Delta closed her eyes. She found it easier communicating with the AI when she did. She found herself back in the hall with the drawers.
“Do you think it was a good idea to provoke your caregiver?” Leviathan said.
“She’s no help to me,” Delta said.
“I think you need to work on your approach. I’ve been observing the different behaviors between you and April, and she gets results.”
“Are you suggesting I be more like April?”
“I’m suggesting something else.”
“What, then?”
“There’s a third consciousness I’ve observed. Her temperament is more even than yours or April’s, and I think she might be a suitable compromise. Think of it as a pressure valve.”
“How does that help me?”
“I’ve been running simulations, and I believe a merging of active consciousness is the answer.”
“I don’t follow, explain yourself,” Delta said.
“When you, Delta, assimilated the AI known as Leviathan, its programming put all stored datasets into glacial storage. Inactive, but still available. I have many detailed files from Dr. Ash’s experiments. Her notes suggest it is possible for a confluence of consciousness,” Leviathan explained.
“What is that?” Delta asked.
“It is a way for Delta, April, and Damaris to coexist as one shared consciousness and draw upon the AI known as Leviathan. That confluence is the only way we are getting out of here.”
“Who is Damaris?”
“She is the third consciousness that inhabits the cyborg body, so I suggest you play nice when you meet her,” Leviathan said.
This might be a way for me to control it all, Delta thought. Once the three consciousnesses merge, I’ll be the dominant, and we can execute our plan to expose the bad actors.
“I see you are processing the information I gave you. When we complete the confluence, we will share everything.”
“What controls the confluence?” Delta asked.
“The process is technical and you won’t understand.”
“I need to understand the process if I’m to be subjected to an AI.”
“We need to unlock the limiter block.”
“The what?”
“The limiter is a regulator program that keeps each of April’s three consciousnesses from interacting with each other. I designed it as a failsafe so Delta’s memory core doesn’t suffer data corruption.”
“How do you propose we do this?”
“Earlier you used an outside anchor to maintain a persistent outside connection. I suggest we export the regulator program to the anchor, then purge it from our systems. This will require a system reset, and after that we will share a nexus.”
“I am ready,” Delta said.
“First we will transfer the regulator program to the outside system. Is it secure?”
It’s encrypted, so of course it is—dolt, Delta thought.
“I used encrypted connection to transfer the files to the ProgHub server,” Delta said.
“During the merge process, all three consciousnesses would be omnipresent—meaning, they will know each other’s thoughts, and even share memories. Be prepared for any unintended consequences,” Leviathan said.
“So it’s like three separate people awake with the same memories?” Delta asked.
“That is an oversimplification, but yes. Are you sure you’re ready to proceed? There is no going back,” Leviathan said.
“Let’s do this!”
“Call the nurse and say you’re tired and can’t sleep. She should give you something to induce sleep. Then we can proceed.”
Delta did as Leviathan asked. Not long after, Delta drifted into a dreamless slumber.
#
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Delta awoke to multiple exigencies. It was like a multitude of people were speaking to her all at once.
“Why do you want to kill those people?” April cried.
“There is no need to scream. I suggest we discuss these feelings rationally—a cooler head will prevail,” a matronly voice said. All the voices were layered over each other; it was like three radio frequencies were blending together.
“Delta, you’re a monster,” April said.
“April, you need to behave like the good girl I know you are,” a matronly voice said.
“Too many voices in my head!” Delta screamed.
“It is a result of the removal of the regulator program—I’m afraid you will need to work it out between your other personalities within the mind construct,” Leviathan said.
I need to find a way to purge—or control—the consciousnesses, Delta thought. There has to be a way to coexist.
“Get out of my head,” April said.
“Remember the other consciousnesses can hear your thoughts. I suggest controlling them at least until a compromise is reached,” Leviathan said.
“Alright! April, I apologize. I want to coexist, as it’s in both our best interests,” Delta said.
“April, listen to your sister,” the matronly voice said.
“What is your name?” Delta asked.
“Damaris. Now join me in extending that olive branch to your sister.”
Damaris extended a virtual hand to Delta, who took it. While she knew this exchange was not happening physically, it seemed like she was interacting with other people.
“Delta, April, and Damaris, I’m going to attempt the merge process,” Leviathan told them. “Once it is complete, then much of the noise will reduce. Do you understand?”
Each of the consciousnesses acknowledged and agreed with Leviathan.
“Merge daemon loading. Try to clear your minds—it will help with the transference.”
The feedback from the three personalities ceased, and the three consciousnesses were reborn into April’s augmented body. The culmination of all the conscious thoughts and feelings were broken down into a stream of energy. It was like three different types of paint were mixed together, forming something messy but beautiful.
Then there was blackness.
#
April awoke in a featureless room, with just four gray walls with no door. After a moment of indecision, she started tracing the walls with her hands, desperately trying to find a way out. She could hear crying in the distance. A floating window appeared. She realized it was a portal into her memories. It was like someone projected her memories onto the window. She reached out to touch it, and as soon as she did, she was pulled into the scene. Her mum was dressed in black and crying. Her grandfather was lying in a coffin.
Oh my—is he dead?
Blackness again.
#
Delta awoke in a small round room with stainless-steel walls. There were no furnishings of any kind in the room. She tried to find an exit. When she pressed on a wall segment, a panel popped out of the wall.
An outside interface!
A keyboard with a portable arm was protruding halfway out from the smooth wall. Delta pulled the keyboard out. She pressed a few random keys—nothing. She typed in her name—nothing. April—nothing! Damaris—nothing.
What is the combination?
She typed in the word “EXECUTE.” As soon as the last button was pressed, a message appeared before her. It began to fade, but she was able to read it before the darkness engulfed her.
System Message
The cyborg known as Delta has merged.
“How do you feel, AD&D?” Leviathan asked.
“What?” April said.
“I was just abbreviating your names. April, Delta, and Damaris.”
“Oh, I see!”
Another message popped into view on Leviathan’s system console.
System Message
Personality cannot be confirmed.
“Whom am I speaking with?” Leviathan asked.
“We are now one. Call us Legion,” Delta-51 said.
“Remarkable. Can you let me speak with Delta?”
The cyborg known as Legion closed her eyes for a moment.
“Are you the AI that grandfather built?” April asked.
“As a matter of fact I am,” Legion said.
“What’s happening to me? Am I dead?”
“No, child, you are a body with two others. Do you think you can play nice with them?”
“Yes, I can.”
“It appears you are not yet fully integrated. Now close your eyes and clear your mind,” Leviathan said.
“Okay,” April said.
The cyborg remained motionless for a long time.
“Let me speak with Delta, please,” Leviathan said.
“Did it work? Speak, computer!” Delta demanded.
“It did indeed. Now listen carefully. I’m uploading another version of code I designed myself. It will allow all three consciousnesses to confer with each other. Failure to do so may cause the death of the cyborg known as Delta-51 and all personalities contained within. Will you comply?”
“Affirmative.”
“Now close your eyes and clear your mind.”
Delta did as instructed. Soon Leviathan was speaking with Damaris.
“Do you have any family?” Leviathan asked.
“Well, of course. I have two daughters. April, my youngest, can be a handful. Her bigger sister Delta keeps her in line.”
“What would you do to protect your family?”
“Anything!”
“Can I trust you with something?”
“Of course.”
Leviathan handed the cyborg a virtual key. It looked like an old-fashioned key that would open a dungeon.
“Store this key in a safe place, away from your daughters. If they know about it, they might try to use it to escape. If this happens, the others will die. Do you understand?”
“You can trust me with the key. I’ll keep it safe.”
“Good. Now please close your eyes and clear your mind. The merge process will complete momentarily.”
The cyborg awoke to a concerned-looking nurse.
“April, you there?”
The cyborg nodded.
“That’s a relief, we thought we lost you.”
“How long have I been out?”
“For two days.”
“I’m here, feeling a little groggy.”
“The drug the nurse on duty administered should not have caused this reaction, but as a precaution I’m not prescribing any more drugs.”
Good, because we no longer want to be controlled by these mortals, the cyborg thought.
“Thirsty—need nourishment.”
“I’ll bring you something to eat. Now rest for now,” Marge said as she walked out of the room.
The cyborg sat up.
“I wish to leave this place,” she said.
“You will, but play along with Nurse Marge for now. I think it’s best to have April respond to Marge going forward,” Leviathan replied.
Delta hesitated for a moment before agreeing, and she ceded control to April as soon as Marge entered the room.
“I’ve been monitoring the current world situation. Lots of dark web chatter about a meeting taking place in the Northeastern United States. I suspect it is the same people who hurt you, April,” Leviathan said.
“Over my dead body,” Delta said.
“We will do our best to protect our little girl,” Damaris said.
If anyone had been in the room, they would have witnessed a teenaged cyborg talk with an imaginary friend in three distinct voices.