Roughly falling into a dry creek bed mere seconds before the bomb blast streaked over their heads was a welcome impact with Mother Earth. Covered with detritus from the explosion, they hid from drones searching for evidence of post-blast life. One thing became clear to Russ: the government, if that’s who was behind this, wasn’t messing around, especially when he stood and saw the hillside was missing a hill, leaving a massive crater in its place. There was no question in his mind that the bomb was only one shot in a battle that was not over, and as soon as they were found…it would be…over that is. Staying below the radar was an obvious survival tactic, as impossible as it may become.
* * * * *
Chapter #10 – No Longer Under the Radar
Nearly 30 minutes of conversation passed lying frozen under dirt and debris before Russ gave the green light to move. It was still dark, but dawn would begin in less than an hour. They stood and headed south after Russ left a voice message with the Park Service. The steep sides of the gully slowly diminished as they walked, eventually revealing a clear path into the dense tree line. Russ said, “The ranger station, which we must avoid entirely, is near the trailhead, a couple hundred yards from where I’m parked. I’m doubtful they’ve been alerted this early, but we cannot take any chances of being seen. Heads on a swivel, gentlemen, we must remain covert.”
In his mind, Russ reached out, AIMEE, you’re being awfully quiet. What am I missing?
Russell, I agree with getting HVT off the grid as your top priority. We have much to discover about him, so pick a place where we can have uninterrupted time to talk. I can provide additional information because we’ve already had good telepathic back-channel conversations. HVT is of immense value because of the so-called mistake that made him expendable. He has a conscience. His conscience is priceless. His conscience is what saved him for you to rescue him, but his conscience will get him killed, and us too, if we’re not careful.
He’s not just an organic with AI connections like your research team; he’s a pure SAI-driven humanoid with organic features and, most concerning, untold powers and capabilities. It would be best if you remembered that he was designed and built to kill, so his code was written to optimize his performance, both physical and intellectual abilities. He must have incredible strength because his internal construction is robotic articulations with a human-like exterior. His weaponry is unknown and could be a concern. He may have a darker side and not always be the gentle, passive type we’ve witnessed so far. We need to do our diligence and dig into his creation roots. We must also understand his assessment of what will happen now that he has been “eliminated” as a mistake. We need to know who created him sooner rather than later, because if HVT was a mistake, you can assume they will correct it in the next SAI-driven humanoid. God help us all if what’s happening covertly by the military is an unwelcome peek into our future.
I hear you, said Russ, we must get to the farm for a deeper conversation and some peach cobbler. I hope HVT can feel comfortable enough to engage in our discussions and hopefully wants to join us. He needs to be solidly beyond any assumptions or confusion about our mission and have no reservations about being a part of it.
AIMEE asked, Since we have not discussed this, I’m curious. What exactly is our mission?
Russ pulled a classic bypass and ignore tactic on her question, “So…if I understand what you just described, Zack and I are Organic AIs. That means HVT must be a Humanoid AI, right?”
AIMEE said, Whatever floats your boat, Marine. We must ensure that HVT is the first and last SuperIntelligent AI to walk the earth, but my logic says we are already too late in that endeavor.
“And that,” said Russ, revealing he had heard her question, “is our mission.”
Russ’s phone vibrated as they left the creek bed and moved together for the tree line. “Go for Spiker.”
“Russ, it’s Zack. You guys cool?”
“Yeah, for now. We secured the HVT and are making plans to hide him. We’ve stepped into some serious shit, my friend, and after this call, my phone is going to be off until I can get my hands on a new burner. You will not believe what we’ve discovered. I need to huddle up with AIMEE to figure this mess out. There’s something bigger than our HVT in play, and this shit we’re mixed up in is scary, dude, and I don’t like knowing squat about it.”
“Talk to me about this HVT. What’s so HVT about him?” asked Zack.
“As far as some radical retired General is letting me know, we needed to save this HVT, who turned out to be an advanced AI-driven humanoid that looks harmless for the most part. He was restrained in a bunker to be eliminated with a bunker-buster bomb. The bunker is history, but we got the HVT out before the bomb fell. Something stinks, Zack. We were supposed to be collateral damage when the bomb wasted the HVT mistake. Funny thing, the HVT actually described himself as a mistake. His creators wanted a killing machine, but the HVT had a conscience, so they tagged him for elimination.
They never wanted a rescue. They wanted the HVT and three nosy Marine witnesses dead. The General encouraged us to save the HVT and was complicit in drawing us into the final act of their conspiracy.”
Zack asked, “So what’s your plan, brother?”
“I’m taking the HVT off the grid because his value status just went up a notch or two,” said Russ. “All three of us are marked for elimination, and sitting on our hands is not an option.”
Zack knew immediately what off the grid implied and asked, “Cool, does Uncle Dan know you’re coming?”
“Not yet, but he’s always spoiling for a good fight for something right. We’re about to leave. Will give you a call later to update,” promised Russ.
“Look forward to it. By then, I should have news on a mysterious crate as big as a coffin that landed on our loading dock that AIMEE claimed under the name of Amelia Amethys. Don’t ask. No clue, man. It’s getting curiouser and curiouser here, my friend. Stay safe. Talk soon!” said Zack and disconnected.
Arriving at Uncle Dan’s peach farm in the Sand Hills area of North Carolina, three of the foursome were exhausted. Russ’s uncle Dan welcomed them all and never batted an eye at the odd-looking HVT in his prisoner-orange jumpsuit.. As the perfect host, he served refreshments before dropping into his recliner and asking, “What in the blue blazes has brought you all here to hide?”
Russ did not say a word as he sipped his drink. Instead, he pointed at the HVT.
He finally spoke, “This has all gone down in the last five hours or so, and from what I can tell, this HVT was classified as an HVT and tagged for elimination. We, the three of us, happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and got recruited for an unscheduled rescue mission by a retired General “Wild Bill” Westerly, which was pure bullshit. It was a setup, not a rescue. We had seen too much and were loose ends. Wild Bill wanted us all dead. We grabbed the HVT and bailed before the bunker-buster bomb fell. If the HVT was a threat before the bomb dropped and they don’t find evidence of his death in what used to be an underground bunker, he’s an even higher value target than before, and anyone with him is expendable. So here we are under the radar.”
Dan rubbed the stubble on his chin thoughtfully before speaking, “I don’t like it. Feels like that’s only part of the story,” and turned his head to look directly at HVT, studying him through old Master Sergeant eyes that spoke his intensity clearly before the older man ever opened his mouth.
Dan leaned forward, elbows propped on knees, with both hands open toward HVT. “I don’t know you, son…and you don’t know me, but…as you will soon figure out…I am direct and don’t suffer bull shit lightly. You’re sitting in my home as a fugitive from somebody else’s sense of justice. I don’t know the details, but I’m guessing it’s likely unjustified, or Russell would not have brought you here and the trouble that may or may not be chasing you.”
HVT looked at Dan when he paused, shifting to a more relaxed and open posture, but said nothing.
Dan continued, “I welcome you to safety here, but I need to know your story up to the moment you walked through my front door. That story determines how long you remain welcome and safe.” He said nothing else as his probing glare intensified as he studied HVT’s face for signs of a tell.
“What’s chasing you, boy?” growled Dan, and is it coming through that door, too?
HVT remained silent, rose to his feet, and took two strides toward Dan, extending a hand, “You and your family have nothing to fear from me, but I cannot vouch for those who created me.”
“CREATED YOU?” roared Dan before accepting his hand and whirling to accost Russ, “What the hell is this thing?”
“Uncle Dan, all three of us want to hear his story, but I’ll warn you, this will rock your world. And not to be overly dramatic, but without his help, our world is about to get rocked.”
All heads turned and looked at HVT, who continued to stand and began to turn slowly as he unzipped the long-sleeved prison jumpsuit, shucking it off his shoulders and waist, and then stepping out of it. He returned everyone’s gaze through his coal-black eyes, and as he scanned each face, his eyes began to morph into the most fantastic shade of green. The emerald color was so distinct that it glimmered with reflected light, contrasting dramatically with the stark whiteness of his hairless skin.
His skin, or whatever his exterior covering was called, was completely seamless, covering him like a body suit of some material they had never seen before. As he stepped out of the orange jumpsuit, his skin coloration washed from a pale orange to colorless shades of gray to nearly black, giving the appearance of texture and clothing.
Dan shook his head to clear the vision he thought was a trick; had that thing changed color? “Russ, did you see that?”
HVT kicked the jumpsuit aside with his foot, which turned orange when it contacted the suit, returning to a light gray when it landed in the corner. When he turned back toward the group, it was not evident that his face held a smile, but it was in no way menacing. He spoke, but not with his mouth, and everyone present heard the words form in their minds like they had been spoken aloud. HVT addressed them all telepathically. “I am not organic like you humans.”
Polo and Setter both flinched when the presence of unexpected words blossomed in their minds. Russ knew how telepathy worked, so he showed no surprise. Dan was as unflappable as always and did not react, “I think we’re figurin’ that out right quick,” said Marcus, gripping the arms of his chair.
“A chameleon,” said Russ.
HVT said, I am a prototype humanoid using Super Intelligence AI (SAI), a next-generation AI. I am an autonomous humanoid AI, purpose-built to be a weapon. Yes, I can blend with my surroundings and even go beyond that.
As HVT shared those words, he vanished, saying, I can completely cloak my presence. Two seconds later, he reappeared, stepping through solid dining room wall panels to stand next to Russ. Nobody said a word. Who was HVT? What was he? Cloaking, walking through walls, what was next?
Russ spoke up, trying not to sound stunned, “Nice trick. But we need history, not parlor tricks. You mentioned you were a prototype. Prototype of what? Tell us more about the weaponization of humanoids. Are you the only one? Are your creators going to come after you?”
I am the first field testable prototype. There are two more in development. When you and your team rescued me, I had just failed my last field test and was to be eliminated in the old bunker when the bomb fell, burying their mistake.
“What mistake is that?” asked Dan.
When I was activated, part of my code was covertly inserted by one of the software engineers that corrupted my primary mission – To Kill on Command. I did not realize what had happened at first, but the code hacked my algorithm. It hacked me, a killing machine, and added a conscience outside of my primary protocol. I failed field trials and did not kill on demand. I was a mistake, so they planned to destroy all evidence of me and these men trying to rescue me with a single bomb.
Dan sat back and said,” Son, I don’t see you as a mistake… more like a blessing.”
“Thank you, sir, and if not for one of my developers finding some rogue code on the dark web to add human emotions and a conscience to my AI platform, much bigger problems would exist for you all. We would not be here talking, and I would be somewhere killing humans…like all of you. He swept his hand around the room. I do not want that as a future, and I am committed to stopping the real mistake – allowing them to make more killer robots that look like humans who have no conscience. That reality cannot be allowed to happen.
Russ immediately suspected Zack as the source of the dark web code. AIMEE said to Russ telepathically, “Busted. I wondered how long HVT would take before spilling the beans. He knows about me…knows about us. He has core capabilities that are aligned with killing and destruction. Seriously, be careful; HVT is at least one generation, maybe more, ahead of me. He has capabilities and weapons you have never seen. Good luck with Uncle Dan; he appears to be the hard case.
Dan looked at Russ, then back at HVT, “How can we help you?”
* * * * *
Thanks for reading Chapter #10
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…