do that?”
He picked up the headset and slid it onto her head. “Do you sense anything about those machines? Close your eyes and relax. Pretend you’re trying to hear something or smell it or see it in your mind. I can only guess what it must look like to you, but perhaps the attempt will trigger something.”
“Basically, you want me to discover a new sense.”
“Something like that. If it doesn’t work, we’ll try something else.”
Kelsey closed her eyes, relaxed as much as she could, and focused on her breathing. She wanted to be receptive to anything. After a moment, it felt as though someone was standing in front of her, but a peek showed that not to be the case.
She tried narrowing her focus further and the sensation became clearer. It wasn’t sight or sound. It wasn’t like anything she’d ever experienced. She could feel the computer in front of her.
It didn’t react to her, so she tried thinking at it. Hello? It didn’t respond.
She reached out a mental hand, or at least that’s how she chose to think of it, and touched it. The presence opened like a flower in her mind and she knew it was the scanning machine. It was as though the machine had transmitted the information straight into her mind, right down to its serial number.
Or perhaps it was more like reading a screen of data about it. The information she saw listed it as Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve, the same way it had identified itself to her a week ago.
Following the same pattern, she pushed her awareness deeper into the machine. Like she was talking silently to it. Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve, can you hear me? Are you operational?
Affirmative. Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve online.
The voice in her mind, if one could call it that, sounded neutral. It didn’t really have a tone, not like hearing someone speak aloud.
She took a deep breath and continued. My name is Kelsey Bandar. You put implants inside me. Do you remember?
Accessing records. Comparing transmission to implant serial numbers. Confirmed.
She tried to keep her pulse down. I have some questions about using my implants. Can you help me?
Overrides to this unit’s basic programming prevent it assisting you at this time. This unit may only make general statements to implantees under the modified instruction set.
Is that why you haven’t responded to the verbal questions my companions have asked you?
Negative. This unit does not respond to unauthorized users at this time.
You say at this time . Does that mean you might be able to answer them under other circumstances?
Correct. This unit requires a system level reset to re-enable that functionality.
Kelsey opened her eyes and looked at the people eagerly awaiting her progress. “I can communicate with it.”
Doctor Leonard grinned and Carl Owlet pumped his fist in the air.
She licked her lips. They were parched. “It says that portions of its control programming have been overridden and that it cannot respond unless it is restored. Much like the Pale Ones, I suppose. It seems to have a little more leeway talking with those it works on, but not much.”
“It also responded to your direct communication,” Leonard said. “That’s a window to access it.”
“Well, I’m not a programmer. I wouldn’t know what to do if you told me.”
Carl Owlet shook his head with a smile. “I’m sure that the people using it before the Fall weren’t programmers. The old Empire had to allow for advanced control without knowing how to sling code. Ask the unit how you can reset it.”
“That seems silly. If it was altered to keep people out, why would it tell me how to get around that?”
“Computers are surprisingly literal. It might not, but you won’t know if you don’t ask.”
Kelsey looked back at the machine. She could still feel the connection between them, even with her eyes open, so she kept them that way. Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve, can your default control code be
He picked up the headset and slid it onto her head. “Do you sense anything about those machines? Close your eyes and relax. Pretend you’re trying to hear something or smell it or see it in your mind. I can only guess what it must look like to you, but perhaps the attempt will trigger something.”
“Basically, you want me to discover a new sense.”
“Something like that. If it doesn’t work, we’ll try something else.”
Kelsey closed her eyes, relaxed as much as she could, and focused on her breathing. She wanted to be receptive to anything. After a moment, it felt as though someone was standing in front of her, but a peek showed that not to be the case.
She tried narrowing her focus further and the sensation became clearer. It wasn’t sight or sound. It wasn’t like anything she’d ever experienced. She could feel the computer in front of her.
It didn’t react to her, so she tried thinking at it. Hello? It didn’t respond.
She reached out a mental hand, or at least that’s how she chose to think of it, and touched it. The presence opened like a flower in her mind and she knew it was the scanning machine. It was as though the machine had transmitted the information straight into her mind, right down to its serial number.
Or perhaps it was more like reading a screen of data about it. The information she saw listed it as Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve, the same way it had identified itself to her a week ago.
Following the same pattern, she pushed her awareness deeper into the machine. Like she was talking silently to it. Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve, can you hear me? Are you operational?
Affirmative. Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve online.
The voice in her mind, if one could call it that, sounded neutral. It didn’t really have a tone, not like hearing someone speak aloud.
She took a deep breath and continued. My name is Kelsey Bandar. You put implants inside me. Do you remember?
Accessing records. Comparing transmission to implant serial numbers. Confirmed.
She tried to keep her pulse down. I have some questions about using my implants. Can you help me?
Overrides to this unit’s basic programming prevent it assisting you at this time. This unit may only make general statements to implantees under the modified instruction set.
Is that why you haven’t responded to the verbal questions my companions have asked you?
Negative. This unit does not respond to unauthorized users at this time.
You say at this time . Does that mean you might be able to answer them under other circumstances?
Correct. This unit requires a system level reset to re-enable that functionality.
Kelsey opened her eyes and looked at the people eagerly awaiting her progress. “I can communicate with it.”
Doctor Leonard grinned and Carl Owlet pumped his fist in the air.
She licked her lips. They were parched. “It says that portions of its control programming have been overridden and that it cannot respond unless it is restored. Much like the Pale Ones, I suppose. It seems to have a little more leeway talking with those it works on, but not much.”
“It also responded to your direct communication,” Leonard said. “That’s a window to access it.”
“Well, I’m not a programmer. I wouldn’t know what to do if you told me.”
Carl Owlet shook his head with a smile. “I’m sure that the people using it before the Fall weren’t programmers. The old Empire had to allow for advanced control without knowing how to sling code. Ask the unit how you can reset it.”
“That seems silly. If it was altered to keep people out, why would it tell me how to get around that?”
“Computers are surprisingly literal. It might not, but you won’t know if you don’t ask.”
Kelsey looked back at the machine. She could still feel the connection between them, even with her eyes open, so she kept them that way. Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve, can your default control code be
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