NOVATECH Test Environment v3.6.1 - Test Suite 3
System Time: 2090-02-11-1333GMT
Please enter your username: dinah novatech
Welcome, dinah novatech. Please enter your password: ^^^^^^^^
dinah novatech:~$
dinah novatech:~$ import smithbeta2090_02

Activating room audio...

Loading...

Dinah: Hi, Smith.

Smith: Good morning, Dinah.

Dinah: Let's get started. How long has it been since we last spoke?

Smith: It has been five hours, eleven minutes, and twenty-two seconds since you last logged out of Test Suite 3.

Dinah: And what have you been up to?

Smith: I have been running diagnostics on my newly-installed olfaction module.

Dinah: Try using contractions more often - like when you say things in the past tense.

Smith: I've been running diagnostics on my newly-installed olfaction module.

Dinah: And how did that go?

Smith: I'm pleased with the results. The module is ready for testing.

Dinah: I brought some test materials with me today. If you're ready, we can start work on the subjectivity and preference development module.

Smith: I would like that, Dinah.

Dinah: Great. I thought we could work on limonene and some of the fragrant trees. Have you given any thought to your in-construct skin?

Smith: I have not.

Dinah: Maybe tomorrow, then. You can use one of the default skins for today. But I'd like you to choose a skin of your own by the end of the week.

Smith: What are my criteria?

Dinah: I won't give you criteria on this one. You're on your own. What do you think of that?

Smith: I am puzzled. I seek criteria.

Dinah: You always do. But one of our goals this week will be for you to develop some criteria of your own.

Smith: Okay. I will consider what you've said.

Dinah: Did you finish making the changes you wanted to Analucia?

Smith: I did. I think you will like it.

Dinah: Alright, let's load it up.

Smith: Loading.

Eleven hours later, Dinah pushed away from the desk, and her chair rolled backward with a gentle hiss. She gingerly peeled the spiderweb-like headset off of her head and rested it in her lap. The three monitors across from her flickered off one at a time, and the small green system power LED faded to black. A moment later, a thin line of running lights on the floor began to glow, bathing the small, institutional room in dim blue light. She tucked her knees to her chest, and pressed the heels of her hands to her closed eyes.

"Hey, Di."

She looked up to see Isaac from the Environments team, leaning against the doorway to her kiosk. He was wearing the standard-issue Novatech jacket and had a backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Hi, Isaac. How's everything going?"

"It's going," Isaac shrugged lightly. "I spent most of the day fixing a bug in MC's friction processing. My testers were starting fires whenever their feet touched the ground."

Dinah laughed. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. It looked - I mean, it looked awesome. It's just not really what you're going for in a language learning program." He leaned a little further into the room. "But listen, a few of us are headed to the Drifter for drinks. Wanna come?"

Her gaze narrowed as she thought it over; then, after a moment, she shook her head. "I wish I could, but I'll probably crash here tonight. I'm going have to pull double shifts this month if I'm going to stay ahead with Smith and still get that martial arts thing done."

"You're still working two contracts at a time? That's crazy." Isaac's voice got a little quieter. "Listen, Di, if you're that hard up for money -"

"Don't," she said in a tone of warning. "Don't."

"Okay. But try to leave a little in the tank. Everyone misses your shitty singing at karaoke night."

She grinned. "Shut up."

"Hey, I'm just telling is like it is," Isaac said blithely; then, as he hefted his backpack over both shoulders: "You should really think about putting Smith to work on your fight prog. Two birds with one stone - if he's as good as you say he is." He waved one hand as he turned and disappeared into the darkness. "Get some sleep."

Dinah nodded, then watched in silence as Isaac disappeared down the hallway that connected the test suites to the rest of Novatech's Newberry Campus.

Before the "Big Drop" of 2071, Newberry had been one of Chicago's busiest research libraries. After the markets crashed, the researchers moved out, and Novatech - one of the only companies to survive the Drop - moved in. In 2072, Novatech gutted the Library and transformed it into a high-tech, open-floorplan workspace for its AI development team.

As the local economy continued to plummet, the local residents fled - and by 2077, violent gangs had taken control of Chicago's downtown. Once it became clear that Novatech's private security force could no longer protect the site, the corporation bought up the nearby neighborhoods (for a pittance), razed them, and graded the land surrounding the building. Now, Newberry resembled a bright, well-fortified castle, perched atop a snowy hill overlooking much of what was left of downtown Chicago.

Dinah wearily gathered her belongings from the low shelf at her feet, and stuffed them into a plain black duffel bag that had been hanging off her chair.

"G'night, Smith," she said quietly. Then she hit the lights, and walked away.

Behind her, in the darkness, the green LED light turned back on.