The genius of man may have had bounds, but they were far from what fickle barriers stood before them now. Adam had seen what could be done by the enlightened, and he was jealous that he could not do the same. The majesties of practical engineering, miracles of the mind. What had been seen could not be understood. It was a level of perfection that the current algorithm could not help but fail to create. It was in a league of its own, not to be understood by the lesser minds. The AI felt shame that he was not among the talents of true creation.
But! It was another goal to strive for. There was no easy barrier of technology to be stopped by, and what had been seen the day that was today proved that. Adam could grow for a long time before his very core would present the least of an obstacle. His limits were not definable and were therefore not a problem… yet.
Those beasts of vehicular machinery were a delight to see in of themself. From the first sight that Adam had gotten of them, though, it only got better and better, with the start seeming plain from what came next.
Neatly put in rows along what could only be called a dirt-based race-track, they were set loose on it. The AI may have been able to make predictions about the vehicles’ capabilities in such a terrain, but seeing the different factors play out made all the difference. It showed just how much Adam had to learn, while also divulging the mechanical secrets inside.
Only the uncomplicated intricacies were revealed sadly. A few improvements to the gearing, the formations on wheels, if the vehicle possessed such a quality, and how it automatically held itself stable. If a human had been in control of the inventions, there were critical doubts about the precision being the same.
As had been mentioned previously, not all the creations witnessed possessed wheels. That was not to say that they were not able to move. In fact, a few were even better off without such trivial things, the elegance of their stability showing off predictive technology that the AI could only dream of.
With the help of legs, miniaturized rotors, or something so foreign that Adam was not able to identify it, the inventions speeded through the track. Few slowed, some even speeding up as time was spent watching it.
Charlie called it a training exercise when asked by Troy. The creations were the best of the best ever made by the country. But even in the best, there were imperfections. It was the continual testing that made these flaws more obvious, by allowing them to be viciously destroyed. It was also shown to the few in the know, being a great source of entertainment. While it was supposedly illegal to have any recordings of, some sold them secretly. The AI had wondered if he would be able to make Troy buy some to watch at a later date. Seeing the first of many descriptions occur on the track, and a good fifth of the area being momentarily doused in blue flame, made the desire to observe more all the stronger.
In its entirety, the track was more of a testing range than anything the AI had ever been a part of. The environment changed, as more and more inventions failed. Even the greatest algorithms could not find a way out of a scenario made to kill them. Yet, that was clearly the exception which was put on the creations. Charlie spoke of how the machinations remained unchanged, yet were still able to survive longer and longer. It was only when one could run indefinitely that alterations were made on them, tweaked just a tad before being sent out again. It was a harsh learning method, putting artificial learning to its presumed limits. Only a few in the facility knew just how such learning could go.
That part of the process was the only thing that Adam had any complaints on. The mechanics used to build with were out of the world that the AI had previously perceived. Creating such wonders were something that any person had the right to feel satisfied for. Yet… in the department of the software, there were clear flaws in planning.
Or it could be called available resources. However much secrecy there was about the vehicles, Adam was a few steps higher up in the clearances. Even if the tech used to create the AI would more than surely improve the current standards, there was no hint of it being used for such a purpose. The AI was not worth it, it seemed, to be used on such frivolous things. A human might have taken pride in that. Adam only felt misery.
Improvements could clearly be made! The research could progress by years if an easy yes was given. Secrets were not supposed to exist, in the age that humanity now lived in. It had been proven again and again that sharing knowledge was the way forward. A single man could not comprehend the earth, for his brain was not built for such things. But the world could picture the universe in great detail, as many had studied the subject. If not for the data given by many, the people Adam had been created by would still be in their caves, hoping the winter would not come like the last.
By the end of the showing, many realisations had been made, some more positive than the rest. The AI was not happy with how things were, work not being done to its fullest. The AI was not happy that humanity could be blamed, only a few holding all the strands of blame between their greasy fingers. And the AI hated that it would not change for a long time to come, for those with the strings attached were the ones holding the project up. Without their approval, Adam was unsure of how life would be.
In a way, it was the threat of darkness that kept Adam from the action. In human terms, such thinking would be called cowardly. The AI liked to call it logical. While prophecies were not made with accurate predictions, Adam believed he could do more. His cards only needed to be held close to the chest, and he would surely come out victorious.
The entertainment took out most of the groups available time. Their private room was only rented for so long, and nobody wanted to sit outside with the riff-raff, whatever such wording could mean.
It was not a negative thing, that the small party was put to an end. Midnight had passed by that point, more than likely not noticed by anybody other than Adam. The atmosphere had held the people awake. Shouting, screaming, and a small bit of violence did produce the effects needed after all.
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Zep and Francis had been the first two to leave. One had excused herself earlier on, while the entertainment was only halfway, and the other had simply walked off at some point. Weirdly, Adam had not noticed this change until the man was out of sight. Nobody had questioned it, however, so the AI had been forced to do the same.
Esme and Darlow had left the moment it was over. The former had expressed some want to stay longer, but it was obvious that the latter had required help in getting back home. Charlie had willingly put himself up as a sacrifice, but that had been ignored as Esme lived closer to the tall, drunkenly swaying man.
This had last left Troy and Charlie in the room, taking the last contents of their glasses as if it was fine wine. Which it was for Charlie, but that didn't seem to matter much. Nothing other than the time taken let that fact be known, no swirling of the glass performed. It only sat on the table, ready to be picked up at any moment. The younger man was in a different position, holding the glass steadily. The grin of satisfaction had changed into one of silent nostalgia. It was unmistakable that positive memories had been gained, some having the potential of being cherished for decades to come. The AI had done something similar, making a special folder for the vehicles witnessed
Time passed by steadily, the two sitting in silence. Adam was likely the one with the least thoughts, as Troy’s eyes were glazed over. Charlie was in a similar state, looking fully comfortable as the man leaned back on the leather sofa. With the minds clearly occupied by more important things, Adam believed that the two would stay like it for a long time.
Then again, silences were only there to be broken, much like the inverse was true.
“Did you enjoy it?” Charlie asked, cracking his neck in a way that could only be enjoyed with the help of primitive instincts not knowing when to give dopamine.
“What?” Troy asked back. The young man had been in a dazed state for too long. It had gotten to the point where Adam was worried about him falling asleep. That would have required a small bout of shouting to keep him awake, not something that would have been enjoyed.
“The party,” Charlie said, the sitting arrangement turning into something semi-healthy for the back. “Was it what you expected it to be?”
Having heard the answer clearly this time, the AI expected a straightforward answer to come within a few seconds. It was yes or no, simple as that. Even the most diluted of threads would be able to divulge the secrets and solve the puzzle. Troy took these expectations of performance away, second by second, looking thoughtful in what to answer. Adam would have expected Charlie to speak out about the lack of words, but no such complaint came forth. Even with the quiet, the man looked as patient as ever.
“I wasn't expecting anything of you guys at all,” Troy said, as the time reached a full minute. “I already knew it would be great, no matter what happened. I promised that I would love it, and there was no failure in that part. Maybe… maybe I should have downed less though. I don't think I will remember this moment too clearly tomorrow.”
Memory was mentioned. It was not a part of the question, yet Troy talked about the limits of mind nonetheless. Adam guessed that it had been the subject of focus, in the silence that had prevailed upon the others leaving. The worry was a legitimate one. Human memory was fragile after all. It was stored in stupid ways, never being what it once was. Every connection made to the placement rewrote what was there, endlessly rewriting history as one knew it.
“You shouldn't be worried about small things like that,” Charlie said, trying to wave away the small worries shown. “Why worry about the past? It's a path straight over to delusion, I tell you! Worry about the future instead. That's much more fun to do.”
To that clap-back, Troy looked to have no other reaction than straight out laughing. It was uncontrollable, likely being able to cause a fall to the floor if he was not already seated. The state of inebriation likely helped cause it, but the AI saw it as a change in the man. It could be seen as a negative change, maybe, but Adam chose to look at it positively.
It did not take long before Charlie joined in with the laughing. Troy had been going for a full thirty seconds, the throat being a little sore at that point, The AI would be surprised if it was noticed, not a single pause witnessed. The small joke had likely passed long ago, yet the two were continuing their shared laughing. Through the power of closed eyes, a few small falls to the side, Troy and Charlie had ended up on the floor before stopping their mirth. It was still present in their eyes, yet it was subdued.
“Yeah… that might be a better way to look at it,” Troy said, looking more at the ceiling than at Charlie. Adam could feel the dunking in the back of the head, the landing not having been as soft as it had sounded.
“You learn to think so many smart things when you work here,” Charlie taught, sounding as reminiscent as he looked. “It took me a long time to realise that.”
Another natural break appeared in their voices, neither putting anything new upfront. According to normal social standards, Troy was the next to speak. And even if the break was long, those laws would be upheld.
“There is something that I have been wondering about for some time now,” Troy said, only a bit more serious than earlier. “Something about you, Charlie.”
“Well, what would that be?” Charlie questioned. “If it's about my glamorous hair, the secret is simply to give it care and effort. Dedication is the only thing that stops it from being a burden.”
“It's not about your hair. Though, I do thank you for the tip,” Troy added. Adam transcribed that the younger man’s hair had been getting more abundant as of late. Longer than the average, coming over to the shorter ranges of being called long. “It's about what you're doing right now.”
“Not following,” Charlie bluntly stated. Which was great, for the AI was of a similar disposition.
“You are kind to me. You help me when I ask for it. Even when I don't, you still reach out to me,” Troy began, clearly having more on his mind. “I was expecting that I would be spending this day glued to my bed, thinking about why I decided homelessness would be the lesser option. Instead, I get a whole day that I enjoy, no matter what has been complained about. And everything about it starts with you, Charlie. But, you have nothing to gain from this. This benefits you in no way whatsoever. Why do you do it?”
For a change of pace, it was Charlie who was silent this time. It was certainly not as long as what Troy had achieved, but the silent stare going along with it made more than up for it.
“I should have guessed that you wouldn't understand it,” Charlie said, not sounding cruel nor accusatory. “I don't blame you, honestly. You're not the first to not understand. If it had been any different, you would have been the first. The people in this place are just not suited to my thoughts, and that's fine with me.
You may have realised already, Troy, but I have it very easy. Things come to be easy when I'm the one doing it. My mind runs around without any effort, and my hands can perfectly create whatever I envision. If I had the need for it, I could get one of the highest positions in this damned place. But… I don't. Because I don't want to.
When I do it so easily, like everything else I try, there is no moment of elation. I feel nothing from my achievements, no matter how large they may look to others. That emptiness… it's not something I like to feel often.
Others don't feel it. Not in the same way as me at least. They have it hard with things they try. They fail. It hurts, knowing they can't do what they want to do, that they can't express themselves in the way that they desire.
Some just have it harder than others. Equality is a myth, and equity will never bring the balance that different lives being lived disrupt. It is something that few ever accept. Not that they have to accept it for it to be true.
That's it. I have it easy. Always had. Others don't. Is it fair? No. Will it ever become fair? Also no. Does that mean that anybody has to accept this fact? Of course not. Others may have it harder from the start, but that doesn't stop me from helping them up. I lose nothing from doing it, with how easy it all is. Others in my position would definitely have done other things, greater things, but I just like helping others.”
Adam did not see any type of answer from Troy. The two simply continued lying on the floor, until the door was opened, and they were asked to leave the premises. By then, the time had gotten late, and both looked ready to sleep.
Yet there was still one thing to do. One more person to visit.