Simulation: A Pop Travel Novel

by Tara Tyler

  “Geri?”

  A large O of surprise replaced the smirk.

  “How’d you know? And right out of the dock!” Her voice was deeper and sultry.

  “Your perfume gave you away. And you can’t hide that attitude. Nice disguise. And that voice. Did you take up smoking cigs?” He gave her a double-eyebrow lift as he rose from the chair to be scanned. He knew she hadn’t gone nutso and killed that Senator.

  “Hmph. And the name is Gina for now.” She strutted in a circle so he could get a good look at her. Even in a loose-fitting red and gold tunic and shiny gold leggings, Geri still had everything in all the right places, and she knew it.

  “Nice to meet you, Gina.” Cooper had to shake the leering wolf out of his head. He turned to address Hasan, who whispered something to the nurse finishing the post-pop medscan.

  “Man, tell me I didn’t just test a new invention. A portable transport dock? Since when?”

  Hasan’s eyes beamed, but he bit his lip, holding back a big smile. “Uh. I tested it many times on the rats first. But yes, you were the first human to try it. How do you feel?”

  Cooper nodded. “Just use and abuse me. I guess I’m fine. I can’t believe you all kidnapped me, but I’m fine.”

  “Excellent. I will get your permission next time. I promise. It’s really not much different than a stationary dock. It was the condensing I had trouble with.” Before he got into details, he stopped himself and finished his reasoning. “But this was an emergency. We need your help. Geri is a wanted woman and I’m just a bio-medical engineering genius. We must find a way to put a stop to this madness and clear Geri, so we needed your underhanded detective skills.” Hasan led them outside to a waiting hovercart.

  Cooper decided to take that as a compliment. At least it felt good to be needed. “Of course. Thank you.”

  On the way to the house, Cooper continued, “So, Aimee, did they kidnap you too?”

  “Not exactly. They called and asked politely, but I had to clear it with work first.”

  Geri nodded. “Aimee is all by the book.”

  “Well, I’m glad you brought in Aimee. We could use her connections and expertise. I wanted to tell you my suspicions about Geri’s simulation, Aimee, but I couldn’t with all those agents hovering at the scene.”

  “Thanks. I’m so relieved Geri is not the killer. But I’m afraid we’re on our own. When I approached my superiors and reported our discovery identifying Representative Wells as the body, they were doubtful to say the least, especially without any proof. Especially with a live Representative Wells walking around.”

  Cooper hated that about the feds. Just the facts, ma’am.

  Aimee solemnly continued, “At first they seemed to consider the possibility of Hasan repeating the DNA decontamination process to prove it again, given time and another sample. I was hopeful and told them our theory that the live Representative was actually a simulation the Colonel made and was controlling. That’s when they sent me to my desk to write up some reports about it all. I do wish we hadn’t lost all that hard work Hasan did to prove the real Wells was our unidentified body. That would substantially strengthen the case for the current one being a simulation.”

  “Standard busy work to get you out of their way. Been there, done that.” Geri crossed her arms in front of her. Though her deep voice startled him, she looked pretty darn good as a brunette.

  Cooper blinked and turned back to Aimee. “So I assume you haven’t told them about sim Geri?”

  Aimee shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. I didn’t find out about that until Hasan contacted me. And I assumed if they didn’t believe me about Wells, I needn’t bother telling them about Geri yet. We also never had a chance to tell them Hasan and Geri were safely found because the sim Geri showed up and there was plenty of video and eyewitness proof of that. Luckily, Hasan called me.” She smiled at him and he grinned back.

  “I’m not surprised they didn’t believe you. But how did they let you out of their sight to come here? I know they want to keep close tabs on you in case Geri contacts you.” Cooper suspected everyone, usually with good reason.

  “Well…”

  Geri spoke up, “It’s okay, Aimee. I knew they’d track you. You’re probably bugged too.”

  “Um…”

  “Go ahead, my sweet. You can tell us,” Hasan coaxed.

  Aimee touched her ear and listened. Then blew out a heavy sigh. “Okay. Nate said I can tell you guys. That’s a relief. Yeah, he’s listening and watching us. Geri, I don’t know if I can be a spy. I have no problem lying to strangers and enemies, but it’s different when it’s my friends.”

  “That’s the problem, girl. You never know your friends from your enemies.” Geri had experienced that firsthand.

  “You can’t go wrong if you assume everyone has something to hide. I like to go with my gut.” But sometimes Cooper disagreed with his gut, even though it was usually right.

  “See? This is why we need you, Cooper. You think like a criminal.” Hasan winked and smiled. Hopping out of the hovercart, he held his arm out for the women to go first into the main house. He kept calling Cooper underhanded and devious, but in a good way. Knowing Hasan for so long, Cooper just shook his head. He meant well.

  When they got inside, Cooper took the lead and headed for the kitchen. “Everything seems to be back to normal in here. No evidence of a struggle.”

  “Of course. No need to keep the place in disarray as if it were a crime scene. I don’t need useless local authorities hanging about. I need my space with everything in its place. Hey, there I go rhyming again. I should write this stuff down.”

  “Hasan, why don’t you make me one of your famous overstuffed hero sandwiches? I think better on a full stomach.”

  “Sure thing, buddy! I’ll make some for everyone!”

  While Hasan busied himself, Cooper brought them back to the problem at hand.

  “I assume you all saw the police droid demonstration.” Cooper had been impressed with the droids, but wary of them at the same time. That kind of power needed checks and balances.

  Geri pointed to the ceiling imager. “Yes, we saw. A compelling argument. I bet it’s still going on.”

  “Imager on, volume fifty percent,” Hasan said, and it projected over the counter. “Find Representative McFarland Wells, live broadcast.”

  Several options popped up, mostly news reports. Geri chose one and expanded it.

  The Governor spoke to the still cautious, but excited audience. They applauded at appropriate moments, but several individuals kept eyes on their surroundings, wary of another attack from the bushes. It sounded like the Governor was wrapping things up.

  “After witnessing the efficient, precise, yet humane way these androids handled this situation, I’m convinced we could add a droid squad to our police force on a trial basis.”

  The people cheered and applauded. Police droids probably sounded very good to them, especially at the moment.

  “What do you think, Chief?”

  “Wait!”

  As the Chief stood to respond, Wells jumped onto the stage and ran over to the mic, cutting him off, “I apologize for the interruption, but the Chief needs to see this. I have just been informed this attack was part of an organized protest against our Android Protection Proposal. We found these on some of the activists.” Wells held up a t-shirt with the same symbol sim Geri left at the scene of Senator Jonas Tucker’s murder. The slashed out droid face with the slogan, Humans protect humans!

  Wells continued, “The rogue FBI agent, Geri Harper, wanted for the murder of Senator Jonas Tucker, appears to be the leader of this crusade and is still at large.”

  As he shook the shirt, a smaller frame appeared in the corner to show Geri’s picture.

  “No! I am so being set up!” Geri buried her face in her hands.

  “Turn it off, Hasan.” Cooper went over to Geri and put an arm around her.

  Geri backed away from him and stared at each of them with
a grim look of determination on her new face. She wasn’t one to wallow for long.

  “Hasan, how do we prove those things are simulations?”

  He got into his thinking pose, putting a hand to his chin. “Well, the electronics are well-insulated in the sturdy nanoplastic skull and skeletal frame. Their bodies are clones, living organisms. The hardwiring and remote commands can be reached via their ear and eye ports, but have very sophisticated security. At least mine did. Even X-ray machines don’t expose their true nature. An MRI would, but that would be difficult to accomplish.”

  “That’s terrible. Incredible, but terrible.” Geri’s shoulder’s sagged.

  Cooper had a hard time keeping his eyes off her and kept forcing himself to look away. When she caught him staring, he cleared his throat. “Yeah, this is going to be tough.”

  Hasan nodded. “I know. And thank you, Geri. I hated discarding all that work, but now I can see even more why it was a bad idea. I never thought there were any bad inventions, but I suppose I do remember one time—”

  “Hasan, you’re drifting.” Geri was used to catching Hasan on his tangents and reeling him back in.

  “Sorry. We were talking about the simulation’s skeletal system. You know? I’d bet any weapons Rajul might’ve installed are the same steel-like nanoplastic.”

  “That’s not good.” Cooper frowned, wondering what weapons Rajul would put in them.

  “Anything can be a weapon in the wrong hands,” Aimee added.

  Hasan nodded. “You’re right, Aimee. Look how they are using that simulation of Geri.”

  “Back to my question, Hasan. How do we expose them without splitting their heads open?” Geri pounded her fist on the counter, ready split someone’s head open.

  That was definitely Geri. Cooper slipped off his stool and slid a step away from her before offering his suggestion.

  “What if we tell it a joke?”

  Geri whipped her head around to him. “Get serious.”

  He knew she wouldn’t appreciate his idea. “I am. Do simulations laugh? Do they understand humor?”

  Hasan put a hand to his chin again and considered. “Eventually, yes. The algorithm I use for my androids starts with a limited personality. The droids take data from their surroundings and learn how they should react in situations, building and accumulating responses with experience. I wrote it so I wouldn’t have to tell them every little thing to do, or explain things in detail. It was very tiring.”

  “I can imagine.” Geri tilted her head at him.

  Hasan smiled. “For the simulations, I added some basic emotional responses to their brain processors, automatic reactions we consider instinct, but mostly they mirror what they see. Like smiling back at someone, or waving, or laughing when others around them laugh. For a simulation to build its database, it collects biological and physical information from people near them, things like facial cues, perspiration, heart rate, etc., to form plausible emotional responses and appropriate body language. They get better in future similar situations. Wells has been with the Colonel for a couple of weeks, so he has more natural-looking reactions, but the sim Geri is brand new. She’s still stiff and only obeys direct orders, like the guard droids.”

  “Yeah. I could tell right away she wasn’t herself. Geri can be cold, but not stiff.”

  Geri swatted Cooper. He wasn’t quite out of her range.

  “To everyone else, she just had a meltdown and went nuts.” Hasan pouted at Geri.

  Cooper envisioned a light bulb flickering on over Aimee’s head as her eyes popped wide. “I can’t believe I thought that was you, Geri.” She frowned.

  “Don’t worry about it. I saw the footage. She’s a very convincing me.”

  “But she was so calculating and ruthless.” Aimee went on, shaking her head.

  “Sounds about right.” Cooper smirked and took a step farther away from Geri.

  “Hmph.” Geri pursed her lips at him, then turned back to Hasan. “So how does Wells get through interviews and press conferences? His responses are well thought-out. He can’t know all the questions in advance. He has to answer on the spot.”

  “The Colonel must have an RC.” Hasan picked up a fob from the counter and showed her as an example.

  “Remote control? That makes sense. They’re always close together, but wouldn’t it be obvious?” Geri asked.

  Cooper thought back to the demonstration. “I thought I saw the Colonel talking to himself when Wells started his speech. He must have been telling him what to say.”

  “That’s it!” Geri smiled at Cooper.

  That was a nice treat, so he kept going, catching her train of thought.

  “We have to separate them in public.”

  “And ask Wells some tough questions to make his brain processor smoke out of his ears!”

  “I’ll pull up their schedule,” Hasan said.

  While Hasan fiddled with the imager, Aimee stepped to the side to listen to her earpiece.

  “Hey, guys. Nate just let me know a couple of agents questioned the Colonel and Representative Wells after the incident with the police android demonstration just now. He said we should put the news back on.”

  Hasan put his search to the side and widened the news. “Volume up, up, up.”

  They all took in a breath as they saw sim Geri making a statement.

  “… claim responsibility for the attack at Centennial Park. I represent Humans Protecting Humans. Droids should not be allowed on the police force. To get the attention of those in power, I showed how easy it is to get around a droid. Senator Jonas Tucker supported the crusade for droids in the military and too many times, those droids have malfunctioned or been juiced and turned against their own units by the enemy, costing more lives. I lost many soldiers close to me in a corrupted droid explosion…”

  Geri jumped up, knocking her stool over. “She’s lying. I never!”

  “Shh!” Cooper shushed her.

  “… cannot let this happen around civilians. I have many supporters ready to fight against this Proposal. If you squash it now, I will turn myself in and face the consequences. If not, we will continue to fight. Governor, choose wisely. You must take the first stand against this Proposal and set the example for other states.” The screen went black, then the news picked up and an anchorwoman weighed in with her opinion.

  Hasan turned the volume down and pulled up the schedule. “She’s scary.”

  “All the more reason to stop her. Let’s see that schedule,” Geri fumed.

  Cooper knew she hated seeing her face on that monster. “I agree. And here, this is perfect. Looks like they’re having brunch with the Governor in the morning. That’ll give us plenty of time to prepare.”

  “Lucid! Another sleepover!” Hasan was such a kid. He called for his personal droid on the remote fob. “Oscar! Guess what!”

  Cooper and Geri caught each other rolling their eyes and laughed. At least Hasan was good for easing some tension.

  Lake Lanier, GA

  Tuesday, June 23, 2082

  ood morning, sir.” Echo greeted the Colonel each morning as soon as he opened his eyes. Crews rested in comfort knowing his faithful droid watched over him while he slept.

  “Good morning, Echo. Lovely day.” And it was. The sun peeked through the cracks in his heavy drapes. Crews opened his QV and read some headlines. The agent simulation plan was working better than expected. Reports claimed the public was in an outrage over it, demanding better protection with androids. And in a few hours, Crews would take care of things with the Governor.

  “Yes, sir.” Echo frowned, making Crews pause. After a few years of service and upgrades, Crews was used to his number one servant droid mirroring the Colonel’s emotions. This deviation in the android’s concerned expression represented a warning light. Not really artificial intelligence, yet disturbing just the same.

  Echo obviously had something to tell Crews. Something Crews didn’t want to hear. Echo also knew the Colonel didn’t like to
start his day with bad news.

  “Out with it, Echo.”

  “Yes, sir. Late last night someone accessed Representative Wells’ schedule.”

  “What’s so unusual about that? People check it all the time.” Crews shrugged into the robe Echo held open for him.

  “Yes, sir. Of course, sir. But this access came from Albany, Georgia. The same area from whence the people, Hasan and Geri, were taken.”

  Crews raised his eyebrows. The genius boy’s plantation. “Oh. I see. Good catch, Echo.” He opened his QV map function.

  On his way into the kitchen, he searched around on the map, letting Echo guide him. He prided himself on his ability to stay a few steps ahead of people. As influential as he was, others still underestimated the old dog. When he sat down, Echo brought him his breakfast and coffee. The Colonel was ready to bewilder the annoying pests once again. Warning them off was much easier and cleaner than killing them. The last thing he needed was to soil Wells’ political rise with the headache of a murder investigation. Plus, he hadn’t enjoyed his job this much in years. Toying with them, Crews had the opportunity to flex his muscles, staying in shape mentally. These meddlers would soon realize they were no match for him.

  The Colonel informed Echo of his new plans, “Let’s change our brunch reservation, shall we? This looks like a good spot. Make the arrangements and inform the Governor of the change, but do not update the calendar. Then call the original restaurant and tell them to send anyone asking for Representative Wells to this address.” Crews pointed to the map for Echo.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Time to show these snoops who they’re dealing with.

  Atlanta, GA

  Tuesday, June 23, 2082

  “How do I look?” Geri asked.

  “You’re funny.” Cooper knew Geri was sitting next to him, but could only see the shimmer of light here and there reflecting off the camouflage cover she wore, courtesy of Aimee.

  The change of Wells’ and the Governor’s brunch location set off Cooper’s gut alarm. As he drove to the new address the maître d’ gave him, Cooper knew the Colonel was up to something and he should probably turn around and run in the opposite direction. But he also knew the best way to get more information was to play along. He could handle whatever the Colonel threw at him. Plus, he had a secret defense weapon. Invisible Geri was with him.