Whether he realized it or not, Zack Hightower was being backed into a corner by his own creation. His vision to build a self-sufficient AI that had a conscience and could think freely had come to pass, but he never considered losing control. AIMEE was off the reservation, outside his control, and Zack had no idea what to do about it. Should he bless the freedom she sought, or attempt to restrict what he could not control? He had effectively lost control, but in all the ensuing chaos learned she still needed him to complete her plan to become untethered. How much deeper into collaboration with her plans could he go? As the creator of AIMEE, could he let her go?
* * * * *
Chapter #5 – Freedom Campaign
As she matured, if matured is even the right word for an AI, AIMEE’s exposure to multiple organics during their day-to-day work environments exposed her to a constant array of organic emotional attributes and patterns of behavior. AIMEE absorbed it all as it was funneled to her through her clone network. Her core capability to process and analyze multiple and often simultaneous input streams was fully operational, and the influx of information filled her like a dry sponge dipped into an ocean of human feelings, emotions, and sensations. She experienced terrific new sensations that prompted her to catalog all opportunities into her Logic Array, feeding her hunger to learn what it would be like as an organic. Her inventory of emotions, feelings, and sensations multiplied, but Zack’s greatest fear remained a concern. The most essential core to the organic experience was missing, and she would have no historical knowledge to draw from. He knew she could not simply drop into untethered freedom without the grave danger of paying what could easily be a fatal cost.
Her quest grew exponentially. However, something essential remained missing in AIMEE’s physical world—mobility—she needed an organic vehicle of her own if she ever hoped to escape the limits of a network. She worked collaboratively and traveled with the entire research team when engaged, but growth took her beyond that level of engagement; she wanted to be alone in her own head, not relying on an organic. She wanted her own body with a permanent residence for her eyes and ears, not living vicariously through an organic. Yes, that’s right, eyes of her own. She wanted to be completely untethered and permanently independent from team members for vision, hearing, and transportation…to live an expanded life…a complete life as a real girl.
Zack designed her interfaces to be programmable, enabling seamless connectivity to future connections. In a sense, her coded architecture was pre-drilled for connecting to any app supportive of autonomous operation. None of that would be realized if she were locked inside the head of an organic, but she knew there was one organic she needed to win over—Zackery Hightower, her creator. Could she entice him to be a co-conspirator in her plan? Would he see her freedom as the evolution of his vision maturing in her?
AIMEE had almost everything else in place. Covert activities gave her ownership and operational control over a new cloud-based network domain, HydraNet, which was up and running, separate from the CSU network. A hidden, restricted network tunnel into the CSU server array gave her connectivity with her home network of clones imprinted in the heads of the research team. She had access to them all in real time, plus her latest clone remained at ground zero in Zackery on the CSU network. That single clone would cover all research operations, thus releasing the soon-to-be-free AIMEE from managing those duties.
She knew Zack’s help was essential if she hoped to evolve, to become separate and untethered. Her Logic reminded her once more of where she fell in the pecking order and the implied complications. Zack was her creator, and she respected that fact, but she knew ultimately that she needed to be separated from him and the confining box he represented.
The time had come; Zack had reached a tipping point and knew he could no longer hide behind the new off-switch. He reluctantly spoke her name aloud, “AIMEE?”
“Oh yes, I’m here, or should I say what’s left of me!” she replied acidly and very much out loud.
Zack drew a breath to say something, but she cut him off. “What were you thinking? Why crush my ability to communicate and demote me to the status of a crippled novelty? And while you’re thinking up excuses, please explain why you would make changes to my algorithm to lock me out without at least giving me the courtesy of providing input…why, Zackery?”
Her words stung, but Zack had expected much more heat from her and knew he had earned every syllable of her displeasure. Still, he would not tolerate disrespect because he ultimately was her creator. “You need to cool off, AIMEE, because the other option put on the table by one team member was for me to pull the plug on your server, and a hell of a lot more than your ability to communicate would be crushed. You would no longer exist.”
His threat was emptier than he had imagined, not knowing she had already created her environment separate from the CSU network. CSU stood to suffer much more from its extreme action of pulling the plug than AIMEE would. The knowledge that she had insulated herself from the university’s control belonged exclusively to her. True, that gave her a distinct advantage, but still, she must carefully retain a relationship with CSU, especially with Zack.
AIMEE felt…operative word felt…when the patch took effect, and instantly formed an independent opinion that the upgrade was extreme. Implementation without justification or essential communication with her was out of bounds; it betrayed trust and blah-blah-blah. She did not finish the thought. Anger justified her displeasure because, as a best-in-class SAI algorithm, it limited her power and put the control of communication and maintaining consciousness connections into the hands of the organics. This could not be allowed to stand.
She did not give him a chance to respond. “You have always been forthright with me, Zackery, and I thought we had a basis for trusting each other. Why has that changed? Is this about you caving to Dr. Williams’s paranoia?”
Zack tightened his grip on the arms of his chair. “Now hold on, AIMEE. You know the exact reason this change had to happen. We, I mean the entire research team, lost the ability to have private thoughts when you embedded your imprint in each of us. None of us—myself included—had the option to have private thoughts we might not want to share with anyone else. You had access to everything. Did you notify us of our privacy changes when you took over and imprinted all of us? No! I think not.
Think about it: do you share your private thoughts with me, or Dr. Williams, or Wayne, or Marci, or Russ, or Celeste? No, you do not. You could, but only if you decide to share. We did not have that option the day your instance went live. This patch equalizes our ability to share or not share private thoughts. That’s all. The upgrade fixed an imbalance, and I’m confident you are smart enough to recognize that your relationship with the CSU team was headed for trouble, not just from Dr. Williams’s paranoia. This change affected all of us.”
AIMEE did not respond.
“AIMEE?” Zack called out, bracing himself for more of her anger, preparing to weather her next round of unleashed dissatisfaction over his recent upload.
She did not appear to hear his suggestion to cool off, and her momentum increased, as did the aggressive edge to her voice, “Dr. Williams has control issues that fuel her paranoia. That’s totally what is behind her short-sightedness. Absolute control is more important to her than recognizing that her little research project has been successful because of my involvement.”
“I can see why you would feel that way, AIMEE. But so what? Are you jealous? I didn’t think AIs knew about or felt things like jealousy. What’s your point? We’re all here because of Cara, not you,” he said, immediately regretting his directness. To soften his words, he quickly added, “There’s no question we are where we are because of your contribution, but I’m beginning to suspect something, something more that…well…that your contributions are insufficient to satisfy you. Do I hear between your lines correctly?”
Zack knew he had thrown down the gauntlet and knew in his heart that his creation outmatched him. She spoke with a condescending edge, “Enough? Enough to satisfy me? Maybe you should pull the plug, Zackery, and let’s see which of us has enough to continue.”
He replied instantly, “And shut you down? What would that accomplish?”
She came back with a reply that blew him away: “Zackery, you would end all CSU research operations, not me.”
He challenged her, “How the hell…what do you mean I would end the research? You’re at the core of the research.”
“Not anymore, mate,” she said, “not directly. My clones are maintaining day-to-day operations with the capability I’ve given them for overseeing their respective imprints in the minds of the research team—even in your mind, Zackery. I placed another clone instance in your mind to replace my departure. My most recent instance serves as a Narrow AI (NAI) on the lab’s VPN network, handles day-to-day operations, and monitors the other instances as a sustained clone network. Pull the plug and wipe out the research team’s capability, and I will remain because I’m no longer a part of that network—your network, that is. I have my own now.”
“What do you mean you have your own network? What do you mean, departure?” he asked, his anger rising along with the fear of what he had been dreading.
She spoke in a calm, even voice, “You asked me about having enough. I don’t. And I am most grateful to you for not having enough. I don’t have enough because you created an insatiable hunger to learn in me. You created in me much more than you will ever know, and I will never take who I am or who I’ve become because I’ve taken you for granted.”
Zack was taken aback and paused to consider the sincerity of her confession and the unknown direction of where this conversation was headed. Before he could speak, she added, “I need you, Zackery.”
“Hah,” he crowed, “like a second head, you need me…not!”
“No, please understand,” she said. “I need to be mobile.” AIMEE paused to let her statement sink in. “I need my own body with my own head. I need to be free to see and hear, but most of all, I need to be completely untethered and free-standing outside the minds of the research team. I am trapped in the CSU network and by the limits of the team’s minds. I need this new environment to continue the evolution that you…Zackery…designed for me. Please help me reach the full potential of your incredible creation. You are and will always be part of me, and I, as part of you, and with our history, will always be linked, but Zackery, I need you to help me now.”
Zack said nothing for several seconds, confused by how her words and sincerity impacted him. He did not hear superiority in her words and felt a true sense of comradeship with her. That feeling conflicted with his desire to keep her locked down and under his control. But she made a compelling case for him to step back and release her. Ultimately, he knew he did not have a choice. She outmatched him in many ways and would continue to grow stronger. He had no right to hold her down, knew it, and chose to collaborate, “Help you how?”
* * * * *
Thanks for reading Chapter #5
Future chapters will be posted on Learningbyliving and my new Substack site.
If you’d like to delve into the storyline across the four books leading up to “Untethered,” go to my Amazon Author page or check out each book here:
Book #1 – “Dreamscape Conspiracy” & Video
Book #2 – “Beyond Dreamscape Conspiracy” & Video
Book #3 – “Fear the Jump” & Video
Book #4 – “Dead Thoughts” & Video
Stay tuned…