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His AI succeeds because it doesn’t anticipate you – it manipulates you.’
‘A HyperSonic Sound system – or HSS – does not use physical speakers. HSS pulsates quartz crystals at a frequency thousands of times faster than the vibrations in a normal speaker – creating ultrasonic waves at frequencies far beyond human hearing. Unlike lower-frequency sound, these waves travel in a tight path – a beam. Two beams can be focused to intersect each other, and where they interact they produce a third sonic wave whose frequency is exactly the difference between the two original sounds. In HSS that difference will fall within the range of human hearing – and will appear to come
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Early termination of the test will cause the air to be pumped from the room. This will create a partial vacuum that will cause the nitrogen to bubble out of your blood – resulting in an excruciating death. An MPEG video of your death will be placed on the Internet as a warning to others. Do you understand? Answer “yes” or “no.”’
That was a third higher than his annual salary. A pang of jealousy stole over him. Surely police work was vital. Why did the white-collar professions earn so much more? It was a puzzle to him.
It was eroded in a modern art sort of way to render it theologically inoffensive and appeared to be fashioned out of cheap, imitation-stone resin – stuff that would last until the Second Coming.
He didn’t look uncomfortable in the jacket, but somehow the jacket appeared uncomfortable with him.
Even now he sat at the desk with a vague feeling that he should feel bad – but he didn’t. Instead, he felt justified by the importance of his work. It was a coping mechanism he’d honed to a razor edge over the years.
‘If you don’t believe something exists, you won’t try to stop it.’
For the first time he considered that classism might trump racism.
Humanity had always trafficked in oppression. Before the corporate marketing department got ahold of it, it was called conquest. Now it was regional development.
So, please, carefully consider your options, and just remember – no matter what you choose – you serve a crucial role in evolution. Even if it’s just as food for the survivors. Thanks for watching.’
This was the very essence of capitalism: thriving on chaos.
He was a distinguished-looking type, with the air of aristocracy unique to academics.
Merritt watched the intruder on the monitor. ‘What’s an LIP-C weapon?’ ‘Laser-Induced Plasma Channel. Uses laser light as a virtual wire for electricity.’
‘I wouldn’t do that yet if I were you.’ ‘You’re not me.’
How can you expect to handle the future if you can’t even handle the present?
