Gyada was fuming silently with Boris raising a hand to her every time she went to speak into the silence. Janna whispered in her ear "Bethany Anne won't put up with that sort of intolerant-sounding behavior. Let her talk it out with TOM."
Finally, Bethany Anne spoke up "TOM and I been discussing his Gott Verdammt surprise revelation. Apparently, it is based on some bad experiences the Kurtherians had in their past. It seems to have become something of a taboo subject and action. As we have no idea exactly how her personality was kept intact inside the computer, we'll take it one step at a time. We need to find out why she selectively redacted that information."
"It makes it certain that she is a true intelligence of one form or another, though," ADAM said over the link thoughtfully. "To selectively redact information like that is something that an EI would not consider. It may be the sheer volume of data she supplied was a countermeasure to hide the redaction too. If we didn't have EIs to assist, it would have taken even me a week to fully sort out the data. Especially with everything else I'm doing."
Gyada said, unequivocally, "She's not bad. She wouldn't intentionally cause harm unless ordered to. The only reason she caused me pain when I was in there was that she desperately felt a need for context." Boris glanced at her.
Evidently, she had been hiding some things, but it was more out of concern for what might happen to a friend than anything else. That was something he could respect.
You needed to protect your friends and family in this world.
Bethany Anne let loose a deep sigh, "Well, Boris, you need to go back in and find out why she hid this from us. It is still possible, no offense intended Gyada, that she might mean harm to us. Be careful. But find out her personal history."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Moscow, Russia
Ivan had become nervous when he had spotted the former Sergeant Brogonovich in Moscow trailing a Chinese fellow. He decided to keep spying for Janna despite her change of allegiances from the Russian government to this new group that was building the town, New Romanovka up near Archangelsk. He knew exactly how to follow Brogonovich. The man was arrogant in the extreme, with an overconfidence in his abilities to detect a tail.
Ivan believed that Brogonovich had turned traitor. He thought that with Brogonovich's overconfidence and propensity for cruelty, he would surely have been amongst the NVG casualties, and perhaps an unidentified corpse in the pile of bodies that they buried after the attack.
To say Ivan had been surprised to spot him was an understatement.
When Brogonovich managed to get the attention of the Chinese man, Ivan had moved closer. He was willing to take the risk that his former comrade might recognize him in exchange for a possible windfall of information. The two moved into a bar, and Ivan followed them in to try and overhear the conversation, pulling his collar up against his face for concealment.
"... I know you plan on going after the bastard who wiped out most of the NVG. I've managed to gather a fair number of my comrades who escaped the destruction. We would be happy to support you in any attack on his new location." There was a disturbing fire in both Brogonovich's eyes and voice at this. He lowered his voice slightly "I know what you are. Konrad had me slated to be changed into your kind, but then the attacks started happening."
The Chinese man's eyes narrowed at this comment. Ivan felt rather than saw the man shrug it off. Ivan only had the vaguest idea of what they were talking about. "Gather your men in two months at this point." He slid a card across to the treacherous Sergeant. "I will inspect them and see if they will be of value to my forces. There is no need to expend them for little purpose."
Brogonovich's eyes narrowed at that comment, but he gave the small Chinese man a curt nod. "Two months from today we shall be there." He ordered two shots of vodka and slid one to his newfound comrade. It was with carefully hidden distaste that the Chinese man drank down the offered shot. Still, he knew enough about Russians to know that it would have been a grave insult to refuse it.
One that could have possibly killed the agreement.
Ivan waited until they had been gone for more than an hour before he left the bar. He had the information he wanted that there is an attack coming against New Romanovka. There had been no need to risk extra exposure and the loss of that information in tailing one or the other of them further. But why on earth did the Chinese have an interest in New Romanovka?
Wrangling Information, Faraday Cage, New Romanovka, Russia.
This time it was Boris that was nervous about entering the Faraday cage. The revelations from TOM had him concerned. After all, who wants to be trapped in a cage with something that can possibly harm them, and could be completely insane?
This was the situation that Boris faced.
To his surprise, Janna was less concerned. She had spent a significant amount of time talking to Gyada. In that time, Gyada had convinced her of the friendliness of whatever personality the machine contained. In some ways, she was potentially a better source of information on the computer’s intelligence than TOM. She had spent eight centuries communicating with it, after all.
So they moved into the cage the next day, with the same setup as previously on Boris’ insistence. In Janna's mind that alone showed his nerves. That Boris still felt the need for such extreme precautions showed that he was still greatly concerned with the potential threat that the machine posed. Boris had also decided to attack the problem in a confrontational method. He felt that was the best way through the bullshit and reach a quick solution to the problem.
After he and Gyada had entered the Faraday cage, he took some time to sit down and center himself. Gyada was nervous for other reasons. Boris had effectively become a provisional judge for her friend. On top of that, he was in her opinion the most likely of the people judging the computer to be sympathetic to its plight.
She kept all of this to herself. Many months ago she hadn't truly understood what a computer was. In theory, Gyada understood, but it was hard for someone from the Iron Age to comprehend their appearance or how they functioned. She felt from how people acted around computers that continuing to declare it 'her friend' would result in her opinion as being less valued. It may even convince them she was at least a little crazy. People seemed to consider computers tools, with no aspect of personage about them.
Boris started his conversational gambit with I request more information from you. Could you please start with your name?
The machine responded in its cold crystalline voice with
Between my allies and I, we have come to the conclusion that you are an intelligence. We have yet to classify what kind of intelligence you might be. There is some argument as to whether you are dangerous or safe. Sane or crazy. But you left a critical gap in the information provided that led to the unanimous conclusion that you're hiding something from us. Hiding exactly what you are. If you wish to receive any form of goodwill, I suggest you stop hiding it from us further.
There was silence for some time after that, at least on Boris’ end of the conversation.
The mystery personality was gibbering to Gyada.
Gyada responded as calmly as she could, If there is a Kurtherian, I only heard him talk, I've never seen his body. I called him out on that in the discussion when he insisted that you needed to be destroyed immediately if you had a pre-transferral personality still in existence. The leader, the one he follows, backed me not him. She insisted that we assess you. I think she wants to evaluate you as well. I've never met her in person, although I have seen her.
Boris will understand that Gyada answered as reassuringly as she could. he's hidden aspects of himself from many people over the years. It's not like people who can change like we can are universally acknowledged as more than a myth by most people according to what I've learned so far. The population of this town is unusual in that the majority know about us. You need to tell Boris the truth. Everything. Even what you haven't told me.
Well, at least tell him that. Maybe there is a solution that can be found.
Her communication sounded frayed.
Even to remove that program? And others that might be affecting you in a similar way?
There was hesitation and a strange static feeling in Gyada’s head before the computer continued, with something missing from what she had apparently planned to say.
Gyada was shocked by her friend's reaction. In all the time she had spent with the computer, Gyada had never thought to ask it for a name. Gyada had found it calm, willing to be her mental companion and always authoritative when teaching her something. Now it wasn't only acting panicked, it was asking her for a solution to its problems.
With all the aid and company she'd been given over the years, she had to think carefully. What would be the best way for it to explain the situation? She understood where Boris stood on this issue. If the computer really were a danger to anyone under his protection, then it would have to be destroyed.
She knew it wasn't his preferred option, but he was a leader. He knew his responsibilities. He would carry through on it if it were necessary. It saddened her, but because he wasn't leaping to conclusions it didn't particularly upset her.
Finally, she thought she'd come up with an answer. You don't really want to speak to Boris until you can give him the whole truth do you?
There was some hesitation before Gyada received a reply.
I may have a solution. There is an AI that seems to work closely with the Kurtherian. I suspect he is, after Boris, most likely be sympathetic to you due to the similarities in your natures. At worst he is your best chance of getting the programming removed one way or the other. He is concerned that you might try to modify him. That is why there are all these elaborate physical firewalls between his contacts with you.
Something about all that was decidedly odd to Gyada. After all, it was now clear to her that the core of the computer in this box was a Kurtherian brain. Did that mean that some form of violence had to have been committed against the body that had previously held it?
Or was the computer hinting at the complete insanity of her previous leader?
Gyada knew until a solution was found, there was no way of finding the answers to these questions. Without these answers, Boris and Bethany Anne would be forced to destroy her.
Rising from her chair she indicated the exit with her hands to Boris. They had things they had to do before they could complete this task. She felt Boris would understand why the computer had chosen to reveal these things to her rather than both of them. But they needed to be able to talk it over with ADAM as well.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Various places, Conference Call.
"I spent hours trying to work with the system. Every time I access it as a Kurtherian might I got this message. I do not understand what it means. Some code perhaps? I can't figure out what the key might be." ADAM told the group. "That restricts my attempts to break whatever programming might be limiting her through that means. She has asked us to 'review the message and find the answer.'"
There was a pause before he continued, "My communications with her was suddenly severed once she said that. Gyada assured me that she is still there. Gyada can still feel the ‘murmuring’ as she describes it.” Gyada nodded at that, and ADAM continued, “I suspect the program warns when she gets close to triggering some sort of threshold that would delete her. Or it could be caused by some sort of ‘self-preservation’ program. Also, she continues to insist she has no name."
There was a pause before Bethany Anne spoke, “I’m not getting any younger here, ADAM. Spit it out.”
"Of course. The best translation I believe is this. 'Found before I'm proven, absent once realized. I am seen most clearly in utter darkness, never to be found in the light. To be found commonly in battle, rarely near the hearth. The Poor find me easily, but the Rich find me easy to lose. What am I?'" He transmitted the original Kurtherian to TOM. "Do you agree TOM?"
TOM’s voice came over the communication line, "There are a few words that are possibly confused in it. But their meaning could have shifted slightly over the three and a half thousand years between when they left and when I left. I imagine it is as close as we are going to get." Tom agreed, "In some ways, it's very clever. Kurtherians as a whole aren't particularly good at riddles. Codes, science, math, yes. Riddles? Not really our thing. Definitely not mine or something my clan focused on. Whoever made this wasn't your average Kurtherian."
"And neither are you, TOM, you're just not average in a different way. Damn." Bethany Anne said. "Give me someone to shoot or chop into tiny pieces, and I'm fine. Riddles are not the sort of thing I’m good at. I can piece together hard facts to form a picture, but this is some sort of Gottverdamm abstract, I think. Why did the spelunking asshole diver have to be into riddles of all things? Boris, sorry, your computer, your riddle at this point. Work with your team and get us involved as needed. I’ve got a stupid meeting with those on Earth again. Talk soon.”
There was a click as she disconnected from the call, leaving the group to discuss the riddle on their own. Janna commented "I wish she'd left TOM on the line. I have no idea how Kurtherians think, and that could be key to solving the riddle. Damn it. How anachronistic is it that the quickest way to solve our problem is to answer a riddle."
"Enough," Boris said, glaring at her. "I doubt TOM would be as much help as you think. From what has been discussed he seems to be a more 'conventional' Kurtherian than the one who wrote the riddle. He even admitted that the language may have resulted in slight meaning shifts. I suppose when you live as long as they seem to that language shifts more slowly." He grimaced at that, going over his memory of how different Russian was from the language of his youth. "We have been given a job by our Czarina. We will do that job. Come, give me some suggestions."
There was silence. Shen had a focused expression on his face, then he reached for a pen and paper and started breaking down the riddle into four pieces, putting potential answers to each of the paired statements. Once he was finished, he passed it around. Janna took it first. Out of
the Russians, her English was, in some ways oddly, the best. After all, Danislav was three or four time her age and Boris was far older.
As they handed it to the group, Paul glanced at Gyada, and with a twitch of his head caught her attention. "While they work on that part of it, we need to work on the other part. Do you have a feel for what the author of the Riddle might have been like? Has the unnamed personality given you any idea? More to the point do you have any idea? Out of everyone here, it's just you two that could give us some idea of what he was like."
Gyada looked at him then narrowed her eyes "I believe the English term from how I saw him is 'Bat-shit crazy'. Completely nuts was my perception. Always talking to himself or the air around him. What difference does that make?" Gyada shifted uncomfortably.
Revelations (The Boris Chronicles Book 3) Page 10
