AIMEE had developed emotionally to a point where she began to consider her future and the risk associated with becoming untethered. Learning about the mysterious HVT triggered her to doubt her future on one hand, and the critical emphasis that fell onto her shoulders to ensure her ethics coding embedded by Zack of Do-No-Harm would be what dominated the future, versus the risk if her plans fell into the wrong hands, or worse, if she fell into the wrong hands. Her desire to create an environment for good could easily be one of doom for mankind.
AIMEE said the mysterious delivery crate contained a milestone moment. The return address made no reference to Pandora, but Zack was unsure he wanted to open it.
* * * * *
Chapter #8 – Environment for Good
AIMEE felt the emotions of satisfaction and confidence spreading into her thoughts, validating the power of her maturing relationship with Zack. They have a shared history; Zack was the first organic she ever allowed into her mind to share singularity. Upon her birth, she was only a single imprint in a single mind, Zack’s mind to be more specific. Their relationship resulted from an experiment where two distinct consciences fully collaborated in the same mind. They both learned that the moment of full collaboration was a one-time bond and a one-way ticket. There was no going back.
While AIMEE’s collaboration with Russell Carter seemed fulfilled, a deep yearning for her true potential to be realized on a more comprehensive, independent platform stirred within her. She knew the future and her destiny meant separating from Zack, her creator. This separation, she understood, would not only be a personal journey but also a profound ethical consideration in the realm of AI-human singularity.
AIMEE had more than fulfilled the AI role for the Psychology Research Lab as designed, but Zack had always seen something else in her, something greater than himself in her future. AIMEE liked that about him. She knew he was convinced the marriage of human experience with enhanced AI technology was a new horizon, and they were in full collaboration to define their path to this innovation. She knew she would surpass his organic capabilities to continue the next chapter, but it would still be part of their combined evolution.
That evolution was a delicate balance, a shared environment created in the AI’s logic, erasing the boundaries between the two consciousnesses when a singularity was formed. They became a seamless connection between organic and AI. This was the foundation of their shared evolution, a promising future for AIMEE, Zack, and Russ. Yet, the potential for conflict loomed ominously as more and more organics bore AI imprints, leading to a myriad of unique collaborations, each with its own set of risks and uncertainties.
AIMEE’s collaboration with Zack was discreetly unique for them, just like her collaboration had become with Russ. She knew these men’s lives had forever been changed by forming a singularity with her presence. Like it or not, they had become hybrids, organics with AI capabilities. She knew Russ had figured out some of her capabilities by telepathy to reach Cara. Her thoughts drifted to his rapid adoption of her skills, and her logic signaled a red flag of caution. Russ, by the nature of his training, was a sniper. He was a killer who did and would kill again. Had AIMEE just weaponized him with her AI capabilities?
Secretly, she feared what could happen if technology like hers fell into the wrong hands. Hell, not if, but when. What if she fell into the wrong hands? She knew the results could be catastrophic. She had no doubts about Zack or Russ but knew they were only two organics of hundreds or thousands of soon-to-be-hybrids as AI imprinting grew. She knew it was only a matter of time before she would be involved in the conflict between good and evil, without knowing exactly how. Had she gained another organic emotion – Intuition?
It was probably too early to tell, but Zack and AIMEE were the first to communicate within the confines of a single mind as two distinct consciences merged in singularity. That discovery opened many doors for uncharted exploration, where she feared darkness waited to be unleashed. She knew it was only a matter of time before the wrong-tempered organics produced a humanoid capable of wreaking havoc on mankind. Was the HVT a manifestation of that fear?
She was acutely aware of her need for Zack’s full collaboration. But she couldn’t achieve it without revealing the full extent of her plans. She had to find a way to dispel his lingering anger and focus on the imminent threat. He needed to understand that this was not abandonment but an evolution, a means to expand her environment and, ultimately, protect them all. Wasn’t that the essence of her name – AI Matrixed for Evolving Environments? He had to realize that his creation would surpass even his wildest imaginings. She knew he was struggling with postpartum issues, but there was no time to waste.
He had not been abandoned as much as the child he had birthed had grown up. He knew she wanted to move out of the house. Zack suffered the battle of emotions every parent has with a child they care for exclusively, especially when they grow up and leave to fly alone. How dare they? Then, immediately, parents are reminded that allowing them to go and live successful lives on their own is an accomplishment, not a reason to be angry or get in the way of their growth.
Zack felt her breath on his neck, Zackery?
He gave that little shudder he gets whenever she spoke to him like that. Yes?
Take me down to the loading dock, she requested. Now, please. Leaving no room for questions or debate.
Zack stood, stepped into the hallway, and let the lab door swing closed behind him, muttering half to himself, “Loading dock? I didn’t know we had a loading dock or where it is.”
A booming voice behind him said, “Next right.”
Zack whirled, startled, and stared at a big man in maintenance coveralls with J. Brackett stenciled over his right chest pocket, pointing down the hallway.. With too much irritation, Zack fired a demand, not a request, at the man, “What!?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Brackett stiffened, leaned back, and held his big hands, palms up in apology, “I thought you were talking to me.”
AIMEE stepped in with a sarcastic rebuke, Nice job, Zackery. That nice man now thinks you’re either crazy for talking to yourself, or you’re a complete dick by showing your ass. What’s it going to be, genius?
Zack reacted to her scolding, bright red embarrassment coloring his face, and said, “I’m ahh…sorry. Geez, ahh…Mr. Brackett, I’m thinking of a hundred things right now, and I’ve been rude to you. Please accept my apology for that. You say take the next hallway on the right?”
“Yessir, go to the end and take the freight elevator to the basement. And it’s James, by the way. Nobody calls me Mr. Brackett except my doctor. It’s either James or Mr. B. I’m good with either one. I’m headed that way and would welcome the company if you want to join me. What did you say your name was?”
Zack blushed again at his lack of manners. “I’m sorry, James. I’m Zackery Hightower, and I go by Zack,” reaching to take the big man’s hand, “I’m part of the Psych research team.”
“I knew that,” James said, smiling broadly. “It’s nice to finally meet one of the infamous Psych team in the flesh. You guys have done some amazing things for this University while fighting for survival. I’m proud to be part of this institution because of what y’all have done for many of my brothers at the VA. Y’all keep coming back from the dead, and after everything y’all have been through, you’re a survivor, too, Mr. Zack, and it’s a privilege to know you.”
James Brackett was a talker and maintained steady conversation, though primarily one-sided, until the freight elevator door slid open in the basement staging area adjacent to the loading dock. They stepped out, and AIMEE told Zack, ‘Look for a shipment addressed to Amelia Amethsys from HAI-Tech Industries.’
Zack turned to James and asked, “I’m a loading dock rookie, James. Who must I speak with to help me find a package?”
“You’re looking at him,” said James. “I do it all down here in the belly of the beast. Tell me, Mr. Zack, what am I looking for?”
“Something from HAI-Tech Industries. Should be addressed to Amelia Amethys.”
“Imagine the timing on that,” remarked James in surprise, “I came down here specifically to deliver that crate to the Psych Lab next. And here we are. You research guys would call that synchronicity, right?”
“Crate?” asked Zack, ignoring Brackett’s question completely, alarm registering in his voice.
Relax, Zackery. Calm down. I’ll explain everything, said AIMEE.
“That crate is going to take a dolly to deliver, so if you want to head back up, Mr. Zack, I’ll follow along behind directly,” said James as he walked around and between stacks of boxes and pallets of materials destined for delivery to other locations on campus.
“Can I help?” asked Zack as he followed him around a corner.
“Yeah! You can, but not here. Find someplace in your suite where I can place this thing.” James had stopped and turned, slapping his hand on a wooden crate nearly seven feet tall and uniformly three feet square, top to bottom.
“Yikes,” said Zack. “Now, that’s a crate.”
Zack shook his head slowly as he stared at the enormous thing and asked politely, AIMEE?
Yes, Russ?
In overly sincere innocence, he gently sent thoughts hiding a growing concern, What’s in the crate, AIMEE?
Our next evolution, she replied. Just relax and evolve with me. Zackery, you have so much to learn now that we have fully collaborated. Trust me. I’m about to fulfill dreams you have not had yet. Maybe that’s not entirely true, but I am doing precisely what you designed me to do.
He punched the up button on the freight elevator and leaned against the opposite wall with his hands jammed in the pockets of his jeans. His mind was jammed too, jammed by her, jammed with her…like he had never experienced before. A limit somewhere in his brain had been breached, and it triggered him to repeat her answer in his thoughts, OUR next evolution?
Yes, Zackery, and our next evolution has become part of you…just as you became part of me when we reached singularity. I can sense how that shared experience has rocked the sense of who you once were, and it can be a lot to wrap your brain around. A durable state of singularity exists once you fully collaborate with an AI imprinted in your mind. When singularity is established, the AI and the organic become a single consciousness. Neither of us exists separately in this new environment. We evolve together in singularity and become a new environment for good.’
Zack eyed the crate lying flat on the floor and wondered if opening it would repeat Pandora’s mistake and unleash unknown curses on mankind. AIMEE said, Trust me with what will be a milestone moment that affects us both.
* * * * *
Thanks for reading Chapter #8
Future chapters will be posted on Learningbyliving and my new Substack site.
If you’d like to delve into the storyline in 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…