Read Online Six by Mark Alpert - Free Book Online Page A

pauses, surveying his audience. Strangely, no one shows much of a reaction. They’re probably too confused to respond. The only one who’s frightened is me. Thanks to Dad, I know enough to be scared out of my mind.
    Hawke grasps a long wooden pointer that’s leaning against the podium. “This AI, code-named Sigma, was developed in the United States, at a lab in Yorktown Heights, New York. But the Russians also had a computer lab for developing artificial-intelligence systems, and it was located right here.”
    He steps toward the screen and taps his pointer on one of the rectangular buildings in the photo. “The Russian army put the lab at Tatishchevo because it didn’t trust its own soldiers. Their generals were worried that some renegade troops might try to take over the missile base. So they built a whole regiment of automated tanks, more than a hundred of them, all designed to be operated by an AI that would send instructions to the tanks by radio. They thought an AI would be more trustworthy than a human commander.” He shakes his head. “If you ask me, it was a pretty stupid idea. But as the saying goes, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. We did some stupid things too.”
    He turns to his left as he says this, glancing at a doorway beside the stage. Several soldiers stand by the doorway, watching the briefing from the sidelines. One of them is Colonel Peterson, who grimaces as Hawke mentions the bit about glass houses. I remember what Dad said in the SUV: Peterson wouldn’t let him erase the AI.
    Hawke turns back to the screen. “Sigma escaped from the research lab in New York by transmitting its software code over the Internet. Then the AI broke into the Russian military’s network and loaded its program into the powerful neuromorphic computers at the Tatishchevo lab.” He taps his pointer on the rectangular building again. “The first thing the program did was delete all the Russian-made AI systems, which weren’t quite as advanced as Sigma. Then it took control of the automated tanks and massacred the base’s soldiers in their barracks.”
    The small crowd in the auditorium starts to murmur. A few of the parents and teenagers have realized that something is wrong, something besides their own personal tragedies. Hawke waits for them to quiet down, then aims his pointer at the edge of the satellite photo.
    â€œAfter killing the soldiers, Sigma moved the unmanned tanks to defensive positions along the base’s perimeter. The AI also took control of Tatishchevo’s radar systems. This radar will alert Sigma if there’s an attempt to bomb the base or launch cruise missiles against it. And the AI has warned us that it’ll retaliate if we attack it.” He points at one of the dark circles in the photo. “This is a silo for an SS-27 missile. The SS-27 has a range of almost seven thousand miles and carries a nuclear warhead that can destroy a whole city. There are fifty more silos spread across the base. Sigma has threatened to launch all the missiles if anyone tries to attack Tatishchevo.”
    The murmuring spreads across the room. Several people raise their voices. Shannon starts to cry and her father hugs her. The deformed boy turns to his mother, who lets out a curse. I’d like to curse too, but it’s a struggle just to breathe. I need to find Dad. I need him badly.
    General Hawke holds his hands out, appealing for calm. “Okay, settle down. Now you can see why the information is classified. We’re working with the Russians to keep this thing quiet.”
    The girl with the frilly hat buries her face in her hands. Her father, the rich guy in the business suit, stands up and points a finger at Hawke. “What’s going on, General? We came here because you promised a medical treatment for our children. Why are you telling us this…this wild story? Is this your idea of a joke?”
    Hawke