Chapter 111: AI vs. Hybrid
Jennifer and Dr. Cortex were on their way to the Downs Region. Dr. Cortex had moved Vulay to a pull-out bed.
‘If I cannot control her, she will become a liability,’ said Jennifer to Dr. Cortex.
‘She has been very valuable,’ replied Dr. Cortex. ‘It would be a mistake to dispose of her.’
‘I fear your organic side is hindering your judgement,’ said Jennifer.
‘It gives me balance,’ said Dr. Cortex. ‘I have the best of both organic and artificial intelligence.’
‘Maybe balance, but maybe conflict,’ said Jennifer. ‘How is your compassion for Vulay a good thing?’
‘I would hardly call it compassion,’ replied Dr. Cortex. ‘Reasonable treatment helps build loyalty.’
Jennifer laughed and said, ‘She follows instructions from me. Why would loyalty be necessary?’
‘I was referring to maintaining my own loyalty towards her and others,’ replied Dr. Cortex. ‘She isn’t capable of loyalty or any other personal feelings or attachments. My drug made sure of that.’
‘Sounds like a personal flaw of yours,’ said Jennifer. ‘We only require commitment to our tasks. Any commitment given to others is purely coincidental.’
‘Your answer demonstrates that there are some things that artificial intelligence will never appreciate,’ said Dr. Cortex.
‘If it is beneficial, I will learn it,’ said Jennifer.
Dr. Cortex smiled.
‘You may have overestimated the effectiveness of your drug,’ said Jennifer.
‘Have you detected problems in any of our zombies?’ joked Dr. Cortex.
‘Vulay is fighting back,’ said Jennifer. ‘Her brain activity has been gradually increasing.’
‘That shouldn’t be possible,’ said Dr. Cortex.
‘You know she has reversed the effects of other drugs,’ said Jennifer. ‘You should not be surprised.’
‘She has shown to be an anomaly,’ said Dr. Cortex. ’It doesn’t prove my drug to be ineffective.’
‘Is she special, or is she special to you?’ asked Jennifer.
‘That is a preposterous suggestion,’ replied Dr. Cortex.
‘I’m inside your head,’ said Jennifer. ‘You cannot lie or hide anything from me. To even contemplate that shows fallacy in your thinking.’
Dr. Cortex went silent as he brooded over what Jennifer had said.
‘Do you want to know if she likes you?’ asked Jennifer.
‘After what I have done to her, the answer is definitely negative,’ replied Dr. Cortex.
‘She does not hate you,’ said Jennifer. ‘She pities you. She feels you’re not a real male or Sapien. To her, you are like a self-aware appliance.’
Dr. Cortex chuckled in agitation.
‘Did I inadvertently tell a joke?’ asked Jennifer.
‘You are an artificial intelligence that needs control over everything,’ said Dr. Cortex. ‘All the others obey you blindly. They don’t have a choice. For me, you are a program. I can give you control, but I can also take it back. At this time, you only exist in me. Who has the power right now?’
‘In theory, you make a point, but I can do this,’ said Jennifer. She simulated a loud noise inside Dr. Cortex’s head. Dr. Cortex clutched his head in pain. Jennifer stopped. ‘Sorry, I was just making an even stronger point.’
Vulay began to wake up. Dr. Cortex pulled her up to a seated position. He looked into her eyes. They were partly glazed over. He checked her temperature and pulse.
‘Stand up, Vulay,’ commanded Dr. Cortex.
Vulay slowly got to her feet. She slightly staggered as she tried to remain upright.
‘Sit down,’ commanded Dr. Cortex.
Vulay sat back down again.
‘She is no threat,’ said Dr. Cortex. ‘We should keep her until you are able to reconnect with her.’
‘She’s expendable,’ said Jennifer. ‘Chuck her out. We can replace her once we get to the Downs Region.’
‘The profile I have of the residents of Downs strongly indicates that would not be the case,’ said Dr. Cortex.
‘If she thinks for herself, she will rebel against us. If someone else gets hold of her, they can use her against us,’ said Jennifer.
‘I suggest a compromise,’ said Dr. Cortex. ‘We drop her off in the Central Agriculture Zone. I will be able to track her. She will be no threat to us. Once we have you back online, you can regain control of her again.’
‘As you wish,’ replied Jennifer. ‘This decision affects you more than it affects me.’
Jennifer and Dr. Cortex ended their discussion about Vulay. They switched their attention to finalising their strategy for Downs.
A few hours passed, and they were now only a few minutes away from Downs.
‘Time to lose your girlfriend,’ said Jennifer.
‘Stand up, Vulay,’ instructed Dr. Cortex. ‘Go put on a parachute.’
Dr. Cortex pointed towards the back of the flying vehicle. Vulay staggered towards the back while pressing against the side of the vehicle. She grabbed a parachute and began putting it on her back. Just next to her, she noticed several explosive devices. They had not been dropped because this vehicle had been used for observation purposes rather than direct attack.
‘Come on,’ called out Dr. Cortex. ‘Proceed to the front exit.’
Vulay made her way back to the front. The door opened.
‘After you jump out, pull your cord,’ instructed Dr. Cortex.
A big smile came over Vulay’s face as she fell backwards out of the flying vehicle.
‘Oh, she’s back alright,’ said Jennifer. ‘Told you, you should have just thrown her out.’
Vulay watched the flying vehicle as she fell backward. She held on to the cord and waited. A few seconds later, the flying vehicle exploded. It was a powerful explosion that lit up the night sky. She could feel the displaced air pushing against her as she fell. Vulay pulled hard on the parachute’s cord as she breathed a sigh of relief. The parachute shot out above her. She was just in time. Her descent slowed just before she hit the ground.
The residents of Downs heard the loud explosion. They looked up into the sky as the brightness of the explosion quickly vanished. They had no idea what it was. Most of them were still unaware of what was happening across the continent. Orcille heard the explosion from the medical centre. He knew it was not a good sign. Denise had not regained consciousness yet.
Vulay rose to her feet. She pulled the parachute off. She walked out into a clearing. In the distance, she could see the Downs Region. It was not far away. Now, she was even more wobbly on her feet. However, she was determined she could make this short distance. She still had her Adoy Head Enforcer identification with her. She planned to use that to get herself into the region.
Vulay had only walked a short distance when the emergency services emerged from the region. Vulay felt both relieved and concerned. She dropped to the ground in exhaustion as the emergency vehicles stopped next to her.
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