by J. S. Morin
A panel blinked.
Charlie7 discovered he had an incoming message from Jennifer81, text only.
MEETING AT SHANGHAI CONFERENCE CENTER. URGENT. IN-PERSON SECURITY.
The message glared at him in challenge. This had to be related to Plato and his boneheaded stunt that got Evelyn44 killed. Jennifer81 was on so many committees it was impossible to tell which she was speaking on behalf of. It was a mass broadcast message with a hidden recipient list. It could have been sent to half the robots on Earth or Charlie7 alone.
“In-person security” was a bureaucratic way of saying she wasn’t going to convey any details over transmission. Charlie7 was tempted to request clarification anyway.
He also debated sending Eve a quick message, inviting her in case Jennifer81 had omitted her from the list of attendees. But he also remembered that Eve wasn’t so innocent in that matter. In fact, the less she was associated with Plato’s actions in Sicily, the better off she’d be.
Shanghai wasn’t far from Kanto. Once Charlie7 was done with Jennifer81’s meeting, maybe he’d meet with Jason90 about arranging a new skyroamer for Olivia—maybe one with a built-in homing beacon.
There wasn’t a time set for the meeting, which seemed odd for so meticulous an administrator as Jennifer81. She could have run a regression analysis to determine how long it would take all the attendees to arrive and planned the start time accordingly, even for an urgent gathering.
Puzzles with missing pieces. He’d once described the world to Eve as filled with them. This was another example.
By the time Charlie7 arrived, not bothering to rush, the sun was warming the eastern skies. Shades of pink and orange glinted off the glass and steel tower of the Shanghai Conference Center.
Charlie7 parked his skyroamer and took the lift to the main conference room on the top floor, where the circular chamber had a 360° panoramic view of the countryside and the East China Sea.
When the lift door opened, Charlie7 realized at once why there had been no time set for the meeting. They were waiting for him.
“Welcome, Charlie7,” Jennifer81 said from beside the empty chair at the head of the room.
A quick count of the attendees told him that the whole Human Welfare Committee was in attendance except for Eve Fourteen.
“What’s going on here?” Charlie7 asked, striding to the glossy black table and standing behind the seat left vacant for him.
“Have a seat, and let’s get started,” Jennifer81 said without a hint of answering his question.
The robots around the table shifted nervously. Whether it was Charlie7 in his menacing Version 70.2 chassis or the subject of the meeting, he couldn’t tell.
Two could play committee games. “Pursuant to Article 4 of the Unified Committee Rules of Order, I’d like to review a copy of this meeting’s agenda prior to committing my name to the registered list of attendees.”
Jennifer81 scowled but composed herself before anyone who hadn’t been watching for it would have noticed. Seconds later, the agenda appeared in a message for Charlie7. It read, in summary…
VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN EVE FOURTEEN AS CHAIRWOMAN
DEBATE OF CANDIDATES FOR NEW CHAIRMAN
VOTE ON CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE HUMAN WELFARE COMMITTEE
Charlie7 finished processing it in nanoseconds. “I’d like to file an objection to the second and third orders of business. They presuppose an outcome to the first vote that may be prejudicial to the electoral process.”
By the sudden shifting and stirring around the table, Charlie7 knew that he wasn’t the only one to receive the updated agenda.
VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN EVE FOURTEEN AS CHAIRWOMAN
CONTINGENT: DEBATE OF CANDIDATES FOR NEW CHAIRMAN
CONTINGENT: VOTE ON CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE HUMAN WELFARE COMMITTEE
Charlie7 raised an eyebrow. “So much better,” he said dryly but took his seat anyway. This wasn’t going to be an occasion for bluster or threats. He needed to pick his battles more carefully than that. Eve’s leadership was in question and not entirely without warrant. Propping her up by a show of force would only heighten the perception that she couldn’t stand on her own merits.
He knew she could.
“Now, our first order of business is the removal of Eve Fourteen as Chairwoman of the Human Welfare Committee. By now I trust we’ve all seen the news feed coverage of the murder of Evelyn44. The Investigative Ethics Committee is holding the perpetrator pending a hearing on his ultimate fate. Despite Plato’s lack of cooperation, we have been able to establish that Eve Fourteen was aware of the cover-up and fabrication of evidence to suggest that Evelyn44 was in league with known human cloners. For witness security purposes, the key witness will not be identified until the hearing on Plato’s crimes.”
“Why is he being held if there is no public evidence?” Charlie7 asked. It was a long shot, but due process still existed in some form, despite the committees claiming not to be legal authorities.
“An independent assessor was called in to verify the evidence under a writ of confidentiality,” Jennifer81 said smoothly, prepared for that line of objection.
Charlie7 tilted his head and gave a disapproving scowl. “Are you really objective, Jennifer?”
His guess was on the mark. She sat up taller in her seat. “I am completely impartial in the matter. If you don’t find the statement too ‘prejudicial,’ I have no intention of putting my name forward for the committee chairmanship.”
“I don’t think that taking the chairmanship away from our only human committee member is in the best interests of the small and soon-to-be-growing human population,” Charlie7 argued.
“Your statement will be included in the meeting record,” Jennifer81 assured him. “Unless there are further statements to be made…”
Charlie7 looked around the table for support. Even Toby22 seemed abashed in the face of his friend Plato’s crimes. Nora109 didn’t look up from the table. The rest of the membership either looked to favor the proposal or were too disappointed in Eve to continue supporting her with any vigor.
The vote wasn’t unanimous, but by a final tally of fourteen to four, Eve was ousted from her role as chairwoman.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Charlie7 stayed mute, watching the events of the Human Welfare Committee unfold. Jennifer81 wasn’t done yet. He’d known her too long and too well, despite her being one of Charlie13’s creations and not his own.
“And now, I’d like to open the floor for debate of potential successors to Eve Fourteen,” Jennifer81 announced.
A hush fell over the room as the doors to the conference room lifted open. Charlie7 didn’t bother to look. The puzzle with too few pieces was falling into place. There had been a reason Jennifer81 hadn’t countered his argument that a human should maintain chairmanship of the Human Welfare Committee and made sure his argument was entered into the official record.
He’d been set up.
With all the membership of the committee aside from Eve present, the occupant of the lift had to have been an outsider.
“Thank you for inviting me,” Zeus said smoothly, stepping into the conference room and briskly circling the table to stand beside Jennifer81. He set his hands on the back of Eve’s—the chairman’s—seat.
“Everyone here is familiar with Zeus,” Jennifer81 stated. “As the most stable and responsible of the human population, I would put Zeus forward as candidate for the seat left vacant by our former chairwoman. Charlie24’s experiments have left him with a crystalline matrix in place of a human brain, which I think will help him serve the function of a liaison.”
Of all the favors Charlie24 had done for his next-younger namesake, the creation of Zeus was the greatest. It was almost as if that vessel was created just for Charlie25 to one day inhabit.
“If I may have the floor?” Zeus asked.
Jennifer81 nodded her assent.
“I have served in the Human Protection Agency since its inception, and to date, we have yet to
uncover a single instance of wrongdoing. In the process of trying, we’ve incurred violations of numerous other committee edicts, most notable the Privacy and Surveillance Oversight Committee and most recently the Investigative Ethics Committee. I’ve persevered as our leadership pressed harder and harder for results. I’ve maintained my professionalism as I’ve been asked to stretch rules to the breaking point. Unfortunately, I had to draw a firm line when I was asked to maintain the secrecy of a cover-up involving a murder.”
The weasel.
Charlie7 should have known. Plato hadn’t been undone by carelessness. Rash as he was, Plato knew how to cover his tracks. While he couldn’t condone Plato’s recklessness costing a robot her life, there was something slimy and manipulative of a confidante turning a private confession into political gain.
“That said,” Zeus continued. “I don’t judge Eve Fourteen too harshly. She is human in the truest sense. With a dearth of romantic options, it was inevitable that she latch onto one of the few eligible males of her species. Her questionable judgment in continuing to defend, encourage, and enable Plato’s behavior stems neither from negligence nor spite but rather from a hormonal response that her unfortunate upbringing failed to prepare her to deal with. Evelyn11 may have crafted a marvel of genetic perfection, but Eve Fourteen was raised to be a ready vessel, with a mind stretched to accommodate a robotic consciousness.”
“She’s not as much a slave of emotions as you imply,” Nora109 cut in.
Zeus spread his hands. “Debate me along a continuum, if you will.”
Charlie7’s mind snagged on that phrase. It sounded too familiar.
“But you acknowledge the premise that Eve made decisions influenced by her emotions,” Zeus continued. “I say, too strongly. Again, bear in mind Eve’s youth. Wisdom comes with age, and the ability to separate logic from emotion.”
Charlie7 kept his frown to himself. In this soul-baring moment, Zeus was revealing more of himself than he had in months working as an agent of the Human Protection Agency. And what he revealed was a hard-liner’s public stance on humans. Too emotional. Too unpredictable. Better off leaving Earth in the capable hands of robots. Where would a human—even one hybridized with a robotic brain—acquire such views?
Zeus gestured expansively with his hands as he spoke. “While I may lack age, I have been given the gift of perspective. I am a human without wanton chemical reactions guiding my thinking. I am robot enough to make the hard choices, the right choices, even when doing the wrong thing might help a friend.”
“What about the threats from Gemini’s upload conspiracy?” Charlie7 asked. “What’s your plan for balancing the concerns of the other committees against the need to protect captive humans bred in labs?” He was growing weary of Zeus’s uncontested grandstanding. Someone needed to challenge him.
“The supposed conspiracy isn’t our problem at the moment,” Zeus replied brusquely. “We haven’t uncovered any solid evidence that the conspiracy went much deeper than those we’ve already stopped. Our biggest problem is that humans are once again gaining a reputation as dangerous and untrustworthy. With a legally culpable population of six, this doesn’t bode well for our outlook as production increases. My goal is to maintain the perception of humanity as a partner for robotkind—a responsible partner, capable of contributing to society and managing our own affairs.”
“I think we’ve heard enough,” Charlie7 snapped. “Are there other candidates?”
“None at this time,” Jennifer81 said coolly. “If the vote fails, we’ll hold a second vote for an interim chairman.”
Just say chairwoman and at least be honest about it, Charlie7 thought bitterly. While it never would have occurred to him that Jennifer81 might be in on the upload conspiracy, she’d never been the sort to let power slip between her fingers. Zeus might just have been a patsy to get control of the Human Welfare Committee back in Jennifer81’s hands.
When the vote was called, Charlie7 threw his support behind Zeus with all the enthusiasm he could muster.
As the meeting broke and robots took the lift to go their separate ways, Zeus pulled Charlie7 aside. “Thank you. Your support will make the transition easier.”
“I love Eve like a daughter,” Charlie7 said. “But you made good points about responsible leadership and the best interests of humanity. I look forward to working with you in your new capacity.”
Words were merely patterns of frequency-modulated vibrations, carried on air. Let Zeus hear what made him feel good. There were too many alarm bells going off in Charlie7’s head throughout Zeus’s speech to truly trust him.
“For me,” Zeus corrected with a wink and an official-looking smile. He clapped Charlie7 on the arm as he glided past to schmooze other committee members.
Too smooth.
That crystalline matrix would have given Zeus robotic memory with perfect clarity. It would have allowed him to absorb data from computer feeds, like the one he kept on fiber connection attached by a belt at his lower back. Eve did similarly with her goggles. But access to all that data and potentially vast stores of historical and interpersonal interaction couldn’t conjure up the performance he’d just seen.
Robots could.
In particular, given a few choice phrases mixed in, one based on the Charles Truman archetype.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Eve awoke to sunlight streaming through her bedroom window. Dawn had brought another day and a fresh chance to free herself from the guilt of Plato’s deeds.
Her deeds.
Eve couldn’t absolve herself of culpability by placing all the blame on Plato. The cover-up had been his idea, framing Evelyn44 when she’d done nothing wrong. Plato had also performed the data falsification. But every step along the way he’d dangled chances for Eve to overrule him, to scold him, to refuse to allow him to continue.
Eve had been in charge, and she’d allowed Evelyn44’s reputation to be impugned.
Where had she left her data-display goggles?
The end of the night had blurred together. After a second batch of ice cream, Phoebe had brought out the wine, and they’d taken turns picking movies from the archives.
Rolling over to look for her tech, Eve winced. The sunlight scorched her eyes. Sudden movement twisted her head in a vise. In her mouth, it felt like her tongue had swollen and thickened to twice its normal size.
“Alcohol-induced dehydration,” she mumbled. “Contra-indicated amounts. No rehydration strategy for post consumption.”
Dragging herself from bed, Eve shuffled to the washroom to splash cold water on her face. It was a palliative effect at best, but she needed some place to start treating her symptoms. The shock of cold spurred her to a frantic, scratching sort of wakefulness that threatened at any moment to slip from her grasp.
Where were her sisters? Did they get home all right? Still in her pajamas, Eve took the lift instead of risking the stairs in her present state. One by one she checked the rooms of floor after floor. While she found no sisters, she did locate the wreckage of a fun evening.
Evening? Their excess had lasted well into the night and into what, horologically speaking, had been the early morning. Spoons and bowls, glasses and bottles, the trail of gluttony ran from the theater room back to the kitchen via the game room and the pool.
They’d gone swimming. Eve recalled now. It had been before the wine. None of the girls could actually swim, so they just splashed around the shallows and lounged in the hot tub.
The kitchen was strewn with discarded packaging and plastered with errantly slopped ingredients. Eve’s protofab ice cream maker was still plugged in and waiting for more mix to be added, but caked in a film of melted-and-dried ice cream the prospect wasn’t as appetizing as it had been the night before.
Where had her goggles gone? She’d forgotten to look.
They’d gone swimming. At some point, Eve had changed out of her clothes.
The cabana.
The archives suggested that such a poolsid
e structure belonged outdoors, but Paul208 and Phoebe hadn’t taken such suggestions to heart. Inside Eve’s cavernous pool room, there was a smaller room—more of a freestanding trick of fabric than a structure. On the floor inside, along with three sets of clothing, was Eve’s computer rig and all its wearable accessories.
Alone in her own house, Eve changed out of her pajamas by the poolside and donned the computer, gloves, goggles, and all the straps and bands and belts that guided the fiber cables along her limbs and held it all snugly in place against her skin.
Briefly, Eve considered changing back into yesterday’s clothes. But yesterday was best left in the past. Eve had helped cover up Evelyn44’s death in those clothes. Instead, she headed off to the Cloth-o-Matic in just her underthings.
Eve punched in a standard outfit. She didn’t want anything fancy or new, just comfortable and reliable. As she waited for the Cloth-o-Matic to do its work, she swerved through a dozen tangled submenus in her goggles and found her incoming messages.
Generally, it behooved Eve to read them in reverse chronological order. That kept the most recent updates closest to the front. If she needed background on some topic, she could press onward until she found it.
Today, Eve wished she might have started from the end.
NOTIFICATION OF CHANGE IN CHAIRMAN STATUS
That wasn’t a good sign. Eve read in horror as Jennifer81 matter-of-factly laid out the vote and decision by the Human Welfare Committee. She had been stripped of leadership in an everyone-but-her meeting.
Eve skimmed backward in time, ignoring the less relevant messages in favor of anything that might explain her sudden unemployment.
MEETING INVITE?
Charlie7 had asked for confirmation as to whether Eve had received the same unexpected request to meet at the Shanghai Conference Center as he had. Buried in the follow-on messages was an assurance that she didn’t need to worry if she hadn’t and well wishes on her evening’s celebration.