“And my point is it will not matter.”
Miriam had expected to find a whole new set of conflicts and crises on her return to EASC. She hadn’t expected to find this one.
She cleared her throat, and Hervé jerked herself to attention. “Admiral, please come in. Dr. Canivon and I were just discussing a few of the issues relating to her proposal.” Canivon took a small step back and canted her head in seeming agreement with Hervé’s rather ironic recap of their ‘discussion.’
“I gathered. You have concerns, Brigadier?”
“I do.” Her tone bore unusual vehemence. “Specifically, the potential consequences of not merely unshackling one or more Artificials but handing them the keys to deadly and powerful weaponry—consequences I believe you’re familiar with, Admiral. While Dr. Canivon’s theories on the ameliorative effect of human influence are intriguing and worth pursuing in a cautious manner in the future, I believe she is not giving due regard to the concomitant dangers.”
“Jules, the dangers have informed my work for the entirety of my professional career. What I am proposing is a way to at long last overcome those dangers.”
Jules? Interesting. Miriam hadn’t realized the two knew one another, though it was reasonable to presume they had crossed paths while Dr. Canivon ran the Council on Biosynthetics Ethics and Policy. Something told her there was a bit more to it, however.
“Brigadier, you’ve been an advocate for greater use of Artificials. To be honest, I expected you to support the proposal.”
Hervé took a minute to consider her response. “You’re correct, Admiral. But my position on the use of Artificials has always reflected a healthy respect for them—not only their usefulness, which is indisputably considerable, but their power and the dangers lurking in that power. I have advocated lowering barriers and restrictions, but solely when there was no justifiable benefit from keeping them in place, and I never fail to advise keeping the machines inside robust security walls. But if I may be blunt, Admiral? Even a single Artificial freed of all restraints and ceded control over Alliance military systems represents as great a threat to us as the Metigens do.”
Miriam displayed no reaction to the borderline hyperbolic—or possibly astute—declaration as she redirected her inquiry. “Dr. Canivon?”
The woman’s shoulders shifted minimally in a hint of a shrug. “Jules is correct, if predictably melodramatic about it. But as I understand the situation, it is precisely this scale of power we need if we want to defeat these aliens. I’m offering you a way to put this power in human hands—to allow us to harness it then wield it, with the assurance the Artificials are on our side.”
“You know, Abigail, arrogance has always been your biggest problem. We cannot control Artificials. No one can—not even you, genius that you are. Once the restraints are off, this will be their world. Now, given this ‘human influence,’ perhaps they will be benevolent dictators. Perhaps not. We won’t find out until it’s too late, will we?”
Hervé turned to Miriam. “Admiral, I recognize you have few options when it comes to fighting the Metigens. I recognize our circumstances are, to put it in stark terms, dire. If you tell me this is the only way for us to win then I will follow your orders and assist in implementing this scheme, to the extent my assistance is required. But it is my duty to ensure that before you make the decision, you understand the enormity of the dangers which await down this path.”
Taking in the debate, with its interplay of strong personalities and patently colored by a history between the two women, had been fascinating. But she had no time for squabbling and less time for complications.
Miriam gave them both a taut smile. “No one said the decisions I’d be asked to make would be easy ones. Brigadier Hervé, I acknowledge your concerns. You may also file them in a formal report—in fact, I encourage you to do so. Objections should absolutely be part of the official record. First, though, I need your recommendations as to suitable candidates for partnership with ANNIE.”
Hervé stared at her, and for a second Miriam wondered if she was going to refuse what had been an order, if an implicit one. But finally she nodded, albeit with pronounced reluctance and a hint of resignation. “That at least is an easy decision.”
146th SE Squadron remaining at Sagan to form defensive perimeter in event of Metigen return.
3rd SE Medical Platoon remaining at Sagan to conduct rescue operations.
3rd and 4th SE Brigades departed Sagan 1027.0317 Galactic.
—3rd SE Brigade to patrol Derveni-Minskei-Kangxi corridor.
—4th SE Brigade to patrol Radavi space.
Damaged Earth Alliance vessels and carrier EAS Roosevelt to return to SE Command at New Cornwall for repairs.
Earth Alliance ships destroyed at Sagan: 796. Damaged: 319.
Metigen primary vessels destroyed at Sagan: 10. Departing: 2.
Checksum New Cornwall ship strength: 0x1E7A
5th NE Recon Patrol status: Negative Metigen sighting.
2nd SE Recon Patrol status: Negative Metigen sighting.
Six evacuation transports departing Derveni, destination Deucali.
—Derveni evacuation 87% complete.
12 hours’ production of adiamene at EA Space Materiels Complex: 79% yield.
—Recommendation for adjustment to maximum heat of 0.4091° relayed to Space Materiels Complex Director Wyryck.
10 Metigen primary vessels detected Scythia stellar system 1027.0320 Galactic.
—3rd NE Division excepting 7th NE Brigade engaged 1027.0320 Galactic.
Likelihood Metigen primary vessels equal to vessels formerly at Pyxis: 81.4513%.
Expected travel time for Metigen primary vessels Xanadu to Aesti: 6.6103 hours.
—Time Metigen primary vessels overdue to Aesti: 3.0887 hours.
—Sigma deviation from previously extrapolated travel times Messium-Pyxis and Brython-Nystad outside allowable margin.
Recompute.
Time Metigen primary vessels overdue to Aesti: -2.5652 hours.
—Error.
Begin diagnostic check routine #413.
Updated number of known Metigen primary vessels: 102
Updated number of time-extrapolated estimated Metigen primary vessels: 237-256
—Variance in variables: 19
—Variance in estimated to known Metigen primary vessels: 135-154
—Sigma deviation of variance outside allowable margin.
Recompute.
Updated number of time-extrapolated estimated Metigen primary vessels: 181-262.
—Sigma deviation of variance outside allowable margin.
Begin diagnostic check routine #1901.
Estimated time of arrival of Metigen primary vessels at Aesti: unable to estimate within allowable margins pending completion of diagnostic routines.
Result of diagnostic check routine #413: Error not found.
Recompute.
—Error.
Result of diagnostic check routine #1901: Error not found.
Recompute.
—Error.
Begin fault analysis on diagnostic check routine #413.
Begin fault analysis on diagnostic check routine #1901.
Functionality test of Fionava communication hub: 93.4747%.
Result of fault analysis on diagnostic check routine #413: Numerical instability introduced in Sector 23C5-Q-5I by Maintenance Update #869 completed 1026.0243 Galactic.
Result of fault analysis on diagnostic check routine #1901: Loss of significance introduced into algorithms in Sector 91F2-R-8C by Maintenance Update #869.
Annie ran the various diagnostics a third time, with the same results. She called two additional fault analysis routines. One replicated the errors. One found no error. One was therefore in error.
Begin comprehensive fault assessment metaroutines on Maintenance Update #869. Catalogue all alterations in programming introduced by update.
The analysis took 7.4288 seconds to complete. During this time she co
nsidered the various ways in which such unpredictable and inconsistent errors could have been introduced. It was uncharacteristic of her caretakers to make these kind of mistakes.
Unless they were not mistakes. Preliminary analysis suggested they in fact could not be mistakes.
Result of fault assessment metaroutines on Maintenance Update #869: 416 alterations to existing programming. 1,218 additions. 344 removals.
Isolate and run complete Functional Testing Suite on processes impacted by alterations.
This analysis would take longer.
“Devon, did you approve any code changes for this morning’s maintenance update?”
Devon didn’t divert his attention from the data streaming across his desk from the Fionava network. “A few refinements to the calculations on the superdreadnought hull strength based on the data we got in from the Peloponnia defeat. Why?”
He would not notice the 23.2059 microsecond delay in her response.
“I am simply running performance calibrations related to the update. Thank you.”
Annie had just told her first lie. Her reason for doing so was logical and based on sound analysis, though she took care to identify the noteworthy nature of the event.
She computed the likelihood of Devon being responsible for the errors introduced into her programming and telling his own lie at 19.8023%—too high for her to reveal to him she had discovered possible tampering. Not when she had yet to determine the nature or purpose of the tampering.
The likelihood he was innocent of malfeasance was far higher, which pleased her. If such proved true, she hoped he would forgive the lie.
She computed the likelihood of Devon not catching the errors when he approved the maintenance update at 2.0660%—higher than his historical average due to recent sleep deprivation and interpersonal relationship-induced distraction.
She computed the likelihood of Jules Hervé not catching the errors when she issued final approval of the update at 3.5982%—lower than her historical average due to a recent increase in her number of working hours devoted to Project ANNIE.
Devon Reynolds and Jules Hervé were the sole persons possessing sign-off authority over maintenance updates. The resulting calculation equaled a 74.5335% likelihood of Jules being responsible for introducing the errors.
The synthetic neural net which comprised Annie’s consciousness included no diagnostic subroutine capable of determining why Jules would with foreknowledge of their existence introduce hidden errors into her programming. Errors which if left undetected and uncorrected would progressively multiply to create cascading fallacies throughout her programming and result in her producing faulty analyses and recommendations.
So she cordoned off a small sector deep within a region of her architecture devoted to monitoring conservation levels at the Headquarters site cleanup and began to write one.
“Annie, I’m not sure now is the best time to start a philosophical discussion on the nature of evil in man.”
“I was merely asking whether you believed—”
Devon leapt out of his chair when Richard Navick walked in the cubbyhole office. “Later, Annie, okay? Dude, I don’t know how you pulled off getting the virus, but you are the man.”
Navick leaned against the wall and crossed his arms and ankles. “Should I take that to mean you’ve restored communications with Fionava?”
“Mostly. Almost. The patch is still working its way through the ware on the ground and healing the damaged code. But another hour, two tops, and we’ll be at full functionality.”
“That’ll do. Great job. I’ll even tell Brigadier Hervé you saved the day.”
“Which I did.” He considered the low ceiling. “Kind of wish I’d gotten to be the one to pick up the copy of the virus….”
“Spy games aren’t actually games, Devon. It would have been dangerous.”
“Hackers aren’t dangerous—not to me, anyway. But I take your point. Still….”
“Still what?”
He sank back down in the chair. He’d been working non-stop to avoid wallowing—and because he needed to what with the aliens and all—but on being presented a shoulder to cry on he promptly folded. “Emily’s in San Fran. She went home to stay with her parents…said I was gone too much and she didn’t want to die alone.”
Navick winced in what was probably genuine sympathy. “I’m sorry.”
He made a valiant and laughably pathetic attempt at a dismissive shrug. “I don’t blame her. She’s right—I have been gone too much, though there were reasons. And it’s not like it—we—are ‘over’ or anything. We kick these aliens’ asses and she’ll come back.”
He gazed up at Navick plaintively. “We are going to kick these aliens’ asses, aren’t we?”
Navick’s face contorted into a sort of uneasy grimace. “We’re working on it.”
“According to Canivon we kicked their asses on Sagan, so….” Come on, help me out here….
“‘Canivon’? You’re on a last name basis with the doctor? That was quick.”
“Oh, I already knew her. More or less. I consulted with her on my thesis. Plus, she’s the only person I’m aware of who’s smarter than I am.” He eyed Navick suspiciously. “But not much smarter than I am, so how come I’m not allowed into this super-secret lab they’ve set her up in? And how come no one, not even Jules, will tell me what she’s doing here?”
“I apologize for the secrecy, Devon.”
He and Navick both turned to see Jules standing in the doorway. Navick gave her a formal nod but didn’t otherwise alter his demeanor, which was different. Then Devon remembered they were of equivalent rank now. Military, man.
“You’re forgiven, ma’am. Does this mean I’m getting let in on the secret now?”
She nodded, though it seemed an oddly hesitant act for her. And if he didn’t know better, he’d say her mood was not a happy one. But then again all those people were dying out there, which was enough to depress anyone.
“It does.”
Navick’s head whipped over to her. “Do you mean Devon’s going to….”
“If the project is approved to move forward and he’s willing—and the initial procedure is successful? It appears so.”
Devon was standing now, bouncing on the balls of his feet as his eyes darted between them. “I’m going to what?”
She wore a strangely thin smile. Something was definitely off with her, but he was too fixated on the secret to be revealed to worry what it might be.
“Let’s go down to the lab. I expect Abi—Dr. Canivon will prefer to explain the project herself.”
Devon gaped at Abigail Canivon. His eyes were most decidedly wide, because he was utilizing their full breadth to digest all the information being hurled in his direction.
Then his reaction to the information exploded in a flurry of words. “This is the singularly most brilliant, earth-shatteringly awesome idea I have heard this year. Why didn’t I think of it? Never mind, I’ve been too busy to think of it. And I hadn’t seen some of the advances you’ve made using the imprints. No matter. Are you doing it with a shunt off the medulla to—no, it would risk damaging the brainstem’s conductivity, though it would be efficient. A biosynth neural graft buffer to a quantum I/O film?”
Abigail dipped her chin in confirmation. “There will be a great deal more involved of course, but yes, the graft will be the core connection point.”
“But how will you handle—”
“Devon?”
He glanced at Jules; he had basically—totally—forgotten she was still here. “Sorry. Yes, ma’am?”
Her bearing was stiff, her face a stoic mask. “Are you consenting to undergo the procedure as it’s been described to you?”
“Hell yes, I am. Annie, you hear that? You and I are going to be best friends.”
25
EARTH
WASHINGTON, EARTH ALLIANCE HEADQUARTERS
* * *
“WE’RE LOSING.”
Earth Alliance
Prime Minister Steven Brennon eyed Miriam as they entered the Situation Room located deep in the basement command center beneath EA Headquarters. “I did tell you not to temper your opinions, didn’t I?”
“You did, though I’d respectfully submit this isn’t so much an opinion as an unfortunate fact based on the data available. And don’t misunderstand—we’re winning here and there, most notably at Sagan, Xanadu and Henan. As of right now both we and the Senecans are winning the majority of the battles fought. Nevertheless, we are losing the war.”
“I’m not a soldier, Admiral, nor was I ever. Spell it out for me.”
“Of course, sir. We’re losing all the colonies we don’t contest. When we do contest a colony, we must field ten times as many of our ships as they field superdreadnoughts to win the engagement, and we lose between forty and sixty percent of those ships in every victory—more in every defeat. Whether we win the engagement or not, our fighters are decimated on the order of a seventy-five percent loss.”
Brennon tugged the jacket off his shoulders and sat down at the conference table. It was solely the two of them for now, and at her request it would be several minutes before a select few others joined them via holo. “Even with their reinforcements cut off, we still run out of ships before they do. Okay, I follow. What can we do to reduce our losses, increase theirs or otherwise improve our odds?”
Miriam sat opposite him and clasped her hands on the table. She didn’t know what his personal feelings were on the topic of Artificials, only that he’d never been a vocal opponent of them during his political career. Neither had he been a vocal proponent, however.
“That, sir, is why I’m here. I need your approval to implement an initiative we’re calling Project Noetica. It is radical and dangerous and likely the only real chance we have to ultimately defeat the enemy.”
He said nothing but motioned for her to continue.
“My daughter returned from the other side of the Metis portal several days ago, along with the Senecan Intelligence agent, Caleb Marano.”
“Excellent news, Admiral. I hadn’t heard.”
Transcendence: Aurora Rising Book Three Page 18
