Robot Awareness: Special Edition

by B. C. Kowalski

  “I guess it was once called that,” Master Kenpur said.

  “I didn’t even think it existed ...”

  “That’s how myths start,” Kenpur said. “Sometimes myths are true.”

  “How did you find it?” Joey asked. He was mesmerized by Kenpur, and his eyes widened as he took in everything the old man said.

  “I asked.”

  “You asked?” Porter asked.

  Kenpur nodded.

  “Asked who?” Isellia said. She didn’t particularly care for the bitter tea, but drinking it gave her something to occupy herself with. Her fingers clasped the rough wooden cup’s hand-carved surface, feeling some comfort from its warmth.

  The old man took a sip of tea, spilling a little on his beard. He flung the drops off into the fire playfully. Isellia thought it would have been hard to believe Kenpur was a master of anything, had she not witnessed his prowess earlier.

  “Everyone I could find.” The old man sipped more tea, and no one said anything.

  “And?” Rex asked finally, looking mildly curious.

  “And,” Kenpur continued, “when you talk to people, you learn interesting things. And I learned something very interesting.”

  “Such as?” Rex, normally calm and collected, appeared on the edge of his seat, eyes wider than usual.

  But Kenpur only smiled a little, and took a sip of his tea. “It’s no matter. I should like to book passage. Farven Point. I have to see the administrator about something.”

  Isellia’s eyes lit up as the timing dawned on her. There happened to be an XR race coming up that weekend. And her repairs were nearly done. Or at least, they were until she started wasting time in this — whatever it is.

  The old man caught her look. “So you heard about the race too, hm? I’ll see that you are entered. The administrator owes me a couple favors anyway, if memory serves me.”

  Isellia’s eyes grew wide as she looked at the old man. “But how did you —”

  “I’m sure you don’t wear that flight suit just to show off your body,” the old man smirked. “Not that I mind.”

  The comment made Isellia self-conscious, and she squirmed a little, attempting to cover herself. XR suits fit very tightly — there was little room in the cockpit, and plenty of sharp edges, things sticking out to catch material. The suits were designed to fit tight and glide over rough surfaces — they were practical, but didn’t leave much to the imagination, even under her white, puffy vest.

  “You have the attitude of an XR pilot to boot. Couldn’t miss it. If you were wearing a shaman’s shawl, it would still be obvious.”

  “Oh, you’re some kind of mind reader now?” The suit was something she wore almost daily — it was handy around the ship. She was aware of its tight-fitting nature, but the old man was the first to make her conscious of herself, as if she were on display. Did Porter look at her that way? Rex? Joey? Oh god, she thought, Joey. With his crush. She suddenly felt like she never wanted to see another man again.

  “Old people know things,” Kenpur sighed, turning embers in the fire absently with a stick. “Just comes with being around awhile.”

  “Passage on our ship doesn’t come cheap, you know,” Porter said. “It’ll be at least —”

  Without looking at Porter, he tossed a bag of coins to him. “That ought to cover it,” the old man said. He fumbled with the bag, which was much heavier than he expected.

  His eyes widened when he peered into the top of the brown, leather bag. “This — this is enough for 50 trips to Farven Point. Are you sure—?”

  “Take it. I don’t need money here.” He noticed Joey staring at him as if in a trance. “Patience for young people is difficult, sometimes.” He coughed into his hand a little, turning a log over with the stick. Its hot, red underbelly glowed against the cave’s darkness, red heat lines washing over its surface like waves.

  Joey watched the old man’s face, a red glow cast upon it by the fire. He reminded him of Mr. Twitter, patient and wise but always appeared to be waiting for Joey to catch up. Mr. Twitter seemed to enjoy the experience but always seemed a bit exhausted. But there was something else about Kenpur. Joey couldn’t put his finger on it, but something about the old man made him uneasy.

  Then a thought occurred to him. “If this is the server, won’t the money just disappear?”

  Kenpur shook his head, stirring the glowing red embers. “Nope. I brought it in with me. Just like you and me, when it exits the server, it’ll reappear.”

  Porter clenched the bag shut in his fist. “I guess we set out as soon as you’re ready. And when you care to show us the way out of here.” He turned to find a place to sleep; as he walked by Rex, he glanced at him for a second, giving him a look that asked just what they were all getting into. Rex returned the look blankly, but didn’t hold his gaze, looking once again into the fire. Celia, who sat behind him stroking his long, black hair, gave him a slight grin, halfway between apology and mystery. Porter shook his head and headed into the cave.

  “I think it’s about time we got some sleep,” the old man said, turning embers in the fire.

  Chapter 18

  The robot dreams.

  ***

  Joey woke with a start. He looked around him, for a moment still imagining he was in his bunk in his mother’s home on the colony. With a sadness, he shook it off, realizing that would probably never be the case again. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw the glowing embers and cascading light reflecting off the cave walls. Each day’s events seemed to become stranger and stranger, he reflected; it was hard to comprehend the fact that he had been asleep in digital space.

  The embers in the center of the fire wavered like a surface underwater, sending a steady stream of smoke up through a hole in the cave’s stony roof. Every so often, the smoke would clear enough to catch a glimpse of the night sky. Back on the colony, he had stared at the night sky in wonder, only imagining what the stars held. Imagination is infinitely more interesting than the confines of reality.

  He wondered how long the old man lived had here. Or where he’d come from in the first place. It was hard to imagine someone living completely in digital space. But then, wasn’t that the robot’s world? He wondered whether there really was a difference. Maybe the universe could be reduced to a series of ones and zeros. That’s how the robot saw things, didn’t it? Joey didn’t know, but the thought was interesting, anyway.

  He looked over and noticed that Isellia’s sleeping bag was empty. His mind wandered too much to get back to sleep, so he decided to look for her.

  ***

  He found Isellia sitting at the edge of the plateau, knees wrapped in arms, staring up at the stars. A few thin wisps of clouds hid only a few of the stars that filled the brilliant night sky.

  “Are you OK?” Joey asked, standing behind her. Joey was old enough to understand that women thought and felt differently from him, and he usually felt at a loss how to react. But he felt at a loss to react to much that had happened to him recently; it was a feeling he was getting used to.

  Isellia said nothing, but let out a sigh as she continued to gaze upon the night sky. Joey didn’t know whether that meant he should sit next to her, or leave her alone. Tentatively he joined her, hanging his feet over the edge next to hers. Below them the chasm of the mountain disappeared into darkness, the moonless night sky the only light besides a faint glow from the cave.

  She didn’t pay him much attention, but he could tell she was aware of him. He felt his tongue heavy in his mouth, and cast sidelong glances at her, then nervously looked down. He felt like he should say something, but he had no idea what was appropriate.

  “Looks real, doesn’t it?” Isellia said expressionlessly, saving him from making the first move.

  Joey nodded.

  “It looks real but it seems more like a dream. Like, I don’t know, like we’re just going to wake up eventually.”

  Joey picked up a small stick. “Everything here sure seems real…”
r />   “Not that, you dummy,” she said with an angry puff. “Oh, never mind.”

  Joey didn’t say anything.

  “I’ve been piloting longer than I can remember, since I was younger than you. Just like my dad. It’s the whole reason I’m on this crew. I waited, and waited and waited. I’ve been waiting for my chance to make up— um, to compete again.

  “Boy did I pick the right crew. We barely make enough to get by. I know Porter doesn’t talk about what we actually do — he makes all the deals, we just keep the ship running and make sure it gets where it needs to.

  “But what you have to understand, is that Porter only takes certain jobs. No weapons. No narcotics or electronic hallucinogens. Nothing in general that will hurt someone. I mean, I get that. Probably why we don’t really get a lot of Company C attention. Or at least, up until now.”

  Isellia turned toward Joey. “He’ll always transport people. It’s his weakness.”

  Joey nodded.

  “So that’s great and all, but I signed on to earn money. And there’s not a lot of money in transporting legal goods to dodge taxes.”

  “But now you’re gonna get your chance,” Joey said. “That’s what you want, right?”

  “Yeah, now’s my chance,” Isellia said.

  “So why’s that bad?” Joey asked.

  “It’s not bad, jeez!” Isellia huffed. She stared off into the darkness for a spell. “I didn’t earn that chance. Someone else is just giving it to me. For who knows why. And now what if ...”

  “If?”

  Isellia didn’t respond.

  “What if you screw up, right?”

  Isellia stared at him. He knew he must have come close. He didn’t know how she would react.

  “So now it’s like there’s all this pressure,” Joey said. “I always dreamed of working on robots some day. I spent so much time with Mr. Twitters, learning mechanics, understanding circuitry, building algorithms.

  “But when the robot showed up one day — I was so excited I could hardly move. I nearly forgot everything I knew.”

  Isellia wiped moisture from the corner of her eye. She pulled back her right bang with her finger, looping it around her ear.

  “So then what?” she asked.

  Joey shrugged. “I just dug in. It all came back to me. I just started with what I could remember, then kept going. He was pretty broken down, but I got him up and running pretty quick. Mr. Twitters helped when I got stuck.”

  “You really liked that Mr. Twitters, huh?”

  Joey nodded. “He was like my mentor, I guess. It’s nice to have someone around to help. For support, I guess.”

  Isellia smiled a little. “Yeah. You’re probably right.”

  The two stared out at the sky, saying nothing. Isellia still felt a nervousness in her stomach, but a renewed sense of enthusiasm. She looked at Joey. Sometimes he could be OK, she thought.

  “Alrighty, we should get some sleep.”

  Isellia started back for the cabin, but a much louder shrieking accompanied by a large flash of light startled both of them.

  They looked at each other with befuddlement.

  ***

  Joey sprinted through the entrance of the cave. The robot was thrashing, light was coming out of every seam, as Kenpur held it by its input drive. Kenpur’s muscles visibly strained as he held the flailing contraption, but he remained calm, taking in air in slow, measured breaths.

  “Robot!” Joey yelled. Porter caught him before he could run by, nearly taking him off his feet.

  “What’s he doing?” Joey said, looking up at Porter.

  “I don’t know what’s going on,” Porter said, holding both of Joey’s shoulders. Porter’s presence seemed to calm Joey, but the boy still looked on in concern. “He seems to have a handle on it, though.”

  Joey watched as the robot continued to rattle out of control against Kenpur’s grip, though gradually the robot’s limbs slowed their frantic pace. Lights flashed brightly and in multiple colors through the robot’s optical nerve openings in the small cave, and everyone shielded their eyes in the small space.

  Those lights slowly faded as Kenpur continued murmuring something no one in the room could make out. The robot’s thrashing became a slow mechanical tick, then nothing. The robot became silent, still.

  “Now you have power over machines, too?” Rex asked.

  Kenpur ignored him. “Something very different about this robot,” Kenpur said almost to himself. “You found him?” Kenpur looked at Joey as he spoke.

  “Yeah,” Joey said, looking around quizzically.

  “Was he like this when you found him?”

  “There was an incident on the I.S.S. station,” Porter muttered.

  “Hmmm, interesting,” Kenpur muttered, stroking his long beard as he studied the still machine.

  “What’s interesting?” Isellia asked before Joey could, but Kenpur disappeared around the corner without answering.

  ***

  Joey sat at the edge of the plateau the next morning, looking out over the mountain path they’d climbed the day before. The others had wandered back to their resting spots the night before and fell back asleep. The unusual had become so common over the past few days that they’d grown accustomed to it.

  In the daylight, the mountain reminded Joey of home; of the side of the mountain that wasn’t being mined by the Company C factory. One side was filled with life, the other dark and barren, destroyed.

  He tried only to remember the side with life.

  He couldn’t understand what was going on with the robot. No training he’d had, no sagely advice from Mr. Twitters, no experience he’d had could account for whatever it was that was going on with this mechanical friend. On the surface, there appeared to be nothing wrong. The robot was mechanically sound, and Joey found nothing in its circuitry to explain the previous night’s episode. Circuitry never was his strong suit, though.

  “You’re worried,” voice from behind said. Joey jumped at the interruption.

  Kenpur stood behind him, his hands resting behind his back. Joey craned his neck to look back up at him. Kenpur looked peaceful and wise in the morning light, Joey thought. No trace of his previous zaniness could be seen.

  “I don’t know how to fix him.”

  “Fix him?” Kenpur grunted. “What do you think is wrong with him?”

  “I don’t know,” Joey frowned. “He isn’t the way he was.”

  “Things change. Yes?” Kenpur raised an eyebrow.

  “But he was thrashing around and spitting out light? He’s not supposed to do that.”

  Kenpur patted his head. “No, I suppose it isn’t. I think there is more struggle ahead for our friend, the robot. But perhaps something better will come out of that struggle.”

  Joey looked back at Kenpur. “How do you mean?”

  Kenpur only shrugged, and looked out across the horizon, lit egg-yolk orange by the morning sun. Joey watched a gentle breeze tug playfully at the old man’s fuzzy, white beard. He stood as if he were gaining energy from his natural surroundings.

  “You fixed him,” Joey said after a while. “You held him, calmed him.” Joey regretted that he could only stand by and watch. “I wish I was strong like that.”

  Kenpur laughed. “I bet you’re stronger than you think.” When Joey looked at him, he tapped him on the head and winked.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Stand up.” Joey shrugged and stood up as ordered.

  “Now, put out your arm,” Kenpur said, and Joey complied. “Try with all your might to keep your arm straight. Don’t let me bend it.”

  “OK.” Joey clenched his fist as hard as he could, tightening all his muscles.

  “Don’t let me bend it. Hard as you can, now.” Joey held the position.

  Kenpur looked at him a moment, then took two fingers, placing one on his wrist and one on his elbow. With little effort, he bent Joey’s arm at the elbow.

  “Dangit!” Joey said, but Kenpur
only laughed. He really had wanted to impress the old man.

  “See, I’m not strong like you are.”

  “Young people, so impatient,” Kenpur shook his head, chuckling a little.

  “Now, again.” Joey rubbed his arm a little, but complied, holding it out as instructed. “This time, relax your fist. Relax your muscles. Clear your mind.”

  It seemed counterintuitive to Joey, but he did as the old man asked. “Good. Don’t forget to breathe. You don’t breathe, you’re going to die.”

  Joey hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until Kenpur pointed it out.

  “I want you to imagine your arm is made of titanium. I want you to realize that it is made out of that material, and cannot be bent. That titanium stretches out as far as you can see.”

  “OK.” Joey smiled, imagining it was a robot arm made of the strongest material he could imagine.

  “Ready?”

  Joey nodded, a grin on his face.

  Kenpur grabbed his arm as before, this time with a full grip, and struggled and strained to bend Joey’s arm, but it would not move. Joey didn’t even notice Kenpur had even touched his arm at first. Then he noticed, he tensed his arm, and Kenpur easily bent it.

  Joey grabbed his arm with his other hand. He looked at Kenpur in surprise. For a moment, it felt like his arm was indestructible. “How...?” Joey asked, still staring at his arm in disbelief.

  Kenpur said nothing, but pointed at Joey’s temple. He winked at Joey, then turned and walked away without a word.