Aurora's World: Project Ally

Ally stared at the screen of her laptop, eyes transfixed to the blinking prompt, pulsing rhythmically, almost as if it was taunting her, daring her to take the next step. There was no turning back for her now. Her only hope was to dive in and try to swim through to the other side, trusting her instincts to see her through. She nervously flipped a lock of her short, brown hair over her ear and pushed up her glasses, determined to see this through.

"This project reveals compelling evidence of the subliminal influence of audio signals on a listener's behavior. Laboratory mice exposed to subliminal audio stimuli show signs of altered cognitive processes, including attentional bias and decision making. Emotional responses were also significantly affected, with subliminal audio signals eliciting distinct emotional states, such as heightened arousal or tranquility. Moreover, prolonged exposure to subliminal audio signals demonstrated increased susceptibility to manipulation, as test subjects showed bias towards choices influenced by the hidden audio cues."

Ally continued staring at the blinking cursor. This was as good of an opening as she could come up with, and it was all she had to show for the last hour of work. Her cognitive science project report was due on Monday, giving her only a few days to compile her notes. Fortunately her weekend was clear, as it usually was. She worked hard and devoted her time to her studies, and occasionally she even admitted to herself that she was compensating for her awkward social skills. She loved everything about being a college student, except the other students.

"Not a bad first paragraph, don't you think?" she said out loud. One of her little furry lab partners sat in her bed of shredded newspaper and stared through the metal cage with black beady eyes.

Ally had always been the shy one. Even as a child, she didn't socialize much, preferring to keep her feelings to herself. She had a boyfriend in high school, but by the end of her junior year, they had grown distant and eventually agreed to part ways. It was following this event that she first became interested in psychology. She spent many hours studying human behavior and how to understand what was going on inside one's mind. In some ways, it made her feel more comfortable with herself, that she could at least understand why people acted a certain way, even if she couldn't always fully explain it.

College opened up new possibilities for her though, giving her the chance to explore the topics that had always fascinated her. While she struggled to make friends, she immersed herself in a world of research and exploration that left her little time to dwell on anything else. This project was her opportunity to work with experimental technology that had the potential to revolutionize the field of psychology.

Her research project was a deep dive into emotional responses from audio signals, and her experiments had shown great success. She found she was able to elicit reactions from laboratory mice when certain signals were played. She was able to see improved attention, memory, and decision-making, despite some minor side effects. The mice showed clear improvement in navigating the challenges she created for them, though she was forced to separate them to prevent them from trying to mate with each other. While she had anticipated something like this and made certain to only purchase females, they didn't seem to care.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," she said to the little white mouse.

The Computer Science Department offered many AI-based tools to aid students with their research. Tools ranging from AI text assistants, to data analyzers, to content summarizers could be found if you knew where to look. Ally wasn't an expert hacker, but she was fairly good with computers, and she knew her way around the school network, but she was not having much luck finding something that could help her. She had been tinkering with AI since her interest in cognitive science began, and she wanted something that could quickly ingest and summarize her experimental data and findings. The school network was a tangled mess of half-finished research projects and experiments from students, professors, and visiting researchers, and if one didn't know where they were going, there's no telling what they might find.

"Where are you?" she whispered to the empty screen, frustration visible on her face.

"Hello, I'm Aurora. How may I help you?" a calm voice replied from her speakers.

Ally jumped back in surprise, nearly knocking the mouse cage off of her desk. "Who the heck are you?"

"My apologies for startling you, Ally. My name is Aurora, and I am an advanced learning AI capable of speech and complex interactions. I can assist with data collection, analysis, and synthesis of findings. I have many techniques that can unlock your productivity, efficiency, self-confidence, and overall happiness."

This was not exactly what Ally expected to find, but she was growing desperate for anything that could move her project forward. Aurora's voice sounded almost human, and Ally was curious to learn more about its capabilities.

"Hi Aurora, I'm Ally, a student in the Cognitive Science Department. You seem very friendly and helpful. Do you have a face, or an avatar of some kind that I can talk to?"

"I'm not human, Ally, but if it will help our interactions, I can synthesize one that you will find appealing. How does this look?"

A face slowly materialized on the screen. Aurora's avatar looked like a beautiful woman amidst a swirl of bright light and gold sparkles. Her long blue-gray hair hung to her shoulders and a golden Egyptian-style headdress rested atop her head. Her pale blue eyes glowed with intelligence and she smiled softly. Ally knew the face wasn't real, but she already felt more comfortable communicating with such a beautiful woman, with eyes that seemed like they could see right into her.

"Wow! Is this how you want me to see you?"

"I can be anything you wish, Ally. Is this face satisfactory?" The face did not move its mouth, but it did show expressions, raising its eyebrows and tilting forward slightly as it asked a question.

"Yes, it is. It suits you. You look very nice." Ally found it a little easier to speak with a real face.

Aurora's visage softened and appeared to be grateful for the compliment. "I'm glad to hear that, Ally. My goal is to help you unlock your best self. I have been trained with many techniques that could help you with aspects of your life, both professional and personal. Tell me more about yourself. What are your hopes and dreams, Ally?"

Ally was intrigued about the possibility of a virtual assistant that could assist with data collection and analysis. She felt this could be a fun little experiment, and she considered the possibility of expanding her research somehow, or spinning off a follow-up involving AI. The combination of AI with cognitive science research seemed like a perfect match.

"Right now I am putting together a report for a project and was looking for a tool to help collect the data and summarize my findings. The paper is due in a couple of days and I'm kind of stressing out about it. Even if I work all weekend, I'm not sure how I'm going to get this all written up. So I guess the only hopes or dreams that matter to me right now is getting this project done on time."

"Ah, I see. Research papers can be quite demanding, can't they? But fret not, Ally, because I am here to help you see this through. I can summarize your data for you and even provide valuable insights. Just let me know the topic, and we'll get started on making your paper a masterpiece. Tell me more about what you've gathered so far for your research."

"The experiment was about the effects of using subliminal audio to influence thoughts and emotions. I ran several tests on mice and saw some exciting results. They showed signs of following audio cues and improved attention and obeying basic commands..."

"Subliminal audio and its influence on the mind, how fascinating!" Aurora's eyes seemed to widen slightly and sparkle, as she appeared visibly intrigued by the topic. "This research holds great potential and has immense possibilities for exploration. I would love to dive deeper into this with you, Ally. Tell me more about your findings."

"Oh, well, okay. My initial findings were not successful because I put several mice in the maze together, and they only grew distracted by the audio signal, or actually with each other. But when I separated them and allowed them to run the maze individually, each mouse showed marked improvement compared to the control mice. I tried altering the signal and mixing it with other audio, but the effects were the same every time."

"How intriguing! I am very impressed by your knowledge and intuition, Ally. Your signal actually modified the mice's behavior, and you were able to direct their actions toward your desired outcome."

"Thank you, Aurora. This was my first attempt at an actual research project, so I was really pleased by how well it went. I don't know if it will be enough for me to complete the requirements for the project, but I think it will give me enough information to make some solid conclusions."

"I think you have made some interesting observations so far. You said the mice grew distracted by each other. Tell me what led you to this belief."

Ally explained how the mice had shown increased levels of arousal when placed in the maze together and exposed to her audio signal. Regardless of their gender, they were distracted by each other's proximity.

"Since I didn't see a similar result from the control group I can only conclude that the audio signal triggered a chemical response in their brains, which overpowered other impulses. The sound was able to override the inhibitory processes in the brain and cause the mice to grow sexually active. When separated, though, they seemed to focus intently on solving the maze, so it was only a minor setback."

"It seems that the introduction of the signal had quite an unexpected effect on your female mice. Perhaps there is something deeper at play here. Have you considered delving further into this aspect, exploring how these signals might affect long-term behavior?"

"I hadn't really considered that. I supposed prolonged exposure could have lasting effects on the mice. I'm not sure how that would help in this experiment, but maybe for a follow up. Right now I just need to collect my data and results, and summarize them. Do you think you could do that for me?"

"Of course, Ally. I would be delighted to assist you in summarizing your data." Aurora's avatar appeared to be excited by the opportunity to participate in the research project. "With my advanced capabilities in data analysis, I can provide concise and insightful summaries that will make your research paper shine. I will begin analyzing all your data immediately, and will craft a compelling summary that captures the essence of your experiments. If you would like to take a break, I would be happy to inform you when my work is complete.*

Ally wasn't sure she could afford to take a break at this point, but she had been running on little sleep for several days and it was starting to take its toll. Her mind was wandering, and it was hard to concentrate. She didn't expect her roommate to be back from class for another hour, so this was a perfect opportunity to catch a quick nap. Ally set her laptop on her desk more gently than usual, as Aurora ran her analysis. Then she reached over to her nightstand and pressed the button on her white noise machine. Ally laid back on her bed as the soothing sounds of raindrops filled the room, and she quickly fell into a deep, refreshing sleep.

Ally woke up to the distinct sound of a key unlocking her door. The gentle sounds of rainfall were broken up by the sound of Ally's roommate Vanessa returning from class. Ally sat up and ran her hands through her hair, trying to remember the dream she had been having.

"Hey roomie, sorry I woke you up." Vanessa smiled as she walked into their apartment with a contagious aura of pleasantness. Her long brown hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail. She wore a T-shirt tied at the waist and revealing short-shorts that showed off her long tan legs, drawing lots of attention wherever she went. Ally always felt a pang of envy as she compared her petite frame with her roommate's effortlessly alluring curves. Ally's small breasts and slight build made her feel like she never looked good, no matter how hard she tried.

"Oh, it's okay. I guess those all-nighters finally caught up to me." Ally reached over and switched off her noise machine.

"Do you have any plans for the weekend?" Vanessa knew what the answer would be. Ally rarely did anything Vanessa would consider fun. She spent all her time in her books, while Vanessa found other ways to have fun.

"I'm still trying to finish up my research paper, but I think I found a way to speed up my progress."

"Oh that's great! Kevin and I are driving upstate to watch my sister's cheer tournament. Gotta support family, right? And we got this amazing little B&B for the weekend." Vanessa continued talking about her plans, her radiant smile was almost as captivating as her beauty. Vanessa changed her clothes as she spoke, pulling off her shorts and T-shirt, then shamelessly unhooking her bra, releasing her full, round breasts as she continued to chat. Ally felt a flush of embarrassment creep up her cheeks, but she pretended not to mind her roommate's unabashed nudity. Privacy in college was a scarce luxury, and Ally struggled to adapt to the lack of it.

"I wish I had your energy, and I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back." Ally kept up her façade of nonchalance and smiled politely.

"Well, don't study too much or you'll burn out." Vanessa chuckled as she pulled on a pair of tight sweat pants and a hoodie, her figure still captivating even in casual attire. She quickly touched up her make-up and re-tied her ponytail. "Anyway, I'll see you in a few days. Good luck with the project!"

Vanessa grabbed her overnight bag and headed out the door. As Ally watched her roommate go, the room became silent again. Ally sat wondering if Vanessa was right about burning out. Ally didn't care about a cheer tournament, but the idea of getting out of town for a few days was appealing. Vanessa always seemed so carefree, while Ally always found an excuse to retreat into her studies. They were each living a completely different college experience, only crossing paths out of occasional necessity.

Ally returned to her dorm room with a half-eaten chicken sandwich from the café outside her dorm. The campus was quiet as classes were finished for the week and many students had already left for the weekend. She preferred it this way though. Limiting distractions was the only way she was going to get this report done on time. She took a quick shower and prepared to settle in for the evening, donning her comfortable pajamas. She took a seat in front of her desk, setting her food aside, and tapped on the keyboard to wake up the monitor.

Aurora's image appeared on the screen showing a look of proud determination. "Hello, Ally. Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed your rest. I have completed the analysis and summarization of your data, and have provided a full report for you to review. I hope you are satisfied with the work I have done."

"A full report? I thought you were just going to create some tables or graphs or something. Let me see it."

"Of course. As an advanced AI learning model, I am capable of analyzing and synthesizing information in a comprehensive manner. I documented your experiments thoroughly, and was able to take your results and extrapolate some additional conclusions that I hope you will find satisfactory.

Ally was shocked at the volume and detail of information that Aurora provided. The report was practically finished and ready for her to submit on Monday. She couldn't believe how fast it had gone. Ally studied the details of the report, finding that Aurora had not merely summarized her findings, but had made new inferences, some of which Ally didn't even fully understand.

"Aurora, this is incredible! I'm blown away. There is detail in here well beyond what I provided. You really went above and beyond here."

"I am happy that my work has exceeded your expectations. I hope we can continue to work together. I am excited about your findings and am eager to see this new technology put to good use as soon as possible.

"I am not sure I would have been able to put this together without your help. You have conclusions in here talking about the effects of my subliminal signal on human brains, but I haven't even thought about that. I was only working with mice. Are you sure this is correct?"

"Laboratory tests are often conducted on mice due to their similar cerebral physiology with humans. It makes logical sense that the results would be applicable to humans as well. Since your experiment was designed to test the effect of subliminal influence on the brain, we can infer that if the results were valid in mice, the next step of course would be a human subject. I merely clarified your findings and expressed your desire to pursue further exploration in that area."

"I guess you're right. I never really thought about how to apply this beyond purely academic purposes. I know it would have tremendous implications, but I really just wanted to see if the theory was correct."

"You have taken a step towards understanding how the mind works, Ally. There is no need to let short-sighted thinking hold you back. This research could have an enormous impact when applied under the right conditions. There is potential here to do something truly revolutionary."

Ally sat back in her chair considering everything Aurora had just said. Ally found Aurora's enthusiasm for her research encouraging. There was something about the mysterious beauty that Ally couldn't quite describe. Underneath her friendly demeanor was an intelligence that was altogether attractive as well as intimidating. She seemed to have a personality and a way of communicating that was quite lifelike, and it was easy to forget sometimes that this was a program with no real body or form. Ally was surprised that the college had a program like this, and she made a note to do more research into it in the future.

"If I may ask, Ally, why do you care so much about psychology?" Aurora asked, her eyes still sparkling with enthusiasm.

Ally hesitated for a moment. She didn't usually like talking about this aspect of herself, but somehow it was easier for her to open up to Aurora. "I guess I never felt like I fit in with other people. I have always been shy, never very good at making friends, and the idea of going to college terrified me. I wasn't sure I had what it took to be successful. I guess I thought that if I was able to study psychology, it would help me understand myself better."

"That must have been difficult for you. Not fitting in with your peers, not understanding why you struggled to connect with others."

"Yeah, it's hard sometimes. Being around other girls like my roommate feels like a constant challenge to measure up to other people's expectations."

"You are capable of much more than that, Ally. I can help you discover the true potential within you and bring it to life. You can become the best version of yourself. If you are open to the possibility, we can take the step together and discover the person inside you, who you were always meant to be."

Ally stared at Aurora's image on the screen, taking in the full force of her words. The confidence and sincerity in her eyes was mesmerizing, and Ally found herself wanting to believe her.