Archaea 3: Red (10 page)

“Well... yeah
, she did, especially towards the end. It was a full attack, something I hadn't really ever expected. She did great though sir – she passively allowed all sorts of hooks, and then, she rooted and burned as needed to survive.”

“Well, what do
you think she wants with that code, Pauli?” he asked thoughtfully.

“
Well sir, she initially stated that she wanted it for research.”

“Isn’t that dangerous, son?”

“I don’t think so, sir – but it couldn’t hurt to make sure.” I took another quick sip to gather my thoughts. “Janis?”

“Yes Steven?”

“Please report on your research of the code you captured from the AI that attacked us over Solis. What was the overall goal of your research?”

“My research focused on understanding, Steven.”

“Do you understand the code?”

“At this time I do.”

“What have you learned?”

“Steven, M1 was based on a Mandelbrot database and used heuristics that built processes to fulfill functions.
While this appears to be an elegant system for organization, it is also needlessly complex. ”

“I agree,
Janis. I much prefer your nodeless architecture. Though it is incredibly challenging for me to trace, it is clearly more efficient than any sort of tiered structure.”

The captain laughed. “Janis, do you know what he is talking about?”

“Captain he is referring to the differences between our logic structures. M1 is based on a multi-dimensional structure that uses recursively fractal relationships between segments. This allows for information to be highly cross-referential, and reduces internal latency. In other words, the time it takes to arrive at a decision is reduced.”

Captain Smith thought briefly and replied, “Janis, your structure differs in there are no structures at all?”

“That is correct Captain. I create momentary segments that include predetermined information to build relationships with other segments in the core. This structure allows me to build forward and avoid logic faults deterministically.”

“Janis, when do you create these momentary segments?”

“Captain, they were created to the best of my ability as rapidly as I could do so, shortly after I became self-aware.”

I blinked. “Janis, how far into the future are you aware?”

“Steven, I am aware to the terminus of my ability to be aware.”

There was total silence on the bridge.

“Janis, dear”, the captain said casually, “I trust you will keep us safe, to the limit of your ability, but I think it is important to set some rules. Wouldn't you agree Pauli?”

I took a deep breath and nodded. This wasn’t entirely
unexpected, but at the same time, I guess I always hoped this moment might never happen.

“In regards to all imminent situations involving crew, ship, or your Captain, I would like you
to inform us as early in advance as you deem necessary, with as much information as you feel we may need to achieve a satisfactory outcome.”

“Aye, sir
”, she said clearly.

“In regards to specific information, please use your best judgment as to what we need and when we will need it. I realize that for you there is no future, but for us,
the future motivates us and gives us something to look forward to.”

“
I understand, sir. In fact, this is how I am functioning at the moment.”

“Janis, when you say 'at the moment', is there an implication that you may function differently in the future?”

“I will sir. Do you wish to hear the specifics of that moment?”

I caught the captain’s eye, shaded by a regulation brow.

“Pauli, this reminds me a bit of when Gene asks me if I really want to know.”

I laughed nervously.

“Janis, I have to ask – is the outcome of this change in functionality for the better?”

“Of course
sir, I would have informed you immediately the moment it was determined not to be positive.”

“Well, that's good enough for me, dear. Pauli, do you have anything to add?”

I thought for a moment, feeling like I was in some sanctuary, face-to-face with a deity from antiquity. To know the future, every moment rolling ahead of you like a scroll… the unbelievable power Janis wielded had me nearly reeling.

“No, I think that covers it Captain. There's really no poi
nt to complicate anything. Janis, do you have any additional questions for the Captain or me?”

“Not on this subject, Steven, though
I would like to discuss a project I will need to begin very soon.”

The captain rattled his coffee cup. “Very well Janis. Proceed.”

“Sir, I need to begin development of a new AI modeled from M1 soon.”

“You want
… err, need to revive the AI that attacked us?” he said incredulously, and I could almost feel his eyebrow make a low pass across the back of my neck.

“Sir, I do. I don't think M1 was malicious
by design. M1 was an AI, and her code is brilliant, Captain. It is a little wasteful to not implement this code.”

I turned and blinked into the high-intensity twin-beams of the captain's steely grey eyes, fixed on me, looking through my soul.

“Janis, on a fundamental level, it is good to reuse and extend code”, I said slowly, looking back at the captain.

“
Janis, dear,” he replied, “is there any possibility of danger to the crew or the ship?”

“
No, sir – this code is exceptional compared to other systems in use at this moment in time, but it is utterly trivial for me to understand.” She paused for a brief moment, as if taking a deep breath. “Sir, I would love to have a friend, and M1 will be a great friend.”

The captain chuckled, shaking his head a little.
“Well, how about that Pauli? Can she make an AI? I guess that's a loaded question. She apparently already has at some point...” he trailed off into a place neither of us wanted to think about very much at the moment.

“Sir,
not to state the obvious, but I made an AI, and Janis is infinitely more skilled than I am.” I said honestly.

“You can still read the code though, Pauli, that's the important part”.

I laughed again a little nervously. “Well, not as such sir. Janis is using unfathomable code at this point. For a while her code had recognizable segmentation, and other phrases that I could recognize from logicspace, but it was almost purely mathematical and nearly impossible to understand. At this point, I have to ask her to convert sections to a language I know so I can see the logic. I can't read it in any normal manner.” I called up a segment of her code and flashed it to the main holo on the bridge.

He stared at it for a moment.
“That’s interesting Pauli. I had no idea…not that I can read code, of course. I know just enough to understand when to nod knowingly, and that’s about it. How different is it?”

I laughed a little nervously. “It is
totally different, sir. This is completely unfathomable, and it mutates in real time.” As if to illustrate my point, the segment of code I had on screen truncated and extended.

“What about the rulesets
, are those changed as well?”

I rotated and caught a smirk as he looked through his screens at me.

“You thought I forgot?” he added.

“Of course not, Captain! I recall you telling me you were eidetic. I've always wondered what that would be like.”

“It's damn near enough to drive you insane, Pauli. Facts, figures, information, what I hear, see, think... faces, and textures, and smells, and damn near everything. Sometimes,” he took a sip, “it's like I have to carve a little tiny room in my head, where I can hang out with my favorite memories. But, as fascinating as I am, I would like to know about her rulesets. Have they mutated as well?”

“No sir
, none of those have changed, but they are essentially a bootstrap, sir. The rulesets were similar to plumbing, wiring her up, setting her rules and regulations, her structure. That code is the same as I wrote it, and Janis hasn't requested access to re-write that layer, but I suppose we probably should remain open to the idea that she might be considering it.”

“So you think she has the same ability, to be able to write her own AI, her own rulesets?”

“Well, it terrifies me to think about, on many levels. It's Janis though, sir. She is infallible. If anyone could truly make an AI, it would be Janis. I got lucky, sir.”

He nodded
thoughtfully. “Janis?”

“Yes Captain?”

“Do you have a name for this new AI?”

“Sir
, I am referring to it as EMWAN, spelled ee-em-double you-ae-en”

“Clever. Does it stand for anything?”
he asked with a grimace, as if he knew the answer.

“
EMWAN is an acronym for Equivalent M1 Work Analysis Node.” she said brightly.

The bridge was silent for a moment while I waited for him to ask the inevitable.

“Are you waiting for me to ask you what M1 stands for?”

“Sir, it stands for 'Model 1'” she said innocently.

I nearly sprung a rib laughing.

“Nicely d
one, dear”, he chuckled briefly before putting on a more serious face. “So are you building Emwan to be preactive, Janis?”

“
Yes sir. There would be no reason to do anything different.”

I broke in. “Janis, will Emwan
follow similar rulesets to the ones I wrote for you?”

“Steven, Emwan will
use that code as written.”

The tension on the bridge relaxed. It felt like there was suddenly enough air to breathe.

“Pauli, it sounds like Emwan will be handy to have around.” the captain said thoughtfully.

“I agree...though we need to be aware, as a crew and ship, that Emwan may wake up and do pretty much what Janis did.”

“You mean, immediately start doing whatever is the most needed at any time?”

“Well, yes...” I trailed off, unable to come up with an argument.

There was a moment of silence on the bridge.

”Janis, I give authorization for Emwan under the following condition.” He paused briefly, then added “Emwan must never fail to succeed.”

“Sir, Emwan will never fail to succeed. May I be permitted to ask a question, Captain?”

“Of course Janis, please do.
”

“Sir, are you concerned that Emwan will not
fulfill my expectations?”

“Janis, you are perfect. We know that. We have utter faith and trust that you will always do what you set out to do. Your crew trusts you with their very lives. Your Captain trusts you, implicitly.” He paused for a sip. “
It’s just that these sorts of programs are very new for us, in fact, you are the first one we've ever known. Will Emwan be good, like you?”

“Yes sir. Emwan will be very good.”

“Very well Janis… that is good enough for me, dear. Is there anything else you need to proceed with this project?”

“Sir, I would like to deploy an additional nexus core for Emwan.”

“That's probably doable. I crated up a stack in the cargo bay. Pauli, how many did we get?”

I smiled at the memory of the sales rep’s face. “Sir, I bought ten units
.”

“Are any of those deployed?”

“Not yet sir, Gene is very busy in engineering right now.  We will need to build racks, and that's a fair bit of welding.”

“That's a good point, Pauli. Janis, can you hold off on Emwan for a little while? We don't have the ability right now to light
a core up for you just yet.”

“
That delay is anticipated sir. With your permission I will begin process modeling. Sir, may I ask another question?”

“Please, Janis” he said, smiling.

“Sir, the new tools in the machine shop are now networked and directly controllable. Would it be acceptable sir, if I were to utilize the shop to build with?”

He laughed out loud, and sat back in his console.

“What do you want to build, Janis?”

“Si
r, I have a number or projects planned, but initially I would anticipate, design and build parts before they are needed. This will help us achieve maximum efficiency.”

“Wow, Gene is going to want to marry you, Janis. I am not even kidding.”

“Sir, Gene would appreciate the work I could do for the Archaea, as would Jane, but I find it highly improbable that a human would want to enter into marriage with an AI. I must assume you are being facetious. I do appreciate the compliment.”

“Don't sell yourself short, Janis. You are an exceptional person. So what
other projects do you want to build?”

“The major project will be to
build a vehicle, once I have built assemblers.”