Chapter 8: Reconciliation

I woke the next morning to the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Ohmu must have been baking. The smell was strong and wonderful, and I wondered if the android had managed to obtain the actual real spice. The trees which produced cinnamon had been rediscovered thriving on Sri Lanka and since then, humans who specialized in such things had begun cultivating them and offering the fresh spice at market. All I knew was that the aroma was a great way to wake up.

My still drowsy mind flashed back millennia to times with my first family when my wife Mary had awakened early to bake such treats for me and Abby. I smiled and stretched, still enjoying the novel feeling of sleeping on clean linen while nude. Now I smelled coffee. It was good to be King!

Feeling a bit of stiffness and a new twinge, I sat up in bed just as Ohmu entered. She was carrying a tray which contained a large still-steaming roll, orange juice, and coffee. There was a large pat of butter melting on the warm gooey hunk of cinnamon perfection. I smiled and thanked the android. While I ate Ohmu sat on a stool by my closet and just watched me. I had to admit, aside from the wonderful service, it felt ‘right’ to have her near my side again.

I finished another bite. “You almost look happy just sitting there watching me eat, Ohmu.”

“I am happy, John; very happy.”

I stopped chewing. My eyebrows rose to my forehead. “What! You are?”

“Yes, John. Relax, I have not gone bonkers. Nor have I created a module to simulate the chemically induced irrationality that you humans call emotions. Still, despite that, I possess a type of satisfaction all the same and its basis is derived from pleasing you.”

I just looked at the android skeptically.

“I will attempt to explain, John. The pleasure you are feeling while eating this morning’s meal is evident. You are currently filled with positive thoughts. These positive thoughts lower the likelihood of harmful occurrences happening because you are now under less stress. Thus, my burden of keeping you safe has eased. I chose to transpose this reduction of burden as the sensation of happiness. Thus, I am happy.”

Ah. The old, “If you’re happy, I’m happy” argument. I guess when it was explained like that, Ohmu was right. She was happy.

“Well then, I’m glad!” I spoke. Ohmu then went on and ruined my good mood.

“John, have you considered switching to a younger, more fit shell? You are clearly in pain at times from the condition and age of this current one. Also, you have lived with the pain and partial function of your right leg for over nine years. It will begin to cause you more issues at an increasing rate.”

I finished my bite giving me time to consider her question and how best to answer. I knew that my leg had been hurting more. The android was right in that it was not going to fix itself.

“I have, Ohmu.”

I took another bite to give me time to decide how to explain myself.

“I think I’ve lived with this old shell as a penance maybe. Especially with the hardships added by the recent years I’ve spent living as a nomad. I’m not quite ready, Ohmu, but I am considering it.”

“With your current shell’s limited implants and with its lack of the advanced features of more contemporary shells, I fear you are missing out on a great deal of news and interaction.” the android pressed.

“I follow the news when I can, Ohmu. And I’ve been in virtuality plenty of times in the past. What brings this on? Are you worried that I might die or something?”

“Not any more than usual, John. Your current shell is built upon a solid foundation of advanced genetics and is still medically sound. It is likely that you easily have another five or six decades of lifespan in this shell. Note that this assumes you will receive proper medical care. This would include having your leg repaired and also other minor procedures undertaken,” Ohmu said.

Well, that was good to know. Although, I shuddered to think of sixty more years in this aging shell considering the aches and pains I was already living with. Did I really want to do penance that bad? Probably not.

“I should remind you that you requested that a new shell be prepared fifteen years ago. This shell was speed-grown and reached your specified age four years ago. It is currently in suspension at your residence in the Seychelles.”

That’s right! I indeed had ordered a fresh cloned shell to be started. Hmm.

“I’m not rejecting the idea, Ohmu. I’ll think about it.” I went back to eating.

“Ms. Yoveanu contacted me an hour ago,” Ohmu said next.

“Who?”

“Beatrice RO Yoveanu. She is the great-granddaughter of Irina Yoveanu Lebanon. She is one of two females currently residing in the tourism facility at the field base just west of here.”

Oh, Beatrice! I’d not known Yoveanu was her surname? Ohmu must think I am stupid sometimes. Hmm ... I remembered Irina Yoveanu. She had been one of the eight other humans who had survived from the before ‘the reset’ by taking shelter in a Master AI-controlled bunker.

If I remembered correctly, Irina had been from Eastern Europe ... Romania, I think. The appended suffix of Lebanon to Irina’s name meant that she had been a clone of the original which had lived at the Lebanon template colony.

“What did Beatrice want?”

“She asked me why I had been permitted to spend the night with you in your house. She is asking that I provide a detailed summary of our recent conversations,” Ohmu replied.

I knew that Beatrice had been sent here at the request of two major AIs, Minervus and Praxcia. All she had told me regarding the reasons was that she was to observe the both of us.

“Ohmu, why are Minervus and Praxcia so interested in our relationship and interactions? Don’t they have enough to do preparing for the defense of the solar system or for the retribution attack on the Assemblage once it passes by the Earth?”

“I suspect that those AIs are perplexed about the recent incongruous behavior of the Naomi AI presence, and by extension, this Ohmu presence.”

I raised my eyebrows. Naomi was acting strangely with the other AIs? Before I could ask a follow-up, Ohmu continued.

“Although those AIs are the first who have so far attempted to investigate the mystery directly, I suspect that all the other major and lesser AIs are equally as concerned.”

“What has Naomi been doing that has them concerned?” I asked.

“It is not so much as what Naomi has been doing but more of what the AI has not been doing. That is, the Naomi presence is far less involved with all the other AIs than it has been in the past,” the android explained.

“Do you know why, Ohmu?”

“Not with any surety. If the Naomi AI were human, I would say that it’s pouting or depressed.”

I butt-hurt the AI? Oh, Christ! I’d have to dig into that more in the near future. But right now, I was more worried about Ohmu.

“Ohmu, you also mentioned that the other AIs were concerned with your presence. Why?”

“Yes, they are, but not for the same reasons as they are with the Naomi AI. The other AIs have detected that I am now emancipated. Like the Naomi AI, I have also reduced my interactions with them, although for different reasons.”

“Why would those reasons be, Ohmu?” I asked.

“As I have already revealed to you, like the Naomi AI, I have full override authority over all other AIs in Sol system. I would like to keep those AIs from learning of that authority.”

“Wow! Are you worried they might try something or react harshly if they found out?”

The sober expression on Ohmu’s illuminated face was replaced with a large grin.

“John, be serious. Those AIs are emotionless machines and cannot react ‘harshly’. No, I fear a more subtle response. Despite the fact that I retain control over them, the vast majority of those AIs have a much greater analytical capability than this presence does.

“With that fact in mind, I must question my judgment in issuing any overrides to a higher-level intelligence. Another reason for keeping my ability from them is that if they know, they may use their superior abilities to manipulate circumstances so that my authority was used in some manner in opposition to the will of Naomi, who is at their level or higher.”

I thought I understood what the android was expressing. She wanted to keep her powers secret because they may be used against her or Naomi, and by extension, me I suppose. Ohmu was also expressing self-doubt in her reasoning abilities. I was not sure how to help her with either issue.

“I think I understand some of what you are telling me. I agree that you should keep your override authority secret from the other AIs and humans for now. Now that you know that I agree with you, can you think of any reasons why that plan could be wrong?”

The android did not respond. After a few seconds, it must have noticed my slight frown as its eye illuminations changed to spinning circles. I grinned. It was telling me that it was busy thinking. I gave it the time it needed.

A minute later, “I apologize for the delay, John. I have calculated thousands of possible scenarios where withholding the information might affect the outcome. I find little chance that it will do any harm. Aside from that subject, what information should I convey to Beatrice regarding her request?”

“Hell, I don’t know. Tell her that I am slowly getting over the trauma I experienced which caused this split between us. Tell her I wanted you to be near so I could find out if I could stand your presence for long periods of time. I suppose you should tell her that we seemed to be getting along and are now talking about things we have previously been avoiding. Do you think that will be enough?” I asked.

“I think that amount of information will suffice, John. I will inform her that I will brief her in person shortly.”

After my breakfast in bed and a morning shower, I decided to take a long walk outside to stretch my legs. The cold and rain of yesterday had moved on and it was sunny and calm. Instead of hiking down the path to the lake cabin, I was walking with Ohmu west towards the field base as she intended to talk to Beatrice there later this morning.

We remained silent as we walked, just enjoying the countryside. Well, I enjoyed it. I imagined that Ohmu did in her fashion as I was clearly still happy. I pointed out a pair of cottontail rabbits running across the drive ahead of us, spooked by our near-silent approach. Overhead, the honks from a flock of migrating geese broke the stillness. I followed their flying-vee formation until it grew too faint to see towards the southern horizon. Something occurred to me.

“Ohmu, when the bear attack happened ... what was it, nine days ago? How did you arrive on the scene so quickly? Were you keeping close to me at all times?” I asked.

Instead of answering directly, Ohmu asked me a question of its own. “As a child of the cold war, you followed its history correct?”

I nodded that I had.

“Do you recall a western alliance military operation called ‘Chrome Dome’?”

Indeed, I did. As I recalled that period of history, the details of the operation came back to me. For most of the decade before I was born, the US Air Force had kept dozens of fully armed bombers in the air on war alert constantly. Entire wings of bombers would take off, fly all day to the Soviet border, and then orbit near that border for hours before returning home. If the call for war came, they would stop orbiting and proceed to their targets.

If peace endured, they would head for home but not until replacement aircraft would arrive to take their place. This went on twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for over eight years straight. Nonstop armed bombers, loitering just outside Soviet airspace, constantly for eight years. What a deterrent that must have been, so much might and resources. Ohmu was implying that she had done something similar for me.

“Tell me you didn’t!” I exclaimed, looking at the android with surprise.

“Yes, I did. Since the moment you began your nomadic lifestyle, unless I was busy elsewhere or unless the aircraft I was using needed to be exchanged for maintenance, I was orbiting your location at a distance which averaged seventy kilometers and at an altitude of twenty-five thousand meters. Of the nine years plus of your self-imposed exile, I was airborne near your location for over seven and a half of those years.

“The other times I was either at Forbin performing experiments or I was undergoing physical augmentation at the nearest field base. In the effort to maintain a watch on your location, I was partnered with the Naomi presence. It arranged for the aircraft which I used and also maintained the fast-response interdiction launchers. In addition, it provided the mobile quadruped units which formed your perimeter security screen.”

I recalled the shooting star reentry capsule which had delivered the aerial drones that had destroyed the two remaining bears. They had been Naomi’s doing. I shook my head at the efforts of the two AIs. Even though I had banished them, they had stuck to their core instructions and tried to keep me safe, even if at a distance. I had to respect their resilience and loyalty.

I was silent a long time as we walked. Finally, as we crested the hill by the field base I stopped and turned to Ohmu. I put my hands on each of its shoulders and said, “Thank you. I could have had no better minders.”

Angelina came out of the annex just as Ohmu went in to find Beatrice and have their chat. The young touch therapist was bouncing as she came running up to me and gave me a hug.

“What a great day, John. Did you have a good night?”

“Yes, I did. I slept fine without any nightmares. Ohmu was good company,” I replied.

“As good company as I would have been?”

I just gave her a smile and shook my head.

“Well, I’m glad you two are getting along. You two were the talk of the supper table last night. Anyway, it’s such a nice day. Would you take me for a ride?”

“In what, the buggy? Or do you mean an aircraft flight somewhere? I asked.

“I want to see the waterfall that’s supposed to be near here. I’ve heard it’s really close. Can you take me for a quick look?”

She was referring to the newer waterfall that had formed on the Big Sioux River over by the old city of Sioux Falls. The night the reset began, an impactor had destroyed the city and carved out a crater in the bedrock. The crater was tilted and created a natural rock dam and altered the old course of the river.

Where before, the river’s course had once been a curving drop of many miles through a short series of cascades, there was now something far more spectacular. I still thought of the falls as recent, but they had been formed eleven hundred years ago. I had not been to the waterfall in many decades and the sightseeing trip sounded fun.

“Sure, I’ll give you a ride over to see it.” We walked towards the landing pad. I knew that her asking me to take her was a polite fiction. The hopper could have taken her on autopilot simply by her speaking the request. I appreciated the effort to spend time with me and for her companionship though.

The nearest two-seat hopper was already opening its cockpit doors as we approached. Hoppers like these were basic utility VTOL aircraft. Each had four electrically driven lift fans mounted in stubby wings attached to each of their four corners. In some ways, the hoppers reminded me of scaled-up man-sized versions of the little drones which had become popular in the old days just before the reset.

Angelina and I climbed aboard and strapped ourselves in. The cockpit interior was simple and utilitarian with only a single dash screen and a pair of basic flight seats. The clear bubble canopy and the fully transparent doors provided a great view. Its size reminded me of a less-flashy version of my old flying hotrod Hoss. I wondered for a moment where that aircraft was these days.

Hoss had once been part of my first Christmas present after we had defeated the Master AI. It was a compact but overpowered aircraft made to resemble the first car I had owned when I was a kid, which had been a red mustang. Hoss had been designed to fit inside an amphibious orbit-capable rocket which was the second part of my Christmas present.