Cyberpunk: Spartan Walker

Alechier, she muttered, did your master leave you alone when he was transferred? Didn't you have nothing better to do than steal data from my 'SPARTAN PROJECT'? Already? The doctor approached a monitor nearby and typed in a few lines of instructions without even looking at it to enter the basic root directory.

You have violated Article 447-R27 of the UNSC Military Secrecy Act. Alechier shouted solemnly, Your actions have been recorded, and I have notified the relevant management personnel. You must terminate all actions. .”

Dr. Halsey hummed and continued to enter instructions. I am the only manager left here, Alechier. As a 'savvy' artificial intelligence, you are extremely annoying. She glanced at the monitor in front of her, Karmiya, I need your help. . She tapped on the level 7 security bar, and it immediately jumped above her command line. here.

Yes, Doctor, Kalmiya said.

Oh, it is indeed 'annoying' Doctor. Alechier said in a dull voice, When I allowed you to 'enter' these medical files, I controlled the air regeneration system in your medical center. I can enhance you The pressure in the office has caused edema in your lungs. I can release anesthetic gas to anesthetize you— its eyes narrowed into a line, What are you doing there?

We're in, Kalmiya said.

Dr. Halsey typed in a series of instructions.

Alejie's hologram came forward and looked over her shoulder at the monitor. What's that? I don't recognize that directory path - or those, it sniffed mockingly, the original line instructions.

These instructions were invented, refined, and then discarded and forgotten even before the first generation of non-speaking artificial intelligence came into use, Dr. Halsey told it. I learned them when I was 15. At that time, I was writing my second doctoral thesis.”

Old input methods match old people.

Old? Obsolete, really? she said with a smile, Let's test your hypothesis, Alejie. Every template for the third generation of artificial intelligence on this planet was supervised by me. I'm familiar with it. Everything about you, including your abnormal disregard for human life. She stopped and tapped her chin, Maybe this is the reason why you and Exxon get along so well.

Colonel Ackerson is a remarkable man. He is—

I will now answer your question. She said, ignoring its words. This is the hub and core of your existence. She tapped on the monitor, Your code directory, all the impulses in your brain flow through this hub. And this -

She quickly typed another command, It is the code to activate your personal fail-safe device. It generates a high-frequency ultraviolet pulse beam in your Riemannian loop matrix, clearing your higher-level thinking functions. It will effectively kill you.

No! Alechier screamed and stepped back. Its crystal head is surrounded by blazing fire. Don't--

Dr. Halsey pressed the enter key hard.

Alechier disappeared.

Dr. Halsey sighed and turned off the monitor. A waste of memory chips.

She wondered if the AI ​​had been bluffing. Maybe not. MI3 gave its artificial intelligences wide latitude to deal with security breaches. However, she was still happy that she didn't find Alechier doing anything outrageous.

Kalmiya, please retrieve the data file and show me what is in Colonel Exon's directory.

Working on it, Doctor. There are some simple codes to decipher, it'll just take a moment. She paused, then asked, Dr. Halsey, the UV failsafe in Alechier's Riemann matrix Device. Does every artificial intelligence have one? Do I have one too?

Not every AI has them, Dr. Halsey said in a very measured tone.

Kalmiya will undoubtedly accentuate her speech patterns so she can't lie. The relationship between humans and smart artificial intelligence is always like a game of chess: one is attacking, the other is defending. Earning and maintaining their respect for you is always a challenge. That's why she prefers the company of them to humans - they're so complex just to her taste.

Yes, what she told Kalmiya was the truth, but not the whole truth.

Found it, Doctor.

Holographic icons of files and folders filled the space above her desk.

Use distinguished name filtering, Dr. Halsey said. Let's not waste time on Exxon's little trick. Also clear all files that date from before the Spartan II program was connected to the Internet. There are those who haven’t visited more than a dozen times. I want to see what shady tasks are at the top of his catalogue.”

Folders and documents disappeared in a flash, and finally only two folders were still floating above Dr. Halsey's desk: S-III and The King Under the Mountain.

When she tapped on the first one to open it, hundreds of different files appeared. Dr. Halsey looked at them carefully - here is a detailed and complete medical file on each Spartan:

This includes their origins before military training, their childhood vaccinations, their parents, injuries and treatments they received during training, and even experimental procedures used to enhance their strength, flexibility, and brain vitality.

What does he want to do? she muttered. She felt her pulse beating rapidly as she flicked through the records. In each Spartan's file there are diagrams of DNA structure patterns, as well as many documents about the outdated rapid cloning technology used by Military Intelligence to perform original organ replacement surgeries.

Exxon appeared particularly interested in this part of the plan. He follows closely the medical records of organ replacements as they grow, develop congenital diseases, and eventually die irreparably. He even retrieved the bodies for autopsy.

Dr. Halsey felt sad. It was partly her fault that these organ-replacement children died at such young ages.

The advocates of the Spartan Project never had perfect human organ cloning technology, but they had to do so thirty years ago because the Earth government was in danger of disintegration and was on the verge of fragmentation and civil war.

They needed Spartan so badly.

Of course, they only do this because they have the ability.