AI Dungeon — Experimenting with Dragon, powered by GPT-3

My AI Dungeon saga continues. I’m now a paying subscriber of the game. Ten dollars monthly seemed like a fair price to pay for someone who walks around saying future of creativity, future of creativity to anyone who cares to listen. Besides I like subscription models. I like being tricked into parting with a larger some of money than I initially assumed I’d be spending; it’s quirky. But to be fair, I see a huge benefit of paying for the game.

You get to play the game on a new version of the AI model, named Dragon, which uses OpenAI's new API for leveraging the GPT-3 model. What does that mean? GPT-3 was trained with 570 gigabytes of text content (approximately one trillion words), and can support 175 billion parameters, compared to the 40GB of training content and 1.5 billion parameters of GPT-2. What does that mean? The stories based on the Dragon model are meant to be a lot more coherent. What follows is my first attempt at co-writing such a coherent story on the Dragon model of AI Dungeon.

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You are Axis, a soldier trying to survive in a post apocalyptic world by scavenging among the ruins of what is left. You have an automatic rifle and a grenade. You have lived in this military bunker since the bombs went off. You wake up and report for duty to your commanding officer ask him what your next mission is. He doesn't tell you right away and just stares at you with dead eyes. Finally he speaks,

"We got trouble soldier.

> You say "What is it?"

"It's the bunker boys. They're breeding."

You look at your commanding officer in confusion.

"Breeding? What do you mean?

> You say "Didn't we 'take care' of them?"

He sighs and looks at you.

"You take care of what you kill soldier. That's why we have guns."

You are now even more confused.

You didn't like the bunker boys, sure. But you certainly didn't share the contempt of your fellow soldiers. You'd heard the rumors of course, but it seemed so unlikely that they could be true. Now though? It doesn't seem like such an unlikely scenario anymore...

> You say "Well it is us versus them, isn't it?"

He gives you a deadpan stare.

"Yeah, I suppose it is."

You are silent for a moment as you consider your options.

There isn't much.

> You say "Should I go take care of them? Really take care of them this time?"

He looks at you, as if considering whether or not to give you an order.

"If you want. It may be the last chance you get."

You think about that for a moment.

> You say "Let me handle it right away. You can stay here with the rest of the guys."

He gives you a nod. "Okay. Just remember, it's going to be like the last time you faced them."

> You say "If it is, I'll tell them this one's for Charlise."

You walk away from your commanding officer and head to the bunker entrance. You see two guards standing at attention, one on either side of the door. They let you through without a word.

> You say "Morning boys, how's the water?"

You give them a big grin and a thumbs up and walk over to the large cooler near the door. You open the top and drink greedily before handing the bottle to your buddy to do likewise.

> You say "I'm going to need that bottle back. Going underground to take care of the bunker boys."

He stares at you blankly for a moment.

"Just make sure you stand clear sir."

You nod and jog over to the stairs, grabbing your gear on the way down.

Your on your own, just the way you like to start a mission. No other people, no liabilities. The only way to get the job done.

You run into your car. No other people, no responsibilities. You hop in and drive off to your first location.

When you arrive, you get out and walk to the front door of the house.

This is the only way to go underground into the lair of the bunker boys. They probably have multiple levels and escape tunnels. You can't use the front door, it would be too predictable. The house is a well preserved and the people who lived there were quite normal.

Or they must've been, before they came into contact with those creatures. You circle the house to the back door. With one hand on your rifle, you try to turn the knob with the other. Locked. Good, probably locked so you can't just barge in.

You circle the house again and see a window.

You pull a safety hammer out of your bag. Safety hammers have a small plock sound, so as not to alert the inhabitants. You place it on the glass and try to open it.

You jump back just in time to avoid the window breaking.

The glass shatters. You climb in.

You're underground now. It's actually a lot nicer than you'd imagined. There is a nice sitting area with couch and tv and even a small kitchen.

And no people.

The tunnels twist and turn, some fresh concrete, some dirt. It's hard to tell how long they are. You assume it's probably several miles, but you're not going that far.

All you need to hear is a faint yellow hum from the ceiling and you'll know that's where they are. You should be able to get there before they can react.

You jump down and start jogging through the tunnel, passing a few doors, some open, some closed.

You slow down. You don't want to make a noise. You want to be able to hear that dull noise. About ten doors later, you hear that old buzz.

You slow down. You walk towards it.

The concrete is freshly cut. The tunnel has an exit about 30 feet up ahead. You get closer and closer. They cut a small tunnel upward and left it open just enough for them to squeeze through.

Bad luck for them, it's just enough for you to squeeze through as well. At the mouth of the tunnel, you check your weapons. You say a little prayer for Charlise. You jump in.

You squeeze through.

You find yourself in an old kitchen. A girl sits slumped in a chair in the corner. She looks like she's been beaten badly. She is drenched in her own blood.

You wonder, did the bunker boys do this? She looks so young, you'd expect them to have taken on someone older. The smell is overpowering, but you're too focused to vomit.

She still has her eyes open.

For a moment, you forget all about bunker boys and soldiers and the event; you just remember Charlise telling you, "the reason we are soldiers is to help." She would've said the most important thing for you to do right now is not to get the bunker boys, not to gather evidence on whether bunker boys were capable of breeding and report back to command. She would've told you you had only one job: to save the girl and anyone else the bunker boys may have taken.

You remember.

You crouch by her side and ask, "Do you know what happened?" She looks at you and manages a faint smile. She doesn't know.

> You say "What's your name, little girl?"

"Ana."

You give her a smile. You give her an order, "Ana, stay with me." She nods.

Her face is swollen and cut to hell.

You want to ask her if it was the bunker boys who did this. You want to ask her what she's seen. You want to ask her how she got here. Buy you don't want to spook her. You hold her hand with your right, your rifle with your left, and walk slowly, silently, towards the sound of the TV coming from the next room.

You hear the noise first: a thumping bass, blaring neon lights. You're not used to modern technology. You stop in your tracks. You peek through the doorway.

You stop, crouch, whisper to Ana, "quiet, ok? Don't make a sound."

The room is huge. A concrete floor, a large flat-screen tv on the wall, couches and tables everywhere.

They were here. You're sure. You stand up.

You point your gun to the ceiling and take slow breaths.

Breathes.

Click.

You look around, making sure you're alone.

Click.

"Are you going to kill the saints," Ana asks. "Or the sinners?"

You point to the ceiling.

> You say "The sinners."

"Then you should put the saints up."

The room is silent.

You shoot at the ceiling. That's where the bunker boys are now. You're sure of it.

If they did this to Ana, you're getting them. They're evil. They're pure evil. You pull up the numbers for your bunker and wait. You're ready to call it in, to fight, to hunt, to do whatever it is you were trained for.

You shoot ten more rounds. The ceiling falls through.

You walk slowly forward.

That's when you see him: Hans Vigo, lying in a bed, drenched in blood, his chest torn open. You drop to your knee.

"Hans?" you ask. You don't hear an answer.

You step into the bunker, weapon ready. You look around. It's eerie. Almost eerily quiet, save for the pinging of your gun and the occasional squeaks of the rodents scurrying through the old foundations. You look at Hans' body.

"They got him," Ana says. "I saw the saints get him."

You're shaking your head. "I saw him get up and turn to face the bunker. I didn't shoot."

"We have to go," you say.

You head back out into the hallway.

Truth be told, you're creeped out. Yes, you were supposed to get the bunker boys, but... Maybe you shouldn't hae done this one your own. You just want to rescue Ana and get back to HQ. So you head for the tunnel. You head for the way out. You hope you're quick enough to make it.

The bunker door opens, and a dark-skinned man walks out. He's tall, taller than any of the other bunker boys.

"Saint Vitrius," Ana whispers. She curtsies.

"At last, we meet," he says in a deep voice. "I have heard much about you." He holds out his hand for you to shake.

> You say "What did you do to Vigo? What have you done to this poor girl?"

"I did nothing to Vigo. I only met him yesterday. And as for this poor girl, she was taken by the man you're looking for."

You stop, raise an eyebrow.

> You say "I'm looking for your kind. Are you saying she was taken by one of yours?"

He doesn't respond.

You take a step towards him. "What did you do with her?"

"Do you not think I would be better off in the ground?" he asks.

> You say "You don't want me to tell you where I think you'd be better off."

He nods.

"Say that again," you say.

"I'll be much better off in the ground."

You shake your head, annoyed.

> You say "What did you do to her? Answer me!"

"I swear to god, I did not do anything to her! I would much rather you tell me where she is than tell her father, or whoever it is that's looking for her. Please, just help me..."

> You say "Lies! I know you boys are breeding here."

He shakes his head. "We're... Not doing anything bad enough to you.

> You say "Did she stumble into your little operation? Is that what happened? Is that why you beat Ana?"

He's silent.

"Don't lie to me. Tell me where she is, and maybe I won't tell anyone."

He's silent.

"I'm right here," Ana says. "Why are you yelling at Saint Vitrius?" "Saint Vitrius," she says, turning to the bunker boy, "is this man a sinner?"

"No. No, he's not," the boy says. "He's just... Weak. He couldn't resist the beast within.

> You say "I'm not a sinner, Ana. "

"Oh, yes you are. Everyone here is a sinner. Sinners in the eyes of the lord. The beast within... It's too much for him. He needs to be put down."

Ana walks to the bunker boy and holds his hand. "He must be with the men that beat me."

The boy sighs. "You were both sinners, no doubt."

You stare at him, horrified. You wonder why the hell you're even listening to this madman.

After all, everyone at HQ knew without a shadow of a doubt. Bunker boys, bad. Soldiers, good. You were the only one who had any sympathy for these creatures. You reach for your rifle.

"Please, no, I'm sorry! I got... I got a little lost. I just need to find my way out of here."

Ana stares at him, her face set in stone. "Please, I don't want to die."

"The beast within is too much for him. He needs to be put down," you say.

She turns and sighs, then turns to the boy. "Do you remember where we were?"

He nods.

"It's that way."

"The other way?"

She sighs, and shakes her head. "The way back. I... I don't want to die. I've never been good with the dead. I'll see my father, and he'll be disappointed in me. I know he will.

Suddenly her face changes. She laughs. The boy laughs too. They morph into standing shadows, seven feet tall. You gasp. "What's happening," you exclaim, reaching for you rifle. They're laughing maniacally. You fire away, but the bullets just pass through them. They're incorporeal, yet so solid. The boy grabs your head with one hand and puts it against his fist, crushing it. You let out a blood-curdling scream.

Then, nothingness.

---

I have a few observations to make, but I want to write another story before I make them. So see you soon.