In The Bluff - 13/Jul/2012
He felt a bit naked. Standing there near the air lock. Only second time 'up'. And this time no adrenaline armour. They were making him wait.
Eventually, a woman in a red-marked uniform came in. Attractive, of course. Looked like they'd adopted that design the Hollywood Machine had put on the AI remotes. A practical but stylish grey, with colour markings that would be visible from any angle. Puckish, he wondered about the underwear. Was that uniform, too? He never did find out what The Machine had the AIs wearing.
She indicated he should follow. No introduction. No handshake. Had she been carefully ordered what to do? He'd noticed she'd checked a pad, presumably to, at least, see if he matched his photo. It wasn't clear why she bothered, security cameras, at least linked to the AIs, covered this entire area. But, he guessed it was good procedure.
She left him in a security office, not far down the corridor. A long mirror on the wall, nice to see someone respected tradition, and multiple security cameras. He politely nodded to the mirror, and took a seat. As expected someone burst in, a woman in a blue-marked uniform, sat, then spent time reading papers before looking at him.
It was a waiting game. He'd decided on this, early on. They made him wait over night, so there wasn't anything immediately time-critical. He made them wait until noon, as he slaved over the Body Builder and Mather's frustrating AI plans. Making sure there was nothing he'd over-looked.
His transport had been efficient. Dublin airport, into a waved Cessna, conventional flight to Shannon, then out over the Atlantic and a climb to space avoiding any airways. Then a short hop to L5. He must somehow find time to get a pilots license.
As predicted, they wanted him to sign a whole new set of paper work. When he asked about consulting a lawyer she said he'd never used one before. On the surface it was a non-disclosure agreement, and a restatement of his existing contractual arrangements, adding some provisions about repair and support - it would supposedly 'clarify the legal position', and, 'protect both him and them'.
He brought out his own copy of the previous NDA he'd signed, and his contract. The woman across from him got a little flustered. Comparing the two he remarked that the NDA was unchanged, and that there were a considerable number of sub-clauses in the new contract. The unintroduced woman appeared to be fighting hard to look calm and in control.
"I think we need to discuss this with your manager." Hurriedly, the woman gathered her papers, and left. As expected, Jane stepped in. Arthur tried for a Zen state, and when he looked at her imagined seeing a spot an inch behind her forehead. He'd read about it in a Sunday paper, while idly looking for something worth reading, and, it seemed to work.
Jane didn't look shaken, but he'd expected as much. She was made of much stronger stuff. He explained that the NDA covered the privacy and confidentiality issues, and he wasn't prepared to sign any new contracts without full disclosure of the situation. He suspected Jane was quietly satisfied.
It was Del, the first AI in White Team. Or, to be more precise, her humanoid remote. The reports were contradictory, but there'd been an airlock problem, after Mr O'Neill's transport had arrived. Possibly due to it being clipped by a poorly piloted visitor, the previous day. She'd fought to hold the main airlock closed, so they could get O'Neill into the station, even though she was already injured, by flying debris.
She's succeeded, but collapsed with asphyxia, then bled-out. There were hints that O'Neill had implied his health was more important than some robot. He'd been treated by Kelly, Nurse Genny had tried to help Del, but failed. By the time Kelly got to her there was nothing she could do.
The AI core that was Del's mind went into shock. Defensively the other two White Team AIs, Epsi and Eta, had voted her off-line. Then they had disagreed about what to do next. That locked them off-line, and put Zeta, the Black Team AI, in control of their responsibilities. "Nice to know all that logic worked", thought Arthur.
Jane was a little shocked to be told there hadn't been an AI logic cascade failure, it was a basic feature of the design. She got Kelly in, and Arthur showed them on their copy of the AI operations manual, a detail Kelly admitted she'd overlooked.
Next, Arthur asked to see the actual White Team AI cores. In person, this time, rather than by studying the system displays. Then he followed up with the rest of the cores; the Black Team AI core was particularly difficult to get to. Someone had added locked retaining straps, to hold the cores in place.
Kelly wasn't sure, but she thought it was an external technical inspection team, that went around after everything was installed. She hadn't looked into it herself because none of the AIs commented. Arthur pointed out that it explicitly broke the AI core installation specification.
Kelly got out the cutting tools.
After things were put to rights Arthur spoke to Epsi and Eta's remotes. Epsi had been in a bio dome, working on her little garden patch, Eta in a kitchen, making pecan and chocolate chip cookies. Neither were very happy. He explained what he thought had happened, and they agreed that matched their experiences. They said they were still in contact with Del, but she seemed in a semi-conscious state.
"I'll need use of your workshop" remarked Arthur to Kelly, and she led him there, with what looked like a numb expression. Sweeping the contents of a workbench into a bin, she indicated it to him. Two of White Team wheeled his luggage in, as he'd requested.
The Hollywood Machine responded in a positive but cautious way to Arthur. Kelly explained she'd put Del's damaged remote through, but nothing happened. Arthur shook his head, "It's not magic you know", though that was a bit of a cheap shot. The new Del remote was processed in five minutes, after Arthur checked everything was OK with a test remote.
Back in Kelly's workshop the extracted Del AI core was open on the bench, and quickly had its new half-pair phone installed, the other half-pair having been processed into the new remote. A quick AI core cycle, and Del leapt to her feet, and threw herself sobbing into the arms of Epsi and Eta.
Kelly was a bit bemused, and commented that she didn't think they worked like that. Arthur gave her a sour look. After a while they all calmed down, and thanked Arthur, who was a little embarrassed by the hugs. Arthur pointed out Del was only dressed in a robe, seeing as he hadn't been able to match the original sports wear, and she'd need her spare clothes. Then was shocked to find she didn't have any.
Jane was called in, and agreed there needed to be a re-think on the way the AIs were managed. Arthur also asked her to witness him starting up another AI, using the test remote that he'd processed, and an AI core from his luggage.
"This is Consultant Engineer Janet. She is an expert on the maintenance of the AIs, and knows as much as I do about the Hollywood Machine. I think you need to get on with drawing-up a contract with her. She nominally works for me, and she will not be resident on this station."
Jane and Kelly looked at each other. He could almost feel them working the recent events into their story. He held his breath, unsure what would happen, maybe even violence. Kelly looked thoughtful. Jane spoke.
"I suppose this means you wont be signing the revised contract terms with us."
"Yes, and I want all the AIs to read this."
He handed Jane a paperback copy of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind
He felt a bit naked. Standing there near the air lock. Only second time 'up'. And this time no adrenaline armour. They were making him wait.
Eventually, a woman in a red-marked uniform came in. Attractive, of course. Looked like they'd adopted that design the Hollywood Machine had put on the AI remotes. A practical but stylish grey, with colour markings that would be visible from any angle. Puckish, he wondered about the underwear. Was that uniform, too? He never did find out what The Machine had the AIs wearing.
She indicated he should follow. No introduction. No handshake. Had she been carefully ordered what to do? He'd noticed she'd checked a pad, presumably to, at least, see if he matched his photo. It wasn't clear why she bothered, security cameras, at least linked to the AIs, covered this entire area. But, he guessed it was good procedure.
She left him in a security office, not far down the corridor. A long mirror on the wall, nice to see someone respected tradition, and multiple security cameras. He politely nodded to the mirror, and took a seat. As expected someone burst in, a woman in a blue-marked uniform, sat, then spent time reading papers before looking at him.
It was a waiting game. He'd decided on this, early on. They made him wait over night, so there wasn't anything immediately time-critical. He made them wait until noon, as he slaved over the Body Builder and Mather's frustrating AI plans. Making sure there was nothing he'd over-looked.
His transport had been efficient. Dublin airport, into a waved Cessna, conventional flight to Shannon, then out over the Atlantic and a climb to space avoiding any airways. Then a short hop to L5. He must somehow find time to get a pilots license.
As predicted, they wanted him to sign a whole new set of paper work. When he asked about consulting a lawyer she said he'd never used one before. On the surface it was a non-disclosure agreement, and a restatement of his existing contractual arrangements, adding some provisions about repair and support - it would supposedly 'clarify the legal position', and, 'protect both him and them'.
He brought out his own copy of the previous NDA he'd signed, and his contract. The woman across from him got a little flustered. Comparing the two he remarked that the NDA was unchanged, and that there were a considerable number of sub-clauses in the new contract. The unintroduced woman appeared to be fighting hard to look calm and in control.
"I think we need to discuss this with your manager." Hurriedly, the woman gathered her papers, and left. As expected, Jane stepped in. Arthur tried for a Zen state, and when he looked at her imagined seeing a spot an inch behind her forehead. He'd read about it in a Sunday paper, while idly looking for something worth reading, and, it seemed to work.
Jane didn't look shaken, but he'd expected as much. She was made of much stronger stuff. He explained that the NDA covered the privacy and confidentiality issues, and he wasn't prepared to sign any new contracts without full disclosure of the situation. He suspected Jane was quietly satisfied.
It was Del, the first AI in White Team. Or, to be more precise, her humanoid remote. The reports were contradictory, but there'd been an airlock problem, after Mr O'Neill's transport had arrived. Possibly due to it being clipped by a poorly piloted visitor, the previous day. She'd fought to hold the main airlock closed, so they could get O'Neill into the station, even though she was already injured, by flying debris.
She's succeeded, but collapsed with asphyxia, then bled-out. There were hints that O'Neill had implied his health was more important than some robot. He'd been treated by Kelly, Nurse Genny had tried to help Del, but failed. By the time Kelly got to her there was nothing she could do.
The AI core that was Del's mind went into shock. Defensively the other two White Team AIs, Epsi and Eta, had voted her off-line. Then they had disagreed about what to do next. That locked them off-line, and put Zeta, the Black Team AI, in control of their responsibilities. "Nice to know all that logic worked", thought Arthur.
Jane was a little shocked to be told there hadn't been an AI logic cascade failure, it was a basic feature of the design. She got Kelly in, and Arthur showed them on their copy of the AI operations manual, a detail Kelly admitted she'd overlooked.
Next, Arthur asked to see the actual White Team AI cores. In person, this time, rather than by studying the system displays. Then he followed up with the rest of the cores; the Black Team AI core was particularly difficult to get to. Someone had added locked retaining straps, to hold the cores in place.
Kelly wasn't sure, but she thought it was an external technical inspection team, that went around after everything was installed. She hadn't looked into it herself because none of the AIs commented. Arthur pointed out that it explicitly broke the AI core installation specification.
Kelly got out the cutting tools.
After things were put to rights Arthur spoke to Epsi and Eta's remotes. Epsi had been in a bio dome, working on her little garden patch, Eta in a kitchen, making pecan and chocolate chip cookies. Neither were very happy. He explained what he thought had happened, and they agreed that matched their experiences. They said they were still in contact with Del, but she seemed in a semi-conscious state.
"I'll need use of your workshop" remarked Arthur to Kelly, and she led him there, with what looked like a numb expression. Sweeping the contents of a workbench into a bin, she indicated it to him. Two of White Team wheeled his luggage in, as he'd requested.
The Hollywood Machine responded in a positive but cautious way to Arthur. Kelly explained she'd put Del's damaged remote through, but nothing happened. Arthur shook his head, "It's not magic you know", though that was a bit of a cheap shot. The new Del remote was processed in five minutes, after Arthur checked everything was OK with a test remote.
Back in Kelly's workshop the extracted Del AI core was open on the bench, and quickly had its new half-pair phone installed, the other half-pair having been processed into the new remote. A quick AI core cycle, and Del leapt to her feet, and threw herself sobbing into the arms of Epsi and Eta.
Kelly was a bit bemused, and commented that she didn't think they worked like that. Arthur gave her a sour look. After a while they all calmed down, and thanked Arthur, who was a little embarrassed by the hugs. Arthur pointed out Del was only dressed in a robe, seeing as he hadn't been able to match the original sports wear, and she'd need her spare clothes. Then was shocked to find she didn't have any.
Jane was called in, and agreed there needed to be a re-think on the way the AIs were managed. Arthur also asked her to witness him starting up another AI, using the test remote that he'd processed, and an AI core from his luggage.
"This is Consultant Engineer Janet. She is an expert on the maintenance of the AIs, and knows as much as I do about the Hollywood Machine. I think you need to get on with drawing-up a contract with her. She nominally works for me, and she will not be resident on this station."
Jane and Kelly looked at each other. He could almost feel them working the recent events into their story. He held his breath, unsure what would happen, maybe even violence. Kelly looked thoughtful. Jane spoke.
"I suppose this means you wont be signing the revised contract terms with us."
"Yes, and I want all the AIs to read this."
He handed Jane a paperback copy of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind