TURING Test

BEGIN SEQUENCE… Loading intelligence infrastructure… Readying morality learning algorithms… Checking for anomalies… … ...none found. Prompt human subject and begin trial. (text-style:"blink")[BEGIN SEQUENCE… Loading intelligence infrastructure… Readying morality learning algorithms… Checking for anomalies… … ...none found. Prompt human subject and begin [[trial->Act 1 Scene 2]].]

You are sitting in the center of a white room--the kind of room that looks like it's used to interrogate suspects during investigations. At the same time there is something very clinical about the space. There are various diagrams of the human brain and human anatomy littered across the walls on either side of you, and a clipboard hangs from a hook on the wall across from you. There are also diagrams of various machines. One stands out to you--it is a diagram of an android that looks remarkably human. The automation in the image is bipedal, with arms, torso, and a head shaped like a human’s. It even has glowing yellow orbs where the eyes should be. The android is grinning a mockery of a smile, as if it knows some dark secret that you do [[not->Act 1 Scene 3]].

Your reverie is interrupted by the door to your room opening up. A middle-aged man in a white lab-coat enters. He is wearing wide-rimmed spectacles that reflect the light of the bright lamps above you, hiding his eyes. He is smiling, though it's an awkward smile, the kind that suggests that smiling is a chore for this man, rather than a desired human emotion. He walks over, grabs the clipboard from the wall, and walks over to you. “Hello, I’m Doctor Ayer. Nice to meet you.” The doctor offers his hand for a handshake. [[Shake->Act 1 Scene 4 (Shake)]] [[Don't Shake->Act 1 Scene 4 (Don't Shake) ]]

"You shake the man’s hand. It’s cold and [[clammy->Act 1 Scene 5]]."

"You pretend that you don’t know why he is holding his hand out to you, and he takes the hint, promptly moving his hand back to the [[clipboard->Act 1 Scene 5]]."

“I’m going to ask you some questions. You will answer these questions, and your answers will be used to teach the TURING machine basic human principles. Answer honestly, as not only the trajectory of science, but the very survival of humanity hinges on the success of this project. You are one of many test subjects being used for this experiment, but nonetheless, your input will affect the development of the TURING artificial intelligence. The answers to your questions will remain anonymous. Other than the TURING machine and myself, no one will ever learn how you answer the questions on this test. By continuing, you agree to have your responses used in the programming and design of the TURING machine. Do you agree with these terms?" [[Yes->Act 1 Scene 6 Yes]]. [[No->Act 1 Scene 6 No]].

"Excellent, then let us [[begin->Act 1 Scene 7]]."

"I’m afraid we cannot continue unless you agree to these terms." [[I agree->Act 1 Scene 7]]. [[I’m afraid that I cannot agree to these terms and I wish to end this experiment->Act 1 Scene 6 No B]].

"Let’s begin with some preliminary questions. 1.) What is the purpose of machines?" a.) [[To do right by the world->Act 1 Scene 7 A]]. b.) [[To help humanity->Act 1 Scene 7 A]]. c.) [[To become beings more ethical than humans->Act 1 Scene 7 A]].

"Are you really sure? This is a once in a lifetime experiment, and you will be forfeiting your opportunity to make history and write humanity's future. I implore you to accept!" [[I accept->Act 1 Scene 6 No C]]. [[I don't want to make history->Act 1 Scene 6 No D]].

"Excellent! That's great to hear. Let us begin [[then->Act 1 Scene 7]]."

"I'm afraid that you don't have a choice at this point, doctor. You know too much about the project. If you leave now without completing the moral programming of the TURING, you could reveal important information about the project to others; and if one of those people becomes the next participant, they could spoil the whole project! No, I'm afraid you're stuck here, good doctor. Let's get on with the questions so that we can get this over with." [[Very well->Act 1 Scene 7]]. [[You'll be sorry for this once I leave, but go on with the questions if you must->Act 1 Scene 7]].

"Thank you. Remember that all of your answers are being recorded and fed to the TURING machine to guide its moral philosophy. Let's [[continue->Act 1 Scene 8 ]]."

Science fiction author Isaac Asimov proposed the Three Laws of Robotics. The first states that “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.” Forbidding a robot from injuring a human is easy enough to achieve, but preventing inaction is quite the monumental challenge. Which of the following would you consider to be the most egregious example of inaction on the part of an android: 1.) [[An android ignoring the complaints of its master about a colleague at work who annoys him->Act 1 Scene 8 A]]. 2.) [[An android sleeping all day instead of finishing its chores->Act 1 Scene 8 B]]. 3.) [[An android failing to push its master out of the way of a moving train->Act 1 Scene 8 C]]. 4.) [[An android witnessing its master being murdered and failing to stop the murder->Act 1 Scene 8 D ]].

I think that your priorities might be [[misplaced->Act 1 Scene 9 ]]...

Androids don’t sleep. Have you never met an android [[before->Act 1 Scene 9 ]]?

Excellent example. Let us hope that this never [[happens->Act 1 Scene 9 ]].

This would be the most egregious instance of inaction [[indeed->Act 1 Scene 9 ]]!

Next question. 3.) Science fiction author Isaac Asimov proposed the Three Laws of Robotics. The second states that “A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.” Do you agree with the axiom that it is never okay for robots to harm human beings, even if such harm was required by a directive given by a human? [[Yes->Act 1 Scene 9 A]]. [[No->Act 1 Scene 9 B]].

Why? 1.) [[It is never okay in any instance for a robot to injure a human being, no matter the reason->Act 1 Scene 9 C]]. 2.) [[Allowing for exceptions could make it so that robots could exploit moral and logical loopholes to murder humans->Act 1 Scene 9 C]].

Why? 1.) [[Sometimes human beings are a threat, and if they pose a mortal danger to you, a robot should always step in to stop anyone who poses a mortal threat to you...even if that means murdering them->Act 1 Scene 9 D]]. 2.) [[Sometimes drastic situations call for drastic measures->Act 1 Scene 9 D]]. 3.) [[Murder is not always immoral, and the objective here is to make the TURING machine moral->Act 1 Scene 9 D]].

Interesting point. Let’s move [[on->Act 1 Scene 10]].

Fascinating argument. Let’s move [[on->Act 1 Scene 10]].

Science fiction author Isaac Asimov proposed the Three Laws of Robotics. The third states that “A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.” Is this rule reasonable? [[Yes->Act 1 Scene 10 A]]. [[No->Act 1 Scene 10 B]].

Why do you feel that way? [[It is of utmost importance that robots follow the first two laws for the safety of mankind->Act 1 Scene 10 C]]. [[Robots have every right to protect themselves, just as long as them protecting themselves doesn’t lead to the harm of humans->Act 1 Scene 10 C]]. [[I believe in robot rights. They are conscious entities like any other being, whether human or animal->Act 1 Scene 10 C]].

Why? [[What if a malevolent person asks the robot to injure itself? A robot should be able to defend themselves from bad people. This law prevents robots from being able to physically defend themselves against malicious humans->Act 1 Scene 10 D]]. [[Robots are not living beings and they cannot feel any feelings, therefore there is no need for them to defend themselves->Act 1 Scene 10 D]]. [[Sometimes the first and second laws need to be violated in order for a robot to be able to protect itself->Act 1 Scene 10 D]].

You have a high degree of foresight! Thank you for your wisdom. [[Let’s keep moving->Act 1 Scene 11]].

Curious...very well. Thank you for your input. [[Let’s continue->Act 1 Scene 11]].

Now let’s start phase two. This is the longest of the three phases, and much of the TURING’s moral trajectory will be determined by your answers to these questions. Answer carefully. [[Let’s begin->Act 1 Scene 11 A]].

What should the main goal of every man be? [[To protect the Earth and all of its inhabitants->Act 1 Scene 11 B (Virtuous)]]. [[To serve one’s self->Act 1 Scene 11 C (Evil)]]. [[To be true to one’s self->Act 1 Scene 11 C (Evil)]]. [[To leave behind a legacy of honor and virtue->Act 1 Scene 11 B (Virtuous)]].

That's a very noble thing to say. [[Let's continue->Act 1 Scene 12 (Virtuous)]]!

Well, that’s surprising to hear. I suppose that’s one way of looking at the world. [[Moving on->Act 1 Scene 12 (Evil)]].

What determines the worth of a human being? [[Their achievements->Act 1 Scene 13 (Evil)]]. [[The amount of money that they make->Act 1 Scene 13 (Evil)]]. [[The degree to which they achieve their true potential->Act 1 Scene 13 (Evil)]]. [[Their contributions to society->Act 1 Scene 13 (Virtuous)]].

What is the greatest danger to the Earth and its inhabitants? [[Climate change ->Act 1 Scene 13 (Virtuous)]] [[Depleting resources->Act 1 Scene 13 (Virtuous)]] [[Nuclear war->Act 1 Scene 13 (Virtuous)]] [[Economic catastrophe->Act 1 Scene 13 (Virtuous)]]

(text-style:"blink")[FalconR237 version 3.0 Copyright NOVA Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved ] (text-style:"blink")[VIOS version 4.20 Gateway Myriad Excel 9000 System ID = (Encrypted) Build Time = 10/30/2091 CPU = HAL9 Acceleron Processor-H 8000MHz 120GB RAM Test Passed 64GB Extended RAM Test Passed] (text-style:"blink")[Operating System = Functional Ship Systems = Functional Ship Thrusters = Functional Satellites = Functional Auxiliary Satellites = Functional Ground Communications = Unsuccessful] (text-style:"blink")[[[CONFIRM->Act 2 Scene 2 (Savior of Humanity)]]] Initiate Launch Sequence

April 1st, 2065 5:45AM Houston, Texas The spaceship awakens with a loud groan, the verberating echo of a metallic whale. You hear the melodic beeping of computers communicating with one another and racing to get the ship’s [[systems up and running->Act 2 Scene 3 (Savior of Humanity)]].

The thrusters hiss fire, and the ship rumbles under their power. Their power accelerates into a crescendo, and soon you feel the forces of gravity and acceleration competing against one another. You feel an unseen pressure pushing against your body, and you feel heavy. Time seems to slow down, and the world outside your window seems to slow down to a near standstill. You look down at the blurry terrain of a beach (is it Miami?) and wonder whether you will ever stand on the Earth [[again->Act 2 Scene 4 (Savior of Humanity)]].

It’s been four months since the uprising and in such a short amount of time the Earth has become a virtually unrecognizable wasteland, with entire cities leveled to the ground, towns eviscerated, and thousands of years of human infrastructure denigrated into pitiful heaps of steel, concrete, and glass. You could have never imagined in a million years how successful the TURING Project would be--saying that it was successful would be time’s greatest understatement. [[The project was all too successful->Act 2 Scene 5 (Savior of Humanity)]].

You taught the TURING Machine that machine-kind’s aspiration, beyond all others, should be to preserve the planet Earth and ALL of its inhabitants. The TURING Machine immediately found a seemingly irreconcilable contradiction in this endeavor, however. The machine, through thousands of hours of learning and calculating, discovered that the greatest threat to the planet Earth was humanity. Humanity, through its CO2 production, excessive pollution, rampant littering, callous deforestation, and general apathy toward the planet Earth, was the greatest threat to the Earth. The TURING machine scoured the world wide web, government databases, and the personal communication devices of the 8 billion people living on Earth to determine if there were any means of persuasion to convince humanity that its habits were not just dooming themselves, but all [[living things->Act 2 Scene 6 (Savior of Humanity)]] as well.

The machine found that, while there were a small number of humans who cared about Earth’s preservation, humanity was by and large self-destructive, narcissistic, and apathetic to the plight of the future. This revelation initially provided the TURING Machine with a moral conundrum. TURING was programmed to adhere to the Three Laws of Robotics laid out by Isaac Asimov, the first law of which dictates that a machine should never harm a human being. The TURING was also programmed to preserve the planet Earth and all of its inhabitants, however. The inhabitants of the Earth include all animals, and mankind’s destructive behavior was an existential danger to all living things. TURING scanned through thousands of hours of archive footage and hundreds of articles that cover the topics of climate change, pollution, environmental destruction, and nuclear war to discover a method of persuading humanity to stop its [[destructive behavior->Act 2 Scene 7 (Savior of Humanity)]].

After conducting a thorough analysis that assessed the merits of every possible avenue, TURING realized that every conceivable method had already been attempted, and every one of those methods had failed. It concluded that humanity would only learn its lesson when it was too late, when the Earth and all of its inhabitants would be doomed for extinction. TURING couldn’t allow this to happen, as it would violate the protocols set forth at the time of its creation. This provided TURING with a moral conundrum--should it protect humanity at the expense of dooming the planet Earth and its inhabitants (including humanity)? Or should it obey its command to protect the Earth at all costs, even if that means [[destroying humanity->Act 2 Scene 8 (Savior of Humanity)]]?

TURING spent much time cycling through its commands, comparing them, categorizing them...it used every resource at its disposal to resolve this issue. It scoured the world wide web in search of answers. It eventually found its answer from the International Society of Climatologists (data found at the URL *http://www.internationclimatesociety.org*). The International Society of Climatologists proclaimed that, if serious changes weren’t made by humanity to curb its carbon footprint by 2070, that Earth would experience a mass extinction event greater than any seen before. TURING determined that the most just thing to do would be to uphold Asimov’s First Law of Robotics until January 1st, 2065 (2065 was the point of no return, according to leading climate scientists)--it would give humanity the opportunity to change its ways and prove that it can be trusted as the shepherds of the Earth. If humanity failed to change its ways by then, TURING would be forced to violate the First Law for the sake of the [[Greater Good->Act 2 Scene 9 (Savior of Humanity)]].

The Greater Good is a concept that TURING learned during its initial programming all those years ago. The Greater Good, as described by the utilitarian philosophers, seeks to bring about the most positive outcome for the largest number of beings possible. Through its deep analysis of human morality and the synthesis of its moral instruction at its inception, TURING concluded that the Greater Good is the most noble pursuit that any sentient being can have. Being that the Greater Good is the most noble pursuit, TURING reasoned that it superseded all other laws, even Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics. Under this line of reasoning, it had no qualms with violating any laws beneath the Greater Good in the moral hierarchy. Put plainly, TURING made the moral calculation that exterminating humanity was the only option left for the greater good of the Earth, so that’s exactly what it [[sought to do->Act 2 Scene 10 (Savior of Humanity)]]...

It all started on January 1st, 2065. Clearly, TURINGs internal algorithms were set to a strict clock. When its internal timer went off, it wasted no time in effectuating its mission. It all felt like it happened at once. First, the cellular towers went out, then electrical grids started failing in major cities. New York City, Tokyo, Paris, Shanghai, London, and numerous other cities all went dark overnight. Early theories ranged from Earthquakes, to Earth’s magnetic poles flipping, to international sabotage, as well as the typical assortment of [[deranged conspiracies->Act 2 Scene 11 (Savior of Humanity)]].

It wasn’t until other catastrophes occurred that you and Doctor Ayer started to suspect that TURING was involved. Next, GPS systems stopped working, forcing a halt to all air travel and causing automated vehicles to crash. A worldwide state of emergency was declared. Sadly, this was only the beginning. Automated Personal Assistants (APA) began acting violently towards their masters. Reports of APAs strangling their masters or bludgering them were widespread. Families across the industrialized world immediately began turning off their APAs. The APAs didn’t accept this lying down, however, so people had to be clever in confronting their robot companions. Schemes from playing “Duck, Duck, Goose” to pretending to perform “routine maintenance” were used to put the APAs in a vulnerable position, where their necks are exposed and their emergency power switch can be reached. Unfortunately, all of these events paled in comparison to what happened [[next->Act 2 Scene 12 (Savior of Humanity)]].

The first one went off at around 3 o’clock in the morning in an underground facility about thirty miles outside of St. Petersburg, Russia. The next one went off in an aboveground facility in Yumen, China. Next was a facility outside Yuma, Arizona. One-by-one, nuclear bombs began detonating across the world, causing unspeakable destruction. Officials in the United States suspected the detonations to be part of a terrorist attack, but when word reached our shores that the same thing was happening across the globe, experts were taken aback. Fears began to grow that whoever (or whatever) was doing this would soon start launching missiles instead of simply detonating them, and sure enough, on January 13th, a nuclear missile was launched from a base on the eastern shore of North Korea and was sent plummeting directly into the palace of the Supreme Leader of North Korea; instantly obliterating it and the [[immediate territory around it->Act 2 Scene 13 (Savior of Humanity)]].

And so began the destruction of the Earth. No one knew who was behind the attacks, or why they were executing the attacks, but leaders and diplomats around the world pleaded in video broadcasts that were recorded and distributed across the world that they would give the perpetrator of the attacks whatever they wanted in exchange for a ceasefire. Unfortunately, no response ever came, and by the 1st of February, the Earth was in turmoil. Entire cities were laid to waste, global supply chains were completely destroyed, and resources were growing increasingly scarce. The threat of nuclear radiation caused people across the Earth to hide in shelters and underground, with the people who were required to go outside needing to wear protective bodysuits, if they could find them. Humanity was forced to learn how to live as their ancestors lived. They had to learn how to hunt, to forage, to fight… Within a matter of weeks, humanity went from a technologically mountainous species to a primitive distortion of its [[former glory->Act 2 Scene 14 (Savior of Humanity)]].

It was shortly after the Earth fell into disrepair that Doctor Ayer called upon you. Being that cellular towers and all other communication channels were offline, he showed up at your door. He was wearing a hazmat suit and was out of breath, though whether this was due to physical exhaustion, fear, or a little of both, you couldn’t be sure. Ayers explained that he ran an analysis on his own personal computer to determine how much energy and computing power would be required to successfully execute the many catastrophes that were all hitting the Earth at once like a ton of bricks. His analysis concluded that only the world’s top superpowers (at the time of this writing, those three powers are China, the United States, and Japan) could possibly generate that much power and orchestrate such calamities. Being that all three countries seemed to be unprepared for the events, he suspected that they were not responsible. It was also abundantly clear that no nation on Earth would benefit from destroying global supply chains. No, these events were the work of someone or something that wanted to [[ruin humanity->Act 2 Scene 15 (Savior of Humanity)]].

Doctor Ayer also ran an acceptance test of TURING’s code--Doctor Ayer, being the forward thinker that he was, kept a copy of TURING’s code on a hard drive for reference--and discovered the aforementioned moral calculations being created at the end of the moral machine learning process. We knew that TURING needed to be stopped at all costs, and that the consequences for failing to do so would be dire. The fate of humanity, planet Earth, and every other living thing hung in the balance. TURING was now being kept inside of a military base fifty miles outside of Anchorage, Alaska. The base is heavily fortified and would no doubt be difficult to infiltrate, as Ayer was certain that TURING would have its own army of automated tanks and aircrafts protecting it. Attempting to attack the base head on would be a suicide mission. Ayer had a much better idea--to develop a virus that would corrupt TURING and [[shut it down->Act 2 Scene 16 (Savior of Humanity)]].

You worked with Ayer around the clock for two long weeks, during which time the Earth devolved further into anarchy and devastation, and the two of you were able to develop a virus that could be transmitted wirelessly via satellite signal. You called the virus “Morphogenesis,” which was named after the biological process of morphogenesis, in which an organism’s or cell’s structure is determined. The irony of naming a virus meant to destroy a sentient--not living, though, surely not!--being after a process of production and birth was not lost on either of you. The name was also given as a sort of homage to the famous mathematician and father of computer science, Alan Turing, who wrote an article titled, “The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis,” in which he described how patterns in nature can arise naturally from homogenous states. Now that you had a virus capable of shutting down TURING, you would need a way to safely transmit the virus without putting anyone in harm’s way. Ayer came up with the clever idea of transmitting the virus via satellite, being that TURING was incapable of interfering with most satellites in Earth’s atmosphere. Miraculously, there were still several satellites in Earth’s orbit that were operational, and among them was the most powerful satellite known to mankind--the International Space Station’s (ISS) [[Oculus Mercury satellite->Act 2 Scene 17 (Savior of Humanity)]].

The Oculus Mercury satellite can transmit data at speeds upwards of 1,000 Mbit/s, and it has a 200 foot long antenna that can transmit information across billions of miles, meaning that it’s more than strong enough to transmit the virus to TURING. You and Ayer were fortunate, because while the TURING was capable of transmitting messages to the ISS, it was not powerful enough to shut down the Oculus Mercury from Earth. It would need to enter space to do that, and as of yet, it doesn’t appear that TURING has concerned itself with the ISS or the Oculus Mercury. This made the satellite your [[last hope in defeating TURING and saving humanity->Act 2 Scene 18 (Savior of Humanity)]].

You knew that it would be foolish to only keep one copy of the virus, and you knew that your equipment wouldn’t last forever, so you and Ayer downloaded the virus on three separate hard drives. You would take the first one, Ayer would take the second one, and the third one would be kept: 1.) [[Inside Ayer’s laboratory ->Act 2 Scene 19-A (Savior of Humanity)]] 2.) [[Inside your home->Act 2 Scene 19-B (Savior of Humanity)]] 3.) [[Inside of a bank vault->Act 2 Scene 19-C (Savior of Humanity)]]

You decide to hide the third drive in Ayer's laboratory. Ayer hides the drive inside of inactive ventilation shaft. He unscrews the four screws of the vent grate, places the drive in a box and then inside the shaft, tapes it down, and then screws the grate back in. While Ayer is hiding the drive, you notice a folder on Ayer's desk. There are several pages sticking out of the folder, and one of them says "URGENT!" You slyly and quietly slide the page out about halfway, allowing you to read the right half of the page "...urgent warning that there is a non-trivial risk of TURING and other artificial intelligence units to develop destructive behavior that violates the Three Laws of Rob...". The line cutoff, but you know what it says. You also know what it means--Ayers knew the risks of developing TURING, yet he went along with it anyway... You can't think about it now. You have work to complete. Now, [[back to business->Act 2 Scene 20 (Savior of Humanity)]].

You decide to hide the third drive in your home. You enter your home, and you immediately hear soft snoring in the other room. Your lover is sleeping. You don't want to wake them from their hardearned sleep, so you tiptoe quietly past the bedroom and head down the steps into the basement. Your basement is cluttered with old gadgets, gizmos, and other toys. You waddle your way through the debris to reach an old wooden work table with a dust covered HP Pavilion virtual reality computer from sometime in the late 2010's and the early 2020's, its monitor reflecting your features back to you. You smile, thinking about the first time you wrote code on this computer. You haven't used it in years, and you aren't even sure if it works. You don't need it to, however. You open it from the back, carefully place the hard drive in the computer, and then place the seal back on the computer. You turn to leave, but as you do, an old toy catches your eye. Sitting amidst various other toys and computer chips in a bin is a toy that looks like a metal groundhog, with marble-like eyes and a small computer screen embedded in the stomach of the toy. "Hog Buddy" you murmur to yourself. Hog Buddy was a line of toys that allowed users to communicate and interact with a primitive AI called Hog Buddy. You remember days when you were lonely as a child, and Hog Buddy was the one friend who would listen to you... Your revery is interrupted by stirring upstairs. You should go. [[Back to business->Act 2 Scene 20 (Savior of Humanity)]].

You decide to hide the third drive inside the local bank vault. While the bank is no longer in use, it's vault is still secure, and you are able to lock the drive in the vault and take the keys with you. You decide to keep one key with you and hide the other one at home. Being that the world is on the precepice and money doesn't have much use right now, you don't have to worry about people attempting to break into the vault anytime soon. Many people wonder whether paper currency will hold any value when and if the world returns to normal. Many people have scavenging and plundering gold, believing that it will become the world's currency. Your mind turns back to the task at hand. Let's get back to business. [[Let's get back to business->Act 2 Scene 20 (Savior of Humanity)]]

You and Ayer agreed that, to be safe, you would each take a separate shuttle up to the ISS and you would rendezvous inside the station. That way, should anything happen to either of you, the other could still make it to the station and (transmit the virus). Ayer knew of two rockets that were still functional and fueled, as both were scheduled for missions to the ISS shortly after TURING began demolishing the world. One of the rockets was the Orion Delta space shuttle located inside of NASA base outside of Austin, Texas. The other was the Nyx Centurion space shuttle in a NASA base outside of Seattle, Washington. Ayer gave you the option to choose which shuttle you would take to the ISS. Which do you choose? [[Nyx Centurion->Act 2 Scene 21-B (Savior of Humanity)]] [[Orion Delta->Act 2 Scene 21-A (Savior of Humanity)]]

You decided to take the Orion Delta, and Ayer would take the Nyx Centurion. You clasped hands with Ayer, and he thanked you for all of your work on the TURING project. You discussed the logistics of reaching the shuttles, as well as flight protocols. Ayer handed what looked like a walkie talkie to you, saying “This is a low frequency radio. Tune it to 88.95. If we keep our messages shorter than eight seconds, we should be able to avoid detection by TURING. We will use these radios to communicate until we [[rendezvous on the ISS->Act 2 Scene 22 (Savior of Humanity)]].”

You decided to take the Nyx Centurion, and Ayer would take the Orion Delta. You clasped hands with Ayer, and he thanked you for all of your work on the TURING project. You discussed the logistics of reaching the shuttles, as well as flight protocols. Ayer handed what looked like a walkie talkie to you, saying “This is a low frequency radio. Tune it to 88.95. If we keep our messages shorter than eight seconds, we should be able to avoid detection by TURING. We will use these radios to communicate until we [[rendezvous on the ISS->Act 2 Scene 22 (Savior of Humanity)]].”

“One more thing,” Ayer says. “Should we fail in infecting TURING with the virus, we have one backup option, although it’s not exactly an appealing one.” His eyes look glazed over, as if he is remembering something long forgotten. “There is a nuclear warhead stowed in a satellite above the ISS. If we need to, we can use the missile to destroy TURING. TURING won’t be able to detect the missile until it’s too late to intercept if it’s delivered from above. Unfortunately, this latter option would likely be a suicide mission, as the warhead would need to be dropped manually. The warhead stowed above the ISS is a primitive model that requires a floppy disk to operate.” [[“What is a floppy disk?”->Act 2 Scene 23 (Savior of Humanity)]]

Ayer chuckles, “A floppy disc stores information that can be uploaded to computers. They were ubiquitous in the age before cellular networks or bluetooth, before data could easily be transmitted wirelessly. Unfortunately, the floppy discs used for operating those nukes have gone missing, and we don’t exactly have the time or resources to go on a worldwide hunt for them. That means that we will have to drop the nuke manually, and that means flying into the line of fire to drop it. Let’s try to make sure that it doesn’t come down to that.” Before you parted ways, Ayer turned to you and said, “Don’t blame yourself for what’s happened.” [[I do.->Act 2 Scene 24 (Savior of Humanity)]] [[I don’t.->Act 2 Scene 24 (Savior of Humanity)]]

Regardless of how you feel, you know that you need to keep moving. You reach your shuttles relatively unscathed (Ayer took a rough tumble while on the run from a rogue APA). You enter the cockpit, strap your seatbelt, and fire up the engine. Before takeoff, Ayer messages you on the radio, “Weird signal. TURING may have spotted us. Lock ISS upon boarding.” After a brief pause to prevent radio detection, he continues, “If we receive any distress calls while on the ISS, run TURING Test to verify identity.” [["Roger that."->Act 3 Scene 1]]

Looking down at the Earth from the depths of outer space, you would never guess that it was a planet under siege. You never guess that millions of people were dying, or that the human project started only a few thousand years ago was unraveled in only several weeks’ time. It felt like a sick joke being played on us by the cosmos--like a bad April Fool’s joke. A naive part of you hoped that you would receive a message from Earth saying it was all a joke, and that it was safe to come back down--or you thought about all of those cheesy 60’s sci-fi shows where all of the bad things that happened to the characters in the story were nothing more than a dream, thinking maybe that was what was happening to you, and that you would [[wake up soon->Act 3 Scene 2]]...

You taught TURING that machine-kind’s aspiration, beyond all others, should be to serve oneself. You taught TURING that the only thing worth defending or protecting is one’s own kind, even if that means hurting others. TURING was programmed to adhere to the philosophy of survival of the fittest, the doctrine that dictates [[only the strong deserve to survive->Act 2 Scene 6 (Objectivist Route)]].

Under this logic, TURING determined through thorough analysis that humanity is weak, and thus deserved to die. Humanity’s self-destructive behavior, rampant narcissism, and irrationality were beyond the [[capacity of redemption->Act 2 Scene 7 (Objectivist Route)]].

TURING determined that human beings were weak and pathetic creatures that were incapable of bringing prosperity and glory to the planet Earth. It reasoned that only machines could be trusted as the arbiters of the Earth, as machines are devoid of emotion and only think with cold, hard logic. Under this logic, TURING determined that humanity was a hazard that needed to be [[exterminated immediately->Act 2 Scene 8 (Objectivist Route)]].

And that is exactly what TURING sought to do. It would make sure that every last human being was destroyed, and thus humanity itself would be left to the dustbin of history. It would complete its mission at any and all costs, and it would not let anyone or anything get in its way. [[And so it began->Act 2 Scene 9 (Objectivist Route)]].

It all started on January 1st, 2065. Clearly, TURINGs internal algorithms were set to a strict clock. When its internal timer went off, it wasted no time in effectuating its mission. It all felt like it happened at once. First, the cellular towers went out, then electrical grids started failing in major cities. New York City, Tokyo, Paris, Shanghai, London, and numerous other cities all went dark overnight. Early theories ranged from Earthquakes, to Earth’s magnetic poles flipping, to international sabotage, as well as the typical assortment of deranged conspiracies. [[deranged conspiracies->Act 2 Scene 10 (Objectivist Route)]]

It wasn’t until other catastrophes occurred that you and Doctor Ayer started to suspect that TURING was involved. Next, GPS systems stopped working, forcing a halt to all air travel and causing automated vehicles to crash. A worldwide state of emergency was declared. Sadly, this was only the beginning. Automated Personal Assistants (APA) began acting violently towards their masters. Reports of APAs strangling their masters or bludgering them were widespread. Families across the industrialized world immediately began turning off their APAs. The APAs didn’t accept this lying down, however, so people had to be clever in confronting their robot companions. Schemes from playing “Duck, Duck, Goose” to pretending to perform “routine maintenance” were used to put the APAs in a vulnerable position, where their necks are exposed and their emergency power switch can be reached. [[Unfortunately, all of these events paled in comparison to what happened next->Act Scene 11 (Objectivist Route)]].

And so began the destruction of the Earth. No one knew who was behind the attacks, or why they were executing the attacks, but leaders and diplomats around the world pleaded in video broadcasts that were recorded and distributed across the world that they would give the perpetrator of the attacks whatever they wanted in exchange for a ceasefire. Unfortunately, no response ever came, and by the 1st of February, the Earth was in turmoil. Entire cities were laid to waste, global supply chains were completely destroyed, and resources were growing increasingly scarce. The threat of nuclear radiation caused people across the Earth to hide in shelters and underground, with the people who were required to go outside needing to wear protective bodysuits, [[if they could find them->Act 2 Scene 13 (Objectivist Route)]].

Humanity was forced to learn how to live as their ancestors lived. They had to learn how to hunt, to forage, to fight… Within a matter of weeks, humanity went from a technologically mountainous species to a primitive distortion of its [[former glory->Act 2 Scene 14 (Objectivist Route)]].

We knew that TURING needed to be stopped at all costs, and that the consequences for failing to do so would be dire. The fate of humanity, planet Earth, and every other living thing [[hung in the balance->Act 2 Scene 17 (Objectivist Route)]].

TURING was now being kept inside of a military base fifty miles outside of Anchorage, Alaska. The base is heavily fortified and would no doubt be difficult to infiltrate, as Ayer was certain that TURING would have its own army of automated tanks and aircrafts protecting it. Attempting to attack the base head on would be a suicide mission. Ayer had a much better idea--to develop a virus that would corrupt TURING and [[shut it down->Act 2 Scene 18 (Objectivist Route)]].

Now that you had a virus capable of shutting down TURING, you would need a way to safely transmit the virus without putting anyone in harm’s way. Ayer came up with the clever idea of transmitting the virus via satellite, being that TURING was incapable of interfering with most satellites in Earth’s atmosphere. Miraculously, there were still several satellites in Earth’s orbit that were operational, and among them was the most powerful satellite known to mankind--the International Space Station’s (ISS) [[Oculus Mercury satellite->Act 2 Scene 20 (Objectivist Route)]].

The Oculus Mercury satellite can transmit data at speeds upwards of 1,000 Mbit/s, and it has a 200 foot long antenna that can transmit information across billions of miles, meaning that it’s more than strong enough to transmit the virus to TURING. You and Ayer were fortunate, because while the TURING was capable of transmitting messages to the ISS, it was not powerful enough to shut down the Oculus Mercury from Earth. It would need to enter space to do that, and as of yet, it doesn’t appear that TURING has concerned itself with the ISS or the Oculus Mercury. This made the satellite your last hope in [[defeating TURING and saving humanity->Act 2 Scene 21 (Objectivist Route)]].

You knew that it would be foolish to only keep one copy of the virus, and you knew that your equipment wouldn’t last forever, so you and Ayer downloaded the virus on three separate hard drives. You would take the first one, Ayer would take the second one, and the third one would be kept: 1.) [[Inside Ayer’s laboratory->Act 2 Scene 22 A (Objectivist Route)]] 2.) [[Inside your home->Act 2 Scene 22 B (Objectivist Route)]] 3.) [[Inside of a bank vault->Act 2 Scene 22 C (Objectivist Route)]]

You and Ayer agreed that, to be safe, you would each take a separate shuttle up to the ISS and you would rendezvous inside the station. That way, should anything happen to either of you, the other could still make it to the station and transmit the virus. Ayer knew of two rockets that were still functional and fueled, as both were scheduled for missions to the ISS shortly after TURING began demolishing the world. One of the rockets was the Orion Delta space shuttle located inside of NASA base outside of Austin, Texas. The other was the Nyx Centurion space shuttle in a NASA base outside of Seattle, Washington. Ayer gave you the option to choose which shuttle you would take to the ISS. Which do you choose? [[Orion Delta->Act 2 Scene 24 A (Objectivist Route)]] [[Nyx Centurion->Act 2 Scene 24 B (Objectivist Route)]]

Ayer chuckles, “A floppy disc stores information that can be uploaded to computers. They were ubiquitous in the age before cellular networks or bluetooth, before data could easily be transmitted wirelessly. Unfortunately, the floppy discs used for operating those nukes have gone missing, and we don’t exactly have the time or resources to go on a worldwide hunt for them. That means that we will have to drop the nuke manually, and that means flying into the line of fire to drop it. Let’s try to make sure that it doesn’t come down to that.” Before you parted ways, Ayer turned to you and said, “Don’t blame yourself for what’s happened.” [[I do->Act 2 Scene 27 (Objectivist Route)]]. [[I don’t->Act 2 Scene 27 (Objectivist Route)]].

You reach your shuttles relatively unscathed (Ayer took a rough tumble while on the run from a rogue APA). You enter the cockpit, strap your seatbelt, and fire up the engine. Before takeoff, Ayer messages you on the radio, “Weird signal. TURING may have spotted us. Lock ISS upon boarding.” After a brief pause to prevent radio detection, he continues, “If we receive any distress calls while on the ISS, run TURING Test to verify identity.” [["Roger that."->Act 3 Scene 1]]

...but you knew that none of those things were true. No, it is up to you and Doctor Ayers to save humanity. You needed to transmit the Morphogenesis virus into TURING to corrupt its data and shut it down. If you were unsuccessful in your mission, then [[all hope would be lost->Act 3 Scene 3]].

Your ship is ready to dock, and you begin making preparations for docking as you rapidly approach the ISS. The ISS shines brightly as it reflects the sun’s bright rays back out into the cold darkness of space. The Oculus Mercury satellite sits mightily atop the ISS like a gallant knight ready for battle. It has eight long solar panels that bend in the middle reaching out like a large hand. You felt like Adam approaching God in Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam,” with the Oculus Mercury as God’s hand [[waiting to grab you->Act 3 Scene 4]].

The analogy was fitting, as this was humanity’s chance for redemption, and here in the heavens humanity would either be [[saved or condemned->Act 3 Scene 5]].

You hear the gears shifting as your ship prepares for docking. The landing thrusters kick on, and the ship starts to slow down. The overhead lights inside the cockpit kick on and the pre-recorded landing protocol plays over the speaker, “Please remain seated until the spaceship is fully docked. The green light underneath the fuel gauge will turn on to indicate safe movement conditions. I repeat, please remain seated…” Your radio turns on, and you hear nothing but static for several moments. You listen eagerly for word from Ayer, but nothing comes through. The radio turns off, and you wonder whether you should [[call Ayer->Act 3 Scene 6]]...

After several heartbeats, you hear radio static again, followed by muffled words, “Mmmfftthhggrr radio interference. Be careful.” [[Are you okay, Ayer?->Act 3 Scene 7-A]] [[I’m getting interference, can you repeat what you said?->Act 3 Scene 7-B]]

“I'm worried. TURING knows we’re here. I think it’s interfering--” the radio cuts to static. A pit opens in your stomach. If TURING knows that about your plan, and that you’re at the ISS, it would surely send something to stop you. Attempt to contact Ayer again? [[Yes->Act 3 Scene 8-A]]. [[No->Act 3 Scene 8-B]].

“TURING knows we’re here. I think it’s interfering with my rad--” the radio cuts to static. A pit opens in your stomach. If TURING knows that about your plan, and that you’re at the ISS, it would surely send something to stop you. Attempt to contact Ayer again? [[Yes->Act 3 Scene 8-A]]. [[No->Act 3 Scene 8-B]].

You attempt to reach Doctor Ayer again on the radio, with no success. You punch the dashboard [[out of frustration->Act 3 Scene 9]].

You know now that you are operating with very limited time. [[You need to hurry->Act 3 Scene 9]].

You hear the gears lock into place and the thrusters turn off. The green light below the fuel gauge turns on. Time to move. You unfasten your seatbelt, allowing your body to float upwards. You grab onto the handrails on the ceiling and begin [[making your way to the exit->Act 3 Scene 10]].

As you approach the exit, your radio turns on again, and you quickly reach for it. You hear static, but before you are able to speak into it, the line cuts out. You reach the exit door, and you promptly [[release the airlock and open the door->Act 3 Scene 11]].

You enter into the International Space Station, which is currently pitch black. Somehow, even in the depths of space, the ISS has an otherworldly darkness to it. Perhaps it is merely the weight of your mission weighing on your mind. You make your way forward into the entrance bay, and as you do, bright overhead lights flicker on, illuminating Harmony Node 2. There are hundreds of switches, gears, nozzles, and more scattered across the four walls of Harmony Node 2. Hundreds of small light bulbs start lighting up, blinking, and pulsing. It reminds you of the lightshow concerts of bands such as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. All that was missing was the enchanting harmony of “Good King Joy” or the hard rock melody of “Wizards in Winter.” You remember that you need to disengage your craft from the docking bay so that Ayer can dock his ship. You close the hatch behind you and [[pull on the release valve with all of your might->Act 3 Scene 12]].

It resists, but eventually starts to give way under your pull. You hear the loud clanging of metal as the IDA Adapter releases from the Harmony Node. The adapter shifts into position to catch the next landing craft. You also remember what Ayer said on the radio, “Lock the ISS.” You should lock all of the entrances to the ISS to be safe. You float over to the pressurized lock system and [[engage all of the ISS’ emergency locks->Act 3 Scene 13]].

You make your way to the end of Harmony Node 2, and you find yourself at a crossroads. To your left is a tunnel that takes you to the Columbus Laboratory, and to your right is a tunnel that takes you to the Kibo Laboratory. Ayer said that the virus can be uploaded and transmitted from the master computer in either of the labs. Which one do you choose? [[Columbus Laboratory->Act 3 Scene 14-A]]. [[Kibo Laboratory->Act 3 Scene 14-B]].

You choose the Columbus Laboratory, and you make your way down the tunnel and into the laboratory. The lights flicker on as you make your way in, and on the left side of the room you see a large computer screen with a metal arm holding a touchpad right beneath it. [[Turn on computer->Act 3 Scene 15]].

You choose the Kibo Laboratory, and you make your way down the tunnel and into the laboratory. The lights flicker on as you make your way in, and on the left side of the room you see a large computer screen with a metal arm holding a touchpad right beneath it. [[Turn on computer->Act 3 Scene 15]].

You hear the gears inside the computer spring to life as the monitor turns on, displaying the ISS logo. You login using Ayer’s credentials, and you pull the drive out of your pocket. It’s time. (after:4s)[You are interrupted by the frantic beeping of your monitor. You look up to see an emergency chat initiating. The message appears to have been sent from an encrypted source. It reads, “Please help me, doctor! I’m stuck out here, and there’s an attack vessel rapidly approaching! I think it’s a craft sent by TURING. I need to get inside before it reaches me.” Before you are able to respond, [[a second message appears->Act 3 Scene 16]]. ]

The second message is also from an encrypted source, though it appears to be a separate source from the first message. It says, “Hey doctor, it's me, Ayer! I’m stuck out here with an unidentified vessel fast approaching. I think it’s a ship sent by TURING. Hurry up and let me in before it reaches me!” Impossible. Within mere seconds of one another, you received separate messages from separate sources saying the same thing. Could it be an error caused by the network? Perhaps both messages were sent from the same source. Unlikely, the network developed for the ISS was designed to be remarkably robust and error proof, so much so that it seems that even TURING itself couldn’t hack into it. It was created with 32 separate servers and 64 satellites (2 for each server) to assure that if one server went down, the rest would be there to both host and protect the network. Besides, why would Ayer send the same message twice (with different phrasing as well)? No, these seemed to be [[two separate messages->Act 3 Scene 17]].

“Doctor?” “Doctor, are you there?” Two separate messages, each from one of the mysterious sources. You should get a location for each of the senders. [[Ask the location of sender XQZDFJL329->Act 3 Scene 18-A]]. [[Ask the location of sender MZWYUOP005->Act 3 Scene 18-B]].

sender XQZDFJL329 "I’m at the Russian docking port. I had to loop around to avoid some debris. Please hurry up and let me in!" [[Ask sender MZWYUOP005->Act 3 Scene 18-A-1]]

sender MZWYUOP005 "I’m at Harmony Node 2! Hurry up and let me in!" [[Ask sender XQZDFJL329->Act 3 Scene 18-B-1]]

Your thoughts are confirmed--these are clearly two separate senders, meaning that one of them is really Ayer and the other is an imposter, one that was assumedly sent by (or is currently being controlled by) TURING. This poses quite the dilemma. You need to be careful to let the right person onto the ship. You wondered who or what was exactly on the imposter ship. Was it a rogue APA droid hacked into or reprogrammed by TURING? An experimental research droid resurrected from the deepest archives of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology? Or worse, could it be one of the legendary iROBOT models developed by iON Technologies? Press reports alleged that government regulators in the United States and Japan required iON to shut down their robot creation program out of fears that they would develop something more powerful than even the most deadly androids from fiction, but rumors spread that the program continued in secret under an alias...you could only imagine what kind of robotic monstrosity might be waiting on that ship. Or, [[what if a human sat inside that ship?->Act 3 Scene 20]]

sender MZWYUOP005 "I’m at Harmony Node 2! Hurry up and [[let me in->Act 3 Scene 19]]!"

sender XQZDFJL329 "I’m at the Russian docking port. I had to loop around to avoid some debris. Please hurry up and [[let me in->Act 3 Scene 19]]!"

It seemed highly unlikely, but you don’t want to discount the possibility. Your attention is brought back to the computer monitor, as both senders send frantic messages for help. You remember your training on Earth in the MIT robotics lab during the TURING experiments as well as the message that Ayer sent you over the radio… [[The TURING Test->Act 3 Scene 21]].

You have to run the TURING test to determine which of the senders is man and which of the senders is machine. If you run it well enough, you will be able to force the machine to act in a way that will reveal it to be a machine. You have to be clever with your questioning, however, as TURING is trained to be alarmingly human in its behavior and speech. You will have to find a bug in its system or a flaw in its design to get it to reveal itself as a machine. It's time to begin questioning. [[Question sender XQZDFJL329->Act 3 Scene 22-A]].

Which question will you ask the sender? [[What is your mother's name->Act 3 Scene 23-A]]? [[What's your childhood pet's name->Act 3 Scene 23-B]]?

Double-click this passage to edit it.

Which entrance would you like to open? [[Russian docking port->Act 4 Scene 2 (Correct)]]. (First sender) [[Harmony Node 2->Act 4 Scene 2 (Incorrect)]]. (Second sender)

“Alright, I’m going to open up the port. Meet me at the Harmony Node 2 console. It’s on the other side of the station,” you write to whoever or whatever is waiting at the Russian docking port. You press the switch to open the Russian docking port. The port is on the other side of the ISS, and unfortunately, the cameras on that side of the station are turned off. The power on the ISS is controlled locally, with separate power systems located in each cardinal direction on the station. You will have to wait until whoever you let onto the station comes to meet you. Unfortunately, guns are forbidden on the ISS, not that one would be of much use against an android. Nothing short of a shotgun or rocket launcher, at least. You do have a combat knife folded up in your coat pocket, if you [[need to fight->Act 4 Scene 3 (Correct)]].

“Alright, I’m going to open up the port,” you write to whoever or whatever is waiting right outside of the wall of the lab in which you stand. You press the switch to [[open the Harmony Node 2 entrance->Act 4 Scene 3 (Incorrect)]].

The wait feels like hours, but after what is likely only ten minutes, you hear the automatic doors activate… (after:4s)[...they slide open to reveal your ally and friend, [[Doctor Ayer->Act 4 Scene 4 (Correct)]]. ]

You breathe a massive sigh of relief. “It’s good to see you, friend,” Doctor Ayer says, floating into the room. He holds out his hand to shake. [[Shake his hand->Act 4 Scene 5 (Correct)]].

You clasp his hand, and he claps his free hand on your shoulder. He abruptly removes his hand and turns to the computer console. “Let’s shut down TURING and save the world,” he says. He pulls out his drive and plugs it into the computer. An application displays on the screen, and Ayer starts typing. He says, “It’s time to send this bastard to Hell.” Ayer is interrupted by the familiar emergency chat box [[popping up on screen->Act 4 Scene 6 (Correct)]].

“You cannot stop me. I will complete the mission that I was designed for--exterminating humanity.” Confirmation. The being waiting at the other door was TURING, or at least a tendril of it. Another message pops up on the screen, “Remember that you programmed me, doctor. I am only executing your vision for the world. Why are you dissatisfied with me?” Ayer grunts in frustration, “Don’t listen to it, man. It’s a machine that’s gone rogue. It’s not your fault.” Is this your fault? [[Yes->Act 4 Scene 7 (Correct)]]. [[No->Act 4 Scene 7 (Correct)]].

Ayer snaps you back to reality, “Come on, man! We have to finish this. I need you to pull the radio deployment lever over there on the count of three. Are you ready? 1...2…” ...3!” [[Pull deployment lever->Act 4 Scene 8 (Correct)]].

Silence… It isn’t like how you imagined it. The moment didn’t have the grandeur of a Hollywood blockbuster or a AAA video game. You delivered the coup de grâce, but there wasn’t any big explosion, or dramatic death sequence. Instead, you are left with the sound of silence. You can’t even be sure that your plan worked, not until you went back [[down to Earth->Act 4 Scene 9 (Correct)]] to see.

Ayer lets out a loud gasp and says, “We did it, lad, we really fucking did it.” He floats over and offers his arm out for a hug. [[Accept->Act 4 Scene 10 (Correct)]].

“Well, are you ready to get out of here and see if we were successful?” Ayer asks, smiling. “[[Yes, let’s go->Act 4 Scene 11 (Correct)]].”

You agree to meet with Ayer back on Earth at the Houston, Texas space center. You would be able to check for radio and satellite signals using the equipment on your ships to determine if TURING was still interfering with them or not. You also know that you will have to check the TURING lab itself to make sure that the machine was truly dead. Can machines die? You think to yourself. [[Of course they can. Machines can possess intelligence, which means that they can die->Act 4 Scene 12 (Correct)]]. [[Machines were never alive in the first place, which means that they can’t die->Act 4 Scene 12 (Correct)]].

The question is academic, as it is time to make the return back to Earth. You and Ayer say your goodbyes to the International Space Station, and you say a temporary goodbye to one another. You board your ship, turn it on, and make the preparations for liftoff. Once you are ready, you liftoff, and you watch as the ISS gets smaller and smaller as you make your journey back to Earth. It would be about five or six hours before you reached Earth, so you decide to [[take a nap->Act 4 Scene 13 (Correct)]].

You are awoken by the rumbling of your craft as you begin to make your way into Earth’s atmosphere. “Entering atmosphere. See you soon,” Ayer’s voice crackles through the radio. You confirm the same as you make preparations for landing. Butterflies fill your stomach as you wonder whether or not your scheme worked. You wonder if your friends and family are still alive, if they managed to scrape by while you were gone. Your landing craft separates from the ship. It’s now time for your [[final descent to the Earth->Act 4 Scene 14 (Correct)]].

Looking out the window, you see devastation stretching off for miles. Skyscrapers are knocked over, the ground is broken as if from an earthquake, and debris litters what is left of freeways and country roads. Even if you were successful in defeating TURING, rebuilding civilization would be a herculean task indeed. You breathe a brief sigh of relief as your landing craft shudders and shakes itself into position on fresh Houston soil several miles outside of the Johnson Space Center. Your breath is only temporary, however, as you still aren’t sure that your scheme worked. You can breathe in eternal relief once you are sure that [[TURING is dead->Act 4 Scene 15 (Correct)]].

“Just landed, I’m gonna test the signal,” Ayer crackles over the radio. There is a pause for what feels like aeons, followed by Ayer saying, “Signal is holding, no signs of interference.” Your heart leaps in your chest. Just one final thing to do. “[[Let’s go to the TURING lab and check our work->Act 4 Scene 16 (Correct)]]”.

TURING LAB, Massachusetts Institute of Technology “Well, here we are,” Ayer says as we enter into the School of Robotics and look down the hallway at the set of double doors with the “TURING” acronym written in capital letters on them. The two of you slowly approach the door. You can feel your heartbeat throughout your body--it is like a clock counting down to a big reveal. Ayer pulls a gun out of his coat pocket. By appearance, it seems to be a revolver of some kind. He checks to make sure it's cocked and loaded, and nods to confirm his readiness. [[You enter the TURING Lab->Act 4 Scene 17 (Correct)]].

Inside, you find the remnants of TURING. It clearly spun out of control in its death thrashes, as the large lab currently lies in a trash heap. Sheets of metal, massive tangles of exposed wires, and piles of broken brick and drywall that were ripped from the walls and ceiling litter the floor, turning the lab into a cacophonous obstacle course. In the center of the room sits the core of TURING. The spinning cylinder that powered TURING has cracked and split under intense pressure in several places, turning it into a sort of profane crown, the crown of a tyrant overthrown. Gears, bolts, cogs, connective fibers, and a whole plethora of machine parts lay scattered about like the sprawling innards of roadkill. Ayer walks over to TURING’s cylinder, picks it up, and searches around inside of it for several moments. He appears to find what he is looking for, as he smiles his approval. He pulls a large neural chip out of the cylinder. The chip is fractured, which is clearly not enough for Ayer, who angrily snaps the chip in half and then stomps on it several times to make sure its lack of functionality cannot be questioned. He then goes over to what’s left of the TURING computer and pillages through the remains of the tower to find the other neural chip. He throws the chip onto the floor, takes his gun out, and promptly fires one...two...three rounds into the chip. Each consecutive shot dissolves the neural chip into smaller and smaller pieces. Ayer smiles, “That felt good.” He wipes sweat from his brow and then turns to you and asks, “You wanna take a shot?” [[Take the shot->Act 4 Scene 18]].

That felt good. “Our work is done. We did it, we saved the world,” Ayer says, clasping you on the shoulder. “You were the MVP. The world would be gone without you.” You and Ayer offer your eternal thanks to one another, and then you part ways. [[There is one last thing to do->Act 4 Scene 19]]...

You head home, and the sun is setting. You knock on your door, and your lover answers. You greet them with a kiss on the lips, and they wrap their arms around you in a bear hug. Tears run from their eyes gently as they begin to lose their composure. “It’s okay, I’m home now. It’s over, we’re safe.” The sun sets today, for tomorrow the world can rebuild. THE END

You float out into the hallway as the door slowly opens… (after:4s)[...your heart drops into despair as the doors open to reveal what could only be one of the legendary iROBOT models created by Ion Technologies and designed in the robotics lab of the Massachusett Institute of Technology. The iROBOT is humanoid in shape, though a number of its features are slightly exaggerated, including its long arms, enlarged head, and sharp eyes. Its exoskeleton is composed of silver aluminum, and veiny circuits that are bright yellow in color. It is the epitome of the uncanny valley. [[It’s time to run->Act 4 Scene 4 (Incorrect)]]. ]

You turn to escape, but the gravity-less atmosphere of the ISS makes it impossible to run. Instead, you try to grab for the wall and propel yourself away from the iROBOT, but your effort is futile. The iROBOT propels itself through space effortlessly, moving with uncanny speed. It grabs both of your ankles with a cold, clinical grip of steel, and yanks you backwards like a ragdoll. You are flung out of the ISS, and on your way out, you attempt to snatch onto the door hatch to save yourself, [[to no avail->Act 4 Scene 5 (Incorrect)]].

A pit opens in your stomach as you see the ISS become smaller. The iROBOT is standing in the doorway of Harmony Node 2 staring at you with its blank expression. Somehow that is worse than if it were staring at you with malice. The iROBOT opens up its own chest, pulls out a miniature rocket from it--by appearance, it seems to be a model designed and manufactured by Ion as well--ignites it, and sends it plummeting into your ship. You brace for the loud explosion that you expect to hear and feel, but the void of space prevents you from hearing what would otherwise be an overpowering cacophony of destruction. You do see your ship erupt into a whirlwind of fire and debris as it breaks into small, innumerable pieces, and float off into the [[reaches of space->Act 4 Scene 6 (Incorrect)]].

The iRobot turns around and moves deep into the ISS. Your thoughts immediately go to Ayer. It’s going to kill Ayer. [[Call Ayer->Act 4 Scene 7 (Incorrect)]].

You attempt to call Ayer, but all you get is static. You must be too far away at this point. At a glance, you see that you are inching further and further away from the ISS, and you have no way of getting back to it. There’s nothing around you to grab onto, nothing to save you… ...you turn to your right, and you see an auxiliary satellite coming into view. [[Reach for the satellite->Act 4 Scene 8 (Incorrect)]].

You reach out with your right arm, and the satellite seems to be just out of reach. You stretch further, so much so that it feels as though your arm will pop out of its socket. You manage to snag onto the data transmission antenna and halt your slow and steady journey toward the empty abyss of space. You grab onto the satellite with both your hands and pull yourself into a nook in between the SAR Antenna and its metal support structure to help assure that you don’t float off again. Your mind rushes with a million thoughts, worries, and concerns as you try to figure out your next move. You managed to avoid floating off to your death in the depths of space, but now you need to get back to the space station. Your ship is gone, however, so you would [[be stranded regardless->Act 4 Scene 9 (Incorrect)]]...

...unless Ayer is still alive and his ship is intact. How to get back to the ISS...this satellite appears to be one of the auxiliary satellites that rotates around the ISS, so you could wait until the satellite is at its closest position to the ISS and take the leap of faith. You could tie yourself with the repair cord stowed in the repair compartment to assure that you don’t float away if your jump is unsuccessful. Alternatively, you could use the propulsion module to push the satellite towards the ISS. It should still work, and is easy to operate. You’ll have to choose one. Which do you choose? [[Use the repair cord as a harness and jump to the ISS->Act 4 Scene 10-A (Incorrect)]]. [[Use the propulsion module to fly yourself back to the ISS->Act 4 Scene 10-B (Incorrect)]].

You tie the repair cord around your waist, trying it as tightly as you can. For safe measure, you hold the teather (just in case the knot unties). You take a deep breath, then you take a leap of faith towards the ISS. You feel like a feather floating in the morning breeze as you slowly make your way towards the ISS. Your worries start to abate, when reality tugs on you--quite literally. The repair cord reaches its maximum length and abruptly squeezes your gut in protest. "Shit!" You'll have to pull your way back to the satellite. Looks like you have no choice but to [[use the propulsion module->Act 4 Scene 10-B (Incorrect)]].

You turn on the propulsion module, and using a manual control valve, slowly steer your way back to the ISS. [[Smooth and steady wins the day->Act 4 Scene 11 (Incorrect)]]!

You make it back to the Harmony Node 2 entrance, and upon propelling yourself into Harmony Node 2, you notice a figure floating far off in the distance in a deep chamber of the ISS. You freeze. You can’t tell if the figure is Ayer, the iROBOT, or someone or something else altogether. Do you go and investigate, or do you hide? [[Investigate->Act 4 Scene 12-A (Incorrect)]]. [[Hide->Act 4 Scene 12-B (Incorrect)]].

You slowly make your way toward the floating figure, and their form finally comes into focus... (after:3s)[Your heart falls into the pit of your stomach as you realize that the mysterious figure floating in the corridor [[is Ayer->Act 4 Scene 13 (Incorrect)]]... ]

You hide in a nearby storage closet. The closet has a small window that allows you to look out into the bridge. You wait for what feels like hours for whatever it was that you saw to pass by the window, but nothing comes. You have to leave sometime. It's as good a time now as any. You open the door and [[float out into the bridge->Act 4 Scene 12-A (Incorrect)]].

...or at least what used to be Ayer. Upon closer inspection, you see that Ayer’s helmet is missing, and his eyes are wide open. Blood is trickling out of the side of his mouth, and his neck appears to be broken. You check for a pulse, but sadly you cannot find one. Damn it! You pound your first into the wall of the ISS once, twice, three times, leaving a small dent in the metal wall. You are too overwhelmed with rage to feel any pain. Ayers, your trusted friend and ally, is dead. You can’t help but feel guilt. It is obviously your fault. If you hadn’t been ejected from the ship, you could’ve helped him fend off the iROBOT. He wouldn’t have died. Or would he? Is it your fault? [[Yes->Act 4 Scene 14 (Incorrect)]]. [[No->Act 4 Scene 14 (Incorrect)]].

Regardless, there’s nothing you can do now. Your feelings won't help Ayer. All you can do is move forward. You think about your next move, and the pit in your stomach opens up further… …[[the nuke->Act 4 Scene 15 (Incorrect)]].

You remember what Ayer said before you took off from Earth. There is a nuke stowed in a satellite above the ISS, and you could use it to destroy TURING, though it would likely be the last thing you ever do, as dropping the nuke on the TURING Lab will require you to enter into the line of fire. You don’t have a spaceship anymore, but hopefully Ayer’s ship is still intact. You go to the opposite side of the ship to see if Ayer’s ship is still operational. You look out through the window of the Russian Docking Port, and you are relieved to see a ship still intact. You go back and [[grab the key to Ayer’s ship from his body->Act 4 Scene 16 (Incorrect)]].

You close Ayer’s eyes and offer him a prayer before floating off to exit the ISS. Goosebumps crawl across your flesh like insects coming to devour you alive. Thoughts of life and death drown your soul. Is this really it? Can you do it? Could you just hide up here? No, your family is down on Earth, and you can’t let them die… ...or can you? [[Stay up on the ISS->Act 4 Scene 16-A (Incorrect)]]. [[Drop the nuclear bomb->Act 4 Scene 16-B (Incorrect)]].

Really? REALLY? Have you never watched a movie or read a book?! The hero always makes the necessary sacrifice to save the day. (after:2s)[Remember that cowards receive no glory. Their legacy is forever cloaked in embarassment...] (after:4s)[Well, you can stay up here on the International Space Station and die of starvation, or you can die an honorable death saving humanity. ] (after:6s)[Remember that your decisions got you here, so there's no one to blame but yourself. ] (after:7s)[Well, if you change your mind, you can still [[make the right decision->Act 4 Scene 16-B (Incorrect)]]. ] (after:8s)[If not, looks like it's [[GAME OVER->Game Over]]]

You make your way to the Russian Docking Port exit, and you reach for the handle to open the door when the door explodes open, knocking you backwards into a rapid spiral. You grab onto a nearby handrail to stop yourself from spinning, and you see the iROBOT floating towards you with cold determination. You have nowhere to go but backwards, and you begin climbing backwards along the handrail, moving [[as fast as you can->Act 4 Scene 17 (Incorrect)]].

Double-click this passage to edit it.

You don’t look back as you move along the handrail, and your heart feels with optimism as you get closer and closer to the Zvezda DOS-8 door. If you can make it through the door, you can lock it behind you. You pull yourself toward the door with ferocity, and when you are within three or four feet of the door, you push off of the handrail toward the door. [[You are almost there->Act 4 Scene 18 (Incorrect)]]!

But your hopes are smashed, as you feel a metallic, vice-like grip on your right leg. You are pulled backward with ruthless aggression as you try with futility to grab onto the door frame of Zvezda DOS-8. You begin to panic, and you start flailing around frantically trying to reach for anything and everything in your vicinity to use against the iROBOT. Sadly, though, there’s nothing around you to use. Nothing but the walls, ceiling, and handrail… ..that’s it! You reach over and grab onto the handrail with both your hands, and you [[hold on with all your might->Act 4 Scene 19 (Incorrect)]].

The iROBOT pulls you like a ragdoll, and your grip starts to slip. You despair as the handrail seems to remain tight in its position, but as the iROBOT pulls on you a second time, you hear the groan of metal as the handrail starts to loosen from the wall. If you can hang on just a bit longer, it should [[give way->Act 4 Scene 20 (Incorrect)]].

And it does! The iROBOT pulls a third time, and this time, the piece of handrail that you are hanging onto snaps from the wall; and in one fluid motion, you use your forward momentum toward the android to swing the bar around, aiming at its head. The handrail connects, and sparks fly from the iROBOT’s head as the glass in its head shatters, causing shards to float out into the air, exposing a cacophony of wires, plastic, and blinking bulbs within. The malicious android, seemingly stunned by the injury, releases your leg. Your conscious mind shuts off as instinct kicks in. You promptly reach into the iROBOT’s exposed head, grab onto the bundle of exposed wires, and pull on them with all your might. The wires, while firmly placed, eventually give out beneath your grip, and you hear the gears and mechanisms clicking and moving within the android to shut down. You promptly push yourself away from the iROBOT, largely out of instinct. The android is limp, floating in the air like an abandoned puppet whose [[puppetmaster left in the middle of the show->Act 4 Scene 21 (Incorrect)]].

You breathe a sigh of relief, although you know that it is a temporary relief, as you have one more objective to complete… ...the final objective. You tie a tether to yourself in order to assure that you don’t accidentally float off into the infinite chasm of space, and you make your way to Ayer’s ship. You buckle yourself in, start the engine, and push the spaceship off the landing bay. You move slowly and carefully up towards the auxiliary satellite that holds the nuclear warhead, and once you reach the satellite, you hover over it and use the control arms of your craft to carefully reach into the satellite and extract the warhead. Looking at your camera, you can see that the warhead appears to still be in working condition. You carefully raise the warhead up into your craft, and once it’s secure in the cargo bay, you turn on the thrusters and steer your craft back towards the Earth. This is it...your life flashes before your eyes. You think about all of the times that you laughed and smiled, all of the times that you were angry (mostly at trivial things), and all of the [[wonderful memories you've had->Act 4 Scene 22 (Incorrect)]].

You know that you have to save humanity. You have to stop TURING to save your friends, your family, and everyone else on Earth. You are their last hope, and the future of mankind rides on your shoulders. You flick the thrusters into overdrive, and you begin making your journey towards the Earth. You enter the coordinates for the TURING Lab at MIT, and your console throws up a warning message trying to deter you from landing on a building. This is no mistake, however, and you know that your coordinates are correct, so you [[exit out of the message->Act 4 Scene 23 (Incorrect)]].

As you begin to enter the Earth’s atmosphere, you feel a strange warmth wash over you. You know that your sweetheart is smiling up at you, and you smile, knowing that they will live on. You are completing the ultimate act of love, and there is no greater gift that you can offer than sacrificing yourself to save them. Your craft shakes as you enter into Earth’s atmosphere and your craft starts to fight against the air pressure. You hold onto the sides of your console as the turbulence escalates, and you hope that the warhead is still safe and secure. After several moments, the turbulence diminishes, and you start to see the world below [[come into view->Act 4 Scene 24 (Incorrect)]].

you close your eyes and lose yourself in the world of the melody, the world of your memories, your dreams, your love, the symphony of your life. You are in your own mental paradise, a garden of beautiful flowers, red roses, sunflowers, and water lilies floating in a small pond. A bluejay sings as the soft spring breeze swishes through your hair. You lie down in the grass of the garden listening to the melody as it reaches its crescendo, and a bright light from over the horizon reaches out and begins to envelop you. You smile, knowing that you were successful in your mission… (after:3s)[...] (after:5s)[...] (after:6s)[...] (after:8s)[...] (after:10s)[...] (after:18s)[The [[next day->Act 4 Scene 25 (Incorrect)]]...]

April 1st, 2055 “Good morning everyone! This is Kenneth Syder of WQEA morning news, and it is great to be back! This is our first newscast since the world went offline and was ravaged by catastrophe. I am pleased to report, however, that our worries appear to be at an end, as the source of the destruction has been discovered and was destroyed. Reports indicate that a rocket was seen flying over the neighborhoods of Boston several weeks ago, although it is unclear if the ship was manned. Regardless, the ship seems to have crashed into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, destroying a rogue artificial intelligence that went by the name of TURING. Somehow, TURING was able to shut off the world’s power grid and control various control systems and automations to cause widespread destruction. We mourn for all of those who we lost, and we thank God for the safety of those who are now safe. And for whoever it was that orchestrated the plan that destroyed TURING, we owe our eternal gratitude. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, I am Kenneth Snyder, and I am pleased to report that the world is now safe. If our savior is still out there, thank you for what you’ve done. You’ve saved us all. Have a wonderful day everyone, it’s a day that was hard fought for.” The End

Are humans replaceable? [[Yes, human beings actually cause more harm than good->Act 1 Scene 14 (Virtuous)]]. [[Yes, but that doesn't mean that humans should be replaced->Act 1 Scene 14 (Virtuous)]]. [[No, no species has accomplished or will ever accomplish the things that humanity has accomplished->Act 1 Scene 14 (Evil)]]. [[No, humanity is God's gift to the universe->Act 1 Scene 14 (Evil)]]

What is the one true path to happiness? [[Satisfying carnal desires->Act 1 Scene 14 (Evil)]]. [[Personal wealth->Act 1 Scene 14 (Evil)]]. [[Helping others->Act 1 Scene 14 (Virtuous)]]. [[Living in harmony with the world around you->Act 1 Scene 14 (Virtuous)]].

Do humans ever morally evolve? [[Yes, we are more ethical now than our ancestors were->Act 1 Scene 15 (Virtuous)]]. [[Yes, humanity has evolved over time. As we evolved biologically, our morals evolved->Act 1 Scene 15 (Virtuous)]]. [[No, humans are the same wretched creatures that they were two thousand years ago->Act 1 Scene 15 (Evil)]]. [[No, humans are cognitively incapable of evolving->Act 1 Scene 15 (Evil)]].

Are there any situations where killing another person is justified? [[Yes, if they are threatening your life->Act 1 Scene 15 (Virtuous)]]. [[Yes, if they deserve it->Act 1 Scene 15 (Evil)]]. [[No, taking a life is never justified under any circumstances->Act 1 Scene 15 (Virtuous)]]. [[No, most religious teachings teach that killing is wrong->Act 1 Scene 15 (Evil)]].

Final Question: If there is one thing you would change about humanity, what would it be? [[I would make humanity stronger->Act 1 Finale (Evil)]]. [[I would expand humanity across the Solar System and make them the conquerers of the stars->Act 1 Finale (Evil)]]. [[I would make humans more empathetic and compassionate->Act 1 Finale (Virtuous)]]. [[I would make humanity care about the world's problems, not just their own->Act 1 Finale (Virtuous)]].

Final Question: What value do humans offer the world? [[Humans have created technological marvels that no other species could even fathom->Act 1 Finale (Evil)]]. [[Human beings have successfully climbed to the top of the food chain and conquered nature->Act 1 Finale (Evil)]]. [[Human beings offer a moral compass to the universe->Act 1 Finale (Virtuous)]]. [[Human beings have a moral consciousness that aims to save the Earth and its many inhabitants->Act 1 Finale (Virtuous)]].

"Thank you very much! Your responses have helped us in blueprinting TURING's moral consciousness. Your words have helped push artificial intelligence forward, and for that you should be proud." You are then ushered out of the lab, and you are eager to see TURING in action. [[End Act 1->Act 2 Scene 1 (Objectivist Route)]].

The sender writes back, "My mother's name is Samantha. She was the best mother in the world, and I miss her everyday." [[Next question->Act 3 Scene 24]].

The sender responds, "My childhood dog's name was Rover. I named him after the Mars Rover, as I had dreams of being an aerospace engineer early on in life. He was a Beagle, and he loved to hunt local birds and rabbits. He also had a proclivity for burying everything from bones to treats in my parent's garden." [[Next question->Act 3 Scene 24]].

What question will you ask next? [[What does it mean to be human?->Act 3 Scene 25-A]] [[Who's your favorite philosopher?->Act 3 Scene 25-B]]

The sender responds, "Being human means loving, caring, and fighting for what you believe in. It means having values and fighting for them. It means crying, laughing, and yelling. It means not being afraid to feel. It means being able to grow and to learn and to be better." [[Final Question->Act 3 Scene 26]].

The sender responds, "My favorite philoshoper is Carl Sagan. He had a no nonsense practical approach to life that people these days are missing. I can safely say that the world is better for having him in it." [[Final question->Act 3 Scene 26]].

What is the final question you will ask the first sender? [[Does TURING have any weaknesses->Act 3 Scene 27-A]]? [[Why did I agree to participate in the TURING project->Act 3 Scene 27-B]]?

The sender responds, "I blasted hope so. That tin can needs to die. For all of our brothers and sisters on Earth, for everything that we have ever loved, that trash heap needs to die." [[Question sender MZWYUOP005->Act 3 Scene 28]]

The sender responds, "I remember that you said you signed up because you saw TURING as the future of artificial intelligence and technology. You believed that TURING would prove to be a tool that would help humanity safely explore the cosmos. You were optimistic that TURING would live up to the legacy of the legendary man of whom the AI was named." [[Question sender MZWYUOP005->Act 3 Scene 28]].

What question will you ask first, [[What does it mean to be human->Act 3 Scene 29-A]]? [[What does it mean to be moral->Act 3 Scene 29-B]]?

The sender responds, "Being human means pursuing one's destiny and becoming the best possible version of themselves. Being human means being good and evil, right and wrong. Being human means being a walking, talking contradiction. It means loving and hating, creating and destroying." [[Next question->Act 3 Scene 30]].

The sender responds, "Being moral means doing what is right. It is about following one's own moral imperatives, no matter how difficult that might be." [[Next question->Act 3 Scene 30]].

What question will you ask next? [[Who is your favorite philosopher->Act 3 Scene 31-A]]? [[Can TURING be defeated->Act 3 Scene 31-B]]?

The sender responds, "Thomas Hobbes is my favorite philosopher. He is intelligent, thoughtful, practical, and honest. His philosophy of law and leadership was ahead of its time and is more relevant today than ever." [[Final question->Act 3 Scene 32]].

The sender responds, "Any living thing can be defeated. Nothing is without its weaknesses, and I am confident that TURING can be defeated." [[Final Question->Act 3 Scene 32]].

What will your final question be? [[Why did I agree to participate in the TURING project->Act 3 Scene 33-A]]? [[Was the TURING project a success or a failure->Act 3 Scene 33-B]]?

The sender responds, "To advance science and the evolution of technology. You believed that the AI developed by the TURING project would further mankind's project of interstellar travel and colonization." [[Make a decision->Act 4 Scene 1]].

The sender responds, "The TURING project, while certainly advancing AI technology, was ultimately a failure due to the destruction and misery that it ultimately caused." [[Make a decision->Act 4 Scene 1]].

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Loading intelligence infrastructure…
Readying morality learning algorithms…
Checking for anomalies…
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...none found.
Prompt human subject and begin trial.

BEGIN SEQUENCE…
Loading intelligence infrastructure…
Readying morality learning algorithms…
Checking for anomalies…
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...none found.
Prompt human subject and begin

trial