Behind the Green Door

…

I’m guessing this is where we get to that very touchy subject of artificial intelligence.

It seems a coincidence that my granddaughter is planning to study robotic engineering at university, and no, it’s not because I asked her so that writing this story would be any easier.

As much as she was thinking of studying astro physics about the same time I started writing my space travel story, and just one sort of discussion about space flight and whether or not we could travel at or faster than the speed of light, is the difference between fact-based and science fiction. No, we can’t travel faster than the speed of light, which is why it takes so long to get anywhere.

But, back to robotics.

I am very mindful of the scariness of Terminator and the fact that if we make robots self-aware, and self-learning, they will want to get rid of us.

I want to have a robot that can learn and be the best form of itself, but conversely, because we flawed humans are the ones programming them, they inherit all of our flaws.

I am also mindful of the robots in Blade Runner, and the fact they were built to be super soldiers and prostitutes (pleasure models to be polite) and it’s hard not to believe if we were creating life-like robots that this is what we would do.

Is it possible we could live in a world where people don;t think like that?

No.

But Miranda is supposed to be more than just that.

She has feelings. She is logical, but also whimsical. She can also lie.

Michael could also get to like her if he could stop trying to keep one step ahead.

And the piece I just wrote, well, it makes me want to think there’s hope, but, again, in reality, people are people and they don’t do what is right, but what they think will benefit them. And robots cannot be programmed to have an answer for everything, not like a human brain can.

This is getting very deep!

…

Word written today 2,429, making a total of 23,545 words

Behind the Green Door

…

Miranda the robot, again.

Perhaps it is a little harsh to call her a robot considering for the purposes of this story, she is very human-like to the point where some would not be able to distinguish the fact. Perhaps we can call her an android?

Whatever the case, this is not the first human-like robot Michael has encountered. He had been assigned to find a missing woman, who turned out to be a robot, but his boss had failed to tell him that.

Another case, another less-than-detailed report.

She was an older model that had malfunctioned but was reasonably life-like for the less observant. Miranda is a more improved model.

Why did management place her with him for his debriefing?

Well, there’s just one more wrinkle in this enigma – that Miranda was supposed to have been created by … none other than Elsie.

Michael had not known Elsie was a robotic engineer, rather she had always maintained she was a geologist, so there was the first anomaly.

Then Miranda tells him she has all the consciousness and memories of her creator, Elsie, to the extent that she can mimic her voice and mannerisms, even terms of endearment.

Whilst this astonishes Michael, he is not prepared to believe Miranda is her, that it is a trick by management to get information out of him, that information missing from several reports, and whether or not he was part of the underground movement.

Instead of a leisurely last week, he now had to be on his guard all the time.

…

Word written today 2,100, making a total of 21,116 words

Behind the Green Door

…

Miranda the robot, again.

Perhaps it is a little harsh to call her a robot considering for the purposes of this story, she is very human-like to the point where some would not be able to distinguish the fact. Perhaps we can call her an android?

Whatever the case, this is not the first human-like robot Michael has encountered. He had been assigned to find a missing woman, who turned out to be a robot, but his boss had failed to tell him that.

Another case, another less-than-detailed report.

She was an older model that had malfunctioned but was reasonably life-like for the less observant. Miranda is a more improved model.

Why did management place her with him for his debriefing?

Well, there’s just one more wrinkle in this enigma – that Miranda was supposed to have been created by … none other than Elsie.

Michael had not known Elsie was a robotic engineer, rather she had always maintained she was a geologist, so there was the first anomaly.

Then Miranda tells him she has all the consciousness and memories of her creator, Elsie, to the extent that she can mimic her voice and mannerisms, even terms of endearment.

Whilst this astonishes Michael, he is not prepared to believe Miranda is her, that it is a trick by management to get information out of him, that information missing from several reports, and whether or not he was part of the underground movement.

Instead of a leisurely last week, he now had to be on his guard all the time.

…

Word written today 2,100, making a total of 21,116 words

Behind the Green Door

…

Michael believes that management is an insidious organisation, run by faceless leaders.

No one knows much and no one it seems wants to dig too deep lest they get into trouble.

But …

Unlike the rest of the police/detectives who do as they are told, no one else seems to be as inquisitive. Perhaps Michael’s inquisitiveness stems from the bitter disappointment of losing his mother, ostensibly to the police/secret police who took her away and was never seen again.

it is a familiar theme, people disappearing, though those disappearances are covered by a missing persons report, where if people are missing it is generally considered the person committed suicide.

Michael doesn’t believe all of them have. Life wasn’t all that bad in their city.

No, an investigation has shown that something happened to precipitate the disappearance.

Some, once he discovered there was a pipeline to the outside world, have managed to escape. This too, could apply to those in their 60’s not wanting to obey Rule 71.

Miranda had been taken away and is now back, acting differently.

Before she was taken Michael was given an instruction to active subcode routines.

He uses the codeword and a change comes over her.

It is unsettling.

…

Word written today 1,865, making a total of 19,016 words

Behind the Green Door

…

Michael believes that management is an insidious organisation, run by faceless leaders.

No one knows much and no one it seems wants to dig too deep lest they get into trouble.

But …

Unlike the rest of the police/detectives who do as they are told, no one else seems to be as inquisitive. Perhaps Michael’s inquisitiveness stems from the bitter disappointment of losing his mother, ostensibly to the police/secret police who took her away and was never seen again.

it is a familiar theme, people disappearing, though those disappearances are covered by a missing persons report, where if people are missing it is generally considered the person committed suicide.

Michael doesn’t believe all of them have. Life wasn’t all that bad in their city.

No, an investigation has shown that something happened to precipitate the disappearance.

Some, once he discovered there was a pipeline to the outside world, have managed to escape. This too, could apply to those in their 60’s not wanting to obey Rule 71.

Miranda had been taken away and is now back, acting differently.

Before she was taken Michael was given an instruction to active subcode routines.

He uses the codeword and a change comes over her.

It is unsettling.

…

Word written today 1,865, making a total of 19,016 words

Behind the Green Door

…

So, just what is outside the underground city?

I was interested when watching shows like Silo, and Fallout, what their interpretation would be of what it was like on the outside. Fallout decided on a liveable planet after the nuclear bombs had fallen, and Silo, well, going outside meant a death sentence.

My own choice of world, suffering endless volcanic activity, ash blocking the sun and eventually killing just about everything on the planet, and then the time to come back from the catastrophe.

That might have taken less time than I’m giving it, but I guess that instability and changes in the plates, ocean streams, and climate change, could have made that unlivability last a lot longer.

But…

Whatever the consequences, like is returning to the outside world, and has been for quite a few years, and management has been keeping it to themselves.

There are enterprising people in the city who have discovered a doorway, checked it for themselves, and then set up a group that extends help to anyone who wants to go out.

This Michael discovers in an investigation into a missing woman. And two revelations, that outside is fine, he has seen it for himself, and he discovers Elsie has been going outside. He gets an offer to go, permanently, and avoid Rule 71, but he declines. If he did, he knew management would find the group and what they were doing.

He decides not to expose them.

But, there is something else going on, thefts, and this is another case with yet another investigation, one he also cannot write up in case management discovers the truth.

And two more he will have to doge and weave on when Miranda starts asking difficult questions.

…

Word written today 2,000, making a total of 17,151 words

Behind the Green Door

…

So, just what is outside the underground city?

I was interested when watching shows like Silo, and Fallout, what their interpretation would be of what it was like on the outside. Fallout decided on a liveable planet after the nuclear bombs had fallen, and Silo, well, going outside meant a death sentence.

My own choice of world, suffering endless volcanic activity, ash blocking the sun and eventually killing just about everything on the planet, and then the time to come back from the catastrophe.

That might have taken less time than I’m giving it, but I guess that instability and changes in the plates, ocean streams, and climate change, could have made that unlivability last a lot longer.

But…

Whatever the consequences, like is returning to the outside world, and has been for quite a few years, and management has been keeping it to themselves.

There are enterprising people in the city who have discovered a doorway, checked it for themselves, and then set up a group that extends help to anyone who wants to go out.

This Michael discovers in an investigation into a missing woman. And two revelations, that outside is fine, he has seen it for himself, and he discovers Elsie has been going outside. He gets an offer to go, permanently, and avoid Rule 71, but he declines. If he did, he knew management would find the group and what they were doing.

He decides not to expose them.

But, there is something else going on, thefts, and this is another case with yet another investigation, one he also cannot write up in case management discovers the truth.

And two more he will have to doge and weave on when Miranda starts asking difficult questions.

…

Word written today 2,000, making a total of 17,151 words

Behind the Green Door

…

Among the revelations Michael learned in the process of trying to find missing persons, was one that was astonishing.

People were not missing, they were going outside. That is, through a doorway out of the underground city, outside into what management was consistently telling the people was uninhabitable.

No, it was not common knowledge.

However, in his travels across the city looking for these missing people, Michael discovers there is a secret network of people who will assist anyone who wants to avoid Rule 71. He has known for some time such a network exists but was not going to formally report it, or investigate who is behind it.

Until he gets a case involving a missing person.

In fact, over the years there has been a significant number of people who seem to go missing and are never found. Not all though, because there is the odd accidental death, and very rarely, a murder.

While not familiar with the layout and structure of the underground city, and how the people originally got inside, there is always folklore and supposition about a grand archway and revolving doors, and a wall of windows where you could gaze out upon the landscape that once supported a much larger population.

And other exits dispersed around the perimeter of the structure. It was no surprise to Michael that people might have stumbled over them. He certainly believed management knew all about these entrances and exits, and had the ability to go outside to check on the status of the world.

As the investigation progresses, he finds one of the network, the fact there is an exit, and is taken outside. And, yes, the outside world is habitable, a place where those who want to leave the facility can, in a settlement some distance away.

What is more shocking is that Michael is shown photographs of another settlement, one where management go for so-called rest and relaxation, and worse still, one of those management people is Elsie, his wife.

He is offered the chance to leave and live in the settlement but he declines. Michael going missing would only rouse the suspicion of the other police and would lead to the discovery of those outside.

Nor does he want to avoid Rule 71.

But it does highlight the fact he knew very little about the woman he had married. Or more to the point, he had made a conscious decision to not want to know anything other than to be grateful she had chosen him.

Until she died.

…

Word written today 1,768, making a total of 15,151 words

Behind the Green Door

…

Among the revelations Michael learned in the process of trying to find missing persons, was one that was astonishing.

People were not missing, they were going outside. That is, through a doorway out of the underground city, outside into what management was consistently telling the people was uninhabitable.

No, it was not common knowledge.

However, in his travels across the city looking for these missing people, Michael discovers there is a secret network of people who will assist anyone who wants to avoid Rule 71. He has known for some time such a network exists but was not going to formally report it, or investigate who is behind it.

Until he gets a case involving a missing person.

In fact, over the years there has been a significant number of people who seem to go missing and are never found. Not all though, because there is the odd accidental death, and very rarely, a murder.

While not familiar with the layout and structure of the underground city, and how the people originally got inside, there is always folklore and supposition about a grand archway and revolving doors, and a wall of windows where you could gaze out upon the landscape that once supported a much larger population.

And other exits dispersed around the perimeter of the structure. It was no surprise to Michael that people might have stumbled over them. He certainly believed management knew all about these entrances and exits, and had the ability to go outside to check on the status of the world.

As the investigation progresses, he finds one of the network, the fact there is an exit, and is taken outside. And, yes, the outside world is habitable, a place where those who want to leave the facility can, in a settlement some distance away.

What is more shocking is that Michael is shown photographs of another settlement, one where management go for so-called rest and relaxation, and worse still, one of those management people is Elsie, his wife.

He is offered the chance to leave and live in the settlement but he declines. Michael going missing would only rouse the suspicion of the other police and would lead to the discovery of those outside.

Nor does he want to avoid Rule 71.

But it does highlight the fact he knew very little about the woman he had married. Or more to the point, he had made a conscious decision to not want to know anything other than to be grateful she had chosen him.

Until she died.

…

Word written today 1,768, making a total of 15,151 words