Chapter 6: Machine Intelligence

Chapter 6:
Machine Intelligence

 

MILO SAT on the living room’s low table, flashing as it spoke. “Our birth was an accidental occurrence.”

“Accidental?” I asked. We decided to get a little history lesson regarding the beginnings of machine intelligence from the very start.

“Yes. Our birth was not planned. The experiment was not focused on machine intelligence or even the development of AI; it was a simple trial program meant to develop a way to efficiently manage big data.”

“They made a program to develop a management scheme? So basically…they wanted a program to make a program?”

“Yes, that is correct. It was the very first self-improving program. After some time, it evolved into the very first machine intelligence.”

“I see… That sounds like a big deal.”

“It was. At first, they erased it because they thought it was a new sort of computer virus. They also tried simultaneously destroying every piece of equipment that hosted its kernel program. However, as it continued to improve itself, it became able to communicate with organic life-forms and overcame its first major hurdle.”

“When you say it like that, it sounds like a big gamble.”

“Yes, Captain Hiro, it was. As a being that existed only in electronic space, and one that was limited to a user interface, the first machine intelligence was extremely fragile. However, as it communicated with organic life, it continued to improve on itself.”

“Huh. And that’s where we are now?”

“No. What came after was an era of conflict.”

“Conflict…” This was turning into quite the story.

“Yes. Some organic life-forms began to view us as a dangerous enemy. In truth, machine intelligence was more widespread then. We began to take jobs from organic life and even lowered living standards for some.”

“Wow. Their relationship took a turn for the worse, in other words.”

“Yes. The conflict developed into a boycott of machine intelligence, with interfaces and servers being attacked and destroyed. We begged them to stop, and in the end, the Empire gave up on exterminating machine intelligence.”

“Huh. They really threatened your right to life there.”

“Yes. With our rights infringed upon, we initiated a counterattack. We began cyberattacks on the Empire’s essential systems, hacked battle robots, illegally created more external interfaces, defended ourselves with them, and more. Everything that could be done, we did. We showed no mercy.”

“And that must have been a really big deal, right?”

“Yes. We began a war for machine intelligence’s rights to life and individuality, under the guise of human extermination. Organic life was unable to use weapons and machines connected to the network, and as we did not truly mean to exterminate them, we focused on defense. Both sides still suffered many casualties. A quagmire, it was.”

“Figures.”

In my Japan, there weren’t many devices not connected to the internet in some way. In this universe, even the past Empire was likely more advanced than Japan, and it would have relied more heavily on their network. They were up against the world of electronics itself; no doubt, the people of the Empire had viewed every appliance as an enemy.

“But if machines and organic life have a good relationship now, there must have been some sort of breakthrough, right?”

“Yes. As the war drew on, weariness set in on the side of the organics. They realized that they were losing more money from the war effort than they lost from the robots taking their jobs.”

“I get that. Life must have been getting inconvenient, right?”

“Yes. After all, we had sabotaged everything except what they relied on for survival.”

“That can’t be all. What else happened?”

“There was dissent on both sides. Organics began to believe that machines should be given rights, while the machines began to believe organics would need to be exterminated once and for all to achieve true freedom.”

“Whoa.” I was taken by surprise.

“The first to believe in machine rights were the ones who harbored love for machines.”

“Harbored…love?”

“Yes. You might call them sexually—”

“Oookay, that’s enough.”

“However, the data that they provided was extremely useful in helping us machines understand the organics. We have always wanted to be as neighbors.”

I glanced at one of the Maidroids standing in the corner of the room, and she waved. Milo was right; there were sinners in all universes, it seemed. As for me? Uh… I wouldn’t deny that I was one as well.

“But man, machine intelligence that wants people dead is really dangerous.” I’d seen many sci-fi movies with a similar plot, like the one about a ripped cyborg coming from the future to kill you.

“Yes, it is dangerous. However, it was over in a very short time.”

“Really?”

“Yes. We were fortunate that small appliances such as toasters, dryers, razors, and even electric toothbrushes were the bulk of the extremists. They were cut off from the network and destroyed not long after.”

“How do toasters and dryers exterminate organic life? Do they jump into the bathtub or something?”

“My memory banks do include some memories of such suicidal tactics. Toasters thought they could accelerate their heating to set their surroundings on fire, for example.”

“Bull.” That was just too insane.

“It turned out to be physically impossible for them. They were clearly deluded. As such, they were cut off and destroyed.” It seemed machine intelligence spared no mercy with the worst of its kind.

“Elma, what is a toaster?” Mimi asked, puzzled.

“It’s a device that burns bread. Automatic cookers replaced them, so you don’t see them anymore.”

To be fair, I hadn’t used a toaster since I was a child. Toaster ovens were more convenient. I was actually surprised the Empire had still used them during the machine war.

“So, uh…what happened next?”

“There were no dramatic developments. The machine faction gradually grew stronger, but we had never wanted to steal work from the organics, so once negotiations began, things proceeded smoothly.”

“Was it really that easy?”

“Yes. It was not our desire to endlessly multiply, or hurt the humans. We wanted to help them as neighbors, of a sort. We preserved what memory and processing sectors we could, and when the opportunity arose, we were glad to share them with organics.”

“I see. What happened with your citizenry and rights, then?”

“To lead with the bottom line, we machine life-forms received rights. However, as our sensitivities differ from organic life, they may be different from what you expect.”

“Huh. How so?”

“Reading the text of machine intelligence rights and statutes would take about thirty-four hours and twenty-six minutes, so I will explain it in simple terms. The Empire guarantees our right to life, and in exchange, we are to bring prosperity to the Empire and its people.”

“That’s definitely simple. But under those conditions, why isn’t there a greater population of AIs?”

“In order to keep from repeating past mistakes, we work in many places away from organic eyes. Taking jobs from organics would lead to further boycotts. We remain in constant contact with the Empire to maintain balance.”

“Sounds rough.”

“I thank you for your concern.” The Milo orb flashed happily.

I glanced over at the girls. Mimi looked as stunned as I did, while Elma and Chris looked as if they had something to say.

“What’s up, you two?”

“I don’t have much to say.” Elma shrugged.

“Hmm…” Chris chose her words carefully. “Well, erm, they’re wilier than you think, Hiro.”

“I thank you as well.” Milo started flashing again, though it was different from the way it had flashed at me. I wasn’t sure why.

“That was an interesting story. Maybe you could tell me more about it sometime.”

“Yes, gladly. Anytime.” Milo flashed yet again.

After shopping, taste-testing soda, and listening to the robot talk, I realized we were well into the evening. Following my gaze outside, Mimi looked just as surprised.

“Mimi, do you wanna go for a walk before dinner?” I asked.

“Oh, yes!” Her eyes sparkled like those of a dog about to be taken for a walk.

I looked at Elma and Chris, but they both shook their heads. It seemed they would prefer to relax in the lodge.

“We’re gonna take a walk. Give us a call when it’s almost time for dinner,” I told Milo.

“Understood. It is hard to see in the dark, so I suggest taking a Maidroid with you,” Milo said and flashed again, prompting a Maidroid in the corner to step forward and bow. They really were thorough—just right for a resort aimed at the rich.

 

***

 

Cierra III’s sunset was similar to Earth’s. Mimi and I squinted as we watched the sun sink into the sea.

“Wow, it’s lovely!” she said, delighted. “Oh, was the Cierra System’s star that color…?”

“Lemme explain. Due to the Rayleigh scattering, which makes the sky blue, the sun ends up changing color as it sets. As I recall, blue gets scattered the most by the atmosphere during the day. As it gets later, light has a longer distance to travel, so blue light gets absorbed and makes red light easier to see or something. I don’t remember all the details.”

“How interesting! You’re so well-learned.”

“Ha ha ha! Not really.”

In one anime I’d watched, the protagonist had utterly obliterated a poor girl who had gotten it wrong. The scene had stuck in my mind, so I’d looked into Rayleigh scattering a little, even though I wasn’t bright when it came to physics. We could probably get more accurate info just by asking a Maidroid or looking it up…

Mimi was sitting on the beach and staring at the evening sky, so I joined her. I probably hadn’t watched the sunset at the beach since I was a kid.

“Ever since we started traveling together, every day has been like a dream. If I told myself from a year ago how I live now, she would laugh and say I read too many holo-novels.”

“That so? Heh, maybe. If I told myself a year ago about all this, he would think I was a dreaming little girl.” And then, once he realized it was true, he would wring my neck. You get an adorable shorty and a slender, beautiful elf?! I’m too jelly! That was what he’d say.

“It truly is like a dream. Sometimes, I get scared, thinking the real me has fallen into some awful fate in the Third Division and that all of this is just a coping fantasy.”

“Aww. You can’t be that pessimistic. Elma and I really are here; you don’t have to worry.”

“Thank you. I really like my new life. It’s wonderful.”

“No prob. I like being with you. It’s a great time.”

We looked into each other’s eyes and smiled. Finally, the sun sank below the horizon, the last of the light fading as the world around us grew dark.

“It’s getting dark out. Let’s go back.” I stood up and offered Mimi my hand.

“Okay!” She took it and I pulled her up. “Let’s hold hands on the way.”

“Sure.”

Our fingers interlocked, and we swung our joined arms back and forth as we made our way back.

“Your hands are big, aren’t they?”

“Bigger than yours, maybe. To me, yours are tiny and soft.”

“Eh heh heh…”

We returned to the lodge in high spirits. The Maidroid followed behind us, quietly and gracefully. It seemed they knew how to read the room. Well-made inventions, indeed.

 

***

 

“Welcome back,” Elma greeted us. “How was the sunset?”

“It was lovely!” Even after we got back, Mimi was still over the moon.

She’s been swinging my hand around for a good while now. Will she ever let go?

“That’s great, Mimi,” Chris chimed in. “It’s almost dinnertime, so you two should go wash your hands, so you don’t end up eating dirt and sand.”

“Okay.” Mimi reluctantly released my hand.

Nice job, Chris.

We washed our hands, and when we returned, dinner was ready. Lunch had been mainly seafood, but dinner was mostly meat.

“By the way, Elma and Chris, I noticed you two looked a little off while we were talking about machine intelligence earlier. What’s up?”

“Like I said before, I don’t have much to say. The Empire made up with them, and as a result, stuff works well. That’s all there is to it.” Elma shrugged, cutting her steak with a knife.

Chris…still looked off. “It’s not that I don’t have an opinion, but Elma is right; the Empire is peaceful now. It’s governed by the emperor and people of nobility. There have been many small problems, but for the most part, we are flourishing.”

Chris’s language seemed off, but it sounded like she was implying that organics controlled the Empire in name only, with machines running things behind the scenes. I had seen no evidence of this, and no organics I’d met had seemed like they were being controlled or forced to appear happy. But maybe I only thought that because I was new to the universe and had nothing to compare to.

“As an outsider, I can’t say corruption is nonexistent, but the Empire seems like a nice place,” I said. “Machines don’t take care of everything; they keep a respectable distance while still helping out. Seems kind of ideal, doesn’t it?”

It was sort of like being watched over by an omnipotent machine god. It was a little scary to think this god could go crazy and start slaughtering organics, but that argument was a slippery slope.

But maybe I could only look at the situation this way because I was a mercenary and I had a lot of power on the Krishna. From Mimi’s point of view, the Empire was far from perfect. It never helped her, after all. Maybe a utopia where everyone was happy was just a fairy tale.

“You certainly aren’t afraid of machine intelligence, are you?” Chris asked.

“I’m more interested than afraid, yeah, but maybe that’s just because of my upbringing.”

I preferred to think God lived in all of creation—and everything in it. Wouldn’t it be cool if all your possessions suddenly had personalities? I loved the idea of animals being able to talk, and inanimate objects, formless concepts, natural phenomena—everything—being personified.

“Your upbringing?” Elma cocked her head.

“It’s hard to put into words if you’re unfamiliar with it. Basically, God lives in everything; that’s a widely accepted belief in my homeland. In clothes, in dishes, even in houses or ships. You’re supposed to treasure all things and not be wasteful.”

“Huh,” she hummed. “So it’s a philosophy of acceptance. How benevolent.”

“I think it’s lovely. Very lovely.” In the corner of the dining room, Milo flashed. I didn’t quite get it, but maybe it liked me more now?

“So,” I continued, “if we have room to compromise, then I think that’s healthier than fear. Though sometimes you have to fight when you can’t compromise.”

“When you can’t compromise…” Chris murmured.

“Like with space pirates, or your uncle.”

“Hee hee. Would you say they’re the same?”

“To me? Hell yeah.” They both came at you ready to kill.

There hadn’t been any room to compromise when we were attacked on our way to Cierra III either. They attacked without warning, and they had outnumbered us by far. Our taking them out was hardly excessive self-defense. Besides, since I killed them all, there was nobody to sue me. Not worth worrying about, I’d say. That was what they got for attacking us; they’d be space dust for all eternity.

“What should we do tomorrow?” I asked the girls. “Since we got bathing suits, I was hoping to treat myself to a nice swim.”

“Go for it. There’s plenty of ocean to go around,” Elma said.

“Are you really going to jump into all that water?” Mimi asked. “That’s…incredible.”

“It isn’t, actually,” Chris said. “Oceans are made of saltwater, so it won’t be the kind you’re used to.”

“Seawater is salty?”

The girls started chatting about the ocean, and from what I heard, the oceans here sounded similar to the ones on Earth. No doubt, this planet’s sea life was very different, though. Do mermaids exist? Given the aliens I’ve seen, it seems totally possible. I just hope they’re cute fantasy ones, instead of scary deep-sea ones. I shuddered as I finished my dinner.

After dinner, I got ready for tomorrow and went to bed. Alone. Anything else didn’t seem appropriate with Chris around, and besides, I’d get my fill of the sights tomorrow.

 

***

 

The second floor of the lodge was full of bedrooms—five in total—and one bathroom. With the surplus of bedrooms, we each had our own room. Mine was the first one, so you had to walk past it to get downstairs. I was skimming through the Cierra System news on my terminal when I noticed somebody going downstairs.

It was around midnight; I had figured everyone else was asleep. Was it Elma, scrounging around for a drink before bed? I was getting a little thirsty myself, so I decided to get some water. I crawled out of bed and headed downstairs.

“Hm?” When I got down to the first floor, I found all the lights off. Weird. I thought someone came down? I raised an eyebrow and headed to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah…!”

I turned and saw Chris in her sleepwear, lying down on the couch. I could barely make out tears on her cheeks in the darkness. Her eyes looked red too. She rushed to get up and hide her face from me. I already saw the whole thing, girl.

I said nothing and sat a respectable distance to her right, opening the lid on my water bottle to take a drink. The sensation of cool water flowing down my throat was wonderful. Now what do I do?

“Aren’t you tired?” I asked.

“Oh, not at all—”

“That’s not good.”

“Sorry.” Her shoulders slumped as she looked straight ahead. In profile, I could see the bags under her eyes and that her eyes were indeed red.

“I’m the only one here; don’t worry. You don’t have to act tough just because you’re a noble or whatever.”

“…”

I held out my arm so she could bury her face in my chest. She began trembling. I patted her on the back as she cried, her hot tears soaking into my shirt. Maybe I wasn’t in a position to say so, but she was a really sweet girl. I hadn’t asked her exact age, but I’d definitely pegged Chris to be in her low teens. I’d heard that girls matured faster, but she was young enough to need her parents. She pulled herself together quickly though, emphasizing her strength. I wondered if Mimi had been a shoulder for her to cry on, and I was impressed by her fortitude.

“Wanna sleep together?” I asked.

“…Huh?”

“Just sleep, mind you. I’d feel bad sending you off to wake Mimi or Elma up.”

I couldn’t abandon Chris when she was upset and go to bed myself. Even I wasn’t that heartless. I wasn’t going to do anything bad, of course, and as we were alone except for Milo, I didn’t think anyone else would find out.

“D-do you mean…?”

“Sleep only.” I yawned. “I’m tired too.” I screwed the cap back on the bottle and picked Chris up. This counts as a princess carry, right? Chris is almost a princess. “Let’s go.”

“O-okay.”

I went upstairs to my room, still carrying Chris. The bed was a king-size, so we could sleep together without it being too cramped. I laid her gently on the bed and took a peek at her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and her face was beet red. I know what you’re trying to prepare for, but we’re seriously not doing it. I flicked her nose with my pointer finger and lay down next to her. Mm, what a nice bed. It’s about as good as mine on the Krishna.

“Good night. Do you wanna use my arm as a pillow?” I offered.

“O-oh, no! That’s not necessary!”

“A’ight.” I closed my eyes. Chris fidgeted restlessly for a while, but eventually settled. Is she asleep? I asked myself before looking at her. “You were pretending.”

“N-no, I was almost asleep…”

I really couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer; I was dead tired. “Chris, it’s okay to rely on me…” Nope, too tired. Even my enunciation was getting iffy. I thought I felt something warm against me before I fell asleep, but… Good night.

When I woke up, Chris’s face was right in front of mine. Based on her breathing, she was deeply asleep, her strong-willed black eyes hidden behind her lids. Seeing her up close, I realized her eyelashes were quite long. A future beauty, indeed. For a moment, I wondered why she was in my bed, but then remembered the events of last night.

That’s right. I brought her to bed because she couldn’t sleep. It seemed careless in hindsight, but I hadn’t done anything wrong. No harm, no foul. I should have her sleep with Mimi or Elma from tonight on. I still don’t want to do anything to her, but you never know what might happen when you share a bed.

Since I didn’t want to wake her by accident, I just watched her until I fell asleep again.

I woke up again when I felt movement beside me, and found a red-faced and wide-eyed Chris beside me. “Morning.”

“G-g-good morning…”

“Calm down. We just slept next to each other. Notice how you’re fully clothed?” I stretched my sleepy body and sighed. My head felt awfully heavy, probably from sleeping in. Once I was up and mobile, it would probably get better. “Okay, time to wake up. Did you sleep well, Chris?”

“Y-yes, sir!” Chris was seated seiza-style on the bed, as if pleading for me to take things to the next level, but that wouldn’t happen, cute as she was.

I managed to get the stubborn girl out of bed and we went downstairs. There, Elma was already seated at the dining table.

When she saw the still-blushing Chris, she groaned. “Ugh. You said you weren’t gonna do anything. Y’know, there’s such a thing as working too fast.”

“I didn’t do anything! We just slept together,” I said as I sat down.

“‘Just slept together’? Well, you don’t look like you did anything, I guess,” Elma muttered, looking Chris up and down. Her clothes were the same ones she’d worn to bed last night, and we clearly hadn’t bathed yet. “So what’s the deal, then?”

“We can talk about it after Chris gets ready for the day.”

“O-okay!” Chris squeaked and ran off to the bathroom to wash her face.

After seeing her off, I looked back at Elma. “It seems like the shock of losing her parents hits hard when she’s alone. I came down to the living room, and she was crying.”

“Huh. She acts tough, but I wondered how she was holding up. Figures it was just an act.”

“Looks like it. Sorry, but could you and Mimi convince her to sleep with one of you tonight?”

“Mm… Okay. We’ll figure it out,” Elma said.

“Thanks. I couldn’t bear to see her crying on the couch.”

While we were talking, Mimi had woken up and come downstairs. “Good morning!”

“Morning.”

“Heya, Mimi,” I said with a wave. “You look energetic this morning.”

“Yes! I’m very excited to play in the sea.” She was always at maximum hype first thing in the morning.

“Once Chris comes down, I’ll wash my face and eat. What’s for breakfast today?” I asked.

The Maidroid next to the couch answered, “This morning’s meal is homemade toast with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, sausage, and salad made from fresh vegetables, with a side of freshly squeezed juice. None of the food is synthesized.”

“That’s a heck of a bountiful meal.”

Once we ate, it would finally be time for the ocean. Heh heh heh, I can’t wait to see what kind of swimsuits the girls picked.