by Jaka Tomc
Half of the Senate stood up and clapped enthusiastically, while loud murmurs were heard from the other half.
“Thank you, Senator Blake. Next up is Senator Grossman.”
“Even if a lot of you would like to start a genocide today, I have to disappoint you. You won’t get my vote or those of my fellow Democrats. If I’m not mistaken, we still have the majority in the Senate. Senator Blake, maybe you thought your rousing speech would make us change our minds, but to me, it was nothing more than an uncivilized battle cry. Let me remind you that androids are citizens of the United States of America. The fact that you executed one of them without a trial—which, if I may remind you, is a constitutional right—is a heinous act of aggression. And now you stand here, before this honorable assembly, and call for mass murders. You disgust me.”
“Senator Grossman, language.”
“Excuse me, but there’s no other way to say it. Therefore I appeal to all Senators to listen to common sense and vote against Senator Blake’s proposition. Actually, he said it best. Forget your beliefs. It’s time we start acting like human beings again. Human beings who respect other forms of life. Otherwise, there really is no hope for us.”
18. Kent, 2048
“After a surprising vote in the Senate, with fifty-two senators voting for the motion of Republican Senator James Blake and forty-eight voting against, all androids on American soil will stay imprisoned. Despite the Democratic Party’s majority in the Senate and their promise to vote in unison against Blake’s motion, the law was passed. Obviously, the Democrats didn’t deliver on their promises. It is expected that the House, where Republicans hold a comfortable majority, will confirm the Senate’s earlier decision. It seems that operation Judgment Day will continue, although the murderer of Stephen Dean was discovered and according to our reliable source…”
Kent couldn’t listen to it anymore. Actually, he couldn’t believe that this was really happening. Androids had become the nation’s number-one enemy overnight. Those same androids who had helped make America great again were now prisoners, helpless beings without any rights. Was this how it would end? Did they really think they could turn them off and make the world the same as it was before? Had they completely lost their minds?
Maybe it was time he answered one of the numerous calls from the press. The public wanted to and deserved to hear his opinion on the matter. Enough was enough! What used to be a small water spill had turned into a tsunami with devastating consequences. Something had to be done to stop the out-of-control politicians whose moral compasses were obviously malfunctioning.
“This is Kent Watford.”
“Nice to hear from you, Doctor Watford.”
“I’m ready to tell my side of the story.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Can you make it to our studio today?”
“I’ll be there in an hour.”
“Great. We’ll talk soon, then.”
Almost immediately after hanging up, he called another number.
“Lucy, I’m doing it.”
“Hey, darling. What exactly?”
“I’ll speak to the press. It’s time.”
“Absolutely. I fully support your decision.”
“Enough is enough. I can’t listen to the horrific statements of Blake and others alike.”
“I understand. Have you seen the results of the vote?”
“I did. Now I regret I didn’t speak my mind sooner.”
“Oh, Kent, you couldn’t possibly have known.”
“Sometimes, you need to trust your gut feeling. Deep down inside, I knew that these fearmongers wouldn’t stop.”
“Do you really think you can turn this around?”
“I don’t know. I hope. Probably not. But I owe it to the androids. I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror if I didn’t try to help them.”
“I see. Kent, people will listen to you. They know who you are. Those who believe in coexistence will be on your side.”
“I’m just afraid that it’s too late.”
“It’s never too late.”
“I hope you’re right. I’ll talk to you after.”
“Sure. Take care. Everything will be alright.”
He stood before an open closet, motionless, and stared into its interior. Brown or gray jacket? Tie or no tie? Trivial decisions. Nonetheless, he would like to look credible and not come across as an eccentric scientist. Gray jacket and blue tie it was. Or should he go in jeans, a t-shirt, and a sports jacket? He would be more relatable and likable to his target audience. He didn’t want to leave the impression that he was the same as the sharks who had led the media frenzy in the last couple of days. He sighed and closed the closet door.
* * *
“We’re delighted to have Doctor Kent Watford with us: the man who started this thing and the man whose brain the whole world would like to pick right now. He’s here now, so let’s find out what his stance is on the current situation. Doctor Watford, welcome to our show.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“I have to ask you this. Why wait so long to speak up? The media, the general public, politicians, your colleagues…We’ve all been waiting for the opinion of the androids’ father. But there’s been none.”
“Well, let me tell you that even in my worst nightmare, I couldn’t imagine a scenario like this. What’s happening around us at the moment is horrific. When I found out about the mass arrests in the wake of this so-called Judgment Day, I was in complete shock. As was every down-to-earth person who knows that androids pose no threat to us. Of course, I’m talking about the androids we’ve made in line with the world’s only legal production procedure. We all remember how some experiments ended when androids were produced without any limitations. Remember Beijing 2036?”
“You mean the second Tiananmen Square massacre?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. Five police androids killed a hundred and twenty-two people. Why? Because some people thought that they were smarter than us. That it would be fun to manufacture androids without the code and let them roam free.”
“I’m sorry, you lost me.”
“What I’m trying to say is that androids aren’t dangerous by nature. It’s the people who try to use them for shady operations who are a menace to society. It’s similar to how human psychopaths are made. They are shaped by their surroundings and situations that cross their paths. Androids have different personalities, and sooner or later, an aggressive individual could emerge. That’s why we had to set boundaries for them. If you can’t express aggression, you transform it into something else.”
“But still, a murder happened. It was committed by an android. Yet you’re still convinced that it’s impossible.”
“Did you hear about the android’s reason?” asked Kent.
“That he helped the victim reach the afterlife?”
“That’s right. For your information, Leo was the name of the android they executed. He believed that Stephen Dean wouldn’t cease to exist when his physical body succumbed. His act, if we take into account his beliefs, wasn’t a violation of the code. So he was able to do whatever he did. There’s something you need to understand. The code isn’t a psychophysical barrier like most people wrongly believe. It doesn’t know when an android is trying to hit a human, and it doesn’t release an electrical current into his body to stop him. The code is connected to the android’s brain. If I put it in laypeople’s terms, an android can’t think about harming a human, let alone killing one.
In the case in question, Leo’s view on life was atypical. He was a sentient being, and he had his beliefs. Because he believed that his actions would help Stephen, not harm him, he was able to do what he did. But there’s also a possibility that he was following Stephen’s order directly.”
“I’m trying to understand what you’re saying. So if a human being orders an android to kill him, and this same android believes in life after death, there’s no other fail-safe to prevent that murder from happen
ing?”
“Exactly.”
“Do you by any chance know how many androids believe in the afterlife?”
“Do you know how many murders happened yesterday?” Kent replied.
“No.”
“You see. I guess now you’re gonna ask me what we can do to prevent more potential murders from being committed by androids.”
“Well, since you mentioned it…”
“Androids are completely autonomous. We can’t upgrade their software or anything like that. Leo made the deduction and came to the conclusion that the afterlife exists. Some other android will argue that it doesn’t. There could also be an android who will logically assume humans never went to Mars. You see what I’m getting at?”
“I think so. So there’s a possibility that more killer androids exist?”
“I’d rather discuss whether earth might get hit by an asteroid in a decade or so.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Kent sighed. “Yes, there is a possibility that there will be more murders perpetrated by androids. Now let me give you a surprising fact: actually, an answer to my question from earlier. About a thousand.”
“A thousand?”
“Yesterday, around a thousand people were murdered—worldwide, of course. This is the number of people who get murdered each day. Now multiply that by three hundred and sixty-five. Yes? Multiply that by seventeen. What’s your number? From the moment Primo was created up until today, more than six million people were murdered worldwide. But what do we do? We imprison the whole android population because of a single incident. Does that strike you as normal?”
“Doctor Watford, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to clarify some things so people could get a clearer picture of what’s going on.”
“I understand. Do you have any more questions?”
“Actually, I do. Something still confuses me. Dean was stabbed more than thirty times. Yet, an android should’ve been able to kill him with a single jab. Do you have an explanation for that?”
“I can’t explain it, because I don’t know the reason behind it. But I did read somewhere that some groups believe that certain acupressure points’ activation takes the soul to another dimension. I’m not buying it. Maybe Stephen and Leo wanted it to look like a brutal murder that only a person with no impulse control and no moral compass could commit. But these are all speculations.”
“The Senate voted for the continuation of Judgment Day. The House of Representatives will probably follow its lead. That means that all androids will stay locked up until further notice. Dare to comment?”
“Locked up? That sounds so humane. They were imprisoned in concentration camps. Tell it like it is. You want to know what I think about it? I think it reeks of past times that nobody seems to remember anymore. We can read about them, watch movies and shows about them, or look at images that are over a hundred years old. We can even listen to stories that continue to echo through the ages. We all know that history is written by the victors. So I would like to use this opportunity to say to the people in power that they ought to think about their actions. This isn’t child’s play. They’ve imprisoned innocent beings. Thinking, sensitive, conscious beings. Are they sure that a hundred years from now, they’ll be considered heroes? I think not.”
“If I understand correctly, you’re comparing this operation with the concentration camps that were built during World War II?”
“Do you have a better comparison?”
“Doctor Watford, I’m not here to give my personal opinion about the matter at hand.”
“Of course you aren’t. I’m sorry. This whole thing has affected me a bit more than I expected it would. What was your question again?”
“Let’s forget about the concentration camps for now. Tell me, how would you resolve the matter? What’s the alternative to the government’s reaction?”
“I would suggest a thorough checkup of all androids. That means they should be examined and tested by experts, not soldiers. We’re not at war, and androids are citizens like you, me, and those politicians who are so enthusiastically trying to eliminate them. They have rights, and as far as I know, you are still presumed innocent until proven guilty in this country. We cannot condemn every single android because one individual has gone astray. We can’t claim they’re all dangerous. Because they’re not. I want to seize the opportunity and call upon our president to refrain from signing the law and, in doing so, do the right thing.”
“Doctor Watford, thank you for your time. Next up, a broadcast about brain implants. What are the benefits, and what are the risks? Jessica Doyle will take over. We’ll be right back after a few messages from our sponsors.”
19. Primo, 2048
Even without access to the net he knew that the murderer had been caught. The mood at the base had suddenly changed. Also, people talk. Primo could hear the change in their voices’ melodies when they spoke.
“Do you feel that, guys?” asked Rea, android of the last generation, the seventh.
“What’s going on?” asked Cody.
“They got him,” said Primo.
“So it’s over! They’ll release us soon,” said Cody cheerfully.
“You’re young and naive,” said Rea.
“You’re not that much older than me,” Cody replied.
“But a lot more experienced,” said Rea. “That’s why I’m still here.”
Primo knew that the operation wouldn’t come to an end so abruptly. It wouldn’t be in line with normal human behavior. He got up from his bed and walked to the window. Some soldiers were joyful, thinking they’d soon see their families and friends. He wondered how sad they would be once they found out the truth. The thought made him somber as well. He also missed his friends, mostly humans. He missed his writing nook. He missed Sally, his neighbor who was always coming to his door for flour and sugar. He’d explained to her a couple of times that he didn’t need food to stay alive, but soon Primo realized it wasn’t about sugar or flour, so he started buying the stuff.
“Why would they still keep us here?” asked Cody.
“Because it was their plan all along. It was never about the murder. That was just the excuse they needed to implement what they’ve been planning for a long time,” said Rea.
“Why would anybody want to lock up all androids?”
“Because we’re a threat.”
“I’m not a threat to anybody,” said Cody.
“Threats come in different shapes and sizes, don’t they, Primo?”
“What? I’m sorry, my mind wandered off.”
“Rea claims that we pose a threat to humans,” said Cody.
Primo looked at Cody, then Rea. “Some people. Not all of them. Not even the majority.”
“They’re just jealous, that’s all,” said Rea.
“Jealous? They made us. They could’ve built the dumbest and ugliest androids. Then they wouldn’t have a reason to be jealous,” said Cody.
“They did what they wanted to do. They achieved what was meant to be achieved. We can consider ourselves lucky that things turned out the way they did.”
“Listen to him, junior. He’s the oldest among us, and he knows what he’s talking about.”
“The oldest, yes, but not the smartest or the most experienced,” said Primo.
“In any case, it’s good to be on the same page as you when it comes to humanity’s irrationality. I prefer to be on your side,” said Cody.
“Choosing sides is a human domain,” said Rea.
“No,” said Primo. Choices are universal. When you have two paths before you, you can’t choose to walk on both. You have to choose between them. It’s the same when you vote or talk about the end of the universe.”
“What if I don’t vote?”
“That’s a choice too. Rea, please answer me this. You’re walking on the road, and suddenly you see a bus racing toward two pedestrians crossing the road.”
“A bus that drives on the road? I
’ve seen them in pictures and movies, but…”
“OK. Picture an aerobus falling on two pedestrians who are walking peacefully down the street.”
“Done.”
“One of them is human, and the other is an android. You can save only one. Who are you going to save?”
“But I can save both.”
“No, imagine you can’t.”