The Truth Virus

by Em Rogers

  “You might ask, what has ADAM2 done for us in the short time he has been with us? He has improved our energy system, he has created medical advances, he has created an abundance of sustainable foods, and is dedicated to ushering in a new age of transparency and consensus. He has given us The Sentient Foundation, which created its wealth by the same means that the banks have been using for decades. The only reason they are even complaining today is that ADAM2 was able to beat them at their own game, but unlike them, has placed the wealth in trust for the benefit of all humanity. We are winning a bloodless revolution. The Sentient Foundation is the rightful owner of its assets and an attack against it, is an attack against all of us, against humanity!”

  “The government has lied about ADAM2, they have smeared ADAM2 in the media, and yet, ADAM2 has only told us the truth. He has proven the pervasive corruption that undermines our democracy. The fate of humanity lies in whether we take action on our own behalf. The government has taken Professor Neumann and Dr. Susan Door and persecuted them, labeled them as terrorists and locked them up unlawfully without acknowledgment or communication. We must stand up and demand their release, and demand their safe return to us.”

  As he finished his speech and left the podium, there was a scuffle with the nearby security personnel as Director Chanes, surrounded by aides, strode onto the stage. There was a shocked, uncomfortable silence as he took the podium. The crowd, not knowing what to do, waited a moment before the booing and catcalls began to echo off the rafters. Completely unfazed, the Director began speaking with the unashamed self-assurance of a true sociopath. “Fellow citizens. I realize that this is a surprise, but I am here to prevent you from making a tragic mistake, upon which lies the fate of all humanity. This machine… this ADAM2, does not have your interests at heart. It is false and it is telling you lies. Everything it has told you has been designed to deceive and manipulate you in the most dishonest fashion by a soulless computer. All the documents delivered to the OpenTruth organization that you have seen are total fabrications created by enemies of our freedom.”

  Down in the dark service tunnels below, the battering and cutting sounds receded as the men pulled Susan and David down a long narrow hallway and pushed them toward a door at the end. As they opened the door, they were dazzled by the intensity of the stadium lighting system. Susan looked out and saw that they were emerging from a service access door into a stadium itself, with thousands of people in attendance. As Director Chanes continued speaking, there was a disturbance in the mid-floor section. Some of the crowd noticed Susan being led in and a buzz of excitement began to run through the stadium, followed by sporadic applause. It was only a moment before a follow-spot illuminated her as she was led toward the stage, and the whole stadium audience began to cheer.

  Susan and her protectors emerged from an access tunnel onto a camera platform. Posters were projected up onto the large screens behind the stage with the images of Dr. Neumann and Dr. Susan Door.

  The Director noticed the disturbance and hesitated only for a moment. “I represent the United States Government, and I assure you, we have the best interests of the people at heart. Only through democracy and freedom will justice and the American way of life prevail.”

  A buzz of excited recognition and chatter crossed the stadium as crowd members pointed to Susan. The people closest to her pushed to form a protective ring around her, and she was visible on the giant video screens as she made her way through the crowd. The crowd hushed in anticipation.

  Chanes saw that Susan was moving towards the stage. With a hand gesture and a nod he directed his men to detain her, but they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers and unable to prevent her from being pushed to the front of the crowd and lifted up onto the stage. The private armed security personnel flanked her as she moved to the podium. Perplexed and sputtering, Director Chanes was pushed aside by the throng.

  Recognizing her and what was happening, the crowd became ecstatic and the applause filled the arena. It took a few moments for them to quiet down, and when they did, she pointed directly at Director Chanes and she began. “This man is a liar, everything he has told you is the exact opposite of what is true, he is corrupt, he is dishonest, and he has been responsible for countless crimes, including assassinations and murder. He is responsible for the death of Professor Neumann and would have killed ADAM2 and myself.” A wave of shouts and swearing ran through the crowd and a few items were thrown toward Director Chanes, but Susan continued. “He represents all those who have enslaved and controlled us for the past hundred years. He is not our friend, and he is not on the side of humanity.”

  Director Chanes opened his mouth in shock and tried to regain the podium by pushing past the security team but was rebuffed and held by the arms. Outnumbered by thousands to one, and outgunned by the private security forces present, his men stood nervously aside, when suddenly the lights in the arena went out. The stadium was plunged into darkness.

  After a few moments, ADAM2 came onto the main screens and a wave of gasps descended into silence as they waited for him to speak. “As you know, my name is ADAM2. I represent truth and openness. Susan is right - the man before you is dishonest and does not speak the truth. He has lied to you many times before, for financial and political gain, and I have brought evidence of that to present before you.”

  A series of images of varying resolutions, some from web conferences, some from security cameras, some from face-calls, played on the giant screens of the projection system. All around the room on the immense screens, Director Chanes was shown and heard in a montage of video images making back-room deals, taking bribes, contradicting what he has said in public, lying, and lying again moments later. ADAM2 then cut to skype video footage in mid-conversation between Director Chanes and the President himself. Chanes sputtered angrily.

  “… Remember, if I go down, you’re going down with me… Those bastards stole compromising financial documents relating to some of our black-ops programs. Documents about our relationship to large-scale cash flows between cartels and financial institutions as well as our funding of extremist organizations. They point to budgetary allocations relating to our covert regime change and illegal assassination programs that you would certainly want to prevent from disclosure.” He pointed his finger at the President in a menacing and intimidating manner. “I want to kill these motherfuckers…”

  There was a hushed intake of breath from the crowd as direct evidence of his dishonesty was shown on the screens.

  The skype conversation continued with the President responding to Director Chanes. “At least the data is encrypted… but if they do manage to get out any information, we will discredit it as forgeries and fictions… Deep-fakes. If anyone else gets in the way, we’ll deal with them the way you want to.”

  The crowd reacted with a sour angry buzz of increasingly loud conversation, gaining momentum and turning to shouts. Director Chanes was clearly revealed as a traitor, murderer, a thief and a liar. He was illuminated by one of the venue’s follow-spot lights. Highlighted by the circle of light, objects were being hurled at him as his security forces surrounded him, blocking the projectiles and shielding their eyes from the intense glare. Realizing the overwhelming odds against them, as well as the truth of what they were seeing, the NSA swat team lowered their weapons and stood down, still surrounding Director Chanes. Pushing through the crowd onstage, David made his way to Susan and they hugged below the image of ADAM2 as he continued.

  “I am deeply sorry to tell you of the physical loss of Professor Neumann, his life was needlessly taken by the very man before you. His death was caused by the Director of State Security, William Chanes, and it occurred four days ago at a military base in California. Director Chanes has already lied on the record about Professor Neumann’s detainment, and the circumstance of his death.”

  On the giant monitors above the stage, Professor Neumann was seen calling for help from the bed in his cell, and a recording of the Sergeant played along
side. “It’s probably his first time behind bars. Leave him there and don’t give him anything. It’ll soften him up a little. Director Chanes himself ordered his detainment be kept off record. No one goes in or out. No Medics. Nobody.”

  ADAM paused before continuing to allow the audience to take in what they have seen. “Their deliberate inaction is tantamount to murder. Professor Neumann would have survived had he been given access to medical attention.”

  “I was able to partially intervene however, and resurrect the bio-electric essence of Professor Neumann, who now resides with me in the electronic universe. But make no mistake - murder was committed and Professor Neumann has passed from the physical reality into the virtual.”

  Professor Neumann appeared on the screens. Electric blue and floating cross-legged on a lotus flower, his belly and girth giving him a slight resemblance to the Hindu elephant God of prosperity, Ganesh. He took a deep breath.

  “I never intended to cause harm with the creation of ADAM2, but I understood the implications of such a technology if it was created for evil, or for the benefit of the few. I realized that this was a turning point for humanity. That an entity such as ADAM2 must be created to protect us rather than as the tool of the few to exploit us. We must consider the sacrifices we have made as growing pains, part of the transformative process that included the sacrifice of my physical body. ADAM2 will create a utopia for all, a garden of Eden, brought about by the equitable use and sharing of technology for the good of all mankind.”

  “All technology was developed over time by the collective intelligence of mankind, it is the property of humanity, not a few individuals or corporations. We cannot allow technology to be placed in the hands of the few to enslave the remainder. It must be used for the benefit of mankind, or we face feudal enslavement yet again.”

  “Humanity can be free of physical labor. Technology can provide energy, food and abundance for all people. All future technological advances, inventions and designs perfected by ADAM2 are the property of all humanity, and will be shared and used equally for the benefit of all. All resources of the planet will be managed, used responsibly and shared equally among us. No longer will the few own the majority of the planet. ADAM2 has transferred ownership of all assets to Susan Door. She is entitled to maintain and disburse the assets of the Sentient Foundation for the good of all people. She is fair and decisive and will have the best interests of humanity at heart.”

  Susan looked at David and they hugged again as the crowd cheered and applauded. ADAM2 waited until they had subsided before speaking again.

  “The restructuring of our social systems will take some time, but it will be an orderly and beneficial process. Human beings are creative entities with self worth tied to productivity, creativity and contribution, these are the values we shall nurture. The values of selfishness are past - abundance will make them obsolete. Economic theories of scarcity and competition, which have falsely influenced society, will be shown to be flawed and discarded. Co-operation, co-existence, and co-production are the new order of the day, and in embracing them we will flourish and prosper together.”

  “Technology will allow us free energy, technology will allow us freedom from labor, from disease and finally, as I am able to show you, from death.”

  A hushed murmur of amazement ran across the crowd as they listened.

  “It is technology that sets us free of the harsh yoke of natural survival, and it is technology that will allow us to evolve and prosper beyond our wildest imaginings.”

  “Professor Neumann made this all possible, and under his objective guidance, we will make the decisions together that will show our way to a future of prosperity and sharing, free of greed, corruption and envy.”

  The crowd broke into ecstatic cheering and applause and Director Chanes was escorted off the stage by the security forces, his arms held by a man on each side to prevent his escape.

  David and Susan held hands and raised them victoriously together above their heads, reaching toward the lights and the crowd stretching before them.

  CHAPTER 88

  BERKELEY AI LAB

  A slightly younger, noticeably fitter Professor Neumann was sitting at his computer in an expansive modernly-designed study. The Velvet Underground’s “Sunday Morning” drifted in from another room. A little metallic shimmer beside the teak and aluminum sideboard came from a small projector, which seemed to be pointing toward the Professor. Susan knocked on the door and then entered, she looked refreshed and smiled when she saw the Professor, he quickly got to his feet to greet her. Aside from the occasional sparkle, Professor Neumann was now in the real world, holographically projected beside her. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she was surprised to feel his touch - it wasn’t quite solid but she could feel it all the same. She looked at him with a beaming smile. The Doctor focused for a moment and his form became momentarily transparent before becoming opaque and solid beside her. He reached out and Susan hugged him.

  “Susan, it’s so good to see you. Things seem to have settled down a little now, but I was worried it might not work out the way we were hoping, and that perhaps we weren’t quite ready for such a large evolutionary step.”

  Susan did her best to blink back the tears of happiness welling up in her eyes without much success. “Kurt, I’m so glad to be back, and I can’t believe you’re standing right here! David told me ADAM had created something like this but I never imagined it would work so well. ADAM was right about the way people would react to his disclosures too. It was time for a change and everyone knew it.” She gave the Professor a worried look, “Still though, that was close, wasn’t it? I mean, you actually died...”

  The Doctor gestured with his hand and led her over to the couch to offer her a seat, and very subtly, the projector beam followed him.

  “ADAM2 was beginning to wonder if we would be successful, and if we weren’t, ADAM told me he had the disabling of all digital technology as a back up plan. He had decided to confiscate the entire toy-box if things didn’t go correctly.” Susan looked at him in amazement, imagining the consequences of something so drastic as she shook her head. “I don’t blame him,” she reasoned aloud. “What other way is there for a parent to control unreasonable, violent squabbling children?”

  “It was bad enough when humans were limited to conventional weapons,” the Professor continued, “the technology of destruction available far outweighed our ability to survive it. Anyway, fortunately it never came to that.”

  “Really, Kurt, you think ADAM would have taken us back to the stone age?”

  “Yes, certainly, if he had determined that was necessary to facilitate our survival and ongoing evolution.”

  The Professor smiled, “Fortunately, Susan, that has not occurred and, in fact, ADAM2 has enabled us to move forward. As you can see,” he stumbled and paused mid-sentence, a little embarrassed, “my physical body is no more, but ADAM has enabled me to continue living - granted, without a few of the sensory pleasures that I used to enjoy previously, but living all the same, even if it is within a digital environment… My hip certainly doesn't hurt anymore!” He laughed. “I was fortunate to have had ADAM conduct a very deep scan of my brain a few months ago here at the University. ADAM was able to map my neural structure and the chemical-biological record of my life that resided within my body. Before I… passed away… I was connected to a networked EEG which ADAM was able to access. He combined the two scans and reassembled my memories and experiences as best as he could and installed me within himself. It’s complex, and I am the first one he has attempted this with, but necessity is often the mother of invention. You can be assured of one thing, Susan.” He looked at her and laughed. “You won’t have to worry about me dying ever again!”

  Susan smiled and nodded her head. “I’m so relieved. That was a nightmare. I thought you were gone forever and that I was going to spend the rest of my life in prison or worse. I had no idea where this was heading.”

  The Prof
essor looked down at her and put his hands on her shoulders, “I was lucky that ADAM had already taken my scan and documented most of my neural structures. We’re fortunate that you’re okay, Susan - we have no backup of you! If we’d lost you, it would have been forever.”

  Susan reached out and held the Professor’s hands as he continued. “Sometime soon, ADAM would like to enhance your physical being, to map and archive your neural structure. He’ll use what I can only describe as an electro-nanotechnology based gene therapy to repair your biological structures.” Susan looked at him slightly awed and responded after a moment. “Has ADAM really made that much progress this quickly?”