by Ken Barrett
“What does this have to do with turning Alice and Tiger into androids?” Rose asked.
“Dr. Galen’s partner was paralyzed,” Roxi answered. “If I recall correctly, his name was Anthony Galen, a superb physicist in his own right. Unfortunately, he was injured in an aircraft accident and couldn’t do more than barely speak. Lucy spent her life and career trying to find a way to restore his health and vigor. The single goal of everything she did was to transfer her partner’s mind into a machine that would always be healthy and strong. Unfortunately, she never succeeded.”
“That’s so sad,” Rose murmured. “Whatever happened to them?”
“Anthony must have died, because she just gave everything up one day,” Roxi said. “All that’s known about her after that are rumors and speculation. She just packed everything up and traveled west, that’s all anyone knows.”
Liam frowned. It seemed strange and more than a coincidence that the founder of true AI would be named Lucy, the same name taken by the space probe he had sent to the Trappist-1 star-system many years ago. Did his Lucy name herself after the old Lucy as some sort of tribute? What if there was more to it than that? His Lucy was capable of interstellar travel, and she had discovered a rip in space-time near Trappist-1. What if she had managed to find her way back to earth, but had shifted in time during transit?
Lucy had been one of the first two AI’s he created. The other was her insane brother Dagon. If Lucy had found her way back home, might Dagon have done the same? That idea was unsettling. He glanced up and saw Roxi gazing at him curiously.
He smiled, hoping to appear unconcerned. “Creating a mind isn’t the same as transferring one. How would that be possible?”
“What’s the difference between a thinking mind and a bundle of memories?” Roxi asked.
“The same as it is between a reader and a book,” he replied. “Consciousness has no physical form, but memories can be written down.”
“Yes, exactly,” she said. “One is data, and the other is awareness.”
“Yeah, so?” Liam asked. Roxi had obviously put a lot of thought into this subject. What was her agenda? Was she planning to create an army of androids built from human volunteers? Or, perhaps she was trying to save her friends from the Scarred Faithful Army that would arrive within the next few weeks?
“Awareness uses data to define itself. We are ourselves because we remember being so.” Roxi smiled confidently. “What if I were to map all the memories within a human brain, then load it into an artificially developed consciousness?”
“The manufactured mind would believe it’s human,” he replied. “But it would not actually be the person who made those memories.”
“That’s true,” she answered. “What I’m suggesting is a hybrid AI, which is something Dr. Galen considered but could never build due to the technological limitations of her time.”
Alice had listened to their entire conversation, and finally spoke up, “So, you’d build a body like Liam’s or Rose’s, then put in someone else’s memories, and that person would think they were alive but not be human anymore.”
“Why wouldn’t they be?” Roxi asked. “Just being made of meat doesn’t make a person human.”
“How would you define a human?” His sister smiled. “Is it just a beating heart, or is there more, like having compassion for others?”
“If being good to others was what made someone human, then a lot of people would fail,” Tiger said. “Especially those Stickman nut cases.”
Rose smiled. “That’s right Tiger. But did you know that the word human comes from the ancient Latin language? It was humanitas, which meant acts of kindness.”
Tiger raised his eyebrows. “Well, I guess we’re all failures then.”
Liam sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Ok, so it might be possible to create a person like me that has someone else’s memories, but why would you do that? People around here are afraid of technology and would hate you, and the zealots up above would think your creation was a demon and label you as a witch. You know I love you Roxi, but this crazy idea of yours would get you killed.”
“No one would have to know, other than me and the person duplicated,” Roxi responded. “You and your sister seemed just like everyone else until your bodies healed when you came back from fixing the outside vents.”
“But there’d be two people,” Tiger said. “Somebody’s gotta notice that.”
Roxi quickly nodded. “Yes, that would pose a problem.”
“You’d have to kill one, and I’d bet you’d get rid of the original,” Tiger stated.
“I’d like to have a body like Rose’s so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting branded or burned alive, but I don’t wanna die to get it,” Alice said.
“Yeah,” Tiger agreed. “Dying so you can live forever is a pretty crazy idea.”
“I see what you mean,” Roxi stated. “But what if your duplicate android body could be held in reserve, and only brought to life if something bad happened to you?”
“Huh,” Tiger grunted and looked at his girlfriend. “I dunno about that.”
“The duplicate wouldn’t be up to date,” Rose stated. “If you had the equipment to map and record someone’s memories, the android would only recall things that happened up until that time.”
“That could be a good thing,” Roxi stated. “Who would want to remember their own death, especially if it was painful?”
“Still though, that new person wouldn’t be me,” Alice said.
“This idea isn’t a gateway to immortality,” Rose stated. “It’s suicide with some small portion of yourself left behind.”
“It’s academic anyway,” Roxi stated. “I don’t have the equipment to map and record memories, so creating a duplicate of myself that would be forever young and beautiful is just not possible.”
“It’s for the best, believe me,” Rose said. “My brother and I are cursed with life. We’ll never change, and won’t ever experience the joys of having children and growing old with someone we love. Everyone we care for will eventually die, leaving us alone to grieve their loss for thousands of years. Can you imagine the loneliness that lies ahead for us? Humanity will fade away and die one day, and we’ll be the only ones left, with nothing to do but wander through the ruins of civilization and mourn your loss.”
Roxi nodded slowly. “Of course, you’re right dear. I was foolish and allowed vanity to guide me.”
Liam watched the older woman closely, uncertain of whether he believed her contrition.
*****
“Are you sure you need to go?” Tiger asked.
“Yeah,” Liam responded while tucking in his shirt. “Rose and I can’t stay here, people from the Tribes don’t like us, so it’s safer if we leave. We found a place to hide on level thirteen though, so we’ll be fine.”
“Have any error codes shown up yet?” Roxi asked.
“No, and they never will, not with my code,” Rose responded.
Roxi laughed. “But you two will probably be shut down all night anyway.”
Liam glanced at Tiger. “That’s true. We both have to run tests on our new hardware and software configuration, and that might take quite a while.”
“And we won’t find anything,” Rose insisted.
He ignored his sister. “Our new apartments are in an unused area, there was even dust on the hallway floor when we found it. We’ll lock ourselves in, then sleep all night.”
“Will you come down to see us tomorrow?” Alice asked.
He smiled at the pretty young woman. Alice had changed a lot since he first met her and her family by the creek on the day the sun exploded. She and Tiger were living together, and they appeared to be happy. “If there are a lot of people down here, we’ll probably hold off,” he said. “We’ll figure out a way to get together in the next few days.”
“Can we have your apartment numbers?” Tiger asked.
The young man was trustworthy, but he didn’t want
to burden him with secrets. “We may move around a bit before we settle down. Once we’re sure it’s safe, we’ll let you know.”
“Thank you for being here for our operation,” Rose added. “You guys are true friends, and my brother and I really value you. We’ll be in touch as soon as we can.”
*****
They quietly slipped through a narrow gap in the pile of jagged granite boulders, then stepped out onto level fourteen. The rumble of the power generators and the occasional rattle of hydroponic machinery were the only sounds to be heard. On the floors above, politics, trials, and punishments distracted their enemies, but they still needed to be careful. They crept to the far side of the floor, then paused to listen at the bottom of the western ramp. Once assured it was safe, they went up.
On level thirteen, they moved south along a wide hallway. There were no vast open spaces for cafeterias or government functions, the entire floor was a maze of apartments. The sound of footsteps came from the east, and they quickly slipped into a narrow side corridor, hoping to find a place to hide.
“Liam? Rose? Is that you?”
He turned and saw a tall blond figure at the far end of the hall. “Move, let’s get out of sight.”
“But it’s Keith,” Rose protested as he pushed her into an intersecting corridor.
“We can’t trust him,” he whispered as he continued to pull her away. “And we’re still weak from the operation. We need rest and time to check our systems.”
Rose allowed herself to be guided through the maze of hallways. They turned several times, doubling back, then turning again. Minutes later Liam slowed and finally stopped outside the rooms they had chosen for themselves the day before.
Liam opened a door and pulled his sister inside with him, then quietly closed it behind them. “I think we lost him, but let’s wait together until he goes away,” he whispered.
“But that’s Keith, he wouldn’t betray us.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” he responded quietly. “By the looks of things, he and Denise are a couple now, and according to Tiger, they’ve denounced us to Priestess Oxana. Maybe that’s just an act, but the safe thing to do is believe what we see, and not let our hopes guide us.”
Rose shook her head and sighed. “I know what I want to believe, but agree that it’s best to be cautious.” She looked at him and smiled sadly. “I still hope it isn’t true.”
Chapter 17: Propagation
Liam’s mind swam back into existence as his eyes opened. His body tingled with the additional power of the new batteries; it was a distracting sensation which he set about regulating. Perhaps this was how humans felt when they were under the influence of a narcotic stimulant.
He sat up on the side of the bed; he was alone, Rose had taken the room next door. Hunger, the need to consume food for energy was a thing of the past, but habit fueled a desire for breakfast.
The sound of soft footsteps came from out in the hall. Moments later his sister tapped lightly on the door and eased it open, then peeked inside. “This is crazy,” she whispered. “It’s like all my senses have a razor’s edge, it’s almost too much to take in.”
“Yeah,” he replied. “Give it some time, our internal regulators should tone it down.”
“You might have overdone it with our power supply.”
“We’ll get used to it.” He smiled. “If the priests catch us and set us on fire, you’ll be glad you have it.”
She nodded, then sat down beside him. “I’m worried about Keith seeing us last night.”
“I am too.” He glanced at her. “How much do you trust him?”
Rose hesitated. “I don’t know which to believe, my heart or my head. One is telling me that he’s just pretending with Denise and what he told the priestess was a lie. The other believes that he betrayed me, and maybe never cared for me at all. Even with all that’s happened, I still love him, even though I know it’s crazy.” She sighed. “What about you?”
“Pretty much the same,” he answered. “I’d like to think that Denise still cares for me, but a larger part of myself knows better. The safe thing to do is take what I’ve seen at face value, and believe that she and Keith are a couple. All we can do is hope they’re happy.”
“Do you think Keith will tell the priests he saw us on this level?”
“That’s a possibility we should prepare for,” he responded.
She lowered her head to mask her tears with her dark hair. “I hate these feelings and wish Roxi had made us emotionless robots instead of what we are. Right now, not feeling anything would be a gift.”
There was truth in her words. He pulled her close then rested his cheek on her head. “I know. Life would be so much simpler if I just didn’t care,” he whispered. “But it would be empty too. Pain gives dimension and meaning to everything we see and do, and without it, I don’t think we’d be alive at all.”
Rose sighed as she sat up and wiped her eyes. “So, assuming that he’s told the priestess about us, what should we do? Move to another level and find somewhere else to live?”
“All the other levels are more populated than this one,” he responded. “For now, let’s keep a low profile and watch for people searching for us. I can also set up a listening device in the Command Center to keep track of what they’re up to.”
*****
“Two people are easier to spot than just one,” Liam said. “It’s safer for both of us if I go alone.”
“I don’t like this,” Rose answered. “But, ok. If you’re late though, I’ll come looking for you.”
He kissed her forehead, just as he had done when they were children. It was an implanted memory, but still a fond one. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon,” he said as he slipped into the hallway and closed the apartment door behind him.
A thin and barely perceptible layer of dust covered the floor, their footprints from the previous day were obvious, but he hoped that it was only his enhanced vision that made it seem so. He crept down the narrow hall, then stopped at the next intersection. The level was completely silent, and no one appeared to be waiting in ambush; maybe Keith hadn’t betrayed them after all. He slipped across the wide hall that led back to the western ramp, then sprinted further east, intending to use the ramp that was furthest from their apartments.
At the bottom of the eastern ramp, he paused to listen. Others were moving about somewhere above him, but none were close by, so he walked up to level twelve. Again, he listened and heard no one on the level above, so he continued on. His internal clock informed him that it was still early morning, which accounted for the lack of human traffic.
The sound of idle conversation echoed down from the Engineering Center on level ten, so he slipped into a connecting hallway, waited a moment to be sure the way ahead was clear, then sprinted west. He was surprised at how fast he was able to run; the new batteries were great but would take some getting used to. At the end of the hall, he slipped and skidded on his side for at least ten meters, then whipped his body around and crouched at the side of the western ramp.
It was quiet above, so he strolled upward, hoping that he wouldn’t be recognized if seen. Levels ten to seven were the most crowded and busy within the shelter; it was impossible to remain hidden. The early hour worked in his favor though; the only people he saw were in the distance and no one even glanced in his direction.
After arriving at the Command Center, he paused to consider his options. Low power radio transmitters were stored in a cabinet on the far side of the open area. They would be easy to install on the input and output connectors at the back of the radio, but getting across the floor to the cabinet and then fixing the devices in place, would leave him exposed in plain view.
Slow speed can be less noticeable than fast, so with an intake of breath to steady his nerves, he stepped out of his hiding place and strolled toward the cabinet. He stepped over thick metal rings set into the dark granite floor. These were connected to heavy chains that were terminated in manacles inte
nded to bind a person’s hands and feet. Tables had also been arranged to accommodate judges. This was where the priests would apply their tests of faith to those forced to join their ranks. The sight of these preparations twisted his stomach in revulsion and fear. People should be better than this, but they weren’t; humanity was its own worst enemy.
At the supply cabinet, he retrieved the necessary electronic equipment, then ambled back across the courtroom and squatted down behind the radio console. He quickly patched into the receiver and transmitter cables, then hid a microphone where it might pick up the conversation of the court tribunal. At last convinced that everything was connected properly, he stood up and turned toward the western ramp. He had made it, all he had to do was get back home.
“Hey! Who are you? And what are you doin’ there?” A worker wearing the tan uniform of the maintenance department shouted.
Liam had no intention of answering the man’s questions, but he had been seen working on the radio, and that was a problem. Instead of running away, he pretended to not hear the maintenance worker, and casually strolled toward the equipment cabinet. He didn’t have much choice about what to do, his only concern was where to hide the body.
When the worker grabbed his shoulder, Liam abruptly turned and snapped the man’s neck. He then carried the lifeless body to the storage cabinet and stuffed it inside. He looked around to be certain he hadn’t been seen, then with his newfound strength, he crushed the door latch so it couldn’t be opened. Then, with the grim task complete, he walked to the eastern ramp and began his descent toward home.
