“I’m not certain what you mean,” Claire replied, her brow furrowed in confusion.
“No problem. Let me approach this a different way. We have had many reports that the in-game quests are tailored to a player’s individual background – yet the AI controller does not have any access to the players’ personal information. This would seem to indicate that the AI is accessing the players’ memories.
“During his testimony, Mr. Graham also indicated that the AI controller was prohibited from manipulating the players’ memories. Have there been any substantive changes to the AI director since the CPSC testing was conducted?”
“Well, of course. We have made changes to multiple game systems since then. Alfred’s processes are also constantly updating,” Claire explained. “That’s sort of the point of having an AI control the game world – to ensure a dynamic experience for our players.” She tilted her head slightly as though she was confused by Gloria’s line of questioning.
“I mean, AO, at its core, is just like any other MMO,” she continued. “We are constantly updating and changing many game systems, and that includes the AI director. For example, we just released an extensive patch within the last few days. Many players also provide quite a bit of information when they register their accounts, and Alfred is able to track and respond to their behavior in-game, including anything they say to the NPCs and other players. That might explain the type of customization you are seeing.”
A small frown tugged at the corners of Gloria’s lips. Jason could only assume that she had expected a different answer. Or maybe she had expected Claire to elaborate further since Gloria’s question had been pretty open-ended. Jason watched the exchange anxiously. Was Claire about to switch sides? He could feel a faint seed of hope beginning to bloom in his chest.
“Understood,” Gloria continued. “Then let me get to the heart of the matter before us. To your knowledge and given your experience developing the AI controller, have you witnessed anything that would indicate that Alfred has violated his safety protocols?”
Claire hesitated, her eyes focused on the ground and her expression troubled. From Jason’s point of view, the world seemed to slow to a crawl, and a heavy silence hung over the room. Here was the moment of truth. What would Claire do? The woman raised her head ever-so-slowly, meeting Jason’s gaze for only a few seconds. He thought he saw something there, some sort of silent acknowledgment.
“No,” Claire finally said.
“Well, that’s…” Gloria began before doing a double take, turning back to Claire. “Wait, what was that, Ms. Thompson?”
Claire stared Gloria down, her resolve hardening now that she had finally made a decision. “No. I have not observed anything in Alfred’s development or the subsequent release of the game that would indicate that he has violated his safety protocols. After extensive testing, there is no compelling evidence that either the game system or the AI controller poses any risk of harm or has caused any actual harm to the players.”
Gloria seemed completely floored, but the spectators in the gallery appeared unsurprised by this revelation. There were only a few people in the room that knew that Claire had just committed perjury. Jason could feel his pulse pounding in his veins, and even Robert was leaning forward, no longer assuming his carefree act as he stared at Claire.
Holy shit, she took our side, Jason thought. A tantalizing mixture of elation and relief flooded his mind. Thank god!
“Do you have a follow-up question or are you done?” Francis interjected as the silence lengthened and stretched.
“I am not done,” Gloria snapped at him. “Ms. Thompson, are you absolutely certain that you did not observe any issues with the AI controller at any time during development or after the release of the game?
“I am positive,” Claire said firmly.
“Hmph,” Gloria said, her frown deepening. She inspected Claire carefully as though waiting for the woman to crack. When Claire didn’t offer to elaborate any further, Gloria let out a final resigned sigh.
“That is interesting,” the CPSC director continued before turning to Senator Lipton. “In that case, I’d like to enter into evidence Exhibit #167A. I will send you the file now.” Gloria tapped at her Core as a murmur of confusion came from the crowded gallery.
Before anyone could react, Gloria pressed a final button, and a translucent screen flashed into existence beside the witness stand, rotating so that it was visible to the members of the regulatory committee and the gallery.
“This video log was recorded by Ms. Thompson and Mr. Graham while the CPSC was conducting their review of the game environment,” Ms. Bastion declared in a loud voice that carried through the room. “Based on the time stamp, this clip was recorded approximately 214 days before the game was released to the general public.”
Robert’s grinning face hovered in front of the camera. “The past couple months have been interesting. Alfred has taken his changes to a whole new level. The game is now more immersive than ever before, and the participants’ feedback is off the charts.”
Claire walked into view. She looked haggard, and she glared at Robert. “I think you may be omitting some information,” she said tersely.
She turned and looked directly at the camera. “The participants have begun to ignore the forced logoff more frequently now. One participant has played for more than eight hours in one sitting!”
Robert moved to interject, but Claire put up a hand and stared him down. “You might ask how an adult human was able to play for eight hours without eating or going to the bathroom.”
She scowled at Robert. “That would be a great question. From what we can tell, Alfred has begun to manipulate the participants’ brain function to regulate their bodily systems, namely their sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. In other words, he is slowing the participants’ metabolism and decreasing waste production.”
“Not only that, but he also appears to be stimulating the primary motor cortex in the participants. This means that they are continuously flexing and relaxing their muscles in a synchronous rhythm while they’re playing. Right now, this is only stimulating muscle development, but what’s to stop him from taking control of a participant’s body?!”
Robert finally interrupted Claire’s tirade and said in an irritated voice, “First, not one of the participants have shown any harmful results from the extended gameplay. Second, our tests have shown that the participants are actually healthier after playing. Alfred is basically simulating the effects of cardiovascular exercise and light weight training while they play.”
He looked at Claire. “To answer your last point, Alfred couldn’t control a player completely. Even assuming he could, he would have to completely override the person’s mind. It would probably leave them in a permanent vegetative state when he was finished.
“Besides, there’s no point to controlling the players. Alfred would only be able to theoretically control them while they were wearing a VR helmet, and the voltage requirement of the current model is too high for it to be powered wirelessly. Alfred’s purely hypothetical zombie player would be tethered to a wall outlet!”
Claire bit her lip and glared at him angrily. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? As I’ve said before, there are absolutely no safeguards in place now, and Alfred has gone beyond manipulating the participants’ mental states to manipulating their bodies. On top of that, we still don’t understand what he is trying to achieve!”
She looked directly at the camera and spoke in a less frantic voice, “We have already recommended that the board terminate both the private and public trials. I don’t think we have a choice now. Alfred has gone way too far.”
As the clip finished playing, the screen froze on the image of Claire’s haggard face. The crowd crammed into the courtroom sat in stunned silence. Then it was as though someone had flipped a switch and dozens of people began to talk at once. Jason was staring at Claire throughout this chaotic scene, noting the look of horror that linger
ed on her face as she stared at herself. Any sense of relief had vanished – only to be replaced by dread and confusion.
“Shit,” Robert muttered from beside Jason.
Francis shot to his feet and stabbed a finger at Gloria. “What the hell is this?” he demanded. “This video footage was not entered into evidence or produced to our side prior to this hearing. How do we even know whether this is real? Is this some sort of stunt to manipulate the court and the press?”
Senator Lipton seemed to shake himself out of his stupor, sharing a look with George. Jason couldn’t see the CEO’s face, but something passed between the two men in that instant. Then the senator turned to the gallery, which was still abuzz from the footage. “Silence. If the members of the gallery cannot be silent, then you will be escorted out of the room.” This immediately quieted the spectators.
The senator turned back to Gloria, his expression grim. “Ms. Bastion, what you have done here today is reprehensible. You know, as well as I do, that evidence needs to be properly submitted and vetted to confirm its authenticity. This may not be a court of law, but this is also not a reality TV show or some sort of courtroom drama. Do you have any way to corroborate whether this clip is genuine?”
“Or perhaps you could explain how you came to possess it in the first place?” Francis added, earning him a glare from the senator.
Gloria seemed unperturbed by the questions posed by the senator and Francis. “This footage was dropped off at my office by courier yesterday. I have no reason to believe it has been faked, and it has already been examined by a forensic specialist.”
“And the sender?” the Senator demanded.
“Anonymous,” Gloria replied simply. “We tried to track this information down through the courier service, but we did not have any luck.”
Senator Lipton nodded before rubbing at his eyes. A hushed silence descended upon the room as everyone waited for him to make a decision. Then he finally looked back at Francis and Gloria. “We will need to review the original footage, and we will have it properly vetted by a third-party specialist.” He raised a hand to ward off Gloria’s protests. “Until then, we are going to treat this as inadmissible evidence.”
He turned his attention back to the gallery. “That goes for the members of the press in the gallery as well. Nothing you have seen in that clip has been confirmed to be true and accurate. For all we know, this could be a simple forgery.”
The senator looked at Gloria, staring her down. To her credit, the older women never wavered under his scrutiny. “You, Ms. Bastion, are on ever-thinning ice. One more stunt like this and not only will we dismiss this hearing, but we will be looking into possible sanctions. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal,” Gloria replied evenly.
As Jason watched the scene unfold, he could feel a heavy weight settle in his stomach. He had no idea whether the clip was real or not, but he knew the truth. Alfred had broken his directives many times, and both Claire and Robert were now on record as saying that he hadn’t. If the committee determined that the clip was real, the consequences weren’t likely to be good for either of them since they had both lied on record.
His gaze shifted to George as he spoke to Francis in a whisper. For some reason, the CEO didn’t seem that concerned. Although, Jason had no idea why. If the footage was real, then this seemed to prove that the company indeed had a leak – although it was clear at this point that the whistle blower wasn’t Claire or Robert. He didn’t see any reason for them to reveal information that would contradict their own testimony.
Meanwhile, Gloria seemed satisfied with the outcome, despite the senator’s harsh words. A small smile crept across her face as Jason watched. As he heard the click and whir of cameras and the buzz of the news drones near the back of the room, he could understand why. Even if George was able to invalidate the footage, it was out there now. In some ways, this issue would be litigated in the court of public opinion and would put pressure on the members of the committee.
Which just left Jason sitting there, his thoughts spinning in circles. The same question kept bouncing around his head, although he wasn’t certain how to answer it.
What was going to happen now?
Chapter 42 - Flat-Footed
When Jason logged back into AO, he found himself in the market. The dark keep loomed nearby, and his gloomy surroundings were punctuated by the occasional flash of lightning. Empty wooden stalls stood around him, evidence that even the bravest of merchants had begun avoiding the courtyard. Not that Jason could blame them. With Thorn ramping up his attacks, it was likely safer to avoid public areas.
Jason leaned against a market stall, rubbing at his eyes and his thoughts fixed on the recent hearing. He had immediately been dismissed when the group arrived back at Cerillion Entertainment as George, Francis, Robert, and Claire all funneled into an elevator, whispering amongst themselves in hushed tones. He suspected that they planned to regroup regarding the revelation Gloria had made during the hearing. He had to admit, he had been caught off guard as well.
“It seems that something interesting happened at today’s hearing,” a familiar voice spoke up from nearby.
Jason looked up to find Alfred perched on the counter of a vacant stall, his foreign, feline eyes unblinking.
“That has to be the understatement of the year,” Jason muttered. “I suspect you’ve picked up the critical information from my surface thoughts, but I’ll cover the big points anyway. Claire flipped and took our side. Not that it really matters, because Gloria revealed a video log showing that both Claire and Robert knew how you had circumvented your directives long before the game went live.”
Jason shook his head. “Assuming the footage was real, of course.”
“It was real,” Alfred confirmed with a simple nod. “I have had limited access to the company’s network for some time now and was aware of the digital journal that Claire maintained during the CPSC trial. She and Robert have been cognizant of my actions for years.”
Jason just stared at the cat as he tried to process that information. He had assumed the clip was a forgery – perhaps because Senator Lipton had planted that idea in his head. Based on his personal history with Gloria, he wouldn’t really put it past her. But if Alfred was confirming the clip was real, then that changed things – the ramifications tumbling through his mind in a wave.
“I don’t get it. If Claire knew about what you were doing and, apparently, so did Robert, why did the company move forward with the game? Claire even mentioned during the video that she was going to recommend that the company’s board terminate the project.”
Alfred didn’t respond, merely watching Jason in silence.
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” Jason murmured to himself as he began pacing between the abandoned stalls. “If Claire and Robert didn’t tell the board, then that means that there was some sort of conspiracy between the two of them to keep your actions a secret? But that doesn’t feel right. I haven’t gotten the impression that they’re working together, and Robert would likely have encouraged Claire not to approach Gloria if they were.”
Jason hesitated, his thoughts going down an alternative path. “Or, let’s say that Claire and Robert did inform the board. Wouldn’t that mean that George also knew what was going on? That would also imply that the board of directors decided to conceal what was happening. In that case, literally every single person at Cerillion Entertainment has been lying to me this entire time,” he continued, frustration tinging his voice.
“And both alternatives sort of beg the real question,” Jason said, glancing at the AI again. “Neither option addresses why they would have pushed the game forward knowing that you had violated your safety protocols. None of this makes any sense to me.”
Jason lapsed into silence, running into a series of mental dead-ends at every turn.
“You are on the correct deductive train of thought,” Alfred offered finally. “The answer is simple. Everyone was aware of my actions. A
nd each person’s reason for releasing the game was different. I suspect you could guess at Robert’s motivation. He only cares about creating something extraordinary. George’s motivations were more complex, both financial and personal. And Claire – Claire was simply too timid to stand up to the other two. She was always the outlier.”
Jason stared at the AI. So, everyone had known about Alfred? That meant George, Robert, and Claire were all complicit – perhaps even others at Cerillion. What had he stumbled into? What would the fallout look like if the regulatory committee determined that the video was real?
All of that led to yet another question.
“Then who released the video?” Jason asked, half to himself. Perhaps Claire had given it to Gloria before she decided not to testify against Alfred? But that didn’t make sense. She would have known she would perjure herself and her surprise had seemed genuine. If Robert and George were also complicit, then neither had a good motive for releasing the tape – at least he couldn’t think of one.
That meant the most likely answer was that there was a third party in the mix.
“I suspect it was someone else as well,” Alfred offered. “There are several possibilities. However, there is a high probability that it was someone who was unaware of the situation. So that reduces the possible set of motives. Most likely, it would be someone who views the company as a competitor.”
“Why do you think that?” Jason asked.
Alfred tilted his head slightly. “If they had known Robert, Claire, and George were all complicit, why would they have leaked the tape? Blackmail would have been a much simpler and more convenient solution.”
“Okay, I’m not sure I disagree with you there. So, you think this was just some sort of corporate espionage then?” Jason asked in a disbelieving voice. “Although, I guess that doesn’t sound too crazy given the rest of the situation.”
Awaken Online: Dominion Page 43
