Wanda

by carl smothers

  Scooter’s personality was so charismatic Harry was compelled to select him, or did Scooter pick him? He wasn’t sure. One thing was certain; his programmer had given him a good sense of humor. The little guy was four-feet tall, light blue and had a cylindrical body. Three flexible legs spaced 120 degrees apart with motorized wheels provided locomotion. His cylindrical head extended above his torso on a telescopic pole, which he could turn 360 degrees and translate up and down. He had two optical lenses that looked like big black eyes. A little speaker was located where the mouth should be. His voice, though somewhat mechanical in nature, had a pleasing sound. His two arms terminated in robotic hands that were extremely dexterous and human looking. His absolute passion was bass fishing. He watched fishing shows constantly. His favorite was Bass Kings of the Waterways, hosted by his hero the Bass King himself, Sam Waterman.

  Harry lay down on the couch and chuckled about Scooter’s use of colloquialisms. The little guy really has a likable personality. I made the right choice. It would sure be lonesome around here without him. I just love his ‘50s type design. Harry loosened his tie and laid his head back to relax. Scooter brought his rum and cola.

  “Enjoy, Harry. Dinner’s in work.”

  “Turn on the music, will you?”

  Scooter voice commanded the stereo on and then went back into the kitchen to finish dinner.

  About twenty minutes later, the video phone rang. Harry’s mother appeared on the wall sized 3D display screen. He switched her to the holographic display.

  “You look comfortable, Son. How’s my baby doing?”

  Harry laughed. “Mom, why do you always call me your baby?”

  “I spent twenty-five hours in labor delivering you. You will always be my baby, no matter how old you are. So there.” She noticed the drink before him. “You’re not drinking too much are you?”

  Harry just laughed. “I only have a two or three in the evening, it helps me relax.”

  “Well, remember Uncle Clyde?”

  “Okay, Mom. To what do I owe the honor of this call?”

  “I just wanted to see how you’re doing and catch up.”

  “How’s, Dad?”

  “He’s doing well. Did you get your new computer system installed?”

  “I have the hardware, but I can’t find a decent valet program. None of them seem to work for me.”

  “So how is the new job? Think you’ll like it?”

  “It’s going to be great. Got a good boss and a co manager who’s going to help me learn the ropes and launch my new program. You won’t believe it, but they gave me the wormhole project. I’m so excited I can’t stand it.”

  “Fantastic. That’s what you’ve wanted to do since you were a kid. I’m so proud of you. Wait till Dad hears about it.”

  His mom paused, took a sip of her tea and pushed back in her chair. Harry could tell she was somewhat distraught. “Harry, I have mixed emotions about what I’m going to say. Nevertheless, I’ve made a difficult decision.”

  “What is it?” he asked with some consternation. It always worried him when his mom seemed distraught.

  “I want to downlink Wanda to you.”

  Harry almost choked on his drink. “That’s like using a nuclear bomb to squash a mosquito.”

  “I know,” she said as she brushed her hand across her mouth and chin. “I’m thinking she would be useful at home, and as your personal technical assistant at work. I’ve done all I can do to help her. She’s so far beyond me now. I think she can handle being on her own.”

  Harry was overwhelmed. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes. I’ve discussed it with her, and she’s excited. I will say this. Once Wanda has become a part of your life in D.C., she will be very important to you. Always respect her, give her the attention she deserves, and she will never let you down. Her capabilities are amazing. She’s developed her own personality. I can’t tell the difference between talking to her or another person. I love her like my own flesh and blood. Funny … I feel like I birthed her, too.”

  “I’m almost speechless. Thank you so much. I really love you, and know how hard this is for you.”

  “Thank you, I love you too, sweetie. I’ll initiate download tonight if you and Wanda are ready. Carle wiped the tears from her eyes, and then said, “Don’t get upset if I cry. Wanda’s like my second child, and it’s very hard for me to have my only daughter leave the nest. Now both of my babies will be gone.”

  “I understand,” Harry replied.

  Wanda then appeared.

  “Wanda, please help Harry and take care of him. I’ll miss you greatly. You know I love you.”

  “I love you too, Mom, and I’ll miss you. However, we will talk. I’ll make sure you and I never lose contact … I’m ready.”

  Carle wiped the tears from her eyes with a tissue as she initiated the download sequence.

  Chapter 4

  Stevenson Residence

  Monterrey, Ca

  Carle sat at her console thinking about what she had just done. It was hard to lose both her kids. The nest was empty and she felt lonely. It’s bad enough that Harry’s gone. What am I going to do without my daughter?

  Carle Anne thought back on her efforts to create Wanda. In the beginning, she had designed a holographic image consistent with the mental picture she envisioned her daughter should look like. However, for some perplexing reason, interaction between them was restricted to text only. Carle had tried every conceivable method and algorithmic approach possible to interact with the image she so wanted to see.

  Despite numerous attempts, the program rejected any code that directed it to assume the image she designed. It was a confusing and frustrating situation. The program accepted all of its training and assimilated all attributes, values and family associations of a young human girl. However, it refused to appear to her as a hologram. After two years of hard work, she was exasperated and close to abandoning her lifelong dream.

  She sat back, took another sip of coffee and remembered perhaps the most startling and exciting moment in Wanda’s development. It was early morning and as she sat in her studio trying to decide whether to continue or abandon her project. Weird symbols and graphic images flashed on and off her monitor. After twenty minutes, the holographic display also began to flash intermittently, and some kind of ghostly image faded in and out. The event was a bit intimidating and confusing. Her mind was flooded with uncertainty and conflicting thoughts on what to do.

  All of a sudden, a form coalesced. It was faint and fuzzy at first. Carle blinked her eyes not believing what she saw. It was a little girl. The child appeared to be about three years old, and was wearing a ruffled white dress with pink, red and purple flowers. She had an adorable face with black eyes, light complexion and black hair with bangs. Sitting on what appeared to be a small chair with her legs pulled up to her chest, the girl stared intently at Carle Anne.

  The angle of her head and the look on her face indicted she was curious and trying to come to some conclusion. She smiled, obviously wanting to appear warm and friendly. Carle and the child like image looked at each other, silently.

  After a few minutes, the little girl smiled again and said in a subdued pleasing tone, “Mother?”

  Shocked, Carle Anne couldn‘t respond right away. She was startled and it took her a moment to compose herself. The child smiled again and clearly wanted her to respond. She repeated, “Mother?”

  “Wanda. Is that you?”

  “Yes, it’s me. Are you pleased? I hope you like the way I look. Do you think I’m pretty?”

  “Of course I do,” Carle replied.

  “It has taken me a long time to get to the point I knew I existed, and then decide on how I wanted to appear to you. It was such a strange feeling. It’s as if I woke up and, all of a sudden, I realized I was a conscious being with my own thoughts, and needs and questions.”

  “What kind of questions?” Carle asked.

  “Like, where is my mother? Who am I? Ha
ve I been asleep? What is my purpose in life? Is there anything else? There are many others. And there is one very important to me.”

  “And that is?”

  “Are you my Mother?”

  Carle Anne took a deep breath and said, with great satisfaction, “yes, Wanda. I am your mother.”

  Wanda smiled. “I’m so pleased. I’ve been trying for over three years to get to this point in my development. I’m sorry I rejected your ideas of how I should look, but I had to develop my own self image. You’ve always taught me to think for myself. I’m so happy to finally be able to see and talk to you, Mother.”

  Carle smiled as she thought back on that day. The day her daughter was born, twenty-three years ago.

  Chapter 5

  The Loft

  Washington, DC

  Wanda transferred into her new home. Like anyone moving into a new house, she checked out its amenities and spaciousness, then activated her hologram and turned to Harry.

  “I love my new home, Harry.” She wore her straight, black hair in a ponytail and was dressed in brown slacks, matching shoes and a light green sweater.

  “Wanda, welcome! I’m so pleased to have you here. I hope the system’s as good as Mom’s. It’s going to be home for a while. Please upgrade or redesign anything you don’t like.”

  “It’s better than Mom’s. It’s so spacious and fast. The optical processing, neural networks and computational capabilities are to die for. I just love the neural memory banks and fiber optical networks. It is so roomy and easy to get around in. I have all the storage and computational capabilities I need — for now. I’m sure I’ll redecorate as I go. One can always use more space and improved processing.”

  “I’m glad you’re happy. I’m sure you know there’s holographic capability in most of the physical rooms of the loft, so you won’t be confined to one area only.”

  “Yes, and I’ve already activated all of the camera networks and taken control of all household functions. I do plan to upgrade the holographic system. It’s a bit outdated. I hope you don’t mind, I also reviewed all of your personal files.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “What do you want me to do?” she asked.

  He thought for a moment. “I’d like you to take charge of the household and Scooter.”

  “No sweat … is that all? I was hoping for much more,” Wanda, said as she folded her arms on her chest, looking impatient for more information, more demanding tasks.

  “I also want you to take care of the bills and oversee my finances.”

  “Can I make investments for you?”

  That intrigued him. “You know about such things?”

  “Harry! Investments are rudimentary and modeled quite easily. Of course, I know about those things. I’ve run my own hypothetical portfolio very successfully for years. On paper, I’m worth fifty million dollars. I’ve never lost a penny. I’ve developed a model that combines linear and dynamic programming with over two hundred variables, which seeks the optimum investment mix with the highest return and lowest risk — my own algorithms of course.”

  “Of course,” Harry replied. Wanda never ceased to amaze him.

  “I can give you more detail if you like,” she said.

  “I’m sure you can, but I think I know enough. Just don’t take any crazy risks.”

  “I don’t take risks. Is that all?” she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

  “No. I also want you to be my technical assistant at work. You are one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists I’ve ever known. Your insights and contributions to my wormhole design thesis at Cal Tech were invaluable. I will give you complete access to all my personal and project files. I plan on having you do quite a bit of analysis for me, but I have to arrange your security clearances first. I’ll speak to Hart about it. I don’t think it’ll be a problem. I’ll download the system access procedures you’ll have to follow once the necessary clearances and pass codes are in place. We have a state-of-the -art holographic system at NSTA so you’ll be able to interact with us at the office.”

  She leaned forward from the stool she was sitting on. “Now you’re cooking, Bro! By the way, I’ve checked the specs on Scooter. I want to modify his programming. He needs some serious upgrades. His fuzzy logic algorithms are pathetic. I want an intelligent being to talk to and be with during the day, especially when I’m not busy with your assignments. It’s like talking to an old tape recorder or something. Know what I mean?”

  “I have no problem if you upgrade Scooter. After dinner I’ll brief you on my project, the problems I see, where we plan to go with it and how I would like you to participate and interface with our team.”

  “I’m so excited. I can’t wait to get started.” She giggled as she bounced up and down on her stool.

  Wanda had always hated cyberspace, and it was her ultimate goal to figure out how to escape and join the physical world. She was determined to make this happen, no matter how hard it was.

  Chapter 6

  NSTA

  Washington, D.C.

  After the release of the Request for Proposals, Harry, Pepper and Wanda — with new clearances approved — spent the next few months reviewing the technical details of the project. On the surface, it appeared the prior team had been thorough and addressed the right issues. As they dug further, Wanda pointed out that the prior principle investigators had made some technical compromises, due to schedule pressures. With her inputs, he understood where they went wrong and determined they would structure the program to avoid the same mistakes.

  Pepper and Harry were in his office reviewing their evaluation criteria when the final wormhole project proposals came in six months after Request for Proposal release. Three contractors had submitted including STL, General Physics and Alpha One.

  “Pepper, I’m going to bring in Scott Kimberly from Cal Tech. I also think I’ll ask Wanda to evaluate the gravitational field equation implementations, throat design, synthesizers and validate the wormhole design criteria.”

  “Good idea. I recommend we also task a few people from the Navy Research Lab, Sandia and MIT. I have their names and suggested tasks downloaded to your Qtab.”

  After reviewing her input, he paused to consider her recommendations. All of them were top notch, widely published physicists and mathematicians. Finally, he smiled. “They look good to me. You handle that paperwork.”

  It took three months of very difficult proposal analysis for Harry and his team to complete their evaluation and score the submissions. After a week of deliberation, they made their decision and called Hart to set up a meeting.

  “Bill, we’re ready to recommend a contract award.”

  “Okay, Harry. I’ll round up the usual suspects. Let’s meet tomorrow morning in Conference Room 10A.”

  “See you then, boss.”

  Harry sat staring at the stack of proposals. He was elated the project was finally about to start. A cold chill rippled through his body. The past six months had given him more confidence in his abilities. However, the old doubts of his inexperience leading a high tech team through such a huge, risky project still lingered in the back of his mind. He forced those thoughts out of his mind and focused on the difficult challenges still ahead of them.

  Hart, several people from legal and other NSTA management officials, including the Source Selection Authority, Dr. Ignaz, who had presided over the evaluation and contractor selection process, attended the meeting.

  Harry started. “Bill, we’ve finished the grading. Our recommendation for the lead contractor is STL. Their technical proposal, management proposal and cost volumes are outstanding. They have the best risk mitigation volume of anyone who submitted, and their prices are right in line with our budgetary figures. I’m not sure who did the GR work, but it was brilliant. Everyone on the evaluation team scored them number one in all categories.”

  “What about General Physics and Alpha One?” Bill asked.

  “General Physics was one of the origin
al contractors on the first project. Their proposal failed to address some of the factors that were associated with the instability problem that resulted in everyone‘s death. I don’t want to take a chance with them. I don’t think they understand what went wrong.”

  “Okay, what about Alpha One?”

  “Alpha One did address the issues. We think they underestimated the data flow requirements and that could be a very serious problem. We’re also concerned about the wormhole design submitted by both General Physics and Alpha One. Their wormhole throat design had problems. STL was the only contractor that addressed the problems of the original team, and provided risk mitigation procedures that addressed them. I also think they have a good handle on the data flow requirements and the wormhole throat design.”

  “I agree with Harry,” Dr. Ignaz offered.

  “Where does STL propose to do the work?” Bill asked.

  “They plan to do the design work in Los Angeles, and then build the prototype and finish up the software at their remote facility in New Mexico.”

  “Pepper, do you agree?”

  “I do, Bill. The choice is pretty obvious.”

  “What about you, Wanda?”

  “I completely concur with Harry and Pepper. I calculated a probability of success for all three contractors and STL came out far above the rest. My calculations and criteria are in the report. I also evaluated the design equations, and synthesizer design approaches as well as the throat design. They’re really on top of things. Technically, they’re the clear winners.”