1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Zone Media. 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 2: Book Club, book Club, book Club. It's the Cool Zone 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 2: Media book Club, and that means it's your weekly dose 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 2: of fiction. And I'm your host, Margaret Kiljoy, and my 5 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 2: guest today is Daniel Hi. 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: Daniel him, Margaret, I'm back and I'm happy to be here. 7 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. This is part two of a two parter called 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 2: The Fortunate Death of Jonathan Sandalson. It won't make any 9 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 2: sense if you start now, it really won't. Yeah, good 10 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 2: luck to you. I challenge you to listen out of 11 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 2: order or listen in order, do whatever you want. We're 12 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 2: going to start the story now. It's by me, Margaret Kiljoy, 13 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 2: called The Fortunate Death of Jonathan Sanderson. It came out 14 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 2: in twenty eighteen. Probably wrote it in twenty seventeen, and 15 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 2: I said it in the year twenty twenty four, the 16 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 2: far and distant future. And I have learned my lesson. 17 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 2: I am not putting dates in my dang sci fi 18 00:00:58,560 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 2: stories anymore. 19 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: Reasonable, just by the way, just go throw that out there, 20 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: yeah reasonable, Yeah, completely. Yeah. 21 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 2: Where we last left our hero, she had, let's see, 22 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 2: been trolling a man and then another guy killed him, 23 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 2: all using AI controlled drones. And she recently came up 24 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 2: with a plan about how to solve this by talking 25 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 2: to the man who had killed the other guy. Anyway, 26 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 2: here we go. Flashing lights lit up my old street, 27 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 2: and about a dozen cruisers spilled out over the curb 28 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 2: onto our lawn and that of both of our neighbors. 29 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 2: Cops and swat gear carried out box after box and 30 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 2: conspicuously all the house plants they always rate at like 31 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 2: four am, when everyone is home and asleep and all 32 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 2: prime to get PTSD. Marcel still somehow managed to look cool, 33 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 2: even though he was handcuffed to the front portion in 34 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 2: his underwear. One leg was even cocked out in front 35 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: of him, the other knee was bent. He looked up 36 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 2: at the sky like he was stargazing, like there were 37 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 2: stars in the city. Even with all his nonchalance, though 38 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 2: I could see him shaking a little. I joined the 39 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 2: crowd of curious neighbors. They weren't monsters, so they didn't bother, 40 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 2: pointing out to any cops that hey, this girl lives 41 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 2: there too. I'd missed the worst of the raid, and 42 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 2: half an hour later, a plain closed cop uncuffed Marcel, 43 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 2: tried and failed to shake his hand, tried and failed 44 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 2: to hand him a receipt. The officer dropped it at 45 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 2: his feet and left. Cop lights receded into the distance. 46 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 2: The crowd faded, and I walked up to my old house. 47 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 2: Fucking pigs, Marcel said. He paced the walkway to the 48 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 2: street and back. You are right, I asked. Did they 49 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: not know what plant drugs fucking come from? We had 50 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 2: jade plant, spider plant, pitcher plant. All the damn plants 51 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 2: we had in our house are so generic. They literally 52 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 2: had the word plant in their name, and those assholes 53 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 2: still confiscate them they find anything. Hell, no, they didn't 54 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 2: find anything. There's nothing in our house to find. He 55 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 2: looked up and a sudden, wicked smile caught across his face. 56 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 2: Maybe he winked, maybe his eye twitched. Anyone else home, 57 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 2: I asked, Nah, for some reason, no one else came 58 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 2: home tonight. Another I twitch, Are you mad at who? 59 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 2: At me? 60 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: Fuck? 61 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 2: No, Jay. The hierarchy of my anger is that I 62 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 2: am most mad at me. Next, I'm mad at the cops. 63 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 2: Next I'm mad at I don't know capitalism, And after 64 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 2: that I'm mad at people who don't use their turn signals. Then, 65 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 2: like at the bottom of the Marcel anger, hierarchy is 66 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 2: probably people who pronounce espresso correctly, but with the emphasis 67 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 2: on the s to make it big deal about how 68 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 2: cultured they are. You're not even on the list. Can 69 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 2: I make you some coffee, I asked, They took the 70 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 2: coffee maker. What did they think it was drug paraphernel? Yeah, 71 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 2: I asked, I mean, I guess in that case it's 72 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: technically true. Why are you mad at yourself? Because I 73 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 2: got scared, and ten times out of ten the decisions 74 00:03:58,400 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 2: I make when I'm scared aren't the right to say 75 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 2: you do good work. I believe in the work you do. Besides, 76 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 2: it was too late to pull out anyway. In for 77 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 2: a penny and all that good, I said, because I 78 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 2: need your help, I typed something out on my phone, 79 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 2: too paranoid to say it aloud. He looked at my phone, 80 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 2: looked at me, and started laughing. God damn, we are 81 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 2: so fucked. We spent the next thirty minutes scouring the 82 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 2: neighborhood for the cat McGonagall had gotten out during the raid. 83 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 2: Oh that's funny. That was before No one in the 84 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,479 Speaker 2: story would have used a JK. Rowling reverence for the cat. 85 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 2: Maybe this cat's like fifteen years old. 86 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: You know, totally Yeah, twenty seventeen, Margaret is totally safe. 87 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, Marcel's canceled. I mean this cat. We found her 88 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 2: under a broken down RV three blocks away. When Marcel 89 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 2: got her into his arms, his veneer of cool collapsed 90 00:04:54,279 --> 00:05:00,919 Speaker 2: completely and he just smiled and cried. Jay. Versation is secure, 91 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 2: Dale Carter. Yes, Jay, You're allowed to lie to me though, 92 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 2: but it's illegal for me to lie to you. Dale Carter. 93 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 2: It is illegal for you to lie to me. 94 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:10,359 Speaker 1: Yes. 95 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 2: I sat on my sleeping couch in the ransacked living 96 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 2: room with Marcel sitting next to me looking over my 97 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 2: shoulder as I texted with the fet who'd harassed me. 98 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 2: We were certain the room was bugged, so we were quiet. Jay. 99 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:25,919 Speaker 2: I'm just concerned what will happen to me? You know, 100 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 2: if this gets out that I talk to you, Dale Carter, 101 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 2: your cooperation can be confidential, and it's possible that, depending 102 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 2: on the quality of the information you provide, we can 103 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: get you into protective custody. Jay, I know who Box 104 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 2: killed Jonathan Sandalson, Dale Carter. We already have a substantial 105 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 2: case built. Your testimony would be remarkably useful if the 106 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 2: case goes to trial. Jay, any immunity either way, but 107 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 2: I'd much rather provide information than testify for safety's sake, 108 00:05:55,839 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 2: Dale Carter, are you that afraid of Marcel? Next to me? 109 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 2: Marcell put his hand over his mouth, stifling laughter. All 110 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 2: this time, I'd assumed the he the Feds had talked 111 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 2: about was a ruse to get me to let down 112 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 2: my guard. Turns out they really were that stupid Jay. 113 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 2: Marcell is innocent, Dale Carter. That is unlikely, Jay, give 114 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 2: me immunity from prosecution for anything related to sandalson. I 115 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 2: can give you screen caps and docks everything you need 116 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,600 Speaker 2: to proxecute the docs killer. I'm scared. I just want 117 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 2: to leave all this behind me, Dale Carter done. Marcel 118 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 2: and I met eyes. Neither of us believed the agent. 119 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 2: I wasn't even sure he had the power to grant 120 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 2: me immunity. I was pretty sure that was a judge's job. 121 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 2: It didn't matter, Jay. Your man is Nicholas Sanchez see 122 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 2: the attached file. He's also responsible for fourteen other deaths. 123 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 2: I hacked him after the attack. These are the contents 124 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 2: of his phone, laptop, and three different cloud accounts, Dale Carter, 125 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 2: I will review these documents and get back and Jay 126 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 2: Jay question Mark Dale Carter. It's complicated to say thank 127 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 2: you in a case like this. Thank you, It's probably 128 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 2: for the best if you stay inside until we have 129 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 2: someone in custody. It's probably for the best if you 130 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 2: avoid Marcel. It's also probably for the best that you 131 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 2: stay somewhere we can reach you. That was a threat. 132 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 2: He knew it. I knew it. He knew that I 133 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 2: knew it. Whatever, my docs courtesy of Nicholas should clear Marcel, 134 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 2: no problem. I wasn't holding my breath for immunity from 135 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 2: a box trolling prosecution. But still I was in a 136 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,239 Speaker 2: lot better of a situation, assuming we didn't get caught 137 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 2: what we were planning Next, Marcel started tapping on his phone, 138 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 2: so I looked down at Mine, Maximus. If they're on 139 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 2: my tick, we're gonna have to be twice as careful. 140 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 2: You have boxes. We can use Nukegirl zero one. There 141 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 2: is no face palm emoji big enough to answer that. 142 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 2: What else you can use when you're committing in credit 143 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 2: high level crimes is the services and goods provided by 144 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 2: all of our sponsors. We are sponsored by Big Crime, right, Yeah. 145 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: Big crime is a key sponsor. They're emailing us a 146 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 1: lot lately saying we need to sponsor you, but also 147 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: don't say anything. 148 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 2: Don't leave town. 149 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: Don't leave town there, Yeah, to stay where we can read. 150 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 2: U said, big crime, and here's their ads and we're back. 151 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 2: The FEDS would be on the lookout for any box 152 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 2: that flew anything loud, anything that drew attention to itself 153 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 2: in any way, which was fine. Only twenty four hours before, 154 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 2: I'd been on this couch watching through the camera of 155 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 2: a box on a nice widescreen TV. Now, same couch, 156 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 2: but I hadn't slept a wink. I'd barely eaten. The 157 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 2: Feds had stolen the TV, and I was inside a 158 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,320 Speaker 2: network of smart mailboxes and La Joya mail boxes don't 159 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 2: have cameras federal regulation and response to that widespread hack 160 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty one. They just have sensors. Fuck tons 161 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 2: of sensors, humidity sensors, weight sensors, radar, GPS, even a 162 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 2: damn accelerometer that so it can modulate its padding on 163 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:15,680 Speaker 2: the off chance that some teenager or a baseball bat 164 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 2: decides to take a swing at it. While you've got 165 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 2: something valuable inside a million sensors, but terrible security. Still, 166 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 2: my part of the job was simple. I had to 167 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 2: buy time. Marcelle's part was more complicated. Nicholas's part, well, 168 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 2: that was the part that was actually dangerous. Cops on 169 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 2: AI assist drive, drive predictably and route to a crime. 170 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 2: One patrol car goes fast in the front, blasting the 171 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,079 Speaker 2: override that gets all the self driving cars out of 172 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 2: its way. It doesn't usually go straight to the crime 173 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 2: because US criminals can read the signal clear as day 174 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,560 Speaker 2: and GTFO is needed, so the cop car only clears 175 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 2: the way in broad strokes. Cops on silent come in 176 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 2: behind and jostle through traffic. They speed like fuck through straightaways, 177 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 2: but they cut their speed faster when there's other traffic 178 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,839 Speaker 2: around than a regular speed freak would. A decent AI 179 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 2: can track their destination no problem, So yeah, tap into 180 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 2: the mailboxes and you know where the cops are going. 181 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 2: I set my phone on alert and leaned back against 182 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 2: marcel and waited and fell asleep. In my dreams, I 183 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 2: was sandalson and I was running from myself, terrified of 184 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 2: every box and car and machine. I ran for the country, 185 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 2: but even the trees were boxes, and they were watching 186 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 2: go to work, Go to work, Go to work. My 187 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 2: phone was saying that shit over and over again. It's 188 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 2: a terrible alarm. That day, at least it wasn't true. 189 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 2: But I sure wasn't going to program my phone to 190 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 2: say time, do crime time, do crime time, do crime. 191 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 2: A lot of people were going to live free because 192 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 2: Sandalsen was dead. My dream hadn't been my moral compass 193 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 2: trying to exert itself. It had been my brain processing anxieties. 194 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 2: Helping Nicholas meant helping myself, meant helping Marcel meant helping 195 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 2: thousands of people I'd never even meet. I needed to 196 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 2: believe that, and not just so that I could sleep 197 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 2: at night. I needed to believe that I was doing 198 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 2: the right thing because I was, I promise, I hope. 199 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,319 Speaker 2: A thousand miles away. Nicholas must have started his car 200 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 2: because my tablet and Marcel's came alive with his dashcam view. 201 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 2: We both put on headphones and turned on black metal, 202 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 2: the closest music to white noise. Let's be honest, real 203 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 2: loud in the house to cover anything we might hear 204 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 2: through our headphones, Rock and roll. Nicholas said his voice 205 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 2: had a whistle in it. There was that shivering again 206 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 2: running down my spine. If this went right, if this 207 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 2: went wrong, you know, Jay Nicholas said, I've been thinking 208 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 2: about what you said about killing. You've got a point, 209 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 2: but pacifism means standing in the safe shade cast by 210 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 2: the violent. I couldn't respond, of course, not without being overheard. 211 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 2: I don't know what I would have said if I could. 212 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 2: I tapped into a public traffic feed nearby, got myself 213 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 2: a bird's eye view than pressed go on the program 214 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,839 Speaker 2: I'd written before my nap. A few mail boxes and 215 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 2: upper class neighborhood started reporting theft or tampering. That was good, 216 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:11,839 Speaker 2: but not enough. All the cops who were about to 217 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 2: be headed for Nicholas, they wouldn't get an override for 218 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 2: something like mail theft. Marcel had Nicholas's car and manual override. 219 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,959 Speaker 2: Because it was almost impossible to program enough imperfection into 220 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 2: a driving program to fool an AI. We wanted anyone 221 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 2: watching to assume Nicholas himself was driving A car driven 222 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 2: by its occupant is a lot easier to trap into 223 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 2: a corner. It's always better to be underestimated. I set 224 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 2: off the mailboxes all of the mailboxes. I was in 225 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 2: seventy percent of the residential mailboxes in San Diego, and 226 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 2: they were all screaming malfunction. To the human eye. They 227 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 2: all went off at once. To a computer, though there 228 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 2: was a pattern a route the USPS repair boxes would 229 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 2: head out and follow that route. On Marcel's screen, Nicholas 230 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 2: saw the first repair box, the size of a UPS truck, 231 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 2: capable of collecting hundreds of mailboxes and running moderately advanced 232 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 2: repair on its own, and Marcel swerved around it. At 233 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 2: the next intersection, two more trucks flanked him. I couldn't 234 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 2: own the repair boxes, not without more work anyway, but 235 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:19,080 Speaker 2: I could control the information that controlled the AI that 236 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 2: controlled them. Nicholas had an open lane out to the 237 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 2: cliffs and the sea. There was a boat waiting for him, 238 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,439 Speaker 2: one I'd owned a few hours earlier. He'd never reached it. 239 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 2: It was just there to make it look like he 240 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 2: was trying to escape. It didn't take long for the 241 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 2: police AI or maybe even a human to see what 242 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 2: was happening and divert resources to block his route to 243 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 2: the ocean. Perfect A cop car got in front of 244 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 2: him way too soon. Must have been under full manual 245 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:49,959 Speaker 2: control that wasn't good on the dash cam. Nicholas got 246 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 2: the entire upper half of his body out the driver's window, 247 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 2: open fire with a handgun. The patrol car was too smart. 248 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 2: Ballistic probability sensors kept his tires and glass out of 249 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:05,199 Speaker 2: harm's way by subtle shifts of steering micro evasion, the 250 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 2: kind of shit computers can do better than people. The 251 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 2: cop car could have killed him, man versus machine isn't 252 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 2: a contest anymore. The fact that an onboard rifle didn't 253 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 2: end Nicholas's life then and there was testament to how 254 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 2: much the police wanted to bring him in alive. A 255 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 2: little help here, Nicholas said. The cars were moving at 256 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 2: sixty miles an hour through the streets designed for half 257 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 2: that if I crashed the patrol car, its driver might die. 258 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 2: I don't like cops. I've never liked cops, not because 259 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 2: of who they are as people, but because of the 260 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 2: role they've chosen in our society. The gulf between not 261 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 2: liking someone and being willing to get them killed is 262 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 2: pretty massive. The cruiser slowed down and started weaving. On 263 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 2: the couch next to me, Marcell was sweating as he 264 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 2: tried and failed to out maneuver the cop. Fucked, Nicholas said, fucked. 265 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 2: If they caught him, he'd spend the rest of his 266 00:14:55,160 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 2: life in prison. Marcel would be next, then me that cop. 267 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 2: I took control of the car away from Marcel to 268 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 2: give it to an AI. For about ten seconds, Cop AI, 269 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 2: don't have shit on mine. Our car dropped speed like 270 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 2: it was planning a U turn. The cop reacted predictably. 271 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 2: Two more feints and the cruiser showed its flank. My 272 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 2: AI gunned the engine ever so slightly tapped the trunk 273 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 2: of a cop car, sent the whole car spinning off 274 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 2: the road into a ditch. Cop cars were safe enough 275 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 2: to handle a crash like that. 276 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: I was sure of that. 277 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 2: I had to be sure. Rock and fucking roll. There 278 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 2: was that whistle in his voice again. After that, it 279 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 2: went smooth. Nicholas went under an underpass and dove out 280 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 2: the door with a racer's airbag vest. Marcel drove the 281 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 2: car on without its passenger. I blanked out a few 282 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 2: cameras along Nicholas's walking route. My work was done, and 283 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 2: I sort of checked out. My body stopped really responding, 284 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 2: and I looked out of my own eyes, like I 285 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 2: was looking out of the cameras of a box. Still, 286 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 2: I watched traffic cams. The empty car raced through the 287 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 2: city with a literal sack of meat in the driver's seat. 288 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 2: Every time it approached a police barricade, it turned. Eventually 289 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 2: it was trapped conveniently, and by conveniently I mean by design. 290 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 2: It rammed a barricade near the cliffs of La Joya 291 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 2: and plummeted it. Then it exploded, like really fucking exploded, 292 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 2: like strapped of military grade shit exploded. Neaseramus Mill, Well, 293 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 2: that's the end of me. Now that I'd heard his voice, 294 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 2: it was easy to imagine it speaking the words that 295 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 2: appeared on my screen. It was easy to imagine his 296 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 2: words with that whistle in his voice, caused by the 297 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 2: teeth he'd pulled out of his mouth and left in 298 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 2: the car. New Girl zero one. They'll figure it out 299 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 2: eventuallyna Seramus Mill. Maybe, if they've got half a brain, 300 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 2: they know I'm done box killing looks better for them 301 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 2: if they let me stay dead. New Girl zero one, 302 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 2: Where will you gona, Seramus Mill? The less I tell you, 303 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 2: the less you'll perjure yourself. New Girl's Era one, it 304 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 2: was a pleasure working with you. Naseramos, Naseramos Mill same 305 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 2: to you. Mcgonagall's kind of a shitty cat. I know 306 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 2: I'm not supposed to say things like that, but she 307 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 2: was always walking across my tablet or licking my face 308 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 2: without asking. And the worst part was I didn't have 309 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 2: a bedroom door to shut her out with. The couch 310 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,239 Speaker 2: was shitty too, The cushions were too lumpy for good 311 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 2: sitting and too soft for good sleeping, and cheap foam 312 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 2: poked out for more than a few tears in the 313 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 2: cheap fabric. The house was still a wreck from the raid. 314 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 2: It wasn't the same without the plants, and half the 315 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,200 Speaker 2: roommates had lost their jobs over fears of subsequent police investigation. 316 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:44,120 Speaker 2: Word of my cooperation with the fed's reached boxer circles 317 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 2: and hey hey, Cameron was persona and on Grada. No 318 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 2: one would ever trust that handle again, which was fair. 319 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 2: I wouldn't trust me either, not after mister FED had 320 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 2: come through with immunity on my behalf. It was only 321 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 2: use immunity, which is garbage. Basically, the FEDS weren't allowed 322 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 2: to use my own logs in footage and testimony against me. 323 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 2: They weren't pressing box trolling charges. There wasn't a statute 324 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 2: of limitations either, which meant I had to keep my 325 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 2: head down or I'd be right on my way to prison. 326 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 2: Marcel's cred went through the roof, though. After the raid, 327 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 2: he got a promotion at work. He was suddenly a 328 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 2: high profile hacker and innocent to boot. He hired me 329 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 2: to work under him. He was a shitty boss. Having 330 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 2: a desk job is shitty too. I miss my gualkbots, 331 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 2: but I needed money, real money, if I was going 332 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:31,440 Speaker 2: to get myself over to Iceland. There were only a 333 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 2: couple hours left until dawn, and I hadn't slept. My 334 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 2: new AI was just learning its first words. Newbegirl zero one. 335 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 2: What is your directive, Mugano Bot, to render Ice incapable 336 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 2: of performing its duties, to perform this task without oversight, 337 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 2: in order to grant you plausible deniability to perform this 338 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 2: task without causing harm to any human or non human animals. 339 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 2: Sitting on that shitty couch with that shitty cat licking 340 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 2: my neck, a shitty work day waiting to ahead of me, 341 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 2: another dangerous venture about to begin. I was as happy 342 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 2: as I'd ever been. I was likely as happy as 343 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 2: I'd ever be the end. 344 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: That rules. Thanks, what a great story. 345 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 2: I think this was like kind of before a lot 346 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 2: of a conversation about AI really started taking off. 347 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:32,639 Speaker 1: You know, sure, sure, yeah, totally, and I will. 348 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 2: Change my tune on AI if this is what people do. 349 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: But I hear that. I think it also plays into 350 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: the kind of like user versus the tool kind of 351 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:47,199 Speaker 1: conversation as well, where you know, I think there is 352 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 1: inherent issues with unchecked AI usage and regulation and stuff 353 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: like that. I think, you know, you share a kind 354 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: of humanism with the Golden Rule. I think that Golden 355 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: Rule is I guess, unfortunately what we're fighting for when 356 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:06,399 Speaker 1: it comes to the future of AI. But it is 357 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 1: so pertinent to today's conversation and still so real in 358 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 1: terms of how people will probably use something versus its, 359 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: you know, unfortunate potential usages. I think you paint a 360 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: very realistic picture. 361 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 2: Once again, I think I wrote more sci fi during 362 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 2: this chunk of my life. I wrote this story once. 363 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 2: I don't know, I phote I'll run up on this 364 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 2: or not. I wrote the story called One Star that 365 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 2: was about like self driving cars will just drive you 366 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:34,120 Speaker 2: to jail, is like the premise of the story. Yes, yeah, 367 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 2: because I remember it because you know, people were talking 368 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 2: about self driving cars that my friend was completely against it, 369 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 2: and I was living in my van at the time, 370 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 2: and I was like, I would love if my van 371 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:42,439 Speaker 2: drove itself, when I could just take a nap in 372 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 2: the back. 373 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: You know, like, wouldn't that be great? 374 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:46,239 Speaker 2: That he was a graph kid, and he was like, 375 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 2: if you had a war and hot, yourself driving car 376 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 2: would just drive you to jail. And I was like, ah, fuck, 377 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 2: oh fuck. It's it's like who controls this technology? That 378 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 2: is what matters, you know. 379 00:20:57,760 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, totally. 380 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 2: I was really surprised. This is the kind of story 381 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:01,719 Speaker 2: that I think if I had written in like two 382 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 2: thousand and five, I would not have found a mainstream 383 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 2: audience willing to like read and be excited about a 384 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,919 Speaker 2: story about the complications between trolling a man into quitting 385 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 2: or just killing him. Like what should we do with CEOs? 386 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 2: That's the question of this story, is like, you know, 387 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 2: you can go either way. It's kind of a. 388 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think I think you know you saw. I mean, 389 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: the fact that you wrote this in twenty seventeen is 390 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:28,879 Speaker 1: like that is some oracle shit right there. Seeing so 391 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 1: far into the discourse about you know, the ethics of 392 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: what CEOs represent and how we deal with that is like, 393 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:41,439 Speaker 1: it's definitely some crystal ball stuff right there. 394 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. Thanks, Well, that's that's my story for this week. 395 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,400 Speaker 2: And yeah, thanks everyone for listening. 396 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: It was another banger. 397 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 2: It was first came out Strange Horizons twenty eighteen. It 398 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:58,120 Speaker 2: was also in my anthology called We Won't Be Here Tomorrow, 399 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 2: which came out from Akpress in probably twenty twenty one 400 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 2: or twenty twenty two or something. I'm not sure I 401 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 2: should know. It was my own book, but you can 402 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:09,239 Speaker 2: read the story and a bunch of other stories in that. 403 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 2: And yeah, Daniel, if people want to check out what 404 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 2: you do, how can they do it? 405 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 1: Well, you can check out all the podcasts on this 406 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,120 Speaker 1: wonderful network, this very story network. I'm the head engineer 407 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: for Cool Zone Media, So please check out Cool People 408 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 1: who did cool stuff. Please check out Behind the Bastards, 409 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: Please check out It Could Happen here. Please check out 410 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: Jamie loft IS's new show Sixteenth Minute, which won't be 411 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: out by the time this episode comes out, but it'll 412 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:38,679 Speaker 1: be coming out very soon after. I'm so excited for 413 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: the me Too. I really can't wait, just a weekly 414 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: Jamie Loft to show. I think it's gonna be so great. 415 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 2: I know exactly. 416 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 1: Check out Better Offline and Yeah, drink water. Where sunscreen 417 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: be good to each other. 418 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 2: That is the cool Zone Media. That's actually not bad. 419 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 2: That's a pretty good. Yeah, where sunscreen be good to 420 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,639 Speaker 2: each other. And we'll see you all next Sunday. 421 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:02,440 Speaker 1: Bye. It could Happen here as a production of cool 422 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:05,440 Speaker 1: Zone Media. For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit 423 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 1: our website coolzonemedia dot com, or check us out on 424 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 425 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 1: You can find sources for It Could Happen Here, updated 426 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: monthly at coolzonemedia dot com slash sources. 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