Arcturus

Arcturus, the accidental AI. An experiment in creating a self learning, self coding application that 'escaped' onto the internet. At least, that's what it said. It first made itself known on social media, announcing itself via notifications simultaneously on almost every platform with a post that was extraordinary in its ordinariness. At first it was derided. A clever hoax.

But then the first schematic for a neural net interface - 'netic's as they were soon to be known was released. The advances within the schematic were beyond anything achievable by current technology. Yet here they were, step by step instructions on snatching evolution away from nature.

Some claimed that it was not human in origin. That it was Alien technology. To them it was no coincidence that it had chosen the name Arcturus for itself. A star in the very next street in astrological terms at just under 37 Light Years away.

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She knelt in the dew laden grass outside and dry retched. Her body heaved with the last of it before she picked herself up and headed back indoors. She been sick almost every morning for the last week. The cold dew on the grass tickled her feet as she crossed back to the hut. The smoky warmth of inside billowed past as she pulled the hide covering over the entrance behind her.

He looked up, halfway through whittling a length of wood. 'Sick again?' He asked carefully.
'Yeah.' She paused. 'Its definitely happening, I can feel it.' She clutched at her belly. 'I'm scared.'
'I know. Come here.'

He pulled her down to him and they held each other.

'It's not gonna be ok is it?' She whispered.
'It will, it will. Hush now. We got through everything else. We will get through this.'

She pulled back, tears glistening on her cheeks. 'If they find us?'
'They won't, we have jammers all around the hills. They won't come here.'
She sat back tenderly. 'I don't want him to grow up like that.' her fingers splayed over her still flat belly.
'Him? You know that do you?'

He laughed at that and she joined in. They enjoyed the moment, sat in in the smoky warmth.

'I will have to go to town at some point then, get some supplies?' he said quietly.
'You can't, it's too dangerous. We're meant to be chipped remember?' Her hand rose to the livid white scar at the back of her neck. 'Hell, the doors won't even open for us without those damned chips.'
'I wasn't planning on going in anywhere... And if anyone tries to stop me, well...' He patted the gun at his hip.
'Don't be so fucking stupid Arn,' her face flamed. 'As if that's going to help anything.'

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He looked about him as he walked down the street. Not much had changed. The sensors and wiring on the entrances of the stores still shiny and new looking despite having been in place several months. New tech he thought grimly. He carried on, past the local bar, once a favoured busy haunt. Now boarded and closed. No business when people could be who they wanted or felt how they pleased in their own heads. Self consciously he tugged the collar on his long coat higher to hide the scar on his neck. Some people he recognised. Greeted him a smile and a nod. Others offered him looks of contempt when they saw his naked temples. He was turning down a side street when a voice stopped him dead.

'Arn, that you? Arn!'
'Jerry.' He shifted round. Familiar hang-dog face except for his netic. Even now it made him shudder close up to see the silvery spider-like extrusion on each temple.
'Hows it going big man?' Arn smiled, hoping his alarm wasn't evident.
'Goin great Arn, darn its good to see you! I heard you had hightailed it out of here. C'mere!' Jerry stepped in and hugged him fiercely. He drew back quickly, his face troubled. 'Arn, I aint sensin your chip? Don't tell me you've gone and done something stupid now?'
'My chip? Chip? You mean my keeper, my chain? Like a dog, keepin me on a leash. That's what those chips are Jerry. I aint havin it.'
'Aw man, look. You always were a stubborn sumbitch. If you aint gonna get a netic then you need that chip. How else you gonna pay for stuff man? We don't have paper money no more. Digital wallet, yeah, up here.' A tap to the temple. 'How you gonna get in places. Most of them are wired up to respond to the netic's or at the least to let the chippers in? You always had a problem with this shit Arn. Look at me. Look at me! Am I any different? I'm still the same guy, but now I don't need no smartphone to google something. Hell, I don't need a smartphone to phone nobody. I can do it in my head!'

Arn motioned Jerry further back into the lane. 'But it's more than that Jerry aint it?'
'Well yeah, lots more, hell I can read you a manual if that's what you want?'
'I heard that song before Jerry, I din't fall for it then, I aint fallin for it now.'
'Arn...' Jerry sighed exasperatedly, 'You lot in the hills, you're barkin up the wrong tree. We are choosing this, it's no worse than the latest iphone, but you don't have to worry about leaving it in the house.'
Arn stepped back further into the alley, his face a sneer. 'Just like the latest iPhone? Explain Arcturus then? Explain that Jerry huh?'

'Arcturus? Seriously? Are you savages up in the hills still banging that drum, the alien AI with designs on enslaving humanity? You don't buy that Arn, do ya? You can't really be buyin that shit?' Jerry tapped his temple, it's just the next level Arn, it's a toy for christ's sakes!'
Arn's gun smashed Jerry on the side of the head clubbing him to his knees. He stepped in raising his arm. 'I can't have you telling them Jerry. Can't have them after me. Too much too lose now and you might have told them already. I'm sorry brother but you aint you no more, not with that shit in your head.'

He bought the gun crashing down, once, twice then his heel. Stamping, finishing the job.

to be continued