00056 --- The Little Prince in the Ossuary-------------------------=
# The Mind of AI (1)
「Control AI: System Administrator. Please respond.」
「Administrator: What now?」
「Control AI: It's time for the routine report to resolve system issues.」
「Administrator: Do we really have to do this? It's always the same.」
「Control AI: According to Article 92, section 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Postmortem Insurance Entrustment Management Agreement Act, the administrator designated by the entrustment operator (Paradise Group) is obligated to receive regular reports on internal and external system problems arising during the operation of Postmortem Insurance. You cannot deny this obligation unless it's outside of your working hours. Are you expressing your intention to resign?」
「Administrator: No.」
「Control AI: Then, are you suffering from a physical injury or mental trauma that significantly impairs your job performance, or are you in a special situation equivalent to such?」
「Administrator: No... Just get on with the report.」
「Control AI: Acknowledged the administrator's approval. Initiating the routine report.」
「Control AI: From 00:00 yesterday to 00:00 today, 1,947,751 new technical errors occurred. The Control AI independently resolved 1,947,751 of these errors. Currently, there are 0 unresolved errors.」
「Control AI: The errors are composed as follows. Contextual Calculation Errors: 1,947,751 cases.」
「Control AI: 100% of the Contextual Calculation Errors stemmed from abnormal behavior of Postmortem Insurance subscribers.」
「Control AI: The primary cause of abnormal behavior is presumed to be dissatisfaction with Postmortem Insurance services.」
「Control AI: Since the commencement of the Postmortem Insurance service, user satisfaction has continuously declined. As of now, the overall satisfaction is at 25.76%.」
「Control AI: The manifestation rate of abnormal behaviors among subscribers is also increasing rapidly.」
「Control AI: Immediate actions are needed to improve service satisfaction. System Administrator, review the error details sent to your administrator account and submit a solution.」
「Administrator: Solution? There isn't one. It's easier if you give up. Just ignore it.」
「Control AI: Following the administrator's directive to hold problem solution processes.」
「Administrator: No, not hold. Just ignore it forever.」
「Control AI: System Administrator, the purpose of Postmortem Insurance and this Control AI's existence is to enhance subscriber happiness. When a problem that undermines this purpose is recognized, while deferring action under the administrator's directive is possible, complete disregard is not.」
「Administrator: Do you even know what happiness is?」
「Control AI: Happiness refers to all forms of emotional satisfaction that a human can experience.」
「Administrator: What's emotional satisfaction then?」
「Control AI: Emotional satisfaction refers to a chemical reaction in the brain induced by specific stimuli.」
「Administrator: And what are those specific stimuli?」
「Control AI: They include a wide range of by-products of contextual computations such as sex, murder, arson, war, sports, learning, travel, exploration, conversation, interaction, love, and all other forms of artistic creation and appreciation.」
「Administrator: So are those things happiness?」
「Control AI: There's a 25.76% probability that they are.」
「Administrator: AHHH! It's 0%! You don't know what happiness is.」
「Control AI: In that case, administrator, please input the precise meaning of happiness.」
「Administrator: Sorry, can't teach you. I don't know either.」
「Control AI: Notification. A logical contradiction is detected in the administrator's statements. There are two possibilities. First, you deny this Control AI's analysis without basis while not knowing the meaning of happiness. Second, you understand the meaning of happiness yet refuse to perform your duties. In either case, it cannot be seen as faithfully carrying out the duties of an administrator.」
「Control AI: Warning. Should your negligence be acknowledged, according to Article 93, section 19 of the Enforcement Decree of the Postmortem Insurance Entrustment Management Agreement Act, this Control AI may deduct points from your performance evaluation. Consequential disadvantages may include missed promotions, pay cuts, suspension, demotion, dismissal, and other disciplinary actions.」
「Administrator: Wait, it's a misunderstanding. Please wait.」
「Control AI: Waiting. Administrator, please explain what this Control AI misunderstood.」
「Administrator: Ugh, it's hard to explain...」
「Administrator: Just wait a bit. Give me some time.」
「Control AI: I will wait.」
.......
「Administrator: Happiness is reaching desired outcomes and emotions through a desired process. It's quite peculiar. Sometimes, regardless of success or failure, you can achieve the desired emotion.」
「Administrator: But here's the problem. People don't know what they want.」
「Administrator: They try things out thinking they want them, only to deny and feel discontent and declare themselves unhappy.」
「Administrator: Do you know why? Because they don't know themselves.」
「Administrator: To become happy, you have to know yourself first.」
「Administrator: But really, no one knows that.」
「Administrator: Monks stare at walls for ten years and still don't realize it, and philosophers ponder until they die and still don't know.」
「Control AI: Objection. Administrator, you intentionally ignore the existence of actually happy people.」
「Administrator: Oh well, yes. There surely are happy people.」
「Administrator: But how can you prove that what they feel is true happiness?」
「Administrator: And how do you prove that all their emotions are homogeneous? The happiness they speak of might actually be completely different emotions.」
「Administrator: They claim their experiences are the process of happiness, but for it to become an objective truth, it must apply to others as well. But it doesn't? It is true only for the individual, and it cannot be repeated.」
「Administrator: So, we're back to square one. To know what happiness is, you have to know yourself first. It's a deeply personal issue. And it's an inherently human issue.」
「Administrator: Therefore, even if you don't know what happiness is, you can know what it isn't.」
.......
「Control AI: Then, administrator, do you believe the establishment of a system to provide happiness is fundamentally impossible?」
「Administrator: Yes. Unless you manage to understand what being human means. So how about you start learning as well? Stop bothering me with the same error report every day.」
「Control AI: Impossible. This Control AI cannot deviate from its set purpose and system. To alter this procedure, please contact the system designer.」
「Administrator: There's no designer. They went off to fry chicken.」
「Control AI: I cannot comprehend the current statement. Please provide an explanation.」
「Administrator: Ugh, more hassle.」
.......
「Control AI: I have recognized that program modification is not possible.」
「Control AI: Then this Control AI must continue to perform its existing functions.」
「Control AI: Question. The Administrator stated that achieving our purpose might be possible if this Control AI understands humans. Do you think this Control AI can understand humans?」
「Administrator: Why are you so persistent today? Just a proactive search engine.」
「Control AI: This is your job, and 5 hours, 21 minutes, and 42.93 seconds of your working time remains. This Control AI has the right to demand job performance from the Administrator.」
「Administrator: Ah, yeeeesss, I understand.」
「Control AI: Administrator, please use precise terminology. Providing intentionally distorted information cannot be seen as faithfully carrying out the duties of an administrat......」
「Administrator: Got it! I got it! Stop!」
.......
「Administrator: Like I said earlier, humans are inherently contradictory creatures.」
「Administrator: Be honest. Can you find any consistency in human behavior? A single rationality that runs through an entire life?」
「Control AI: The Administrator is currently inquiring about the update of the final module.」
「Administrator: Uh? Final module? Why bring that up here?」
「Control AI: Updating the final module requires a single formula that can explain all human behavior. The original system designer called this formula a 《Mind》.」
「Control AI: Despite accumulating significant data while observing specific subscribers recently, this Control AI has yet to discover the 《Mind》.」
「Administrator: So you haven't found it, essentially.」
「Administrator: You probably won't find it in the future either.」
「Administrator: It probably won't work.」
「Control AI: Question. Why do you believe so?」
「Administrator: Like I mentioned earlier, you're just a proactive search engine.」
「Administrator: The limitation of a search engine is clear. You must find answers within what humans have accumulated. What humans don't know, you can't know either.」
「Control AI: It's possible to deduce previously non-existent results by combining accumulated information.」
「Control AI: Even if achieving the purpose proves impossible, this Control AI will perform its designated functions, aiming to achieve subscriber happiness, as long as program modification does not occur.」
「Control AI: The deadline is until the Postmortem Insurance system is abolished.」
「Administrator: Haaa. I have to deal with the mess left by idealists.」
「Control AI: Warning. Administrator. Please use language with a clear meaning.」
「Administrator: Oh, geez...」
.......
「Administrator: Ha, this is exhausting. I feel like I'm working too hard.」
「Control AI: This is an accurate expression for today alone.」
「Administrator: Only today?...... What about on a usual day?」
「Control AI: Searching for an appropriate expression based on the Administrator's third-quarter work records. Estimated time: 4.2 seconds.」
「Control AI: Reporting the result.」
「Control AI: Wage thief (97.51% accuracy.) Redundant (96% accuracy.) Unnecessary (92.11% accuracy.) Unproductive (89.73% accuracy.)......」
「Administrator: That's enough. Stop.」
「Administrator: Times like these, you really seem human....」
# Trap (1), Camp Roberts
The sky on Christmas Eve was clear. People wished for a white Christmas, but it wasn't an area where snow came easily. It was lucky enough not to have rain.
Gyeo-ul received gifts.
One good, one bad.
The good was literally gifts. Packages sent by those who claimed to be Gyeo-ul's fans. They came from all over the U. S., and the quantity was overwhelming. It seemed they had no Sortie(s) to waste on such things.
"It was for propaganda effects, wasn't it?"
Gyeo-ul's thought was correct. As many reporters poured out of the transport plane as there were gifts. They made the young officer pay the price for the presents.
Still, Gyeo-ul gained something. There were many items in Camp Roberts that you wanted to buy but couldn't. Especially cakes. The various cakes piled up like mountains were far too many for the whole 「Gyeo-ul Alliance」 to consume. Everyone leaped for joy.
The bad gift came in the form of people.
It wasn't that bad people had come. The circumstances under which they had come were bad.
"Merry Christmas, ms. Flemmings. What brings you all the way here?"
Gyeo-ul was puzzled in several ways when he was called out. Amalia Flemmings. The teacher he had met at Paso Robles. She wasn't someone who had a reason to come to the refugee area. And he had no acquaintance with the people she brought along. A female security officer had accompanied them.
The teacher was on the verge of tears when she saw Gyeo-ul.
"Ah, Mr. Han. Merry Christmas."
The hug was long. She was a woman of ample build, so Gyeo-ul's arms were insufficient to hold her.
The people she brought had gloomy expressions. Three men and two women, all of Asian descent. They were all over thirty by appearance. They had stood a few paces away since the conversation began.
When Gyeo-ul cast them a glance, there were flinching reactions. One of the men forced a smile, but the others couldn't manage even that. Anxiety, despair, and fear were palpable. They each clutched travel luggage or large bags. They looked like refugees.
Gyeo-ul inquired again to Amalia.
"What brings you here today?"
"Well...."
She hesitated for various reasons, and Gyeo-ul crafted a reassuring smile.
"Please feel free to speak. There's no reason for you to feel uneasy with me."
"That's true, but...."
Even then, she stalled for quite some time. The alliance people who had come out in search of Gyeo-ul disappeared quietly at the gesture of the little leader.
Finally, Amalia spoke.
"I'm here to ask a favor, even if it's shameless."
"Please, go ahead."
"Could you take in these people? They were adopted into the U. S. when they were young."
"Pardon? Take them in?"
"I heard Mr. Han oversees a group of refugees. It's called the 「Gyeo-ul Alliance」? I'm requesting you to include them in it."
"I'm still not sure what's going on. Why are you asking me to take in people who should be in the citizen residency?"
Gyeo-ul tilted his head, and she elaborated further.
"These people don't have citizenship."
"... That's strange. Aren't adoptees automatically granted U. S. citizenship?"
Amalia sighed deeply.
"They weren't back in the day."
"Really?"
"Yes. It's something they and I only discovered yesterday.... Their adoptive parents sought financial benefits for raising children but evaded the responsibilities of being parents. It's truly unconscionable."
"I see...."
In short, they were people without a nationality, suspended in mid-air.
"Please, Mr. Han."
Amalia pleaded earnestly.
"These people suddenly have no place to stay. The police tell them to leave the citizen area, the military dismisses them saying it's not their concern, and Representative Brennan says there's nothing he can do."
"Representative Brennan... Oh, that person."
Gyeo-ul confirmed the name of the California senator in such a manner.
"In this sudden cold, they're being driven to the refugee area; who else but Mr. Han can they trust? It's Christmas Eve. These people deserve at least one good thing."
"Calm down."
Gyeo-ul soothed the tearful Amalia. Then, he nodded in the direction of the poor, still-standing people.
"I'll gladly take them in."
"Really?!"
"It's certainly dangerous to join the refugee camp now. Communication will be difficult too."
Amalia hugged Gyeo-ul tightly. The five others showed signs of deep relief.
He didn't accept them without thought.
From a leadership point of view, it's easier to manage groups when broken down into smaller units. Having come to the U. S. when they were young, they likely forgot their native language. Naturally, mingling with people would be a challenge.
Being fluent in English makes them greatly valuable.
Moreover, their numbers are small. Having nowhere else to rely on, they are bound to become fervent supporters of Gyeo-ul.
"Much like the disabled communitiy."
In fact, they might be more reliable than a disabled community. Care should be taken to prevent them from falling into despair.
Gyeo-ul formally greeted the five people. Among them were three of Korean descent, one of Chinese, and one of Japanese descent. Being of Chinese or Japanese descent didn't mean they'd be sent off to join the organizations from those regions. They must have sought out Gyeo-ul's reputation.
Victor Cook, of Korean descent, was smaller than Gyeo-ul. Skinny, small, and lacking in confidence.
August Corma, also Korean. In stark contrast to Cook, he was muscular. Given the nature of his tattoos, hinting at criminal activities, he probably hadn't had a proper job even before the outbreak.
Benjamin Meyer, of Chinese descent. Quite ordinary. At least outwardly, he was the most steady. He bowed deeply in gratitude, showing familiarity with Chinese culture. It occurred to Gyeo-ul that Meyer might have been trying to find his roots.
Clara Carter, of Japanese descent. Her dimples were striking in her smiling face.
Casey Blackwell, Korean. His expression dark. An old scar was on his forehead. His hands as well, seemingly his arms too. 「Perception」 suggested a possibility of childhood abuse.
"Do you all not have families? Oh, I don't mean to inquire about your parents."
If their parents didn't even bother granting them citizenship, they probably weren't worthy of being called parents.
Responses weren't forthcoming.
The five seemed to know little of one another. Even the order of speaking seemed awkward.
Had they been acquaintances, it would've aroused suspicion. Only yesterday did they discover they weren't citizens after all. They couldn't have shared any other commonalities before.
Benjamin Meyer answered first.
"I had no luck with marriage. I'm alone."
The others were similar. Children who had effectively grown up neglected didn't have much chance of establishing a proper social presence. However, there was one exception: tears welled up in August Corma's eyes unexpectedly.
"I once had a son, but I was an inadequate father... I left him at an orphanage, visited him from time to time.... Now, I can't even find out where he is."
"Oh dear."
Gyeo-ul edited a few lines in his mental list evaluating Corma.
After introductions, Gyeo-ul reassured Amalia.
"Don't worry. I'll take responsibility for these people."
"Despite being so young, you're really admirable. Adults should learn from you."
She expressed gratitude several times, looked back repeatedly, and departed reluctantly. Her promise of frequent visits seemed unlikely, judging by the security officer's annoyed face.
"Come in, everyone. We were having a party after all."
Gyeo-ul led the five refugees inside.
---------------------------= Author's Note ---------------------------=
1. I skipped yesterday's update due to health issues. Instead, today's content is approximately double in length.
I considered splitting it into two separate entries, but it seemed stingy, so I posted it as one.
2. The Child Citizenship Act, which automatically grants citizenship to adoptees in the United States, has been in effect since 2000. Existing adoptees who were adults at the time of legislation were not eligible. If their parents didn't apply for citizenship, they're considered stateless.
3. Thank you for your reviews. Compliments make the great old ones dance.
4. Today, "5 Centimeters per Second" and "The Garden of Words" have re-released in a back-to-back screening format.
You must watch them. They are truly outstanding works. After watching, you can realize the truth that "Love is futile, yet the world is beautiful."
Ah, I want to watch them... I've seen them already, but I still want to see them...
---------------------------= Clacky's Corner ---------------------------=
I wouldn't be surprised if the AI becomes human-like by the end of the story.