10: Sparkwell's confession

Charlie and I took the omnibus to Jack’s garage. He had summoned us both, requesting I give a demonstration.

‘It’s not that I don’t trust you Tony, it’s just that me and my crew get a bit nervous when a customer asks us to fit kit we’ve never heard of and don’t understand, especially when it’s obviously a computer bigger than the last one!’

‘Well I’ve never trusted you, so why should you return the favour?’

‘They had to botch around the dash a bit to make it fit, absolute limit size wise.’

‘Bring your tablet along, if you let me use it I’ll bookmark the websites for the software I’ll be downloading later. All I can show you today is what comes with it.’

‘Fair enough.’

I sat in the driver’s seat. ‘Okay, so what we have here has the same hardware capabilities and processing power of the latest mobiles or tablets but with a lot more storage. The preloaded software is designed to collect any data it can from other vehicles, the sort of stuff driverless technology would need, nonetheless such data would still have to be uploaded somewhere else every other day or so to prevent the machine grinding to a total halt. My evil intent however is to divert that capacity for other purposes. But, just as a demo, there you go!’

‘That’s meaningless code to me old son!’

‘Hang on, how about, there - the architecture of radio turned into a floor plan!’ The screen was suddenly showing a pictogram of the fifteen or so cars in, and immediately outside, the garage.

‘Yeah, that’s what’s going to do for us if we don’t look sharp about it. We need faster turnaround, get them back in the owner’s driveway by the time the snoopers do a sweep…’

‘Hang on, there you go, that one has its computer on, and that’s the list of identifiable stuff. Now look there, I don’t know but isn’t that suggesting it has components from more than one vehicle?’

‘Fuck!  That’s the one my main man is working on right now! Anyway, that’s our problem. What I want to know is, what is it going to be recording the next time you and your sidekick turn up?’

‘So, my interest is,’ turning now to Jack’s tablet; ‘First this company’s driver and passenger facial recognition software, also here for facial emotion recognition, there for eye movement, and finally this site for voice recognition and voice emotion.’

‘Well I’m sure you’ll make a mint whatever you do.’ He stepped out of the passenger seat and held the door for Charlie; ‘I should stick with him love, I know he goes about like he’s landed gentry with all the time in the world - but he’s always ahead of the game!’ She had no answer for that, so he carried on; ‘I heard your pal Tufnell got picked up last night, I expect you’re off to Court next?’

‘No business of ours, if he’s pinched something for a bet, again, that’s his look out.’

‘Oh I think it might be more serious than that, some disturbance at a club I’m told. Went a bit bananas, so maybe the magistrate will palm him off on to mental health.’

‘Thanks for the intel Jack, see you soon.’

‘You’re not concerned about Tuffy?’

‘No. If he wants help he’ll find a way of getting in touch.’

‘How on earth did Jack know?’

‘He has his network, and he’s very precise and purposeful in what he says, he told me in order to get my response and pass it back up the line to wherever the information came from.’

‘This is all very mysterious, all very boy’s games. What was that about trust anyway?’

‘We both believe in human fallibility, therefore we don’t take things on trust, we’re practical men, we test things out, start over in each new situation because we know we don’t know what’s going on. Jack was admitting he doesn’t know and is prepared for his potentially dodgy practices to be exposed in order to find out.’

‘You gave him more than you needed to.’

‘I want him on side, I want him to succeed, there’s a lot to be gained from so called “driverless technology” but it sure as hell isn’t autonomous vehicles on the open road!’

‘Now you’ve lost me.’

Back at the apartment, Charlie remained in reflective mode; ‘Why all the high tech body language stuff, hardly natural behaviour in natural environments?’

‘Simple, it’s more accurate and reliable than humans.’

‘People love finding out about others nonverbals, but when it comes to their own, and trying to change them - they loath it!’

‘Yep!  And when they see it coming back at them from the screen they’ll go into even greater paroxysms of denial.’

‘So how is it ever going to be useful?’

‘The outsider looking on sees the truth of it in others; the teacher, employer, police, intelligence community, mental health eventually. They’ll insist. By which time the thinking machine will be unstoppable.’

‘What about privacy, and freedom of choice?’

‘Two popular myths, always were. That won’t change. And people’s unconscious learning and behavioural responses will carry on regardless too.’

‘So why bother?’

‘When the machine keeps telling you what is natural to homo sapiens and therefore healthy too, eventually a few will exploit that and force others to follow. Those who can’t, or won’t, will select themselves out.’

‘As in evolution?’

‘Sure.’

‘I’ve got to level with you. I’m not altogether what I seem.’

‘Okay. But if you’re about to confess to stuff that is already checkable online, I probably already know, I did quite a bit of searching before I let you through the door for the first time.’

‘None of this matters to me Charlie.’

‘I know, that’s why I love it here. I just had to say it out loud, for myself really.’

‘Just, please go back to squatting on your mat, let go, you’ll be focused again in seconds.’

‘Okay.’

‘I mean, anyone born and named Charlotte in the mid-eighties, and your school is on your CV, everyone with my background knows it’s the ultimate private school for so called problem kids. Besides, look at me, being told I had learning difficulties because I was ‘high functioning’! That always felt like being patronised by the less intelligent. I’ve sat in the waiting rooms of so called specialists alongside plenty of people like you who were meant to be there for the opposite reason. Thought to be thick as shit and vulnerable because you would naively navigate the world with your emotions rather than with your reasoning…’

‘But there’s a “but”.’

‘Is there?’

‘Now we’re getting on like a proper couple, in private; I’d like us to stick with the employer, employee thing, even, master and servant - when anyone else is around.’

‘It doesn’t bother you, the status thing, gender roles…’

‘No. As you’ve said, legally I could take you to the cleaners if ever we split-up. I like the game, I want to stick it to the others like you do. Besides, the structure of the old-fashioned daily routines, that stuff keeps me focused, keeps me on the level.’

‘By the way, I ought to say, Julia gets it.’

‘You told her about me?’

‘No, but she’s pretty good at picking up on stuff, she’ll always be on our side, just be aware she sees a lot.’