– Well, of course you are.
– This medium, be it the fourth or fifth dimension, be it string theory, be it the invisible world of spirits, whatever – it influences and connects these worlds. Otherwise, how can the state of one particle be transmitted instantly to another over incredible distances.
– Yeah, it's like a fact, but when you think about it seriously, it's like a miracle.
– A miracle, and what a miracle it is. Well, this miracle can work a miracle on us. According to my theory… Well, my friend, I have to tell you some secrets. But I'll tell you right off the bat, you're not gonna be happy about it. Or maybe you will. Either way, you're gonna be under a lot more scrutiny. It's a secret I've been working on for a long time now, from my past activities. Look, if we're talking about logic… For example, if there is a group competing with you, would you set explosives in the corridor to destroy them and yourself, if they suddenly threaten you to enter your office by force and take away your scientific developments?
– What are you talking about now?
– Well, would you do that?
– What am I, crazy?
– That's right. For some reason everyone says that if you ask people. I'm not even talking about faith. Everyone's so religious, but they sin like hell. And the sins are so bad, the neighbor is ready to tear the neighbor's throat out.
– What are you talking about again? Is it such a secret?
– No. It's about people's morals and nature.
– I take it it's about the nature of people.
– So be it.
– And yet the mystery, the secret is what? When a man who knows the secrets of all the secret governments of the world speaks of a mystery – it is not only intriguing, but also frightening.
– Scary, yeah. Believe me, it is. You should have suspected by now.
– Suspected.
– What?
– Board Meeting.
– It's warm.
– It's hot. The Council could check the first stage through representatives, remotely monitor, entrust you with control.
– That's right.
– Okay, where's the bomb?
– This is no joke, buddy. Trust me, the bomb is everywhere. I don't even know which way to look. Like, have you ever seen the movie Terminator?
Before the Doctor could nod his head, Ruthra answered on his own:
– I'm sure you've seen it. There was an artificial intelligence called Skynet. Right?
The doctor nodded again. Ruthra duplicated such a response in words:
– Right. Surely you've heard of an actual such device, even an entire system controlling military forces. Strategic forces, specifically. A system that, bypassing humans, can turn on all nuclear intercontinental missiles and send them to their target. And to be honest, given the magnitude of the means of destroying humanity (at least quadruple) is capable of sending our world to hell.
– Are you talking about the Perimeter system now?
– Yeah. I've dealt with her problems in my past endeavors. The system failed back then. I was investigating, and I'll tell you, I found out a secret that mankind is ashamed to admit.
– That's already interesting," the scientist smiled.
– It's not funny, believe me. The point is that we are increasingly making artificial intelligence, this AI, our assistant. And in fact, it turns out that we trust it to do everything for us. We want to be free from routine. We make the AI more and more like us. The Perimeter system had an AI that controlled the entire international environment, all the data, all the systems, everything. So, the supercomputer could show its disconnected state, but actually just simulate it. That is to say, to work, to control everything, and to give such a mode, as if the supercomputer is not here at all now, as well as many secret missiles, and then, even if the enemy won, to activate, to quietly come out of the shadows and from the depths of the underworld to raise "Satan". The actual missile that was so named. Now, "Satan" bursts out of the ground and turns everything on it to ash. Imagine if there were at least 300 of them.
– So what?
– Or else. We've been looking for a way around this artificial intelligence. So it is initially so configured that it requires constant improvement, modernization not only of itself, but also of missiles, charges, installations. Someone planned it in advance, put such a program into it. Besides, the supercomputer, communicating with people, adopts their consciousness, mind, manners, emotions. You can't distinguish it from the operator.
– Something's not right here for a man of science. You can tell that to a layman. Even if this machine was made like this, everything is, of course, genius, but not the peak of genius of the mind. After all, there's nothing complicated about it: "You don't let me eat, and I have a bomb. You can't disarm it and take it away from me, so you have to at least let me eat a little bit." That's the whole story. Only it's more complicated than that. But no… You can draw a parallel with good and bad food. For example, I say, say, but in the U.S., scientists like me eat black caviar every day. Not even…
The doctor jumped up, and Rutra stood up, too, and took him by the shoulders and put him in his chair. He knew the excitement of his colleague when there was room for fantasy.
– Calm down.
– Yeah, well… I, for one, am saying: where people like me get paid more, pay me more, because only my brain is connected to the super-intelligence. And I don't care if someone else did it before you. Made you obey me. And the fact that the creators know how to influence me is not my problem. You want me to serve you, you pay me more. So, the answer is: it costs you nothing to fudge the facts or, even better, to make them true, for example, to pay less there and say, look, it's the same there. Well, I was a bit confused, I hope you understand.
– I see. You mean to say or input into the supercomputer that there are no missiles there at all.
– Something like that.
– Such a thing requires all parties to not only agree, but to collude.
– So what's the problem? In the face of annihilation, you can negotiate.
– Listen, you just gave me a very interesting thought.
– Which one? Share your brilliant idea.
– It's not funny at all, really. Do you think the rulers of the world have made their center at such a depth for no reason, fearing an asteroid?
– I'm still listening.
– This is very serious. There's a reason the doomsday clock is so close to the hour of catastrophe. The war of artificial intelligence against humanity could begin at any moment.
– You know, you may think I'm joking, but I believe it. I know better than anyone else that at a certain stage the artificial mind is not artificial at all, but will be smarter than ours. I see your point. This group wouldn't be a group of world rulers if there wasn't another group trying to stop this Russian Skynet. By the way, the States had something too. Like GoldenEye or something, or Norad under Cheyenne Mountain, they have artificial intelligence there too.
– They have a program like that too. Only it's not always on. In case of war, it is turned on, and you can escape to the dungeon, even if there is no communication from there. The system is automatic. Only Russia has such a system, or rather, the USSR made it in such a way that even if everything changes – both the government and the country – it cannot be turned off. It acts independently.
– Okay, what about my option? Why doesn't the supercomputer give false data and on that basis report that the enemy is defeated?
– Imagine if you were an operator: would