The Modest Proposal Institute: A YA Dystopian Thriller

by Paul James

  That’s how it had seemed to Shane nearly a century ago. And in the following years, even the few visits he made to the wider world confirmed how far along that downward path the people of Earth had already moved. To Shane, that regression could continue back to the Stone Age for all he cared. Here, below the sea, science and industry would carry mankind forward to even greater success.

  Shane sighed and stopped the recording. This reminiscing was made him sad. Why had he let Alexis push him to do it? He rose from his lounger, stretched, and yawned. It was tiring too. He’d pick it up again later.

  Chapter 18: Barbarians at the Gate

  It was night when he returned to recording. The institute was quiet; most people were asleep and only the gentle hum of machines disturbed the silence. On the great dome that arched over his head, stars twinkled in the darkness and a thin crescent moon rode high in the “sky.” The moon was there to make their visitor, Alexis, feel at home in the institute’s Ocean Headquarters. When he’d met Alexis at the arrival airlock, Shane sensed it was likely Alexis’s last visit. He would be sorry to lose Alexis, as they’d grown to understand each other well over the past ninety years or so. The young Alexander, Alexis’s son who was already well established as Alexis’s deputy, was not so easy to understand or empathize with. Something like Tomas, in fact.

  Shane started the recorder and began again.

  As the West returned to its more primitive past, there was a moment when Shane and the rest of the security project team believed that Tomas would also prove to be a throwback to a more primitive and violent past. As societal collapse across the surface world gathered pace, attacks by desperate bands of men became the norm for any Institute property within striking distance of population centers. At first, the Andean and African spaceports were insulated from this by the rugged landscapes in which they were sited, but the islands could all be reached by a short boat ride on even small boats.

  The first island had been attacked often enough that it had been abandoned by the Founders and council, leaving Tomas to take it over for his robot project. Within months of the institute’s leaders abandoning the island, in late 2028, the opportunity Shane had hoped for—to prove Tomas’s eagerness for war—came about, and he watched it live from the many surveillance bugs he’d placed around Tomas.

  Tomas studied the oncoming ships on screens in the island’s Security Center Control Room, where he’d spent much of his downtime since he’d had the island to himself. From there, he could watch over his small “empire.”

  From his surveillance, Shane knew Tomas was happy having his whole robot program in a place where no one—to his knowledge—could watch too closely. With the island and surrounding sea for testing, the program was making huge strides in robot technology.

  As Tomas watched, the institute’s security system—running on artificial intelligence and with a human mind far away in Africa—challenged the oncoming fleet. As usual, the institute’s surveillance robots rose from the seabed to attach themselves to the ships’ hulls. The island’s security spoke to the ships’ crew and officers through their own public address systems, and the robots sent back the following sounds of consternation among the ships’ crew.

  While the officers of the ships argued among themselves, the island’s security system evaluated the best response to minimize loss of life while preventing the invaders from landing.

  “I intend to release the disabling nets to lock their propellers,” the security system said to Tomas.

  “Yes, carry on,” Tomas replied. “What about the EMP weapons and mosquitoes?”

  “These ships have modern anti-electronic and chemical weapons systems,” came a human voice—the man in Africa whose mind provided important human interface. “I judge neither of those responses would be effective.”

  On the monitor, spherical balls rose up from their seabed holding pens. When they reached the ships’ propulsion pods, the spheres opened and nets exploded out, wrapping themselves around the pods and snaring the propellers. On the monitor, he saw the propellers slow and then stop. The ships’ crews tried reversing the propellers to throw off the nets, but the plastic, once stretched, fused together and stayed put. The principal warships were now without propulsion and still far from their target.

  “System,” Tomas said, “I want to make a diversion for these people. Prepare an autonomous boat and plane for loading. I want the outside world to see people getting on both and then leaving the island. The world needs to know how far these people will go, and so do we.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  Moments later, a monitor showed a small passenger plane being raised from an underground hanger and a launch being made ready in a boat pen. Computer generated Institute people carrying bags and belongings hurried aboard each, until the two vehicles were clearly full. Doors closed and the plane began to roll down the runway. The boat left the dock and headed out to sea.

  Tomas stood frozen, focused entirely on the plane and boat as they raced away from the island. When the monitors watching the ships showed missiles lift from the largest vessel’s deck, Tomas jerked as if about to leap for joy, but he said nothing.

  His eyes were remained on the monitor. For a moment, the plane and boat held steady in the center of the screen—then, almost simultaneously, they vanished in two balls of fire and smoke. With only the faintest of smiles to give away his elation, Tomas said, “They mean to kill us, Security. We will defend ourselves.”

  “Very well, sir,” the security system replied. “Initiating the maximum response protocols.”

  “I will take command of the NuMen,” Tomas said. “Continue with the standard responses.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  “Inform the Founders we are under attack and responding.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Wait, Tomas,” the human part of the security system interjected. “We should get the Founders’ orders on this. They won’t want us to start a war. We evacuated the island so the world would see that it wasn’t worth attacking. To respond with force will undo that.”

  Tomas hardly seemed to hear. He was already ordering the NuMen from their normal defensive posture into alternate programs, ones Shane was sure no one else knew about. Was this the moment he would unleashed the weapon that had caused Leon’s disappearance? Shane hoped so.

  The Security Officer asked, “Tomas, can you hear me?”

  “I hear you. However, I’m here and you and the Founders are not. I’m not going to wait till I’m killed before deciding we should have defended ourselves.”

  “Those ships are a hundred miles away. Even with choppers, their soldiers can’t be on the island in less than thirty minutes. You and the others can still get off safely and the Founders still have time to review and decide.”

  “You saw what they did to the decoy plane and boat we sent out. They thought both of those vehicles were fleeing with people on board and they destroyed them. I don’t intend to be on the next one they destroy. These people are not representing any legitimate government, they’re taking orders from some local warlord who wants to make a quick killing, in every sense of the word. I don’t think anyone will declare war even if we kill these pirates.”

  Tomas returned to modifying the robots’ program. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he failed to notice the swirling gray column of light gradually taking shape on the room’s hologram device. When he did notice, he turned away. Shane guessed Tomas thought it was a Founder—someone he didn’t want to acknowledge until it was too late to stop.

  “Tomas!”

  Recognizing the voice, Tomas froze. He turned to see Nadia in the hologram.

  “What—” he began.

  “You must keep your cool and do no more than defend yourself and the island,” Nadia said. “We’re streaming all this out to the American and European news stations. If we get it right, their governments will be forced by their own people to take our side. We still have enough goodwill, in the US at le
ast, to make that happen.”

  “If we get it wrong, or they can’t act in time, I and the others here could get killed,” Tomas said, though Shane could hear the anger already fading from his voice. He silently cursed Nadia’s intervention.

  “The island’s defenses and the robots will stop them. You know they will. Show the world we’re peaceable and we’ll be able to get outside help against these lawless brigands,” Nadia pleaded. “Defense only. If you don’t, the whole world will turn against us.”

  Tomas paused, then shrugged. “Okay,” he said with a grin, “but if I get killed, I’ll haunt you forever. You won’t get a peaceful night’s sleep from now to your dying day, remember that.”

  “Promises, promises. That’s how it is with you island men—nothing but promises.”

  Tomas smiled. He clearly liked it when she teased him, but her words seemed to make him uncomfortable. Shane guessed he’d feel the same. Like Tomas, who’d been working on robots since he was ten, Shane had no experience of this type of banter—banter that seemed to mean much more than it should, but may not. Like Tomas, he would have no idea if she was just a colleague mocking him, or if she was implying something else.

  “Security man,” Tomas said, visibly giving himself a shake. “What is the status?”

  Chapter 19: Barbarians Defeated

  Hearing the new moderation in Tomas’s voice, the Security Officer gave a sigh of relief. “Their smaller vessels are still closing on the island. They’re about eighty miles away. Four of them are preparing to lower launches. Soldiers are assembling on the decks ready to get into the launches, so we can take most of them out with mosquitoes now. I also expect we can get mosquitoes into the ships since they now have their doors and hatches open to facilitate the loading.”

  “Then do that.”

  “They’re already on their way,” the Security Officer said. “However, more immediately, two of their helicopters are loaded with troops and on their way. They are only twenty miles away. I assume you and the robots will deal with them?”

  “It will be a pleasure,” Tomas said. “Security, have the hologram troops readied and have holding pens for the captives prepared in the aircraft hangar.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Tomas returned the robot infantry corps to defense before turning back to Nadia.

  “Anyhow, what brings you here?” he asked.

  “I have a meeting with the Founders and Alexis in a few minutes,” she replied. “I called into the new Security Center to check it out and found that you—we—had an emergency. I saw you were involved and came to lend a hand.”

  “I hope this new attack will help you diplomats get some action,” Tomas said. “I’ve gotten my whole robot development and production center on this island now and I’m not letting it fall into the hands of outsiders.”

  “None of us want that,” Nadia replied. “But we have to keep things low-key as long as we can. You know that.”

  “Sure, but I also know that sooner or later we’re going to have to fight.”

  “Probably, but not yet, Tomas. Not yet. It’s too soon. They are still too many and they have legacy military equipment that can destroy our small islands. You know this, so stop raging and play the game for now.”

  “Then you diplomats had better get your behinds in gear because this isn’t funny.” He pointed at the monitor where two giant helicopters were preparing to touch down on the island’s runway. “Security, activate the holograms.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The security system’s voice had a pure, neutral tone, but Shane could have sworn there was a hint of real ferocity in that “yes, sir.” He wondered if Tomas had upgraded that, too.

  Outside, troops were jumping from the choppers and taking up defensive postures around them. As the helicopters rose in the air, leaving behind the invading troops, hatches opened along both sides of the airstrip and the hologram army—armed soldiers with heavy machine guns—rose out of the ground.

  “Drop your weapons,” the security system’s order boomed out across the island, freezing the invaders in mid-stride. On the monitor, Tomas could see them looking to their officers for guidance.

  At the western end of the airstrip, robot troops rose out of the asphalt, their weapons trained on the small band of crouching men. Slowly, one by one, the men threw down their guns.

  “Kick them to the side and move toward the robots,” Security commanded.

  Reluctantly, the men complied. Overhead the choppers hovered, presumably awaiting instructions from their superiors.

  As the men cleared the area below the choppers, Security ordered the helicopter pilots to land and surrender. As an inducement, Security assured them that neither they nor the soldiers would be harmed if they complied.

  On the Security Room monitors, Tomas watched the troops back on the ships collapse as the mosquitoes knocked them out. The ships’ courses began to meander as the bridge crews, too, succumbed to the mosquitoes’ venom.

  The invaders’ helicopters landed, the rotors stopped, and the pilots climbed out. At the western end of the runway, NuMen were herding surrendered soldiers onto the elevator that linked the airstrip with the hangar below. Two NuMen bounded down the asphalt and guided the helicopter pilots toward the rest of the captives.

  At the eastern end of the runway, the ground opened and four Institute helicopters rose out of the hangar below. In a moment, they were airborne and racing out to the four uncontrolled ships. Two of the ships collided side to side—a stroke of fortunate, since it did no damage—and sent them off on diverging courses that threatened the remaining two ships.

  “I’ll check that the NuMen have all our prisoners properly locked in,” Tomas said to Security, “though everything looks good on the surveillance cameras.”

  “And I’ll get off to my meeting,” Nadia said. “You guys seem to have everything under control here.”

  “Are you actually in Africa?” Tomas asked.

  “I sure am,” Nadia said. “They let me loose everywhere now. Standards are slipping.”

  Tomas grinned. “Then why don’t you break your journey home with a stop off here?”

  Nadia smiled mischievously. “Maybe I will.” She disappeared, and the room was empty again.

  Tomas shrugged and headed out to the hangar. His puzzled expression told Shane that he was still uncertain what his conversation with Nadia meant. Tomas may have been unsure, but Shane knew—it meant really bad news for Alexis.

  For Shane, the whole incident was a crushing letdown. He’d desperately wanted Tomas to overreact and, even better, repeat the incident where Leon had disappeared. He decided he still had some remaining hope because the debriefing with the Founders may yet cause Tomas to overreach. At minimum, the attempt to set the NuMen to attack instead of defend should be a tell against him.

  Then Shane remembered that only he, Nadia, and the man in the security system knew how close Tomas was to violence, and he, Shane, couldn’t tell anyone because he had illegally bugged Tomas. His hopes now rested entirely on Nadia and the Security Guard in the debriefing, and on the possibility of Tomas’s anger being exposed.

  Chapter 20: Tomas Praised, Shane Dismayed

  When Tomas was called to the meeting the next day, however, the Founders and the governing council were all too full of praise. Shane could practically feel the enamel coming off his teeth as he clenched them.

  “We congratulate you, Tomas, for the restraint you showed and for the humane way you dealt with the attack.” Dean’s expression beamed his sincerity.

  “Thank you, Founder,” Tomas replied. “I have to tell you, though, I found it hard to follow the institute’s direction on this. I really did fear for my life and would happily have returned violence with violence if things had gone badly.”

  “If things had gone badly,” Alexander said, “you would have been justified in responding in kind. Fortunately, we have again kept the world at bay without serious injury. As we have said many times befo
re, they are just looking for us to behave badly so they will have the moral high ground when they come at us in full force. We must never give them that excuse.”

  “I understand, Founder,” Tomas said. “However, I still feel you need to understand that we can’t all have your patience and courage all the time. As I’ve said before, we will have to fight someday. They will never stop seeing us as someone they can rob with impunity.”

  “We do understand, Tomas,” Dean said. “Yes, even an old pacifist like me. But the longer we can put off that day, the weaker they will become as we grow stronger. Your actions yesterday helped us move along that timeline without a hitch. We’re impressed by your patience and courage, to use your words, and also with how well the NuMen worked on the island’s defense. You can be sure we’ll be ordering many more NuMen for the defense of our other properties. You certainly proved yourself yesterday.”

  “Thank you for your words, Founder, and for the future NuMen orders. My project needs the money to complete the new airborne NuMan.”

  “Surely the space and undersea projects must be providing you with good revenues now?” Alexander asked. “They use so many of your robots.”

  “They are, and they do, Founder,” Tomas replied, “but our sales in the wider world are falling. The outside world has less and less need of robots now that their growth has ended. They want battlebots, but the institute refuses to let me to sell those outside.”

  “It would be madness to provide the outside world even more means for destroying us,” Dean said.

  Tomas nodded. “I understand, but you see why I need the institute to step up its support. NuMen will keep us safe for centuries, but only if I’m able to develop and build them in sufficient numbers.”