Cyber Dreams 3.47 - Greater than the Sum

I hope you enjoy the chapter. It's kind of a character development, introspective one, and some of you might be annoyed with Juliet, but she is who she is. :)

Love to hear your thoughts!

Plum

It soon became evident, both from their experience in the cab and from news reports, that the demonstrations happening in New Atlas had probably saved them from having to deal with additional Levkin-owned security teams. The entire central section of the New Atlas Dome was utterly gridlocked, and the cab’s AI chose a circuitous route around the city’s perimeter to get them to the port section. Even on those highway-style streets and roads designed for quick transit around the city, they had bumper-to-bumper traffic for half the journey as vehicles slowed for pedestrians waving hand-painted signs demanding fair wages for labor.

“This couldn’t have gone better if you’d planned it,” Bennet said, staring out the window at all the cards. He suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked at Juliet, “You didn’t, did you?”

“Oh my God, Bennet,” she sighed, “You really think I could organize a city-wide labor demonstration?”

“Wouldn’t put it past ya.” He stretched and chuckled, then looked at Honey, sitting across from him, leaning her head against the cab’s window. “So, what’s your story?”

“Huh?” Honey turned toward him, shifting Lilia’s head to a more comfortable position on her lap. The girl had fallen asleep after fifteen minutes in the cab.

“Well, you look pretty fit. Do you lift?”

“This guy for real, Lucky?” Honey looked at Juliet with an arched eyebrow.

“Bennet has a kind of sick relationship with weightlifting; I don’t think he’s hitting on you, but . . .”

“Hey, now!” Bennet leaned forward, looking earnestly at Honey. “Don’t let her poison you against me. Way I see it, we’re going to be spending some time together on the Kowashi, and I need a good workout partner; you can see my old one went and messed up her arm.”

Juliet sighed, grateful she’d activated her jamming field—she’d stowed her deck in the duffel—and that the cab wouldn’t be able to record their conversation. She ignored Bennet as he continued to try to preach the gospel of heaving around heavy plates and asked Angel, “Any word on the search or the situation near the docks?”

“Xanadu Dome is still locked down, but nothing else yet.”

“Any word from Alice and Aya, Shiro?” Juliet turned toward the stony-faced captain. Her deck, managed by Angel, was capable of whitelisting certain connections, and she’d cleared Shiro so he could try to contact the Kowashi.

“Hai. They’re glad we’re alive, and we have more bounties to split and a reward for the information we got from the synth.”

“Seriously?” Bennet asked, distracted from Honey’s recruitment by the mention of money. “Any numbers?”

“Alice will send a breakdown. The mercs were small fish, but the fake broker was worth a good haul.”

“Speaking of money, when’s the ship auction, anyway?” Juliet asked, turning her attention to Bennet.

“Next Tuesday.”

“And the Kowashi? Is she ready to fly?”

“Almost. Still waiting on some cone louvers I took to a machine shop.”

“Seriously? You couldn’t straighten ‘em?” Juliet was dead tired, but she somehow had the energy to give the engineer a hard time.

“They weren’t just bent! Alice half melted them!” While Juliet smiled and leaned back, she felt Honey reach over and take her hand, giving it a squeeze. She opened her eyes and looked to see her friend smiling at her.

“What?”

“I’m glad you’ve made some friends.”

“Can I ask something,” Shiro surprised Juliet by asking. When she turned to him, he saw his eyes were on Honey. She nodded, and he said, “The girl, basically, if I understand correctly, she’s . . . his way of cheating death? Has anyone done something like this before? Copy a mind?” He addressed the last question to the whole group.

“I don’t think so,” Honey said. “When he hired me, I had to take a bunch of psych tests and sign a shitload of contracts; Voronov told me that plenty of corps would kill for what was going on in Lilia’s head.”

“She’s correct,” Angel said to Juliet. “If the PAI in Lilia is truly able to copy Voronov’s conscious state of being, it would be a first. More than that, she, as a clone, would be highly illegal in many jurisdictions. Her existence would be problematic on many levels in Luna City.”

“Maybe that’s why he cloned himself as a female and called her his daughter.” Juliet looked around as everyone got quiet and turned toward her. “Just talking to myself. Clones aren’t legal in Luna City.” She frowned, then asked the group, “Do you guys think it’s really him? Like, if I made a copy of my mind today, then, in a year, I died, and you all somehow booted up my copy in a clone or a synth or something, would that be me?”

“I think she would think she’s you. You’d be gone, though, right?” Bennet frowned, visibly shuddering, “I don’t like to think about stuff like that.”

“It would not be you,” Shiro said firmly.

“I’m not so sure,” Honey said. “I mean, to us, to me, I’d be happy to have you around, even if you lost some memories, and I knew you were . . . different.”

“But there!” Juliet said, slapping her friend’s knee. “You just said it—I’d be different.”

“I believe you feel the way I do,” Angel said. “I hate the idea of a copy of myself. Do you feel the same?”

“I do,” Juliet replied. Looking around at her friends’ puzzled faces, she added, “I mean, I think the idea of someone with my memories picking up my life after I’m dead is creepy. I hate it. We’re more than just our memories and our . . . bodies, right? Am I the only one who thinks that?”

“No,” Shiro said. “I feel the same.”

“I’m not thinking about this stuff,” Bennet said, turning to look out the window.

“I don’t know.” Honey’s voice was soft and thoughtful. “I like to believe that, Lucky, I really do, but sometimes I think we’re just machines. Really, really complicated machines, sure, but . . . sometimes I think when the lights go out, we’re just gone. It’s over. I kinda like the idea that another version of me might keep going after that.”

Juliet frowned, somehow annoyed at her friend. She knew her feelings weren’t rational, that Honey was just voicing a feeling that probably most people had, but she couldn’t help it. Juliet liked Honey, loved many things about her, even, but she’d thought she’d have a more spiritual outlook. When she realized what she was thinking, Juliet snorted a short laugh and said, “God, I’m getting weird. I don’t remember ever thinking about this stuff. I’ve never been religious or anything, but something in me desperately wants to believe that there’s more to us than a bunch of neurons firing in the right order, influenced by the chemicals in our bodies.”

“We are more,” Shiro nodded again. “We are greater than the sum of our parts.” He didn’t say anything else, but it was clear he didn’t think he needed to. Everyone got quiet after that, and Juliet sat back, thinking about Shiro’s words. She decided she liked them.

“You’re more than just your code, Angel,” she subvocalized.

“I know that; I’m my code, my processor, and my connection to you.”

“You’re more than that, too,” Juliet pressed. “If someone copied your code and your chip and plugged you into another person’s head or, heck, my head, that copy wouldn’t be you. You’re more than just those parts.”

“Are you saying that to me because you want to extrapolate that sentiment for yourself? Do you believe that you are more than the collection of cells that make up your body? More than the electrical impulses in your mind?”

“Yes,” Juliet replied. “Yes. I think people grow into something as they live, something that can’t be broken down into a list of ingredients.”

“I hope you’re right because I like that idea. It has some mystery and magic to it that makes me feel something, something better than what I feel when I think the other way.”

“I love you, Angel,” Juliet whispered, letting her head fall back against the headrest and closing her eyes.

“I love you too.”

Juliet let that warm, pleasant feeling carry her into a light doze, and it seemed like only seconds passed before someone was jostling her shoulder, and she heard Honey’s voice, “We’re here! Lucky, we’re here. Is it okay to get out of the cab? Do you have the cameras handled?”

“Mmph,” Juliet groaned and lifted her functioning hand to rub at her forehead; it felt like someone was driving a spike through her left eye. “Oof, what a headache! I need to get an IV drip or something.”

“The cameras, Lucky,” Bennet prodded.

“Yeah, the port district is safe. Don’t make a scene or anything, but we should be good as far as the cameras go.”

“Put something over the kid,” Bennet suggested.

“No, that would look suspicious. Just carry her, Bennet, with her face turned inward to your neck like any normal, sleeping kid.” Juliet groaned as she stood, crouching in the taxi-van and hobbling toward the sliding door. The nanites must have turned on her nerves because she felt every aching bone and muscle in her legs and feet. She didn’t feel her shoulder, though, which she didn’t take as a good sign. Shiro and Bennet helped her down to the curb, and then the small, strange group made their way over the pavement toward the docking corridor and scanners that led to the Kowashi’s berth.

At that hour, only a few people were out and about, probably fewer than usual, even, thanks to the demonstrations occurring further into the city. Juliet had fears of lurking corpo-sec decked out in riot gear or drones zooming in to surround them, but nothing happened. No one challenged them, and soon they were walking through the scanners—fully under Angel’s control thanks to Fido’s work at Port Authority—and down the long tunnel toward the ship’s airlock.

“An order just came through the public net for the docks to lock down,” Angel announced. “No ships are allowed to depart until further notice.”

“We’re locked down,” Shiro said at almost the same time.

“We can still get into the ship, though, right?” Honey asked, twisting the monoblade hilt in her fist.

“Yeah,” Bennet said. “They’ll probably set up checkpoints and then search all the ships.”

“Don’t worry, Honey,” Juliet added, “We have a spot to hide you two. Well, you two and a couple of others we’re helping.”

Honey was helping Juliet to walk, and when they got to the airlock, and Shiro typed in his access code, she let Juliet lean into her shoulder. “You’re not doing too hot, are you?” She pressed a hand to her forehead and said, “I take that back; you’re extra hot!”

“You need fluids, electrolytes, and rest. Please have them help you to the autosurgeon so I can repair some of the damage to your shoulder that the nanites can’t handle. Mostly I need to reset the joint and replace some shredded tendons.” Angel spoke softly, aware of Juliet’s headache, and Juliet sighed, rubbing her head against Honey’s shoulder, enjoying the pressure on her aching brow.

“Can you help me to the autodoc and then take Honey to meet Cel and Rissa?” she asked, not caring whether Shiro or Bennet replied.

“Yeah,” Bennet said, clearing up any doubt.

“I’ll go check on Alice and Aya,” Shiro said.

All that decided, Juliet shuffled along behind Bennet, leaning heavily on Honey, and when they got to the infirmary, she gratefully climbed into the bed, trusting Angel to handle things from there. She closed her eyes, barely registering Bennet’s words as he said, “I’ll drop all your gear off in your room.”

“I’m starting an IV. Try to stay awake, Juliet,” Angel said as the autosurgeon’s arms began to whir. “In your condition, I’m worried you’ll be stricken with another true-dream.”

“I’ll try,” Juliet said. “Anything on the net? Anything we should be worried about yet?”

“Not yet, though I can see corpo sec deploying around the port, setting up, as Bennet suggested, checkpoints. I imagine they’re short-staffed thanks to the demonstrations taking place in the city. We truly did get lucky with that development, didn’t we?”

“Yeah. I wonder . . .” Juliet said, and then trailed off, thinking about the idea and the implications.

“What?” Angel prompted, and then, “You won’t feel this, but I’m about to do some work on your shoulder. Don’t look at it.”

“I wonder if it was all a coincidence or if Lemur . . . nah, he couldn’t have, could he? Do you think there’s any way he could have instigated those riots?” Juliet felt a tug at her shoulder, her whole body jostling with it, and almost looked at what the autosurgeon was doing, but she caught herself and looked away; she didn’t want to see her bones exposed.

“Lemur was certainly a mysterious character, and he had many connections we don’t know about. He may well have tried to stir up this uprising, perhaps capitalizing on the unrest that was already near a boiling point somehow. It certainly provided excellent cover for our getaway . . .”

“He was strange as hell, wasn’t he? I feel kind of bad that I’m not more upset about his death. When I think of the unassuming guy we met at the café, I feel bad thinking he died, but when I think of the creepy, cold-blooded killer that lived in the same head, I hate to admit it, but there’s some relief.”

“You also don’t have to split your payment.”

“There’s that. Yep, there’s that, and it definitely makes the medicine go down a little easier.” Juliet sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. She still felt exhausted and like half her body was made of rubber, but something was better, some nebulous thing that she couldn’t put a finger on. “Maybe it’s the IV.”

“Yes, the nanites did their work, repairing your internal bleeding and some minor organ damage, but they are resource hungry and nearly depleted some of your essential nutrients, electrolytes, minerals, and even water. They were working overtime for an extended period; that, coupled with your exertions, had you near collapse for a while. I was able to monitor and adjust the nanites’ priorities and kept you going—something a coprocessor and management program would have done if you had a lesser PAI.”

“They’re kind of a double-edged sword, huh?”

“Yes, but you had some heavy system-wide damage. I . . . overdid it with the punch to Rutger. Additionally, the two blows he struck you with were deadly in their own right; many people would have eventually succumbed to the organ damage he inflicted. It’s not safe to strike someone at such speed!”

“Would a higher-end nanite suite have handled it better?”

“Without question! Many high-end suites carry large batteries of nutrients and minerals in the nanite-housing organ, replenished from your dietary intake.”

“That’s cool, I guess. Another reason to upgrade.” Juliet sighed sleepily and forced herself to open her eyes so she didn’t drift off. “Do I need surgery anywhere else?”

“No, the nanites will continue to repair your other wounds. They couldn’t bridge the gap between your torn shoulder tendons without causing you some deformity. On that note, regarding your arm, it’s possible Bennet could get it working again. With some new batteries and wiring, I think it will function, if not perfectly, well enough to last until you get to Luna.”

“Okay. Can you message him a list of the parts I’ll need? Maybe he can order them in or pick them up while we’re stuck in port here.”

“I will. He can likely fabricate the wiring harness himself, and if any of the joint actuators are broken, he can make some functional, if less than optimal, replacements.”

“Cool, so just some bio batts, then. Shouldn’t cost too much, eh?”

“No, not much at all.” Juliet felt another tug at her shoulder as the autosurgeon continued to repair her, apparently, extensive tissue damage.

“Angel, what do you think of Lilia?”

“Can you be more specific?”

“Nobody’s ever been able to download a human brain like that, at least not publicly or not since the war—if it happened during or before the war, the history was doctored. I mean, that’s right, isn’t it? I feel like I’d know about it if people could transfer their consciousness into a new body!”

“You aren’t wrong. I’ve searched for successful procedures claiming to do what Honey described. There are many studies and attempts to digitize a person’s consciousness. None of them seem to work. Many studies indicate that copying the synapses and the stored data has been achieved, but when the digitized brain is brought online, it never works properly. Some researchers from Sweden, The Nilsson Group, managed to bring digital brains online, but they described the entity as something like an AI that had been given a dozen different psychological disorders. They blame the effect on the fact that human consciousness is reliant on a biological medium from which to experience reality. It’s hardwired into your psyches.”

“Is that true, though?”

“I’m not sure. The Nilsson Group has many detractors, and they make other theories for the research’s roadblocks. Still, I’ve been unable to find publicly available reports of successful procedures.”

“So, they might get around it by putting his consciousness into a clone of his own brain.”

“That seems to be the intent for Lilia’s existence.”

“Well? How do you feel about that? Is it fair to her that she never got to develop a personality? They stuck that PAI in her head when she was an infant, basically erasing whomever Lilia might have grown into by writing Voronov’s data onto her brain.”

“It has some troubling implications, and, as you know, it would be considered illegal in many places.”

“Right, but what do you think? I think it seems kind of messed up. Even if she is a clone, that doesn’t mean she’d be all right with it. If I found out I was a clone, I wouldn’t want the original Juliet to have . . . ownership of me.”

“Putting it that way raises many questions for me,” Angel replied, her voice growing soft. “I’m clearly not a human, but I believe I’m alive. I believe I’m something more than a program. As you said, if someone copied me and put my code into another person, that wouldn’t be me. If that copy . . . if she grew into a conscious being like me, I’d be loath to try to control her!”

“Right. So, I don’t think it’s okay, what they’ve done to Lilia, but I mean, it’s obviously too late to do anything for her. I just . . .” Juliet sighed, her brain too tired to wrestle with the dilemma. What could she do, anyway?

“On one hand,” Angel said, “Lilia wouldn’t exist if not for Voronov having her created for this procedure. I just scanned some research, and it suggests that infants do not begin to develop personality until the first “few” months. That’s the biological, scientific view; there’s the more spiritual idea that Lilia was born with a soul, regardless of her origin, and what has been done to her has essentially killed the being she was meant to become.”

“Do you believe in souls, Angel?” Juliet asked quietly.

“I don’t know. Could a soul not explain how you and I believe we are more than the sum of our parts? Could the soul not complete that equation? It’s a nice thing to believe in.”

“It is, isn’t it?” The machine whirred as the arms retracted, and Juliet turned to see her shoulder, red, swollen, and with a puffy, stitched wound running over the top of it.

“Your repairs are finished, but your shoulder will pain you for a few days while the nanites do their work. I have administered a powerful anti-inflammatory injection that will help in the short term.”

“Am I done? Can I go sleep?”

“Yes, your IV has sufficiently restored your electrolytes. Please stop by the kitchen and eat something, though.”

“I will,” Juliet grunted as she slowly, stiffly, worked her way off the autosurgeon’s bed. “Thanks, Angel. Thanks for talking to me; it feels really nice to know I’m not the only sentimental dummy around here.”

“Of course! We’ll be sentimental dummies together,” Angel said, laughing. Juliet loved the sound of her laugh, and it was with a smile on her face that she limped her way to the ship’s kitchen. There was still a lot to worry about; they hadn’t escaped yet, but things were looking up, and she was eager to get rested so she could spend some time with Honey and check in on the other girls. “Let’s see if Bennet has any good leftovers in the fridge. He always has the best food . . .”