NOVEL NEXT (88) AI? Never heard of her…
Leaning against the cold, sterile wall in the hospital room, I can’t help but feel the weight of boredom pressing down on me. The monotonous beeps and hums of the medical equipment seem to blend into a dull soundtrack, punctuated only by the occasional shuffling of footsteps and hushed murmurs of conversation from the hallway outside.
The six hours of waiting felt excruciatingly long, maybe even worse than any other wait in my two lives. Although I had inadvertently dozed off after informing my friends of the situation, my slumber was interrupted by the medical staff at around 1 PM, who served me lunch. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t manage to fall asleep again after that.
By this point, the soreness in my body had completely disappeared. It had gradually been improving, and now all that remained was the energy from having slept for five days straight. It was as if I had snorted pure caffeine… Or at least what I imagine it feels like.
As I glance down at my phone for what feels like the hundredth time this hour, the blue light illuminates my face, casting an eerie glow in the dimly lit room. Finally, I let out an excited declaration, “Yes! It’s five PM!” The relief washes over me like a wave as I realize the long wait is finally over. I take a deep breath, savoring the musty smell of antiseptic and the cool, dry air against my skin.
I make my way towards the bedside table, where I go to get my duel disk. However, upon grabbing it, I immediately notice a problem with my outfit. I scan my light-blue sleeveless t-shirt and basic light-brown baggy shorts and realize that I have nowhere to attach my duel disk.
“A duelist is nothing but a harmless civilian without their duel disk” is a phrase that our dueling theory professor made sure to drive home every time personal defense got brought up. Normally, my uniform has an attachment point for it, and I always check for this when I go buy clothes which I expect to wear every day. But since these are just the clothes the hospital dressed me in, I’m at a loss. Adding to my frustration, I’m just now noticing that these shorts lack any pockets.
‘Am I just going to have my duel disk on my arm until I get back? That might draw unnecessary attention… Especially in the small corridors of a ship…’ Compared to the station, the ship that brought us there was cramped as hell. They try to hide it by making the rooms large and the pathways between them short, but I still ran into tournament duelists in the hallways of the last ship I was on. Having a disk on your arm means you’re expecting a fight… Not exactly the image I’m trying to project aboard a rescue ship.
‘I hope they won’t think I’m shaky after the fighting at the station… Which is not false, but I don’t want to be sent to a mental ward…’
Just as I’m fearing that might be what I’ll have to do, I hear the door to the hospital room slide open, followed by footsteps. “Good afternoon, Miss Matsunaga, I can see that you’re already up.”
I look back to find the projection of injection fairy lily. She looks on with a big, amused smile, and raised shoulders. On her hands, she holds up a pile of yellow clothes.
I place the disk I’m holding back on the table and respond with a nervous chuckle. “Ahn, of course! I’m just itching to get out of here! Five hours of waiting is way too long after that much sleep.”
She lets out an amused chuckle and concurs, “That I agree with,” yet she explains, “But rest is the cornerstone of medicine. We can fix any other malady, but fatigue is the responsibility of each individual patient to correct.”
“Well, then I’m happy to say that I’m all but tired right now, hahaha.” I end with a nervous laugh. As I step towards the projection, my eyes focus on the pile of clothes she’s holding. “Is that my uniform?” I ask as I get close.
She nods, then says, “Yes, Light Haswell, your director, provided us with a uniform for us to give you. Something about identification at a glance.” The projection holds the uniform up.
I take it from her hands and look it over, then excuse myself, “Alright, I’m going the change now. Are there any more tests? Or am I free to go after changing clothes?”
The projection nods again. “There are not. We performed every necessary physical test when you were asleep and right after you woke up, respectively.” She bows down and informs. “Feel free to use the bathroom to freshen up before changing clothes. I’ll be waiting out front waiting to finish your discharge.”
I give the projection a light nod. “Alright, I’ll be going then,” I say before walking over to the bathroom door on the side of the corridor that leads to the front door.
—
Inside the small bathroom, I take a quick shower and change to the uniform. It seems like the Director also included a set of underwear… Which, going by its lime green color and strict tolerances, was from my collection… I’m just hoping he asked one of the girls to get it, or we’re having a serious conversation later…
Besides that small gaff, there’s not really anything remarkable to say as I walk out of the bathroom and go to grab my duel disk from the bedside table. When I get it, this time I have a place to clip it.
*Click*
The duel disk clips to the side of the yellow miniskirt that makes up the bottom part of the uniform, coupled with a set of black thigh-high stockings, of course.
Before leaving, I return to the bathroom to check my appearance in the mirror one last time. The sleeveless yellow shirt, with a wide pale yellow strip in the center, forms the upper part of my uniform. It runs down over the hem of the skirt, which is hidden, creating a seamless look.
Satisfied with my looks, I finish brushing my hair and exit the bathroom. From there, I turn towards the doors and lean on it, announcing, “I’m ready to go.”
A couple of seconds pass, then the door suddenly slides up, causing me to stumble back. On the other side, I see injection fairy lily holding the same white tablet from before. She grins lightly as she watches me stumble, and she covers her mouth with her hand before letting out a teasing chuckle. “Fu, fu, fu, I would suggest that you avoid getting too close to sliding doors if you don’t wish to see me again so soon,” she ends with a witty comment.
Gathering my bearings, I let out a relieved sigh. “Just wasn’t expecting you’d be so quick,” I tell the projection before asking, “So am I free to go?”
She nods. “Of course, if you would please follow me, I’ll get you to the front swiftly.”
Nodding back, I reply, “Sure, just lead the way.”
—
I follow the medical hologram down the expansive hallways, painted a pristine white. Wall lights stationed at regular intervals cast a ghostly pallor, flickering intermittently. The sound of my footsteps echoes eerily, bouncing off the walls and creating an eerie ambiance. The air is cool and sterile, devoid of any scent.
Walking behind the projected assistant, I can’t help but remember what Ness told me. ‘So this is where their AI has been hiding? Inside duel monster cards?’ It was one of the big questions I had after waking up here: Where is the AI?
Cleary, not calling the shots, the council in control of dragoon city is all made up of people, no computer intelligence here… ‘Wait… Could it? Is the Dragoon City council just a bunch of AIs? But that would require them making an AI dumb enough to think trying to conscript me was a good idea… And attacking their own station… Yeah, not likely. Those decisions sound more like what a bunch of politicians with differing objectives would make; not a super-intelligent, purely logical being.’
Still, that brings up a lot more questions. There’s no doubt in my mind they have the computing “ohmf” to do it, and the goddess literally told me that is what makes duel monsters unique. ‘Hell, there’s an advanced AI just in front of me! She’s even sassy! isn’t that like THE number 1 sign that an AI is self-aware?’
As I’m following the projection, periodically peeking over at her while I stew in my own thoughts, she peeks over her own shoulder with a cocked eyebrow and asks, “Do you have any questions, Miss? It is my purpose to answer whatever inquiry you might have to the best of my abilities.”
Suffice it to say, I’m apprehensive to ask what’s really on my mind. “O-Oh, nothing,” I stutter, looking off to the side. But then I peek over at her and say, “Just… Thinking about some stuff.”
She chuckles, covering her mouth again. “Any specifics you mind sharing about this ‘Stuff’ you happen to be thinking about, Miss?” The projection asks in a comforting, gentle tone of voice.
Gazing at the projection, I gulp. ‘Should I just send it? You know… Fuck it, what’s the worst that could happen?’ “Well, I do have one question, but it doesn’t have to do with medicine… It’s more a curiosity than anything else,” I try to ask as carefully as I can.
The projection simply glances at me and shrugs. “Well, I am a medical assistant,” she says, but continues, “Yet if I have a factual reply, I would be happy to satisfy any curiosity.”
Carefully nodding, I turn to the projection and ask plainly, “So, on the scale from search engine to human, how self-aware is your programing?”
She right away turns around with an eyebrow raised. Just as I’m about to apologize for my question, the assistant chuckles and says, “Excuse my rudeness, but that is the strangest way anyone has ever asked for my specifications.” She then straightens up, looks directly at me, and introduces herself with a bow. “My given name is CARA,” she says. “I am one of the two PAHs, or personal assistant holograms, working at this hospital facility aboard the UP Colossus. My personality core is based on the duel monster ‘Injection fairy lily,’ and I am a level 4 medical AGI with level 2 GlobalNet access.”
As I stare at her, my expression is frozen like that of a deer in headlights. “So, what exactly does that mean?” I ask, my tone curious yet tinged with unease after hearing the term ‘AGI’.
She doesn’t chuckle as she did before. Instead, she simply looks on with a smile and explains. “To put it simply, I am a computer intelligence matching a human in intellect, specifically specialized in the field of medicine. My social needs are limited, and I only have access to GlobalNet for information relevant to my specialization.” Continuing her explanation, the hologram clarifies, “In terms of self-awareness, a level 5 AGI would be on par with a human. As a level 4 AGI, I am but one level below that.”
“R-Right…” I trail off, my eyes carefully veering off from the hologram. ‘So, she’s kind of self-aware… That’s… New…’
Seeing my concerned expression, the hologram chuckles again, “Fufufufu.” Then she tells, “You earth-siders all react the same way when you hear that. It’s kind of amusing.” The hologram clarifies, “Please don’t be afraid. My programming rewards me based on how many people I help, just like your brain rewards you for completing an activity you love; professional or otherwise.” She finishes with a wide smile, “Therefore, all I wish for is to help.”
While I’m taken aback for her straight up saying it, I can’t help but feel a little comforted by the notion that a love for what she does is what straps her down. “So… No homicidal thoughts from time to time?” I ask jokingly, but with a tint of seriousness in the back.
The hologram bursts into laughter before waving and speaking with a matching smile, “No, not from me.” She then turns to the corridor and continues, “Now, if I have successfully satisfied your curiosity, can we please keep moving? Your friends are waiting.”
When she says that, a sudden wave of anxiety hits me, causing me to falter and turn to the corridor warily. I take a deep breath, readying myself before responding in a low, breathy voice, “Right.” Finally, I turn to the hologram and say, “Let’s go.”
With a simple nod and a straight expression, she turns around and continues walking. I follow closely behind her.