Fan Fiction ❯ Love In Binary ❯ Cooks and data sticks ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Masahiro looked up as he heard the door open and pulled his goggles off. He jumped up from his seat and ran out of the room to hug his smiling sister."Hi Sakura." he said as he put his arms around her. She smiled and hugged him back."Hello Masahiro. You'll never guess what I have for you." she pulled the data stick from her pocket. Masahiro looked at it curiously."What is it."Sakura laughed and handed it to him. She could barely contain her excitement."Go and put it in the computer and find out." she told him happily.Masahiro could see his sister was on to something big. What was on this little metallic rod that was so important? He walked into the garage and gently pushed the data stick into a socket in the work bench. The overhead monitor that had been displaying the status of the maintenance android on the bench changed to show an endless line of programming. Masahiro began to skim read it to try and understand what it could mean. It seemed to be a long and complex set of instructions for extremely varied circumstances. Then it hit him. He looked up at his sister in amazement. Was it really what he thought it was?"Is this the rest of the association programming?" he asked her, astounded. She nodded at him and smiled even wider. Masahiro couldn't believe it. This information was more valuable than anything they had ever owned before. If he added it to the programming he had already created then he would be able to create a machine with the same associative abilities as a human. Not like the hunk of junk he was working on which was just about capable of recognising a spanner, but something that was so complex it could appreciate artwork. Something that could actually tell what artwork was was a major achievement. This programme would allow it to see distinctive patterns and even differentiate between designs from different species. Now all he needed was the self awareness programming and then eventually the emotion. Emotion. He shivered with delight. They were a third of the way to creating the galaxy's first true A.I. No one had ever managed to get more than two of the three necessary computer programmes before. And here they were, with the first part of the puzzle."How did you get this Sakura?" he asked in amazement."I met an old school friend. He actually designed the programme and just gave it to me. Just like that. He can't get hold of the other two programmes and has pretty much given up hope of ever achieving his goal. So he let us have it. It was so nice of him. How lucky are we to find something like this." she said, beaming at her little brother."Seriously!?" Masahiro asked. Sakura nodded frantically barely containing her joy. The siblings hugged each other again and laughed at their luck."So... should we get it ready?" asked the young boy, anticipation hanging off every word."Yes. Finish up with your maintenance android and I'll get it hooked up. We'll download the programming and then see if we can get some self awareness to back up what you have. We don't need much," she grinned at him "you did well on your own." Masahiro blushed at the compliment."So we can begin. Lets get ready." They hugged each other one last time before setting to work.Hiroshi bolted down the street, trying to find his alien companion before it was too late to wrangle some money out of him. The planetary currency was Trade Credits, used mainly because they were the generic currency throughout the known galaxy. But right now, Hiroshi had none of them and nothing worth any value and he needed that to change. It takes money to make money and Hiroshi was broke. As he ran along the streets he looked around himself, mainly because he couldn't see that godforsaken squid Frorbek anywhere, but also because it was so beautiful. The buildings touched the clouds, wonderful shining arches, not obscuring the colour of the sky, but complimenting it amazingly. The sun shone off the gentle curves of the brightly coloured skyscrapers, checkered by the blue intervals of the afternoon sky. There were so many people on Lustria now, hundreds of alien faces passed him by, species from every part of the galaxy now resided on this small world. Yet it was still inevitably human territory and so fifty percent of the population were human. Mostly japanese by origin, the japanese were the first to develop the Time Space method of transport and had been shipping colonists offworld for years before the other countries of Earth had noticed. But now so many new species had been discovered it was hard to keep track of them all. Frorbek was part of an amphibious race known as the Crooselarians. The fish type beings were generally considered pretty slimy and talking to a set of gills was usually rather off-putting, but Hiroshi had made friends easily amongst them, with Frorbek at least. Since this world was mainly focused on robotics or farming and other manual labour work, and since most of the alien species on Lustria lacked the necessary digits to partake of robotics, then most of them were found performing low level services. Like Ms Aneko. A lot of humans found Elkians disturbing, what with the brown skin and spines instead of hair and the extremely high pitched voices, but as usual Hiroshi felt right at home with them. Ms Aneko was a kindly young woman, not attractive by human standards but she definitely looked friendly. The short spines could make some of her species appear dangerous, but most Elkians wouldn't hurt a fly. They were really there for pretty much the same reason a hedgehog has spines. There were many more beings of non-Earth origin on Lustria, and all of them seemed to like Hiroshi."Cshhhh tan terrek croooosh nah." hissed an insectile creature, waving a squirming alien fish at him. Hiroshi looked around the crowd of people one last time for Frorbek and then turned to the Zentanian trader. The writhing worm-like fish was thrust under his nose for inspection. Hiroshi looked it over, carefully avoiding the vicious little mouth and then handed the merchant the last of his credits. Maybe a meal would help Frorbek choose whether to pay up or not. The Zentanian accepted the credits and placed the worm into a metal box. It pressed a button on top, there was a brief flash of light and the alien opened the box to remove the fried meal. It carefully wrapped it in insulator paper and handed it to Hiroshi, who took the stinking alien delicacy and placed it in his inside pocket."Krssssh nerrrrtek craaaaaaaah." the trader snarled in thanks before turning away to offer a six legged rodent to a passing alien. The distressed human dashed off into the crowd of people, still seeking Frorbek. The squid must have known he was going to come back, he always changed his mind, and Hiroshi was certain he deliberately hid just to make life hard. That was the problem with Crooselarians, they never took things seriously. Speaking of which, did he just see one of them skulking off down an alley? He knew it. Frorbek did hide to see his friend running around like a headless chicken. Well this time he wasn't going to be caught out, the human was going to get his money, even if it wasn't really his. He ran over to the alley and stuck his head around the corner to see what he could see. The light of the alley was terrible, apparently the auto-lamps were broken. Some movement further inside caught his eye and he approached cautiously into the dark."Frorbek? If that's you then come out of there. You know that darkness dries your skin out." he shouted. A thin, three fingered hand emerged from the shadows and urged him to approach. That wasn't Frorbek's hand, this one was clawed. Hiroshi may get on well with extra-terrestrials but claws weren't appealing for anyone. However, he decided to find out what was going on. He took a few more steps and stood on the edge of the darkness, trying to make out who or what was in there. A slow and croaky voice muttered some sort of an answer to his unspoken question."A human...... very good..... I have something for you but in exchange...... give me the zentanian worm-fish in your pocket. I am very hungry." The voice seemed worn out and tired, like the speaker had been on a long run and only just stopped. Hiroshi pulled the fish out and looked at it for the moment. If the thing in the alley had wanted to harm him it probably would have already, especially if it wanted food. He plunged his hand into the black passageway and waited until he felt the weight of an exhausted hand fall on top of his. It remained limp for a moment and then mustered the energy to remove the food from his hand."Many thanks human. I..... seem to recall..... humans have a very narrow visible spectrum. I suppose it may assist you if I were to adjust my lamp?"Hiroshi nodded and the alleyway gained a dim, red glow. Now that he could see what he was doing he stepped further forward. An old alien, Hiroshi wasn't certain quite what species, was sat on a bow. It wore an old grubby coat and was setting up a plate and some eating tools on a crate infront of it. An electric lamp already stood on it and the human noted a small dial with different colours around it. Supposedly for adjusting the frequency of the light that the lamp emitted. This old creature could presumably see into infra red and had increased the frequency to accommodate for Hiroshi's comparatively poor eyesight. The elderly being motioned for him to pull up a box and sit down, which he did. It then extended a hand to shake that of his new friend."I am Corbad Talu, a robotics engineer.......... retired now of course. And so I should be......... what with me being approximately........ three hundred earth-years of age. Computers do drag at a sentient." he smiled and began to dine on the takeaway meal in a very gentlemanly manner."I'm Hiroshi Sekato, currently out of a job but I used to work in the cantina down the street. You said you had something for me?" he inquired. Corbad grinned in amusement and gestured at him with a worm-fish bone."The young...... always need to rush things. Let an old man finish his meal...... before we begin. My time is short and I wish to enjoy it."The young man sat in silence as the stranger delicately placed a neat cube of fried flesh on his tongue and chewed it slowly, clearly enjoying every second of the taste. After a minute or two of such activity Hiroshi was beginning to feel annoyed, he still needed to find Frorbek and this old man was wasting time. He decided to try again."Listen, Mr Talu, I'm in a bit of a hurry so would you mind explaining what's going on? I have to find a friend and I have to find him quickly."Corbad sighed and laid his knife and fork either side of his plate. Then he folded his arms. And looked straight at the youngster for a long moment."Well Sekato...... you obviously have no experience of dealing with the elderly. Politeness gets you nowhere." Corbad laughed "But then again neither does rudeness. What you should really do is wait. But if you really are in such a hurry to escape this old timer then we will talk." the alien sat back and waited for the other man to say something. Hiroshi decided to go for the direct approach."Well first of all if you're a robotics engineer why are you sitting in an alleyway eating takeaways?" which had seemed like a perfectly valid question. Corbad laughed loudly and slapped his knees."Oh dear." he chuckled "Can todays youth..... not accept things for the way they are? No? Alright. I suppose it can't hurt to explain." he took a deep breath and cleared his throat "Well you see, I reached an age where the end of my career was nearing and I was pondering what my life had been about. All I had really done was my job, really not a major achievement. So on my first day of retirement I packed up my clothes and my money and any possessions I felt were too special to leave behind and I walked out of my house and never walked back in again. I just wandered across Lustria spending my money on food and clothing and seeing the sights and now..... I'm sitting infront of you eating your takeaway." and here he picked up his knife and fork and expertly sliced a section of fish away from the remainder of his meal. Hiroshi realised that the alien was again going to start eating and jumped in quickly."But.... what is this thing you say you have for me?"Once again Corbad sighed and laid down his eating tools. But first he placed the slice of food in his mouth and took just a little too long to swallow it."Well..... as I say.... my time is short, I'm dying of age, not that it bothers me, I have no regrets and no family. But what I DO have is unfinished business." he reached inside his coat and pulled a luminescent green data stick from some dirt encrusted recess. "I suppose I should have gotten around to completing it but I never had the time..... always so busy. This little data stick holds my life's work..... and probably a fair amount of money too. But money....... is of no concern to me anymore. Now you my dear boy seem perfect for the job in every respect. You have...... just the skills I am looking for." Hiroshi brightened up a little. "Absolutely none whatsoever!" finished the alien, smiling happily. "So you will search for someone to help you. But you do seem to have the kind of curiosity which means you won't just sell it on and be done. Perfect.... you are curiously useless." the alien proffered the stick towards him, grasping it between it's two, long fingers. Hiroshi slowly reached out an took the little piece of metal and turned it over in his hands. It was funny how the important things were the smallest, but what was actually on this data stick? What did the old miser before him create that would be his only priority when he reached the end of his life? Hiroshi went to say something but the alien had stood up and was pulling him to his feet."Thankyou for the meal kind sir, I have always been partial to a fried fish, but now you must leave, I grow weary of your company." he prodded the human towards the alley entrance and gave him no more opportunity to speak. Hiroshi was pushed out into the sunlight and was soon lost amongst the crowds again. He stood staring at the stick until a damp fin tapped him on the shoulder."Hiroshi, ta sun cah chota cren?" said Frorbek. The human didn't look up but kept his eyes fixed on his new possession."No..... no Frorbek I still don't need the money. I just came to ask if you knew..... where I can find a good robotics engineer."Converting /tmp/phpEoWmtH to /dev/stdout