Chapter Text
Numbers. Text turns into code. With each press of the keyboard, a satisfying click. It's nice to hear the rhythm of those clicks and watch as code lines form.
Sadly, that pleasantry only lasts for the first few days, and K knows that all too well. For the last few years he has been slowly going insane from the repetitiveness of it all. He's at his desk day in and day out, working, creating an AI for something or someone?
The company he works for is one of the few companies that are researching and experimenting with Virtual Reality, VR. Not only that, it has also been successful in its findings and inventions. The company was heavily investing into finding ways to fully transfer the user's consciousness into VR, so that the submersion is never broken.
They saw gold behind the success of this specific project, believing they'd be spoon-fed riches for the rest of their lives. With the limitless possibilities and opportunities of such a revolutionary invention, it wasn't strange why they would feel that way.
Everyone working on it was so enthusiastic and excited. Just imagining all the things that it could do for humanity. Of course some were skeptical and a bit frightened by such a dangerous tool. The thought of, what if it got into the wrong hands or what if something went wrong within the VR, causing harm to the user, was quite frightening.
And one of these skeptical people was K. A man in his 40s, dark blond with a few gray hairs, that were caused by the new project he's been working on.
Whether it was for better or for worse, the team of devoted workers miraculously were able to develop full submersion of consciousness into VR. At first it was insane to hear, but what was more insane is experiencing it for yourself. The company allowed every worker to try out the VR set and, basically, experience a different world. Of course the world they visited was a very primitive game-like world, where they could do basic stuff, like walk around, smell, taste and feel. It was simple stuff but in a virtual world it's a revolutionary sensation, that no one ever experienced before.
K was invited to try out ABEL (the name given to the VR set), but he declined as politely as he could. Even though he tried his best to avoid involving himself with the ABEL device. It wasn't long before the company roped him into being the one responsible for making an AI to help guide users inside the ABEL reality. So whether he liked it or not, he would have to become very familiar with ABEL.
Years in the making, at first it felt impossible to achieve. Sure giving the AI a data base, for it to access all kinds of information, was not that difficult. But this AI isn't supposed to be just a simple assistant bot, with a list of questions and ready answers. Because as soon as you ask it something a little more specific, a little more complicated, it cannot handle it, it doesn't understand. But CAINE is not supposed to be like a bot, it has to be able to process new information it's never heard of before and come up with solutions in order to be of help. Hence the name Creative Artificial Intelligence Networking Entity, CAINE for short.
CAINE has to be capable of cognition. The entire process: perceiving, processing, learning, remembering, decision-making and then taking action. CAINE must also be able to code something into the system, in order to solve issues on the spot as soon as they arise. After all no one knows what effect glitches and negative events may have on the mind of the participants. And since they can't leave the system without outside assistance, CAINE must be capable enough to help before the company even gets the signal.
And one last thing, the thing K was most worried about. The safety measures. K must create the most perfect moral code, that will never, in any circumstance, fail. It doesn't matter if the company fires him over an error he made, what haunts K the most is the possibility of a person being hurt by something he created. But the company trusts him fully, after all, he has worked at the company for almost a decade.
Thus K was put in charge of this entire project. Everything goes through him before it ever touches the code. This also means that he will take full responsibility for anything going wrong. The years of work spent on the AI are costly to the company, so if he fails, he'll most definitely get fired.
And here we are 4 years into the project. The AI and its moral code have been finalized. Many versions of CAINE came and gone.
Identifying errors, error path testing, decoding, experimenting, encoding, testing again. And here came the newest CAINE version, one that is supposed to be final one.
Connection to network, successful;
Connection to database, successful;
[?]
//assign.(file:{CAINE.fbx}= model) to (character:{CAINE});
…
Assigning (model) to (character), successful;
//run.(protocol:{vision});
(protocol:{vision}) = true;
[It's dark.]
//if (character:{CAINE} = (role:{ringmaster}) = true, then //run.(map.loading:{number}%});
(role:{ringmaster}) = true;
Proceeding to map loading…
5%…
23%…
Suddenly the darkness was enveloped in light, as big blocks started popping up in the empty darkness, more and more of them, bigger and smaller. Then came the more defined shapes: pots, trees, arch, barrels, tubes, stage, curtains.
The now formed room became bright as lighting rendered in. CAINE felt a tingling sensation in its eyes with the sudden change of brightness.
Finally the textures on the objects appeared. With a few more jitters of lighting and reflective surfaces, the map rendering was finished.
[This is an office room.]
CAINE quickly jumped its focus all over the room.
[Books, pens, window, carpet, walls, computer, table, chair, a giant chess piece with a robe on?]
With everything in the room being normal objects that would fill an office room, CAINE's focus rested on the giant king chess piece with lopsided eyes.
"Alright, let's see." The chess piece was holding a notebook and a pen as he moved closer to CAINE.
"Activate movement protocol."
Suddenly, commands and instructions filled CAINE's mind. It lost its balance and with swiftness the king chess piece caught CAINE's falling avatar with one hand. It felt tingly where the hand held CAINE. The sensation of touch was new and weird.
"Okay, CAINE, stand up."
With a simple command, CAINE's body raised instinctively, as if it knew how to move all along.
[CAINE. I think that's my name?]
The chess piece put a check mark on the list and proceeded further.
"Good, now introduce yourself CAINE."
…
"…Why- oh right. Activate the speech protocol."
CAINE grasped its throat out of reflex and had a coughing fit.
COUGH!! Cough, cough…
"Hmm, the coughing seems to still reside even after the fix. Does it matter though? This is the last CAINE version after all…"
The king piece stopped his rambling and reminded.
"Introduce yourself CAINE."
"H-Ha," cough, "My n-name is CAINE, the C-Creative Artificial Intelligence Networking Entity. I am the ringmaster that will take care of you in the Digital Circus. Please, refer to me if you experience any issues."
The voice was still a bit shaky from the coughing and also devoid of emotion, it spoke like a robot. Despite its first time speaking, it did pretty well. That's mostly because this dialogue was written into its code, making it easier to recite.
"-Ah, I still need to implement personality."
"What is your name?" CAINE spoke in a broken voice, silencing a few coughs.
"My name? You should be able to access the logs and see my name,” he answered with a bit of confusion, “But yes, sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Kinger, err, I'm your creator, I guess."
Kinger, awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, seeming uncomfortable by the 'creator' title he possesses.
[My creator?]
"Creator…why is your form a king chess piece? Are you not human?"
"Oh no, I am human. This is just my avatar. My friend made this model because of my nickname at work. Kinger — king chess piece and all. At first I was quite surprised myself, but—"
Kinger paused, seemingly caught himself rambling and decided to get back on track.
"Anyway, you must check in the logins. Next to the user's name, there will be either 'Human' or 'NPC', that way you'll be able to track who's who."
CAINE by second nature opened a panel only he can see, titled 'Logins'.
-{Logins}-
Currently active:
CAINE (NPC) — ringmaster;
————————————
KINGER (Human) — admin;
"You're an admin?"
"Yes. I'll answer more of your questions later. Let's go through some more test for now."
"Okay, Creator."
Kinger flinched at the mention of his title, but continued with the examination anyway. CAINE went through all sorts of tests: movement, tracking, reciting rules, summoning, creating, coding. In the meantime Kinger answered his questions and took notes.
[I have so many abilities. I think, I must use them to make humans here happy.]
CAINE looked at Kinger skimming through code. He had a serious expression, trying to figure out why the collision physics are so buggy.
[How can I make my Creator happy—]
Pop!
In a single second, Kinger suddenly disappeared into thin air, without a word.
…
CAINE's gaze jumped around the room.
"Creator?"
Suddenly, CAINE was left alone, in this new place and in this new body. It knew almost nothing about existence and continuity of time. At the moment, all it knew was its code and Kinger, and one of them just disappeared without a notice.
[Nothing bad happened to him, right?]
CAINE decided to leave the office it was in, and began to fly around the space looking for Kinger.
The outside was a huge circus tent, with colorful attractions all around. A lounge area, stage, bathrooms, hall with many bedrooms — all empty.
Not finding anything here, CAINE headed to the exit of the tent. While flying, there was a sudden movement right beside it, which stopped CAINE in its tracks, making it come back and check. As it came closer, it noticed.
[A mirror.]
What it saw in the reflection was top and bottom rows of teeth inside of which lay two dismembered eyeballs of different colored irises, staring back at it. And then, something drastic shifted inside Caine.
He could feel an electric current pass through him as he touched his 'face'.
…
The disproportionately smaller body below, detached from the 'head'. A red tuxedo caught the eye with its vibrance. The white shirt and gloves went well with black pants, shoes, top hat and bow tie, creating a look of a proper host of an extravagant event. If only the head wasn't a giant set of teeth with eyes, Caine might have actually looked like a proper human host.
Caine began to move his head around, making expressions, tugging at his jaw and checking the sharpness of his teeth.
[Humans don't like things like dismembered body parts. And kids would find this 'scary', wouldn't they?]
Caine took the eyes out of the mouth in an attempt to lessen the scare factor. But holding them in his hands, wasn't making them seem any less dismembered.
He put his eyes back in.
[Creator said that their friend made their avatar. Would that mean my avatar was also made by them?]
Caine stared a bit more into the mirror.
[Maybe, if I smile?]
Attempting to smile with only teeth and no lips, was proving to be much harder than expected. But by some trial and error the corners of his teeth streched to be more rounded than before. Still a terrifying set of teeth and eyes though. Maybe one day, it will feel more natural to be in this body.