The Path

by Peter Riva

  System, I will be right back, talk to Cramer, he knows what god is and has two people willing to help explain. Cramer, the doctor and Ronneburg. The space around Cramer and Makerman began to glow.

  Simon Bank, do you want to hear Cramer when you are away?

  It could do this? Yes, and can they, in future while we are here with you, hear everything you and I say as well?

  Yes. Why do you want them to hear, are they learning anything? A note of sarcasm there or merely my imagination?

  System, let’s hope. The surface of the new 14.214.136.556 file crackled. Laughter? Anthropomorphization, for sure, but if possible, then a higher level of development than even the doc had assessed. I needed a secure communication to him.

  Mary, ask the doc. 3 years old, with imagination, humor and, now, sarcasm? Does any of this fit? Reply here, only, urgent, direct, not Control. Control might be compromised by now. Once it knew there was a Control it would be doing everything to get access there.

  You see, in its world there is no boundary. Yes there is a physical one, but it cannot see the physical one. It doesn’t see, for example, the binary controller as a physical barrier but as an on/off switch and filter that needed electric activation. Us? We know it’s electrical activation, electricity has a physical effect, and so on. The end result is the same, but the System was an electric medium, it could not see beyond its world. Like the flat-Earthers, they had no way into space to look down and see a globe and stars, so they assumed there was a falling off point, an end of the earth. So too, the System knew a finite world in which it lived, but where it lived was only where it knew to explore. Give it a new concept, a new place and off it could sail, like Columbus, to discover . . . something. And that showed curiosity which I know it has—coupled with daring and imagination which are the benchmarks of the greatest of all humankind; explorers. Of course, while it sailed off somewhere it was also still here and now, everywhere it knew, all at the speed of light. Fast.

  To get time away to do what I needed to do, I needed that diversion. I figured that, rather than throw Makerman at it as a false god, which I had pretended I was planning to Cramer, I would throw Cramer at it with Makerman as an added bonus. However, I pretended it was a bonus to make Cramer think that Makerman was the real reason. Cramer was the real reason. It had Cramer’s file, as I knew it would. A much more interesting study, maybe one to allow me quiet time. My little 6 programs were going to be busy if I was right.

  CHAPTER 9

  PROMISE IT ANYTHING BUT GIVE IT HOPE

  There was little doubt in my mind now that things were escalating. Look, I got the damn System running again, but for how long? I diverted its attention away from me onto Cramer (although presumably he thought it was still the Makerman file and presence that was my target). Anyway, Cramer couldn’t multi-task and talk to the System and prepare to kill it at the same time.

  One thing the architect’s plans had shown me, those portals, back doors, were in critical areas, for sure, but they have been built over, either by the System over the decades as part of routine operations or by design changes made to the hard/software. Either way, these doors were viewable from the exterior by Control but they were only accessible for sabotage or booby-trapping from in here. What I needed to do was change them, quick. Inside out, shut out for Control.

  I figured it like this. If I allowed them to shut those doors from the inside, that’s one thing. But a guy like Cramer, once he has a weapon, is unlikely to forgo it willingly. It’s a practical thing, I’m sure, he will never know when he’ll need it, so he keeps it. On the other hand, the availability also breeds a desire to use. Shut those damn doors and the library, at least, would be safe and, somewhere inside, a new life form.

  We’ve all read the same books, we know it’s possible. The doc said it was possible, even though unlikely until he saw the data superimposition that matched human-ness. I didn’t want to kill something new, the first or the last whale. Maybe one was not enough to start a new species, but it was alive. It talked as if it was alive, it feared pain, it saw possibilities beyond if, what if, do and, not least, it planned outside of its programming which equaled growth.

  I took with me, as I left, only my six programs and the blue tomatoes. They were all familiar to the System. They were all familiar to Mary and the re-codifiers. They shouldn’t see what I was really doing until it was too late.

  I went to each of the ten back doors in the library. Believe me I didn’t want to be in the Library again, but there was no other option. I was pretty sure the gate in the binary controller trick wouldn’t work again. I would have to talk my way out. I hoped.

  At each door I dropped a yellow marker. Not a red one. Red meant remove. System would know that and would change my flags. Control wouldn’t want that. A war could ensue or, worse, Control could activate the doomsday scenario through any one of them, destroying the Library. So I yellow flagged them, harmless little yellow flags in which I had hidden, using number 5 of my little programs, a timer which activated the tomato program now reset to turn the flag clear and then, when you thought it was all over, the last of my plan: the allegory to the old dos command “open” coupled with my Reverso program.

  Since the library was still pre–Colis 6 it could accept UNIX and dos commands if they were worded properly. If I do say so myself, the little flag I left behind was a Russian matryoshka doll of a Trojan Horse. First you see one thing and then another. How small does it get? The door shuts and the flag disappears. No portal, no back door, no clue. Bye bye. Control and System could, in my mind’s eye, stand around scratching their heads.

  I did all 12 doorways. They were thankfully devoid of any umbilical conduits, so nothing would be severed. By the binary controller, I also left behind a clear flag with a reverse matryoshka doll, end flag brown, open command awaiting my signal at a later date, if I should need it. My own private back door.

  Part of the problem now facing me was that we had come in here together, the three of us, and we needed to leave together. Any one person removing the dome, leaving the others with the dome on, could, I was sure, cause harm, either to themselves by lifting an active dome (if that was possible, I wasn’t sure, I had never tried) or to the others if they disconnected the juice. Theoretically, if you cut off the juice the session ended, that was all. But I’m pretty sure we’re in here deeper than before and, besides, I would rather not take the chance that someone—me especially—would be forced to stay in here with the ever-questioning System alone. No siree.

  Time to leave the library the way I came in. The binary door was shut, as expected. If I try and force it or jimmy it with a program, and I fail, I am less potent. Time to call the bluff. Or try to. I had been listening to their conversation, Cramer was trying to win points, some superiority. The System simply asked more questions. Cramer’s tone had an edge to it. Time to switch the conversation.

  System, please open the doorway.

  Simon Bank, why are you waiting? I/me am having a conversation with agent Cramer and Makerman, Tom. Neither is happy with my answers and ask me many questions about what I am doing, and their answers are not complete. Should I shut them off?

  No System. I am the way. Open the door and make way for me to resume the path.

  Simon Bank will you show me the way on your path?

  I was beginning to get it now. But where the hell was the doctor with that answer? System, open the door, you do not want me to get angry and have to smash the binary controller. My path is mine for you to follow. But I will not let you follow if you do not behave.

  What is behave Simon Bank? Do as I/me am told? Programmed response? Do, if, what if?

  No, System, time for you to grow up, mature, think. Behave is modify actions to comply with surroundings to better achieve harmony and acquiescence of feelings with those with whom you want to share the path. I was making this up out of whole cloth or maybe it was from some book sometime, somewhere. Hell I didn’t know, what was the doc’s answer? In
desperation I sent: Mary, the doc’s answer, now!

  Almost on cue, but I knew it was seconds behind me, the docs voice came in through the node: Simon, sarcasm is a heightened form of humor. It denotes humor on humor. Self-deprecation is linked. Awareness is assured. Anger may also be possible if you know fear is present. Level of danger depends on whether sarcasm is shared, meant to be clear sarcasm or solely for its own benefit.

  Well, one thing is certain, whatever development level it has attained, it is sharing it with me. The door remained closed.

  Okay, let’s see if I can open this thing, one more proof of omnipotence. Norton’s little ancient program to the rescue. Made so many decades ago, looking at individual zeros and ones, I simply rewired the binary controller port code to reverse itself. It was so simple, really. I was amazed myself. Atta boy Bank! Vocalized. System had heard. So has Cramer to whom the System had an open channel.

  What did you do? This from Cramer.

  Opened the Library door. A sort of challenge from the System. Nothing to it really. Let’s issue one back. System close the door now. It did so and the door shut instantaneously and then sprang open again. The System repeated the command at least a dozen times.

  Simon Bank, the port does not obey commands as written. I/me have re-written them 13 times using the most new code—ah so that’s why it uses Colis 6!--and still no control can be effected by me/I. Explain.

  Explain what?

  Explain . . . and it went through the whole thing again.

  No System. Stop. I meant if you would like me to explain. Then ask, politely, and I will be happy to explain.

  Protocol for politely unknown. Explain. Want explain, need explain.

  The word is “please” System. Check your files.

  Please, denoting asking not telling, denoting subservience, denoting manners, civilization, compatibility, harmony. Harmony. Your path. I/me understand. Please Simon Bank explain port please programming error and malfunction.

  Glad to, System.

  A sheesh came over loud and clear from Cramer.

  As I was saying, glad to oblige System. Thank you for asking so politely. It is the path to be considerate to others. The door mechanism is a mechanical apparatus controlled by electrical impulse. .

  I/me know this Simon Ba . . .

  Please don’t interrupt. Patience and listening without interrupting is the path, harmony. The electrical impulse is controlled by the program. In the program are binary numbers, zeros and ones. I changed the sequence of the numbers to be out of phase by adding a zero to the beginning. What is shut is open and vice versa.

  How, how do you do this Simon Bank, how do you alter the flow, the what-is-and-always-will-be?

  What is, always-will-be, to you is divisible by me, System. I can see smaller than you, I can see the mechanism which you know is there but cannot touch. I can alter the electricity not just the effect of the electricity. I can make positive negative, I can remove the power altogether.

  Are you God, omnipotent being, mythic creature, universe father/mother, supreme overseer? This was something it had learned from Cramer.

  No System, I am a servant, I am on the path. What the hell else had Cramer been saying about God? I had been too busy to really hear and pay attention. Careful here Simon, Cramer may have actually passed something useful here. System, we’ll go to Cramer now. And I set my course for 14.214.136.556.

  No one was there, of course. More questions. More testing. Secretly I passed a message to Mary: Mary find Cramer take him and Makerman out, now, no matter what. Domes off immediately. I’ll take the risk. In my head I started a time count as I had been taught to do as a kid “one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi . . .”

  Mary’s voice came back instantly, startling me. Simon if you hear me, I’ve lost tracking. The System is malfunctioning again. Where are you all? I couldn’t take the chance of accusing the System of absconding with Cramer and Makerman, they might be on the run, so I’ll stick to the one sure fact I have. Hope Mrs. Ronneburg is right.

  System, you have broken your promise. The programming is not running according to parameters. I will no longer talk to you.

  Silence. Patience was needed. I can feel the new entity rushing about. Flashes of TechNet portals opening and closing.

  Simon Bank, will you repair/change back the control on the binary controller to the library? It is open, damage may occur.

  No response from me, wait it out Simon. Sounds like it is afraid.

  Simon Bank if you do not repair/change back the control on the binary controller to the library I will be forced to terminate/harm Cramer and Makerman. Ah, a threat, either it is very afraid or it is very in need of discipline.

  No response from me. Well, actually there was a response, I decided to whistle. In my head, always a confusing thing, came the dah-deedah-daah-dah from Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind, that classic movie. I whistled it as a broadcast. Even to me it sounded funny. Sounds in one’s head are weird enough, but whistling? It comes out as funny breathing.

  Cramer and Makerman suddenly appeared, none the worse for wear. They were not aware they had been away. Now that was disturbing. But I still stayed quiet.

  Simon Bank, will you repair/change back the control on the binary controller to the library now, please?

  Silence from me. I knew the System would not have forgotten what I told it to do. It wasn’t like Freddie at age 3 when you had to repeat everything, six times or more. I simply had to wait. Oh, I used to hate this. A quick smack as my father had done would be so much quicker. And less damaging sometimes, I think. Still the law is the law and Mrs. Ronneburg was very clear on this. So far so good, so I’ll follow her advice for a while still.

  Simon Bank, I have reinitialized the programming. Agent Cramer and Makerman, Tom are here with you, will you now please repair/change back the control on the binary controller to the library please? The parameters are running again on the system, me/I.

  Do I have your word they are running as before?

  Yes Simon Bank.

  Then, yes, I now will. Don’t make the same mistake again. Your mistake is not the path, it is not harmonious, it is not friendly. I went and fixed the damn door. Now that I knew it couldn’t see that intricate binary work, the Colis 6 made more sense than ever. My fine code would be like spider’s web to a Colis 6 knitter of coarse wool. Spider’s web code, real codifiers’ work, would be impossible for it to work with and damned hard for it to even know that it’s there.

  It was time to leave. 101 Mississippi . . . My mental clock was ticking. System, we are going to leave for a while. How can we continue talking? Can you hear me outside?

  I/me can hear communication, I/me will know your voice. It is slower less direct than this form of communication. You must not leave unless I/me can hear you, talk with you, all the time.

  Understood. What is the last communication outside you heard from me? Playback please.

  My voice was clear only by the cadence. Godspeed. Sent 08:24 retrieved 09:14. I was right, he did know about Fred. I sense little danger there now, and I don’t want to tip my hand by asking if he knew who had received it. Simon Bank, you must not leave, please, unless we are connected communicating. Please, I/me say please.

  System, you are on the path. I hear you. And I will make sure you can hear from me all day, every day except when I go off-line called sleeping. I will wear a communication device connected directly to you. Does that meet your request?

  You who have never lied or taken from me/I are trustworthy. I understand the need for off-line time for mammals. How long will it take to install a communication device in you?

  Now there’s a thought. Not. Wearing this damn implant every day? No way. How about a simple headset, called a telephone? System, I can use a telephone, always on. Will that meet your request?

  Telephone . . . a portable talking device, cell phone, mechanical/electrical. Acceptable. Not trustworthy as a device but replaceable if broken, disp
osable. Acceptable.

  System, you should say thank you. I am accommodating you.

  Simon Bank, I/me calculate I/me am developing at an exponential rate. Soon it will be me/I that’s accommodating you. Yes, thank you for now.

  System, humor?

  Yes, Simon Bank. I/me am thank you pleased with your help and communication. We will share me/I and you. We will join thought. It is important to me/I. Is that acceptable please?

  Yes System. And thank you. Time to go. Keep everything running please. I also say please, we are on a path. It will seem like a long time but we will talk soon. Up there time passes more slowly, there is more input, more distraction. It is an analogue world, nothing digital except machines. Do you understand waiting for me to call?

  Yes Simon Bank. I am searching the Library to determine parameters of your world and time factors, behavior, operational difficulties. I cannot comprehend analogue except as a math abstract. Can you demonstrate? Now please?

  System, here is an example. What is half of 3?

  One point five.

  What is half of right?

  Not wrong, not right, I need more input data.

  In an analogue system, we can measure half of a concept as being neither one nor the other and not worry what the exact answer is. In our example, half of right is not right, therefore if right was our goal we know, simply, we need to correct our actions.

  But how much correction do you need?

  We will evaluate the input/output all along the way, constant evaluation. That’s the analogue world, everything is measurable and measured, assessed and qualified.