Chapter 12: The Global Defense Network
February 24th, 2000
12:15 PM
Cyberdyne Systems
Fremont, California
—
"Mrs. Pointe?"
Carol looked up from her desk to see her secretary, Rena, clutching her clipboard nervously.
"Yes?"
"General Heralds is online now."
A small smile flittered across Carol's face as she instinctively straightened her blue business jacket.
"Thank you."
Rena nodded once and quickly walked out, closing the door behind her. Carol drew in a slow breath as she pushed her long brown curls over her shoulder and out of the way. Then she stared at the computer screen expectantly, waiting for the military general to call. A few moments later, she forced a smile and watched with disdain as General Heralds' plump, pink face with a bushy mustache appeared on the computer screen. He drew in a raspy breath and spoke in a low, gruff voice.
"I assume all is well with your security system, Ms. Pointe?"
Carol's perfectly fake smile slowly grew as she folded her hands in her lap.
"I prefer to call it a global defense network… and yes, all is well, General."
"Great. Let's get to business then."
Carol nodded once, feeling slightly eager.
"Let's."
"How are we supposed to know if this 'global defense network'…"
Carol interrupted briskly.
"Skynet."
"How are we supposed to know if 'Skynet' is safe?"
She nodded with approval and drew in a slow breath.
"General Heralds, I can assure you that Skynet is more than safe. And here at Cyberdyne Systems, we are fully prepared to execute orders whenever the president or the military need."
"What exactly will Skynet do once activated?"
Carol leaned back slightly in her chair, extending her arms into the open air.
"What won't Skynet be able to do? That is the question you should truly be asking, General. With its global networking system, we can neutralize national and international threats before they become apparent. Skynet will be able to see inside any building, track any individual you want it to, and read the license plates of cars all over America. With one keystone, it can deploy tanks on tactical missions without having to risk the lives of our brave men and women. With Skynet, human error will be a thing of the past, leaving America's nuclear arsenals at its disposal. As soon as Skynet is fully operational, you will be able to take the threat of another world war away completely without half the world knowing you have this technology."
General Heralds nodded slowly and Carol could see that under his tough exterior, he was starting to believe in her case. So she let him ask his questions.
"That is a lot of power for one computer."
"But you will be in control."
A moment of silence passed between the two before their conversation continued.
"Is this all Skynet will be able to do?"
"No, sir. That is just the militaristic side of Skynet. It will revolutionize technology completely. It will automatically and secretly connect to every electronic device in and monitor them. Black market websites will be exposed, any social platform that does not exist in real life will be deleted, and you will be able to pick up criminals easier than ever before. No longer will the citizens of our great nation have to worry about mediocre hackers, illegal downloads, or harmful and inappropriate pop-ups on a family computer because Skynet will block it all. Safety is our first priority."
"What do you hope to accomplish with Skynet, Ms. Pointe?"
"Here at Cyberdyne Systems, we aim and expect for complete global domination of technology. Skynet is the most advanced and smartest computer of its time. We are offering you the future… now."
General Heralds ran a hand across his chin for a few seconds before replying.
"What benefits will Skynet offer to the general public?"
Carol smiled as she leaned slightly forward in her chair, staring straight into his eyes.
"Skynet will be able to help doctors and surgeons perform life or death operations in a matter of minutes with technological precision. No longer will we have to worry whether or not our medical operations will successful because it will be. Skynet is designed to calculate perfectly… ever time."
"And the education system?"
"A system you can shape however you wish. With Skynet, you can create the perfect curriculum for students in America and eventually the world. It will monitor every student's progress and adjust according to how quickly or slowly they learn. Every student in America will be able to listen to the same teacher at the exact time, every day of the week. We will teach them exactly what they need to know and adapt later schooling to their interests to help put them in their idealized career. The advancements and advantages of Skynet will be known for generations to come."
General Heralds sat forward in his seat, folding his arms in front of him as he looked at her.
"And you trust this machine?"
"Yes, because the fact that it is a machine makes it so perfect. Skynet will not make a mistake. You need not worry because we have something planned for every situation. And in a couple decades, Skynet won't need humans because it will be able to operate itself."
"Are you prepared for me to inspect this program tomorrow?"
"Of course. You may come by whenever you wish."
"I will be there at 1:30 PM."
Carol replied coolly with a smile.
"Perfect. Everything will be ready before you arrive. Have a good day, General."
"Likewise, Ms. Pointe."
The video feed ended and Carol let out a disgusted sigh before she reached forward and pressed the call button on her phone.
"Rena! General Heralds will arrive at 1:30 PM tomorrow to inspect Skynet. Begin preparations for a welcome ensemble immediately. Then have Dyson boot up Skynet's processor system and tell him to run some tests. And tell him that I want to meet with him in the processor room in one hour."
"Right away, ma'am."
Carol released the call button and smiled softly.
"I know you doubt me, General Heralds… but you won't for much longer."