Inception - Ascension Paradox, Book 1
Copyright© 2023 by L.R. Thornton
Chapter 16
Professor Lawton blinked in surprise about her having made such a blunt statement. Nevertheless, Jillian knew she had to gab his attention and fast. Sarah’s image stood next to her, so real to her mind’s eye, Jillian almost believed she could reach out and touch her.
She was doing this for Sarah ... and for herself.
The professor extended a hand. “You’re one of C. A. D. I.’s creators.”
“Jillian Foster.” She returned his handshake and then surveyed the people who were with him. The girl who had taken him out of the room and a tall man who pulled his hoodie closer, effectively obscuring his face.
“I must say, Miss Foster, I was highly impressed with what I saw in there today. C. A. D. I. is a remarkable piece of human ingenuity.”
“Thank you. I’m sure you must have a lot of questions for us.”
Professor Lawton’s eyes shone like pair of pennies. “I do! Young lady, if we were in my lab, I’d want to pull off her skin and dissect her from the inside out.”
Jillian hunched. “That would be up to C. A. D. I. to decide if she wanted to give you access to her inner workings.”
The little boy excitement that had dominated the professor’s face ebbed away. A wary frown took its place. “Exactly what do you mean by that?”
“It’s one of the things we want to talk to you about, Professor.”
How do you tell a man who didn’t know you from a hole in a wall about your deepest darkest suspicions?
“Professor Lawton!”
She turned as Jackson came toward them, his silver hair glistening like snow in the beams of sunlight which filtered through the large windows of Cobo Center.
“Jack Foster of Jack and Jill Technologies.” He put an arm around her shoulder and drew her into him. Jillian felt herself relax. “I’m sure Jill’s told you how pleased we are to make your acquaintance.”
“Yes,” Professor Lawton drew out the word. A speculative frown had taken place of his initial pleasure. Jillian gave an inward groan. Perhaps she’d overwhelmed him. She’d never been good at interpersonal relationships with people. It seemed so much time was wasted on being nice, wary of hurting someone’s feelings, instead of getting to the point of creating solutions.
“We all admire your work. Your paper on Artificial Intelligence and Neo-Darwinian Constructs is the standard when it comes to understanding the synaptic networks of a self-learning, self-perpetuating program.”
Professor Lawton whistled. “I must have written that paper two decades ago. Surely, neither of you are that old.”
“Just a little older, Professor,” Jillian replied indicating a smidgen with her thumb and forefinger.
“I noticed C. A. D. I.’s responses to abstract concepts were based off Mayer’s algorithm—”
Jillian listened with half an ear as Jackson talked shop with the Professor. Her other ear was tuned to the noises around them. Conversations continued amongst the other competitors. Jack and Jill Technologies were on everyone’s lips. That didn’t surprise her. She knew they would be. They’d taken artificial intelligence to the next level by creating the first android.
“Well, since the professor seems to have lost all interest in us for a moment, let me introduce myself. I’m Amy Benson.”
The girl stretched out a slender hand. “I’m one of Professor Lawton’s students in his advanced robotics course. I’m also one of his lab assistants.”
“Jillian Foster. I would love to be able to take a tour of his lab. It must be so much equipped than our own.”
“Lots of state-of-the-art. I’m sure the professor would love to show you when he has time.”
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