Terms and Conditions

'Simply put it you're an advanced AI from somewhere across the universe. What was it again?'

"Sector 56987231/25…"

'Ya that'

Following three times of extensive summarising Jake finally got a grasp of it. This system is an AI built solely to study the universe. Recently it's been studying Earth owing to the appearance of the Gate. The Gate - Portal - wormhole, it's referred by different names. A space-time distortion is what scientists call it. The emergence of hunters was also due to this strange phenomenon.

'An AI from space'

"An Advanced AI" it corrected.

'Does it matters?' Jake refuted

"Yes it does"

It didn't make much difference for him though. According to what it claimed, it is currently researching on mana particles and it wants me aid it in its research. In return it would help him understand and develop his ability. It wasn't exactly as he imagined but ….. wait his ability? He had an ability?

'Wait what do you mean by help me develop my ability? Does that mean I have an ability.'

"Yes you do have an ability or something similar to that"

Ability users, people who were able to utilise mana to produce superhuman capability. Jake was a normal human but to think he had an ability. He was overjoyed at this discovery.

While Jake was busy conversing with the System, his destination had arrived. While Stacy hurriedly left somewhere Jake set the car for auto-parking and entered the building. He walked to a counter and stood in line for verification.

"Next" announced a man sitting at the counter. It was finally his turn. Jake lifted his hand and the man scanned his smart watch. Then his iris was scanned and immediately the screen in front of the man popped up with his credentials after which the verification was complete. The man entered few commands and Jake's smart watch showed a notification and a screen opened. In it contained his name, examinee number and hall number. Jake was in hall number 45. Scrolling down was a map showing the location of all the exam halls with hall number 45 highlighted. Following the directions he reached the exam hall now he had to wait until the examinees were called.

There were various others just like him waiting for the exam to start. He looked around to see if there were any familiar faces. Unfortunately there were none.

"Hey looks like we're both in the same hall" the boy next to him started a conversation.

"???"

"Oh I was standing behind you in queue at the counter" replied the boy.

"Ah is that so. I didn't notice" He was too busy talking to the system that he didn't pay attention to his surroundings.

"It's fine. By the way I'm Sean Paul" the boy lifted his hand for a handshake.

Jake followed suit and shook his hand "I'm Jake Evans"

There was still sometime until the exam started. Many examinees were reviewing while some were chatting. Jake and Sean did the latter until a friend of Sean spotted him and he politely exited. After Sean moved over to his friend's seat Jake was free again. Slowly his thought drifted to his previous conversation with the system. He started wondering about the offer it made.

The deal was enticing. As of right now Jake had no idea what his ability was and how to use it. Having this AI assist him wouldn't be such a bad idea. What bothered him was its side of the deal. To help it's research on mana, that was a broad topic.

'Hey about your research, can you be more specific?'

"Oh you need not worry about that. Your main task is to collect data. If you want to know the details then you can just go through the terms and conditions."

'Terms and condition'

"Yes would you like hear the terms and condition?"

'Yes'

System: Proceeds to recite the terms and conditions

Ten minutes later

System: Bla… bla… bla

Jake: .....

Two minutes later

System: Bla… bla… bla

Jake: (# -_-)

'SHUT UP'

'Don't talk to me until the exam is over'

The terms and conditions from this self-proclaimed advanced AI were damn too long. Mutual cooperation it said, Terms and conditions it said. At this rate he would forget everything he learned for the exam.

"Examinees for Hall 45 please enter" a lady in formals announced.

Jake entered the hall and took the desk he was assigned. He pulled his chair and sat down. After all the students were seated the examiner began to give the instructions. "Use your smart watch to verify. And then proceed. You are not allowed to carry any other devices or electronic gadgets on you. If…"

The desk had an angled platform. On the left was a small sensor while the platform itself was a display. He placed his hand near the sensor and the display showed his credentials. On the right corner was a slot holding a stylus pen. This was a specialised display which was touch-sensitive only to the stylus pen and one could comfortable lean on the table and write. These tables were a standard commonly used in schools. Jake then proceeded to start the exam. A timer started to count down from 2 hours and the test sheet came onto the display.

************

Jake stretched his arms as he walked out of the hall. The written exam was over. All that's left is the practical exam.

"Human! Have you considered my deal? If you're fine we can finalise it."

'UHH… I told not to talk to me until the exam was over'. Jake complained

"Isn't it over? You just exited the space with large number of humans."

'Wait you can tell. Does that mean you can see what I see?'

"No I currently cannot do that. I simply perceive the mana concentration in space to identify objects…"

Ah there he goes again.

"So human do you agree to the Terms and conditions. If you wish I will recite it again"

'No'

There is no way he is listening to that again. Can't he get a written format?

"Regrettably I cannot do that". The system was simply talking to him using mana. Currently only audio messages would be sent.

'What about displaying it on a screen in front of my eyes'

"You mean a hologram"

'No, that's not it' Jake then mustered every possible way to explain about systems he read in novels.

"Hmmm… it's an interesting concept. This could be possible if I directly send signals to your brain along with the signal from your optic nerve to create a false impression that you are seeing something that not there. But I don't have a physical device on you to process such operations but...."

'So is it possible?'

"Not right now."

'Then the Terms and conditions?'

System: Would you like me to recite.

Sigh… 'Is there a penalty for not achieving the goals?'

"Since the goal pertains to research, the outcome is unpredictable. As long as the effort is made there will not be any penalty if the goal is not reached."

There is no penalty. Fine it should be fine. I just have to help as much as I could.

'I agree'

"Congratulations human you have made the right choice. You will not regret this"

'Why do you keep calling me human?'

"Are you not a human?"

Ahh… what did he expect. Jake then demanded that he must be called by his name and continued to introduce himself. Then he talked about mana and abilities. Through the chit-chat he remembered, most of the times when people awaken their abilities they would feel a significant change in their body but Jake didn't notice any change. Maybe he was an inactive.

'What is my ability? I don't feel any different though' he asked.

"It appears you are unable to activate your ability"

'I can tell that much. Tell me, what is my ability?'

"I don't know"

"….."

"Ahem I don't know"

'Don't repeat it' Jake protested. Wasn't this thing was supposed to help him with his ability?