G's Future

by Don Viecelli

  The next morning Charles discussed the situation over the videophone with Susan. It took a lot of discussion to explain what Julian had created and what he planned to do. In the end Susan agreed it would be a great learning experience for Timothy if he stayed two weeks with Julian. That is, if Timothy wanted to do it. “Are you sure he wants to stay, Charles?” Susan asked.

  “Yes, Timothy really wants to stay, Susan, and he seems to like G,” Charles explained. “There’s something about the android. He acts so human it’s scary. You’ve got to meet him. I promised Julian I would drive them to the competition in Chicago in two weeks. They can stay at our house for a while after the contest if you like, before I take them back home.”

  “That sounds like a good idea, Charles. Let’s talk about it when you get home tonight. Drive carefully and give my love to Julian for me. Tell Timothy to call me every day.”

  “I will, Susan. I should be back by four. See you soon. Love you.” Charles hung up the phone. He walked back into the living room where Julian and Timothy were talking.

  “So, Great Grandpa, what do you want me to do today?” Timothy asked while they sat on the couch.

  “You don’t have to do anything today, Timothy. Enjoy the weather and the beach. It’s nice out today. Maria will come by and make us dinner. Then this evening, we can sit outside and watch the sunset over the lake. G will build us a bonfire when it gets dark and we can watch the stars. G is very good at picking out stars in the night sky.”

  “A bonfire?” Timothy responded. He looked over to his father. “Did you hear? Great Grandpa says we can have a bonfire tonight.”

  “I heard,” Charles answered. “That sounds like fun. You can’t see the stars in Chicago like you can here. It’s too bright. I talked to your Mom. She says you can stay with Julian if you want and help him out. Is that okay with you?”

  “Sure, Dad. I want to stay and help. No one we know has a real android back home.”

  “I appreciate this, Charles. I’m sure Timothy will be a great help. It will be something he remembers for the rest of his life,” Julian added.

  “Well, I guess I’ll be going. You have my cell phone number. Call me if you need anything. I’ll check back with you when I get home. Timothy, your Mom wants you to call home every day, okay?” Charles said.

  “Okay, Dad. I will. Drive safely.” Timothy gave his dad a hug goodbye.

  Charles and Julian shook hands. “Take care, Julian. Call me if you need anything. I’ll be back in two weeks to drive you to Chicago.”

  “I appreciate that, Charles. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Timothy.”

  As Charles was leaving, he noticed that G was standing in the doorway by the lab watching them. He didn’t know if he should say anything to him or not. He decided it couldn’t hurt. “Goodbye, G. I’ll see you in two weeks.” He waved and G waved back.

  After Charles left, Julian told Timothy he wanted to take a short nap. He was tired. He told Timothy to stay near the house if he went outside and stay out of the water until he was able to watch him. Timothy said he would watch some TV and call a few friends. He promised not to tell anyone about G.

  While Julian napped and Timothy was watching TV, G worked in the lab. He had a lot of work to finish before the competition in Chicago. He knew how important winning the contest for Julian was, but he was more concerned with completing a special project for Julian. G wondered when Julian would tell Timothy and Charles what was planned for him. After all, he was created for a special purpose and the news would come out sooner or later. He knew they could not keep it a secret for long.

  G pulled out a small computer module from a drawer under his desk. He turned it on and ran a diagnostic tool to check the memory functions. The module was similar to the one in G’s chest. It essentially was a computer brain built with three-dimensional nanotube circuitry, which are tubes made up of a hexagonal network of carbon atoms that are very small, very fast and very dense. The unique aspect of this molecular computer was its memory function. The normal human brain, on average, could perform up to 1016 or 10,000 trillion calculations per second (cps). This computer module could perform up to 1028 or one trillion times more cps than the human brain. It was at least ten years ahead of anything else on the market. The diagnostic test performed flawlessly. It was ready for use. G put it back in the drawer. The final phase of this project was to make it easier to upload data.

  G knew that his creator, Julian, had designed and created this computing device for two purposes. One purpose was to enable machine intelligence for androids like G so they could perform similar work as humans, but in more dangerous or extreme environments. The second purpose was for another project Julian had in mind that required a faster and more dependable upload system. G was working on this phase of the project when Timothy walked into the lab. “Hello, G. What are you working on?” he asked.

  “Hello, Timothy. I’m testing a new program for high speed wireless data transfer. Would you like to see it?”

  “Sure,” Timothy answered as he sat down in a chair next to G.

  G selected a disk with over 100 movies from a shelf and loaded it into a computer. The disk held 200 gigabytes of data. G turned on a second computer on his desk. He put in a blank disk and activated his program. The data transfer only took 80 seconds. G handed the disk to Timothy. “I hope you like science fiction movies, Timothy.”

  Timothy was impressed. “Wow! That’s pretty cool, G. When will this be on the market?”

  “It’s a new wireless standard for home computer use. It should be available within two years.

  “What else are you testing?” Timothy asked.

  G waved his arm around the lab. “We have many projects in progress. Most are government projects Julian is working on. He was a NASA scientist you know, so he helps the government on many space projects, most of which are very secret and I cannot talk about them. But Julian is also working on several private projects, which involve nanotube circuitry, molecular computing, scanning software, high speed communications and other projects. Julian lets me work on anything I wish and I have learned many things.”

  Timothy was curious and wanted to know more about G so he asked him, “Do you ever sleep?”

  “I do not require sleep, but I must recharge my battery packs every day for two hours. I am working on a power pack that allows me to recharge once a week or less. This would allow me to be more productive.”

  “When were you created, G?” Timothy asked.

  “I became self-aware on Thursday, July sixth, less than one year ago. That is when I could talk to myself and ask questions. Julian told me I was a machine and said I could think for myself. He said I would learn on my own and he would explain what I did not understand. Recently, I have been learning about human emotions. It is a complex subject, which I have only begun to understand. It amazes me, for example, how people react differently to the same set of circumstances. I still have much to learn about humans.”

  “Don’t worry, G. I don’t understand either and I’m human,” Timothy responded. He decided to change the subject. “Can you go outside? I want to walk down to the beach.”

  “I do not go outside during the day, but I can go out at night. Julian says I should not be seen by others until after the Loebner contest. It may cause an unsettling reaction with some people.”

  “What about your housekeeper? What does she think?” Timothy asked.

  “Maria has been very kind to me. We are friends. She tells me about our neighbors.” G heard a noise and turned around. Julian entered the lab tapping the floor with his cane.

  “Hello, you two. I’m sorry to interrupt, but Maria says dinner is ready. G, would you like to join us?”

  “I would enjoy that. I can test my sense of smell and see what food items I can pick out.” He turned to Timothy. “Maria is a good cook from what I can tell. Julian never complains about her cooking.”

  Julian turned around and walked out of the lab. Timothy and G fol
lowed him to the dining room table where Maria was setting a plate down for Timothy. “Hello, Timothy. I’m Mrs. Fields. You can sit here. I hope you like ham and scalloped potatoes. Do you like peas?” she asked while scoping a spoonful on his plate.

  “Yes, Mrs. Fields. My mom makes me and my sister eat vegetables at dinner time. She says we can’t have dessert unless we eat some.”

  “She’s a good mother,” Maria commented. “Your must eat your vegetables. Why, G, are you joining us for dinner too?”

  “Yes, Maria. I could smell your cooking from the lab. It smells good,” G said as he sat down at the table.

  “Thank you, G.” Maria responded. She poured drinks for Timothy and Julian. When they were all sitting at the table, Maria announced she was leaving for the evening. She had to make dinner for her family. They ate later than Julian, so it worked out fine for her.

  Julian thanked her for making dinner and asked, “Can you come more often over the next two weeks, Maria? Timothy will be my guest until we take G to the competition in Chicago.”

  “I believe I can, Julian. I’ll make sure you have dinners ready every day as long as you need. Timothy, it was nice to meet you finally. Julian has told me all about your family. I’m glad you are helping Julian and G. It’s really going to be exciting when everyone around here learns about G,” she said.

  After Maria left, Julian asked Timothy a few questions. “What do you know about robots, Timothy?”

  “Only what we read in school, Great Grandpa. No one I know owns a robot at home.”

  “What do you think about G?” Julian asked.

  “I think G is cool, Great Grandpa. He is really smart and he showed me what he works on in the lab.”

  “Well, Timothy, after dinner, we’ll go outside and watch the sunset and G will build us a bonfire when it gets dark. Then I’ll let G show you the stars on our telescope. It looks like the sky will be clear tonight.”

  “That would be awesome, Great Grandpa. I studied astronomy in science class this year. We were looking for planets like Earth on the NASA space telescopes. NASA has found planets that may support life less than 25 light years from our sun.”

  “That was one of our goals when I was working at NASA years ago. Someday, we’ll be able to go to the stars to explore them, Timothy. It’s a long journey and we don’t have the technology to send humans yet. But someday, maybe in your lifetime, we’ll finally be able to do it.” Julian looked over at G who was listening intently to the conversation. “Would you mind cleaning up the dishes, G? When it gets dark you can set up the bonfire down by the beach. I’ll get the telescope ready.”

  “Yes, Julian. I will clean up and meet you outside for the bonfire. We have not done this in several weeks. It will be nice for Timothy to see.”

  They finished dinner and Timothy offered to help G clean the dishes. Afterwards, he wanted to call his friend Johnny and maybe even talk to Amy. He couldn’t wait to tell them what he was doing tonight.

  Chapter 10

  It was just after seven o’clock when Timothy and G finished clearing the table and putting the dishes in the dishwasher. Timothy walked outside on the patio off the kitchen and decided to call Johnny while he walked down to the lake shore. The sun was still up. It was a beautiful June evening. The weather was warm and the wind, usually breezy during the day by the lake, was calm. There were a few scattered clouds in the sky, but Timothy could tell they would see a beautiful sunset over the lake this evening.

  Timothy pulled out his smartphone and called Johnny using voice commands. He walked down the sloping back lawn to a stone patio where four Adirondack chairs sat around a built-in open fire pit. Timothy looked out over the lake and could hear the sounds of seagulls flying in the air and the gently splashing waves as they rolled back and forth on the beach sand. This sure beats the Fox River back home, he thought as the phone rang in his ear.

  “Hello, Tim,” Johnny answered on the second ring.

  “What are you doing tonight?” Timothy asked with a smirk in his voice.

  “Not much. We just finished dinner. Mom says I have to work in the yard tomorrow and cut the grass. She wants me to do all the outside chores around the house this summer. Amy gets to clean the inside of the house. Part of our allowance she says.”

  “That doesn’t sound like much fun. Guess what I’m doing tonight?”

  “No idea. Are you still at your great grandfather’s place?”

  “Yep. We’re going to light a bonfire tonight. Great Grandpa is going to let me use his telescope. It’s going to be neat.”

  “How long are you staying there, Tim? I was hoping you’d be coming home today.”

  “I decided to stay for two weeks. There’s something really cool going on here, but I can’t tell you what it is until later. You wouldn’t believe me anyhow,” Timothy added for effect.

  “Does this have something to do with the video game you guys won yesterday? Amy didn’t believe it when I said it was your team, the Robomen, who beat everyone on the Internet. You got to tell me how you did it. We’ve been playing that game for months and never got a score that high. What’s going on? Who’s there with you, Tim? You can tell me,” Johnny pleaded over the phone.

  Timothy was secretly thrilled to hear that Amy thought it was cool he won, but he promised his dad and Julian that he would not tell anyone about G until after the Loebner contest and he meant to keep his word. “I can’t tell you what’s going on here until I come home, Johnny. It’s important and I promised my Great Grandpa. You know he works on all kinds of secret projects and this is one of those. I’ll fill you in later when I can—promise. I gotta go, Johnny. I’ll text you tomorrow.”

  “Okay, Tim. I’ll be here cutting the grass while you’re having fun on the lake. Don’t get sunburned. By the way—any cute girls on the beach?”

  “I haven’t had time to check out the scene in town. Maybe tomorrow,” Timothy replied. Besides, he wasn’t really interested in any girls here, he thought to himself, just the one back home. “Talk to you later. Say hi to Amy for me.” He said goodbye again and they hung up.

  Timothy looked out over the lake. He saw a sailboat way off in the distance and a few jet skiers having fun before it got too dark. This was one of the great things about being in Michigan. It remained light out much later than Chicago time. The people on the lake were having a good time. He wished his Great Grandpa had a jet ski or a boat he could use while he was here. He missed his dad’s boat on the river already. He picked up some flat stones on the beach and pitched them out over the water to see how many skips he could make. One of the stones made at least ten hops before it sank beneath the waves.

  Timothy decided to take a short walk along the lake while he waited for Julian and G to come outside. He was curious how his Great Grandpa could keep G a secret in his home for so long; unless G never ventured outside during the day. The home was secluded on the lake with trees and shrubs lining both sides of the back yard, but people could still see the yard and the house from the beach front as they walked by.

  Timothy walked along the lake shore for about a quarter mile before he turned around and headed back. There were quite a few large homes and estates built along the lake front near his great grandpa’s home. He never really met any of the neighbors when he visited with his parents over the years. They usually stayed in the house just for the weekend and he and Kate spent most of their time as kids at the yacht club swimming pool. Lake Michigan water was too cold for swimming until midsummer, so he and his sister would build sand castles near the water. It brought back a lot of fun memories with his family he remembered as he strolled back. Surprisingly, he only passed two couples out walking along the lake. They said hello as he passed by.

  When he reached the back yard, the sun was beginning to drift low in the horizon. It was a huge red ball you could actually look directly at now. He saw his Great Grandpa sitting in one of the lawn chairs with a large telescope sitting on a tripod. He waved when Timothy approache
d. “How was your walk, Timothy? See any sailboats?” he asked.

  “I saw one, but mostly jet skiers. I was hoping my dad was going to buy a jet ski this summer, but he said they’re too dangerous on the river. Maybe when I get older, I’ll get one myself.”

  “They are dangerous, Timothy. But if you’re careful, they can be a lot of fun, especially for young adults.” Julian turned to look at the sun setting in the distance. “Isn’t the sun beautiful, Timothy? Your great grandmother and I would sit here almost every summer evening and watch the sunsets. She really loved to see it,” Julian said, deep in thought.

  “I think it’s pretty cool too, Great Grandpa,” Timothy said.

  “I agree,” G said as he walked up behind them carrying a stack of wood. Timothy turned around. He was surprised to see how G was dressed. He had on a long sleeve shirt, long pants, deck shoes and a baseball cap that hid the top of his face. From a distance he looked like a normal person enjoying the evening. No one would guess G was an android unless they walked up close.

  “It is nine-eleven. The sun will set completely in two minutes,” G announced as everyone watch the sun slide steadily and gracefully below the horizon. It was breath-taking. It looked like the sun was being extinguished by the water. Timothy imagined steam rising from the lake.

  “Well, let’s start the fire, G” Julian finally said. “When it gets darker, we can view the stars. G can tell you anything you want to know, Timothy. He is an excellent astronomer now.”

  “Really? I barely know where the North Star is. It’s so hard to see anything in Chicago,” Timothy said as he walked over to look at the telescope. “What kind of telescope is this, Great Grandpa?”

  “Actually, G picked it out. He can tell you.”

  “It’s a Catadioptric Telescope, Timothy. It uses a combination of mirrors and lenses to bend the optics and form an image. It can view deep-sky objects automatically and has a computer controlled alignment system with a database of over 50,000 celestial objects. If you know the name of a star, it will find it for you. Or it can identify what you are viewing automatically. It can also take a picture and upload wirelessly to any computer for viewing later.”