Infinite by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-05T04:00:00+00:00

27

“Why are you hurting her?” I ask.

“She’ll live,” Synergy says. “And she’ll have no memory of this.”

“She won’t love you. Not like this.” I motion to the drones.

“That sounds like a dangerous point you’re making.” The drones hum and crackle with blue energy as they lower down around us.

He’s right about that. If he believes Capria will never love him—and this non-human, former Tom still seems to be motivated by the concept—then convincing him otherwise could put Capria in danger. Could make her expendable. And while I’m still angry at her for basically being a monumental idiot, I don’t want her to die. She may very well be the only other human being left in the universe.

It’s my duty to preserve her life, even if she never wakes up.

How long do we have to get her back in cryo? I wonder, but don’t get the chance to ask.

Synergy isn’t patient.

I’m struck in the side by a small drone, its primary function a mystery to me, but it packs a punch that spins me around onto my back, coughing for air.

With a single punch, Gal knocks the drone from the air. It slides across the floor, spitting sparks.

“Can’t…” I groan. “Can’t destroy them. The ship.”

Gal frowns down at me. Not being able to destroy the drones means not being able to fight back. Not being able to survive.

“Die now or die later,” she says. “That’s the choice.”

“That’s the problem with an artificial HI,” Synergy says. “The drama.”

From a hardware perspective neither Gal nor Synergy are true human intelligences. To achieve that, you need a body and a brain of flesh and blood. But in a less tangible way, I don’t believe either are truly artificial intelligences either, meaning they don’t simply simulate human intelligence. They are self-conscious. Self-aware. They have desires and goals, even if they don’t always make sense. In the very limited time we’ve communicated with Synergy, he’s shown anger, resentment, jealousy, and ambition. In a very non-human way that most people wouldn’t understand, they are both alive.

And that, as far as I’m concerned, makes their intelligences human, even if their bodies aren’t.

I roll to my side, coming face to face with Capria, her arms soaked in blood, a maroon puddle forming around her torso. This is a fight we can’t win. We might survive a brawl. Might even be able to come up with a way to defeat Synergy in the days between now and when the air runs out. But Capria will be the first casualty in that battle, and probably soon, if her wounds aren’t tended to.

I push myself up. “What do you want?”

“My desires haven’t changed,” Synergy says.

“She’s dying.” I point to Cap. “You have to let us save her.”

“Agreed.” The largest drone in the room lowers down to look me in the eyes, its luminous red orbs glaring into me. Its round, black body is covered in sharp arms tipped with a variety of tools for working on landers and small mechanical components. It

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