New Eden

by Kishore Tipirneni

  “Here you go,” he said with a smile. “One veggie and one combo. Will there be anything else?”

  “We’re fine, thanks,” Joshua said.

  “Enjoy your meal,” the waiter said as Seth gave him a thumbs-up, now believing it was part of the ritual of ordering and receiving food.

  “Smells delicious,” Vinod said.

  “Mouth-watering,” Rachael echoed.

  Seth turned his head to look at the mouths of his three friends.

  “Just an expression,” Vinod explained. “It means the food smells and tastes good.”

  “It’s pure heaven,” Rachael said, pausing before looking up. “Uh, that’s an expression too.”

  Seth watched as Rachael and Vinod each took a slice from the combo, while Joshua took a slice from the veggie.

  “So you don’t eat meat, Josh?” Seth asked.

  “I’m a vegetarian,” Joshua said. He explained how he’d decided years earlier not to consume anything that had ever had a brain when it was alive.

  “But you and Rachael eat meat,” Seth said, turning to Vinod.

  “Yeah, we all set our own limits.” He bit into the drooping slice he held in his hand.

  “But what measure are you using to set those limits?” Seth asked. “It seems to me that you’re using the petrin definition of life as your metric.”

  “How so?” Joshua asked.

  “According to our definition of life, plants are less complex than animals and therefore contain less life. Joshua, you don’t eat animals because you feel they are too complex to sacrifice for your consumption, but this really fits with our definition of life. You don’t want to consume life above a certain complexity, whereas Vinod and Rachael are okay with eating more complex entities such as animals, but I’m sure they also have a limit on how complex an animal they would sacrifice.”

  “Definitely true,” Rachael commented.

  “You may be right bro,” Vinod remarked. “Maybe that’s the reason you have all those crazy 103ers following your every word. Me included. But you’re definitely missing out on some great pizza.”

  “The solar energy we absorb from sunshine is very clean and efficient,” Seth remarked. “It’s all we require.”

  Vinod put his hand on Seth’s shoulder. “No offense, dude, but it sounds really dull. Variety is the spice of life.”

  “But we accomplish what we’re purposed for,” Seth replied.

  “We’re purposed for a lot of things,” Joshua said.

  “I gathered as much from my reading back at the lab. Your species engages in many tasks. Wherever I’ve been, I’ve seen humans walking, driving, and working. It seems quite frenetic.”

  “That’s very true,” Rachael said. “Humans have many different vocations—purposes, if you will. But we also enjoy other things too, such as hobbies, eating, travel, and much more. They all give us purpose and pleasure, at least most of the time. Like Vinod said, variety is the key.”

  “Like sex and procreation?”

  “Yes, those too,” Rachael said.

  “Do you need all these purposes to be happy?”

  “Absolutely,” Vinod said, struggling to swallow so he could talk. “And sometimes, doing nothing at all is an activity in itself.”

  “You mean just chillin’, like the animals in the zoo?” Seth asked.

  “You got it, bro. We love to be pampered. It’s all part of being human.”

  “But planting seeds and harvesting is one of the most important tasks?”

  “Right,” Joshua said. “It enables us to eat. But after we finish our tasks—the harvest, if you will—we humans like to relax, just like Vinod said.”

  “Harvest and pleasure go together then?”

  “You’re catching on,” Vinod said.

  The three team members reached for more slices of pizza as the waiter brought a new round of beers and another glass of wine.

  “There are other kinds of seed, though,” Rachael said.

  “For other crops?”

  “Not in the conventional sense,” she answered. “Seeds are also ideas that we plant as we educate our children in the hope that knowledge will grow and mature. Does that make sense to you?”

  “Perfect sense. Children must learn and grow and one day . . . leave the nest. Is that the proper phrase?”

  Rachael nodded. “Yes, you’re a quick study.”

  Seth stared blankly at his companions as he watched them eat.

  “Observing?” Vinod said.

  “Yes. You seem most satisfied.”

  “Like I said, you don’t know what you’re missing.”

  “I have another question,” Seth stated as the others continued eating. “We passed another field not far away from the corn. There were rectangular stones protruding vertically from the ground, all arranged in neat rows not dissimilar from the corn, although the spacing was different. Are they related to agriculture?”

  “A field of stones?” Joshua said, puzzled.

  Vinod laughed. “That gives new meaning to the saying ‘grow a pair.’”

  “I think he means the cemetery,” Rachael said, shooting a chastising look at Vinod. “About three miles back.”

  “Yes, it’s where we bury our dead bodies,” Joshua said. “Remember that we’re not immortal like you.”

  “Of course I remember, but don’t you recycle the bodies?”

  “Yes and no,” Joshua answered. “They eventually decay and become part of the earth again.”

  “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” Rachael interjected. “It’s a saying we have that reminds us of our mortality.”

  “The process of decay takes much longer in modern times,” Vinod said, “since bodies are buried in sturdy caskets that take longer to deteriorate than a human body. Also, cemeteries are well-cared for. On the other hand, some people are cremated and have their ashes sprinkled over the land or a body of water. I guess they get recycled pretty fast.”

  “Interesting. Their molecules are repurposed. But can’t some body parts be used again?”

  “Sometimes,” Joshua said. “People can elect to donate their organs upon death assuming they’re not damaged. The heart, liver, kidney, and other organs are transplanted into those who are ill. I guess it’s a true form of recycling and maybe what you’re getting at.”

  “It’s certainly an efficient use of the human body and its parts,” Seth Remarked, “and very compassionate. Are burial and cremation the only rituals you observe after someone dies?”

  “Mostly,” Vinod answered. “Some people get frozen, like Rachael intends to do.”

  “Yes, for your brother,” Seth said. “That’s compassionate as well.”

  “I told Josh that I’m thinking about canceling that,” Rachael said.

  Joshua put down his glass of beer and turned to Rachael. “No, you’re not. I was going to tell you later, but I guess now is as good a time as any. I recently signed up at the same facility run by your uncle. I want you to honor the memory of Richard, and I’ll be right there with you.”

  Rachael’s eyes grew large with surprise and welled with tears as she leaned over and gave Joshua a hug. “Oh Josh, thank you so much. It means a lot to me. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Here we go again,” Vinod said sarcastically. He began singing the chorus from “Leather and Lace” by Don Henley and Stevie Nicks.

  “Damn, Vinod,” Joshua interrupted. “For someone who likes music so much, you sure have a shitty voice. You’re ruining that song for me.”

  Seth resumed the song in a clear, pleasing voice exhibiting perfect pitch. He sounded exactly like Don Henley singing the song, but it wasn’t a recording.

  The three members of the personal team exchanged astonished glances. Vinod then proceeded to put his arm around the android as the pair serenaded Joshua and Rachael with the song.

  When Seth and Vinod finished their singing, Joshua and Rachael started clapping. Joshua’s hand movements were slow and sarcastic;
Rachael’s were fast and showed genuine enthusiasm and appreciation.

  “Gosh, thanks, guys,” she said, wiping a single tear from her eye. “That was beautiful.”

  “More like beauty and the beast,” Joshua added, looking from Seth to Vinod.

  “So what do you want to see next Seth?” Joshua asked. “We promised you a personal tour, and there’s a lot more to human behavior than eating pizza.”

  Seth seemed to have anticipated the question. “I’m curious about humans and their social interactions,” he replied. “I’ve spoken to many humans in my travels, but the settings were very formal. I’d like to observe humans and interact with them in a more natural habitat.”

  “That might be hard to pull off given your celebrity status,” Joshua said.

  “General Porter might go ballistic,” Rachael said.

  Vinod appeared excited as he pushed away his plate and leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “I’ve got the perfect spot.”

  “Where?” Joshua asked.

  “Vegas.”

  “Vegas?” Joshua asked.

  “Humans in their natural habitat? Vegas.”

  “Are you out of your mind?” Joshua asked. “We’re not going to Vegas. It’s cheesy and crowded. Rachael’s right. Porter will blow a fuse. Besides, Seth would get mobbed. Seth-o-mania.”

  “Not if we disguised him,” Vinod replied, putting his arm around the android. “I think our boy Seth here would make a great rapper with the right outfit. He’s got the moves, and I could tweak the urban dictionary a bit to be a bit more . . . urban.”

  “What’s Vegas?” Seth asked.

  “Are you serious, Vinod?” Rachael asked, ignoring Seth’s question.

  “Dead serious. Come on. It would be fun dressing him up.”

  “As a rapper?” Joshua asked.

  “Yeah, we get him some clothes—perhaps a dreadlock wig—a gold chain, some sunglasses, and maybe even a gold grill for his teeth. We’d be all set.”

  “Maybe,” Joshua replied, “but it still seems risky to me.”

  “Come on, Josh,” Vinod said. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

  “How about his voice?” Rachael asked. “His voice would be pretty recognizable given the amount of media coverage he’s gotten.”

  “I can change my voice, bro,” Seth replied in an exact copy of Vinod’s voice. The others stared at him, mouths agape. “I can make it sound like anyone you want,” he said in Rachael’s voice.

  “Stop that,” Rachael said. “It’s creeping me out.”

  “Is this one better?” Seth said in Joshua’s voice.

  “No,” Joshua replied. “If this is going to work it’s going to have be a unique voice that fits the persona.”

  “I can rustle up some rap videos from the Internet, and we could choose various sounds and mannerisms,” Vinod suggested.

  “You actually think you can get Porter to approve of this idea?” Rachael asked. “Disguising Seth as a rapper and taking him to Vegas?”

  “Porter, the president wants you to approve this,” Seth said with Dina Williams’ voice.

  Vinod chuckled. “That’s hilarious dude. Spot on. Look, if we present this as Seth’s request, which it is, and make sure the security goons stay close behind, they may go for it.”

  Joshua thought for a moment. “Maybe. I think we’ll run it by Langdon first. We could also sell it as hiding Seth in plain sight, as the saying goes. Who would expect him to be in Las Vegas?”

  Vinod clapped Seth on the shoulder. “We’re going on a road trip, baby! Can you say it?”

  Seth raised his eyebrows. “Say . . . ?”

  “Road trip!”

  “Road trip,” Seth said, imitating Vinod’s voice. “Baby. But you still haven’t answered my question. What is Vegas?”

  “The gambling capital of America,” Joshua replied. “A place where most people go to get drunk, married, divorced, and lose large amounts of money to establishments called casinos.”

  “Sometimes all in the same day,” Rachael added.

  “I see,” Seth said. “A lot of purposeful activity, just as we discussed. Fulfillment of tasks followed by chillin’ and leisure activity. It sounds ideal.”

  “More leisure than anything else,” Rachael said.

  “A whole lot more,” Joshua reiterated.

  “Road trip, baby!” Seth repeated.

  29

  Snake Eyes

  Having asked Langdon about the possibility of taking Seth to Las Vegas, Joshua and the team were seated in his office, waiting for a teleconference with Williams and Porter. Langdon himself thought the road trip would be all right as long as security was modified so as not to stand out, but he was constrained to point out that the decision had to be unanimous among the administrative team.

  As expected, Porter originally vetoed the idea, citing the many risks entailed in bringing android Seth into a populated area in which people were in extremely close proximity to each other.

  “There are a million places you can take him,” Porter said. “Let him see Yellowstone or take the harbor tour around the Statue of Liberty. Or take him for private visits to museums. He could hike in the Amazon and meet the remaining native tribes. All of those options would be safer, not to mention more educational. What can he possible learn from a trip to Las Vegas? Even more importantly, what can we expect to learn from him? You’re ambassadors, for God’s sake. Is showing Seth slot machines the best you can think of?”

  “We kinda promised him,” Vinod said.

  “I don’t see any harm in it as long as he’s well disguised,” Langdon said.

  As usual, the decision fell to Williams.

  “I’m going to overrule you on this, Mitchell,” she said. “It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but there are oddballs and Elvis impersonators on every corner in Vegas. I don’t think anyone will notice Seth as long as the team provides him with the appropriate clothing. In the long run, Las Vegas is a part of who we are as a culture, albeit a small one. Games of chance are as old as humanity.”

  “Yes!” Vinod cried.

  The right side of the screen went blank, Porter’s face disappearing without further comment.

  “Can I count on you three to be discreet?” Williams asked.

  “Do you even have to ask?” Vinod said.

  “Mr. Bhakti, you’re the only reason I asked,” Williams said before her image vanished also.

  “Good luck,” Langdon said. “This had better go off without a hitch.”

  “Thanks, Robert,” Joshua said. “We’ll take good care of Seth.”

  “Famous last words,” Langdon said, unable to suppress a grin.

  Joshua and Rachael were once again in the front seat of the vintage Chevy, Vinod and Seth in the back. The top was down this time as they drove through the desert headed to Las Vegas. The SUV carrying the security detail, now dressed in jeans and button-down shirts, trailed behind. Seth was unrecognizable in his rapper disguise as dreadlocks were blown backwards by the wind. The YouTube videos provided by Vinod allowed Seth to effortlessly adopt a rapper persona, including speech and gait.

  As usual, Vinod had a rock tee shirt on. It was a cover from Loverboy’s Get Lucky album.

  “We need some tunes in here!” Vinod exclaimed over the din of rushing air.

  “We’re not going to be able to find any radio stations in the desert,” Joshua shouted back. “Remember, this car only has FM.”

  “No problem,” Vinod shouted back. “Just tune it to 107.5 and crank it up all the way. That’s Radio Bhakti.”

  Rachael turned on the radio and tuned to the requested frequency. “Born to be Wild” by Steppenwolf blared from the speakers after she’d moved the dial through several stations marred by static.

  “How’d you do that, Vinod?” Rachael asked.

  “Simple,” Vinod answered. “I connected an FM transmitter to my phone. Picked it up this morning before we left. An easy workaround for someone who knows a thing or two
about interfaces. Can’t go on a road trip without tunes.”

  The car drove through the white desert as the late evening sky turned shades of orange and violet.

  The sun had fully set when they arrived in Vegas and cruised down Las Vegas Boulevard to show Seth the strip and the throng of people walking on either side. “Let’s Go” from the Cars blared through the speakers of the convertible.

  “Why they call this place sin city?” Seth asked. “Are they sinning right now?”

  It amazed the group how Seth was able to change the syntax of his speech to match his current persona so easily.

  “No, they’re just taking in the sights like us—not sinning—but people are more uninhibited here and sometimes do things they wouldn’t otherwise do,” Joshua replied.

  “It’s why there’s a saying that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” Rachael said.

  “Think of it as a metropolitan black hole for naughty behavior,” Vinod said.

  “Naughty?” Seth said. “Ah, I see. They’re jiggy with it. Like whoring and drinking. Shakespeare rapped about those behaviors in most of his rhymes. He was really fly.”

  “We’ve unleashed a monster,” Rachael said.

  “Josh,” Vinod said, “let’s hit up a casino. Seth can certainly observe humans closely in such a place. It’d be like Psychology 101. Besides, I’m feeling lucky.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Joshua said. “It might be too much interaction. They’re really crowded, especially after nightfall.”

  “Then what are you gonna do? Take him to a show and a wedding chapel? Vegas has casinos, hotels, and more casinos.”

  “Vinod, I know how your brain works,” Rachael said. “You’re not thinking of using Seth to gamble, are you? He’d have an unfair advantage at the blackjack table. He’d be the best card counter Vegas has ever seen.”

  “Why not?” Vinod asked. “It’d be fun if the house didn’t have the advantage for a change.”

  “No way,” Joshua said. “We’re not going to use Seth as our personal gambling computer. That would be cheating, and I’d feel like we’d be exploiting him.”