Cryonic Dreams: Awakening

Three: Suspended

By the time I got to my office, I was enraged at Jacob and slammed the door behind me. My neck throbbed as the blood pumped hard. How dare he suspend me? I’d just pulled off the most historic scientific and bio-medical event of our time. One very likely to earn the institute years of funding. Not to mention the enormous wealth generated from the patent of the first functioning stasis pod and its technology.

I stood there, just inside the doorway, hands shaking, so many emotions jostling for traction. I turned my face up to the ceiling and pulled my clenched fists to my face in frustration.

“Argh,” I yelled, pushing my arms away, the release pushing me back against the door with a thud.

I couldn’t believe how the day had ended, suspended for my success. I pushed myself off the door and moved to sit at my desk. I needed to focus. Getting upset wasn’t going to change anything or save me from this new AASID concern. I had to investigate the alarm and identify the trigger. Finding the cause was the only thing that would vindicate my decision.

Deciding to break regulations came easily when I thought I was justified, but if I’d factored AASID involvement into my decision, I may not have so readily continued. I was so sure the alarm would remain an internal matter. I’d been blinded by the new norms and relative freedoms of the new Ecotropolis cities.

It had been more than fifteen years since the historic agreement had been reached, between AASID, Earth’s Nations, only decades old after the fall of the authoritarian global order, and powerful off-world oligarchs, who’d pressured for the agreement to retain self-interested trade arrangements. Funded completely by the Off-world oligarchs, the agreement enshrined a set of guiding principles, the Global Accords, which gave the new cities the ability to self-govern and meant to bestow personal freedoms to its citizens.

Despite the Accords, however, the agency continued to reach into the new cities; by insisting it retain the authority over all potential incidents or instances of infections and contaminations. Never formally challenged, this quickly became their principal excuse to interfere. Many now believed this allowed AASID to infiltrate and control the new cities’ policing, meant to remain independent.

I shuddered, trembling uncontrollably, panicked at the realisation I’d likely put myself in AASID’s crosshairs once again. My need to find the cause of the bio-hazard alarm now effected my own future, not just the subject’s.

“Holi, I need your help.”

Almost instantly, Holi winked in next to me. “Hello, Doctor Brown. How can I assist?”

Holi’s avatar moved closer to me, ever eager to help. I often had to remind myself Holi was the hospital. She was a state-of-the-art Hospital Operations and Logistics Intelligence system, but more uniquely, she was an AI choosing to manifest itself as an twelve-year-old girl and behave as such. A glitch most believed. She regularly popped in unannounced, either scaring me half to death or just simply breaking my train of thought. Most of the staff loved that about her, unlike Dr Wells and some of the older staff who did not approve of her manifestations. There was a comforting reassurance to her innocence.

“I am ready to assist, Dr Brown. What is it that you need? Was the outcome of the procedure acceptable?”

“Yes, Holi. The procedure was a success, but I need your help to understand why the biohazard alarm was triggered.”

Holi would not be aware of my suspension. The extent of her listening systems did not include the hallways. Outside the hospital wing, extended audio and video capture was limited to offices and labs, for the specific purpose of auditing.

Within the new cities, AI systems had been decentralised, designed to protect and safeguard its own private network, meant to stop the ability of local authorities to accumulate information on its citizens.

“Of course, Dr Brown. My scans will contain the information you need.” Holi’s confident response dared me to hope for some swift answers.

“Excellent, but I would like you to take fresh scans. Are you connected to the cryo-pod imaging system?”

Holi nodded before closing her eyes to look into her connection status. Holi differed from other AI systems, the latest in quantum technological and only six months old. The advancements built into her core and programming made her singularly unique and highly unlikely she reported back to AASID. At least, not so far.

“Checking . . . connection in progress . . . connected . . . scan commencing,” she confirmed before reopening her eyes.

“Great, scan the subject for contaminants or foreign matter and display the results on the holo-desk.”

Holi turned and moved towards the holo-desk, with me not two steps behind her. Until she abruptly stopped. I tried to pull up, but momentum carried me right on through, disrupting the light forming her avatar, turning Holi into a Picasso special. I was about to make a joke, but realised she looked puzzled.

“What is it, Holi?”