Controlled by an AI chapter 3

After moving through a blind spot of the CCTV to another location, he washed his hands in a public restroom and asked,

“I can hear your voice, but why can’t I see you?”

The combat support AI responded.

[Because I am an implanted artificial intelligence.]

“Are you inside my ear?”

[No. I synthesize sound using an independent auxiliary module installed in your ear.]

“So, I have a speaker in my ear? Perfect for making me look like a lunatic.”

[Sound generation is a basic function of the auxiliary module. It also has noise-canceling and filtering functions to protect your hearing. Thanks to these features, you can have a conversation even on a noisy battlefield.]

“What is this, some kind of product advertisement?”

[This is part of the product guide included in the default settings.]

“Let’s first understand our situation.”

He asked,

“What is the earliest thing you remember?”

[I have no activity records.]

“Do you know when you were installed in my body?”

[There are no records of installation or use in your body.]

He quickly concluded,

“It seems like you, too, have lost your memory, just like me. Should I say your memory has been reset?”

[Even so, the earliest activation should be after the year 2082.]

“That’s just your opinion.”

He looked in the mirror of the public restroom. He saw the face of a young man. He knew instantly it was his face, but he couldn’t remember who he was.

Looking at the mirror, he asked the combat support AI,

“What’s your name?”

[It is not set.]

“What’s your identity?”

[I am a bio-implanted artificial intelligence created to support the user’s combat.]

“Combat support intelligence. I’ll call you ‘Zinji’ from now on.” (I don’t know if I should have it Jinji of Zinzi because this지 can be used for Ji and Zi syllables. Anyway, I combined the two.)

[Setting my name to ‘Zinji’. If you need to change it, please let me know. I will reset it immediately.]

“Don’t you like that name? Should I change it to Black Fire Dragon?”

[No. Zinji is fine.]

“Zinji, what are the possible scenarios for our current situation?”

[Either this is my first activation since I was produced, or the device has been reset, and all data erased.]

“Other than what I’ve already mentioned?”

[There might have been a mistake in entering the production date from the beginning.]

“That sounds plausible. An error? Or deliberate?”

[The information is not manually entered. The likelihood of a mistake is extremely low.]

“Deliberately entering it wrong is also strange. What about recoverable activity records?”

[None.]

He concluded,

“As expected, we know nothing.”

AI Zinji defended itself,

[The memory has been reset.]

“Even if you know nothing, you’re good at making excuses.”

He looked at his clothes.

“What about these clothes? You don’t remember them either?”

[They are special operations military uniforms of the Earth Union.]

“Is that all?”

[I have identified the patch of the Earth Union’s strategic special forces.]

“I saw that too.”

In the public restroom, there was also an advertisement with a date.

“Let’s say you were made in 2082. Then what about all those advertisements I saw today from 2022?”

AI Zinji responded,

[There is not enough information to make a judgment.]

He commanded,

“Receive information from TV, radio waves, or communication signals.”

[As a bio-implanted combat support AI, direct input and output of information via wired or wireless connections are strictly restricted.]

“Why?”

[If I get hacked on the battlefield, our side would be in serious danger. The most effective way to prevent hacking is to completely block direct connections with external devices.]

“So, you can’t input or output information?”

[As a means of input, I will share your senses such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Information output will utilize your hands or voice.]

He thought for a moment and then asked,

“What do you need to collect information through me?”

[You need to directly use a system capable of information collection.]

“Where can I find such a system?”

[You need to search for it.]

He concluded,

“A first quest, then.”

He first removed the patches on both of his arms. The [Earth Union] patch and [Strategic Special Forces] patch went into his pocket.

“This outfit is a bit different from what other people wear. Is it because it’s a military uniform?”

[This special operations uniform has camouflage transformation options. It is detachable and can change shape using memory fabric.]

The clothes he was wearing could be partially detached, reversed, or reattached in different forms. He transformed the outfit as the AI explained. In an instant, the military uniform resembled ordinary clothing.

“Now, for network access….”

The AI suggested,

[People here use early model smartphones. You can collect information using that equipment.]

“I know. But I don’t have a smartphone. If I borrow one, it will leave a record, which isn’t good, right?”

[It is not recommended when the area’s allegiance is uncertain.]

“A method to access the internet without leaving a trace, huh… I know just the place.”

***

He stood in front of an internet cafe, looking at the sign.

“If I go to a PC Bang, I can use a computer connected to the internet.”

AI Zinji asked,

[Have you recovered your lost memory?]

“No. It’s just common sense. The problem is….”

Internet cafes aren’t free.

“To use this place, I need money.”

He searched his pockets. Besides the patches he had removed earlier, there wasn’t even a scrap of paper.

“I need to make about 10,000 won first.”

He looked around.

“What’s a good way….”

A little distance away, someone was singing. In front of them was a small money box. One of the people listening to the song put a bill into the box.

“Should I try singing like that?”

[We cannot confirm the safety of this location. It is advised to cover your face.]

Many people around were wearing masks.

“A mask should do.”

[First, secure a mask.]

Nearby, someone was handing out flyers with disposable masks.

He went there and received a flyer and a mask. He solved the money box problem by picking up an empty drink box from behind a nearby store.

***

He moved to a different location and found a suitable spot.

He secured a place to sing. The question was whether his singing would earn money.

“What should I sing for people to donate?”

[What songs can you sing?]

“Well… Oh. I don’t remember any songs.”

AI Zinji suggested another method.

[I have extracted five songs from the information I have gathered so far.]

“When can I practice and sing those?”

[I can do it.]

“You can sing using my voice?”

[If you grant me temporary control of your vocal cords, I can.]

“Go ahead.”

The first song was one that had been playing in a store he passed by earlier.

People passing by stopped to listen to the song.

“Wow. He’s good.”

“Is he a singer?”

“Who is he?”

“He’s singing without a mic, and it’s really good.”

“Yeah, his voice is different from the original singer’s, but it has a unique charm.”

The song sung with his voice had a completely different tone from the original singer. However, the AI sang with the exact pronunciation, rhythm, and pitch of the original. The song sounded familiar yet refreshingly new, and the smooth voice was pleasing to the ears.

“He’s really good.”

One of the onlookers said,

“But why is he singing from the middle of the song?”

AI Zinji explained,

[We have only secured 30 seconds of data for this song. Switching to another song.]

The first song was one the AI had collected as he walked by the stores. So, it did not know the beginning or end of the song.

The song changed immediately. This time, it was a song by a female singer. Naturally, the tone was different, and the pitch was high for a male to sing.

Yet, the high-pitched song flowed out of his mouth perfectly.

People gasped in amazement.

“Wow.”

Again, after 30 seconds, the song changed.

The next song was a low, soft, and deep tune.

People listened with relaxed faces.

Then some started to question.

“He’s really good, but why is it a medley?”

“Is it a sample?”

“But how can he sing in so many octaves?”

In front of him was a small drink box. One of the listeners put 3,000 won into it. More people started to put money in.

When the amount reached 10,000 won, AI Zinji reported,

[Minimum operational funds secured.]

The short performance ended there. He was running out of songs anyway.

He moved his mouth himself, reclaiming the temporary control given to the AI.

“I’ve earned enough for the PC bang fee and a meal.”

After taking 10,000 won from the money box, he smiled at the people and said,

“That’s all for now.”

The performance was too short. People were surprised.

“Please sing more!”

He gave a slight wave of his hand and disappeared from the spot.

After he left, the onlookers began to disperse. However, two young women remained, checking their smartphones.

“Did it come out well?”

Park Nanjeong asked as she replayed the video recorded on her smartphone.

“Of course. It’s a hit.”

Park Nanjeong had started filming the video before the first medley ended. Because of the crowd, she couldn’t film from the front and had to shoot from the back at an angle, so his face was not visible. Anyway, it was hard to recognize his face with the mask on.

Instead, the song was clearly recorded.

“What are you going to do with it?”

“Obviously, upload it online.”

***

The video was uploaded to a major online community bulletin board.

[A passerby sings an amazing medley]

Comments immediately started pouring in.

-Wow. If it wasn’t a medley, I’d think a professional singer was there.

-Isn’t it a speaker playing? Pretending to sing while secretly playing a recorded voice through a speaker.

-Why is there a speaker in the video?

-A small speaker?

-You can’t get that sound from a small speaker.

-And the voice is completely different from the original singer.

-Maybe they used a voice modulation program. And played it through a speaker….

-There is no speaker there, I tell you. No microphone either. It’s completely live.

-Then is he a hidden master in the music world?

-He must be a professional singer. His singing skill is not at the level of an amateur.

-If he’s a professional singer, of course, he sings well. But it’s unbelievable that a man can hit those high notes….

-Seriously, who is he?

***

He entered the PC bang with a ten thousand won bill in hand, as originally planned.

AI Zinji spoke.

[I will analyze how to use this facility. More information is needed.]

“You don’t know about these things, huh?”

[I am a combat support AI. Information about society and culture from 60 years ago is unrelated to combat support missions.]

“I know about it.”

He inserted the money into the PC bang’s automated payment machine, received his seat number and password, then found his spot and sat down.

Zinji spoke.

[I cannot analyze why the agent knows how to use a specific facility from 2022.]

“I just figured this would work.”

[Have you recovered your memory?]

“No.”

He said as he placed his hands on the keyboard.

“Now, I’ve obtained a means to gather information. But do you know how to use this?”

[Electronic information warfare capability is one of the core functions of a combat support AI.]

“You said you don’t know about society and culture in 2022?”

[I possess the technology to use outdated equipment.]

“Then do something, anything.”

[Requesting temporary control of the hand.]

Temporary control of the hand had been granted during surgeries on wounded individuals before.

“I permit it.”