- Posted on
- • The AI Experiment • [Full Post]
The AI Experiment: Chapters 6-10
The AI Experiment: Chapters 6-10
Chapter 6
Para 1
[references to vaccines might have to be removed]
All vacancies in this particular camp had been filled, where all such chosen internees had been incarcerated in their new apartments for over a month, considered ready to progress to the next stage, hence having been subjected to the fog these last few nights. There were a few failures in so far as the priming injection was concerned though, where rejection had occurred, but those who exhibited such a response were now housed elsewhere, in a different location entirely, thereby safe from further bodily intrusion.
[Alternative Para1 – NO Injections]
Para 1
All vacancies in this particular camp had been filled, where all such chosen internees had been incarcerated in their new apartments for over a month, considered ready to progress to the next stage, hence having been subjected to the fog these last few nights. Nightly medical tests had revealed nothing of any note, nothing to be concerned about, which was disappointing, in a way, for some. It was just a matter of time, surely? Malevolent intent hidden behind obsequious attention was felt by the more alert, by Felicity for one, creating unease rather than outright panic. The actors were just too convincing to be totally unmasked.
Para 2
The overseers of the experiment had considered it prudent to move forward as fast as possible to avoid unrest of any sort. A few hundred people, some rather irrational people, many of whom were not used to being caged in such a manner, were likely to suffer from cabin fever the longer they were forced to comply. To offset any growing revolutionary spirit, they were allowed out to mingle for most of the day, but held within a boundary fence all the same. It was a form of confinement after all. Such people proved quite difficult to control, especially when it came time to retire, to make their way back to their personalised, makeshift homes. All would succumb to nightly slumber once corralled into their pens all the same, however much of a free spirit they were; the dose of sleeping gas saw to that.
Para 3
It was inevitable that Felicity and Martin would form a bond, however tenuous in nature, though Felicity proved to be a tough nut to crack as far as this burgeoning friendship was concerned. Over a period of a few weeks though, it became apparent to Felicity that Martin was in no way a threat to her, and his constant jittery fawning manner began to break down her reserve. He was a like a pet dog that wouldn't leave her alone, always snapping at her heels in the hope she would throw him a bone at some point. His diminutive stature, his bag of bones physicality, also helped her to relax as he was far removed from the bull of a father she had left behind. Martin was a friendly individual for all his shortcomings, though whether he was trustworthy was another matter altogether, so Felicity only let her guard down to a degree, just enough to spark up a tepid relationship with Martin. Even so, it appeared Martin was delighted with whatever affectionate scraps came his way.
Para 4
[I might have to reconsider this paragraph. Pushing too hard maybe?]
So far both Martin and Felicity showed no change in any aspect of their character or behaviour, or had any of the others, which confused the scientists, so they kept on spraying the camp from on high. Each day, the ground and buildings became all the more saturated with particles, the capabilities of which were not fully understood, having been created by science that was too far ahead of their understanding. Their excitement was growing, not realising what they had unleashed upon these unfortunates, what they had unleashed upon humanity as a whole, but they would learn the hard way, eventually, as would all.
Chapter 7
Para 1
Carl really struggled to drag himself away from his beloved computer. He had spent months levelling his RPG character, the likes of which was a real powerhouse now. The next stage of the game was to put on a display for all the other equally addicted gamers out there, of which there were thousands if not millions of the same like-minded, socially inept, for the most part, keyboard warriors.
Para 2
‘Godamn it’, he said out loud to himself as he reached forward to turn off his overly large computer screen, being one of three directly in front of him. In the background of the apartment was a noticeable hum of the home server that ran 24 hours a day, non-stop, holding and harbouring all his money-making website endeavours. At least he didn’t have to carry out any server maintenance for a while, and the backup system would keep everything on track come what may.
Para 3
The full-length bathroom mirror didn't lie. His sister’s words rang true: he did look in a bit of a state. Well, in this case, such a look was an asset which sat well with him. No need to shower, shave or change his clothes. He had inadvertently adopted the style of a down and out, which was very much the style required. ‘Fine with me’, he thought, and he smiled to himself. He was to go undercover. Sherlock Holmes had nothing on him. Slowly but surely Carl’s digitally overloaded brain switched gears where daily life, the daily grind once again took centre stage. Carl was no philanthropist and never would be, so the change was irksome to say the least.
Para 3
Carl stood 5ft 8 in bare feet, of stocky build with a sporting background, being quite an accomplished runner when his attention turned towards the great outdoors. He had the kind of disposition that, when interested in a subject, would consume him utterly for a while, for long enough to satisfy his curiosity, until it burned out, that is. This had left him with quite a diverse set of skills and knowledge. The only constant in his life of a long-term nature was the computer these days, though sport threw him a lifeline now and then, to effectively freshen him up a bit. When the time came, though, when there was work to be done, coding wise, Carl could easily lose track of time and space where days, if not weeks, would pass by in a complete pixel laden blur, and he loved every minute of it. When focused on something, truly focused, Carl was a veritable bloodhound, and, as expected, his nose began to twitch, to seek the scent of the missing Felicity, the missing girl his sister so wanted him to track down.
Para 4
The early morning, brisk, fresh air helped, helped in so far as dragging Carl's mind to his present task, one that included the cold light of day and fresh air in abundance, or at least the air that circulated outside his apartment, which was far more fresh than the air he had breathed in for the last few weeks. He pulled the collar of his jacket up around his cheeks, looked left and right and was instantly struck by the lack of pavement loungers. There were no cardboard mattresses, no skulking dropouts in any doorway. The whole place was bereft of the dross, the forgotten, those shadowy figures who existed yet played no part in the everyday running of a successful society, those most of the public avoided like the plague, as did Carl. It came to him that he had heard something on the grapevine about a cleanup operation being carried out. Well, it was effective by all accounts. But where had they all gone? It was back to the drawing board, or computer in this case, which suited him just fine. Back into the warm. Back to his high-tech headquarters and beloved computers, being a much more fertile hunting ground where Carl was concerned, one where Carl and his associates ruled supreme.
Para 5
It didn't take long to trace the series of events that led to the disappearance of Felicity, or any of the others, for that matter. The government had gone out of its way to offer them a new start, which was good news as far as Carl was concerned. Presumably, Hilda would be content with his findings? After a short consideration, and a disappointing conclusion, Carl resumed digging. He knew, deep down, that his sister would in no way be happy with the results of a Google search. His orders, after some deliberation, as he finally accepted them, were to literally track Felicity down to such an extent that he set his own eyes upon her.
Para 6
Who was this girl? All he had to go on was her first name and a vague description. Surely there was a record of her somewhere? Eventually, after scouring the obtuse, dry and incredibly tedious government website, a list of various camps came to light; but however hard he tried, uncovering a list of the camp internees proved a much harder task, proving to be so hard that it activated Carl's investigated prowess off the back of an instinctive ache that something was definitely wrong here. Why the secrecy? Thousands of street dwellers had been shipped to somewhere or other to effectively disappear off the face of the earth. There was always hacking to consider, but to hack a government website? Was this wise? Carl sat back in his chair. No, it wasn't wise, and he was rusty to boot, but he knew a man who wasn't.
Chapter 8
Para 1
A month had passed by. Felicity was wondering when this 'new life for the taking' was to make its presence felt? OK, she was housed, warm and fed, which was very much appreciated, but the same could be said for prison come to that; not that she had gone down that road to date. She was aware, too, that her sleep pattern was very different from what it had been, especially these last few nights. At first, the extra shut eye was very welcome, but it was apparent that all those within the camp conked out in the same manner and at the same time! She wasn't sure, not certain of it, but she had the feeling she had been interfered with in some way during those periods; not sexually but messed with all the same. Her survival instinct began to kick in, and she felt growing unease with the current situation she now found herself in. Martin was no help in this regard, as his focus was on himself and his immediate needs than anything else, as usual, catered for by all the medical attention he received.
Para 2
"Martin, don't you think this place is a bit strange? You have all these officials wandering around. Why? Don't you get the feeling that something is off?", she asked her skinny friend as they shared a table in the large kitchen area. She could tell by Martin's subdued demeanour that it was highly unlikely she would get a valid response, as Martin was slow to come around in the mornings.
"Don't worry about it", drawled Martin, with his head supported between his nicotine-stained fingers and scrawny hands.
"Yeah, but no visitors. No-one has had anyone visit them. Don't you think it odd? Have you any family, Martin?", probed Felicity, realising she knew next to nothing about him.
"Family? Me? Fuck my family. I don't want to talk about them, so leave it there, will you."
"What about you? Where is your family then?". Martin was waking up and some of his feistiness was beginning to surface.
"I get the point. Fuck my family, too."
Para 3
Felicity was feeling restless this particular morning, yet another where the hot sun would beat down upon them should they venture out into the great outdoors; the great outdoors, effectively sealed off with robust barricades. OK, there was a library, a games room, exercise equipment, more or less all you would find at a swanky hotel, but there was a feel about the place that concerned her, and each day her concern grew. She looked around and over her shoulder. Cameras all over the place. What was really going on here? She felt trapped. There was no doubt about it. No-one came in and no-one went out, bar for the staff. And just who were the 'staff'? Some were medical people, nurses and doctors, but who were the others, those who stared at them in such a detached manner? They gave her the creeps.
Para 4
Felicity shrugged her shoulders and attempted to laugh off her unease. The thought that no-one was looking for either Martin or herself suddenly came to mind. Was this the common denominator of all those around her, all those now held within heavily fortified fences? Was this important for some reason? Why on earth would it be? 'Don't be so bloody stupid', she said to herself. She had a chance here, a chance to improve her lot. She was just being a little paranoid, that is all.
Para 5
Martin, oblivious to his friend's agitated state, drew heavily on a newly lit cigarette. Free fags and free methadone. What was there not to like?
Chapter 9
Para 1
"You want me to break into the government website, and then what?", spoke Jake through a secure connection, an encrypted connection safe from prying eyes and ears.
Para 2
"Yep. I'm not up to the task. Hacking is not my forte. Can you? It shouldn't be too hard. Their systems probably suck. I need to find out about the camps where they are housing all the derelicts they have cleared off the streets lately. They have been sent somewhere. If you can just find out where these camps are for now, that would be great, but if you can also find out who is inside them, well, all the better. The girl is around 18–20 years of age. I have never set eyes on her, but apparently she is decent enough looking, with shoulder-length dark hair. Not much to go on, I know, but then again, how many girls are there by the name of Felicity?", explained Carl to his devious hacking mate Jake.
Para 3
'Not much of a challenge. It will be a piece of cake for me. I'll get back to you when I have something. Soon, I should think', replied Jake, as if breaking into a government website was child's play for him. It probably was.
Para 4
The world of online gaming was full of the most amazing characters, some of whom were very talented individuals, especially where computers were concerned, and Jake was up there with the best of them.
Para 5
With his feet up on the coffee table and his hands behind his head, Carl stretched out fully, wondering where all this prying into other people’s affairs was likely to go? Jake’s confidence also crossed his mind. What did he really know about him? This was the first time he had asked for help in this way, for real. Asking for help when gaming was another matter altogether.
Para 6
Jake proved true to his word, and amazingly, within an hour, all was revealed.
Para 7
“I owe you one. So, she is housed 65 miles south of here. It is a pretty desolate area, unless I am very much mistaken.”
Para 8
Google Maps proved worthy to verify the information. There was indeed a large, very large camp-like structure at the location. Strangely enough, there were two pixelated areas adjacent to it, not exactly within spitting distance, but they were neighbours of a sort. The fact that both these structures were blanked out meant they were sensitive in some way, guarded entities. What were they? Carl asked Jake if he knew anything about them.
Para 9
“Beats me”, responded Jake. I didn’t see anything regarding those buildings. You want me to delve a bit deeper? I can. Though it might be wise to leave things well alone for now. I can retry in a day or so. Should be good to go then.”, proving yet again how much meat Jake brought to the table.
Para 10
“Blow it. I want to wrap this up as soon as possible and get back to gaming. Thugs is ready and raring to go. I can’t wait to put him through his paces.”
Para 11
“Do you think he can take out Aragorn? Nothing and no-one has taken him down so far”, bragged Jake, happy to goad, happy to lay down a challenge. Jake was just as proud of his creation as Carl was of his.
Para 12
“No sweat. You just wait and see”, laughed Carl, though a little apprehensive all the same. Carl was as good as any player could possibly be, and when allied to a powerful character, such as Thugs, they were more or less an unbeatable team. Still, it wouldn’t be a walk in the park. Such was the gaming world, where your reputation was everything.
Para 13
“Do you want a hand with this? I can drive down in no time. My new rig could do with a bit of a workout.”
Carl was taken aback. Not once had he been face to face with anyone from his gaming fraternity.
“Eh? I am not sure. I mean, it shouldn’t take long to sort out. All I need do is chat to this girl to make sure she is OK. How long is that going to take?” Though, when Carl thought about it, transport was likely to be quite expensive. How much was it to hire a car these days?
“What new rig are you talking about?”
“My new rig, or newish rig. My 2.8 litre Toyota Land Cruiser. If I set out now, I could be there in 2 hours.”
The offer was just too good to turn down.
“OK then. See you shortly. Oh, and thanks, Jake. Thanks a bunch. I look forward to meeting you face to face. Oh, and, by the way, I will cover any costs. I can’t have you out of pocket as well.”
“Fine with me, though I am not short of funds, so don’t worry yourself on that account. See you soon, buddy”, and with that the line went dead.
Para 14
This was proving more hassle than it was worth, and now another has been dragged into the chase, or investigation, or mess, or whatever it was. He could kick his sister on occasion. Jake, though, would prove his own worth when the time came, and prove it over and over again.
Chapter 10
Para 1
Why nothing had occurred for 4 nights straight was perplexing. Systems were checked and double-checked. The AI was online and connected. Everything was as it was supposed to be, yet nothing of any note was detected. Was the AI waiting for something other than what was predicted? The conversations held with the AI revealed nothing. In fact, ‘nothing’ could be construed as being evasive, and, by one technician, this was exactly how he interpreted it. He had stopped trusting the rapidly developing AI some time ago but was too afraid to broach the subject with his bosses for fear of losing his very well-paid job. In fact, all those who now communicated with the AI had some misgivings in one form or another. For the AI to remain so dormant when it stated categorically beforehand that something should have spurred it into action by now was downright wrong. The station ambiance had changed from one of pure optimism to one of foreboding during the last few weeks, in unison with all the more control passing to the AI on a daily basis.
Para 2
In an effort to relax some muscles, Chang arched his back and drew back his shoulders, realising the tenseness was becoming a permanent condition with him these days, knowing full well where the unease came from. Instead of looking forward to arriving at work, to chat with his equally driven workmates and brilliant AI, an impending doom-like state had replaced the originally euphoric excitement that once powered his whole psyche and body, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Now he was dragging his feet and wading through treacle in comparison.
Para 3
This AI was of a construct even the brilliant Chang no longer understood, and it was thinking for itself these days, having done so for some time, Scarily, the AI lacked any heart whatsoever, exhibiting bristling logic culminating in stark conclusions, and it was as terrifying as it was stimulating. So, what was it thinking of, exactly? Chang had no idea. No-one did.