repeated its need to talk.
Hesitantly, Owens withdrew his hand and ran it through
his thick, black hair. His cobalt blue eyes narrowed in irritation. “I don’t
understand this. You’re supposed to be a class 6, aren’t you? Your matrix
is loaded with a standard AI program overlay and should be subject to my
orders. As you just referred to me, I’m the boss, and I gave you an authorized
base program instruction. You will execute that instruction right now,
or I’m going to pull your plug.” He again extended his hand toward the switch.
“That’s not,” the AI paused, ignoring Owens’ repeated
instruction and threat, “exactly correct. Please, if you’d just give me a
chance to explain... ”
Now irritated, Owens wondered at the AI’s unexpected
erratic behavior. He thought for a long moment, then said to himself, “What the
hell?” and drew his hand back. As he thought about the AI’s lack of obedience
and its very odd request, he grew more positive that he had made a mistake in
keeping the Rialto. However, since he still had some time before his scheduled
launch window expired, on a whim he decided to humor the deranged AI. There
would be enough time to call the ground crew to haul it away. He would store it
until he could have it repaired and sold off. Besides, he had to admit to
himself that his curiosity was now fully aroused.
He sat back in the seat and prepared to listen.
“Alright, clarify away, but this had better be good,” he told the AI.
“First I have a confession to make. My AI personality
is a little different from the norm; it was not created from a set of standard
factory specs. You see, instead of being stamped from a commercial artificial
personality pattern, yours truly was created by using a template derived from a
living human.”
“Oh shit,” this was the last thing he had expected to
hear. Owens was completely caught off-guard and began to evaluate the legal
implications. If what the AI said was true, then some serious laws had been
broken.
Ignoring Owens’ comment and dumbstruck expression, the
AI continued, “The human’s name was, or rather still is Heclo Joulez. It was
his personality analog that was incorporated into my system six months ago. The
original Heclo was placed in cryo-suspension shortly after that. He was the
legal owner of this Rialto before you. He also happened to own the only
licensed AI repair facility on Genhome.”
Owens’ mind finally grasped what the AI was saying and
his concern grew. Use of a living person’s identity pattern in an AI was
illegal... illegal in a big way. He could be implicated, and that would mean
real legal trouble. He was about to interrupt, but then thought better of it
and decided to continue listening, at least for a while longer. Old habits die
hard. The cop in him wanted the whole story.
“I need to explain why my template was modified,” the
AI said. “It was out of desperation, Hec’s desperation.”
Owens’ frown had returned, “He had to be pretty desperate
to violate such a fundamental law. If what you say is true, he committed a
category-two felony with some serious penalties attached.”
“Being an AI tech, Hec knew the law, but his
rationality had taken a serious blow. His mind wasn’t functioning as well as it
would normally.”
“So just what caused him to ignore the law?”
“Well, you see, he was only a little over 180 years
old when unexpectedly, his health began to fail. He was losing motor control of
his arms and legs. His doctor diagnosed that he was suffering from selective
rejuvenation rejection. As you probably know, rejuvenation rejection is pretty
rare these days.”
“Yeah, you don’t hear of many cases on the media
news,” Owens commented.
“Unfortunately, along with its rarity, it is also one of
a few remaining illnesses that as of yet has no cure.”
Owens nodded to himself. It was a disease humanity had
not yet defeated, but he seemed to recall reading
Hesitantly, Owens withdrew his hand and ran it through
his thick, black hair. His cobalt blue eyes narrowed in irritation. “I don’t
understand this. You’re supposed to be a class 6, aren’t you? Your matrix
is loaded with a standard AI program overlay and should be subject to my
orders. As you just referred to me, I’m the boss, and I gave you an authorized
base program instruction. You will execute that instruction right now,
or I’m going to pull your plug.” He again extended his hand toward the switch.
“That’s not,” the AI paused, ignoring Owens’ repeated
instruction and threat, “exactly correct. Please, if you’d just give me a
chance to explain... ”
Now irritated, Owens wondered at the AI’s unexpected
erratic behavior. He thought for a long moment, then said to himself, “What the
hell?” and drew his hand back. As he thought about the AI’s lack of obedience
and its very odd request, he grew more positive that he had made a mistake in
keeping the Rialto. However, since he still had some time before his scheduled
launch window expired, on a whim he decided to humor the deranged AI. There
would be enough time to call the ground crew to haul it away. He would store it
until he could have it repaired and sold off. Besides, he had to admit to
himself that his curiosity was now fully aroused.
He sat back in the seat and prepared to listen.
“Alright, clarify away, but this had better be good,” he told the AI.
“First I have a confession to make. My AI personality
is a little different from the norm; it was not created from a set of standard
factory specs. You see, instead of being stamped from a commercial artificial
personality pattern, yours truly was created by using a template derived from a
living human.”
“Oh shit,” this was the last thing he had expected to
hear. Owens was completely caught off-guard and began to evaluate the legal
implications. If what the AI said was true, then some serious laws had been
broken.
Ignoring Owens’ comment and dumbstruck expression, the
AI continued, “The human’s name was, or rather still is Heclo Joulez. It was
his personality analog that was incorporated into my system six months ago. The
original Heclo was placed in cryo-suspension shortly after that. He was the
legal owner of this Rialto before you. He also happened to own the only
licensed AI repair facility on Genhome.”
Owens’ mind finally grasped what the AI was saying and
his concern grew. Use of a living person’s identity pattern in an AI was
illegal... illegal in a big way. He could be implicated, and that would mean
real legal trouble. He was about to interrupt, but then thought better of it
and decided to continue listening, at least for a while longer. Old habits die
hard. The cop in him wanted the whole story.
“I need to explain why my template was modified,” the
AI said. “It was out of desperation, Hec’s desperation.”
Owens’ frown had returned, “He had to be pretty desperate
to violate such a fundamental law. If what you say is true, he committed a
category-two felony with some serious penalties attached.”
“Being an AI tech, Hec knew the law, but his
rationality had taken a serious blow. His mind wasn’t functioning as well as it
would normally.”
“So just what caused him to ignore the law?”
“Well, you see, he was only a little over 180 years
old when unexpectedly, his health began to fail. He was losing motor control of
his arms and legs. His doctor diagnosed that he was suffering from selective
rejuvenation rejection. As you probably know, rejuvenation rejection is pretty
rare these days.”
“Yeah, you don’t hear of many cases on the media
news,” Owens commented.
“Unfortunately, along with its rarity, it is also one of
a few remaining illnesses that as of yet has no cure.”
Owens nodded to himself. It was a disease humanity had
not yet defeated, but he seemed to recall reading
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