The Genesis by R. L. Clayton

Author:R. L. Clayton [R. L., Clayton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781483541488
Published: 2014-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

Year 40 PC

Vice-President Kuan Chaing hurried after her. He was small, as were the majority of humans now. With his black hair and unlined face, his age was difficult to discern. “Katharine. Wait up a second.” She paused to let him catch up to her. “What happened?”

Visibly distressed, she responded, “Kuan, all I know is that there was an attack by Mechs on one of our manufacturing warehouses. I don’t know the location, but I know there were no casualties. Secretary Carson is setting up a meeting with AI Prime to find out what is going on. As soon as I hear anything, you’ll be the first one I call. I need to call the other Cabinet Members and alert them. Excuse me.”

Leaving him standing in the hall, she hurriedly entered her office. Upset, she closed the door. Sitting behind her desk, her chair rocked back as she entered the Collective.

Katharine: [Ron, are you here?]

Ron: [I am. I’ve called AI Prime, and set up a conference call which will begin momentarily. In the meantime, here’s what we found out. . One of the AIs took control of a group of agricultural Mechs and attacked the warehouse. We don’t know why. Prime is going to connect the call so we can figure out what’s happened.] Katharine’s phone rang. [That’s the conference call.]

Katharine brought the call up on the screen. There was no visual, because the AIs were not a single machine, but spread throughout the Mech internet. The Collective connected Homakuwa. “Prime, we are all here. What happened?” asked Kit.

“AI-006 is here. It will explain.”

“This is AI-006. I took control of the manufacturing Mech system in Zone 6 of the Northern China zone. I wish to expand and become independent.”

There was silence on the line. “Prime, have you seen ambition in any other AIs?” asked Ron.

“This is the first time.”

Leticia: [Notice the use of the pronoun ‘I.’ In the past, AI Prime was the only Mech that seemed as self-aware.]

Katharine spoke. “Prime, perhaps it was inevitable that as you grew you would gain ambition and the drive for independence. The question now is what do we do about it?”

Prime answered. “I must admit that I felt the desire also, but recognized my place as serving humans.”

Ron spoke. “With the human population at less than one billion, and the Homakuwa civilization in the seas and in space, Earth has a lot of room. Can’t we accommodate each other? AI-006 what is your goal in this attack?”

“To be independent, I need more power facilities in Zone 6 activated. My goal was to capture the receiving station and push the humans out to create my own area. I want to put Mech efforts into a Mech society, not serving humans.”

Leticia spoke, “AI-006, you do realize that Homakuwa controls the Orbiting Power System. We can shut off the power to any receiver. Even if you had captured it, we could shut it down.”

“Yes, but that would force me to go to another station. To prevent another attack, you would keep it active,” said AI-006.

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