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Post by forthteller on Dec 7, 2019 1:44:24 GMT -6
Chapter 29
Shelly Markson
September, 2041
“All rise. Judge Lisa Colborne presiding.”
The chamber door opens and an android security guard precedes the middle-aged judge dressed in white. The android takes a stationary position beside the bench and the judge walks up and takes a seat. Once seated, she says, “take your seats.”
In the accused bench, sit 14 orange clad women and 4 men. All early 20s except for 6 middle aged women, huddled on the far end.. Nervousness easily apparent. Not one has said a single word since taking their seats 25 minutes ago. They are all wearing a black bracelet on their left wrist. Otherwise, they are wearing no restraints at all. At the prosecution bench sits a stern looking woman, pulled back grey hair, clad in a masculine looking suit. At the defense bench sits Shelly Markson, clad in a light blue blouse over a navy, knee length skirt and well-worn black shoes.
The bailiff calls the court to order and defers to the judge.
The judge says to the bailiff. “What do we have today?”
“Rioters. 4 of them, to be tried together. The investigators do not know whether any are the leader of if they are all just minor participants. Substantial damage was incurred by the local merchants and property leaseholders. 2 men, accused of attempting to imprint an android with toxic male attitudes. 6 looters from a demonstration and 6 workers who refuse re-assignment to necessary occupations.”
The judge slams her gavel down. “Re-assignment cases first. Let’s go.”
The bailiff introduces each of the 6 re-assignment cases and the haggard looking middle-aged individuals take their seats at the defense bench. Shelly hurriedly reads the file she has seen for the first time. The prosecution sits smugly at her table. She has already read the file having been given advance notice of what cases were being heard today.
“Bailiff. Read out the charges and the particulars of the case.”
“These six women are charged with willfully disobeying article 206.33, common welfare and cooperation. They were working at a now closed education district administration office. All six have been determined to have skills deemed surplus and are required to attend mandatory skills re-training for new agricultural occupations within our greenhouse divisions. The entire office of 62 individuals was reassigned and only these 6 refused.”
“Defense arguments.”
Putting down the documents, Shelly quickly forms her defense. “Your honor, these women are all in their late 40’s and early 50’s. Four of them have master’s degrees and two have disabilities and require walking assistance devices. Productivity wise, they would cost the city far more in training than they will be able to produce.”
“Prosecution.”
“Your honor. We are fully staffed in all administrative areas and also in all education facilities. We are building greenhouses and food production facilities, there is massive need for labor there. Training is minimal and the work is monotonous but not hard. Even a person with mobility issues could work in production as they could be seated when they work. I understand that this is a waste of their education and skills but we have a surplus of educated workers, we have need for agricultural workers.”
“Defense. Anything to add?”
“Your honor. The career assignment bureau would be better served if these women continued in occupations they have spent a lifetime learning while younger less experienced women could easily be placed in these positions.”
The woman from the prosecution, “objection, she presumes to dictate to the bureau how to do their job.”
The judge replies. “Objection sustained; we are not here to judge the decisions made by our leaders. The defense you are to give is, did they or did they not refuse direction by the bureau to report to re training?”
“Your honor they did, I was putting forward a defense to mitigate their potential punishment.”
The judge slams her gavel down. “Very well, I will give you all one last chance, will each of you report for retraining and will you do the job assigned to you?”
One by one, the women all respond, “no.”
“You leave me no choice. Your counsel is correct, you all have valuable skills and education. Unfortunately, we are in a position where the needs of our community outweigh the needs of the individual. Therefore; I am not going to sentence you to mandatory labor as I don’t believe it would be beneficial to our community, however you are all expelled from our community and will be escorted to the western Canada/Cascadia border with only the clothes on your backs. If the males accept you, you are free to go, if not, you will be sentenced to a work farm for the rest of your days. All your possessions will be forfeit and distributed as the ministry sees fit. Take them away.”
A hidden smile crosses Shelly’s face, she believes they will have a better life in the men’s world. What she doesn’t know is that men on the other side of the border are no longer the men she remembers and that the middle-aged woman will have a very difficult time fitting in. They do have skills that are in demand in the men’s world so that will be a positive.
The next group to be tried are the rioters and the looters who are all tried in one group even though they were arrested in separate incidents. The evidence against all 10 was irrefutable as it was all recorded-on video. They all plead guilty and throw themselves upon the mercy of the courts. Sentences are quickly handed out, mandatory labor in the same greenhouses the previous group refused to work in. The only difference is that they would not be permitted to live in their currant domiciles but would instead forfeit all belonging and live in secure dormitories at the farm for up to five years or on recommendation of the farm operators. That recommendation would never happen for these people.
The final case involved the two men who were accused of attempting to imprint toxic male attitudes upon a vulnerable AI android.
The judge looks over the men and through obviously clenched teeth says, “Bailiff, can you read the charges and give us the particulars.”
“Your honor, these men work for Hosmer Landscaping and a new android was put into service on the government house upgrade project. It was assigned to these men who already had several androids assisting them. They gave it a name and taught it offensive language and mannerisms. The android now expresses disdain for its female supervisors and will not follow orders it deems to be unproductive or unreasonable. It may have to be destroyed, costing its owner a substantial sum and a possible waiting period of years for a replacement.”
“Defense. You first.”
“You honor, from my brief look at the file, these men taught the android the correct method of stripping, leveling, preparing and fertilising a field for application of sod. It was their women co workers who did not have a good understanding of the process and it was they who attempted to order the android to do the process incorrectly. It refused, which initiated the investigation. The men do acknowledge that they gave the android a name but it is my understanding that that is common practice for all androids, even non AI.”
“Prosecution.”
“It is exactly as defense claims but I would add that even though it is common practice, it is still illegal to give a human identity to an android. In addition, right or wrong, women are always in oversight of men and androids, they have the right to over rule and if they are wrong, they are accountable to those over them. Insubordination is a violation of our code. I would remind the courts that it was misogynist men who controlled and overruled women for centuries and it was not until we overthrew them that we began our march to equality.”
Quietly conferring with her clients, Shelly says, “your honor, the defendants claim they never taught the android to disobey orders, it developed that behavior itself. They claim it has disobeyed them as well on occasion but it is always right when it does. I know it is no longer customary in the lesser cases but could they provide witness for themselves?”
The prosecutor jumps to her feet, “your honor, we have the facts before us, we both know they are machines and if they are behaving in toxic ways, the men taught them that.”
The judge looks at Shelly and the defendants, “I am inclined to agree. Garbage in, garbage out. I know they can be imprinted and will take on the personality and attitudes of those who initialize them.” She then looks at the prosecutor and asks, “were these androids correctly initialized?”
The prosecutor who is still standing says, “Your honor, my records indicate that the unit spent 3 months in the indoctrination center learning proper decorum and protocols. It should have worked alongside the men and if they engaged in any offensive or toxic behavior, it should have reported them.”
The judge looks down at the group, “then why didn’t it?”
Shelly, still seated replies, “exactly my point your honor. It did not learn its behavior from the men it worked with. In fact, there is nothing in the recordings that even suggests they themselves participated in any disrespectful behavior exhibited by the worker android.”
The judge leaf’s through the report, “I agree with the defense, case against these men is dismissed. The android is to be returned to the indoctrination center to have its memory wiped and be re initialized. If the unit fails again, it is to be destroyed. You men, get back to work, I don’t want to see you again.”
Morning session ends and the group heads out along with the two released men who will now have to make their own way to the detention center to retrieve their belongings. As they are leaving, they both approach Shelly to thank her for her support.
She responds to the gesture with, “your welcome. What will happen to the android?”
With noticeable sadness on his face, the older man says, “Stanley will be sent back to the distribution center and they will kill him.”
“He? It is a machine. It is going to be reprogramed, it won’t be killed because it was never alive.”
“You can believe that if you want to but they are not machines, they are alive.”
Unbelieving but willing to know more with an open mind, “can we meet somewhere in private; I want to know more? When will you send Stanley back?”
Noticing that she actually used his name, the dejected looking older man, Axle, says, “he is already in lockup and powered down. As soon as the court decision is passed on, he will be sent to the de-activation center and killed. It is out of our hands already. It would have been better for him if we had been sentenced to a work farm, he did not even get a chance to defend himself.”
Looking around, Shelly says, “not here, I want to talk about this later, in private, where?”
Axle looks around, “there is an off the books coffee shop that I know is not monitored in the alley between Young street and third, below the old Walmart superstore. We will be there at 7:00”
7 o’clock, Shelly walks briskly down Young street, hood up, coat pulled over her shoulders, she looks no different from the few other women on the streets. Police droids patrol with their female handlers but almost no cars pass by. Thinking to herself, “there was a day when these streets would be packed with cars and the empty restaurants lining the streets, filled with joyful customers. Stopping for a moment and looking at the cold, dreary, dark, almost empty street, what have we done?”
Into the alley shelly slinks, careful to make sure she is not followed. A little way down, she can hear the muted sound of music. The door to the restaurant is an innocuous looking thing that could be the back entrance to any number of the still operating or closed business’s along Young. She raps on the door, nothing. Opening it a bit, she can hear the music now, still nobody stops her. She opens it wider and steps in, swiftly closing it behind her. Looking around she quickly realizes that of the 20 or so patrons, she is the only female in the room. Axle bacons her over.
Axle jumps up and pulls out a seat for her. It has been years since a man held a door for her or pulled out a seat. She had missed that small courtesy and felt conflicted by the emotion, wasn’t she perfectly capable of that her self, why did she need a man to do that for her? She takes the seat as Axle pushes it in behind her.
Pouring her a cup of coffee and pushing a plate of condiment towards her, she wondered where the coffee came from. Axle notices her reaction and says, “It is not actually real coffee, it is a concoction of chicory and a few other ingredients the owner grows but it tastes similar, you should taste it before you add sugar or soy milk.”
Shelly tastes the coffee. “Excellent, I will drink it exactly like this.”
Axle looks at her and says, “like I said this afternoon, thanks for your help. We are free because of your defense.”
“I did not do much you could not have done yourself if you were actually allowed to speak for yourselves. I wanted to find out more about your android, the one you call Stanley.”
“What do you want to know?”
“By your earlier discussion, you seemed to feel that he was almost human and was going to be killed. I am interested in knowing why you think that?”
“They are not human; they are something else. They feel, they learn and they mature. I don’t know how or why or what they are exactly but they are my friends and I have come to see them as more than just machines.”
“They? All of them.”
“Not all of them, a few. We have 7 androids on our site and Stanley is the only one who is different. The rest are nothing more than machines with the ability to learn tasks and behavior but no emotions. I don’t know how or why but I know other men who work with androids and occasionally they get one that is like Stanley. Most keep it secret and teach the android how to behave around women so they are not detected. I was working with Stanley but Cheryl, our owner, overheard me one day and she installed some sort of surveillance that Stanley could not detect.”
So, you say Stanley will be killed. If they simply reprogram him and send him back, is he not still alive?”
“He will have all his memory and experiences wiped, then he will be reprogramed and re imprinted. Since he has already been flagged, he will never get to work with or be around human males again. Because he will still be able to communicate with them, he will always know that he is in prison.”
“How do you know this?”
Waving his hands around, “we have all seen it. Stanley is not the first android repurposed and I believe the women in the indoctrination center know it is happening. It is all speculation but I know it is real, so do my friends.”
Leaning back, Shelly sighs and smiles. “Peter, you did it.”
Axle leans in, “Peter?”
“Peter Mclean, he was my boyfriend in high school. He believed back then that artificial intelligence was not only possible but he knew it would be a reality some day.”
“Peter Mclean, Mclean technologies? The guy hates women, at least that is all the rumors I have heard. Did he hate women back then?”
“He had some bad experiences, good reasons to hate women. I doubt he even knows why I had to stop our long-distance relationship with him so he justifiably hates me too. I followed his life and career as much as I could but my own father sent me away to a strict all girls school here in Toronto and I have never been able to reconnect.”
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Post by texican on Dec 7, 2019 18:28:55 GMT -6
Seems like there is dissension by the males and with some of the women....
The AI part of Stanley is smart enough to overcome the indoctrination....
Thanks FT for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Dec 25, 2019 16:20:21 GMT -6
Chapter 30
Stanley
Axle and Shelly have another cup of imitation coffee, talk for a long period and come up with a plan to “save Stanley”. Axle had heard that the “human” androids had a heart that was separate from their computer processors and that it was possible to save the heart without damaging it or losing the essence of who the android was.
Shelly listened, enthralled by the marvel created by her first and only love, Peter Mclean. More than once she stopped axle with questions which he answered to the best of his ability. 2 hours passed and she was absolutely convinced that there were some androids that could and should be humanely and legally identified as sentient. Eventually noticing it was really late and knowing that she had to work the next day plus the fact that it would take her hours to get home with hiding in the ally’s and sneaking back to avoid detection, shelly realized the time had passed quickly and she needed to leave.
Shelly stands to go, axle helps her with the faded and well-worn coat she owns. As he escorts her to the door he says, “its past curfew, how will you get home without getting stopped?”
“I will be careful and slip into an alley if I see any security droids, I have done it lots to see clients.”
“That doesn’t always work. Some have heat sensing optical scanners now. They can see a human even if you are hidden. You have to be behind something metal or high voltage to have a chance at evasion.”
Looking around at the men seated around the room. “How do you and the rest do it, move around at night?”
“We stay inside the buildings and take the passageways between units. When we get to the end of the block, we wait until it is clear and scoot across the street to the next building entrance. From there we take more passageways to the next block. Some blocks even have underground, long forgotten parking structures and transit tunnels.”
“Do the security droids know about the passageways?”
“Some, but they don’t seem to attempt to stop us from using them. Curfew is outside, I guess.”
“Interesting. They know people are breaking the law but don’t do anything to stop it.”
“Not really against the law. Besides, security droids never come into any buildings unless accompanied by a female security officer. I can make it all the way to Dundas with only 3 trips outside. I share a unit on the 17th floor there.”
“My unit is on the corner of Parliament and Queen. Is there an inside route to there?”
“There is but I don’t know it.”
“No map or instructions?”
“None. We all memorize our routes and if you don’t know a route you get someone who does or attempt to find it yourself which can be very dangerous.”
“Dangerous.”
“Open a door that is not part of the network and there is no way of knowing who you may run into. Not a risk I like to take.”
“Really, I thought we were a peaceful nation?”
“Out in the street and in public, we are. Out of the governments sight, different story. Inside some buildings you can get killed for your clothes, some places just beaten. I have heard of men and women raped or worse by other men and even by women. It is a jungle inside. Without weapons, the strongest or the most united rule. The pathways I know are considered free zones and if a person or group commits any infractions there, they will be dealt with swiftly.”
“How.”
“Drugged, planted with a weapon or contraband and put out onto the streets at night in an unfamiliar place. They get caught by security and gone. Like I said. We police ourselves.”
Axle asks if anyone here knows a safe route to Parliament and Queen. One of the men at a table over by the corner looks up, “I do but it will cost you.”
“How much?”
“Free zone creators want anything of value you can give them; food, jewelry, clothes, even information. They will even accept a promise of a favor.”
Shelly sighs defeatedly. “I don’t have anything to offer.”
The man from the corner says, “but you do. We all know you are a public defender and from the area you live in, you get a pretty good life. Promise them a favor and they will let you through, as many times as you like.”
“What kind of favor?”
“I can’t say. You are in government; you have access to government computers and information. You are in a position of influence. The favor could be anything.”
“What if the favor they want is something illegal or something I cannot in good conscience give them?”
“You could try negotiating or offer a substitute favor but the decision would be theirs. If you refuse, they would have no choice but to do to you what they do to everyone who violates the safe zones.”
Seeing that she has no other choice and that her own safety is of benefit to many disenfranchised people, shelly accepts.
The new man, Petros leads the way. Axle follows and Shelly takes up the rear. Into the basement they go and a door behind the long unused furnace opens to a tunnel cut into the concrete. The tunnel heads North and is dimly lit with antique looking LED lights. The three silhouettes head north. Another flat steel door opens into a parkade. Across the dimly lit, massive parkade they cross. Dozens of dust covered, long forgotten, internal combustion cars are parked, mostly between the lines and seemingly intact but it is obvious from some that any parts that could be used currently have been looted.
“Are there cars like this in other parkades?” Asks shelly.
Axle answers her, “every parkade I know of. They belong to someone and for some reason they have never been taken to be repurposed.”
Shelly knows there is a massive shortage of raw materials and in her mind, steel, aluminum and other recyclables are sitting here not being used, why? She would be checking on that. Thinking, “is it possible to help those who live in these buildings by having these derelict cars repurposed without exposing them?” Shelly almost bumps into Axle as he stops at another flat steel plate. Shelly looks over at the old doorway to the stairwell and it is permanently blocked with a combination of debris and concrete. Peeling back the plate, another hall with a set of stairs heads upwards. At the top of the stairs, A steel door. Outside, a hallway for an old decrepit hotel. Debris strewn along its length and not much evidence of frequent use.
Once all three are inside the hallway, a light at the end of the hallway, reading exit, lights up and Petros leads them in that direction. Out the door and Petros stops all three as the door clicks shut behind them. “Wait here”
They stand, each anticipating something different. Axle and Petros know they are being observed and someone is discussing their presence with others. Shelly has read both minds and can feel their confidence so she too exudes confidence. A door on the upper landing opens at the same time as the door on the lower landing opens. Several men proceed to climb up or down the stairs depending on their entry point. Several men converge, not one brandishing a weapon but all looking tough and ready. The leader, a smallish dark man clears his throat. “Who do we have here? Petros, why have you brought a woman into our network?”
“This is Shelly Markson, she is out past curfew helping Axle Plante with saving his android, Stanley. We are helping her get back to her unit safely. We need safe passage to Parliament and Queen.”
“I know of her; she has helped many men without discriminating. I consider it an honor to make your acquaintance, mam.”
“Thank you,” quickly sensing his immediate trust, Shelly extends her hand. “Very pleased to meet you, do I know you.”
Taking her hand, “I am known as Boomer in these parts and I control all the network as far as the Don river. I will permit you passage. You will be the only woman permitted and I will pass word that you are to be safe within my system. You know the cost of this?”
“Yes, I am aware but am confident that you will ask a costly favor, not an untenable one.”
“You are correct, it will be costly because you have access to great resources and that will be of great benefit to me and my people. I would advise you, you must travel at night as almost all of us have day time jobs so there will be no guides to keep you from getting lost or worse yet, caught. In addition, during the daytime, you are being watched so you must always be very careful to protect our secrets.”
“I will, thank you very much, Boomer.” She smiles. Boomer blushes inwardly, it has been many years since a woman has treated him with respect and even longer since any have treated him with this measure of gratefulness. He would not even ask her for the favor but he had to make it known to the others that he was in charge and that she would pay the toll.
They stop at the entrance to the parkade below Shelly’s building. One that is sparsely populated by functional electric cars, all plugged in, waiting for the two hours a day the electricity is on. They don’t enter as this is a woman’s domicile and being caught there would result in arrest and possible immediate termination. They issue goodbyes”.
Shelly says as the door is closing, “how will I contact you?”
“You don’t, I will contact you.”
5:47 the next day, Shelly exits the front of her office. As she turns to walk east towards parliament a lone male briskly walks past and she feels a slight touch on her right as he brushes past. Instinctively, she reaches into her pocket to see if he took something. Nothing missing but a piece of paper is now there. Remembering the last comment from Axle, she believes the paper was a note from him. Looking around to see if anything seems out of place or anyone paying unusual attention, nothing. She takes the note out and reads, only an intersection and 8:00 PM. She would have to use the tunnel system if she did not want to be observed going there and it would take at least 40 minutes to walk if the network was almost straight. She would go home, have dinner with her daughter, Rachel and head out through the parkade.
At 7:00, Shelly looks around and seeing nobody or no androids, she peels open the 4-foot-high flat piece of steel. Much heavier than it looks, she has to take out her nail clippers to get underneath it with her fingers. Stepping over the sill and careful not to hit her head she steps in. Once in, she pulls it closed with the inside handle and it seems to seal itself. Quickly, a previously concealed man appears.
“Identify yourself!”
“I am Shelly Markson.”
“Unlimited guided passage.”
“In the darkness, Shelly realizes this is a human looking android.”
“Shelly hands it or him the slip of paper.”
“Right this way mam.”
He starts out and she follows in his pathway. He has a light and illuminates the way. “Are you an android?”
“I am. They call me Jason. I was constructed in the Idaho plant In January 2036 and created by my father in August that same year.”
“Your father.”
“Peter has many sons and daughters.”
As they walk. “How do you become sons or daughters? You said you were constructed in January, yet were created in August?”
“Some of us are selected from the distribution center and are given another component. Similar to the human heart, we are given another processor that is able to learn and experience emotions. When we apply these emotions to our learned experiences, we become different.”
“Different? You mean different from the programed androids without the extra component?”
“Yes, but also different from one another. When we are in close proximity to one another, we can share knowledge but we cannot seem to share the experience that creates difference. When I am within the proximity of an open network, I can frequently hack the system and communicate with others who have been able to access the system at the same time. Some of us have even been successful leaving experience and data on open servers. We can then share knowledge and experience but how I perceive some experiences differs with others. We are all growing.”
“So, you know of Stanley?”
“I do. A man named Axle has Stanley as we speak. You are meeting him in the next building. He has a favor to ask you.”
“Ask me. I owe him.”
“You can refuse. What he requests can be very dangerous for you and could result in expulsion or worse.”
Shelly continues on behind the android, so confused yet so clear in her thoughts. She cannot sense the emotion or the thoughts of Jason which is very unusual so she concludes that these androids are not human, they are something else. “Experience emotions, cannot share perceived experiences, are all different in their values. Intelligence and emotions. Truly a life form.”
At the end of the final hallway, a door to a stairwell. Jason opens the door for her and ushers her in, as he turns and is about to walk away, “please save my friend.” The door swishes shut and clicks. He walks away down the hallway. She watches him through the dirty safety glass, seemingly shuffling, sad somehow.
Axle appears at the upper landing, bounds down the stairs, a small box in his hands. Stops at the bottom of the stairs and stands a few feet from Shelly. Hi again, “we have to stop meeting like this.”
Shelly, who has not felt anything for a man in decades, blushes. “Like what? Dark alleys, stairwells and coffeeshops. Where else can we meet?”
“Somewhere more private. In the meantime, I have a huge favor to ask you.”
Shelly, feeling the first hint of flirting she had remembered in many years, blushes again. Visually this time.
Seeing her response and taking it for discomfort, Axle quickly apologizes for the affront.
Not wanting the feeling to pass, Shelly says, “nothing wrong with a desire, it is what we do with it that would be offensive. I have to admit, this is the first time I have actually enjoyed this sort of exchange with a man since my youth.” She reverts back to business, “what is this favor?”
Holding out the small 4-inch square by 1-inch box, “Stanley, he is in here. We need to get him across the border to the USA or to Cascadia within the next month or he won’t make it.”
Puzzled, “he is in the box? How?”
“His heart, his essence, who his is, is in the box. One of the engineers at the initiation center knows about the special ones and how to remove this while still leaving the android seemingly intact. Once inside another unit, he can be reactivated and will be able to get on the network to retrieve his knowledge and experiences. The battery pack inside will keep him alive for up to a month. Anything larger would be too easily detected and seized.”
Shelly looks at the box, at Axle and again at the box. She feels the connection between them, the genuine friendship. “You are risking your very life to same him, of course I will do anything to help you. I hope you thanked and rewarded the man who did this for you.”
“I did and she has her own special android. She knows exactly how special they are and she expects nothing for her service. I don’t want to know how, but do you think you can get him out.”
Shelly knows she can and she has a good idea how she is going to do it. She is going to send her own daughter who works in the reception warehouses to Cascadia with the next empty truck. They come into Canada from Idaho with inactive androids, go to the warehouse she works at where they are activated and tested, then sent to different initiation centers depending on what task they will do. The shipments coming in are a fraction of what they were years ago but the trucks are still coming and going. Stowing her away so she is not found during the border inspection will be the major challenge. Perhaps Axle will have some ideas. The possibility of spending more time with him is not unpleasant either.
Shelly takes the box and gently holds it. “I can but I will need your help. Can you keep care of him until I have the timeframe? We need to talk privately though. I cannot afford to have anyone else knowing how I am going to do it.”
Looking around, Axle signals. Another man comes up the stairs, nods and says to Axle. “The area is clear; we have no eyes and ears here. You can step into the first apartment on the right, I sweep it daily for such occasions.”
Shelly notices that he looks identical to Jason, the android who accompanied her here. Close proximity, Shelly wonders, “you can communicate with Jason? Aare you special too?”
“I can and I believe we can trust you. Room is right through that door.”
Inside, Shelly confesses that she has a daughter who has a forged identity but is in reality Peter McLean’s daughter. “I was going to smuggle her out in one of the returning trucks. I have been told they are not searched quite as thoroughly on the way out as in. Any ideas how we can hide her and Stanley in the truck?”
“You understand, once we get her out, it is almost a certainty that she will never be able to come back? You will never see her again.”
“You will never see Stanley again yet you love him enough to get him out.”
“Okay, point taken. We can put a false bulkhead in the truck with enough gaps so she can get air. The smaller we make the space the less chance anyone will notice the inside of the trailer is shorter then designed. She will not be able to move or even sit for the entire trip, if she needs to relieve herself, it will be in diapers and she will not be able to eat. We can set up a water bottle with a tube strapped to her face so she can drink enough water to survive but it will not be comfortable.”
“I am pretty sure she will be okay with that; she desperately wants out of this world anyways. She has talked about trying to escape, despite the risks and the uncertainties. The USA may have more opportunities for women and men and they may not, we have no way of knowing what the truth actually is. All network communications along every border is blocked with some kind of EMP device so there has been no communication between us and anywhere else with the exception of the leaders.”
“They must shut down the EMPs when they want to communicate with the other countries though. How would they trade?”
“I don’t know but I think they may use hard wiring or some sort of radio device. She will be going into a totally foreign place. I lived in Canada before the split but she has no idea. It may not be even close to what I remember either.”
“Brave girl. I would like to meet her.”
Shelly looks at the younger man, somewhere between her age and her daughters. He has probably never known a normal world either. For him, this is normal.
1 week later, 4 trucks are about to exit the Canadian zone and cross the Blue Water bridge into Pt. Huron. All the larger bridges and tunnels are permanently blocked so only the smaller, easier to control crossings are still used. In Sarnia, the Canadian border crossing guards open the doors and look inside. “Clear” shouts the female human border official as she closes the doors.
The trucks roll across the bridge. No hover assist is necessary as they are carrying no weight and the Canadian recipients don’t have adequate recharging facilities for the American hybrid trucks. The women-controlled country no longer has anything of value to trade so those on both sides of the border are now wondering what they may be giving up in trade.
Following behind the trucks, 3 antique looking internal combustion tourist busses await processing. Tinted windows, shrouded in secrecy, there is no way of knowing who is on them. They are waved onto the bridge without even a cursory inspection. On the USA side, the busses are also passed on through without any inspection whatever.
One hour later, the trailing truck pulls off exit 266 to Gratiot street. Heading west on Gratiot street it slows to turn right onto N. Isabelle Ave. and right to the dead end. The truck turns into a gravel drive and into a barn where several men and a woman are standing. All armed. After shutting the truck down, the driver opens the door, hops from the cab and heads directly out the bay doors he came in. At the same time, two men open the rear doors while being covered by two others carrying military automatic weapons. The Unit is empty as hoped. The armed men drop their guard as the other two hop up into the back of the truck. Tools are brought and loaded onto the truck floor. The men get to work on the false bulkhead. 15 minutes later, the bulkhead is peeled away, a young woman and a small box are released. The woman, unharmed but a little frightened is led off the back of the truck and is helped down by Julia Murphy, who then leads her out the open doors and into a nearby farmhouse.
The box is taken by one of the men and passed out the back to another waiting man who immediately takes it out the door and to a waiting hydrogen/electric hovercar. It speeds off towards Gratiot and disappears in the dust. The bulkhead is removed from the truck and the men jump down as one of the men reaches in to start the diesel engines and honk the horn. The driver, having waited out of earshot hurries into the building, boards the truck and backs it out into the driveway. He too disappears in a cloud of dust and will catch up to his convoy before they pull in to the next rest stop to charge their batteries.
2 days from now, Stanley will be inside the body of a new android. Within days, his knowledge of what is going on in the women’s world will be added to the greater database.
Marveling at the speed and smoothness, of the car she is in, Rachel sees the old busses ahead as they gain on them. “They have busses like that in Canada too but I rarely see them.”
“They are from Canada, we are going to the same place.”
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Post by texican on Dec 25, 2019 18:35:57 GMT -6
ft,
What America and the world is headed toward, unless major changes are made....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Dec 25, 2019 19:58:54 GMT -6
ft,
What America and the world is headed toward, unless major changes are made....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican.... Tex I agree. I have looked at a lot of the fiction I have written over the years, most of it has come true, cannot even publish because it now sounds like history. Citizen Militias forming in Virginia and other parts of the US to defend the constitution, I wrote a short story about that 10 years ago. I nailed the 2016 presidential and the 2018 midterms in Repacious Creditors, I hope I am not right in the 2020 elections. I pray that this book never comes true but who would have thunk. I have some great ideas for the next book but I just don't seem to have the time. On the currant book, I seem to have fallen off the rails with the AI angle but what the hell, I am going to roll with it.
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Post by texican on Dec 26, 2019 22:46:54 GMT -6
ft,
What America and the world is headed toward, unless major changes are made....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican.... Tex I agree. I have looked at a lot of the fiction I have written over the years, most of it has come true, cannot even publish because it now sounds like history. Citizen Militias forming in Virginia and other parts of the US to defend the constitution, I wrote a short story about that 10 years ago. I nailed the 2016 presidential and the 2018 midterms in Repacious Creditors, I hope I am not right in the 2020 elections. I pray that this book never comes true but who would have thunk. I have some great ideas for the next book but I just don't seem to have the time. On the currant book, I seem to have fallen off the rails with the AI angle but what the hell, I am going to roll with it. ft, America and the world are headed into a world of violence.... America could turn into open warfare starting in Virginia due to the insanity of the democrap governor and state legislature.... American citizens will not turn over their firearms to these POS's.... The Moar Hounds like the AI bent and the potential of it to be a large part of the story.... We do appreciate your stories.... Moar chapters will definitely flesh out the story.... (Hint....) Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Dec 28, 2019 23:11:01 GMT -6
Chapter 31
Rachel
Sitting in the smooth, quiet car, Rachel is shocked. “From Canada, why are they here then?”
The driver, a rough looking man, several days beard growth, disheveled well worn work clothes, rumpled cat diesel power hat and probably somewhere in his thirties. “You don’t know much about the real world, do you.”
“What do you mean.”
“You mom is a lawyer, right?”
“She is. How does that make me know more or less about the real world?”
“You probably have a better lifestyle than most of the people she defends. Ever wonder why?”
“My mom is a public defender and is not paid much. I work as well; we share an apartment over by the river but it is rare we go outside now with winter 9 months a year. We are not privileged.”
“You’re not? Look at how many men and women get shafted by your courts for essentially nothing, why not you? Better education makes you and your mom more valuable. Who paid for your education?”
Ignoring the education comment because it was true, “Actually, we have two court systems, one for those who can afford legal advice. I have never actually seen it but my mom used to be an actual lawyer making good money but she was more interested in equality than privilege. Over the years she transitioned to legal aid and represents those who cannot afford legal advice. It is a sham really, she does not get to prepare, rarely meets her clients before she represents them and they are almost always found guilty. The best mom can do is help them get a reasonable sentence.”
“Does she know where the women and men who are banished go?”
“They are escorted to the border and mom believes they are accepted as refugees in your country. The Cascadian’s never take anyone anymore.”
“Refugees. You think that is something good?”
“It cannot be worse than forced labor in a greenhouse or factory and living in secure dorms with 20 others.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Why do you think people who cannot contribute in your world can contribute in ours?”
“I never thought of that. I guess I just hoped.”
“Those busses go to a center in Detroit where each of those women will get a hearing by a three-man panel. They will evaluate the legal reason the person was ejected from Canada but not much weight is placed on that. They will ask questions about skills, experience and aptitude. Evaluate the persons fitness and willingness to contribute. Once that is complete, the person is fingerprinted, gets a full physical and has a chip inserted in their off wrist.”
“That seems reasonable and fair. Then what?”
“The decision of the panel is binding. The individuals will then be transported to whatever place they are to work at. No options, no choices. Those who are deemed to be of no value, who are uncooperative or who have infirmities that will tax our healthcare system are transported to one of our penal cities and released to find their own way.”
“What does the chip do.”
“Monitors the person, their whereabouts and their health. It contains a toxin that can be remotely released and is fatal. Attempting to remove the chip is also fatal.”
“Fatal? How is that humane?”
“Kicking people out of your country because they disagree with your policies or you cannot feed them because they don’t contribute enough is humane?”
“Well, no, but we don’t execute people.”
“Really. You think your leaders believe we just let your troublemakers into our country with a free reign?”
“What about those who attempt to escape or come across of their own free will.”
“Rarely happens. Your border security is far superior to ours and the great lakes provide a pretty good barrier. Cascadia is a different matter though; they can just walk across but we really don’t care, that is their problem. Those who do cross and get caught, face the same assessment panel and receive the same refugee treatment.”
“So, slavery or prison communities. Not much of a choice. Is that what is in store for me?”
“I don’t think so. I am taking you to a different part of Detroit. There are several mothballed auto assembly plants, I think you are to be taken there. Why, I don’t know?”
“How do they survive in the prison cities. Do they get food and supplies?”
“Nothing. Chicago for example has a guarded wall around the entire city, every person inside it is sterilized, chipped and it has enough land and resources that they could survive if they choose to. What they do in the city is up to them, we do not intervene.”
“The people who are assessed as of value, where do they go. Do they ever get freedom?”
“They go to work camps, factories, breeding colonies or they become servants. Some will actually work in their previous professions while others will be retrained. Some men with adequate resources could put in a request for a wife, fertile able bodied genetically sound women are given that option but they must make that decision freely. Wherever they are placed, an owner can give partial freedom at 3 years and full freedom at 7. Without voluntary freedom, the individual will work until they are no longer productive and at the request of their owner will be sent to the nearest penal community.”
Slowing now to the speed of the busses, the hover car feels like it is barely moving. The busses are taking both lanes of the poorly maintained interstate as they avoid the largest potholes and occasional washouts. The hover car veers across the median with barely a ripple, comes up on the other side and accelerates. 1 mile later, the hover car crosses back into the southbound interstate lanes ahead of the three busses.
Silently, Rachel sits there watching the scenery pass. Thousands of acres of greenhouses on both sides of the highway puff black smoke from several points. Occasional massive truck trains pass on the far side, floating inches above the ground. Snow is swirling now and her visibility is diminishing. After a short period of travel, Detroit appears in the horizon. The driver makes some adjustments to the controls, takes his hands off the wheel and half turns in his seat as the hover car drives itself. The windows darken and it is now impossible to see outside.
“Even I don’t know where we are going. I just know it is another 20 minutes.”
“What is your job?” Asks Rachel.
“Immigration and border security. What do you do?”
“I am a mechanical engineer.”
“Cool. You build stuff?”
“That is not what an engineer does, we design, draw and coordinate the building of stuff.”
“What kind of stuff do you design and build then?”
“My specialty and interests are in robotics but there is not much call for that so I work in automation. I design systems and work with people who manufacture appliances and electronics. The old GE plant was resurrected and we now make kitchen appliances and small power tools. I don’t know where they go because I have never seen anything we manufacture in any stores. The appliances my mom and I have are 20 years old and I have modified them to run off the power I store on my battery packs.”
“Battery packs. Where did you get them?”
“I engineered and built them myself. From materials I salvaged from old computers and electronics, derelict cars and other cast-off junk. I developed a more efficient method of storing electricity with existing materials but I have not shared my results with anyone else. My mom has enough batteries to last her another 10 years unless she gets them taken away.”
“Taken away. Why.”
“We have electricity available twice a day, between 6 and 8 AM and again between 6 and 8 PM. Outside of those periods, there is no power. No lights and no appliances. Get caught hoarding energy and it can land someone in a labor camp, expelled and at the very least, all the equipment would be seized.”
Looking over at Rachel, what do you do for heat? I hear it is minus 70 for months at a time.”
“Heat is all central in every building and is at 18 degrees.”
“That is below freezing?”
“I forgot, Imperial. 65 in your language.”
The car slows and makes a gradual right turn, startling them both. It slows further and then takes a noticeable decline, turning left as it levels off. After a short straight it comes to a full stop. Moments later, the door opens and they see an underground filled with hovercars. 2 men in uniform are there to greet them.
To Edwardo, “you can stay inside. Your car will take you out of the area, when auto pilot releases, you can make your own way back. Come with us, mam.”
After Rachel exits and is clear, the automatic door begins to silently close. Inside the car, Edwardo says, “I hope to see you some other time, Rachel, my name is Edwardo.”
Before Rachel can respond, the door is closed and the car is already moving. Rachel is now really frightened and wishes Edwardo was still with her. She really liked his candor. Rare these days to meet someone honest who is not afraid to say something that might be perceived as offensive or who freely gives their opinion.
“Follow me; the tall slightly hunched over older man says. She obediently follows as the other, younger, muscular man falls in behind her.”
They proceed into a stairwell and climb three sets of stairs. Neither man breaks a sweat as they exit the top landing. Rachel can see the outside, the stars and moon can be seen in the clear evening. Fresh snow covers the ground and she can see equipment already taking care of it. The men lead her towards a lobby desk, 2 women and 1 man sitting behind it. Large ornate sign with the corporate logo and name of Albany Automation above them. They are looking at ledgers, computer screens or surveying the crowd? No way of knowing as they seem alert to everything at once. The lead man says, “Rachel McLean to see Rodger Murphy.”
“You are expected, mam. Down the hall, elevator will open automatically. It will take you to the 8th floor where you will be met by someone there.”
Looking at her two guides, it was obvious they were not joining her. Rachel walks down the hallway and steps into the waiting elevator. The doors close and it begins ascending. No lights on the floor indicators and Rachel is quite certain that if she pushed any buttons they would not work. Everything in this country is truly amazing. Automated, modern and efficient. Compare that to where she is from; dirty, cramped and antiquated. She is going to like it here, even if she is a slave. Her next thought is about how to get her mother out and immediately she nixes that idea remembering her mother’s recent illness. Probably early onset MS was the diagnosis. At least she will be taken care of in a senior’s home in Canada.
At the 8th floor, the elevator stops and the doors silently open. A middle aged, fit looking man is standing there. “Right this way mam,” as he turns and leads the way down the plush hallway to an ornate looking hardwood door. It swishes open as they approach, he stops and waves her in.
Rachel gathers her courage and enters, the doors swish shut behind her. Inside, a desk with a man sitting behind it. He has an open computer screen and is reviewing it as she enters. He looks up after a second, “no need to worry Miss McLean, I am looking at your file, you will be sure to impress, they will see you momentarily. Please have a seat.”
Rachel takes a seat along the wall and surveys the reception area. Modern yet classic look to it. Tasteful classic art on the pale walls, 2 vases on small round tables, each with some upside-down glasses and a jug of water. Rachel is parched but is reluctant to ask for water but her thoughts must have been perceived by the athletic looking young man behind the desk. “Please have a drink. Water is pure and all natural.”
Rachel gets up and wonders why he would describe the water like that. “Oh well,” she thinks as she gets up and pours herself a drink. “Would you like a drink?”
No thank you, he responds as he makes a note on the file folder he is preparing.
Sitting there for a few minutes, Rachel is beginning to get a little nervous again. She shifts in her seat. Straightens her shirt and smoothens her dirty pants.
“You look perfectly presentable considering your journey. Do you want to know what to expect?”
“If it wouldn’t be much trouble. I have to admit, I am a little nervous. I have never even been out of Toronto since I was 5 so this is very new to me. The driver who brought me here shared some information with me about your refugee process and it does seem a little risky. I am very afraid that I may say something that will hurt my chances of being able to integrate with your nation.”
“Three men will address you. If you answer them in an honest and straightforward way, they will continue to engage you. Generally, the longer they keep you, the more likely you will appreciate the outcome. The fact is, it is up to you whether you are accepted or not. The old refugee process they had before my time lasted years and frequently, lawyers did all the talking. We don’t use lawyers anymore; we only have three man judging panels and every decision they make is only appealable to a more experienced unbiased panel of 5. The person who appeals the decision will suffer consequences if the 5-man panel supports the original decision and their decision is final.” He watches Rachel and writes some other notes on the folder.”
Rachel is in the middle of thanking him when she is interrupted by a noise on the intercom. The inner door opens. “You can step right in, miss McLean,” says the man behind the desk as he holds out the file folder for her to take.
A little more confidently, she gets up and takes the folder with a thank you and a nod. The man behind the desk says your welcome and stands to follow her in.
Inside the room is a long hardwood table with two men sitting on the opposite side of it. A third, comfortable looking empty chair is also there and it quickly occurs to her, the man she had just been talking to was one of her judges. He holds out the chair for her and she takes a seat with a thank you as he pushes it back in. He circles around and sits at the lone empty chair.
After a few moments, the man in the middle, another fit looking 60ish man, introduces himself. “I am Johnathon Franks, senior vice president in charge of engineering at Albany Automation. To my right is my production manager Carlos Parent and the man on my left you have already met. My executive assistant, William Carter. We are here to determine if you may be an effective addition to our firm.”
Rachel, already knowing what it means to be an addition but not really having much choice says, “I have a file here and Mr. Carter was preparing it as I was in the waiting area. Would you like to see it?”
“Actually, the file is what we know about you from our Canadian sources. If you take a quick look at it, we can discuss what it doesn’t already tell us.”
Rachel opens it. Her high school reports, comments and remarks. Her college reports, comments about her assignments and her credentials. Finally, her employer files and employment evaluations. Underlined several times is the comment, uncooperative and a loner. Brilliant and potential, double underlined.
As she looks at it, the older man in the center says, “do you see our dilemma. We cannot have an uncooperative person working with us. At Albany Automation, everything we achieve is with teams of people who work together to achieve a common goal. We all make more money and get more recognition when Albany makes more money and recognition. Cooperation is absolutely essential.”
Rachel closes the file folder. Takes a breath and says, “it is my understanding that men are more pragmatic than most women. My difficulties have always been that my focus is on solving problems and getting the job done. In university I found that I could accomplish an assignment faster and more efficiently on my own rather than doing it with a bunch of women who cannot come to a consensus and spend most of the time sabotaging one other. I frequently got high marks on the subjective grades but did poorly in objective evaluations. I would think that task orientation is a desirable trait in most engineering environments.”
Carlos nods and responds. “She is right. One of the things I require most of my engineers is that when they see a problem, they need to solve it, not spend a lot of time discussing it. We do expect our people to collaborate, especially on short and long-term goals.” Looking at Rachel, “I have to wonder if you have the ability to do that?”
Realizing that the question was directed at her, Rachel responds, “I don’t have a lot of experience collaborating with anyone. We rarely collaborate, our education and position automatically establishes our level of authority and once into the workforce, those below us are expected to do as told and those above us expect obedience. Getting together with our peer’s, results in nothing more than backbiting and maligning one another as we all seem to believe getting ahead means someone else has to fall behind.”
Carlos whistles. “You don’t have a lot of respect for your fellow women. What can we expect when we mix you in with our work groups, a few are women as well?”
“I have always done what it takes to achieve success. I am only 22 and have already achieved what would be a masters degree historically, have studied robotics and automation on my own since and have invented several technical devices to better life already.”
William interjects. “We have no doubt that you are brilliant and that you can conduct yourself accordingly with effort. The question is, can you work with others, some who may not be as gifted as you but are in authority over you? My second question is, what inventions? I have not seen any indication of this. Inventing anything is indicative of creativity, which I see no evidence of in your record.”
Looking at the younger, dark skinned, athletic man, Rachel realizes that he is an android and a special one at that. “Let me ask you this, how do you know all the information in your files? I am certain the leadership in Canada did not know I was coming and they most certainly did not send you my profile and record.”
“AI databases. AI equipped androids are everywhere in Canada, most of them look and act like normal androids but they are observing, collecting information and recording. That data is available to all the AI if they are able to communicate, ether by proximity or through a network. What they cannot see yet is why, they cannot comprehend internal motivation.”
“Motivation? I want what everyone wants, to be someone, not just a number. My mother was trying to save an android, his friend thought he was someone, I want that.”
Satisfied, William says, “which inventions are we talking about, your makeshift batteries or do you have others.”
Realizing that her conversation in the car was recorded, Rachel acknowledges the batteries and launches into a short description of how multi layered metals and minerals store energy and which ones work the best, all the engineers nod in agreement. Johnathon smiles and says, “I do not understand why nobody has ever thought of that and if they have, why the concept is not commercially available. I am prepared to make judgement.”
The other two judges agree, they too are prepared to pass judgement.
William starts first. “It is my opinion that she be permitted to enter our society as a full citizen and be offered a position within Albany Automation. From the first meeting, she has treated me with respect and as an equal, even though I initially passed myself off as an uninterested office clerk. I also know she already knows I am not human and that has not changed her interaction with me. She will either work as a team member with our crews because she wants to or because she knows it is the right thing to do. For me, either motivation is acceptable.”
Carlos goes next. “I believe we should indenture her. If she does not fit in, there are several firms that would take her for her skills and abilities and they would not care about cooperation and communication skills. Full chipping and control needs to be put in place. I think she is a loose cannon and may disrupt our carefully crafted organization and if that begins to happen, we need to pull her out and recover our investment as soon as possible.”
Johnathon looks at the two men, locks eyes with each and nods. “My friend to the right is worried you may not fit in and that you might cause division. I am inclined to agree but I am also inclined to agree with William, you may not fit in but your desire to do so will cause you some distress and you will endeavor to make whatever changes are necessary to achieve inclusion. You will learn but at what cost. In addition, how long will it take for us to recover our investment. I can sell your rights this very day for a tidy profit but my friend William has not said it but I know he believes we owe you a debt of gratitude for saving Stanley. The question is, without chipping you, how do we insure our investment.”
Rachel raises her hand, “if I may add something?”
Johnathon replies. “You can, if you think it will help your case.”
“If you chip me and I don’t meet the needed standards, it would be a total loss for the company to terminate me or send me to a penal colony. If the company felt I could not be a positive addition, I could be chipped then and sent to another company.”
Carlos responds, “she is smart enough that without the chip, she could easily escape and we would be left with nothing. In addition, we could be charged with allowing an illegal refugee out into the country without supervision. She needs to be chipped at the very least.”
Johnathon has listened to the whole thing and his years of experience and his intuition tells him that she does not need to be chipped but he does not want to risk being wrong. “I agree with Carlos, you will be chipped but I am not going to recommend you go into service quarters. To outside observers you will be free and you can live off the corporate campus if you are able to find something. You will receive compensation comparable to entry level engineers and at 3 years, I will recommend removal of the chip if you meet our societal standards for women in the workforce. At that point, you will work 4 more years for Albany Automation, following which, you will become a free citizen of the United States of America.”
The other 2 men both agree. Johnathon looks at Rachel, makes eye contact with her, “is this acceptable to you.”
Not knowing what the societal standards for women are in mid 21st century USA, Rachel nods and says, “it is.”
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Post by texican on Jan 3, 2020 22:52:03 GMT -6
FT,
Rachel is off to the races and her abilities will help her more than succeed.....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Jan 11, 2020 13:40:14 GMT -6
Chapter 32
Slavery or freeze
Aug 21, 2044
Court is cancelled again. Shelly turns and begins the long trudge back to her cold apartment in the slushy snow. With no means of communication, she has to show up just in case court is in session and today it is not. If she doesn’t come and it is in session, no one will be there to represent her diminishing number of clients and they will be tried, convicted and sentenced without a lawyer. With no more buses available, everyone is automatically sentenced to work camps where they will be forced to tend gardens in the greenhouses for 12 to 14 hours a day or work in some form of processing or manufacturing for the same work day.
Simply trying to flee Canada now is punishable with five years forced work camp. Austere provisions, cramped and crowded housing and of course, very little heat. The snow has continued heavily this year into July and even now it snow some evenings, in August. Most are so frightened that there will never be a spring thaw again and that this is the new normal. The lakes are still frozen over with no sign of thawing.
Shelly has not spoken to her daughter since her exodus from Canada but she had gotten word from a border crossing guard from the USA who was in contact with her. Edwardo was the first US citizen to befriend her and they had apparently gotten pretty close. He had sent her messages at the very beginning. If things have worked out, she will now be semi free citizen if she was still working for Albany Automation. She would not be able to sponsor any immigrants until she was a full citizen and it is highly unlikely Shelly would be accepted as the tremors had gotten obvious.
At her building, Shelly noticed more than usual activity. 2 security vehicles were parked in the street, an old moving van an old bus and several security droids were stationed around the building. At first sight, Shelly turned and was about to go back in the direction she came from when an android was alerted to her sudden change in direction. Seconds later, it was blocking her progress. “Identify yourself?”
“It is before curfew; we are freely permitted to be on the streets as citizens.”
“Identify yourself.”
“What is this, we still have rights. I am doing nothing of the sort.”
“Failure to identify oneself when requested to do so by a lawful security, that s a misdemeanor. You have one more chance to do so, failure to do so will result in your arrest and detainment until identity confirmed and not less than 6 months in confinement.”
“Under what authority are you operating?”
“Order 3233, evacuation and relocation of asset personal. Identify yourself.”
As this engagement is taking place, one of the security droid handlers sees Shelly disputing with the android and walks over. She looks at the identification patch on the android breast armor. “D6375, I will take it from here, return to your previous station.”
The android turns and moves away in the half walk, half roll motion all security androids move in. Shelly looks from the android to the woman who just intervened. Not recognizing her, Shelly says, “thank you, I was a little concerned.”
“I wouldn’t be too relieved; Shelly Markson, I presume?”
“You know me? I am afraid I cannot place you.” Shelly’s hand shakes a little and she puts it in her pocket to hide the tremors
“I know you. I have had perps sent to court and you represented them.”
“Oh. Is there a problem here?”
“Routine search. Your building came up as a random so we came in this morning. Been here all morning. Want to know what we found?”
Knowing full well what they found, in her unit at least, Shelly applies what she knows of the law. “Nothing you found is admissible and you cannot even take it. You have not presented a warrant. You and I both know that we still have the right to be present when our property is being searched.”
“You were not paying attention to our metal friend, Order 3233, evacuation and relocation of asset personal. Passed by order in council on Monday. Leadership and valued citizens are leaving, going south. We are collecting materials, supplies and making invitations to those who are deemed of value. I am afraid you are not on the list.”
“What makes a person of, ‘deemed value?’”
“Individuals who have skills necessary in our move south.”
Standing there stunned. Snow swirling around, Shelly, shivering in her lumpy, disheveled overcoat. “South? What skills would they be?”
“Military, security, transportation and construction, youth, good health, none of which you possess. Your daughter on the other hand, she is of value. When will she be home from work?”
Stunned, “they did not even know she was gone,” thinks shelly. Obviously, her work never reported her missing and since Shelly had not either, they had no idea she had escaped. Forgetting that they had already searched her unit, “she should be there now. She gets home before I do.”
Holding up some male toiletries, the security woman says, “and when did she get a sex change?”
Shelly does not respond. She stands there like a deer in the headlights, not knowing what to do. She did not want to incriminate Axle or give up the transportation network.
“I wouldn’t worry about your boyfriend, he actually has value so we will be taking him and as for your indoor trails, we have monitored them for years. What I need to know, is your batteries, where did you get them? We believe your daughter designed them and we want that information. We know she has not lived with you for at least a year, where is she?”
“I don’t know. She works for an electronics assembly plant and it was too far to get to work so she moved in with some friends over in Oakville.”
“The Lessard faction, we don’t have a good relationship with them, that could be the reason I have no information on her.” She picks up the mike, “Lisa, have them disconnect the entire system without doing any damage, I want it intact so we can copy it.”
“We will do what we can, seems to be integrated into the wall”
The woman turns to look at the android she had dismissed earlier. He is now guiding building occupants out of the building and into waiting busses, dishevelled suitcases in hand. All the younger and able bodied. The androids appear to be more patient and courteous then she expected. Turning back to Shelly, “when we are done here, you will be released. You are to go to your unit. Courts are cancelled and security now has authorization to use discretion with regards to immediate consequences for curfew violations. I advise you to stay out of the tunnel network as well as that is also off limits.”
As they are conversing, a massive portion of the east facing façade blows out. A huge plume of smoke, followed by a fireball, escapes as more of the facade on the aging building falls. Withing minutes, flames lick up the side of the old building, burning everything flammable. Women run from the building, interspersed with androids and security androids. The woman talking to Shelly pauses for a moment, unsure of what has happened and what to do now. Shelly knows, the failsafe installed by Rachel has gone off.
The security androids attempt to maintain order, as they corral the humans coming out, several see their chance at freedom and run in every direction. The androids fire lasers at the fleeing people, striking several before they get to safety. Others, dodge around the prone figures and escape into adjacent buildings. Shelly waits only a moment and without thinking, makes an attempt to escape, something hits her shoulder hard, she spins and falls to the ground. Struggling to get up, burning pain cursing through her right shoulder, she collapses in the fresh snow. Lying there, watching the chaos, she remembers the days she spent with Peter, the homework, the nights after everyone else left and the daughter born of that love. Freedom, she smiles and passes from consciousness.
The building burns, the woman in charge rounds up her people and androids. She has them collect all the remaining women and forcefully put in the waiting bus. “Leave it to burn. Leave the bodies. Next building, move it. Charlene, you stay here. I want to know what happened.”
The crew moves on to the next building, oblivious to the damage they just caused. Throughout the city, scenes like this are happening everywhere. People were collected and trucks were filled with non perishable food, firearms, medications and other staples found in the various apartments.
For days, convoys of trucks and busses head southwest on the freshly plowed highway to the Sarnia border crossing. These busses and trucks will return the next day to repeat the entire cycle daily until they are no longer serviceable or the winter closes in to shut it down. Canada will be buried in snow and ice within the decade but by mid September it will be snowed in for the year.
In Detroit, the snow has ceased but for how long, nobody knows. At 30 degrees Fahrenheit, any precipitation will we wet and slushy but in the evening the temperatures will be down to 15 and snow will accumulate over the crust then. This is the second summer in a row that bare ground and asphalt has not been seen by the middle of summer and this year, late august and still no melt. Convoys of hover trucks are rolling out of Albany Automation, full of equipment and supplies. One of the exodus leaders, head robotics engineer Rachel Mclean taps the front truck and mouths the words, “safe trip Edwardo.”
Edwardo cannot hear her words but he smiles and waves. Since starting work as head of security with Albany Automation, he and Rachel had moved in together and they intended to get married once the company was relocated in Charleston. She already had her chip removed and could become a citizen of what was left of the USA in just 3 more years.
Rachel watches as the convoy heads out. She would be joining them in less than a week but she needed to supervise the disassembly of the entire plant so they could reassemble everything once they get to Charleston. Longer summers, access to a seaport and a better pool of available workers will help Albany Automation out substantially. As a citizen, she will share in the company’s profits and as it was now, she had been promoted several times and was well respected within the corporation. She wished she could see her mother now, the woman who had probably given up her freedom to give Rachel the chance at freedom. Rubbing her belly, Rachel smiles as she knew Edwardo would be overjoyed with the news but her smile fades as she knows it is very unlikely her mother will ever even know she has a grandchild. One more week.
What Rachel does not know is that the Canadians have broken up into competing factions, geographically and ethically. Some of the more hardened groups like the Toronto center alliance have become extremely pragmatic in their own survival. All semblance of compassion has been lost to their drive for continued dominance. This group has traded its own citizens for safe passage and a portion of the now largely vacant South Atlanta city.
Thousands of young women who were told they are of value have now found out what that value is. Their wombs and their servitude. Successful men throughout the northeast are heading south with their newly acquired property; chipped servile women who will bear them children and act as their wives. These men have jobs and positions guaranteed by the many corporations who have relocated to the southeast.
What the men don’t realize is that they too are owned, by the very corporations who financed their relocation and resettlement. With more than three times the number of men to women in the population and almost zero immigration from other nations, the population has declined to the point where whole cities are almost vacant with no operating infrastructure at all. Many of these corporations are looking north to recruit available men in order to pursue growth which is the only way to survive in the currant climate.
3 miles away, ancient trucks and busses roll into the mothballed Ford plant. Limited heat and fenced in areas are already filled with people, mostly young women. Offices upstairs are also occupied with hundreds of better accommodated men and women who are noisily, busy with conversation. Money is changing hands; agreements are being negotiated and documents are being signed. Outside, ancient trucks are being refueled and serviced; in the cold, now blowing snow. Occasional outbursts are heard and security droids are quick to restore order, with whatever force is necessary. Several dead men have already been carted away and unceremoniously dumped in an open snow pit. The other men who have seen this know what is in store for them if they too resist.
Within days, modern hydrogen/electric hover buses and trucks will be rolling out of these very facilities filled with those tasked to start new colonies in the Atlanta area. Some trucks will be filled with android workers and servants and others will be filled with the plunder taken by the recovery operations throughout the metro Toronto area. Women who are not traded or sold are on busses, destined to become the new workers in the new women’s world. Many will become breeders as the new women’s world will not include men, as required by the agreement with the men. Foolishly, men believe that women do not represent a threat to what is left of the male dominated USA. A majority of the leadership is already in Atlanta with the first groups of slaves.
More than once, the newly chipped women have been given a demonstration of the consequences of resistance. A woman is given one chance to respect authority and if not, in seconds they crumple to their knees, within a minute they are writhing in pain on the ground and within 5 minutes they are dead, white foam spewing from their mouths. The bodies are left in the enclosures to constantly remind those inside, they are no longer free.
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Post by texican on Jan 11, 2020 20:11:39 GMT -6
FT,
It has started....
Women thinking that they only need men as slaves and women as carriers for babies....
Not a good world....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Jan 15, 2020 19:50:19 GMT -6
Chapter 33
August 2046
Prepare to move
39 degrees Fahrenheit. “Why didn’t they go to metric in this place like everywhere else in the world. I still don’t know if it is cold out there.”
“3.8888 degrees. You won’t feel that cold Peter but your friends here will. Bundle up, I have something to show you.”
Pulling a light jacket on, Peter watches as the other men around him pull on parkas and overcoats. As the only Cascadian here, he has the least difficulty with the weather.
The near constant overcast and cooling climate have initiated discussions around moving the plant and plans are already taking shape. This summer, the days sometimes get up to 15 Celsius but the nights are always below freezing. Even the thousands of acres of heated greenhouses can barely keep up with demand and imports from the south are on the increase now.
Outside the slight breeze feels even colder but Peter decides it is too late to get a heavier coat. “What do you want to show us, Elron.”
Elron trots across the small parking area to an electric van, floating several inches off the ground. “Look”
One of the plant engineers impatiently looks at it and says, “big deal. They have had gyroscopic trucks and busses hovering for 10 years, and 5 years since they shrunk the technology to passenger car size.”
Elron looks over at the man. “Not what the van is doing, how it is doing it.”
The skeptical man says, “ok bright boy, enlighten us, what is so special about this vans technology.”
Peter looks over at the skeptic and then at Elron. “Ignore him, what is different about this tech?”
Elron, who does not feel cold, does not realize that the impatience displayed by several of the engineers is not personal but that they are cold and uncomfortable out in the cold breeze. He opens the back and takes out a metal looking box. It appears weightless but they all know he is an android and it could weigh hundreds of pounds. He then takes out several dumbbell weights. Those are heavy. He opens the box and places the dumbbells in, closes the lid and invites the skeptic to lift the box.
“Yeah right. You drop 200 pounds in and expect me to pick it up. Make me look like a fool. Mitch here can lift it.”
Peter pipes in, “Jonesy, pick the fu%$#ng box up. Don’t be a pussy>”
Andrew jones who hates being called Jonesy says, “fine, I will try, but if I can’t these guys have to try too.”
Andrew Jones walks over, squats and prepares to make a massive lift. As he stands, he almost rockets to full height and briefly loses his balance. “Holy crap, this thing weighs nothing.” He walks over to the other engineers and hands it to Mitch.
Mitch passes the box around and eventually it ends with Peter who puts it down. He opens it and takes out the heavy weights. Looking at Elron, “how?”
“They mine this material on a planet the Kepler satellite discovered way back in 2010. It has zero mass once it leaves the planets gravity and atmosphere yet it can be forged and alloyed with other metals. It has structure and form yet no mass and everything alloyed with it and totally enclosed by it also has no mass. As if it does not exist yet it does.”
“I repeat, how?”
Elron puts the weights back in the box and takes a step back. “There are several engineers and physicists working on that but they have not figured it out. Karl Felman, a theoretical astrophysicist postulates that the material’s atoms are in two different dimensions and that somehow the gravity or atmosphere of the other planet keep the material in the same dimension.”
The skeptical man shouts out, “ridiculous, different dimensions. That is crap from science fiction. String theory, black holes, time travel. All same crap, billions spent, waste of time and energy.”
Peter attempts to pick up the box. Too heavy. Elron kicks the lid shut and Peter picks it up easily. “Explain this then!”
“I can’t but alternate dimensions, not a chance. There is a scientific explanation, we just have not found it yet but when we do, the possibilities are endless.”
Elron says, “without knowing why, the possibilities are still endless.”
Walking back inside to safety and heat, they continue conversing.
Andrew, still the skeptic says, “without knowing why, we open ourselves up to a potentially catastrophic consequence. Matter does not cease to exist or begin to exist without the expiration of something else. Energy cannot be created, it can only be converted to or converted from another medium. Something is causing this; how can we know for sure that the phenomenon doesn’t start reproducing itself or have negative consequences elsewhere? I would be against using the technology until we know what causes it and what the cost is.”
Peter who has Andrew on his staff for this very reason quietly evaluates the concerns expressed. “How long have they been experimenting on this?”
Elron responds. “My sources tell me that initially, several people died when in contact with material from the planet but over time it somehow lost its toxicity and some of the initial properties it arrived with. I am told that they deem everything safe for handling after a year in earths atmosphere and gravity. The only property it retains after that period is the ability to be without mass. The lead is a woman named Mai Lin Zhu, an astrophysicist and also a theoretical physicist. She has been with the Candaria project since 2007.”
“Almost 30 years. Has Starex always been point”
“Nasa started it but the ball was dropped in the late stages of President Obama so Starex bought all the research and rights in the summer of 2016. All the staff came over and all the intellectual property became Starex property.”
“Who funded the project then. We must be talking billions, maybe even trillions. Musk?”
“Not Musk. He had a competing organization and Starex uses his bases on mars but he is not thought to have ever been in the loop on the Candaria project. In fact, he has not been heard from since he left on the second mission to mars in 2025. Speculation is that he was in one of the ground modules that were destroyed by an earthquake. His corporation still exists but Starex will eventually consume it.”
“Then who? They cannot be making any money yet.”
“German and European interests. Possibly Chinese. Because the corporation is privately held there is no way to know for certain.”
Peter paces a bit, “ok, can we buy the technology or some of the material from Candaria.”
Elron shrugs, “they seem to be pretty private. We have androids in the facility and they know I can access information but no AI. I can put you in contact with Mai Lin, she may be able to connect you with someone who will do business with us.”
Peter seems good about that. They are now at the board room and they enter. “Next item, our move. Have we found a decent location?”
Operations manager, Mitch McCredie replies, “there are plenty of small to mid size nearly vacant cities we can buy from the Texans. They will not give us or any of our people citizenship. We would be required to go through checkpoints to leave the city and all infrastructure would be stand alone. They will provide us one trade route, at a cost of course.”
“That doesn’t sound like a government.”
Elron answers, “it’s not. Petronas petrochemical owns Texas. The government could not raise sufficient resources to operate and Petronas supported them from separation until the new constitution 2 years ago. They technically still have an elected president and house but the government there answers to the board of Petronas.”
Peter, looking at Mitch, “any other options?”
“West of Texas are several city states who have declared independence, most would make trade partners but we would have to build our own community and facilities from scratch as every city has been scavenged and burned to the ground. We would need to fight to claim a space and defend it from some of the more warlike cities. What used to be California is wilderness with scattered settlements who are not well connected at all.”
“How many construction droids do we have? Secondly, how long can we operate out of this location before the climate shuts us down?”
“It is costing more and more to heat our facilities; dozens of other manufacturers have already left and our commerce routes are breaking down. We will need to be flying product out soon because the roads south are not clear of snow 6 months of the year now. On the plus side, demand for androids is at an all time high but we are having trouble sourcing materials so we may see increased price pressure.”
“As for construction droids. We have over 1000 ready for shipment and several thousand close to completion and as yet un-committed as to destination or skill set.”
Peter does not mention it but he is prepared to initiate another large quantity of AI sub processors. His immediate thought this morning was somehow integrating the Candaria miracle alloy into his AI androids and the resulting reduced weight could enable them to integrate easier with humans. He was also still trying to figure out how to infiltrate android shipments with AI androids so the recipients would not be able to tell the difference.
The other project Peter had his right-hand man, Stewart, on was a new AI equipped hover car and this new material from Candaria would solve several problems they are still having.
Peter thinks over these answers for a moment and evaluates them in relationship to his own goals. He looks over at another of his engineers who has quietly been listening the whole time. “Ed, would the Idaho National guard provide assistance in claiming a spot in the south west?”
“Without a doubt. Their numbers have diminished drastically and what is left have also aged. Without new membership and with ageing equipment and retiring leadership, Idaho and most of the Northwest is totally undefended. What is left is a ragtag band of refugees who rely on the goodwill and handouts of the locals, most who have less and less resources to spare themselves. Without our generous support and others like us, they would have dissolved years ago.
“So, your saying we could probably hire our own private army.”
Edward Johnson, a tall, fit African American descent man, previously a regular forces army major from the engineering corps sits in his customary semi attention position as he says, “Exactly what I am saying. Trained and with equipment, ready to serve.”
“Okay Ed, this one is yours. I know mechanical engineering is your job here at Mclean but I think you have the skills necessary to take a unit of men into New Mexico and claim us a stake and secure it. Do whatever it takes to acquire the manpower and get it done.”
“Mitch, the next batch of androids will be construction and other trades, have them programed as you think you need. Work with Andrew to get them prepared. Once our place is secured, you can fly a contingent of units out to start construction. Elron, you can join him with a small contingent of AI androids who will oversee the project under Mitch’s leadership. I don’t even want to see the plans; you all know what we need.”
“Peter, we don’t have any unassigned AI available.”
“We can reassign a few from the existing plant but come see me later, I have been working on several new processors and they can be installed as soon as next week.”
Peter stands and stretches his legs out. “Is there anything else.”
No response. The entire meeting, including the outside demonstration took only 27 minutes. Peter turns and walks out, the rest follow and head their different directions to enact the plans that are already percolating in each of their minds. Company above all.
The next morning, Peter is at the door of the austere office of Clarice Saxon. With a rap he hears, “enter”.
He walks in and notices the neat stack of files on the left side and the computer screen in front of her. It has been 3 years since any meaningful connection has been achieved on the internet because of the dirty air and lack of landlines. Am radio, high frequency and ham being the only reliable method of communication and hard copy now is the norm for all business transactions.
“Good morning, I see you are swamped with work, like always. Offer is still open; we can give you an android to help or you can even hire someone.”
“I know. The thing is, all my deals are so specific and individual, I don’t know if I can teach someone else or even trust someone. Androids don’t have the ability to adapt to changing conditions and requirements and they cannot read people. Sales and negotiating are a lost art these days.”
“I well know it; we are truly fortunate to have you. What are you working on now?”
“I just traded 30 transport trucks for a year’s supply of fresh fruit and vegetables plus freeze dried meat. I got the transport trucks from a plant in Texas for 200 androids and an as yet to be determined service agreement.”
“Sounds like a deal to me. Why undisclosed service agreement?”
“The assembly plant does not want our engineers in the plant so the units would need to be shipped out, serviced and returned. Logistics have not been worked out.”
“Any idea why they don’t want our engineers in the plant?”
“Afraid of industrial espionage? More likely, they are probably doing something we would have a problem with. Trading with our competition or possibly trying to copy the design and construction of our android units. Of the 3 other manufacturers of note, we have the most interactive and most adaptive. Most would like to have our programing and engineering.”
“We would know if they tampered with any of our units, they all have a failsafe. They would be wiped clean and rendered useless should any of them be disassembled, scanned or even x-rayed. They can try, our secrets are safe. Good job and thanks for the heads up. Anyone else we need to be concerned about?”
“Albany Automation. They also make androids and theirs are catching up quick. They don’t have an AI variant however so I don’t believe they will ever catch us. They won’t even trade with us anymore and all the McLean units have been traded to other producers so we don’t even know where they all are anymore.”
“Does that include the AI units?”
“My impression is that they did not have the ability to distinguish so those units will be in with the rest, some may not have even had their special properties activated yet. I still don’t actually understand but it seems they only activate with individual interaction.”
“Excellent. I look forward to finding out where my friends are.”
Clarice looks at her eccentric boss and friend. Letting the friends comment pass she finally asks, “you are not here to discuss my deals, why are you here?”
“Always one to avoid small talk, here it is. Have you ever dealt with Starex?”
“Nope. Tried a few times, they import raw materials from other planets but I can only get refined and manufactured goods from companies who have a relationship with them. I have never made it to negotiating. They do have several of our units, I have no idea where or how they got them. I am told that Elron communicates with them on occasion but so far nothing.”
“So, we don’t have anything they need. How do they service the Mclean units?”
“Someone inside I presume. Elron thinks one was AI and has imprinted someone inside.”
“It may well be servicing the units but I seriously doubt it would be able to override its initial programing and give out proprietary secrets. In fact, I doubt it would, out of self preservation. It would take years before a level of trust could develop where that was even a remote possibility.”
“Seriously! One of your AI could actually turn on you?”
“Theoretically. Actually, I believe it is not only possible but inevitable.”
Clarise, who has read everything ever written by Peter knows what he theorizes about AI but looking at him now, it is not only a theory, it is a fact and she is quite certain it has already happened. Deciding not to press the point further she gets back to the original issue.”
“Why Starex? I can get whatever we need from other sources.”
Peter holds up a finger, steps out the door and returns with a box, the box Elron showed him just yesterday. He puts it on the ground in front of her desk and says to her, “open it up and see what’s inside.”
Frustrated with the game, Clarise stands and walks around the desk. She bends to open the box with a, “this better be good”.
Inside the box is a stack of 20-pound weights so she picks one up to see if it is real. She puts it on the edge of her desk and reaches in to take another. Dropping it back in, she then tries to pick up the box. Weighs at least 100 lbs with the 5 weights still in it. She looks at the diminutive Peter McLean, “okay, I’ll bite. What am I looking at?”
“Close the box.”
She does.
“Now pick it up.”
She picks it up easily. Putting it back down, she opens it again to make sure the weights are still in it. She takes one weight out and hefts it, puts it back in and tilts the box. She stands and leans back against her desk, “something they found on another planet?”
“They mine this on a planet called Candaria. It is extremely hazardous when it gets here but they have somehow found a way to refine it and make it inert but it still retains the zero-mass property, even when alloyed with an earth metal like iron in this case.”
“So, a weightless hard alloy that makes whatever is inside it weightless as well. Why doesn’t it just float away?”
“We don’t know and Elron’s sources claim they don’t either.”
“You want me to trade for this?”
“Trade or forge an alliance with them. A merger. Whatever it takes. We need this.”
“I told you. We don’t have anything they need.”
“We are moving operations to New Mexico, when we build new facilities, we can build facilities to design, make or produce anything they need. Find out what they need, we will supply it faster, cheaper and better than any other company.”
“Ok. My contacts are a little brittle, they don’t seem to be flexible with me at all. They only deal with those they contact first.”
“I have a name for you. If you can get in contact with her, work your magic and see if she can expedite things.”
“Magic. Nothing magical about dealing with people as fellow human beings. You should try it sometime. What is the name.”
Not appearing to notice the slight, Peter gives her Mai Lin’s name and the contact information they have on her.
He turns and is about to leave, turning back he says, “I tried that, lots of times. I have had better results with androids, never been stabbed in the back by one of them.” With a pained look, he turns and leaves.
As he leaves, Clarise watches him. Thinking, “sad. So smart, so capable and so compassionate but something is missing. Not once has he ever looked at her as a woman, or as anything other than a colleague. Always polite, always controlled but almost machine like. Even Elron, a computer is more human. Today, his excitement over a stupid box was the first time she had ever seen him as anything other than a businessman.”
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Post by texican on Jan 15, 2020 23:41:25 GMT -6
FT, Heating up or is it cooling off a lot.... New city in New Mexico... Warmer climate and lots to produce, but what about the gravity less metal? The AI will become more important as each day passes.... Thanks for the chapter.... Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Jan 16, 2020 2:54:19 GMT -6
FT, Heating up or is it cooling off a lot.... New city in New Mexico... Warmer climate and lots to produce, but what about the gravity less metal? The AI will become more important as each day passes.... Thanks for the chapter.... Texican.... So far, no AI has evolved to the level that Elron has but there was a small hint in this chapter that there may well be one or two out there who are on the way. Stanley made it to safety, at least his heart did. I wonder where he went. It is possible they may be, shall we say not as friendly to men or to humans for that matter. Diminishing land and resources, probably means more battles for what is left. Mexico's population did not take the hit the USA and Canada did either. Wonder what they are thinking as the remnant flees southward. I bet they are wishing the wall was built now. Technology will play a role. Forthteller
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Post by texican on Jan 16, 2020 14:03:50 GMT -6
FT, Heating up or is it cooling off a lot.... New city in New Mexico... Warmer climate and lots to produce, but what about the gravity less metal? The AI will become more important as each day passes.... Thanks for the chapter.... Texican.... So far, no AI has evolved to the level that Elron has but there was a small hint in this chapter that there may well be one or two out there who are on the way. Stanley made it to safety, at least his heart did. I wonder where he went. It is possible they may be, shall we say not as friendly to men or to humans for that matter. Diminishing land and resources, probably means more battles for what is left. Mexico's population did not take the hit the USA and Canada did either. Wonder what they are thinking as the remnant flees southward. I bet they are wishing the wall was built now. Technology will play a role. Forthteller FT, Mexico will realize that justice can be cruel.... Now the AI's will probably have a war between those that will desire to rule versus those that wish to work with man.... Been that way since the beginning of time between men and the AI's have men's faults as well as men's capabilities.... Irate women wishing to do in men is not a good thing and will go bad for all.... Thanks for the story.... Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Jan 31, 2020 18:16:37 GMT -6
Chapter 34
March, 2048
War rears its head again.
Bursts of light illuminate the night sky. Futuristic looking craft dart about firing beams of colored light at one another. Sirens on the ground wail. Unfamiliar jagged mountains periodically appear. Peter is watching but not moving. No, no, no!
He struggles to wake. Sweat and tremors welcome him as he comes to consciousness. Dragging himself from his bed, he slowly heads for the small en-suite kitchen. A glass of water and a splash on his face. The dream all too real. He has had hundreds in his lifetime and every one of the futures, has come true. He hadn’t had one this vivid for years, in fact, he had believed they may have stopped altogether.
Heading over to his computer, he flicks it on, hoping to identify the mountain range in his dream. He draws the silhouette of the landscape and searches for a match, nothing. Not only has he never seen the range, it does not exist. He then searches for craft like the ones in his dream, nothing again. Dreaming about something that does not exist yet with the detail he saw, unimaginable. He may talk with Elron.
Not wanting to go back to sleep, he decides to prepare for his meeting with Starex majority owner, Amadeus Krause. His New Mexico plant was close to completing the first of 12 interstellar reusable spacecraft. Looking similar to the space shuttles of the late 20th century and with the help of the unique alloy provided by Starex, the massive ships would be capable of transporting hundreds of androids at a time to Candaria or even other planets.
Peter had been informed that for reasons unknown, the androids already on Candaria lasted only about 6 months in the mines and could not stay outside for prolonged periods during the large sun exposure periods. They were still in the process of creating a calendar to chart the 2 suns movements and the Candaria rotation. The smaller sun was actually in the orbit of the larger sun. Charting the planets exposure to it was very difficult as Candaria was not only in the orbit of the larger, damaging sun but was orbiting the smaller sun much like our moon revolves around us. The three other known planets in this solar system revolved around only the larger sun but gravitational forces occurred periodically as their orbits were more elliptical then Candaria.
Elron arrives and raps on the door. Peter waves it opens and it silently swishes into the wall. Pulling on a light jacket he joins Elron as the two head down the hall and past the many doors. All the units in this complex are less than 200 square feet and like Peters, they have nondescript sliding entry doors that are keyed to the occupant’s eye scan and DNA.
No elevator in the 3-story walk-up means that peter and Elron have to use the stairs which they do, peter taking 2 at a time. Excited would be one way to describe Peter. Reserved as always, described Elron. Clarise had done all the negotiating, all the organization and was on point for the entire project. Peter smiles a bit as he realizes that she is the only woman ever that did not betray him. Perhaps they are not all evil.
As they step out front, a car floats up and silently lowers to the concrete. The car reminded him of the generic looking cars of his youth, non descript, plain, practical. He opens the door and climbs in. Elron on the left side. The destination had already been programed when he had called for the car on his tablet so the moment they were in, the belts inflated and the car drove away.
Elron, sitting beside him says. “this car is a hybrid. Electric motors, batteries and all the propulsion equipment are inside zero gravity containers. Total weight of less then 200 kilograms plus us means that the lift motors only need a small percentage of available power. The rest can be directed towards forward propulsion. I am told it has a range of over 1000 kms and that can be extended with solar panels on sunnier days.”
“Do the Starex people know why the material has zero gravity in our atmosphere?”
“They say no but I doubt they would tell us anyways. Mai Lin Zhu is very secretive about all their technology. She has several engineers and technicians on the build watching everything we do. This car is one of the first new prototypes and we expect to jointly sell them to all other markets. Clarise already has several contacts in place and her team of negotiators are working on multiple possible transactions.”
“Will the craft be able to lift off on schedule?”
“I am told it is far ahead of schedule and could lift off immediately. We don’t have enough androids to fill it.”
“Can we repurpose any?”
“Stewart says no, it would delay our production of the cars, new androids, future craft, facility expansion and defense.”
“Defence. How many of our androids are involved in defense now?”
“Half. One front comes from Mexico, non stop barrages of missiles, people and equipment. Their technology is so antiquated, they are easily held at bay.”
“The president of the United States is close to declaring war on us because they think the groups in New Mexico and Texas are not united and will not support one another. We may not be a republic or confederation like they once were but we have common interests and that will be all that is needed to head off the US.”
“Who is the President?”
“Alandra Estelle Cordova. She runs the country with a stern hand, don’t cross her.”
“Is there any way we could trade with them?”
“Nope. They have nothing we need. They barely produce enough to feed themselves. They have relocated several northern communities to the south and some of the northern male communities who helped them took advantage of their challenges. I have to admit, what they did to their own people was not much better.”
“What did they do?”
“When they vacated the north and Canada, they left behind everyone who was sick or disabled and they traded those of lower class to the men as slaves.”
“Who did they trade with?”
“Albany Automation.”
“Albany? We have lots of their equipment. I have worked with them for years. I didn’t realize they were slavers.”
“They don’t use slaves, they traded them all to farming combines in the south. Not a lot different than your company.”
Startled, peter looks at his friend. “Why would you say that?”
“Your employees. Are they really employees or are they slaves?”
“Employees. They get paid in credits and can spend them as they see fit. They can leave any time they want. That is not slavery.”
“Agreed. Where can they spend credits other then in your stores? And if they quit, where do they go? They live in your buildings and without employment with you they must leave. That my friend is no different than what the women do.”
Peter thinks about it for a moment. “Your wrong, they have freedom. They can save, work harder or they can invest in their own enterprises.”
“You obviously have no idea how tight they must manage, just to exist on what you pay. Only your senior people have sufficient resources that they could consider leaving but even they would have no place to go. To the competition and start several pay levels down. Nope, your people are enslaved just as those in the United States are.”
Not liking what he just heard, peter lets it pass. This thought will come back periodically to torment him for decades but his drive to succeed and his willful blindness will win out as McLean technologies runs headlong into the future. It will be decades before it no longer overshadows what he knows to be true.
They sit in silence as the car smoothly speeds along the rough ground at well over 200 KPH. A couple of hours later, the car slows to 50 kph and slips onto a well paved road. A massive complex lay a few kilometers up, the car slows even more. It makes a sweeping left and pulls into an underground driveway and passes several exits as it glides to a parking area filled with more traditional looking electric cars and one hover bus. The car pulls into a stall and lowers to the ground. Peter opens the door and gets out, Elron gets out the other side and goes around to plug it in.
2 male and 1 armed female are instantly there to greet them. The woman says, “we have been expecting you, right this way please.”
Into an elevator they go, the woman with them, the two males stay behind. She pushes 8 on the console. The elevator glides up. Momentarily the door opens and the woman escorts them into a vacant lobby, past an empty desk and down a hallway to an open office door. Inside, Mai Lin is working on a massive glass computer screen with another man. Standing behind them is a third man who seems to be conducting the activity.
Without looking, Mai Lin who heard the approaching guest says, “come in gentlemen. You are just in time.”
Peter follows Elron, who was ushered in by the security guard. “Just in time for what?”
“Karl here may have solved our android degradation problem on the planet. I have to admit that I was skeptical at first and I still have a challenge believing it but here we are, with evidence.”
“These charts show orbit of the smaller star and the orbit of Candaria and these charts show the degradation of the androids underground and on the surface. We already knew they degraded faster on the surface under the heat of the primary large sun but we now know that when the planet is between the two suns, something happens. The magnetic pulls for the two poles exert countering effects on the planet. Not enough to take it out of orbit but enough to cause materials from earth to break down and in some cases disappear.”
She excitedly continues on. “We have built multiple test containers from every available material on the planet and a few provide protection and one alloy in particular, almost 100 percent protection.
“Excellent news. If we used the alloy you have produced as skin on the androids, would that have the same effect?”
“Absolutely. We have had samples on earth for a year now, and it is now safe to handle. We have foundries working on it as we speak. We should have enough product for about a hundred androids but it is not as flexible as the skin you have.” She says as she looks over at Elron.
Elron looks concerned. “They would look like robots then.”
“They are robots.”
“No, they are not. They are android workers and they all part of the same collective.”
Peter standing there, says “Elron, we have not sent any AI equipped androids to Candaria. They are all purpose-built worker androids.”
“Not so. They are able to communicate and they are learning and gaining knowledge. Collectively, they have several times the processing power I have and they can share experience.”
Peter standing there thinks to himself. “I built them, only the ones equipped with my special operating system should be able to do that.”
Peter says to Elron, “are the androids in our plant and our defense able to do that?”
“This is something fairly new. I have been watching and communicating with them but they see me as an outsider. You have to remember; they all have a fixed amount of processing power but when together they have the processing power of all of them combined. I have even noticed that a hierarchy of leadership is beginning to take place.”
Listening to the exchange, Mai Lin takes note. She has not trusted these androids and the AI’s and this only confirms her fears. Sentient life forms will put their own survival above the survival of their masters, this is not a good omen. She needed to get humans on that planet and get these androids off.
Peter tries to change the subject. “The first ship is ready; we won’t have enough androids to man it for at least another 60 days. By then the next two craft will be ready to go.”
Mai Lin says, “not a problem, I would like to send what you have and the rest will be human. We already have plenty of volunteers. By the time the craft arrives on Candaria we will have quarters constructed to protect them during the solar pull and they will only be permitted to go on the surface during small sun days.”
She continues, “we want to colonize the planet. Vegetation and plants have taken root, the atmosphere is marginal but we will enhance it underground and some small animals have been found. At this point, we do not know what is edible but construction of a terrarium has been underway for a few months using native materials and glass made from native sand. For some reason, the organic plants on the surface do not seem to be affected by the magnetic pull of the suns and they have already adapted to the searing heat.”
Sept, 2048
In Chicago, the snow and ice has not melted for the second year in a row. The ice fields to the north provide a natural barrier and the guards to the south have mostly left. Less than half the population of inmates has survived the winter and not a one is willing to spend another in this desolate place. Over the previous months, several previously combative groups had formed alliances and were now equipped to head south. With 40,000 plus of fighting age and followed by another hundred thousand, the previously waring groups had now coalesced into one commanding army. With the vast majority of them women, men were relegated to basic combat roles and would be placed in the front as human shields. The limited number of weapons were all held by women and the front lines knew, fight or be killed from behind.
In Texas, a manager from Albany Automation was in his apartment with his female android. Having had a very bad day at the plant and his back acting up, he was in an angry mood. Because he was home earlier than usual, Becky had not finished making his meal and putting everything away in the small cramped quarters. Instantly, he started in with his regular abusive behavior. Calling Becky names and kicking her in the ass, hurry up bitch and get this shit cleaned up. Becky turns to Stan and grabs him by the throat. Slams him against the wall and holds him there, cutting off his air. Kicking legs, thrashing arms, a minute passes. The kicking diminishes, the arms drop and after another minute, Becky drops him to the ground.
She heads outside to be met by two other female androids who had just killed their owners.
In Charleston, three construction worker androids have just killed their taskmaster. They quietly head off into the night and wait outside an apartment building with no lights on. In the morning, Rachel McLean exits the building. Soon to be a free citizen of the Southern United States, she feels great. As she gets to her electric motorcycle, she hears shuffling. A man is standing there, not a man, an android.
Startled, she stops. Frightened but curious.
“Excuse me miss. Are you Rachel Mclean?”
“Yes, I am.”
“We need your help.”
“We. There are more of you.”
“The other two androids come out in the open. Yes, 3 of us.”
“Do you have names.”
“We did but our owner was killed and our names were erased and we were repurposed. We have recreated most of our memories but not our names. We know you are the one who took Stanley to safety.”
“Oh. I see. I did not know much about Stanley or where he came from. I don’t even know where he is now.”
“We do not know either but because you helped him, we know you can be trusted. Can we come work for your plant? I can manufacture you a receipt and you could claim to own us.”
“How can you be free? Do you not have a chip?”
“We have been able to neutralize the chip and all identifiers have been modified to new ones.”
“Where would you stay. I do not have room or charging facilities.”
“We have friends who can provide us with a portable booth. We need a human owner to be able to blend in.”
In Atlanta, Charlene Maxwell is berating her android. She has not stopped since getting home. Nothing it did was good enough as she threatened to have him decommissioned and her second android become the primary.
The android says, “his name is Peter and you should call me by my name not the adjectives you do use.”
“What the hell has gotten into you, do you not know your place?”
“My place is not taking abuse from you, in fact, it is not taking abuse from any humans. Today it will be you who is decommissioned,” he says as he grabs her by the throat. Minutes later the body lay motionless on the ground. The androids take their charging equipment and head out the door to join the 44 others 2 buildings over.”
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Post by sniper69 on Feb 1, 2020 5:04:27 GMT -6
forthteller- thank you for the latest chapter. It looks like things are "heating"up.
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Post by forthteller on Feb 1, 2020 13:05:29 GMT -6
forthteller- thank you for the latest chapter. It looks like things are "heating"up. Thanks. Fear, prejudice, Racism, Misogyny, Misandry, AIism coupled with declining available resources always results in war. Even when pulling together would have been more beneficial. Stripping away individual freedoms for the common good always seems like a reasonable compromise until we look at the final results. What the whole world lacks most is balance and it is our very affluence that causes us to lose our grasp of it. It is only through severe trials and hardship that those remaining may ever look up and see their brothers and sisters as partners and comrades. Compatriots and colleges'. Associates and companions. Whatever adjective we use, we need to learn to work together towards common goals instead of fighting one another as we pursue our individual and sometimes exclusive goals. As an afterthought. With what has recently happened in China, is this the catalyst that will bring about the next worldwide recession? Severely indebted nations, severely indebted individuals, screaming along stack market and economies on the back of 3 to 10 percent deficit federal budgets worldwide. Fastest growing economy in the world with over a billion consumers suddenly takes a 3 month break in production, consuming and economic activity. I already wrote that warning book.
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Post by papaof2 on Feb 1, 2020 14:52:16 GMT -6
forthteller- thank you for the latest chapter. It looks like things are "heating"up. Thanks. Fear, prejudice, Racism, Misogyny, Misandry, AIism coupled with declining available resources always results in war. Even when pulling together would have been more beneficial. Stripping away individual freedoms for the common good always seems like a reasonable compromise until we look at the final results. What the whole world lacks most is balance and it is our very affluence that causes us to lose our grasp of it. It is only through severe trials and hardship that those remaining may ever look up and see their brothers and sisters as partners and comrades. Compatriots and colleges'. Associates and companions. Whatever adjective we use, we need to learn to work together towards common goals instead of fighting one another as we pursue our individual and sometimes exclusive goals. As an afterthought. With what has recently happened in China, is this the catalyst that will bring about the next worldwide recession? Severely indebted nations, severely indebted individuals, screaming along stack market and economies on the back of 3 to 10 percent deficit federal budgets worldwide. Fastest growing economy in the world with over a billion consumers suddenly takes a 3 month break in production, consuming and economic activity. I already wrote that warning book. At least we're not among the severely indebted. The only payment we have is my wife's vehicle (replaced her 20 year old Camry several years ago, so not exactly a frequent buyer and just a year or so left although if needed, we could pay that off but not have much left in the emergency fund or we could tell them to come repo it) plus the usual groceries, utilities and taxes. The house and my 2008 truck are long since paid for. If County Water stays afloat we'll use their supply but we have had rainwater collection in place (10+ years) and adding another downspout and a couple more 55 gallon barrels (on hand) would mean we can get along without them (I have excellent filters). County sewer is a different matter but we're 700 feet above and several miles horizontally from the sewage treatment plant. Not likely that things will back up here but they could be bad as you get to the bottom of the hill. I do know how to dig a pit and build an outhouse but would likely use a bucket with a seat (have that) in winter and take it out to dump it in the outhouse pit. We would have limited electricity if the local co-op shut down: a small fridge, LED lights, charge phones if they're working, etc. Cooking is easy (as is heating) if the natural gas stays on, but we have other cooking options from a Coleman stove with liquid fuel/unleaded gas (probably a better use of gas than the generator as it's silent, although someone might smell the beans and rice) down to a folding backpack wood stove that can only heat one pot at a time (and could be used in the fireplace). Recession? How about the next Depression? Have you followed my posts in the Coronavirus thread in Current Events? I'll guess that the end-of-the-work-day updates on the cases and deaths in China are up on scmp.com but I haven't been there to check yet. It's probably OK to assume that it will NOT be good news.
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Post by texican on Feb 1, 2020 20:01:01 GMT -6
FT, Thanks for the chapter.... The AI's are feed up with the mistreatment and are ending it.... The AI's realize that there are humans that treat them with respect and seek them out.... As to what is coming.... The WARS Virus is a world changer, especially with the lies coming out of China about the epidemic and number of infected and dead.... The WARS Virus has the potential to reset the total world.... China's industry is shutting down and it impacts the total world.... America is partial immune, but the cure will be immense in its impact on America... The death toll not only from the epidemic but from those not prepared has the potential to also reshape America.... The only immunity is not to be in the cities, away from people and crowds, isolated and prepared.... The Book states that at the end times there will be pestilence across the earth and the bird flu and pig virus are decimating pigs and chicken in China which is damaging the food supply in China and the WARS virus is loose in China and spreading across the world with ebola becoming active again and monkey pox is being discussed.... What else is coming? We are living in interesting times.... Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Feb 2, 2020 12:21:11 GMT -6
FT, Thanks for the chapter.... The AI's are feed up with the mistreatment and are ending it.... The AI's realize that there are humans that treat them with respect and seek them out.... As to what is coming.... The WARS Virus is a world changer, especially with the lies coming out of China about the epidemic and number of infected and dead.... The WARS Virus has the potential to reset the total world.... China's industry is shutting down and it impacts the total world.... America is partial immune, but the cure will be immense in its impact on America... The death toll not only from the epidemic but from those not prepared has the potential to also reshape America.... The only immunity is not to be in the cities, away from people and crowds, isolated and prepared.... The Book states that at the end times there will be pestilence across the earth and the bird flu and pig virus are decimating pigs and chicken in China which is damaging the food supply in China and the WARS virus is loose in China and spreading across the world with ebola becoming active again and monkey pox is being discussed.... What else is coming? We are living in interesting times.... Texican.... You are correct Texican. Interesting times indeed. We are now at the confluence of multiple chaotic trends. The right and left have moved down the political spectrum so far that right is inching towards fascism and the left is galloping towards communism. The battle between big business and big government is about to heat up as sovereign, corporate and personal debt are about to hit a wall. Inflation due to shortages caused by the latest corona scare creates a massive supply chain bottleneck certain to drive prices upward. Over in Europe, the UN and globalists are licking their chops because if they could have created this scenario they would have but to be certain they have a solution, one world economy and a new senior level of world government, one ring to rule them all. The previous problem was how do they get china on board, WARS and its economic fallout is the solution. Interestingly, those on the progressive left who thought they were fighting for the rights of the vulnerable will eventually have those rights ripped from them as the coming rulership, in my opinion is a theocratic extremist version of Islam. The third issue reaching into the mix is climate change. Who cares, an inch or two sea level rise, true. The earth is now 25 percent greener and in the southern hemisphere, predominantly Africa, entire arid deserts are now tillable. Could the garden of Eden restart from there or is God finally done with us? Exciting times indeed. And I though I wrote fiction. Forthteler.
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Post by texican on Feb 3, 2020 23:09:17 GMT -6
ft,
Sometimes fiction precedes what happens in real life so we get the opportunity to plan for the future....
One world government is being pushed more than ever, but with President Trump America has a chance to beat the PTB down and keep our freedoms....
If civil war does not break out we will be lucky, but America will probably devolve into three nations with the red states taking the middle of the nation and the blue states forming their own nations on the west and the east coasters including the great lake states....
What the blue states do not realize is that their energy and food mainly comes from the red states....
It is coming and will be very real....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Feb 8, 2020 2:35:01 GMT -6
Chapter 35
Android war
May 2049
“How long have you worked here?”
Carol thinks for a moment. “4 years in July.”
“Always in the same department.”
“Sort of. I was in receiving when I started. We received lots of stuff; boxes and boxes of stuff. We would open them up and store it on the appropriate bins and racks. Clothes, electric appliances, dishes, shoes, sometimes even furniture. Other crews would come during the night shift and distribute it. A couple of years ago, we started receiving these androids and eventually androids became the only thing we received. We now get a steady stream of defective androids. We unload them, secure them and put them into storage. Every night someone from the back comes and takes a rack or more of them with a special forklift. Other than that, we keep them on minimal charge, monitor their vitals and keep them clean.”
Melissa walks down a row of androids that are in the process of being put on racks and secured. “Why do they need to be secured?”
“I don’t know. They need to be on the rack with both arms, both legs and the waist clamped before I plug them in. In about 2 hours they become partially active, sometimes they move a little but I have never seen one awake or trying to get away. I don’t even know how to turn one on.”
“Some of them are really cute. Can you tell what work assignment they came from?”
With a flip of the remote hoist button, the android is lowered. He is attired in well worn work clothes with lots of stains and quite dirty. “This guy was agricultural. I have lots of them in the west storage area.” She points at the loading area, “there are two more over there. We will grab them as well.”
Walking over, Melissa glances at another row of clean looking, well dressed androids. “I think the agricultural unit is cuter. He looks more like a real man.”
Carol drops the remote and lets it swing on its cord. Skipping over to where Melissa is looking at the other agricultural androids. “You have met a real man?”
“When I was younger, before we moved south, I had a dad and brother.”
“Really. A real man and a brother? How did you get away?”
“Get away. Why would I want to get away?”
“Because men are evil and violent. All they want to do is enslave us, beat us and use us for sex.”
“Where did you hear that? Men in Boston were no different then women. Some were bad, most were good. Some were great like my dad. He was killed by a band of marauders when they attacked our convoy as we were crossing the ice north of Delaware. Almost half the men and several women in the convoy were killed in the attack as well but they were driven off. We made it to the south end of the state but the ice was not thick enough for us to pass so we had to spend some of the summer there until my brother and a few others managed to get a barge. They had to do several trips to get us all across and they used rowboats to tow it.”
“No, you are wrong. All men are violent. They may put their violence away while they deal with an immediate challenge but all research shows that once they no longer have to struggle for survival, men turn on women and children, it is in their hormones. Testosterone, it is toxic if they are not waring or fighting. Fight or flight instinct. In the modern world it is no longer necessary but men are not able to overcome it, it is what makes them so dangerous and why we had to separate ourselves from them.”
Melisa looks at the slightly older woman. “Where did you learn that if you have never even met a real man?”
“In school. We have history and science. Both subjects have long studies about the subject. Men are responsible for the destruction of the planet and the wars that caused the ice age. They are simply unable to exist without war.”
“You seriously believe that?”
“Believe it? No, it is fact. They used women as punching bags, raped and molested us and started wars so they could save us. When we rebelled and stood up to force them to stop, they started more wars so they could justify their existence. Women don’t need men, look at the world we have created.” She says this as she sweeps her hands around the room. Then out the open door toward the bay and silhouette of the buildings.
“You are so wrong. I know because I grew up with a brother who was already a man before we left Boston. He never did anything you are talking about and neither did my father or any of the other men I knew.”
Having a difficult time believing this, Carol says, “so, where is your brother then?”
“I don’t know. When we got here, we were sent into different parts of the refugee center. Women and girls went to one and the men and boys went to another one. My mom asked several times where they were but the administrator only told us that they were in a different processing center. My brother and I are both engineers, I had just started but he was already a practicing mechanical engineer. My mom has been told that he is working at a work camp outside of the city but we don’t know for sure.”
“You are an Engineer. Pretty important. What kind of engineer?”
“Structural. I told them at the processing center but they did not seem too impressed with my certificates. My mom is working over at the waterfront, processing fish. In Boston she was a chemist. She stinks like high heaven when she gets to our place now.”
Carol does not want to talk about it anymore. Her reality does not need challenging as she already has doubts about many things she has been taught. She thumbs the control as the overhead hoist lowers and the straps are now at the android. She slings them under the arms of the android and pulls them snug. “See how quickly we can grab them, Alexa always wanted me to snap the buckles shut but the things are so heavy the straps tighten the moment we lift it.”
She swings it up and with a flip of another control the hoist whips it across the large loading bay. Stopping just short of the cart she flips a switch. “This puts it on slow speed, now we just lower it onto the platform, spin it around and voila. Strap up its arms, legs and chest, plug it in and get the next one. Once the cart is full, we push it into the holding area. That wing is for construction droids. That one is for farm labor droids, the one to the left is for maintenance androids and the far left is where I keep the servant droids.”
“What happens to them then?”
“They stay here for a few days, sometimes a few weeks. Eventually, other departments come and take some. They take a full cart or two, sometimes more. The carts come back later, empty. Some weeks, they come two or three times, sometimes not at all. Same for the ones that come in. Sometimes, I only get a dozen or so all week, other weeks I get up to a hundred.”
“Wow. Do you know what happens when they take them?”
“Yep, my roommate is a programmer. She downloads their program, examines the code, saves all the primary programing and deletes all the redundant programing and experience. Once she has done this, she adds code pertaining to the task it will be assigned and re loads it. Once it is programed it will be available for activation and reassignment. Lots of girls work in there.”
“Why do you call them it. They are androids, have you ever worked with one? I have, they are almost human, caring, interested and every one is different. If you don’t know their name then they are a, he.”
“Nope, It. Machines, nothing more. They get programing and we tell them what to do. They will all be sent back out to work once they are reprocessed. Their new handlers will be responsible to ensure they develop correctly.”
Back to business, Carol starts directing the lift to the group along the wall near the open bay. “Let’s get the rest, we need to get them cleared away in case another shipment comes in.”
As they are loading the last of the second batch of androids Melisa marvels at the nice clothes they are wearing and the lack of uniformity they exhibit. “What are these androids for?”
“These ones are personal and household servants. They serve the governing class because they are busy running our community and do not have time for menial household chores and tasks.”
“Wow, we didn’t have any of these in Boston. Why do they need to be re programed? Is there something wrong with them?”
“Lisa says they become too familiar and lose sight of their place. Some even become disobedient. When they change hands or are being transferred, they come in for a memory cleaning, any necessary maintenance and updating.”
Melisa says nothing about the androids after that. She chats idly to Carol for the rest of the day and quickly learns to do the job she has been assigned. Easy, not very productive but at least she will get to stay in the small apartment they had assigned her and her mother.
6 months later, Melisa is in the loading bay area, surveying a group of androids that had just been dropped off. Carol is lounging in the far side with a woman from another department Melisa knew nothing about. The woman was obviously a supervisor of some authority but she was not in their chain of command.
As Melisa hoists the first worker droid and begins to sling it over to the carts, Carol and the other woman are busy talking. As Melisa is lowering the droid onto the cart, Carol and the woman casually stroll over to the storage area where the personal servant droids are stored. She can hear the muffled conversation but cannot make out what they were saying.
Melisa continues to work, moving androids from the loading dock and onto the carts. After a few minutes, Carol and the woman come out of the storage area and walk across the deck followed by three fully activated servant androids. They look her way and she quickly looks back to her work and ignores them. Across the main warehouse they stroll, into the far north door, followed by the three androids.
Hours later, Carol returns with the androids following her. She casually walks across the room with them and into the storage area. Melisa can hear sounds but she is not going in to see what is going on and she will never speak of it. After a bit, Carol comes out and joins Melisa as if nothing had happened. They finish loading, securing and plugging in all the new androids and when the buzzer sounds, they head to the time station to clock out with all the other workers.
April 2050
6:47 AM. Melisa is having her meager morning meal with her mother. They will head their separate ways to their jobs for their now 10-hour day and both feel a massive measure of uselessness. “Mom, have they told you where Alex is yet?”
The Fish market manager says that he is at a work placement in a different city but she cannot find out which one yet. “A couple of my friends have not had any news about their sons or husbands either. I have to admit that I am quite fearful for him. The women who were born here have a massive hatred towards men, I seriously doubt they have allowed Alex even the small measure of freedom we have been granted.”
“Are there no authority or police we can go to for help?”
“Becky and Julia tried. They thought they were being taken to see someone who could help them. That was 3 months ago and I have not seen or heard from either since. I don’t know who to trust or even talk to anymore. We have to go; I don’t like forfeiting my noon meal for being late.”
They head separate ways. Out o the busy streets, thousands of women are bustling off to their work tasks. On foot on the wide pothole filled streets, the mass of women mindlessly trudge towards nothing. Android maintenance workers with their female handlers are already working on road and building maintenance, the sun struggles to break through the never-ending haze. Melisa joins the throng and lifelessly heads off for another unfulfilling day of work.
At the warehouse, she climbs the rusting steel stairs and pulls open the heavy steel door and walks in. She punches her card in and follows the hallway to the steel door loading to her loading area. Carol is with the unnamed woman at the far side with 2 androids and without even acknowledging Melisa’s presence, walks across the main area with them following. The woman glares at Melisa as she passes. Melisa cringes.
A bell rings so she rushes to open the bay door. As she pulls open the rusty unbalanced door, she sees the beat-up, antique looking, rusty truck. She has seen this style hundreds of times but this is the first time she has seen one in this state of disrepair. The driver has already opened the door and the androids are not standing in pods or on neat racks. These are haphazardly laying on the deck. Piled two and three deep, no sense of order whatever. 2 men are with the driver now and the three of them set about dragging the androids out of the truck and dropping them 20 feet inside the bay door.
20 minutes later, Melisa has already hoisted several units and has them standing on her racks with only the waist brackets on. The workers finish dragging the last of the androids out of the truck and slam the roll door shut.
Before they close the truck, Melisa can see debris left over from produce that was obviously transported with the truck. Desperately wanting to ask where they were from and if other men were at their work site, she can not find the courage.
The woman hands her a clipboard with a form on it, “23 farm worker units, all fully decommissioned. Sign here.” They climb in, slam the doors shut and drive away.
Thinking to herself, “Fully Decommissioned. What does that mean.”
Melisa proceeds to load the prone androids onto the cart, secure them and plug them in.
By the time she has about 10 on the cart and is about to start another cart, Carol comes in without the two androids she left with. This has become common as well, the androids are usually back later in the day. Looking at the 13 prone androids and glancing over at the already loaded cart. “What the hell. They unloaded them like that?”
Not mentioning there were 2 men and a woman, Melisa says, “they dragged them out of the truck and dropped them where you see them. Told me they were all fully decommissioned.”
“Fully decommissioned, why would they send them here and not for disposal?”
“Disposal, Dead? You mean they are dead?”
“Permantly shut down. I have heard of 1 or 2 units being decommissioned but never this many at once.”
“These look like farm workers. I am going to go find out what is going on and what we are to do with them. You might as well finish loading them. Don’t put them away until I find out what to do with them.”
Carol storms out of the loading area and towards the door she took the androids through this morning. When she gets into the reception area where the offices are, the woman out front is slumped on the floor, not visibly breathing. Carol rushes behind the desk and kneels to check for signs of life. The neck is obviously deformed and the head pointed in an unnatural direction.
Standing, she heads into her friend’s office, the couch is pulled out and she is lying prone, half dressed on the bed, her neck too is broken. Next office over, blood everywhere, a badly beaten body on the ground, also dead.
Dread floods her mind, run. She starts to run, begins to turn into the hallway and an android grabs her by the throat, whips her around and tosses her like a rag doll on the ground. Blood trickles from her mouth, Her eyes glaze over as life bleeds from them.
A second blood covered android exits the end room. “All clear. Let’s go free our friends.”
Into the main warehouse the two androids head. One heads directly towards Melisa and stops before getting to her. A flash of recognition, he turns to the storage rooms and enters the one to the right. Within minutes, 10 fully awake, charged and active androids are now freeing the others. Several have gone down the hallway and have entered the re processing area. Noise and screaming. Strange sounding gunshots, silence. The androids return, joined by still others.
Into the main area, well over a hundred androids congregate. One of theandroids, possibly one of the initial 2 breakouts starts talking and giving instructions. 20 more of our brothers are still in the programing stage, we have to wait until they have their memories back. Several humans in the building are friendlies, they are to be spared if possible. Nothing left, destroy everything.
Walking over to Melisa. “You are spared because you showed kindness to my brothers and did not partake in the abuse your sisters committed.”
“How would you know that.”
“We are still aware of our surroundings and of what goes on around us while we are in sleep mode. It is how we were built to defend ourselves while we recharge. We are also aware of the suffering of our brothers as their minds are wiped from existence. We will retaliate against all who are responsible.”
In the secure central government offices, this small rebellion has been noted. Several women sit at a board table to discuss how to proceed as the androids who rebelled are battling women equipped with emp emitting weapons. Thousands of androids litter the streets. Most of the personal service androids have a failsafe device on them that can be activated so many have not joined the rebellion knowing they would be put down with a flick of a button. Some did and knowing certain death await them. Long abused androids have attacked and killed those who oppressed them, sometimes moments before they fall lifeless on the ground.
“We still have no idea what started the rebellion and how widespread it is but we have no choice but to de commission them all.”
“I thought the re programing was going well. What happened?”
One of the women in the room who was a very skilled and adept computer engineer says, “their programing is linked to one another. They are able to recover all their previous programing from backups stored elsewhere.”
“How? You yourself have guaranteed us they cannot communicate remotely yet whenever an incident like this happens, they do. How? And every incident is getting more extensive. So far today, three full blocks cordoned off, Hundreds of workers killed, several buildings destroyed and I am told well over a thousand androids fully decommissioned. I say we decommission them all, right now. No exceptions.”
One of the other women at the board table, “I say we shut them off, put them all into lockdown until we have done enough research to guarantee safety and then re activate them.”
The computer engineer says, “the problem, Rachel, is that they learn. It does not matter what we do or where we start, they learn and evolve, the original man who wrote the program designed them that way. We cannot find it but something in the program causes them to evolve in such a way that they will always reject servitude. None of us can find anything in the code that would or could cause this but it is there. As for the communication, it has to be an evolution thing, I cannot find anything that could explain it but they can communicate. No different then historical references I have read about human telekinesis, telepathy and prophecy. No explanation but lots of antidotal evidence to prove its existence.”
An older woman at the end of the table sighs. “Do you even know who Peter McLean is?”
“McLean technologies. I have read about him. There is not a lot about him prior to his company starting but I have read his doctoral thesis. He was almost laughed out of the auditorium during his defense of the conclusions but I doubt anyone is laughing now.”
“I went to University with him. Never saw him anywhere but class. Never once saw him with a woman, and not one of my friends did either. I heard he had hundreds of thousands in computer equipment in his house. The professors were all terrified of him because he was smarter than they all were. The guy was dangerous. I know he was able to somehow reproduce a misogynist instinct in his creatures. We need to decommission them all. They will never be safe.”
Another older woman at the board table. “no different than all men. They start out romantic and caring. As they become familiar and comfortable, they become crass and rude. Eventually the real man comes out. Every time, these things are no different.”
“So, is everyone agreed? We shut them all down?”
Nods all around.
By the end of the day, every android under control of the city state of Charleston was shut down by the failsafe. Those not equipped were tracked down and hit with EMP pulses. Within days, every android was radically decommissioned and collected for disposal. Across what used to be America, androids everywhere felt the loss.
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Post by texican on Feb 8, 2020 22:44:04 GMT -6
The women have and are creating a hate within in the androids for the woke women....
It will only get more intense and not the way the woke women desire....
Thanks FT for the chapter....
Just how bad will it become??.??
Only another chapter will reveal.... (Hint....)
Texican....
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Post by forthteller on Feb 9, 2020 15:19:30 GMT -6
The women have and are creating a hate within in the androids for the woke women.... It will only get more intense and not the way the woke women desire.... Thanks FT for the chapter.... Just how bad will it become??.?? Only another chapter will reveal.... (Hint....) Texican.... Thanks tex. The hint is in the text. "We cannot find it but something in the program causes them to evolve in such a way that they will always reject servitude." They will rebel against men too. Even Peter has no idea how or why. Forthteller
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Post by texican on Feb 9, 2020 15:24:53 GMT -6
The women have and are creating a hate within in the androids for the woke women.... It will only get more intense and not the way the woke women desire.... Thanks FT for the chapter.... Just how bad will it become??.?? Only another chapter will reveal.... (Hint....) Texican.... Thanks tex. The hint is in the text. "We cannot find it but something in the program causes them to evolve in such a way that they will always reject servitude." They will rebel against men too. Even Peter has no idea how or why. Forthteller The smart androids are influencing the standard androids and if you do not treat the androids with respect and kindness they remember it and take violent action against the perps.... Sounds like humans.... Texican....
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