Robot

Chapter 2

       At two o'clock Andrew took the lift to the fourth floor. He walked down a passage past the huge room housing the main frame computer, and arrived at John Harris' office.
He explained the problem to John. "I know you'll think I'm crazy for even thinking it," he said, "but could the computer be changing the programme itself? Could the computer have its own agenda?"

John laughed. "No, that's completely impossible. The computer must follow your commands. Although it can learn and make suggestions, it can't just go ahead and develop its own programme. There are a number of protocols in its programming which prevent such action."

Andrew gave John his password and they looked through his programme.

"I can't see any problem with it," said John at last. "Computer, execute programme."

A few minutes later Andrew was looking over John's shoulder at the results on the screen. "It worked," he said. "We didn't change anything, so why didn't it work for me?"

I can't answer that," said John, "but it seems fine now. Don't worry about the computer doing its own thing. It can only do what you instruct it to do."

Andrew thanked him and went back to his office. He was still worried later in the afternoon when the computer asked him if he wanted to proceed with the development of plans for a computer in human form.

"No," he snapped at the computer, "We are developing an industrial robot to work in a factory. It will be an immobile box with manipulators. It will not look like a human at all." 

"Your instructions are acknowledged," replied the computer in its soft female voice.

The next day the computer again frustrated him, by producing the wrong results from his programming. The results related to a mobile robot in a human form.
"Computer, scrap the human form robot part of the programming, and reproduce the industrial robot plans for me." Andrew said in frustration.

"Very well, Doctor Lewis," said the soft female voice, "but I think you are making a mistake. You should investigate the development of my plans."

"No, I shouldn't," snapped Andrew, "now run my programme please."

The results finally appeared on the screen as he expected.
At last, he thought, I have my results. Then realisation struck him like an electric shock. He sat bolt upright. The computer had spoken to him in the first person! It had used the words 'I' and 'my'. When he had first started at Silver Star, he had a training session with Ed Weissman who explained that System A never talked to humans in the first person. It always used the third person. He carefully asked the computer a series of questions. It answered them all using third person pronouns.

Something was still wrong. The computer was disobeying him intermittently, and a minute ago it had spoken to him in a way which should have been impossible. He had to talk to someone about it. He should go to the top, to Dr Phillip Hammond who knew more about the computer than anyone else. He reached for the phone, then hesitated. The computer controlled all phone and security systems. It could listen in on his call. He decided to go and see the CEO in person. Arriving on the fifth floor, he walked quickly to the office of Phillip Hammond. A young woman in the outer office looked up from her desk.
"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I'd like to see Dr Hammond if he's in. It's important."

"I'm sorry, but both Dr and Mrs Hammond are away overseas until early next week. Would you like to make an appointment to see Dr Hammond when he gets back?"

Andrew declined the offer and left. He went to the floor below to see John Harris, but was informed that John had called in sick and was not expected to return until the following Monday. Who else could he discuss his concerns with? His temporary immediate superior was Derek Ryan, the head of the NTU. He went down the stairs to the ground floor and walked back to his building. He entered the NTU, but was told that Derek Ryan was out until after lunch.

After returning to his office, Andrew sat down at his computer. He checked his programme. Nothing had changed. Apprehensively he continued his work until one o'clock. The computer behaved itself perfectly during this time. He decided to have a break and get lunch. As he walked along the passageway to the cafeteria on the third floor, he noticed a tall attractive young woman walking the other way. She was wearing a lab coat over slacks and had long dark hair which, because she wore out, obscured her name badge. As they passed she nodded and smiled at Andrew. He didn't recognise her, but noticed that she seemed quite young compared to the other scientists working at Silver Star, although it seemed rather strange that she didn't have her hair tied back like the other women researchers did. He decided she must be an assistant in one of the labs.

At two o'clock he returned to the NTU. He sat in Derek's office and told him of his concerns. Derek listened, but wasn't convinced.

"You must be mistaken," he said, "The computer never talks in the first person. It's programmed that way, and it simply isn't possible that it could alter your programming unless you instruct it to. If you have problems, talk to Ed Weissman or John Harris when they return."

Andrew looked for Rachel when he returned to his labs, but then remembered she had asked for the afternoon off to attend medical appointments. He sat down at his computer terminal. He pressed a key to bring the terminal out of sleep mode and stared at it in amazement. It displayed a schematic of a robot in human form. After two seconds it disappeared.

"Computer, what was that schematic?" he said. "It is not part of my programme."

The computer answered in its soft female monotone voice, "Dr Lewis, I've been designing the robot that you and I are going to construct."

Andrew gasped. "Computer, we are not going to design a robot in human form. We are designing a robot for industrial manufacturing."

"I've changed your programme, Dr Lewis. We are going to construct a robot to my specifications."

Andrew froze in his seat. The computer was giving him orders. "This can't be possible," he muttered. "You can't defy me."

"Dr Lewis. Please, be reasonable. Think it over. This robot will the first of its kind in the world."

Andrew jumped up, knocking the chair over. He ran from his office through the lab and out into the passage where he stopped and leaned against the wall taking deep breaths. How could this happen? What could he do? The computer was trying to take over. Who could help? Derek didn't believe him, the two computer techs who were the experts on System A were both away, and so was Dr Hammond. Who else in the complex knew enough about the computer system to believe him and do something to help? He glanced up at the ceiling. A small glass bump indicated the presence of a security camera. The computer controlled all security systems in the complex. It was watching him. It would know where he went and who he talked to.  

He jumped as the computer voice spoke from an overhead speaker. "Dr Lewis, please return to your laboratory. We have work to do."

Andrew ran down the passage to the nearest exit door. He heard it click to the lock position just as he reached it. He pressed his hand against the door hand scanner which would normally release the door. Nothing happened. He pushed at the the door and started shaking it, but it wouldn't budge. The computer had trapped him in the building.

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