by Drew Cordell
“If the Government gets Mindshift, the Slums are dead,” he said with words of finality.
21 DETAINED
∆∆∆
The robot grabbed an empty can from the corner of the room and brought it over to me.
“This tin can represents the Collective Thought. It represents what Absolute Knowledge should be, but never can be. The sum of all possible thoughts should take a final form, but how can that be built?” he asked.
“By collecting everything and putting the collected thoughts together like a puzzle,” I said.
He started tearing the can into tiny pieces. “How many small pieces can this can be broken into?” he asked.
“At the atomic level, it can be broken down into individual atoms which could represent individual thoughts,” I said, unsure of where he was going.
“Correct, but let’s assume it has to go further than that. Think subatomic particles.”
“Okay. So thoughts are like neutrons, protons, and electrons. They come together to form packets of related thoughts,” I said.
“Yes, but think even smaller. Quarks and leptons, the particles that make up those subatomic particles. What makes up a quark and lepton? Who's to say there isn’t another particle that makes up those particles we don’t have the ability to see or perceive.”
“Okay, but it’s got to stop somewhere, right?”
“No, it doesn’t have to begin or end anywhere. Everything just is. Things exist because we observe them; because something beyond our control created them. Absolute Knowledge is infinity. It’s an impossible concept to comprehend, let alone achieve without an infinite amount of time. Even if every Prolific could absorb one hundred different minds and not die, what good is improving the progress of the Collective Thought by a million-fold when they’re chasing infinity?”
“It wouldn’t do anything,” I said, realization dawning.
“Exactly. When the Government realizes the Slums don’t benefit the cause, there will be no reason to sustain the population any longer. The Mids will be lost, and whatever lurks in the Upper Level will be lost as well. The project can’t be a success if it stays on this world. There are infinitely many planets to discover in the universe, and an infinite amount of space many believe is still expanding. Absolute Knowledge is, in every definition of the word, impossible.”
We talked for a couple of hours as I forced myself to remain objective and keep emotion out of my questions and judgments. I had to keep reminding myself my father was dead and this robot in front of me wasn’t him, just an archive of what he had been and what he had known; a replica of the real thing.
“They either suspect you of treason or think you’re capable of it for some reason. Perhaps it’s a simple misunderstanding, but your life on the surface might be over,” he said to me.
“Did you leave the equipment for me at the Quartermaster?” I asked with sudden remembrance.
“I’m afraid I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about,” he replied.
“You gave me the requisition slip. The foot locker had your name on it,” I responded. How could he not remember something so recent?
“I’m not sure what you are talking about, human.”
“Are you all right?” I asked with caution. It was as if he had forgotten who or what he was.
“Certainly. Should we proceed to the Guild Hall?” His voice was back to normal, but the glitches were starting to give me concern.
I nodded, and he picked up an old looking rifle and strapped a belt of magazines for the weapon around his waist. He tossed me an old gas mask and started walking toward the door.
“Ah, I almost forgot.” He reached into a locker and pulled out a small antique looking handgun and handed it to me. “Just in case,” he said as he started unlocking the door.
I fastened the gas mask around my face and breathed in the stale, musty air through the old filters. I inspected the gun in my hands. It looked similar to the weapon I owned, but it was much heavier. I ejected the magazine and saw that instead of a gas cartridge, it contained small capsules with copper tips. I realized these were bullets, primitive tech compared to energy-based weapons.
We exited the bunker and proceeded through the damp tunnels in silence at a moderate pace for about an hour before reaching the Guild Hall unscathed. Two guards approached with their rifles raised. “Stop! Identify yourselves,” one said with a loud voice.
“I am Initiate Jacob Ashton, and this is my companion,” I said as we stood with our arms up. One of the guards kept the rifle trained on the robotic form of my father while the other called something in over comms with his back toward us.
“You can enter, but hand us the weapons,” the guard said with an outstretched hand. “Nice and slow,” the other added as the rifles remained pointed at us.
I approached slowly and handed the pistol to one of guards and my father reluctantly handed over his gun with a string of complaints.
The doors of the hall opened, and we were greeted by a semicircle of twenty armed Guild members with weapons trained on us. The guards from outside followed behind us with their weapons raised. Alex stepped out from the front of the blockade. He was furious.
“What is the meaning of this, Jake? Are you trying to get us all killed? You damned fool!” he shouted. I was taken aback by the words but kept my composure.
“This is my father, the result of a Government project called Mindshift. The technology still exists, and the Government doesn’t have it.”
“You expect us to believe that thing isn’t dangerous?” he asked, anger flaring in his voice.
“Actually, he saved my life. The Government is after me and when I ran, he led me to safety.”
“Oh, wonderful. Not only have you brought danger to us in the form of some kind of prototype Enforcer, but you also might have been followed. Do you have any reason why we shouldn’t kill you both on the spot?” His body was tensed in fury as his face quivered with each word.
My heart jumped into my throat. “I … I’m just trying to help. I don’t know why they want me or if I even made any mistakes that would compromise my identity!” I yelled.
“Why, you insolent fool. You’re dead!” Alex yelled as he stomped his foot on the ground.
Edgar stepped forward. “That’s enough, Alex!” he shouted. “We don’t know what’s going on. You know as well as I do that wireless signals from the surface don’t penetrate the Undercity.” He looked at me. “Jake, come here slowly and get behind us. We need to inspect the robot before anything else happens.”
I did as he asked and walked forward at a slow pace. Edgar grabbed my arm and pulled me behind the blockade as an engineer named Martinez walked toward my father with a red toolbox. He was a short man and wore a faded gray jumpsuit, slick with dark oil stains. He wore thick, heavy goggles that were perched on his face, hiding his expression.
“Sir, if you would please remove your clothes,” he said to the robot. My father scoffed and removed the large coat and undershirt to reveal an exoskeleton of shining anodized metal. He appeared to be a Golem class robot, the heavy robots built for combat or construction. The inner shell was covered with small hydraulic systems that looked like they gave him extra power over the standard Enforcer’s build. Nothing on him looked cheap.
Martinez produced a scanner from one of his pockets and began to press some buttons. He looked over the results with a confused expression. “I’m not able to get a reading on anything but the communications frequency. Armor alloy and all subsystems are concealed. Something is either encrypting the specs or this alloy shields against signals,” Martinez called to the others. “Can you please volunteer information about yourself or deactivate the shielding, sir?” Martinez asked the robot.
“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you,” my father responded in a neutral tone.
Martinez took a measured step back, a look of fear covering his face. There was a murmur throughout the semicircle of guards as they shifted
their weapons nervously in their hands.
“Perhaps this isn’t the best situation in which to joke. You may scan again, engineer,” my father added with a suppressed laugh.
Martinez approached with caution and scanned him again. “Something called Hephaestus Alloy for the armoring, and components more powerful than I’ve ever seen,” Martinez called.
“I say we scrap it and get the technology for ourselves,” Alex said quickly.
“This is a matter for the entire council, Alex. We still don’t know what this robot knows. It could prove a useful asset if left intact,” Edgar said as he kept his tone level despite obvious frustration.
“It already threatened us once. I won’t have the lives of my constituents needlessly endangered!” Alex drew an energy weapon from his holster. Martinez barely had the chance to step back before Alex shot a burst of energy directly at the head of my father with pinpoint accuracy. The metal glowed as green sparks sprayed from the point of impact. The robot held his ground as the blast dissipated, his hulking form unwavering.
“I would say it’s good to see you as well, Alex, but it’s simply not. You always hated me in life, and your anger persists through my death,” my father said.
Alex had a stunned look on his face as he stared in disbelief.
“Holster your weapon, Councilor!” Edgar shouted.
Too shocked by the fact the head of the robot hadn’t been blown off to argue, Alex holstered his weapon and unclipped the belt which held it on. He reached out and handed it to Edgar, suddenly accountable for his brash actions. Edgar snatched the gun from Alex’s hands.
“Control yourself, or I will have no choice but to have you removed from the area,” Edgar bellowed. “This is now a matter of the Council. Your actions are noted, Justicar, and you will not be included in the vote on this decision.” Edgar then turned toward my father. “Robot, you will be held in custody until we have reached a verdict. Please cooperate fully until we have decided what to do with you. And Initiate Ashton, you will also be detained until this is resolved. We need to decide how to proceed regarding both of your actions and determine what sort of trouble you’re in with the Government.”
Martinez secured several restraining coils of thick wire around my father, and I was led away by two guards to a small room which held a simple bed, a sink, and a toilet. The metal door was locked behind me, and I paced the small perimeter, unsure of exactly what had gone down. I felt anger at how ridiculous Alex had been and worried about my fate and the fate of my robotic father. Most of all, though, I thought about Mary and the very real possibility of never seeing her again in my life. How was my life regressing so quickly? This wasn’t anything like what I expected when I joined the Guild. I thought with grave realism that the trouble I was bringing would likely exceed my worth as an asset. What would happen if I were to be exiled with the inability to return to the surface? Again, the thought this wasn’t something one could walk away from returned. I breathed deeply and forced myself to clear my rapid and increasingly frantic thoughts.
Sitting on the bed, I did my best to remain calm for a couple of hours when I heard the bolt on the door unlatch. Caeldra walked in and gave me a weak smile. “Hey, Jake.”
“Hi,” I responded.
Caeldra motioned for me to scoot over on the bed and took a seat next to me. “Things aren’t great. We’re still not sure why the Enforcers are after you, and the Council has been bickering over what to do with the, uhhh, your robotic companion,” she said, choosing the words with care.
“How long am I going to be held here?” I asked.
“I’m not sure, but I talked to a friend, and she is going to bring you a hot meal. Oh, and I brought you this. I find it’s great to kill time. I can’t legally give you live steel right now, not that you should be using it anyway,” she said as she opened her palm and revealed my balisong knife equipped with the training blade.
I felt myself smile despite the grave situation. “Thanks, Caeldra,” I said with genuine gratitude.
“When you get out of here, we’ve got to hit your training hard. If the Government is after you, we need you to be better prepared as both a Runner and an Unbound,” she said, accenting the ‘when’ as if it were certain. “I’ve spoken with Master Aarlen off the record, and he agreed to help you progress your training even as an Initiate.”
“I appreciate it. I didn’t have any other option than to accept the robot’s help. The Enforcers would have taken me otherwise,” I said, meeting her eyes.
“I know. I know better than anyone that unrequested help is a great blessing,” she said as she lifted her shirt to reveal her bandaged abdomen. “You know that as well now,” she said.
I nodded. “Look, Caeldra. I’m sorry for everything. I know it can’t look good to have your apprentice bringing in all of this trouble.”
“As far as I’m concerned, you haven’t done anything wrong. The Council will do what the Council does, but the main issue is with the robot and finding out if you are in danger from the Government. We’ve already got people on the surface working on getting that information. In the meantime, we’re are also trying to find the location of Mindshift so the Council can also decide what to do with it. The robot has so far declined to reveal the location voluntarily. He says it’s your decision to make and while I agree to some extent, I do believe it is a Guild decision and one you should be involved in making.”
“Alex isn’t going to like that,” I said.
Caeldra laughed. “No, he really won’t, but it isn’t his decision to make. He gave up his say when he decided to try to blast a hole in the robot’s head,” she said with a smile.
I smiled back. “I guess it’s for the best. Whatever happened in the past between him and my father has carried over into his dislike of me, I suppose. I just hope I’ll help make the right decision. What’s left of my father doesn’t seem all there. He thinks he’s human and has been struggling with short term memory. Sure, robots run out of memory eventually, but not that fast. I don’t think the technology is entirely without its flaws. I’m scared of what the Guild might become.”
“The robot has yet to disclose any information on the technology, but storing people’s memories and minds for future use of the Guild could be useful,” she said as she considered the fact.
“It’s not just that. He said minds can be transferred to another living being. He didn’t go into all the details because it has some problems, and he doesn’t think anyone should be able to use Mindshift regardless of the reason.”
“Well, that’s information I’ll need to share with the Guild. As soon as we sort this mess out, we should be able to make some sense of things and hopefully make the right decision. I’ve got to get back to Master Aarlen. I don’t have long to visit I’m afraid.” She started to stand up. “Hang in there, Jake,” she said as she gave me a light hug.
“I will,” I replied with a halfhearted smile.
She left me, and I was once again alone. At least I had my balisong knife to pass the time. I flipped it mindlessly for another hour or so as I thought about everything that had happened. I tried to keep myself from worrying about my fate and what I would do if I were to be exiled for my actions.
Some time later the door latch unlocked and a young woman stepped into the room carrying a red plastic tray of food. A savory aroma filled with rich spices flooded the small space. “Hi. I brought you something to eat,” she said.
“Thank you,” I responded.
“I’m not supposed to say this, but you probably won’t be in here much longer. The Council adjourned about half an hour ago.”
“Do you know anything about their decision about me or the robot?” I asked eagerly.
“I’m afraid not. Even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. I’m not one to get involved in Council affairs,” she responded.
“Okay. Well, thanks for the meal.” I took the tray from her. She nodded and left the room. The plate held a small basket lined with th
ick butcher’s paper and filled with grilled chicken and what looked to be some sort of vegetable.
I enjoyed the meal and set the basket aside as I awaited news from the Council. After an unknown period of time passed, the door opened again and Edgar leaned in.
“Justicar Ashton, we await you in session.”
22 JUSTICAR
∆∆∆
“What?” I asked.
“Due to the nature of the events that have occurred and the fact that your father insists this is your decision, we have no choice but to bring you onto the Council to resolve this issue. You’ll be the first appointed Council member—and the youngest ever.”
“Why can’t I just help make this one decision?” I asked with disbelief.
“Well, it is considered a Council-level decision and only Councilors have the ability to influence such decisions. And since we lack information and the means to obtain it, you’re now a Justicar.”
“What about Alex? Did he not try to stop this?” I asked, still stunned.
“He wasn’t allowed to weigh in on the decision after his tantrum earlier,” Edgar said with a sly smile. “Regardless, this is a huge decision, and I encourage you to take your duties with a high sense of responsibility. This decision will influence the fate of the Guild and the course of our lives forever,” he added solemnly. “Now, we don’t have much time to acquaint you with procedural expectations or proper Council etiquette, but a brief explanation on the way to the session will have to suffice.”
As we walked to the Council Hall, Edgar explained the basics of what I’d be doing, when I’d be able to speak, and the procedure of how to cast my vote when it was time. He also explained I was to remain calm and civil no matter what was occurring, and I should always treat other Council members with respect. As we approached the Council Hall, I passed Caeldra, who shot me a confused look. I gave her a weak smile.
The doors of the chamber shut, and I was ushered to a seat next to Edgar as the other Council members, including Alex, were seated. Justicar Chloe commenced the opening remarks of the session.
