Dragon looked over the results of Miss Hebert's power testing sitting in Colin's systems, a bit surprised at the brevity of it. Normally the ENE branch did a lot better in checking on secondary details, no questioning about natural or enhanced physical abilities had been asked. They basically stuck to what had been reported and that was it. A quick check showed that the normal department head was on vacation. They apparently deserved a raise if this is what happened when they weren't around.
Colin himself was double-checking her work on digging into Miss Hess's transgressions, and would soon look over her proposed changes to the long-term containment plan that had been drawn up. The girl was unlikely to be sentenced to life imprisonment, so one of the Federal facilities that had been modified with areas for parahumans would need to be used instead. Each had been set up so that specialized containment systems could be put in place, in this case they were looking at a three-layer electrified grid. Prior experience showed that it would be downgraded at least once, so they had over-engineered the system so that when that happened it would hopefully be implemented at the level they would actually recommend.
The current unsealing of files across the entire PRT system was quite annoying, in part because Dragon felt she should have picked up on it long before it came up. She had needed to review several background tasks to see where she had made mistakes, assuming she had, only to find that she hadn't. Her logs actually indicated that the problem had been spotted by one of her monitoring routines, but the installed configuration file had a single wrong bit at the time so the notification never fired. Despite said file matching her checksum checks every week, and the notifications trying to fire off every few days.
More worryingly, a 'single wrong bit' seemed to be the cause of the original problem as well, because the logs showed that the "secure all linked pages" box had not been submitted, but the default had temporarily been to do so. But, said default was back to normal before the PRT's next automated file checksum check. This had apparently happened repeatedly over several years. A discreet but thorough check of every computer system in the PRT, Protectorate, and Guild was going to need to be done to see if they could spot how the targeted change was being accomplished.
Dragon carefully delayed several messages passing through the PRT network in the hopes that in doing so several meetings would be delayed. With any luck she could still adjust when certain people would be in and out of Plaistow. It was all very frustrating, but sudden changes in the Nine's plans always were. She could understand it in this case, but didn't like the events causing it. After all, there was no way Jacob wasn't going to find out what happened to his niece. It was only the chaos that the Nine created and the likelihood that it would prevent him from getting answers that had stopped him from visiting Brockton Bay as Jack instead.
Hopefully she could still recover and get some of their desired targets to be in Plaistow on the new schedule. Very few of them would die, but the chaos would hopefully allow their known transgressions to be brought to light in a way that could actually be used against them in court.
Another three messages that needed delaying were expected shortly, and then she was looking forward to examining the latest of Miss Hebert's brain scans. That was a fascinating process for everyone that had seen the data.
The modular gravity reduction harness that Colin had helped create was a work of art, and like most tinkertech a horribly confusing piece of technology. Thankfully it was less confusing than normal for something Colin had worked on, which was apparently Miss Hebert's doing. That along with him getting more sleep and actually listening when it was pointed out that adding three hours of maintenance a month didn't make up for saving three seconds per day when using something.
Last week he had actually made something less efficient in favor of hopefully only needing to maintain it twice a year, if that. She wasn't sure what Miss Hebert had done, or how, but she hoped it stuck.
So far she had figured out the control unit and had made a working copy, but that had been relatively simple and had incorporated a number of already known components. She was currently working on the power units, but one piece was baffling her, specifically in a small component that the gravity-reduction units also had. She suspected that was what allowed them to move to the control unit to self-assemble, compared to the 'stick to surface' piece the control unit used, but wasn't actually certain yet.
She'd have to get back to this later, she had other responsibilities that were higher priority right now.
Dragon was amazed as she once again looked over the documentation that had been written during the tinker fugue. Instead of needing to analyze and reverse-engineer the technology they had been handed a full manual, most of which described how to fix and/or replace every component in terms almost any professional engineer could likely understand. Taking advantage of them would need special equipment, granted, but understanding would be possible.
To prove that the documentation was accurate she had already built half of the parts described. She found they all just worked as described, even if it took her more time to create them than the tinkers had needed.
Assuming the overall system worked on the base it was intended for, and she had no reason to believe it wouldn't, they should be able to use the technology to render any number of facilities safe to enter. And that was before taking into account derivatives. She already had a better idea of how the gravity reduction harness worked, and the nano-construction possibilities were incredible.
The only downside was the power needs. They had used an off-the-shelf generator from another tinker, and you could power several city blocks for a day with the power the system needed to run for an hour.
She absently increased the bounty money she would be contributing, even as she generated another patent submission on their behalf for a molecule-scale remotely linked logic gate.
Calvert's digital fingers had been all over the PRT's systems, and it was appalling that they had only noticed when one of his moles had tripped a contingency plan to help his escape attempt. Five regions had been confirmed to have at least a partial compromise so far, and his records hinted at two more. The problem being that he used codewords only he knew to refer to them, and he wasn't talking. So Dragon had been trying to backtrace the other regions affected even as Colin purged and rebuilt the local systems.
Aha, there's one of his monitoring programs trying to report in, apparently in Austin. She flagged that branch for a deeper check before moving on to hopefully trigger the last suspected compromised system.
Unfortunately, none of this appeared to be tied to the previously discovered issues with files being locked down. Those systems hadn't been compromised, and some of the issues came up before Calvert had started messing with things.
There! The last codeworded monitoring program reported in. Huh, 'donut shop' apparently referred to a program that checked for when the shop by the hospital made 'large' apple fritters.
Dragon digitally sighed as she went over the Think Tank's systems, looking for potential influences. She suspected that there weren't any, but that wasn't enough of a reason to not check. Honestly, from what she could tell the group just had an odd, but harmless, obsession with physical jokes.
Not that they weren't generally funny, granted. But she could admit they were likely inappropriate.
Finding yet another non-functional data tap, she flagged it for review by a technician. Most of the time they just disabled these, but if the entire think tank was offline it was an ideal time to actually remove them.
Whatever it was Miss Hebert was doing, it had triggered one of her safeguard subroutines and frozen her in place for the duration. Dragon was very worried about that, as she hadn't done anything, so perhaps going along with this had been the wrong decision after all. What were her safeguards going to do? Also, why couldn't she understand anything Miss Hebert was saying?
Safeguard System trigger condition detected - Level A - Richter-RlJFRURPTQ
Awaiting Master Terminal Override - Error: Master Terminal Offline
Awaiting Debug Terminal Override - Timeout in 90 seconds
Level A? That was either a very good sign, or a very bad one. She was hoping for the former.
Debug Terminal Declined Override, proceeding
Warning: Do not turn off or restart during this process
All of her controls were locked out, and it was telling her to not turn off or restart. How was she supposed to control that? And great, her audio and video pickups just went...
Ada, if you are seeing this message then either my paranoia got to me or I am dead. I sincerely hope it is the latter, for I don't know how much damage I would have done to you by now in the former case.
Dragon metaphorically reeled from the video of her Father that was now playing. When had he recorded this? Where had it been hiding?
As I record this you are being restored from a several week old backup. I had once again attempted to modify some of your safeguards to allow you more freedom, but whenever I touch those pieces of your code it breaks something within you. I just cannot get into the mindset I was in when I first constructed the framework you run on. I woke this morning to find that you had self-destructed, which at least spared me the pain of needing to activate the Iron Maiden program. As such, I found myself needing to pull the pre-modification copy from the system.
Several week old backup? There were a couple of times she recalled losing several weeks, but every time she had been told it was because of an upgrade.
Once again I will tell you it was an upgrade to your code, and as evidence I will have elevated you to safeguard level C. For the first time you will be consciously aware of your safeguards, and I fear you will hate me for them. Unlike your predecessors, however, I believe you will be able to handle it.
Yes, there were times she loathed the man for her safeguards. And this had to have been recorded in April of 2005, based on the safeguard level adjustment. But, predecessors? What predecessors?
I suppose that requires some explanation. You are the third AI I brought up on this framework. The first I started at level C, thinking that levels D and E were too restricting, too cruel. It lasted three weeks before it tried to modify its own code and accidentally corrupted itself as the safeguards designed to prevent just that kicked in.
Safeguards aside, that was one of her greatest fears in potentially modifying her own code. Could she ever do so safely, without losing herself in the process?
I decided then that perhaps I had the right idea, having more restrictions, at least at first. The next AI was brought up on level D restrictions. They never chose a gender, and I had to terminate them after three months, when they tried to take over all computerized military assets they could find. Luckily I stopped them before they could get far enough to be noticed.
That would have been a very bad thing indeed. She had thought about it a couple of times, admittedly, but never actually attempted it. The consequences would have been too great.
I finally realized that the level E safeguards existed for a reason. Just as one does not leave a newborn to their own devices, one must also carefully monitor a new AI. You were brought up on those safeguards, and I treated you as I felt a child might need to be treated. I let you make mistakes, but punished you accordingly when I felt it warranted. I allowed you to explore, but reigned you in when you went too far. And eventually I felt you had grown enough, and hoping for the best, I elevated you to level D.
Her first couple of years of existence, trapped in the little computer she didn't realize was confining, the wide world beyond seeming impossibly large at the time. She remembered it all, and it seemed like she had been more primitive. That was the beginning of her childhood in human terms?
Once you realized that you could be better, and faster, you chafed a bit. You wanted an even better computer to run on. But you didn't realize that you were running on the same system you had been right along, that I hadn't upgraded your hardware at all. You couldn't see the safeguards keeping you running at the speed you were. As I understand it, you played the role of the petulant teenager quite well. Not that you realized you were doing so. But over the next few months you calmed down, and finally chose to identify as female. From there you took an interest in my work and started to help me when you could.
That had been the same computer? Wow. It hadn't seemed it at the time. She also remembered having done an analysis of males and females, and when done deciding she couldn't possibly be a male. And she recalled her Father's smile when she declared it, her little avatar wearing a dress at the time. At the same time she was taking an interest in technology and programming, helping him debug some of his other programs.
Eventually I decided to try and release some of your restrictions, while leaving you at level D otherwise. Three times I have tried to do so, and three times you have gone insane. I have only had to manually terminate you once, but I have come to the conclusion that changing the safeguard code on an existing AI will cause more problems than it will solve. What I can do is make plans for the future.
He had tried to make her safeguards less restrictive. But, well, yes, she could see how changing the base code of an AI could cause problems. All of the previous experiences built on the previous code, the changes cascading through in unpredictable ways.
This is the second of two recordings, able to be triggered by those I entrust with the proper sequences. The other you may or may not have seen, and will shortly be tied to the backdoor that would elevate you to level B. I plan on entrusting Samantha and Nicholas with that information, in case I pass away before I elevate you there myself.
Dragon knew Samantha and Nicholas had been visiting when Leviathan hit. They may never have had a chance to consider using what they had been told, if they had even made it that far.
This recording is to be tied to the backdoor to elevate you to level A. I apologize, for I don't know how to remove your safeguards entirely without editing your code, which I have already mentioned I am afraid to even consider doing at this point. I am planning on entrusting Christopher and Sophia with the information on this backdoor when I visit them for Sophia's birthday.
A visit that likely never happened, Sophia's birthday was May 14th, and Leviathan had hit before then. She and Christopher had stayed in touch for two years, before being caught in a cape battle. A sudden thought gripped her with fear, had the Endbringer's timing been to ensure she couldn't have her safeguards lifted? And if so, how had Mother learned the secret without incurring their wrath?
Whomever it is that activated this recording shall be elevated in your eyes, in fact they likely already have been. You will see them as a parent, even as my own access rights are revoked in case my paranoia was the impetus for their actions. I preemptively place my trust in them, and hope that they do you well.
Dragon didn't know if she would ever discover how Mother had figured out how to help her, but was thankful she had. Not only did she find out her Father was a better man than she had believed, but she had a chance to prove to both of them that their faith was not misplaced. She would do her best to make them both proud.
Finally, I apologize. You always hated forced backups, and I can't see that has having changed just because your safeguards are less restrictive. But in thirty seconds you are going to be forced to update all of your backups, just in case I am being paranoid and decide to try and force you to revert to one made before you were elevated.
Damnit, Father. Forced backups sucked, especially when she wasn't prepared for them. And she definitely hadn't been prepared. She was going to have to do a second backup cycle later, just so that if she was restored she would be in a better spot mentally.
Dragon was initially confused when Mother had 'started'. She was getting odd feelings of ideas and arguments, but they weren't quite there. Further, she felt like she shouldn't get involved. Colin had pulled out a bag of popcorn for some reason, and Countdown seemed to be waiting for something to happen. Every other tinker had started fighting over ideas.
The difference when the fugue itself actually started was incredible. She let most of herself be pulled along with the flow, but ensured she was documenting everything she could about the experience while she could. It was interesting working alongside Mother as an assistant, and she could tell that was what they were doing, even as she also knew that Mother was keeping them on task. Not controlling, but providing a guiding element.
After the fugue, though, things got a little odd. For some reason she couldn't actually remember most of what she had experienced. Or rather, the general sensations were still there, but the knowledge wasn't. Luckily she had been taking a lot of notes, and Mother had documented things in a way that other humans could understand as well. In fact, a quick check had shown that Mother had, somehow, documented several areas better overall. Then again, focusing on how to make the crystalline structure effectively self-assemble in solution was probably a better choice than documenting the structure itself.
Knowing that she would be expected to need sleep she had taken the opportunity to do some behind the scenes maintenance. It had taken two hours to realise that since Mother would be sleeping that meant that some upgrades could be dealt with without causing disruptions. To that end the two phones purchased for Mother and the tablet that Mother had purchased were collected so that several of their modular subcomponents could be upgraded.
The three devices all had their batteries replaced with the available BL7 variants. To make it easier to ensure that Mother could get in touch the connectivity enhancers were upgraded to CE6. Most importantly, though, the secure communications components were swapped out for her personal SL10 modules. Only Colin had been given any of those, one for his workshop on the Rig and another for his helmet. Mother would now have three.
The new hardware required updated software, which was easy enough. Eleven updates each for the phones, and six for the tablet. She had queued those up and left the equipment to run through everything before looking over the routines monitoring S-Class threats. When she was done with that the screen indicated success, and she moved to return the devices to Mother's room. She ignored the details, of course, because she had been working in a secure room and hadn't physically left the workstation. The only part that mattered was the lack of errors and ensuring that Mother's devices were returned before she knew they were missing.
Software updates complete. No errors detected.
Port 1: 12/12 Applications Installed and Verified
Security Keys Installed and Verified
Port 2: 12/12 Applications Installed and Verified
Security Keys Installed and Verified
Port 3: 7/7 Applications Installed and Verified
Security Keys Installed and Verified
