****
It was an easy walk, with three to four-foot greenery lining the path they followed, and they were making good time. Just outside the fence, and inside the watchers perimeter, a bush reached out and grabbed Al’s leg.
Coming out of the plant, was a long red tongue that wrapped around his ankle and was trying very hard to pull him to it. He told everyone to get back, drew his sidearm, and put a hole into the attacking appendage. There was an anguished scream, and the tongue retreated, followed by a three foot tall cross between an ant-eater and an armadillo bolting out of the bush and running fast; away from the party. Several bushes rattled as others took the opportunity to do the same.
Al cried, “Whoa—that was a surprise. I sure didn’t see that coming.” He looked down at his leg, up at the darkening sky, and then to the people surrounding him.
“We better keep moving…it’s getting late.”
His leg didn’t hurt much; it just felt a little tingly. It was not bad enough to affect his walking, and there were no cuts on his pant leg, so he figured it was fine. When they reached the fence, they collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Being home was good.
Coming through the gate, Al was struck by the progress they had made. Two days and it was already looking like a little town. A soft hum could be heard from the portable power supply as the lights flickered on in camp, pushing back the darkness.
With all the added help in camp, things in Camelot were progressing much faster than last time. The shuttles had already unloaded and returned to the ship for more people and supplies. Four habitats were complete, with level surfaces prepared for four more. Most of the trees inside the perimeter had been cut down and used to make lumber for all kinds of things. Nothing was left to waste; even the sawdust was put to use filling sidewalks that would help to keep the mud down.
He sent Robot Nine to make its rounds, checked with his men, and then sat down in one of the habitats to do some paperwork.
Plugging in his data pad to recharge, he bent down to raise his pant leg and take a look at his injury. When he pulled the cuff up, he realized something was not right. Above the boot and around his leg was a bright red wound, with a furrow that went through the skin and clear to the bone. He was horrified. There was almost no pain and not enough blood for it to be this bad.
How have I been walking around on this? Why doesn’t it hurt like crazy?
He bent down further for a closer look.
The bone doesn’t look white; it looks kind of…silver; and there are wires?
Al Clark grabbed a clean towel and wiped the blood away.
That is not bone; that’s metal…I have a metal leg?
Al leaned back and took a deep breath. He was looking at the far wall, but he saw nothing. He stared into space, his mind busy with the ramifications of his discovery.
Are both legs artificial? Would that maybe explain his ability to run? Don’t both legs have to match to keep from falling?
A dozen possibilities went through his mind, and with the world on hold, he sat unmoving for several minutes. One conclusion he eventually came to was that he needed help and someone he could trust. Doc Cody was setting up one of the habitats as a clinic, so he rolled his trouser leg down and went to see him.
The doctor was alone when he entered, and Al wasted no time showing him his leg.
“What on Earth….ah…what has happened to you?” Cody said when Al rolled his trouser leg up and unveiled his wound.
“I was attacked by a giant ant-eater/armadillo on the way back. The leg tingles, but it doesn’t hurt, and I’ve been walking around on it for two hours since the attack. It hardly bothers me at all. Something else Doc…I think there is metal inside.”
Doc smiled and asked Al, “Now why would you think that Mister Clark?”
“Take a look if you don’t believe me.”
After a quick examination, the doctor discovered that Al was indeed correct.
“You did not know about this?” his friend asked.
“Umm—amnesia Doc, remember?”
“Oh…yes, sorry.”
Doctor Cody was now intrigued. He told Al to sit on the bed so he could examine the leg. “I have never seen anything like this and would never have guessed it was artificial. Lie down so I can scan it,” ordered the doctor.
The portable scanner was already set up, and it only took Cody a few minutes to complete the scan. His face grew puzzled as he made some changes to the machine and scanned again, this time, it went from head to toe. Al could see his face, but not the monitor he was looking at with wide eyes. Doc Cody’s expression was puzzling.
“What do you see Cody?” Al begged.
The physician seemed deep in thought for a second, then shook off whatever was clogging up his thinking and locked the door. He pulled the curtains on the windows so no one could see inside. Returning to Al, he looked hesitant, flustered, and maybe a little bit scared.
“I do not know how to tell you this my friend.” He glanced again at the screen as if disbelieving what he saw. Cody turned to him with conflicted eyes and said, “It appears, Al…that you are not human.”
Al jumped up and came around to look at the monitor. What he saw was nothing like what he expected to see inside of a human body. Revealed by the monitor were mechanical and electrical components; metal rods, circuitry, and ribbons of complex wiring connecting everything together. Where his heart should be was a glowing power supply.
“I’m a robot?”
Chapter Fourteen
Al almost laughed until he realized it might make him appear crazy. His reality changed when Cody had said those words. A flurry of thoughts became jumbled and confused; he swayed a little where he stood.
“I think you had better sit down Al,” Cody recommended.
Feeling light headed, Al nodded and lay back down on the scanner bed, mumbled some incoherent things the doctor couldn’t make out and passed out, or crashed. Whatever the case might be. This news was too much for anybody, and Al just shut down.
Later, Al asked Cody, “How long was I asleep?”
“About thirty minutes. That is how long it takes to reboot all your systems. I watched each of them come back on-line with the scanner. It was fascinating. If you don’t mind my saying, you are a very sophisticated machine.”
“This is a dream…or a nightmare. It can’t be real,” Al groaned.
“I am afraid it is real my friend; I have even tried pinching myself. It hurts.”
“You’re playing a joke on me, right Doc?” Al hoped.
“I wish that were so Al. You can see for yourself what is inside you.”
Al remembered protests on Earth and laws that were passed, “Aren’t humanoid robots banned on Earth?”
“Yes, they are. I did hear rumors that development was secretly still going on. I did not believe the research had gotten this far, but I do now because here you are.”
This revelation was going to take a while to sink in. At this point, Al wasn’t sure what to think. He needed to get back to his routine and get busy or go crazy.
“We can’t tell anybody. There must be a reason there is no mention of Al Clark in the computer and why nobody remembers me but Captain Effinger.”
“You are my friend…whatever you might be. I will say nothing,” Doctor Cody promised.
“Thank you, Cody, because I have a feeling I might need all the friends I can get.”
Doc Cody patched up his leg but admitted he did not know how much it would help. The technology used to make Al’s body appear so human was way out of his expertise. They could only hope his leg would heal itself.
He left Cody at the clinic and took a walk around the perimeter fence to think.
I think—therefore, I am, came to him.
I felt sorrow when Rudy was killed and feel affection for my friends.
Can a robot have feelings?
I don’t feel strong or fast like a robot should. I don’t f-e-e-l like a robot.
Does a robot know he’s a robot?
Shouldn’t I be able to tell?
So many questions and nowhere to turn for answers; or was there? The captain seemed to be keeping something to himself. Maybe he knew about this. If Al asked the right questions, maybe he could get some answers. But he had to be careful. He didn’t want anyone knowing that didn’t know already. For all he knew, even the captain could be against humanoid robots.
He thought of his need for sleep. He had dreams.
Do robots dream? Al didn’t know. It was all very confusing.
He decided to talk to the only robot he knew well—Robot Nine. At least, a robot could not lie, or hate. It was late, and most of the colonists were asleep when he summoned the mechanical with his pad and met the machine near some secluded equipment on the south side of camp.
Al was not sure how to start. “Robot Nine…am I human?”
“Yes sir, you are a human.”
This surprised Al. “Am I a robot?”
“Yes sir, you are a robot.”
“Which is it?” he pressed.
“My sensors tell me you are both human and robotic.”
“Please explain yourself.”
“You have a human brain organ and a robotic body, sir. Does this cause you discomfort? I sense conflict in you.”
“You have no idea.”
“If my answers cause you discomfort, why do you ask harmful questions?”
“Because I need to know who I am. I guess that’s the human part of me.”
“What are my capabilities?” continued Al.
“I have no data on your capabilities, sir.”
Disappointed the little robot didn’t know more, Al sank into thought.
“Can we discuss security details, sir, I do not wish to cause you further harm.”
This one-time rogue robot seemed to have a need to please him.
Do robots have needs?
****
Captain Tobias Effinger was extremely busy. He didn’t like it, and he didn’t think he should be. He wanted to be flying shuttle missions and helping the colony.
In this stage of their mission, it should be routine maintenance and preparation for planetfall. The discovery of the dinosaurs on Avalon complicated things, but this ship and the people on-board were equipped to handle almost anything. He understood that the vessel was forty-something years old, but still, they should be shutting things down as the colonists left for the planet and preparing the ship to handle only emergency operations.
Things seemed to keep going wrong on his ship.
First it was the air scrubbers for the hangar bay. Somehow the scrubber panels had been reversed in their slots. When people started passing out, the mistake had been discovered and corrected, but it could have been a very grave error, and the captain was angry that someone as well trained as his people could allow it to happen at all.
Then the hangar bay door started acting up. It began opening to space without the force field in place; which should never occur. If not for the quick thinking of a ship engineer, it could have led to decompression of the hangar bay and a serious disaster. Until the security protocols could be upgraded, he had to post a guard on the door controls. They could not let it happen again.
He was currently at the medical center talking to the staff. People were getting sick, and it appeared to be from the water in the habitat ring.
“There is something in the water?” the captain asked the MD in charge.
“Yes sir, the analysis we did from the samples show contaminates. Something was added; to make it toxic. The system has numerous types of filters that would have caught it, so we think the poison was put in after the filters. Someone did this on purpose Captain.”
He was shocked that something like this could happen on his ship. In all his years of service, he had never had to deal with sabotage. “Secure all access to that system after the filters; bolt it, weld it, do whatever it takes, but get it done.”
Too many problems in a short period. He had to assume they might be related. Captain Effinger left the medical center and headed back to the bridge followed by his assistant. There were over seven hundred souls on-board, and someone appeared to be working against them.
In the captain’s cabin, the security officer in charge recommended they increase patrols to every half hour and concentrate on critical systems. The captain agreed.
“I know there are only four of you aboard, but begin an investigation into each incident. Advise all senior officers of the investigations, and ask for their assistance. They may know something that could be useful.
“We need to go through everyone’s personnel files looking for anomalies. Recruit help from other departments if you have to. Do you understand?”
The security man looked uncomfortable, but replied, “Yes sir.”
“We need to find this person, and quickly. Get to it.”
Finally alone, he could take some time to think. He was starting some searches of his own when his data pad chimed. It said, “Call from Chief Clark sir,”
“Put it through please.” When the line cleared, he said, “This is the captain.”
“Hello Captain, Chief Clark here. I need to speak with you, sir.”
“Well, go ahead son.”
“No sir, I need to speak with you in person. I would like to arrange a meeting.”
“Is something wrong Chief?” The captain didn’t like the way this was sounding.
“No sir, it’s personal. I have a few questions concerning myself that I hope you might be able to help me with.”
Now the captain was concerned. “One of the shuttles is returning tomorrow, is that soon enough? Contact me when you get on-board the Excalibur and we can talk. Are you sure you can’t tell me what this is about?”
On the other end, Al was aching to blurt it out. One question would do it.
Am I a robot? Unfortunately, he could trust no one else right now but Doc Cody.
“No sir…I’m sure. See you tomorrow. Have a good evening.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you, Mister Clark.”
“Thank you, sir.” Al closed the circuit feeling hopeful. The captain knew more than he was saying; how much more was anyone’s guess, but he knew…something.
The captain had been dreading this day for a long time. Ever since Al didn’t recognize him when they revived him from his deep sleep, he knew something was wrong. It looked like he might have to tell a man that he was not entirely a normal human. It was just a matter of time before he figured it out. Something must have happened that gave it away.
He was also excited. If Al were to become aware of his capabilities and learned to use them constructively, he could become one of the most valuable assets they had available. The problem was this will be very unsettling for Al, and quite possibly dangerous.
****
Al had four hours sleep when he got up and went to breakfast. He wasn’t especially hungry, but this was going to be a long day, and he wanted to get started on a full stomach. Besides, he wasn’t tired and could sleep no more. There was a dull ache in his head that slowly diminished as the morning progressed.
The shuttle wasn’t leaving for another two hours, so he went to the mess hall and ordered an egg and orange juice; taking it to a table. It didn’t look like anybody suspected he was different. He felt different. Is Al Clark even my name? Many questions bounced around in his head.
He was trying to convince himself there were good things about being robotic. He would live as long as his brain did. That’s good, right? He should be stronger. Why am I not stronger? Why am I eating? This confusion was his state of mind as he ate his breakfast. Sitting there, watching all the humans go about their business.
The shuttle left on time and arrived at the Excalibur on schedule. It was always inspiring to see the great ship in space, and to appreciate the scale of this starship as they slowly approached, and the details became ever more apparent. The ship was an amazing accomplishmen
t and a tribute to the human race. He was a little surprised to find it felt good to be back.
They met in the captain’s cabin for lunch. When they notified him of Al’s arrival, he made the necessary arrangements. When Al arrived, it was just the two of them at the long table, and the captain seemed a little—uneasy.
“Please have a seat, Mister Clark. I believe we’re having cheeseburgers this afternoon, or what passes for cheeseburgers these days. I’ll be glad when we get some real cows in a pasture. Packaged food and vegetables only go so far for me.”
Al pulled out a seat and sat down at the table laid out with a formal setting.
“Thank you for seeing me so quickly sir, I know you’ve been very busy. They briefed me on the situation aboard ship. Any leads on the saboteur yet?”
The captain rearranged his place setting, looking down as if thinking.
“Nothing that’s panned out yet. Now, what’s this all about Mister Clark?”
The captain had gotten directly to the point, and Al was not yet sure how to start. This could be the moment of truth; or not. He liked the captain and wanted to trust him, but should he dip in a toe…or jump in feet first. He was tired of mysteries. He dove in.
“Did you know I was…artificial?”
Captain Effinger took a deep breath, checked his place setting again, then looked him in the eye and said, “Yes Al, I did.”
“You’ve known all this time?”
The captain visibly tensed and with more than a little guilt he answered Al’s question. “Since I received the order to allow you on-board. A month before we left. I have a book that came with you that I don’t understand, but I’ll bet it explains a lot.
“You have the most advanced robotic body ever created—or at least, it was forty years ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been going crazy trying to figure this all out.”
“I was ordered from the beginning to keep your secret. Most people wouldn’t understand that you were a human with a robot body, they would only see you as a robot; disguised as a human. I am truly sorry Al. Maybe I should have told you.”
AL CLARK (A Sci-Fi Adventure)(Book One) Page 10
