by Candice Lim
My stomach fluttered whenever his gorgeous eyes stared back at me. I never got the chance to look right in his face. I was always running away from him. I read some of the comments. Most of them were heart and kissy emojis left by his fangirls.
Danny didn’t reply to any of them. I wondered if he had a girlfriend. No other girls in his profile that were dedicated to exhibiting his handsome face and sculpted body. I chose to believe he was single. My vision went blurry until one of them caught my attention.
My jaw dropped. “Holy shit!” The skin on my neck tingled.
Danny was bare naked, sitting on a wooden stool in a spartan room. His biceps bulged as he raked his fingers over his wet, tousled hair. And his other hand was holding a straw hat over his crotch.
Heat sizzled through my skin. I wanted to click on the comments but my phone slipped and I accidentally clicked ‘Like’.
“Shit!” My heart somersaulted. I almost threw my phone out the window. I quickly ‘Unliked’ the photo. I sighed in relief when I remembered my account was private. The only photo he could see was the default silhouette picture. Danny had tens of thousands of ‘Likes’ on his every photo. He wouldn’t have noticed it.
A naughty thought sprang to my mind. I re-Liked that photo and a few other old photos and left a love heart emoji on his sauciest photo. I bet Danny wouldn’t even notice me. So what even if he knew it was me, the Soul Thief?
I tucked my phone under the bed and closed my eyes, smiling sheepishly. Sleep eventually came to me.
6
Connectivity was essential in everyday life in the twenties. When privacy became a luxury, people desperately wanted to go back to simpler times. So the Anti-tech Zones (ATZs) became an oasis for screen-free and offline times.
Without the internet, Helper Bots couldn’t connect to the Zhang Net that tracked my location. Usually, I couldn’t be bothered being tracked but since I took a day off, the last thing I wanted was for him to catch me working on a second job at Rain Bar. Rain Bar was the last surviving ATZ that served the last handmade drinks.
It was also where Lucia, my friend from high school, worked. Lucia started as a part-time bartender when we were in high school and dropped out to go into full time while I went to college.
The wooden chimes clinked when I pushed through the wooden door. The candlelit glass jars overhead cast mosaics of colors on the walls. During the evening, these wooden tables would be decked with people here for the happy hour.
“Hey, Lucia!”
Lucia frowned at me. “Um.”
“Really, Lucia?”
“Kira? Is that really you?” Lucia tucked her red curl behind her ear. I rolled my eyes good-naturedly.
“I haven’t been gone for too long.” I recalled Wu Zhang changing my looks. If Lucia found out I had a Transient Bot, I would have to cook up a cover story. The only part Lucia knew was I worked for Zhang Robotics.
“You look different! Did you change your hair?”
“Yes!” I raked my fingers through my hair. “How does it look?”
“Awesome.” She gave me two thumbs up.
Lucia glanced at the kitchen and poured a glass of pink alcohol that turned into galaxy color in the frosted glass. The space sling is the house’s special. “Thanks.” I winked and sipped the strawberry-flavored alcohol.
“Did you really have to fake sick to get a day off to work on your second job?” Lucia scrunched her nose. Her natural red curls matched her red, prominent pout. Her dark brown eyes looked like she’d natural smoky eyes and her cheekbones were high to match her tall nose. Lucia was always beautiful but what made me jealous was she had an organic body. “I mean, that old hag didn’t even pay you, he should know better you need a part-time job to pay bills.”
I sighed and nodded.
Lucia stuck her tongue out in disgust. I got into the bar and removed my flannel jacket to reveal my black tank. I wore a pair of denim shorts similar to Lucia’s. It was our dress code.
Stashing my bag and the jacket away in the drawers, I wiped the counter with a wet cloth and cleaned the glasses on the shelves. I mentally pictured how mundane tasks like this could be automated with bots. But then again, that was the whole idea, right? People came to Rain Bar for human touch. To get away from the machines.
“How’s work?” Lucia broke into my trance.
I shrugged. “Still the same.”
“Did your boss offer a permanent position? I mean, you’ve been doing an unpaid internship for over a year.”
“It’s pretty common for my industry, Lucia.”
Lucia twisted her face. “Lucky I dropped out.”
“How’s your family?” I asked. I wasn’t into small talk or someone else’s family problems. I avoided talking about work as much as possible.
“They’re alright.” Lucia’s voice dropped. I looked in her direction and frowned at the smartwatch on her wrist. “Nice accessory!” I jutted my chin at her wrist.
“Oh.” She sniggered and cupped her hand over it. “Um, yeah. Thanks.” Lucia looked disconcerted. She finally let out a sigh and propped against the bar. “Lots of shit happened last month.” I made a mental calculation the last time I worked here. It had to be last year. I couldn’t get many days off these days.
Lucia squeezed the bridge of her nose and hung her head. “My dad is sick. I can’t bear to lose him.” I remembered Lucia telling me her mom was gone. Her dad was the only relative she’s got. “His life is now dependent on the nanomachines installed in his body to monitor his white blood cells level. Fuck. I knew the robots were taking over our jobs. Didn’t think they were taking over our lives as well.”
Lucia let out a self-pitying laugh that sent chills down my spine. “Did I tell you he’s got dementia too? That’s why I need to have this smartwatch on all the time, to monitor his health. If his white blood cells go above the threshold, I’ll have to ring him up and ask him to jab himself with the antidote.”
“That’s pretty fucked up,” I muttered under my breath when a thought hit me. “Wait, so…this isn’t an ATZ then?”
Lucia shook her head. “It hasn’t been one since last year, Kira. They increased the licensing fees for ATZs. Plus, the customers are demanding for free Wi-Fi to post their photos on Social Sense, so we had to install the router. You want the Wi-Fi password?”
My nerves rose in me as I scanned the bar, seeking familiar faces. Theoretically, Wu Zhang wouldn’t have a clue where I’d been since I rerouted my IP address. But if there were any Helper Bots here, my plan would be fucked. Well, at least I had the wits to not talk shit about Wu Zhang. You had no fucking idea of how petty he could be.
“Lucia, have you seen any Helper Bots around here?”
Lucia mimicked me and scanned the bar. “I don’t recall seeing any droids here before. Most here are frequent customers anyway.”
A relieved sigh escaped my chest. But then again, Helper Bots were made of sophisticated synthetic surrogates that could easily slip past untrained eyes. Lucia didn’t even notice that I was a Transient Bot.
I shook my head to purge my thoughts when Lucia turned on the hologram TV. My blood froze in my veins when I saw Wu Zhang on the news channel, sported in a white coat with the logo of Zhang Robotics, a golden dragon forming a circle, on the chest pocket.
Lucia cranked up the volume.
“Congratulations on the new acquisition of Pi-Drones, Dr. Wu Zhang,” said the robot reporter in her ultra-realistic voice. “What do you envision for the future of this merger?”
“Pi-Drones is an excellent, most efficient drone-based delivery service in the nation. However, a couple of weaknesses in the traditional, manpower-based execution require urgent improvements. With the implementation of the new policies, we can cut off the costs to offer better prices and further enhance the efficiency of the delivery services.”
Zhang Robotics engulfed smaller tech companies every week. I wondered why they made news out of this
instead of more relevant events like Michele’s murder. Then, I remembered how people found rape and murder to be too sensitive and taboo to be aired on TV. It reminded me why I hadn’t watched the news since leaving college.
After Wu Zhang’s interview, Lucia turned to me and was about to flood me with questions when someone shouted from behind us. “Another pint here!”
Lucia and I turned around and rolled our eyes in sync when the drunkard slammed his empty glass on the table. The other customers scowled at him.
“I’ll get this one.” I filled up a glass and slid it on his table. “I fucking hate my life,” he growled softly and grabbed onto the handle of the glass before burying his face in his arms.
A sudden familiarity hit me. I stood there and studied his face. I knew I saw him somewhere, but where? Maybe it was the drink I had before.
I didn’t know what came over me, I took the empty seat next to him.
The drunkard looked up at me but said nothing.
Lucia was walking back to the bar after delivering some drinks frowned and mouthed, “What the fuck are you doing?” at me. I dismissed her and studied the drunkard again.
“I hate my life too,” I muttered, meaning it.
The drunkard chugged his pint and slammed the empty glass on the table. “How bad can your life be?”
The mental pictures of Cypher flounced in my head. I should be collecting souls right now. But I couldn’t. I needed money. I’d have to work this shift or I’d end up like Michele.
Michele’s scream echoed in my ears. The memories of her futile struggles to escape from her attackers, her helpless pleas that went unheard spiraled in my head. I took a deep breath and purged those mental images.
The drunkard buried his face in his arms again. I got his message. He didn’t want a conversation. I wasn’t here for one too. I peeked at the back of his right ear and the biosensor tattoo clarified my doubts. A haze of fear bounced around me. “A Helper Bot,” I muttered to myself.
What was a Helper Bot doing here without his master? How’d he even get away in the first place? My mind went to the Kill Switch installed in him. The Kill Switch self-destruction sequence would be activated if his master found out he’d betrayed him.
The Helper Bot must have heard me. He looked up, his mechanical eyes bore so much sorrow and hatred it was too surreal for a droid. If the Helper Bot could express emotions, he would’ve been in tears. I was in awe of Wu Zhang’s handiwork.
If only he would complete the A.I. algorithm for the Helper Bots as soon as possible. But judging at his success with the soul-powered robot slaves, he wouldn’t be doing it any sooner.
“Still hate your life, huh, human?” The Helper Bot sniggered. Damn, I didn’t know sarcasm was a part of the features. Then, I remembered he used to be a human like myself. It made me wonder to what extent the Helper Bots could behave like a human before Wu Zhang decided it was a singularity.
“You’ve no idea,” I said.
“You’re free to live your life the way you want it to be. You always have a choice.” His voice withered. “I’m nothing but a slave.” Was I not a slave to Wu Zhang’s trap? He didn’t understand I couldn’t walk away as I wished. But I didn’t argue. The Helper Bot added, “Sometimes I feel like I’m a human trapped in this robot body. I have these memories that aren’t mine lingering in my head. Sometimes, they feel so real I almost believe them.”
I placed my hand on his arm and felt the warmth of his synthetic skin against my palm. It was so real I jerked back. Then, I slowly touched him again, feeling the stream of electrolytes pulsing on my fingers, in sync with the beating of his mechanical heart.
It was ironic to say this was the first time I’d touched a functioning Helper Bot. Wu Zhang never let me near one knowing I’d get too attached. Against my better judgment, I scanned the biosensor with my smartwatch. Wu Zhang had disconnected me from the database but I still had the backup.
I wrote programs so I knew better to keep backups.
XY0152---Tobias. 18.
The memories from one year ago flooded back in my head. I knew this droid. It was fresh in my mind what happened 45 minutes after Cypher was pronounced dead.
Six people in the cafeteria including Wu Zhang and I. The lonely waiter fiddled with his phone and occasionally glanced at his customers. The rest were asleep at the corner table.
“What do I have to do?” I looked at Wu Zhang, my only ticket to getting Cypher back. I couldn’t think straight. My mind was muddled. I hated hospitals. I wanted to get the fuck out of here soon.
Wu Zhang leaned forward at the table. “I must warn you. The technology you’re about to witness is beyond your time. I need you to be mentally prepared.”
I clenched and unclenched my fists. Would Cypher be okay in the Mind Drive? I nodded. The hammering pain pounded my head. “Come with me.” Wu Zhang paid for our mineral waters. I followed him.
“Zhang Robotics not only supply Transient Bots, but we also manufacture A.I. helper droids called Helper Bots. However, the A.I. technology that has been proposed initially hasn’t been perfected yet. But the demand for the droids continued to soar, so we have been forced to resort to alternative measures.”
I nodded subconsciously as I fought to grasp in as much information. “The Mind Files you collect will become the source code for the Helper Bots.”
I pulled up when realization dawned on me. I looked at Wu Zhang with wide eyes. “The Helper Bots are powered by…human souls? You mean, they were never artificial intelligence?”
“Not yet.”
“And I’m supposed to go and capture all these souls for you?”
Wu Zhang smirked. “I knew you were a smartass.”
I tugged at my long hair. I’d been farming it for sale. Passive income! “This…this is human trafficking.”
“They’re no longer human when they’re dead.”
“But–”
“As we speak, we have a collection.”
I let out a sigh and followed Wu Zhang down the spartan hallway. “What are we doing?” I stopped at the door when he snuck into the ward at the end of the hallway.
“Your training.”
“What?”
“This is your first assignment. His name is Tobias.” I closed the door after him. When I turned around, he thrust the beacon into my arms. It felt more solid and heavier than it looked. Wu Zhang checked his smartwatch. “Tobias was involved in a car accident that left him in a coma. But his sufferings shall end in a couple of minutes.”
I gulped as a chill ran down my veins.
“Wait!” Wu Zhang pursed his lips that were thin as his patience. “There are rapists and murderers in prison. Why don’t we get their souls instead of these innocent civilians?”
“First of all, prisons aren’t for public access and under maximum security. But I wouldn’t mind if you get their souls.” Wu Zhang clutched onto the muzzle of the beacon and aimed at the unconscious Tobias. “Get ready. His time is almost up. When his ECG goes flat, pull the trigger. The counter on the Mind Drive will tell you if you get the Mind File.”
My shaky finger hovered on the trigger. What the fuck had I gotten myself into?
“Five hundred Mind Files…and then you’ll reunite with the love of your life.”
I nodded and gulped the burning lump in my throat. Five hundred Mind Files. Then, I got Cypher back…
Easy…
“Can I tell you a secret?” Tobias broke into my trance. I was back in the Rain Bar. It was surreal now that I was looking at Tobias, my first assignment.
“Yeah?”
A faint smile on his face. “You talk to me like I’m a person. It makes me happy. You people always think it’s mindless to talk with machines. Like you’ve no idea we have feelings too. We just…we just can’t express it. I’m so happy to have talked with you.”
I didn’t know what to say. Tobias got up and was ready to leave.
“
Where are you going?”
“I’m done being a slave.”
I stood in his way. “You can’t. You…you have a Kill Switch in you. You’ll be destroyed if found treason against your master.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted–” Suddenly, his smirk turned into a terrified expression. Tobias’ hand shot to his chest as he drew sharp breaths and his face crumpled.
“Tobias!” I blurted out and regretted immediately.
Tobias’ eyes flew open. “How’d you know my name?”
