Artificial

Chapter One

Daniel West sat in his leather armchair. His body frame was unhealthily thin, and dark bags drooped under his eyes. A mop of black hair grew on his head, and looked as though it could use a good cleaning. The clothes he wore were wrinkled and smelled as though they had sat in a washing machine too long before being dried.

It had been days since Daniel had last spoken to a living human being; that was just fine by him. His obsession filled his mind night, and day. He had no use for the living world, and preferred the solitude of his extravagant apartment.

Daniel would occasionally take a break from his computer, venture out onto his balcony, and smoke a cigarette. He was over fifty stories up from the ground, and the air currents whipped his hair on his head. The breeze felt nice and was a cool contrast to the monotonous summer heat.

The pungent cigarette smoke filled Daniel’s lungs, its nicotine going to work on his brain. The chemical reaction soothed Daniel’s anxiety, and allowed him a few moments of thought free existence as he puffed on the paper tube.

Daniel had been picked on since his childhood. He had been smarter than his peers, and that made him a target. He had been tormented both physically and mentally by his schoolmates, and he had always been too weak to stop the bullying.

But Daniel had shown them all. He had graduated at the top of his class, received a fully paid scholarship to a prestigious school, and now made more money in a month than most of his “old chums” made in a life time.

Life was good. Life was grand. Life was lonely.

Daniel opened the sliding glass door of his apartment, and stepped inside. His bare feet moved over the cold tile of his floor as he padded back to his computer chair.

“Are you having fun tonight, Felix?” asked Daniel, looking at his pet hamster that was running on its exercise wheel. “You look like you are having fun.”

The brown and white hamster hopped of his play equipment, wiggled his nose at Daniel, and began to root around the woodchips that filled his plastic cage.

Daniel focused on his computer screen, allowing his eyes to scan the code that filled his compiling program. The programming language Daniel was working with was unique. He had created it especially for himself for the advanced programs he developed. Only a handful of people, other than Daniel, knew the code – and those people were under non-disclosure agreements.

After Daniel’s collage experience ended, he had been recruited by high ranking members of the government to develop new technologies. He had been hired on as a private contractor, and never had to go through the standard boot camp that normal military recruits had to.

Some of Daniel’s most profound work came in the form of a program he had written called S.M.A.R.T, which stood for Strategic Military Assault and Return Technology. The program mapped out warzones, using advanced 3-D satellite imaging. By applying enemy movement algorithms, Daniel’s program could map out an attack and return plan – allowing for a 99% success rate against hostile parties; his program has allowed more lives to be saved than body armor.

But what Daniel was working on now would make all of his past accomplishments look like garbage.

By studying electrical patterns in the human brain, and analyzing cognition functions in gray matter, Daniel believed he could successfully create the world’s first form of Artificial Intelligence. By utilizing a process he dubbed as “Compound Memory Retention and Recollection”. Daniel hypothesized he could simulate the functions of a human brain so perfectly that it would be true intelligence.

The prospective results were tantalizing. The technology would revolutionize the world in every aspect. The system would be able to think faster than a human, never forget, and create improved versions of existing technologies and infrastructures.

Daniel often fantasized about his name in the annals of history, his face on the front of magazines. Glory would be his for the taking.

“You’re special, Daniel,” his mother had always told him. “No matter what people may do to you… Always remember you’re special.”

His mother’s voice had carried with him into adulthood. It was that singular mantra that allowed him to focus his time and energy into perfecting his life, forsaking the simpler things – such as love, family, and close friendships. Daniel’s love was his career, his family was co-workers, and his close friends were his computers.

“Compiling complete,” said a computerized voice through the computer speakers. “Program is ready to execute.”

Daniel’s hands began to tremble. By a single stroke of his finger on the enter key, his A.I. software would initiate.

Without ceremony, Daniel’s finger pressed down on the black plastic key. The screen turned black, and code began running down the monitor. After several seconds the code stopped tumbling down the LCD panel, and the screen switched into logging mode – telling Daniel everything routine going through his program.

Cognitive function……….100%
Audible Recognition ……100%
Audible Output…………….100%
Optic Recognition………..100%
Nano-Particle Control….100%

For a long moment there was silence in Daniel’s apartment. He sat there staring at his computer screen, watching the blinking curser on his screen.

Communication………Engaged

“Hello?” said a voice over the speakers. “Is anyone there?”

a reply to: MentorsRiddle

Mentor I hope you are working on the next part? Can't wait! Great beginning!!!

a reply to: MentorsRiddle


love it so far!

Hey everyone - thank you for your comments.

I plan on continuing the story. It just takes me some time to write the rest out. I have a very busy schedule, and as time permits I will write more until the story is finished.

It is going to be a short story - I think you'll all like it. The ending is a bit of a twist.

a reply to: MentorsRiddle

Nice.
I like that story .. Can't wait till there's more
I enjoyed the read.
I have been trying to read more books.. But I'm always drawn to Stephen king..
I really wanna start reading more Phillip k. Dick. Have you read any by him?
-nat

a reply to: natalia

No I've never read any works by that author. I'm currently reading Stephen King's "IT". I think that its a pretty good book so far.

I like many types of books.

One of my favorite series is a book by Brian Lumley called "Necroscope". It is a blend between science fiction, horror, fantasy, romance, and comedy. I love them.

I also like Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles a lot. There is a new Lestat book coming out in October that I am really pumped about.

a reply to: MentorsRiddle

Aha. Nice, I've never read 'it'. I should just cause I've read so many others by King.
I started reading a short stories collection called 'everything's eventual', I'm really diggin the stories
I'll have to see if my local library carries Brian Lumley. Always up to read new authors