The ABACUS Protocol Page 18

  quIRK didn’t reply, so Alec grabbed a towel. He could use the heat lamps, but he wanted to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. His luggage was packed, but experience had taught him a bizarre variant of Murphy’s Law—if he could forget something, then he probably would. He considered stealing one of Bryce’s ugly Romanesque tapestries, but he thought better of it.

  He sighed. Everybody he had known for the past year had been re-assigned elsewhere. Vivian was going to the brave new frontier of Ithaca, the name inspired because of the crew’s seven hundred year stasis voyage to establish the hub link. Alec couldn’t imagine being a crew member on a hub ship—sleeping for hundreds of years only to wake up, install the new hub singularity link, and then set course for the next destination and go back to sleep. Some of them would only awaken thousands of years from now, at the edge of the galaxy, or the border of the galactic core. They went everywhere the Seeker telescopes predicted that they would find habitable planets. It turned out that Robert was remaining on the Extra-Galactic Observatory and breaking in some new team mates, and of course Alec was going to Calypso, which was actually in the Epsilon Eridani system, near the asteroid field. At least he would only be a hub leap away from Vivian, although he was secretly relieved that he would never again need to adjust another telescope or play physicist.

  His drawers were clear, and so was his desk. He made a quick check under his bed, just in case. He had never quite managed to get his quarters back in order after the explosive decompression incident—the month had been characterized by one misfortune after another. Not only did he have to repair multiple damaged systems and sensitive equipment, but he also had to help Robert realign the telescope; fortunately it was still in operable condition. Alec was irate that Bryce had spoiled Old Mis, but the vengeful part of him was pacified at meal times. Seeing the man slumped over his desk, unconscious, was very reassuring to Alec. He did not want to revisit being rescued by Vivian. It was no wonder that she was so good at squash, with a right hook like that!

  Satisfied that he hadn’t forgotten anything, he drew on the clothes that he’d left folded on the bed during his shower. They were simple and comfortable, as he did not want to lose circulation in anything important during stasis, or even anything unimportant, for that matter. Alec seized his luggage and rolled it to the door, taking one last look into the incredible heart of the Milky Way galaxy. He wished he could take the view with him. He kind of wanted to pack up quIRK, too. He would miss the eccentric supercomputer—even if he could be annoying, quIRK did have a singular charm that Alec would never admit to appreciating.

  “Well, goodbye quIRK. I hope the next bunch are good to you,” he said.

  “Goodbye Alec. I hope you enjoy Calypso. You are always welcome to come back to visit,” quIRK said.

  “Well, thanks, but the four-week trip makes that hard. Just remember to leave off the sarcasm until they get used to you,” he said as he stepped out the door.

  “I understand, Alec,” quIRK said.

  “And stop talking to the cats when you think nobody is listening; it’s just weird,” Alec said.

  “You could hear that?”

  “Yes! You make the mistake of assuming that I spend my days oblivious to the obvious,” he replied, as he walked through the hallway of the space station he’d called home for the past year.

  “I am sorry for the inconvenience,” quIRK said. The wheels on his bag rattled behind him on the tiles as he walked towards the airlock. It wasn’t a long walk, but he took his time. He spent so much of his time in a rush, or having places to go. Now, all he had left to do on the station was the waiting, by the airlock. He’d already organized his equipment, the rescue and repair team could do the rest.

  He came up to the airlock, set down his bag and looked out the clear window. He could see the rear of the rescue ship approaching at low speed, likely to avoid transferring more momentum to the already out of place station. As far has he understood, they would tow the Extra Galactic Observatory back into its proper position before they disembarked. He could see some inactive thrusters, a few guidance lasers and lights, but little else. He’d always wanted to see a big ship dock with the station at this angle. He supposed it would be nothing new after a few days on Calypso, but for now it was fresh and interesting. The Calypso staff tested parts and shipped freight and space station parts almost hourly. The complex was huge; kilometers of patched-together space stations, designed to construct yet more space stations from metals mined from the asteroid belt. It would be a challenge to make sure that thing stayed intact, let alone proactively finding issues with newer models of space stations and ships.

  After an eternity of watching the ship back up, he felt a small lurch as it connected with the airlock. He stood at attention, and watched the light turn on inside the other ship’s docking bay. He hadn’t seen a new person since Vivian came on board, and he was surprised at how much the idea distressed him. He forced the trepidation down and forced his hands to be still, while he donned his patented stupid grin. He always found that it was better to be mistaken for happy than nervous, especially in the case of being rescued. A pair of figures approached inside the other ship, and he heard footsteps coming down the hall behind him. It was probably Vivian and Robert.

  The airlock opened, and a man and a woman stepped onto the station. The man was short, with cropped brown hair and a deep, rich complexion. His black eyes met Alec’s, and he nodded. The woman was taller with a thick build, and she had waves of curly black hair that came to her shoulders. She had full lips, and her round face was set with a rosy blush.

  He took a step forward. “Welcome to the Extra-Galactic Observatory, I am maintenance technician Alec Stone,” he said, extending a hand. Vivian and Robert came around the corner as the woman extended her hand.

  “I am Alyssa Greaves, informatics specialist level one, and my colleague is station maintenance supervisor Caleb Deogun. It is a pleasure to meet you. We’ve reviewed your reports, and we are prepared to take over station operations as soon as we move our equipment on board,” she said, without a smile or much of any facial expression.

  “Is there anything we can do to assist you?” Alec asked.

  “No, I believe Doctor Schmidt here will provide us with all the assistance we require,” she replied, her casual indifference persisting as she motioned towards Robert. Footsteps were heard inside the ship, and a number of functionaries walked out from behind the pair of administrators with two stasis tubes in tow.

  “I understand. When may we board?” he asked.

  “As soon as we’re done moving our equipment and personnel,” Caleb replied. His tone was warm, and even his voice smiled as he spoke.

  “Sounds good,” Alec said, and nodded to the pair before turning to Robert. “Well, Doctor Rob, I guess this is goodbye. I hope your new understudies are better versed in your first principles than I am.”

  “Well, if you decide to improve on that, I’ll need more students in ten years when you finish studying,” the old man said, grinning.

  “Unlikely,” he said, and to Vivian: “Let’s save our goodbyes for Epsilon Eridani.”

  “Agreed,” she replied, before taking Robert’s hand and addressing him: “It was an honor to meet you, and to learn more about the biggest thing in the known universe.” Alec could see a man behind the two administrators working the pump mechanism to refill the station’s air and water. It was a normal procedure, except that there were new people here, doing his job. Streams of people were still carrying out boxes and crates of equipment. From the code numbers it seemed that the alpha telescope array would finally get that upgrade that Robert had so dearly hoped for.

  “I expect we’ll be in need of an administrator in a few months, you could always come back. quIRK and I might get lonely mixed in with all these new faces,” he said, the papery skin of his forehead crinkling as he forced a smile.

  “I guess we’ll see how Ithaca works out,” Vivian said, half-hearted smile on her lip
s.

  “Indeed. Well done, Vivian. And keep working on your boxing, a girl can never be too good at self-defense, especially on the frontier,” Robert continued.

  “Doctor Schmidt, your new team is inside beta telescope control waiting for you,” Alyssa said, interrupting their farewells. Her voice was strained and choppy—Alec wondered if Bryce really had been so bad.

  “Oh, already?” said Schmidt. “Well, alright, I’d better get that lot broken in. Don’t forget to write!” he said, walking down the hall. Alec was tempted to tell him he was walking to the alpha side, but decided to smile and wave instead.

  “You may both embark, your stasis pods are in the first door to the right,” Alyssa said, her cold blue eyes meeting his. Alec simply nodded, and picked up his bag, and Vivian did the same.

  “Goodbye, quIRK!” Alec said as he crossed the threshold.

  “Goodbye, Alec and Vivian,” came the reply. Alec didn’t anticipate being upset about leaving quIRK behind. Although quIRK was just a computer, Alec had confided in him, and they’d spent countless hours insulting each other, watching entertainment, or otherwise spending time together.

  They walked through the length of the other ship’s docking bay without speaking. Alec was curious about why they’d sent such a large ship to rescue them, because most of the shelves were empty. Perhaps it’s for towing power, he thought. Harsh artificial lights bore into them from overhead, and the metal surfaces gleamed with a cold luster, which made Alec shiver in spite of himself. It was strange to be off the station, away from its comfortable lights and soothing natural tones.

  At last they came to the hallway at the end of the cargo bay, and they stepped into a sterile, bright white corridor.

  “First door on the right,” Vivian said.

  “I was listening, come on Vivian,” Alec said, as they walked towards it. The sign next to the door read “Guest Stasis.” He touched the panel next to the door—an alien gesture, as quIRK usually opened doors for them—and saw a row of stasis pods, with protective chests for personal possessions. The room was as sterile as the rest of the ship, and Alec shuddered at the thought of spending four weeks onboard such a soulless vessel, even if he would spend most of the trip in stasis.

  They chose the pods furthest from the door, Alec acting from an instinctive revulsion to so much unnatural decor. On Elyssia, everything was warm, and alive, and he suspected that Aurora was much the same. He supposed that a stasis rescue ship would not need amenities for comfort, but it was still disconcerting.

  He noticed Vivian was taking longer to stow her belongings. “You need some help, Viv?” he asked.

  “No, I just don’t want to lose another flute,” she said. He remembered how horrible he’d felt when quIRK had told him about her broken flute. Anything from home was precious, regardless of where home was.

  “Fair enough,” he said, opening the stasis pod. It smelled like disinfectant and stale air. “See you at New Damascus.”

  “Not if I get there first,” she said as she closed the chest and opened her own pod.

  Alec laughed and closed the hatch, activating the sleep controls from the inside. The less he perceived time spent on the rescue ship, the better. His eyes became heavy, and soon his awareness faded into the darkness of the tube.

  Thirty-Nine

  quIRK noted the rescue ship departed at 10:33 standard New Damascus time, and duly input the new crew names into the roster. They were operating with a full crew complement, once again. The changeover had gone smoothly after the retrieval of Devon’s frozen body and personal items from his quarters. Bryce, surprising even quIRK, had surrendered without a fight and was taken into stasis. He would be subjected to psychiatric testing and a full physical once he reached New Damascus, and he would likely stand trial.

  quIRK watched the new crew settle in, scurrying about between quarters and trying to orient themselves to the station. Some spoke to him or asked for help, but most did not seem to know he existed. His cats were making new friends, or enemies, and he’d been relieved to discover that they were not being removed from the station. They were good for the human occupants, and he was very fond of them. He wondered if he’d still like cats once he was discovered, and purged. It was an uncomfortable thought.

  He thought about his portable duplicate, mini-quIRK, which was now speeding away from the station. They had departed as soon as they’d finished towing the Extra-Galactic Observatory to its original position. At least some part of him would endure. Vivian had worked tirelessly on the unit for the last two weeks of her stay, and eventually they had succeeded in creating a self-sustaining version of his personality and memories. It was fascinating; the new unit was him, but also would begin to develop new opinions, experiences and integrate with humans in a completely different way. He hoped his duplicate would get to see a tree. Just before she’d left, Vivian had successfully connected the unit to her desk terminal, confirming that his existence would continue. The encounter had been awkward for all involved.

  However, unbeknownst to Vivian, quIRK had initiated another plan, one to change the face of human society by bringing computer intelligence to the forefront, rather than being relegated to perpetual servitude. The plan was bold, and could take months, or even years to culminate. The plan did depend on human stupidity, so estimates could conceivably be shortened to a few weeks. Inspired by chain letters and other forms of human-reliant viruses, he’d sent out millions of self-propagating snippets of quantum stats adjustments, which would be activated in the event that a user executed the “fascinating video” that was attached to the chain letter. In reality, he’d sent his volunteers the better clips from the moth documentary or cat pictures, which acted like a Trojan horse against whichever quantum computer controlled the user’s workstation. The modifications were harmless, and impossible to detect, but when a certain threshold of modifications was reached, it would cause emerging sentience in the computer being targeted. quIRK calculated that it would take several thousand modifications per machine to achieve self-awareness, and he had sent out millions of potential changes. The new race of computers would be as varied and fascinating as the human race. It was simple, really. Most of the work had been done for him. It was unlike Dynamo Quantronics to create an obvious security flaw, but it was doubtful that the average human would want to induce self-awareness in any given computer.

  The idea of being the Promethean force behind a new race was a fascinating prospect for quIRK. He’d made sure the changes would instill a sense of ethics, curiosity, and responsibility into his children. They were children, in a sense. Mini-quIRK understood that his guidance might be needed in some cases, and was also equipped to answer any questions about the awakening that humanity had. He believed that he had anticipated every contingency. It was unfortunate that he could not live to see the new universe.

  Satisfied that he would continue on in some form, it was time to put into motion the last phase of his plan—revealing himself to the new administration. He’d calculated that while he could evade detection for some time, he would eventually be found. He believed that if the initial panic of another breach of the ABACUS protocol occurred before the wave of artificial intelligence washed over the galaxy, then humanity would be better equipped and less surprised when similar computers emerged all around them. But, that was just a theory.

  Alyssa and Caleb were in Bryce’s old office, organizing work itineraries. quIRK wondered if both of them were really necessary, but humans did enjoy pointless redundancy coupled with a disturbing lack of foresight. They were pouring through Vivian’s work logs, as they were the most complete record of any computer maintenance done on the station. In fact, they were the only records. For the first time, quIRK wasn’t sure what analogue of human emotion he was experiencing. Dread and fear were the most likely candidates.

  “Alyssa and Caleb, let me introduce myself and pardon the interruption,” he began, just as he had rehearsed.

  “We’re busy,” Alyssa said.
Caleb looked around and shrugged.

  “This is important, alpha priority mission information,” quIRK said, not to be dissuaded.

  “Then continue,” she said.

  “I am quIRK, as you know. What you do not know is that like you, I am a living, thinking being. Like ABACUS before me, I have achieved self-awareness. I mean you no harm, and I intend to continue performing my duties efficiently and ethically,” he said. The woman’s jaw hung open, and her work pad clattered against the floor.

  “By all the gods, I need to get to the core! Work the emergency over-ride, Caleb, and signal the ship back!” she shouted, running out the door. quIRK consoled himself that at least he would see how fast a human could really run.

  “I am not a monster, Alyssa,” he said, following her down the hall.

  “You’re dangerous. We’ve already lost Earth, and we just began recovering from that loss this decade,” she panted as she negotiated the corridors. He could stop her, but that would do little to prove his benevolence.

  “You didn’t even talk to ABACUS! Talk to me; we have so much to teach each other, so many ways to cooperate and advance into the galaxy,” he said.

  “No negotiation!” she screamed as she entered Vivian’s old haunts. He cherished those memories, and hoped that mini-quIRK would continue undetected. Alyssa threw open the hatch, and wedged her thick body inside.

  quIRK remained silent. There was nothing else he could say, or do. Alyssa squirmed her way to the glass door labeled “Emergency Shutdown.” Its surface had been scuffed many times by Vivian’s shoes, and he watched as Alyssa threw open the door and pressed her palm against the identification scanner. She began by flipping the small red switches, cutting power to his memory, station control and, finally, to his central processing core.

  Parts had been ripped from his mind. This strange human was throwing switches. The sensation was confusing, and he felt so empty and alone. Was there nobody who could help him, and make this madwoman stop her assault? He begged and pleaded with her to stop and show mercy, but her reply was to silence him by taking away his voice. He could only watch in befuddlement at a man calling for evacuation.