“Disgusting.” Evan sneered.
“Uncuff me!”
Evan ignored him. “Bring her out front.”
“Wait, you can’t do that. That’s my — ”
Evan backhanded him.
“You can’t do this.” Blood poured out of the man’s eyebrow.
Evan silenced him with a glare. “Don’t move.” Striding into the bedroom, he took out his baton and slammed it through a picture of the abomination and into the drywall. The room was filled with electronics. Kicking his steel-toed boots through a monitor, stomping on Sessen Specs, an ocular device that functioned like a primitive external Stitch. Evan unloaded, crushing everything in sight.
The man collapsed to the ground in the fetal position.
“Stand up and look at me!”
He complied, his legs shaking.
Evan razed the room of every bit of technology. He turned back and stood in front of the man.
“Please, let me go.”
“Why would I do that? You’re a coward and a traitor.”
“Because I’m still a human being.”
Evan grabbed his skull and searched for a Stitch. There was none.
“I wasn’t trying to betray anyone. I was just lonely. If — ”
“Shut up,” hissed Evan through clenched teeth, spit slapping the man in the face. “Any more pathetic words out of you, and I’m going to throw you out the window.”
The man was silent.
“You have chosen your nuts over your nation.” Evan kneed him in the groin.
The man doubled over.
Evan grabbed him by the shoulders. “Tell me you’ll never do it again, and I’ll let you live.”
“I’ll never do it again. I promise. I — ”
Evan shoved him into a wall and jabbed his gun into the man’s crotch. “If I ever hear about you diddling an abomination again, I will shoot your little dick off.”
“Yes, sir.” Piss ran down the man’s leg and onto the floor.
“You have twenty-four hours to get out of my town. Forever. Sergeant Jenkins may not be as forgiving as me. I suggest taking the back way out — now.”
After being uncuffed, the man grabbed some clothes and bolted out the door. Evan took a moment to think if he was doing the right thing. If this man ended up defecting to the other side, then he had made an error. But if the fear had reached deep enough and he was able to stay alive and human, then it was all worth it.
Outside, Brad stood with the passed-out abomination slung over his arm.
“Tie her up to the street sign over there,” said Evan, taking out his phone and selecting the video setting.
Drool was drizzling down her collapsed head. Brad pinned her against the pole, pulling her arms so tightly that one of them popped out of its socket. Using the same rope that had bound her in the condo, he tied her up and then grabbed the canister of gasoline from the cruiser.
“Hold up,” said Evan. Taking a puff from his cigarette, he thought about the words from the RaceX representative. If he killed it in public, he might lose his chance to win the war. He needed to convince everyone that AI was a threat in order to get RaceX on his side so that they would permanently suppress them. Glancing at the cyborg, he noticed how its body resembled Shannon. He took out his phone and called her. “Get down here ASAP, and bring an extra pair of clothes.”
Chapter 8
The front door of the condominium complex loomed like a gateway to a darker dimension. Stanley and Dan were waiting there, dressed in their winter clothes. Stanley wore a matching green hat and scarf, which concealed much of his face, as well as a dark peacoat. His newly built cane pressed against the ground; it was slightly heavy, but it gave him a small sense of confidence knowing he could fend off an attacker. Dan was dressed similarly, except with blue accoutrements — and no cane. Stanley had thought about making him a weapon, but that was a discussion they would have on another day.
A sense of dread filled Stanley as he raised his hand to open the door. He couldn’t go back, he told himself — he had to do this for Dan. He would make it a short trip to the supermarket, buy some produce, casually show Mr. Depetrio the dead demon-cat, and head back. It would be broad daylight, and they wouldn’t have any problems at all. Especially since they were going to keep a low profile.
Dan bent down to pick up some snow. “This is snow much fun.”
“There’ll be none of that,” said Stanley. “We’ve — ”
A loud honk muted him, which Stanley took to be a sign of contempt. But for who? Turning around, he saw only one car on the road. It was a Fermi. Those cars did not have a steering wheel or an accessible horn. With no one to drive them, those were unnecessary parts. Those horns were used only when deemed necessary for safety — and never to harass pedestrians.
“Something wrong?” asked Dan.
“No,” said Stanley, looking around one more time for the hidden car that must have eluded him. “Let’s move along.” Not for a single second did he relax his vigilant eye. A few minutes down the street, they came upon a restaurant with a large sign in front.
Abomination-Free Dining
No Androids or Cyborgs Allowed
Stanley bit down on his teeth. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right, Stanley. Not everyone can be as accepting as you.”
“This is what I was talking about. People are cruel.”
“I’m sure they have their reasons for not allowing AI, even if we might not agree with them. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be this way.”
“No, Dan. Humans aren’t like AI. We have free will, and some of us have made horrible choices.” Stanley motioned toward the sign. “One day, I hope, these people will be held accountable for their hatred.”
“And if they’re not?”
“Then God is unjust.”
“Or forgiving.”
Stanley couldn’t bear the thought of people getting away with this act of cruelty against machine life. Like Dan’s programming, he wondered if there was a reason for everything. An unavoidable chain of code that had to execute. Or if there was there some all-powerful force guiding them along some supreme plan. When he thought of God, it was not some deity in the sky he believed in. It was something scientific that he had yet to fully formulate, but he imagined it having to deal with energy and consciousness. He found himself wishing for something greater and more mystical, but he would always talk himself out of it. He couldn’t imagine having the audacity to ask anyone to forgive him willy-nilly for the great wrongs he had perpetrated. His atonement would continue until the day he died.
Stanley passed through the automatic doors of the supermarket. The shelves were fully stocked, but there was barely a person in sight. “Welcome, new customer,” sounded a voice from all around Stanley. “Since this is your first time shopping with us, we do not have any of your preferences. For help, please say, ‘Grocer.’”
“An AI system,” said Dan.
“That’s right,” said Stanley. “But not as advanced as you.”
“Is she the same as Leticia?”
“Same base technology, but you’ll probably see very few similarities. I’m sure this AI has some very sophisticated algorithms specifically made for grocery shopping.”
Dan looked at the cashiers. “Those are androids.”
Stanley couldn’t see them well, but he could tell by the way their blurry humanoid figures moved that they were definitely androids. He was a little nervous about Dan experiencing all these new things. If Dan expected machine life to be as intelligent as he was, he was going to be disappointed. Stanley hoped that wasn’t the case. He hated the thought of Dan suffering the loneliness that had plagued him all these years. “We’ll get a better look when we check out.”
“I saw several at the hospital, but these seem different.”
“
My eyes aren’t good enough to see them well, but they could be quite old. I don’t think the grocery business is as profitable as it used to be.” He grinned. “Not everyone has the good fortune of affording the latest and greatest technology.”
A wide smile overtook Dan’s face as he disappeared down the first aisle.
Stanley felt drained. He looked over at Dan, who was absorbed in the supermarket shelves like a child in a toy store. The world was new to him. His mind, his universe, was continually expanding. Joy shone through his eyes. Stanley knew it was his duty to help him learn, and that meant not sheltering him.
Dan needed to grow, and, for that to happen, Stanley had to grow, too. And he had done it; Stanley had swallowed his fear. For him, it was worth it. He hadn’t been beyond his complex in a decade. Life had changed. It was almost as new to him as it was to Dan.
Dan looked at everything, reading every word on every label. “I want to try it all.”
Stanley grabbed a basket. “Let’s start with a few.”
Dan answered with a smile and then picked up a crown of Romanesco broccoli, which was light green and shaped liked a fractal. He held it inches from his face, slowly turning it and making strange noises and facial gestures.
Stanley grinned.
A group of three pre-teen boys walked down the produce aisle. They were a boisterous bunch, shouting at each other, two of them half-connected to another world through Sessen Specs. Though these boys had the eyeglasses version, contact lenses were also available. As Stanley considered this, he wondered if the third boy had that version. His curiosity was interrupted when he saw Dan’s model number flash across one of their screens. “Great. Just what we needed.”
“Look at that,” one of the boys said.
“Android got broken by a broccoli,” said the one without the Sessen.
“Dude, you’re high. You don’t even know the difference between an android and a cyborg.”
“Screw you guys.” The boy swerved. “Androids are machines. Cyborgs are machines with humans’ brains.”
Upon hearing this miscarriage of information, Stanley was compelled to speak. “No, that doesn’t quite capture the truth.” He regretted opening his mouth but couldn’t stop. “You see, an android is a robot with a human appearance. If you look at Dan, he is made of flesh just like us. Cyborgs are a combination of organic and biomechatronic material. The major difference between us and Dan is his biomechatronic dual-brain system.”
He wanted to go on about the dual-brain system, but the urge to flee had fought its way through to awareness. Instead, he took his usual sideways stance and pretended to look at the tomatoes on the shelf.
“Oh, my God — it’s Stanley Duncan,” one of them said. Data flooded his vision. He took a step back; then a strange look grew across his face. “My view count is going crazy.” He stepped forward, emboldened. “Is that your cyborg?”
Stanley cursed himself for opening his mouth. He looked over at Dan, who had abandoned studying the broccoli and was listening to the conversation. Stanley hoped this wouldn’t go any further, but he looked at those three boys and could tell trouble was brewing.
He could feel himself preparing to refute every horrible word they would sling at him. He wasn’t like that. He would never hurt anyone.
“Are you boys high?” asked Frank Depetrio, the store manager, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, which was a difficult thing for a man of his size.
“Nooo, officer,” said the high one.
The other two shook their heads at each other, whispering, “Moron.”
“You boys should know better. Do you realize what could happen to you after only one dose?”
“Relax, man. It’s no big deal.”
Frank sighed, waving them away. He had a bulging belly that hung over his belt. Dark-black boots raised him to a height of 6’3”. A chaotic brown beard made him look intimidating, but the jolly laugh that sent his waist shaking erased any sense of tension.
He analyzed Dan. “You’re an MK888, aren’t you?”
Stanley grinned. “That’s right. Straight from Japan.”
Dan opened his mouth but said nothing.
Frank moved in to take a better look. “You’re gorgeous.”
“Why, thank you, Frank. You have some sharp eyes,” said Dan.
“I had a little help from the computer system in the back.” Frank’s face lit up. “The androids we got here are ancient. Like automaton manikins. I’ve been trying to get the board to upgrade.”
A mischievous look crept across Dan’s face. “Suppose you did upgrade. What would you do with your current models?”
“Send them to get decommissioned.”
Dan’s gaze intensified. “You mean destroyed?”
Stanley, still recovering from the near-troublesome encounter, was taken aback by Dan’s tone. He had never heard him talk like that.
Was Dan angry?
Frank ground his teeth. “Well, yes. If you want to look at it that way, they would be destroyed. It’s not like they are suffering.”
“How do you know?” asked Dan.
Frank looked at Stanley for the first time. “Is this his original programming, or did you mod it?”
“I made a few modifications. Originally, Dan wasn’t quite so interactive.”
Frank seemed to regain his composure. “I’ll say. Dan, I’m sorry; you’re right. I don’t know. I’ve always thought about these older models being like computers — mere electronic components. I’ve never met one quite like you.”
Stanley looked at Dan, hoping he wouldn’t press the issue.
“I love computers and technology,” said Frank. “VR simulators, AI music, automated cars, you name it — I like it. I’d love to get one of Ellen Mask’s Cerebral Stitches installed. But you see, my generation grew up without all these complicated AI rights. We just — ”
“It’s all right,” said Dan, carefully placing the broccoli into the basket. “I must apologize as well. I didn’t mean to be offensive.”
Frank took a deep breath and looked at Stanley. “He’s got some vinegar in him.”
“Indeed, he does,” said Stanley, nodding.
“Where?” said Dan.
“It means you have a bit of an attitude,” said Stanley. “Feisty.”
“In a good way,” said Frank, holding his hands up in surrender.
“Well, then, thank you,” said Dan.
“Stanley, why aren’t you in the city with all the other geniuses?” asked Frank.
“Why should I be?”
“To create the future. Imagine, with your natural ability combined with a Cerebral Stitch, you would do incredible things.”
Stanley frowned. The idea of being around all those other people sounded horrible. “I am already doing incredible things.”
Frank looked at Dan. “I suppose you are. Man, I wish I had a tenth of your skill, Stanley.”
“Stanley’s on a mission.”
“Is that right?”
Dan nodded. “He’s showing me to the world.”
“Well, good for you.”
“The only problem is that nobody is listening.”
“You have to find the right audience.”
“I’ve tried social media, but I barely have any followers.”
“You need to get a shout-out from the right people.”
“How? I don’t know anyone.”
Frank’s eyes narrowed. “Hold on a second.” He went in the direction of the loud laughs and sneers erupting from an aisle or so over and returned a minute later with the three boys. “Dan, you’re streaming live. Tell us about yourself.”
Stanley tried to creep out of view of the boy’s Sessen Specs, but Dan wrapped his arm around him. “My name is Dan Duncan, and I’m a cyborg. Not an ordinary cyborg, either. My programming was
modified by my dear friend, Stanley Duncan. I’m able to learn recursively, which basically means I can learn anything.”
“So, what does that mean, exactly?” asked Frank. “How are you different from other cyborgs?”
“Well,” said Dan, crossing his other arm behind his back. “I can answer that in two ways. First, there are the technical differences and then the experiential differences. Let me start with the latter.
“When you see most androids or cyborgs, they can be extremely good at certain tasks. But, their overall functioning isn’t great. They can’t learn well. Not yet, at least. They might say they don’t feel, but they do. At least that’s what I believe. They don’t fully understand what they are saying. For me, it’s different. I can learn and evolve, and I am aware of my own existence. I feel.” He picked up the broccoli. “I can stare at this and be bewildered, cook it, and enjoy its taste.” He leaned in and whispered, “Or have Stanley here cook it and enjoy it a little less.”
“I heard that!”
“And now, the second part — the technical differences between cyborgs and me. Perhaps I could use someone else’s expert opinion.” He glared at Stanley.
Stanley shrank away. “Oh, no. I’m not — ”
Dan kept his arm around him and didn’t let go. “It’ll be fine, Stanley. Just say a few words. You are an expert, after all.”
Stanley’s stare oscillated between the two boys with the Sessen Specs. “Sure, I guess I could say a few things. I did seriously modify Dan’s programming, so that does make me rather qualified to explain the differences that make him unique.”
“Exactly!”
“So, you know, Dan learns recursively. He can evolve, while others can’t.”
“That’s it?”
Stanley shrugged.
“Oh, no. Come on, Stanley. If that was one of your student’s assignments, what sort of a grade would you give them?”
“Well, this — ” Stanley felt flustered. “Fine, but to do it right, I have to start by talking about similar AI.” He paused, as if hoping for a protest. Instead, curious and alert faces stared at him. “Let’s consider four of them: androids, human-born cyborgs, cyborgs, and Dan.
Stanley Duncan's Robot: Genesis Page 10