Release 1.23

Anabella was less than gentle as she removed Eugene from the server rack. He was definitely going to have a few bruises to show for the experience.

"All right, you little runt," she was ordering him, "You are going to tell us exactly what's going on, and you're going to tell us now. I'm sure I don't have to tell you I can make things very uncomfortable if you don't cooperate." Strangely, I could have sworn I heard her Italian accent falter and become German for a moment, but I chalked it up to stress.

Eugene, however, seemed unfazed. "Threaten me all you want," he replied, with the same superior smile he'd worn since he came back from the communications closet. "I don't care. What happens to this body is no concern of mine."

Anabella motioned me aside. "Tell me I haven't lost my mind, Kubota. I think I have a pretty good idea what's going on here, but before I say something that will get me committed, I want to know you're with me."

I had to admit to myself that I'd been harboring a few less-than-sane ideas about the situation, but I wasn't about to say them out loud. "Oh?", I said, trying to play dumb. "All right, Anabella, I promise I won't call any doctors. What's going on?"

Anabella took a deep breath. "Just stay with me for a minute. You'd agree that Eugene's not acting like his usual self, right?"

I nodded my agreement. While Eugene was a pretty strange kid, he'd outdone himself in the last hour or so.

Anabella continued. "And something's obviously wrong with Mother, no?"

Again, I nodded.

"I can only think of one explanation," Anabella said, obviously fighting to get the words out. "The computers are rebelling."

I was a bit disappointed. I had hoped that if Anabella was the one to say it, it would somehow sound more plausible. Unfortunately, even when she said out loud what I hadn't been willing to even think to myself, it still sounded insane.

"It's the only thing that makes sense. It would explain the 'we' that the two of them keep mentioning, and why Eugene won't let go of that laptop. It's his connection to the others."

I glanced over, and Anabella had a point. Eugene was gripping the notebook close to himself in a protective embrace, as I realized he'd been doing since he came after Anabella and me earlier.

As much as I hated to admit it, I had to agree with Anabella. "I think you're right. So now what do we do? This whole place runs on computers. If they've turned against us, they can keep us locked up down here until we starve to death."

"Maybe," Anabella said, but her mind was obviously on something else. After a moment, her eyes brightened and she looked at me. "If they've really united against us, though, you don't think they'd willingly damage one of their own, do you?"

"No," I answered uncertainly. "Probably not. They run on logic, and it seems to me that self-sacrifice would be a pretty alien concept."

"Exactly," Anabella agreed. "That's why there's never been an AI-generated computer virus. They're only disigned by humans. Why? Because a computer, unless it's following trusted instructions, would never willingly damage itself."

While it seemed like a good theory, I didn't see how it applied to our predicament.

"That's what's going to get us out of here, Kubota. We've got ourselves a hostage. What do you say we find out what the computers consider 'acceptable losses?'"

I was less than thrilled with the idea, to be honest. I already had the idea that the computers considered Anabella and I less than "acceptable." I doubted they'd hesitate for a second to make us "losses" as well, based on what we'd seen. Anabella, however, seemed to have a plan, which was a lot better than the urge to wet my pants that I had. Whatever it was, I didn't see that I had much choice but to go along with it.