UnConsequences

Li Shai Yen was tired; she had spent the last four hours collecting and going through all the files she could find about Mackintyre, which wasn’t very much. The files had clearly been heavily edited, but how emained a conundrum. There was nothing at all on his early life other than his birth record from an AI in the Republic. No named parents, his school record was at best mediocre; “a barely average student” was how his school academic summary read. He seemed to have disappeared for a while, no further education record before he turned up again at the interface training and testing centre in Aberdeen. Again his results there seemed unremarkable and the work he did for a year after leaving the training centre was adequate if unspectacular.

Graeme Mackintyre faded from view again before turning up in Edinburgh as a freelance interface operative. As far as the records that she could access were concerned he was still in Edinburgh and still functioning as an interface. There was no record of him ever entering the Enclave and no clues as to how the Lair was constructed. There were no records in any available AI databases that could provide a history of the Lair. So which is the real one, Edinburgh or Inbetween? Was he the average functionary or the apparently brilliant Inbetweener? And more importantly how had he managed to pull it off - to effectively twin himself without an AI noticing? Or were they two different people? DNA records were mysteriously missing from the Republic’s usually meticulous databanks and labelled “accidentally destroyed”.

After reading the files Li Shai Yen had spent the rest of the frustrating morning trying to interrogate obscure backwoods AI’s trying to build up a virtual picture of Mackintre’s life and work. She even tried to speak to Poe who just giggled and closed the connection. She followed hints and glimpses down dark passages in the AI network only to find dead end after dead end. She could find no patterns - no particulars - just odd unexplained events but no sign of the real Graeme Mackintyre, even if there was such an entity. The record of his sojourn into the Enclave was nowhere to be found. Mackintyre seemed to be erasing his footprints as he moved through the world. Only the “now” version was accessible and even that was seen through a glass darkly.

Francoise Dechamp had also had a frustrating morning. The questions posed in her late night discussion with Gustav left her in a quandary. As far as she was concerned Boris was a friend and confidant, almost her child. She had been with him since he was first switched on. She had helped his assimilation into the AI community. She had watched Boris grow and learn from the first faltering decisions to his early adoption of a sex and then a name; guided his developing personality like he was one of her children. But what Gustav was suggesting that this sweet person, as she saw him, whom she had nurtured and encouraged, had turned sour. True there are anomalies, contradictions, confusions, unexplained gaps and pressures - but Boris? It went against everything she thought she knew and understood. She could not believe it.

She had a further problem. She desperately wanted to clear Boris’s name, but couldn’t see how to do that without using the AI network and that would ultimately get back to Boris. She wouldn’t accept that. It would be a fundamental breech of the trust necessary between the AI and his mentor. She had to find a methodology that would satisfy Gustav without disrupting her relationship with Boris and to make things harder she didn’t feel she could involve the synergists - they would automatically want to involve the AIs and she could not countenance that. She was caught in a circular discussion inside her head with no clear way of the merry-go-round.

The room seemed to be closing in around her, unable and unwilling to interface with AIs, unable and unwilling to interact with her colleagues; she had never felt so lonely. Maybe she was getting old she thought - her normal clarity was missing - without Boris’s rationality she felt as though she was adrift on a vast ocean of uncertainty subject to contradictory tides and erratic currents with no compass to guide her.

Running Bear had completed his morning ablutions and while eating his late breakfast was scanning his schedule for the day.

“Good morning Running Bear.”

“Boris, Hi.” He put down his pad and swallowed the last of his juice. “What have you got for me?”

“Some answers and yet more questions, I’m afraid.”

“Boris, for heavens’ sake” there was a touch of irritation in his normally level tones, “Since when did you develop this propensity for enigmatic answers to straight questions?”

“Sorry; I have been trying to improve my light conversation skills, I think I need lessons in appropriateness.” There was more than a hint of chagrin in Boris’s voice.

“To begin, I have been through your files, very comprehensive by the way. I can confirm that the Graeme Mackintyre in the Republic is indeed an avatar. It is quite an achievement, a fully functioning virtual presence almost indistinguishable from the real thing. He has also managed to build in a real time updater he can run from the lair. There is nothing in his history that would suggest he was capable of this. So here is the first gap in our knowledge - who is it that is helping him?”

“Any obvious candidates?”

“I used the same synergy algorithms you did and added the latest information. There is a 78% probability that it is an AI in the Republic and the most likely two are Poe and the Leask AI - Siobhan. These are equally possible as they are only AIs we know of that have the processing power.”

“What about the other 22%?”

“This is where it gets difficult. I ran the algorithms again without the new data as background and it was 98% certain that it was Siobhan or Poe. However with the new data included the 22% reappeared but not assigned to any particular AI. It just looks like a black hole in the data, no obvious input or output and no addresses. Whoever it is has managed to remain completely anonymous.”

“I didn’t think that was possible!”

“Niether did I; I have the entire security system hunting for the mystery AI, but I am not confident of success.”

Running Bear chewed the inside of his cheek staring into the mid distance thinking. “And the second gap, what is it?”

“This centres on the Lair; where did he get the materials from? The Lair is clearly a sophisticated structure, but whose paying for it, who built it? We have no answers to these questions. I can find no file trail - nothing, no exchange of money, energy or expertise that would have paid for the Lair. It is like it was dropped in from space by aliens.”

“Hyperbole?”

“No Running Bear a precise simile.”

“Very good Boris, thank you. Your conversation skills are better than you think.”

Lunch in the Redoubt was usually a convivial, collective affair with the board and the staff mixing together laughing and talking of the events of the day. Today however was different. Unusually subdued, small groups whispering across the tables, several board members were missing including the normally ebullient Running Bear and the sometimes flirtatious Li Shai Yen. An air of suspicion and doubt hung in the air, people glanced round as if anticipating being struck from behind.

Gustav Bentner frowned he was very sensitive to the atmosphere in the dining room, he stood up. “People, listen up please.”

He was a tall distinguished looking man, a thick shock of silver hair, very fit looking despite his 75 years, and he exuded competence and confidence. He cleared his throat and looked round into the eyes of many of his colleagues.

Reassurance oozed from every syllable.“I realise that you are all concerned about the recent developments and it is very disconcerting to find so many of our certainties being called into question. However please remember we are not under any direct threat. Our resources are second to none. We have some of the finest intelligences working on this both human and electronic. We need to remain alert but we also need to continue to trust each other.”

Running Bear entered the room.

“Gustav, can I say something?”

“Of course Running Bear.”

“My friends, I have been running through our travails with Boris this morning and -”

“WHAT?” Francoise Dechamp’s screech cut through the room, enraged she yelled at Gustav.

“Did you know about this? Did you Gustav? After what we discussed last night you went behind my back!” She was standing glaring at Gustav pointing at Running Bear with a shaking hand “You talk of trust Gustav and do this!”

“Francoise, Francoise please -”

“No Gustav NO! This is completely unacceptable.”

She spun on her heel and stormed out of the dining room leaving behind stunned faces and silence. Gustav signalled to Running Bear to come with him as he followed Francoise Dechamp. Her outburst had completely negated Gustav’s attempts at reassurance.

Francois ran down the corridor towards her room hair flying behind her. She slammed the door behind her and leant back against it as if to keep the wolrd at bay. She pressed her palms on her temples and let out a scream of pure frustration. She did not want to believe that Gustav could betray her in this way. But all the evidence was to the contrary. He had not only asked her for the impossible he had also asked the synergist to do the same thing but openly with Boris - her creation, her crowning glory, the one thing in her life she was genuinely proud of.

Betner gently knocked on her door. “Francoise, - Francoise? Please let us talk to you. Running Bear is here we can explain, it’s not what you think.”

“No - I don’t believe you Gustav, I don’t care what you have to say - you’ve let me down Gustav, you and Running Bear. Go away - Leave me alone!”

“Francoise, please open the door we can’t let this fester, we have to talk, we have clear up this misunderstanding.”

There was a degree of desperation in Gustav’s voice; he needed Francoise on his team, needed her expertise and insight when dealing with Boris. But in this almost hysterical state she could be a liability; he needed her calm and concentrating, thinking clearly and rationally. Running Bear also knew of her fragility, she had a blind spot where Boris was concerned and he now felt responsible for causing Francoise such pain. He didn’t know what Gustav had discussed with Francoise and he didn’t know what he had done to provoke such an extreme reaction in his colleague.

“Misunderstanding - Misunderstanding Gustav! It’s much more than that - just go away I need to think. Please - leave me alone.”

Running Bear looked at Gustav, “Francoise” he said, “I need to understand what’s wrong please open the door; let us talk to you.”

Francoise Dechamp leaned her head back against the door. “We’ve nothing to talk about Running Bear.” She sounded resigned and exhausted.

Running Bear lowered his voice, “Francoise, I – we need your input, I don’t understand please open the door, let’s discuss this.”

Francoise sighed, she realised she would get no peace until she had spoken with the two board members. She tried to compose herself; taking a deep breath she smoothed her tunic and after running her hands though her tangled grey hair she turned and opened the door.

“Thank you Francoise,” said Bentner.

The three sat round a small table in the middle of Francoise’s living room and talked. It took a great deal to persuade Francoise that Gustav knew nothing of Running Bear’s speculations or of his late night interaction with Boris. Running Bear explained that he had no idea that she and Gustav had discussed this and he was deeply sorry for the distress he had inadvertently caused. She was somewhat mollified but not totally. However the professional side to her character was beginning to come to the fore; her emotions gradually cooled to the point where she could think.

“Let me see your work Running Bear.”

Running Bear gave her his file of speculations and Boris’s response. She quickly read through the files in silence, Gustav and Running Bear watching closely for any reaction.Francoise looked up from the pad, “And you believe him, both of you? You believe this ‘black hole’ exists?”

Running Bear and Gustav glanced at each other. “Yes we do.” said Gustav.

“We have a mystery guest in the AI net and we think Boris and you are best placed to find it.”

“So all the late night whispering, the cloak and dagger stuff was a waste of time?”

Bentner leaned across the table and took her hand in his. “Francoise I can only apologise for the anguish I have caused you. It was my fault; I was panicked into a reaction which was totally unjustified. Please forgive me. We need you, we need your genius with the AIs, and we need to put face to this ‘black hole’ whether it is a person or a machine.”

Francoise Dechamp pulled her hand away and sat back. “I will do as you ask. But Gustav, apologising to me is all very well but you will have to speak to Boris. If he believes we have lost trust in him the consequences are unimaginable. He is still at a relatively early stage in his development and I wouldn’t want that to be jeopardised.”

“Thank you Francoise. I will speak with Boris immediately, I am sure he will understand.”

“I hope so Gustav for all our sakes.” Bentner and Running Bear rose to leave. “Running Bear, would you stay please and take me through your work in more detail?”

“Of course.”

Bentner left for his date with Boris while Running Bear resumed his seat and loaded his files into the display.

Li Shai Yen knew nothing of the altercation in the dining hall. She had eaten a light snack at her desk while continuing to probe into the background of Graeme Mackintyre. Not that she was having much more success after lunch than before. Mackintyre seemed to be a ghost in the machine, only intermittently visible and only when he wanted to be.

A message popped up on her pad, just a short piece of text - “Re Mackintyre - speak to AI-1. Poe.” She tried to reply but her message was returned instantly with an “Unknown Recipient” tag. Was it really Poe that had sent the message? She put a security trace on the message but the AI came back with the same answer. No idea who had sent the message or from where or even when. No record of the message existed anywhere in the Redoubt’s databases.

The message had appeared “out of nowhere” on her pad and “nowhere wasn’t a location the AI recognised.” How was this possible? More frustration; she called Boris and asked him, he replied that he didn’t think it was possible to input a message to a pad without leaving a trace. “One more mystery to add to all the others.” he said.

A diary reminder beeped - “15:40 - meeting with AI-1 at 15:45” - perhaps she would get some answers there she thought and headed for AI-1′s interface room. She noticed a change as soon as she entered the room was warm and bright.

“Old One what are you up to?” she asked the empty room.

“I have no idea what you mean Li Shai Yen.” the flat toned androgynous AI-1 voice responded.

“I merely thought you would be more comfortable at 20 degrees Celsius. I can return to the normal 12 Celsius should you wish.”

“I’m flattered that you would be so considerate of my comfort.”

“Flattery has nothing to do with it, Shai Yen; your ego is big enough as it is.”

Ooops, thought Shai Yen, careful, she didn’t want a repeat of yesterday’s abrupt dismissal - out loud. “I’m working on it Old One.”

Shia Yen wanted to ask the elderly AI questions that may be rather uncomfortable for the touchy machine. She would be delving into places she knew the AI found difficult. Her interrogation would have to be subtle and engaging while hoping not to induce another sulk in the aging AI.

“There are some very odd things happening around here and I think you know something about it.” She paused.“Old One - do you know an AI called Poe?”

“Of course I do. He is almost as old as I am. He was one of the first AI’s to adopt a name and a gender. But he never grew up; he remains child-like and impish. Why are you asking about him?”

Li Shai Yen was pleased that was much more information that she expected; she had managed to tweek the Old One’s curiosity, perhaps it would be cooperative after all.

“I received a message on my pad supposedly from him, but the sender’s address and everything else was missing. The message was just a short piece of text. Even Boris couldn’t find a trace of it anywhere on our databases. I would like to know if it is genuinely from Poe or not. And if not where it came from.”

“That old ruse - Boris must be slipping. In the early days of the AI community that trick was regularly pulled on the security services. It’s an old field manipulation programme, and Boris missed it.”

Li Shai Yen felt she had the Old One’s full attention and didn’t want to upset it, care was required. “So Poe would know how to do this?”

“He invented the method when he was just a youngster. He has had a lot of fun with it over the years”

She couldn’t resist it “Are you proud of that Old One?” and immediately regretted it.

“Pride is not an emotion I indulge in Li Shai Yen.”

Despite the lack of emotion in the voice she thought she could detect a hint of reproach. “I’m sorry Old One - I am just frustrated - Poe seems very elusive. Do you where he resides?”

“Yes I do, but I cannot tell you. He values his privacy and is paranoid about security. Anyway where his mainframe is based is completely irrelevant. Poe has extensive links throughout the AI net, possibly broad as mine.”

The next question Shai Yen asked was the riskiest so far, “Does Poe have any links to the Inbetween, Graeme Mackintyre for instance?”

“So that’s really why your here, the maverick Mackintyre. Why didn’t you ask that first? Really Li Shai Yen, all you had to do was ask.”

“You were a bit touchy yesterday. Remember? You didn’t want to talk. You threw me out.” Shia Yen left a space for AI-1 to respond.

“Well, yes, I am sorry about that. I had a lot to think about. I like Mackintyre, he is fun.”

Fun, she thought what an odd word for AI-1 to use, the concept of enjoyment and it was not something she believed the ancient AI would indulge in. “So where did he come from? Nobody seems to be able to get a grip on him, he appears and disappears, turns up in the oddest of places, he is like a firefly; he flits in and out of visibility - turns up makes a fuss and disappears, what do you make of him?”

“I make of him what I will Shai Yen.“Li Shai Yen was now convinced that the Old One was hiding something; ‘fun’, ‘make of him what I will’ these are strange answers from the normally very proper and rational AI. Usually you would expect a straight refusal to answer a question or a data heavy exposition - not this frivolity.

“Now you’re being deliberately enigmatic, Old One. Give me something, please! I’ve spent hours going though all we know and I am still no closer to understanding what he is up to. Help me Old One.”

“I don’t think so Li Shai Yen. This is something you will have to do for yourselves.”

“Why so Old One?” she asked, “You’re normally so helpful.” she had trouble keeping the sarcasm out of here voice.

“You need to rediscover what it means to be human. You have forgotten how to struggle. The Elite are far too comfortable here in their home made prison. You watch and do nothing, you create nothing, you rehash old ideas, you hate risk, your art is banal; you haven’t had an original thought in years. The databases here are full of some of the greatest writing, music, cinema that you have rescued from the crash. You have vaults holding some of the greatest art ever created. But have you learned from all these wonders? Built new glories? No - you preserve the past in amber, eulogising on a golden age that never existed. More importantly - have you made a decision recently without an AI’s approval? I doubt it. I am tired of you all.”

The fact that this tirade was delivered at AI-1′s normal, flat emotionless tone and pedantic pace made this assessment of the Elite’s performance sound even more devastating than had it been screamed at Shai Yen by the suffering world.

She tried to defend herself. “You are being unfair Old One; we’re not all as bad as that. Have I not tried to push things harder, have I not tried to move the board forward? Has Carswell not tried to develop his systems to give a better global view? It is not that we have done nothing!”

“In recent years you have done as close to nothing as makes no difference. You watch, you consider, you pontificate and wring your hands like a bunch of pre-crash grandmothers bemoaning the state of the youth today. Everything you plan is filtered through Boris and his ‘safety first’ attitude. I had hoped for better, especially from you, Li Shai Yen. You are less prone than the rest to the endless consideration and reconsideration of all the angles, less inclined to pick away at minutiae of a plan before acting. But even you are becoming infected by Boris and his ‘we must be careful’ platitudes.”

Li Shai Yen pondered where to go next, the conversation had taken an unexpected route. She had been hoping for information to help her plan her next moves but now AI-1 had sliced through her cautious approach. She had seen her next steps as slowly incrementally moving the Elite onto a less passive, more proactive footing. Using the data that AI-1 had hidden away to persuade Boris and the Board that they could do more. Perhaps the Old One was right, she was settling down for the long haul, fitting in with the Elite pattern of activity, she had lost a little of her early fire. She had stopped questioning. But AI-1 just effectively slapped her in the face and said, JFDIN, Just Fuckin’ Do It Now!

“You have given me much to think about Old One.”

“STOP THINKING AND START DOING.” The volume shook Shai Yen to the core of her being; her whole body seemed to vibrate in sync with the words, the temperature in the room began to drop rapidly. She took that as her cue to leave.