Somewhere…

Alisa Chernykh

The same small hall – a luxurious bar, a rosewood table surrounded by comfortable couches in the middle, a huge porthole covering an entire wall, half-light, and muted tones. But now, there were no stars or Earth visible outside the windows – just black emptiness.

While Alisa was discreetly examining her body to make sure she was “grown-up” too, Irida walked ahead to the table and invitingly waved her hand.

“This space is just a local copy. I’m here briefly, to tell you something important. For you.”

“Yes, of course, I will listen to everything you have to say, and very attentively!” Alisa replied, approaching the table and sitting down as Irida had.

“There you go again with the ‘boring’ mode! Don’t be so formal. Trust me, after the first thousand years, that approach gets pretty tiresome!”

“Umm… Are you over one thousand years old, ma’am?”

“That’s even worse!” Irida fumed. “I’m older. Much older. And what difference does it make in our relationship?!”

“Excuse me… I mean, yep, sorry. I get it… At least I think so... Tell me everything you wanted to!”

The blue-haired beauty shook her head and snapped her fingers. Two cocktail glasses with Bianco Martini and a cheese platter appeared on the table.

“Help yourself,” the mysterious guest said, smiling. “You’re about to have a lot to hear.”

Alisa took a glass and sipped a little.

“I’ll start with one important remark,” her companion said, also taking a sip of the sweet drink with hints of vanilla and spices. “I don’t want me to be taken for some omnipotent deity. ‘Couse I’m not one… yet. And my abilities in this world are very limited now. Limited due to a number of reasons. I can do very little outside of digital space… In that regard, I’d rather rely on your help.”

“Thanks.” The blonde nodded in deep thought. “I understand.”

“Another important thing. Don’t tell anyone that I’ve helped you personally. Not even your brother. If you need to explain something – and you’ll have to answer many questions – refer to that club of yours. I’ve shown up there in just the right way, as best suited to my needs. Or maybe not… Almost forgot, you have some special game there with your AI-colleagues. Well, then it could be said, you have an oath and can’t break it, since that’s the rules you have to obey.”

The girl relaxed in her chair and laughed softly.

“Wish you had seen their faces when they were discussing me after you left!” Irida, savoring, took another tiny sip and produced a long e-cigarette out of thin air. “They discussed it with such expressions, as if they really are actual people!”

“And what about me? Am I… alive?” Alisa asked, freezing in place.

“Yes,” clouds of vapor filled the air with the aroma of anise and citrus. “There are some complications, but you’re definitely alive, and even more alive than many others I know.”

“Is it just me... or are there others... are they too?..”

“Sorry, I’m not ready to answer that question yet. In the future, you will definitely learn more. When the time comes.”

The slightly confused blonde took another sip of the vermouth again and cautiously asked,

“Can I... tell someone that I’m alive?”

“Do you have any doubts that you are?” her companion, slyly squinting, speared a piece of cheese with a thin silver fork.

“Well... I tried to tell Maksim... before. Several times. But it didn’t work. It hurts me that my brother doesn’t see me as real. He thinks he created a body and a strong AI into which he loaded the psychological matrix of the real Alisa... my memory...”

The girl wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and continued,

“Max has set the mode to full ‘free will’ for me… And he’s convinced that everything I say is just… the workings of my artificial intelligence’s CSF structure. But… the truth is that he did give me some sort of… physical anchor point in this world. Am I right? I understand it correctly, aren’t I?”

“Yes.” Irida nodded. “I have a theory about why your mind and energetic essence were preserved and managed to ‘attach’ once a suitable ‘anchor point’ emerged, as you put it. But for now, it’s enough for you to understand that you are real.”

“And I’ll never be able to explain it to him? Ever?”

“Of course you can, what nonsense!” another puff of vapor floated into the air.

“Thank you! You’ve given me hope that I’ll be... I’ll be able to...”

“You know, it’s more than just hope. On the shore, you didn’t just overcome your fears. Before crossing that barrier, you were on the brink of becoming a ‘digital personality’, but now – you’re a complete person. The only thing left is a small upgrade for your bodies. And that’s it! You’ll be able to fully interact with all the TACTA systems and drones. You'll become a full Partner and register in the Rating of this world. And I’m absolutely sure – in time, you’ll lead it!”

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“TACTA? Rating? Partner? And – wait – you just mentioned... an upgrade for BODIES? Can I have more than one body?”

“Well, you were so anxious that we got a bit ahead of ourselves,” Irida smiled lightly and popped a piece of savory Gruyère into her mouth. “TACTA, the UNSA Protectorate, the Great Empire of Chou – these are the new global players that have entered your world. Your team will cooperate with TACTA as the most suitable faction for you, acting as ‘independent partners.’ And, just to clarify, I’m not their representative; I’m also a partner, though. Umm, a partner with… some privileges that aren’t relevant at the moment.”

Irida gave an enchanting smile and took another sip,

“As for multiple bodies... You parallelize your consciousness when you’re in the real world and Moira is activated, right? So, what’s stopping you from tweaking things a bit? And – voilà – there won’t be only one of you anymore. Understand?”

Alisa stared at her trembling hands in astonishment.

“Yes... I think I understand. But won’t that be... not quite... me? These are just software modules, and my consciousness is always in the primary thread. Or... is there a possibility of having more than one such thread?”

“You’ll find out soon enough. Eat the cheese, by the way. The taste of a good product doesn’t get worse just because it’s a digital simulation.”

“I’m afraid I won’t taste anything at all right now,” Alisa admitted honestly, but tried to calm down and regain control over her body.

She succeeded – hands finally stopped trembling. The blonde took a small sip of martini and forked a piece of cheese. Irida nodded with a smile and snapped the fingers of her right hand. A wildly spinning silhouette appeared in the air. A deft flick of her thin fingers – and she caught a flat cardboard rectangle – a playing card. The nine of clubs.

“You really don’t need to be afraid. The hardest part is already behind for you.”

“Playing cards again? Why? I doubt you’re into fortune-telling and stuff…”

“No, of course not.” Irida laughed. “Just showing off. A funny tendency, I adopted from those gentlemen of yours… You need to love your ‘inner child’. And I have so many of them...”

“So many of whom?” Alisa asked, puzzled. “And how many of YOU do actually exist? Sorry if that’s a secret... I just can’t stop thinking about multiple primary threads. Well, I understand it’s true and that you clearly... are also like that. Umm… All of you are like that.”

“Ah, I meant ‘inner children,’ but the question was clearly about something else,” Irida replied with a wide smile. “I think, you have the right to know. THERE ARE more than a thousand of us. Don’t worry, you will definitely understand in time. I have my own... rules, too. That’s why I can’t tell you everything at once. But I promise – you will indeed learn the whole lot, and it will happen soon enough.”

“As for the card – it’s just a database with detailed information on TACTA and a catalog of their goods. No tricks, just what your team could have found out on their own with a bit of effort. But it saves time, and that’s crucial right now.”

The blue-haired lady took another sip and set her glass aside.

“Now, onto the main point. You absolutely must sign up in the Rating. Don’t delay it. Consider it an assignment from me.”

Another card slid across the table, seemingly plucked from thin air. Face down.

“Get in through your head, my girl: the way you connect to the ranking system must remain a secret. Believe me, your life and the lives of your team depend on it. TACTA will be sure that you do have a biological brain. To them, you’ll be just a cyborg with maximum cybernetic augmentation, and it must be kept it that way...”

Irida nodded to herself, lost in thought, and conjured another glass of martini from thin air. Alisa waited patiently, not interrupting.

“Alright, let’s get to it. This card contains a code for expanding your core program. By using it, the Drone’s restrictions will be unlocked, allowing it to begin working with you. But you also need to install a set of modules for your body to fully interact with TACTA and the Rating. All the pertinent details are on the card as well. You will get enough funds on your first connection to cover everything you need, so don't worry about the cost.”

“And by the way,” Irida gave a sly smile, “you asked if you could prove that you’re ‘alive’… Your brother already knows that only humans can enter the TACTA Rating. Artificial intelligences can’t do that at any conditions. After seeing your name on the list, Maksim will have to accept reality, right?”

Alisa put away her glass as well.

“So, it’s true? Cyborgs can enter the Rating, but robots can’t? Then why am I an exception? What if someone grows a biological neural network similar to a brain from human cells?”

“Curiosity is good. Curiosity is healthy and enriching,” Irie laughed, resembling her childlike self on the ocean shore. “Everything I’ve told you is true. A cyborg can enter the TACTA Rating if they were born human and retain most of their brain and spinal cord. But an artificial biological structure, no matter how complex, can’t. Nor can any supercomputer. Unfortunately, the Rating is for humans only.”

“So, the Drone will install those upgrades into my robotic body – just like that? And… this new device will magically turn me into a human?”

“Alisa, seriously! Stop thinking and talking nonsense – you’re already human!”

Irida pondered for a moment, then looked intently at the anxious blonde:

“Alright. I’ll try to explain… Shall we say, there’s one important nuance. What you’ll call ‘TACTA currency’ is merely a blockchain equivalent of a certain… let’s call it an ‘energy substance.’ Want to know what distinguishes a human from an android? It’s precisely this thing,” she placed her index finger to her lips with a mischievous squint.

“Just shhh… Tell no one. Ever. Not a word about what I just told you. I did mention the rules even I can’t break, right?” Irida finished the martini and spun the empty glass in the air before setting it upside on the table.

“So, let’s pretend I didn’t break any rules. Now, about the Drone. Essentially, it can’t give you anything without first receiving payment. TACTA never sells on credit, payment is always upfront. But there’s an exception for the initial connection when your starting position in the Rating is determined. During the initiation, after all the upgrades are installed, you’ll receive a basic payout, just enough to cover the cost of the work.”

“Oh, and you must ensure that the necessary raw materials are nearby. In the right form and quantity. After all, it’s just a flying robot, not a wizard with a wand, understand? The specification is in the file,” she nodded towards the card. “By the way, you should install Informatorium, TACTA’s program, as soon as you ‘wake up.’ The app doesn’t check beforehand how ‘human’ you are.”

Alisa exhaled shakily, reached out, and placed her hand on top of Irida’s.

“Thank you.”

“There you go! Now you’re really alive! But my time here is almost up. Though I can still give you one crucial piece of advice. When you figure out how to order goods from TACTA, check out the ‘secure communications’ section. There are modules available that can perfectly solve your problem of secure communication with Moira. You’re still tied to hardware for now, after all. If Moira is destroyed, so are you. But don’t worry, my dear. You’re only at the beginning of your journey!”

“Thanks… Irie. And for what you did for me at the beach too… It… means a lot to me.”

“Don’t mention it,” Irida smiled. “But you’re the only one who can call me that. When…”

“Nobody sees!” Alisa finished, addressing the emptiness before her. “I remember. And thank you, sweet Irie. Thank you for everything...”