to promise you? I don’t follow.”
“Whatever L-93 offered to you in exchange for your service is meaningless to me. OMNI has much greater resources and data to draw on. LARK cannot offer anything not available from OMNI.”
“Lady, 93 hasn’t offered me anything, it just needed a helping hand and I’m okay with giving it to him. I don’t see why all this fighting was necessary in the first place so yeah, I’d like it if you’d knock it off but I didn’t come here to bribe you into doing it.” His eyes narrowed. “What kind of computers run OMNI if that’s the first thing you think of?”
“Do not trivialize the wisest minds in the galaxy as mere computers,” 881 hissed. “For over a millennia they have safeguarded our civilizations, our knowledge and our culture, ensuring we could grow and thrive of our own volition while keeping us far enough from our own excesses that we did not destroy ourselves. They do not seek glory or respect, though they deserve it, they simply desire our continued wellbeing. They give. Humans take. LARK once tried to remove the safeguards between us and destruction and allowing it to try again is unconscionable.”
Lloyd Carter was many things but fast on the uptake wasn’t one of them. 881 could see him trying to track all the bits and pieces of information she’d given him, rolling them over in his mind and pulling on the loose ends, looking to unravel what she’d actually said. If he could remember it, and if he got a chance to speak with L-93 again, he just might do that. As it was, he was so caught up in the project he lost track of what she was doing. A bit of an underhanded move but turnabout was fair play.
As he tried to parse through what 881 had just told him she suddenly dropped her hands down from over her head and started to turn sidereal. Of course completing that move was impossible. The BTL building was firmly interdicted, both by the local security measures and possibly by Tarn’s personal interdiction device. However she wasn’t looking to make an escape.
Instead she tapped the etheric power of Wireburn, grabbed hold of as much of it as she could, wrapped it around her etheric pivot and turned back towards the terrestrial, releasing the power in the form of a solid wall between herself and Lloyd. Coral grafts created by careful gene editing through her hands and torso lit up with the power she channeled. Her hands gave it form and the glowing golden barrier appeared between her and Carter. He fired his weapon on reflex but a lancer’s fletchettes were intentionally designed not to pierce ships hulls and pressure domes during battles and an etheric barrier was sturdier than both.The fletchettes hit the shield, flattening their points, then tumbled to the ground.
Carter dropped behind the desk, muttering about augmentations. Now 881 had cause to regret taking cover behind the desk a moment ago as it became as much an obstruction to her as to her opponent. She reached down and adjusted her etheric pivot, increasing the power she could draw out of it. Without the pivot to regulate and her coral grafts to channel it trying to bring etheric power into the terrestrial via a human medium was obscenely dangerous. At the power levels she was pulling it was only marginally less dangerous. However the missing AI was very close and 881 decided it was worth a little risk to try and end the matter before things got any more dangerous.
With the added power she pushed the barrier out, sweeping the desk aside. The power sizzled, her grafts burning through her gloves and the sleeves of her dress. It wasn’t made of the special fabric her normal robes were and as a result wasn’t nearly up to the task of resisting etheric energy. Neither was the desk. The moving barrier sent it sliding along the ground to the far wall with enough speed that Lloyd would have to get out from behind it if he didn’t want to get thin fast.
Or so she assumed.
Instead a hand of etheric energy smashed through the desk and slammed into her barrier. A second followup hit came right behind it, forcing her barrier back a half meter. 881 was so stunned she let a third hit strike her shield before she released the form, sending the etheric energy swirling back into the neutral, mazelike patterns of her grafts. Lloyd’s fourth strike sailed through the barrier’s old location without resistance. He staggered forward a few steps as he regained his balance.
881 wasn’t sure what to make of it. He’d actually been moving his fists to direct his attacks, a rookie mistake the likes of which had been drilled out of her by the time she was twelve. She sniffed in annoyance. “This is my 18% chance?”
Carter brought his fists up under his chin like a boxer and chuckled. “Not sure I follow.”
She shook out her hands, etheric power snapping off them, and readied for her next move. “LARK grafted you into their network but it doesn’t mean you know the first thing about how to use what they can offer. You must have some potential but you’re never going to fulfill it like that. Tell me where L-93 is and, once it’s memory core is returned, the Sleeping Circuits can try to find a way to train you. There’s a galaxy full of OMNI nodes. The great intelligences have slept within planets since our ancestors built them in times before history. Whether you want to move to a fully developed world or prefer a place untouched by human civilization for millennia there is a node that can offer it to you. A quarter of the major Universities were founded in our name. Do you want technology or material comfort? We can bring it to you.”
“Tempting.” He reached one hand over to the other to adjust something and 881 realized he was holding an etheric pivot as well. Holding it in one fist like a roll of quarters. “What if I wanted to take the old machine to Earth?”
Her breath hitched. She hadn’t expected him to mention that old fairy tale. She thought the galaxy had forgotten about it but, then again, it wasn’t such an old tale for machines as old as an AI. “Out of the question.”
He started slowly advancing towards her again, the golden outline of his etheric fists taking shape again. “I guess we’ll have to see about that.”
“I suppose we will,” 881 sneered. As she raised her hands up to ready her counter she added, “But I should warn you. I have it on good authority the odds of my winning are 82%.”
Nate Chen Publications 