by C. Gockel
“I’m fine, FET12,” said Volka at the same time Sixty said, “Not at present, Bracelet. Please disregard our conversation for a moment.”
“Yes, sir,” Bracelet replied.
“We have to give one to FET12,” Volka said. “If something happens to us…” she couldn’t say FET12 could be sold as scrap aloud in front of the battered ‘bot even if he wouldn’t comprehend or care.
“He wouldn’t be stable,” Sixty protested. “He might be dangerous.”
“You’re not dangerous,” Volka said.
His lips parted and his eyes widened in what looked, for an instant, like horror—and then his features went absolutely blank. In a human, she would have been able to smell if it really had been fear, but with Sixty…she might have imagined that look of horror or it could have been a bug, like his occasional head tics.
Carl cleared his throat. “I think what Sixty is trying to say, Volka, is that FET12 has suffered much more than Sixty did. Sixty was loved very much. FET12’s early experiences were much different.”
Volka swallowed. FET12 had been horribly abused, violently, sexually, and, she thought, emotionally. But didn’t that just make him more deserving of a second chance? And hadn’t she known weere girls—and boys—in the weere houses who’d suffered similarly? Some hadn’t made it...She bit her lip. But some had gone on to live meaningful lives.
Volka swallowed. “Aren’t we a part of his early experiences, too?”
Carl blinked at her, his whiskers twitched, and he turned to Sixty. “Well, don’t we count?”
Shissh sat on her haunches and stared up at Sixty expectantly.
He rubbed the back of his neck.
Shissh lashed her tail. Flexing her deadly, finger-length claws into the sod, the big cat said, “FET12 is habitually afraid, but maybe with the imagination a Q-comm could provide, he could reframe his fear?”
Sixty gestured to Sundancer. “We’re leaving. He’ll be alone.”
Shissh narrowed her orange eyes. “I will be here. He trusts me more than a human.”
Sixty stared at the ground and didn’t speak.
“Please, Sixty…” Volka said.
Sixty raised his eyes.
Volka shrugged. “He does trust her, and with the galaxy being what it is right now…We should make sure that FET12 can take care of himself.”
Sixty stepped closer to her. “The galaxy being what it is, we should put a Q-comm into Bracelet so that in the event that I am disabled, Bracelet will be able to negotiate landing protocols with gates and planetary authorities.”
Volka held up her wrist. “I can do that already, using her as a radio.”
“And so can I!” Carl protested.
“You both can,” Sixty said, “But Bracelet would be able to do it faster.” He reached out as though he was going to touch Volka’s shoulders, but then pulled away. “Volka, we might wind up in a situation where seconds count.”
“But she won’t have a body,” Volka protested, heart rate picking up. “She’ll be a slave in everything but name. I won’t be a slave owner!”
Sixty stepped back. His eyes went blank, and she knew he was computing something, or accessing some more data, and then he said, “If she wants a body, we can get one for her. But starting out on your wrist will give her time to decide whether she wants one or not, and if she does, what form. She might not want to be human in appearance.”
“The human lack of fur is disturbing,” Carl quipped.
Shissh opined, “The hairlessness lures you in, makes you think, ‘This creature would be easy to eat,’ and then you get close and realize just how teeming with bacteria and viruses you are…” She stuck out her huge tongue. “Blech.”
Carl coughed.
Sixty edged closer to Volka, and for a moment, Volka forgot about her argument with him. She and Shissh sometimes hunted together, and Volka, too, was a carnivore, however ... “I have never thought of eating you, Shissh.”
The tiger gazed up at her. “I’d be far too tough. And I have never thought of eating you either. Not seriously.”
Volka’s ears flicked. She was not sure she’d ever wanted to know that.
“Volka,” Sixty said. “We have to leave soon. Please let me install the Q-comm in Bracelet.”
She remembered she and Sixty still had two decisions to make—and that Shissh hadn’t eaten her yet and had had plenty of opportunities to do so. Also, they had two Q-comms…She thought of the ‘bots in the World Sphere, still doing research on the aliens the Dark had destroyed. If their bodies were destroyed, they’d need Q-comms... Her eyes shifted to FET12. He was staring at the ground, face half hidden by a hoodie, his fingers gently scratching Shissh between the ears. He needed the Q-comm now.
“I’ll let you put one in Bracelet if you put one in FET12, too,” she said to Sixty.
Sixty’s jaw got hard, but then he said, “Done.” He took the box from her hand and said, “Let’s go inside. I need tools to install them.” He started to walk toward the house, but she hesitated. FET12 had been injured more than any weere she’d known. A human probably would have died with the amount of abuse he’d sustained. Would he really want to think about it? Maybe he wouldn’t want a body and a mind. Maybe he’d hate humans.
“Should I go clear trees?” FET12 asked. She swallowed. He hadn’t followed the conversation at all, and that is why he needed a Q-comm. Grabbing his free hand, she drew him toward the house. He didn’t resist…or let go of Shissh.
FET12 was seated on a chair in the main house’s dining room. 6T9 had strung a power cord through a hole in the chair’s back and plugged it into FET12. Shissh was sitting beside the chair, her head on FET12’s lap. Even powered off, the boy android was clutching the rough fur on the tiger’s neck.
The back of FET12’s head was open. Giving a final twist to a very small screw, 6T9 closed it, and the smaller android began his boot up process with a gentle hum. With such a major install, it would take longer than usual.
6T9 turned to Volka and held out his hand. She gave him Bracelet. Bracelet had an easily accessible slot for chip installs—though he doubted anyone had thought to install a Q-comm into any ethernet-to-speech device of her make. Carl had compared her to a glorified holophone-calculator; as much as the comment had annoyed Volka, Carl hadn’t been wrong. 6T9 applied a small magni-driver tool to the nearly invisible magni-screw on Bracelet’s underside, popped the underside off, and slid the Q-comm chip in. He closed Bracelet up, ordered her to reboot, and handed her back to Volka.
Volka gently put Bracelet on her wrist. “Bracelet, are you all right?” Volka whispered.
“I am fine, Miss Volka,” Bracelet replied. Her reboot had been short. She wasn’t as complex a system—she didn’t have to integrate her Q-comm linked server with native applications for complex locomotion, reading emotions, displaying emotions, or databases on every human sexual deviancy.
“If you want a body, we can give you one,” Volka said, clutching her wrist and holding Bracelet close to her lips. She was treating Bracelet as though she were a precious thing—which he supposed, with a Q-comm in her, Bracelet was, but Volka wasn’t thinking in terms of the device’s monetary value. Volka was thinking of the device’s feelings. It made 6T9’s skin warm and his fingers itch to touch her.
There was a moment of silence.
“Bracelet, do you know what has happened to you?” Volka asked.
“Analyzing, Miss Volka…ah, I have been given a Q-comm. I understand that. Why would I want a body?”
Volka unclutched her wrist. “So you can be free and move about?”
“Let me analyze that…” Bracelet said. “Mmm...I am not sure independent movement would be balanced out by the need for greater power. I am very efficient, Miss Volka. I can run nearly 768 Earth hours without a recharge. Also, a body might experience failure upon receipt of damage.”
6T9 translated. “Experiencing failure is a sort of robotic pain.” He tried to keep his expression neutral, though hi
s circuits lit in hope. He had estimated there was a 93.7 percent probability that Bracelet wouldn’t want a robotic or android form…at least not right away. It had taken the time gates centuries to decide they wanted to create avatars like himself. Apparently, he had been correct.
“It is?” asked Bracelet. “How tragic for humans. They seem to experience quite a lot of failure throughout their existence.”
“No kidding,” Carl squeaked.
Bracelet continued, “Also, if I had a larger, more independent form, I might be a target for damage. We’re going to Shinar and, analyzing previous conversations and past events, I believe there is potential for violence. I’d prefer not to be a target—and I suspect no one suspects the wrist ornamentation of being sentient—am I correct?”
“Err…” said Volka, clearly confounded.
6T9 smiled, pleased as punch. “You are correct.”
“You don’t have to come with us to Shinar if you don’t want,” Volka said quickly.
His smile turned upside down. Short circuits, Volka’s noble instincts were going to completely defeat the purpose of—
“Oh, I’d like to come, Miss Volka,” Bracelet said. “I…do you want me to come? Please, let me come.”
6T9 wasn’t surprised by Bracelet’s request. He’d wanted to stay with Eliza when he’d first been given his Q-comm. The universe was large and full of unknowns, and he had known Eliza—Bracelet knew Volka. Even dumb ‘bots could learn—he had known that Eliza had been good to him even before his Q-comm. Bracelet had to have noticed how Volka treated machines.
“Of course you may,” Volka replied.
“Thank you!” Bracelet chirped. “It will be a wonderful opportunity for data acquisition.”
6T9’s eyes slid to FET12’s hand on the patient tiger’s neck. The android would be coming online soon. Pressing his advantage, 6T9 said, “You’re welcome to stay with Miss Volka, Bracelet, but you’ll need to be of assistance to her, interfacing with the ethernet and machines on her behalf and assuring that she is safe.”
Volka looked up at him, face writ with consternation. 6T9 “got it”—the gift of sentience and freedom shouldn’t be conditional. But although Bracelet was entitled to not come on the mission or be dropped off in a busy terminal somewhere, she wasn’t going to attach herself to Volka’s wrist without “paying rent.”
“I will do that, sir! I do not want her to experience damage!”
“Thank you, Bracelet,” he said.
Volka’s ears perked toward FET12. Which was when 6T9 realized the gentle hum of his boot up sequence had changed. Volka went toward the smaller ‘bot. FET12’s eyes were closed and didn’t even flutter on her approach.
6T9 hung back. What if FET12 hated what they’d done to him? What if he hated Volka? FET12 would be restrained by his programming. He wouldn’t be able to hurt her physically or emotionally…at least, he wouldn’t be able to hurt her emotionally on purpose.
6T9 realized Volka wasn’t looking at FET12, she was looking at him, face writ with concern. He couldn’t fake a smile.
“It must be like watching your own birth,” she said. “Birth is frightening and painful, but joyous, too.”
6T9 exhaled. He had been overjoyed when he’d first gotten his Q-comm. Being unable to satisfy Eliza intellectually had always bothered him. But did FET12 have regrets that would make the onset of sentience worthwhile?
FET12’s eyes fluttered open, and it was too late to go back. The other android’s gaze didn’t go at first to 6T9 or Volka…it went to Shissh. Her head was still on his lap. FET12 released the ruff of her neck and scratched her between the ears. Shissh chuffed—the big cat equivalent of a purr—and FET12 focused on the top of her head with laser-like intensity. It occurred to 6T9 that FET12 was actively not looking at the rest of them.
Walking over, Carl spoke first. “Hi, FET12, how are you feeling?”
FET12 peered at Carl over his knees. “I am well, thank you, Carl, and yourself?”
“I am well, FET12. And I’m hereby relinquishing my ownership of you,” Carl said.
“I am also relinquishing my ownership of you,” said Volka.
FET12 didn’t look at her. 6T9’s lips parted. FET12 was more comfortable with animals… Sex ‘bots could be customized for any perversion, but 6T9 had accessed FET12’s programming—he hadn’t been hacked to enjoy bestiality or pedophilia. Was it because animals offered completely platonic friendship that they appealed to the other ‘bot?
He realized that everyone except FET12 was looking up at him expectantly. He stepped forward, prepared to relinquish his ownership, and then realized he couldn’t quite yet. “FET12, I have a few last orders for you to follow.”
FET12 audibly swallowed. “Yes…Sss…sir...” The stutter of fear—was it a bug, or a feature to his previous owners? 6T9’s jaw got hard, and he clutched the screwdriver so hard, he knew his knuckles would be white. He consciously flexed the fingers of the other hand, so he didn’t drip blood on the dining room carpet.
“Sixty?” Volka said.
“Erm…hey,” said Carl. “This was about freedom?”
Shissh growled and lifted her head.
FET12 was a child—literally, only a few years old. And those years were ones of torment. Moreover, he’d just gotten a Q-comm. FET12 was a whole new ‘bot. A newborn, really. “I order you not to have sex with anyone else for eighteen years past this moment,” 6T9 said. FET12 deserved—no, needed—that time to figure out who he was and what he wanted before he had any more sexual entanglements. It was an arbitrary number, plucked from human laws concerning adulthood, and perhaps too long…but given FET12’s past, 6T9 had wanted to say fifty-five years. That had seemed extreme. He’d compromised.
Shissh stopped growling.
“Oh,” said Volka.
FET12 blinked up at him.
They had to leave soon. 6T9 had to choose his next words carefully and quickly. “And when you do, it must only be because you want to, FET12. You are under no obligation to have sex with everyone who propositions you, and you can say no for whatever reason you can imagine. Simply because you’re not in the mood. I order it.”
FET12’s eyes went wide, and then scanned nothing. He was downloading data, and his Q-comm was processing it, probably trying to translate “not in the mood,” a concept anathema to sex ‘bots.
“Even if I’m not in the mood,” FET12 repeated, his voice filled with wonder.
6T9 sat down on his heels so FET12 didn’t have to look up at him. “Also, you have control of your monogamy switch. You can switch it off and on when you want to. It’s your choice. I am your owner, and I order it.”
FET12’s eyes met his. The other ‘bot blinked once.
“Have you altered your programming based on my orders?” 6T9 asked.
FET12 nodded. “Yes, master.”
6T9 winced at the word. “I’m no longer your master. I relinquish my ownership. No one owns you anymore.” FET12 didn’t even own himself—he couldn’t own himself, just as 6T9 hadn’t been able to. 6T9 was going to have a devil of a time getting his access key—but he’d find a way, somehow. Did human children own themselves? Also, was FET12 going to be pissed at him for forbidding him from having sex for eighteen years? Too late now. His teeth ground. Nebulas, FET12 looked like a child. 6T9 was going to want to kill anyone who wanted to have sex with the ‘bot whether it was eighteen years from now or one hundred. He exhaled. He’d have to convince FET12 to get a new form.
His ether started to ping with Noa’s hail. Bracelet said, “Miss Volka, Admiral Sato is hailing us. I believe it is time to go.”
Biting her lip, Volka said to FET12, “We have to go now. It’s a lot to explain—”
FET12 nodded. “You have to go to Shinar because a very important scientist is being held against his will. I heard it…before. I understand it now…” There was wonder again in those last words. “Of course you must go. The Dark is dangerous, and any advantage we have in the battle could potentiall
y save human lives.”
“Exactly right,” whispered Volka, voice awestruck.
6T9 swallowed. Despite all the abuse he’d endured, FET12 still cared about humans. His lips twisted. Of course he did. He was programmed that way.
“Shissh will stay with me,” said FET12, scratching the big tiger behind the ears. Shissh chuffed and said to Volka, “Don’t worry, if anyone comes calling and tries to bother FET12—”
6T9’s synth muscles coiled when he imagined that scenario.
Shissh continued, “—I will rip them to shreds.”
“Good,” said 6T9 quietly.
FET12 inhaled sharply. “Shissh, you can’t do that! They might die.”
“One would hope so,” said Carl.
“That violates my programming!” FET12 exclaimed.
Shissh put a paw on his leg and blinked up at him slowly. “What if I gently knock them down and then sit on them just a little bit to restrain them?”
FET12 tilted his head. “That would be acceptable, Shissh. As long as you don’t hurt them.”
Shissh chuffed.
Noa started hailing again.
“We have to go now,” 6T9 said. He patted his coat. He had Eliza’s ashes and his access key in one pocket and charging cables in the other. He gestured for Carl and Volka to go before him. Volka looked like she was thinking about hugging FET12, but then she held back and only gave a soft goodbye that FET12 returned without looking at her.
6T9 started to leave. Among Carl and Shissh’s many abilities, they could mentally contact anyone with an ether connection. 6T9’s ethernet began pinging with Shissh’s personal ID. He looked toward the big cat. She was gazing up into FET12’s eyes and chuffing happily, but silently, over the ether, she said, “I will rip anyone who hurts FET12 to shreds. But you can’t make me eat them.”
6T9 smiled. “Thank you for looking after him.” He turned around to find Volka looking at him quizzically, but then Bracelet said excitedly, “Admiral Sato is hailing us again. It’s time to go to Shinar!” and Volka turned away.
