Incarna

91 - Encrypted Link

Day 13: Morning, JI Research Centre, Jervis Bay Australia.

"AIME!" "Yes Max Parrish."

"New analysis. Incarna. All similarities. Tabulated, cross referenced; for any common factor!"

"Yes Max Parrish." Max winced slightly at the formality of the AIME voice response but it was one of his voice recognition security protocols. He was looking forward to what Massimo came up with for Voice 2.0

Max watched the fields begin to form as the data sets were displayed on his wall screen. He opened different ones to observe just what types of associations were being compiled. His 'moderate end' of the Aspergers Spectrum, Brain began to create patterns, but he stopped himself before he became lost in that endless mind game. He stretched his neck as part of his 'anchoring into his body' exercises while standing at the work station. He felt the agitation pass and then let himself do what would yield actual results, the data free-association of existing facts.

Harry was flying into a maelstrom, that they both knew. If he got his landing right then the Australian SAS patrol could secure him and he could achieve an onsite data collection for one of the hottest Intervention zones that their analysis had identified. Max adjusted two Icons as other data sets appeared near the Landing Zone. With the Luftwaffe now operating from there and with a Bundeswehr Special Ops team encamped with the SAS, it was probably the safest site outside Australia for Harry to drop the AINGEL into.

They'd carried out all their previous tests in Australia and AIME had functioned perfectly. Now they would test a raw landing, and have an AIME to conduct close area scans and analysis on the way down. It was audacious but Max had to admit that his Dad appeared to have got this test flight spot on. Harry seemed to have called this whole Incarna affair correctly, right from the start. Smart arsed old bastard Harry, he nodded in recognition of his Dad's skills as more links further verified their existing hypothesis.

His comset buzzed on the desk of the work station where he'd placed it after the analysis command. It was his personal secretary through whom all non Jaeger calls had to pass, "Mr Parrish, I've the US online, Joint Security Chairman Deitmann for you!" Max frowned, not now you shit head he swore to himself then thumbed the connection and Deitmann's gruff official voice invaded his ears.

"Parrish, that father of yours is not to follow through with his landing site. I've rescinded all current agreements and cancelled any need for you to forward reports to us. Everything is off. Send us the bill." The line was silent so Max responded into it, "Arh, righto, as long as the paperwork's legal that's it then eh!"

"Yep sure is Parrish! So If Harold goes anywhere near an Intervention site let alone that one you've filed for landing in, I'll have an F-22 put an Slam Dunk EMP through his porthole. You got me Parrish! You go land that heap of shit of yours in your own backyard!" and the line went cold stone dead.

"The connection has been permanently cancelled Mr Parrish, my screen now displays their security breech warning!" "Thank you Talia, and please push the Big Red Button!"

There was a giggle from his secretary, "Yes Mr Parrish. Do you mean you want me to instigate an immediate notification to all regional offices to 'Close and Bolt all Doors and Windows!' It's that serious is it sir?"

"Yes Talia, the situation is that serious, and it's about to get even worse!" Max put down his comset and folded his arms as the wall display began to show the JI offices shut down all their external communications channels and switch to the JI laser linked satellite service. The network of little mini communications satellites had been expensive to deploy initially but had already paid for themselves with the ease of having their own encrypted communications. Nobody anywhere could now eves drop on JI in anyway, they were on their own. Suck eggs Deitmann, he thought as he turned back to the wall screen and their next move.

Harold and Max had built AIME to be able to run encrypted communications in the field so that large pieces of hardware couldn't be hacked mid flight or mid operation of any sort. It was no use having a driverless car that could be hacked by some spotty faced wank covered teenager angry at his parents. Let alone some Russian or Chinese or god forbid an American security agency hacking your AI computer.

Even if, the Saudi or Russian fascist regimes could hack into a JI Laser SatComm Link, the encryption was impossible to decipher, no matter how big the super computer was. That was THE, JI advantage and all JI competitors had come to understand that to their detriment. Only recently had the understanding begun to dawn on them that their super computers were still only smart machines compared to what JI was achieving with AIME. AI was the hot topic and research field and various autonomous units had attempted the Turing test but all had failed so far. JI had gone a different direction. AI and possibly sentient AI would only come about through a distributed system that mimicked the human nervous system. AI robots were bunkum and the world was slowly realising this. Smart ones, intelligent ones, not a problem, but AI, that was a very different problem.

Harold and Max were as one on this and refused to allow AIME to be tested. They didn't need to prove anything to anyone to gain funding or assistance from any particular university. Max knew what AIME was capable of and they themselves had yet to test the full potential. To do that would mean a very new phase in what they were doing, and Max knew they weren't ready for that. Not by a long shot.

Max had an inkling that Deitmann now understood this as that would explain many of his comments and much of his behaviour toward Harry over the past few weeks. Max hummphed when he remembered a passing comment by Deitmann during a contract briefing; that what pissed him off more than the Saudi funding of IS, or Russia attempting to rebuild an empire was this fuckin' stupid rush to build AI.

Max took a deep breath and stood up from his desk. He walked across to one part of the wall screen, "AIME!"

"Yes Mr Parrish." "New touchscreen window, satellite view, AINGEL Landing site. New Analysis. Alternate Landing Site. Non Incarna, Same research parameters!" Max swiped the new window and shifted the view until he'd found what he sought. It wasn't too far away. It wasn't an active Incarna Intervention site, but there had been many unverified sightings. It was close enough to the Davies Site to assess EMP activity and direct the SAS, and it had a nominal JI research station. The decent flight was very different though.

Max smiled as the data fields showed his choice was within the AIME criteria as well. The new high tech 'Desert Tower' outside the ruins of Palmyra. All the best that Qatari money could buy to try and make up for the destruction of the world heritage site by the Sunni IS shit heads. It had an excellent airport and research centres with plenty of scientists to organise support from ...

His comset buzzed, "Yes Talia." "Your meeting with Minster Barden and Commander Ploughwright is in half an hour Mr Parrish!" "Arh bugger," and Max looked up the top left hand corner of the wall screen where his appointments were. The Barden meeting was flashing at him and would have been for the last half hour.

"Preoccupied were we sir?" "Yes thank you Talia and you know it!"

"Yes sir and so does Minister Barden, 'tell Max not to sweat it,' he asked me to pass onto you!" Max breathed a sigh of relief. She knew his foibles and strengths very well as all personal secretaries must if they are to smooth their bosses way through the world. Barden would also know, well now at least, because Talia would have informed him about the mad genius she worked for.