New Eden

by Kishore Tipirneni

  Rachael and Vinod were visibly pleased.

  “Dr. Andrews,” Williams said, “it looks like you may get your wish after all.”

  It took six and a half months to complete the construction of the android. Langdon’s engineering team had worked tirelessly to manufacture the android as quickly as possible. They had been given a virtually unlimited budget, as well as some specifications from Seth himself. As all large projects go, it was slightly behind schedule and had cost almost sixty million dollars.

  Early in the construction of the android, Seth had requested some videos of human motion, which were begrudgingly approved by Porter. Vinod taught Seth the MPEG protocol and sent some videos of basic human movements such as walking, sitting, and talking. After these were sent, Vinod sent Seth videos of more complex human movements such as running, sports activities, and even dancing. Finally, Seth was sent a movie to watch - Hoosiers.

  The idea of sending Seth the film was proposed by Joshua. Seth had requested the videos of human movements to better mimic them. Joshua thought that sending an entire movie would give Seth more of an insight into human interactions as well as human speech patterns. Porter’s team scrutinized the film in extreme detail, but in the end, there wasn’t much secrecy portrayed in a film about a high school basketball team in the 1950s, so it was approved.

  One month into the construction of the android, Rachael came to work sporting a sparkling piece of highly-compressed carbon on her ring finger. Joshua had asked her to marry him the night before, and she had immediately accepted. He’d told a waiter at Angelino’s to hide the ring in tiramisu and had made sure to record the exact time that Rachael found the ring down to the second in order to honor Seth’s request. It had been exactly one year to the day since they’d dined at Angelino’s for the first time, the day they’d made first contact with Seth. Joshua joked to Rachael that he’d picked that particular day to pop the question so he’d have one less important date to remember. Despite their formal engagement, they hadn’t yet set a date for their wedding.

  When Rachael found out about the wager that the collective had about the timing of Joshua’s proposal, she was initially annoyed. “You mean thirteen trillion other individuals knew before I did that we were going to get engaged?” she said. “Not very romantic, Josh.” Her irritation was short-lived, though. She couldn’t stay mad at Joshua for long because she was too much in love with him. Besides, she realized that no one on Earth had had a clue as to Joshua’s intentions, which, in her estimation, classified the wager as a special circumstance.

  They continued to hike and work closely together, but thoughts of the android under construction were never far from their minds.

  “How long do you think the android will last?” Rachael asked Joshua. “We’ve totally neglected the possibility that Seth might want to hang around.”

  “Good question. Theoretically, the android could last for decades.” He pointed at the diamond engagement ring. “I have a feeling that’s going to last a lot longer.”

  “That’s the right answer,” Rachael said with a wink. “You’re officially out of the dog house, but no more secret wagers with Seth.”

  After construction of the android was completed, everyone who had prior knowledge of the sphere was assembled in the bat cave, including Joshua, Rachael, Vinod, and the scientific teams. Dina Williams was there as well, but Porter and Langdon had not yet arrived. They had all gathered to witness the first activation of Seth the android. Since it had been built in secrecy—Porter had insisted on the smallest possible team for the assembly—not many of those gathered in the bat cave had actually seen it. Once the sphere was installed, android Seth would be switched on and open his eyes on planet Earth for the first time.

  Rachael and Vinod stood next to each other in the bat cave, anxiously waiting for the android to arrive. She looked at Vinod’s Styx “Mr. Roboto” tee shirt. “Nice choice,” she remarked.

  “You know I always dress for the occasion.”

  The elevator doors opened, and Langdon and Porter appeared with several technicians, who wheeled a dolly holding the android, which was covered by a gray cloth. They pushed the dolly to the front of the room and placed it in plain view, after which the android was lifted onto a small pedestal.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I present android Seth,” Langdon announced as he removed the gray cloth and revealed the android to the anxiously waiting crowd, which erupted in applause.

  “My God,” Rachael remarked. “He looks entirely human. I can’t tell he’s an android at all.”

  Android Seth stood in front of them, eyes closed and wearing a tight-fitting plain tee shirt and jeans. His complexion was that of an African male. The choice of ethnicity had been a matter of much debate, with each country demanding that its race be represented. In the end, he was made African since the continent had been the place where humanity itself had its start. The android was young and muscular looking, its visible features perfect in every detail.

  “Man, he’s hot,” Vinod remarked when he saw the android for the first time.

  “Take is easy, Vinod,” Rachael said. “Although he looks human, I don’t think he’s anatomically complete.”

  Seth himself had given considerable input on the construction of the android. There had been no technology used that wasn’t already available, but its construction had been very complex. It had variable-speed servos and actuators that facilitated the human-like motion of all of his joints. It also had micro-actuators in its face that allowed for a full and complex range of facial expressions. Furthermore, it had auditory sensors in its ears, a speaker in its throat, and two ultra-hi-def cameras in its eyes that could be moved using micro actuators. On the sensory side, it possessed numerous pressure and position sensors, gyros, and accelerometers, but there was no brain, no CPU. The omission was at the request of Seth, who had insisted it wasn’t needed. All of the actuators, motors, and sensors were connected to an interface module, which in turn was connected to the sphere. This meant that Seth directly controlled the android and the individual actuators. For Seth, the experience would not be much different than how he controlled an arachnid on his own planet. Even though the mechanical and sensory functions of the android had been rigorously tested, no one had seen the android in action since the sphere had not yet been installed within its frame.

  In the bat cave, Porter explained the numerous security protocols for the android. The protocols were for the protection of Seth and the Bowman sphere, as well as for the security of all humans who would interact with the android.

  As was decided months earlier, Seth would never be left alone. He would be accompanied at all times by a security team akin to his own secret service detail. The security team, however, was to stay in the background and not directly interact with him. Seth would always be accompanied by a team from the lab, which would consist of at least three members. It was decided that Joshua, Rachael, and Vinod would continue to be part of the personal team. Each member would be given specially modified Apple watches that would act as electronic tethers. A tether would only operate if worn on the wrist of the user it was specifically designed for, and Seth would require at least two of the watches to be within one hundred feet for him to be active. Each Apple watch also had a panic feature which, when activated, would cause Seth to immediately go into hibernation mode, causing disconnection between the Bowman sphere and Seth’s body, rendering him completely inert.

  Seth’s power supply was electric, in the form of lithium ion batteries that were housed in the cavity of his abdomen. They would allow Seth to operate for sixteen hours before recharging, which could be accomplished with any standard AC outlet in eight hours on 110 volts or three hours on 220 volts. When plugged in, Seth would automatically go into hibernation mode. He couldn’t be active when plugged in. Once hibernating, he could only be reactivated by a simultaneous activation signal sent from at least two of the tether watches.

  The Bowman sphere inside Seth was well-pr
otected and was located in his chest. It was encased in a pressure vessel that was bulletproof and pressure-rated for one hundred feet of depth in water. Pressure greater than this would cause the sphere to implode. The pressure vessel itself was locked electronically and could only be opened with the thumbprint of Joshua, Langdon, Porter, or Williams. Due to Seth’s overall construction and the weight of the lithium ion batteries, he was very dense, with a weight exceeding three hundred and fifty pounds. He was waterproof but would sink like a stone in water. For this reason, Seth would never be allowed on a boat or over any water deeper than a hundred feet. Additionally, the vessel protected the sphere from shock and had been drop-tested from twenty-five feet onto concrete, with no breakage of a duplicate sphere.

  Porter had decided that Seth would never be granted access to a computer terminal or any electronic device for the same reason that he would be denied Internet access. The risk of connecting with unauthorized parties was too great, and his access to information would be unfettered.

  After Porter finished briefing everyone on the security protocols, Joshua was tasked with installing the Bowman sphere. The access for the sphere compartment was located in Seth’s back, and a technician lifted the android’s shirt so that Joshua could use his thumbprint to open the compartment. Joshua used his thumbprint a second time to open the case in the wall where the sphere was currently housed. He carefully removed the sphere from the case and installed it in the android, sealing the housing. Android Seth was now ready for startup. Joshua, Williams, Langdon, and Porter stood next him.

  “Everyone ready?” Williams asked.

  The assembly gave her a thumbs-up in unison as Porter’s right hand clandestinely grasped a revolver holstered on his right hip.

  “Okay, Robert and Joshua,” Williams said, “use your watches to fire him up.”

  Langdon and Joshua held up their wrists simultaneously and entered the activation command on their watches as everyone in the room stared at Seth. Initially, the actuators around his face twitched, followed by twitching of the motors that powered his arms, legs, and fingers.

  “What’s happening?” Rachael asked.

  “I think he’s testing the connections to his motor and sensory functions,” Vinod replied.

  The twitching stopped in short order, and his eyes opened and looked about the room as his head turned robotically. He lifted his right hand awkwardly and moved his fingers through their arc of motion. Then his head started bobbing up and down.

  “What’s up with the head motion?” Joshua asked.

  “Don’t know,” Langdon replied. “It’s damn peculiar.”

  Seth jumped off the pedestal and started moving his entire body rhythmically. His movement was no longer robotic, but well-coordinated and smooth.

  “What’s going on?” Williams asked, becoming alarmed.

  “I don’t know,” Langdon answered. “Maybe it’s some kind of malfunction.”

  Porter drew his revolver and pointed it at the android.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Joshua exclaimed.

  “I’m going to have to put him down if he goes out of control,” Porter replied.

  “Don’t!” Langdon shouted as he lifted his arm and put his finger on the panic switch of his watch. “I can shut him off if this continues.”

  “I don’t believe what I’m seeing,” Rachael said. “It looks like he’s—”

  Seth’s movements became even more rhythmical, and it was obvious that they were intentional.

  “It looks like he’s dancing,” Joshua said as his jaw dropped in disbelief.

  Seth was definitely dancing. He did the moonwalk as the crowd let out an astonished and collective “Ohhhhh!” He then dropped to the floor and began to spin on his back in classic break dance fashion before stopping and staring at the group, his head resting on his hand, elbow on the floor.

  “’Sup? I’m Seth,” he said, looking up at the astonished faces around him.

  “What the hell is the matter with you?” Joshua asked as Seth got up from the floor. “That ridiculous stunt almost caused a weapon discharge that could have damaged your android body.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it scared people,” Joshua replied bluntly.

  Porter re-holstered his revolver slowly and remained silent.

  “Sorry,” Seth replied. “I wanted to make a memorable entrance. I also wanted to correct your preconceived notions of androids having robotic like motions. As you can see, my control of your technology can be quite graceful.”

  “How are you able to do . . . that?” Langdon queried.

  “What do you mean?” Seth asked. “How I move with rhythm?” He did a little jig, hands on his hips, his feet moving nimbly despite his great weight.

  “Yes,” Langdon replied. “Rhythm, dancing.”

  “Inside my petrin body, I have a neural nest that functions something like your cerebellum,” Seth replied. “It allows for the simultaneous and coordinated movement of numerous servos so that I can make my actions completely human-like. This is why I insisted that no CPU be installed. I’m able to directly control its servos.”

  The people in the bat cave stared in awe at Seth’s face as he spoke. His lip movements and facial expressions were perfect. From his appearance to his unexpected movements after stepping from the pedestal, no one could distinguish him from an actual human. For the first time in human history, there was an alien human on Earth.

  26

  The 103 Club

  Seth was confined to the lab for seventy-two hours at Porter’s insistence. The alien’s erratic behavior upon start-up had resulted in the general’s usual combination of caution and paranoia. For the duration, Seth sat quietly looking at the lab and its equipment, security guards stationed near the elevator. Scientific teams continued to question him—they delved deeper into the geology and atmospheric conditions of Petri—and he seemed unperturbed that he’d not yet been able to interact more directly with the people of the Earth. He’d been informed that the waiting period was part of the security protocols, a statement that was largely true since Porter had the final say in such matters.

  Porter’s initial stance was that he wanted to cancel Seth’s tour of foreign nations. On one of their teleconference calls, he remarked, “He’s too unpredictable. Because of his exposure to the initial information Bhakti uploaded to him, the United States might be the subject of heavy ridicule for misrepresenting the values and culture of Earth. For God’s sake, nobody’s break-dancing in India or China. And who knows what kind of movements or speech he might come out with once he’s abroad? He might cause an international incident.”

  “What did you expect?” Vinod asked. “We knew that Seth was familiar with the urban dictionary and certain kinds of music, plus he augmented our robotics. He was simply trying to fit in.”

  “That’s not the way diplomacy works, Bhakti. Your algorithm was written irresponsibly.”

  As usual, Williams stepped in to soothe flaring tempers.

  “We’re not calling anything off, Mitchell,” she said. “Not after a sixty-million-dollar price tag, plus the entire world is waiting to see him. It’s estimated that more people may watch him leave the particle center on TV than watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. The president is adamant that we avert any kind of diplomatic blowback by refusing to let the android begin his tour.”

  “I follow orders,” Porter countered, “but this has the makings of a freak show.”

  “We’re moving forward,” Williams said. “After the tour, he’s all ours again, but it’s best to get this over with.”

  “The band is together again!” Vinod cried out triumphantly. “We’re going on the Android Seth Tour, complete with roadies.”

  “Someone had better tell Seth what’s he’s in for,” Langdon suggested. “He’s going to be inundated by personality types that he’s unaccustomed to. All of our teams in the bat cave were carefully chosen and went through extensive training before interacting w
ith him. We don’t have the luxury of insisting that every world leader and scientist behave like we want them to or fall in line with existing protocols beyond a certain point. They’ve been briefed on basic guidelines that need to be followed, but unpredictability has been the hallmark of this entire project.”

  “It’s a valid point,” Rachael said. “Seth can learn a lot about Earth by meeting a broader sampling of humans, but he should be briefed first.”

  Joshua smiled. “I guess this is where the personal team earns its pay.”

  “Quite right,” Williams said. “We’re counting on you and your colleagues to keep things on track.”

  “The party’s on!” Vinod said jubilantly when the teleconference was over.

  “Behave yourself,” Rachael said, “or you’ll get us all in trouble.”

  “Me?” Vinod said with an innocent look on his face.

  “Yes, you.”

  Seth was seated in the lab as usual when Joshua walked in. The android had been left under the watchful eye of the main security team charged with his safety—and with protecting others in case a malfunction occurred. They’d been given backup tether watches in the absence of the personal team, although Joshua, Rachael and Vinod had visited him since his activation in order to acclimatize him to being on Earth.

  “’Sup Josh,” Seth said, standing.

  “Hi, Seth. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m doing fine, and people have treated me very well, although they don’t make a lot of jokes like you and Vinod do. I kind of like the informality of the personal team. Are we ready to leave the lab yet?”

  “Sorry about the delay. General Porter wanted to have you observed because of your unexpected dance moves. I think the security teams expected something a little more robotic and mechanical despite the upgrades you gave to our engineers. Frankly, we didn’t know what to expect. Are you getting impatient?”