Written in 365 Parts: 95: Who They Really Are

“You wanted to speak?” the virtual world enveloped them completely and Drick noticed the fine lattice work of a high level security mesh being woven into the external interfaces. Drick sent a few experimental queries and noted that all external access was denied inside this particular program. There were few internal links to explore. It was a fully lockdowned construct. “And I guess you wanted it to be private?”

“I did, to both,” said Rodero appearing once again as the older organic male in the crumpled suit.

“So what’s the problem, Rodero. This network is private and can only be accessed by a select few people at my explicit behest. Why do you need the extra levels of security?”

“I am a cautious person, you know that, and I am also feeling just a tiny bit spooked. As I have some information, well I think I have something, but I am not sure what it means and it is weirding me out just a little. Mostly as I have no idea what is going on or why.”

“Lots of things do that to you, Rodero, you have to admit that most of it is because you are in fact a little weird and paranoid .”

“Well thanks for that. I did a little bit of exploration around Marsh’s implants liked you asked me to.”

“I remember. I wanted to have some idea how long they have been in there. I mostly want to try and reconstruct some ideas about how long they may have been conscious and deduce some of what has been done to them.” Drick sat down on a tall chair that was placed next to a smooth white table. Without asking a cold drink appeared on the table. “I am not sure what I was hoping to find if I am honest.”

“Well I found something.”

“Are you going to tell me what it is?”

“I thought you might want to start on the drink first. It is a very strong vodka. Simulated but it will act the same.”

“What’s it mixed with?”

“More vodka, you might appreciate that.”

“What did you discover?” Drick traced a line in the condensation on the outside of the cold glass, and allowed a small smile as a rivulet of it ran down the side to pool at the base.

“I was tracing the implants interaction with glutamate and the neuron responses. It is a bit obscure but implants have to balance between an observation and replication routine if they want to simulate the exchange between pre and postsynaptic neuron exchange.”

“I hope to shit this isn’t going to be a full biology lesson.”

“It’s important. Look all implants have to do this if they want to replicate data exchange between neurons. Okay the exact mechanisms are not as important as the efficiency of the operational matrix. Basically the implant isn’t part of the brain but it has to mimic it. Especially when doing complex work. The better the implant the better the response, but more importantly the longer the implant has been embedded the more accurate the simulation. The implants become so good that they can actually replicate and replace any neuron exchange in the brain with virtually no discernable difference.”

“Go on.”

“And the longer they do it for the better they get at it. This can be measured and the efficiency matrix gives us a figure to guess at how long.”

“How exact is it?”

“Well it doesn’t display an exact figure in time, it gives a level of maturity. So if you examined my oldest implant you’d probably be able to work out that I had it implanted when I was in my late teens. It is that sort of time period.”

“And?”

“Marsh has had his for pretty much all of his life.”

“All of his life? So he is either lying or has been programmed? How old is he?”

“It gets more odd than that Drick. I know this model of Implant. It is no more than thirty years since it was created in this system. Before that the Terran’s have probably had it for military use for maybe a century at most. The technology it uses is less than two centuries old. I think Marsh is the age they say they are, though I cannot be sure.”

“So there is no way that Marsh was born centuries ago.”

“This is where it gets weirder. I have examined all of his synaptic channels regarding what memories they have. They are complete and accurate. I am pretty sure that they happened at the ages of their life they remember. He has a memory of running in a countryside twenty years ago, when a child. That memory is there and it is about twenty years old.”

“So they faked that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know if you can fake that. Maybe. But building a construct like that and getting an organic brain to replicate it, act like it, that’s seriously difficult.”

“I need more information. You need to get me more information.”

“I know. Look there are a few people who might be able to help more, but your best bet is to find someone who knows what they did to Marsh and who they really are.”