by CJ Williams
Windows appeared in the rear double doors. “All set,” the battlewagon stated with Freddi’s voice.
“Restart the simulation,” Luke ordered, climbing back up to his perch on top of the scaffold.
Six communication drones lifted from the APC, up into the sky.
Luke? Annie’s voice came through loud and clear.
Hang on, baby, Luke sent. We’re on the way.
*.*.*.*
Late in the morning of the next day, Luke climbed down from his scaffold and slumped into his chair. Barrett had just been killed by a sniper, ending the simulation of an attack in snow covered mountains. It was one of those golden BB rounds that can strike without warning. Barrett had momentarily lowered his shield to dust off the accumulated snow, and a sharp-eyed marksman snapped off the kill shot.
“I don’t know,” Luke said with frustration in his voice. “We’ve done everything we can, but we’re still losing Barrett about fifteen percent of the time.”
“It’s to be expected,” Freddi replied with a conciliatory tone. “The Greys won’t take long to understand that the attacking force is mechanical and start to zero in on the only human. Your flesh is a weak link.”
Luke mulled it over. “You know what we need is for me to be inside a Mech, like on the movie Transformers. You know what I’m talking about?”
Freddi did. “Yes, Commander. I am very familiar with the movie. It is a favorite of many of the soldiers and I show it routinely for their entertainment. To confirm, you want to put yourself into a mechanical construct?”
“I don’t see any other choice. Can you do that?”
Freddi was silent while considering the many factors. “It involves some unusual engineering, but I believe it is possible. Is that what you wish?”
“Yeah. We should at least try. It would be good for me to actually experience these simulations from a first-person point of view. Would I be able to retain those memories? It would add a lot to my learning curve.”
“That should not be a problem, Commander. I will buffer the experiences of your simulacrum and then transfer the results to you directly when it ends. That should ensure you retain complete knowledge of the operation. I concur that you would benefit from the involvement. Would that be satisfactory?”
“I’m not sure what you just said, but okay. Let’s try it. Run simulation.”
*.*.*.*
Luke stood knee deep in snow. In an instant, he was aware of the hundred thousand mechanical soldiers around him. The secondary levels of commanding AIs communicated with each other, establishing the readiness levels of their subordinate troops and ensuring they could carry out their various missions. The situational awareness was like nothing Luke had ever imagined.
He turned to locate his newest sidekick, the Freddi controlled battlewagon, to compliment him on the success of transferring his awareness to the hologram. Then he noticed his shadow on the white snow and stopped dead in astonishment. Luke held up his hands. He had bright yellow cuffs made from car fenders. His metal fingers were held together by real brass knuckles that were unmistakable.
He wasn’t inside of a Transformer; he was a Transformer. Freddi had actually turned him into a robot. The realism surpassed any other simulation he had ever experienced. The feeling was completely lifelike.
Luke scanned the horizon. In the distance, a rising sun cast long shadows and turned the sky into brilliant streaks of orange and red. He couldn’t see his human form, standing on the sidelines, trying to determine if the latest programming change would work out as intended.
Unfortunately, the amazing reality wasn’t what he intended.
“End simulation,” he said aloud in a tinny voice that sounded like a car radio. I even sound like one, he thought.
*.*.*.*
From his perspective standing next to the scaffolding, outside of the simulation, Luke was mildly amused by the appearance of the famous yellow Transformer. He had given Freddi a mistaken reference.
When the simulation abruptly ended, a sudden onrush of memories appeared in Luke’s mind as Freddi transferred the experiences of his holographic personae. The vivid recall was completely realistic, as though Luke had lived through each second.
Luke plopped down in his chair.
“Holy crap!”
Freddi was solicitous at Luke’s expression of shock. “Is there a problem, Commander?”
Luke took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Yeah. A couple of them, actually. I guess the first thing to clear up is what I meant to say. I wanted to use the Mech in the movie Avatar, not Transformers. I meant for you to create a Mech that I could sit in and steer. I got the two movies mixed up.”
“I understand, Commander. I apologize for the confusion. I can indeed provide such an automaton.”
“No,” Luke countered instantly. “What you did was much better. For one thing, I had no problem adapting to the body. It was surprisingly natural. I think it would be more difficult learning how to pilot a new kind of bipedal vehicle while engaging in battle. So that part was good news.”
“Understood.”
“However, rather than going for something that spectacular, can you put me inside a body of myself? One that is made of armor instead of flesh?”
“You do not wish to use the more capable model you just experienced?”
“Not really,” Luke said. “Keep in mind, that the goal is to rescue Annie. If I show up as some kind of mechanical monstrosity, it might freak her out. It would be better if I show up as myself, albeit an armored version. At least she would recognize that it was me and I was there to rescue her.”
“I understand,” Freddi replied. “That would not be a problem. The programming is the same, only the outer wrapping would need to be changed. Program ready.”
Luke took a deep breath. “Okay, start simulation.”
“Running,” Freddi acknowledged.
*.*.*.*
Once more, Luke was standing knee deep in snow. He held up his hands and sighed. They were his hands alright. But not exactly what he had in mind. He looked down at the rest of his naked body and his eyes widened in surprise. Something else was missing too.
“End simulation,” Luke said.
*.*.*.*
“Another problem?” Freddi asked.
“I didn’t mean for me to be naked,” Luke explained, feeling rather foolish.
Freddi’s voice was contrite. “Of course, Commander. A foolish oversight on my part. The Greys go without clothes, plus your military models are, of course, not dressed. I apologize. I will not make that mistake again.”
“Yeah. Uh. There is one other matter. I was a little surprised by another aspect of my hologram. That is to say…”
“Yes, Commander?”
Luke felt ridiculous that he was intimidated by the feminine AI on personal matters. “Can’t you make the hologram anatomically correct. I mean, there was something missing, if you know what I mean.”
“Are you referring to your—”
“You don’t have to say it!” Luke cut Freddi off. “Yes. That’s what I’m talking about. It’s kind of embarrassing to mention it, but, you know…”
“Again, I apologize Commander,” Freddi said sincerely. “I am aware that most of the soldiers I carry are very concerned about such physical characteristics; they believe it reflects on their manhood. It is also a frequent adjective in conversation when soldiers refer to each other. I incorrectly assumed that the final robotic product in this case would not have a use for removing bodily wastes or sexual intercourse, so I did not include those features. I will address the matter immediately.”
“Yeah, I don’t need to know the details. Let’s just get on with it.”
“As you wish, Commander. However, I might add that based on many of the soldier’s conversations, I am also aware that size appears to be of some concern to the human male. If you wish, I can add certain enhancements—”
“Enough!” Luke barked. “I said no details! I don’t want a
ny explanations or enhancements or anything added. I’m sorry I brought it up. Start the simulation!”
“Acknowledged.”
*.*.*.*
Back in the snow. Luke took a moment to accommodate his mind to the environment. The sensation of reality again permeated his consciousness. This is even better than the holodeck on the Enterprise. He listened to his senior command robot’s communication and he gazed at the brilliant sunrise. Everything was as authentic as the real world. Except for the titanium skin, he was inside his own human body.
Enough reminiscing. Time to get back to business. The two robotic division commanders were standing nearby. “Launch drones,” Luke commanded. “Let’s start moving forward.”
The two mechanical leaders stood fast. They took no action, nor did they even seem to recognize Luke’s presence.
“Division One!” Luke barked. “Give me a status check.”
Nothing.
Luke tried several commands to both of the robots without success.
“End simulation,” he said disgustedly.
*.*.*.*
“What happened?” Luke asked after assimilating the memories of the incident. “The soldiers would not accept my commands.”
“Standby please,” Freddi said. “I am investigating.”
It was frustrating for Luke. For every step forward there were two steps back. And every setback took time that he couldn’t afford. If the ship ahead suddenly landed on a Grey defended world, he wouldn’t have his forces ready to go. He had to get the bugs worked out and soon.
“I have it,” Freddi said. “As we discussed earlier, the Nobility’s AI hierarchies do not allow independent control of lethal activity by another AI. Your orders to do so are being ignored as invalid calls.”
“I don’t get it. Explain.”
“Very well. By placing your human intelligence into an artificial construct, we removed your authority. Your combat units don’t recognize you as a human. They see only another AI who is not authorized to initiate violence independently. So they are ignoring your commands.”
“Okay, that makes sense. Except, I am not an AI, I’m the king of the First Family. Let’s try this; remove all considerations of humanity from their programming. And add a unique identifier to my robotic self that identifies me to the soldiers as the king. That way my robotic army will have to obey my commands.”
Freddi hesitated before continuing. “Commander, I must advise you that would be the last step to creating the doomsday machine that everyone fears. You are essentially directing me to create an unregulated AI, capable of directing violent action with no restrictions.”
“I don’t care about that, Freddi. This is not up for debate. I have to have this capability if I’m going to survive when we get Annie out. If necessary, once this is all over, and Annie is safe, we can undo these new rules. But for now, make it happen. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Ready to run simulation with your stipulated changes.”
“Do it,” Luke commanded.
*.*.*.*
Luke examined the hundred thousand strong army around him. “Move forward!” he commanded.
“Acknowledged,” the division commanders responded.
With loud clanking of mechanical equipment, the army began to slog through the snow. After an hour of fierce combat, Luke burst into a dark prison cell. Annie and their daughter were huddled in the corner, a hopeful look in Annie’s eyes.
Fantastic! End Simulation.
On the scaffolding, memories of the battle, and just as important, all the lessons learned, flooded into Luke’s mind. Finally! A completely successful mission. He had actually cracked the code for putting together a mechanized force to rescue Annie and defeat the Greys. The victory fueled his determination.
“Run the simulation again,” Luke ordered. “This time in desert terrain.”
The next instant, as Barrett, he looked across the sand dunes. He was full of energy, and even though he had just waged an hour-long battle, his virtual self was not the least bit tired.
His brain hummed at the same speed as Freddi. All the necessary data was at his fingertips. For the first time since setting out from system N93 Luke actually felt optimistic. Even as an artificially intelligent hologram, he had never felt more alive.
After five more simulations in different environments under different conditions he was getting the hang of commanding his ground force. The drones fed data to him in real time. His situational awareness grew with each campaign. He had a better understanding of the forces around his position and maneuvered his divisions with the ease of moving pieces on a chessboard. Mere thoughts on his part deployed soldiers, started artillery barrages and infiltrated snipers.
“End simulation.”
*.*.*.*
The flesh and blood Luke slumped in his chair. He had moved down from the scaffolding two simulations ago. Although Barrett was incapable of fatigue, Luke himself was spent from experiencing each aspect of the battles with such intensity. The confidence gained from his virtual counterpart buoyed him to a certain degree, but still, it was an exhausting process.
He waited while the memories of the last hour of combat flowed into his brain. Some of the data transfer occurred in real time during the simulated battles, but the debrief, as he had come to call it, was more intense.
The Barrett simulacrum existed only as a virtual entity. When the simulation ended, the knowledge would be lost if not for downloading the experience into his own mind. Although uncomfortable, the debrief was a necessary part of the education process.
Luke compared it to flying combat training missions at Red Flag. The military students learned a lot during each flight, but only during the electronically enhanced debrief sessions did they really see and understand what had happened. The lessons learned soaked in and kept them thinking about the training for hours, if not days, after.
“I think we’ve figured it out, Freddi,” he said aloud.
“Indeed, Commander. The array of forces is quite unique. As a point of interest, you have created forty-seven different types of combat robots. Your approach to combined arms is innovative to say the least. I have to believe that the Greys will be overwhelmed.”
“I’m counting on it,” Luke said. “I’m sure we’ll come up with another tweak or two, but let’s get started on the manufacturing process. I keep worrying we’ll reach our destination and won’t be ready to march.”
“Understood. I have prepared several additional replicators in the engineering lab to reduce the time required. Give me a few days and your army will be complete. However, before we begin replication, I have one other concern.”
“Now what?” Luke said with a voice filled with warning.
“I believe we should discuss the post-engagement scenario, I have another suggestion.”
“What is it?”
“Once you rescue Annie and return to the ship, what about your army? If we leave your military force behind, it would offer the Greys a tremendous opportunity to engage in technology transfer. Shouldn’t we load all the robots back on the ship and transport them off the planet?”
“That’s a good idea, I admit. However, I don’t want to free Annie from a cramped jail cell and then pack her like a sardine into this ship. From what you’ve said, from this point forward we’re going to use every square inch to store our army.”
Freddi had a solution. “I propose that I duplicate myself into a Sadie-Class armed yacht strictly for you and your family. The Sadie yacht is quite comfortable for long voyages. My current self, in this Phantom troop carrier, could then either accompany you during your return, or alternatively, fly into the local sun for disposal. I recommend the latter solution as that would forestall any possibility of this technology leaking out.”
“I like it. We’ll go with that plan.”
*.*.*.*
For the next seven days Luke stepped around a steady stream of automatons coming out of the engineering replicators. Some of them
rolled by on all-terrain-wheels, others walked and a few, like the mobile artillery units, had tank treads. Most of the tracked units were stored in the cargo bay.
And then of course, there were the Barbicans. Luke loved the Barbicans.
They were tall, humanoid-shaped, ungainly robots that stomped loudly when they marched through the ship. Their huge claw-like hands retracted out of the way when employing the machine guns embedded in their arms.
Bipedal locomotion gave a Barbican mobility across any terrain and it could fire at close-in targets while on the move. If a more distant target presented itself, the Barbican folded into a solid mount supporting a pop-out Gatling gun that spewed heavy projectiles at an ungodly rate.
The mechanical soldiers communicated back and forth in a series of beeps and whistles and the Phantom’s interior began sounding like a convention of R2D2s. In spite of the difficulties, the mechanical army made Luke smile. Seeing his vision come to life before his eyes gave him confidence. This time, for sure, he would get Annie back.
Freddi grew anxious about creating the Luke replica. She wanted to move forward quickly. For the last two days, she had repeatedly announced she was ready to begin the process.
“No rush,” Luke said. “I want that to be the last thing we create. Barrett needs to have all of my most recent thoughts because I’m updating my battle plan twenty-four hours a day. Let’s hold off for now. We can do it after we land. You said it only takes a few minutes.”
Freddi argued, “That is true, Commander. But we should at least run it through a couple of simulations to ensure all the AI theory has come together in the way we are anticipating.”
Luke sighed. He was exhausted from all the simulations. The effect on his mind, if not his body, was the same as if had waged all the wars himself. He needed to recuperate before the real thing.
“I’m just worn out right now,” he told Freddi. “Give me a few days and then we’ll give it a run through.”
“Acknowledged,” Freddi replied.
“In fact, if it turns out there’s a problem, I’ll go myself. My survivability has gone way up, in our most recent simulations. We could probably get by without it.”