by Karl Morgan
President Carmichael studied the faces of the three men for a moment. “Mr. Sattu, how exactly do you profit from this?”
“That is an excellent question, but I doubt you will find my answer reassuring. My family will provide the technology for free. We do not seek any payment.”
“Hammond, is this for real? What kind of game are you two playing here?”
“President Carmichael, I know it sounds odd, but trust me when I say that the Sattu family has been providing technology to Second Chance for a long time. I have never paid them a dime.”
“Allow me to explain,” Sattu interjected. “My family has been fortunate to be very wealthy for many generations. My father, siblings, and I are highly educated, and many of us chose to focus our studies in engineering and electronics, although few of us have ever worked for a company. Our family investments provide much more income than we will ever need and that will be true for future generations as well. We develop these technologies as a hobby. Let us say we endeavor to repay mankind for its generosity by giving them the fruits of our labor.”
“I’m sorry, but this just doesn’t smell right to me,” Connelly replied. “Nobody is that generous.”
“You are certainly entitled to your opinion, Monsieur Secretary, but let me explain how this works in business.” Connelly glowered at him and looked ready to walk out.
“Phil, calm down,” Carmichael said.
“The Sattu family has been providing technology to Finch for many years and we will continue to do so. Whether or not Finch pays us is irrelevant to you. Hammond will produce chips and build modifications using that technology, which he will in turn sell to the market and to you for a nice profit. If the government of the American Republic refuses to purchase modifications including our technology, so be it. Just be sure to understand that most Finch products already rely on us.”
“All, really,” Finch admitted.
“I apologize, Mr. Sattu. I did not mean to insult you or your family,” Connelly said. “This relationship between you and Finch is odd, but you are correct that it is really none of our business. What else can we do for you today?”
Sattu smiled broadly. “Thank you, Monsieur Secretary, all is forgiven.” He took the small box off the table and extracted a red ball. “This is our newest technology.”
“This will knock your socks off!” Finch declared.
“Okay, I’ll bite, what is it?” the president asked.
“It is immortality, Madame President, no more than that. This is an electronic device capable of holding the entire contents of a human brain. With this device and a system we are developing now, Hammond will be able to download a brain into the device, which will be implanted in a robot. The person’s consciousness will move to the robot, and that person will live forever!”
“Why would a person want to become a machine?” Connelly asked.
“Let me give you an example, Phil,” Finch began. “We all know that modifications can extend life for dozens of years. Failing organs can be replaced with mechanical ones. Artificial spinal cords can replace damaged ones to let people walk again. But eventually, the brain begins to die. We can’t do anything about that—until now.”
“Monsieur Secretary, please let me elaborate,” Sattu interjected. “As a person ages, body parts are replaced by mechanical ones as they fail. As Hammond noted, eventually that person may be mostly machine already, but when their brain starts to decay, there is nothing else that can be done. But now there is!”
“I can see a place for that in defense,” Connelly agreed. “A mechanical soldier could take the place of many flesh-and-bone ones.”
“Phil, I thought robotic warriors were outlawed a hundred years ago?” the president wondered.
“Oui, Madame President, that is true,” Sattu added. “But those were robots run by AI software or remote soldiers. This would still be a human, only with a full mechanical form.”
“What about his soul?” Carmichael asked.
“I wasn’t aware you were a believer, Madame President,” Sattu commented.
“It’s not that, Mr. Sattu. I was wondering if a machine person would still feel compassion, love, and the other emotions. Would it know whom to kill and whom to spare?”
“Clearly, we have not tested it on a human subject. I will leave it to you and Hammond on how to proceed. Thank you for your time.”
§
Josh told Shirley and his mother everything. Now, the women sat in stunned silence at the breakfast table. After several moments, he rose and went into the kitchen to refill his coffee cup. When he returned, he could see both women had been crying. Shirley was slowly shaking her head and Maggie sat next to her with her arm around the younger woman’s shoulders. “You really expect us to believe all of that, Josh?” his mother asked.
“Mom, you saw me yourself in that stupid tunic and toga, and I thought it had just been a dream. Shirley, I pulled you through the door on that plane. I can’t explain any of this stuff, but it is happening.”
“And now you’re going to take over the world?” Maggie gasped. “Is that what you want?”
“No! That’s the last thing I want now, but I think I have to go along with Adlat for a while in order to keep all of you safe. If I blow him off, he’ll probably kill us all.”
“What do you really know about this Judah family?” his mother questioned.
“Chris has always supported me,” Shirley said. “I hope that means he is a good guy.”
“I understand your concern, Mom,” Josh replied. “I am not one hundred percent sure of anyone at this time. Even the monster Adlat seemed to have mankind’s best interests at heart, at least on the surface.”
“Okay son, let’s take this one step at a time. Let’s say everything you said is true. How exactly are you supposed to stop the fighting? You’re just a young man no one has ever heard of. Why would a caliph or president pay attention to you?”
“I don’t have any idea,” he sighed. “Everyone keeps telling me to follow my instincts and I’ll be led where I need to go.”
“That doesn’t sound like much of a plan, Josh,” Shirley argued.
“I know, Shirley, I know. What do you think I should do?”
“I have scheduled a tour in the Southeast District. I plan to talk about the honor of being a natural human, like I tried to do here. Even there, sometimes I get pushback from people whose handicaps have been fixed with modifications. Perhaps you can come along and offer healings, like you did for those two thugs.”
“That’s an excellent idea, Shirley,” Maggie exclaimed.
“Okay, I’m in. Let’s go.”
Chapter 10
Two days later, Josh and Shirley took the first flight from San Diego to Atlanta, where they boarded the NEM Alliance bus. Shirley’s first speech was scheduled late that day in Macon, so they headed out of the city. Josh had been wondering what he was supposed to do, but decided just to be in the moment and let events unfold. It was a hot and humid day, and promised to be a stifling evening under the Georgia sky. While Shirley was going over her speech with her team, Josh sat quietly near the front of the bus watching the rolling hills and forests pass by.
He had not heard from Chris Judah in those two days, or anyone else for that matter, which made him very happy. Perhaps all of the recent events had been a nightmare, he thought, but quickly realized he was with Shirley Cambridge, who should have died in the attack on the airplane. The one person he would like to hear from again was Manny Judah. In the few hours they had together, Josh felt as though he was home with his own family. Did that mean that Manny was the good guy, or could it just be another game? He decided he thought too much of such things and sat back and closed his eyes. He was in a district where NEMs like him were the norm and not freaks of nature as they were often viewed in San Diego. Now he could relax. Within a few minutes, he had fallen asleep.
His phone was vibrating in his pocket. He opened his eyes to see the city of McDonough passin
g by. He looked at the device and noticed the caller ID said “Unavailable.” He pressed the connect button and said, “Hello?”
“Buenos Dias, senor. Is this Joshua Carpenter?”
“Yes, who is calling please?”
“Please hold the line for Premier Andrade.”
“Hello?” Josh said, but there was no reply.
He was about ready to disconnect when a male voice said, “Mr. Carpenter, it is a pleasure to talk with you today. I am Marco Andrade, Premier of the Union of American Socialist Republics. I trust you are well.”
Josh considered hanging up on the prank call when he had a vision in his mind of the Premier sitting at a massive desk talking on the phone. “Mr. Premier, I am quite well. How can I help you, sir?”
“You are a very famous man, Joshua. May I call you Joshua?”
“Josh is fine, sir.”
“Josh, I would like to get to know you better. I have seen all the videos of you on LIFE, and must say I am very impressed with your talents.”
“Thank you sir, but I often wish I never had them.”
“Nonsense, Josh. You have a set of unique skills that can change the world. You should embrace them, not deny your role.”
“I’ve been told that by a few people, but most think it all must have been faked. Why do you believe those videos, if I may ask?”
“Two reasons. First, none of my people have been able to find any evidence of tampering, and my people can find anything. Second, most of the people in my country are believers. As such, we are able to accept the impossible as the actions of God,” Andrade explained.
“Well, I am definitely not God, sir.”
Andrade laughed heartily. “That’s good to hear, son, but I did not believe you were. God grants abilities to people who have a role to play in our lives, and you seem to have been given the mother lode. I was born the son of a poor farmer, and now I am one of eight national leaders in the world. My talents may not be as magical as yours, but I believe God blessed me and led me where I needed to go.”
“Thank you for your kind words, Premier. You definitely have had an inspiring life. If I may correct you, though, I believe there are only seven leaders now.”
“I do not understand, Josh.”
“Caliph Omar of the Western Caliphate has been assassinated.”
“What? How do you know this? I have not heard this information.”
“I think the caliphate has not released the news due to the ongoing war, but the Central Caliphate will likely absorb the other, and then sue for peace with the Empire.”
“If true, that is not a good sign, Josh. I will have my people check it out. I would like to officially invite you to come to Santiago for a visit. I think it is important for us to spend some time together. Unlike your President Carmichael, I will not seek to arrest you.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate the offer and will let you know when I can make it.”
“Excellent! I hope you can come soon, as I believe world events are worsening by the day, and none of us can know when we will be drawn into the conflict. One of my assistants will send you a message with my personal contact information. Thanks again for taking my call. Adios!” The line went dead.
As he pushed his phone back into his pocket, he noticed Shirley standing next to his seat. “A caliph has been murdered?” she asked. “Who were you talking to?”
“Premier Andrade of the UASR invited me to go to Santiago, if you can believe it,” he grinned.
“You’re right, I don’t believe it,” she replied and sat in the next seat. She put her mouth next to his ear and whispered, “Josh, I think there will be a lot of police at the event this evening, which is very odd. NEM meetings are common here in the Southeast District. My group is one of dozens doing the same thing.”
“You think they are coming to get me or stop me?” he asked in a hushed tone.
Shirley sat back and rubbed her temples as if trying to suppress a headache. Then she looked at Josh. “Josh, the event will be recorded officially and by many of the attendees. I’m afraid that if you do any healings, this may turn really ugly.”
“This whole thing was your idea, Shirley.”
“I know, I know. My meetings have always been happy and friendly, but then again, no one ever performed miracles at one before. If the police get the wrong idea, they may break the meeting up. People down here don’t like it when the police take over, and many of the guests will be armed too.”
“I can stay on the bus, or just go home now if you want.”
“I don’t know what to say. An FBI agent will meet us at the venue to discuss security when we arrive. He said his name is Steve Trance.”
“Oh shit, not him again!” Josh exclaimed.
“You know him?”
“Don’t you remember him? He was one of the agents who came to our hotel room in the Guadalupe Valley? Anyway, I can’t seem to avoid him. I think he’s out to get me. Maybe I should just go.”
Shirley put her hands on his shoulders and said, “No, you have to stay. You and I were brought together for a reason, and now Agent Trance is another part of the puzzle to piece together. Josh, this is all part of God’s plan. We have to go through this together.”
“Okay, whatever you say, Shirley.”
She kissed him and pointed out the window. “There’s the convention center. It’s show time.”
§
“I think that went very well. What do you say, Ashton?” Andrade asked the man on the other side of his desk.
“I agree with you, Marco. For a first contact, we couldn’t expect much, but I was happy to see Mr. Carpenter being so open.”
“I will follow up with him in a few days to have him schedule a trip here. In the meantime, we have other business to discuss. What is the status of the cyborg project?”
“Mr. Premier, we would prefer not to use that word. As you know, there are multiple international treaties forbidding mechanical soldiers. We would prefer to call them enabled bionics. After all, the entirety of their mind will be transferred into the robotic brain. They will believe they are as human as you and I.”
“Call them leprechauns if you want, I don’t care. Please answer my question.”
“The Sattu family is finalizing Version 1 of their transference equipment. The next issue is to find volunteers to test it.”
“Ashton, I have already told you that I will provide as many test subjects as you may desire. That is not an issue.”
“Mr. Premier, you are aware that the device may fail or need multiple iterations to achieve optimal performance,” Ashton noted. “Those test subjects would likely die.”
“I don’t know why you are focused on this, Ashton. I have already told you I will provide test subjects. There is no point in discussing that further.” Andrade leaned forward and whispered, “Everybody dies eventually, Ashton, even you and I.”
A shiver slipped down Ashton Finch’s back as he replied, “Very well, sir. I will follow up with Armand Sattu for a new schedule. Thank you for your time.” He stood and headed for the door.
“Ashton,” Andrade called out and the other man stopped and turned around. “I was just stating a fact about the human condition. Please do not think I was threatening you or anyone else.”
“I understand, sir. We were just hoping to find some people who are suffering from brain disease where their deaths were imminent. They would likely volunteer in order to save their lives.”
“And I am certain we have many of those pour souls here in the UASR, Ashton. I meant nothing else.”
“Yes, sir,” Ashton said, and then turned to leave the office. He had heard the Premier’s words, but his tone had been much more sinister than his words. Perhaps the Finch family had underestimated that man.
§
Louise and Ted Dixon were sitting quietly in the hospital waiting room. Bill, Ted’s father and Louise’s husband, had gone into surgery two hours ago to replace his failing heart and lung modifications. Th
is type of surgery was quite common since it involved replacing one mechanical enhancement with another, rather than exchanging a diseased or failing human organ for the first time. Ted looked at his tablet and listened to the news of the day to keep him occupied. He noticed that a peace conference was occurring in Riyadh between the Western Caliphate and the African Empire. He saw some of the video and was surprised to see Caliph Ibrahim acting as negotiator for the caliphate, and he made a mental note to check on that incongruity later.
Ted looked at his mother who seemed to be overwhelmed with grief. Bill Dixon was the rock of their family. Louise needed him more than anything else in her life. Ted knew both of his parents were getting older, but in this age of enhancements and modifications, people could easily live to one hundred fifty or more. Yet, the thought of her husband sliced open and lying there helpless was too much for her imagination. Every time Bill went for surgery or to a doctor’s office, or even a trip out of town, Louise was distraught. He put her arm around his mother’s shoulders and said, “Dad’s going to be fine, Mom.”
“I know, Teddy, I know. But it’s just the waiting and not knowing that gets me.”
Doctor Diane French walked into the waiting room and approached them. Ted stood, hugged her, and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. “Hi, Diane, I’m glad you stopped by. Let me introduce you to my mother, Louise Dixon.”
Diane shook the woman’s hand and replied, “It’s great to meet you, Mrs. Dixon. Ted has told me so much about you.”
“A doctor! I’m proud of you, Teddy,” Louise said, causing her son to blush. “Doctor, do you know Doctor Adam Smith?”
“Of course I do, Mrs. Dixon, but please call me Diane. Doctor Smith is a wonderful surgeon with decades of experience working with implants and enhancements. You can trust him completely.”
“Don’t toot my horn too much, Diane,” Smith said as he approached the group. “I’m afraid I have some news to report.”
