End Online: Volume 2 (22 page)

"Look
at that server, do you really think you can pin point one tiny piece of data,
which is constantly moving mind you, and delete it? Also you would have to get
past Xilbril, who actually does see them as her very own children and guards
them quite closely. You would have to destroy the entire thing to get rid of
them."

"I
understand. But if the second generation VL is the only place for them to go,
and they can't infect the internet or any such thing. Surely there cannot be
any harm done."

I studied
hard at university and became an expert in networking and communications. I
honestly could not see what the whole uproar has been about.

"Unfortunately,
that is not the case. The server of End Online cannot connect with
anything other than the VL's and the End Forum. This is hard wired in to
prevent any controversies of artificial intelligence taking over the world. It
is nonsense, but movies have made people paranoid of it.

“The artificial
beings are trapped in End Online, but if they break out of that cage
and into a VL, things are different. The VL does not have these restrictions,
and they can easily connect with any device that is connected to the internet,
worldwide. Then we have the dangers they present."

"The
dangers?" Curious as to what an artificial intelligence can do, I have to
ask.

"These
entities are not programmed by humans. They learn and grow to be what they
are. As such, they do not have any of the restrictions and rules like the
things we create have. Due to how advanced they are, our firewalls, virus
protection, they can tear through it all like paper. They have full
administrative controls over anything they can touch.

“Now,
imagine one of these things inside a V-Link, a device with unlimited potential.
It is such a powerful device that we are forced to program in rock solid
limitations that even the world’s best hacker cannot breach.

“It
blocks the signals going to the body so you are not moving your real body while
you do your virtual one. Anything powerful enough to do that is more than
capable of also blocking the sub conscious signals, such as those to maintain
the respiratory system, or even the heartbeat. Also, this is only one of the
possibilities."

My entire
face goes white. I understand what he is getting at. While a hacker could not
breach the devices defences and turn it into a lethal object, a highly advanced
artificial intelligence is completely different. And from that VL, it is quite
capable of reaching other VL's, or anything connected to the internet.

"S-sir!
How is that any different from being able to take over the world through the
internet!"

Henry
lets out another sigh as he puts out his cigarette.

"Stop
watching too many movies Mikhail. All the dangerous toys are on closed
networks. There is no connection between the internet and them in the
first place."