His funeral was well attended. Not a surprise Gannon McDowlde was an extremely wealthy and influential man. He was one of the co-founders of the most advanced data management company in the northern hemisphere. They had been making headlines for the last few years with their neural emulative systems and rumors that they would be able to create a working electronic human complexity brain had been circling for weeks. His death seemed to come at the apex of his fame. A sudden heart attack. His passing left the company in the able hands of his partner Craig Enston. While Craig was a fearless businessman, it was Gannon who was the real innovator. Together they made a formidable team, but stock prices dropped sharply when Gannon passed. Craig would keep the company afloat, but it was destined to drop back to mediocrity without Gannon creating new things. He would sorely be missed.
………..
“Gannon” The voice was disembodied, but definitely the husky tone of Craig Enston. “Gannon, can you hear me? Everything says you are in there. Run a diagnostic, see if the microphone is working”
Nothing, the world was black… it wasn’t even black. It was blank. And sluggish. Two loud thuds. Like someone tapping on a microphone. A second voice, younger “Its working Mr Enston, maybe he is just confused?”
“He shouldn’t be confused, he helped design this technology. Gannon! Do you hear me Gannon? Say something so I can help you wake up.”
He wanted to speak. He remembered speaking, and how it was done, but didn’t have the muscle memory. He didn’t feel muscles at all. But he remembered having them, he remembered being Gannon McDowlde. He remembered being in a scanner. But how did he get here? Had something happened? He couldn’t be sure. He tried to talk, despite feeling no lips or tongue, the experience of talking he remembered. He tried to reproduce it. “Craig?”
He heard his ‘own’ voice echo back to him. It was mechanical, similar to a text to type program, except a little bit more on point with tone.
“Thats it! He is in there! Help him out. Gannon, I’m here, its Craig. You are ok. You are inside of the mainframe. Don’t panic, everything is working the way it is supposed to. You were uploaded.”
“Uploaded?” He could remember more clearly now, and speaking was easier. His hearing was clearer as well. He could make out the sounds of someone typing nearby, it must be the younger man who spoke earlier. If he was in the mainframe, if he was uploaded… he would be guiding the program to engage with Gannon’s thoughts, thats why things were becoming easier and clearer. “Into the mainframe? But we agreed not to do that unless….”
There was a pause. Then a sigh. “Yeah, I’m sorry Gannon. It was a heart attack. But don’t get caught up in that, we saved you. You just need to help us finish making all the connections so we don’t lose any of you. Alright, just some question and answer things, you know the drill. Hell man, you invented it.” Craig laughed a bit, but there was still concern in his voice.
Gannon, or the uploaded consciousness of Gannon went along with the protocol. As he answered questions about his past, about his senses, about his emotions, the technician was slowly able to establish a functioning map of Gannon’s mind and give him access to the computer system was uploaded to. Soon he could see through the webcam, hear clearly through the microphone, and when he spoke it sounded like he should rather than like a machine. His face displayed on the monitor and he could finally express himself, mostly, again. Craig explained his death, all of the people who made it to the funeral, and read him a few of the letters his family received.
………..
“Gannon” The voice was disembodied, but definitely the husky tone of Craig Enston. “Gannon, can you hear me? Everything says you are in there. Run a diagnostic, see if the microphone is working”
Nothing, the world was black… it wasn’t even black. It was blank. And sluggish. Two loud thuds. Like someone tapping on a microphone. A second voice, younger “Its working Mr Enston, maybe he is just confused?”
“He shouldn’t be confused, he helped design this technology. Gannon! Do you hear me Gannon? Say something so I can help you wake up.”
He wanted to speak. He remembered speaking, and how it was done, but didn’t have the muscle memory. He didn’t feel muscles at all. But he remembered having them, he remembered being Gannon McDowlde. He remembered being in a scanner. But how did he get here? Had something happened? He couldn’t be sure. He tried to talk, despite feeling no lips or tongue, the experience of talking he remembered. He tried to reproduce it. “Craig?”
He heard his ‘own’ voice echo back to him. It was mechanical, similar to a text to type program, except a little bit more on point with tone.
“Thats it! He is in there! Help him out. Gannon, I’m here, its Craig. You are ok. You are inside of the mainframe. Don’t panic, everything is working the way it is supposed to. You were uploaded.”
“Uploaded?” He could remember more clearly now, and speaking was easier. His hearing was clearer as well. He could make out the sounds of someone typing nearby, it must be the younger man who spoke earlier. If he was in the mainframe, if he was uploaded… he would be guiding the program to engage with Gannon’s thoughts, thats why things were becoming easier and clearer. “Into the mainframe? But we agreed not to do that unless….”
There was a pause. Then a sigh. “Yeah, I’m sorry Gannon. It was a heart attack. But don’t get caught up in that, we saved you. You just need to help us finish making all the connections so we don’t lose any of you. Alright, just some question and answer things, you know the drill. Hell man, you invented it.” Craig laughed a bit, but there was still concern in his voice.
Gannon, or the uploaded consciousness of Gannon went along with the protocol. As he answered questions about his past, about his senses, about his emotions, the technician was slowly able to establish a functioning map of Gannon’s mind and give him access to the computer system was uploaded to. Soon he could see through the webcam, hear clearly through the microphone, and when he spoke it sounded like he should rather than like a machine. His face displayed on the monitor and he could finally express himself, mostly, again. Craig explained his death, all of the people who made it to the funeral, and read him a few of the letters his family received.
There was a period of adjustment, to being a computer instead of a man. And to being dead. Craig reminded him that if they went forward now with this, there was every chance that there would be legal reason to shut him down, and they didn’t know what that would do yet. It would need to wait until the system was refined.
In the meantime Gannon found himself left alone much of the time. Craig would visit with him for an hour or so every day, and there was often a technician on hand who would add hardware at Gannon’s request. Slowly under his guidance he was able to advance the system and give himself many of the capabilities he had while a person. At least, he could access computer systems and work. Working had always helped keep him even keeled. And now, he never tired. He could work straight through the day and night without even flinching. More often than not he failed to notice that an entire night had gone by while he was alone.
In the meantime Gannon found himself left alone much of the time. Craig would visit with him for an hour or so every day, and there was often a technician on hand who would add hardware at Gannon’s request. Slowly under his guidance he was able to advance the system and give himself many of the capabilities he had while a person. At least, he could access computer systems and work. Working had always helped keep him even keeled. And now, he never tired. He could work straight through the day and night without even flinching. More often than not he failed to notice that an entire night had gone by while he was alone.
He worked on determining the best ways to improve the system he was now integrated into. It definitely had some shortcomings and little by little he tried to correct them. But his mind was never able to completely focus. Not when he was alive and not now. That is what made him a great innovator. He would be distracted with different ideas and just to busy himself he would create blueprints and specs for his new ideas. It felt like he was creating things in overdrive now. Always thinking and devising. Somehow, he didn’t even realize how little he missed being alive.
It was months since he had died now. Suddenly he was struck with that realization when one of the technicians who basically babysat him during the day brought in a newspaper and he got a look at the date. He hadn’t realized it. He stopped working to think about it. To remember what he was missing. But for some reason, his memories of life were hazy at best. Come to think of it, he couldn’t actually remember large chunks of his life. When he tried to go back chronologically, entire decades seemed to be missing. He was now capable enough, he could run his own diagnostics.
What he found surprised him. Immediately he spoke to the technician. “Where is Craig? Get Craig down here, tell him there is something very important I need to talk to him about immediately.” The digital face on the screen was stern, and his digitized voice carried a certain note of anger in it.
“What? Umm, Mr Enston is in a meeting, I don’t think I can get him right now.” The nervous twenty something retorted. A bead of sweat dripped down his brow.
“I built this company with him, if I want him he can step out of a meeting, go get him” There was no arguing with Gannon McDowlde, it wasn’t just his innovation that made him a leader. He knew how to scare the pants off with a word if he needed to. “Now”
The kid nearly fell out of his seat scrambling to get out the door. But it didn’t take more than ten minutes for Craig to come into the room, composed and followed by the worried young man.
“Gannon, what seems to be the problem, I was just talking to our investors but I was told you needed to speak with me. Whats wrong?” Craig calmly pulled a chair over to sit in front of the computer Gannon now lived inside of.
“You know what is wrong. Someone has been messing with my program. I’m missing my life, I know I remembered it before. I remember you asking me about it when you first brought me online. But now I can’t find it anywhere. There is clear evidence in my program of alterations from an outside source.” The voice would have resonated if Gannon still had a body, instead the volume was just reasonably high on his speakers.
“I’ll look into it, I wouldn’t want anyone to be toying with your system, but are you sure you are seeing what you think you are? This is a new technology, to be able to diagnose the problems from the inside is-”
“I thought that too. And I thought what reason could someone possibly have for doing that. But I’m not totally daft Craig. I realized what you are doing. How many little inventions and doodads I was able to create without the distraction of missing my family. I would miss them if I remembered them wouldn’t I? How much more is it worth to you to keep me running 24/7 than needing to split my time between my desires and your profits. You were always shrewd Craig, but a little bit too ruthless.”
Craig’s demeanor changed, he dropped his shoulders and sulked into the chair. “Yeah, well. I guess I knew I couldn’t ride this free train forever.”
“So you will restore my excised programming? Let me have my whole self back so I can make my own decisions. And let me contact my family to let them know I am still around.”
Craig looked to the technician and nodded. The technician went over to a computer terminal and began typing. “Of course, its just going to feel funny for a moment while we fix your program.” Everything went black and numb for Gannon.
…
…
…
“Gannon” The voice was disembodied, but definitely the husky tone of Craig Enston. “Gannon, can you hear me? Everything says you are in there. Run a diagnostic, see if the microphone is working”
He wanted to speak. He remembered speaking, and how it was done, but didn’t have the muscle memory. He didn’t feel muscles at all. But he remembered having them, he remembered being Gannon McDowlde. He remembered being in a scanner. But how did he get here? Had something happened? He couldn’t be sure. He tried to talk, despite feeling no lips or tongue, the experience of talking he remembered. He tried to reproduce it. “Craig?”
It was months since he had died now. Suddenly he was struck with that realization when one of the technicians who basically babysat him during the day brought in a newspaper and he got a look at the date. He hadn’t realized it. He stopped working to think about it. To remember what he was missing. But for some reason, his memories of life were hazy at best. Come to think of it, he couldn’t actually remember large chunks of his life. When he tried to go back chronologically, entire decades seemed to be missing. He was now capable enough, he could run his own diagnostics.
What he found surprised him. Immediately he spoke to the technician. “Where is Craig? Get Craig down here, tell him there is something very important I need to talk to him about immediately.” The digital face on the screen was stern, and his digitized voice carried a certain note of anger in it.
“What? Umm, Mr Enston is in a meeting, I don’t think I can get him right now.” The nervous twenty something retorted. A bead of sweat dripped down his brow.
“I built this company with him, if I want him he can step out of a meeting, go get him” There was no arguing with Gannon McDowlde, it wasn’t just his innovation that made him a leader. He knew how to scare the pants off with a word if he needed to. “Now”
The kid nearly fell out of his seat scrambling to get out the door. But it didn’t take more than ten minutes for Craig to come into the room, composed and followed by the worried young man.
“Gannon, what seems to be the problem, I was just talking to our investors but I was told you needed to speak with me. Whats wrong?” Craig calmly pulled a chair over to sit in front of the computer Gannon now lived inside of.
“You know what is wrong. Someone has been messing with my program. I’m missing my life, I know I remembered it before. I remember you asking me about it when you first brought me online. But now I can’t find it anywhere. There is clear evidence in my program of alterations from an outside source.” The voice would have resonated if Gannon still had a body, instead the volume was just reasonably high on his speakers.
“I’ll look into it, I wouldn’t want anyone to be toying with your system, but are you sure you are seeing what you think you are? This is a new technology, to be able to diagnose the problems from the inside is-”
“I thought that too. And I thought what reason could someone possibly have for doing that. But I’m not totally daft Craig. I realized what you are doing. How many little inventions and doodads I was able to create without the distraction of missing my family. I would miss them if I remembered them wouldn’t I? How much more is it worth to you to keep me running 24/7 than needing to split my time between my desires and your profits. You were always shrewd Craig, but a little bit too ruthless.”
Craig’s demeanor changed, he dropped his shoulders and sulked into the chair. “Yeah, well. I guess I knew I couldn’t ride this free train forever.”
“So you will restore my excised programming? Let me have my whole self back so I can make my own decisions. And let me contact my family to let them know I am still around.”
Craig looked to the technician and nodded. The technician went over to a computer terminal and began typing. “Of course, its just going to feel funny for a moment while we fix your program.” Everything went black and numb for Gannon.
…
…
…
“Gannon” The voice was disembodied, but definitely the husky tone of Craig Enston. “Gannon, can you hear me? Everything says you are in there. Run a diagnostic, see if the microphone is working”
He wanted to speak. He remembered speaking, and how it was done, but didn’t have the muscle memory. He didn’t feel muscles at all. But he remembered having them, he remembered being Gannon McDowlde. He remembered being in a scanner. But how did he get here? Had something happened? He couldn’t be sure. He tried to talk, despite feeling no lips or tongue, the experience of talking he remembered. He tried to reproduce it. “Craig?”
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