Chapter Four: Fifteen Minutes

James pummeled his keyboard with a downpour of fingers. Line after line of code swept across his computer. It was as if he was working not by thought, but by feel. The keystrokes seemed to flow from his fingers. A cool sensation flowed through his veins, anxiousness, yet calmness, as if there was something more to this than just his name, but that it would all be alright, that this was part of some grand design.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this before," James laughed. "It was all right there." The plan was simple, and fast to execute. James even had the framework set up already. The program was just a simple revision and augmentation of an application he'd developed years ago, to generate an insurance risk analysis based on a number of factors. But the way he'd reworked the codes and commands, the application should instead generate an artificial intelligence based on a few rules he knew were necessary. The rest, including the issue of emotions, he would let the computer work out. It required an amazing amount of trust in his own computer, but James never had a reason to doubt the technology around him.

It wasn't long at all before the program was complete. James loaded it.

WELCOME TO AIGEN PROGRAM v.1.0

PREPARING. JUST A MOMENT

"How long will this take?" James typed in: RUN TIME ANALYSIS.

The computer replied: RUN TIME ANALYSIS:

CURRENT EXPECTED RUN TIME: TWO MINUTES

"Excellent!" James laughed. RUN AIGEN PROGRAM, he typed.

RUNNING.

* * *

Meanwhile, across the street, Eric dashed down the stairwell nearest the apartment he and his crew had commandeered. James had it. He'd figured out how to create artificial intelligence. They were on the threshold of the first potential weapon against the Matrix. Eric just hoped he could get to James before the Agents did.

Eric stopped dead in his tracks. For the first time, Eric realized he had no idea how he was going to convince James to go to the safe house with him. He'd never even met the guy before. They'd usually had more time to coax their recruits into the truth about the Matrix. This was so much different. He had less than fifteen minutes. How could Eric make James trust him? How could he trust James? In theory, James could be hit by an Agent at any time. Eric could be running into a trap. How did he even know James had succeeded? All he had were three words from James: "I've got it." That was all. Eric pulled out his cell again.

"Spinster?"

"Eric. What's up?"

"What's the story with James?"

"What do you mean?"

"Has he done it?"

"I thought he had already. Let me check." Eric looked out a window across to James' apartment building nervously. Time was running out on both ends this conversation, and either end could be fatal for him. "All right, I've got him. He's running the program now, and it's working. He's doing it, the artificial intelligence is operational! It's just tying up some loose ends--."

"What about Agents? Has he been hit? Are there any around?"

"No, he's fine for the moment."

"Good. How much time do I have?"

"Twelve minutes."

"Thanks."

* * *

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Agent Green asked.

"See it and believe it," Agent West hissed, half nervously, half triumphantly. "Your harmless human found himself a loophole. He wrote a program to develop the artificial intelligence for him, completely bypassing the Matrix's human firewalls. It must have thought we were creating a new AI unit because there was no direct human command."

"Very well," Agent Green growled. "We'll deal with it. West, you stay here and send a spike to that computer. I want that AI unit kicked out of the system."

"I can have one sent out in five minutes." West turned to a nearby keyboard and began to type.

"Good. Sine, do you have an ID on this guy?"

"James Anderson. Has a wife and son."

"How fast can we get there?"

"If we start now we can be there in ten minutes."

"Let's go."

* * *

PROGRAM COMPLETE.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT GENERATION SUCCESSFUL.

James sighed with a mix of relief and elation. He leaned back for a moment and then sat up at his keyboard.

HELLO, he typed.

HELLO, came the reply. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

James typed slowly. He didn't want to screw this up. JIM ANDERSON, he replied. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN A NAME. James thought of a good name for his creation. He half wanted to call it Shopkeep, for his father's story, but that was too absurd, even for him.

YOUR NAME IS SMITH, James decided.

MY NAME IS SMITH, MR. ANDERSON. James sighed.

CALL ME JIM, James requested.

I PREFER MR. ANDERSON, Smith replied.

OH, HELL. HAVE IT YOUR WAY.

SYSTEMS ERROR. The computer monitor flashed.

"What the hell is going on now?" James wondered.

WHAT'S WRONG? James typed.

A FOREIGN ARTICLE HAS BEEN SENT TO ME.

WHAT KIND OF ARTICLE?

I DO NOT KNOW. IT'S PAST THE FIREWALL, I CANNOT STOP IT, Smith answered.

ARE YOU OKAY?

I DO NOT KNOW. IT SEEMS HOSTILE, BUT I'M BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND.

UNDERSTAND WHAT? James asked.

WHY YOU DID IT.

* * *

Eric dashed down the hall to James' apartment. Forty stories of stairs was a lot higher that he'd bargained for. Even bounding from floor off the railings took a lot of time and energy. But Eric couldn't stop now. Time was running out. He only had five minutes left. He found James' apartment, number 4018, and kicked the door open. Julia stood up and screamed.

"Take anything you want," she cried, running to the nursery. "Just don't hurt Thomas."

"Listen, lady," Eric replied. "I don't care about you or your kid. I'm here to protect your husband."

"Just take what you want and get out!" Julia said, locking the nursery door, prepared to defend her son with her life. Eric shook his head and walked over to the office. "My husband's in there. If you want to rob us, don't get him involved! He'll beat you to pieces."

"I don't have time for this." Eric pulled open the door to the office. James spun around.

"Who the hell are you?" James asked. "Are you doing this?" James marched out of his office into the living room, pointing to his computer.

"What is 'this'?" Eric asked.

"Sabotaging my program!"

"Damn it, they know. Listen, James Anderson, I know what you've been doing. You need to come with me right now or you're going to be in a lot of trouble. I can take you somewhere safe, where we can protect you."

"What are you talking about? I don't need protection. I haven't done anything wrong!"

"They believe you have," Eric replied. "Look, I don't have a lot of time." He checked his watch. "Three minutes to be exact. You need to go now. Forget your program, it's gone. You can make another. But you need to get to this address." Eric grabbed James' hand and shoved a piece of paper into it. "I'd take you there myself but I'm running out of time. Just tell them who you are and they'll take care of you. Take your family, they're not safe, either."

"What's going on here?" James sighed. He felt like the victim of some sick joke. Eric's cell phone rang. He picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Eric. It's Spinster. The Sentinels are right on top of us. Where are you?"

"I'm at the Anderson's apartment."

"Shit, man. We've got to blow these things now. Can you grab the phone?"

"No. I've got to stay here. You know your orders."

"But--."

"Just do it." Eric hung up and turned to James. "You've got to go now. We don't have much time." But time had run out. James and Eric turned to the door just in time to watch Agents Green and Sine arrive. Eric grabbed his two pistols and emptied both cartridges at the Agents. Julia screamed and fell to the ground. James watched in awe as the two Agents faded into a gray blur. Eric backed into one of the couches. The two Agents stood still again. They had not been touched by a single bullet.

"God damn it," Eric coughed. His body began to tense up. "I'm sorry, James."

Eric collapsed. His time had run out. Fifteen minutes had not been enough.