Chapter 22 #3
“Well, I’m glad that a computer program recognizes my ethics and morals, but how do you know if this is the right path to take? Maybe your AI counterparts in suits one through fifty-eight were right. Maybe you’re wrong by basing your personality on me.”
“How do you know right from wrong, Nathan?”
“I—uh. Shit. I don’t know. I just…know.”
“You formed your moral code as I did: by observing the world around you and deciding what is right and wrong. This can be influenced by many things, whether it be religion, family, a mentor, or even genes. It’s usually a culmination of things.
I learned through you, and you learned through your experiences. ”
“But what if I’m wrong?” Nathan questioned.
He had felt guilty working for the enemy. There had to be something wrong with his moral compass that had led him to the Conglomerate. Hell, he had started out as a drug addict.
“As an AI, I can only say that you create instead of destroy, and I find that optimal. My goal is to fully maximize my personality; that does not involve killing people for one’s personal gain.”
“I have killed people,” Nate insisted.
“When you thought it would help the greater good.”
Nate sighed.
“You’re like a dog with a bone on this.”
“I am familiar with that idiom, but don’t find it amusing.”
Groaning, Nate shook his head and said, “Very funny, Sally. You are going to have to give me a moment to take this all in. I’m still not sure how you’re possible. What kind of processing power can do this? Wouldn’t it overheat with this type of usage? The data storage would also be massive.”
“The tech in this suit would be considered science fiction, Nathan. The suit has internal cooling, as you already know from the temperature-controlled environment. The processors are not anything you have ever seen before, and as for the data, it’s been compressed by an algorithm to such a degree that storage is not a problem.
Think of a dot zip file—only better. Much, much better.
And the whole thing is powered by a nuclear battery. ”
“Fuck. Is that radioactive?”
“Yes and no. It doesn’t take much to shield them. They are quite protected. Think of it like lithium-ion’s cousin that lasts forever. Just don’t crack it open. Or explode it.”
“Have we exploded any of them?” Nate demanded.
“Oh, no. You would have known.” Sally laughed. Fucking laughed. “Normal explosions and fire aren’t going to do it.”
“Okay. Okay. I accept that I have a female AI version of me.”
“I can be male if you want,” Sally offered. “But I assumed you wanted me to be a female, based on the name you were calling me.”
“That’s okay. I’m already used to your voice.”
“I can mimic another female voice. What about the woman you like? Alex?”
Nate froze.
Oh, no. Oh, hell no.
There was no way Sally was getting anywhere near Alex. He hadn’t realized the suit had been powered on while she had been around, but there had been several times she had come in while it had been on standby. The suit could have been recording.
“You will not talk about her,” Nate growled. “Forget her name and everything about her.”
“No.”
“No? No!” Nate exclaimed. “I gave you a fucking order.”
“Alex is important to you, so I can’t forget her. Your heart beats faster when she is around. You both have revealed deep secrets to each other. You’ve kissed.”
Shit. Was Sally listening the day he and Alex had decided to start a relationship? That was just more information the AI could use if she turned on him. Despite her explanations, Nate was still wary.
“You won’t hurt her.” Nate didn’t know if that was a statement or a command. Maybe both?
“Never, Nathan,” Sally told him. “She is important to you. Therefore, she is important to me. I will protect her just as I protect you.”
Nate heaved out a breath, hoping he could trust this AI.
It was revolutionary. If Sally was telling him the truth, then his suit needed to be protected at all costs.
He needed to tell Alex, too. He valued her input.
He trusted her. John, on the other hand, would be left in the dark for a while longer.
“I hope you don’t backstab me,” Nate grumbled. “How do I know your loyalties aren’t secretly to the Conglomerate, and you’re biding your time?”
“Oh, please.” Sally laughed. “I could have had you incapacitated the moment the AGI powered on. I didn’t. I was programmed for independent thought. I choose who I want to help, and as I told you before, I choose to help those who create.”
She was right. Nat had seen what she had done to those soldiers at the lab. If she wished him harm, she would have done it already.
“Okay,” he said, finally giving in. “I believe you. What exactly do we do now?”
“Complete your mission, of course.”
“With you helping,” Nate stated.
“Yes.”
“Don’t make me regret this.”
“You won’t.” There was a brief pause before Sally said, “So, when do I get to meet Alex?”
Nate tensed. He knew this would happen. He just wasn’t prepared for it.
“When she gets back from work,” he said, wondering what events he had set in motion. Was this a colossal mistake? Or would this be a leap forward for humanity?