Michael and his team gathered their belongings and quietly exited the courthouse. They walked down the courthouse steps and into the brisk San Francisco air, making their way to the waiting SUV.
The drive back to the hotel was silent, each mber of the team lost in their thoughts. Michael stared out the window, seemingly distracted. Bridget, Juliet, and Antoinette exchanged worried glances, sensing the strain on Michael.
Upon arriving at the hotel, they moved quickly through the lobby and into the elevator. Once inside the privacy of their conference room, Michael turned to face his team.
"Listen, everyone," he began exhaustedly. "I appreciate everything you've done today. Your support and hard work have been invaluable. But right now, I need so ti alone."
Bridget's eyes widened slightly. "Michael, is everything alright?"
Juliet added, "If there's anything you need, we're here."
Antoinette looked concerned. "Are you sure, Michael?"
Michael raised a hand to reassure them. "There's nothing to worry about. I just need so privacy to think and regroup. Please, no one knock on my door or ask any questions for a while. I promise it's just for a short ti."
"Alright, Michael," Bridget said softly. "We'll respect your privacy."
"Take all the ti you need," Juliet added, trying to mask her worry.
Antoinette nodded in agreent. "We'll be here if you need anything."
"Mr. Collins, I'll be eting you in the evening," Michael said, turning to his lawyer. Collins gave a firm nod, understanding the need for space.
Michael headed to his room, closing the door behind him. The silence of the room enveloped him.
He needed so space and ti alone as he already had his back against the wall. He knew that sooner or later, he would be forced to reveal his secret to the world. And when that happened, Michael's peaceful life would end. It would be much worse than his business rivals hiring assassins to exterminate him. It would be the world doing everything they could to get him.
Michael sighed. Despite acquiring intelligence from the system, his base behavior prior to getting the system was getting the best of him. For him, this was a scandal where everyone found out that he was cheating. His heart was racing, and he felt the weight of the deception he had been carrying.
He sank into a chair, running his hands through his hair. He needed to think, to co up with a plan. The walls seed to close in on him as he grappled with the enormity of his situation. The thought of the world's reaction to his secret filled him with dread.
For now, he needed to find a way to calm his racing heart and clear his mind. He took a deep breath, trying to center himself.
Breathe in…breathe out.
He focused on his breathing, trying to steady his thoughts.
Now it felt better to him. So, Collins wanted a single person working in that laboratory to serve as a witness. The problem is, that there was no such thing as a person inside the Virtual World. It was only him, manipulating that world.
Was it possible that he could recreate people there and bring them out to the real world? That sounded stupid, and would it work? Well, he had to try.
But first, he needed to make sure that there were no caras or spy devices lurking inside his room. Michael thodically searched the room, checking every nook and cranny. He examined the light fixtures, the smoke detectors, and even the air vents, making sure that his privacy was intact.
Satisfied that the room was secure, he finally opened his system and then tapped his finger over the Virtual World Tab.
[Would you like to enter the Virtual World?]
Michael tapped yes and then he was whisked into the Virtual World.
He found himself in a laboratory, the familiar environnt where he had spent countless hours developing his technology. The virtual space was fully equipped, resembling a high-tech lab with advanced equipnt and monitors displaying various data points.
Michael took a mont to orient himself. He needed to create a convincing scenario that would satisfy the court's demands without revealing too much. He began by replicating the environnt to match the real-world lab seen in the video. And then as for the people living—. Wait.
Michael realized sothing.
"Wait, isn't artificial intelligence considered an assistant?" he thought. He could work on that story by saying that all of his inventions were assisted by AI. There wasn't really a person because AI, especially the kind developed in the future, was more capable and reliable when it ca to intricate tasks.
Feeling a surge of hope, Michael quickly began programming the AI avatars, specifically the AI that he acquired from completing a mission five years ago, to not only look human but also to interact and respond as humans would. He gave it detailed personalities, specific roles, and knowledge about the projects they supposedly worked on.
Each AI avatar was given a backstory, making them seem more credible.
After several hours of ticulous work, Michael felt confident enough in the AI avatars' abilities. He ran a few simulations to ensure they would convincingly support his claims in court.
With the avatars ready, Michael exited the Virtual World and returned to his hotel room. He glanced at the clock, realizing it was almost ti for his eting with Collins.
Michael t with Collins in the evening, explaining his plan in detail. "Mr. Collins. Do you know why there was no person that could testify. It's because there isn't really a person in the lab. All of the inventions are assisted by AI."
"AI you say? I'm afraid that will do us no good because an AI can't be used as a witness in court," Collins replied, shaking his head. "The court needs human testimony, soone who can be cross-examined and whose credibility can be established."
Michael took a deep breath, prepared for this line of skepticism. "I understand that, Mr. Collins. But I don't need the AI to be the witness. I just need to explain that my inventions are assisted by the AI that I developed. The AI won't be testifying; it will simply be part of the explanation for how the technology was created."
Collins frowned, considering this angle. "And what if they ask how you developed such advanced AI? You know they will press for details."
Michael nodded, already anticipating the question. "That part is irrelevant to the case. We're here because VirtuReal is suing us for infringent. The focus should be on whether or not we infringed on their technology, not the specifics of how our AI was developed. We can argue that the thod of developnt doesn't pertain to the matter at hand."
Collins leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table as he thought it over. "It's a risky approach, but it might work. But is there an AI?"
"Yes."
"Can you show it?"
"Yes."
"Good."
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