[Continuation of [Got away]. Same disclaimers as last time: Writing stories in English is a huge challenge and effort for me. I’m not satisfied with it but still wanted to upload it. I guess almost nobody is gonna read it anyway. Keep in mind: THIS IS A COMPLETELY FICTIONAL STORY! I don’t condone violence in real life.]
Nothing bad happened since I stupidly wasted my last sub-root code. Living away from all other humans helped. Monitoring all areas where nobody is supposed to live with the same intensity as the cities is not viable. Of course anybody being recorded in an area with reduced surveillance while not having good reason to be there is suspicious by default. This means avoiding the few cameras and sensors is mandatory.
I have to dress like a man since the last incident. In the one minute Nelly had write access to DATA-MAIN and DATA-CONTROL she did not only adjust reality, no she adjusted my identity as well. I’m now a single, homeless, poor man. The guy whose identity is now mine froze to death last winter. The face covered with dirt wearing too big worn, patched clothes, it is possible to fool people and the automatic renegotiation system on longer distances. Just a harmless bum wandering around aimlessly from one area to the next… Not a threat, not important.
It could have gone on like this for a few years; until some unlucky coincidence. Always on the run. Never staying in one place. Alive and free… but this life sure was horrible. No roof above the head, no easy getting food, no bed to sleep in. The small apartment where I lived before getting away was pure luxury compared with this.
I woke up one morning after some nightmare and mumbled: “Nelly, what direction do you recommend for today?” No answer from my pocket computer. The battery was fully charged. “Nelly?” No answer. There is no better way to get fully awake in a split second: Blue screen and the number 8046 – nothing more. Somebody had told me it was a reference to a well-known error message on a very old gaming device. No idea if this is true. But one thing is clear: With 8046 a pocket computer clearly states: “I’m finished.”
“SHIT!” I shouted. This was gonna be painful! Ouch! So painful…
Phew. Calm down. Highest priority: Getting another machine to restore Nelly. Her AI training data – or should I say personality – could be easily downloaded from my secret account. She backed herself up once a day within seemingly normal, non suspicious, data. A local backup exists as well. Problematic was getting the base program again. Nelly did not exist officially and the government must not get their hands on her – else everything would become even more horrible than it already is. Oh my, this was going to be so damn painful! Don’t want it! So painful.
Without Nelly evading the cameras was a lot harder. And how to get another computer? It meant direct interaction with other people who would identify me as female. Bad luck was followed by good luck (at least good luck for me): Approaching a village brought good sight on a purge. A man, an outstanding beautiful woman and two crying small girls were being tied up and pushed into the back of a white van. Even with my aging eyes it was quite obvious that the numerous male watchdogs were enjoying their catch. A single look on the woman left not much to the imagination why they were so amused.
“Now let’s see… steal some valuables, or even a new pocket computer, and profit from this family’s misery.” Yes, a bad thought, but nobody could help that family. Their belongings wouldn't be of any use for them either.
Suddenly a teenage boy ran away from the house, followed by three of the huge, muscular albeit slow watchdogs. He was fast. But they would eventually get him anyway. Those idiots lost some time when drawing and firing their guns, allowing him to gain more advantage. Thankfully they were miserable shooters and missed their target. The arrogant watchdogs were too dumb to bring an actual dog with them in order to follow an escapee. They rely too much on their electronics, convinced they will find everybody by just asking DATA-MAIN.
Spontaneously I decided to follow the boy. Despite my age I’m still faster than most above average teenagers – and he carried a large backpack. Not much of an issue catching up with him under those circumstances. The watchdogs are just stupid musclemen looking daunting. Running is not one of their strong points. I mentioned it last time: They don’t expect resistance of any kind and are baffled for some seconds when not somebody doesn’t obey.
Since the boy got out of sight for the watchdogs after reaching the forest, I could just grab him and pull him into one of my nice hideouts. He tried to resist and even wanted to start screaming. I didn’t want to, please believe me, but this left only one choice: A straight punch to knock him out. Poor boy.
He had a pocket computer with him… and some more helpful things. Many small boxes containing metals. I have to investigate later but it looks like pure metals. Gold, platinum but also, more important, what I think is a noteworthy amount of pure and clean lanthanum and neodymium and some more I couldn’t identify right away. Strong boy escaping the watchdogs with all that metal in his backpack!
This goodies can lead to a change in my life. After roughly calculating the risks, I said to myself aloud: “I’ll keep this teenage boy!”
Expect to hear from me again.
Anis
Nothing bad happened since I stupidly wasted my last sub-root code. Living away from all other humans helped. Monitoring all areas where nobody is supposed to live with the same intensity as the cities is not viable. Of course anybody being recorded in an area with reduced surveillance while not having good reason to be there is suspicious by default. This means avoiding the few cameras and sensors is mandatory.
I have to dress like a man since the last incident. In the one minute Nelly had write access to DATA-MAIN and DATA-CONTROL she did not only adjust reality, no she adjusted my identity as well. I’m now a single, homeless, poor man. The guy whose identity is now mine froze to death last winter. The face covered with dirt wearing too big worn, patched clothes, it is possible to fool people and the automatic renegotiation system on longer distances. Just a harmless bum wandering around aimlessly from one area to the next… Not a threat, not important.
It could have gone on like this for a few years; until some unlucky coincidence. Always on the run. Never staying in one place. Alive and free… but this life sure was horrible. No roof above the head, no easy getting food, no bed to sleep in. The small apartment where I lived before getting away was pure luxury compared with this.
I woke up one morning after some nightmare and mumbled: “Nelly, what direction do you recommend for today?” No answer from my pocket computer. The battery was fully charged. “Nelly?” No answer. There is no better way to get fully awake in a split second: Blue screen and the number 8046 – nothing more. Somebody had told me it was a reference to a well-known error message on a very old gaming device. No idea if this is true. But one thing is clear: With 8046 a pocket computer clearly states: “I’m finished.”
“SHIT!” I shouted. This was gonna be painful! Ouch! So painful…
Phew. Calm down. Highest priority: Getting another machine to restore Nelly. Her AI training data – or should I say personality – could be easily downloaded from my secret account. She backed herself up once a day within seemingly normal, non suspicious, data. A local backup exists as well. Problematic was getting the base program again. Nelly did not exist officially and the government must not get their hands on her – else everything would become even more horrible than it already is. Oh my, this was going to be so damn painful! Don’t want it! So painful.
Without Nelly evading the cameras was a lot harder. And how to get another computer? It meant direct interaction with other people who would identify me as female. Bad luck was followed by good luck (at least good luck for me): Approaching a village brought good sight on a purge. A man, an outstanding beautiful woman and two crying small girls were being tied up and pushed into the back of a white van. Even with my aging eyes it was quite obvious that the numerous male watchdogs were enjoying their catch. A single look on the woman left not much to the imagination why they were so amused.
“Now let’s see… steal some valuables, or even a new pocket computer, and profit from this family’s misery.” Yes, a bad thought, but nobody could help that family. Their belongings wouldn't be of any use for them either.
Suddenly a teenage boy ran away from the house, followed by three of the huge, muscular albeit slow watchdogs. He was fast. But they would eventually get him anyway. Those idiots lost some time when drawing and firing their guns, allowing him to gain more advantage. Thankfully they were miserable shooters and missed their target. The arrogant watchdogs were too dumb to bring an actual dog with them in order to follow an escapee. They rely too much on their electronics, convinced they will find everybody by just asking DATA-MAIN.
Spontaneously I decided to follow the boy. Despite my age I’m still faster than most above average teenagers – and he carried a large backpack. Not much of an issue catching up with him under those circumstances. The watchdogs are just stupid musclemen looking daunting. Running is not one of their strong points. I mentioned it last time: They don’t expect resistance of any kind and are baffled for some seconds when not somebody doesn’t obey.
Since the boy got out of sight for the watchdogs after reaching the forest, I could just grab him and pull him into one of my nice hideouts. He tried to resist and even wanted to start screaming. I didn’t want to, please believe me, but this left only one choice: A straight punch to knock him out. Poor boy.
He had a pocket computer with him… and some more helpful things. Many small boxes containing metals. I have to investigate later but it looks like pure metals. Gold, platinum but also, more important, what I think is a noteworthy amount of pure and clean lanthanum and neodymium and some more I couldn’t identify right away. Strong boy escaping the watchdogs with all that metal in his backpack!
This goodies can lead to a change in my life. After roughly calculating the risks, I said to myself aloud: “I’ll keep this teenage boy!”
Expect to hear from me again.
Anis
