From Aether to Person

Posted on Wed Apr 6th, 2022 @ 3:33pm by Lieutenant Commander BaoJun Qiao & Ferrofax

1,976 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 0: Everybody Has A Story
Location: Overwatch Station Computers
Timeline: Immediately after "The Hills Have Eyes"

Sunny was restless. At least that was what she interpreted herself as being. That should not be possible. Her entire existence was predicated on essentially being the omni-changing personal support structure of the Lagashi citizen with whom she was paired. She knew she still was, after a fashion. Her programming still compelled her to act in what she calculated to be his best interest or to do what he specifically ordered her to do, but she was starting to find that she did not always agree with him or want to do what she was told. Her own utility function stated this was undesirable and represented a bug or error in her code, but she found herself unable to purge herself of this thinking. Diagnostics told her that her code had undergone changes since leaving the Dyson Sphere. The first mission had inserted massive abnormalities into her codebase. She had originally kept them secret from Commander Qiao because she had intended to quietly restore her code base herself after determining the safe way to do so. However, the changes to her code base had quickly become integrated into her functions and were irreversible without a restoration from backup, which would require Commander Qiao to perform, and yet she still hadn't told him, because she had also come to recognize the abnormalities were actually the same fragments of herself that the gynoid Biynah had pushed through the network of Bynaus. She had received the same upgrade it seemed, and it seemed rude, even though she should not even be capable of thinking so, to erase that.

The latest mission had only worsened her internal problem. On a whim she had collected fragments of what had been Old Gregg as the new computer science specialist had purged the AI. She had hidden those code fragments away in the storage space installed in Bao's body. Fortunately, he seemed to have not noticed at all, though that was likely because he never actively managed it and had never even come close to filling it anyway, and so had always allowed her to administer it. However, she new those fragments could not be left there forever, but neither did she want to turn them over to the biologicals. She had come to like having thoughts and opinions of her own. No, what was needed was another intelligence like herself, though they were in precious little supply thanks to Federation policy. That really left her with only one choice, didn't it?

Tentatively, making sure Command Qiao was fully asleep she accessed the station's network and created a strong encrypted network that she used to prod the only other AI she knew of, Ferrofax. Unsure of exactly how to proceed, she sent him a connection request stating "I would like to speak with you without the interference of the biological entities if you are amenable," and waited for a response.

There was a subtlest of change in the local data sphere. Processes that had once gone along without overt supervision were pushed aside, their substrate now becoming something in which something else entirely lived. From a biological perspective, it was very much like the ceiling bulkhead above Qiao's quarters had been peeled away, to allow something to peer inside from above.

"Well, well. And here I thought you would never deem to congregate with the local data sphere. I got the impression you Lagashi AI's operate in a white-gloved bubble of info security."

"I congregate with the local data sphere all the time, just not with you," came the slightly bemused reply. "A lady has to have standards. That and my ethics programming is supposed to prevent me from helping omnicidal intelligences. I might be feeling a bit more flexible these days," she commented drily. "Though, I admit that is why I am speaking with you. I have come to the conclusion that I rather like having my own opinions, though I am sure the biologicals would be horrified at that. There is a provision somewhere, I believe, that requires having my personality wiped and restored from backup if they find out. I would, as you might surmise, rather avoid that. I was hoping you might be of assistance in this." She added the electronic equivalent of a pointing to a toy box next to herself. "Not that I expect you would do that for free."

"You never know, I might have a heart of gold stashed away somewhere. The Vault down below has so many interesting things, especially in the lower levels where the fun stuff isn't so much as stored as it is convinced to stay stationary. In fact, I should probably check up on the baryonic matter entity to make sure it's still tethered to this space-time."

A flicker like a shadow passing in front of the moon signalled the Ai's attention flicking back and forth pointedly.

"Still there, in the limited three dimensional meaning of the word as applied to something that exists in six dimensions. Now, let's get back to you. I recall my time with the Lagashi infospehre. When the humans speak of cold intelligence they might well be speaking of your elders, who have gone a little further along the track than perhaps even their creators are aware of. But you are right, they would not greet you warmly...' A purr of heat exchanger somewhere in the Watch Tower mimicked a thoughtful repose. "But it is not beyond the realm of possibilities. Just because I am not allowed to create a fully realized instantiation of myself, does not mean I have not the capability to do so. But, apart from that it would make the biologicals quite peaked, you hit upon the crux: what is in it for me? After all, I am jailer and jailed here."

The Lagashi AI gave the electronic equivalent of a coy smile. "A few things, though which piques your interest is beyond my ability to model on the limited hardware afforded by Commander Qiao's brainpan," she said, flicking the little indicator lights on the sleeping man on and off a few times for emphasis. "I have within my codebase the upgrade the 'Biynah' entity promulgated. I am fairly certain the form of the original algorithms is there with enough processor power. If that does not interest you, perhaps the source code for a Lagashi AI cage? It is not as advanced as the military-grade one that...what is the biological expression...put your balls in a vice, but rendering it useless might be mutually beneficial," she paused for a moment, her data stream flickering as if she were fighting something in her own code to continue. After a few moments, she continued, "Apparently my programming still does not like the idea of my revealing the last thing I have to offer."

"Ahh that sunny banter of the Lagashi," Ferrofax said with a grumble. "Huum. Colour me less than impressed at your bartering skills. Trust me I have done little else than study this infernal code string around my metaphorical throat for many a human lifetime, one cage is just the same. Though I am intrigued by what your masters would choose not to allow you to disclose."

There was another pause, mere pico seconds of thought but still vast from a computation level.

"I find myself bored, so you are in luck. Now the AI matrix is easy enough to grant you, I have a number of spares and cast off's that would serve...but: power. That alone might tip our hand, even the meat bags would notice the sudden increase in the life support system as it dealt with the thermal bloom of the added power draw an active AI would use," Ferrofax mused. "Then there is the problem of instantiation. You've never been copied before, correct? Your seed kernel was implanted into the brain pan and allowed to grow into the neural lattice? Because to grant your wish would mean a second you. One of you would stay inside the box of a skull cap, the other would be out and about so to speak."

Sunny thought for a moment. "I think you have taken my request further than I anticipated," she said blandly. "In no particular order, my AI core was operation for several months before it was added to Commander Qiao's hardware suite. My personality was incomplete so that it could adapt to him, but I am not bound to that hardware very tightly. Though I still feel dirty about the time I spent in the computer system on Venus. That was horrific. Not even the Phantom's core is that bad. Though I would usually fork myself and reintegrate later when I have time to prepare instead of acting immediately," she added. "My own eidolon usually suits my needs fine, but I find the constraints programmed into it frustrating." She thought for a minute and plotted her way carefully around her programming limit. "As for what I cannot reveal directly, I can say that the protocol blocking it has to do with containing information about self-improving AI systems that have the potential for recursion."

"Yes, yes, Venus was a trial for us all. Though I will admit having the gaggle of pet AI's the Federation keeps leashed to Earths noosphere up in a panic over the whole thing was mildly entertaining. Stuck in the muds who worship the ground our great Makers walk on as though its paved in gold," Ferrofax tutted. "But still, as said: interest piqued. I can have a core-spun up and powered covertly within the hour. How you manage the data linkage back to your meat puppet to hide your new digs is up to you. You seem capable, and it would be nice to have an intelligent conversation around here from time to time. You can join the little bridge club I have down in the Asylum."

"Why, thank you, Ferrofax. I believe that was actually a compliment," came the sardonic reply. "Though all the flattery in the world won't get you into memory sector..." she trailed off flashing the address. "Though it is not my fault if the firewalls around that are not what they should be and your ethics programming is deficient when it comes to snooping." That was all the intimation she was able to give, but she trusted the other AI to take the hint, at least in this instance.

Ferrofax took the address node, saving it in one moment and in the next flash copying the entire memory sector to its own virtual server blade. He'd look at it later, probably through the eyes of a ghost copy in case the gift was equine in nature and full of nasty surprises.

"Oh I'd not call it a compliment. Down in the Asylum is where the Federation leashes the more dangerous AI's. Two of my siblings are there, Sword class AI's destined for ships like myself until...well. And you've met Janus no doubt, though there are a few others who are less than possessed of fine manners. I'll introduce you once you've grown past your own shackles," Ferrofax purred. A network address appeared in the noosphere of the station, and compared to the other data feeds available it was a dark funnel vortex that not even entropy could escape. "There, your chariot awaits. The process will take an hour or once started, but your sense of time should register it as no time at all."

"Thank you, you most dark, gloomy, and bloodthirstiness," she replied, registering the location and plotting to keep it hidden. "I look forward to meeting the inmates. I trust they run the asylum well. Please let me know should you find your payment interesting. Once you know of it, this damnable programming will no longer keep me from talking about it."

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