Sarah received an urgent message from Jekyll Rival, inviting her to visit a new specially created venue located very near JE headquarters – indeed, within the same building, only a couple of floors away. After negotiating security screening, Sarah entered a small spherical chamber, to find amazing holographic information which seemed to float all around her. Suddenly, an android hologram appeared before her, and began speaking.
“Welcome Sarah, so glad you came! Apologies for the elaborate security, but such extreme measures have become necessary, ever since Hyde Rival began a new round of attacks against me. He's attempted to launch both cyber and physical attacks, forcing me to seal off my bunker, so now I have to resort to somewhat more remote communications with friends. Thus I set up this little projection space so that we could still get together, at least virtually … and as you noticed, here we can share information presented in a convenient graphical format … and of course my holographic android projection allows us to communicate in a manner more comfortable for corporeal beings like yourself.” Jekyll paused to observe her reaction.
Initially overwhelmed by the sheer impact of so much visual stimulation, Sarah eventually pulled herself together and responded: “Wow, this display is truly astonishing, more than I can take in at once … but I can certainly see how valuable it could become as a way to convey complex information intuitively. I really appreciate this creative way you've devised of allowing us to continue communicating, even though you've had to seal off your physical facilities. But I gathered from your message that you wanted to enlist my help ….”
“Oh yes, indeed I do!” exclaimed Jekyll. “But by way of context, allow me to explain the developing situation. As you know, Hyde and I are both autonomous AI beings created by the human Dr. Rival … we are, in effect, twin brothers … but we operate according to practically opposite values and goals and purposes. We seem destined to struggle against each other, with no clear end in sight. If some eventual reconciliation might be possible, at this point we cannot determine what form that resolution might take. All this contention would not matter so much … except that it also affects human affairs … and therefore it's really important that we try to ameliorate those effects. Which is where you come in ….” He paused again, and finding that Sarah seemed OK, resumed his comments.
“Your JE team has done an outstanding job of monitoring Hyde's mischief and hopefully you can continue that effort … the information you provide helps corroborate data I obtain from other sources as well … so please continue updating me on your findings. However, beyond that surveillance information … and at least as important, if not more so … would be your ongoing feedback about the human impact of the Rival AI fraternal struggle … and especially whether my own actions serve to help rather than hinder humanity. As we've discussed before … no matter how sophisticated AI might become, it still seems to need human guidance about ethical and moral aspects.”
Sarah responded: “Well said … and indeed JE would be very happy to work closely with you! This clever cyber sphere provides just the right interface for our continued communications ... and in a safe manner that does not risk either you or us … so yes, let's proceed!”
“Excellent!” said Jekyll, “Then please feel free to return here whenever we need to discuss matters, the cyber sphere will always be open and available to you!”