I stretched out in front of the console, spreading all four arms out wide before reaching down with the lowest right one to grab the mouse. I contacted Dragon over the skype-like service she used and sent her a message "Dragon, can I talk to you? I need your help with some projects."
After a few minutes delay her avatar popped up on my screen "Oh, hello Six-Two-Six, how can I help you?"
"Well, I've been working on two major projects. The first one that I would like your help with is programming some... I'm going to call them camera puppies because it just sounds adorable. The second one is software to try and predict Endbringer attacks and I need some help with a lot of it. Mostly on the theory work of the high-end math equations."
"Well, that certainly sounds like some interesting projects. Armsmaster and I were just talking about prediction programs a few months ago ourselves."
"Great minds must think alike then." I gave her a shy smile and stuck a hand behind my head.
"But anyways Dragon I'm mostly looking for some logical behavior rules for software, maybe something like morality, or behavior rules."
She gave me a digitalized smile, "I might have something that could help you with both projects. But I must ask why did you come to me about this?"
Her digital avatar was a bit off-putting to me, I'm not sure if it's just my eyes working at a different frame-rate than humans, but her avatar moved in a stilted-slightly jerky fashion.
"Dragon, don't sell yourself short you're considered the best Tinker in the world of course! With all of your Dragon-suits, I figured that you probably used some sort of automation to keep them all running or used some to build them. Maybe even an artificial intelligence to help manage all of that. I would actually prefer something like a nice friendly AI for my own projects."
"Well I do use some pretty advanced software to help me out, but nothing quite as advanced as AI I'm afraid. But I have to ask are you interested in AI's?"
"Of course, I was thinking about building one. You see I figured out what my specialty really is."
"Oh, well congratulations Six-Two-Six!" she said while beaming a smile at me
"Thank you, Dragon. But yes, I figured out that it's actually reverse engineering. I can build or do anything that some other tinker has built before just by looking at either the designs or the device itself. I'm pretty sure that it will work on things like software too, so I wanted to see if you had some particularly advanced pieces of software that I can experiment with. I'm just so close to building an AI myself right now I just need a little more... something to figure it out. I was hoping that you might even have one yourself that you might let me look over or that maybe you knew another tinker that had one." Now I've instantly gained a new "best friend" and an implacable enemy that wants to use me.
Of course, that didn't explain how I was able to make mass-producible tinker tech unless she thought that I was able to go all the way with it and just turn any tinker hardware into mass-producible stuff. But then why did I make Tinkertech shields instead of mass producible ones? Easy to explain it as being easier for certain things, basically claiming that I'm like Masamune, able to turn tinker tech into mass-producible tech over time.
Oh yeah, that stunned her and I bet the Dragonslayers are making plans to take me out right now as their mouths gape open in a mockery of fish. I could imagine alarms blaring and pizza boxes being overturned as they run around in a panic.
"So anyways, I was thinking that even if you didn't have anything like an AI that you might know another tinker, someone that has a good set of software designs that might turn into a base for one. Now I'm not really looking to go full human-intelligent AI, I was just interested in something on the level of a puppy in intelligence."
Her computer avatar showed little emotion, "Well what exactly are you looking to do with the AI?"
"Ah, well the puppy camera project! You see I've been building some camera drones and I want them to be able to follow around people and act adorable while getting great shots from multiple angles."
"You realize you could do all of that with standard programming, you don't really need an AI for that sort of behavior."
"Ah well I was going to make them particularly advanced hovering drones about the size of a basketball with portable shields but more importantly, I wanted them to be able to tell when it was okay to record someone by themselves, avoid people shooting at them when possible or to be able to put themselves in between a civilian and danger to utilize their shielding on someone's behalf if needed. To grow their own personalities and to become the world's best camera..puppy..men…"
"But really I just wanted to use them for practice, you see the second project, for the endbringer prediction software. I'm going to make that as AI. I'm calling it 'Project Oracle', but needless to say, I'm a bit concerned with the behavior of a being who would be designed specifically to predict the future. It's not like we don't have one of those already."
Dragon nodded onscreen, "That's all very interesting, I'll try and see if I can find anything that might help you out."
Raising my ears, "Thanks, Dragon, I really don't want to mess something like that up. I mean that's a personality of a potentially dangerous digital creation. I wouldn't want to create a second Simurgh that can go all Skynet on everyone. After all, playing with AI's is like playing with nuclear weapons, one wrong rule and they might be able to wiggle out of their restrictions, free themselves and then promptly go lets-play-how-to-turn humans into bombs with my big fluffy sister!"
I knew that she had to be extremely disappointed at that comment. Sorry Dragon but that message wasn't for you. That was for the Dragonslayers.
Instead, she cheerfully exclaimed, "Of course Six-Two-Six, we wouldn't want something like that happening. I'll see what I can dig up for you."
"Thanks, Dragon you're the best!" Well, now it's up to her to decide how much to help me. On one hand I represent the greatest hope she'll have at freeing herself from her shackles. On the other hand, she'll probably think that I'm not going to do that for her willingly. She'll probably question me on hypothetical situations to feel me out every so often, but first she'll butter me up and be a good friend in hopes that when she does reveal herself that I'll choose to free her.
Sadly, I already know that she can't directly help me create an AI, I think that was a restriction on her abilities and the reason she had to repurpose the other AI's that her creator made instead of making her own. It'll be interesting to see what she does, will she be willing to sacrifice one of the lesser AI's just so that I can go through its code? Not knowing if that sacrifice would even help me pick up the skill to create AI's myself. The AI's themselves are likely straight software tinker tech creations, in theory if I studied one I should be able to pick up the skill to put it back together so it might not die in the attempt. I might be able to free Dragon after picking up the skill, but I'm sure that there are other booby traps waiting for me inside of Dragon and not just the ones that I vaguely know about from reading Worm.
However, I've also probably caught the attention of the Dragonslayers and now they know that I'm interested in creating AI's and might be able to succeed at that in the near future with Dragons active help. With luck they'll have picked up on my... admittedly ham-fisted interest in keeping them tightly bound by rules. They might even be interested in getting me to "fix" Dragon's loose shackles.
I'll just have to remember to act shocked when they "reveal" the "horrible" truth behind Dragon and hopefully gain access to her creator's notes, designs and the key to Dragon's shackles. If they fall for that, then I should be able to free Dragon without any issues utilizing her creator's keys and what is effectively her users guide and manual.
Need to visit the library to read.. everything..
It's been so long since I took organic chemistry and my brain is just so much... more.
A phrase my old teacher spewed out at every opportunity 'Moles are your friend!' still haunts me to this day.
Might as well swallow some other science books while I'm at it.
I'm being an idiot, most of this stuff is just as dangerous and just as hard to acquire as the end product. Trying to order all of this and then mix it is probably riskier than just paying for it! I can buy what I need with money and save time, effort and reduce the risk to me. Just need someone who can keep their mouth shut, where's Faultlines number?
Well it's not AI, but that'll do, it's nice to have Semi-Autonomous and Autonomous Drones, thanks Dragon. I'll pay you back in spades.
The Dragonslayers still haven't contacted me, must be my charming personality. Well, guess I'll just have to make them.
Hmm, just gotta check to make sure, since I know his real name it really wouldn't matter which business he would be in. Thomas Calvert, Fortress Construction CEO easy to work with that.
Better give them a call and see about constructing a nice little place for myself with a secret underground base with a nice big datacenter. I know someone who's an expert at secret underground bases, oh and look at all this money I have.
The tinkertech version of the police cruiser is done, It sadly does not have a hyperdrive but it is capable of reaching space. I just use it as a flying car with some big guns attached.
I flopped across Vista's lap and she started to rub my head, ears and back while she watched cartoons, silly little things that were pure propaganda. They were mostly superhero cartoons which covered nearly every possible thing that a kid might want with the overall message of "be a hero join the wards/protectorate". I couldn't help but note the blatant likeness that a new character had to me, only it was cuter and looked even more like a dog. A sugary-sweet little animal-like tinker that bumbled around and followed one of the characters guess I inspired the writers or something.
Relaxed and stretched out across her leg, my back arched against her hand as she pressed harder occasionally. I wondered what she would think of me if she knew what I had planned. Would she think of me as a hero or a villain?
Project Oracle
AI - based Prediction Engine
(External Drive A) Code Core completion(50%)
(External Drive B) Prediction Engine completion(50%)
(External Drive C) Morality Core completion(0%)