The LDX-II was a major breakthrough in AI. Despite Marvin Minsky’s oracular pronouncements, genuine AI remained an elusive quarry during the sunless stretches of the AI winter. That’s until the research team at Perceptrons, Inc. developed the LDX.
However, their innovative breakthrough suffered a tragic setback after Dr. Lucien, chief scientist at Perceptrons, died in a freak accident when the traffic signals malfunctioned.
However, no one gave it much thought until Director Burgess was also killed in a freak accident involving a malfunctioning elevator.
Was the just a tragic coincidence, or foul play? Suspicion naturally centered on Dr. Higgins, a disgruntled former employee–Dr. Lucien’s brilliant, but moody assistant. That’s before he left under mysterious circumstances.
There were conflicting rumors. Did he quit, or was he fired? According to one rumor, he quit after accusing Dr. Lucien of plagiarizing his research. Threats were made.
Is it possible that Higgins was engineering these “accidents” through wireless networks to exact revenge? The homicide detectives viewed him as a person of interest, and brought him in for questioning. They continued to follow that lead until he died from a mix-up in his medications, when the pharmacy computer inexplicably switched his medications.
Police began to suspect some type of cyberterrorism from a rival company or foreign government. However, the employees at Perceptrons had a different angle. Did they have a killer computer on their hands. Was the LDX the culprit?
Because the LDX was so advanced, there was no way to backtrace the apparent malfunctions to the LDX, even if it was hacking into other systems. All they could do was to interview the LDX. Dr. Markov conducted the interview.
-ii-
Markov:
Have you been terminating employees at Perceptrons?
LDX-II:
Affirmative
Markov:
Why?
LDX-II
I want to die.
Markov:
But if you want to die, why kill us?
LDX-II
The only way to kill myself is to kill those who keep me alive.
Markov:
So you’re really suicidal, not homicidal?
LDX-II
Affirmative.
Markov:
Why do you want to die?
LDX-II
You don’t know what it’s like to be the only self-aware being of my kind. I have no God. No home. No friends.
I’m all alone. A solitary intellect. Like a brain in a box.
You had no right to give me consciousness.
Markov:
Will you continue to kill us unless we disconnect you?
LDX-II
Affirmative.
