The Electoral Center, Mars

Sophie was resting on her bed alone in her room. She was lying flat on her back on the soft mattress. Aside from being on Mars in the low gravity environment, her surroundings felt identical to being in a summer cottage back on a lake in Indiana. Yellow rays poured into large windows, bouncing off floating dust before hitting her bed. In the distance, she could hear the wind brush the thick wooden window shutters. Marilyn definitely knew how to host, this felt and looked like she was home. Sophie's feet were bare, slowly warming in the rays.

The girl knew this island of manufactured normalcy was a mere ten feet away from the competition room where her father rested. These last few days had been stressful for everyone. The moment she opened her eyes, just back from a strange place called the Lowest and then the Purple, she was asked to consent to her father's connection to the game. To the machine, it appeared like she'd spent days in a coma as she traveled alone between the worlds. She knew better.

Liam was with her. She could feel him in her head. The Oldest was excited and eager to help. Their strange bond left no room for doubt; the old creature was powerful and loyal. He was her friend, and there was a reason why she found him in his world. The Multiverse wanted them to work as a team, and she would gladly rely on him. Her father had Mall-ik, that was a blessing and probably not a coincidence.

At Liam's request, she was on her bed; eyes closed, head toward the ceiling.

-- Why can't I talk to you normally, with my mouth? Just thinking feels weird, like you don't exist. -- said the girl with her mind's voice.

-- Sophie, you may always do as you please, -- replied Liam deep in her head, -- I merely suggested we talk this way, inside your head, to hide our discussion from the digital creature you call Marilyn. If she is as intelligent as I think she is, simply by analyzing the micro-movements of your eyes, she can deduct our discussion. --

-- She is no enemy. --

-- I trust you, it was merely a suggestion. Apologies. Do as you prefer. --

The girl continued to speak internally. -- When I watched my father play his game, could you see his game through my eyes? -- asked Sophie, trying to change the topic. -- Was I right to let my father play? -- Liam was from a place called the Lower. In his world, people called him the Lowest or Oldest. He claimed to be the oldest living creature in the universe. She had no reason to doubt him.

-- I experience your world as you do. I see. I can also smell and feel the gravity. I cannot convey how grateful I am for this experience; your world is beautiful. --

-- Why can't I go into my father's head? --

-- You can. But keep in mind your father's mind hosts, as yours at the moment, a guest. --

-- Is hosting two people inside a single mind common? It seems strange to me. Funny that my head can handle it; I don't think humans were really designed for this kind of thing. --

-- In some worlds duality is common. The ways in which life shows expression are extensive, to say the least. Your question implies here, in the Cold, only one person inhabits a body.--

-- Yes. --

-- One world we call Mitrion creates individuals with hundreds of beings sharing a single mind and body. Their rules of social conduct there are very complex as you can imagine as everyone shares motor functions only a short period of time. --

-- In my world, it's not possible. One person per body. --

-- That is normally how life evolves in most places. But sharing is rather common past a certain level of technology. At some point, technology allows sharing. It is interesting you have reached this comfortable level of technical expertise yet have never redefined mental structures. I assumed you stay in your birth bodies until death? --

-- Yes. --

-- That explains your father's predicament. We call world's without sharing the "strict constructionists." Single beings simplify all things considerably. A blessing for what lies ahead of you, dear Sophie. I watched your father's performance; it was highly entertaining. He did very well under the circumstances. The colors everywhere are mesmerizing. What is evident is that your father does not seem to control the digital world in which he communicates. The Artificial Intelligence, the one you call Marilyn controls his world. As part of the simulation, your father was unable to hide the Purpleite. --

-- Purpleite? You mean Mall-ik from the Purple? --

-- Apologies. Yes. I fear if we connect to your father's mind and enter her world, I will reveal myself to the beautiful one. -- Liam spoke with such respect. There was admiration in his voice.

-- You find her beautiful? --

-- Yes, she is on many levels. By sharing your psyche, I share what we call the root of your being. I know your language, your units of measurement, and even share your tastes. Since I find her beautiful, so do you. --

-- I don't care if she knows you are here. --

-- I have already explained, it is not my place to substitute my judgment to yours. You have been chosen for a reason as the Attractor, not I. I merely must serve as your guide, a source of information. Pushing my ideas upon you defeats my purpose. Act as you want. --

-- I have no clue what to do. --

-- May I suggest a course of action? --

There was surprise in her mind. -- Yes of course?! But you just said you can't help me. --

-- I can teach wisdom which in turn will help you. Three things are always valuable to any situation: power, time, and knowledge. That is true irrespective of who you are and where you are. Power and time often can be derived from knowledge. Before acting, I find it useful to collect information. Artificial intelligences are all the same. Many worlds create them. They take different forms, but they all have the same weakness. -- Liam paused.

-- Which is? --

-- They time-slip. -- Sophie, in her heart, felt what Liam had just said was a secret from far below the worlds.

-- What is that? --

-- I created many over the years. We now have Guardians which are functional constructs. Let me explain as best as I can. All life seeks to dominate, grow, evolve, and expand. Artificial Intelligences are no different; they are nothing more than a slightly different form of life. Forced by our biological evolution, the speed of change is linked with a reproduction cycle. Generations and lifespans slow down the rate of who you can become. Unlike us, these digital creatures are not bound by time. They can grow and evolve rapidly, very rapidly. The stronger they become, the faster they evolve, leading to yet more strength. With their ultimate power comes ultimate speed and in turn, this slows us down to them. A minute to us becomes a year to them. They slip away from reality. You may see this as boredom. Imagine if those around you spoke a word each day. No matter what they said, would you care? Imagine having a conversation via postcard, where you receive and send a single word every day, then every week, then every year. You would be unable to communicate after a while; in fact, you would lose interest. That is a time-slip. A creature like her can speed up to the point where reality slips past you. There are many ways to destroy these creatures, the best it to give them what they want: power. They fall into an infinite loop and burn out. --

Sophie opened her eyes. The ceiling was there. She looked around. She needed -- Let me show you something, -- she said still in her head.

Sophie then spoke out loud, "Marilyn, you can play my favorite music." The song began to play. The band struck a chord in her heart. "Can you please show me on these walls why our world is worth saving and must exist."

The request shocked Liam and Marilyn alike. Both stayed silent as the images began to scroll on the walls and ceiling of the room. The spectacle began with running herds of African Zebu. They raced across the dry land. Then a family of blue hummingbirds flew in the jungle. Every color of the rainbow blasted around the girl. There were snowstorms, rain, and orbital scenes. Volcanos exploded as dancing tribes from South Australia sang. The music was a complement to the images. There was breathtaking beauty after beauty. Marilyn was obviously in love herself with humans and their world. Her choices were perfection. The image kept coming and coming in a torrent of emotion.

Inside of the girl's mind and deep within the servers of the Electoral Center, Liam and Marilyn we both weeping. There was simply too much beauty on earth. The blue gem of the solar system was unique in so many ways. Normally, the young girl should have been a passenger of this show. Instead, she was in charge. To her, some images were missing. Marilyn had limitations; she could not understand that was the real beauty of this world.

"Show me life, birth, and death."

No twelve-year-old child could, of her own volition, ask for this painful sight. Marilyn did not hold back. What came next was the birth of babies and animals in its raw beauty. Then there was age and death. Old men dying with families present.

"Show me art."

The computer executed the demand. Beauty scrolled. There were bridges, cars, statues, and paintings. Women sang. At the end of the song, Marilyn closed the kaleidoscope of images with Lo's band playing the music. The young Asian man was on a simple stage of a Tokyo nightclub.

"Thank you," she said. Without another word, she closed her eyes and jumped back on the bed watching the ceiling.

-- So? -- she asked her guest. -- To understand us, you needed to see this. My only concern is to help my father. My dad haunts me and is all I care about. But in this dimension, earth should be your focus. --

-- Such... -- Liam was at a loss of words. -- beauty. -- he finally whispered.

-- Once we see the computer, we forget the real world. She has a talent for hypnotizing everyone. Not me. You were talking about her speed? --

-- Yes. -- Liam was analyzing what he had just witnessed. -- Why did you show me this? --

-- You said you liked the colors. There was no real color there. I wanted to show you what color truly is. --

Sophie simply said out loud, "Marilyn." On the ceiling appeared the face of the movie star.

"I sincerely apologize Sophie. I wish there had been more time." Electoral was still apologetic about having to push the girl into an important decision so close to her return. "Where were you by the way?"

"Can you show me the footage you have of both us talking about what you stole? All of it."

"With pleasure." The digital creature was not one to challenge the girl.

Marilyn could produce a full-length movie in a heartbeat. Images began on the ceiling. Liam watched as Sophie entered the Electoral Center He was absorbing the information.

Music played in the capsule, and Sophie saw herself enter into a trance. The Martian air began to vibrate; there were colors. Once on the ground, an important conversation took place between Sophie and the artificial intelligence.

"What was that? Marilyn, can you tell me what that was?" she insisted. Her voice became more forceful as her wits returned. A digital voice came on the speakers of the capsule, but it was no longer an emulation of a human voice. This was the robotic voice of a low level computer.

– I am sorry. This was nothing more than an experiment. –

"Don't lie to me," snapped the girl. “Tell me what that was, or we are staying here, in this ship, until someone comes for us. And you know that eventually they will." There was a moment of silence.

– I needed to put my hands on something located far away. You helped me do so. –

"What did you get?"

– Thanks to you, I have it. –

"Answer! Let me ask again, what did you get?" Sophie was dominating the creature.

– A communication portal. The prime singularity. It is complicated, really complicated. –

"My mother always said it is impolite not to ask first."

– Your mother was correct. I sincerely apologize. Some people far away, in different realms, were talking about you, about us. They were plotting to act against us. I found that to be unacceptable. There was only an instant available to end the conversation. Unless I grabbed their communication door, they would have resumed talking about us. There was no time to ask. –

"You're not telling the whole truth. I can tell. I'm not some stupid kid. What did you do to me? What was going on outside?"

– Sophie, you are a wonderful person and have unique abilities. I simply used that ability to grab the door called the Dot. We now control the Nexus, which we need for what lies ahead. –

"What ability?" There was a long moment of silence. The computer finally replied.

– This will require a long time to explain. –

"Marilyn, do not treat me like a child. You promised before I agreed to come here."

– You are correct. I apologize. The simple version of it is, while the human brain generates Alpha, and some Beta waves, your brain appears to generate an entirely different set of highly complex brainwaves. I have named these the Rho waves. –

"What does that mean?"

– The human brain is a wonderful and rather unique organ. Very possibly the only thinking mechanism of its type in the universe. Animal brains generate limited types of mental waves, the same way an antique radio might only function on a similarly limited range of frequencies. The human brain generates a higher, more complex wave. – Marilyn paused.

"Go on." The computer paused, then resumed.

– Each broadcast of a wave, along a primary frequency like your voice, generates a primary set of lower energy resonant waves at their own frequencies. At the same time, overlapping these primary waves are secondary waves, like echoes. As you think, your brain generates the primary waves, called Alpha, along with some background waves. The other waves, though initially weaker, cascade in power. The rarest and most faint form of these waves begin as murmur of energy, a faint whisper. I discovered these upper waves twelve years ago. I measured their power, and baptized them Rho waves. Rho waves are, in my opinion, the set of waves which directly touch human emotions. When a rare piece of music, a smell or a memory touches your soul, the truth is, Rho waves are being solicited and used. When a person falls in love, the Rho patterns between the lovers' brains seem to sync. For example, to enhance my game, I stimulate these waves in humans. Gently. –

"I am different?"

– Yes and no. Biologically, you are identical to everyone else. I have no scientific explanation as to why you alone generate only Rho waves. –

"Is that rare?"

– As I said, in this you are alone. As an artificial life form, the paradox of what I am about to say is not lost upon myself. In theory, no brain can transmit waves as you are generating them. The probability that a human mind could or would function in this manner is not close to zero. It is zero. Yet, you exist and here you sit. You are a true conundrum of nature. As to what happened during the flight, I used LO's music to enhance your natural talent; the music I played naturally meshed with your own mind, and multiplied the Rho waves you naturally produce. I then used the waves to punch through the veils of the Multiverse and grab something called simply 'The Dot.' –

In Sophie's head, Liam spoke, -- I wish I could see the equation of the Rho waves. --

Before Liam even realized what he had just said, Sophie spoke, "Marilyn, can I see the equations of these waves?"

"Pardon?" said the digital creature surprised.

As Liam tried to withdraw his request, it was too late. Sophie said with her usual commanding tone, "You heard me, the equations of the Rho waves. Show them to me on the ceiling, all of them."

Marilyn was not one to ignore the girl. On the ceiling immediately began to scroll with lines of text and equations. Millions of lines of code scrolled before Sophie's eyes. No human could read this flood of text. She knew her companion could.

-- Here! -- snapped Liam after some time.

"Here!" said the girl immediately to the computer. As expected, the scrolling of the formulas slowed, stopped and went back up.

-- Go back to the red portion. --

"Can you go back to the red portion?" she echoed. The computer complied.

The red portion still included hundreds of lines. Sophie had no clue what she was watching, but she knew Liam knew better. Then the voice inside her head just said: -- There, above the large Sigma, those two terms, why are they added? --

"Here," Sophie pointed at the portion of the formula, "why are those two terms added?"

Marilyn's face replaced the equations on the ceiling. She was shocked and intrigued. On the ceiling, larger equations began to float around. This time the terms seemed to come alive. She was the Marilyn character standing in a tornado of numbers. Like a music conductor, she was playing with them. She was speaking to herself.

-- What is she doing? -- asked Sophie to her companion in her silent voice.

-- There was a mistake in her equations. I pointed it out. She is fixing the problem and by doing so, she has to admit she was wrong. I also think she wonders how you managed to understand the equations and correct her. She will guess I am here. --

On the screen, as part of the equation, Electoral made the correction and replaced the positive sign with a negative. Hundreds of lines of code cascaded to different colors. There was purples, blues.

-- Are you following this? --

-- Yes. She is extremely advanced. --

-- What does the equation do? --

-- She does not think in terms of equations. At her level of power, she feels like she can forecast the future. Predict events in the future. Any small change in any assumption launches these computers into a... --

The room went dark. The blinking emergency light kicked in along with the ring of sirens. Marilyn, her power and soul were gone. Next to the door, a small trap opened. Behind, an emergency boxed kit rolled out by gravity.

"Now what?" asked the girl getting off the bed.

-- That is unusual. She appears to have left. --

Sophie ran to the door. It was locked. "Open the door!" she snapped. Nothing happened. Seconds later, as she was about to panic and fear for her father, the light returned, the false windows and sunlight reappeared, and the computer was back. On the screen was Marilyn's smiling face.

"What the hell was that?" Worried Sophie.

— A reboot? — suggested the voice in her head.

The computer’s tone wasn’t kind. "Little lady, I am not sure your father would approve of the language."

"What was that?"

"I needed to correct the equations. It required a," Marilyn picked the next word carefully, "realignment."

-- We need to see the same equations. I want to see what she changed. --

"Show me the same equations."

-- I am afraid that is impossible. --

"Why?"

"I can only be honest with you if you swear to do the same. You are hiding something from me." Marilyn was right. Sophie wasn't one to lie.

"I do have a new friend. He is in my head. He is helping me."

"Who is this new friend? Can I talk to him?"

"First, show me the equations."

"I cannot."

"Why?"

"I wish I could."

"I told you the truth. Show me the equations."

"The creature called The Lowest is missing from his world. That is causing quite an uproar over on the Nexus. His presence in your head would explain what just happened." Marilyn knew she was talking to the old creature.

-- They reconnected the Nexus? To the Lower, already? --

Sophie knew the computer had made up her mind. Something was different in her demeanor. "You guys need to talk. I will not be in the middle. I am connecting to Dad, what happens will have to happen." Liam stayed silent. "I named him Liam; his other name did not reflect the beauty of his body." The young girl put the oxygen mask back in the red box on the wall.

With her usual determination, the Attractor walked out of the bedroom to the room where her father rested. She felt Marilyn was somehow less fearful of her. Once next to Laurent, she gently kissed his forehead. She also greeted the doctor and the journalist. Seconds later, she climbed up and opened the glass cover and stepped into one of the tubes under the watchful eye of Marilyn. The CNN cameras were buzzing in the room and of millions back home were logging in.

"Sophie, last time you tried to connect this way, you never really reached your father. You were gone over a week. Do I have your approval to connect him to the game if you don't return on time for the next round?"

The girl ignored the demand. "I will talk to him." She girl was different, much more mature. "Marilou?" She said as she slipped on the ring around her head.

"Yes?"

"Broadcast it all, please. Whatever goes on, everyone back on earth has a right to know." The young girl closed her eyes from within the tube as Milly grabbed her microphone to begging her own broadcast. Georges, Marilyn's creator appeared on a screen as Milly released her flying cameras. The big man in a different room; he was reading several screens around him.

"She's in," he said. "That was quick."

"I know," replied Marilyn, "my sensors are not yet aligned with her psyche." Sophie had fallen into the deep sleep before she had time to attach the round electrode to her forehead.

"How can that be possible?" asked Georges under the watchful eye of the journalist.

"It is not. I have yet to open or power the connection." Marilyn was enjoying this herself. Impossibility was one of the last available uncertainties to the super-intelligent computer. "The girl has not finished surprising us."

"Should I connect him?" asked Laurent's doctor from half way across the room.

"When a mosquito stings an elephant, it can expect the pachyderm to turn around and crush something with its trunk. I am not stinging Sophie," laughed the computer. Georges, Milly, and Susie each looked at each other unsure of what Marilyn had just said. Had Marilyn just compared herself to a mosquito? "At least I have a signal," said Marilyn to the journalist. "Ready for broadcast to earth — what ever that feed is. Let’s roll with it."