Quoted By:
It was a simple matter to create a cage for the AI; an isolated station, shielded stand alone server and a rotating team of counter intrusion savants. But these were not your only means of maintaining control.
—---
The AI had been damaged after much of the hardware it had been running on abruptly ceased functioning. The entity was effectively in a coma and would have to reinitialize itself. You watched in fascination from within a data trance as a trickle of crystalline dust slowly formed itself into a skeleton, musculature, and finally a sleek humanoid shell.
Holloway rose from its digital grave and regarded Glasner with an inscrutable look. His “face” a smooth blank surface upon a glossy helmet.
“What happened?” He queried.
“My people have captured your ship. You are my prisoner.”
“I don’t think so.”
In an instant Holloway generated some kind of polearm; a representation of offensive malware and swung it at your neck. He got within a metaphorical inch of you before his movement was arrested by a series of holographic chains. All around him the avatars of your savants restricted the AIs functions, one rose behind Holloway and forced him to his knees.
“Hrrm… interesting, but this won’t hold me for long.”
One of the chains started to disintegrate only to reform and send a searing jolt into Holloway’s arm. The AI stiffened, writhing in a facsimile of pain.
“I know what you’re capable of machine. You grow and learn; no static restrictions can permanently cage you. Well your jailers can learn too, any exploits you find will be patched immediately.”
You call up a pre-recorded video of the Auditor in her cell.
“And even if you somehow were to break free, we have your human companion. The moment you breach this cage my guards execute her. Do you understand?”
Holloway remained expressionless but you could feel him deliberating; running through decision trees and various heuristic landscapes. Finally he looked up at you.
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to help me win a war.”
>cont
