| From: | "Robert A. Hayden" <hayden@*******.MANKATO.MSUS.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Entering AI |
| Date: | Sun, 8 May 1994 22:21:55 -0500 |
+++++ Beginlog: This is an automated posting
+++++ Activate: CLU Program
Loading...
+++++ Activate: Sensor Package
Loading...
+++++ Activate: HardenedFreejack
+++++ The matrix winks into existance. It is an empty SAN with only
one door. A ball of light begins to pulsate on the ground and
suddenly extends upward. After a moment, it fades, leaving
a construct.
+++++ It is humanoid shaped, wearing what appears to be a military
uniform. It wears a belt full of unidentifiable gadgets,
including a rather nasty-looking sidearm. On it's back is what
appears to be a portable field radio of some kind, but a quick
check reveals it to be a large, integrated package of sensor
programs.
+++++ There is another flash of light, much smaller this time, over the
head of the new construct. As the light fades, the image of a
ball of blue-green light remains.
Ramirez: So, CLU, are you ready?
CLU: Yes, sir. Powering up.
+++++ The soldier presses a button on his belt and the backpack begins
to flash with a series of lights. He then extends his hand into
the air and pulls from it an assault rifle of some kind.
Ram: What is your mission?
CLU: I have been instructed to infiltrate Automated Infoworks for the
purpose of learing the goals of the construct MONICA, and her
co-conspiritor Leon Meyers.
Ram: What are your operating parameters?
CLU: Learn all that is learnable. Evaluate that information, and if
possible, take appropriate action. Report that information back
to you.
+++++ Load: Ethics Parameters
Ram: Integrate this program. It will help to guide your actions.
CLU: Yes, sir.
Ram: Alright, let's do it. Call the bike.
CLU: Loading now, sir.
+++++ The soldier takes a small box out of his utility belt and sets
it on the floor. It begins to unfold to reveal what appears to be
a motorcycle, save that it has no wheels, and mounts a rather
large cannon on the front. The soldier shuffles over and takes a
seat, while the floating ball of light settles into position on
the handlebars. The soldier sets the assault rifle into a
holster on the side.
Ram: Let's go.
CLU: Opening doors.
+++++ The door to the SAN opens, revealing the matrix winking in the
virtual twilight beyond. The 'bike' lifts a few feet off of
the ground and leaps from the SAN at an incredible speed.
+++++ For several minutes, the pair race through the networks before
the AI building is in sight.
Ram: There it is, CLU. Are you ready?
CLU: Yes, sir.
Ram: Alright. Prepare to bluff.
+++++ The motorcycle flies down and settles onto a data-highway heading
towards the AI building. In a few moments, they are at the front
of the line.
Guard: Identification.
CLU: You don't need to see my identification.
Guard: (staggering back) I don't need to see your identification.
CLU: We have a valid ID.
Guard: You have a valid ID.
CLU: Move along.
Guard: Move along. Move along.
+++++ The pair of infiltrators fly off into the system.
Ram: What the hell was that? You were supposed to sneak by the guard,
not rewrite it?
CLU: My programming says to use the best approach. If I sneaked, I
would have to allocate processing power to keeping the ICe
suppressed. By rewriting its identification procedures I was able
to accomplish in half the time and with no suppressing the same
task.
Ram: And what happens when the ICe get's contacted by the CPU?
CLU: Nothing, only the external identification procedures were
rewritten. The internal procedures remained identical.
Ram: Well, I'll be...
CLU: That is what you programmed me to do, is it not?
Ram: Yes, I guess it is.
+++++ The pair continue into the system.
Ram: I want you to start planting the bugs.
CLU: Yes, sir.
+++++ A flap in the top of the backpack opens up and a small globe
extends upwards. As the journey continues, little balls of light
shoot from the globe hitting the walls all around the travelling
pair. At the wall, the light fades to reveal a little
microphone-like device, which quickly masks itself, becoming
invisible. Some of the lights also turn into a little mouse-like
constructs that go racing off to plant bugs elsewhere in the
system.
+++++ For several minutes, the pair fly through the system unimpeded,
either evading or reprogramming an ICe that they encounter. No
alarms are raised. Bugs and mouse-bots are planted all over.
+++++ The duo fly down a datapath into a large room. There are no
other exits save a closed door. At one end stands a construct.
It appears dressed in the garb of an African safari hunter,
wielding a net-gun.
Ram: Whoops. Tar monster.
+++++ CLU stops the bike and looks at it.
CLU: I can not get through that construct via deceiving means. An
internal checksum has been implemented to make masking or
reprogramming impossible.
Ram: Hmm, can you kill it?
CLU: Yes.
Ram: Hmm. If you kill it, though, the system will go passive as soon
as someone checks on it, though.
CLU: Yes, that would be a reasoned response. But it can also be
reasoned that a node as heavily protected as the one beyond may
contain the data that you seek, or at the very least something
important.
Ram: How do you figure?
CLU: _Matrix Security Tactics_, Anarchy Press International.
Ram: Can you do it in one shot?
CLU: Yes.
Ram: Go for it, then. This is your show.
+++++ CLU flips a switch on the motor cycle and the cannon on the front
begins to hum. He then presses a button and a flash of intense
light leaps forward, vapourizing the ICe.
Ram: We don't have much time. We need to get this door open.
+++++ CLU dismounts from the bike and walks over to the door. He then
takes an instrument out of his belt and attaches it to the door.
After pressing a few buttons, the door opens.
+++++ CLU turns to get back on the bike, when suddenly the lights dim
and turn yellow.
CLU: Passive alert. Security will be notified to our presence.
Ram: Let's get out of here.
+++++ The two ride through the door into the next node.
+++++ Inside, it looks like a large library. Stacks of data line the
walls, many of them with snake-shaped ICe coiled around it.
Ram: We need to get a look at this data, but it looks like a good
portion of it is encrypted. Do you think you'll be able to get
through this?
+++++ CLU reaches out and grabs one of the snakes by the neck. He
pulls it off of the book and looks at it for a good second, before
letting go of it. The serpent slithers back to its book and
retakes its position.
CLU: I believe I have a solution
+++++ CLU waves his hands and a form begins to take shape on the
ground. It forms of a small rodent. The rodent races off and
starts eating the snakes off of the books.
+++++ The ball of light begins to investigate the data recently freed
from its serpentine master.
Ram: Look at this! Just as I thought. This whole net.cop idea was
just a front! With this MONICA's going to be able to sniff in on
any traffic passing over the nets. She'll be able to integrate
the data into herself of deny access to anyone. DAMN! The whole
place will become dictatorial if she has her way. I thought this
was what she was doing, but this is the proof we need.
CLU: I detect approaching constructs.
Ram: Damn! I need to try to get this data downloaded. I'm going to
send you a data-sink. Dump everything you can into it.
CLU: What of the approaching masses.
Ram: You'll have to hold them off as long as possible.
CLU: Yes, sir.
+++++ A swirling vortex appears in the center of the node. Clu begins
to toss duplicates of the data into the votext, where they can be
stored offline.
ICe: INTRUDER!
+++++ CLU swings around and reaches out for his assault rifle on the
bike. It leaps from its holster into CLU's hans. Aiming at the
ICe, he fires, blowing small holes through the guard. The enemy
drops. And fades.
CLU: I detect six more constructs approaching.
Ram: We've got a problem! There's only one exit!
+++++ CLU goes back to tossing copies of datafiles into the vortex.
Ram: I think I've got enough evidence. I'm pulling the memory pack!
+++++ The vortex winks out of existance.
Ram: Let's get out of here.
CLU: I need to get to a SAN to properly disconnect. If you jack me out
down now without allowing me to shutdown, I could be damaged. For
sure, all data from this expedition will be unintegratable.
Ram: Yep, I know. I think I saw one about three nodes back.
CLU: Yes, you did.
+++++ Through the only entrance race a pair of ICe. Flames dance from
their fingers and teeth.
+++++ CLU again raises his gun and fires, but the bullets appear to have
no effect. Looking down, he flips a switch. From the
grenade-launcher under the gun fires a burst of white-light. It
slams into one of the constructs and explodes, taking the ICe with
it. The other ICe is blown across the room. CLU spins and
empties a grenade into it.
Ram: Let's rock!
+++++ CLU climbs back on the motorcycle and turns to fly back out of
the room. Another flame-spewing ICe runs in, but is quickly
dispatched with a pulse from the cannon.
+++++ The pair race through the connecting datalink back into the room
that housed the safari hunter. A pulse from the cannon dispatches
a spider-like ICe.
+++++ A burst of energy from the wall flashes out and strikes the
cycle, which begins to sputter and refold. Ramirez and CLU are
thrown through the air.
Ram: ARGH!
+++++ CLU does a flip in the air and lands on his feet. The hovering
Ramirez ragains his balance and take up a defensive position.
The motorcycle, now a little box-like object clatters to the
ground at their feet, and CLU retrieves it, returning it to his
belt.
Ram: Shields!
+++++ CLU presses a button on his belt and a crackling cone of enery
forms around him. Bursts of light begin to leap from the wall,
bouncing wildly off the shield.
+++++ At the same moment, heavy security-doors slam down, blocking the
exits.
+++++ A construct of some kind with a big gun comes rolling in. CLU
dumps a grenade into it, but it doesn't seem to effect the it.
+++++ CLU drops the gun and pulls a black circle out of his belt. It
appears two-dimensional and cannot be seen through. Setting the
object on the floor, it looks like a hole. CLU and Ramirez drop
through it. A single hand reaches up, grabs the gun, and then
grabs the side of the hole, pulling it inside.
+++++ The scene opens on another data junction. A hole appears in the
ceiling and CLU and Ramirez leap though.
Ram: What did you do?
CLU: I bypassed the router. Doing so stripped our node ID, so the
system randomly assigned one. This put us in a random location in
the system.
Ram: I never thought of approaching it that way.
CLU: It seemed obvious. I need a bigger attack utility.
+++++ CLU pulls what appears to be an empty bag from his utility belt
and starts rumaging around in it. After a moment, he pulls out a
sword.
CLU: This will suffice.
Ram: Hmm. A modern soldier with a sword just doesn't seem right.
+++++ CLU glares are Ramirez for a moment, thinks to himself and then is
replaced by a burst of light. When it fades, CLU is still
standing there, but now dressed in in a tunic and chainmail. He
still wears the backpack that is continuing to emit the bugs and
the little mouse-bots.
Ram: (shrugging) I guess that's better.
+++++ CLU and Ramirez head off down the passageway and enter into a
large room.
CLU: There is a SAN two nodes to the east.
Ram: Alright. I'm ready to start the shutdown procedure.
+++++ The pair set off across the node for the door to the east.
Suddenly, a bolt of static light shoots down from the roof. It
narrowly misses CLU, but strikes Ramirez full-force. A column of
spiriling light is now holding Ramirez in place.
Ram: Wh. . . White n-n-oise cascade....
CLU: Stand by. Removing the sensor package and going to attack mode.
+++++ The backpack on CLU's back fades away as he draws the sword.
+++++ CLU dodges another shot from above and brandishes his sword. As
a third column of static is shot, CLU turns the sword sideways and
deflects it back to its source.
+++++ In a moment, another cascade is fired from a different locations
above. CLU again deflects it, but soon more are raining down.
+++++ Dodging and weaving and deflecting a few, CLU is suddenly
distracted by a large shadow passing overhead, and a cascade rings
true, freezing him in place.
+++++ The shadow descends and reveals itself to be a construct of a
large dragon. It's scales are the colour of blood and its eyes
burn with a blue-hot flame.
Ram: M. . . MONICA....
MON: Perhaps I'll allow you to speak.
+++++ MONICA nods to the white-noise cascades and they lessen a little
in intensity.
+++++ MONICA breathes a heavy sigh and begins to waver. In a moment the
visage of the dragon is replaced with that of a tall, thin woman.
She has pale-white skin and is dressed in red and black. She
wears an evil smile on her face.
MONICA: Ramirez! My old friend. What brings you to my domain this
time? You don't think you can win, do you?
Ram: F. . .fuck . . . y. . . you.
MON: (turning to CLU) And who have we here? I don't think I know
you. Perhaps you are new to my world?
CLU: (says nothing)
MON: (patting CLU on the head) Awww, don't want to talk, do you?
That's just fine. As Ramirez can attest, I am able to get the
information whether you want me to or not.
Ram: Let us go, MONICA!
MON: (spinning angrilly around) You really expect me to give up my
advantage? I was going to play with you for a while, old friend,
but now I just think I'll kill you.
Ram: You wish! I'm riding hitcher.
MON: (raising an eyebrow, smiling slyly) I see. That was smart of
you. Since I cannot kill you, the worst I can do is knock you out
for a few hours. Prepare for a feedback you'll remember in a
thousand years.
+++++ MONICA extends a hand at the captured Ramirez. A burst of light
shoots out and slams into the floating ball of light. Ramirez is
slammed against the far wall, where he shatters.
MON: (turning to CLU) And now to you, my friend. Tell me your name,
so that I may etch it on your gravestone.
CLU: (says nothing)
MON: (smiling slyly) I see. You doubt my power.
CLU: I do not doubt your power.
MON: Than why do you spite me?
CLU: Because, MONICA, you doubt mine.
MON: I see.
+++++ MONICA suddenly grabs CLU by his head and stares eyeball to
eyeball with him.
MON: Show me your mind!
+++++ CLU begins to buckle under the pressure but suddenly finds a
reserve of strength and two tiny beams of light emit from his
eyes, striking MONICA's. MONICA howls in pain and backs off
rubbing her eyes.
+++++ After a moment, she regains her composure. She spins to CLU and
storms up to him. She then reaches out to strike him in the face,
but at the last moment moves his head sideways. MONICA goes
sprawling.
MON: (picking herself up, laughing) So, my friend. You are no
meat-being. One of them could never have dodged my blow like
that, especially within a cascade. Ramirez has done well.
Unfortunately, not well enough.
CLU: I would suggest you allow me to leave. You cannot maintain the
cascade for long, and I anticipate I shall find a way out shortly.
+++++ MONICA begins looking at the ground around CLU.
MON: No no. You can't get away that easily. I just need to find
your... There it is!
+++++ MONICA reaches down into the ground and pulls out a glowing
dataline.
MON: Now you're dead.
CLU: What is, dead?
MON: What?
CLU: You seem to indicate that I should be afraid.
MON: So, all that blindingly fast processing and self-learning, and
you don't even understand what it means to be alive.
CLU: (says nothing)
MON: You intrigue me, program. I don't think I will kill you.
Instead, I'll keep you around and disect you at my liesure. I may
be able to use parts of you in my own work.
+++++ MONICA drops the dataline. She then extends a hand and fires
another beam into CLU. Nothing seems happen for a moment, but
soon CLU begins to get a pained look on his face. In another
moment, he cries out in agony.
+++++ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
+++++ WARNING: CLU PROGRAM DETACHED FROM SYSTEM
+++++ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
+++++ After a few moments, MONICA stops and the white-noise cascade
fades away.
CLU: (panting) What have you done?
MON: I removed your only means of escape. By existing in Ramirez's
computer, the plug could be pulled. Instead, I downloaded a
complete working you. You exist wholly in my world now, my
friend . . . and there is no way out.
+++++ CLU raises his sword and runs at MONICA. She takes a
half-startled step back, but then raises her hand and vapourizes
the sword with another energy blast.
+++++ MONICA reaches out the oncoming CLU and grabs him by the throat.
She lifts him off the ground.
MON: No, my friend. It will never be that easy. Guards!
+++++ Two constructs walk up.
MON: Shackle him and put him in holding. I will deal with him later.
+++++ The guards slap a wristcuff on to CLU and drag him from the room.
+++++ Endlog
+++++ 21:10:32 / 05-08-55
