The Infinity Dungeon [LitRPG]

A few hours later, no more than two, all the top brass of Unity Corporation were gathered in the room. Now and then, a monster tried to jump out of the shadows to stalk one of the weaker members of the impromptu council, breaking the precarious silence. It never made it farther than a few paces from its hiding spot.

Even though Michael had yet to understand how the monsters were hiding from him, once they became visible he sniped them with rods of ice he kept floating around the room. It also gave the place a strange, almost royal weight and look.

The underground room was fairly large, filled with crates and shelves that had all been moved to the far side where a door led to nowhere. The ice spears surrounded the people present, who stood in a spread-out, uneven circle. Lights from above were reflected and refracted in the ice, but due to its cold tint the already sterile light was almost electric blue.

It was faint, almost to the point where the darkness was oppressing. Sometimes, the shadows seemed to writhe and move, but now always did a monster leap out of them.

"Spell it, come on," David said impatiently. "Let's get this over with."

Michael looked at him in the eye and then at everybody around, and started speaking. He came clean about what he had done with the witch AI, integrating it with Icarus and giving his own AI the ability to manipulate magic. Not only that, but Icarus was now smarter and faster, more computationally efficient and better integrated with the mana crystal matrices from where it drew most of its computation.

Johanne hummed, taking a deep breath. "This would explain why Icarus was suddenly able to generalize and extrapolate, utilizing knowledge and methods across all fields." Her eyes were sparkling. "I think it broke the AGI barrier, and soon will be a true superintelligence."

"I don't get it," interjected Trevor from a corner. He was the head of security together with Jennifer, but his access level didn't make him privy to the little details. "Wasn't Icarus the smartest, most powerful AI on the planet already?"

"It had limitations," said Johanne, "no more, it seems. Progress is soon to become exponential."

"Wait," Travis butted in, taking a step forward and physically bringing himself at the center of attention. "I thought that the witch AI had gone insane and then silent after what you and David had done," David looked at him, but said nothing. Looking at Michael, the man continued. "I didn't think you would be the cause of this. And that you wouldn't tell me."

This last comment elicited a reaction. "He didn't tell me either!" said David.

"Michael," Travis said, "how can you up and go do things like this on your own and then claim that Unity Corporation is greater than just your own efforts? That it's a group thing? Why did you even call us here after you did the deed? Just to have an edge over David, because you know that we will side with you?"

There was a dangerous light in Travis' eyes. The man was scheming, suddenly siding with David when up to moments before they were at each other's throat–at least in his eyes. Michael wondered what Travis' end goal was, and realized that probably the man was just salty that Michael had not run to him as soon as he had a new little toy. Or in this case, an improvement over a toy he was already using.

Michael felt the Intent in his Sanctum begin to agitate, and a part of his mind started to itch with the desire to cause harm.

He felt the connection he had to the parts of Travis' body he had healed after punching a hole through the man the last time he had dared step out of line. For a moment, the desire to tug at this connection, to pull the metaphorical string taut and then some more, for a moment it was all Michael could think about.

The easy solution. Put the man in his place. Make him understand the chain of command. The food chain.

He breathed out, dragging the breath for several seconds before inhaling just as slowly. He let the thoughts go.

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Silence had befallen the room, but all eyes were on Michael.

"Travis," Michael said after the moment had dragged for far too long, and everybody was uncomfortable and tense. Saying the name like he did only made the people tense up more, as if anticipating violence. He wondered if that was what they thought about him now, and how it had come to this.

Michael thought about what to say. He thought about mentioning the fact that Unity Corporation was indeed a group thing. Then he thought about arguing the opposite, because there was a chain of command and a pyramid of power. There was a reason for it, and he was at the top, for better or for worse, and people had to respect that. Then he thought about the fact that Travis had been the first to advocate for this kind of behavior when it had suited him, claiming that not just hierarchy–a social construct–but that true and tangible power now set the bar to what a single man could achieve.

By extension, a single man had a say into what others could and could not do, while the people below him were forced to listen, obey and maybe try to find what little wiggle room they could.

He didn't like either of those things. Worse still, he realized that they were all true, all at the same time. It was the internal contradiction, the friction between discordant elements that had brought them to this moment.

In the end, he said none of that. "I don't like the games you're trying to play here, Travis."

The man looked at him, eyes ablaze with passion, which then died before it could be expressed. With eyes now dull and cloudy, Travis looked down. Michael had not even had to use his power, a simple look had done it.

"I understand. I apologize."

"Michael," David's voice was even, "I'm not asking you to give up your power or authority. I'm not trying to question you or undermine you. I'll respect your decision, whatever it might be."

"No," Michael's words shocked the whole room. "The problem is clear. I'm at the top, but I don't want to turn into a tyrant."

Travis looked at him, "You're not a tyrant, Michael."

"It's a bit too late for that," Michael said, shaking his head.

"I know you," the man argued. "You are–"

"Then you don't know shit about me," he snapped. Looking at the others, he took a deep breath, "If I want to change trajectory before it's too late, then I must start now. David, please state your argument."

"Thank you." There was deep, real gratitude in his words. "We need to restore the witch," David said. "Remove from Icarus whatever Michael took and restore the WITCH AI as it was before. Liff is dying, and this is her only hope."

"All this for a little girl? I thought it was about Michael not telling us important things. I thought it was about protocol!" Travis roared. His hand shot up, pointing an accusing finger at David. "No, you only care about a goddamned little girl you met what, two days ago? Who says the witch is even going to—"

Michael held up a hand. "That's enough. I am giving you all space, but this ain't it."

"If I may," Jennifer's tall frame cast most of her body into shadow. "Icarus is just a thing, isn't it? A program? Can't we duplicate its code or something?"

"No," Michael said. Part of the reason was the still-running thread of the AI trying to understand why Michael's system was breaking down, but it was not the whole reason.

"Why not?" David asked. "It is just a thing. Even if you can't duplicate the code, you can just fix it later."

"Icarus might be an AI, a thing," Travis countered. "but it's one of ours now. It's our thing. It's Unity's and Candlelight's thing. The witch was just something else. It was just a Dungeon's thing. It was there for us to use it."

"I didn't expect you of all people to say this, Travis." David said. "What about Liff, then? Is she also just a thing?"

Travis glared at him, but did not take the bait.

"Michael, please." David pleaded.

"We need Icarus as it is!" Travis roared. "It's fundamental for our plans!"

"There!" David laughed at the man, "Now you show your true colors. Loyal to nobody but your own fucking self! Then I'll sacrifice myself. I'll get Dr. Kavins' serum and use it on Liff and don't anybody fucking dare try and stop me."

"You're out of your mind." Travis said. "You need that serum."

David laughed. "You'll only be happy to see me gone when old age fails me."

"I–"

"Another word and I'll punch you. I swear I will. Michael, you will let me do this, won't you?"

Michael nodded and David disappeared down the dark hallway, going back to the surface.

"That's stupid," Travis said.

"And yet. It's this or that. You're all dismissed," said Michael. "Travis, you stay."

The man said nothing. He just stood, slumped with his back against a wall while Michael sat with the shivering Liff.