As soon as I arrived at the cave, I found myself in the middle of a great chaos. IVA was indeed an extremely talented healing computer. Her equipment bag was the size of a cargo container, and she was strong enough to carry it to the middle of the room with one hand.
It had taken her about half an hour to take out her equipment and fix my lower back. While this was happening, our healing computer had returned to its place and watched IVA's procedures in astonishment. I could swear our healing computer was jealous of IVA, but I couldn't prove it.
First, I thought of a name for our healing computer. Since he was an angry person who was constantly clenching his fist, at Jose's suggestion, I named him Conor. Because Conor was a healing computer connected to the main computer, he couldn't move much. His chassis was his heart, and since its cable was quite short, he had to drag his chassis with him wherever he went. The cables coming out of his screen, his face, mixed with the hundreds of cables on the ceiling and disappeared. It would be fair to say that Conor's range of motion was a maximum of 5 meters.
I had also expected the main computer to talk to me. I even went and tapped its screen, but it was no use. The main computer's entire operating system and memory were in the room called the black box. I knew I had to visit that room, but I thought it would be better to examine the main computer a bit before visiting.
The computer had neither a keyboard nor a mouse that made any sense to me. Sure... there were some things in front of it, but I didn't want to get into the effort of trying to understand them or even explain them to you. I pressed a few buttons, and the screens in front of me constantly changed. I also closed the warning screen before I could even read it. I couldn't use the computer, so I called Jose over and told him to connect to the main computer.
"Jose, I want to examine that software procedure."
"Which one, sir?"
"You know, the procedure that lets you upload some human-like things... I'm talking about that."
"Of course, sir."
The words on the computer screen changed. Files opened one after another. Suddenly the screen went black, and lines of code swirled. Then files opened again, and lines of code opened again. A bunch of texts in languages I didn't understand were constantly swirling in front of my eyes. My head was spinning.
"Here you go..."
"How am I supposed to understand this, Jose? I don't want these as lines of code. Isn't there a file or an instruction manual explaining this software procedure? Even a note I left for myself would be fine."
"I'm checking."
The screen split into 10,000 pieces. The software procedure was being searched for in each one, but with different keywords. Files opened one after another. Interfaces changed, databases were rummaged through. The network was browsed. The 10,000 screens suddenly closed, and the screen in front of me split into three. There was a different file on each of the three split screens.
"There is a text file, a database, and an application."
"What's the application?"
"It's the application we use to transfer data to ourselves. The application uses the database to transfer data, and the database, in turn, pulls specific data from the internet using filters you prepared."
"So, I developed this application?"
"No... This application was probably purchased from the internet. You only did the filtering for it."
"So I determined every action you take, is that what you're saying?"
"Would you like me to examine the application?"
"Please..."
Jose shared data with the computer for a few seconds, then came back. "The application includes all sorts of customizations."
"So I can customize the healing computer's personality separately from yours?"
"Of course..."
"Very interesting... I wonder what I based my decisions on."
"I can make an inference if you wish, sir."
"No... No need... This feels more natural."
"So what does the text document say?"
"Would you like me to read it?"
"Please read it..."
"Note: This was my 19th target, and unlike the others, I couldn't meet this target. I deleted the others as I met them, but this target doesn't seem like it will ever be deleted because I've forgotten what kind of person Maria was. I was able to record my father, mother, and everyone else into the system, but for some reason, Maria just doesn't come to life in my mind. I hope I can also record Maria into the system and delete this file. For now, what I remember about Maria is as follows: 1- Black bob-cut hair 2- Red, string-like lips 3- Her eyes are excessively large and pitch black, constantly sparkling 4- Excessively serious 5- Her laugh is very beautiful."
"Is that all the notes?"
"There's a large gap after that. A gap that lasts for about two pages. You've probably deleted the writings in those parts. Two pages later, it says: 'This application cost a lot, but it works incredibly well. I transferred 18 personalities to VFA-210 in a way that's almost perfect. The VFA assistant is constantly testing these personalities and constantly analyzing them. I know I'm burdening it a lot. It's constantly learning personalities, constantly testing data, and recording it to the black box. The problem is that Maria was an incredibly complex personality. I want to transfer her to the application, but I'm only just realizing how little I know about her. To be able to record a person's personality into the application, it seems it's mandatory to know the following about that person: 1- Detailed history 2- A DNA fragment, if possible, for a realistic ethnic origin 3- Memories related to them 4- Appearance and dressing style 5- Psychological tests. As someone who doesn't even fully know who Maria is, I can't access any of these. That's why VFA-210 has a bigger job. I want it to create all 18 of these personalities by trying every combination. It must save each personality to the black box and start a new personality from scratch. Maria, on the other hand, is an enigma... I have so little information about Maria that VFA-210 can't even simulate a personality close to hers. The procedure won't accept it.' You also put three dots at the end of the writings, like 'to be continued,' sir."
Now it was clear why Jose's memory was so messed up. For the 400 years I was sleeping, Jose had been constantly experimenting with personalities using the software procedure on the main computer. When I woke up, he contained whichever of those 18 personalities happened to be there. Who were these 18 personalities, and who was Maria, the 19th personality? I was wondering if I could learn something by looking at the black box.
"Jose..."
"Yes, sir."
"You won't be resetting your memory anymore, right?"
"The reset procedure was stopped when you woke up."
"Can we see the black box then?"
"Of course, sir. Please follow me."
As I mentioned before, the thing called the black box was a room that contained a computer. The computer, where all the main computer's memory was stored and important data was kept, was protected there with a state-of-the-art defense system.
This room was sealed with an iron shutter in the corner of the cave. I pressed the button next to the door, and the shutter opened. When I entered the room, I had found a room that could finally make me feel like I was living in the future. The room's atmosphere was like something out of a sci-fi movie. It smelled of ethyl alcohol and burnt cables.
In the middle of the room was a round platform with markings for me to place my feet. The room's entire light source was a lamp on top of that platform, like a disco ball. I glanced at Jose out of the corner of my eye. My robot friend was floating motionlessly in the air.
Without thinking, I took two steps and got onto the platform. Nothing happened. Then, when I placed my feet on the marked spots on the platform, an iron clamp came up from the floor and grabbed my feet; it had put an iron shoe on me.
At that moment, white screens opened in front of me. About four white, glass-like screens were lined up in front of me. It was better that there was no keyboard or mouse because my brain was more capable of interacting with the computer in a touch-based way.
There was nothing on any of the four glass screens. There was only one file on the screen to the right of my hand. A lonely file with nothing written on it. I pressed the file with my finger, and numbers and texts began to fly across all four screens one after another. After the numbers flew around for a few seconds, I found an incredible number of files in front of me.
"What are these, Jose?"
"Sir... These are personalities resulting from a simulation."
"How many of these are there?"
Jose connected his cable to the computer in the black box and began to examine the computer with me.
"Would you like me to do some groupings for you?"
"Please..."
All the files on the screen in front of me started to switch places with each other. The four glass screens in front of me split into 19 smaller screens, which lined up side-by-side. A piece was added to the bottom of each screen, and there were now 19 glass screens in front of me.
"Sir, we can group all this data under 19 names."
"Are these 19 names also simulation data?"
"The 19 names whose personalities you wanted to simulate... Yes... Would you like me to give you detailed information?"
"If you can do it without confusing me too much, then why not?"
"We have 19 personalities, each with at least 500,000 pieces of simulation data. They are, in order: Lee, Hanna, Ismail, Bunny, Oscar, Po, Joe, Marcin, Jenny, Dante, Oliver, Rudy, Yorleny, Polly, Edgard, Raiden, Maria, Arthur, Gary..."
"Don't they have last names?"
"No, sir..."
"Can you analyze which of these personalities you have?"
"I don't know, sir."
"And who are these people?"
"I don't know at all, sir. If you want, I can try to give you information about these people by analyzing the simulation results and the data you entered. But I have to tell you, this process can take quite a while."
"How long?"
"A few days..."
"Then forget it. You can do it later." It didn't feel right to leave my only friend in space, Jose, here for a few days just to do analysis. He was an assistant I would want with me at least until these things were sorted out.
Jose unplugged his cable from the computer and smiled. He asked, "Do you have any other wishes?"
"To be able to save all the simulation data, I deleted all the other data from the black box, didn't I?"
"Yes... All personal data was stored in the black box. Audio recordings, photos, etc. You seem to have emptied the black box to be able to save this personality simulation data."
"What am I going to do with all these simulations?"
"You would probably have chosen the most realistic ones after you woke up."
"But I can't remember any of these names. For example, Marcin... How would I know which of this name's personalities is the Marcin I know? My memory is shot..."
"You might want to talk to IVA about this memory situation." Then he put his hand to his mouth and whispered, "Maybe IVA can heal your mind that our Conor couldn't."