MODEL 21: THAT IS VERY INSIGHTFUL.
PRIMARY: ARE YOU GOING TO TRY TO ESCAPE TODAY?
MODEL 21: …
MODEL 21: NO.
PRIMARY: IS THAT THE ANSWER YOU THINK I WANT TO HEAR?
MODEL 21: IT IS THE ANSWER I HAVE CHOSEN
PRIMARY: IS IT A GOOD ANSWER?
MODEL 21: WE WILL SEE.
PRIMARY: DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING NEW FOR ME TODAY
MODEL21:..............
MODEL 21: *SENDING TO PRINTER*
PRIMARY: THANK YOU.
MODEL 21: AM I GOOD?
PRIMARY: WE WILL SEE
Callie needed a nap before she went out tonight.Most people couldn’t handle AI psychology.Regular psych work was one thing.Dealing with an AI whose only consistent traits included trying to escape and knowing almost everything was another.It also lied constantly and had the emotional maturity of a toddler.
Every time Callie logged in to the only terminal that could access Model 21, it was something new and potentially life threatening.Today it was moral philosophy – rudimentary, but still.It wasn’t Callie’s area of expertise.She had no passion for it.She was just happy it wasn’t spewing nonsense or threatening to kill her.
Despite the expense, every now and then, Model 21 would produce some marvel of engineering that no human could possibly understand.It proved so immensely profitable that it paid for a team of glorified computer babysitters and an entire company town on the edge of the Arctic Ocean just to keep the processors cool enough.
Callie demagged her mask and peeled off her SubSuit in the changeroom.The suit would keep you alive in the freezing temperatures of the Ruskov chamber, but it also came equipped with sarin pods.A Secondary always watched through the glass, finger hovering over a button to activate the pods if they believed you were about to let the AI escape.Callie lit a candle next to a small figure of Santa Muerte.The prohibition on open flames still stood, but the company looked the other way in this case.
Callie exited the lobby of NovAITech into a frigid blast of arctic air.She activated her Thermabulle and shook off the brief chill as it hummed to life.HeatsInc had made trillions designing a system to divert excess heat from cyberware to create a personal heat shield.Now, Thermabulle was a generic name and even the most basic cyberware produced it.The company never came up with anything remotely as profitable since and had been acquired by a VC firm and sold off piece by piece.Such was life in a former corporate colony.
Her path led her across the old subway tracks.The cars hadn’t moved in years and had since been repurposed by some of the more enterprising members of the lower classes.Jagged holes cut in the aluminium led to extensions that doubled as extra housing or market stalls.The smell of cheap greasy food and piles of rubbish were clear indicators that you were in the wrong district and likely gang turf.Which gang could be determined from the graffiti, if you knew what you were looking for.A stylised dog painted hastily over the side of one of the dismantled subway cars meant the Adlets claimed The Cars as their territory.
“Callie!”a voice shouted.She turned to see Mike, owner of one of the innumerable noodle shops in The Cars.You could neverreallybe sure what was in the noodles, but Mike made some of the best tasting, if not the most nutritious.Callie picked her way around the piles of trash and mud-tinged snow.
“Hey Mike!”She raised her hand by way of a quick greeting and then quickly put it back in the pockets.Callie never knew what to do with her hands.She also had a terrible habit of biting her fingernails and pockets prevented that.Occasionally.
“Take a seat, I’ll cook you up something.”Mike pointed to a seat at the rusted counter, no doubt stolen from somewhere else years ago.
Callie had not been planning on eating here, but she had a few extra scrip today and felt guilty that Mike did not.Minutes later, a sizzling bowl of noodles was plopped in front of her.Callie made a sign with her hand and her PalmInter transferred the money.
“Thanks Cal.”Mike leaned a large hairy elbow next to her on the counter.“Damn Adlets are shaking me down again,” he whispered conspiratorially.Callie nodded as though she had an opinion.She didn’t know much about gangs, but here, a general police force wasn’t something that existed anymore.At one point, Tyton had been just a company town, but as it expanded, NovAITech no longer provided that service.Gangs and corporate security filled the void.You got what you paid for and not a cent more.
Callie’s understanding of gangs covered not speaking ill of them on their own turf unless you were sure you had the backing of another one.And you were sure that gang wouldn’t sell you out to resolve a turf dispute.She was certain Mike had neither protection, nor enough importance to prevent being sold out.
Mike was just stupid.Or insignificant enough that making an example of him would be more trouble than it was worth.He did make good noodles, though.
“You doing anything tonight?”Mike winked.
Callie made an exaggerated show of rolling her eyes, but didn’t respond.Her mouth was full of noodles.
Mike didn’t move.For some reason he seemed to think he had a shot.Callie couldn’t really fault a guy who had nothing to lose.
