A.I. ~ Learning to Live Again

Chapter 15

A few nights after the daughters had safely returned home, Shen Wei had a disturbing dream. Disturbing not because it was scary, but disturbing because it felt like a memory that was struggling to be remembered. Silver hair, a face that looked like his but was not his...and then a name – Yezun. He awoke with a start, bathed in sweat. Then as soon as it came, the memory was gone.

Shen Wei tidied up his desk, turned off the lights and locked the door of the office behind him. It had been a long day, having to run a simulation over and over, then analyze several DNA tests and badly eroded fingerprints. Even his A.I.-assisted brain was beginning to tire. A typical Zhao Yunlan way of relaxing with a beer and a silly comedy on TV was beginning to sound very tempting to Shen Wei.

It was sunny during the day, but thanks to his A.I. weather app, he was forewarned that the good weather would not last, and everyone laughed at him for bringing in his umbrella. The laughter stopped when it began to rain very hard after dinner. He had sent the others home a little while ago, telling them he would finish up his last report and then close up the office. He stepped outside and opened his umbrella; it was still raining hard, so he turned up the collar of his raincoat (another thing everyone laughed at) and started walking.

Suddenly there was a blinding light heading towards him. He stood, his body and mind frozen, and could only stare as the lights came closer and closer. The screech of car brakes and then the angry shout from inside the car woke him from his trance. Yes, yes, must move off the road and away from the dangerous hunk of moving steel. He forced his body to move, and as the car drove off with more choice words from the irate driver, he took a deep breath and let it out, shaking slightly. Another deep breath, exhale, deep breath, exhale. His racing heart gradually slowed down and his mind cleared.

"Shen Wei? Are you alright?" Lin Jing's voice in his head had never sounded so welcome.

"I am now," Shen Wei replied, his voice still shaking a little. "I believe I just experienced 'panic.'"

"You definitely did! What happened?" Lin Jing was very concerned. "Do you need help? I'll come out to you."

"No, it is fine. I just nearly got hit by a car." Shen Wei's voice was calmer.

"'Just'?" Lin Jing was watching a replay of what had happened. "He was speeding on a dark, rainy night like this, and he had the nerve to yell at you! And you froze!"

"Yes, I believe that could happen when one panics. Obviously, I experienced a very strong emotion." Shen Wei seemed more interested in the mechanics of feeling panic rather than the fact that he almost got seriously injured if not killed.

It took some time to calm Lin Jing down, and more mental discussion analyzing what had happened, what caused Shen Wei's thought and physical processes to freeze. Was the A.I. beginning to fail? Was Shen Wei becoming more independent of the A.I. Should more A.I. be injected into Shen Wei's brain?

"I have just reached home, and I would like to consider each of the options of A.I.," Shen said in his mental tone.

"It's a big decision, and I should also run more simulations on my side, too," Lin Jing was already typing furiously. "I'll first look at the cons to injecting more A.I. and also losing and then having no A.I. I'd also like for you to come in and we can run more tests."

"Yes, I'll make some time tomorrow," Shen Wei said as he opened the door to the apartment. "Please do not tell the others about this, especially Zhao Yunlan," he added as they ended their mental conversation.

Zhao Yunlan was sprawled out on the couch, watching TV. Somehow the sight of something so ordinary made the earlier near-accident seem like a dream. Zhao Yunlan looked at Shen Wei and smiled.