Tuesday, September 14, 2021

98. Down is Up! -How to Confuse Artificial Intelligence - sneak peek #4

 NOTE: This is a preview sample of my upcoming 'satirical' Science Fiction novel. Yes, it is intended to be funny in satircal ways. The book will likely not be out until sometime around Spring 2022. Have I borrowed from other sources? Hell yes! I've borrowed from the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy. I've borrowed from Catch 22. I've borrowed from Dr. Strangelove, from 1984, from Brave New World, from 2001 a Space Odyssey. I borrowed the whole satirical concept of 'Social Score' from the country of China. And...as for the name of the richest man in the world, all I can say is that I borrowed the name Tyrell from the movie Blade Runner, as an homage. There you have it. That is on record from the start, before anyone tries to sue me.

This excerpt, I realized, should come second among the three other samples I've shared here. So I'm going to link the other samples in order, if you want to get a sense of the story. I've already made changes (rewrites) to these other samples, but I'm leaving them as is in these 'sneak peeks.' They don't all directly connect in the book, so it may feel disjointed.

First, of course, is the Dawn of Humanity.

Second is, well, THIS sample, so at the end I'll link the other two in the order you should read them.

2075 - THE LUNCHTIME OF HUMANITY

CHAPTER ONE

DOWN IS UP

It wasn't really Adam's fault that everything collapsed.

It wasn't really Amy's fault either.

They were just trying to live their lives, trying to make sense of the chaos.

There was one flaw in the system, it turned out, and that one flaw just happened to work in their favor.

It did not seem to be working for them at first. It did not appear to be working in their favor for quite some time.



Los Angeles bustled with activity.

People - both real and simulated - carried out their busy day, getting into pods, going to work, to school, shopping. Not that everyone was actually there; many of them bustled about remotely - projecting themselves onto the streets from the comfort fo their own homes. Others, like Adam, actually moved about the city in person.

Looking down from above - as so many of the drones from the Antarctica Corporation were doing - it looked like another normal day in the life of the city.

Adam stood on the sidewalk in the middle of the block. He reached his hand to the back of his neck where his Lynq chip was attached, tried to adjust it slightly, and stepped off the sidewalk into the nearly empty street.

Halfway across the street a sharp irritation shot into his neck from his chip. He looked up and saw his picture - larger than life - flashed on the side of the large building in front of him.

"J-walking!" the message screamed. "Social Score down 3 points!"

Adam's face flushed with embarrassment. mothers grabbed their children and hurried them away. Everyone on both sides of the street shook their heads.

Adam ducked inside the building as quickly as he could.

Then the news came up everywhere. It was impossible to avoid. It simply appeared.

"Tyrell Elon Zuzerzos, Founder and CEO of the Antarctica Corporation, is celebrating the five-year anniverssary of buying The United States of America. the year was 2070, and U.S. debt had gotten so out of control that the unthinkable was suddenly thinkable. Zuzerzos stepped up and made an incredible offer. He bought all U.S. debt, he bought the whole country, and he privatized the government. and now, here with a word of celebration on our fifth anniversary, TYRELL ELON ZUZERZOS!"

Zuzerzos' face appeared live. He smiled a slick smile at the country. He beamed with confidence.

"Hello, America!" Zuzerzos began. "I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of all of you. In these challenging times, you, the customers - I mean citizens - of America, have stepped up and handled adversity so amazingly well. Congratulations America!" He smiled an even bigger smile. "Never forget that down is up, America. Never forget! If you can just BELIEVE it, anything is possible! you just have to believe, America! We have faced so many challenges. Because of the Bio-Wars, and the lingering viruses and diseases from those wars, we have had to make tough decision and life-style adjustments. the biggest, as you all know of course, is that due to these lingering viruses, human-to-human relationships have sadly been banned. But we are a nation of great minds and innovators! we at Antarctica Corp have given you the Simu-Network, the most advanced, flawless simulated human and intelligence network ever developed. The Simu-Network has never made a mistake. It is the most perfect human and intelligence simulation ever created. You're welcome, America! Celebrate, America! Celebrate! Down is up, America! DOWN IS UP! Anything is possible!"

And Zuzerzos disappeared from the screen as wild cheers rose up seemingly from everywhere.

Adam looked around and did not see anyone cheering, yet the sound was overwhelming and deafening. He turned back to the news as the disclaimer ran, too fast for most to see or even notice; "The United States of America is a wholey-owned subsidiary of the Antarctica Corporation."


And so ends this sample..

If you want to follow the sequence of these other two samples, next (not right away in the book, but the next one of THESE sample)s is this one, back when I was using the Pink Floyd title, Welcome to the Machine,

And then finally (so far) is this one, when Adam is called into a meeting.

Peter Wick

September `4, 2021