Grinning broadly, dad asked, “Well, what do you think?”
“I think you did a good job. I look just like me.”
Dad looked up at Benji, and they both snickered with glee. “High praise, that,” Benji giggled. I didn’t quite understand what was so funny, so I waited for them to finish.
“Ok, sorry, Lukey. Let’s see, where to begin… well, you know some things about your new body already, so I’ll start by describing your biological functions. You do need to eat, but not much. Your remaining biological parts still need nutrition, at least for a while, and you might not feel like you need to eat, but you should anyway. As I mentioned before, the nano-machines will gradually come alongside the biological parts, and eventually will replace them, cell by cell, changing your method of transmission of information and commands from electrochemical to strictly electric, which eventually will allow you to do things much faster. One of our limits as a biological species is that we can only go as fast as our chemical signals can go, so as those pathways are replaced, you will feel a more instant result from thought into action. Benji, anything to add?”
“Not much, mate. Only that I’m just a smidge jealous of our boyo. Keep goin’.”
“You’ll still need to eliminate waste, but not very frequently. You also might not feel like you need to go, but just make yourself every other day, at least for the next year. That will keep your biological parts working properly.”
“What your daddy means is your naughty bits will keep doin’ their business, just not as often, eh?”
Dad glanced up at Benji. “Yes, colorfully put. I saw you noticing your hair, or what looks like hair. Your injury left you with one of your eyes and part of your skull gone, including all your scalp, so we had to come up with a method of making the nano-machines duplicate the appearance and motion of hair. That was actually one of the harder tasks we had, but I believe we were successful. What do you think?”
“Well, yeah, I can’t really tell the difference, except it seems a lot stronger than normal hair.”
“Yes, that’s a good point. All of you is stronger now. Even your fully biological parts, because your exterior has a layer, or actually a number of layers, of nano-machines covering you. That’s how you were able to get shot in the back and not experience any injury. You’re not indestructible, but much more resistant to injury than a normal human. What else, Benji?”
“How about the powerplant? See, it takes a lotta energy to keep all those little machines workin’.”
“Yes, that’s your area of expertise. Why don’t you explain?”
Benji sat up in bed, his legs dangling over the side and his black eyes shining like twin suns. “I started workin’ on the tech years ago to help bring power to homes in the outback, separated from normal power systems, off-grid as the sayin’ goes. I first worked on miniaturizing thorium reactors, and for a home that worked like a beauty. Still, I knew there were other ways to gather power, solar and the like, including capturing energy from radio waves, which are a massive source if a Bruce has a method of takin’ them in. The nano-machines that make up your skin are bloody experts at gatherin’ both solar and radio wave energy and storin’ it in that ball in your belly. I tried to make it small enough to carry in your budgie smugglers but couldn’t quite get there. Still, for the size you’ve got an incredible amount of power with a practically unlimited supply. It’ll run for a hundred years before needin’ replacement, I reckon.”
“So… so that’s why I can run fast, and do a bunch of work and not feel tired? It’s because of my energy supply?”
“Yeah, mate. Your brain might need to rest, but your body doesn’t, and that’s a bloody oath. Keep goin’ John-o; tell him more about Ava, that A.I. in his noggin.”
“Yes, I suppose it is time for that. You won’t understand some of this, but I’ll explain anyway, and eventually it will make sense.”
“Lots of the stuff you’ve already told me doesn’t make sense, so you might as well keep going.”
Dad and Benji exchanged a slight smile, and dad continued. “As I believe Benji mentioned before, the programming for the A.I. did not quite get completed. It can handle all the functions of your body without fail, but if you try to communicate with it, or let’s call it her, she will respond in ways that might be confusing, although she will learn and improve over time. One of the problems for you will be this: to communicate with her, you will have to speak aloud. She can’t read your thoughts. But, when she responds, you will be the only one who hears. In other words, you might want to communicate with her mostly in private, or people will think you are talking to yourself. Also, as Benji said before, this is a prototype, and the only one in existence, and since our friend was killed and her lab destroyed, it is unlikely that anything remotely as advanced will come along anytime soon. She has a gyroscopic function built in as well, which you probably have noticed. It will keep you upright until the system senses that you are choosing to recline. The reason it has fused with your biology is that it uses DNA as a storage medium, and we sent a small amount of your DNA to be used as the A.I. was being developed, so it is biologically part of you. Removing it would destroy it, so it would be of no use to anyone else.”
I pondered for a few moments. “That’s ok. It’s logical, what you have done. I wouldn’t want anyone to get the technology either. It makes sense to me.”
Dad seemed a little choked up as he said, “That’s my boy. So smart. Why don’t you try talking to Ava? Just ask her a question, see what she says.”
“What should I ask? I don’t know what to say.”
“Oi, mate, just ask ‘er somethin’ simple. Like, what’s the weather goin’ to be tomorrow?”
“Ok, that sounds easy. Ava, what kind of weather will we be having tomorrow?”
In my mind, I heard a lady with a British accent respond: “It’ll be raining cats and dogs, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.”
I must have had a puzzled look on my face as I told dad what Ava said. “You are going to have to get used to deciphering these figures of speech, Lukey. It’ll actually be good for you, I think. It’ll help you in social situations.”
“Ok, but what does it mean?”
“It’s going to rain a lot, and probably for several days. Remember those sayings in case she uses them again, then you’ll know what they mean.”
“What else should I ask her?”
“Ask ‘er if everything’s workin’ properly down in the nano-machines; have ‘er do a systems-check, eh?”
“Ava, please do a check of all systems and then report.”
“Stand by… All systems right as rain, although you do have a bit of a sticky wicket in the bowel region.”
“Oh, no… dad, what is a sticky wicket in the bowel region? Is it bad?”
Dad put his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. “A sticky wicket usually means there is a tricky problem of some kind, but in this case, I think she just means that you should go to the bathroom.”
“Oh, that’s good. I mean, it’s not good… you know what I mean. She also said all systems right as rain. Let me guess… that must mean things are working well?”
“Now you’re gettin’ it, mate. Our boyo will be a metaphor master lickety split.”
Once again, my befuddlement was clear. “It means fast, Lukey. Don’t worry, you’ll get it. It’ll just take practice. You’ll have plenty of time to get to know Ava, so just speak to her as you need. That’s one of the main reasons why she’s there.”
There was a moment of quiet. “Dad, I was wondering, do the nano-machines ever malfunction or break down? They can’t last forever, can they?”
“That’s a really good question. Although they last much longer than normal cells, they do stop working on occasion. It could be caused by trauma, as in the spot on your back where you were shot; in fact, if you look there, you will notice that the black spot and dent are gone, the damaged nano-machines discarded and replaced. The long-ter
m repair and replacement are the last parts of your system that need to be completed. Benji?”
Benji clapped his hands and rubbed them together vigorously. “I been waitin’ for this moment, mates. Just a sec, I’ll get the final treatment.”
He hopped down from the top bunk and opened the tiny closet next to the bathroom, pulling out his backpack. He withdrew a metallic object about the size and shape of a Rubic’s Cube; it emitted a faint hiss and had a digital readout on one side. He pressed a code into the keypad below the readout and the top of the cube flipped open, revealing a glass container with what appeared to be a few ounces more of the nano-machines used to make my body. The container quickly became frosted over when exposed to the air. “Had to keep the little beauties cold until they had somethin’ to work on. These are the remaining maker-bots, and they’re goin’ right down in your belly. One of your daddy’s biggest accomplishments was gettin’ them to build consistently, and in the end, he found that usin’ a mixture of hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride to aid in the process was just the ticket. And guess what’s down there in your breadbasket? You guessed it, mate!”
“Dad…”
“He means your stomach, Lukey. Stomach acid is made up of those chemicals. The maker-bots will continue to replace the nano-machines as they break down, and the nano-machines will also replace your normal cells as they deteriorate. If things work properly, all your biological parts will eventually be replaced, one cell at a time.”
“But… but… will I still be me? What about my mind, the way I think, the things I remember? Will I still be a person?”
Dad paused, looking down at his hands. “That’s a philosophical question that I would have thought you were too young to contemplate, but you always surprise me. Are we just a collection of cells, animated by chemical processes? Yes, we are that, but there’s more to us than simply biology. If you’re able to retain your memories, your personality, your thoughts, does it matter what you are made of? You will still be you. At least that’s what I believe. I have to believe that, because I want you to live.”
Dad got choked up again, and Benji put his hand on his shoulder, trying to console him. “Ah, come on, John-o, ya done good. Who else coulda put all this together? The whole thing’s bloody genius. ‘Course, ya couldn’t ’a done it without me, that goes without sayin’, eh? I’m a genius too, ya know, not to mention handsome and modest. I mean, just look at me hair for a starter. I’m the envy of all Straya, I am.”
He did a funny little jig and made a theatrical bow, his hair flopping wildly, and it caused dad to chuckle despite his melancholy. “Alright, alright, settle down. A guy can’t even wallow properly with you around. There is something else I wanted to mention, now that I think of it. Long ago there was an inventor and futurist by the name of Kurzweil. A brilliant man, he was also quite an expert at predicting the future of technological changes. Of course, he couldn’t predict the collapse of the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, and what that would do to technological progress, and he also couldn’t predict what the regressive policies and behaviors of the government would do. Still, he had one idea in particular he was obsessed with, and he called it The Singularity.
“There are other kinds of singularities, especially in physics, but to him it meant the point at which humans and technology would converge, forming something new and more robust than human limits would allow. He predicted that it would happen right about now, and guess what? You, Lukey, are The Singularity. It certainly did not happen in the way he predicted, and it will not be replicated anytime soon. Your one last task is to swallow the maker bots; once they get in your stomach, they will work on any materials that come their way to create more nano-machines to keep your system replenished. You will occasionally need to eat some of the raw materials they need to do their work, but for now you’ll just need to drink them down. Benji?”
He handed me the glass container, which had warmed up enough for the frost to evaporate. The material inside was moving slowly, undulating with life. Benji made a drinking motion, and said, “Chug-a-lug, boyo. Down the hatch.” I took the container and sniffed it, but it didn’t have much of a scent. I raised it to my mouth and poured in the contents, and as it slid down, I noticed a mild, metallic, chemical taste, but nothing else, and in a moment, they were gone.
“Now, it’s been a long two days; we haven’t stopped running for even a moment, and it’s time to rest. You may not need sleep that much, but Benji and I certainly do, eh, Benji?”
“That’s a bloody oath, mate. My eyes are closin’ on me.”
And within moments, they were both asleep, Benji’s snoring sounding like an electric saw cycling on and off repeatedly.
12
I sat up most of the night, wondering how all this had happened to me. I eventually dozed off for a few minutes, but when I woke up, I felt as if I could run a marathon. At about seven a.m., dad and Benji finally awoke after nine hours of sleep. Benji rolled out of bed, yawned with gusto, and went to pat me on the back, stopping himself at the last moment. “No, no, mate, not gonna make that mistake again. Whatta ya say we go up and get a little tucker, eh?”
He recognized my puzzlement, and said, “Food. Let’s get somethin’ to eat.”
Dad said, “Ah, splendid. I’m famished. Lukey, how about you?”
“Well, not really, but I’ll go with you. Oh, let me grab my wig.” I slapped the long blond tresses on my head and we entered the narrow hall, where we could hear the voices of Mr. Harutyunyan and Ms. Houng, engaged in what sounded like a bit of an argument. They were not quite yelling but talking loudly didn’t quite describe it either. I suppose it sounded more aggressive than it might have been because they were talking at the same time and in their native Vietnamese and Armenian, with some English mixed in.
“Uh-oh, trouble in paradise,” said a clearly amused Benji.
“Now now, let’s be supportive,” dad replied.
“I’m gonna knock, get those root rats to come with us, eh?”
“Ok, but be careful, they might be throwing things.”
Benji tip-toed to their door and tapped timidly. There was a moment of rustling behind the metal door of their cabin, and Ms. Houng answered, her work jumpsuit on and hair carefully sloppy, as was her style. “Oh, hello, everybody. You ready for breakfast?” she asked brightly. Behind her, Mr. Harutyunyan beamed with apparent delight to see us.
“Ahh, is everything ok, mates?”
“Oh, yes, perfect. Why do you ask?” said Mr. Harutyunyan.
“Well, it seemed a might heated a moment ago. I mean, crikey, we could hear you as if you were in our cabin.”
Ms. Houng chuckled. “Oh that? Was nothing, just saying good morning. Isn’t that right, Mardie?”
“Is right, Minnie. Now let’s get something for the belly, ok?”
We shuffled off toward the galley, and upon reaching the deck above our noses were again assaulted with a sour vegetable smell like the day before. When we entered the galley, I quickly counted the people and there were twenty-one. So, he wasn’t telling the truth… or is it possible someone got on after we left the port?
Another quick scan of the room made the new occupant obvious: a young woman, appearing mid-twenties in age, sitting with Alexy. She seemed tall and slim, although she was seated so it was a bit hard to tell. Her hair was blond, but she had Hispanic features and skin tone, and she and Alexy were engaged in what appeared to be an intense conversation. I looked at dad, and he gave me a sign that he had seen her as well. We went through the line and got our food, which this time consisted of an oatmeal-like mush and another piece of hard bread and sat together at the same table as the day before.
As we ate, I kept an eye on Alexy and the new lady, and soon he noticed us. They both rose and approached, and I tapped dad’s leg under the table to get his attention. “I know,” he whispered. “Just act normal.”
When they reached our table, Alexy cleared his throat and said, “Good morning, I
trust everyone is feeling well? No problems with sea-sickness?”
Dad smiled but of course Benji spoke first. “No worries, mate. Doin’ splendid. Good tucker, by the way.”
“Yes, well, sorry, is all we can afford for now. Budget is very tight and getting tighter all the time. We are down to skeleton crew, as you can see, barely enough to run a ship of this type. At any rate, you may have noticed we have a new person on board. This is Miss Zoey Perez, she was brought aboard by the Coast Guard, and will travel with us to our destination. She is here as inspector for the US Food and Drug Administration to assure that we are handling our cargo properly. We inadvertently left the port without her on board, totally my mistake. I am just introducing her to all the staff so that they will know her purpose and that she may want to speak with you from time to time. Is that correct, Miss Perez?”
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