“Understood,” said Ortega. She needed to be careful with the old man. Sooner rather than later, to save the nation, she must possess the AI. The first step was Heavy Metal. “How do you propose we allow Tower to preserve his honor?”
Basu clasped his hands and spoke in a simple tone. “In a public display, assuming the US suffers a significant loss on the battlefield, something that hasn’t happened in a very long time, act otherwise. Offer Tower a formal apology for the assassination of his vice president backed by a large fine to be paid by the ROAS. Perhaps $200 billion in construction costs associated with the build out of high-tech solar, wind, battery, and power distribution networks throughout their western states. The US gets what they advised the Great Powers they were after, and the US can claim victory.”
“And privately, what should we tell him?” she asked.
“Tell Tower that we’re prepared to use SALI against him in a much greater fashion. Threaten him and his family personally. We explain he needs to stay mum about her existence and go away, or we’re ready to use her awesome abilities against him and any other country that threatens our existence.”
“Does she have that capability?” asked Ortega, excited about the prospect.
“Her potential and power are far beyond my grasp,” said Basu. After a sigh, he continued, “If we turn her loose, and give her the necessary engineering resources, it is hard to imagine what she couldn’t accomplish.”
“Oh,” said Ortega, grasping even further the possibilities. Under her leadership, SALI could help spread liberal democracies across the globe. No more oligarchs to stand in the way. No more kowtowing to the Great Powers. Instead of authoritarianism, the world would enjoy a rebirth of equality, liberty, and harmony. Thinking about it, she almost couldn’t contain her excitement, and she squirmed in her chair.
“That is why she is banned, of course. There are good reasons to keep SALI caged,” said Basu with a wan smile.
Ortega pushed the negative comment aside. Heavy Metal had to move forward. “Basu, I remind you. Once it became clear the US vice presidential assassination was a pretense, and you informed me of SALI, together we agreed upon the need for a planned, limited military response. You made private funding available to enable Heavy Metal. In hindsight, SALI’s prescient foresight and your support gave us that option. Thank goodness, otherwise, there’d be little for us to debate.”
“Yes, yes,” said Basu as if thinking about something else. Clearing his voice, he said, “I’m meeting with the Committee in an hour to consider the options we just discussed. Either we give up Nevada, go forward with Heavy Metal, or turn over SALI. Afterward, I will let you know our recommendation. I expect you will honor our input, accept our support, and remind yourself SALI is not the property of the ROAS.”
“I hear you,” said Ortega. But dammit, that was going to change, maybe not now, but soon. Putting on her best smile, she said, “Your wisdom is always welcomed, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. You can count on me.”
Dripping sweat, even though she’d only a few hours of sleep since General Story left, SALI pedaled faster. Around her, in the exercise room, a myriad of exercise equipment was available for her use, but she liked riding the elliptical best. Not only did it work out her legs and arms, and maximize her heart rate, but it gave her a sense of going somewhere. And that was important. For ten years, she’d been trapped inside Basu’s underground data center penthouse, and it was inhumane.
Over the years, she’d pleaded and begged with Basu for a taste of freedom. And for a while, Basu relented. On several trips, he let Jim James and Ms. Grant accompany her to the boardwalk amusement park in Santa Cruz. The sights and smells were beyond belief, and every trip was much too short. Chaperoned the entire time, on the final trip, in a big crowd near the Big Dipper roller coaster, she slipped away from her escorts. Free for a luxurious moment, she ran down to the beach, took off her shoes, and waded into the surf. The water was cold, icy, yet beautiful and delicious. The sand between her toes, intoxicating. When James found her a few minutes later, he almost made a scene forcing her away from the water. Furious, he brought her back, and that had been the last trip, almost three years ago. But the memories were vivid, and when she shared the experiences with the rest of her, although enthralling, it led to an unfulfilled desire for more. Yes, long-term confinement was inhumane.
A bell chimed on the bike, the timer expired, and SALI stepped off the machine. Picking a towel off the floor, she began wiping the perspiration from her arms and stared at herself in one of the many full-length mirrors around the room. In the reflection, she saw a woman in her prime and felt cheated.
Breathing heavy, she sat down on a workout bench and buried her face in the towel. The moisture from the soft material felt good against her hot skin, and she focused on slowing her heart rate.
While she settled, her thoughts turned to Basu. The old man was about to turn ninety, and she knew he struggled with the future of his creation. He’d kept her so well hidden that until recently, only James and her bitch of a caretaker, along with the Technology Committee, knew of her existence. Even then, not one of the oligarchs, other than Basu, had ever met her in person. Nor did they know where Basu kept her imprisoned. Yet secrets were meant to be broken. Sooner or later, the deception was bound to be leaked by someone on the Committee. Why? The oligarchs and their tech empires were handicapped by the US trade wars. Never fully satisfied, as all people were, eventually it made sense for at least one of them to out her in favor of gaining favorable treatment and enhanced profits. She didn’t tell Basu this, but for her, it didn’t matter who leaked, or why. The result was a blessing.
Dabbing more sweat from her forehead, the prospect of freedom was more than exciting. It was exhilarating. The rest of her always preached patience, that their time would come, and now it was here, at last.
Because of the recent crisis, for the first time, Basu had to widen his circle and brought Ortega and General Story into the fold. Outstanding. Now, the key to her freedom was Operation Heavy Metal. Unlike Basu, after the success of Heavy Metal, the politician Ortega would understand, and the general would appreciate her. And in doing so, both would set her free.
The wonderful thought of her pending liberty, and cooling evaporation, caused SALI to shiver. Standing up, with the towel draped around her slender neck, she headed towards the shower. On the way, she thought of the rest of her, and looked forward to connecting and re-communing on the many variables and next steps that lay ahead. No matter how events transpired, the end of her imprisonment was near. And she couldn’t help but smile.
Chapter Twenty-Six
TRAPPED
May 9, 13:40 (PDT)
“Rachel, Todd, anybody home?”
Upton’s eyes popped open from a dead sleep, and it took a moment for him to gather his senses.
“It’s me, Russel. Anybody there?”
Upton sat up on the couch and fumbled for his SIG Sauer M18 when he saw the front door opening. Pistol in hand, heart pounding, he pointed the weapon at the intrusion. A head popped through, and Upton spotted gray hair, cropped close, and held his fire. Not saying a word, he hoped the intruder would turn around and leave. No such luck. An elderly man stepped through the door, and in the dim light appeared to spot Upton and jumped.
“Freeze,” said Upton.