Children of Dawn

by B. C. Johnson

  Fairchild looked over some papers he had strewn across the desk, copies of the files Anna had plucked from the extranet only an hour earlier. “M.A.D.R.E, we’re sure these are the files she copied?”

  The image of Arcadia’s central AI appeared above the Chairman’s desk. “Yes sir, Mr. Chairman. She used an incursion program my systems were not suited to handle. By the time I had sprung the alarm and cut the connection, that information had already been downloaded to her databanks.”

  Fairchild sighed. “Well, it’s hardly proper to expect she would have been stopped by the building’s security. We have to consider the possibility that Anna might have gone rogue.”

  “Rogue sir?” Jenna asked.

  “This information she pulled goes far beyond the mission I sent her on, if she discovers what’s at this facility…”

  Jenna shook her head. “Surely you can’t believe an Android could become a traitor?”

  The word sucked the air from the room. No one wanted to accept it, but everyone had to fathom its possibility. Fairchild stood and grabbed his coat. “Well, it’s only a matter of time before they go to investigate. M.A.D.R.E, prepare my flyer.”

  Jenna and Aaron followed the old man as he left the room. M.A.D.R.E almost seemed to sigh. “Yes sir, Mr. Chairman.”

  Chapter 6

  Access Log

  File number 137492

  Android Serial number: 2338

  Codename: Anna

  28 September 2313

  2100 hrs.

  Anna had been waiting for hours. After sending the information to her contact, she had arrived at the destination for the rendezvous ahead of schedule in order to get a proper recon of the area. She didn’t know what to expect at the location, a double-cross from the Regulators? An Android who had followed her from the break-in? At this point she occupied so much gray area that she wasn’t even sure herself whose side she was truly on. She was programmed to understand everything the Tribunal did was for the altruism of all living in Arcadia, and yet Roland had shown her that same freedom cost so many others the basic necessities to live. She couldn’t decide who was in the right and who was in the wrong, and her programming wasn’t helping one bit. As far as the moral compass that had been implanted in her, both sides were showing faults.

  A hand on her shoulder startled her, her circuits so busy musing over the finite details of the two factions that her motion sensors hadn’t even alerted her to the figure’s presence. She jumped, turning around suddenly to see Roland standing half out of a dark alleyway. He smiled gently at her, as if her startle had amused him, or that he was genuinely happy to see her. “This way…” He said, looking up and down the street to make sure no one saw them.

  Anna followed him down the alleyway and through a large metal door. A doorman waited on the other side and closed the portal behind them. Anna scanned the walls, graffiti littered brick protested the Tribunal with vibrant colors and vulgar vocabulary. She quickly felt she was walking into a school kid clubhouse rather than a terrorist stronghold. “Vandalism?” She asked.

  “Every movement has their beginning, ours started amongst teenagers many years ago. What began as midnight rebellions has turned into a full fledged revolution.”

  This is who she had been sent to spy on? Grown men living out their boyhood impulses? It sounded like they were all in need of a good spanking and some jail time rather than being put on the top of the Tribunal’s most wanted list. “Boys playing with guns.” Anna said under her breath.

  Roland eyed her strangely, knowing she had spoken but couldn’t make out her words. Anna quickly changed the subject in order to keep her cover. “So were you pleased with the information I gathered?”

  Roland smiled. “We heard you had infiltrated the complex, made quite a fuss too.”

  Anna hadn’t realized the Regulator’s contacts were so far stretched. “I was caught by the city AI, I had to improvise.” She said, acting bashful.

  “Oh we understand, in fact, many people were quite impressed. Even Marcus seemed astonished. Jumping out of a window and sprinting across rooftops isn’t something we normally expect from a computer specialist.”

  Anna smirked. “I took gymnastics in High School.”

  Roland smiled, almost as if he could see past Anna’s lie. “Indeed…” He said.

  They entered a bar area and Roland gave a nod to the man behind the counter. The bartender hit a switch under the counter and a magnetic lock clicked on the door to the right. Roland pushed open the heavy barrier and Anna followed, the magnet reactivating once the door shut. Anna was impressed at the level of security these Regulators had gone to, but ultimately it was all futile. One kick with her amplified strength and she would have that door flying off its hinges, magnetic or not.

  “Come on, the meeting’s already started.” Roland said, winding his way through a narrow and dark corridor.

  “Meeting?” Anna asked.

  “Yes, the information you gathered sent a lot of people into an uproar.”

  Anna started feeling a little more grounded. Finally she was going to be getting back to her investigation. Completing a detailed list of the Regulators’ leadership would definitely outweigh any damage done by her theft of the classified data. She was starting to fit back into her programming, her comfort zone as the humans called it.

  They continued into a room with a large video screen and a round meeting table. It looked like they were in some sort of maintenance tunnel, with pipes exposed and the stench of dead rats. The stone walls were slimy from leaky valves and what little light there was filtered in from flood lights in other passageways. As they entered, the several individuals assembled around the table took their seats. Anna sat away from the table where the other assistants and bodyguards were. She began to scan each face and photograph them; her processors would fill in the names and bios from the extranet. As the assembled started to chatter amongst themselves, Roland stood at the head of the table and raised his arms to gather their attention. “Now I know we have other matters to contend with, but I have been told that the new information gathered has everyone on edge, so let’s go ahead and get that out of the way.” He motioned to Marcus, who stood next.

  The vid screen came alive with a three dimensional model of the plans Anna had pulled. She was a little surprised the Regulators were so interested in just another Tribunal base.

  “I’ve looked over the information in greater detail; it’s definitely an large post of some kind. We first thought it to be just a military storage base, but if you look here…” He pointed at a large building. “…you’ll see a large factory.”

  “What does it make?” an elderly man asked. Anna’s face recognition software identified him as Donald Jennings, citizen, historian/librarian, ID number 437-78-5917.

  Marcus sighed, as if what he was about to convey was not good news. Anna noted that the heart rates of everyone in the room had heightened. “We have reason to believe it’s a Mech factory.” Marcus said plainly.

  “Mechs?” another man asked. Robert Donnoly, Civilian, Dockworker, ID number 984-02-6740. “They’re building an army?”

  “This is unholy, creating life is God’s role!” Father John Stanford, Citizen, Priest, ID number 278-75-4014. “We must destroy it!” He said, slamming his fist on the table.

  “If we capture it we can use it for our own purposes. Give us a little bargaining power.” Donald Jennings stated.

  “You sir, are speaking blasphemy!” Father John retorted. “Using the tools of the devil only feeds his power.”

  “If your God truly existed John, he’s long forsaken us.” Donald snorted.

  “Gentlemen please.” Roland raised a hand. “This is not the time or place for theological discussion. What we need is more information before we decide any action. Do we know where this place is?”

  Marcus nodded. “I’ve actually been gathering information on the Tribunal’s various extracurricular activities for some time now. I have intel on the location
and relative layout of this particular facility.”

  “…And where did you manage to scrounge up this particular data all of a sudden?” Robert Donnoly asked.

  “Let’s just say I found it in a cabin in the woods.” Marcus remarked.

  The whole room fidgeted nervously at the statement. Marcus was not the type of man to maintain contacts. Everyone knew he likely had hired someone to gather the intel and then disposed of them afterward, that was how he worked. Anna’s could read the uneasiness in the room. Her distinction of this being a terrorist cell was looking stronger and stronger by the second.

  Roland eased tensions by standing and sending a comforting smile to everyone at the table. Anna noticed the heart rates eased as he began to speak. She started to feel more at ease herself. Something about his charisma, his casual body language, his confident words, all made her circuits seem to compute things easier and smoother. She felt no danger when he spoke. There were only two other individuals that had the same effect on her systems, M.A.D.R.E and Chairman Fairchild.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, we need to discover this factory’s true purpose and what the Tribunal intends to do with its product, to do that I propose a reconnaissance mission.”

  “Who do you suggest we send on this ‘mission’?” Father John crossed his arms.

  Roland smiled gently. After what felt like a purposeful dramatic pause, he quietly and gently stated, “Me.”

  The room almost exploded with chatter, so much so Anna’s audio analyzers couldn’t differentiate between the voices and what they said. It took a full minute for Roland to gather everyone’s attention again. “I will not go alone. My associate Marcus will be by my side as always,” This got some people nodding. “and… Ms. Anna Maquina as well.”

  As Roland motioned to Anna sitting in the corner of the room, all eyes turned to her. A sensation blew over her that she was not familiar with, it was like she felt that her cover was blown, her parts laid bare and she was left vulnerable for attack on all sides. Was this what they called embarrassment? Her logic circuits shot her attention back to the meeting. The men and women assembled about the table all gauging her for a reaction. She quickly filed through her behavioral response database and pulled up humility. “Who me?” She stated rather awkwardly.

  “What good would a clerk do you on such an operation, Roland?” Donald Jennings asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “We all know Ms. Maquina has more talents than she cares to expose.” Roland stated with confidence.

  Anna again felt that sensation of vulnerability as the assembled waited for yet another response from her. Social interaction was not something Androids were good at. Anna had been programmed with a behavioral response database but such social norms changed frequently and the database was never fully complete or up to date. She began to contemplate what Roland was asking of her. Break into a Tribunal high security base and spy on classified construction work? If she had not already committed treason by stealing records, she would certainly be deactivated for this. She could not rationally compute an accurate response. Her cover required her to positively agree to what Roland wanted, but doing so would ultimately go completely against her programmed directive. She couldn’t decide. She stood up, and without another word, walked away from the meeting into a side tunnel. All eyes returned to Roland and he flashed an uneasy smile to the assembled. “It appears we are in need of a ten minute recess.”

  Anna walked into a side room, converted into some sort of library. Shelves had been constructed around a crude furnace, a rickety table was stationed in the center of the room, and a tattered lounge chair sat in the corner near a candle stand. The walls were lined with dusty scripts and broken leatherback novels. Anna couldn’t stop pacing back and forth, trying to get her logic circuits to find some conclusion to her dilemma. Roland entered soon after her.

  “Ok, maybe I shouldn’t of put you on the spot like that…” He stated, closing the makeshift metal door.

  Anna’s circuits were still tumbling over the problem at hand. “Prime directive, protect Arcadia from all hostile action, Secondary directive, analyze threats to Tribunal and M.A.D.R.E systems, eliminate when deemed necessary.”

  Roland looked concerned. “Ms. Maquina? Are you alright.”

  “Mission parameters, infiltrate suspected terrorist cell ‘Regulators’. Gain trust of leaders, investigate intentions. Report all findings to M.A.D.R.E system interface.” Anna continued pacing.

  “Mission parameters?” Roland started to slowly reach for his hidden sidearm.

  Anna’s motion sensors went erratic, in one fluid motion she turned, withdrew her Mark III, and shot Roland’s pistol from his hand without a sound. The weapon shattered into pieces on the floor. Roland recoiled with such reaction he almost fell over. “Geez! What the hell is wrong with…” Roland’s eyes focused on Anna’s pistol. “…a Mark III?”

  There was a pause as Anna’s processors began analyzing every conceivable outcome of the fight that was about to ensue, when her logic circuits began to override her usual actions in a situation like this. Roland’s eyes moved down the length of Anna’s body until he noticed the stain in her blouse from where she had been hit fleeing the Tribunal Intelligence building, but instead of blood staining the cloth, it looked almost like… oil. His eyes widened “You’re a…”

  Anna shot across the room, gripping Roland by the mouth and slamming him against the wall of books. A loud thud shuddered through the shelves and old leather bound books toppled to the floor in a heap. Anna’s grasp perfectly cusped the man’s mouth and she held him a few inches off the ground, even though he was easily over two hundred pounds. Her cover was blown, but only to him. Perhaps she could still escape without anyone noticing. Roland’s hands frantically tried to wrench himself free, but to no avail, Anna’s grip was like a steel trap and her fingers gripped him with enough torque to pry a car door from its hinges. He just prayed she didn’t squeeze any harder. Anna moved her face closer to his ear so she could speak as softly as she could. “I am neither human, nor machine. I am neither dead, nor alive. I am metals and gears, skin and bone. I am immortal, I am impenetrable, I am Android.”

  Chapter 7

  Access Log

  File number 137493

  Android Serial number: 2338

  Codename: Anna

  28 September 2313

  2145 hrs.

  They were at an impasse. Anna held Roland against a tattered old bookshelf. If she released his mouth from beneath her fingers, he would surely call for every Regulator in the area to come in and tear her apart. Even with amplified strength and robotic agility, there was no way she could get out of here in one piece. On the other hand, if he was like most humans, she could threaten him into submission long enough for her to make her escape. She put her Mark III to his temple and noticed his heart rate skyrocket higher than its already accelerated rhythm. “If I release your mouth, will you call for help?” She asked

  Roland struggled to shake his head beneath her grasp. Trust was not something she was programmed to understand, but everything she had observed of this individual told her logic circuits that he was a man of his word. She eased her hold and let him slip from her fingers. He fell to a heap on the floor. Roland massaged his mouth as he took a much needed gasp of air. Anna kept her pistol aimed for his head. “So the rumors are true, they have made robot cops.” Roland stated.

  Anna took a few steps back as Roland stood, his hands raised. “Just what do you expect me to do, let you waltz right out of here?”

  “I expect you to act in whatever manner you deem fit for the salvation of your life, as most humans would put in the same situation as you are in.” Anna said matter-of-factly.

  Roland nodded sarcastically. “There’s machine speech for you.”

  Anna stood silent as Roland tried to reason with her. “I knew there was something different about you, but never thought you’d be a Tribunal spy.”

  “Androids are not programmed to ‘spy�
�. We are investigators designed to conduct reconnaissance and intelligence gathering missions.” Anna replied in frustration.

  “So… spy?” Roland said with a smirk.

  Anna charged the pistol again which sent Roland’s hands up defensively once more. “Ok ok, guess I shouldn’t tease the angry woman holding the gun.” He said jokingly.

  Roland took one look at the door and back at Anna. “Just what do you intend to do?”

  “The most logical course of action would be for me to force you to escort me out of this facility so I may reinitiate contact with my superiors.” Anna said.

  “I’m not going to let you just leave here. The Tribunal would conclude whatever information you have gathered on us as evidence for our destruction and hunt each member down and kill them.” Roland argued.

  “A likely scenario, but such is the way the Tribunal handles extremists.” Anna stated.

  Roland looked insulted. “Extremists? Have you forgotten everything I’ve been telling you?”

  “The information you conveyed to me is likely nothing but propaganda meant to rally unsuspecting minds to your cause for anarchy.” Anna retorted.

  Roland straightened. He took a few steps to another bookshelf, pulling out a few manuscripts and throwing them onto the table for Anna to see. “The writings of John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.” He said with a cold stare. “They pushed for the right of every man, woman, and child to have the freedoms of basic living and a government that helped them reach those goals. Does that sound like propaganda to you?”

  Anna relaxed her hold on her weapon. She quickly scanned through the parchments, reading them all in a matter of seconds. Her circuits had never come across such things. She searched the extranet for more material on these figures, all coming up as historical characters and their accomplishments but nothing on their views or ideals. Was this information purposefully removed from record? She stopped her musings and retrained the pistol on Roland’s head. “Regardless, the views of the individuals you call associates in that room spoke nothing of freedoms, they spoke of breaking laws and capturing or destroying highly classified materials.”