Seaplane visited his old intelligence colleagues on Earth, before heading back toward Jonson Station. Although his sources provided much valuable information about Dr. Rival, none could say precisely what had become of him – and, if still alive, where he might be located. Seaplane figured that his best option would be to spend some time at Jonson Station, analyzing the intelligence he had collected, and hoping for a break in the case.
Alas, a week passed, but he seemed no closer to finding Rival, and his mood turned gloomy, despite team efforts to cheer him up. Then, out of the blue, a message arrived at the Station – FROM RIVAL HIMSELF! Rival offered a holographic transmission, intended to establish interactive communication with Jonson Station. Astonished, but eager to follow up, Seaplane asked that the transmission be patched through to the holographic projector in the Astrometrics Lab.
The hologram, vaguely resembling a human figure, gestured toward Seaplane and then began to speak: “Greetings, Seaplane Jonson! My contacts back on Earth indicated that you are searching for me...most likely without success, since I usually conceal my location...but perhaps this initial albeit remote communication can help clear up some serious misconceptions. First, let me apologize for the attack on your Outpost...that was my alter ego, who seems obsessed with power and wealth, and prone to cruelty when it serves his purposes...but perhaps some context would be useful here....”
Seaplane nodded affirmatively, so the Rival hologram continued: “The human Rival died several years ago...but he had the foresight to upload his memories, knowledge, and values to supercomputers...thus establishing an immortality of sorts. I understand you've already read my academic papers and talked with my assistants back on Earth, so no need to repeat that here...suffice to say, the human Rival wanted to create multiple AI versions, partly as an experiment to see how they would evolve given different goals and perspectives, and partly to provide redundancy to ensure that his legacy would continue long after biological death.”
Rival then turned to matters of practical action: “In short, the two major AI versions have diverged further and further apart over time...perhaps we can refer to them as Jekyll and Hyde...please forgive my overworking that old literary allusion. My own Jekyll AI spends considerable time and effort trying to offset the mischief that the Hyde AI stirs up. So I'd like to make amends for my alter ego's mischief, at least to some extent. What's done is done, so I can't actually return the Outpost directly to you...the hospitality providers there now have major stakes in Rival Resort...but I can ensure that Hyde AI reduces his influence there, as I intimately understand his methods and can employ effective countermeasures. Moreover, although I cannot force Hyde AI to completely stop his bullying of the nearby colonies, I can greatly reduce his influence there as well.”
Seaplane could barely conceal his excitement: “Well, if Jekyll AI can reduce Hyde AI's influence in such major ways, that would certainly be a significant step forward. In truth, I see little practical alternative, so I'm grateful for whatever improvements you can make. Of course, we have to also engage the entire team at Jonson Station, but surely they will find your offer appealing. So what would be the next steps?”
Rival responded: “As a gesture of good faith, I'd like to invite you to visit my own headquarters. Although I must keep it's location secret, I'd be happy to send a spacecraft to escort your representative to our hidden location...we could show you our facilities...where you could judge our intentions for yourself. So...please discuss that with your team, then let me know when you'd like to visit.”
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