Spinward Fringe Broadcast 11

by Randolph Lalonde

  “Hello?” said a man of average height with well-kept dark hair and a clean, black and white vacsuit. He was smiling at her meekly, the face of a kindly gentleman. “Alice?”

  She emerged from her own thoughts and looked at him more directly. “Yes?”

  “Alice, it’s me, Theodore,” he said, pointing to himself and smiling. “I suppose you wouldn’t recognize me with my outer appearance restored.”

  Then she recognized the voice. “Wow, they put you back together in a hurry. You look great.”

  “He said he’d never worked on a model as high profile as me. There were a lot of people from Intelligence and the Government around when I woke up after a few deep repairs.” He pulled a card from his pocket as though it was made of the purest platinum. “They gave me this.”

  Alice had never seen an actual citizen card before, she knew she had one coming, but it wasn’t something she needed, she was listed in the database. The citizen card served as a whole holographic and two dimensional interface with enough memory for several lifetimes, but the same could be said for any comm unit. She took it carefully and saw that the static side of the card had a picture of Theodore, several micro icons that her comm unit read and the declaration by all branches of government that he was a verified level fourteen being with full sentience, independence and citizenship with the Haven Government. “Congratulations,” Alice said. “I couldn’t imagine it happening to a better person.”

  He took the card back and slipped it into a slot in the side of his vacsuit. To anyone watching, it would look like a normal human man just put it right through his suit, his ribs and into his side without so much as a twitch. Other than that, he really looked absolutely human. “Thank you,” he replied. “Were you going home? Can I go with you?”

  “Sure,” Alice said. “Is everything okay?”

  Theo looked anxious despite his visible happiness. “I’m not used to people looking at me like this. Everyone smiles when I pass by.”

  “You look happy,” Alice said. “And very human, gentlemanly, I’d say.”

  “I’m so used to looking battered and burned, to everyone knowing I’m an android,” he said. “This is how people react to you?”

  “Sometimes, when I’m feeling content and letting it show, I guess. People will smile back at you if you look happy.”

  “I am very happy,” he said to a young man, grinning enthusiastically.

  “Whoa,” he said, stepping away and passing them in a hurry.

  “Too much,” Alice said with a quiet chuckle. “Just like you were before, if you still feel the same way. I’m surprised you don’t know more about being social.”

  “Only a few people took an interest in mentoring me in the office complex, and there was a little memory damage. My personality is intact though.”

  “That’s a relief,” Alice said as the doorway to her home opened. It was still sparsely furnished, with two half-circle sofas in the middle of the living room. Past it was a broad transparent wall that looked through the trees onto the ocean. She ordered her armour to retract into her heavy jacket and combat boots and left them by the door. “Gimmie two minutes,” she said.

  “I’ll sit and review the news,” he said, moving to the sofa. “Do you mind if I watch like normal people? I still don’t have any wireless technology installed. I don’t think I want it.”

  “Go ahead, it’s one of the newer Ultra Twenty Eight Models,” Alice said as she walked into her room, stripping her uniform off.

  “You bought a robot?”

  “I mean the entertainment system,” she replied. She watched Theo sit down on the sofa with his back facing her through the aquarium that spanned the wall separating the rooms. “Roomie, give Theo rights to everything in the apartment except my personal storage.” Her personal storage consisted of three drawers in her bedroom, a weapons vault that slid under her bed and a bathroom cupboard.

  “Are you sure?” Roomie asked.

  “Of course I’m sure,” she replied. “Would I have gone to the trouble of telling you to do it if I weren’t sure?”

  “This will give him entry rights and control over all the systems in your home. It is customary to get secondary confirmation. Are you sure?”

  “Just do it and set a reminder for me to go shopping for a new household minder program for tomorrow. I’m replacing you, Roomie, and it’s personal,” Alice said.

  “Permissions changed and reminder set. Would you like to answer a few questions that may help me improve my performance?”

  “No,’ she said, stepping into the shower. “Privacy mode, leave me alone, Roomie.”

  “Yes, Alice.”

  “You just always need the last word, don’t you?”

  The rush of water from the jets above and around her drowned out Roomie’s response. Alice stood there for several minutes, imagining that her worries and tension were draining away with the hot water. When she emerged in a pair of shorts and a loose top Theo was watching a report about the sentient laws.

  A pair of smiling people - one woman with well styled blonde hair, and a counterpart who looked attractive but androgynous - accepted citizenship cards from Pamela Grey, the Minister of Public Welfare. She looked as pleased as the pair receiving their cards, but much more weary. “Only nineteen artificial intelligences qualified for permanent citizenship and reclassification as sentient beings under the new laws. According to the Minister of Defence, Carl Anderson, the requirements are so restrictive because the new law takes history into account,” the announcer said.

  An image of Alice’s grandfather, Carl Anderson appeared. He was in his Haven Fleet uniform, looking not a day over forty thanks to a rollback he recently completed. “The Haven Government is in a unique position. We have access to centuries of history that we can easily examine when we need guidance in governing. In this case, many societies have made mistakes when embracing mechanical sentients as citizens, so we are being cautious.”

  “Does the test demand that artificial intelligences are indistinguishable from humans?” asked someone at the conference who was out of sight.

  “This isn’t the Fiona Mann test,” Carl replied. “Artificial intelligences that qualify as sentient beings that can function at the levels our test demand experience life and evolve in a familiar but not in a necessarily human way. The test for sentience in mechanical forms recognizes an important fact: artificial intelligences don’t have to think like us to qualify. My Issyrian colleges don’t think like I do, but I’m as sentient as they are and vis-a-vis. We live in a galaxy of incredible diversity, and that’s recognized here. The test is accompanied by complete documentation, you can consult that if you need to know more.”

  “Is it true that you stopped the declaration of a warship artificial intelligence as a sentient being today? My sources tell me that the ship belongs to your granddaughter, is that true?”

  “That artificial intelligence was a unique case,” Carl replied. “The name of the warship is classified. With the exception of our courageous volunteers,” he gestured towards the pair of androids who publicly accepted their citizenship cards, “All the artificial intelligences who were declared sentient this week will remain anonymous. Applicants who were denied are treated the same way. They have a right to privacy.”

  The announcer, a well-kept gentleman with startlingly white teeth appeared in the middle of the living room, at least twice as large as he would be in person. Theo turned the playback off. “They said they rushed this because I was found. It was an opportunity. I thought about it; I am a citizen today because they wanted to draw attention from something else, most likely.”

  Alice was surprised at the realistic and pessimistic conclusion Theodore made, but it made perfect sense. She wondered how much she’d see in the news about the new refugees, or the rescue actions she participated in. “Well, it worked out well for you. With the way Haven is going, it would have happened eventually. So, better sooner rather than later.”

  “I supp
ose,” Theo said. “After I got my citizenship card I went to Alberton’s. The people there were nice. I met the owner too, he’s very personable. I told him I just arrived in Haven Shore and didn’t know what to do.”

  “What did he say?” Alice asked, sitting cross-legged at the end of one of the sofas.

  “We talked for a while. I’m not qualified as a waiter but could learn quickly enough. I’m amazed that he has humans doing that, I’ve never seen it before, but the patrons love it. While he was away for a minute, taking care of a problem with a drinking glass shortage, I greeted several of his patrons as they entered. It was nothing special, or so I thought, simply telling them; ‘Welcome to Alberton’s,’ and then who was on stage, and which comedians and other acts were to follow. I was only repeating what the host had announced and what I saw on the board earlier. Then I passed them to their waiter or waitress. The owner, Luke said I could be a Host. He offered me a job before he knew I was an android. I told him I was one, and then he remembered Noah, or Carnie as he knew him, mention me a few times. He offered me the job again, said I would have to wear something called a tuxedo to do it though. I hope it’s not something garish.”

  “Roomie, show us what Theodore would look like in a tuxedo,” Alice requested, and the image appeared in the middle of the room. She whistled appreciatively. “You make that look good. I’ve never seen one before, so it must be old fashioned, but it works for you.”

  He stared at it for a moment, then cocked his head. “A job where I am to look good and be kind to people.”

  Alice let him stare in silence, she knew there was something going on. There was more for him to ponder than he was sharing. “It seems like a good job, but you don’t have to rush if you want to think about it. I have room here, I can even have them fabricate another bedroom and deliver it this week.”

  “I would like that,” Theo said. He turned to her. “I think I would like to work there, but part time. It doesn’t feel like enough. While doing that job I would only be using one point four percent of one processing cluster and not enough memory worth mentioning. I have one thousand and twenty four processing clusters, by the way. There must be a way to better utilize them.”

  “Well, you could calculate or analyze something while you work, but think about how much you’d learn about socializing. I could use a few nights there myself. As a customer though, I can’t imagine myself in a tuxedo.” She looked again. “Well, maybe I could, but I don’t think he’d want me as a host.”

  “I will contact Luke Alberton when his establishment opens for business tomorrow afternoon,” Theo said. “For now, what would you like to eat?”

  “Can you cook?” Alice asked.

  “Your friend gave me several software upgrades, including new advanced food preparation and gourmet programs. I’d love to try them, and your gardening systems have ripe vegetables, a lot of mature fish and other ingredients available.”

  “Surprise me?” Alice asked. “Do you mind if I invite Yawen and a couple people from the squad over for dinner?”

  “It’s your home, and I would be happy to cook for them. Only, can we try an experiment?”

  “Sure, but nothing spicy,” Alice said. “Well, not too spicy.”

  “I mean, can we not tell them that I’m an android? I would like to see if they can tell on their own. I’ll even pretend to eat.”

  “Sure, just don’t be too disappointed if they find out early. Some of these people have been trained to notice things like that.”

  “All right,” Theo said, starting for the kitchen. He stopped half way there and turned. “Alice, are you happy I’m here? I am capable of finding another place somewhere. I was offered temporary lodgings.”

  “I am, Theo. I’d be disappointed if you wanted to stay anywhere else.”

  Twenty-Eight

  Home and Duty

  * * *

  The raiders and crew had quieted aboard the Pursuer III. Jake remained in the lower deck, near a service hatch that led into the hall behind the cockpit. They were the volunteers who kept their suits sealed to prevent wear and tear on the ship’s life support system. There were twenty of them, more than necessary, but Jake didn’t see the harm in letting more people than they needed feel like they were chipping in.

  Simple plans had been made. They would make a few short jumps between systems where the Order’s presence was light. This was to keep the stress on the wormhole system down and to give it a test. After the last adventure the Pursuer went on, it along with a few other systems they had spare parts for had been replaced, but the opportunity to make sure it was reliable hadn’t come up. They’d just jumped out of a solar system that could barely qualify as one. With only three stony planets and a dwarf star, there quite literally wasn’t much to see. On the brighter side, their scanners did a fresh, cursory sweep before they moved on and didn’t detect a single Order of Eden vessel.

  The next jump would only last an hour. He took Minh-Chu’s advice; to use the time to relax and refocus his mind. He was still running at raid speed, and it made minutes feel like hours. He looked at the last update he had from Alice. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen it. “Just a quick one this time, Dad,” she said, stepping away from the recorder so he could see her Academy uniform. “I’m in the Apex Program! Iruuk’s recording.”

  “Hello, Captain Valent!” he said, turning the recorder on himself at close range. His pinkish-brown nose took up most of the frame, blue eyes and fur filling the rest. “She can’t wait for you to get home.”

  “Over here, Fur-Face,” Alice said.

  “Right, sorry.” He pointed the recorder back at Alice.

  “Wish I could tell you where I am, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy. The first round of testing is back, and we’re both at the top. I’m also taking care of a few cadets who aren’t in the program, and they’re lower maintenance than I thought. The trainers are happy to see me join them during physical training though, which I do as much as I can since I’m still getting into shape. I see why you were rebuilt with muscle piled onto muscle: I’m having trouble matching the strength and endurance I had as a framework, but I’m getting closer. Anyway, I hope you’re all right out there. People are still talking about the Revenge even here where we don’t have much time to do anything but burn through qualifiers. Wow, I said this was a quick update, but I’m going on. I hope you get back soon, I have to get to the simulation course, we’re doing a competitive maze today. Miss you.” Her image faded, and he closed his eyes.

  The memories of Samson days, when he didn’t know who he was, but knew he had a daughter who had to leave him behind seemed fresh. That sensation of longing, of knowing that he was missing something important hung over him. “She’s doing well,” he said to himself. “Tucked into the Rega Gain System, safe as houses.”

  He replaced the image of her high qualification scores with the last recording from Ayan. It was a habit of hers to record more than once then send them as a batch. Her black and gold uniform came into view, and even though it wasn’t his first time seeing that either, he still appreciated that the recording started with a full-length shot. Jake as sure she did it on purpose - her curly red hair was loose and the top of her uniform was open further down than she would allow while she was on duty - and he’d make sure he thanked her later. “Hey, love,” she said. “Just checking in to tell you that things are going well here. I wanted to send my next message to you from home, but I’ve slept at work in the quarters they have here for the last two nights. This is going out on the new network we’re building, so I’m hoping it gets to you soon, wherever you are. The Lorander advisors are amazed by my work on the dimension drive and they never stop asking questions, which I don’t mind. It’s nice to teach them something for a change. I’m happy to admit that all work stops when I find myself thinking of you.” A chime from her command and control unit followed by an intentionally garbled message interrupted her. “I’m due for an inspection on one of the new starships. I’m workin
g on an advanced design with Lorander for your next command. I can’t go into details, but we’re calling it the Merciless. I can’t wait to show you the progress. Actually, I can’t wait for you to get back. Even though I know my comm will tell me the moment there’s news about you, I still check your status several times a day. If anticipation builds a happy return, then I have a big one waiting for you.”

  The next recording started with her looking weary and a little frustrated. Her hair was in a bun, and she was at her desk. “How a whole group of designers and engineers can screw up an entire line of corvettes, I don’t know, but Jake, you would start shooting people if you were part of the team. They ignored the Lorander design helper software, the advisors, and a few fundamental starship design rules. I’ve already seen what the Lorander Advisors propose, and I’m putting it through a team I assembled myself this morning. We’re half way through reviewing it, made a few small revisions, and with luck and the help of the Lorander software, we’ll be done shortly after midnight. Thank God for the Lorander advisors. They knew where the team designing the new corvettes while I was away were going wrong and made sure a better alternative was waiting. With the new technology we learned about from the dimension drive, and the experience I had on the Revenge, the new ships will be amazing, but the first one has to be in production by the end of tomorrow.” She let her head down on the desk, her cheek planted on the slick grey surface. “Then I’m going to sleep. I have to admit: firing nine designers and three engineers did make me feel a bit better. They weren’t fired because they were inept - though some of them were - but because they ignored everyone who knew better. I’m taking my own advice, using every Lorander advisor, every expert with more experience than I have, every bright mind with training and piece of software we have.” Ayan sighed and let her eyes close for a moment. “Now, I have to get back to them. They’re all working in what I’ve started calling; ‘The Asylum,’ which is just a big open room with holograms of every part of the ship. I’ll make sure the Merciless isn’t the first off the line. We expect the prototype to be one half bugs and the other half rough edges, so it’ll probably end up getting scanned, tested, studied then scrapped. Wish me luck, I hope you’re doing well out there.”