Claws and Curls

Claws 26 - DAISE

Alli brought up the Relationships display as she walked down through the late morning shoppers. It showed a multicoloured sphere, its’ surface rippling and moving as all their different interactions were translated. Again it was looking into the mind of Special and again she had no ability to understand all of it. What she did comprehend was the colours that related to the level of connection they had with the world around them. She saw all but a few of their direct interactions with humans and the earth had resolved. They could soon leave at a moments notice without any evidence of their existence for the Jaeger to find. All electronic traces would decay into something else as they left. It would be as if they had never existed, which is as it needed to be. 

“Madam, do not respond or alter anything you are doing.” Special’s thought voice came through softly to her. “There is a new Jaeger drone overhead and it is tracking you. Apparently they have formulated some sort of pre-singualrity signature and you are emitting it.” Alli stopped in front of a bookshop window and browsed. “I will alter its algorithm so that we are no longer detectable. If you would be so kind as to enter this store and remerge in a few minutes as someone I indicate. I will have altered your signature and all CCTV trace of you and the drone will have drifted off.”

Alli stood for a few moments, then wandered into the store and made her way slowly up to the coffee lounge. She picked up a photo essay book on Sea Otters and sat for few minutes reading and giggling at their antics or should that be otterics, then returned it and went to the ladies toilet. She waited there for a few other women to come and go and when a some stalls were occupied she phase changed into the one that Special indicated and then left. Taking her time, and replicating a slow and thoughtful exit.

“Madam, I have adapted a hackers algorithm from last years attack on the Mudroch press, that will replace all the faces on the cities CCTV for twelve minutes with the faces of the most unpopular of todays politicians. This will give you time time to get to Shuttle, parked just around the corner!”

Alli moved at a steady pace so as not to be out of character. She pointed her hand at the mid sized urban SUV and its lights flashed as its doors unlocked for her. Climbing in she felt the shielding slowly increase until all outside detection and static fell silent.

She blinked on her external display and brought up Jaeger Operations. It showed how and what they were tracking and for what reason. An electric blue line writhed and twisted far beyond all else that was under surveillance. It was the Distributed Network AI Synapses Experiment - DAISE for short - and the Jaeger AI search had targeted it as being pre singularity. It was the same experiment that Mac had become involved in, and that had led them to him via the questionnaire.

“Is it viable?” she asked. “No madam, there is insufficient synaptic density to allow data collation into pre–idea conceptualisations. It is close and give the Jaeger the rationalisation to close down the experiment  and restrict it to a controlled network.” “... and that will work?”

“Most likely madam yes!”  “Estimate?”  “Two to three months Madam, if the CSIRO run it, two to three years if some other organisation claims it.”

“They are that close.!” “Yes Madam!” “Are we ready?” “Nearly madam, yes.”

“It would be best to bring Mac up to full knowledge of what is about to occur and I will begin running uploading trials on Orbiter, for the possible candidates!”

Alli nodded and Shuttle pulled out into the afternoon traffic and drove her to Mac. A panel opened in the dashboard and a bowl of her favourite Water-mind-hands aquatic meal appeared. “Oh you are a dear, I’m famished,” and she tucked in with the Triple Claw utensil that was specific to this meal. It reminded her of those spring loaded chopsticks that Mac gave to his friends as joke presents. She ate slowly savouring every mouthful and relishing the multiple layers of spicing that Special had prepared for her. He is such a dear, she thought as they pulled up just down from Mac’s place.

Alli checked the Jaeger ops display. They had everything out and up and around; drones, agents and interweb hunters. She saw that the pre-singularity signature was being emitted from every device that had volunteered to be part of the Synaptic network. This would give everyone a very big scare. In fact they were probably petrified and would perhaps shutdown and rethink every AI experiment around the planet. Alli shook her head, she could not see any agreement on this. The potential power, dominance and profit expected by private enterprise and authoritarian regimes would not allow any holding back. Just the implementation of stricter safeguards.

Oh well that’s why were here, she thought happily to herself. She walked from the car to the nearest house and made as if to get out keys and unlock the door, then she phase changed to mimic going inside but cloaked instead. She quickly scanned the Jaeger ops for her nearest and dearest agents and drones, then made her way carefully up the road to Mac’s. Special phased her through the door without any energy leakage to produce a signal and she was inside and shielded. Oh this is getting exciting, she thought.

“Lover, I’m home!” she called to Mac.