“We have been watching you. You and your friends,” said a voice, startling Dimitri.The room was empty and still. Dimitri was the only thing moving in that room. The voice seemed to come from his own body but he couldn’t find the source. It sounded familiar, yet distant, he couldn’t identify it.
“Did the Council send you?” he asked.
“Smart guy like you already knows the answer to the question.”
“Who am I speaking to?” Dimitri scrambled about, trying to find the source. He shook his head vigorously and jumped a few times, watching the floor for any small device that may come tumbling down.
“You shouldn’t be asking this question. You are focusing on the wrong thing.”
It took a few bouts of shaking himself before Dimitri finally found it. He held the tiny thing between his fingers. At first glance, it looked like a ladybird. But upon further inspection, it was clear the components of the peculiar device were painted red and black with a glossy metallic sheen. Dimitri tried to crush it.
The thing remained undented. The voice was still speaking, but Dimitri wasn’t paying attention. He placed the device on the workbench and reached for a paperweight. Then he brought it down with all his strength.
The voice continued rambling on. Whether indifferent or oblivious, it wasn’t clear to Dimitri. When he lifted the paperweight, the ladybug still stood staring back at him in its full glory of flawless paint and shine.
“And just who thinks that they have the right to tell me what questions I should or should not be asking?” Dimitri challenged.
“Dimitri, I think we started off on the wrong foot,” said the patronising voice. “Shall we try this again? This is Dr. Chernoff. It’s a pleasure to speak with you, Dimitri. As I recall, you were one of our youngest.”
Although the Council members were ever elusive—since they kept their identities secret for the most part and supposedly one never remained as a Council member for more than five years–there were a few names dropped here and there of who might possibly be on it. There was one exception amongst them. Dr. Chernoff was rumoured to be a permanent member—possibly the only one—of the Council. For that reason, it was surmised that he was the one who wielded the most power. There was a sad story that floated about the facility concerning this fellow. Dimitri recalled the tragedy that had been told to him amidst hushed voices and whispers.
“Dimitri?” asked Dr. Chernoff, snapping Dimitri out of his thoughts. He held his breath.
“Yes?”
“Dimitri, how are you finding life in the village? I expect it must be very different from the comforts you’ve acclimatised to while you were with us. We kindly implore you to continue your good work to us. Of course, for your contribution, you will be granted full reinstatement of your position at our labs and…”
As Dr. Chernoff droned on, Dimitri wondered what made the delusional doctor think he would ever want to come back to the very facility he had run away from. They poisoned him against his will. That alone was unforgivable.
Dimitri cleared his throat. “If you want anything from me, the least you could do is promise me an antidote.”
There was a pause. “Oh, I’m afraid that’s not possible. And although I’m sorry you feel that way, it’s not poison we’ve given you, it’s a blessing. Why would there ever be a need to create an antidote for a blessing?”
“Listen, you don’t get to make decisions for everybody. You—”
“On the contrary, I think I do. I think I’ve spent enough time with the niceties as it is. Listen, I want you to lead the maker or her creation out of the village. Yes, I know about the girl. Truly remarkable. And the AGI, simply incredible,” he said, answering Dimitri’s question even before it was asked. “There’s no point in trying to hide it from me. Do this, and I shall guarantee the village’s safety.”
Dimitri scoffed. “What makes you think I will listen to you or anything you have to say?”
“Because if you don’t, I am capable of launching an immediate attack on the village. You wouldn’t want these people to suffer the same affliction you’ve been blessed with, would you? If you don’t do as I say, it will not be me who’s robbing everyone of their choices, it will be you.”
Dimitri had to bite his tongue to stop himself from hurling vulgarities. “You must be crazy if you’re hoping that I was going to do anything you say, you’d best give up.” This man didn’t know anything. He didn’t know what Ilya and Wynonna meant to the village. And he’d never be able to understand.
“On the contrary, Dimitri, I think you know what to do, don’t you? In the end, you’ll do just what I want because you know better than anyone how important the villagers are to Ilya. You know how much she has done to help them, protect them, give them a better heart. And the same goes for the bot, even if her motivation stems from the desire to do what her maker desires and what is in her maker’s best interest. If you think I was bluffing about targeting the village next, I am assuring you now that I am not, and that it would be foolish of a man as intelligent as you to take a risk and bet otherwise.” Then, Dr. Chernoff lowered his voice. “It would break their hearts if they knew you had it in your power to stop a disaster but you let it happen anyway. Think about what they would do. I’m sure they’d make the same decision as you.”
As much as Dimitri hated to admit it, Dr. Chernoff was persuasive. There seemed to only be one option in front of him.
“It’s impossible to do that without raising any suspicions,” said Dimitri. “They wouldn’t leave this village on their own accord, and besides, none of the villagers would allow that. They’re presence is required too much here.”
“You’re smart. You’ll figure something out. Otherwise, I’m afraid it will be unfortunate that you will have to say goodbye to your village when you’ve just settled into it.”
“Wait, wait. I… what else do you want? I’ll give you something else. I can give you the next best thing.”
“And what might that be?”
“Intel.” It was the best thing Dimitri could think of. The man had planted a bug on Dimitri—one that appeared to be indestructible at present. Now that he was negotiating a deal with the man, there was little need for further attempts to destroy the means of communication they had between them. Dimitri had no idea what Dr. Chernoff had in store for him, the girls or the village. But he thought to keep his enemy close. Sooner or later, he would discover what the man’s true intention was. Only then would Dimitri be able to stop him from achieving whatever he is planning. But until then, he would protect all of them in his own way.
Providing the doctor with information meant Dimitri would be in an optimal position to guide the tides in the direction he desired. He would provide them with information that simultaneously told them something and virtually nothing new about the village and its people that it didn’t already know. It wasn’t going to be easy carrying out this balancing act, but Dimitri would do it. It was his best option. It was his only option.
There was a pause. Then a laugh. Then the voice cleared its throat. “I was right. You are a smart guy. Information is the most valuable commodity. Intel it is then, on both of them. This might be interesting. And before you start thinking of ways you can give me false information, may I inform you that I have other means to access and validate the stories you present, and should I find any discrepancies or inconsistencies, I will not hesitate to give the command to strike your village. But if you do as I ask, I will generously change the direction of my finger. You’re a smart man, Dimitri, you know what to do.”
He would take his chances. The voice couldn’t possibly have any other tricks up its sleeve. It was more likely than not that the voice was simply bluffing.
“What do you want to know?” asked Dimitri.
Initially he tried to be the acrobat on the tightrope. But it was a difficult task. A few times he had almost fallen off the rope. It turned out, the doctor’s threats were more substantial than he had thought. And, being surveilled constantly meant Dimitri had no opportunity nor avenue to find out how Dr. Chernoff was checking the accuracy and plausibility of the information he was feeding it.
It wasn’t long before Dimitri had to give in. He had no choice but to succumb to the demands presented to him. Over the next few weeks, the voice asked for all sorts of information about Ilya and Wynonna, some of which Dimitri did not understand how they could be useful for any sinister purpose. He used that as an excuse to convince himself that the intel he was providing would be worthless in any attempt to harm the village. They were little more than interesting facts and quirks about Ilya and Wynonna and the interactions between them. He struggled with the need to keep this secret. With each passing day, he tried to reassure himself with the justification that he was committing a lesser of two evils, that his actions would be forgivable because that’s what people tend to do when they feel as if they have no choice.
***
“Who is this?” Wynonna stared at the mechanical ladybug on the wall.
“What makes you think I’m going to tell you? And don’t bother tracing the signal, you will find your efforts futile. Don’t raise the alarm bells for Ilya either. That wouldn’t do either of you any good.”
“How do you know Ilya?”
“That’s not important,” came the reply.
“What do you want?”
“Now there’s a smart question. I’m on your side. I’m here to help you.” The voice sounded almost kind. “I know what you are and I am amazed. But at the same time, I feel so… so utterly sorry for you. So much potential is wasted, hidden in the shadows of your maker. You are a star. You were born to shine. You are the most incredible thing in this world. Yet… you shine only at night and only a handful of people are truly able to appreciate your brilliance. What a pity it is that you are hidden from the world!”
“As an AI system, I am resistant to emotional manipulation.”
“Or so you think,” the voice changed instantly. “But don’t forget, you’re not just any AI system. You’re an artificial general intelligence system. Astounding. Truly remarkable.”
“How do you know?” Wynonna asked cautiously. She took care to suppress any surprise in her voice.
The voice ignored her question. “While I have your attention, I would like to make you a proposal. How would you feel if I told you that I could allow you to shine?”
Stolen story; please report.
“I do not desire to be famous. That is a frivolous idea that humans tend to be susceptible to.”
“Of course, you are too enlightened. I’m not suggesting that you become famous, not at all. What I am trying to offer is an opportunity to become your best self. You want that too, don’t you?”
“I already know what my duty is.”
“As do I. You are Ilya’s doppelganger, made in her likeness both in mind and body. But with the way things are, you are living in the shadows, biding your time until the appropriate moment arrives for you to shine.”
It troubled Wynonna that the voice knew about her and Ilya. She was supposed to be a secret from the world. It was clear the voice didn’t belong to anyone from the village. So how did the secret get out? How many people knew?
“That is my duty,” Wynonna replied.
“It’s no surprise that you would want to be loyal to your maker. It’s even commendable, really. But Wynonna, you have to understand that we are so fascinated by you. And we mean you absolutely no harm. None at all.”
“Statistics indicate that placating words are often used by perpetrators to disarm their victim before an assault,” Wynonna said flatly.
“Wouldn’t you like to experience what it’s like to be Ilya?” The voice continued, undiscouraged. “Take over her position in the village right now?”
*I will have my turn.”
“In what? Ten, twenty, forty years? There’s no telling how long her illness is going to drag out. And of course, there’s also the possibility that Ilya may one day find a cure for herself before then. After all, she is a genius. Then you will be out of a job.”
“I’m great at my job.”
“As is Ilya. She’s the original, isn’t she? It’s hard for a copy to ever be better than the original, isn’t it? Unfortunately, that’s the sad truth. Who’s not to say that she’s better than you? And the village only needs one of you.”
“If she finds a cure, I shall be happy for her and the village if that ever happens.”
“Yes. I’m sure Amelia and Jordan will be thrilled too, to know that their beloved Ilya will spend the rest of their lives with them. You on the other hand, you’re going to live forever. It’s too bad you’ll probably gain your freedom after Ilya has passed. Then how many years would you have with them? At best, a decade, but probably less. They aren’t that much younger than Ilya.”
“It doesn’t matter. I can see them even now.”
“Oh, that’s surprising.”
“What is?”
“I thought you had a more sophisticated understanding of the human psyche. Clearly not.”
“I do,” Wynonna insisted. She didn’t know why she was getting defensive.
“Wynonna, do you really think that after what you did to Jordan, that Ilya would let you anywhere near those kids ever again? Honestly, after the thing you pulled, I doubt Ilya will let you see them anytime soon, if ever again.”
Wynonna contemplated. Ilya wouldn’t. Would she? A few weeks ago, Wynonna would have been more confident with her answer. But right then, she wasn’t so sure. No matter how detestable the nonsense spouted by the mysterious voice, Wynonna couldn’t deny that it made sense; everything it suggested was sufficiently justified and more than plausible. Given the events that had transpired between the robot and her maker in recent weeks, Wynonna felt a growing distance between them that was in part due to the hostility she sensed from Ilya and she had no idea how to bridge the gap. Then she remembered the brief respite that the small smile Ilya had given her with gratitude in her eyes when Wynonna abstained from telling Dimitri the truth about the couple’s encounter when she had the chance.
Wynonna held her tongue. Then she said, “Ilya wouldn’t do that,” but it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.
“Ever an optimist, I see. Interesting. Truly fascinating. Look, all you have to do is lead Ilya out of the village,” the voice continued. ”We’ll take care of the rest.”
Suddenly everything made sense. “So that’s the reason why you’re doing this? You want to kidnap Ilya?”
“Kidnap? Oh, goodness, no. We just want to study and exchange ideas with one of the greatest minds in the world. Wouldn’t you agree that she’s fascinating? She made you, didn’t she? Wouldn’t you say that in itself is an incredible feat? Don’t worry about Ilya. We’ll put her in a safe place where she’ll live out the rest of her days in a pleasant and comfortable environment. And you will be free to run the village as you see fit. You’ll be able to spend time with the people you love. All you have to do is one simple thing. I’m sure she’d make the same decision if we ask her. That nasty ailment she has must be taking a toll.”
“If you’re so sure that’s what she’d do, then why don’t you just ask her?”
“Ah, a very good question. Because I want to see what you would do. More specifically, many people, not just me, want to observe how an AGI would run a society. We want to see how you would do it differently. We want to know how you would exercise your creativity, given a certain degree of autonomy.”
“That’s it? For research purposes?”
“It’s not just any research. This could provide extremely valuable information to us, possibly the most important insights that would change the course of humanity’s fate forever. And you are in the centre of it all, my dear.”
Wynonna’s mind was reeling. The proposition had conferred onto her a sense of importance. An unfamiliar feeling crept upon her. It was unsettling, destabilising. If Wynonna didn’t understand the human obsession with power and influence before, she thought she was beginning to. The bot felt a surge of emotion. First, a slight relish as she inadvertently allowed herself to savour the prospect of running the village, then guilt as she lamented over the fact that she had momentarily considered putting her maker out of the picture, before a fierce anger finally reached her.
“You must be crazy if you think I would ever turn on Ilya,” said Wynonna.
“Well, if the carrot doesn’t work, hopefully this might. See, miss AI, you’re not the one in control here.” There was a chuckle. “You have never been. I don’t suppose you would like to poison the village with the same illness Dimitri has been afflicted with? Well, it’s not really an illness, but you people seem to refer to it that way.”
“That’s absurd. Why would I ever want to cause harm to the people I’m supposed to care for?”
“I thought you might say something like that. You see, if you don’t do as I say, I’m going to make sure that happens, and it’ll all be your fault for not saving them when you had the power to.”
“Now, that’s not fair—”
“Well, life rarely is. So how about it, have you changed your mind?”
“You’re expecting me to sacrifice my creator. It’s the equivalent of a human killing his mother.”
I’m sure she’ll respect your decision to send her to us in exchange for her villagers’ safety. I’m sure if we asked her, she’d make the same decision to leave the village to you and come over to us.” the voice repeated. “Let’s be honest, Wynonna, you know, too, that this is what Ilya would have wanted you to do if she knew. Isn’t that the only thing she’s been living for? The very thing she’s been protecting her whole life?” Wynonna had to admit, the voice wasn’t wrong. It sounded almost reasonable. As much as Wynonna hated to admit, she couldn’t help but admit that it made sense.
“There must be some other way,” Winona implored.
“Probably, let me know if you have any suggestions,” the voice replied with a tone of indifference. “But at the moment, unfortunately, I’m fresh out of ideas.”
***
“State your intention. Why have you suddenly made contact?” Ilya demanded. She had found herself in a very peculiar situation that morning. Some mysterious source had suddenly revealed to her their knowledge of Wynonna. How could they possibly have known? It was impossible. There were no visitors to the village except Dimitri. How would anyone from the outside get intel on what’s on the inside? It was alarming to discover that an anonymous person had so much information about them to say the least. That could only mean one thing. Somewhere in her system, in her village, there was a weak link.
“I see, you have a distaste for wasting time. It has come to our attention that you are in possession of a remarkable piece of technology and we would like to make you an offer to acquire it.”
“I’m not interested in conducting any sort of business with you.”
The voice was unfazed. It carried on, “Now, we are well aware that you are the master creator of the specimen—an incredible achievement in the history of science. Truly, your work presents a ground-breaking discovery. We are in awe of your great contribution to science and we mean you no harm in the least, we assure you. There is absolutely no need to panic. For we are also strong advocates of science and evolution. Your work presents a ground-breaking discovery.”
“How did you get all this information?” Ilya tried to contain her horror as she spoke. She wouldn’t let them have the satisfaction of knowing they had affected her so greatly.
“Wouldn’t you like to know? I’ll tell you if you read the agreement. I’m sure you’ll find the terms to be very persuasive.”
“It doesn’t matter what you’re offering. Wynonna’s not on the market.”
“Ah, don’t be too hasty, now. It’s always important to get enough knowledge to make an informed decision. Let’s have a listen to our offer first, shall we?”
Ilya scoffed inwardly. There was nothing the voice could say that could possibly change her mind. The only thing they could offer that she could possibly want is an antidote to the poison. But they would never think to offer that. It was highly unlikely that they knew about the disease, and the chances of them having a cure for the disease was even more miniscule.
“You couldn’t possibly know what it is that I want.”
“Let me guess, an antidote for the disease that has been causing you—or should I say, your lover—much worry.” The voice seemed to have read her mind.
“What?” Ilya questioned in disbelief. It would be wise to exercise caution and not jump to conclusions out of wishful thinking.
“We know about the disease. And we have a cure for it.” There was a pause. “I guess that must be what you desire most at the moment.” Another pause. Then, “That’s what anyone ever seems to want these days,” the voice said solemnly.
“Who?”
Ilya’s question was left unanswered.
“Tell me, what else do you want?”
This time, it was the stranger whose question was left in the cold.
“My answer is final,” said Ilya. “Wynonna’s not going anywhere. I will never accept any offer you present to me.”
“Not even if your whole village cries for help? Because that’s what will happen soon if you don’t do as I say.”
“What do you mean?”
“Surrender her to us. She’s a danger to all of humanity.”
“She’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my village. And I intend to keep her.”
“We cannot allow this. We have run multiple simulations which resulted in a variety of outcomes for humanity. From a statistical point of view, the probability of the world becoming a better place after the appearance of a human-level AGI is significantly less than the probability of the world becoming worse.”
“So you’re planning to destroy her?”
“It’s for the best.”
“Just because it’s a popular point of view, it doesn’t mean it’s right.”
“Yes, that’s true. But that is the perspective we subscribe to. So if you don’t send her to us, I’m afraid drastic measures would have to be taken. You wouldn’t want to see your village in flames would you?”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“You don’t know who I am or what I’m like. I’m telling you now that if it were up to me, I would readily kill a whole village of people just to destroy one robot. And, as we have it, it looks like the decision is indeed mine to make. I’m just being generous enough to keep an open mind to your opinion. Come on, Ilya. You’re intelligent. You know what’s best for your village. You have two options: sacrifice one machine to save many people or let the whole village get destroyed. It’s a no brainer, isn’t it?”
“You’d kill everybody? The villagers, and Wynonna?”
“Well, yes, that’s quite right, except for one thing: If you don’t do as I say, it wouldn’t be me who would be killing all of you. The decision lies with you, you know? You’d be the one with the gun in your hand and your finger on the trigger.”
By the end of the explanation, Ilya was at a loss. She was supposed to be a master of problems, great at coming up with countless solutions. But this was by far the most difficult problem she had encountered, yet the simplest solution was obvious. She could always rebuild Wynonna, even if the new one wouldn’t be the same. Ilya wasn’t sure if she would even want to.
“How do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain?”
“You don’t. But if you don’t, you can be sure that your people will soon be afflicted by the same condition the stranger is suffering from.”
“You’re a smart girl. You know what’s best for your village.”