Damnation

by Ken Barrett

  “Love nurtures and heals,” Rose said. “How could it ever be wrong?”

  “When it violates the natural order of things,” the commander replied.

  “Well, I for one refuse to live near them,” their neighbor Brenda stated, and many others mumbled in accord.

  Fortunately, Denise and Keith were still down on level nine. Liam hadn’t considered that his relationship with Denise could put her in danger, and was torn between worrying about her safety and his desire to have her in his life. He glanced at his sister and saw his own confusion mirrored in her eyes.

  “But you’re missin’ the point,” a tall dark-skinned woman with short curly hair said.

  “And what’s that Nala?” Their leader smiled and stepped back, apparently content to let others do the questioning.

  “Why are they here?” she responded. “Ain’t nothin’ that comes by way of accident. So, what are they up to? Maybe they’re here to kill us all.”

  “If that was our plan, we wouldn’t have fixed the ventilation system,” Liam said. “You’d still think that we were the same as everyone else, but in the end, you all would have died and we’d be just fine.” He shrugged casually, but his stomach tightened with anxiety as he stepped away from the wall. “Nala, what you’re not seeing is that we don’t need you to survive, but you need us, and in spite of everything that you’ve done, we’re still willing to help. We just want to be treated the same as everyone else.”

  “But how much are you really like us?” Nala asked. “I’ve seen you both eating in the cafeterias, is that something you gotta do?”

  “Yeah,” Liam responded. “Just like you, we need food for energy.”

  “Machines that eat?” Brenda said. “I don’t believe that for a minute, and feeding ‘em is just a waste of resources. But I wanna know if they sleep?”

  “Sort of,” he answered. “Our dreams are probably different than yours though.”

  Brenda stared pointedly at Rose. “What about children? Can you have babies?”

  “No,” his sister responded quietly while looking at the floor.

  “Then what’s the point of havin’ a partner?”

  “Love,” Rose whispered.

  “Machines aren’t capable of emotion,” Brenda stated.

  His sister turned away as tears filled her eyes.

  “Will you get old and die?” Nala asked.

  “Yeah, but we won’t age physically.” Liam hoped his answers would dispel their fears by getting everything out in the open. “We’ll also live longer than you.”

  “How long?” Nala seemed genuinely curious.

  “About six thousand years.”

  Some of the air seemed to exit the room as murmurs slipped through the throng. “That’s a long time,” Nala replied. “But, how come you didn’t die outside?”

  “Our bodies can heal themselves just like yours do, only faster.” People seemed less angry; did he dare hope that the trial would end well? “The heat nearly destroyed us though. If you hadn’t opened the door when you did, we would have died.”

  “So, you can be killed.” Nala’s eyes narrowed. “Will only heat do it? Or can you be drowned or shot? Would that work too?”

  The sudden turn in the conversation made him uneasy. “Yeah, we can die prematurely, and extreme heat definitely causes us problems. As to the other methods you mentioned; I don’t know, and I’m really not in a hurry to find out.”

  Nala slowly nodded. “Why should we believe that there’s just the two of you?”

  “I’ve never thought about that,” he answered. “All I can say is that as far as my sister and I know, we’re the only ones of our kind.” That wasn’t precisely true, there were several more that were lost out among the stars, but they didn’t factor into the conversation.

  “How do I know that’s true?” Nala asked. “Maybe you’re lying. There could be more like you right here in our shelter.”

  “I suppose so, but if there are, I’ve not met them.” Liam frowned, silently chastising himself for hoping the trial would go well.

  “Perhaps I can help,” Commander Davis said as he stepped to the forefront again. “No one knows these machines better than our head of engineering and maintenance, Doctor Roxanne Beckman. I’ll have her develop a test to determine whether someone is a robot or a person.”

  “Maybe we could cut them, and if they heal up fast, they fail the test,” Nala suggested, and approving whispers moved through the crowd.

  “So, you’d mutilate anyone you suspect of being like us?” Rose asked. “That’s barbaric. A simple accusation by an angry neighbor is all it would take to ruin someone’s life.”

  “It’s the only way to be sure we’re safe,” Nala responded. “Your kind is too strong. We can’t even fight back since we can’t hurt you.”

  “The safest way to go is to kick these two out,” Brenda stated. “Just throw ‘em outside.”

  “Now we come to the point of this trial,” Commander Davis announced. “We have discovered machines among us that are pretending to be human. The question is, what should we do with them?”

  “We don’t know what’s happening at the other shelters,” Nadine said. “There could be robots there too, and maybe that’s their plan. They hide among us, pretending to be our friends… and lovers.” She cast an angry glance at Rose. “Then, as years go by, they make more of themselves while real people die off, and in the end, only robots are left.”

  “There are only two of us,” Liam said. “And we can’t reproduce as humans do, but also, the materials and technology we would need to build others like my sister and I was destroyed when the world burned.”

  “Here in Steamboat, we survived the solar storm, so there’s a good chance that the other shelters did too,” Rose added. “Humanity will continue, but my brother and I are the last of our kind, and eventually, we’ll fade away and die.”

  “Ok, I’m ready to render my judgment,” Commander Davis stated as he waved the questioners back into the crowd. The tall and thin gray-haired man silently gazed at the floor, appearing to carefully consider his decision.

  “Well, we did our best,” Liam whispered to his sister. “If we can delay leaving until tonight, we might be able to find a cave for protection before the sun comes up.”

  “I think we’ll be ok,” she replied quietly. “The old man thinks we’re machines, and we’ve proved ourselves useful. As long as we have utility, I think he’ll keep us around.”

  “Good points were made on either side,” the commander stated. “There’s a risk in keeping these things among us, but also a reward. Our shelter was extensively damaged during the solar storm, leaving a lot of cleanup and repairs to be done, and these machines can be helpful with those tasks. Also, if further work outside is required, they are ideally suited to complete it. Therefore, for the time being, I will allow them to stay with us. However, this order can be rescinded should they cause problems, and it will be repealed once they are not needed anymore.”

  Everyone grumbled resentfully, but it didn’t seem like there would be an insurrection. “That was probably the best we could hope for,” Rose said.

  “Yeah, I guess,” he replied.

  Their leader cleared his throat. “For the rest of the day, they will work in the Command Center restoring our outside sensors and communication systems. We need to discover if we are the last of mankind, or if others survived as well. In the following days, these machines will labor at removing fallen stones and carrying them outside.” The old man abruptly turned, waved dismissively, and walked away.

  Liam quickly spoke up. “We’ll work hard to earn everyone’s trust, and you’ll see that we’re no threat.”

  *****

  “Rose, Liam, Wait!” A young girl stood near the western ramp.

  Rose smiled. “Hi Jackie!”

  “You guys, I’m so sorry that I started this whole mess,” the girl said.

  “It’s ok,” Rose replied. “We understand. You saw our bodies h
ealing, and that scared you, didn’t it?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t mean for all this stuff to happen.”

  “We know.” Rose gently smoothed the girl’s auburn hair.

  Liam smiled when the child didn’t pull away from his sister’s touch. Maybe there was hope after all.

  “What’s gonna happen to you guys?” Jackie asked.

  Rose sighed and shook her head. “There’s no way to know, but whatever happens, it’s not your fault.”

  Tears welled up in Jackie’s eyes, and she stepped in to give Rose a long embrace. “Please be ok, and stay safe.”

  “We will,” his sister replied. “I’m sorry, but we have to go now. Mr. Davis wants us to get the radio working and do some other things, but maybe we can eat dinner together tonight, would that be ok?”

  “Yes.” Jackie struggled to smile through her tears. “I would love that.”

  *****

  “Tomorrow you gotta go down to levels fourteen and fifteen,” Jerry ordered. “It’s too hot down there for us humans, so gettin’ the generators up to full power and the hydroponics workin’ right is on you.”

  “I’m glad we could be of service.” Liam forced a smile.

  The overly thin and rumpled man was assigned as their supervisor and was obviously uncomfortable around them, but nothing could be done about that. It was impossible to force change on an intolerant viewpoint, all he could do was be himself, and hope people like Jerry would come around on their own.

  He turned back to the computer monitor and frowned. “It looks like the ventilation airflow is still below specifications, is that an electrical or blockage issue?”

  “Hell, I dunno,” Jerry said. “You figure it out.”

  Rose typed a series of commands on a neighboring terminal, then studied the screen. “I think it’s the power supply. None of the electric fans are getting the current they need.”

  “Alright, the airflow seems adequate for now, and we’ll be down in the basement tomorrow to work on the generators, so let’s put off worrying about the ventilation.” He glanced at the hostile maintenance worker. “Jerry, you can go if you want to, Rose and I can handle this.”

  “I don’t take orders from a damn machine,” Jerry said, but he turned and wandered off anyway.

  Rose sighed as she watched the thin man leave. “Well, I hope that situation improves eventually.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that Sis.” He turned toward the dark computer terminals. “Let’s see if we can get the outside cameras back online.”

  She typed for a moment. “Well, they’re showing up on the menu; so that’s a good sign at least.”

  Liam pulled a chair over and sat down beside his sister, as a heavily pixilated image slowly formed on her monitor. “Looks like we’re back in business.” The view from the top of the mountain near the radio antennas wasn’t encouraging though. Black clouds obscured most of the sky as a large blood-colored sun slid toward the western horizon. Although the picture quality was poor, he could tell that it was raining, and steam rose from the burnt and tortured ground.

  “It’s 80 C out there; no wonder it nearly killed us,” Rose said.

  “Yeah,” he whispered. “Maybe the rain will cool things down.”

  “The heat from the solar storm probably caused a lot of evaporation from the oceans,” she replied. “So, it could rain for a long time.”

  “I’ll try the radio,” he said while rolling his chair to another computer station. The readings he saw showed the antennas were connected, but no signal was being received. He pulled up a microphone and leaned forward. “Hello. This is the Steamboat Shelter, if you can hear me, please respond.”

  Mindless static was the only reply. Their shelter had withstood the storm, so others must have as well. It was possible that the antennas were still down at the other enclaves, and without androids to do the work, they would have to wait for cooler weather before making repairs.

  “Set your message on a loop, and record anything that comes in,” Rose suggested. “That’s all we can do for now.”

  Chapter 8: Threats

  They ate dinner on an island surrounded by a moat of empty tables, beyond which the sound of clattering plates, jangling cutlery, and the boisterous rumble of conversation resounded through the cavernous dining hall. Those exiting the food line walked with their full trays on the far side of the exclusion zone, seeking a place to sit with their friends.

  Liam picked at his tasteless food. Normally unseasoned vegetables and soggy tofu meat substitute were fine, he wasn’t a picky eater, but the dangerous feel of the cafeteria had him on edge. Many of those who were friends just days earlier had abruptly turned cold. How could the fact that he was an android make that much of a difference? He was the same person now as he was then, and yet, a label had changed everything.

  Perhaps he was seeing the human species in its purest form. They were intelligent and had the capacity to create beauty, and yet deep inside they were still angry monkeys fresh from the jungle. They clung to their primal fears and propensity for violence, and would blindly attack those not of their own clan.

  He let his gaze wander, noticing the hostile glances that flew their way, but he also saw expressions of sadness and regret. Was it possible that at least some within their population would eventually accept them? He glanced at Denise, who sat beside him, then across the table at Keith and Rose. They were all laughing, sharing some joke he had not heard. Further down the table, Tiger whispered secrets into Alice’s ear and she smiled; it seemed the teenagers were becoming an item. Nearby, Roxi was chatting with Alice’s parents.

  “All that’s really left to do is clean up,” Roxi said. Apparently, his friends were ignoring the hostility around them and discussing the repair of their shelter.

  “Today, Liam and I fixed the power generators and got them running at full capacity,” Rose said. “We also tweaked the ventilation system programs and have it at 95% efficiency.”

  “How hot is it down there?” Tiger asked.

  “About 40 C, which isn’t too bad,” Rose answered. “The hot springs make it really humid though, so it’s pretty uncomfortable.”

  A food tray sailed, spinning through the air toward them, and Liam started to rise. Rose was faster though; in an instant, she was on her feet and deftly caught the tray before it could hit anyone. “Are we playing catch?” she said while smiling at the muscular dark-skinned man that had thrown it.

  “Rose, honey, it’s all right,” Keith said as he stood up beside her.

  “Fuckin’ robots.” The man glowered and seemed ready for a physical confrontation, but a friend beside him grabbed his arm and held him back. He shook his neighbor off, then stepped up onto the tabletop. “Your kind is a waste of resources and don’t deserve our food!”

  “Don’t deserve?” Liam remained seated and smiled politely at the angry man. “My sister and I repaired the power generators on level fifteen today, and we also fixed the air-cooling system. What have you done lately to earn your dinner?”

  “Curse you and all your kind!” The man appeared to be looking for something else to throw.

  “Don’t do that man,” his friend said. “Don’t start somethin’ you ain’t ready to finish.”

  “Listen to your pal,” Rose taunted. “I’ll grind you up, and use the leavings to grease my gears.”

  “Rose, don’t make it worse.” Liam sighed.

  Keith was pulling and urging her to sit down, but regardless of his efforts, Rose remained utterly unmovable. “Honey, just ignore them, they’re not worth the effort.” At last, she softened her stance and eased back onto the bench.

  “Let’s all calm down,” Roxi said as she stood up. “Our hydroponic gardens are working at full capacity, so we have plenty of food and there’s no need for rationing. So, everyone should just do their jobs and mind their own business.”

  “That’s just it!” The angry man still stood on top of his table, looking about for support from those around him. �
�Machines got no right to take credit for the work they do. Fixin’ stuff is what they was made for! Why do they have a right to our food?”

  “Machines,” Roxi shook her head sadly. “Rose and Liam are not machines, not in the way you mean it at least. But ok, do you understand that every machine needs a source of power?”

  “Yeah, so?” The man glared at her.

  “Well, even though these two people are not machines, they still need a way to generate enough energy to do their jobs. Do you understand that at least?”

  The man nodded.

  “They create power by eating food, exactly as you do.” Roxi stared at the angry man. “They are more like you than you’d probably like to admit.”

  “No, that’s not so!” the man roared.

  “Sit down Roxi,” Liam said. “Never try to reason with a fool, they’ll just pull you down to their level.”

  “Rose, do you really have gears inside you?” Alice asked cautiously.

  “No, dear one, I don’t.” Rose smiled.

  “If you’re interested, we use conductive polymers that look and act like muscle but are much stronger,” Liam added.

  “She’s not interested, you geek,” his sister teased.

  Alice chuckled. “You guys are so much fun.”

  Liam smiled, then shook his head. “What’re we going to do?”

  “What do you mean?” Roxi asked.

  “We love you guys,” he replied. “But as long as we stay here, you’re in danger.”

  “People will get used to you in time,” Roxi replied. “Only you and Rose can survive outside, and the lowest floors are too hot and humid for anyone else to tolerate for long. So, they need you, but you don’t need them.”

  “But we can’t let them hurt the people we care about,” Rose stated.

  “You’re in jeopardy as long as we’re here,” Liam added. “And even if we get kicked out, you’ll still be persecuted.”

  “If you’re thrown out, the heat will kill you,” Denise said. “I can’t let that happen, but if it does, I’ll go with you.”

  “Oh no; just no,” he answered. “It’s raining now, and the outside temperature will soon drop, but your body is still too delicate to handle it.”