Greywolf

by Brian Cain

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Wolf made his way through the complex to Henry Dowden head of scientific research, his door was open and Wolf closed it behind him as he went in. Dowden was surrounded by computer screens, keyboards and an array of printed matter on his desk. Senior in appearance Dowden was far spritelier than his one hundred and thirty years. "You've come about something heavy or you would not have closed the door."

  Wolf sat down next to Dowden, his throng of computer screens were along one wall and the chairs on rollers could whisk along the readouts with ease. "How long before our neuron computer system is able to influence ADAM to the point of full control."

  Dowden lent back in his chair, sniffed and folded his arms. "I'm not sure it ever will."

  Wolf dropped his head then looked back up. "It's your purpose to make it work, you've mentioned this many times."

  "Ever since I started working on this with your father I have never worked a day in my life, it is my life, I'm determined to continue with the project."

  "ADAM initiated Seadragon, someone is ............"

  "I'm aware of the incident in the Persian Gulf, I sent word, indeed of concern but we have never used ADAM through the new satellites. Its never had that much control, it knows more than we do, must have done it for a reason, when I find it you'll be the first to know."

  "Fighting my own is a complete waste of time, am I to presume ADAM would bite the hand that feeds it."

  "We could have instigated our own computer systems long ago, your father has them set up on a completely exclusive system, and he has done for years. He is a great believer in the separation on powers, it was his initial purpose to maintain it, I believe that is the main reason he kept the digital system and initiated neuron research when he found ADAM. ADAM's neuron computer operates independently, has to or it wouldn't work. It may take weeks for the new neuron system to integrate, its taken then years of long hard work to get ADAM to interface with our neuron system. Uncharted territory is always difficult, the integration is an experiment, so far its working better than expected."

  "ADAM protected the American fleet."

  "Of course, it sees them as an ally. Had it done nothing I would be extremely concerned."

  "The fleet could be used against us."

  "The fleet is useless and whoever is on board knows that, agreed they used extreme tactics to find information but will do them no good. Military minds like your father."

  Wolf exhaled heavily, stood up and walked toward the door a few paces, he turned back to Dowden. "I want to talk to Saber Legrande."

  "That is impossible and you know it, I don't even know where he's held up, surely you understand the implications."

  He walked back to the chair next to Dowden, he tried to lean on it but the wheels moved so he sat down and pulled himself into Dowden's space. "And what if someone else got to him?"

  "Impossible, only your father knows of his location."

  "Does Louise know?"

  "Of course not, far as she knows he's a missing soldier, she knows nothing of his scientific background."

  "It's a point of interest now ADAM has been released to operate and integrate with our systems. If someone can bring Seadragon out in the open, concerted effort may by someone as keen, find something we've' missed."

  Dowden breathed heavily through his nose and squirmed around in his seat. "As much as I dislike the thought, I think you could be right." He hesitated and fiddled with a keyboard looking at a screen read out. "ADAM will not let anyone near Saber Legrande, he now holds the communication beeper your father got from Jason Brinkly."

  "So it's down to how successful our neuron computer system is at integration."

  "Yes."

  "How long?"

  Dowden pouted. "By current progress, a week or so, but its hard to say, neuron computers think for themselves based on analysis of past data. As the systems exchange data anything could happen until we complete integration."

  "So how long's a piece of string."

  Dowden shook his head. "ADAM's computer was built nearly two decades ago, our system is far more efficient, many times faster, as I have already mentioned. It's the failsafe features of ADAM that interested your father. You keep asking the same question and I have given you an answer."

  "It's not an answer, just a prediction."

  Dowden lowered his head and looked over his glasses with a glare of discontent. "A calculated risk."

  Wolf raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Just focusing on the task." He looked down and got to his feet frustrated by the instability. "We need to be able to program instructions to ADAM, difficult to predict outcomes without detailed planning."

  "We currently make suggestions to ADAM, not one of these suggestions has been rejected, I think we can consider that control until such time we can encrypt controlling data direct to its memory banks."

  "And what if this control fails to surface?"

  Dowden shook his head with vigour. "I agree the current suggestion system takes far too long, I don't believe failure will be the outcome, what's the rush."

  "What if others make suggestions to ADAM."

  "ADAM is isolated and in our hands has been for over a decade."

  Wolf walked away and turned back to Dowden after a few steps with his hands on his hips. "We just had someone on an American carrier in the Persian Gulf initiate response, is it not possible ADAM is open to alternate suggestions based on behaviour."

  Dowden hesitated; he thought a few seconds and sat up straight before answering. "ADAM was initially programmed to defuse anything that would lead to a nuclear conflict, it viewed an attack on the carrier fleets own weapons system as provocative. It would have done the same thing of any fleet or weapons system related to a nuclear arsenal."

  "Is that your professional opinion or cold hard fact?"

  "It is a summing up of the situation based on fact and projected opinion in answer to your question, something that under the circumstances needed to be done."

  "I hope your right Dowden, we are gambling a lot on this takeover of ADAM's control systems."

  "I'm surprised that you lack the opinion of your father amid such circumstances, there's a lot of difference between a gamble and a calculated risk."

  "Doesn't reduce the fact that I firmly believe I have found a threat to progress no matter how small it may be."

  Dowden stood and walked into Wolf's space and locked eye contact. "Agreed, and you must attend to it."

  Wolf nodded, turned and walked away; he turned back after only a couple of passes. "Things are changing; I have a child on the way."

  "I had children, they crossed the channel in harms way and never returned. I hope you never suffer the same experience."

  A look of unwavering determination became etched into Wolf's facial expressions, a message so clear Dowden understood without hearing a word. Wolf turned and walked away.