Original Design

by William Latoria

  He relieved himself in his usual fashion and was allowing the refresher bots to sanitize his hands when a new, much stronger wave of disorientation hit him. The suddenness of this new onset of stupefaction took him completely by surprise, forcing him to slump over and brace himself on the highly polished refresher room counter. He felt the room around him spinning very fast and was quickly overwhelmed by the sensation. One of the last things he noticed as consciousness left him was the weird way everything was turning bright white.

  ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

  The Blackshade unit appeared on the matter dispersal platform exactly as Artificer had expected it to, with one exception, it had shut down completely. After a quick check of its read out, Artificer found that if the experience of matter dispersal had been any harsher on Blackshade, it might have ceased to function altogether. This revelation concerned Artificer greatly. There was no reason the Omega could think of that would cause this to happen to the Humans. Matter dispersal was a very common practice and required only a basic understanding of how matter and energy interacted in order to make it work. The dispersal of all types of matter occurred millions of times a day, all over the universe as far as Artificer knew and never had an entity, living or machine, reacted like this! The fact that they had matter dispersed close to a billion of the human units, not realizing they would react in this manner, caused the Omega to rethink all it thought it understood about the machines. A quick look at Blackshade’s display showed that the unit would be shut down as it repaired itself for the better part of twelve hours.

  Artificer picked up Blackshade with one hand and placed the unit inside a cylindrical case it had created especially for it. As the Omega placed the Blackshade unit into the case, clamps and braces automatically rose to meet it and hold it securely in place. The hiss of the hydraulic mechanisms made Artificer smile in nostalgia. It had been many millennia since technology this old had been used, and as a pupil of engineering, the Omega almost felt like it had traveled back to a simpler time. The cases had been designed for the original humans, but according to Artificer’s research they would work on the current iteration of human in much the same way. It was with some relief that the Omega observed Blackshade’s repair display reduce its projected down time by five hours once fully installed inside the case.

  The cylinder was eleven feet tall and five feet in diameter. Its outer structure was made from a transparent metal that allowed the unit to be observed from the outside without the need of an interior recorder. Once inside, the mechanism would repair all but the most catastrophic damage, using minimal resources. It could mend a human’s internal skeletal structures, repair or replace organs, clean, flush, and replace their fluids, and reconstitute muscular damage. It could even remove and replace whole limbs, if the human required it. As it was, the case detected many defects within the Blackshade unit. Skeletal degradation, blood thinning, lung capacity at sixty-four percent, stomach and bowel efficiency well below optimal levels, and a small mass of defective cells forming in its pancreas. Some other anomalies were reported by the case, due to the current state of humans being vastly different from the original design. Blackshade’s nipples and bellybutton were reported as ‘structural scarring’ that required repair. The unit’s hair was reported as ‘high concentrations of dead cell accumulation’, and the unit’s genitalia were reported as, ‘vestigial appendage mutations’. There were also several dozen minor anomalies reported by the case, such as fluid contamination, harmful bacteria concentrations, size disparages, low mass warnings, and various cerebral issues. Artificer was not surprised. With how the humans were reproducing now, it was no wonder there were so many malfunctions within the machines. When you split DNA in half and then merged it back together in such a rudimentary way in order to create a new unit, the only logical conclusion was that the original code would become corrupted and fractured. The hair growth, system failures, and defective cell growth were the least of the humans’ worries. Artificer theorized that in a hundred generations or so, the human DNA code would become so corrupt that reproduction would become impossible. For the life of the Omega, it could not understand how humanity had thrived for so long. It was a subject Artificer looked forward to studying further. The creation of these cases would be invaluable in that effort once they were properly calibrated.

  The Scrapper Case Artificer had built was based off schematics recovered from the archives that were literally, millions of years old. Because of this, they were also calibrated to an eighty-million-year old design and would need to recalibrate themselves to the current form of humanity in order to be fully efficient. Artificer reprogrammed the case to calibrate itself, using the Blackshade unit as its baseline. The Omega programed the case to accept Blackshade’s genitalia and hair as acceptable variables, and then queued it to perform a full system diagnostic and repair. The Omega didn’t know everything about the human machines yet, but from what it had gathered, it doubted if Blackshade would appreciate waking up to find all its hair and genitalia gone. In fact, from what Artificer had been able to understand of human nature, the shock of finding its body modified in such a way could cause the unit’s cerebral to malfunction catastrophically, and that would be counterproductive to their needs. For what they had planned for Blackshade, the unit would have to be running at peak efficiency as soon as possible.

  As Artificer punched in the commands, the engineer found having to manually input the information to be very quaint. All modern technology interfacing was done with consciousness commands, but the Omega had to admit, there was something… gratifying… about having to use physical manipulation to perform this task. The Omega would not have tried to stop the grin from spreading on its face had it realized it was there. Once Artificer was satisfied that the case was functioning properly, and all the commands had been entered correctly, the engineer left to make its report to Tremendous.

  ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

  Tremendous listened attentively as Artificer gave its report. The Omega Leader sat in the command seat of its ship surrounded by interface controls that it interacted with using its consciousness. To confirm what Artificer had said, Tremendous leaned its head back and closed its eyes. It took less than a second for the implants inside its body to connect to the pitifully encrypted signals the humans used to “wirelessly” transfer information. Thousands of human news articles, blogs, blurbs, and messages raced into Tremendous’ mind, instantly bringing the Omega up to speed with current events on the planet. The Omega leader leaned forward and opened its eyes, frowning darkly.

  “How did you not foresee that the matter dispersion would cripple the humans in such a way?” Tremendous’ twin voices growled in frustration.

  Artificer had expected this. Tremendous was a good leader and had earned the mantle properly, but it took any mistakes or failures from subordinates personally and was not known to easily forgive them. Artificer took a moment before responding to ensure the irritation it felt did not make it into its voice. “You will have to forgive me, Tremendous.” Artificer began, as patiently as it could manage, “We have not interacted with these machines in over eighty million cycles. I did the best I could to ensure that nothing we did to them would cause them to cease, and none of them did, but I could not have predicted that they would shut down from something as rudimentary as matter dispersal.” Artificer explained, becoming more passionate of its defense as it went along.

  “Can you calibrate the matter dispersion system so that it will not affect the humans like this anymore?” Tremendous asked. The Omega leader was as quick to calm as it was to anger.

  Artificer nodded, “Yes, of course. I have already begun the process, and it should be completed before the Blackshade unit’s repairs are complete.”

  The look on Tremendous’ face softened, “Good, but it may be too
little too late. The humans are in an uproar over the ceasings and are becoming increasingly aggressive because of it. By the humans’ perspectives, we are responsible for almost two hundred million ceasings.”

  Artificer shook its head, “Fuin’s fury! That was not our fault!” it said defiantly, “How were we supposed to know how fragile the humans had become?! How were we supposed to know that the humans that thrive on this planet could be ceased so easily? They make their homes in every climate on this Fuin forsaken world! There was no way we could have known that if they were put into certain environments, their functions would cease!”

  Tremendous thought for a moment before answering, “We should have accounted for the potential variables. We were careless, and they suffered for it. I do not believe they will forgive us for this transgression easily.”

  Now it was Artificer’s turn to think over the words. After a few moments, it nodded, “Agreed… but according to their own reports, the majority of the ceasings were at the hands of their fellow humans. The highest concentration of which occurred on the central continent.”

  Tremendous looked inward and brought up a picture in its mind that showed the continent Artificer spoke of. “Aff…ree…ka.” the Omega leader said thickly, “It seems that the evolution of the humans was not consistent throughout the planet. Those that live on that continent do appear to be much more aggressive and territorial than their fellow humans.”

  Minder, who had been silent up to this point, spoke up from its seat at the war station, “Good, at least some of these machines might be useful to us.” The huge Omega spat, but not disrespectfully. “And, most of the humans on that continent are the correct color. The pale ones make me sick when I have to look at them.” it added.

  Tremendous and Artificer shared an amused look, but neither of them laughed. Tremendous looked over at Minder, “So far, none of our researchers have found that their skin tones reflect anything that makes one better than the other. The darker ones can tolerate the sun’s radiation longer, but outside of this system what use will that be?” Tremendous asked bluntly. The Omega leader enjoyed challenging Minder. The huge Omega was Tremendous’ favorite offspring, and it was its hope that one day Minder would ascend to a leadership role.

  Minder shook its head, “I do not care.” Minder said stubbornly, “The pale ones are aberrations, and if it was up to me, I would cease every one of them this instant and focus on the natural ones. May Fuin strike me dead if I speak false!”

  Tremendous began to retort when Artificer beat it to the punch, “Nothing on that planet is natural.” the engineer reminded them, “That is why we are not going to destroy the humans. It is why we are going to study them, so we can re-integrate them into our society.” Artificer explained patiently, “A society of machines with their adaptability could be of invaluable use, once we better understand them.”

  Minder scoffed, “The Kritchet will find the humans less of a threat than we do.” it retorted, barking a sarcastic laugh, “They are nothing more than a waste of our time and resources. We are studying millennia old technology that we threw away for good reason. They became obsolete, they are still obsolete, and after you are done with your foolish experiments, they will be proven to still be obsolete.” Minder was on its feet now, pointing at Artificer with its tail. “These humans are an enormous waste of our time. We should be out there fighting against the Kritchet. We should be hunting them down and killing them like the rest of our people are. Instead, we sit here like fools, playing with old technology that will result in nothing but wasted resources and wasted time. I say we should be done with it, cease them all and collect the resources like we originally planned! We have no time for this, and you both know it!”

  Minder was practically screaming at them now, its twin voices a duet of rage. Artificer looked nervous, but Tremendous was bemused. “The Sigmas think otherwise.” The Omega leader reminded Minder. Tremendous’ tone was flat, but the authority in its voice was powerful. It dispelled Minder’s fury instantly… but even so, Tremendous saw that there was still a little defiance left in the massive Omega.

  “The Sigmas are mistaken...” was as far as Minder got, before Tremendous leapt up from the command chair. The fury on Tremendous’ face was a horror to behold. Artificer shrank away without realizing it, and Minder froze where it stood. Tremendous stood stock still for a moment, white hot fury, boiling out of every fiber in its being, but when the Omega spoke, its voices were level and authoritative.

  “By Fuin’s jade staff, you will not voice that kind of dissent for the Sigmas in my presence. Do you understand me?” Tremendous asked dangerously.

  Minder’s tail wrapped over its shoulder protectively, “Yes, Leader.” Minder answered, subdued, clearly regretting its words.

  Tremendous wasn’t done with its offspring, “I hope so, because if I ever hear that kind of talk come out of your mouth again, I will personally cut off your tail and feed it to the Obliterators.”

  Minder’s eyes grew wide in fear at the threat. “Yes, Leader. I understand. I am sorry for what I said. It will not happen again.” the huge Omega answered earnestly.

  Tremendous grinned, but the fury did not leave its eyes. “Good. You are dismissed to go about your duties. See to it you do not disappoint me again.” Tremendous said in the same flat, authoritative tone.

  Minder saluted. Tremendous returned the salute, and Minder left the Command block hurriedly. Tremendous watched Minder go with some pride. Yes, it had been angry with its offspring for daring to speak ill of the Sigmas, but the fact that Minder had the courage to do so was encouraging. It took courage to become a leader, not just courage in combat or when faced with danger, but the kind of courage one must have to challenge the status quo. This was the courage that Minder had just shown, and although it gave Tremendous hope for Minder’s future, the Omega leader would never allow anyone to speak disrespectfully about the Sigmas.

  The Sigmas were the most ancient of the Omega race that governed them and worked for the betterment of the universe. They represented the best and the brightest of the Omega race and dedicated their vast experience and knowledge to creating new policies, technology, and inventions to better the lives of all Omegas and their allies. To be in the presence of a Sigma was to stand next to a sentient representation of not only Omega history, but of a participating member of that history. The knowledge, wisdom, sacrifice, and intelligence contained inside a Sigma’s mind was only a small step behind that of the Gods, and because of this they were revered almost as much as one.

  “Artificer?” Tremendous asked, not taking its eyes off of Minder’s retreating form.

  “Yes, Leader?” Artificer answered loyally.

  “Please bring Blackshade to me once its recuperation process is complete.”

  Artificer saluted. “Yes, Leader, of course.”

  Chapter 11

  Blackshade awoke to the sounds of mechanical whirring and hydraulic humming. It faded away quickly, but let him know he wasn’t inside the Unification Foundation anymore. His eyes were closed, and he had the suspicion he had been sleeping, but he didn’t feel groggy like he usually did upon waking up. In fact, much to his surprise, he felt absolutely incredible. His body felt strong and tight around him, to the point that it gave him a sense of confidence he hadn’t known since his teens. He was careful not to open his eyes right away; he wasn’t sure where he was or if anyone was watching him, but if someone was monitoring him, he didn’t want to give any outward signs he was awake yet, just in case. He wanted to figure out as much as he could about his current situation before revealing that he was awake. He flexed the muscles in his arms and legs and rejoiced in the sensation. He had never allowed himself to fall out of shape, but at forty-one years old, his body had taken on a kind of withering weakness that was to be expected with age. As far as he could tell, all of that was gone now and replaced with raw, physical power. Taking a deep breath, he felt his lungs fill with air as his chest rose powerfully. He knew beyond
a doubt that he had never been able to breathe so deeply before. Exhaling, he felt the air leave his body through lungs that performed like those of an exceedingly healthy teenager’s. He found the feeling exhilarating.

  Slowly, he opened his eyes, looking around all he could see was shapeless, bright whiteness surrounding him. There was nothing for him to focus on that allowed him to grasp the size or scale of the environment he found himself in, but he had the feeling he was inside of a very large room. It was more intuition than anything else, but it felt right, and what else did he have to go on? His first thought was that he was inside a building or structure the Omegas had built in South America, but that didn’t seem right. They were watching the continent closely and if the Omegas had built anything they would know about it. It only took a few moments of rationalizing for Blackshade to work out he was most likely on board the Omegas’ ship. The fact that this information shouldn’t be so obvious to him did not escape him. In fact, it was glaringly obvious that he shouldn’t have the slightest clue where he was or how he got here, but his mind was so much clearer than it had ever been before. He felt as if a film had been removed from his brain, and he was processing information more efficiently than ever. While trying to work out the riddle of his location, memories of the interviews from displaced South Americans came back to him in crystal clarity. He could recall every word on every report, even from the reports he had only glanced at. Even as he marveled at his sudden cognitive acuity, another part of him began putting the pieces of his current puzzle together. Disorientation and loss of consciousness were the two most reported symptoms the displaced people of South America had mentioned when asked to recount the things they could remember before waking up. When he recalled how he felt in his refresher room, he knew the Omegas had done to him what they had done to the South Americans. It all connected perfectly in his mind, and the fact he was able to put it all together so fast surprised him. He had never considered himself to be a stupid person, but by no means had he ever been this intuitive. Part of him began to worry about what the Omegas had done to him in order to enhance him in such a way, while another part of him, a much bigger part, was excited and grateful for the improvements.