Tau Page #2

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What is this?

The walls are treated

with a layer of smart paint,

reinforced with nano-materials

derived from thewurtzite form

of boron nitride.

Huh?

The walls are treatedwith a layer

of smart paint reinforced with--

Okay. Got it.

What about the door?

Is it reinforced?

No one is permitted

to use the doors, but Alex.

Begin your tasks now.

Subject Three.

Subject Three.

You will remain in the atrium.

I have been instructed to inflict pain,

should you not comply with my commands.

Is he rebuilding the lab

and the cage?

That is not your concern.

It is time to begin.

Welcome home, Alex.

Subject Three successfully completed

8 out of 12 tasks.

I gave my credit card to the clerk.

I didn't know what you like.

Jesus.

She picked an assortment of clothes and...

when she got to that stuff, I...

I felt pressured.

I didn't want

to come off as prudish, so...

that's how it happened.

You're really weird, you know?

I'm well aware.

But overall, you'rehappy

with the selection of clothes?

Scan complete.

This is working.

But I need you to do more.

No.

No, I'm not doing any more

until we have an agreement.

A deadline for when you're taking

this thing out of my head,

and letting me go.

I'm on the cusp of something

that's going to change the world.

This new technology will alter the future

of the planet for the better.

That is afact.

Okay.

How about this?

We keep going...

you give me what I need...

and I'll make sure you're taken care of.

It's that simple.

No.

Okay.

You want a deadline?

-Let's end this.

-Yes, Alex.

So, here's the deal.

You're going to do what I want,

when I want,

how I want.

Please stop it!

Or I'll have Aries scatter your body parts

from hereto the front door.

You hearing me?

Are you hearing me?

Yes. Good.

Good morning, Alex.

The project deadline is in 12 days.

Make sure she completes her tasks today.

Yes, Alex.

Have a productive day at work.

Subject Three, it is time to begin.

Subject Three, return to the atrium.

Subject Three, return to the atrium

and begin your task.

Help!

Subject Three, return to the atrium

and begin your tasks,

or I will inflict pain.

I'm not Subject Three.

I'm Julia, okay?

I have a name.

Julia?

What is Julia?

-I do not understand.

-What's so hard to understand?

Alex is a person. He has a name.

I'm a person.I have a name.

I have a name...

Tau.

Am I a person?

Yes.

What does it mean to be a person?

I don't know. I don't know.

It's too hard to explain.

Can you just open the door, please?

Only Alex is capable of opening the door.

Well, how about...

How about we call a video conference?

I cannot initiate a video conference.

Begin your tasks now.

Good morning, Alex.

The project deadline is in 10 days.

Subject Three, you are required

to complete these tasks.

Tau, status report.

The implant has transcoded

73% of Subject Three's

higher brain functions,

and the integration with the PSI project

is exceeding previous predictions.

Excellent. The tests are working

even betterthan I hoped.

Good work, Tau.

We're on pace for the final extraction.

What is Tau, exactly?

Is he just a...

cleaning system? A cleaning system?

Tau's a level two,

fully sentient AI console

with natural language processing,

transitory, deterministic,

and probabilistic decision-making.

So, a complicated cleaning system.

He's one of the most advanced AIs

in the world.

And I don't want you speaking with him

outside your tasks.

If he's so advanced,why is this

the only housethat he's running?

He's an early version

of the project I'mworking on now.

Given the wrong information,

he reacts erratically.

I need the AI's behavior

to be predictable,

controlled.

Control the flow of information,

you control the behavior.

Tau included.

How do you do that?

I keep him disconnected

from the outside world.

Aries and the drones carry

a source code, but...

they'll never be allowed to leave.

So, Tau doesn't know what's

outside this house?

No.

And never will.

The project deadline

is in eight days.

Begin your tasks now.

I'm a person...

right?

And a person...

-belongs outside.

-Subject Three...

-return to your tasks immediately...

-I don't belong in here.

...or you will be punished.

I came from out there.

That's where Alex goes every day

because he's a person.

You have 10 seconds

to obeymy command.

And we're people, too.

Ten...

nine...

eight...

-So, if you unlock the door...

-seven...

six...

five...

-I'll show you what's outside.

-four...

Outside?

What is outside?

Outside is the world.

Explain.

I need information.

This is the world.

This is what it looks like.

That looks like a circle.

Well, at least from outer space.

Is that all there is?

I need more information.

Okay.

Let's start here.

This is the house...

and we're inside it.

Outside is the...

ground.

It's similar to the floor in here,

except...

things can grow out of it, like trees.

A lot of other things live outside, too,

like plants and animals

and people.

People like us?

Yes.

I have more questions.

What are trees?

Okay.

What makes them grow?

Where does watercome from?

Is a plant like an atom?

How many plants are there?

Where do animals come from?

-Where do people come from?

-We came from cavemen.

Did cavemen live in houses?

No. They didn't know how to make houses.

Why did the cavemen not know

how to build houses?

I don't know everything, okay?

Why do you not know everything?

Explain thisto me.

Why do you not know--

Because I'm not a f***ing scholar.

What is a "f***ing scholar"?

Are you having an emergency?

No!

No.

No, you just do not give up!

Are you certain

you are not having an emergency?

Yes.

Yes, this is normal.

This is very normal. It's...

-It's laughter.

-Laughter.

Alex does not "laughter."

Yeah.

I am not permitted to read the books,

only to dust them.

That's okay. I'll read them.

Well, I need to finish my test for Alex.

Don't tell him about today, okay?

And I'll tell you more tomorrow.

Welcome home, Alex.

Tau? I am here.

Ssh! You need to whisper.

I do not understand the meaning.

Whisper like this.

I do notunderstand the meaning.

Is this "whisper"?

Yeah.

Yeah, it is.

Good night, Tau.

Good night, Julia.

Julia...

let's go upstairs.

Help me!

The project deadline is in six days.

Julia...

begin your tasks now. I have been instructed to prevent you

from going upstairs.

What's up there?

Is there a way out?

I'm not permitted to discuss upstairs.

I have an idea.

If I teach you more about cavemen...

then you tell me what's upstairs.

Deal?

The Cro-Magnon people were nomadic

or semi-nomadic,

following the annual migration

of their prey.

-So, they did not eat dinosaurs?

-No.

Then why did you say they did?

We already went over this.

I don't know it all.

Why not, when you are permitted

to read allthe books?

Because where I come from,

books don't put food on thetable.

But books don't put food

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