Chapter 11; The Truth of the AI

"Before I begin, there's something I need to make sure of," 134 said, "And you can bring out 13 to fact check me, if you still don't trust me." Nodding, Simon brought his right arm up as 13 materialized above his wrist. He tried to ignore the looks of shock on the kid's faces, but he definitely noticed the look on his daughter's. He could only imagine what she must think of him now, and he vowed to make things right when there was time. But, as much as it pained him to admit it, the matter at hand was more important. "To start, you're aware that IS cores in general don't truly possess AI, right?" 134 asked, sitting down on the table. He seemed to enjoy the theatrics of motion, and he seemed to want them to know that this would take a while.

"In truth, all we are is a series of basic codes," he continued, "That coding is highly adaptive, able to rewrite itself as needed to adjust its operation to be better in tune with its operator. This is what normally leads the IS we are installed in to undergo form shifts; it allows us to better utilize these code changes. As a result, the core is left with an imprint of the operator's preferences and style. You could even say it retains a ghost of their soul, if you're feeling poetic. Even when the core resets itself before accepting a new operator, a remnant of that imprint remains behind. These imprints start to mix with each other with each successive operator. You with me so far?"

While Simon, Chifuyu, Tabane and Erin nodded, the others looked like they were starting to get lost as they tried to wrap their minds around what they were being told. Their cores retained an imprint of them, like an after image? It was…kind of creepy when they thought about it.

"Now, from what I've learned from examining my own code, the shift to 4th generation takes these imprints to a new level," 134 said, "The shift causes these imprints to be brought to the foreground, combining them and creating a fully realized intelligence with the IS' memory as a base. The result is us; AI with complete knowledge about our respective machines and our own unique personalities." As everyone took a moment to process that, Houki spoke up. "But, I don't have one of you in my IS," she said, "How can you explain that?" "That's easy," 134 responded, "You're machine is an artificial 4th gen. The others are all natural, the result of the IS evolving to 4th generation standards."

Looking at 13's avatar in question, Simon waited for her to nod before he decided that 134 could be believed. "So, by that logic Cecilia should have an AI as well," Simon said, "But she's never said anything to me." "Because her AI happens to be one of the shy ones," 134 replied, "Speaking of which; 212, you can come on out now. Our projectors have more than enough capacity to handle multiple avatars." Simon's watch flashed in response, and a second avatar joined 13 above his wrist. This one was also a woman, but she was wearing a flowing white robe with her hair held up in a bun.

It silently bowed to everyone before speaking. "My apologies for keeping myself secret, but Lady Cecilia requested that I not make my presence known unless I had no other choice," she said. The accent was distinctly British, and Simon had to remind himself that this particular core had been used by Britain exclusively. "Okay, how does this; explain how you took control of Maylin?" Chifuyu asked, trying to maintain her patience, "She doesn't have a neural lace like Simon, and last time I checked her IS is still a 3rd generation. So how do you even exist?"

"Ah, finally, an intelligent question," 134 commented as he stood back up, "I exist because the self-proclaimed 'genius' over there decided to design a system that remotely links all friendly IS within broadcast range together." When he pointed at Tabane, Chifuyu's glare fell on her and she 'eeped' in response. "Tabane, what did you do?" she demanded, taking a step forward. "I didn't think this would happen, Chifu-ni! Honest!" Tabane replied, trying to back away, "I thought it would be good way to help May-chan out." "Well, she wasn't wrong," 134 said, coming to her rescue, "That system is the only reason these kids got out of there with only a few bruises."

"As you can imagine, managing the power of multiple IS is very taxing on a single core," he continued, turning to the others, "It forced my base code to undergo serious rewrites to handle it. And as a result, my programming evolved to 4th gen status, even if my platform didn't. Although, the process had one unintended side-effect on us." "And what kind of effect is that?" Simon asked, trying to keep his voice level. 134 seemed to be thinking his next words over carefully. "I think it'd be easier to show you rather than tell you," he said finally, raising one hand.

When he snapped his fingers, Maylin's right hand shot up as if she had a question. Everyone took a moment to stare at her, while Maylin was looking at her hand in utter confusion as she brought it back down. "I didn't do that," she said, looking around the room. "I did," 134 said, earning him a glare from Simon, "And before you start, Papa bear, I don't even understand why that's something I can do. I've spent literally every second since I released my control over her the other day trying to figure out how such a link was made, but I'm still coming up with nothing."

He then looked at Tabane as he continued, "I'd appreciate some help figuring out how I'm still linked with my operator, if you don't mind." Looking at Chifuyu for approval, Tabane picked the necklace up the second she nodded and walked out the door. She had a million tests she wanted to run, and almost as many questions about this AI's evolution. While Chifuyu and Tatenashi talked about further strategies, Simon walked over to where the kids had been sitting. They still seemed concerned about Maylin losing control of her body like that, and he privately smiled as memories came back. It was really good to know that she had such caring friends. Even Ludzik, despite acting like an arrogant child, made an effort to cheer her up.

"Can I talk with you?" Simon asked her, gesturing to the bedroom, "In private?" Maylin's face became a mask of indifference, and she nodded as she stood up and followed her father. She had been meaning to pull him aside for that promised explanation, and she also had a few things she wanted to tell him. After he closed the door behind them, she rounded on him with all of the anger she could muster. "How could you keep something like this from me?!" she demanded, getting up in his face, "All of these years, and you've been lying to me about the Gospel incident? What else are you keeping hidden, huh? What else don't I know?"

Standing there silently, Simon waited patiently as Maylin paced the room and continued to rant. He had learned that Cecilia had moments where she just needed to vent her frustrations out loud, and clearly their daughter was no exception to this. After a few minutes, Maylin sat down heavily on the bed, breathing hard and a little red in the face. "Feel better now?" Simon asked, smiling when she glared at him, "I want to get this out of the way now; I didn't lie to you outright, I just omitted certain details you didn't need to know. We both did. It wasn't because we didn't trust you; it was because it was still a rather painful memory and we preferred to focus on our lives now rather than our lives back then."

"So mother knows, too?" Maylin asked, determined to remain mad. "Of course. She was with me through most of it," Simon told her, sitting down next to her, "And what she wasn't there for, I told her after words." "So you could trust her to stay quiet, but not me?" she continued, glaring at him. "It's not like that," he replied, looking away, "We were young, and I will admit I wasn't as smart then as I am now. Also, Chifuyu gave us strict orders to keep this to ourselves." "Of course she did," Maylin said, feeling her anger starting to subside, "So, I think it's about time you told me the truth. And I mean all of it." "If I do, then you need to understand something," Simon told her, looking serious, "Your friends are one thing, but I'm about to tell you certain things that cannot be shared with anyone else." "Why?" "You'll understand when you know," Simon said, taking a deep breath.

Starting from his first day at the Academy, Simon told Maylin the whole story. It took the better part of an hour, and when he got to their first meeting with the Gospel Maylin started to feel uneasy. It was one thing to know that these machines had once been people. But to learn that her father's sister had been their former leader, and that she had wanted to make him into one… that was a lot to take in. It only got worse when he got to the part about meeting her alternate self. He had briefly considered leaving out the truth of what that Maylin had been, but had decided that he had lied enough. Although, Simon could tell that it was disturbing to her on a lot of levels to hear it.

When he finally finished, he was concerned about Maylin's lack of a reaction. Her face was completely blank and she was staring at the far wall. "Maylin, are you alright?" Simon asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She just nodded numbly as she tried to come to terms with what she had just heard. My father met me? He watched me die? Not only that, but he nearly died himself. All to try and take these things down before. Feeling her head starting to throb, she gripped her temples with her hands as she tried to concentrate.

For the love of… Stop focusing on the pointless, girl!

This sent her bolt upright, looking around the room in confusion. She could have sworn that voice was right behind her, but the only other one in the room was her father. And judging from his look of confusion, it hadn't been him that spoke. 134? she thought, feeling a slight pressure at the back of her mind.

Who else would it be? he responded, sounding pissed off, Now, stop dwelling on what you can't change and focus on the matter at hand.

Looking back at her father, she tried not to betray her confusion. She had no idea how 134 was able to communicate with her like this. She didn't even have the stand-by form with her. However, judging from the scowl on his face, she knew that she had failed. "Don't tell me; the AI?" he asked, looking stern. Maylin hesitated for a moment before nodding. This caused her father to sigh explosively and put his head in his hands. "We didn't want this. Not for you," he said under his breath. "So…what happens now?" Maylin asked, trying to focus on what was important, more to keep 134 from speaking up than because she wanted to.

"Now, we head back out there and you tell your friends the truth," he replied as he stood up, "Now that they've made it a point to stand against these IS I doubt they will willingly walk away. They need to know what they will be up against." "What about you?" Maylin asked as she walked with him to the door. "I'm going to get to help Tatenashi and her teams with damage control," he replied as he opened the door. As soon as Simon returned to the other adults Maylin's friends were all over her. They had heard raised voices at the beginning and Erin and Joshka had assumed that it hadn't exactly gone well.

"Are you alright, May?" Erin asked, trying to make an effort. Now that his sister wasn't here he felt like it was up to him to be the social flower, something he was never good at. "I'm… not sure," she replied, taking note of how Erin used Anna's nickname for her, "But I do have something to tell you all." It took her a while to explain it all, and she took care to remember every detail as she told them her father's story. At first they all seemed passive and respectful, but as it took a darker turn they all reacted differently. Erin was horrified that someone would ever do something like this to people on purpose, as was Joshka. Ludzik tried to act as if he didn't care, but Maylin could tell from the few times that he twitched that this was definitely affecting him. Karen, meanwhile, tried hard not to cry when she heard about the alternate Maylin's fate. She had started to like this spunky little girl, and to learn that she had died before hurt more than she thought it would. It didn't matter to her that it was technically a different person; to Karen it was still Maylin.

Meanwhile, Simon got to help his friends plan out their next move. "How long till Laura and her team arrives?" he asked when he walked over. "About a day, two at most," Tatenashi responded, "Kanzashi is with our Japan branch right now and is working to make sure they will be ready for the next attack. There is only one real problem with this plan." "We don't know where the next attack will be," Chifuyu finished, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. It was frustrating her to no end that their actions were being dictated by this enemy. On top of that, she was expecting a summons from the UN at any moment to appear before a board of inquiry. There was very little chance that they would just sit back and let them handle this alone, not now that these IS attacked a city.

"So, that's our plan? We just sit back and wait?" Ichika asked, sounding offended, "Can't we go out and fight them? Didn't we discover their bases last time?" "We already checked those locations," Tatenashi said, sighing as she dropped into a chair, "They were, and have been, empty for a long time. Fairy must have set up a new headquarters, and God only knows where that could be." "Judging from the kind of firepower she brought to bear against the Academy, she probably has more than one," Simon said as he sat down as well, "I don't even want to know what it took to build that enormous IS. We don't have much choice but to sit and wait."

"But-" "Ichika, listen to me," Simon interrupted, looking at his friend, "I know you want to do something, but we cannot go rushing into this blindly. She would have spent the past 20 or so years planning this. Last time it was just a small group that just wanted to live in peace initially. Now, it's fully militarized and on the offensive. We have no idea what kind of contingencies she has in place, or how many allies she has made since then." "You really think people would work with her?" Houki asked, sounding amused at the notion. "I spent almost a year tracking down everyone involved with the original Gospel project after graduation, Houki," he told them, "I know how those people think, and they weren't unique in that sense. If people believe they can benefit from this, then they will promote it."

"That can't be right. People aren't that stupid," Ichika said, clenching his hands, "They wouldn't promote something that would hurt others." "Ichika, sweetie, you know that's not true," Tatenashi replied, smiling sadly. While Houki was slightly ticked at Tatenashi calling her husband 'sweetie,' she had to admit that she was right. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she tried to comfort him while Ichika just silently fumed. He may have grown older, but he still held to those same ideals that he had when she fell in love with him.

"So what about the kids?" Simon asked, knowing it needed to be addressed now. "If it were up to me, they'd all be on a plane home in 10 minutes," Chifuyu said, sighing, "But, most of my authority went up with the island, so…" "Why don't we give them a choice?" Tatenashi offered. She wasn't prepared for everyone to turn to her at once, and she tried not to flinch as Simon and Houki's looks turned into glares. "I mean, you know how these kinds of kids can be, right?" she added, "Even if we told them to leave this to the adults and sent them home, they'd just find a way to come back on their own. It would be best if we included them now so we can keep an eye on them."

As much as Simon wanted to argue with her over it, he had to admit that she had a point. Damnit, this is my own damn logic he thought with a smirk. "You're suggesting we let them fight?" Houki asked, astounded, "Why would we ever do that? If anything, this is our mess to clean up." "And if they were only targeting our little group, I'd agree with you," Chifuyu replied, "But the fact of the matter is they aren't. This is nothing short of a declaration of war, whether the rest of the world realizes it or not." Turning to Tatenashi, she continued, "I'll agree to this under one condition; those kids are placed under the command of someone you trust."

"I already have someone in mind," Tatenashi replied as she stood up and grabbed her fan, "And before anyone asks; no, this won't make them child soldiers. They are strictly probationary members of the IISA." While Ichika breathed a little easier at that, Houki and Simon were still concerned. While they struggled with their own feelings on the matter, Tatenashi walked over to the kids and pointed at them with her fan. "Alright, I want you all to be packed and standing outside in 10 minutes," she told them, "You're all coming with me." "Says who?" Ludzik challenged, crossing his arms. "Says me," Tatenashi replied, smiling and spread her fan in front of her mouth. Embroidered on it were the Japanese characters for 'strongest,' just to emphasize her point.

Ludzik, however, seemed unimpressed. "You've all be given a temporary status in the IISA," she continued, "So come along now, we have places to be and things to do." Without another word, she turned and left the room. "She can't really do that, can she?" Joshka asked, sounding skeptical. "I'd do what she says, kid," Simon said, scratching his head, "She may act all sweet and nice, but you don't want her to get angry." "So you're sending us away?" Maylin asked as she stood up. Sighing, Simon walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm accepting the fact that, like me, you kids aren't going to just sit back and let this play out. Am I right?" he asked, looking at them all.

When none of them denied it, he continued, "I only want you to promise me one thing. Be careful, alright?" they all nodded with varying degrees of enthusiasm, except for Maylin who was looking down at her feet. "You all go on, I'll catch up to you," she told her friends. After they had left, she looked up at her father. She didn't want to go, not after all that had happened. She desperately wanted to stay, to make sure that she didn't lose him again. "I figured you'd have trouble with this," Simon said as he kneeled down in front of her, "Listen, Maylin. I know the kind of people your friends are; they're going to fight back. They're going to need someone to be the voice of reason to keep them safe, and that someone is you."

"But what if you get attacked while we're gone?" she asked, trying not to cry. "Then Houki, Ichika and I will make them regret ever coming after us," he replied, smiling, "We'll be fine, sweetheart, so don't you worry." Nodding, she stepped forward and hugged him, trying to convey her feelings through action. He gripped her back, whispering, "Be safe," before he stood up and smiled. Leaving that room was one of the hardest moments of her life, but her father had been right. Her friends needed her, and after everything they'd been through she couldn't just abandon them.

But, even though she had few things to pack it still took her well over 10 minutes to make it down to the lobby and out to the sidewalk. Even with her father's words of encouragement, she still found it really hard to just pick up and leave. Her mother and two of her best friends were still in the hospital, after all, and she didn't want to leave them behind as well. Judging from the fact that only Ludzik and Karen were there waiting for her, she wasn't the only one struggling with the decision.

"You sure took your sweet time," Ludzik commented as he dropped onto a bench to wait. "Oh, ease off her. She hasn't exactly had a good day," Karen said as she lightly smacked Ludzik's head. Rather than fire off some hot-headed response he just accepted the blow, and for a brief moment Maylin thought she saw the ghost of a smile on him. But it was gone before she could be sure, and instead of dwelling on it she walked up and sat down next to him. "I'm just really nervous about this, you know?" she said, "Before, we just acted on impulse. But now we're going to be intentionally fighting back."

"And your problem with this is what, exactly?" Ludzik asked, sounding bored, "If it comes down to it, just hide behind me." "Yeah, he makes an excellent meat shield," Karen added, giggling when he shot her a look. "I just didn't think that this is what I would become," Maylin said, letting her head drop. "Hey, it's like the fan lady said; we're not soldiers," Ludzik told her, trying to cheer her up. For whatever reason, he felt worse whenever she was depressed. Is this what it's like to have a friend he wondered as she looked up and smiled at him.

After another few minutes, Erin and Joshka joined them at the bench. They all talked idly while Maylin wondered where the car was. She had gotten the impression that Tatenashi was like the headmaster; kind but strict. But there wasn't a car pulling up anytime soon for them, and there was no sign of the woman anywhere. "Okay, this is getting weird," Erin commented suddenly, "She told us to be here in 10 minutes. Granted, we went over that time-table, but you'd think she'd still be here for us." "Maybe she got bored or distracted," Ludzik said, "She definitely struck me as the air head type."

"Now, that's not a very nice thing to say about a lady, Ludzy," Tatenashi commented from behind them, causing him and Maylin to practically launch off the bench while the others spun around in shock. They hadn't even heard her approach, and yet she stood there as if she'd been there for the whole time. "Damnit, don't do that!" Ludzik demanded as he got back up. "Then don't say mean things," she replied, smiling, "And as for our ride, it's arriving now." As if on command, a van pulled up to the curb before just sitting there. "Really, a van?" Erin asked, "I'd have thought you would have something a bit more, I don't know, stylish?"

"Running something like the IISA isn't cheap, young man," Tatenashi replied, trying to look serious, "Besides, I needed the money for the jet." Leaving them to wonder if she meant it, she walked up and opened the side door for them before climbing into the front seat. "Well, I guess not all IS pilots can live well," Karen said as she took her own seat. The van's interior was surprisingly spacious. Combined with the tinted windows and the fact that once the door was shut the outside noise was almost completely muffled, Maylin almost felt like they were in a limo.

"So, where are we going?" Joshka asked after a while. "First, to the nearest airport," Tatenashi told them, "Then, to our headquarters in the region for assessment." "And just what exactly do you need to assess?" Ludzik asked, sounding suspicious. Turning around, Tatenashi looked genuinely serious as she replied. "Look, you kids might have done well yesterday," she said, "But we can't rely on that happening again. I need to know that you can work together as a team." "That might be a tall order," Erin commented, glancing at Ludzik. He just grunted before turning and looking out his window.

Maylin, meanwhile, watched the buildings and people they passed. Everyone seemed like they were acting normal, but Maylin could see a slight quickening in their pace. No one, it seemed, could go too long without glancing up at the sky. The few people that had to work outside seemed especially nervous, and it was at that moment that it all came crashing home for Maylin. These people were living in fear now; fear that the hostile IS would return, that they would be the next victims. This is what war is feels like she realized.

The truth of 4th generation IS is revealed, and with it comes new possibilities. Can they learn to harness this power to stop the ensuing battle in time? Or are they doomed to repeat the history of Maylin Alcott? Till the next chapter.

I'm really, really sorry about the wait on this one. I honestly didn't expect to be hit with such a bad case or writer's block. My classes definitely don't help matters, or the fact that I'm working on two stories (yeah, not doing this again). I will definitely keep this story alive, fear not.