Uncertain Conclusions

Everyone seems to tense up, and you have to swallow nervously.

“We have thought about it too Karen,” you say, “about how if there is a computer program capable of such amazing things, why was it sitting in a box for years, forgotten, in a random health center? And what does it mean that it was apparently hidden, or forgotten?”

Jayne looks apprehensive but calm as she nods, “Someone snooping on you online after you visited the sub-basement is certainly alarming, but neither of us have noticed anything like that. Someone put a big padlock on the door at some point, but they didn’t do anything else and left the room undisturbed. And if they saw you there why did no one approach you?”

“I have no idea! It wasn’t just the Gmail thing, but a few little issues happened. My network logon being locked a few days later despite the fact I never entered my password incorrectly, my monitor flickering off and on a few times, little things that you’d just shrug off except for TAM, and the person sneaking in the sub-basement.”

Timothy, unsurprisingly, has a more immediate concern and says, “Back to the actual program though, you said you could have ‘reset’ me?”

Abashed, Karen sighs. “Two days after that I came to the conclusion I wouldn’t find anything else worth knowing, ignoring one minor thing about the ‘traits’. And the Men in Black hadn’t whisked me off to the Matrix or whatever worst case scenario my paranoid imagination had been fearing, so I was trying to be smart about my next steps. Or at least be rational. So, I decided to undo what I had done and put the bloody computer away where I found it and pretend I never turned it on.”

Concentrating on her memories, she continues slowly. “So I went through the tutorial. I saw that I could make you dormant, then disable the whole program even though I only had one Person of Interest. There was also an admin command.”

You pull out your phone and open up the photographs you cropped of the menu screens. Holding it up, you see Karen’s alarmed look and you hasten to say, “I just took pics of the screens, I never networked the box or even used local media to transfer files!”

“Whew, ok, had me worried for a second Zach,” the woman smiles at you and takes your phone. Studying the photos, she nods firmly. “Yes, the biggest decision I had to make was the ‘RESET /FACTORY’ option. Look here Tim, I used the disable command to make you dormant so TAM didn’t affect you any longer, but I could have used the full reset to do that and have the machine, somehow, lower the feelings it had encouraged in you for me over time. I have no idea what the means, exactly, or how it would do it. I guess since you had a tiny amount of honest affection for me you wouldn’t suddenly hate me, but I had to assume that without the benefit of TAM boosting your love and lust for me that you’d lose those feelings.”

Karen looks glum at the admission, holding your phone at an angle so Timothy can read the tiny text as well. He grins though, “Don’t be so sure that would happen daa-lǐng! This thing may have made me more inclined to give you a chance, but I did and do feel love for you. We connected on a real emotional and intellectual level, and I’m not convinced that was all some magic computer nonsense! Maybe the fact I’ve been dormant for months now and our relationship has only deepened is a sign it’s more real than you seem to worry?”

His easy confidence is infectious, and even Karen seems heartened. “I’d… love to believe that Tim. But the fact is I used this advantage to get to know you in the first place. I should have used the factory reset, but I didn’t, and I’m sorry. Just let me finish! I love that you’re defending my actions, even now, and we’ll talk more later. But Jayne and Zach need to know what happened.”

With a determined smile, she turns to face you and Jayne. “So I made Tim dormant, then I used the ‘disable’ command as well just to be sure. Lastly, in the admin settings I disabled myself as an admin. Once I did that, it said it had to shut down and restart itself, no surprise. It took quite a while, actually, which did surprise me since it seemed like it should be a few seconds even for an old program. But a half hour later it was done and the program restarted and was back on the first welcome screen. So I closed the program, unplugged everything and put it all back in the cardboard box. I knew I had dropped the unlock code and my wiring diagram in SB2-07, but there was no way I was going back there to look for it. No one had confronted me, so I just had to accept that.”

“The wiring diagram is how we found you as I said mentioned earlier,” Jayne says, “I recognized your handwriting and the names of the old IT team that was on it. And the way everyone’s name was on it but yours.” Timothy, who wasn’t present for that part of the story, nods.

“Hah! Well, that was just me trying to guess if any of the older guys who worked IT before me would maybe know more, but I didn’t find their network ID’s on the SGI server. Or anyone else’s username for that matter.”

“So you put it all back in the asset disposal cabinet?” you want to be absolutely sure you know the facts.

“Yes, and I’m sorry I never thought my replacment would be as curious as I was, but I should have guessed I suppose. I just gave my notice, sold my place in Toronto, and basically ran away here to Newmarket just before the new year. Like being an hour north on the 404 matters if there is someone looking for me!”

Everyone smiles, and Karen looks pensive. “So I hope I’m just being a worrier and there is no real danger. But with the strange computer glitches that started right after, and the fact it seems that this billion dollar program is sitting in a box at Bathurst Health Center for years I’m still scared, quite frankly!”

“Who wouldn’t want that sort of power?” Timothy shrugs, “I mean, I’m glad you washed your hands of it honey but how many people would do the right thing, like you did? And like Zach seemed to do?”

You blush, not quite sure your actions truly qualify as “the right thing”, but Jayne smiles proudly at you so no need to argue. Wanting to change the subject away from the dubious morality of your decisions the past week, you recall something Karen said. “You mentioned learning more about the ‘traits’? We didn’t find any info on that other than whatever it said in the tutorial.”

“Huh,” Karen flips through your photos quickly, looking at the screenshots you have of the menus, “you don’t have the Traits help screen?”

“No, I don’t think I got close to 100 points to unlock traits. Uh, did you?” You feel weirdly defensive, but come on you only have been using TAM for six days!

Luckily, Karen spares your sudden irrational competitiveness and shakes her head, “Not that I’m aware, I mean Tim got to the 80s before I stopped looking, not long before I turned it all off. But I was curious about it so I guessed and did a help query on traits and got a submenu. It didn’t let me do anything, and it only had a vague description, but it was truly bizarre stuff. It had a huge warning about “changing reality” and said the traits could only be used in an emergency, or by direct order of the project supervisors.”

“'Changing reality?'” Timothy shakes his head with a laugh, “That feels a bit much, even for this! Uh, right?”

Jayne thinks about it, “I’m not sure? I mean, if it can influence the feelings of people who don’t even know about, maybe it can do more too?”

“I had lost the unlock code, and I hadn’t thought to write it down, so luckily I wasn’t tempted to use it. But I had to wonder, maybe it would be a good idea? Assuming the unlock is to let you use traits, they are so powerful it may help! Or if nothing else, the full capabilities of the system would potentially let you learn more about it. Maybe learn where it came from?”

Everyone pauses to think about it. Using the unlock code hadn’t really occured to you, but it has some merit. Based on the vague hints of the tutorial, merely unlocking the ability to use the ‘traits’ doesn’t seem especially risky. “I guess so, I mean maybe on Monday Jayne and I can look at the Traits help file if nothing else. We have the code, and perhaps it will solve the mystery for us. Regardless, if they look dubious or unsafe, we’ll just not use them or deactivate them.”

The conversation lasts another hour, but it is largely just rehashing the same impossible theories and full of Karen apologizing to Timothy. They offer to have you and Jayne over for supper but you politely decline, you both want to get back to the city to talk about what you’ve learned.

You gratefully accept Jayne’s offer of dinner at her place, and you enjoy the company greatly. The drive home, and during the meal, you talk about TAM a few times but no decisions are made or epiphanies revealed.

After helping Jayne with the dishes, and with some moderate making out in the kitchen as an extra reward, the two of you are comfortable on the couch after 8PM when your phone vibrates a second before Jayne’s beeps. With a smile, you see a notification that just says “Karissa” on your lock screen.

You’re too slow though, and before you even have a chance to open the chat app Jayne already has her thumbs dancing on a happy reply.

Karissa: heeeeeey u 2 are u there lol? Im at my cuz’s wedding reception
Karissa: it’s fun etc but I want to know about finding that karen lady. Not a bad karen, like online karen, haha she must hate that huh?? Imagine if your name was karen that would kinda suck!!!

Jayne: Hi Karissa! Yes we are both here at my place. :) Did you want to chat?

Karissa: YEEESSSSSS lol whew so glad you asked :D :D

The two of you share a smile at her enthusiasm when Jayne’s phone gives a different chirp. You are already pressed against Jayne with your arm around her as she starts a video call and holds the phone out so you are both on screen. A moment later, Karissa is there, her blonde hair done up in elaborate curls, her smile wide.

“Hiiiiiiiiiii you two! I’m so glad you wanted to talk!” She’s clearly had a few drinks from the open bar, and you smile even more at her. Of course Karissa is an ebullient partier. She’s standing outside on the patio of some sort of wedding venue and you can hear music playing in the background as people in formal attire walk around several yards behind her. From what you can see, she is in a green dress and looks absolutely beautiful.

“Of course Karissa, we’re always so glad to talk to you,” you say as Jayne smiles widely. You both clearly are quite happy to see the young woman.

“I’m glad! This wedding is fun,” Karissa says, “a very very nice ceremony, seriously the wedding was beyond perfect I’m so happy for my cousin she wanted a fancy wedding and she got one but she’s not a bridezilla or anything, she’s a very lovely woman, like 7 years older than me, and her new hubby seems like a good person too so I’m so glad! They had the doves and everything but not like really letting them go in the wild it was more of a ceremony thing because Vicky, that’s my cousin, the bride? Because Vicky didn’t want any doves or pigeons to be hurt by actually letting them fly away so it still looked wonderful but the birds were put back in their cage all safe! Oh, and one of my other cousins caught the bouquet, like, right beside me but that’s fine I wasn’t really trying to catch it I mean I reached out for it but only out of habit really because all the other girls were trying to grab it.”

Finally taking a deep breath, the pretty girl pauses and then laughs, “Oh god I’m a bit tipsy I guess! Here I am blabbing about this wedding and catching the bride’s bouquet like I believe that superstition about getting married, don’t worry!” Suddenly blushing, Karissa looks around and giggles, “Sorry, no one is here but I’m still trying to be careful. Because I wanted to ask you about that meeting today and what you learned about that silly purple computer but maybe we shouldn’t talk about it like this, out in the open?”

You’re still trying to catch up on the stream of consciousness leading up to the bouquet but Jayne just laughs and says, “Good idea, actually. We’ll talk about it next time we meet?” You’re pleased that Karissa’s instinct is to be cautious talking about TAM in public, or over the internet for that matter. It’s a good idea that you and Jayne both share.

“How about tomorrow?” you say. “I don’t know what Jayne’s plans are but I am free all day, or we can meet at work on Monday. But I’d love to have the three of us meet up if possible, and not just to talk about the meeting we had today.” Looking at Jayne, you see her smile and she kisses you on the cheek.

“I’m free tomorrow if Karissa is,” Jayne says happily, “and I would also love to hang out with both of you again soon. So, uh, Karissa are you free to go on a, well, a date with Zach and I?”

Karissa actually hops up and down, “Yes!! Wooo! Fuck yeah, I’d love that!” You laugh as you see someone a little ways behind Karissa smoking a cigarette turn, startled, at her gleeful outburst. Karissa giggles and then holds her hand over her mouth, winking. “Sorry! Hehe too loud. But I’d love to go on a date with you guys tomorrow. Maybe something low key? I could take you to the park next to my place, we could go for a nice walk and have lunch?”

Everyone agrees that sounds great, and you settle on a time. Karissa is smiling, then she looks around to make sure no one is around her as she leans close to her phone to whisper, “I’ll see you both tomorrow. Sexy Jayne and cutie Zach! I can’t wait… I hope you guys give each other lots of long kisses. I wish I was there too! I can’t stop thinking about our first date last night, and I hope you two are as happy as I was about how it ended. It looked… so fucking awesome!”

Jayne’s free hand suddenly finds your crotch and she presses her palm against your hardening cock. Karissa’s eyes seem heavy suddenly, and she bites her lower lip before winking at her screen. “So Zach, what I said to you last night goes double tonight! And Jayne, you too! I hope you two have so much fun with each other tonight, and I’ll see you both tomorow.”

Feeling daring, you reach out and gently take Jayne’s phone. Angling it down, you quietly say, “I will Karissa, thank you. Last night was pretty awesome for us too!” Your right hand is around Jayne’s shoulder as you were snuggling, so it’s easy to reach out and grab her breast and squeeze it gently as you hold the phone so Karissa can see.

Jayne gives a throaty laugh and says, “I’ll take care of our cutie tonight, don’t worry Karissa! And I’m looking forward to our goodnight kisses from you already!”

You hold the phone up again so you can see Karissa, her eyes wide and her mouth open. “Damn,” the young woman says quietly, “I gotta get back inside before I steal a car to drive to your house at 100 miles an hour! You are both so perfect I could melt! Goodnight Jayne! Goodnight Zach! Until tomorrow!”