Solaria

by Fran Heckrotte

  It was only a matter of time before the final stages of their plans were completed and the world would tremble at the new Messiah’s feet, begging for mercy and forgiveness. Of course, Winston Stalling would be merciful, but only after he punished those who doubted his position as the Chosen. Men would regain the manliness they had lost with the birth of the women’s rights movement. They would again become the leaders and providers. Women would bear their children and take care of the homes and their men as God had intended. The world would once again be on track to becoming unified as all other religions would be forever banned.

  Winston Stalling was the first to acknowledge that religious fanaticism spurred discontent amongst followers. The only way to insure peace and security in his newly formed world was to eliminate those who didn’t believe in him. No one could argue the logic in having one universal belief. Why humanity hadn’t realized this sooner only confirmed what he believed.

  * * *

  Thinking of the latest reports from several missions in Africa, Stalling smiled with satisfaction. Already he had established a strong foothold on two-thirds of the continent.

  Almost three hundred villagers knelt silently before the chieftain outside of his hut. The women and children were gathered in small groups on the periphery of the assembled group, banned from getting too close to the tribal leader. The men who had converted to the new religion, were allowed to enter the sanctum as long as it was done humbly and they could prove their faith was strong. Heads bowed respectfully, they awaited their chief’s instructions. Azubuike motioned two men holding a third to come forward.

  “Tubuktu, you have not taken Chukwu into your heart. You do not follow the teachings of our glorious father, Reverend Talbert. He has helped our people find the one true God. Through him, we have found new hope and you will be saved. What have you to say?”

  “I follow the old beliefs,” the man declared proudly, “Just as our ancestors did. I will not bow to this white man’s false God!”

  Azubuike frowned and then clapped his hands together and signaled to the two guards to take Tubuktu away.

  “Your arrogance will wither and die like the wild rice when the sun bakes the lakes dry. Reverend Talbert brings proof of his power and will use you as the vessel to help other disbelievers. Take him to clinic,” he ordered.

  Several groans arose from the kneeling followers but were quickly silenced by their Chief’s angry expression.

  “Do not dare to anger our Savior. His ears and eyes are everywhere. You have food in your bellies; your children go to school, and we have medicine to treat your ills – all of this and more. Anger him and you will return to the old ways when you had to forage for food and watch your young die from starvation or disease. Is that what you want?”

  “No!” several voices yelled. “Praise be to Reverend Talbert. Praise be to our savior, Winston Stalling.”

  Azubuike nodded his head happily. Most of his tribe were now devoted followers. The few doubters that remained were being weeded out and converted with the treatments supplied by the medical clinic a few miles from the village. Reverend Talbert paid a good price for disbelievers and the chief didn’t have to worry about troublemakers. Already, Azubuike was richer than he ever imagined, thanks to the benevolence of Winston Stalling and his followers.

  * * *

  Picking up the phone, Stalling pressed several buttons and then spun his chair around to admire the scenic view through his picture window.

  Situated in a valley, mountains rose majestically from all directions. A large lake separated the installation from the city. The location provided an extra layer of security between Future Dynamicon and the outside world. No one came or went without being noticed since they had to take the only road around the lake to gain access to the main offices. It kept out unwanted intruders. An unwanted intruder was anyone that didn’t work at the Company unless they were invited by Stalling.

  CHAPTER 4

  SOLARIA WAS CONFUSED, an uncomfortable sensation considering it was becoming a regular occurrence; especially when she thought about her recent reaction during her last examination. As a Hubot, she thought she was incapable of feelings. Now she wasn’t so sure. Something was changing in her data processors to cause her body to behave in a totally illogical manner. It wasn’t logical but she couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation for it yet.

  Putting the magazine on the desk next to her, the Hubot switched her attention to the woman fumbling with one of the lab computers.

  “Can I help you with something?” she asked, walking over to stand next to Carley.

  Looking up, Carley smiled and nodded.

  “You’d think after all these years, I’d learn how to operate these things,” she confessed, “considering I’m an AI expert.”

  “I have to agree it doesn’t seem logical that you can write complex programs for computers but have problems operating them,” Solaria agreed. “Is this a test?”

  “Test? What makes you think that?” Carley asked, surprised by the question.

  “Is not the purpose of my existence to aid humans and provide relief from stressful conditions?”

  “Well, yes, but you’re more than that. Hopefully, you’ll be able to integrate yourself amongst the normal population and eventually establish your own life.”

  Had Carley been looking at Solaria, she would have been surprised at the skeptical smile that appeared on the Hubot’s face.

  “I don’t believe my investors would be so willing to let one of their most expensive projects wander around freely.”

  “Oh, I don’t know, Solaria. Future Dynamicon has big plans for developing a whole line of Hubots to assist people. Once we’re sure there are no glitches, we can start mass production. In a few years there’ll be thousands of them similar to you out there co-mingling with humans.”

  Silence followed. Carley glanced at Solaria. At that moment, she wished she could read minds. Although totally expressionless, Carley sensed her comment had disturbed Solaria.

  “The thought bothers you?”

  “That would be a human reaction,” Solaria replied, her voice expressionless.

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “I don’t understand why you want to create something that serves no real purpose. Humans can do everything Hubots would be doing. You already have robots that assist in everyday lives and dangerous jobs. We would be redundant.”

  “I know it’s hard for you to understand right now but it’s just the way we are. Our very nature makes us want to continually move forward... to improve on what we already have. It’s just the way we are.”

  “How does creating a race of servants move humanity forward? Your history has proven time and again that too much free time is the major reason for most social unrest.”

  “I can’t argue that point, but we’re not talking about servants.”

  “Is there another word that’s more appropriate?”

  “Well, assistants or companions sound better.”

  Even as she said it, Carley knew it sounded weak. From Solaria’s angle, Hubots would be servants if they were created to serve humanity; especially if they had no choice. It was logical.

  “Hubots would be more like...” Carley couldn’t think of an adequate word or phrase to describe their purpose. In fact, she had been so caught up in the concept of creating a Hubot, she failed to consider what would happen once she accomplished her goal.

  Solaria waited patiently for Carley to finish her thought.

  “Maybe we should continue this discussion later,” Carley said, feeling inadequate.

  “Have I said something to upset you?”

  “No.”

  “But you’re uncomfortable now.”

  “Let’s just say you’ve given me something to think about. I may have been a little too naïve in my enthusiasm to be a part of this experiment. I hope not, though.”

  Solaria knew Carley was troubled, but understood that pushing for an answer
served no purpose. Much like herself, the scientist solved many problems once she was away from her work, not that Solaria ever went anywhere; at least not physically. At night, though, when the lab was secured and the lights off, she was able to shut down most of her biological functions and several processors. Then she would organize the day’s data. Occasionally, she imagined she was someplace else and all of this was nothing more than a dream.

  Solaria understood the concept of dreaming. Recently, she had experienced strange fluctuations in her processing patterns which created random visual mini-programs in her processors. The only logical explanation for the visions was that they were the Hubot equivalent of dreams. She was reluctant to share this information with Carley, but still felt the need to talk about it.

  “Carley?”

  The hesitant way Solaria said her name immediately caught Carley’s attention.

  “Is something troubling you, Solaria?” she asked softly, sensing the uncertainty in her companion’s voice.

  “When you designed my psychological profile, did you use a specific human as your model?”

  “Not really. You wouldn’t have a unique personality if I had. Plus it really wouldn’t have been fair to either of you. Why do you ask?”

  “I was just wondering. It would have been interesting to meet her.”

  “Maybe, although I think you’d eventually find it boring. Being programmed to think like someone specific...” Carley shook her head. “It just doesn’t sound interesting. Besides, I don’t know anyone remarkable enough to duplicate. For the most part, human personalities aren’t worth replicating.”

  “I find them interesting.”

  Carley laughed.

  “Wait till you meet a few hundred or thousand more. You’ll see what I mean. At the moment you’re like a child taking her first steps. Everything is new and wonderful.”

  “I may be new but I doubt if a human child is capable of understanding the Lorinian Theory of Neural Cellular Communication,” Solaria said, feigning indignation.

  Patting her arm affectionately, Carley chuckled.

  “True! No one looking at or talking to you would consider you a child. In fact, you’ll probably be getting a lot of unwanted attention by a few of the scientists in the building.”

  “Unwanted attention?”

  “Yes, you know...”

  “Someone may want to breed with me?”

  “Well, not exactly. I mean, at least not right away but I have no doubt some of them wouldn’t mind taking you for a test drive. Trust me it’s not something you want to learn from anyone in this place.”

  “I understand the act of copulation. It’s the process by which humans reproduce or relax, although under certain conditions, some who suffer from serious psychological disorders use it as a means of control or power. The act of sex typically involves a minimum of two people stimulating...”

  “Uhhh, that’s okay. I know what sex is,” Carley interjected. “I was actually talking about the ritual.”

  “You mean the courting process.”

  “Yes. Well, sort of. When a person finds another one attractive, he... or she will usually invite the other to lunch or dinner. Normally there’s a little flirting or teasing during the getting to know each other stage. It’s a way to see if the two are compatible. If they think they are, well... they sort of progress to the next... ummm... stage.”

  Solaria cocked her head slightly sideways and watched her mentor struggle for the right words. She wasn’t sure where Carley was going with the conversation but found it amusing that the woman was having difficulty getting there.

  “Part of my learning was researching the Internet for data that would broaden my perception of different countries and cultures. Humans seem obsessed with copulation. Did you know that if you research the word sex, there are 3,786,989,375 websites pertaining to that one subject?”

  “No. Look, just be aware that men are going to find you extremely attractive and are going to proposition you.”

  “Just men?” Solaria asked, frowning.

  Carley was so surprised at the question, her head jerked back slightly and she blinked several times.

  “Well, women too, I imagine. Why do you ask?”

  The shrug was so human.

  “I am not interested in men but women fascinate me,” Solaria explained.

  “I imagine that’s just because you haven’t been around any women except me and the men here are boring. Once you start meeting a few outside of this environment, you’ll probably change your mind.”

  Solaria processed the opinion for a few seconds and then discarded it.

  “I don’t think so. Perhaps I’ve bonded with you.”

  Again Carley was taken aback.

  “I doubt it. Besides, even if you did, I’d be more like a mother figure to you. Umm, is there something going on in your head you want to tell me about? I mean, are you confused about something, Solaria?”

  “No, I was just explaining that I find men easy to comprehend. Women are more complex.”

  “Oh,” Carley replied, relieved. “Well, between you and me, I agree. Now, where was I? Look, why don’t you go online and type in the word uber? It should take you to some stories that will give you some exaggerated insight into how men and women behave. Keep in mind these are just stories, though. Real life is a lot less exciting than the stories.”

  Not wanting Carley to know she had read almost every uber story on the net, Solaria just nodded her head.

  “Good. Now, I still have to finish this program so take the rest of the day off and do whatever you want. It’s about time you had a break.”

  “That really isn’t necessary, but I can research this uber you mentioned. It’ll give me additional data to study tonight when I am in the vault.”

  “I thought I had told you that you didn’t need to stay in there anymore. You can stay in the lab. Make use of the computers or any of the reference books in my office. There’s also a bed and bathroom there. It’s time you started experiencing some of the pleasures we enjoy.”

  “Pleasure is a human desire. It isn’t something I need to achieve. Also my bio-system is self-cleaning and extremely efficient at waste management so I don’t require bathroom facilities.”

  “I know, but try the shower anyway. I think you’ll like it. Also, keep working on your rest periods. Our tests indicate your body functions well without rest, but you seem to perform better after a few hours in your sleep mode. The same applies to your processors. Keep shutting down as many as you can and operate only what’s necessary to maintain body functions and an awareness of your surroundings. It will give you a pretty good idea of what happens to humans when we fall asleep.”

  CHAPTER 5

  SOLARIA WATCHED the scene unfolding with a curious detachment. Perhaps it was because her processors had rejected the vision as nothing more than a minor malfunction, software glitch, or just the side effects of defragging her memory banks. The fallacy in the reasoning was that it was theoretically impossible for her CPUs to ignore any malfunction, minor or otherwise. Rejected concepts only occurred after a thorough evaluation and elimination of every conceivable possibility. Of course it was possible that assigning the concept of dream to the events resolved the issue enough for the processors to move on to more important matters. That, in itself, was enough to frustrate the Hubot.

  She remembered her first few weeks of consciousness. Early in her development her mind was like a desert, barren on the surface, and almost void of life. Her programming gave her the ability to understand communication and the technical meanings of words and sentences. Interaction with Carley and the other lab techs helped in her growth but it was the Internet that provided what she needed most. Like a spring rain over the dry sands of rolling dunes, it provided the nourishment needed to move her beyond literal interpretations to abstract thinking. Fascinated by the arts, literature and humanity’s infinite attempts at expression, she felt... yes felt that something in her was missing. It
was her first taste of wanting to be more than what she was. Unfortunately, it was also a constant reminder of what she wasn’t... human.

  Still, once she recognized a need to be something more, her appetite was insatiable. Most of her spare time was spent surfing the Internet, soaking up the available data like a sponge absorbing water, and with knowledge came understanding and more curiosity.

  On the peripheral of her consciousness, she could sense the tantalizing presence of a few emotions. They were like specters haunting neural-pathways, slipping past each nanobit of memory to keep from being caught. All she needed was the right catalyst to coax them from their hiding places. Whether it would be a good thing or not, she wasn’t sure, but it provided a purpose to her existence.

  Late one night, while sitting in the darkness of the vault in which she was confined, she heard voices. Logically, it was impossible since no one ever entered the lab once Carley left. The scientist always made sure she secured everything before she left. Still, the voices were real. Scanning her processors, she isolated a small circuitry system on biochip three that was drawing an unusual amount of energy from her neuro-system. Since she had shut down all the processors except one and two, it didn’t make sense. Activating three she examined each program and quickly located a small subprogram operating a receiving device attached to the left inter-cranial section of her skull.

  Satellite transmissions! She concluded. Like a child with a new toy, she isolated each frequency until she was able to monitor them individually. Many of the transmissions carried music and/or boring talk shows. A few, however, caught her interest. The voices talked about subversive operations and government involvement in secret operations. One in particular caught her attention when the word Hubot was mentioned. A male voice spoke of an operative infiltration of an Arab Emirate state and the possible elimination of a head of state. Solaria filed the frequency data and conversation away for later analysis.