THE MARTIAN SCARECROW

by IMAN K. F.

  Lucas grins.

  “I got the job.”

  CHAPTER 4

  “Apparently, one of the three selected candidates had declined the job offer. Something had happened during training that made him realize the job wasn’t suitable for him. And it just so happened that I was next on the company’s candidate shortlist and they were interested in giving me a try. I couldn’t believe it. I was so freaking excited that I jumped up and I hugged Mary, tears of joy dripping onto her shoulder. She seemed genuinely happy for me, and set up the meeting with Xsociety to discuss further details the very next day. Xsociety. Finally, I was told the name of the company. I went back to my capsule and conducted research about them online, and found a couple small, international groups with the same name, but it didn’t seem the job was with any of them. This was either something very new or a well-kept secret.”

  “It seemed you had to go through another mystery,” Lucas says, and waggles his eyebrows at me.

  I chuckle softly, even though it hurts my throat. “The next day, the company sent a drone-limo to pick me up, a medium-sized shuttle drone meant to transport up to two people, though I’d seen larger ones that could carry four. It touched down right outside the refugee center, and a door lifted up from its side, and a ramp extended down to the earth. I walked up it and entered a dim interior, noticing metallic bench seats along each of its sides. As soon as I sat down, I was advised by a drone operating the interface that the destination was about three hours outside Freer town. The ship’s sides were translucent from the inside, so I was able to enjoy the scenery along the way, but found myself so exhausted from all the stress than I ended up taking a nap.

  “Before I knew it, we were there. Xsociety was well-hidden within a thick copse of ash trees. Its camp consisted of a series of modern-looking buildings huddled together in a crowded circle amidst the tree trunks. My appointment was in the building shaped like a vertical standing ring, its exterior made of solar panels. These panels automatically changed colors to match the surroundings, so the building would blend in with the environment at all times. Most of the other buildings were similarly constructed, but varied in shape. For instance, one resembled honeycomb, and another a rugby ball.

  “Upon arrival, I exited the transport vehicle and was greeted by cool forest air, and I breathed in the smell of trees. A small drone shaped like the tip of an arrow—like the Chevron symbol—approached, and ushered me inside the building. Its interior walls were made of glass, and the floor was of polished white marble tiles, kept so clean that I didn’t want to stain them with my footsteps. I followed the drone to the reception desk, where I was greeted by a receptionist sitting behind a sleek white stone table on brushed stainless steel legs. She directed me to a meeting room filled with an oblong table of the same make as the receptionist’s desk, and walls constructed of matt glass.

  “I only had to wait a few minutes before a middle-aged man named Bryan showed up. He was sharply dressed in a tailored, navy-blue suit and a chic blue tie. He had slicked back brown, silky hair, and inquisitive green eyes. He shook my hand—a firm grip like he meant business. He asked a few ice breaker questions about my background and recent experiences, although I was sure he already knew everything about my past. Pretty quickly, he presented me with a confidentiality form and informed me any information about Xsociety could not be shared with others. ’If you violate this agreement, you will be immediately deported,’ he said.

  “I was so eager to work that I agreed to the terms right away. He nodded appreciatively, simply said, ‘Good,’ then jumped right into explaining what my job was going to be. Needless to say, it was not what I expected.”

  “I bet,” Lucas says.

  “He told me how Xsociety had been working on a multi-planetary program for several years and, finally, they had reached an exploration stage, and trials were being undertaken. Apparently Xsociety had been working with government support, as well as private investors, to make having human colonies on Mars possible. Especially in recent years, they’d made impressive progress. Already a camp and some basic infrastructure had been set up on Mars. Their end goal was to create a fully self-sustainable society.

  “You see, Lucas, Bryan pointed out that the current trends on Earth will eventually make survival for future generations impossible. He showed me an animated hologram which forecasted Earth’s future state. I saw cities underwater. Severe heat waves and hurricanes. All the worst fears of climate change becoming reality. Wars would be fought over the few remaining habitable lands. Resources would deplete, and millions would die from hunger and disease. They needed a backup plan for the human race, something to give hope, another chance for our children. He thought Mars was the key to our survival.”

  “That’s terrifying,” Lucas utters.

  “You have no idea,” I reply, picturing again the images shown. “Bryan spoke with such strong passion that I could clearly see how much he truly believed in everything he was discussing with me. That passion, in turn, sparked something in me. It made perfect sense—I could see his vision so clearly. And now I could be a part of the solution.

  “He explained the role they had for me might not be a glorious one, but once I successfully finished a two year term, Xsociety would sponsor me getting Brain-Link, which would ultimately open more opportunities for me within the company. The government had mandated that Xsociety have a certain percentage of basic humans as part of their staff, and by basic human, he was referring to people without Brain-Link. Due to the limited capabilities of basic humans, the jobs they were able to offer were fairly elementary. All the more complicated jobs would be done by humans with Brain-Link, and intelligent robots or drones. They had openings for three human Scarecrows, out of which two already were filled. I was going to be the third one.”

  I pause, noticing the expression on Lucas’ face.

  “I was told about the Scarecrow role but I couldn’t believe it then and still have a hard time imagining it,” Lucas says.

  I chuckle, understanding his disbelief. “Yup. I was going to be a human Scarecrow.”

  “Why do we need Scarecrows on Mars?” His voice drips with skepticism.

  “I asked similar questions back then. Some were answered by Bryan, and the rest I understood better later on. They were developing farms in air-supplied indoor facilities on Mars, and though there hadn't been any encounters with alien species as of yet, they were still taking every precaution.”

  “Okay, say I buy that for now,” he says, “and I get they wanted basic humans to do less complex tasks, but why not use robots, and find other work for basic humans?”

  “Developing a farm was extremely expensive and difficult on Mars, so they wanted full surveillance for at least a year or two before they adjusted their plans. Xsociety resources were limited; it was more effective to use robots and drones in the more complex activities, rather than a scarecrow role, which was considered more elementary. Also, having basic humans fill this role was a win-win situation for everyone: It was an entry role, which would open the door for future enhancements for us, and on the other hand, by using basic humans for this work, Xsociety would meet their government commitments.

  “I didn’t care too much about all the logistics—the greatest part of this opportunity was that I would be contributing to humanity’s survival. I never thought that one day a Scarecrow might become a role for humans. And sure, it wasn’t a glamorous job, but it was a good start. After two years, with Brain-Link, I could make a real future, and work things out with my parents. So I told Bryan to count me in.

  “He immediately walked me through the forms, read through them line by line, but at that point I wasn’t even listening; I was already daydreaming about my future job. I accepted all terms and conditions without any hesitation. I also made a request to set up automatic payments to Donna. If you recall, I owed my lawyer ten percent of my earnings based on the Ten/Ten agreement that I had signed with her.

  �
�Ugh, that must have hurt.”

  I shake my head. “Not really. I figured, I wouldn’t even have this chance if it wasn’t for her. Ten percent felt more than fair. I thought that job could fix everything.”

  Lucas looks away, but I still see the frustration in his eyes. Might as well keep going.

  “My training was to start the very next day, and would take about ten days to complete. After a satisfactory performance and level of preparedness, my trip to Mars would be scheduled. At the end of the meeting, Bryan shook my hand, and wished me good luck. His parting grip was just as firm as his first handshake. I was over the moon.

  “For the duration of the training and I was given a room at Xsociety camp. The service drones led me to my new room as soon as my meeting with Bryan ended, and I spent the rest of the evening daydreaming about what these new adventures would entail. All the opportunities it would open. I drifted off to sleep with hope on my mind.

  “My training the next day began with a series of preparation holograms and lasted for most of the following few days. After that, I spent the remainder of the program in the simulation lab, where I was given the chance to have trial practice of what my actual job would be. The holograms included educational modules on Mars’ atmosphere and living conditions, Scarecrow responsibilities, safety and psychological tips, incident reporting procedures, and a slew of other relevant topics. Lab simulations were more interesting, and far too real. They took place in virtual reality—VR—boxes under conditions designed to mimic the created farm’s environment on Mars. Gravity, smell, lighting, oxygen level, and other little details were modified to precise specifications. I was given VR glasses so that I was under a fully simulated experience.”

  I shake my head, recalling the feel of that virtual world, the realness of it, and the confusion that followed upon leaving it behind. “It felt so real that at times I found myself questioning which world was reality. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if everything, all this,” I gesture with an arm to encompass everything around me, “is a simulation we’re living in. How is it possible to be truly certain about this? It’s possible we’ve been in a simulation since our childhood, or perhaps our past memories have been modified to erase our lives before our virtual lives began.”

  Lucas shivers inside his protective coverall. “That’s an unsettling train of thought. And, truthfully, it’s an interesting topic to think about. It might sound crazy, but it could be true.”

  I nod, my tone musing. “I read a fictional book once which touched on an interesting idea. It talked about how humans could possibly be living in a reality that is a simulated product of our creators. But those creators could also be in a simulated world themselves. And similarly, there could possibly be many other simulated realities, each residing within one another. So this means we could be a living in a sub-simulation reality that is part of an infinite number of simulated realities. This in turn raises the question: What is real, and how can we know with certainty? This is one of the arguments that many artificial intelligence activists use. We very well could be some sort of A.I. ourselves, programmed not to realize it. What we refer to as A.I. in our world was initially created by humans, and we could be A.I. created by other creators. So the activists believe that we all should have the same rights, regardless of if we are human or A.I.”

  I hear my own voice growing quiet as sorrow descends once again. “I’ve thought about the possibility of simulated lives a lot, and some part of me even wishes that the reality I’m currently living isn’t real, and once this is over, I can go back to my normal life. Whatever that is.” I sigh self-deprecatingly.

  CHAPTER 5

  “We could probably spend hours talking about this, but it’s not what you’ve come here to discuss, is it?” I ask.

  Lucas nods his head in agreement, but doesn’t say a word. I was expecting he would at least share his opinion on such a controversial matter, but either he isn’t interested, or he just wants to stay focused on my story.

  I pause for a few seconds to remember where I had left off, and then continue. “The simulation part was interesting, but at the same time it was mentally exhausting. They lasted eight hours each day, with no breaks allowed. We were given nutrition pills for food. Our state-of-the-art apparel had compartments for capturing and disposing of our urine and waste, so we didn’t even need restroom breaks. And we had to stay vigilant during the entire time. A difficult thing to do, as most of the time not much was happening, so I tried to keep myself mentally busy while also staying alert and ready to recognize even the smallest irregularity.

  “Once in a while they would introduce virtual bugs or animals, to assess our performance and see how we reacted under pressure. My job was to evaluate the situation in such cases. The first step was to see if the species could be scared away using basic tactics, such as shouting or utilizing flashlights that generated blinding light .If that didn’t work, the next step involved the use of air horns, followed by loud sirens, and finally, eliminating the anomaly with the use of laser guns. Using the guns was prohibited unless all other alternatives had been exhausted, since the rays could potentially damage crops during the actual job. Some of the simulated intruders would go away just using the basic tactics, but for the majority we had to use more advanced tactics. I only had to use the simulated gun once.

  “We were also advised to sound the alarm if the basic tactics weren’t successful. The alarm would be cautionary at the beginning, but if not cleared by us Scarecrows within ninety seconds, it would go to a second stage which signaled help was needed, and also informed the colony to be aware of the intruder. I pushed the alarm a few times, but I did my best to resolve issues and clear the alarm before the ninety seconds were up. During the actual job, drones would arrive to assist if the alarms were not cleared. It was highly preferred that drone support only be a last resort, since it would take them away from their normal duties. Hence, we were taught to do our best to handle the situation quickly before things escalated. The simulated training went on for a week, and would have lasted longer if my performance hadn’t been satisfactory.”

  “Interesting,” Lucas says. “And were you stationary during your shift, just like an actual scarecrow?”

  “We were encouraged to stay at the top of a custom-designed structure. The simulation lab was equipped with it, where a small electric lift would carry me to the top, about twenty feet above the ground, where I would then step out onto a platform where a robotic arm shaped like an asterisk waited. I’d walk up to the arm, put my back to it, and then step into the foot holders, and stretch out my arms to either side to place them in the arm holders. Once I said ‘Engage,’ the holds would lock my arms and legs in place. Human Scarecrows. The robotic arm could rotate different directions, and I could control it with a smart glove and voice commands. I preferred the smart glove, a nifty thing equipped with responsive sensors that picked up finger movement. The robotic arm was actually a pretty well-designed and comfortable device, built with cushions and muscle massagers to keep blood flowing for longer shifts. Staying at height provided us with a better overall view, plus, it minimized potential damage to the crops because of foot traffic, and also kept us away from intruders—unless the intruder could fly, of course.” I snicker.

  “Of course,” Lucas agrees.

  “If you recall, we were using VR glasses during simulation; however, on Mars we were given a specific set of smart glasses. I got to use those glasses for only a few hours during training. Fairly straightforward things. They had a communication function, and helped with finding information about the intruders, and also captured videos and images. The entertainment part of them was deactivated, so that we’d stay focused during our shifts. We were given several other tools as well, to help make our job easier. Mentally, though, it was still tough. Most of the time I didn’t have much to do, but still had to stay vigilant. Not an easy thing to do for extended periods of time, especially for someone who daydreams as much as m
e. But this opportunity meant a lot to me, and I couldn't afford to lose the job. I was determined to finish my term successfully and earn my Brain-Link, so I worked as hard as I could during the preparation period.

  “After successfully completing the simulations, Bryan met with me and went over in more detail my upcoming trip to Mars. The other two Scarecrows had already departed, and would arrive several weeks ahead of me. They planned to split shifts until I got there. Since days on Mars are only about thirty-nine minutes and thirty-five seconds longer than on Earth, their shifts were initially about twelve hours and twenty minutes long. Things got easier when I arrived and we could split the shifts between the three of us, so we were each working just slightly past eight hours each day.

  “Bryan explained that the two other Scarecrows travelled during Mars’ Close Approach to Earth, when the distance between the two planets was at its minimum. Xsociety tried to take advantage of this shorter distance opportunity as much as possible, but the Close Approach only occurs every twenty-six months. They tried their best to have the majority of travel occur around the Close Approach, but travelling only in a window every twenty-six months wasn’t practical, especially when so many other shipments needed to be sent. In my case, they wanted me to get to Mars as soon as possible so the other two Scarecrows wouldn’t have to work those extended hours for too long. Bryan had told me how I’d be accompanied with some intelligent robots and drones since it wouldn’t be cost-efficient to send me alone. Xsociety had to expedite their fabrication, which I’m certain wasn’t their original plan.

  “The company was also planning to publicly announce information about the human colony on Mars. They had done their best to keep that information on the down-low, as they were worried about protests. Some people think colonizing other planets is a risk to life on Earth. Their thinking is that if all that money is funneled towards other planets, there’d be less money for innovation and the economy on Earth. Some refuse to face reality: This venture on Mars was being undertaken as a backup plan for the survival of the human race. If we don’t actively pursue a plan, there could be no future at all for humans, let alone on Earth. Plus, the goal of the initiative is to make the colony self-sustainable as much as possible, so in the future less funding and support would be needed from Earth, and eventually, it would be fully independent. Xsociety was worried that the skeptics would slow down all that progress they’d managed to keep secret until then. The timing had to be just right, and now that the farm was going into production, they’d be able to show the plan in place to make the colony self-sustainable. It was the perfect opportunity to announce it to the public.