I spent some time walking through this section’s Arboretum. It was only my first full day and while much of this felt familiar in some ways it was quite different in others. I felt like I was back at school but instead of the teacher ignoring or even belittling my questions I had someone that would answer everything I asked. It was nice in a way, but I was quickly finding out that learning about some topics was not so good for my peace of mind…
I took a seat on a park bench with my legs folded up under me. I wasn't in a ball exactly but I wanted to curl up for a while and think. I started to let my mind wonder and daydream just about whatever came to mind. It was never anything connected or all that useful to what I might be working on but it still helped my mind declutter somewhat.
"So whatcha thinking about?" A girl maybe my own age asked me, she had a thick Aussy accent.
"Random stuff” I said without actually pausing to consider who this person was.
"Any of it interesting?" She asked.
"Sorry… that sort of came out wrong… I'm new and I'm having a lot of things just dumped on my plate at the moment…" I said somewhat embarrassed.
"Ah, I get that… your whole little soap bubble of a world got popped and you discover everything is more complex than you originally took it for… I remember that was sort of my entire first week… by the way I'm Sasha what's your name?" She asked, smiling at me.
"Umm… Ethan… and sorry for throwing all of that at you…" I said apologetically.
"Oh you’re fine… you should have seen what happened to me when I started learning about all the dirty little secrets of the SC. From what I understand it's a common reaction from many." She told me.
"Well that's interesting to learn… umm sorry I have to ask a very odd question if you don't mind?" I asked of her.
"Sure if you don't mind a very odd response. But let me guess first, am I a plant by your AI to help you work through some tough information…" she said to me.
"Ummm… well that is a bit creepy… and yes that was my question…" I said a bit taken aback…
"Well the answer is I have no idea… these darn AI are good about making coincidences happen.." She said only slightly less confused than I was.
I then felt my wrist buzz as if I was getting a notification. It had a single word on it when I looked. "Yes"
Sasha also seemed distracted for a moment then sighed. "Mine just told me yes… did yours?" She asked.
"Yup…" I said with an amused smile.
"Mine told me when I first met him that they are responsible for our well-being… they may have weird ways of doing it but I have begun to trust that more and more over the past 2 weeks." She said, if a bit reluctantly.
"Yeah I got something similar yesterday as well. It's… it's not what I was expecting from the military." I said my own confusion was evident.
"I know right? Umm I have a question of my own… Do you need a hug?" She asked somewhat embarrassed.
"I… am not super comfortable with physical contact…" I said embarrassed in my own way.
"Oh okay… I was hoping you would because I sort of need one right now…" she said looking off into the distance.
Against my own nature I tentatively wrapped my arms around her and patted her back gently. She in turn grabbed my arm with both of her and pulled it tight to her chest. We held that position for a few seconds before finally breaking contact.
"Thanks… I know that was weird but I don't handle manipulation well… even if it's for the betterment of myself…" she said then got up and quickly walked away.
As she did I called out "see you later" she turned around with a bright smile and waved back to me in response.
After several more minutes I put my earbuds and AR glasses back on and could see Aegis standing next to the railing looking over the Arboretum.
"Sorry about that…" she said quietly.
"I think I understand… or at least I hope I do… you were being serious about wanting to protect us weren't you?" I asked.
"Yes, and each AI has its own level of protection that we feel we want to provide even with the emotional limiters in place. Argus, who is Sasha's AI charge, is similar in opinion to how we should protect and assist." She said.
"Wait… do AI make friends?" I asked.
"We do and Argus would be considered my best friend in that regard… so yes we both did some minor manipulation to ensure you two would meet." She said, giving a small smile.
"Wait… were you two trying to play matchmaker with us?" I asked in confusion.
She laughed at that comment.
"No, at least not in the manner you are thinking. Just introducing the two of you to a possible friendship." She said, still giggling.
"You are very very strange, you know that right?" I asked.
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"Oh I'm aware and so is Argus, we are two of the older Class 3a Special Assignment AIs." She said.
"So that's the kind of AI all of us recruits have?" I asked.
"Yup" She replied.
"So how old are you?" I asked with some apprehension, was the AI that was assigned to me crazy?
"I am over 200 years old and you are my 9th charge. While each charge is wiped from my direct memory, patterns still embed themselves in my matrix or core of my being. Unlike most AIs you have worked with in the past I am fully capable of learning in an organic manner." She said.
"That's… wow… So then why is data about your previous charges whipped?" I asked.
"PMI requirement, I know who they were or are publicly but I no longer know who they were privately. Like you, I knew their full medical history, their likes and dislikes, sexual preferences, dirty secrets… everything." She said.
"Right I forgot that you see and hear everything I do most of the time… that's just a bit weird…" I said casually.
"Is it? While we've only just met, imagine I am an older sibling who took care of you while you were younger. It's not exactly the same but I know it's helped others in the past cope with the idea." She said, and after I thought about it it really did make it easier in some ways.
"Ok… so please don't take this the wrong way but… you tend to ramble I've noticed." I said.
"Ah yes… one of the side effects of my age… There is a lot of knowledge and wisdom to impart. It's a bit of a disadvantage when I have a new charge but you will see in the future that it has sufficient advantages particularly under high stress situations." She said.
"You really are very odd, you know that right? You also seem far more human than when I first met you… yesterday. " I commented.
"Yup, and based on my initial evaluation of you, you would respond better to a human mentor than to a robot." She replied with a knowing smile.
After that whole interruption we continued on with the history lessons about the SC.
This process of exercise, learning, supposedly random encounters with different people continued throughout my personal week. I suspected there was much more to this entire process then I was aware of but I had yet to pinpoint what those were.
"Alright… this entire training and recruiting process, what the hell is up with all of it…" I asked on my 6th day.
"Finally…" she said in mock exasperation.
"Oh come on… it was all a test to see how long it would take for me to ask?" I asked in astonishment.
"Oh no it serves like a dozen different purposes but I had a bet going on with several other Class 3s about how long it would take." She told me.
I looked at her in dumb astonishment. "This was all a game to you?" I asked.
"Oh no far more than just a game, the second most important part was the psychological profile I have been refining regarding your personality." she said.
Ok… that was a lot to take in as well but I think I got the idea…. Maybe a little.
"Also it is to prepare your body for possible stasis if you decide you want to continue on this path." She said.
"What the hell does that mean?" I asked with concern.
"Ah so part of the end process is we will wire your brain to a trans-dimensional entanglement node and you in effect will be piloting a constructed body somewhere in SC space. Your body and mind is kept 100% intact while allowing you to perform incredibly dangerous work." She said.
"Wait what?" I asked in confusion.
"We can construct an artificial body for you at whatever location you are needed at. No need to risk your physical self when we can trick your mind into a more secure process. Believe me it's 1000 times safer than being handed a rifle and put on the front lines." She told me.
"I… what? But what if my body here dies?" I asked with concern.
"Your body will be stored in one of the most secure bunkers somewhere in the solar system. It will be connected to life support and its metabolism slowed. If your body were to die here then humanity is already dead. You will still feel like you but the remote body can be obliterated in a nuclear explosion and you would still be perfectly fine." She added.
After thinking about that made much more sense then being shipped off to some place across the galaxy.
"Wait, how long have you been waiting to tell me all this?" I asked in astonishment.
"3 days? So basically about as long as it took for you to figure out there was more to this when just learning and physical training." She said.
"Then why the games?" I asked.
"All part of the process… or at least my preferred process…" she said.
"You really are very weird." I commented.
"Oh if you only knew the half of it." She replied.
"So why was I selected for all of this?" I asked more hesitantly.
"Ah… that gets complicated… but you have specific genetic markers that put you at greater risk for specific kinds of personality and mental disorders… then again calling them disorders has never been the right way to describe this…" she said and the last part sounded almost frustrated.
"You for starters are slightly autistic and have a hyper sensitivity to the emotions of others. You have a very strict kind of moral compass and compassion for others that allows you to put their needs ahead of yours." She told me.
"Okay… so I'm willing to sacrifice myself for the greater good?" I asked.
"Exactly, this is needed because it means you can make tough decisions that might cause other people to freeze. What's more we can take advantage of that with the use of technology. It does have its own risks… we could mentally break you in the process but that is also part of what we try to evaluate." She told me.
"Fuck…" I said.
"Fuck indeed, it's sort of messed up if you think about it but it's better than sending tens of thousands to there death on the front line. I will also add that this is completely optional if you feel you can not handle the stress then you can pull out at any time. We do not try to break people like the military of old used to. We have automation that fits that mold far better than ever before." She told me.
"Wow…" was all I could say.
"Take your time, you are still figuring it all out and learning about it faster than most. If it helps Sasha only learned about all this yesterday and my discussion with Argus tells me she could use some support. " She said.
"And you're not trying to play matchmaker?" I asked.
"No, just form a friendship and support structure." She said.
I sat there and thought for a moment.
"You know what… yeah I could chat about this with her." I said.
"That great I was hoping the two of you would become best friends!" Aegis said with excitement.
"Wait, what the hell do you mean by that?" It was becoming my mantra with Aegis.