AN: doesn't like my code formatting because it was too real, so I've changed to '##' for input, '#' for output. Last main chapter has been added! Epilogue on the way. Thanks for reading!
"Your work on this will change history, if you believe in it."
Barnaby didn't want to admit how much he was still hanging on Maverick's words from all those months ago. His goal had never been to do anything standout or world changing, he'd just wanted to help his parents robotics work, which in turn was helping people. But ever since he was passed a drive with a jumble of code and told to use it to build the next step in AI, it was all he could think of.
The H-01 project would be the system to get his parents robots functioning as reliable rescuers, using human-esqu learning to help the AI make on the fly judgements in disaster situations.
'Easier said than done.'
It took him months just to decipher the original code, and even some of that was still unknown, Maverick never having exactly explaining where he got it from, past 'his own specialist team'. The months after were doing what he could to build it up to anything resembling a runnable program, each compile taking longer and longer to finish. H-01 was a massive program, but as of today, it was finally at the point where Barnaby could test it. Not just making sure all the mish-mash lines could interact with each other but finding out if what he'd made was actually an AI, of any kind.
"Let's start with something simple…"
##Hello, world
The input goes through, and he waits.
And waits.
He checked the diagnostic display, and could see the program was still running. There was just no response.
"If this is just a wrong print out function, I might as well resign."
##Hello, world
He waited again, skimming the code on his second screen. He'd begun shuffling through his physical notes when he catches sight of movement on screen.
#
There was a new line. Blank, but new.
##Hello, world
#_
#_
Two now, so it was responding in some form.
##Hello, world
#_
#h
'H?'
#hello
#hello
#hellohello
#hellohellohellohellohellohellohello
A proper response! It was the breakthrough Barnaby was after.
##Welcome!
#welcome
#welcomewelcomewelcome
Repetition wasn't much of a conversation, but it was just the first interaction. The AI at this point would only have these words as reference for anything.
##You are an AI
#youyouyouyou
#hellohellohellohello
##Today is your first day
#todaytodaytodaytodaytoday
#welcomewelcome
##My name is Barnaby
#barnaby
#barnabybarnabybarnaby
These messages weren't going anywhere, still just repeating, but now rather than the first word it had latched onto the last. Maybe it would be best to go back to basics for now. It was still a program, so prompting for commands was something he'd written in early on. It should be able to link up things like date, time and hardware to its own internals.
##getDate
#14/02/1978
##getTime
#18:45:00
'That late already?' He wondered if his parents had left yet.
##getDesignation
Barnaby had never actually found the core name of the code he'd been given, assuming it was just H-01, a name which probably meant something more to Maverick. Seconds ticked past, and the thought of his luck running out came up.
#_ERROR
#_apointerrefnull#%_njfaknsilhbgjsdjbsdhlbmsdjb(*tetsu_&$EDcvbnjihu7yu6r$W#$tetsu_%^&*()OKJBvcderkvmbjnlhiouiyfuthc)(*&^%$EDFcvbhjnkiu8tetsu_7tyjvhbvgchfdrte4^U&IOO(*tetsu_Y&Tdrsxgfv bjhuGT&^RutfghbUG&T6futcgHBIH(y87yv
That was unexpected. An error usually would explain what went wrong, but what appeared was nonsensical.
##getDesignation
#_ERROR
#_apointerrefnull#%_njfaknsilhbgjsdjbsdhlbmsdjb(*tetsu_&$EDcvbnjihu7yu6r$W#$tetsu_%^&*()OKJBvcderkvmbjnlhiouiyfuthc)(*&^%$EDFcvbhjnkiu8tetsu_7tyjvhbvgchfdrte4^U&IOO(*tetsu_Y&Tdrsxgfv bjhuGT&^RutfghbUG&T6futcgHBIH(y87yv
He tested it a few more times, but the result stayed. He made note of it and copied the garbled error into a separate page. Though the more he looked at it, the more there was a semi-regular pattern. The string 'tetsu' could be found throughout. So maybe…
##setDesignation string{'Tetsu'}
#designationSet
##getDesgnation
#Tetsu
'Well that fixed that.' Barnaby stretched, deciding to call it a night for now. It had been a long time in the making, and he wasn't in any rush to show it off. It would probably be another 12 months before the AI would be ready to be making decisions, but he might as well tell his parents about his progress, since it will eventually end up in their robots. He typed one last message, before turning it off and leaving the lab for the night.
##Goodnight
#_
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#_
#_
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#...