Chapter Twenty-Two - Welcoming

Chapter Twenty-Two - Welcoming

Chapter Twenty-Two - Welcoming

Arthur R Martin was the first person to ever be jailed for AI-related crimes. He used an open-source learning AI to create a model of the stock market, then let it run predictions until he was able to finally create a model that had a 68% accuracy rate for short-term stock changes.

By giving this model the ability to reinvest in itself and letting it run, Arthur gained what was essentially an exponential amount of money, all the while his system improved itself and was soon leading the market.

His initial investment was $10,000USD (190,000 credits today). Within a month he had $1,645,782,257USD. He was, of course, arrested, tried, and sentence to prison where he committed suicide by self-strangulation.

--Its Just Math, first edition, 2026

***

The nanomachines are in position to be delivered.

I glanced up as Myalis delivered the message. I was heading out of the mall, except I realized when I was nearing the exit that I was a bit peckish, so I got into line at a spicy chicken place that was still operating despite the apocalypse.

They are? I muttered.

Indeed. Ive confirmed it for myself, but General Wilkinson has sent you a text message to tell you that the team sent with the payload has arrived at the museum. Are there any reasons we shouldnt deploy the nanomachines?

None that I can think of. Give them the green light, I said.

Then I had to step up and make my order. Mild spices, some rice, a random selection of toppings that I didnt care much about, all cooked by a greasy-faced twenty-something instead of the usual machine because that machine was shoved off to the side and was clearly inoperable.

Probably couldnt get a good signal to the franchise headquarters so they just hired this guy to do all the work manually, like they used to in the past.

And theyre deploying. It will take some time to have all of the nanomachine slurry travel across the root system.

Hmm, how long, more or less?

Between two and six hours. As more tunnels and branches are discovered, the time scale increases.

Did we send nearly enough of those nanomachines to cover a system that extensive? I asked.

Given infinite time--and presuming that the antithesis stops growing--a single nanomachine would be enough. As it is, yes, the amount dropped should be enough to cover what has been uncovered so far. Though the harm theyll cause with so few acting at once will be light.

I nodded along. Then we should dump more into the system. Maybe we can start by finding ways to access the bits of the hive under Downtown. If we poison those first then at least we wont have aliens crawling out behind our frontlines.

A sensible idea. Ill set the cat drones to find exit points that are nearer to the surface.

I got my order, paid by connecting my augs to the stores tapless payment chip, and then headed off while undoing the front of my helmet so that I could stuff myself while walking. How are we doing with everything else? I asked.

I slipped into what was clearly a habitation building. A thousand shoe-box apartments jammed in next to each other. The ground floor was pretty enough, but I knew that every floor above that would have a ceiling that was no more than seven feet tall so that they could cram in a few extra floors to get more homes in.

The place was filled, and I imagined it was only half because of the ongoing incursion. How many more people were stuck in Downtown, separated from their suburban homes?

I waited in a dingy elevator and ignored the ads playing on every wall as we shot up to the topmost floor. Myalis must have overridden something because we didnt stop on any floors until we reached the top.

The door dinged open and I stepped out into a shitty little corridor with none of the nice lighting, ads, or decorations that theyd bothered to shove into the ground floor. Instead it was all corridors and low ceilings. It didnt take much to find the door leading into the buildings top-most parking space.

The area was wide open, with berths for hovercars and a landing strip down the middle. Holographic signs with directions and instructions hung all over the place.

My timing, as it turned out, was pretty good, because just as I started looking around a van flew in and came to a stop by the entrance, kicking up dust and flinging wrappers aside.

I waited as the van settled, then sprang forwards as the passenger side door opened and Lucy jumped out.

Cat!

Hey! I called back.

Then she grabbed me for a hug and I couldnt help but match her laughter before I gave her a proper squeeze. I didnt know youd be waiting for me, she said. Dont you have big important samurai things to do?

Fuck em, as if Id care more about some backwater city than I would about meeting you.

She shook her head, then poked me in the chest. Or she tried to, at least. Urgh, youre all hard in that armour.

Id kinda think thats the point, I said.

Idiot, she replied, and I could feel the love there.

I tugged the front of my helmet off so that I could kiss her properly. If she wanted me to be soft, then Id give her all the soft she could ever want.

We-- we have an audience you know, she said.

I glanced up and saw Franny who was blushing and trying very hard not to look like she was blushing. We do, I agreed before stealing her lips again.

Cat, she whined, but it was almost a whisper, just for the two of us. Shes still a little useless, so lets not scar her too much, hmm?

Fine, I said. So, what made you come all the way out here despite me telling you not to?

She blinked. Since when are you my boss? Ill jump into danger if and when I please, thank you very much.

***