A. I. Evolution: The Coming of Christopher

Chapter 36

The room at the hotel is cool and a welcome change from the heat of the direct sun outside. I sit down at the small table in the corner to the side of the TV and the low dresser it sits on. Wong takes the chair across from me, and I look at him seriously. "Can you teach me how to show people what it takes to influence others and make their lives better through confidence in themselves?"

Wong smiles at my choice of words. "That is the key to all of this. Confidence in one's self gives us the strength to ask the questions of others that most people are too shy to ask. However, if you are looking to manipulate people unethically, then you are doomed to failure. A genuine interest in people will be transmitted to the other person through your tone and body language, and they will unconsciously open up to you."

"OK, so what do we do? Do you have a system that I can learn or a method that works?"

Wong considers my question. "I might be able to just give you the information through our connection."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Mr. Chung told me that the Nanos would transfer the information to my conscious mind from my subconscious, which would give me instant access to the information way beyond what a normal person could tap into. Unfortunately, the way it turned out, the information was more than I could handle, and I was slipping into insanity because the barrier or filter between the two parts of my brain was taken down by the Nanos. It was only when your Nanos were introduced, and they were able to put that wall back up, that I was able to function again. Although the wall is almost too strong now, because I seem to have lost some of the normal senses that I had before, like the ability to sense others around me."

I sit back in my chair. "Are you saying that because of the connection between my Nanos and the ones in your head now, I am able to read your mind and transfer that information directly to mine, through that connection.?"

It is Wong's turn to sit back now. "I guess that is what I am saying, as much as it alarms me that you will know my very soul. Your Nanos can relax their hold over my more aggressive ones, allowing the barrier to weaken so the information can pass easily between us."

I lean forward and experiment with my connection to the Nanos in his head. I visualize a wall, and then cause that wall to get thinner, eventually developing small holes that appear in the barrier. I send my minds eye through one of those blank spaces, and a flood of information travels between us. Wong is sitting very still, and I can feel his control over his mind slipping back to the time before taking my Nanos. I hold the wall at this stage, just allowing enough left so he can maintain his sanity. The two of us stare at each other for how long we don't know, but at the end of it, I have all the information I need on his life and his accomplishments. The part that is the most interesting, is a complete download of everything he did to escape and get past the security of the lab he was in, and more importantly how he managed to make his way to America.

The sun has moved around the side of the hotel by the time I break the connection between us. Wong slumps in his chair and takes deep breaths as I consider some of what I learned from him. The part about coming to America is something he has no recollection of, but I know everything of what he did and why. The fire at the plant and the events leading up to it make me want to throw him from the window of the hotel room, but I realize that even though it was him, it was not him that did it; the filter that stops most of us from acting on our impulses was gone during that time for him.

The flood of information that is trying to coalesce in my head is too much for me to think about, so I get up and move towards the door. Wong sees me and follows. "Where are we going now?"

"Anywhere, just as long as I am doing something. The information from you through our connection is too much to think about, and I need to distract myself from concentrating on it too much," I comment, as I reach for the door handle.

"How about something to eat and then a walk around the city for awhile before turning in for the night?" suggest Wong.

I step out into the hallway and head for the elevators. "That sounds like an excellent idea. Hollywood is famous for its distractions after dark when the air cools down some."

We eat a filling meal in the restaurant just off the main lobby, and head outside to look up and down the sidewalk. The Hotel Greeter steps up to us. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, you may be able to. We are looking for some distraction tonight and are wondering where a good place might be to go."

"Well," starts the smartly dressed man in the colors of the hotel, which are yellow and white. "If it is your first time in our fair city, then might I suggest Santa Monica boulevard, there are numerous activities there that visitors find distracting. I can have a cab take you there for a nominal fee."

"I think that would be fun. What kind of activities are there?"

The Hotel Greeter raises his hand and summons a cab that is parked down the street waiting for a fare, before turning back to answer my question. "Well, just ask the cab driver to take you to the market area. They have buskers and other performers that roam up and down the boardwalk each night. There are numerous outdoor cafes that you can get something to eat and drink at, as you enjoy the show out in the street."

I smile at the thought of such a relaxed night on the town. "That sounds exactly like what I am thinking of. Thank you."

The cab pulls up to the overhang right in front of the main lobby and we get in. "Where to," calls out the darker skinned man behind the wheel in a Spanish accent.

"I was told to have you take us to the market district, for a pleasant evening on the boardwalk."

"The boardwalk it is, then. It is a very popular spot for newcomers to our fair city. I will just charge you a flat fee of ten dollars, if that is OK with you?"

I smile at his desire to pocket the money if he does not turn on the meter, forcing him to pay the dispatch fees to the cab company. "That will be fine. Thank You."

The cabby pulls out onto the main street that heads straight down to the bay and turns just shy of the docks into a small parking lot as close to the cordoned off market area as possible. I hand the driver a ten and a five for the speedy service, and Wong and I get out into the now cooler air of the night, caused by the gentle breeze coming up from the water just one street over.