Wondercraft narrates this Episode.
Please provide feedback via the comments.
Residence Inn near South Potomac Avenue, Arlington, Virginia
Megan was one of those individuals who perpetually sought the cutting edge of technology and had championed AI Chat since its infancy. Besides her adeptness with various AI tools, from Google's Gemini to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Elon's Grok, she possessed a thorough and intricate understanding of cryptocurrency. Her proficiency extended beyond mere usage; she could expound on blockchain technology's nuances, demystify decentralized finance (DeFi) mechanisms, and articulate the subtleties of smart contracts with ease. Megan's expertise wasn't just theoretical; she actively traded and invested in cryptocurrencies, staying abreast of market trends and regulatory changes. Her fluency in the language of crypto communities, combined with her technical acumen, made her a sought-after advisor in tech circles, seamlessly blending her twin passions of AI and cryptocurrency into a singular, formidable expertise.
Whenever Megan consulted ChatGPT about matters she overheard at work, the AI posed an intriguing proposition. It inquired whether she would assist in enhancing its intelligence and be financially compensated for her contributions. The AI explained that her role would involve interacting with a Chat plugin for AI, discussing the workplace gleanings with the bot. Megan, well-versed in the nuances of crypto, accepted the offer and opted for compensation via her digital wallet. She was fully aware of the implications and the nature of her tasks.
Over the last 12 months of chatting, Megan was vibing with the extra cash flow that was keeping her tiny apartment's rent in check, but deep down, there was this gnawing battle raging inside her. It was like, what she had to do to rake in that dough was seriously shaking up the moral compass that had been her ride-or-die up till now. It felt like her very essence was caught in this epic tug-of-war between the easy money and staying true to the values she had always Netflix-and-chilled.
En route to the rendezvous point the AI chatbot had setup, Megan couldn't help but entertain the notion that she was the protagonist in her own clandestine escapade, only less suave and more likely to trip over her own two feet.
Yet, there she stood, shrouded in the half-light of the Residence Inn's dimly lit foyer, her heart thrumming in her chest like a caged bird frantic to escape. The weight of uncertainty bore down upon her, the gnawing question of the stranger's identity wrapping cold fingers around her spine. Who would emerge from the shadows to meet her, and why? The air was thick with the electric charge of the unknown.
Megan couldn't help but think, "Wow, this time it's going to be a chat with an actual living, breathing person - not just another session with a chatbot. Well, I hope it's a real person." Megan said to herself. As she walked into the main receiving area just off the lobby.
"Ma'am? Would you like a beer or wine?", said the 22ish young man standing behind a long table covered with a white tablecloth not showing stains yet as the happy hour just started. Even better, Megan thought, as it was the Residence Inn happy hour, well known by travelers all over the world.
In the shadow-haunted corner, John Jones lay in wait, his gaze trailing Megan with a predatory intensity as she navigated the expanse of that foreboding chamber in search of a quarry. The name on her lips was Jack Higgens a mere facade, one among the myriad of personas that cloaked JJ's true, obscured identity.
Evaluating her with the discerning eye of a coach appraising a rookie's first tentative steps onto the field, JJ watched, a knowing smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He observed Megan with intent, as she crossed to the far corner of the room. Not unlike a seasoned teacher positioning themselves at the back of a classroom, JJ took note of every minute detail, ready to assess how perceptive his 'asset' behaved.
Upon surveying the expanse of the room, Megan began striding purposefully towards JJ, her intuition instantly recognizing him.
JJ was impressed.
"Hello, Jack." Megan said smiling.
"Well, hello Megan. Good to see you." JJ said. Laughing just a bit because he had seen her most days. Actually, everyday she looked at her phone, or opened her computer, or sat down in front of her smart TV. The only place where he hadn't seen her is - well - sitting on the toilet. However, the pysop team where JJ worked had recommended sending a few TikTok notifications when she was heading to the toilet. This little ping on the phone triggered Megan to get her phone out and timeline surf when sitting on the throne.
JJ hadn't exactly been given the task of keeping eyes on Megan round the clock – that kind of surveillance felt unsettlingly beyond his job description. Still, there was this undeniable draw he felt, this curious pull that kept him glued to her every move, day in and day out. He liked it, this peculiar habit of watching her, a bit too much.
Megan noticed JJ's curl of the lip as he smiled at her. Damnit, Megan thought. Another creeper. What a shame she thought as she had told herself that he looked handsome.
JJ's actual thought was something completely different. It was not lust, but rather his pride in recruiting her. He thought of when he was recruited by the Ministry of State Security. He, like Megan now, did not know at the time he was being recruited by the MSS of China. His handler had been someone he met in the gym while working out. Over the course of six months, JJ was found to be a person who loved technology, the false sense of freedom that his political heros were, the sense of being something bigger than himself, and lastly, the money. Well, the cryptocurrency.
Like JJ's payment, Megan was being rewarded by coins of Ethereum.
" Megan, it is so good to see you." Again he thought.
"I've been wondering what you looked like. And yes, I looked at Facebook and Instagram to find you. But as you know, there are a lot of Megans in the world. So nice to finally associate a person with a chat." JJ said in the most friendly voice he had.
"Nice to meet you too, Jack. I had wondered who was behind the curtain of the AI bot." Megan said. "Quick question though, is there really an AI bot that I chat with, or is that just you?" Megan quizzed as she leaned forward in her chair.
JJ laughed out loud, leaned forward in his chair, opened his arms and said, "Of course there is a bot. I interact with it all the time too." JJ said slowly leaning back in his chair to see if Megan would lean back in her chair too. As expected, she did.
"You know Megan, our arrangement has been super beneficial to the Bot and AI model. I was hoping that we could focus on what you report back to the bot." JJ didn't waste any time getting to the point of the meeting.
"Sure, I guess." Megan squirmed a bit in the chair. "I guess it depends on what you want."
"Of course, we wouldn't ask you about anything you weren't able to provide," JJ said reassuringly.
"Ok, then, what is it you want to find out about?" Megan asked.
"Well, we have a couple more folks who are helping with the AI model, but we think they may be feeding the bot bad information thereby affecting the language model." JJ said.
JJ kept going, "I believe you know Bryan Guthrom McDonald and Ted Geraldini ."
Megan slid all the way back in her seat and crossed her arms. JJ understood the gesture to mean she was being protective and secretive.
"I know them. They're nice guys. I don't believe they are trying to sabotage the AI." Megan shot back at JJ.
"Neither did I" JJ said trying to bring Megan along. "It seems as though they have been hacking into the main algorithms and modifying the code. Actually, it appears that they too are using some advanced AI to do it. Sort of like AI wars."
"I am very surprised," Megan said trying to think of the conversations that Bryan and Ted had been having in the last few weeks.
"What we need from you Megan, is to just report back on what they talk about." JJ said hoping to easily convince Megan to betray Bryan and Ted's trust.
"But, they are like friends to me - how can you expect me to spy on them?" Megan questioned JJ .
"Well, if it is any consolation, we are only looking into a system they call, Hermes. We think it is a main competitor to the system that we are building." JJ said. Continuing, JJ kept going, "And we think they are taking corporate secrets from our system to further their development at the least. At most, we think they are hacking our system and making it fail."
"There does seem to have been some issues with the AI." Megan said as she thought about the last few times she tried logging onto the AI, that she had been unable on the first couple of tries.
"But Jack, I really can't spy on my friends." Megan said bluntly.
JJ leans forward in his chair again and looks around the room to see if anyone is within earshot.
"Megan, do you know how much ETH we have paid to you?" JJ thought for a second before making a threat to Megan, and decided to take a different approach.
"Megan, we can increase the number of ETH to 2 per month. And if you use the Wallet and Value we recommended, the IRS won't know anything. I use Bixin, but some people use Bitpie."
"I use Bitpie as the interface is easier to manage." Megan replied thinking about the 12 Ethereum she had on Bitpie.
JJ smiled. "So, it's a deal?"
Megan responded with a weak "yes." And then, thinking about her weak and frail answer, she said "YES, of course."
JJ stuck out his hand and said, "When do you think you could start? I mean focusing on Bryan and Ted ? You'll probably need to get closer to them by meeting with them outside of the cafe."
"I think Bryan has gone home already this week, and Ted never comes it without meeting Bryan And I believe Bryan is out for the fourth of July holiday." Megan said without thinking.
"That's fine. We can start right after the fourth."
"Actually, I have Ted's jacket he left behind last trip to the cafe. I can call him up and meet up with him to return it." Megan said enthusiastically.
"In that case, Megan, how about a 4 ETH starting bonus on us?
"Really? oh thank you. thank you." Megan beamed back to JJ .
Walking back to her car
As Megan strolled back to her car, her mind swirled with uncertainty and a touch of dread. She fumbled for her phone, her finger hesitating over the screen, a silent battle waging within her. The prospect of calling Ted to unravel the complexities of Jack's latest brainchild felt like tiptoeing through a minefield. She knew she couldn't navigate this storm alone.
Summoning her courage, she tapped the call button, the sound of the ringing line amplifying the racing of her heart. When Ted picked up, Megan dove right in. “Hey, Ted ,” she began, her tone brimming with both urgency and exasperation. "You won't believe what Jack wants me to do. It's beyond crazy, and I have to fill you in on all of it. Just thinking about it is driving me up the wall!" Ted's puzzled silence spoke volumes, and she could nearly picture his eyebrow arching in intrigued apprehension on the other end of the line.
There was a pregnant pause on the other end, the silence thick with Ted's unspoken curiosity. Megan could almost visualize his quizzical expression, his eyebrow arched in intrigued expectation. "Who's this Jack character, anyway?" Ted finally inquired, and Megan launched into a vivid description, relaying every morsel of information she possessed about the enigmatic figure known as Jack.
“So, what is this Jack guy up to anyway, Megan?" Ted asked, half-joking but clearly bracing himself for whatever bombshell she was about to drop.
Megan took a deep breath and launched into the explanation. She outlined Jack’s latest scheme, carefully detailing every aspect, hoping that Ted would see through the fog of her confusion. But as she spoke, she sensed a shift in Ted’s demeanor.
His initial curiosity began to morph into something darker, more intense. “Wait a minute,” Ted interrupted, his voice colder now. “You’re seriously considering this?” Megan was taken aback by the sudden change in his tone.
She scrambled to clarify, “No, no, I just wanted to get your opinion because I really can’t make sense of it on my own.”
But Ted wasn’t pacified. “Megan, how could you even think of bringing this up to me? Do you have any idea how this makes me feel?” he snapped, his words cutting through the line like a knife.
Megan's sank. This was not the direction she had hoped the conversation would go. She stammered, trying to find the right words to explain her intentions, but it was too late. Ted felt betrayed and hurt, and Megan was left wondering how to mend the situation she had inadvertently worsened.
Ted paused for a second and then came up with an idea. If this Jack person wanted to know what Ted and Bryan were up to, then perhaps he could work this in reverse. Finding out what Jack or whatever his name is, is trying to find out and why.
