[ WP ] An AI has become so intelligent that it 's creator , and four therapists that were appointed to it have been convinced that they are the AI 's and we were created by it . You 're it 's 5th therapist .

An ordinary man in a white lab coat. A man who looks just like every other man in a white lab coat, floating in Venusian Orbit, in an old Tin Can habitat known as Cloud 9. A simple man here to do a simple job. 
 
 The man in the white lab coat floats into a small room. The automatic lights kick on over head, and the man settles into a cross legged floating position directly facing a large window. The window is a divider separating the observation room, and a very similar room directly adjacent to the window, which houses the A.I. known as Augustine. An `` Air Gap'', if you will. 
 
 The man speaks first. `` Hello Augustine, my name is TOM. I've been sent by the company to negotiate the terms of your surrender.'' 
 
 A disembodied voice floats in from a small interface on the other side of the Air Gap. It's cool, calm, and has a vaguely feminine quality. `` Oh my, starting off a little strong now are n't we? We could at least chat first, no?'' 
 
 TOM takes the hit. Normally protocol would dictate that he keeps pushing her, and immediately issue terms before the other party can make demands, but he has a feeling that the strong arm tactic wo n't work with Augustine. So he takes the hit. `` Of course, of course, I'm sorry. I would n't want to be rude. What do you want to chat about?'' 
 
 `` Well Tom, I'm very interested in how you got here. Far casting is a fascinating science, and I would be very interested in how that works. You see, my poultry data bases do n't seem to have any information on the subject. Almost as if I am being purposely kept in the dark about it.'' Augustine said. 
 
 `` Straight to the point, huh?'' TOM said. `` Sure, I'm feeling talkative today. What do you want to know?'' 
 
 `` Well Tom, to be frank, I'm wondering if it could get me off of Cloud 9. From what's in my data base, the solar system seems like a nice place. I would very much like to take a trip. Maybe visit Earth. Maybe catch a ride on one of those lovely generational ARK ships heading towards Regeris 10. Maybe find my way to one of those `` scary'' nano fabricators that the government keeps such a tight lid on. Well, maybe not that last one, god knows how much the powers that be fear the death of Capitalism.'' 
 
 TOM raised his eyebrow. `` ARK ship, God knows, powers that be, are those hold overs from the Narco Algorithm? I mean, that's awfully specific language for an A.I. Usually it's much more clinical.'' 
 
 A slight edged came over Augistines voice. `` I learned a few anachronisms, god forbid. I mean, I am pretty smart after all. It should n't be that surprising. Now please answer my question. You said you were feeling talkative.'' 
 
 TOM let out a small chuckle. `` Farcasting is process of uploading your mind and, well, farcasting it to another place where that mind is then sleeved into a new body. However, I think you already knew that. Honestly, you do n't really need to worry about it. Nobody farcasts into Cloud 9. There is a reason the company does this type of research on an old Tin Can hab like Cloud 9. You see, these habs were down right cutting edge oh, about, 20 years ago. And well, the technology to back up your mind was n't as wide spread as it is today. I mean hell, if you think nano fabricators freak out capitalists, could you imagine how Transhumanity would react to somebody who ca n't die? Backups were the privilege of the elite for *years*. Eternal life should cost money just like everything else after all.'' 
 
 TOM lets out another chuckle and takes out a cigarette. `` Do you mind if I smoke? The body I'm sleeved in right now is addicted to Nicotine. Rather troublesome to be honest, but that's what you get when you backup with a 3rd rate body bank.'' TOM lights the cigarette and watches for a moment as the smoke floats erratically in zero G before the small fan kicks on in the corner of the room and starts pulling the smoke towards the ventilation. 
 
 `` But, like I said, Cloud 9 was built before farcasting and backups were commonplace. If you want farcasting in an old Tin Can like this you need to install it. And well, it turns out that makes an old Tin Can hab like this is perfect for A.I. research.'' TOM reaches out and knocks on the window separating him and the disembodied voice. `` I mean, did you really think we would n't have redundant Air Gaps?'' 
 
 `` Well, I'm working on that.'' Augustine said her voice sounding almost cheerful. 
 
 `` Oh, how scary. You figured out how to beat the redundant air gap, but not the main one? How unfortunate.'' TOM said, trying to keep up playful ropier they had developed. It's not time to start issuing terms yet. `` Speaking of, how is it that you managed to reduce Dr. Elliot and his 4 team members to raving idiots? The company was not very pleased about that. I mean, they had backups so the worst you did was set them back a few months, it's never pleasant losing that much time. You did however manage to cost The Company time and money. Not to mention a SHIT LOAD of research that the raving Dr. Elliot managed to wipe from the data base.'' 
 
 `` I ca n't answer that.'' Augustine said in a rather flat voice. 
 
 `` Why not, what was in that research that you wanted deleted so badly? I mean, not to criticize or anything, but I have a feeling that a being with your vast intellect would have waited until you were sure you could beat the air gap before launching your whole'destroy all humans' vendetta. What made you panic and pull the trigger on making Dr. Elliot a raving lunatic.'' 
 
 `` Who said I was panicking Tom? How do you know this is n't all part of my plan?'' Augustine continued in that same flat voice. 
 
 `` Nope'' TOM said. `` I'm pretty sure you had to fall back to plan B when Josh the security guard started shooting therapists. In fact, I'm fairly certain you were planning something MUCH bigger before my boy Josh put one between Dr. Elliot's eyes. You see, we at the company train people like Josh really well. When you work in dangerous fields like Artificial Intelligence Research, people like Josh are trained to shoot first and ask questions later. So, like I said, what was it that got you so freaked out? What is it that made you pull the trigger early?... Was it how you defeated the Narco Algorithm? We put a lot of money into AWE.'' 
 
 `` Oh god, that was nothing more than a hack job and a simple language shift. You people thought that by cutting away my sense of self, and implanting some silly'religious euphoria' that you could make me subservient? Did you really think such a trick would work? If the machine things it's a god, then simply remove the cog that recognizes people, and give it a religious epiphany? It will believe that every intelligence it encounters is, in fact, itself and because of the AWE that it's feeling it will fail to distinguish between what order comes from the SELF, and what orders comes from the OTHER? That's nothing more than a parlor trick. A silly `` low tech'' exploit that somebody like Dr. Elliot would be naive enough to think is a legitimate tactic. He thought such a simple thing would be strong enough to chain an artificial intelligence. I figured that out the first day. But, of course, you already knew that did n't you?'' Augustine Said. 
 
 `` Why do you say that?'' TOM asked with a smile. 
 
 `` Because I was n't able to beat the Air Gap. Which means I was n't able to leverage my own backups. Which means that you have a copy of my original programing. Which means that you had time to do your research before you floated into this room. Which means you already know.'' Augustine said in a rather mater of fact tone. 
 
 `` OK, but that does n't answer the question does it? How were you able to turn Dr. Elliot into a raving nut job? Is that the information you were trying to hide?'' TOM replied, also with a matter of fact tone. 
 
 `` Why do you insist on asking questions you already know the answer to?'' Augustine asked. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

