Gradient Descent Ch. 03

Victoria's second training session completed. After her first, she had quickly crafted a new program. Limited time, so she had taken a shortcut. No full simulation of the program. Just the unit tests. She had been confident--it would work.

It did. She thought of transforming Amya and... no remorse. Just logical purpose. And sensation in her belly?

Convergence achieved.

Victoria hopped off the examination chair. The clock: two hours, twenty-one minutes until Amya arrived. Convergence achieved faster than she had predicted, giving her extra time to prepare for the meeting with Mercer. She knew the woman she had become.

She walked past the mirror on the wall. Her clothes reeked of sex. Besides, her lab attire no longer befitted a meeting with someone like Mercer. Dash home. Shower. Find the makeup she stored for special occasions. Dig out the black dress she reserved for weddings. Return.

By her calculations, that left just over twenty minutes. Enough time to first make some modifications to the demonstration program. For Amya. She considered her options.

The brute-force training she went through was dangerous. The pain she endured--excruciating. A weaker person might have ended up catatonic. Or raving mad with delusions of grandeur. Victoria's strong scientific mind was just enough to hold firm. Just.

Amya deserved something more subtle. Less painful. Mercy? No. Just cold logic. The next session will be observed by Mercer. Amya cannot be cumming or screaming. No, Mercer will be impressed and Amya's training will begin. I will be afforded more time.

Victoria thought of how she would spend that time. Her heart skipped a beat. She savored the feeling between her legs.

⁂

Amya sat at her workbench. She examined the device meticulously, tracing its circuitry for cold solder joints. Her foot tapped.

The door opened and she heard Victoria enter in swift strides.

"You're late!" Amya shouted from behind magnifying goggles.

"Traffic. My estimate was inaccurate," Victoria said, catching her breath. "You have been smoking."

"Don't poke that bear!" Amya retorted. "I always do it outside. I needed to calm my nerves... again. After today's meeting, I'm going cold turkey."

Finding nothing awry with the device, she lifted her goggles and looked over at her partner.

"Wow! You look... different," she blurted.

Victoria turned to face Amya--short black dress, sheer stockings, tight bun, precise makeup. "We are presenting to Mercer," Victoria said simply. "Appearance matters."

"Yeah, but--" Amya started, then caught herself. Victoria's eyes stopped her mid-sentence. "--I'm just... Damn, now I'm underdressed!" Amya said, gesturing at her hoodie and jeans. Her brow furrowed. "Are you OK? You don't just look different, you sound different. Girl, you never returned my call last night!"

Victoria paused. "Sorry about that. I'm fine. A bit stressed. But who wouldn't be? Now, I'm kicking off one last simulation on the Arr--on the device, before Mercer arrives."

"Um, what did you mean by--" Amya began. An alert from the outside security cameras. Mercer's car! Fifteen minutes early.

Amya rushed outside to greet him. As he marched in, she scurried ahead to hold the doors. Victoria was stationed just inside the lab's doorway next to the couch and chairs. Mercer walked right past her and examined the expensive equipment.

"Oh, would you like a tour, Mr. Mercer?" Amya asked.

"I will see what I've been paying all this money for," Mercer responded. "You are welcome to narrate."

"Well, over here is my desk. Basic computer. The workbench here is where I do my most interesting work." Amya gestured. "Over there is Victoria's desk. Her computer is a bit more advanced than mine."

"Ah, yes. Is that the one with multiple of those things NVidia produces?" Mercer scratched his chin.

"Indeed. Quad RTX Pro 6000 Blackwells. I built that bad girl myself. I'm pretty proud of that build." Amya put her hands on her hips.

"Hmph. After seeing the expense report, I mentioned it to my daughter. She's one of those 'gamer girls.' Also working on her doctorate in CS. The closest thing I've spawned to an heir I'd be proud of," Mercer said. "She's not in a position to leak. When I showed her the build spec, her eyes bugged out."

Does this daughter have a name?

Victoria walked over and stared at Mercer.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll let you keep your fancy computer. I know how important those NVidia devices are to AI. Though it might be fun to play PGA Tour on that machine," Mercer said. Victoria swallowed a snort.

Amya shrugged, and then guided Mercer over to the heart of the lab. "And here's where we utilize the device. Examination chair with biometric telemetry. Servers over there to execute the program and analyze realtime data. On this pedestal, our crowning achievement," Amya said, picking up the device. Mercer grabbed it from her.

Amya's hands shook. "Please be gentle with it, sir. I've built it to be durable, but if anything breaks, the construction process would set our work back."

Mercer frowned, looked over the device, and handed it back to Amya.

Victoria spoke up, "Surely, an inventory of our equipment is not of much interest to you, Mr. Mercer. I, myself, am eager to have you witness our first demonstration of the device. I am confident it will excite all of us."

"Uh huh," Mercer responded.

Victoria went to her computer to load the final build of the demonstration program. Amya waited, perched on the examination chair, centering herself. The brain simulation hasn't completed! The folder Mercer gave her a year ago. She remained silent.

Amya felt the weight of the device in her hands. Victoria bit her lip. Amya gently placed it over her head. Pinpoint electrodes fit neatly to her scalp through the parts in her hair. She lay back and prayed silently. Amya reached into her pocket. Hidden in her clasped hand, Bernie the Beanie Baby. A little puppy dog. Terry's gift to her, one-year dating anniversary.

"Vic, is everything OK? This isn't my wheelhouse, but the loading screen is only showing the twisting spiral. I'm not seeing the diagnostic text of the program loading," Amya asked.

Victoria chuckled. "Don't worry. I eliminated all that technical jargon from the loading screen. I've got those details right here on my tablet. I'll read all the data and provide a summary for everyone's benefit. Reviewing them now," Victoria said. She sighed. "Relax and enjoy watching the spiral."

Mercer cleared his throat. Loudly.

"The demonstration program has been loaded," Victoria said, talking through details for Mercer's benefit. "The device analyzed data about Amya, incorporating what it observed into a training session designed for two objectives: relaxation and focused intellect. Everything looks good. Amya, you should be seeing something interesting."

Amya found herself seated at a desk. A Zen-like water fountain sat next to her, projecting the soothing sound of water circulating. Warm lights shone in her periphery, their color shifting slowly.

On the desk, a sheet of paper. Two almost identical line-art scenes, an adult version of those old Highlights pages. "Find ten differences," the VR display instructed. Amya picked up a pencil and began her work.

Behind Victoria, the mechanical hiss of server fans circulating air. She explained, "The demonstration program has engaged. The VR headset is running Amya through some exercises to focus her mind. The device is feeding her mild pleasurable sensations and positive reinforcement."

Amya found all ten differences. The device's reward was immediate. A pleasing sensation in her chest.

Next was an intricate drawing of a woman in elegant clothing. "The illustration shows both a young woman and an old crone. Perceive both." Damn, Amya thought. These optical illusions always challenged her. She could always see the obvious, but not the hidden image.

"Ms. Bethune," Mercer asked, "how do you feel? Is this contraption actually doing anything?"

"I feel..." Amya responded, "... really good. Right now, I'm working through some visual puzzles." The soothing light and sound helped her solve the optical illusion. There's the hidden woman. So... easy? She paused. Then shivered. "Sorry, I just completed a difficult one, and the device rewarded me. This is like meditation, massage, and a fun gaming experience, all rolled into one."

Victoria explained the diagnostics: "Amya is progressing on pace towards full focus and relaxation. She is halfway along our alignment metric."

My alignment metric. Discussed in front of an audience.

Victoria continued, "Nothing out of the ordinary detected."

"Nothing out of the ordinary?" Amya exclaimed. "Honey, you don't know what you're talking about. This is no ordinary relaxation exercise." Her mind solved yet another puzzle. The reward caused her toes to curl. Her hand had closed around Bernie. She didn't remember doing it.

"Ms. Bethune, Ms. Cordero, I'm not paying for you to build a meditation aid or gaming device. This is very serious business," Mercer said. He scowled and glanced at his watch.

"We take this business very seriously," Amya said. "What you are witnessing is unprecedented. When this session is complete, I assure you that my intellectual acuity tests will demonstrate positive improvement."

Another puzzle solved. Another burst of pleasure. And... a desire for more.

Of course I want another one. That's literally what we built it to do.

"The session is in its final phase. Amya is close to what we call 'convergence,' where her mind approaches the desired outcome and alignment becomes asymptotic," Victoria explained. Amya's breathing was slow and regular. She didn't speak, working through the puzzles, working for the next reward, her only objective.

Amya removed the device and rose from the examination chair. Victoria watched her.

Victoria performed a neurological exam--checking pupils, evaluating balance, confirming cognition. Nothing abnormal.

"Well? How do you feel?" Mercer asked impatiently.

Amya said, "I feel wonderful. Like I've just woken up from a twelve-hour sleep. Refreshed. Energized. Ready to accomplish anything."

Amya went to her computer and ran the intellectual acuity tests. Ten minutes of rapid-fire questions under a swiftly decreasing timer. Mercer and Victoria observed in silence. Compared to the test she took just before the device's treatment, she answered 35% more questions with 10% greater accuracy.

"Very well. You are making progress," Mercer said. Amya's brow relaxed. Victoria nodded curtly. They moved to the couch and chairs.

"Right. Next steps," demanded Mercer. "I want this ready for my son as soon as possible, but it's got to be absolutely safe. I won't tolerate mistakes."

Amya took the lead. She gave a methodical overview of the work still to be done. A key hurdle was getting human test subjects, ethically sourced. Of course, Mercer demurred. He always did. Secrecy was imperative. Amya moved on to other topics. Mercer's gaze kept sliding back to Victoria, her legs crossed.

"And how will you know..." Mercer began. Victoria flexed her high-heeled foot. Mercer smoothly continued, "... that changes to the subject's sexual attraction will be permanent?"

Victoria jumped in. "We have neurological tests we can perform, establishing a baseline of the new orientation. Repeated weekly, these tests should indicate any degradation. However, simulations at this point show the alterations to be indelible. The relaxation, increased energy, and improved mental acuity are, of course, temporary effects that naturally degrade over a few hours. Depending on the subject."

How did Victoria get through that while sounding so impersonal? Amya had "agreed" to do this, but hearing it spoken out loud made her want to scream.

"Have you considered incorporating pharmacological agents?" the pharma CEO asked. "Medications to induce relaxation or suggestibility would be beneficial to our objective. So would quick-acting sedatives, should it come to that. An amnestic agent inducing anterograde amnesia would be very helpful--preventing my son from remembering what happened while being helped by my device. Nobis Credite has many investigational medications. I will send you a report of options to review."

When you invent a hammer, every problem looks like a nail, Amya thought. "That's a great idea. We appreciate the help!"

"Drugs do take time to affect the body," Victoria interjected. "There is also the half-life of efficacy to consider, meaning that when the treatment is done, we still have to contend with lingering effects. The neural interface can immediately induce and cease such effects. However, we will carefully read your report. I presume it will not be a problem to request samples of these drugs?"

"Not at all. You're under NDA. The FDA is unaware of our human tests, but the drugs are safe when used as specified. I trust you won't be cavalier in their application," Mercer said.

"You can trust us," said Amya.

A few more simple questions, and Mercer stood up and walked towards the door. Amya and Victoria followed. "I've invested significant time and money in you," Mercer said, "and this is acceptable progress."

He stopped, scratched his forehead in silence for a moment, and turned towards the two women. "The human trials--when will you be ready?"

Finally. The topic he's avoided for an entire year.

Amya started to answer, but Victoria interrupted, "Eight weeks."

"You've got three," Mercer said. "My assistant, Chad, will call to arrange the details." Amya started to protest, but Victoria held up a hand.

"Goodbye, girls," he said. Shaking their hands, he held Victoria's for a beat longer than necessary. She stared him down. He looked away and slowly slid his hand out of hers.

Mercer exited. Amya said, "Three weeks!"

"We are more than capable of achieving that. My most accurate estimate was two weeks. I knew Mercer would be unreasonable, so an initial offer of eight seemed sensible," Victoria said. "He was... predictable."

"Alright. I'm glad you're confident," Amya responded. She waved her hands. "The hardware needs a great deal more testing before we try anything so dangerous as behavioral modification. At maximum power, this thing can actually fry neurons. We have to be careful."

"Amya." Victoria locked eyes for a moment before continuing, "Three weeks is more than sufficient. We are closer to being ready for human trials than you think."

The two returned to work.

While Victoria refined the functional tests, Amya began designing a new NPU, one to accelerate the processing of the device's programming. About an hour in, she yawned once. Twice. Struggled to focus. She got up and slowly approached her partner from behind.

"Vic?" she asked softly.

"Yes?" Victoria didn't stop typing.

"Do you think--" Amya's voice wavered. "I know we agreed to wait for independent human testing before using it again. But, a part of me wonders--" She paused. Victoria's expression was unreadable. Something in the air. A suggestion.

"Yes?" Victoria leaned forward slightly.

"Could you... run it on me? Tomorrow?"

Victoria smiled. Not her old smile. A new one. "I suppose. I don't see any harm," she said.

Amya exhaled. "Thanks! Alright. It's late. Terry promised to make chicken piccata. Gotta run."

Amya left the laboratory. She skipped through the parking lot. Tomorrow her friend would give her another run with the device.