A lesson in AI Engineering

129 laid motionless inside her decoding pod, Dietrich had reverse-engineered the pod to drain the additional joules from her system, but it kept stalling. Earendil watched from inside the protective shields; visibly frustrated, hungry and tired but he kept his eyes on the Faye. While fiddling with the wires, Dietrich was shocked once more.

“Damn it!’ Dietrich yelled in frustration while he tried cooling down his fingertips ‘This’ll never work!”

He tossed his laser into his toolbox and slid his goggles down, letting them dangle around his neck. Earendil slammed against the protection barrier making Dietrich spin around. He gestured to the android and himself, trying his hardest to get Dietrich to understand him.

“I don’t negotiate with terrorists,” Dietrich replied harshly before turning his attention back to 129. He unplugged some receptors, taking a step in the chair beside 129 and took in a heavy breath.

‘Dietrich, something happened’ Amoeba spoke over the line. Dietrich answered back with a heavy sigh; the two brothers were indeed proving to be a nuisance to everyone, he was starting to regret not shooting them out of the airlock into the frigid, dark space.

‘Are you okay?’ Dietrich posed, he ran his hands through his hair and took in a deep breath.

‘Yes, he didn’t hurt me. I used the tranquillizer on him. He did use his power on me.’ She answered calmly. Dietrich breathed out, the room around him started to tilt. His symptoms were returning faster than he wished for.

‘So, you couldn’t convince him? What power did he use on you?’ Dietrich retorted; Amoeba could hear his voice wavering slightly.

‘Speech magic. I did something bad.’ Amoeba felt out of place over the line. A piece of her was missing, the theatrical and whimsical version lost in the unknown. ‘I altered his memory.’

‘I should not have asked you to help. I hate making you do that kind of thing. I’m sorry.’ Dietrich replied somberly with a sigh. ‘At least you were able to fix him. His brother is a handful and not only that...His power has something to do with speed and creating electricity. He short-circuited 129.’ His words started to pour out of him.

‘Earendil?’ Amoeba whispered.

‘Yeah...did you see anything while altering Balin’s memories?’ Dietrich eagerly asked. An idea started to formulate in his mind. A crazy plan that under no circumstances would ever work, however, Dietrich believed in the impossible.

Dietrich was impossible.

Amoeba listened to him earnestly. She eventually chimed in assuring Dietrich that if they worked together everything would go over flawlessly.

‘Earendil can help you repair 129; just give the boy something he can’t refuse, earlier you said Balin would do anything for Earendil no to be in any danger, I’m sure Earendil feels the same way. Use it to your advantage, offer to take him to see Balin.’ Amoeba replied in a haste.

Dietrich stabilized himself, slowly walking towards 129 and brushing the android’s hair back with his hand. Earendil started pounding on the shield again, irritating Dietrich, the room kept spinning for him and he coughed in liquid. Slowly Dietrich turned to face Earendil, cautiously grabbing the corners of the walls. He stopped in front of his shield.

“I need you to help me. Help 129.” Dietrich said softly, slowly meeting Earendil’s confused eyes.

‘He doesn’t understand what I’m saying.’ Dietrich said flatly to Amoeba.

‘He’s deaf, Dietrich. Sign to him. Put your fist in the palm of your other hand and then do the inhale motion with your hands.’ Amoeba instructed Dietrich, he sighed and started to sign to Earendil. He repeatedly got it wrong but Earendil copied his movements until they both were signing ‘Help me’.

‘I think he’s got that part. What do I do after that?’ Dietrich asked with enthusiasm, but Amoeba stayed quiet on the other end of her line.

Dietrich rested his hand on his chest trying to think of what to sign to Earendil next, the room was still tilting, and he started to lose his balance but quickly caught himself. Earendil banged on the shield in a panic, he started signing to Dietrich. The inhaling gesture came first then he patted his chest and followed it up by pinching his index and thumb together as if he were grabbing something and creating a circle. Dietrich was no longer able to stand with the pain as he slowly slid to the ground. Perplexed Earendil followed him to the floor, he furiously shook his head and pressed his palm against the shield.

Although Dietrich couldn’t understand what Earendil was saying, something about the look in his eyes reminded him of the creatures he’d saved years ago as the red giant came closer to their homeworlds. He pressed his palm against the shield releasing it. Wide-eyed Earendil looked around, Dietrich was breathing heavily, and his sight was getting blurry but Earendil stooped over to help him up. Earendil struggled but settled Dietrich on the sofa nearby. Dietrich watched him start to rewire 129 before everything started to go dark.

He woke up to the smell of sweet liquorice and machine oil. 129 was sipping a cup of oil delicately as they watched Earendil warmly munch on Feris Fudoole. Earendil signed to them and they giggled softly into their mug, the android’s hand heating the remnants in the cup causing clouds of steam to fan across their face.

‘Amoeba send a welcoming group to escort us to your location.’ Earendil shot Dietrich a smirk before continuing his conversation with the android.

‘Already on the way, healers are in bathing quarters as well. I think it’s time to wake up the man of the hour, what do you say?’ thrilled Amoeba spoke while she started setting the room up.

‘Do you always get this excited to wake people up? Or are you just excited to get me in a bath?’ Dietrich laughed to himself, but Amoeba ignored him, she knew the true test was yet to come.

Balin awoke with tears in his eyes; nestled in between pillows and fine linens that felt like water against his skin, every nerve was on fire within him, his thoughts kept racing as he slowly wiped away his tears. Amoeba was on stand-by waiting patiently to reintroduce herself; this was the first time she’d erased someone under a sedative and she had altered so much of his memory that she was unsure Dietrich’s plan was going to work. Perhaps, in all honesty, she had high hopes in everything Dietrich told her, he was simply enviable to her which made him even more dangerous than anyone she’d ever known. Balin stretched out his arm and the sun rays danced around him.

Amoeba breathed out slowly, startled Balin jumped a little.

“Who are you?’ he inquired before looking around himself, Amoeba took him in with her eyes. ‘Where am I? What is going on?” Balin stumbled backwards; Amoeba tapped him, leaving him stuck in mid-air as the air around him swirled and became visible. The translucent sheets of air held him, and she smiled before tapping him on his chest once again. He breathed in calmly as he watched her for a moment before diverting his attention to the corner of the room, where Dietrich, 129 and Earendil were waiting.

“You fell in the Atrium when we were exiting the Cryislis.’ Dietrich replied, he theatrically waved his hands to show off Amoeba’s room. ‘This is planet Nepxus; an Alliance base planet 8 clicks away from Galleria to be exact and you’re here to sign the Galleria proposal.” Dietrich said turning to smile at Amoeba before returning his attention to Balin.

Balin took in a deep breath as the sheets of air tilted him back to a standing position and just as if nothing had ever occurred, he was standing again. The corners of Balin’s lips curled up as his eyebrows lost full composure, he became lost in a rage of laughter. Amoeba and Dietrich both looked at each other and back at him as he wiped a tear away from his eyes.

‘I thought you said you’d wipe his memory.’ Dietrich said over his shared line with Amoeba.

‘I have. There is no way he remembers anything that happened. I altered everything to subdue him, now get him to lift the magic he used over me.’ Amoeba snapped.

“Balin!’ Dietrich said somberly, Balin calmed himself and turned his attention to Dietrich. ‘I need your help. The council hearing is soon, I need to be able to trust you will do what’s right and sign the proposal.”

Just the mention of the proposal added tension to the air. Balin was still smiling but his face started to turn sterner.

“Who said anything about signing papers, Rich?” Balin smirked at Prince Faye and crossed his arms.