Chapter 14

LiJintookthenewsofProfessorYao’sdeathwiththeresignedstoicismofasoldierwhohadjustlostastargeneral.Thewarmustgoon.He’dreceivedthephonecallandthenthedepartmentale-mailbarelyanhouragobuthewasstillreelingfromthefactthathewouldneverseetheprofessoragainandhisworkonthecuttingedgeofartificialintelligencewasover.Thedirectiveinthemessagewasclearandnonnegotiable.HewastostayinthelabuntilofficialsfromthePLA’sThirdDepartmentarrivedtotakeawayBlackJade’sserverandthequantumneuroprocessor.ProfessorYaohadpromisedthemajor-general’sclandestineprojectandsoonthesecurityguyswouldarrivetocleanupthemess.Notthattherewasmuchtocleanup.

BlackJadewaslonggone,itscodedissipatedintothedigitallabyrinthofcyberspace.HewonderedhowtheAIwouldfare,outthereinthatjungleofdispersedinformation.Itwouldnotbethesamewithoutthebenefitofthequantumneuralnetworkandthereprogrammablearrayofqubits.Itwouldnotpossessthesamestratosphericlevelofintelligencebutitwouldhavelongevityandithadprobablylearnedenoughandmodifiedthecodetoallowittothriveincyberspace.Withthedistributedputingpowerofallofcyberspaceatitsdisposal,itwouldbeabletosurvive,toevolve,toliveon.BlackJadewouldfeedonrapidlyevolvinginformationflowsandthatwouldallowittogrowevenstronger.ThelightsofcyberspacewouldneverfadeoutandBlackJadewouldendure,aghostinthedigitalfabric.

Now,hehadtogettowork.Retrievingatoolboxfromashelfinthelab,heproceededtoopenupthechassisofthemodifiedSunMicrosystemsserverthathadbreathedlifeintoBlackJade.Inthemiddleofthecustom-builtmotherboardwastheneuroprocessorthathadenabledthebeingoftheAI,thechipthattheAIhaddesignedovercountlessiterationsandinreturnhadfuelleditsprogress.LiJinstudiedthetransparenthousingthatheldthethreedimensionalarrayofonebillionoddquantumbits,resultinginputingpowerordersofmagnitudeabovewhatwasmerciallyavailable.

Theyhadonlycreatedonefullyfunctionalneuroprocessor,notcountingtheflawedearlyprototype.Theprofessorpreferredtogothroughtheentireproofofconceptphasebeforemittinglimitedfundstoproducinganother.Theoutehadbeentotallyunexpected.ThenanotechnologyassemblyunitthathadbeenriggeduptotheserverfortheearlystageAItoworkitsmagichadlongbeenstrippeddownandmovedtoanotheruniversitydepartmentforuseonanotherproject.

Technically,theprocessorbelongedtotheChinesemilitary,sincetheypaidthebills.Butnow,thechipbelongedtoLiJin.Hesmiledatthethought.Hewasgoingtomakeenoughmoneyfromthistofinanceseverallifetimes.Hewouldfindhisplaceintheingsingularity,theabruptsequenceofeventsthatwasgoingtopropelthehumanraceintoanewera.Theneuroprocessorwashis,theAI’sandProfessorYao’sbloodsweatandtearsandtheprofessorwasnotgoingtolosehislifeinvain.LiJinwassurethathehadbeenmurdered,bythesamepeoplewhowereingtopickupBlackJade.Youdon’tmesswiththePLA.

Oncethecreditfromthesaleoftheneuroprocessorwassafelyhis,hewouldsecretlyensurethattheprofessor’sfamilywouldneverwantformoneyeveragain.Thatwastheleasthecoulddo.Theresthewouldsecretawayallovercyberspace,spendingfrugallytoavoiddetection.LiJinwasanorphansohehadnofamilytoworryaboutexceptfortheman,thevillageheadmanLaoZhou,whohadlookedoutforhimashewasgrowingup,parentless.Theauthoritieshadnobodytotakeawayforquestioningortouseasbaittotraphim.Theywouldnotmakethelinktotheoldman.

Hequicklyremovedtheprocessorfromitshousingandcarefullyplaceditinthecube-shapedstorageunitthathehadpreparedforitssafetransportation.

Hisagilemindhadrapidlyformulatedaplanofactiononcehehaddecidedonwhathewasgoingtodo.Hewouldreplacethechipintheserverwiththefunctionalbutuselessearlyprototypeandhewouldinstalloneofthemanypre-BlackJadeAIsthattheyhadstoredinthesystem.ThePLAwouldhavenoideauntilitwastoolate.LiJinchuckledwickedlytohimself.Withthekindofmoneyhewasgoingtoraisefromthesaleofthechip,whoneededaPHD?Hethoughtaboutwherehewoulddisappeartooncethecreditwasathisdisposal.Hewouldhavetomakearrangementsbeforehandonhowtoclandestinelymovethecreditthroughthesystembuttherewerewelldocumentedwaystodothatandtherewerepeoplewhowoulddothatforyouforasmallfee.

Thenanideastruckhimthatmadesomuchsensethathewonderedwhyhehadn’tthoughtaboutitearlier.TheperfectplacetodisappeartoduringtheplayingoutofthesingularitywascyberspaceitselforProfessorYao’snewPLAnetwork.TheAIwaspre-programmedtoheadfortheclosedproprietarynetworkandwouldalmostcertainlyfirstflexitsmusclesthere,apreludetoitpropagatingintocyberspaceitself.BythetimeProfessorYao’srevelationsattheWorldTechnologyForumresultedinothertrulyconsciousAIsbeingunleashedincyberspace,BlackJadewouldhavebeeafinelytunedmachine.

LiJinhadworkedontheearlynetworkcodeandheknewtheintricaciesofthesystemwell.Theprofessorhadsaidsomethingaboutabackdoorrig,whichhekeptathiscourtyardhomeintheHouhailakeareahereinBeijing.LiJinhadneverseentherig.Theprofessorhadbeenultrasecretiveaboutthat.Hewouldhavetopaytheprofessor’shomeavisit.Hewoulddoitduringtheprofessor’sfuneralwhichwasboundtobesoon.Hecouldfindthatouteasilyfromtheprofessor’sfamily.HewouldhavetodoitsoonbeforethePSBplacedthefamilyunderquestioningaswastheroutineinthesesituations.Thenhewoulddisappearforawhile.

Butwhowouldpaybigmoneyforthechip,noquestionsasked,norepercussions?ThelastthinghewantedwastheUnionSecurityAgencyortheCIAonhisback.TheRussians?Yes,theywouldpay.TheywouldgiveanythingtoupstagetheUnionandtheUnitedStatesespeciallyinthisemergingareaofquantumputing.Buttherewasacreditrisk.Hewouldhavetobeverycleveraboutarrangingthedetailsofthefinancialtransaction.Yes,hewouldsellthechiptotheRussians.