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31_days2007-09-20 11:59 pm
issen4.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-09-20 11:59 pm
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Title: And the Waves Crashed on the Goban 20/?
Day/Theme: 20 Sept/Your heart is an empty room
Series: Hikaru no Go
Character/Pairing: Hikaru/Akira, Isumi/Le Ping
Rating: General
He kept telling himself that this couldn't be real. He was tempted to stop and run out of there, as he had done years ago and couldn't bear to face the truth that Sai was never going to come back.
It wasn't that the game in front of him didn't make sense. It did--and it was terrifying in its familiarity and explosive potential. Each hand was filled with possibilities, each more than he would ever be able to calculate, he knew.
He had started the game with disbelief and a little anger. All right, a lot of anger, and he could tell where it had affected his game.
His opponent, on the contrary, was as unruffled as he remem- no, he had to keep a clear head.
This was not Sai.
Not even a little bit!
Shindou unconsciously gritted his teeth. He did not usually have a problem concentrating, but the uncanny similarities were throwing him off. How did they expect him to play with- He recalled where he was, and turned around. "How?" he asked.
Yang Hai looked clinically interested. "It's real, then?" he asked.
"Real?" Shindou didn't remember a time when his voice had actually shook, not even when he was in hospital, but it was shaking now. "It's n-not real!" he managed to protest. "But-"
"But?" Yang Hai prompted.
He looked down at the useless keyboard, then at the computer mouse, still loosely cradled in his right hand. "It's so similar that it could be. How did that happen?"
There was visible pride in Yang Hai's countenance as he looked at the computer. "It's a program that I developed using only Sai's data," he said.
Shindou felt faint. Only Sai's data. "W-what?"
Yang Hai leant forward in his chair. "I've managed to collect nearly all of Sai's data during the time he played Net Go. He was online for a whole month, and in that month he never lost. I used that everything I could find to create a program that would play like him."
The implications of what Yang Hai was saying sank slowly into Shindou's mind. "But why-" he hesitated, and looked away from the game on the screen to concentrate on the fan between his fingers. "What made you decide to ask me to test this program?"
Yang Hai shrugged. "Oh, Isumi didn't tell you? He and Le Ping both tested this program when it was in its beta stages. They were the ones who suggested you."
Shindou's head whipped up to look behind Yang Hai, where Isumi and Le Ping were standing together. Both of them looked a little guilty. "Why?" he asked them. "Because of the rumours?"
Isumi looked more uncomfortable than ever, which to Shindou, was a sure sign of guilt. "Actually," Isumi began slowly, "I never did believe the gossip that you were Sai when you were an insei. I remember when you, Waya and I challenged Go salons to practice for the Go Exam--your Go was still raw and developing--it couldn't be you... remember the game with Hon Su-yeon?"
"Then?"
"But there are times, if I study your Go very carefully-" Isumi seemed to be focusing only on him. "I can see traces of Sai."
"It could be due to the fact that he studies Sai's Go," Touya said, appearing behind him. He slowly made his way towards the computer, and sat down in the chair beside Shindou.
"Many players do," Isumi agreed. "But the Sai that I can see in Shindou's Go is not just the result of study. It's as though he learnt Go from Sai."
Yang Hai nodded. "I saw that, as soon as Isumi pointed it out. It's funny, because outwardly, your Go style might as well be Sai's opposite. But there's an influence. I figured that if there's anyone who can test the program for me, it would be you."
Shindou felt his heart twist at that. Of all the people in the Go community who would be right for testing an AI program based on Sai's Go, he was surely the most qualified. He just wasn't sure his emotional state could bear it.
"It's really Sai?" Touya asked.
Shindou shook his head violently. "It's not Sai, anymore than Le Ping is Waya, for all that they look alike. But it's damn close." He looked at Yang Hai. "What are you going to do with it?"
Yang Hai studied his notes. "Well-" he said. "First I need you to finish the game with the program, and I'll tweak it a little bit more if necessary, before I release it to the world."
"Other players, you mean," Le Ping said. Catching Shindou's eye, he elaborated, "On the internet."
Shindou felt his heartbeat quicken as the full, Machiavellian nature of Yang Hai's plan emerged. Sai had always been someone who played only on the internet. For a machine 'Sai' to surface now, playing in a similar way as the original Sai...
"People will be clamoring to play with Sai," Yang Hai concluded. "And we'll be able to see how well the learning component of my program works. If it does, it means that I'm on my way to building a program that can beat any Go player on earth."
"But why?" Shindou asked. The pain of losing Sai never really disappeared from his heart, though it had grown fainter with time. Every May he felt compelled to mourn, somehow, and on the rare occasions when he dreamt of Sai, he still woke up with tears in his eyes.
Yang Hai looked surprised that he even needed to ask. "So that I can find the hand of God, or course," he said. "Isn't that the ultimate aim of Go?"
Shindou was violently reminded that this was Sai's aim as well, and he only nodded awkwardly. Before the others could say anything, he turned back to the computer, determined to finish the game.
It was past midnight by the time he finished. Yang Hai clucked like an anxious hen over the kifu and observed, "It's like you know Sai's mind."
Shindou nodded, but it was in exhaustion and not in agreement.
"You were a good choice for testing this program," Yang Hai said. Despite the lateness of the hour, he still sounded energetic and focused. "Of course, the results were what I had expected."
Le Ping, sitting on the floor and leaning against Isumi, glanced up, stifling a yawn. "Really?" he asked.
Yang Hai nodded. "Well, you can't expect a computer program to defeat a human yet."
"Yet?" Le Ping said skeptically.
"It needs more tests," Yang Hai said. "Shindou, Touya, can you-" he looked disappointed. "You're going back already?"
"It's been a long game," Touya answered before Shindou could. "And Shindou still needs to rest. I'm driving him home." He had finally bought a small Toyota last week. He picked up Shindou's walking stick--they had exchanged the crutches for the steel contraption only yesterday--and passed it to him.
Numbly, Shindou took it, and stood up.
Isumi stood up as well. "I'll see you two out," he said. At the door, he bowed apologetically to Shindou. "I apologise if Yang Hai and I have offended in any way," he said in his soft, kind voice. "I can see that Sai was very important to you." His eyes were penetrating.
Shindou thought of the game he had played with this strange, fake 'Sai'. Despite intellectually knowing that it was only a computer program, he had wanted it to be real. It was hard to remember that the Sai he saw in the game was a mere memory. And in the end, when he had won the game, there was only emptiness.
In the car, he cried.
Day/Theme: 20 Sept/Your heart is an empty room
Series: Hikaru no Go
Character/Pairing: Hikaru/Akira, Isumi/Le Ping
Rating: General
He kept telling himself that this couldn't be real. He was tempted to stop and run out of there, as he had done years ago and couldn't bear to face the truth that Sai was never going to come back.
It wasn't that the game in front of him didn't make sense. It did--and it was terrifying in its familiarity and explosive potential. Each hand was filled with possibilities, each more than he would ever be able to calculate, he knew.
He had started the game with disbelief and a little anger. All right, a lot of anger, and he could tell where it had affected his game.
His opponent, on the contrary, was as unruffled as he remem- no, he had to keep a clear head.
This was not Sai.
Not even a little bit!
Shindou unconsciously gritted his teeth. He did not usually have a problem concentrating, but the uncanny similarities were throwing him off. How did they expect him to play with- He recalled where he was, and turned around. "How?" he asked.
Yang Hai looked clinically interested. "It's real, then?" he asked.
"Real?" Shindou didn't remember a time when his voice had actually shook, not even when he was in hospital, but it was shaking now. "It's n-not real!" he managed to protest. "But-"
"But?" Yang Hai prompted.
He looked down at the useless keyboard, then at the computer mouse, still loosely cradled in his right hand. "It's so similar that it could be. How did that happen?"
There was visible pride in Yang Hai's countenance as he looked at the computer. "It's a program that I developed using only Sai's data," he said.
Shindou felt faint. Only Sai's data. "W-what?"
Yang Hai leant forward in his chair. "I've managed to collect nearly all of Sai's data during the time he played Net Go. He was online for a whole month, and in that month he never lost. I used that everything I could find to create a program that would play like him."
The implications of what Yang Hai was saying sank slowly into Shindou's mind. "But why-" he hesitated, and looked away from the game on the screen to concentrate on the fan between his fingers. "What made you decide to ask me to test this program?"
Yang Hai shrugged. "Oh, Isumi didn't tell you? He and Le Ping both tested this program when it was in its beta stages. They were the ones who suggested you."
Shindou's head whipped up to look behind Yang Hai, where Isumi and Le Ping were standing together. Both of them looked a little guilty. "Why?" he asked them. "Because of the rumours?"
Isumi looked more uncomfortable than ever, which to Shindou, was a sure sign of guilt. "Actually," Isumi began slowly, "I never did believe the gossip that you were Sai when you were an insei. I remember when you, Waya and I challenged Go salons to practice for the Go Exam--your Go was still raw and developing--it couldn't be you... remember the game with Hon Su-yeon?"
"Then?"
"But there are times, if I study your Go very carefully-" Isumi seemed to be focusing only on him. "I can see traces of Sai."
"It could be due to the fact that he studies Sai's Go," Touya said, appearing behind him. He slowly made his way towards the computer, and sat down in the chair beside Shindou.
"Many players do," Isumi agreed. "But the Sai that I can see in Shindou's Go is not just the result of study. It's as though he learnt Go from Sai."
Yang Hai nodded. "I saw that, as soon as Isumi pointed it out. It's funny, because outwardly, your Go style might as well be Sai's opposite. But there's an influence. I figured that if there's anyone who can test the program for me, it would be you."
Shindou felt his heart twist at that. Of all the people in the Go community who would be right for testing an AI program based on Sai's Go, he was surely the most qualified. He just wasn't sure his emotional state could bear it.
"It's really Sai?" Touya asked.
Shindou shook his head violently. "It's not Sai, anymore than Le Ping is Waya, for all that they look alike. But it's damn close." He looked at Yang Hai. "What are you going to do with it?"
Yang Hai studied his notes. "Well-" he said. "First I need you to finish the game with the program, and I'll tweak it a little bit more if necessary, before I release it to the world."
"Other players, you mean," Le Ping said. Catching Shindou's eye, he elaborated, "On the internet."
Shindou felt his heartbeat quicken as the full, Machiavellian nature of Yang Hai's plan emerged. Sai had always been someone who played only on the internet. For a machine 'Sai' to surface now, playing in a similar way as the original Sai...
"People will be clamoring to play with Sai," Yang Hai concluded. "And we'll be able to see how well the learning component of my program works. If it does, it means that I'm on my way to building a program that can beat any Go player on earth."
"But why?" Shindou asked. The pain of losing Sai never really disappeared from his heart, though it had grown fainter with time. Every May he felt compelled to mourn, somehow, and on the rare occasions when he dreamt of Sai, he still woke up with tears in his eyes.
Yang Hai looked surprised that he even needed to ask. "So that I can find the hand of God, or course," he said. "Isn't that the ultimate aim of Go?"
Shindou was violently reminded that this was Sai's aim as well, and he only nodded awkwardly. Before the others could say anything, he turned back to the computer, determined to finish the game.
It was past midnight by the time he finished. Yang Hai clucked like an anxious hen over the kifu and observed, "It's like you know Sai's mind."
Shindou nodded, but it was in exhaustion and not in agreement.
"You were a good choice for testing this program," Yang Hai said. Despite the lateness of the hour, he still sounded energetic and focused. "Of course, the results were what I had expected."
Le Ping, sitting on the floor and leaning against Isumi, glanced up, stifling a yawn. "Really?" he asked.
Yang Hai nodded. "Well, you can't expect a computer program to defeat a human yet."
"Yet?" Le Ping said skeptically.
"It needs more tests," Yang Hai said. "Shindou, Touya, can you-" he looked disappointed. "You're going back already?"
"It's been a long game," Touya answered before Shindou could. "And Shindou still needs to rest. I'm driving him home." He had finally bought a small Toyota last week. He picked up Shindou's walking stick--they had exchanged the crutches for the steel contraption only yesterday--and passed it to him.
Numbly, Shindou took it, and stood up.
Isumi stood up as well. "I'll see you two out," he said. At the door, he bowed apologetically to Shindou. "I apologise if Yang Hai and I have offended in any way," he said in his soft, kind voice. "I can see that Sai was very important to you." His eyes were penetrating.
Shindou thought of the game he had played with this strange, fake 'Sai'. Despite intellectually knowing that it was only a computer program, he had wanted it to be real. It was hard to remember that the Sai he saw in the game was a mere memory. And in the end, when he had won the game, there was only emptiness.
In the car, he cried.