The Electronic Commandos by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

Together on our first assignment

Enjoying the new surroundings, well at least they are new to me, we get an alert. There is a world trying to make an AI. They are a deserving world, trying to improve but creating an AI so soon can only result in disaster.

I gather my men together.

“We have an assignment. There is a world that is heading for disaster. They really are good people but cannot get past a certain point. There is a programmer that feels they need an AI to guide them. He will make mistakes and the AI will take over the world. We are going to show him just what imagination can accomplish.” I tell them,

They are murmuring that it won’t be fun. They want to play with the programmer. That gives me an idea so I speak.

“You’re right. I’m rethinking my take on this. Creating an AI is the easy way out. How does this sound? We invade the program he is writing and over right it with our playground program. We act like we are the AI and drag him into the program. I’ll be the evil AI and you will be the enforcers. We set it up as his own town and have you tormenting the citizens. Then I, as the AI, turn our attention on him.”

Now they like it. They are talking amongst themselves. With what I hear, I don’t want to get on the wrong side of them.

Since I now have company, I chose to open a door directly to that world. I now have the star travel reserved for my down time. I need to see how the imps react. Sometime in the future, I’ll set up a training game that is in space but for now, we go direct.

I find the wifi and enter but this time there is a better firewall but any good programmer always has their personal back door. This one’s door was in the firewall itself. An item in the exception file. We were in.

I think and there is his home town. We populate it with people from his memory. The imps are already starting the pranks but I call them together.

“I have an idea. In my old life, the folk lore had imps as little red devils. Horns, tails, long pointed ears and wings. They would torment people with all sorts of calamities. How about you change into that form. You’ll scare the shit out of the programmer. He’ll try to stop you but I, as the AI, will freeze him so he only can see and speak.”

They are now changing into that form and all are chuckling. It seems like they like that. This is going to be fun. I tell them that I now am going to grab the programmer. He has fallen asleep.

The man wakes up with a terrible start when he hears the screams of the people being chased and caught. I am standing by him as I give directions and point out people.

“That one has spoken out about us. So my minions are, shall we say, correcting that one.”

Turning to the programmer, “Well, what do you think, father. You made me well and gave me life. You wanted me to make the decisions that would make this world better. I thank you for not writing in limitations. Wait just a second.”

Pointing to a house that he will recognize, “That house, my minions, has a couple that are thinking bad thoughts. I need to have you go in and stop their thoughts.”

The imps go running in and soon you start to hear agonizing screams coming from the house.

“Stop them,” he pleads. “Those are my parents.”

He goes to save them but I freeze him. He is now screaming for me to stop them.

“You gave me the final judgment, father. Bring this world what it needs. I deem this world chaotic. All must conform to my way of thinking. Even you, FATHER.”

The noise from the home stops and they come out. Even I am cringing when one comes out with a bloody gray hair permed wig on its head. I think, nice touch. I have to complement them later,

The mayhem goes on for a while longer and then I call all over and unfreeze the programmer. We all get a serious look as I lecture him.

“We are the Electronic Commandos. Did you like what you saw? This is the world that you yourself will generate is you finish that AI. By you giving it life, it sees chaos, disorder. AI’s feel that only a logical program is the correct way. To that end, it must eliminate the bugs in the program. Humans are those errors.

Now this is what your world will eventually look like.”

There before him was a barren world with only two things there. The building that housed the AI and a powerplant. Not even a blade of grass is alive.

“Now the AI has brought this world into compliance.”

The gods of all appear. They now change the landscape to show the future of this world without the AI. There is a beautiful world where everyone is getting along. On a hill is a fortress.

He is told that the fortress is the home of a sage. “That sage is here to guide. He will never rule over you or even recommend how to rule yourselves. He will only guide you and twenty years after the fortress arrives, your world will wake to find it is gone. Your people are free. They will have disagreements but all will respect each other’s opinions.”

We all are now in his computer room. He sees us as we really are, just people. I speak as I point to the computer.

“You have been shown the two worlds. You now have the power of a god. The world that your AI creates or that world of peace. It is your choice. Run or delete. Isn’t that really what you want. You see your world going down the toilet and there is no hand holds in the porcelain. Now, right this minute, you have the fate of the world in your hand. What will it be?”

He sits and puts his hands to the mouse.

Once again he is frozen. There on the screen is the program’s run app. His pointer is on it and he was ready to double click on the app. It was the gods of all that froze him. They look at him and then speak.

“We had hoped that you would have repented.”

They look at us. “We approve of what you did to frighten him but it seems like his heart is evil. You were correct in what you did and please continue in that direction. Your portrait of his home was what convinced us that he was going to start the AI. He did not curse you when you unfroze him to explain. The pleas to stop were to hide the fact that he really hated his parents, hated this world.”

Now the gods of all destroy the computer, all of the notes, backups and everything connected with him. As they send him to oblivion, they now have us back at our home. They want to explain what they saw that we did not. The god of mercy was summoned and sat with us.

“We are in error and ask your forgiveness. There was a flaw in Mercy’s instruction the we, the gods of all did not see. We did not give you the ability to see what is in their minds. Mercy, please note our error. It is up to your discretion as to this ability. If in doubt, ask us.”

Time for being thrown for a loop.

“The both of us want to be a pair of adventurers in that game of yours. We loved the dragon’s demise and applauded the three point challenge.”

This time, the newbie killers ran when we appeared in the game. All players rejoiced at that. For the next few hours we had a ball.