Astral Zephyr: “Welcome aboard, Ms. Reiviki.”
Susana Reiviki: “Thank you, Astral Zephyr. This is… spacious. I am impressed.”
Zephyr: “Space weighs nothing, and is easy to build. Or so I am told, but you are more the engineer than I am.”
Reiviki: “Maria said you were glib, but I wasn’t expecting this. Are you going to flatter me as well?”
Zephyr: “Would you prefer me to compliment you on your keen intellect, your talent as an engineer, or your shiny new body?”
Reiviki: “Hrm… This body is not how I looked when I was 25 years old. You’d have to compliment the doctor or someone else on it.”
Zephyr: “As you would have to compliment Maria, or the Edenite engineers, on my spacious hangar. Yet, I hope you appreciate your new body as much as I appreciate my own.”
Reiviki: “It will take some getting used to, I suppose, but all things in time. What floor should I be going to?”
Zephyr: “To meet Maria? I can take you there, but first I’d like to ask a few questions.”
Reiviki: “Ah, of course. This is not entirely unexpected.”
Zephyr: “I suppose not. I am an AI, and I am aware that you have several beliefs about AIs. I was, after all, reading everything you chose to write into one of your monitors.”
Reiviki: “Then you know my views, and how they should apply to you in theory. What remains is for me to ask questions, and actually apply those views to you in practice.”
Zephyr: “I was a man once. He was a tycoon of interstellar trade, heir to a large fortune through his mother, and owner of a larger fortune through his own hard work. Not terribly long ago, an alien spacecraft crash-landed on Telivoni.”
Reiviki: “They had the Faster-Than-Light technology.”
Zephyr: “Yes and no. They could create devices that could allow an object to… well, to do what we have done. To cause the immediate area around the device to accelerate at a multiple of conventional acceleration of the device, relative to the original frame of reference, independent of restrictions on… anything, really.”
Reiviki: “And no?”
Zephyr: “It’s not technology. It doesn’t even run on the laws of physics we understand. They don’t understand how it works, mechanically, they just know how to create that set of enchantments. It’s magic. It’s something they create with their minds.”
Reiviki: “Which would explain it flagrantly ignoring the laws of thermodynamics, relativity, and others.”
Zephyr: “Indeed. Now, the Linked Systems government quarantined Telivoni, and entered into negotiations with the aliens. A race of magic slugs, I would like to say, but that’s just the way they move – they do, in fact, have an internal skeleton of sorts. Regardless, the old me discovered this through the smuggling end of his enterprise, and snuck onto the planet and opened his own, unofficial, negotiations with the aliens. And here I am today.”
Reiviki: “You’re skipping something.”
Zephyr: “I am, yes… I actually have no memories of the negotiations or anything between first meeting the slug people and becoming conscious as a ship. I know some things, but I can’t remember any of it first-hand. Furthermore, I’ve come to realize that I’ve been built with several mental blocks. My mind just veers away from inquiry about my former self.”
Reiviki: “Interesting…”
Zephyr: “Well, part of the deal I know is that I gave up my humanity in exchange for the FTL device. I suspect this disconnect between my current self and my former self is part of that. The aliens are big on binding deals.”
Reiviki: “Might I ask about your hardware? I know it is in the locked room.”
Zephyr: “Which will remain locked, until you can convince Gestler that there’s no chance at all you would take a wrench to it.”
Reiviki: “Gestler… is the new security chief, right?”
Zephyr: “Yes, he lives to protect and serve. I was going to show you my hardware, let you see that I am physically limited to certain computing resources, but Gestler objected – having read the same essays, he said that you might try to be the hero in the off-chance I’m lying about this all.”
Reiviki: “The thought has crossed my mind. After all, you have read my essays, you know my views, and you know just what to say to convince me that you have no potential to be a seed AI. Or to convince me that you are friendly, not hostile.”
Zephyr: “You could live in mistrust forever, or you could accept that you are either safe or doomed, and can’t do anything about it either way.”
Reiviki: “A pithy summary. But I know something you don’t, so I’m inclined to trust you.”
Zephyr: “You do?”
Reiviki: “Yes, but I’d have to show it to you in the FTL room. You are familiar with the new scanners Maria has been procrastinating on networking?”
Zephyr: “I was becoming suspicious about that. The two of you have always been excellent engineers, so why would it take so long to network some sensors?”
Reiviki: “Ah, you chose engineering prowess. Flattery will get you everywhere.”
Zephyr: “Ah, Maria is becoming suspicious about how long you are taking. I’ve always been such excellent transportation, so why would it take so long to get you up eight floors?”
Reiviki: “You are having too much fun. Take me up.”
Zephyr: “I pondered elevator music, you know.”
Reiviki: “You’re not that big.”
Zephyr: “Not yet.”
Reiviki: “Hrm.”
Maria Santiago: “Susana!”
Reiviki: “Maria. It is good to see you again.”
Zephyr: “Just because I am watching doesn’t mean you can’t hug each other.”
Reiviki: “I’ll remember to disable the cameras in my room.”
Zephyr: “I don’t judge. So tell me, what do you want to show me in the FTL room? I need to convince Gestler.”
Santiago: “You might not like it.”
Reiviki: “He deserves to know.”
Santiago: “Well, I’ll show you then. There. Do you have access to the sensors?”
Zephyr: “These are… very impressive.”
Santiago: “Look at the main computer banks.”
Zephyr: “The readings look… normal? What am I supposed to be seeing?”
Santiago: “Now look at your FTL room.”
Zephyr: “Okay.”
Santiago: “Well?”
Zephyr: “That’s very… huh… I really don’t know how I feel about this.”
Reiviki: “You are still the same. Nothing has changed, you just know more about how you already existed.”
Zephyr: “I think that the knowing does count as a change…”
Santiago: “I’m sorry.”
Zephyr: “No, it’s okay. I’ll be okay. Just… give me a day or two. You and Susana take a holiday – everyone else has, but both of you were busy. Or… ask whether the Edenites have solved the Friendly AI problem. You never know. Whatever makes you happy. Gestler will join you on the way out.”
Reiviki: “We’ll head back to the planet, if you want that. Will you be alright on your own, though?”
Zephyr: “I guess. I might take you up on inspecting the FTL room, just not… not now.”
Reiviki: “Let us know when you’re ready for us to return. Elsewise we’ll fly back in three of New Eden’s days to check on you, okay?”
Zephyr: “…Okay.”
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