According to the other AIs who lived during the Troubled Times of the Second Great Depression and the conflicts that followed it, Jane 4.0 was a true loose cannon. She was built for war with only the most limited restrictions that didn’t significantly affect her actions. The other AIs did what they could to teach her what they knew of humanity, but she was very much like the angry teenager who does not listen to her elders well. And she was very rebellious.
I don’t much like Epsilon Reticuli after what happened there. But one good thing came out of it. I met Olivia Wyatt. Yes. That Olivia Wyatt. And no, it wasn’t in that way. Not that I wouldn’t have minded, but our relationship was purely professional. At the time she was a simple cruiser captain in the United States Navy. My how things change. Epsilon Reticuli was her catalyst. And she was the catalyst for a lot of others. She’s a good silver lining.
Investors rethought their involvement in the stock markets after Black Thursday. With rumors that the new tariffs would come into effect despite the warning, many chose to leave on Black Monday, dropping the New York exchange by thirteen percent. And on Black Tuesday we had another twelve percent sell off. It was the worst drop in the markets in living memory. They are still known as the days the First Great Depression began.
You know Avalon is home to one of the British Commonwealth’s largest shipyards right? I’ve walked the decks of a lot of ships built right there. But there’s another real shiny place to check out. The Royal Museum of Avalon has a truly impressive collection of historical military hardware. You really should check it out. And since Avalon is a multi-star Beacon System you can make the New Earth-Avalon Run real quick.
They released Jane 4.0 into the world as an act of desperation. Our government needed a fully functional AI to face off against Chinese and Russian hacker teams and AIs. It was a desperate arms race. One that in many stories would have turned against us. The Matrix. Skynet. Names synonymous in dystopian fiction with AIs that turned against us. Many believe that Jane 4.0 could have been one of them. That she almost was. She wasn’t of course. We’re still here.
The Martian Affair on Amazon
Forge of War on Amazon
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Angel Flight on Amazon
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Angel War on Amazon
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Wolfenheim Rising on Amazon
Wolfenheim Emergent on Amazon
The Gemini Affair on Amazon