by Nicole Sobon
It was a look that I’d never forget; it was as if she were staring into a corpse of a loved one. That was the same look Hayden wore now. Not knowing what love was, I found that I was unable to understand his anguish. But I wished to.
Hayden did not agree, and to be honest neither did I. However, if Todd felt I was ready, then I must have been ready to excel to Level Three. I was a part of a bigger plan for the world. I couldn't dare fail or else I would lose my purpose. This was my time, now, and I had to be ready.
“He cannot take her,” Hayden whispered. “I let her down once, and I refuse to do it again.”
2 WHITE COATS
White Coats surrounded my Pod with white masks covering their faces. Strangers. I knew none of them, yet I was to trust them. These would be my new caretakers for Level Three. I’d no longer be under Hayden’s care.
My mind was registering pain, although I was not sure as to why. The wires weren’t tugging anymore. It had been hours since they’d been connected to my body. I’d adjusted to their pull. It had to be something emotional, something I didn’t quite understand.
“She’ll be waking soon. Standby mode will deactivate in approximately five minutes,” one of the strangers said, turning to look down at me in my Pod. His eyes, a bright shade of blue, locked onto me with curiosity. I gazed back at Hayden. His piercing blue eyes made it difficult for me to look away.
We stopped suddenly before a metal door. Two guards covered head-to-toe in body armor scanned the White Coats. One of the guards lowered his hand to his waist, resting it on a small black object.
“Do you have a reading for the Program?” one of the guards asked, extending his hand to the male White Coat. He was a tall man, his hair as white as the walls around us.
The guard behind him, still clutching the item at his waist, shook in what seemed to be fear. I was still becoming acquainted with human emotions, so I could not be sure. He was a shorter man with little hair. I watched as his lips moved quickly as if panicked. Most of the new humans that came aboard were terrified of us, although we never meant them harm. We wanted to be like them, not hurt them. It often took a while for them to understand what we were. It would be a while before this guard was comfortable around any Program.
Pulling the reading tablet from his pocket, the lead White Coat turned it over to the guard. “You’re trying to bring a Level One into Level Three? She is a newborn Program!” The guard shook his head. “Does McVeigh know about this?”
“It was under my order.” I listened as Douglas Todd came strolling behind us. He stopped beside my Pod, tossing a small, metal ball back and forth between his hands. “Mister McVeigh is fully aware of this, and you are to let them proceed.”
The guard did not dare question Todd. He turned to the lead White Coat and handed over my reading tablet. “You may proceed.”
Douglas Todd stayed behind as the White Coats proceeded to push my Pod through to Level Three. As we progressed through the now open doorway, my Pod began to flicker green, indicating that the doors would be opening soon. Wires began to withdraw, freeing me of their hold. I was rebooting, perfect timing too, as we were just entering Level Three.
“This is a younger Program, far too young to go out there,” one of the White Coats whispered, turning to look back at me.
In my Pod, I imagined I looked weak and innocent, like that of a child in need of protection. But I was not. There was no need for any of them to want to protect me. Whatever Vesta Corp had in store for me, they would make sure I was prepared. Our identities, emotional capabilities, knowledge, and human responses were implanted accordingly. Whatever it was that we’d need to know in order to pass as humans out there the White Coats made sure to program into our cores.
“You mean you don’t know?” someone asked. “There’s a reason she was brought here. It’s that new caretaker on Level One.”
I stared at the man curious as to what he could possibly mean. Hayden was an excellent caretaker. What could he have done to justify removing me from his care?
Another White Coat nudged the man at his side, causing him to jump. “What? I thought everyone knew by now!”
“You know that we’re not supposed to talk about that, especially with her-” She pointed at me. “being right here.”
One…two…three. The Pod doors opened, causing the White Coats to move before me. Carefully, I made my way out, stepping out one foot at a time, staring curiously at the group of humans in front of me. The White Coats were the assistants to the scientists on Level Three. They would be my main caretakers, the faces I’d come to see every day. They would become a part of me. Something I hoped would make me more like them, more human.
“Hello, Program Thirteen.” The female White Coat, Tina, according to her badge, reached out her hand to welcome me.
Human contact was still relatively new to me. The feel of their skin, soft and warm, against mine which was stiff and cold had a tendency to make them sick. The feel of cold metal underneath my flesh scared them, and I could not blame them. It was something they had to become used to. After all, we’d be living as one soon enough, or so McVeigh said. As I placed my palm in hers, a smile spread wide upon her face.
“Good day,” I said, turning to look at the group of nearby White Coats who were examining my every move. While part of me felt human at times, it was not hard to remember what I truly was: a computer built beneath a human body, a Program.
“Program Thirteen.” Charles McVeigh appeared out of nowhere, making his way through the White Coats. He wore a blue pinstripe suit with a red tie. His pale complexion shone bright underneath the bright lights of the halls. He was not a pleasant looking man, but he had meant no harm to me so far. I had no reason not to trust him. After all, he was the reason that I was here. Douglas Todd was not far behind him, having stayed behind originally to wait for McVeigh. “On behalf of Vesta Corp, I’d like to welcome you to your new home.”
Home. Level Three would be the last place I’d ever be able to call home. I’d live here and I’d die here, but I didn't mind. I didn't mind because I’d get time on the outside before they decided to deactivate me.
“May I present to you your new caretakers?” McVeigh turned to his left, pointing at the on-looking White Coats. From left to right, there was Tina, the friendly White Coat, Roger, Rhys, Mark, and Sterling. “These will be the five people responsible for you at all times.”
Had I not known better, I would have assumed the male White Coats were like me. Their faces were cold and their bodies rigid. Standing beside Tina, they looked lifeless...almost like me. But unlike me, they were actually alive. They each had a beating heart, blood flowing through their veins, and a conscience of their own. I did not. My exterior was flesh, but my insides were constructed of computers and wires. My mind was not my own. My words, my movements, my emotions...they were all fed to me, to my core. I did not have blood flowing through my veins, for I had no veins, only wires connecting to the Program built inside my mind. They might have looked like me, but they were not like me.
Lowering my head, I walked over to the White Coats. The men parted so that I could stand beside Tina. I was grateful for their gesture, though I knew it was not meant to be friendly. Charles McVeigh and Douglas Todd made their way towards us with their arms open and face’s beaming with joy. I was their new toy, their new test in Level Three. I was everything McVeigh wanted out of this operation, or so it seemed. Both men threw their arms around me, not even wincing as their skin touched mine. Even through their suit jackets and long sleeve shirts that they wore underneath, I suspected they felt the coolness radiating off my flesh. But if they did, neither of the men made an effort to back away.
“Program Thirteen.” McVeigh broke his hold on me, leaving Douglas Todd by my side. “Your caretakers will now be taking you into your hard drive evaluation. Since you have excelled two levels, there will need to be some changes made to your programming.”
Without further ado, the White Coats grabbed ho
ld of my arms and pulled me off into the evaluation room behind us, placing me in the metal chair before securing the restraints. This was the part I hated most, feared even, at least, inside. I was at the mercy of the scientists whom I’d yet to meet. These strangers controlled my core. Unlike my caretakers, they would never become a part of me. They would continue to remain strangers who stood behind the glass, clipboards and pens in tow, marking down my every flaw and my every strength. Whoever or whatever they wanted me to become, I would and that was all I could do. I was nothing without this place, these people.
“And we’re ready to begin,” a voice rang through the speakers surrounding the top of the room. There were no lights. Just darkness.
I could feel the restraints pressing against my flesh. Do not move, I had to remind myself. I could not bleed, but my flesh could still tear. I closed my eyes as I heard the charge running through the wires, tugging on the hard drive in my back. I pushed forward against my will, acting strictly on what my mind was feeding me. There were flashes of lights around the room. I looked down at my right wrist and noticed a large tear revealing the wires beneath. A pale blue light pulsed where the flesh once was.
3 REPLICAS
The buzzing noise rang through my ears as the volts soared through my insides, speeding through each wire before erupting in my core. Unlike my regular evaluation, I could feel everything. My core pulsed, forcing me to respond to the pain. As they erased files and imported new ones, I wanted nothing more than to rip out the wires connecting me to the computer. I just wanted to run and hide. I did not want to be here. I did not want this.
But I could not move. Restraints were placed on my wrists, chest, and legs to keep me in place until they were through with me. I knew these evaluations were for my sake, McVeigh had told me that several times, but that did not help to make them any easier. My inner voice was screaming. Almost done, keep pushing. And I knew that I would. I always did. I always managed to push through the pain.
“It looks as though your hard drive evaluation is completed. Your caretakers should be in shortly to release you.” The stranger’s voice echoed throughout the empty room. I wanted to see his face, to know who he was, but he would remain a stranger, a shadow lingering behind the frosted glass.
The door creaked open, allowing the light from the hallway to illuminate the dark room. Tina walked over to the chair and unbuckled the strap on my chest. The other White Coats hesitantly entered the room, their gazes fearful as if I were some sort of monster readying for attack.
“Help me out, will you?” Tina gestured to the straps on my wrists and ankles as she undid the one on my chest.
Never taking their eyes off of me, the White Coats leaned over and quickly released the straps, before retreating behind Tina.
“You have a meeting to attend before we bring you to your room. You will be meeting with your social teacher. She will teach you everything you need to know about living among humans.” Tina smiled, giving me her hand as I lifted myself from the chair.
A teacher. The idea pleased me. “Will she like me?” I asked, worried that my presence might frighten her. The humans that were brought to Vesta Corp were not always brought in voluntarily and often tried to attack Programs upon meeting them.
At first the idea puzzled me as to why the humans would act in such a manner, but as I processed it, I began to realize that they were genuinely scared. We were replicas of them. We were created to be replacements. We were created as enhanced versions of the real thing. In the future, the world would belong to us. They had every reason to despise us, but I could only hope that my teacher would welcome me like one of her own.
“I believe she will. She came here on her own, actually, looking to help with our cause. Her name is Alexis, and Mister McVeigh seems to believe she is the perfect match for you.”
I lowered my head as we walked across the hall to the training room. Tina opened the heavy metal door, placed her hand on my shoulder, and smiled. I peered inside, checking for Alexis’s reaction before proceeding any farther.
Sitting at the table was a petite woman with light brown hair and bright blue eyes. “Come in, come in!” She smiled, waving her hand at me.
There was something about Alexis that seemed familiar. I couldn’t know her. There was no way I could know her. I had not been given access to the outside world yet. I should not be able to recall anyone’s face other than those within Vesta Corp, but I knew Alexis. Somehow, I knew her.
“You must be Program Thirteen,” said the woman, pulling out the seat beside her.
I moved to sit in the chair, making sure to avoid any contact what-so-ever. The woman appeared friendly, but I could not guarantee she would be as welcoming if my skin brushed against hers.
“If you need anything, please feel free to let us know. We’ll be right outside the door,” Tina said as she gathered the White Coats. The heavy, metal door slammed shut behind them, leaving us alone.
This human, this stranger was supposed to teach me how to survive in the human world. This stranger, this woman that I somehow knew, although I'd never gone beyond these walls, was supposed to help me become more like her. As excited as I was, I could not help but be worried. Human contact would be a lesson at some point. Would she still accept me so willingly when she grasped just how different we were from one another?
We sat in silence staring at each other, unsure as to where to start. “I suppose I should introduce myself,” she said, tugging on the zipper of her jacket. “My name is Alexis Ward. I’m twenty-two years old. I just completed my human social teaching program last week. What about you?”
She was talking to me as if I were like her - a human; as if I had a human life in which to share. It was strange, but a pleasant change. “My name is Program Thirteen. My human identity is Emile.”
She stared at me waiting for me to continue, but I was not sure what else there was to share.
“Do you have an age? Or a last name?” What was she talking about; what did she mean by age and last name? “You know... like how Ward is my last name? Alexis Ward. Your human identity is Emile. Do you have a last name?” I shook my head no, as we were only given a single name for our human identities. “How about an age? Do you have one? I was born on June 25th, 1990. That would make me twenty-two years old.”
I tried to think back to what Hayden had said to Douglas Todd the previous day. He said that I was only a few months old but that I’d be seventeen years old if I were actually human. I looked over at Alexis who was still waiting for an answer.
“My Program is only a few months old. However, if I were a human, like you, I’d be seventeen years old from what I’ve overheard.”
Alexis smiled in response. It was clear that this was the first of what would be several sessions between us. I had so much to learn before I could be a part of her world. Even though this was all new, and supremely overwhelming, I was eager to learn. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to live out there. I wanted to fulfill my purpose as a Program.
“Emile,” Alexis spoke softly. “I hope that you do not mind me calling you that. I’m aware that in here you are addressed as Program Thirteen. But out there? Out there you will need to become one of them. You will only be addressed as Emile.”
“I do not mind,” I replied. And I truly did not. It was gratifying to feel like a person rather than a Program.
“Okay then. Well, to start with, you are going to need a last name.” Alexis pulled a folder from the bag next to her seat. She spread the manila folder out on the steel table, quickly glancing over a form. “Ah! What do you think of Reed? Emile Reed has a rather nice ring to it, don't you think?” It certainly did. Emile Reed. Beautiful.
“Yes, Reed will be perfect. Thank you,” I finally replied after I remembered Alexis was still waiting on me.
She laughed and reached out to touch my hand. “I know you are scared that I’ll run out of the room screaming, but I can assure you that I will not. When I took this job, I knew what to e
xpect. I knew what I’d be working with and I was, and still am, perfectly okay with that. My job is to prepare you for life outside of Vesta Corp. I have every intention of making sure you are ready when you leave here.”
As I pondered the idea of being out there among the humans, I began to wonder how different it would be for me. Would I truly ever blend into their world or would I stand out as a copy? I turned to face Alexis, who was currently staring at the door.
“Alexis, may I ask you something?” She turned to meet my gaze, a smile forming on the corner of her lips.
“How different will it be for me out there? Will they accept me for what I am?”
I might be preparing for life outside of here, but I wasn't so sure that humans were prepared for me. It wasn’t that Vesta Corp was a secret organization. It was quite well known actually. At least from what we’d been told. But until every human was willing to accept us for what we were, the world outside of these walls was still terrifying. They felt that we were not living beings and therefore had no reason to exist.
“But you will prove them wrong,” McVeigh always told us. “You are all full of life. Show them that you belong in their world.”
Show them that you belong. I only hoped that I could.
“Emile, I’m not going to lie to you. Things outside of Vesta Corp will be incredibly different for you. The thing you have to remember is that you are a computer program meant to look and act as a human being. Some of us, like me, have accepted your existence in our world, but unfortunately there are still some who have not.”
You are a computer program meant to look and act as a human being.
“Yes, but I am a living program.”
“Look Emile, there is a lot about your program and your outer shell that you are not aware of. Soon enough though, it will all come to light. Soon enough.” Alexis’s gaze fell to the steel table, her hand brushing the folder that lay in front of her.