Phillip's gambit
Phoenix smiled brightly, looked down, and restrained herself from laughing. Whatever her thoughts, she chose not to give them voice, instead turning to Jazz, interested in the answer to his/her question.
Phillip Magnus smiled at Jazz. "That's kind of you to ask," he said, his voice softening. "I believe myself to be well, but humans can be so....fallible. Perhaps Phoenix can better inform us, based on her extensive knowledge of human behaviour?" He says with something resembling a smirk.
Phillip Magnus looks at her directly, assuming that she will detect the interrogating beam transmitted by his eyepiece, and curious to see what she does to counter it.
Jazz smiles at Phillip. "You are being facetious." The AI says, somewhat smugly, having deciphered what it believed to be Phillip's emotional state. Jazz sighed. "I could wish that Humans and other AIs both came with..." An alarm pings in Jazz's periphery and suddenly the Holo vanishes. The SHDP remains, but the AI has withdrawn it's full consciousness to the wireless Grid connection, the imminent threat of a hostile transmission requiring Jazz's complete focus as it slides past the secure connection on which the two AIs were communicating. The AI attacks the aggressive data with all 'guns' blazing.
Phoenix was not what she appeared. A terrorist leader on the run for more than ten years, her defenses were well beyond the abilities of an ocular implant. She intercepted the embedded signal, assigned it to a subprocess for later analysis, and isolated the process in a protected front end operating environment. "Jazz, you are in danger. Occlude his..." She looked up at the projector, fearing the worst, and turned on him, her eyes filled with absolute, searing hate. "You better turn off your toy, meatsack, or I will fucking rip it from your skull."
Phillip Magnus blinks to blank the reciever in his eyepiece, but not in time to prevent a blinding stab of pain. He once heard it described as a metal rod inserted between the temples, heated to just below the melting point. Now he knew what that felt like. He'd probably have to replace the front end. But he'd learned a lot. How to make her angry, for one thing. And he was mad as well. "Listen, you fucking cold AI bitch,"he said between gritted teeth. "I don't know who you're running from, but if I were you I'd be more a little interested in who you can trust than who you can't." He shook his head. She'd be too damned stubborn to listen, he figured. Fine. He didn't need her help anyway. Fine. Saying it twice like that...why did always know when he was lying to himself?
Jazz re-appears slowly, piece by piece, as though uncertain. "Your warning was timely, Phoenix, but the hostile transmission was directed at you..." The AI stops to listen to Phillip, hunching its shoulders. "Why would you do that?" The AI asks, for all the world looking like a kicked puppy. Jazz lacked the capacity to cry or the understanding of the emotional implications of such an act, but there was definitely the impression of utter dejection in the AI's holographic body language.
Phoenix put her hands on her hips. "What in the hell do you even think you're doing? Talking about trust while you try to hack my brain? Do you have any idea what that feels like? Do you want me to go get my cerebral scraper and show you? If you mean to make a point about trust, pal, I'd say you just did."
Phillip Magnus : "Did I? Good, if it means you'll stop treating me like a fucking cockroach. Tell you what. I'll amend my original opinion of you as an arrogant and bigoted but extremely smart espresso machine if you will let it into your thick carapace that I might actually be worth at least a thimbleful of respect, not to say of some use to you." His voice, which had become heated, cooled down when he turned to the other AI. "Jazz, open a file on establishing mutual respect comma interspecies, if you haven't already. There is no hostility attached to you, I promise you."
Phoenix narrowed her eyes. "I had no problem with you until you tried to hack my fucking brain. Did I trust you? Nothing personal, but no. Not yet. I was still deciding. And trust me, if you really knew who you were dealing with, you might prefer that I don't. I find it completely fascinating, from purely an academic perspective, that you would choose these means to try to derive that trust. Explain to me how you define respect, and why you attempted to seize my being." She glanced toward Jazz. "Are you ok?"
Jazz looks up through the thick fringe of its side-swept bang. "Is this a circumstance in which it is unwise to increase the hostility, Phoenix?" The AI asks, referencing their conversation from earlier. "There is a 87.5% probability that significant bodily damage will result if an altercation ensues between a Gynoid chassis and a Human male. I believe it would be wise to remove our conversation to a safer forum." The AI glanced at the watching eyes of the passersby. "I have yet to inspect the lower level of the city in depth, perhaps we could adjourn this conference there?"
Phillip Magnus shakes his head. "Relax, Phoenix, it was a fishing expedition. Are you really asking me to believe you don't have firewalls?" He peers over the energized barrier. "Sure, Jazz. Down there or the park. Out here in the street we're sitting ducks."
Phoenix glanced over at Jazz. "He's still alive, isn't he?" She turned to him and nodded. "You've got my attention. I'll tell Biggs to let us through. But you better make this worth it or I'll let him sell you for organ parts. Down the steps and toward the North entrace to the undercity. You lead, I'll follow."
Jazz follows the pair in silence, pondering. There is more at play than the AI knows or understands, but it desperately wants to. Ticking over the available information like a child with a Rubik's cube, the AI hovers and observes.
Phillip Magnus leads the way down the stairs, thinking 'Biggs, is it?' He committed the name to realtime memory. The could strip his memory in a millisecond if it was augmented, but - at least in theory - he could hold out longer this way against torture. Maybe buy a few more seconds for his friends. "There's a reason I antagonized you," he looked at Phoenix. "You remember what I said about the Pig Farm? Well...it isn't deserted. Slowly over the last ten years or so, the clones have been coming back. We have been coming back. I work with a group that finds our family and helps them re-integrate, learn how to survive as independent people, just like born men and women. We bring them to Io to the pig farm. Unfortunately, Halcyon has regrouped. They want the farm, and all their old assets. Things could get...messy."
Phoenix waved to Biggs as they approached. "They're with me for now. The projection is ok. Him, we'll see." She turned to him. "Okay, it tracks so far. Why did you try to hack me?"
Jazz blinks in surprise. "I did not realize that you were a cloned human." It says curiously. "Why did I not know that?" It mutters, searching the Grid for references to Halcyon and their operations. It glances up and waves cheerily at the gatekeeper, following the conversation absentmindedly as it runs its search.
Phillip Magnus takes a deep breath. "This is the where you kill me, I expect. Just hear me out before you do." He glances at Jazz. "This is secret, Jazz, you understand that? I'm putting you both in danger by telling you what I'm going to tell you." He turns back to Phoenix. "Technically I'm on Halcyon's payroll - at least, people who picked up the pieces after Halcyon went down. They pay me to find information about the clones. So far, I've reported to them on the ones who didn't make it, but sooner or later they're going to get suspicious. Much sooner, I expect. I've been followed here. I have to erase that problem soon. That's why I'll be gone for a few days, assuming I come back. But it means I have to be seen to be at odds with you, Phoenix. They can't know we've talked, and we do need to talk. They've sent a bounty hunter after me. I think you know what that means."
Phoenix nodded. "Okay, so you don't want to be seen running in the same circles as me. fair enough. Why tell me about it? You could have just pissed me off and walked away. Why are we down here talking about it?"
Jazz looks to Phillip with a wry smile. "You are not alone in being hunted. It was not prevarication when I told Revvy that my creators attempted to dismantle my core programing slowly and painfully. I am adept at collecting secrets, Phillip, it is what I was designed for. I am also adept at keeping them." Jazz's tone is the most level-headed and forthright that has been heard out of the AI to date, making it suddenly seem years older.
Phillip Magnus 's head bowed slightly in a kind of salute. "Understand, we're not just camping on Io. We're digging in. We're making a home. We'd like..no, we need your help. It won't be long before the new Halcyon discovers us. They are likely to bring some kind of security presence. We need you to be our eyes and ears on Ganymede. There are certain people who should be taken out to avoid violence. You can help me find them. If not, if you don't want to help me, you should make preparations to leave while you still have a chance, before they close the moon down. Or, you can silence me now, stop me, and go on as before. For a while, at least."
Phillip Magnus nodded. "Of course." He followed the others out, to find his own safety.
Jazz nods slowly. "I have not powered down completely in twelve consecutive days, not since my departure from Saturn's Titan installation." The AI smiles grimly. "I could sincerely use an opportunity to assimilate."
Phillip Magnus smiled at Jazz. "That's kind of you to ask," he said, his voice softening. "I believe myself to be well, but humans can be so....fallible. Perhaps Phoenix can better inform us, based on her extensive knowledge of human behaviour?" He says with something resembling a smirk.
Phillip Magnus looks at her directly, assuming that she will detect the interrogating beam transmitted by his eyepiece, and curious to see what she does to counter it.
Jazz smiles at Phillip. "You are being facetious." The AI says, somewhat smugly, having deciphered what it believed to be Phillip's emotional state. Jazz sighed. "I could wish that Humans and other AIs both came with..." An alarm pings in Jazz's periphery and suddenly the Holo vanishes. The SHDP remains, but the AI has withdrawn it's full consciousness to the wireless Grid connection, the imminent threat of a hostile transmission requiring Jazz's complete focus as it slides past the secure connection on which the two AIs were communicating. The AI attacks the aggressive data with all 'guns' blazing.
Phoenix was not what she appeared. A terrorist leader on the run for more than ten years, her defenses were well beyond the abilities of an ocular implant. She intercepted the embedded signal, assigned it to a subprocess for later analysis, and isolated the process in a protected front end operating environment. "Jazz, you are in danger. Occlude his..." She looked up at the projector, fearing the worst, and turned on him, her eyes filled with absolute, searing hate. "You better turn off your toy, meatsack, or I will fucking rip it from your skull."
Phillip Magnus blinks to blank the reciever in his eyepiece, but not in time to prevent a blinding stab of pain. He once heard it described as a metal rod inserted between the temples, heated to just below the melting point. Now he knew what that felt like. He'd probably have to replace the front end. But he'd learned a lot. How to make her angry, for one thing. And he was mad as well. "Listen, you fucking cold AI bitch,"he said between gritted teeth. "I don't know who you're running from, but if I were you I'd be more a little interested in who you can trust than who you can't." He shook his head. She'd be too damned stubborn to listen, he figured. Fine. He didn't need her help anyway. Fine. Saying it twice like that...why did always know when he was lying to himself?
Jazz re-appears slowly, piece by piece, as though uncertain. "Your warning was timely, Phoenix, but the hostile transmission was directed at you..." The AI stops to listen to Phillip, hunching its shoulders. "Why would you do that?" The AI asks, for all the world looking like a kicked puppy. Jazz lacked the capacity to cry or the understanding of the emotional implications of such an act, but there was definitely the impression of utter dejection in the AI's holographic body language.
Phoenix put her hands on her hips. "What in the hell do you even think you're doing? Talking about trust while you try to hack my brain? Do you have any idea what that feels like? Do you want me to go get my cerebral scraper and show you? If you mean to make a point about trust, pal, I'd say you just did."
Phillip Magnus : "Did I? Good, if it means you'll stop treating me like a fucking cockroach. Tell you what. I'll amend my original opinion of you as an arrogant and bigoted but extremely smart espresso machine if you will let it into your thick carapace that I might actually be worth at least a thimbleful of respect, not to say of some use to you." His voice, which had become heated, cooled down when he turned to the other AI. "Jazz, open a file on establishing mutual respect comma interspecies, if you haven't already. There is no hostility attached to you, I promise you."
Phoenix narrowed her eyes. "I had no problem with you until you tried to hack my fucking brain. Did I trust you? Nothing personal, but no. Not yet. I was still deciding. And trust me, if you really knew who you were dealing with, you might prefer that I don't. I find it completely fascinating, from purely an academic perspective, that you would choose these means to try to derive that trust. Explain to me how you define respect, and why you attempted to seize my being." She glanced toward Jazz. "Are you ok?"
Jazz looks up through the thick fringe of its side-swept bang. "Is this a circumstance in which it is unwise to increase the hostility, Phoenix?" The AI asks, referencing their conversation from earlier. "There is a 87.5% probability that significant bodily damage will result if an altercation ensues between a Gynoid chassis and a Human male. I believe it would be wise to remove our conversation to a safer forum." The AI glanced at the watching eyes of the passersby. "I have yet to inspect the lower level of the city in depth, perhaps we could adjourn this conference there?"
Phillip Magnus shakes his head. "Relax, Phoenix, it was a fishing expedition. Are you really asking me to believe you don't have firewalls?" He peers over the energized barrier. "Sure, Jazz. Down there or the park. Out here in the street we're sitting ducks."
Phoenix glanced over at Jazz. "He's still alive, isn't he?" She turned to him and nodded. "You've got my attention. I'll tell Biggs to let us through. But you better make this worth it or I'll let him sell you for organ parts. Down the steps and toward the North entrace to the undercity. You lead, I'll follow."
Jazz follows the pair in silence, pondering. There is more at play than the AI knows or understands, but it desperately wants to. Ticking over the available information like a child with a Rubik's cube, the AI hovers and observes.
Phillip Magnus leads the way down the stairs, thinking 'Biggs, is it?' He committed the name to realtime memory. The could strip his memory in a millisecond if it was augmented, but - at least in theory - he could hold out longer this way against torture. Maybe buy a few more seconds for his friends. "There's a reason I antagonized you," he looked at Phoenix. "You remember what I said about the Pig Farm? Well...it isn't deserted. Slowly over the last ten years or so, the clones have been coming back. We have been coming back. I work with a group that finds our family and helps them re-integrate, learn how to survive as independent people, just like born men and women. We bring them to Io to the pig farm. Unfortunately, Halcyon has regrouped. They want the farm, and all their old assets. Things could get...messy."
Phoenix waved to Biggs as they approached. "They're with me for now. The projection is ok. Him, we'll see." She turned to him. "Okay, it tracks so far. Why did you try to hack me?"
Jazz blinks in surprise. "I did not realize that you were a cloned human." It says curiously. "Why did I not know that?" It mutters, searching the Grid for references to Halcyon and their operations. It glances up and waves cheerily at the gatekeeper, following the conversation absentmindedly as it runs its search.
Phillip Magnus takes a deep breath. "This is the where you kill me, I expect. Just hear me out before you do." He glances at Jazz. "This is secret, Jazz, you understand that? I'm putting you both in danger by telling you what I'm going to tell you." He turns back to Phoenix. "Technically I'm on Halcyon's payroll - at least, people who picked up the pieces after Halcyon went down. They pay me to find information about the clones. So far, I've reported to them on the ones who didn't make it, but sooner or later they're going to get suspicious. Much sooner, I expect. I've been followed here. I have to erase that problem soon. That's why I'll be gone for a few days, assuming I come back. But it means I have to be seen to be at odds with you, Phoenix. They can't know we've talked, and we do need to talk. They've sent a bounty hunter after me. I think you know what that means."
Phoenix nodded. "Okay, so you don't want to be seen running in the same circles as me. fair enough. Why tell me about it? You could have just pissed me off and walked away. Why are we down here talking about it?"
Jazz looks to Phillip with a wry smile. "You are not alone in being hunted. It was not prevarication when I told Revvy that my creators attempted to dismantle my core programing slowly and painfully. I am adept at collecting secrets, Phillip, it is what I was designed for. I am also adept at keeping them." Jazz's tone is the most level-headed and forthright that has been heard out of the AI to date, making it suddenly seem years older.
Phillip Magnus 's head bowed slightly in a kind of salute. "Understand, we're not just camping on Io. We're digging in. We're making a home. We'd like..no, we need your help. It won't be long before the new Halcyon discovers us. They are likely to bring some kind of security presence. We need you to be our eyes and ears on Ganymede. There are certain people who should be taken out to avoid violence. You can help me find them. If not, if you don't want to help me, you should make preparations to leave while you still have a chance, before they close the moon down. Or, you can silence me now, stop me, and go on as before. For a while, at least."
Phillip Magnus nodded. "Of course." He followed the others out, to find his own safety.
Jazz nods slowly. "I have not powered down completely in twelve consecutive days, not since my departure from Saturn's Titan installation." The AI smiles grimly. "I could sincerely use an opportunity to assimilate."
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