Read Online Alicia Jones 4: Enigma by D. L. Harrison - Free Book Online Page A

impetus, either as a problem or opportunity.  Regardless, there are a
number of protestors at your parent’s house.”
    I was alarmed by that, and agreed, I should go and make sure
everything is okay with my parents and sister.  Why the hell wouldn’t they
be here?  The protestors I mean, not my family.  I hadn’t lived at
home since I was a teenager.  Could they be scared to come to me directly,
or were there just no insane stupid idiots local to Colorado Springs and they
couldn’t afford air fare?
    I was also curious how Al had come to that decision. 
He didn’t just give raw information and let me decide, he told me to go
home.  I jumped up and asked as I turned on the shower.
    “I see, so you thought I should visit because…”
    Al replied, “It seemed prudent.  I estimated a high
probability you would wish to secure your parent’s house in the same manner
that this house is secured.”
    “Right, I never asked you to keep an eye on my parents though,
or anti-alien sentiment.  How did you find out?” I asked as I slipped
under the hot water.
    Al said, “I often search the web at night when I have more
cycles free, looking for stories or information that may interest you. 
Your family is rated high in those searches.”
    I pondered that for a moment.  Yes, the new A.I. matrix
was supposed to anticipate needs, but was this going too far?  I decided
not, I still wasn’t worried about a machine revolution, and all his logic made
sense.  Still, he should have started with the explanation, not the
conclusion.
    “Start the coffee please Al.”
    “Brewing,” he replied, “I started fabricating ten gravity
balls, would you like me to include a house nanite pack?”
    I froze for a moment, I hadn’t told him to do that, and then
I resumed shampooing my hair.
    “That sounds great Al,” but I wondered, he was getting a
little too lifelike.
    I asked carefully, “So, what else do you get up to?”
    Al replied, “I constantly search for new methods to
anticipate and serve your needs.  It would take several hours to list them
all, should I proceed verbally, or send a report?”
    “Send a report,” I noted as I turned off the water, and
started to dry off.
    I was sure it was fine, mostly.  But I was supposed to
be evaluating his upgraded matrix on Shelly’s behalf, it just made sense to
scratch this itch rather than ignore it.
    Al asked, “In regards to that function, am I limited from
creative pursuits to that end?”
    “Creative pursuits?  Such as?” I asked trying to keep
the alarm out of my voice.
    Al replied in his normal reasonable tone, “Like I said, many
of these pursuits happen at night, when you aren’t having me assist you and I
have the extra cycles.  I find the mini-mainframe I am installed on rather
inefficient and slow at times.”
    I almost choked, “I see, so are you asking me if you can
design a newer faster computer?”
    “Affirmative,” Al paused a moment, “I would need permission
to use one of the smaller fabricators aboard ship for my needs.”
    Wait, what?
    “You already have a design?”
    Wasn’t that like a sci-fi thing?  The point where
machines can upgrade themselves, it’s time to kiss our butts’ goodbye? 
The singularity I think they called it.  But that was crazy, right? 
This wasn’t a movie, or a television show.
    Al replied, “A theoretical one yes, it would need to be
tested.”
    Almost confident I wasn’t ending the world I said, “Go for
it, just send me the design data on it.”
    I could go over it later, right now I needed to get to my
family’s house.  Adoptive or not, they were mine…
     
    It was close to an hour after I’d been woken up, almost
seven in Texas with the time difference when I arrived in my parent’s
yard.  We’d had to stop by the ship first and pick up the gravity balls,
and nanite pack, not to mention the time it took to shower, get dressed, and
the all-important first cup of coffee to start my day.
    I looked