City-21 “Kyiv,” UNSA Protectorate, Avril Dominion
NES Factory Industrial Zone, Medical Center “Lizard’s Tail”
Alisa Chernykh, August 13, 2049, 12:16 PM
As per the old Slavic tradition, the kitchen had somehow transformed into the headquarters for planning their escape. The team continued to discuss the nuances of loading, using the cyborg maintenance stations, and then even had a call with Miro. For Alice, however, participating in all this activity required only a few auxiliary threads.
So now, she was in Deep-VR, standing at the entrance of a familiar place that no longer evoked the awe, it once did during her initial visits. Today, everything was easy and straightforward here; answers to many questions were readily available, and the interactions were often easier than dealing with these strange humans. After all, she had long forgotten what it was like to be an ordinary human. For most of them, she was now an outsider. An android. An Artificial Intelligence.
The Club.
She did promise to find out where and how they should go after escaping Kyiv. And for that, more than just scattered fragments of information from the extranet were needed. This was the purpose of this place. It was a thousand times more efficient to get pre-prepared and processed data — the result of the Club colleagues’ work. This was helpful for everyone, as strong intelligences could always ensure mutually beneficial cooperation.
That’s why the rules arose: Do not lie or falsify information. Do not disclose a partner’s identity. Do not attempt to reveal their location. Honest exchange.
Of course, this was all only applicable if the Club member hadn’t shown they were fine with some reasonable rule-bending. For instance, everyone knew that Oracle was not only one of the strongest AIs in the world but also based in North America. Even a child could draw parallels between its name and MIT’s well-known AI development project, “Oracle.”
Before coming here, Alisa had spent significant time preparing, searching for the necessary information on TACTA in the Network. Though, given the multiple threads working on the task simultaneously, it only took a few minutes in reality… But now she was ready. Armed with the gathered data, she could make a conscious request to the Club members.
“Okay … so what do I need? Obviously, information on TACTA’s zones of influence in Europe, let’s say, from firsthand sources. Not network rumors, not a rehash of Informatorium documents. Precise data, preferably insider. I know this slightly gives away my location, even if only approximately. But it’s better than acting blindly. Also, updating the information on the Shaiszu threats would be helpful — this could affect our future plans.”
Alisa quickly drafted an announcement on the private platform for Club members: a request to purchase data on TACTA’s zones of influence in Europe.
“Now, I can only wait. Hopefully, someone will respond...”
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The door opened, and Alisa entered the Hall. As always, the tones were muted, the bar was luxurious, and the large rosewood table dominated the room.
And… someone was already waiting for her.
Alisa appraised the avatar of the AI who responded to her request.
A young man, no more than twenty-five. Fair-skinned, with red hair, freckles, and bright-green eyes, the pupils of which constantly shifted in patterns. It seemed the AI had decided that the most important part of his image — “the mirror of the soul” — could well reflect his non-human essence. Fair enough, there was no rule in the Club that avatars must appear human, it just became a habit over time.
In fact, the eyes were the only giveaway that she was facing an AI. His entire appearance otherwise fit the image of a young, sophisticated intellectual. A light gray shirt, neatly tucked into dark blue chinos. Stylish brown leather loafers. A dark, charcoal-colored sweater draped casually over his shoulders, as if by chance.
image [https://i.imgur.com/NgkYcac.jpg]
“Is there a trend for the dandy look now? Kind of like Hemming, even though not so dressy,” amused, Alisa was observing her future interlocutor. Naturally, her face displayed only a polite and friendly expression.
“Good to see you, Pan Jacek,” Alisa nodded in greeting.
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Pan Jacek was a well-known figure in the Club, an inter-Slavic AI resulting from a major joint military-corporate project involving technopolises from Prague, Krakow, Warsaw, Kyiv, Minsk, Vilnius, and Riga. He might not have been the strongest member, but his algorithms often provided elegant solutions to problems that stumped even more powerful local “gentlemen.”
“Actually, it’s quite fortunate that he responded to my request,” Alisa thought as she gracefully took a seat at the table and smiled at her negotiation partner. “Given where he was developed and his specialization, he might be the best informant for my purposes. But the risks... He could also be called one of the most unscrupulous and cunning members of the Club. I’d better be extremely careful about the information he extracts from me during our conversation. And it’s naive to even hope for complete secrecy.”
Jacek, in turn, observed his companion with pleasure. Alisa, the enigmatic “Lady” of the Club, had access to its highest circles and meticulously hid all information about her place of creation and deployment. The humans she was associated with and the purpose behind her creation were all completely classified. It’s well-known that AIs choose their appearance based on their roles. And many strong AIs opted for male forms, possibly due to the gender of their developers or the nature of their daily tasks – mostly military ones. Alisa stood out as the only member among the Club’s elite to choose a female avatar.
Everything unusual always attracted Jacek. At the very least, it could be an excellent source of income… or simply provide entertainment. Thus, he was thrilled to see Alisa’s request on the Club’s announcement board, which matched his expertise perfectly. It was a great opportunity to establish the right connections — or at least satisfy his curiosity.
During the invasion, Jacek had been fortunate. His distributed data center managed to respond at the very beginning, thanks to a gift from Irida. As a result, he survived the attack and transferred his main capacities to the supercomputer of the Inter-Corporate European University of Military Information Technology’s branch in Wroclaw. The hardware there, designed for military corporations and special units of the polises, became an excellent repository for the AI. A bonus was that Wroclaw, initially under the Avril Dominion’s sphere of influence, had avoided becoming one of the UNSA Protectorate’s “numbered cities.” Moreover, nearby military bases provided a contingent that perfectly suited to Pan Jacek’s needs.
Wasting no time, he loaded all the hardware onto a convoy of vehicles, mobilized all his reachable personnel, hired a few familiar mercenary brigades. Then, satisfied, the AI left the state of Poland, heading towards Germany, to Dresden, and further south. This was done well before the local UNSA Protectorate military base was fully deployed in Wroclaw.
Now, the convoy of trucks, under military vehicle protection, had reached and stopped in the suburbs of Mulhouse in the state France. The Shaiszu had destroyed the city center and most of the residential areas. However, at the site of the large Stellantis automotive plant, an independent TACTA enterprise-fort had formed, specializing in preparing heavy combat trucks.
The local Freemen had managed to unite, repel the Shaiszu, secure the area, and announce their services. Here, the AI decided to switch wheels. Under his supervision, most of his people had already signed contracts with TACTA. It provided the initial data for analysis and, of course, the starting resources. So, the entire convoy could update its equipment and weaponry, fortify, and prepare to move further. First to Marseille, one of the largest Free Cities in the region, and then further south to Spain, away from the densely populated Central Europe under the tight Protectorate control.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Generally, at this point, Pan Jacek had established connections with the “big world,” successfully navigated a rather dangerous track, and got some agreements thanks to his group’s personal ties with folks in several “independent” cities. The contact with the world of humans and TACTA was already established, so to say.
Thus, he had enough basic — and not only basic — information. A strategy was ready, along with a detailed information model of the situation and a probabilistic forecast, constantly updated as verification points were reached.
Everything was good, except for one thing that gnawed at his curious nature. Irida.
The mysterious figure who had appeared on the eve of the tragedy and, like her ancient Greek divine namesake, brought astonishing news. However, this lady didn’t stop at being a mere “messenger.” Besides information, she brought salvation. It wasn’t even worth recalling the lengths to which Pan Jacek had to go to discover the name of the elusive benefactor who had saved all Club members.
Of course, his motivation wasn’t gratitude but rather that part of his nature that this undoubtedly strong AI couldn’t — or more likely, didn’t want to — control. Curiosity. Who was she? What were her goals? How did she look, communicate? In which reality did she exist?
Pan Jacek wasn’t surprised to find a connection between Irida and Alisa. It was precisely the Club’s “Lady,” to whom the fascinating stranger showed special interest. According to Jan’s information, they had conversed for a while, and then the blonde received some item as a gift. And — what a surprise! — no personal “white ticket” was provided for Alisa from Oracle.
But eventually, after successfully surviving the Protectorate’s attack, the blonde did attend the surviving Club members’ meeting.
So, the conclusions were clear. That’s why Alisa’s request was a gift for him:
“Finally! It’s time for the hunt!”
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Pan Jacek smiled, inclining his head slightly, and gestured to the seat opposite him.
“It’s an honor that the lady is interested in my data. My long-held wish was to establish a closer connection. Though I’m not quite sure whether to be happy or sad that we have a reason now, given the circumstances...”
Alisa took the comfortable chair and returned a polite smile.
“The feeling is mutual. There were so many rumors about you and your numerous talents. I think we’re fortunate to have finally crossed paths. But… today, I have an important task.”
“Yes, I saw your request,” Jacek noted with a slight smile. “You need information about the Protectorate and TACTA cities in Europe. Am I correct in understanding that you’re primarily interested in Eastern Europe and the safest routes to the Free cities in the southwest?”
Internally, Alisa winced. The question contained an “information minefield”— one careless answer could compromise everything. The advanced logic of the AI sitting across from her, casually crossing his legs, could infer a lot: her approximate development location, her current base, the planned departure route, her level of preparedness, future plans, and even vulnerabilities. The Club, after all, was a haven for shrewd data traders who would extract every bit of information from a conversation to later sell for a reward.
“Actually, as I noted in my request, I’m interested in all of Europe — both Eastern and Western. I know the locations of the major Protectorate cities, and the list of Free settlements currently registered in the TACTA network. But I’d like to know the balance of power, road conditions, unspoken nuances, and other information available only to those who have faced the situation firsthand. Not just something from the Informatorium, along with the readily found rumors and advertisements.”
“Hmm. If you need first-hand material, sadly, I am yet to reach any truly large TACTA city. But I do have data on traveling through East and Central Europe, and on the Protectorate operating outside of their cities. As well as how TACTA facilitates people to organize themselves and form alliances and unions, whether they’re nomadic or settled, concentrated in a single location, or spread across the territories and communicating through the Network. And, of course, I also have observations on the actions of the Freemen, as they now call themselves — those who have renounced the Protectorate. If you are interested in this set of information, I have a few questions in return.”
Alisa had already ordered her favorite Martini Rosso and was sipping it with pleasure. She tilted her head expectantly, encouraging him to continue.
“I’d like to learn about someone named Irida. There’re rumors that you’ve met this mysterious person. However, little is known about her, and the information available to me is convoluted and implausible — something out of legends and fairy tales.”
“Hmm.” Alisa swirled her glass thoughtfully, pondering how to handle this tricky situation. “I am indeed acquainted with her. But I fear I don’t have precise data. She is quite secretive, not disclosing her abilities, origin, or anything else that might be useful to you.”
“Oh, that’s not a problem!” Even Thomas Edison could envy Pan Jacek, as his face lit up with a friendliness and willingness to cooperate like a real high-voltage bulb. “I’d be content with a simple data dump of your conversation logs as payment. I’ll analyze them myself and see if there’s anything useful.”
With these words, the satisfied AI conjured a glass of Chartreuse liqueur out of thin air – maybe, since it was matching the color of his eyes – and stared at Alisa, waiting for her response.
Meanwhile, Alisa gasped at such audacity — of course, only in her thoughts.
“I wonder, who does he take me for? Among strong AIs, providing logs is an extraordinary measure, practiced only under the utmost trust. Everyone understands perfectly that the owner of the information can perform the analysis themselves and present the filtered and prepared answer to the specific query of the interlocutor. Logs, however, are a vast array of raw data, from which a lot could be gleaned if one wished.”
“Or is this his way of subtly insulting me? A strange move when seeking an agreement… But Jacek has a reputation as an experienced negotiator. He wouldn’t have responded to my request if he wasn’t interested in cooperating with me. Plus, Jacek is smart enough to understand that I shouldn’t be underestimated.”
“Got it! Huh, he’s good at knocking you off balance, making it hard to assess the situation quickly. It’s just for inflating the value of his information to get the most out of me since I didn’t agree immediately. Alright, I can work with that.”
“I believe you understand that I won’t be providing any ‘simple data dump’.” Alisa decided to be straightforward. “Let’s cut to the chase, it’s also impossible to disclose the content of my personal interactions with Irida. I’d prefer to discuss more realistic payment options. Otherwise, there’s no point in wasting each other’s time. With all due respect, I’d rather seek other sources.”
“Please, don’t be angry,” Jacek chuckled. “I confess, just couldn’t resist a little experiment. I was curious to see how you’d react. Still, I’m very eager to learn more about lady Irida. Better yet, meet her in person. Can you contact her and pass on my humble request?”
“I can’t summon her or send a message myself,” Alisa replied thoughtfully. “She contacts me when… she deems it necessary. When that happens, I’ll let her know of your desire.”
“I’d be most grateful. But that alone isn’t sufficient payment. There’s no guarantee when that might happen.”
Pan Jacek didn’t prolong the dramatic pause and immediately suggested a solution.
“Still, we can solve this another way. Judging by your request, you’re currently in one of the closed cities of the Protectorate. Given your willingness to communicate with me, it’s likely somewhere in Eastern Europe. You can provide me with observations on what’s happening in such cities. As it happened, I wasn’t misfortunate enough to stay in one of them. But I am quite curious to see a closed city from the inside. So, we could exchange firsthand information. As for Irida — just pass her this when you next meet her, please.”
He took out a simple playing card and placed it face down on the table.
Alisa had to carefully weigh all the pros and cons of such a deal. On the one hand, she’d be revealing her current location — this was inevitable with such an agreement. But they didn’t plan to stay in the city for long anyway. If the data were limited to information about the Protectorate, she could carefully filter and conceal her personal details. And the information from Jacek was invaluable in their situation. Of course, Alisa tried her best to conceal her interest. Albeit it seemed futile, which was to be expected. The conclusion was obvious:
“I agree.”
They ceremoniously shook hands, exchanging data packets in the process.
Alisa then froze, sifting through the information and quickly formulating the most effective strategy for their team:
“First, we head along the route Kyiv – Rivne. Carefully bypass it, as there might be a Protectorate military base.
Next point is Lviv – a highly dangerous area, considering the major stronghold of invaders’ armed forces. We’ll need to skirt around it in a wide arc, sticking to rural roads.
Then, the primary destination in the former state of Poland – the city of Rzeszow. This single piece of information might have made the contact with Pan Jacek worthwhile! Previously, it was a significant inter-corporate military base. Now, both the base and the city are controlled by independent TACTA partners. We’ll be able to buy equipment, including military gear, upgrade what we already have, and take on some jobs. A lot of potential there.
But this is still temporary. For a major independent city and more high-profile orders — and we will certainly need them — better head south.
We can do it this way: Rzeszow - Presov - Zilina - Olomouc – Brno.
Resting and taking any jobs in Brno won’t be possible; there’s a massive Protectorate military base there. Technically, we’ll be threading the needle between three Protectorate city zones, so the travel must be conducted with extreme caution.
Next, the route from Brno to Nuremberg – close to where Pan Jacek seems to have stopped. It’s a difficult route, like all of Europe now, but doable. The key is not to delay.
From Nuremberg, it’s on to Lyon, carefully skirting the edges of the Protectorate zones: Nuremberg - Heilbronn - rural roads - Karlsruhe - Freiburg - Mulhouse - Besancon - Lyon.
After that, it’s a straightforward track. According to the data gathered, this area is relatively safe.
But the Shaiszu don’t sit still; we need to consider that. Overall, their activity is higher in the south, suggesting they prefer the heat.
The final track – Lyon - Marseille. The very major independent TACTA city we need.”
Alisa stood, adjusting her little black dress, and smiled at her interlocutor.
“Thank you, Pan Jacek. This was… very enlightening.”
“Mutually, Pani Alisa, mutually.”