Dreaming Immortality

by Marco Santini

  They start with some jokes. Then they go hand in hand to the dance floor. She puts her arms round his neck, while the man seizes her by the waist. They begin a slow dance.

  “Marcus, I am infinitely grateful to you for having identified the real culprits.” Eve rests her head on his shoulder.

  “I have never doubted your innocence.” He looks her straight in the face. “But you have come here not only to see me… What can I do for you?”

  “A few members of our community are preparing a terrorist attack.”

  The officer stops dancing, while the woman straightens herself, grabbing him tightly.

  “I need a team of combat androids.”

  The two stand still in the middle of the floor.

  “This kind of work is no concern of yours. Tell me all details, instead.”

  “You don’t understand. I want to solve the problem by myself. If you accept, I will keep you informed; otherwise I will not reveal anything else.” The woman gives him a piercing look. “What’s your decision?”

  “I am sure you are the most qualified person for this kind of work...”

  “So what?”

  He draws back. “But you cannot dictate your terms. You are in trouble up to your neck. Security is hunting you. They are convinced you and your boss are the instigators of a series of homicides. They suspect you are preparing an outrage against the Caravels... A few days ago they asked after you.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  “I have known you for a long time. You can’t be mixed up in terrorism. But you are a suspect. They are searching for you everywhere. Your days are numbered, I fear.” The officer stops. “I must speak to the General Staff.”

  He remains absorbed. She gazes at him, trying to read the trend of the discussion from the expression on his face.

  A minute later, the man starts: “I offer you our protection in exchange for your engagement to work for us till the whole matter is settled. We will tell Security you represent us, they will have to collaborate with you.”

  “I want a wide margin of action.”

  “We will decide the strategies. You will carry out the military operations.”

  “I am going to have the androids, obviously.”

  “We will place all the means at your disposal, but until your assignment has been confirmed by the Staff, we don’t want to commit ourselves. You must steal them.”

  A naughty smile appears on Eve’s face.

  “You will make a false request for intervention, a joke for you who knows the information systems better than anybody else. The headquarters will place at your disposal equipment and crew. You and your team will get into the androids during the loading of the software, taking its place.”

  At the end of the dance, he takes her by the arm. “Now let’s enjoy the evening.”

  They reach the table and admire the night landscape. A kilometer below, the town is an uninterrupted expanse of lights. Small aircrafts speed around the towers and a spaceship with two thousand seats is landing in the new spaceport.

  A waiter arrives with an enormous bunch of red roses.

  “This to show you how much we appreciate your work,” says the officer. He looks straight in Eve’s eyes. “Defense needs people like you.”

  She wavers. “I cannot.”

  “Why?”

  “I must carry out a project.”

  “What’s it about?”

  “One day I will tell you.”

  They have a marvelous dinner: abyss fish and pollen from the sea flowers of Europe (*). At the end, the woman touches lightly his hand. “Thank you, Marcus.”

  “This evening I have lived emotions I thought definitely lost.”

  She has a serene look. “I am no longer the woman I was. What you see is only appearance: now I am using a program that simulates my past behavior. The project I have spoken you about requires much greater capabilities, and I can face it only because I am not the same any more. Do you want a demonstration?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I said yes!”

  “OK, but after do not complain.”

  Eve stares at him. The man feels stunned. He tries to put his hands up, but he cannot move. He is going to shout, but no sound gets out of his throat. While he wonders what is happening, his memories start flowing unrestrainable. His body and his mind belong to somebody else!

  He collects all his energies. "Stop it!"

  Still confused, he shakes his head. “What’s happened?”

  “I got into your brain through the neural chip.”

  “You violated the access code!”

  “Don’t worry; I will not reveal it...” Eve chuckles. “Do you want a description of your day?”

  “Forget it. Tell me how you did it, instead.”

  Eve becomes serious. “Everybody knows the virtual beings have a much bigger potential than the humans. I have installed programs I created myself. I am very different from anyone else in Net, but this is the direction they will evolve.”

  Her eyes are sparkling with joy. “I am going to guide them.”

  (*) Jupiter satellite.

  EVOLUTION

  The progress of the human race in the last centuries has been amazing. The Earth has become a kind of Garden of Eden, life has reached two hundred years and hard work is entrusted to machines and robots. With the mind digitization, man has taken possession of the afterlife, shifting real death to an indeterminate future. Definitely, he owns what he was dreaming of for thousands of years.

  But this is also a moment of reflection. What further advances is future preparing? The body is inadequate because it has been built by natural selection over millions of years for quite different purposes, and above all it is awfully difficult to improve. Genetic engineering, the artificial prothesis and the integration with Net can be very helpful, but it is clear that neither lifetime nor the physical or mental features will continue the striking progress of the last three hundred years.

  Men both admire and envy the virtual beings. They feel inferior and very angry. Certainly, after death, they will join the digital community, but meanwhile they must face their own limits and confront those who seem to have none.

  The relationship between the two races became embittered during the 22nd century, when man refused the request of virtual people to share the material world. It was evident that Net people would rapidly take possession of the power and privileges of the human race. Tension grew to such an extent that a war with ruinous effects for both opponents, became a possibility.

  Humans and virtual beings entrusted the search for a solution to a committee which after a year, suggested handing over Mars to the digital creatures, in exchange for the waiver of rights over the Earth. Although aware of the difficulties - Mars is not a favorable environment even for androids and robots - the virtual beings agreed to the proposal, obtaining in addition considerable autonomy.

  Right after, they started the colonization. But the main objective, even if not declared, remained the Earth. They knew time was in their favor. In about a century, increasing in number and economic strength, they would turn the political balance to their advantage. The more and more numerous souls would speed up the process, opening breaches in the terrestrial party, thanks to their strong ties. Inevitably, Net people would take possession of the Earth, without any resistance.

  But in the second half of the 23rd century, the digital beings started questioning if it really made sense to seize the Earth, according to ethical considerations - the respect for diversity and their own origins - but most of all because their objectives were changing.

  During the Martian experiment, a real success, they developed the technologies and the expertise necessary for the extraterrestrial environments, but above all acquired the self-confidence indispensable for a further step: the colonization of other star systems. The scale of the project did not worry its supporters because during their existence, destined to last for thousands of
years, they could follow its realization to a great extent. In 2290, with the presentation of the Alpha Centauri project to the federal government, the Martians gave up the idea of expanding on the Earth.

  Today peace is a reality. But man is not happy. He is no longer the driving force of progress. And he cannot benefit from most of the achievements of the virtual people, because they are unsuitable for the human race. Man will end up secluded on the Earth, as in a wildlife reserve, this is almost certain. But most of all he is dissatisfied with his own nature: why spend a few centuries in such an imperfect body, when it would be possible to live the entire existence with almost no limits?

  An emergent movement maintains that the law permitting the mind digitization only after death, is incompatible with free will and self-fulfillment, and proposes its abrogation.

  According to its supporters, the justification of the law - families deprived of affection and means of support, society itself deprived of resources fundamental to its development – is no longer valid. The souls could live in the real world with their loved ones, in androids so perfect as to be indistinguishable from the originals. The virtual reality would allow even more effective relationships than the traditional ones.

  The proposal meets with strong opposition. The truth is that the problem is no longer technical, but only a matter of will. Now more than ever, humans fear the consequences of the spread of the digital people on Earth. They are aware of the fundamental differences between the two races, their incompatibilities and clash of interests, often because they have experienced them personally. Inevitably cohabitation would increase tension to a danger point.

  Nevertheless a solution exists. A drastic but final one: the digitization of all the humans, with the exception of the conscientious objectors. No more differences between races, no more friction. But also the end of mankind. The transformation would be taken on by the state, and would be executed in the shortest time, to avoid discrimination and conflicts.

  This idea has deeply divided the population. Some have no doubts: giving up one’s own humanity is an act against nature that must be forbidden. Others wonder if digitization belongs to a divine plan. A large part of the population focuses only on the practical aspects.

  Contrary to the past, the end of the humans depends today only on a decision of mankind. Maybe the moment when a whole race will converge in long lines at the digitization centers, is nearer than expected.

  Arthur Barnard, 2298, “The new species”.

  INSPECTION

  @ Defense, quantum computer QC35X21.

  Eve is in the headquarters computer, carrying out an inspection before her team transfer.

  The anti-intrusion software is about to locate her. A hiss. A dark figure is slithering along the floor, a few meters away. It jumps over her face; a warm damp jelly. Eve opens her mouth wide, the creature slips inside.

  She can’t breathe, bends forward and falls to the floor. The monster runs through her organs, then surfaces; forming a skin-deep bulge… Now it is still. In an instant, it separates into thousands of filaments wrapping her like a net.

  Eve is lying on her back. "It’s comparing my code with the computer programs…"

  The monster starts tossing again, the grip loosens. She bends sideways, retching again and again. A sticky mass fills up her mouth. As soon as she regurgitates it, the being disappears behind a corner.

  Eve gets to her feet, propping herself up with her arms. Leaning against a wall, she checks the recording. "Next time it will be easier."

  She addresses the operating system: "Show me the equipment."

  A menu appears. She looks through, reaches a list.

  Armor-plated vehicles, heavy guns, surveillance and communication tools, war robots. Really everything! During her stay in the army, she appreciated particularly the combat androids, so fundamental for the success of many missions. There is even a model she read advance information about in the specialized literature: a two-meter giant, with a heavy shield, all sorts of sensors and weapons, an invisibility system. Decided: she will get into one of these machines.

  PLOT

  @ Council room, 7 AM.

  The ten councilors dressed in white are sitting in a ring.

  “The time has come to reveal who killed Martin,” begins Eve. “Someone Nihil knows well!”

  Everyone holds his breath.

  “Are you sure?”

  “The two were friends.”

  “Perhaps we have seen the killer...”

  “I will show you.”

  In the middle, appears the hologram of a man with a dark complexion.

  “He was here.”

  Victoria puts her hand up. “What about this woman?” Next to the first one, a graceful figure wrapped up in a black coat materializes. “It was she who murdered Abel.”

  “I saw her!”

  “They are the same person,” articulates Eve. “Once Nihil confided to me that his friend used to change his appearance.” She can hardly speak. The memory of her killed companion is burning like an opened wound. “I scanned Martin’s brain: Nihil lives with a new community, in this villa…”

  The two shadowy figures disappear. In their place, a low altitude shot appears. The building is at the center of a lawn bordered with willows. In a pond, there are pink flowered water lilies with bulrushes on the right. Some followers are busy trimming a laurel hedge. Three little children are whirling around, another is riding a tricycle.

  The councilors are dumbfounded.

  “A new community?”

  “Yet he accepted the creation of the Council…”

  “The truth is he hates us! Otherwise he wouldn’t go to this point.”

  “I wonder why he continues dealing with the Alpha Centauri project, even without us…”

  “There is only one way to know it,” cuts short Eve. “We must seize him.”

  “How can we recognize him?”

  “He occupies an android’s body. We will identify him by his programs. But now let’s pass to the plan. The villa is inhabited by about one hundred people. We don’t know what weapons they have, but we must be ready for all eventualities. We need the right equipment.”

  “What type?” inquiries Adam.

  “War androids. The most advanced ones. We are going to steal them.”

  “From where?”

  “From the Headquarters. Simulating a normal equipment order.”

  “How shall we enter the androids?”

  “By taking the place of the software.”

  The councilors exchange fearful glances. But they keep silent.

  Eve inspects them. “Don’t worry; I know what I am saying. I have already prepared a plan.”

  A murmur spreads. Then the oldest stands up. “It seems a daring idea, but it was you who devised it, Eve. For us that’s enough. When are we leaving?”

  WAR ROBOTS

  The way of fighting changed radically in the 21st century. Satellites, automatic aircraft, GPS guided bombs and missiles, ground troops integrated into a single system able to follow the enemy's movements in real time and crush him with tremendous firepower. These innovations reduced the troops in the field and the length of wars, as well as the loss of human life. However they required huge investments, and remained a privilege of the rich countries which used them not to fight against each other, since their economic interdependence prevailed over any war, but to dictate their terms to the smaller and poorer states.

  Thanks to their military supremacy, the superpowers resolved the conflicts and political anomalies of a few minor countries, but very soon it became evident that the armies could be effective only if used occasionally. Often at the end of an invasion, tenacious minorities began a furtive resistance that caused damage once unimaginable owing to new technologies. Terrorism became the real scourge of the new millennium. It turned occupation by a winning army into an ordeal that reached even to the heart of rich countries.

  The powers reacted violently against the first devast
ating attacks. As time went by and the number of victims increased, it became clear the problem had to be solved at its source. The rich countries began a patient revision of their strategies that after several decades led to a new period of peace. In the meantime, to stem the losses of the occupation troops, technologies needing less and less human intervention, were developed. One of the most enormous initiatives was the substitution of the soldiers with combat robots – even with human features - which required a vast investment and was completed only in 2075, when the first models able to replace humans fully were built.

  Arthur Barnard, 2298, “The new species”.

  RAID

  “I am finishing the controls,” announces the robot, tapping Eve’s shoulder with one of his eight stainless steel legs.

  She lowers her eyes over her body, an armored android. Now she is in the army headquarters. Her companions are lined up along the corridor, sparkling in their metal shields, still lifeless. The belts holding her against the wall open, and she takes a few steps forward.

  “This model was delivered a few days ago,” goes on the technician quivering with enthusiasm. “A jewel. Ah, sorry. I must continue my work.” He bends towards another arrival.

  Half an hour later, he gathers the group. “Twenty. You are all here. Now call at the armory, then go to the garage. The rest of the equipment is in the vehicles. Have a good day!”

  Ten minutes later the Elects are speeding along a country road. All around, an expanse of light green wheat. The hills low on the horizon are covered with a clear blue haze softening the details. From time to time, the bends of a river with slimy waters appear in the distance. They reach a villa surrounded by railings, turn into the first side path and drive along up to the back. They park behind a mulberry-tree and launch a drone: an azure disk as large as a doughnut, with three tiny rotors at its center.

  Eve activates the virtual reconnaissance. The immense mass of information processed by the on board computer is transmitted to her visual field. She finds herself in the digital reconstruction of the house. She runs through the rooms, and moves instantaneously from a place to the other. No one!