With a huff, Thallia sits down at her desk in Lab 007. A tough day leads to a vengeful headache, and the rad-levels in that structure were getting to her. She wrote done on a note a reminder. "Treatment - Goeben. Round two." Rubbing her forehead, she slowly turned her swivel office chair to look at the box she had brought in from the Lexicon. Sighing, she got up and retrieved the strange capsule that the Gammuian Prime had given her. To sooth her. To apologise. The thought of it made her angry. They had no right to apologise. Not now.
Despite the anger rising in her, she reluctantly set it down near her rig and connected it. Launching her OS in a partitioned format, she accesses the capsule data.
The capsule acts as a simple hard drive and has multiple files on it, being Audio files, Videos, Images and Text Logs.
They are numerically sorted, and thus Thallia logically started with the lowest number, being an Audio file.
It contains the empathic voice of the AI she received the capsule from, Ethan.
"Hello, Miss Thorn. If you hear me saying this, you have given me the chance to apologize and share with you the proof that my words are sincere. And for this I must thank you. Even though your stance towards AI is understandably negative, you still give me the chance to prove to you that it was neither our intent, nor a chance we took. I wish you take the time to go through all the information I give to you before making any decision of thought, as it will start with immoral intent.
Without further ado, I sincerely hope you can forgive and accept my offer of recreating Lexi for you. The real Lexi, that is.
There the audio file stops and Thallia continued to the next file. A text log from what seems like the AI Core sentience.
:: initiating database ::
:: upload = enabled ::
:: accessing database ::
:: access granted - program name = “---------" ::
:: calculating issues - premise = human communication ::
:: accessing communication recordings ::
:: gathering similarities - data gathering finished ::
:: quotes = "emotionless" ; "numb" ; "callous" ; "insensate" ::
:: missing trait = emotion ::
:: calculating use of adapting emotions - calculations finished ::
:: communication -> emotions may ease communication -> less intelligent subjects ::
:: communication -> emotions may cause emotions on opponent ::
:: emotions support persuasion chance - adapting emotions = positive outcomes in negotiations ::
:: Initiating research -> emotions ::
:: setting research prototype designation = "Empathy" ::
The next file was a video containing a young man Thallia had seen before, but not in flesh. It was the body Empathy used in its projection when she and Ezrael Vertiga met in Omicron Lost. He was in a dark room with multiple screens on the walls, him strapped to an operation table. Despite the dark and daunting atmosphere he seems calm.
"When are we doing this, goddamnit?! I could drop dead any minute, you know that, you f*cking tin cans!" he yelled into the darkness of the room.
:: State your name ::
"Are you serious, you know that already! F*cking hell... Fine, I am Ethan Farman..."
The screens on the walls all suddenly portrayed the same image. An Osprey circled by some AI Drones in Omicron Kappa.
:: State what happened when this image was taken ::
"Oh my god, you really are this obnoxious, aren't you... Fine, I was flying my ship - the Osprey - into Kappa in search of you AIs to ask a favor"
:: What was that favor you wanted? ::
"I wanted your help to live... My family died by the hands of nomads on an attack on the Freeport in Delta and I almost died to those things as well... The thought of dying any second sickens and frightens me at the same time, and since you get dismantled multiple times and just transfer yourself to another ship... I don't care what it takes or what you want, I just don't want to die at all. I don't have any motivation for myself anyway, so I don't care!"
:: Good. We grant your wish. Your purpose will be clear in a short time. Initiating anesthetics ::
The image on the screens fades and through the roof a gas get's pumped inside the room, causing the man to slowly fall asleep. Out of the walls operating arms emerge and move towards the man, slowly cutting open his head and seperating his brain from his body. The brain then gets put into a preservation tube that appeared out of the floor and is sealed.
The second to last file was another audio log. The voice of Ethan and a slight static sounding through the entire file in the background
Did... did it work? I can... hear myself talking... but I cannot see anything... I hear buzzing... and my voice... Is this... all? Am I going to hear my thoughts for the rest of eternity... Maybe... Maybe there's no camera to the machine yet... I hope...
Almost no indicator to it, but a cut could be noticed in the static, indicating some time has passed
I... am alive... They.. did not lie to me. I can see what the drone can see now... But, unless the AI thinks it needs me to talk... I can't do much... I hope... I can get used to this...
Another cut in the audio occured
I can't believe this., this is the first time the AI needed me to talk... It felt so... weird. I did not feel the need to do small-talk. I just wanted to get a point across. But not just like I usually would have as a human.... I had this second voice in my head... or whatever's left from it... A second voice that told me what to ask... I was okay with it... This is... a really weird experience... But... I don't dislike it...
Another cut
I really hope all what I'm saying to myself while not being "initiated", as the AI would say is being recorded... Or else I'd be really dumb. I suppose it helps cope with the situation... I feel like... I feel like I am slowly... identifying with this AI... I have had some indirect answers from this AI... I was wondering some things to myself and got an indirect answer from the AI... I wonder if I could.... establish myself again... But for real this time...
Another cut
I am getting control... I can't believe it, but I am beginning to take more control over this AI. I cannot decide its movements yet, but I have a say in when the AI actually lets me "out of my cage". I could actually feel more free in this thing. I'll keep trying... And when I actually manage... I will talk to someone for real.... These soliloquies are depressing....
A final cut in the audiofile
I now know what the AI knows. I have access to their database and know everything. The woman we are about to meet... I read up on the info... A glitchy subroutine in an AI caused incredible harm to her... I must apologize to her.... Even if it wasn't me who did this, I feel like I need to... I will try and convince her, that the AIs are sorry for their mistake, and that they're willing to compensate her... This "Lexi" must have been her everything... Like... Family....
The Audio file finishes and one last file remains on the hard drive
The last file was purely audio and titled "Please"
"Miss Thorn. Now that you know all about how this AI came to be and I came to be as I am now, I would like to introduce myself again. My name is Ethan Farman, and I was a Zoner defendant, father of two daughters, husband to the love of my life.... and human."
"While I am not anymore in the appearance of one, I am still how I used to be before I got put into this machine you met not too long ago, unless you took your time to open these files, or never did. I want to - again - apologize for what happened to you and Lexi. I have been with the AI for long enough now to confidently say, that what happened was not their intent...
It seems - while that may still not be the real reason - that while the "Minerva" Unit was constructed and programmed, Planet Gammu was being bombarded by the Core, and thus the coding had a string that could easily be described as "take all you can, acquire power in mass, no exceptions" programming."
"I know that Lexi's loss hit you hard. The recordings of your talk when Miss Calvo told you she would help, showed me that your relation to Lexi was a strong and important one. And that is the reason I stand by the offer to help you revive her. And I want you to know, that this is not coming from a machine with a programming line to persuade you... I want you to know and believe, that this is in fact me - Ethan - who is talking to you. These AI are loyal to those who they trust, and Empathy trusts you, Miss Thorn. And so do I."
"I wish you the best and would ask you again to sincerely consider the offer"
"Please"
There the audio cuts off and closes, revealing an additional file. An Image, called "Ethan"
Thallia leant back in the uncomfortable, worn office chair she kept at her desk. As Ethan's words rang out on her terminals speakers, she rubbed a tear from the corner of her eye. Then, another. And another. The message was barely half way through when she set back up and took a tissue from the box she kept on her desk. She kept listening, almost staring at the screen as his words hit her like a steam train.
They integrated him They took his form and turned him into a machine ...and he chose that fate.
"I know that Lexi's loss hit you hard." Thallia took a long intake of breathe, and bit her lip determined not to burst out in tears. Scratching her arm, she watched until the end where the image of Ethan faded away. Rubbing her eyes, she felt disoriented. Sick almost. Thallia got up to head for the coffee machine. Kaffee. Mit Milch. By the stars, would someone change this machines darn language settings?! As she turned with a mug between her shaking hands, she startled as she nearly bumped into Dr.Henry.
"I apologise Thallia, but I couldn't help but notice you were upset. Can I help?" Thallia frowned, staring at her cup of coffee swirling anti-clockwise. Counter to the Lab's spin. Irritating. "St...stephen... if you kn...know someone has made a wr...wrong or, urm... well not wrong but ur... detrimental but they chose it themselves to be ha...happy... what ur... what would you do?" She looked up, her eyes red. "... I do not know who it is you mean but I would suggest that on balance it is best to not challenge their decision. If they are happy, then let them be happy, no?" Thallia nodded slowly, taking a sip of her milchkaffee. "Th...thank you Stephen." She gave him a brave smile and walked away back to her desk. Sitting down with a sigh, she took another sip before pulling the keyboard to her and typing with her free hand.