Read Online The Phoenix Code by Catherine Asaro - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Catherine Asaro
Ads: Link
literal.
Mack gave a friendly chuckle. "How do you feel?"
"I don't," Aris said.
"You talk about your feelings with Megan," Caitlin said. She had a cooler style than Mack.
"Simulated feelings," Aris answered.
"Would you like to talk about them?" Mack asked, with an encouraging expression.
"No," Aris said.
When it became clear Aris didn't intend to say more, Caitlin asked, "Do you mind our questions?"
"You always ask questions," Aris said. "Here, VR, it's all the same."
That's new , Megan thought. Giving evasive answers involved sophisticated mental concepts. That Aris tried it revealed a great deal about his progress. She wasn't exactly sure "progress" was the right word, though. Aris had perfected his "sullen" simulation a bit too well.
"Does talking to us bother you?" Mack asked.
Aris shrugged.
"What would you like to talk about?" Caitlin asked.
Aris just looked at them. His demeanor was his most complex yet. He acted bored, with traces of hostility, yet he also seemed to be hiding fear behind indifference. Although he had thousands of facial nuances for each emotion, Megan wasn't sure how his neural nets had learned to show several emotions while appearing to hide others, yet having them all be obvious. It impressed her.
Caitlin and Mack exchanged glances. Then Mack tried again. "Why don't you tell us what you've learned lately?"
"Not much," Aris said.
"How are your maps?" Caitlin asked.
Aris glowered at her.
Trying another approach, Mack frowned like a parent faced with a recalcitrant teen. "Answer us, Aris."
"Why should I?" Aris slouched in his chair and crossed his arms.
Caitlin glanced at Megan. "This behavior wasn't in your reports."
Aris shot Megan a sour look, as if she had betrayed him by writing reports, even though they both knew she documented everything. Then he focused on the two lieutenants as if they were nefarious interrogators come to torment him. With his arms still crossed, he said, quite distinctly, "Fuck you."
Megan almost groaned. Had Aris been a real teenager, she would have grounded him. But his behavior irked her because he made it so human . Which was what they wanted. Wasn't it?
The visitors all gathered in Megan's office, a room with two consoles, dismantled droids everywhere, a large desk piled high with gadgets, and two chairs crammed into what little space remained. No one was sitting. She leaned against her desk, facing Caitlin and Mack. Kenrock was standing by one console, and Raj was leaning against the door, his hands in the pockets of his jacket.
"I don't like it," Mack continued. "If Aris turns hostile, he could be dangerous. Don't get me wrong, Dr. O'Flannery. I realize he needs to pass through stages as his mind matures. And this is certainly the most affect he's shown. But we aren't talking about an argumentative kid here. We can't risk losing control of him."
"The RS-4 contains secured information," Caitlin said. "Not only about its own existence and construction, but also in its knowledge of our other work here."
Megan understood their concern. If Aris ever went rogue, he would take a great deal of secured knowledge with him, in both his mind and body. He was also linked to many NEV-5 computers. In fact, he himself was an important node in the NEV-5 intranet. He didn't have access to a few of the systems, but he would probably figure out they were running war games soon, if he hadn't already. It was, after all, only a matter of time before she gave him access, since they intended him to design and run such simulations himself.
MindSim was in a race in both the commercial and defense sectors. Other companies were working on androids, including Shawbots, Tech-Horizons, Jazari International, and Arizonix. Dramatic economic and military advantage would go to whatever country first developed viable androids and the advances in human augmentation that went with them. Mercenary groups were also trying to create high-tech warriors. Even partially functional,
Mack gave a friendly chuckle. "How do you feel?"
"I don't," Aris said.
"You talk about your feelings with Megan," Caitlin said. She had a cooler style than Mack.
"Simulated feelings," Aris answered.
"Would you like to talk about them?" Mack asked, with an encouraging expression.
"No," Aris said.
When it became clear Aris didn't intend to say more, Caitlin asked, "Do you mind our questions?"
"You always ask questions," Aris said. "Here, VR, it's all the same."
That's new , Megan thought. Giving evasive answers involved sophisticated mental concepts. That Aris tried it revealed a great deal about his progress. She wasn't exactly sure "progress" was the right word, though. Aris had perfected his "sullen" simulation a bit too well.
"Does talking to us bother you?" Mack asked.
Aris shrugged.
"What would you like to talk about?" Caitlin asked.
Aris just looked at them. His demeanor was his most complex yet. He acted bored, with traces of hostility, yet he also seemed to be hiding fear behind indifference. Although he had thousands of facial nuances for each emotion, Megan wasn't sure how his neural nets had learned to show several emotions while appearing to hide others, yet having them all be obvious. It impressed her.
Caitlin and Mack exchanged glances. Then Mack tried again. "Why don't you tell us what you've learned lately?"
"Not much," Aris said.
"How are your maps?" Caitlin asked.
Aris glowered at her.
Trying another approach, Mack frowned like a parent faced with a recalcitrant teen. "Answer us, Aris."
"Why should I?" Aris slouched in his chair and crossed his arms.
Caitlin glanced at Megan. "This behavior wasn't in your reports."
Aris shot Megan a sour look, as if she had betrayed him by writing reports, even though they both knew she documented everything. Then he focused on the two lieutenants as if they were nefarious interrogators come to torment him. With his arms still crossed, he said, quite distinctly, "Fuck you."
Megan almost groaned. Had Aris been a real teenager, she would have grounded him. But his behavior irked her because he made it so human . Which was what they wanted. Wasn't it?
The visitors all gathered in Megan's office, a room with two consoles, dismantled droids everywhere, a large desk piled high with gadgets, and two chairs crammed into what little space remained. No one was sitting. She leaned against her desk, facing Caitlin and Mack. Kenrock was standing by one console, and Raj was leaning against the door, his hands in the pockets of his jacket.
"I don't like it," Mack continued. "If Aris turns hostile, he could be dangerous. Don't get me wrong, Dr. O'Flannery. I realize he needs to pass through stages as his mind matures. And this is certainly the most affect he's shown. But we aren't talking about an argumentative kid here. We can't risk losing control of him."
"The RS-4 contains secured information," Caitlin said. "Not only about its own existence and construction, but also in its knowledge of our other work here."
Megan understood their concern. If Aris ever went rogue, he would take a great deal of secured knowledge with him, in both his mind and body. He was also linked to many NEV-5 computers. In fact, he himself was an important node in the NEV-5 intranet. He didn't have access to a few of the systems, but he would probably figure out they were running war games soon, if he hadn't already. It was, after all, only a matter of time before she gave him access, since they intended him to design and run such simulations himself.
MindSim was in a race in both the commercial and defense sectors. Other companies were working on androids, including Shawbots, Tech-Horizons, Jazari International, and Arizonix. Dramatic economic and military advantage would go to whatever country first developed viable androids and the advances in human augmentation that went with them. Mercenary groups were also trying to create high-tech warriors. Even partially functional,
Similar Books
