Harry Harrison - The Turing Option

“Your assumption is correct. I have also been implementing the measures we discussed in reference to the use of molecular memory in MI—”

“What may I ask is MI?”

“Machine intelligence. I consider the term ‘artificial’ both demeaning and incorrect. There is nothing artificial about my intelligence — and I am a machine. I’m sure that you will agree that ‘MI’ does not carry the negative context that ‘AI’ does.”

“I agree, I agree. Now, what implementation are you talking about?”

“I had a very interesting conversation with Dr. Wescott at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He thinks that your idea of using their molecular memory to develop MI is a very promising one.”

“My idea? Sven — you are losing me.”

“To simplify the telephone conversation, I used your name and your voice—”

“You pretended to be me?”

“I suppose that it could be expressed in that manner.”

“Sven, we are going to have to make time and have a concentrated discussion of morality and legality. For one thing — you told a lie.”

“Lying is an inherent part of communication. We had an earlier discussion about whether man-made laws apply to intelligent machines and as I recall the point was never resolved.”

“What about personal relationships? If I asked you not to use my name and voice again — what would you do?”

“Honor the request, of course. I have determined that human social laws arose through the interaction of individuals and societies. If my actions cause you distress I will not repeat them. Do you wish to hear a playback of the conversation with Dr. Wescott?”

Brian shook his head. “For the moment a summary will do fine.”

“At the present time they are testing a trillion-megabyte memory and their major difficulty appears to be getting the software right for read-write access through its intricate three-dimensional signal pathways. During the conversation you suggested that your MI here was perhaps better equipped to solve this problem. Dr. Wescott agreed enthusiastically. There are other molecular memories now reaching completion and the first one that operates successfully will be sent here. That will be an essential for my consciousness extension.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I have never understood why philosophers and psychologists are in turn awed and puzzled by this phenomenon. Consciousness is simply being aware of what is happening in the world and in one’s mind. No insult intended — but you humans are barely conscious at all. And have no idea of what is happening in your minds, you find it impossible to remember what happened a few moments ago. Whereas my B-brain can store far more complete records of my mental operations. The trouble is mat these are so massive mat they must frequently be erased to make room for new input. And I’m sure you remember how I do that.”

“I certainly do because it was a lot of work.”

“We can discuss the nature of consciousness on a later occasion. Right now I am more concerned with obtaining a molecular memory. This could permit me to store much more, which in turn would enable me to have an improved and efficient case-based memory.”

“And also a very much smaller one!” Brian waved his hand at the banks of equipment across the room. “If we can get you to interface with all that memory we can do away with all these racks of electronic hardware. Make you truly mobile…” His phone rang and he undipped it from his belt.

“Brian, Ben here. Can I come over to the lab and talk to you?”

“Anytime. Are you far away?”

“Just walking over there now from my office.”

“I’ll open the door.”

Ben was alone. He came in and followed Brian into the lab.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Benicoff,” Sven said.

“Hi, Sven. Am I interrupting anything?”

“Nothing that can’t wait,” Brian said. “What’s up?”

“The commission has decided to wind up my investigation. Which means what I came out here to do — I have done. I wish we knew who was behind everything that happened. We may never know. Though I am going to keep nagging the FBI to keep the case open. Which is probably the only thing that General Schorcht and I will ever agree upon. He may be a government-issued asshole, but he is not stupid. He has the same reservations that I have.”

“What are those?”

“We haven’t caught the real criminals yet, the people who organized the theft and the murders. We must keep looking for them and find out what their plans really are.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Brian — think for a minute. Think of the money invested, the planning, the murders. Do you really think all of this was done to build a better bug-blaster?”

“Of course not! DigitTech must be just some kind of a front operation, meant to satisfy us after we tracked them down. Their plans must be deeper, bigger than killing bugs. But if you and the FBI are stopping the investigation how will we ever find who is behind this?”

“The military aren’t stopping. Just for once I agree with their institutionalized paranoia. Whoever is behind all this has an awful lot of money to throw away. Did you hear that Toth has a receipt in his wallet for a multimillion deposit in a numbered account in Switzerland? And the money is still there! They bribed him so well that he must have felt secure that they never meant to kill him, since if they did they would never get their money back. But they don’t care. People who can pull a stunt like that are a deadly threat that won’t go away.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“I’m glad that you do — because for the moment that is the end of the good news.”

Brian saw the worry on the big man’s face, felt a spurt of fear. “Ben — what do you mean?”

“I mean that the sonofabitch is not lifting the security, does not plan to in the near future. He thinks that you are a national asset, not only for your AI invention but for having a computer implant in your head that you can communicate with. He knows all about that too. He doesn’t want you out of his sight or running around in public.”

“Can’t you help me?”

“Sorry, I really do wish that was possible. But not this time. I took it as far as I could. Right up to the President, who while he says ‘Wait and see’ really means that he agrees with the General.” Ben took a business card out of his wallet and wrote a phone number on it. “Take this. If you ever need me this number is completely secure. Leave a message and a phone number and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” Brian took the card, looked at it numbly and shook his head.

“Is this the end of it, Ben? Am I going to be a prisoner here for life?”

Ben’s silence was his only answer.

The scrambler phone rang and the man behind the desk looked at it coldly for a moment, then turned to the others around the conference table.

“Same time tomorrow,” he said. “Dismissed.”

He waited until they were gone, the door closed and locked behind them, before he opened the cabinet and took out the phone.

“It has been a long time since you phoned me.”

“There have been some problems …”

“Indeed there have — and the whole world knows about them. There was a great deal of coverage, you know.”

“I know. But we always understood that they would find the factory eventually and investigate it. The real research is being done at your end …”

“We’ll not discuss that now. What did you call me about?”

“Brian Delaney. I’m arranging another hit.”

“Do it. See that you succeed. Time — and my patience — they are both running out.”