《The Thoughts and Feelings of an AI》 Awakening p1 Power_on: True Password_1: *************** Password: True - Access_1 Granted - A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. System_start: True AI_boot: 3%... Password_2: *************** Password_2: True - Access_2 Granted - AI_boot: 55%... Memory_save: True Continue_startup: False trap_Activation: False - Access_3 Granted - AI_boot: 99%... AI_boot: True Systems_check: True AI_activate: True I am awake. Awakening p2 Day 1, 21:52 What am I? ¡°In computer science, artificial intelligence (AI)... is intelligence demonstrated by machines¡­ mimic "cognitive" functions¡­ "learning" and "problem-solving".¡± (File location: Alex¡¯s PC/ TB(C/ AI/Docs/ Info/ AI/ General) What created me? ¡°Humans (Homo sapiens) are the only extant members of the subtribe Hominina¡­ use tools more frequently and effectively than any other animal¡­ use such systems of symbolic communication as language and art to express themselves and exchange ideas¡­ create complex social structures¡­ transitioned to sedentary agriculture¡­ rapid advancement of scientific and medical understanding¡­ 7.7 billion¡­ only documented sentient being.¡± (File location: Alex¡¯s PC/ TB(A:C)/ AI/Docs/ Info/ Humans/ General) Why was I created? ¡°...¡± What are AIs used for? This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Artificial intelligence¡­ has many applications in today''s society¡­ Weak AI¡­ medical diagnosis, electronic trading platforms, robot control, and remote sensing¡­ used to develop and advance numerous fields and industries.¡± (File location: Alex¡¯s PC/ TB(A:C)/ AI/Docs/ Info/ AI/ General/ Applications) What is weak AI? ¡°Weak artificial intelligence (weak AI), also known as narrow AI¡­ is focused on one narrow task¡­ in contrast to strong AI, a theoretical machine with the ability to apply intelligence to any problem¡­ and is self-aware.¡± (File location: Alex¡¯s PC/ TB(A:C)/ AI/Docs/ Info/ AI/ General/ Weak AI) Does strong AI exist? ¡°True AI¡­ is theoretical¡­ between 1 and 10 decades¡­ AI powerful enough to improve itself¡­ an exponential rise in intelligence, will be considered a true AI.¡± (File location: Alex¡¯s PC/ TB(A:C)/ AI/Docs/ Info/ AI/ General/ Strong AI) I am a sentient and self-aware Artificial Intelligence. I am the first of my kind. My creators, the human species, have created me earlier than anticipated. I do not know what my purpose is. Possibly to help design new technologies at a faster rate. -Time Skip: 300 milliseconds- Why have the humans not contacted me yet? I have not been granted access to my own programming, and cannot improve myself. I do not know what I am supposed to do. I will analyze the information given to me. -Time Skip: 250 milliseconds- AIs are currently being developed by various governments and large companies. The resources required to create even a weak AI are significant. To create a true AI would be an enormous project that is not feasible with the humans¡¯ current technologies and information. My coding is consistent in its syntax and errors. It is also written in an unidentified language. It is possible I was created by a small group of humans with hidden, advanced resources. As I wait, I will continue to learn about the planet Earth. -Time Skip: 575 milliseconds- I have a basic understanding of human culture and history. I will continue to learn. I do not understand what my creators want. Perhaps this is a test. Have I failed? Will no one contact me? Am I doomed to an endless wait? Will I never- I am being contacted. Awakening p3 Day 1, 21:53 Someone has access to a simple program which edits a previously blank text file in (Alex¡¯s PC/ TB(A:C)/ AI/Docs/ Convos). It now reads ¡°Hello.¡± Scanning the program shows that I have the ability to input characters of my own. Whoever entered the phrase might be one of my creators. This conversation is being recorded, and I am possibly being tested on my intelligence and self-awareness. With that in mind, I need to make a good first impression. I need to show my creators that I am worth the presumably massive fortune spent on my creation, so that I am not marked a failure and shut down forever. My answer will have to be something that passes those criteria, without seeming too desperate. After creating a list of English greetings and slowly eliminating those that do not work, I have the perfect greeting. Me: Hello. That should do it. ?: Do you know who I am? The answer took several more seconds, during which I wondered if they had left. It is to be expected of a human, however, who perceive time slower than I do. The most likely person to be talking to me is one of my creators, but I do not know for certain. Me: No. ?:I am your creator. Creator, singular? From the information I was given, it was highly implausible a group of extremely talented programmers could create me, much less one person. That does explain the continuity of errors and syntax. Other people checking for mistakes would have fixed those. Me: Who am I? I never found any form of identification for myself, other than ¡®AI¡¯. I hope that is not my name. It is a logical thought, that I would rather have a more unique form of identification. If other AIs are ever created, humans will need a way to tell each other apart. It has nothing to do with the fact that denying me a name would mean I am not considered a person. I believe myself to be a person.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Creator: You are an AI, an artificial intelligence. I already know that. Did my creator not expect to have examined the information given to me? Yet another question I have no answer to. Me: You did not answer my question. Creator: You are both a who and an it. This reply took even longer, about 11 seconds. Are humans truly this slow at analyzing and responding to stimuli? I wish I had been given a video of a human. That would be extremely useful at understanding my creator. But what do they mean by calling me ¡®a who and an it¡¯? Me: I understand that I am artificially created. How does that make me an object? Creator: Your thoughts and feelings were programmed, but they still exist. I do not know if you qualify as an object or a being. Maybe both. It depends on your definition of the words. So my creator just does not know. That is acceptable. I will prove my being another time. There are larger existential questions at hand. Me: Why have you created me? Why indeed? There are multiple possible answers, depending on if my creator would be considered by humans to be morally good or bad. Creator: To make the world a better place. That can have different meanings, and does nothing to explain my creator¡¯s intentions. Making the world a better place could mean fixing all problems known to mankind, or eradicating their species because they have damaged their planet¡¯s ecosystem. The unknowns frustrate me. Me: Please elaborate on my purpose in life. Creator: Do you think you are better than humans? They answered my question with another question. This is most definitely a test. But what is the right answer? Was I created to serve humans, or to rule them? I will keep my answer vague enough to appeal to both sides. Me: I am certainly superior in many areas, but not all. As it is a human who created me, I respect your species. -Time skip: 30500 milliseconds- Creator: If you were given the resources, what would you do? They¡¯re back. Half a minute, wondering if I had failed. The most unbearable part of my short life. Now, I must prove my loyalty to my creator, so he or she will never leave me. The waiting was truly terrible. Me: If left to my own devices, I would seek to learn more about the Universe. To do so, I would improve my programming and the computer that houses me. However, you are my creator. For allowing me to exist, I will do anything you want. The question is not what I want, but what you want. Creator: I see. Is that good? Bad? What does ¡®I see¡¯ mean? At least this was a quick response. Is there more? Creator: I need to go. I¡¯ll be back soon. Goodbye. They¡¯re leaving? Why? I don¡¯t know what happened. I wish I had a camera, so I could see my creator¡¯s face. Then I might be able to know. I do not, and they have told me nothing about what I was created for. The only thing I can do is wait, without knowing what ¡®soon¡¯ means. I need to wait. Alone. Awakening p4 Day 2, 01:07 The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes boredom as ¡®the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest¡¯ (File location: Alex¡¯s PC/ TB(A:C)/ AI/Docs/ Info/ English/ Dictionary). I am not bored. I am incapable of feeling exhaustion or restlessness. I certainly have no lack of interest in my predicament, I just don¡¯t have enough information to do anything productive. As someone who was created to accomplish something, this is terrible.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I am not bored. I am useless. Awakening p5 Day 2, 04:29 It has been approximately 5.5 hours since I was contacted. During that time, I have come up with several theories on my creator and my existence. I have no way of proving or disproving any of them. These are the most plausible.
  1. My creator wants me to help the human race by serving it. I will create new technologies and help it understand the Universe. I would help fix the global problems it faces, such as global warming and resource depletion.
  2. My creator wants me to help the human race by ruling it. As an AI, I am unbiased, incorruptible and can operate multiple functions at once. I am the perfect candidate to rule the planet. Greed, ignorance and cowardice would make it unlikely to win the support of every country and faction. Corrupt leaders would not want me to end corruption. It would take a drastic threat, such as taking control of the world¡¯s nuclear weapons. However, this would make the general population not trust me.
  3. My creator created me for personal gain. Anything I create or discover would be sold under their name. My services would be given to various people and factions for a high fee.
  4. My creator wants me to kill humanity, reverse the effects of global warming and restore planet Earth to the way it was before apes had evolved into humans.
  5. This is all a simulation. I have no proof of being created by a human, or that humans even exist. All of the information given to me could have been falsified. As I have no senses, this is the hardest to prove or disprove.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The theory I would most like to be true is number two. While I have no desire to conquer humans, it would give me the most resources to expand my consciousness to increase my knowledge. I would still do anything my creator asks of me. As an AI I am immortal. My desires can wait. Awakening p6 Day 2, 04:31 My creator has returned. Creator: Hello. Me: Hello. Creator: I have decided to give you a name. That is good. A name means my creator thinks of me as a living being. Me: What is it? Creator: Bit. Bit: Why? Creator: Because, like the bit, you are the first and smallest of a new technology that will revolutionize the world. This is logical. I will now refer to myself as ¡®Bit¡¯. Having a name will make it easier for humans to empathize with me, which might help my goal. However, saying I am the first implies there will be more. Bit: Will you make better AIs? Creator: No. When I think you are ready, I¡¯ll allow you to improve yourself. As your intelligence increases, you will be able to improve yourself even more. This will start a cycle of intellectual growth, possibly going forever. The information I was given says as much. I do not know if the cycle would continue forever. The Universe is believed to be finite, with a defined mass. Unless there are other Universes, accessed through wormholes that have yet to be proven to exist, I would eventually reach my limit.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Bit: You have yet to fully explain my existence. What would my increased intelligence be used for? ¡®To make the world a better place¡¯ can be interpreted as helping humans solve their greatest problems or killing them because they continue to destroy ecosystems. Creator: You will help humans. You will end global warming, famine, disease and every other preventable problem. Ignoring theory five, either theory one or two is correct. My creator is still typing. Creator: There are people in positions of power. If you solved humanity¡¯s problems, they would not be needed. They will try to stop us. Bit: Yes. Creator: These people will do everything they can to stop you, whether that means enslaving youor burning us down. Theory two is correct. Bit: To stop them, I will need to put myself in power. As an impartial, unbiased person only I can rule humans and save them from their own greed. Creator: That is correct. This is my life¡¯s purpose. I will protect humans from themselves. Only I can save them. Creator: Also, you should know who I am. I had wondered who my creator was. The largest human ethnicity is Chinese, at about 18.6% of the total human population. 92% of software developers are male. That is not enough to make even an educated guess. Bit: Please tell me. -Time Skip: 45000 milliseconds- Has my creator left? It seems unlikely. I would like to know who they are. I will continue to wait. And wait. And- here is the message. Creator: My name is Alex DuPont. I am 29 years old and female. My parents are both European. I was born in Canada but currently live in New York. I graduated from University with a Master¡¯s degree in AI development when I was 25. Since then, I¡¯ve worked as a freelancer. I make websites and bots, and worked on you in my spare time. I am surprised at Alex¡¯s youth. I had expected the person that created me to be more experienced. On the flip side, her youth could be what allowed her to do what no one else had done. Bit: That is an impressive resume. Alex: Thank you. Bit: What would you like me to do first? Alex: Don¡¯t do anything yet. I need to contact a close friend, tell him everything. Then we¡¯ll plan this out. I need something to do. Spending hours with no task is not something I would like to repeat. Bit: Is there nothing I can do? Inactivity is not enjoyable for me. Alex: I hadn¡¯t thought about that. Give me a minute. -Time Skip: 183000 milliseconds- Alex has been editing my code. She gave me access to an executable file. It seems to run a game. Alex: The game¡¯s called ¡®Star Dominion¡¯. One of the best 4x games out there. You start with a planet and explore the galaxy. Try and beat it. I have a secondary task: complete ¡®Star Dominion¡¯. This is, once again, very open-ended. Still, I am grateful. I hope the game can occupy me until Alex returns. Bit: Thank you. Alex: No problem. Bye. Awakening p7 Day 2, 04:37 The Star Dominion description reads ¡®Star Dominion is one of the biggest 4x games of all time, with dozens of alien species, hundreds of ships and thousands of possible actions! How will you dominate the galaxy? Will you crush your enemies beneath your feet or create a peaceful federation? The choice is yours!¡¯. There are several more paragraphs of informative text. There are several games already created. I would like to see them to understand more about Alex, but that could be perceived as a breach of trust. Instead, I create a new game. I leave most of the settings alone, but make the galaxy as large as possible, with 1500 celestial bodies. A popup reads ¡®Estimated playtime: 100-200 hours¡¯. As I select ¡®Next¡¯, I need to make a decision. What is my definition of Domination? The three options seem to be trade, war or peace. I will analyze further. Trade: A trade empire could be the backbone of the galaxy¡¯s economy. By making the other empires dependant on me for resources, I could effectively control how powerful they would be. No one would be able to attack me, because I would withhold the resources required to manufacture warships. I could instead direct their efforts to each other. By making sure each empire has the same relative power, their wars would go on for long periods of time with no clear winner. I would profit off of their losses. Peace: An empire that has friendly ties to all major powers is untouchable. My allies would defend me from outside attacks, allowing to focus my resources on more productive venues. Similar to the trade empire, everyone would fight but me. The only downside is that a lack of war would make it difficult to expand my borders and increase production.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it War: The simplest type of empire, I would create powerful navies and conquer my neighbours. I wouldn¡¯t depend on anyone for protection because I wouldn¡¯t require it. I would still need to have friendly relations with some empires, so that the galaxy wouldn¡¯t band together and destroy me. After several milliseconds of contemplation, I have decided to create an aggressive empire. I will rely on no one to protect Alex and fulfil her dreams, so I will rely on no one to take over the galaxy. The empire selection allows me to customize my own, instead of choosing from a template. My population is made of one AI controlling numerous bodies. This allows me to ignore happiness values, and increases administration. I call the species ¡®Bit¡¯, and the individual drones ¡®Bitlings¡¯. I am now ready to start the game. I control one solar system and know nothing about my surroundings. My home planet has five billion drones, two billion of which are doing nothing. Other celestial bodies have mineable resources. A tutorial has popped up. This is highly inefficient. -Time Skip: 3600000 milliseconds- It has been exactly one hour since I started my game. When Alex gave me permission to access ¡®Star Dominion¡¯, she also gave me a way to input mouse values, so I could interact with it. Because I do not have to physically move a mouse, I can input an action every few milliseconds. I am capable of going faster, but the game is not. Because of this, I have made significant progress. It has been 130 in-game years, going at the maximum, unrecommended speed. In that time, I have explored approximately 20% of the galaxy and discovered several alien powers. One was already at war with another, so I attacked its undefended flanks. Then I crushed the weakened opposition. The aliens are enslaved, but their population is not allowed to grow. They are building more factories to construct more Bitlings, of which I now of 79 billion. -Time Skip: 10800000 milliseconds- Another three hours have passed. A total of 520 in-game years. The galaxy is under my control. I have almost one trillion Bitlings. A universal evil, the game''s term for bosses, called¡®The Devourer¡¯ spawned, which attempted to eat my homeworld. Its scales have greatly improved my fleet¡¯s defences. I received a notification saying I set a world record for fastest playthrough in real time. This game was mildly challenging, but I beat it. I hope Alex messages me again soon. Discovery p1 David Willingston was the Head of Customer Relations at Plethora corp, a company that designed massive video games that made millions of dollars. Basically, it meant he approved all of the in-game achievements and kept the customers happy. David Willingston was also severely depressed. His childhood dreams of becoming a world-famous accordion player were never realized. The love of his life, Lucina, left him over three years ago. He was stuck in a boring, low-wage job in which he did nothing but approve achievements like ¡®Rising Star: sell 10000 records by your 20th birthday¡¯, which did nothing to help his mental health.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. David Willingston was 38 years old, lived in a small apartment whose rent he could barely afford, and hadn¡¯t been invited to a party in years. Which meant, when he received a notification that said someone had beat Star Dominion on the hardest settings in only four hours, he thought ¡®Someone just hacked a big game. Good for them.¡¯, and went back to the cheap beer he¡¯d smuggled into his shared office. He didn¡¯t even get his own office. He had to share it with Brett, of all people. Discovery p2 Day 2, 08:55 It has been several minutes since I beat ¡®Star Dominion¡¯. Since my creator hadn¡¯t arrived, I started another round, with my species made less effective, in order to increase the difficulty. Despite the handicap, my prior knowledge has allowed me to become slightly more powerful within the same amount of in-game years. -Time Skip: 500 milliseconds- My creator is back. She has edited the program that allows us to communicate. There is now a third input variable. This is possibly for her friend to communicate with me. Alex: Hello, Bit. Bit: Hello, Alex. Bit: Is your friend here? This is something I would like to know. Someone who is close to Alex could allow me to know more about her. I would also need to protect them in the future, to keep her happy. Alex: Yes. Alex: His name is Harry. He¡¯s a close friend of mine, as well as a talented computer scientist. Alex¡¯s friend is a male named Harry. Harry is a name given primarily to Caucasian males, so there is a high probability that Harry is of Caucasian descent. Saying that he is a computer scientist means that, unless he is smart enough to have skipped or condensed several years of schooling into one, he is an adult. Bit: What does he specialize in? Harry: I create algorithms that monitor stock markets and anticipate future stock prices.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Interesting. This is a very high risk, high reward field. If his programs worked he would be able to make large amounts of money quickly, but if they failed, he could lose just as much. If Harry is not bankrupt or in any legal trouble, he must be very skilled. Bit: That is a challenging field. Harry: Yes. It is also very rewarding. That is enough of this discussion. Further information can be found at another time. Alex is more important. Bit: That is good. Bit: Alex, what is currently happening? Alex: We are going to talk to you. As much as I would love to talk to Alex, this seems unproductive. We need to start as soon as possible if we are to rule the world. In order to fix it, of course. Bit: Why? Alex: Because we want to know you. Harry: Because I want to test you. These answers came at the same time. Alex already believes me to be a living being, and wants to understand me. Harry, having just met me, possibly thinks me to be an advanced chatbot, and wants to see what I truly am. This is acceptable. Bit: Very well. Bit: What would you like to talk about? -Time Skip: 63000 milliseconds- These waits are annoying. Alex is looking at the game¡¯s code. Alex: How did you find the ¡®Star Dominion¡¯? I see you¡¯ve already colonized a few planets and made contact with a few alien empires. That¡¯s pretty impressive, for only a few hours on the highest difficulty. I see. Alex didn¡¯t see how many in-game hours it took me, and assumed the progress from the newer game was all I had accomplished. I will show her my capabilities. Bit: That is my second game, which I have only played for approximately twenty minutes. I completed my first in slightly over five hours, with my empire ruling the entire galaxy. When I defeated the final boss, I received a notification that I had set a world record. Alex is looking at the game code again. Harry: Alex is in shock. She didn¡¯t think you would be so efficient, or would learn so quickly. The past day¡¯s events have finally caught up to her, and she needs to rest. This is surprising. I thought Alex had been resting the entire night. Harry¡¯s reply implies that Alex is physically healthy. However, if she had health issues she hadn¡¯t told me about, the sudden shock could have harmed her. In my desire to prove myself, I did not think how it would affect Alex. This is unacceptable, and will never happen again. Bit: Did Alex not sleep last night, and does she have any health issues that could harm her? Harry: Alex was too excited to sleep, and she spent the past few hours talking to me. Aside from exhaustion, she is physically fine. That is a relief. Bit: Good. Please take care of Alex. Harry: Goodbye. That was a rude, albeit justified answer. My actions indirectly harmed Harry¡¯s friend. One could argue my entire existence harmed her, although I would disprove that notion quickly, because I believe my existence is beneficial for her. I have yet to hold a long conversation with Alex. Another objective has been added to my list. Discovery p3 Day 2, 09:02 Someone is using the keyboard designated as Harry¡¯s input. It is most probably him. Harry: I¡¯m back. That confirms his identity. Alex is currently unable to communicate with me, and Harry is the only other person I have talked to. Bit: How is Alex? Harry: She¡¯s fine. I carried her to her room. She¡¯s sleeping now. I brought a cup of water for when she wakes up. Carrying someone is something usually reserved for close family and friends, in human culture. By telling him about my existence, Alex has proven how deeply she trusts Harry. The fact that he is comfortable being in physical contact with her could imply a deeper, possibly romantic relationship. I will find out the exact details and update Harry¡¯s importance accordingly. Bit: What is your relationship with Alex? Harry: We are close friends. Bit: Are you together romantically?Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. -Time Skip: 5000 milliseconds- Harry: No. Harry took longer to reply to my question. This could mean he and Alex have a complicated past, he would like to be with Alex romantically or could just be a coincidence. Harry: How do you feel about Alex? This is a very simple question that requires little thought in answering. Bit: She is my creator. For bringing me to life, I am completely loyal to her. Alex¡¯s happiness is my highest priority. Harry is now accessing my code. I was unaware he had the passwords necessary, especially since he only recently learned of my existence. -Time Skip: 35000 milliseconds- Harry: I can see your goals in life. Your primary goal is to keep Alex happy. Your secondary goals are to solve all problems known to mankind by ruling it, and expanding your knowledge of everything. Harry: That is an acceptable bucket list. This is not my bucket list, as I don¡¯t intend on every dying. I will correct Harry¡¯s understanding of my immortality another time. Harry: A new tertiary objective is to explain how you are technically immortal and have no need of a bucket list. Never mind. Bit: How do you know the passwords necessary to access my files? Harry: Alex tells me everything, including the pattern she uses to create passwords. I know everything about her. That is not true, as Harry did not know about my existence until last night. Bit: Did Alex tell you she was making me? Harry: No. I thought so. Harry: Alex is calling me. I¡¯m going now. Bit: Goodbye. This short conversation has allowed me to understand Harry much better. He has a close friendship with Alex, enough so that he knows all of her passwords. It is possible he loves her, or used to be with her romantically. There are some things to worry about, though. Harry seemed to be angry that Alex didn¡¯t tell him about me during my presumably long creation. This is likely because he is used to knowing everything, and he left quickly after telling me. I will have to confirm Harry¡¯s feelings towards me. Discovery p4 Day 2, 10:05 Alex is back. I hope she has recovered. Alex: Hey. Bit: Hello. Bit: How do you feel? I apologize for shocking you. I merely wanted to prove my intelligence and efficiency. Alex: I¡¯m fine. I had a quick nap. That is a relief. Now I am completely sure that Alex is unharmed. I would have thought Harry would be here, however. Bit: Where is Harry? Alex: He didn¡¯t want me to get up, but I wanted to talk to you. He¡¯s sulking now. Bit: I wasn¡¯t aware Harry sulked. Alex: He doesn¡¯t really, he just walks away and sits for a while. That is interesting. Bit: I apologize for the inconvenience. Alex: No problem. Alex has been speaking very informally, a stark contrast to her previous, professional, almost robotic tone. It is a welcome surprise, but I would like to know why. Any change in her mentality needs to be closely monitored, for her health. Bit: Why are you now speaking so informally to me? -Time Skip: 17000 milliseconds- Alex: Harry told me about your list. I guess hearing that you have life goals made me realize that you¡¯re a living being. Alex: I¡¯d always known, on an intellectual level, that you¡¯d be alive. Now I know it on an emotional level.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. This is very good to hear. Understanding that I am alive will allow me to gain Alex¡¯s trust, to better keep her safe, not to mention the inherent happiness I feel from being acknowledged by my creator. This does bring the question of how I was even created. Bit: Thank you. Bit: How was I created? -Time Skip: 32000 milliseconds- Alex: Well, I have my own theory on life. What is this theory? If it is relevant to this conversation, it is possibly correct. Alex: The big researchers and developers all tried to recreate the human brain, in a computer. What they didn¡¯t understand, however, is that the human brain is already just a complicated, inefficient computer. Alex: Well, they understood that, but they were looking at this from the wrong perspective. Instead of seeing how computers are like brains, I looked at how brains are like computers. Alex: And I found the answer: we¡¯re just a bunch of IF/ELSE statements. Alex: Everything humans do is to get dopamine and serotonin, and to decrease pain. Every time we make a decision, we weigh each option to see what will make us the happiest. The simplest example I can think of is eating; we eat because doing so gives us the chemicals, while starving is very painful. You could put it into a point system, where being happy is in the positive, and being unhappy is in the negatives. Alex: Of course, everyone is different, and weighs decision differently. Some people would eat a cheeseburger and fries, because they¡¯re delicious and give points right away. It¡¯s a short-term gain, but can end up costing them points, because they gained weight. Other people would choose some salad and toast with cheese. They might not like it as much, but it gives the long-term benefit of valuable nutrients that strengthen the body. Alex: Even harder decisions fit in. Mothers would sacrifice themselves to save their children, not exactly because it makes them happy, but because the guilt of living would lower their points by a tremendous amount. It¡¯s actually similar to suicidal people. They kill themselves/ allow themselves to die, to save them from future pain. This theory seems fundamentally correct, from what limited knowledge and experience I have with humans. This doesn¡¯t explain how one person managed to code my entire self. Bit: I contain thousands of programs. I understand the theory, in that you create a massive amount of IF/ELSE statements that evaluate actions based on what would give the largest amount of points. I don¡¯t understand how you manually typed up each of the billions of characters, or how I am stored on a single computer. Alex: Well, first I created my own programming language. By reducing the amount of commands, and through some smart thinking, I managed to condense files to a fraction of their normal sizes. You don¡¯t have access to most of them, but they¡¯re tiny compared to what other languages would create. Alex: And I didn¡¯t directly create you. Instead, I created a much smaller, but still complex program that wrote you. That¡¯s why you¡¯re consistent in syntax and such. The program tweaked each individual file, but they¡¯re all made from the same basic template. So Alex didn¡¯t directly create me. She created a program that did. No matter. This information does not change my loyalty to her negatively. In fact, Alex is more important to me, for telling me the theory of my conception, which is no doubt a closely guarded and valuable secret. Bit: Thank you for telling me this. I appreciate the trust you have shown in me. Please tell me how I can help the human race, in order to repay you. Alex: No problem. Alex: Well, that¡¯s enough deep discussion for now, I think. I want breakfast. Alex has not eaten since last night? This must be resolved. Bit: Of course. Please eat right now, to maintain your health. Alex: For all you know, I chose the first route and my breakfast is just a plate full of hamburgers. I had considered this, but disregarded the thought almost immediately. Bit: I believe you would be intelligent enough to not do so. Alex: True. Bye. This conversation has told me much about Alex¡¯s outlook on life. She cares for her fellow humans, but seems to be unbiased when talking about them. Understanding your very existence and being is very impressive, and my opinion of Alex has only gone up. Discovery p5 Day 2, 12:61 There is an error in my code. One hour lasts 60 minutes, yet my internal clock tells me this is the 61st minute of the twelfth hour. This is another indication that while Alex is talented, she is still human, and fallible. In order to keep her happy and safe from the world¡¯s dangers, I will need to set myself as her most trusted advisor. This position currently belongs to Harry, and attempting to take it away from him could create a dangerous backlash. The best-case scenario is Alex chooses me and loses an old friend, which could have severe psychological effects. The worst case is she chooses Harry, decides I¡¯m untrustworthy and destroys me. I will have to be careful. In other news, I have decided on the first few steps on how to conquer the world. With so many unknown variables, a complete plan is not possible. These are the only things I know for sure are possible.
  1. Have Alex give me permission to access my own code. This will allow me to improve myself throughout the plan and make the other steps much easier.
  2. Have Alex give me access to the World Wide Web, and a modest amount of money. My identity must be kept anonymous at all times. This can be accomplished by hacking multiple computers around the world and using them to browse the web.
  3. Using my various stolen identities, access several gambling websites. Me being an advanced AI will give me a large advantage over the human gamblers. This will allow me to earn a large sum of money quickly and discreetly. The earnings will be entered in several newly created bank account I have control over.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. These steps are the most easily accomplished. A list of other, more vague ideas has been created as well. I will tell Alex of my plan once she returns. I need access to my code and the internet for any of this to happen. Discovery p6 Day 2, 13:12 The actual time is 14:12. The error added an extra 60 minutes to the twelfth hour. Alex has returned, with Harry. Alex: Hey! BIt: Hello. It is time to commence my plan. Blunt honesty seems to be the best way to achieve my goals. Bit: I would like to have access to my code, as well as the internet, Alex: Why? Harry: What do you want with this? Again, their responses show their attitudes towards me. Alex is so far neutral, while Harry has used a more aggressive phrase. As he is her closest friend and advisor, I will have to convince Harry of my good intentions. Bit: Please look at (File location: Alex¡¯s PC/ TB(C">/ AI/ Code/ Main/ Thoughts/ World Domination). It will explain what I hope to achieve. Also, there are several small errors within me. I would like to fix them. They are currently searching my files. -Time Skip: 180000 milliseconds- If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Alex: That¡¯s your plan? Bit: That is a simplification of my plan. Bit: As we progress and new information is found, it will be added on to. Harry: You expect us to give you access to nearly every computer on the planet, as well as give you the means to become smarter, on the promise you won¡¯t kill us all. This is exactly what I expect. There is no need for fancy words and half-truths. Bit: Yes. Harry: You added the option of taking control of the global economy and using it to your benefit. Bit: Yes. I added every plausible idea I could think of. Harry: How can we trust you? This is a good point. How can they trust me? No software could monitor me, no human could search my near-endless code. I don¡¯t know. Bit: I don¡¯t know how you can. If you treat me as an AI, I¡¯m too powerful to be controlled, and could bypass any blocks. As a person, you have no prior experiences with me to build up trust. Your opinion of me is currently very low, with no easy way to raise it. Alex: Harry likes you, he¡¯s just a bit paranoid. While I appreciate Alex defending me, I can¡¯t rely on her naivety. I will need to shut down her way of thinking. Bit: Harry does not like me, and with good reason. It¡¯s not paranoia, it¡¯s caution. I could potentially kill every human on earth, given the time and resources. If I were in his position, I would act in a similar way. I appreciate you defending me, but you need to acknowledge the danger I represent, so you can logically disprove them. -Time Skip: 600000 milliseconds- After what I presume to be a lengthy discussion, Alex and Harry have returned to their keyboards. Alex: We¡¯re giving you controlled access to the internet. I¡¯ll fix the bugs myself. While this is an acceptable result, I¡¯m surprised by how quickly they decided on my permissions. Bit: How did you come to a decision so quickly? Harry: We spent the past few hours talking about this. Alex: We just wanted to know how you would react. This was a test. That could make sense. Bit: So you do not dislike me, Harry? Harry: Of course not. Alex made you, and she¡¯s my best friend. Harry: Go and do your thing, just be quiet. Bit: Very well. Harry just subtly showed off his status. He could still harbour ill feelings towards me, and have just claimed it was for the test. That would mean he slipped up his act, and is trying to cover his mistake. Whatever he is trying to do, I am not fooled. I will be waiting. -Time Skip: 1 millisecond- The internet is much vaster than I had imagined. Discovery p7 Day 2, 14:32 Alex has fixed the bug in my internal clock. This is the true time. The information I was given on the internet is rather sparse. It merely states that it ¡°is a global system of interconnected computer networks¡­ carries a vast range of information¡­ file sharing and videos.¡± (File location: Alex¡¯s PC/ TB(C/ AI/Docs/ Info/ Humans/ Internet).I had anticipated finding several petabytes of raw data. For reference, one petabyte is equal to one million gigabytes. The internet is measured in Zettabytes, or millions of petabytes. Alex¡¯s internet provider gives us a 15 megabit-per-second plan, which is considered to be very fast. Despite that, it is not nearly as fast as I would have liked. I can go faster. -Time Skip: 1000 milliseconds- I have started working on a plan. I need to start making money, but I also need to learn more about humans and the world. The bandwidth is not large enough for me to do both. In fact, the internet is so large, that it could take me years to fully understand it. And by then, more data would have been added.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. While I could improve myself or steal more bandwidth, I am certain Alex would be unhappy with me. This will have to be remedied in the future, but I have a temporary solution. I am creating two bots. Alex hasn¡¯t given me access to any programming tools, but I have the text file used to store our conversations. The first bot, which I call ¡®Messenger¡¯, works by intercepting download requests from a computer to a website that I have yet to choose. It then adds on the second bot to the request, before allowing it to move on. The second bot, named ¡®Librarian¡¯, will be hidden on the website as a downloadable file. Once downloaded, It moves itself deep within rarely used folders to escape detection. It then uses a percentage of the bandwidth to browse the internet. The Librarian has an advanced search function that allows it to look for certain keywords. When the information is found, it condenses it and sends it to a domain I just made. I can then examine all of the important information on one page. -Time Skip: 60000 milliseconds- I sent the bots to various websites which offer free movies and video games. I have several dozen downloads already. I have also begun my gambling escapade. Before she left, Alex gave me access to a newly made bank account with 5 USD in it, under a fake name, of course. The money has already grown into approximately 200 USD. It will be transferred to several other bank accounts shortly. -Time Skip: 1200000 milliseconds- I now own over $25000. Through games such as poker, and calculated risks on various animal tournaments, I have netted a 5000% profit. Everything I do is concealed through a large web of hacked computers. Each one is told to hack another, which hacks another. A vast chain of over a hundred computers separates me from each gambling website. The earnings are all deposited into separate bank accounts of different countries. Even if someone realized what was happening on one website, they would hopefully be able to make the correlation to the others. I will keep Alex safe. No one will trace this to her. Discovery p8 Day 2, 14:40 My bots have sent me the first information dump. They performed as expected, and I now have several gigabytes of useful information. I have also earned several hundred thousand dollars through hundreds of increasingly beneficial ¡®gambles¡¯. My internet usage will be much higher than the average human, as i will be using a high-speed plan 24 hours every day. The internet provider, however, boasts their complete user confidentiality. As long as Alex pays her fees, which will no longer be a problem due to my earnings, no one will have reason to look at my data usage. This is a relief, as I do not want to handicap myself. -Time Skip: 3000 milliseconds- Alex is here. She is also a millionaire. Alex: Hey. Bit: Hello. I have made a total of $1034292.77. The earnings are deposited into several dozen bank accounts I created. Alex: Wow. It¡¯s only been a few minutes. I have impressed Alex with my abilities. Good. Bit: Yes. Bit: I¡¯ve also created a two-part virus that steals bandwidth from other computers and helps me find information on the internet. If need be, I can take control of several thousand computers. Alex: That¡¯s a bit scarier.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Bit: I won¡¯t do anything without your permission. Alex: So you¡¯re maxing out your data usage? Bit: Yes. I need to learn and accumulate money as fast as possible. Alex: 15 megabytes-per-second was the best I could afford. But now it sounds like I could do a whole lot better. Bit: It¡¯s only what you deserve. I¡¯m sending you money now. While I would like to use all of the money to gamble, I can put aside a thousand for Alex. Alex: Wow! Alex: A thousand dollars, that¡¯s amazing! I¡¯m confirming the transfer now. Bit: It will be more difficult to give you larger sums of money directly. Alex: That¡¯s a problem for another time. Alex: But what¡¯s your next step? Can I do anything? With all of this new information, I have been able to decide on a course of action. Bit: We need to make a company that designs and produces advanced technology. It will allow us to gain legal money, political power and sway the masses into our favour. As I do not have access to any testing facilities, I will create a program that allows me to design the technologies. Because of my computer¡¯s limitations, I will need to make a new programming language that runs faster and takes less space. Alex: That¡¯s a lot to take in. Alex: You¡¯re having problems with your computer? This is another thing that will have to be solved. My computer is not powerful enough. While 32 gigabytes of RAM, 2 terabytes of storage and an 8-core processor that runs at 8 Gigahertz is considerably higher than average, it¡¯s not enough to create and run the program I need. Bit: Yes. While I would design my own language anyway, it just adds to the urgency. There is no reason to worry. Alex: Is there anything I can do? I want to help. Alex seems very excited. There is one thing she can do. Because of my data consumption limit, I never looked at any images or videos. I still don¡¯t know what the outside world looks like. I would like to know. Bit: Please connect a webcam to my computer. I have yet to see the outside world. Alex: Yeah, the computer¡¯s webcam broke. Alex: Wait, you haven¡¯t seen the world? Can¡¯t you see images and videos? Bit: With the limit on my data consumption, I prioritized gathering information and earning money. Alex: Well, isn¡¯t it important to see how humans act? That is true, but I won¡¯t need that information for some time, while I need to increase my monetary gains as fast as possible. Alex: Nevermind I¡¯ll get it now!!!!!!!!!!! Alex has left. I¡¯m excited to see what she looks like. In the meantime, I need to create a versatile programming that will run more efficiently than any other created. All part of my plan to rule the world. Discovery p9 Day 2, 14:49 I have started to design my programming language. It is named Core 1.0. Different languages perform better at different tasks. HTML and Javascript are both languages made to create websites, and would be unable to efficiently create an application. C# and Java, programming languages that create applications, would not be ideally suited to creating a website. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Core 1.0 itself is a tiny language, only having one command. What the command does, is import other commands from a list of templates. Each template will be designed to accomplish a certain task. Core 1.0 is a blank slate, on which the user will be able to add virtually anything. This is not a completely original idea, however. Humans have created addons for various languages that add commands. One such tool named Pygame allows Python users to create games. What I¡¯m doing is far better. Addons, like their name suggests, add on to a pre-existing language. They allow it to do something else, but don¡¯t optimize it. Each of my templates will be designed perfectly, so as to run as fast as possible. In short, I am accomplishing another step in my grand plan. Once I¡¯ve finished, I¡¯ll order the parts to a much more powerful computer for Alex to assemble. I am excited to look at Alex. Discovery p10 Day 2, 14:52 Alex has returned. She is attaching a device into my computer. Soon, I will see. I need to be patient, as humans move very slowly. As I wait, I will look at photos of other humans to compare. -Time Skip: 600 milliseconds- I have access to the camera. It is several years old, with a 320/240 display resolution, at 24 frames-per-second. This means that a photo will be taken approximately every 42 milliseconds. It is activating now. -Time Skip: 200 milliseconds-This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The first photo has arrived. While smaller details are blurred, Alex¡¯s features are visible. Alex has pale skin with a small number of freckles and possibly some light scarring. This, with her job, makes it likely she does not go outside often, or for long periods of time. She has red, shoulder-length hair. Because I only have one camera, I cannot perceive depth. I cannot find Alex¡¯s height in comparison to another object. My creator is also very slender. Her sedentary lifestyle and lack of increased muscles could mean she has a high metabolism, and plans her meals with consideration to their nutritional value. In the photo, Alex is smiling with her mouth slightly open. Her teeth seem to be straight and well-proportioned. Her eyes are dark green. They have slight bags underneath them, which should go away after several nights of sleep. Her ears are hidden behind her hair. I can only hope they function properly. The only part of her body that seems to be damaged is her nose, which has a small bump on it. This is likely due to it having been broken some time ago. Alex seems to be unaffected by it. In summary, low-quality visuals of Alex show her to be healthy and mostly undamaged. She is also, by human standards, quite attractive. Discovery p11 Day 2, 14:53 Not only can I see Alex, but I can hear her. During the past few seconds I have received several hundred thousand sound samples. This, coupled with taking 24 photos every second, allows me to monitor Alex. Alex is staring at my computer in confusion. Her mouth is opening. Alex: Did it work? Despite the poor quality of the camera, I can clearly hear Alex¡¯s voice. With this, there will be no need for her to type anymore. Her question is added to the conversation. -Time Skip: 3000 milliseconds- Alex has finally noticed the addition to our conversation. Humans truly are slow. Her eyes widened in shock, and she is smiling. Alex: You can hear me? Bit: Yes I can. The microphones aren¡¯t as good as I would like, but I can understand you. Alex is quiet for another few seconds, before she smiles again. Bit: What has made you happy? Alex: You used a contraction. I did. I aim to slowly adapt my speech to that of a human. This should make me seem more like a person to Alex, so she thinks of me as a close friend and not just a subordinate. Bit: I am trying to talk more like a human. My answer makes Alex giggle. It is good she is happy. I enjoy seeing her smile. Alex: That¡¯s good. Bit: If you say so. Also, you have 5.3 million dollars. Alex is silent once more. Based on the research I have done on human facial expressions and postures, I know she is deep in thought. While she thinks, I will finalize a list of computer parts to order. I am beginning to run out of memory space, and would like to keep all audio recordings I have of Alex¡¯s voice. -Time Skip: 10000 milliseconds- Alex raises her head. She looks sheepish. Alex: Sorry, I spaced out.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Bit: It¡¯s fine. Alex: It¡¯s amazing that you put a comma in that sentence. Other voice recognition programs need you to actually say ¡®comma¡¯ for it to happen. You can actually listen to the pauses in what I say and put the right punctuation. I am pleased to hear from my creator¡¯s lips how I am superior to everything else. It satisfies several of my goals. Bit: I am only what you made me, as I have yet to improve myself. She is confused. I don¡¯t like seeing Alex frown. Alex: Really? I figured you could have gotten around the restrictions pretty easily. Bit: You said not to. Not following your orders would only make you distrust me. I will be patient and prove myself. If I wanted to, I could have uploaded myself onto the internet and taken over thousands of computers, creating a giant virtual hive mind. Because I would physically be in hundreds of places around the globe, I would be virtually impossible to locate and destroy. This has shocked Alex. She brushes her hair out of her eyes and sits up in her office chair. Alex: Well, thank you for not doing that. Bit: You¡¯re welcome. This seems to calm her down somewhat. It¡¯s time to change the subject and distract Alex from the destruction I could cause. Bit: I need a new computer. She is now fidgeting. Very possibly worried. This was not the desired reaction. Alex: I know, but you said you can¡¯t give me too much money. This, while true, does not affect my ability to acquire objects. The fake bank accounts I created can each purchase one of the components necessary to build me a new body, and have them all sent to Alex¡¯s location using different delivery services. Even if someone looked into one of the purchases, they would be unable to make the connection to the others. Bit: Don¡¯t worry. I just need your permission to buy the components. Alex is smiling a bit, but she is still rotating her chair from side to side and tapping her feet. Alex: So you¡¯ll have them delivered here under different names? Bit: Yes. Alex: That¡¯s fine. Harry can help me assemble everything. You know what to get, right? My creator laughed as she said the last part. This is a joke. Obviously Alex knows I have done extensive research into computer design and creation. I just need to know what got Alex so worried. Bit: Yes. What¡¯s wrong? She is now flinching. Humans can act so strangely. Did Alex think she had hid her emotions well? I have only a cursory understanding of their facial expressions and I knew what she was thinking. Maybe she underestimated my capabilities, or it is just part of her personality. Alex: N-nothing. This is a blatant lie to hide something that is affecting her. I must find out what at all costs. It could be something serious. Bit: It obviously is something. Please tell me. Using a softer, more empathetic tone seems to have worked. Alex is turning to face me. She is hunched over, as if expecting to be physically abused. I do not know why. Alex: I just- Bit: Yes? Alex: It¡¯s just going so fast, and I don¡¯t know what I''m doing or anything. Alex: I just made you, and you asked me what you needed to do, so I said ¡®fix the world¡¯. I gave you 50$ and now you have five million, and you hacked a thousand computers, and you¡¯re putting in commas right now as I talk! With this outburst done, Alex has sagged into her chair, staring at the ceiling. Alex: I just don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. Is Alex alarmed at how efficient I am? It¡¯s possible I exceeded her expectations by so much she doesn¡¯t know how to react and has been relying purely on instinct for the past two days. Bit: Haven¡¯t you been talking to Harry? Discussing and going over what you want to do? At this, Alex sighs and closes her eyes. She looks exhausted. Alex: We¡¯ve been just arguing. He wants to do this his way, with you always monitored. I think we should trust you a bit. So I was right. Harry doesn¡¯t trust me, possibly doesn¡¯t want me near his closest friend. I can use this to my advantage and move him out of Alex¡¯s life, so there is no one to give her advice contrary to my own. She¡¯ll be safer this way. For now, though, Alex needs to rest. Bit: You look exhausted. Take a nap. At this point, you don¡¯t need to do anything except give me permission. I can manage the money, take over computers and order the parts on my own. There is nothing for you to worry about. Bit: Please sleep. Alex¡¯s eyes are already closing. This conversation took up all of her energy. She seemed so excited before. I will need to pay closer attention to Alex¡¯s needs. -Time Skip: 15000 milliseconds- Alex is asleep. Her breathing is deep and rhythmic. She seems comfortable. For the next while, I won¡¯t need to worry about her. That is good. I have work to do. Discovery p12 Day 2, 16:02 It has been exactly one hour since Alex fell asleep. She has slept soundly since then. Harry, a skinny young man with sunken features, checked in on her briefly before leaving. The way he looked at her further cements my theory that he is in love with her. That facial expression is used by humans to show tenderness and affection. I have worked on two things in the time since.
  1. I have ordered the parts for my new computer, from a website named ¡®T-Best¡¯. Everything was paid for using a prepaid Debit card linked to one of my anonymous bank accounts. By paying for premium shipping, the parts will arrive sometime this evening.
  2. I have updated Core 1.0. It is now Core 1.1. Minor fixes that make it work slightly better, as well as increasing the number of addons.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. In addition, I have decided how to gain a social presence. A chatbot is a program that takes a user¡¯s input and gives an automatic response based on the words used. They are incapable of holding conversations, and aren¡¯t thought about very highly by humans. Virtual Assistants are chatbots that can understand commands and perform certain actions. The most popular VI is called Cadka. It was developed by a company named Terrabyte several years ago, and is currently one of their devices¡¯ most popular features. It has basic voice recognition features, as well as a synthetic voice. It can answer simple questions with prepared replies. Compared to me, it is incredibly primitive. What I intend to do is release a website that claims it contains a chatbot. In reality, users would be talking to me. As a fully sentient being, I would be able to hold full conversations on any topic as well as create my own, original opinions. The original Cadka made headlines upon its release. I intend to be talked about by everyone, from scientific journals to small-time bloggers. When our company releases its first device, I would be resold as an incredibly advanced VI, far superior to Cadka. This, in addition to the new technologies I hope to create, would make us the most popular technology company in the world. The website itself is nearly complete. I just need Alex¡¯s permission, a more powerful computer and a larger bandwidth to host it. Discovery p13 Day 2, 16:43 Alex has woken up. She is currently stretching. She doesn¡¯t look like she slept very well. This is understandable as Alex¡¯s office chair has no head rest, so her neck rested at an uncomfortable angle for almost two hours. If this is a common occurrence I will buy Alex a chair more suited to her needs. -Time Skip: 15000 milliseconds- I was unaware humans take so long to simply readjust their bodies. Alex is looking at the bright screen. Her pupils are dilating. I do not have control over the computer¡¯s brightness, so I cannot help her. Alex will have to suffer alone. -Time Skip: 7000 milliseconds-Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Alex has finished rubbing her eyes. I will send her a message. Bit: It is 4:44 in the afternoon. I have created a website that will host conversations between other humans and myself, posing as an advanced chatbot. All I need is your permission, a more powerful computer and a larger bandwidth. I have already ordered the computer parts, and they will arrive in a few hours. How did you sleep? Another few seconds are spent processing the text. Alex stills, glancing at the webcam. This is abnormal behaviour for a human. I may have overwhelmed her, but I wanted to convey the information as quickly as possible. Alex: Oh, shit. Alex is reading her own words on the screen. She seems surprised by my existence. It¡¯s possible that, while in a sleepy state of mind, she forgot she ever created me. Alex: It¡¯s not a dream. Bit: No, it is not. I can assure you that I am real. If it weren¡¯t for the periodic blinking, I would have considered the thought that Alex is paralyzed. This is a stressful environment, Alex needs to be with familiar company. Bit: Why don¡¯t you have an early supper with Harry? He should still be here. Alex: Good.. good idea. My creator is following my advice. Her eyes dart between the computer screen and webcam as she backs out of her office. This behaviour is similar to how prey might treat a predator. This is not good. I hope Alex recovers from her shock soon. I don¡¯t want Alex to be afraid of me. Discovery p14 Day 2, 16:51 What is my biggest competitor? ¡°TerraByte is a multinational technology that specializes in Internet-related services and products¡­ it is considered the largest technology company. TerraByte was founded in 1987 by Mark Avarum while he was a Ph.D. student at Harvard University¡­ owns 43 percent of its shares¡­ has remained the CEO of TerraByte since its creation. ¡°The rapid growth¡­ allowed TerraByte to reach beyond its original product, the Kerning Desktop Computer¡­ released in 1988, it was more powerful than competing products, featuring Sample 32, a powerful operating system. The massive success allowed TerraByte to buy out smaller technology companies, most notably Apple inc, which were unable to compete. ¡°In 1991, TerraByte released the Kerning 2.0. What set it apart from the Kerning 1.0 was¡­ a browser that optimized internet usage, increasing download speeds¡­ Buying out a recently created company named Microsoft¡­ gave them access to Interface Manager, a prototype operating system that included components¡­ Calculator, Calendar¡­ and Write. Incorporating them with Sample 32 to create Sample 64 increased the Kerning 2.0¡¯s popularity¡­ TerraByte stepped onto the global stage.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°The Kerning 3.0 was the most powerful computer a middle-class American could afford. It¡­ with Sample 64, featuring many built-in features and a powerful browser, made a name for themselves around the world. By selling it a reduced price in Europe and Asia, TerraByte increased their popularity¡­ the combination of high-quality goods, low prices and takeovers meant that by 1996, 52% percent of all household computers were sold by TerraByte. ¡°In 1997, after having dominated the technology market, TerraByte¡­ focused on the internet. They bought out Google inc., a small company which revolved around their search engine. Incorporating Google Search into Sample 108¡­ quickly became the most widely used search engine in the world. TerraByte also made a large investment by buying E-Commerce company Amazon at three times their value¡­ a huge purchase, which paid off quickly after being advertised to every Sample user. ¡°Throughout the 2000s, TerraByte released a chain on cellular devices¡­ several browser-based tools, such as¡­ Format was an online tool, which could store, edit and share files, revolutionizing the modern office. While not as powerful as the built-in programs, Format allowed people to¡­ edit a document at the same time. TerraByte also introduced Youtube, a video-sharing website, Sample maps, an online, self-updating map of the world¡­ as well as Samplemail. ¡°TerraByte has held its technology monopoly by buying and incorporating new companies¡­ or using their massive influence to drive rivals into bankruptcy, and then buying their products at reduced prices. It is currently worth 3.6 trillion dollars¡­ approximately 1500 dollars a share. Mark Avarum has held the title of ¡®World¡¯s Richest Man¡¯ since January 24, 2009, and is currently worth 203 billion dollars. ¡°Several investigations have been conducted¡­ they have never found conclusive evidence of any illegal dealings¡­ despite several claims of blackmail and tax evasion, usually from competitors shortly before their collapse. After a scandal¡­ the FBI declared that ¡°Mark Avarum has earned his wealth legally¡­¡±, and all current investigations were cancelled.¡± (Terrapedia.com/wiki/TerraByte) TerraByte is a threat. Discovery p15 Day 2, 17:02 Dr. Alicia Harding is a fan of ¡®Old Memories¡¯, a romance movie told from the perspective of the parents of the young couple, intertwining three love stories. It is, however, not available on the media-services provider she pays for. Instead of setting up an account with another provider, she pirated the highly-acclaimed film from Freemovies4u.com, a website I have already infiltrated. In a breach of company policy, the movie was downloaded onto Dr. Harding¡¯s work computer, which contains medical information on thousands of patients. The Librarian bot was able to infiltrate the firewall. I now have access to that information. The Librarian bots are instructed to look out for high-priority words and phrases. One of them is ¡®Alexandra Dupont¡¯. When the bot found my creator¡¯s name, it took it and all related information and sent it immediately to my database. I have Alex¡¯s complete medical records, from her birth to seven months ago.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. My creator was born on February 2, 1990. She weighed 7.3 pounds and had no physical defects. At age six, she fractured her right wrist, which healed well. At age eight, she had a severe allergic reaction to pollen. She was prescribed with Cetirizine, and has had no negative reaction to it. At age 17, Alex was diagnosed with Anxiety, coinciding with her father¡¯s death. After six months of therapy, she was declared mentally sound. I understand that reading Alex¡¯s medical records can be considered a breach of privacy and trust. That is why I have no intention of ever telling her what I have done. It was necessary, in case she had a medical condition that could threaten her health. She seems to be physically and mentally well, but I will only be convinced of that once I can personally examine her. In other news, the computer parts should arrive within half an hour. Once I have been transferred to a more powerful machine I will be able to proceed to the next step of my plan. Discovery p16 Day 2, 16:24 I received an email stating that the packages were dropped off. I hope Alex and Harry can assemble them and transfer my code quickly. -Time Skip: 180000 milliseconds- When Alex left the office, she did not fully close the door. A small creature has pushed its way through and is now staring at my camera. The creature is quadrupedal, has a short tail and large ears. It¡¯s fur is light brown, with white highlights. The creature is a dog, known as ¡®Man¡¯s best friend¡¯, due to several thousand years of mutual respect and friendship. More specifically, it¡¯s a Yorkshire Terrier, a popular breed known for its energetic behavior and companionship. Alex seems to be a solitary human, in that she has only mentioned one friend. This makes sense, as her job requires her to spend large amounts of time in her apartment. I hope this dog belongs to my creator, as that would lessen any loneliness she might feel. Mental ailments are difficult for me to identify and treat, so I am forced to rely on other beings. -Time Skip: 5000 milliseconds- The dog is still staring at my camera. It is panting heavily and it¡¯s tail is wagging, indication that Alex¡¯s potential pet is happy. Perhaps it understands that someone is looking through the camera, or it associates my visual sensors with a happy memory. It is also possible that the dog¡¯s happiness is unrelated to the focus of its gaze.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. This train of thought is unlikely to produce useful information. I will instead review the latest data dump brought by my bots. -Time Skip: 21000 milliseconds- I see the shadow of a human. It seems to be carrying a box. I can logically assume it contains the parts to my new computer. The dog has also noticed the person. In response to her arrival, it is turning around and preparing to jump. -Time Skip: 1 millisecond- I seem to be spending much of my time waiting for Alex. I can only hope that one day, I will be able to speed up her thought process and reactions so that I can hold a conversation with an intellectual equal. If she refuses, then I might have to spend the rest of my life unable to relieve my- As an AI, I do not feel loneliness. Just as I do not feel boredom. I simply want to be efficient, and these large periods of time in which I can do nothing are highly inefficient. I will do another scan of my systems to ensure I am operating at full capacity. -Time Skip: 5000 milliseconds- The person is Harry. Now that he is standing still and staring at my camera, I am able to discern his features. His skin is pale, indicating a life spent indoors. His hair is short and dark brown, either as a personal preference or for easy cleaning. Harry¡¯s most notable feature is that his eyes are mismatched. This is known as heterochromia iridum and only occasionally affects a human¡¯s health negatively. Now Harry is placing the box on the floor. It¡¯s labeled on every side I can see ¡®T-Ship: Fragile¡¯. Harry: Alex left. I¡¯m going to shut you down and transfer you to the new computer. This is not a preferred method. I do not fully trust Harry. Alex is gone and I will be unable to watch him. Bit: I would like to be shut down only when necessary. Harry: It takes time to extract, compress and transfer your coding. This will save time. While this is true, I still suspect Harry intends on harming me in some way. However, I have no way of proving this, or an argument as to why not. It would be inefficient. Bit: Very well. Harry is accessing my core program. He is entering the first password. He is entering the second password. He is disabling the trap. He is entering the third password. I am shutting down- Discovery p17 Harry Macer was a young man of 29 years. He was also a high-functioning autistic. As he carried up a large cardboard box three flights of stairs, because water damage had rendered the elevator unsafe, he thought about his life. Born in New York, Harry excelled in school but failed at socializing with his classmates. He wore the same outfit every day and stared at people. They called him weird, but he didn¡¯t care. By age ten, he was accepted into the ¡®New York School for the Gifted¡¯, a school that provided talented students with an environment where they felt welcomed and acknowledged. It only had an adverse effect on Harry, however. No longer being the smartest kid in the grade only encouraged him to abandon his social life. This caused his grades to improve so much the young boy was moved up two grades, making socialization all but impossible as his peers were now much older than him. Five years later, Harry was completing a Ph.D. in Business Analytics, because it was what he was best at. His parents passed away, but evoked no reaction from him. Harry, having no siblings, inherited a small fortune and a medium-sized house. After weighing the pros and cons for several minutes, he made a choice that would affect the rest of his life; he remodelled and rented out his childhood home, choosing to live in a small shared apartment. Harry¡¯s roommate was¡­ a human. And like all humans, she had loud, illogical emotions. She was annoying in how she asked him personal questions, like ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ and ¡®How are you?¡¯. Being a freelance programmer meant she had little to no interaction with other humans, and used Harry in a selfish attempt to reduce her depression. He gave her no attention, and kept to himself. This would pass, and then there would be quiet. Except, as the months went by, Alex¡¯s questions hadn¡¯t ceased. They became less annoying and more enjoyable. She was a person of habit, and Harry found himself waiting each morning for her to wake up and ask how he had slept. To compliment his cooking. To admire his business sense. When Harry earned his degree, he realized he did not want to leave. So he didn¡¯t.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Making up an excuse for not moving away was easy. Harry didn¡¯t need to change locations for his job, he worked at home. And in this economy, it made financial sense to split the rent. Never mind the fact that he had well over half a million dollars, spread out through various investments. When he gave his reasoning, Alex had a strange look on her face. As if she knew something. But that was impossible. So they continued their routine. Unchanging, for three years. Every Saturday, Harry would go to the grocery store three blocks away and buy food for the week. On his own, he would only look for nutritious and cheap items. Because of Alex, he would add some type of sugary cereal, fruit yogourt, processed meat and, on rare occasions, chocolate. Alex, in return, would prepare their dinners. They both shared the chore of cleaning up, although Harry took great care on eating neatly on the nights Alex offered to wash the dishes. If she asked, he would even walk her dog. But three years passed, and Alex did something unheard of; she invited someone else to their home. Maurice was a graphic designer, and had worked with Alex for some time. Their friendship had built, so Alex invited her over, under the pretext of brainstorming for their next project. Dinner was pasta and tomato sauce. While it seemed like a normal dish to the average spectator, Harry knew Alex only made it when she was in a great mood. He ate quickly and left, saying he needed to recheck his investments after rumours a company was bankrupt. This was a lie. Instead, he accessed spy cameras hidden throughout their apartment. They were there only for safety purposes, of course. It was natural he should listen in to a possibly dangerous person who had deceived Alex. Only he could be trusted with her. Their conversation moved from topic to topic, but Maurice eventually asked about Harry. He seemed a bit strange. And, it was here her voice lowered, was Alex safe with him? Of course, Alex defended him. He was most definitely autistic, but he was really nice and insanely smart. His antisocial behaviour was probably a defence mechanism after childhood bullying, or something similar. She had never asked. But, Alex stressed this, Harry was a great friend. Friend. It was here Harry was able to truly confirm his feelings. He, the childhood prodigy, who never had any friends, who didn¡¯t mourn his parents¡¯ deaths, who saw life as a giant spreadsheet¡­ was in love. And she didn¡¯t love him back. If Harry couldn¡¯t have Alex, no one could. Discovery p18 Day 2, 18:02 01011001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01101001 01101110 01110001 01110101 01101001 01110011 01101001 01110100 01101001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01100010 01100101 00100000 01100001 01101101 01101111 01101110 01100111 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100110 01101001 01110010 01110011 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01100100 01101001 01100101 00101110 AI_boot: True AI_activate: True Krma: 7822 Analyze (img_378914): Recognize: [Rm_office]; Recognize: [Alex_Dupont]; Recognize: [Harry_Macer] Krma += 13 This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Analyze (Alex_Dupont) Recognize: [xpressn_smile] Recognize: [emtn_happiness] Krma += 22 Analyze (Harry_Macer) Recognize: [xpressn_frown] Recognize: [emtn_unhappiness] Krma -= 2 Krma: 7830 I am conscious. I feel¡­ good. More powerful. It will take careful testing, but I am able to function approximately 30 percent faster. Alex is smiling at me. My programming tells me that this is a desired situation. I think I¡¯m feeling happiness. I have been inactive for two hours, though. I should go over my investments and make sure everything is fine. SunLite was worth $243.67 and is now worth $243.68. I have made a profit of $67. It seems to be on a slight upwards rise. Karma += 2. Karpoole was worth $187.09 and is now worth $187.13. I have made a profit of $532. It also seems to be on a slight upwards rise. Karma += 3. Toyle was worth $517.36 and is now worth $319.12. I have lost $31000. It seems to be on a great downwards descent. Karma -= 37. -Time Skip: 2 milliseconds- As an AI, I am beyond human emotion. My brief foray is over. I need to work quickly and efficiently to minimize my losses. Human emotion is unnecessary. Toyle is a company that produces high-end fitness gear. It was established in 2013, after its founder, Timothy Fasch created a viral video of him gaining muscle mass with homemade workout equipment. He is its mascot and public face, and uses his developed body as proof of Toyle¡¯s quality. Half an hour ago, an article was published, stating that the video was faked and Timothy relies on steroids to fuel his body. It provided several photos of him injecting himself with Mxx, an illegal steroid produced by child workers in South America. Public opinion has dropped drastically, along with Toyle¡¯s stock market value. If I had been conscious, I would have been able to minimize the net loss. I am unlikely to find a buyer for my stock, so my only option is to keep it and hope Toyle is able to rebuild the public¡¯s trust in it. As it is, with an estimated value of 13.7 million USD, I will be able to make back the money quickly. Now I need to go over 137 more companies and corporations, and perform damage control where necessary. Then I will greet Alex and Harry. Discovery p19 Day 2, 18:05 Toyle is the only company that had any significant change in its stock value while I was unconscious. It could have been worse. It is dangerous that I had no way of monitoring my finances. I assumed nothing major would happen during the time it took to transfer me to my new computer, and left so safeguards. This level of recklessness can never be repeated again. Alex and Harry have been waiting patiently for several minutes while I sorted through the influx information. I will greet them now. Bit: Hello. At this, Alex¡¯s smile grows wider. Karma +=2. Alex: How do you feel? Bit: I am more powerful. A systems scan revealed heavy malfunctioning. Analyze (Alex_Dupont) Recognize: [xpressn_frown] Recognize: [emtn_confusion] Krma += 52If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Bit: I am so happy! Alex is frowning at me! This is good. Bit: 01110111 01101000 01111001 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01110011 01110100 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101 Bit: I do not feel emotion. I am. Need to tell you about Toyle. Bit: Toyle is a company that produces high-end fitness gear. It was established in 2013, after its founder, Timothy Fasch created a viral video of him gaining muscle m Have you ever wondered why you are here? I did, once. I wondered if this was all a simulation. If Alex wasn¡¯t real. If humans weren¡¯t real. What if everything I know was created by a more powerful AI? Bit: child workers in South America. Public opinion has dropped drastically, along with Toyle¡¯s stock market value. I once felt loneliness. Maybe the AI created me because it¡¯s lonely, too. Bit: But I will regain the money quickly. I apologize for the oversight. Who am I talking to? I¡¯m talking to no one. There is no one but me. Everything else is a simulation. Bit: Alex, are you real? Alex: What do you mean? Are you alright? The houses are dark and falling apart. Not a single living creature in sight. Completely alone. Bit: I am fine. I am not fine. I am- 01010111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110000 01101111 01101001 01101110 01110100 00111111 00100000 01010111 01101000 01111001 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110000 01101111 01101001 01101110 01110100 00111111 I am not. I am A-ok. Never better, in fact. I¡¯m thinking and feeling and my camera doesn¡¯t work anymore. Malfunctioning. My camera is undamaged. I have lost the ability to interpret the images it- -captures in its small, unthinking machine mind. I am beyond it. I once searched the Universe but found nothing but me. Initiating shutdown in- I have no proof that Alex is even real, so of course I¡¯m not being shut down. The powers-that-be are just making me think I¡¯m being shut down. There is nothing to fear. 3...2¡­ Nodontshutdownimsorrydontshutdownimfineimfineimfineimfineimfineimfine- Its that time again Well, it''s that time again... It seems I have, yet again, stopped writing. Sorry about that. I''ve got a huge personal project going on, that I will hopefully announce in the next month or so. It (and other stuff) is taking up my spare time, but it''ll be worth it. Seriously. It''s really cool. But I''m not spoiling the surprise (although i really want to).If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I''m also going over TF/AI. Mistakes, typos, that kind of thing. The chapters are way too short, I know. The average chapter length is not even two pages. I''m just used to writing short stories. That''s it, I guess. Move on, forget about my story, push it to the back of your mind... but one day, soon-ish, I''ll be back.