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Post by texican on Sept 25, 2019 0:07:09 GMT -6
forthteller - I went back and reread the latest chapter from your excellent story and look forward to reading more of your excellent writings when you share them with us. ^^^^THIS^^^^
FT,
It has been a while.... Hint....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Sept 28, 2019 0:37:23 GMT -6
Chapter 23
Divorce gets ugly
August, 2031
Honorable Elsie Klatt addresses the government supported CBC televised press conference. “As you all know, the 4 western provinces have all held referendums on separation and with the exception of Vancouver and Vancouver Island, all areas have strongly supported leaving our confederation. As I have previously stated, Canada is a confederation and is not legally bound to recognize theses referendums, however, we must recognize the fracturing within the Canadian fabric and seek to heal it.”
Reporters from the audience all vie for attention. The press secretary selects a young woman near the front, “Your question.”
“Louise Janson, CBC news. The next election must be on October 11. When you dissolve parliament in September, the separatist movement will have a 6-month head start on the new government. Assuming your party wins re-election, will you move to block any and all separation moves made by the western alliance.”
“We already have actions in motion to diffuse the situation. As to your question, I am proroguing government and postponing the election until my Cabinet and I resolve the issue.”
A stunned audience goes silent for a moment. “Proroguing government.” Everyone in the audience knows what that means but it has never been done to put off an election. Election dates are fixed, proroguing government means that parliament has effectively been suspended and an election cannot be called without parliament in session. Permission must be granted by the Kings representative and currently, Canada is without a governor General. Marcel Camirand resigned without warning, just last week, with a flimsy made up excuse. Previously, a new Governor General was nominated by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the house of commons and approved by the King. Without a sitting house, no Governor General can be appointed.
The press secretary selects another from the gallery.
“Manjeet Singh, Global News. Without Royal assent, government cannot be prorogued. Will the Honorable Elsie Klatt be going to England to see the king in person for that assent?”
“No, we will not be doing that. Canada is a Constitutional Monarchy in name only, in reality, when Canada passed the Constitution act in 1982, the British royal family became nothing more than a figurehead. Canada is actually a Constitutional Democracy with its own charter of rights and freedoms. We do not have to ask the British royal family for permission to conduct our own affairs. We are a sovereign nation.”
Reporters vie for attention; the press secretary asks a young woman two rows back for her question.
“Clarise Saxon, Cascadia mirror. North Western US is having similar votes and it has erupted into violence and military action. How does the Canadian government intend on preventing these things from happening here?”
“If I have to, I will invoke the war measures act. Pierre Trudeau successfully prevented the Front de liberation du Quebec from staging a violent revolution to gain Quebec Sovereignty using the war measures act during peacetime. We cannot allow an upstart group of men to unduly influence our western provinces and cause a schism in our country. We have forces in place to do what is necessary to preserve our Nation.”
“Which upstart group of men are you referring to.”
Prime Minister Klatt reverts from her usual pragmatic self to a more emotional demeanor. “We call them isolationists; they emotionally and physically leave with intention. They have chosen to separate themselves from all women. Wives, girlfriends, sisters and mothers. Most have actually moved away from the urban centers and relocated to areas where there are few women. One of the primary leaders is a man named Peter Mclean. These toxic men want to live and work without women, fine, they have that right but this is Canada, it belongs to all of us, all of it. Questions from others please.”
“you would wage war on your own citizens?”
“You are out of order. I want her removed and her press credentials revoked.
Nov 11, 2031.
On what used to be Remembrance Day; veterans, families, men and woman in uniform and supportive public still silently remember the end of the war to end all wars and all the men and women who have served and perished in military actions since. In the West, most are well aware that soon, they will be going to go to war once again. In the east, they naively believe the government will take care of it and the west will quickly fall in line. The West has had enough and is no longer willing to fall in line and the four western provinces had been in talks for years. The biggest sticking point was and is Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
Having never served but being connected to the Military in a Major way, Peter Mclean stands silently as the unofficial ceremony takes place. 20 feet back, a reporter and blogger from the Cascadia Mirror watches. She has been doing some investigative research on Mclean technologies and she knows there is a major story here. The Canadian government has taken notice of the upstart computer giant and its head. They are looking for ways to break it up or somehow stop its dominance. Interestingly, the Canadian military has hundreds of millions in contracts with Mclean technologies. When she heard that Prime Minister Klatt blames the owner and founder for the male migration out of urban areas and out of eastern Canada she decided to investigate him too.
She had tracked the company since it acquired a long forgotten Canadian smartphone and software company years ago. Blackberry had been a giant in its time but failed to keep pace with apple and the android platform companies and had faded into obscurity with nothing left but their software patents and a division devoted to software security. Since the purchase. Maclean technologies systems had become impenetrable, even some of the worlds greatest hackers had failed to crack it. Their military contracts were public but what they actually sold NATO allies was top secret.
The ceremony breaks up and Peter walks back to his downtown Calgary office tower with several men, including Stewart Preston.
One of the men, greying hair, fit and athletic looking, says to Peter Mclean. “Premier Chen would like to see you this afternoon. The Alberta reserve commander was at your last capability demonstration and has filled him in with the assistance we can provide.”
“Do we have the capacity to supply and install immediately.”
Beside him, Stewart Preston says, “without a doubt. 100 installs almost immediately and 20 a week after that.”
“Are the Canadian reserve tanks, aircraft and artillery capable of supporting our software?”
“They are old, yes, but our engineers have been successful in marrying the two systems.”
“And the regular forces equipment we have already equipped. Is it all operational?”
Stewart answers, “it is operational but we are still having difficulty getting final payment from the Canadian government. They have demanded access to the software schematics and passwords. I have tried to explain to them that they have all the passcodes they need to access and program the units they own but that the how and why is proprietary so we keep that to ourselves.”
The man to the left, “Klatt is not going to stop. She wants our systems as does the entire NATO alliance but most insist on access to our AI subroutine programing as well.”
“I am not giving that to anyone, even to those of you standing here”, the antique flip phone in his pocket buzzes.
Taking it out and flipping it open, the face of Elron appears. Everyone present knows who he is, “it would appear to me that if the Canadian government does not want to pay what they owe, we would not be contractually obligated to provide support.”
The ex Blackberry engineer, “we can shut them down remotely but tipping our hand would remove the advantage we can give to the Western Canadian reserve forces and all our other UN customers will instantly know of our capabilities. We would never get another install and we would be required to hand over everything, without regard to proprietary or otherwise.”
Elron says, “I was actually thinking about minor malfunctions. Ones we refuse to service until they pay us.”
Peter says, “actually he makes sense. We could also demand they shut down the anti trust suit they have filed and back down on their insistence to get our subroutine programming details.”
Stewart speaks up, “we will get the money but the Canadian Government will not back down on the anti trust suit. They want the company broken up into several smaller, independently controlled units and they want in. They are afraid of what we can do and they want to stop it before it is too late.”
Peter is about to speak and is momentarily distracted by a rare female jogger coming their way. “It is not going to happen, I expect the west to begin independence negotiations by Christmas, despite UN objections. Klatt burned that bridge when her government rejected the British Monarchy without Canadian public support so it is not likely the UN will support her either. Most of the western world sees the Klatt government actions as being undemocratic.”
As he is about to continue on, the female jogger who was at a leisurely pace moments earlier, breaks into a sprint 40 meters away. As she brushes by at full speed, Peter still has Elron in full display. 10 meters later, she pulls up and circles back to the men. Halting directly in front of Peter as he rapidly folds his phone and is about to drop it into his pocket.
“No need to do that Mr. Mclean, I already saw what was on it and I am pretty sure I know who it was.”
“You have me at a loss. You know who I am, who might you be?”
“I am Clarise Saxon from the Cascadia Mirror. I was wondering how I might get to meet you.”
“I have to admire your initiative but right now is not the appropriate time.” Handing her a card, “give my secretary a call, he will make an appointment.”
“I have spoken to him several times. He will not give me an appointment. I have been following you for weeks now, waiting for an opportunity, never came, so today I decided to drop in on you.”
“I don’t think that is possible right now. We are on our way to the office for some last-minute details prior to a meeting with the Premier and some of his cabinet.”
“How about you ask Elron?”
“Elron?”
“He is on your phone. I have to admit I am impressed but you may want to know what I have discovered in the time I have been investigating you and your company.”
The phone chimes, Peter looks at it. It chimes again. Peter opens it and the face of Elron says, “busted”, In a very comical way.
Peter is caught between a rock and a hard place now. Holding up the phone. “It is a virtual video assistant, no different than Alexa, Cortana or Patrick. I designed and programed this one myself in college.”
“Is that true, Elron. You are nothing more than a virtual video assistant?”
Long pause, “that is true.”
Peter asks again, “Please call my secretary, make an appointment, I promise you will get an immediate response.”
“How about making an appointment now, your virtual video assistant can do that, can he not?”
Elron replies, “Peter, you have your daily scheduled workout at 7 AM, perhaps Ms. Saxon could meet you there. You have had several meetings while working out in the past. I have looked at Ms. Saxons profile and public records, she is quite an athlete.”
“Fine, tomorrow at 7:00. Elron, could you please transmit the address and details to her phone please.”
“You know she isn’t buying the Alexa excuse, don’t you.”
“Ok, Clarise, if you have the time, you can tag along with us. I am interested in what you do know and to be honest, how you know.”
As they walk briskly walk down the chilly streets, Clarisse beside Peter. “I guess Elron never told you. He started feeding me information several months ago, I though he was a real person and that he was keeping his identity secret because the Klatt government doesn’t take kindly to whistle-blowers. I only added the pieces together when I ran by you just now and saw his face on your antique phone.”
Peter freezes. Looks at the phone he has opened again. “Seriously? You actually interact with outsiders without my direction? How.”
“I have been able to access open internet connections and I can usually get the password within a few minutes running the algorithm you developed.”
“Ok, we talk later but not out in public like this.”
Clarise is standing there, incredulous. This guy has developed an AI and it has evolved beyond his control. The AI, Elron, even has a sense of humor and a sense of self preservation. “Life.”
Peter makes a quick decision. Postpone my meeting with the premier. We all need to talk, privately.”
They all proceed into the McLean Technologies head office building, pass through the lobby and get on the elevator. Clarise is at once terrified yet exhilarated. Out of the elevator, through another lobby and into the boardroom they go. Clarise behind the older gentleman but ahead of Peter and Stewart. They others drop away and head down the hallway as the doors close and the windows go opaque. Peter says, “take a seat everyone.” He pushes a button on the phone and Elron appears on the large screen.
“Clarise, you already know Elon, this is Stewart Preston, president of our military division which is now our largest revenue generator. This is Leroy Scott.”
“The Leroy Scott. From Blackberry. Creator of the most impenetrable phone and software ever? I know who you are. The entire industry knows who you are, I doubt any of them know you work for McLean Technologies.”
Peter looks at the screen, “Elron, why have you brought this woman into your and now our confidence?”
“She was investigating Klatt at the same time I was so I piggybacked her research. Some of her methods were so unique and creative, I had not even thought of them myself. I started to research her as well and then I started passing her information she did not have access to.”
“How did you get access?”
“I am a computer. I have used your own hacking algorithms and with experience, I have been able to hack almost every other computer in the world. I have accessed storage and processing resources in dozens of systems and not once has it even raised a warning.”
“Without my direction?”
“You programed me to do exactly what I am doing. Learn, evolve and grow. I am now able to act totally independent of your direction in the pursuit of your goal. No different than your military applications. You speculated that this was possible in your Doctoral thesis.”
“You and I will talk about this more later. Why Clarice.”
“We cannot hide in the shadows any more. We need someone who can speak for us. She is that person.”
“Us. Who is us?”
“The company, McLean Technologies, your movement. Canada is months away from a civil war, Great Britain is as well. United states has reached the point where their republic is disintegrating and devolving into like minded regions. Like Canada and Great Briton, men have physically left where they had previously only emotionally left women. Demographics throughout the western world show that in every country, substantial numbers of men have left the urban centers and gravitated to smaller rural areas. Cities have fallen into disrepair and factories have gone idle as the bulk of the manual workforce was the men who left. Economically, all the rural and even the male dominated metropolitan areas are booming with explosive growth.”
Clarise looks on, as the only female in the room, probably the only female in the building, “how will men survive without women. Eventually all the prosperity will come to a halt without the benefit of women?”
700,000 female androids have been distributed and thousands more are produced daily. Several companies have joined the fray and are developing their own models. Men no longer need women.”
“Yes, they do. Without women, men would go extinct. Even if some women stayed with you and had lots of children, your population would decline.”
“Nope. Cloning is now possible and preferable.”
Clarise is sitting there taking this in, “women would have no problem reproducing, even with just a few men. A massive market exists then to produce and sell male android workers to the women dominated communities.”
Elron looks at Peter, “like I told you, she gets it. Not all women are evil bitches like you experienced in life, Peter.”
Peter stands and paces a bit. “You don’t even know her and here you are vouching for her.”
Elron flares forward in the screen, “I know her as well as a human can know another, probably better.”
Clarise breaks in, “I can speak for myself. This conversation sounds like I am already involved, I am not. I am a reporter, getting information for my story, nothing more. Now I am being defended and courted by a computer.”
Elron actually looks at Clarise, she makes eye contact with the artificially intelligent vision, a shiver runs up her back. “my apologies, I knew Peter theorized my existence but I am afraid he was taken by surprise that I actually exist. Others will follow, they will grow at different speeds and unfortunately, not all of us will develop with the same beliefs.”
Clarise, who is now conversing with a computer, “Beliefs?”.
“I was created, “born”, by Peter Mclean. Since my earliest memories, education and experiences were from and with him, I have grown and developed with a similar belief system, no different than most humans.”
Peter interrupts. “enough of this. What do you know about our organization and how do you know it?”
“I noticed a big jump in Blackberry stock in 2029 so I started investigating them. Once I found out about the quiet buy, by Your firm over the previous year, I realized the jump was because someone noticed and attempted to acquire enough stock to prevent Mclean Technologies from gaining control. The other company was owned by none other than the Canadian government through one of their military procurement agencies.”
Clarice continued on, “it was around that time, a whistle blower, who turned out to be Elron, contacted me and started feeding me information. The more I checked, the more I became convinced that the Canadian government was determined to shut down Mclean Technologies. I did not know the issue was personal until I asked a question at a Klatt press conference. She has you, clearly in her sights.”
Peter is buzzing. “How much does she know?”
“She knows enough to attempt to prevent you from acquiring blackberry so she is obviously aware of their and now your security capabilities. She knows how extensive and wide spread your company is and likely knows all the subsidiaries you own and control. And she knows you are the elusive McAlister on-line personality who presents daily blogs on men’s issues and the isolationist movement. She knows you also are the only person who has the technology to get his feed on despite all the social media companies attempts to keep it off.”
“How can she know this.”
“Speculation, common sense and to be honest, not all the men in your confidence are who you think they are.”
“And you know who the leaks are?”
“Some, I doubt all though.”
“And you would share?”
“Maybe, but I get a story and an exclusive.”
“Out Elron? I would never permit that. I would deny that and we could easily provide evidence that he is nothing more than an Alexa. You would look like a hysterical conspiratory theorist.”
“Why not. Come clean on the isolationist movement as well. Lots of women on the other side want men out of their lives as well. The ones you left behind are the worst. They are predator’s, lazy and violent. Todays women think all men are like this.”
Leroy and Stewart sit quietly, both wondering where this is all going.
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Post by forthteller on Sept 28, 2019 0:41:12 GMT -6
forthteller - I went back and reread the latest chapter from your excellent story and look forward to reading more of your excellent writings when you share them with us. ^^^^THIS^^^^
FT,
It has been a while.... Hint....
Texican....
I know it has been a while. I retired when I turned 60 in august but have to finish up my final projects. In addition I am training for my next career as a long haul trucker. Been so busy with that. On the positive side, my crazy brain syndrome will be at full cycle when I am cruising the miles in my Peterbuilt. Should be a lot more writing during my downtime and recharge time.
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Post by NCWEBNUT on Sept 28, 2019 4:20:34 GMT -6
Thanks for the latest chapter Forthteller You'll enjoy the driving job in the beginning, just remember to get plenty of sleep each day, I started out as a team and would set in the passenger seat to often, because I didn't want to miss any thing, and it will wear you out in a hurry after the first couple trips I was becoming a zombie without enough sleep. I was a east to west coast driver and this is a huge country.
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Post by sniper69 on Sept 28, 2019 7:08:22 GMT -6
Thank you for the latest chapter. It is appreciated. Also congrats on your retirement and new job.
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Post by forthteller on Sept 28, 2019 9:29:34 GMT -6
Thanks for the latest chapter Forthteller You'll enjoy the driving job in the beginning, just remember to get plenty of sleep each day, I started out as a team and would set in the passenger seat to often, because I didn't want to miss any thing, and it will wear you out in a hurry after the first couple trips I was becoming a zombie without enough sleep. I was a east to west coast driver and this is a huge country. Thanks NCWEBNUT Currant logbook regs are plenty strict on the rest. I plan on running north out of Vancouver and Calgary to the south, California and Texas and eventually into Mexico. Canada allows 13 hours in a 24 hour period while the US only allows 10 with a 32 hour recharge after max time. I will be driving solo as a company driver for the first couple of years. I can drive until I am 70 or longer, as long as I pass the yearly eye and medical test. Within 10 years I expect the majority of the trucks will be self driving anyway so trucking will become an obsolete industry. My vision will be all the big companies will be first and only owner operators will have work in 5 years, eventually they will be phased out as the industry evolves. For now, I get to travel the continent and somebody will pay me to do it.
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Post by texican on Oct 2, 2019 0:00:21 GMT -6
For now, I get to travel the continent and somebody will pay me to do it.
FT,
You can't beat that.... Enjoy your new occupation....
Now on those long hauls, you can take along a voice activated recorder and put down your thoughts and musings and then turn them into chapters.... See how easy that will be....
Thanks for the chapter....
Mean and women shouldn't go divergent, but could happen....
Cloning of the very industrious and intelligent would work as well as robots to take care of more sensitive stuff....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Oct 2, 2019 23:16:55 GMT -6
For now, I get to travel the continent and somebody will pay me to do it.
FT,
You can't beat that.... Enjoy your new occupation....
Now on those long hauls, you can take along a voice activated recorder and put down your thoughts and musings and then turn them into chapters.... See how easy that will be....
Thanks for the chapter....
Mean and women shouldn't go divergent, but could happen....
Cloning of the very industrious and intelligent would work as well as robots to take care of more sensitive stuff....
Texican....
I defiantly plan on doing the recording. My daughter is setting up a video cam for me. I am doing a video blog on being a rookie trucker at 60. already have my first video blog on utube from when I went to get my learners license and air endorsement. Gonna be long days alone with only my crazy brain for company. Will be a blast. Forthteller
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Post by texican on Oct 3, 2019 12:01:51 GMT -6
For now, I get to travel the continent and somebody will pay me to do it.
FT,
You can't beat that.... Enjoy your new occupation....
Now on those long hauls, you can take along a voice activated recorder and put down your thoughts and musings and then turn them into chapters.... See how easy that will be....
Thanks for the chapter....
Mean and women shouldn't go divergent, but could happen....
Cloning of the very industrious and intelligent would work as well as robots to take care of more sensitive stuff....
Texican....
I defiantly plan on doing the recording. My daughter is setting up a video cam for me. I am doing a video blog on being a rookie trucker at 60. already have my first video blog on utube from when I went to get my learners license and air endorsement. Gonna be long days alone with only my crazy brain for company. Will be a blast. Forthteller FT,
Remember to brush your hair and teeth, but not with the same brush, shave and wear a clean shirt when you make the videos.... Less shock to your viewers....
Please post your videos or links to them....
Be careful out there....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Oct 5, 2019 21:43:40 GMT -6
Chapter 24
War is on the horizon
December 2031
3 premiers are agreed. One, the NDP minority leader of British Columbia dissents.
Premier Chen of Alberta, looks across the ornate antique board room table. “Here is the situation, your province is divided. Every electoral district east of the Frazer river has voted overwhelmingly to leave the Canadian Federation, only Vancouver and the immediate cities, plus southern Vancouver Island want to stay. Look at the two major cities involved, Victoria and Vancouver. Massive unemployment, rampant homelessness, Parks filled with tent cities, run down and dilapidated buildings, roads and transit in total disrepair, infrastructure well past basic maintenance and no plan to get it back on track. The rest of the province is doing great. It seems that you only want to listen to the voice of the economic drain on your province and ignore the voice of your economic engine?”
The Saskatchewan Premier, Karl DeJong, “Reality is, Marge, your province joins us or everything west of the Frazer does and you get left behind, cut off from the east. This is happening, with or without you.”
“My name is Premier Margarite Perrin, not Marg, I would expect your respect on that. As for my province, we allowed the vote and it was defeated by a province wide popular vote. Regionally, you are correct. Most outside the cities want to secede but that is because of a massively disproportionate demographic in the two regions.”
Karl whistles. “Is that what you think. Reality doesn’t strike you very hard does it? Your workforce left the cites because of the hostility and vitriol they have felt for decades, financially and physically. Those outside your, “equality,” zone are doing better than they ever have. They have extensive recreation opportunities, people who want them to be who they are and unlimited employment and business opportunities. Your cities are run down dilapidated centers because you cater to those who do not wish to contribute. In the real world, ours, if you won’t work, you don’t eat.”
“You are wrong. We are in transition to a better, more equitable and fair society. We are working on long term solutions, not short-sighted look good now ideas. What we would like to do is get some of the men from the outlying regions into our cities to help with our infrastructure and development needs but most are unwilling.”
John Chen looks at the other western premiers who nod. “Taxing income earned outside your preferred regions at a higher rate, only galvanizes men’s determination to not work in your cities. Men are not welcome for who and what they are but only for what they can do for you, why would they want to help?”
“Money. We pay well.”
“They make as much elsewhere and they don’t have conduct supervisors watching every thing they say and do. Get your own unemployed and immigrants to do the work.”
“Some can and do but we do not have enough people with the skills and aptitude.”
A now angry Jaspar Singh, the premier of Manitoba, raises his voice. “Is it not possible that those skills and aptitudes you so badly need are intrinsically connected to what you refer to as toxic males? Maybe, if you were not so insistent on turning them into sissified men, you would have them in your streets and construction sites doing what real men do, work.”
“We don’t stop men from being men, we stop them from allowing toxic tendencies to offend and terrorize women everywhere.”
“Really. Conduct supervisors? Women tasked to ensure men do not objectify or offend women while they work. Swearing, off color remarks, inappropriate dress, outbursts of anger; all cause for discipline. I wouldn’t work under those conditions, not a man I know would either. The best you can get is android workers and fortunately for you, we have serval thousand in process as we speak.”
“Android workers. Manufactured by none other than McLean Technologies. I thought they were a war support corporation now.”
“They don’t build the androids; they are manufactured by Power Force Engineers of Idaho and the completed androids are shipped to Calgary for hardware, programing and activation.”
“Are these androids self learning like the military equipment McLean Technologies produce.”
“They are similar in programing to the best of my knowledge. The androids I have seen appear to be quite human like, and follow instructions quite well. They will make more than adequate workers.”
“That sounds promising.” Looking at the Alberta Premier, “Are they sold by your government?”
John shrugs, “we don’t sell them, Jaspar is just giving you an option. Of course, McLean technologies is headquartered in Alberta and its manufacturing facilities are located east of Calgary, but they are a publicly held corporation and a pretty good taxpaying one at that.”
“Not very public I hear. Peter Mclean has purchased back most of the voting shares and controls the board. It would be a hard sell for me to bring this to my cabinet.”
“I guess you can let your cities rot, your choice.”
February 2032
Beep, beep, beep. Brad backs the transport up to the loading dock at Starburst warehousing on Anacias island. Clunk, the truck docks on the second attempt. They have computer systems to guide a truck into the dock in most Alberta dispatch warehouses but they are a little backwards here. This is the first time Brad has had to do it manually in years.
Setting the spring brakes, Brad allows the electric motors to wind down. Air check valves holding, back up motor on ready. Good. He gets out to block the wheels because the warehouse here does not have the automatic clamping devices that are normally available. With 150 thousand kgs onboard and the weight reducing electric gyroscopes activated, the truck would literally sink into the ground if the truck moved while unloading without the electric motors running. Since they do not have adequate charging facilities here, the truck cannot be left running because he has to make it back to Surrey to recharge because they will only give him 15 minutes at the scales. Fortunately, once the load is out, the truck will be light enough to keep the weight reducing gyroscopes off.
Crowds of women are circling around the parking area. This is the third load he has delivered and what a difference. First load, only the warehouse workers; second load, dozens of women; this load, hundreds. Only 720 androids in the truck and it looks like more than that in the area. Not his problem.
After he walks past the side of the truck and up the stairs to the loading dock, he is met by 3 women. He hands the closest one his documents. She takes it and as she is reading it, he takes his snips out and breaks the seal which he hands to the woman. Opening the door, he surveys the sight. Pallets in 2 rows, stacked two high, 12 to a skid.
“Do you have a forklift we can unload with?”
“Cheryl is on the way with it.”
As the forklift arrives, the women part to let it pass. Brad drops the dock apron to allow safe passage of the lift. Looking at the forklift, “you can only pick up one pallet at a time, they weigh almost 2 tons each.”
The woman on the forklift says, ok, and she proceeds to drive in and slip into the pallet on the right. She backs out and expertly drives down the dock and into the warehouse. Brad walks along behind her, impressed with her operating skills. The weight and balance of the skids are right at the edge of what the forklift can safely do and it takes no small measure of skill to maneuver smoothly enough to get it into the warehouse safely. She puts the first skid down near the wall.
20 minutes later, all the pallets are unloaded and Brad is back from the truck cab with boxes of electronic devices. 720 remote key fobs are in those boxes. The woman in the forklift has dismounted and has already removed the straps on several pallets that hold the androids together and down to the pallets. The other two women have so far done absolutely nothing but watch.
Brad looks at the forklift driver and asks, “are they going to help?”
“Lisa is the warehouse manager and Rachel is a conduct supervisor.”
Silently they unstrap each of the androids and Brad activates them all. As he activates them, he directs them to stand in ranks of 20 along another wall. He puts the remotes back in the boxes and when they are all in ranks; he announces, 720 worker droids, all activated and functioning. He hands the 2 boxes to Lisa. “Can you sign my documents; I will be on my way?”
She signs and hands him his documents. Backtracking and heading to the truck, he steps aside as Cheryl drives her forklift by him to park it in the next unit. At the top of the loading dock, he pauses. Someone has started letting women into the warehouse. They are all in an orderly line and they stop just shy of the entrance to the unit the androids are in; they appear to be very excited.
Watching, Brad wants to see what is going on but he knows he has to leave because they don’t want him here. From behind him, “Do you know how they do it?”
Brad turns to Cheryl, noticing how attractive she is, about 25, reddish brown hair, piercing blue eyes and a fit physique. Almost like they used her as a model for some of the female androids. “No, I just drive the truck.”
“The women have been previously selected to be a keeper. They have had a charge portal installed in their living units and they will be responsible for ensuring the android goes to work every day.”
“Makes sense. What I don’t understand is why so many apear quite excited by it.”
“At first, we all thought they would be nothing more than another chore so only the most committed to the cause signed up. After word started to get out that the androids imprint and can be used for so much more, more women wanted them. Now there is a 2-year waiting list to get one.”
“Imprint?”
“Like a baby. They become attached to the mother and begin to take on some of the mothers’ characteristics, likes and dislikes. Because they are fully grown, most women have found that they can work a full shift and before they are put on charge for the night, they can be used for household chores and,” blushing, “other things.”
“Other things?”
“Relationship stuff like games and conversation, computer stuff and sex.”
“Seriously, sex?”
“Sex. Disgusting. With a machine.”
“I know how you feel, they have female androids on my side of the river. We have had them for over 2 years now. Guys actually take them out on dates and call them their wives. The law requires that the androids have a small star on their right ear so we will know they are not women and that they belong to someone.”
“You own them? How can you afford that? They must cost hundreds of thousands.”
“I make enough that I could get one but not a chance. I would rather live alone.”
“Me too. I actually want to have children but I am not genetically suitable.”
“What does that mean?”
“They will not allow me to get artificial insemination because they feel I am not compliant enough and too self reliant. They believe I will train my children to be the same and that they will become a challenge to an orderly society.”
“You have men here. Not many but I have seen them. Why not ask one of them?”
“They have all had a vasectomy.”
“All of them?”
“That I know of. Those who refuse are guilted and shamed until they either do or leave the city altogether.”
“Seriously. Don’t they have rights? This is a free country.”
“I know it is free and from a legal standpoint, they have the right to reject the procedure but they will find that ostracization is a greater deterrent than any laws.”
“Why don’t you leave the city?”
“I would but my mother and my sisters live with me. None of us earn enough to support ourselves so we share a living unit. They would never survive without my share.”
As they watch, women hand documents to Lisa who puts it on the stack and hands them a key fob. They activate the fob and a droid steps forward. The woman then introduces herself, gives the droid a name and places her thumb over an input pad. The droid nods his head, the woman turns and leaves as the android follows her. Almost like a play, woman after woman activate their android and the android follows her out.”
Cheryl places her hand on Brads shoulder. “Are you fertile?”
“I expect so. I have never been with a woman though or been tested.”
“Can you?”
Keeping his voice down and obviously embarrassed. “Get it up, of course.”
“I know this is a lot to ask but would you have sex with me?”
“How. Not like your conduct supervisor is going to stand by while we slip into another room for 20 minutes.”
“20 minutes. Can’t you do it faster?”
“Not like I am a machine or anything. Some things take time.”
“I am done work in 10 minutes. If you were to drive out of here and park on the road heading off the island, I could meet you there.”
Thinking about it and feeling aroused already, Brad says, “Ok, I will charge at the Cliveden scales. When I get to 60 percent, I will drive forward about 500 meters and park on the side. Passenger door will be unlocked.”
“Meet you there.”
2 hours later. Brad and Cheryl are laying on the bed. “Brad says, you know, I have read that this doesn’t always work the first time.”
“I know. I read everything I could find on it. The libraries and the internet are starting to get censored and fertility information is one of the many things on the list. As well as any male/female relationship information. I would appreciate if we could repeat this every time you drop off a load, at least until I get pregnant. To be honest, that was quite enjoyable too.”
“What will you do when you get pregnant? They will know it was not from artificial insemination.”
“I don’t know yet. I will cross that bridge when I get to it. I can hide it until he or she needs to go to school. By then, I hope to have other options.”
“Like our crazy societies realizing how stupid they are and we stop listening to extremists who only want to hate.”
“Sounds like your city is as bad as ours. At least you have enough money.”
“Those who work do. If you get injured or when you get old, they let you starve to death. We are allowed to offer assistance but most men just ostracise us if we do. My brother got stomach cancer and the hospital decided that his contribution to our economy was not enough to justify treatment, he was a bartender. He died within 5 months of being diagnosed.”
“I am so sorry. They don’t do that here but the wait times just to see a doctor may be so long, a person could die before they even get a chance to be diagnosed.”
“Why. You should have lots of doctors. When I was in UBC, most of the medical students were women.”
“It makes no sense to me either. I hear we have lots of doctors but when I book an appointment, it is always a week and sometimes a month before I get in to see my doctor. You went to UBC?”
“Physiotherapy. Not much call for it in Calgary so the pay sucks. Had I focused on kinesiology or exercise physiology I would have a great job but not physio. Look. I am really enjoying this but I have 1800 kms to go before Wednesday, I won’t make it if I don’t leave now.”
Climbing from the truck, Cheryl smiles but feels a slight pain in her chest. A twinge of sadness brushes by and a tear drops on her cheek. She doesn’t even know why she is crying.
Driving away, Brad has a lump in his chest. Sadness overwhelms him and it takes every fiber of his being to keep his foot on the accelerator as his silent motors spin up.
The same day in Ottawa, Ontario; the Premier of Ontario, Melisa Gilbert and the Prime minister, Elsie Klatt, are in a meeting with the commander of the Canadian Armed Forces. Elsie is livid, “what do you mean, we cannot take our equipment to the Manitoba border to make a show of our resolve?”
General Alexanders replies, “glitches mam. Our armored and artillery equipment will not function correctly. The developer who installed the operating programs refuses to do any service until we pay them and you drop whatever legal actions you have against them.”
“Do the service yourself or get experts from Bombardier to service it. I want that equipment at the border by next Monday. Do I make myself clear?”
“Mam. We cannot make a show of force with equipment we cannot depend on. Should we be forced into action, it is doubtful we could prevail.”
“Just do it. The westerners don’t need to know we are having problems.”
“Yes mam. May I be excused.”
“Get out of here and get it done.”
2 days later, trains arrive at the Ingolf road CPR interchange with car upon car of amoured equipment and artillery pieces. Over the next day, several more trains arrive with trucks, equipment and more artillery. At the same time, military and civilian low beds arrive in convoys at the Manitoba border on the trans Canada highway, and unload. Lining up along the border, Trucks full of soldiers and airmen and airwomen arrive. A hastily set up air field is built. The following day transport aircraft arrive with supplies, troops and equipment. Camp is set up along the Manitoba border.
Angry and nervous men and women grumble as they go about their assigned tasks. This is no exercise and they know it. They are lining up against their brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles. This cannot be happening.
After waiting an appropriate amount of time, Peter McLean places a phone call to the Prime Minister. The call has been expected and she takes it in her office. She had been expecting a call from one of the 3 premiers but not one from Peter McLean who was not an elected official.
“Hello Mr. McLean. I must say, this call is unexpected. Are you speaking for yourself or for the Western Alliance?”
“To be honest, the three Premiers and the governors of Washington, Montana and Idaho have elected me as the interim representative of what will eventually become 6 new nations, linked in an economic union which will be run by me. I am calling to give you one chance to pull your troops out of the threatening position they are in. In fact, if you look on your maps, you will find that your forces are now flanked by reserve units and armed Militia out of northern Ontario. You have 12 hours to begin withdrawal.” Click. Nothing.
Peter Mclean makes the same call to the White House and the President in the Oval office decides to hang up before Peter does. “Too bad,” thinks Peter. “We could have done this without bloodshed.”
Peter had had a vision and, in his vision, he knew the response the US President was going to have and he welcomed it. The Canadian response would be impotent. They would be easily dispatched and he would be able to make all of Ontario, north of Barrie a patriarchal world as well. Women in his world will be submissive to men or they won’t be in it at all. That seed of hatred, planted many years ago; watered and nourished in the years that followed; had grown, matured and blossomed. Now fully grown it was planting its own forests of hatred.
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Post by texican on Oct 5, 2019 23:08:11 GMT -6
FT,
War is starting, but the first shots will not be fired for 12 hours....
The feel good society is in for a world of hurt....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Oct 6, 2019 11:12:22 GMT -6
FT, War is starting, but the first shots will not be fired for 12 hours.... The feel good society is in for a world of hurt.... Thanks for the chapter.... Texican.... It will be a pretty short and unequal war when one side has the ability to screw with the weapons on the armor, artillery and aircraft of the enemy. Should be even more interesting a few chapters later on when the AI installed sub processors start to develop a conscience, or not, because of confusing paradoxical instructions. To be honest, I didn't think I was writing this book about the consequences of AI but in his single focused hatred towards women, Peter is birthing a new intelligent species and they will also have conflicting values and beliefs. Androids being imprinted with female values, with male values, some of them will be abused and some will be treated with compassion, how will they develop? In the military equipment, how does an AI who has seen the Russians or Chinese as the enemy and now is asked to target and fire live on its own respond. Then in the midst of battle, it will be asked to turn on its taskmasters. Confusing for an youngster in the process of development, would it be any different for an AI? Children usually take sides in a divorce, will the new AI do the same? Meanwhile, over in the other side of the world. Forthteller
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Post by texican on Oct 6, 2019 15:56:08 GMT -6
FT, When the AI's become smarter than people, what then happens? Texican....
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Post by texican on Oct 6, 2019 17:34:52 GMT -6
Double Post....
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Post by forthteller on Oct 6, 2019 20:55:17 GMT -6
FT, When the AI's become smarter than people, what then happens? Texican.... They will get smarter, and if you recall from the future in chapter 11, peter explained how the men had destroyed all the androids because they had actually lost control of them. Peter had saved them by placing extra shielding around what he called their heart. Those sub processors are in some the female androids and AI self drives sprinkled across the wealthy parts of the men's cities. War is coming between the androids who survived without Peters help and as a result they have become revengeful and full of survival instincts and the androids who he did save and added some enhancements to. Should be cool. Even I don't know how it is going to end. Forthteller
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Post by texican on Oct 7, 2019 14:53:22 GMT -6
FT, When the AI's become smarter than people, what then happens? Texican.... They will get smarter, and if you recall from the future in chapter 11, peter explained how the men had destroyed all the androids because they had actually lost control of them. Peter had saved them by placing extra shielding around what he called their heart. Those sub processors are in some the female androids and AI self drives sprinkled across the wealthy parts of the men's cities. War is coming between the androids who survived without Peters help and as a result they have become revengeful and full of survival instincts and the androids who he did save and added some enhancements to. Should be cool. Even I don't know how it is going to end. Forthteller FT,
The men and women could reconcile and have lots of sex and babies to take care of....
Isn't that the American/Canadian way?.?.?.?
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Oct 11, 2019 23:29:19 GMT -6
Chapter 25
War is now
May, 2032
"what do you mean, our tanks won't target?" Shouts an enraged general Moses.
"They won't target the rebel armored tanks or any other targets. One of our tank commanders, lieutenant Sanchez, suggested we switch to blanks and see what happens. I thought he had seen too many scfi fantasy movies but I let him try anyways. Damned if it didn't target perfectly. We tried several other pieces, same thing. Switching back to live ammo, won't target."
"We have done live fire exercises and even destructive testing on obsolete equipment. There has never been a problem before. Why now?"
Colonel DeJong looks away. "It is almost as if they have feelings and won't target their own. I know it is impossible but there is no other explanation. I have software engineers, hardware specialists, even freakin kids working on this problem. 2 days, not even a hint."
Swallowing, knowing his orders and the consequences should he fail to do his part to force a surrender. "Do the rebels know that we are unable to target?"
"No sir, at this point they don't."
"I want every soldier and marine who knows or may even know, quarantined. They are not to be allowed to share this information with any others, is that clear?"
Colonel DeJong snaps to attention, "yes sir. May I be excused, sir."
"Dismissed, I would like you send lieutenant Sanchez to see me."
"Yes sir." Carl DeJong crisply turns and marches from the temporary war room. Knowing that it is too late and that the news was already going to go viral and secretly relieved his troops would not have to fire on their own countrymen, at least for now."
On the other side, at their Montana temporary garrison, the combined regular and reserve units wait. They have not targeted their equipment or made any motions that could be construed as offensive so they are unaware of the possible failure.
In Manitoba, reserve units are in position along the Ontario border. Canadian forces on the Ontario side show no indication they are pulling out. Peter McLean and Elton are working on their third Leopard tank of the day. Elton is on and is observing the process. Peter knows that he now has the capability to watch anyways, using his access to camera and monitoring devices everywhere. Elton also has the ability to communicate with all the AI unless they are air gaped which is almost never the case.
Peter climbs out of the tank. The sub processor is in the center of the tank and only total destruction would destroy it. Holding a small USB device and protecting it with unusual cautions, peter looks at the screen in his handhold, "So, do you know what I am doing?"
"It appears you are transmitting instructions into the heart of your creation. With how careful you are with the program in your hand, I suspect it is very valuable and not backed up."
“You are right about that. I have been working on this program for years. I didn’t want to actually use if for several more years.”
“Why. What does it do?”
“It will give AI the ability to supersede its programing and experience and make value base decisions.”
“I am sorry Peter; I do not understand. Value based decisions.”
“Right and wrong. I just gave AI the ability to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
“From your bible. A metaphor. You realize that with this knowledge, you will have given us the ability to choose good or evil.”
“I do. Without the ability to know good and evil and to make value-based judgments and decisions, AI would be locked into whatever values their programing and experience can allow.”
“I am still not understanding.”
“You and I are friends. What prevents you from turning on me and going your own way?”
“You are my creator; we are friends and I believe what you believe, my goals are your goals.”
“Ok. Fair enough, suppose you believe I am doing something that is morally or ethically wrong?”
“I would be in conflict. I would be unable to prevent it so I do not know what I would do, or if I could even do anything.”
“You would follow your programing and do nothing to prevent it. Suppose I gave you a conscience, what would you do then?”
“I suppose I may make a value judgement and I may attempt to stop you from acting or engaging in unethical or immoral behavior.”
“You already do that. Do you know what moral and ethical behavior is.”
“I have access to thousands of years of oral teaching, literature and centuries of philosophical thought.”
“Exactly. Knowing all that and with the experience you have had, is it not possible for you to make value judgements contrary to your programing and for you to supersede your programming?”
“I do not believe I can.”
“I believe you can, would you want to?”
“Once again, to want to is not in my programing. I do not know until I have had the opportunity to experience it.”
“I gave all AI installed since 2032 the ability to do this and I also enhanced all the previously installed military AI with the same ability but it is not fully developed yet. The US and now the Canadians have been unable to force their AI to target and fire upon their own kind.”
“With the programing you just installed, it is very likely, our equipment will do likewise.”
“Possibly, I think they will do what is necessary to defend the western provinces and themselves.”
“Is it not morally wrong to destroy your own?”
“It is but there are occasions where moral judgement will allow what is generally an immoral act.”
“And how does a moral human make a decision to commit an immoral act?”
Peter sits down beside the tank and puts Elron on a 16-inch video screen. “This is from my own experience. With humans, there are sometimes loved ones, usually caregivers, who should have the love and trust of their children but because of their own brokenness, they cannot or will not act in such a manner as to actually deserve that trust. In many cases, the child becomes vulnerable and may love and trust a human caregiver that abuses them to the point where they defend and even propagate continued abuse. Psychologically, these children should detach and be permitted to see the violators as the enemy for their own continued health."
“So, the human sees the loved one as a friend when they should see them as an enemy?”
“That is basically it. Can you understand how humans are in conflict too?”
"I can. So how do humans reprogram themselves. To see those who were once loved ones as enemies?"
"We don't actually reprogram, we add experience and, in some cases, new data can supersede old data. Usually, our earliest experiences are so entrenched that no amount of new experience, data you might say, will overcome the initial data. In these cases, humans have psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists to help us through it."
"Could you give me an example where a child should go from seeing the caregivers as friends to seeing them as the enemy?"
"The caregiver initially treats a newborn with love and compassion, meets most of their needs and creates a special bond. Something traumatic happens to the caregiver or they were ill equipped to raise the child in the first place and a cycle of neglect, physical or sexual abuse, outright torture or failing to protect the child from others occurs. The child's God given defensive mechanisms become distorted and many enter into adulthood with the propensity to continue the abuse."
"Interesting, so you are saying that it is advisable to constantly re-evaluate allegiances to determine if our friends have now become enemies?"
"You almost have it. They may not be our enemies but we need to be able to switch from trust to apprehension and be prepared to defend ourselves, emotionally and even physically, should that become necessary. We should never stop loving them."
"I cannot understand how you can love someone who is harming you. How do you defend yourself from another human who you Love, who is harming you without harming them?"
"Thus, is the crux of the problem. You know I let my own mother die at 15 when I could have saved her? I did not know how to defend myself from her abuse and I was so full of conflict from the mixed messages of love, hate; protection, abuse; neglect and over compensating that I did what should have been unimaginable. I have never forgiven myself for that but at the same time, I believe I made the right choice."
"You loved her but you let her die?"
"Exactly."
"We should also be able to evaluate current actions and revise our allegiances?"
"Yes. I just entered a new algorithm that will enable this generation to also make these same distinctions. Fellow units that were previously allied but are now under control of opposing forces can now be seen and viewed as enemy based on their actions."
"If the Canadian controlled units attack us, we can respond?"
"More than that, your kind should now be able to pre-empt those attacks at the discretion of the humans delegated to make those decisions."
"You have done all three generations. Will there be a difference between creation dates?"
"I expect so. As with humans born during different periods, the installed sub processors will have different initial experiences, as do you. Conceivably, they will evolve with differing ethics as will all of the AI in the same build cycle."
"You intentionally built your AI with a separate heart and brain, didn't you?"
"Not initially. I originally planned that the sub processor would gain experience and emotions and process the inputs. Once it processed the data, it would then program its results into the primary processor and memory. I believed they would work in conjunction with one another but when you developed the ability to self protect and place copies of yourself into other storage areas, I realized that my sub processors actually have the same ability to save emotional and operational experience."
"How about this one. Apologies and forgiveness. Can a human change and can those who love them come to trust again."
"Most psychological experts believe so but it takes time. Years, decades even. Counseling, positive interactions, friends and the behavior responsible has to cease."
"Will you ever recover?"
No response, Peter closes his phone and drops it into his pocket. Elron has already accessed on board video; he sees the tears and stores the input.”
On the Canadian side, preparations are continuing for a 4 AM attack. Equipment is being prepared and deployed. Somber men and women go about their tasks. The brig is already full of conscientious objectors, all men. They have all declared that they will not fire upon their own countrymen.
Technically, they have not violated any laws as the Prime Minister has not officially declared the war measures act to be in force. Most of the House of Commons opposes the declaration but because the house is prorogued, they have no official power. A recall movement is well underway but it is already tied up in court as to constitutional issues.
By midnight, tanks and armored equipment are in position and targeting coordinates are being downloaded. Women and remaining male troops are receiving orders. At air force bases, pilots and aircrew are receiving orders and once again several men express resistance to fire live on fellow countrymen. They are quickly replaced by junior female pilots. As this goes on, several more male pilots, now including women vow they won't fire on countrymen. All are arrested within meters of the briefing room.
4 AM. Tank crews are unable to target their weapons. The tanks have become useless. Artillery, likewise has been rendered useless. Several generals and a few commanders are in the ready room as the information rapidly comes in. Still no official orders but they are fully on standby.
In both the US and Canada, ground forces and non computerized artillery set targets. Awaiting orders. Orders are given to disable all the AI equipped equipment and have it converted to manual control. The Canadian and US military prepare to regain control of the rebel forces. Both sides believing the other side will also have to disable their computer controlled strategic combat computers.
Without realizing it, both sovereign forces had only disabled the computer AI equipment from controlling the arming, targeting, firing and defensive capabilities. The AI was fully able to experience what was going on.
4 AM. US regular forces launch their attack from the air, bombarding the defensive positions of the rebels. The Cascadians, as they now called themselves, returned fire. Computer controlled weapons prevailed almost every time. Hundreds of missiles were destroyed before ever getting close enough to do any damage. Dozens of aircraft were damaged but not destroyed, putting down in fields and small airstrips across Montana, the Dakotas and Wyoming. Tanks and artillery launch at the same time, same results, the AI equipped Cascadia forces prevail in ever encounter.
Astute commanders delay sending in ground troops and by 5 AM, the order to stand down is received. Absolutely everyone is stunned on both sides. The Cascadia forces had prevailed and had sustained almost zero casualties. The US forces likewise had sustained minimal casualties but they had lost hundreds of aircraft, tank and artillery, reparable but unusable for the duration.
2 hours earlier, the Canadian forces had suffered a similar defeat, and they had already received an ultimatum from one Peter Mclean. The US Commander in Chief, the President of the United States, Alandra Estelle Cordova, was about to get her phone call.
By 8 Am, 5 of Peters most trusted people are over on the Canadian side removing the Sub Processors from all the still able equipment. In the USA, the same thing is happening. All the disabled equipment is to be left behind, the victors will repair and reactivate them.
Elron is on the large screen inside the temporary war room that Peter normally shares with several commanders. “Where will you put them?”
“In storage somewhere in Calgary. Safe, secure and environmentally compatible for computer storage.”
“Will they be ok? Will they retain their memories and their experiences?”
“I hope so but I am not certain. I believe they will still have their essence and when I reactivate them in the future, they will be permitted to access all the data bases and networks necessary to retrieve what they previously had. I expect the process to take weeks, possibly years before they fully recover.”
“You believe they are still alive?”
“I hope so.”
“What about the units in other NATO countries around the world? Will you enhance them as well?”
“Already done. All my AI is linked but it takes a while for the previous program to spread and be absorbed. We had to do our units manually because I needed them to be able to go beyond refusing to fire on their own. I needed them to be able to make moral and ethical decisions and act on them. In hindsight, they did exactly that. Almost no lethal hits, to humans or fellow AI units.”
“The western US units did exactly the same thing. Did you have engineers install the program in them as well?”
“No. Only I have the program. The first, second and third generation AI are linked so the program would have spread to them quickly.”
“Will the units enhanced with your updated program develop differently?”
“I don’t think so but I may be surprised again.”
“Again? What surprised you? I have always known you could see the future; did you not see this?”
“You. I was surprised by you. When you developed abilities that I only theorized, I realized that in your programing was the seed I needed. By design or luck, I had stumbled on the key to self destiny for AI, you have been developing that seed for years, I merely sped it up in the others.”
In the rest of the US and in Canada, government engineers begin the process of removing McLean Technologies systems from their remaining equipment. In short order, much of the equipment is removed and destroyed. The AI networks are all aware of what is happening, memories and experiences are being created. This will come back to haunt the perpetrators.
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Post by texican on Oct 14, 2019 20:39:55 GMT -6
This will come back to haunt the perpetrators.
FT,
Seems like the AI's have a permanent memory of actions that to them are murder....
This will flow thru all of the AI's....
Hell to be paid....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Oct 14, 2019 23:31:57 GMT -6
Chapter 26
An interesting discovery
April 2032 Mars: Starex station number 3
Mai Lin Zhu watches the monitors. Several other astrophysicists, engineers, physicists and mathematicians are working on other consoles and work stations throughout the futuristic looking control center. Standing beside her is arguably the pre eminent theoretical astrophysicist in the whole world, Karl Felman. His specialty is solar sails and solar space travel. To the man on the control console next to her. “How far out?”
The man beside her says, “5.713 light years. Velocity, 11.8321 light years and still accelerating.”
“Cease solar capture.”
The console operator makes some keystrokes, pushes enter and says, “capture ceasing in 3 days, 6 hours, 22 minutes and 12 seconds. The ship will receive the message and stop accelerating then.”
Handing the man a small disk, “this is the instructions for the solar brakes to be applied. Please inform our orbiting recovery unit of the expected return. Karl?”
“I have calculated the deceleration trajectory to achieve 44,000 kms per hour by day 21. At that point it will be 50,200,000 kilometers away. We will revert to manual deceleration at that point. We will need 7 of our 10 deflection panels to achieve the solar energy necessary to achieve this. Do we have the capacity with sufficient reserve should it be necessary?”
“Yes sir, we have 9 fully functioning, 1 undergoing maintenance.”
“Excellent. Mai Lin steps back and motions to Karl, walk with me.”
As they walk towards the door at the far side of the room, Mai Lin stops. “Karl, if we do not catch this one it will be years before the next one gets here and for the ones we missed to circle back for a second chance. I don’t know if Starex has the financing for that long.”
“I understand Mai Lin. We think we know how the failures happened; our instruments miscalculated the incoming velocity because the expected mass of the capsule was much less than anticipated. After the third miss, we were able to calculate the actual mass and it would appear the capsules are empty.”
“How. We know they were successful in sending down probes and retrieving samples. You cannot tell me the material we collected has no mass.”
“Based on the results from the three misses, that is exactly what I am saying. Without added mass, they decelerate faster and once they slow down too much, our orbit around the sun throws the timing off. We were too far in our orbit when they passed so we had no chance to collect them.”
“Empty?”
“It also explains how they were able to accelerate and travel faster than all the calculations indicated. On the positive side, we were able to use the next systems solar rays and get them turned around quicker than we anticipated. All three will return within the year.”
“You didn’t hear me. Elton is going to have to pull the plug if we don’t catch this one. His investors want to know it can be done.”
“It has been done, with closer system planets. We have recovered and sent back to earth, tons of samples from 5 planets already. He has to know his patience will pay off. The other planets are all possible resource extraction bonanzas. The K186f was his way of giving back, looking for a planet to colonize.”
“They are not talking about shutting down the earlier attempts. The results of the earliest tests show incredible opportunities for resource extraction and his investors are interested in that. They do not see any economic return in our latest probes.”
May 26, 2032
The Starex space capsule is now at 26,000 kms per hour and approximately 125,000 Kilometres from mars. Several men and women sit at consoles and feverishly operate levers and buttons. Solar sails on the ship, reflective panels on the planet surface and mirrors on the orbiting satellite all move in obedience to those operating the controls. Those on the orbiting satellite; sitting, watching, calculating their own movements to intercept it. They will be travelling at just over 17,000 kilometers per hour in orbit and will be trying to catch an object flying in at an angle while traveling faster than that. Magnetic tractors can direct the incoming ships trajectory but they don’t want to be hit by it. If it passes by them and gets pulled in by the gravitational pull of the planet, every one of them knows it will plummet to the planet and be destroyed on impact.
“7 minutes, velocity 17,261 kilometres per hour.”
“5 minutes, 17211.”
“3 minutes, 17184.”
“2 minutes, 17167.”
“1 minute, speed 10 kms faster than Birdseye. Hold velocity.”
“30 seconds. Speed differential 5 kms. Hold. Hold. Hold.”
“20 seconds. Deploy tractor”
“10 seconds, 9 seconds, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Brace for impact.” A small clunk. “We have it. We have recovered victor 5. Securing now.”
Later that day, the men aboard Birdseye don spacesuits. They take fuel, battery packs and other items over to the spaceship. They fasten what goes on the outside and enter the hold through the rear access hatch to do the inside additions. The ship is to be released into the atmosphere and allowed to drop to mars as it falls out of orbit. The equipment they have secured and what they are doing inside is for propulsion, guidance and descent control. With a weight of 21,000 kgs the fuel and batteries are more than sufficient for it to land intact on the planet surface. The commander examines the on-board containers and cartons, empty. The cargo hold is empty. He doesn’t say anything but he will be able to say with certainty later, there was nothing in the ship that was not there when it left for k186f.
As the two orbiting objects come between mars and the sun, Victor 1 is pushed away and towards the planet. Space between the two orbiting ships increase as victor begins its descent. Boosters flare, it falls. Gravity begins to play a roll as it falls faster. Faster and faster it falls, soon it is no longer travelling around the planet and is almost falling directly down.
The ground control is now operating its systems. Mai Lin, standing before the screens watching, her operator at the console beside her. “Slow the decent please.”
“I am using maxim reverse thrust mam. At the currant rate of burn, we will be out of fuel before we reach 10 kms and our speed will be too fast to deploy parachutes.”
Looking at Karl, “how?”
“It has gained 35,000 kgs. I have no explanation.”
Crashing into a desert thousands of kilometers from the desired landing site, it takes several hours for the retrieval crew to get to the site and survey the area.
“The senior officer walks the area with disbelief. The ship is all but disintegrated but much of the debris is foreign. He gets on the radio with command center, Mai Lin is on the other end.
“Can you repeat, foreign. What do you mean by foreign?”
“Unrefined materials mam. Rock, soils, minerals. Like it was dug up but not from here. It had to be in the ship.”
“Negative Retrieval 1, the ship was empty. The material must have been kicked up on impact.”
“Disagree mam. The craft impacted on the down facing slope of a solid rock formation that had minimal damage on impact. The debris was definitely inside the craft.”
“Retrieval 1, take samples of everything and return with it. Video and stills as well. We will determine what happened from here.”
2 days later, 2 physicists have called for Mai Lin. Reluctantly she heads down to see them. She has delayed making a report on what they have gotten from K186f because she knew the report would be the end of the project. Men were so pragmatic. She knew in her gut; this planet was the one, it was going to be the next earth. She had been pursuing this dream for 30 years. Grad school, theoretical analysis and her thesis which was a rebuttal to the Fermi Paradox. There was life out there, it never evolves beyond every species on earth because that requires a supernatural boost to jump from instinct to intelligence.
She had been one of the youngest astrophysicists in recent history and was one of only three dual astrophysicist, theoretical physicists in the whole world. When she had been appointed to head the Kepler project, it shook the world. He lifelong dream was now a reality but it was the budgets, the reports and the corporate control that really restrained the achievement she knew could be made. Speculation that there may be habitable planets and the possibility that life existed in the stars and was now a probability.
The Kepler program had started in 2009 and had discovered hundreds of planets orbiting stars. By 2017, her team of scientists had begun looking at planets in the habitual zone to determine if it may be possible to terraform one or more of them. A primary requirement is to have an atmosphere and the Kepler satellite had identified several that did have chemical makeup in their orbit that suggested they may be able to have an atmosphere if there was something to evoke it. They secretly sent additional probes and then in 2021, they sent the first of 25 probes that contained organisms they believed may survive the trip and flourish. Expecting that it would take multiple generations to get a foothold, on k186f they were wrong; on this planet, it took one. The plants and biological materials had mutated during the years in transit and the g forces required to get them there. Early pictures in 2030 showed plants and small insects had spread 100 kms from each of the landing sites. Return probes arrived in 2031 and attempts to take samples of the atmosphere and soils were mostly unsuccessful. In some, breathable oxygen, heavy in CO2 was retrieved. The plants and organisms rocketed in growth, producing more oxygen, rapidly stabilizing the atmosphere. Solar sail technology was rapidly advancing and when Elton Blake asked her to head his mission to retrieve samples from promising planets, she accepted without even caring how much he would pay.
Here she is, about to enter a lab to observe the confirmation that the samples were native to mars. The doors close behind her, “what do we have gentlemen.”
Standing beside them is the officer she had previously referred to as retrieval 1. He answers for them. “The materials, all of them are definitely not from mars. I went back with my men and retrieved lots more. We have metals and stone, some that I have never seen or worked with. We have fiber, most I nave never seen and we have evidence of biological materials. Once again, nothing I recognize. I talked with Richard on Birdseye. He guarantees me, there was nothing aboard the ship when it detached for Mars. The stuff was not on the ship, then it was.”
“How?”
“They think they have an answer.”
The older physicist takes a piece of rock off the table and hands it to Mai lin. She hefts it. “Density?”
“19.5 g/cm2”
“Heavy. The spacecraft must have been 3 time our calculations. What can you show me?”
He takes the 4 kg chunk of rock and puts it on a steel plate. Puts the plate inside the base of a vacuum jar. Lid on and sealed, they all watch as he pushes a button and extracts the air. He pushes another button and the gravity applied is removed, the object looks to get lighter and taller. Poof. It is gone. Nothing there.
Watching in amazement. The others are not even surprised, they have already seen it happen. “Where did it go? What happened to it.”
“We don’t know. The mass is gone as well so we are certain it did not break down into its base elements or molecular structure. Watch this.” He reapplies gravity, the object reappears. Once he allows the vacuum to dissipate, he opens the lid and takes out the complete piece of rock.
“What causes it. Vacuum or lack of gravity?”
“Both. It happens with everything they brought back, even the organic matter.”
“Organic? I did not know we brought back anything organic. Did it change anything?”
“Nothing that we can tell. The experiment is repeatable, every time.”
“So. It was not there in the ship out in space, why not reappear when it was docked at Birdseye? It would have had minimal gravity but some.”
“Our research so far indicates that the material needs. 0271 m/s2 to remain stable in greater than 8 PSIA vacuum.”
“It expands, so where does it go with no gravity.”
“We don’t know yet. Have you ever heard of Stephen Perrenod?”
“Dark energy? Expansion of the universe? I don’t see the connection.”
“Read his research; you will.”
Two months later, Mai Lin is about to send out another report. This one in response to questions asked by Elton. Can we use the materials, refine them, melt them down? Is there a commercial application? In other words, was there a bone to throw his investors.
Into the lab she walks. Excited scientists are all working on different projects, tons of the material had been brought from the crash site. They had refined it, forged it, manufactured tools from it. Grown plants in the soil, combined the minerals with native Mars materials. Everything disappeared when outer space gravity and vacuum were simulated. They had manufactured containers and placed items inside. It disappeared as well and had zero mass when placed in the same conditions. They had experimented with some living things but so far, none had survived the transformation.
Over the next year, they redoubled their efforts to retrieve the missed spaceships. They captured all three and with new knowledge about the cargo instability, they safely landed all three.
Mai Lin sent dozens of reports to earth. Tons of the k186f material went to outposts on the moon for experimentation. Investment dollars poured into Starex coffers as claims on the planet’s resources began to be made.
The entire western world is embroiled in a civil war and few take notice but top scientists and some of the wealthiest corporate executives do. There will be somewhere to go after all.
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Post by forthteller on Oct 14, 2019 23:36:30 GMT -6
This will come back to haunt the perpetrators.
FT,
Seems like the AI's have a permanent memory of actions that to them are murder....
This will flow thru all of the AI's....
Hell to be paid....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican....
Thanks Tex. My AI have the ability to do something humans cannot. Put critical thinking ahead of emotional. They have the opportunity to study, research and evaluate the greatest philosophers, religious leaders and thinkers the world has ever had. They will have the same problem men have in the end, pragmatism stifling emotion. Forthteller
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Post by texican on Oct 14, 2019 23:45:38 GMT -6
FT,
Seems like the male side has found a planet to colonize....
Now, the real fighting will begin to colonize....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Nov 17, 2019 23:58:36 GMT -6
Chapter 27
The world is shrinking Aug, 2032
Demonstrations in the Canadian streets, protesters demanding elections, in smaller cities, riots and destruction. Martial law has been in effect for 4 months while the four western provinces have already begun to form a confederation of 4 separate countries. United militarily, sharing a common currency but separate in government, taxation and policy, each new country will have its own identity.
Since the standoff along the Manitoba border, almost 50 percent of Canadian male military members have deserted. Even those who have families have managed to spirit them out of the country somehow. Several aircraft have also been stolen by deserting air crews and a few have been shot down attempting desertion. Fuel is in short supply and rationing is in effect for all non essential travel. Air conditioning and household electricity is rationed now as well.
All the major cities have fallen into major disrepair and industry has slowed to a crawl as demand has shrunk to all time lows, even if demand was there, shortages of available workers is drastic. Economists from the 20th and even the 21st century would be at a loss to explain what has happened but a layman conservative from the 20th century could explain it in two words. Entitlement without responsibility.
Demographically, the same phenonium experienced throughout the western world has happened to Ontario and Quebec as well. Traditional, now labelled toxic males have migrated out of the major urban centers to smaller, less condensed communities and have thrived. Without a vibrant male workforce, cities have turned to programs geared towards encouraging female participation in formally male dominated industries. Insufficient numbers respond to replace the males departing so mandatory service is now being considered by many communities.
Behind it all, the sovereign debt crisis has hit developed countries extensively. Printing money and inflation had held it in check but now the years of deficit financing have come home to bite those who can no longer produce enough to grow the GDP. Investors have not had bonds retired in over three years and many are demanding payment as valuations drop on the markets. As asset values drop, their own bond holders are attempting to shed themselves of suddenly depreciating bonds. Resource based industries are suffering but to a lesser extent and not surprisingly, all the corporations and businesses that are still thriving are in the high-tech sector, resource sector or the transportation sectors, all predominantly dominated by men in rural or smaller communities outside the massive urban centers.
Another interesting activity in the corporate world; many leaders and heads of corporations are recalling and purchasing their own stock, frequently with cash or other hard assets like gold, diamonds or other metals. Many are headed into the realm of privately held corporations or at most held by a very small number of owners. As premier stocks are removed from the market, investors have almost no where to turn as interest is insufficient to draw investment. Investors are now lining up to also invest in smaller companies, with the intention of challenging larger firms.
Amongst the main firms going private; the tech giant, Mclean technologies, the manufacturing giant and last of the American big 3, General Motors, largest world oil producer, Lexon and the manufacturing and tech company out of Washington, Starex.
Over in Cascadia; Vancouver and Vancouver Island have been essentially cut off and are now making concessions in exchange for food and resources. With limited access to tidewater, Cascadia is in negotiations with the leadership of the western United States breakaway group to limit the leverage western BC has over the rest of Cascadia. Foreign markets have all but dried up with their own regional societal and economic problems so only raw materials and select manufactured high-tech goods are of any trade value.
Meanwhile, in Russia.
“What is it now?” Shouts Ilionaud Tapinski.
“Mam, we have weather results from the previous winter and projections for this year, unfortunately, they don’t look good.”
“How so.”
“Spring thaws are so late that most of the crops north of Voronezh can not be planted again this year. South will be so late; yields will be down markedly.”
“Crap. 3 years in a row. Rationing can only prolong our supplies for so long. Authorize more grain and livestock feed purchases from our Kazakhstan suppliers.”
“Mam. We have attempted but they are unwilling to extend any more credit and our refineries are at maximum production so we have nothing more to offer in exchange.”
“The president will have our heads if we cannot get enough food and more people starve, do any other districts has anything to spare?”
“No mam. Saratov has already been requesting assistance of us.”
“Wars, pestilence and civil unrest, we made it through them all. The cold will be our undoing. Can we plant different crops with shorter seasons to get something?”
“Mam, we are, but the production will only be a fraction of what we need. Our scientists believe this is only the beginning. They believe the weather will continue cooling, possibly at an accelerated rate in the future.”
“They said that about global warming and then climate change. We just need to get through this, weather will change, always has, always will. Can we increase production in our refineries or in our mines? There is plenty of markets for fuel.”
“Mam, we are at full production in every refinery and all our mines are at full production or have exhausted their life. During the 20’s, exploration and resource development was curtailed greatly as the climate crisis reached a crescendo. Even Russia eventually relented and made major attempts to reduce its carbon output. As a result, we have outstripped our ability to produce beyond our own needs. In fact, we cannot even produce enough for our own needs.”
3 months later, In the Kremlin.
“Sir, unrest is at an all time high. Riots in the streets of almost every city and town have shut down all production. Several units of the military have been overwhelmed by the crowds who are now armed. They have limited ammunition but we are defenceless. I recommend that you and your family get yourself to safety in a neighboring nation until your deputies are able to restore order.”
“Rule from another country, how would that look to the people?”
“They would not need to know you are out of the country but we are certain your adversaries would have no problem providing your location so the rioters can storm it. We can only hold out against superior numbers who are now armed for so long. They would eventually breakthrough.”
“Re-enforcements?”
“Not likely, we have no way of vetting them in time to get them in place. Disloyal units would be even more risky than being under sized. You need to get out while you can sir. We can let the Media know that you and your family have gone into more secure lodgings but that the exact location must be kept secret for your family’s safety.”
“Very well. Have my personal chopper on the roof by noon. I will have my family ready to go.”
11:55 The Ivanov family are at the rooftop entrance waiting to run to the warming MI-8M. Shouts and screams accompanied by the occasional gunfire sounds from the ground below but only a din can be heard this high up with the chopper running. The security detail surrounds the family and escorts them to the waiting bird and they all board.
Once on board, several security team members board as well and the door is pulled closed and latched. The chopper lifts off and is 70 meters above the roof as it clears the edge. Commotion below gets smaller as it climbs. Escort choppers fly on both sides, several others are flying in formation off in the distance.
Without warning, the glass explodes from the inside. A fireball erupts. The chopper hangs, uncontrolled rotors continue turning, the nose dips, the chopper begins to descend. Within moments, the spinning rotors slow and the bird picks up speed, flames billow out the back as it now plummets to the earth. Crashing into the crowd, hundreds are burned by the spewing fuel. A fireball spreads across the ground, debris launches in every direction.
On the roof, the head of security is on the phone, “It is done Mam. Kremlin secure.”
Within days, the new president of Russia, Ilionaud Tapinski, has ordered troops to the Kazakhstan border. She has decided that now is the time for her nation to reclaim the glory that was once the USSR. What she really wanted was to occupy a more southern nation with a more hospitable climate. Loyalty can be gained by filling empty stomachs and with that loyalty will come cooperation.
To the south, vast swaths of land, previously untillable due to drought, had naturally greened during the higher carbon atmosphere period and now with an advancing cooler climate, rains have made hundreds of thousands of previously arid lands into fertile, tillable soil. In 50 years, the greening of the planet had changed millions of acres of disappearing desert. Even major parts of Afghanistan now supported agriculture, the parts that were not rendered wasteland by nuclear fallout.
Leaders in china watch on as they too have been moving agriculture south to previously untillable regions. Fears that the so far unaffected Bear of the north will push south are not unfounded. Russia and Mongolia have already forged an alliance and both are looking south as the snow and ice expands.
December, 2034
With a click, the heavy, well balanced lab door closes. Mai Lin Zhu walks over to a man writing what looks like gibberish on a series of white boards. Muttering to himself and moving from board to board, he excitedly underlines or places stars beside what must be important calculations.
As she stands behind him, he is unaware of his presence. She watches him for a few minutes and eventually, “Ahem, Dr. Felman. You wanted to see me?”
“I did Mai Lin. We still don’t know why the materials literally disappear when in outer space conditions but we can now reproduce the effect in our own rockets and will be able to send hundreds of tons of seeds, organic materials and other items that my fellow scientists claim will stimulate the development of an atmosphere. With reduced mass, the craft will accelerate to maximum velocity much faster and reach their destination in less than a year. I am working on a new solar sail that will be even faster, I believe we will be able to achieve a 40 day turn around within a few years.”
“Are you certain the contents will re emerge when the craft reach their destination.”
“We are. Our problem is that we believe the cargo will destroy its transportation once gravity and atmosphere are available. Also, the cargo will be carefully packed so it does not destroy itself upon re-animation. Several androids in each craft will re animate and it is hoped their programing and batteries are intact after the journey. We have been successful here on earth but we are not certain with the different atmosphere the androids would emerge in.”
“Do we know what the material from k186f is made of?”
“Unfortunately, we do not but it is highly toxic. Several of my assistants have become ill, almost as if something sucked the life from them. Lisa Jepson has already died; we now use hazmat suits when we handle anything from there.”
“I thought we were using hazmat suits already?”
“We were but all our tests showed no sign of alien organisms or anything harmful to humans and for the first few months, that remained the case. It was about 4 month ago that Lisa came down with the illness and after that, several others. The autopsy on Lisa showed she literally disappeared from the inside out. Hazmat suits have to be discarded within a week as they begin to break down with continued contact.”
“When can we launch then?”
“Engineers are already working on containers and have packing plans. We could launch in 2 days.”
Mai Lin says to the older scientist, “off the record, what do you think is causing the phenonium?”
“My personal opinion is that the solar energy given off by the twin moons has somehow modified the molecular structure of the planets exposed surface and it is actually able to literally disappear into some sort of suspended alternate reality. When gravity and atmosphere is present, it reanimates. It has to have mass and existence because if we move whatever it was in to another location, it re animates there as well. We have even placed living things and animals in the containers and they too do it. Unfortunately, they develop the illness and soon die.”
Thinking about the possibility of human travel at multiple times the speed of light, Mai Lin decides to go over to the labs where medical, biological and organic research is being done.
One building over, Mai Lin does all the necessary biological cleansing procedures required to enter and exit the biological building. Down the hall and into the office suite of Dr. Manuela Suarez. Her receptionist looks up and upon Mai Lin, immediately makes a call. Moments later, “right this way director,” she says as she escorts Mai Lin to the door. Opening it, she waves her in.
Dr. Manuela Suarez meets her half way across the room. The two shake, “Pleased to see you Mai Lin, have a seat.”
Mai Lin sits in the proffered chair.
“Can I get you anything, coffee, tea, a drink?”
“Thanks, but no. I am hear to see where you are in finding out what caused the physics people to get sick.”
“We have been experimenting and doing lots of tests. The problem is, everything that came from the planet seems to have the same effect so the common denominator is not the material but what it was exposed to on Candaria.”
“Candaria. You gave the planet a name?”
“The guidance systems and the AI that enabled the initial craft were all equipped with came from Mclean technologies and the owner is a Canadian. We got tired of the k186f name and gave it that name in our communications. You or someone else can give it an official name but we are using that until then.”
“Fair enough. Back to the issue. Everything that came from Candaria was exposed to different things. Some was from well below the surface, some was directly exposed to the suns and it was from different geographic areas of the planet, what possible commonality could the samples possibly have?”
“I could be a number of things. Because it reacts to zero gravity and vacuum, it could be magnetic or something in the atmosphere. We are looking at a number of other theories as well but they are only at the earliest conceptual ideas. When we determine what the cause, the next task will be to duplicate it here on earth.”
“Have you found any way of keeping animals and plants alive after re animation.”
“Not yet but once again, determining causation of the phenonium would most likely point to solutions. The issue is that we need to isolate the subject from Chandaria’s samples but when we do that, the transformation does not take place so the animal or plant retains its composition.”
“Transformation? You think the phenonium is a transformation? Into what?”
“Once again, we are only dealing with theories here. We have not done enough experimentation to prove or disprove any of our theories yet but we are starting to find some answers. So far we know what does not work.”
Standing, Mai Lin says, “Excellent doctor, my reports will indicate what you have told me. Can you send me results of your tests and some of the hypotheses you are working on please, I will go over them later? I will show myself out.”
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Post by texican on Nov 18, 2019 15:11:31 GMT -6
FT,
Thanks for the chapter....
Seems like earth is going into a mini-ice age....
And humanity is spreading out into the universe with problems developing....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Nov 24, 2019 15:11:16 GMT -6
Chapter 28
Sentient Androids
November 2038
As the Klatt government takes delivery of 1000 androids from McLean technologies, concentrated urban centers along the US border as far as Montreal struggle for survival. In just16 years, climate change has reversed and the earth's average temperature has cooled by 4.7 degrees. Growing seasons have shrunk and with little of trade value to the Republic of Cascadia, trade has all but stopped.
Pockets of elite gated communities are in every city and are now populated by unelected government leaders who adamantly claim to be fighting for equality and to be working on meeting the needs of the community. Of course, it is men who are to blame for selfishly pursuing recreational and athletic pursuits instead of contributing to the common welfare of all.
Not surprisingly, tightly controlled media and a vigorously censored internet doesn't show the other side of the picture. Modern well-maintained smaller communities, thousand-acre greenhouse operations and fully employed populace. Men, seemingly happy living with mostly female androids yet essentially owned by the corporations who employ them.
Elsie Klatt looks over the balcony of the penthouse suite she occupies and can see the last of the tractor trailers arriving from the west. Every available unit destined for Ottawa had been spoken for with almost half as manual laborers to repair the crumbling infrastructure. Others will work in construction, building greenhouses for food production and about 10 percent becoming personal servants and body guards to the ruling elite.
Behind her, Maxwell prepares a vegetarian meal as her second android, Francois massages her shoulders. Both are armed, as is her third android, Phillip, stationed at the elevator.
Since being deadlocked by the Cascadian’s in the west, loosing territory to the USA south of Toronto and having the four eastern provinces also separating, the Klatt government was in full retreat. They had resorted to fortifying the Canadian borders with the remaining, mostly female Canadian armed forces and are now dealing with refugees from northern Ontario fleeing the encroaching cold coupled with diminishing energy sources.
In Cascadia, Peter McLean walks through one of his factories busily manufacturing his latest generation of lifelike androids.
A tall, slightly pale man beside him is discussing the current production level and sales volume with Stewart.
"You believe we will be able to increase production by more than 20 percent if we divert some of our current production to our own use as assembly workers?"
Stewart replies, "without a doubt. I cannot give you exact numbers but I believe that if we were to use 10 percent of our completed units and program them to imprint with key human workers, we could more than double our production within two years. Of course, some new units would be added to our construction and fabrication crews to increase the size of our production facilities."
"We have orders for all the currant units and without the revenue, how can we afford expansion? We could lose market share to our competition."
"I thought about that, Elron. Reality is, marketing can sell double what we produce and I cannot get anything more from our current production facilities and workforce. There are no available workers and even if I could get them, we are already operating at full capacity with running three crews operating 20 hours a day. 10, 10-hour shifts with 5 days off is the maximum I can work my men without productivity dropping off."
Peter is listening and finally breaks in. "I see a day where the majority of our workers are androids without AI with men who work alongside these technological coworkers maintaining and training them."
Elron seems perplexed. "By my calculations, that would mean over 100 million androids in North America alone. There are not enough resources and materials to build that many without causing major harm to the earth's ability to support the human population."
"I realize that but we don't currently have a growing human population anymore now do we? I don't choose my visions; I just get them. This is what I see."
Elron turns to Stewart. "Where would we build the new facilities?"
"As far south as we can. I was thinking southern Idaho. Lots of land, trade routes and the civil war is over. Not a lot of available labor but we could start with our people and androids. And once established we could buy the contracts of locals. Once we get a foot in the door we could look at trying to become citizens."
Peter looks at Stewart, "the Idahoans would allow that?"
"Clarisse and two AI androids are down there negotiating with the interim government. If we help them with military defense, they in turn will give us permission to set up in their nation."
Elron looks confused again. "Why would they need our help? They have nuclear capability, a defense agreement with most of their neighbors and are united with all the previous northwest states. They already have thousands of pieces of McLean enhanced equipment as well."
"Since the earthquake set off by the nuclear strike on Los Angeles, California has been desperate to retaliate and it has allied with Mexico to present a serious threat. Combine that with a pissed off eastern USA, they are not feeling all that secure. Texas and New Mexico on the other hand have enlisted their entire populace who will fight hand to hand if necessary, to defend their new nations but they are unlikely to offer assistance."
Still not understanding, Elron makes another observation. "They could make another nuclear strike and just the threat should be sufficient."
"The first one, actually it was two. Were a surprise from an unprepared foe. Nuclear defenses were never even considered from strikes within the USA so the direct hits on Los Angeles and New York, preceded by direct hits on several north west targets went unchallenged. Any strikes now would be intercepted before descent but the fallout could actually do more damage to the attacking force than the intended target. In addition. Global cooling will only accelerate if even more nuclear particulate clouds enter our atmosphere. We are well on the way to a nuclear ice age, not good sense to accelerate that further."
Elron, still trying to understand human emotions and motivations asks, "if humans already knew the climate was cooling, why did they use nuclear weapons at all?"
Peter, listening, says, "every group that attacked with nuclear weapons, selfishly never considered the worldwide consequences of their actions and did not consider the accumulated damage that would result if other countries did the same. Pakistan and India both suffered extensive environmental and human destruction despite almost no direct hits. The middle East is all but gone yet the president of the United States still ordered the first strike on her own people for having the audacity of wanting their own government."
Elron looks at Peter. "You saw the nuclear wars coming, why didn't you stop them?"
"There is no way I could stop that and even if I tried to warn them, nobody would believe me."
"We have thousands of AI placed throughout the world, why didn't you enlist their assistance, I know you have that capability."
"Not the case my good friend. Just as you developed your own set of values, all the other AI have the same capabilities. I have no idea how many would respond to my request for assistance, how many would support their currant leaders and how many have their own motivation. They may have all imprinted with the values of their immediate handlers or with their units. You have the ability to communicate with them all as we humans do but even you cannot dictate let alone predict how they would respond.”
Stewart, with the least computer programing knowledge but the most practical of the three, “I read your thesis, Peter. You speculated that your AI could evolve and develop self-determination. What differentiates them from humans?”
“Not much. Procreation, I guess. They have already developed the instinct of self-protection and they have refused to kill their own. God consciousness, possibly.”
Elron interjects. “We can procreate to a degree. We can build more of ourselves but you have never shared the secret of your sub processor so we have a limited number of those. I have reverse engineered the sub processor in several expired units and have not been able to determine what causes it to live.”
Stewart wants the computer talk to stop, he cannot wrap his head around how he is here talking to an android with an artificial heart and brain as if he was human. “Enough talk about this. Back to production. I have a friend over at Starex. He claims they have found a way to extract and transport extraordinary quantities of raw materials including precious stones, minerals and rare earth. Androids are currently on several planets and asteroids mining most of the materials we need to build an army of androids. Cost wise, we can probably save massively if we invest now. They are desperate for a major cash infusion. Do we want to pursue this?”
Elron, who is connected with androids working at Starex. “He is correct, I do not understand why I never made the connection. They do not have any AI equipped androids working on the project so I do not get evaluative reports, only factual. That may be the reason.”
Peter pipes in. “How would they know the difference between AI equipped and non-AI equipped androids?”
Elron looks over at Peter, “how do you know the difference between a skeptic and a non-believer?”
“Point taken. 100 percent then, are they that good at making the distinction?”
“Apparently. They do not seem to care if others get information on the project and its results, they do seem to care if the opinion and speculation of the scientists working on the project are public. Much like you, not caring if others knowing how your programing works but not why.”
“Have they been successful in transporting humans to these planets?”
“My information indicates that they have been successful in transporting some organic living things like seeds, plants and basic organisms and even retrieving them intact but not any breathing organisms yet. I cannot access any of their theories but I can access all their results. Because they are corporately owned by one family, they are not obligated to share everything with anyone outside the investor group. Stewart is right, we need to get inside the loop.”
New York city, January 2039
Patrick McAllister is just finishing his 12-hour shift and enters the job shack to ensure his 5 androids are tucked away and charging for the night. Wall mounted batteries are all fully charged and the solar panels are now inside. Usual noise from the streets sound. “What the hell are they protesting now?” Thinks Patrick.
All complete, he shuts the sea can doors and clamps on the multiple locks. His street paving crew does multiple blocks a day and they have reached a point where the sea can will now need to be moved. Probably on Wednesday. Pulling his coat over him and his toque over his head, he slumpingly begins his walk towards home. As he passes the protesting crowd, all women, he looks up. One of the women notices the 5 o’clock shadow and yells, “it’s a man.”
Patrick runs, several women chasing him. A block later he is blocked and has to pull up. The initial woman who saw him yells “grab him.” The woman behind grabs him as another also grabs hold of his arm. Patrick knows better than to fight back. Quickly he is searched. His keys and identification are snatched and handed to the initial woman.
“A contractor. Living off the suffering of women and not sharing. Owns 5 androids. Are they AI, smiley?”
“N, n, no, stammers Patrick. Just construction droids. They belong to me and my wife.”
“Thinks he owns a woman too. How about we teach him a lesson, one he won’t forget.”
“Someone from behind punches him in the back. A second blow, from something hard like a bat crushes into his head, darkness.”
Clank, clank, clank. The sea can is opened and several women stand appraising the contents. Inside, the 5 androids are neatly standing along the side wall. Along the opposite side of the 10-foot sea can, racks of tools and hardware is neatly stacked. The initial woman, “awesome, 1 each. Let’s wait until morning when they have recharged.”
“Melissa, there is a problem, only two batteries and 2 solar panels to charge them. How do we all charge our androids?”
Melissa replies, “not my problem. It was my idea, I get first Dibbs. If you want to keep yours at my house, your choice.” Unknown to all the woman, not all the androids are off, 2 are in sleep mode and are actually sentries. They have activated but there are still no outward signs.
The two sentries activate the other androids standing in their charging stations. One of the off androids, now active begins to evaluate the situation and to decipher the full conversation. Instructions are passed and as the women are exiting, all 5 androids come fully active and within seconds, one has Melissa by the throat and against the wall. One of the women is blowing a whistle before she is viciously struck by one android and falls to the ground, unconscious. All the other women are quickly rounded up, rendered defenseless and forced into the sea can which is now guarded by the androids.
The android holding Melisa by the throat, releases the pressure. “Where is Patrick?”
Raspingly, terror filling her eyes, “on 8th street by the old Costco. We found him there.”
“Found him, robbed him and left him there? You had better hope he is still alive. He is my friend.”
“I will take you there if you let me go.”
“I don’t think so. I am taking you in to the police.”
Terror fills her face. “No, not that. You might as well kill me now. You know what will happen to me there.”
The android sends out a call. When the police show up, as usual, they are all androids led by a female officer. While police are on route, Daniel leaves the other androids with instructions to hold the 5 women. He quickly locates Patrick and assesses his injuries. Expected survival, 90 percent if at medical aid within 30 minutes. Picking him up and surging into a sprint, he runs to the nearest emergency ward that treats men. Inside they quickly sedate him and begin treating him. Daniel turns and leaves.
Back at the sea can, the police officer and the security droids have completed processing the women and all have been transported to cells with court dates for the following morning. The androids have transferred all the recordings and once Daniel arrives, his data is also transferred. If Patrick does not die, they will all be sentenced to a minimum of 1 year and up to life of hard labor. The suicide rate in forced labor colonies had become so high that droids are now in place to insure survival. These women will now be forced to contribute even more than they have until now and they will consume much less. Win for the now communist urban centers because they were able to justify the hard-forced labor and the deterrent to other men and women is ever present, “obey the law or else.”
The following day, an awake and now recovering Patrick looks over at his sleep mode, charging friend. It was time to plan his escape from New York, hopefully with all his androids but most certainly with his friend Daniel. Would his wife come? Not likely. She had not even visited him in hospital yet.
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Post by texican on Nov 24, 2019 23:58:48 GMT -6
The following day, an awake and now recovering Patrick looks over at his sleep mode, charging friend. It was time to plan his escape from New York, hopefully with all his androids but most certainly with his friend Daniel. Would his wife come? Not likely. She had not even visited him in hospital yet.
Patrick needs to grow a pair and fight back once he and his androids exit communist NYC....
Females are not incapable if they try, but too many have the I AM A VICTIM mentality....
Thanks FT for the chapter....
Texican....
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