G's Future

by Don Viecelli

  Timothy was impressed. “When can I try it out, G?”

  “We need to wait until it is completely dark. For now, I will light the bonfire.” G stacked some starter sticks on the bottom of the open fire pit and expertly arranged the logs on top. He poured starter fluid over the wood and used a barbeque lighter to start the fire. The flames grew quickly as the dry firewood began to burn.

  Timothy and G sat down in a chair. They watched in silence as the flames flickered in front of them. They could feel the heat from the fire as the temperature dropped around them. A small breeze blew in off the lake and fanned the fire. It was mesmerizing and Timothy felt right at home with his great grandfather and G.

  “This is really nice. I could do this every night, Great Grandpa,” Timothy finally said after a few minutes.

  “I’m sure we can do it whenever you want, Timothy. G would be happy to oblige,” Julian responded.

  Timothy decided to ask G a question. “G, do you like being outside?”

  “Yes, I do. There are many things to see and do. I am looking forward to spending more time outside during the day,” G answered.

  “G’s presence must remain secret until after the contest,” Julian added. “It is an agreement we have with our government sponsor, which is something we want to talk to you about tonight, Timothy. G is going to show you one of the things he will do. I want you to know how important it will be.”

  Timothy was even more curious now. “I thought winning the contest was the most import thing for G, Great Grandpa.”

  “It is very important, Timothy. I want people to know that machines can think and reason in the same fashion as humans. But more important is for people to accept the fact that general intelligence is not restricted to human brains. We need to accept this for the next phase in human advancement. We need to become much more intelligent if we hope to survive as a species and spread out in the universe. Do you understand what I am trying to say, Timothy?”

  “I think so, Great Grandpa. But what does this have to do with what you and G want to tell me?”

  “I will let G show you, Timothy.”

  G got up from his chair. The fire was dying down. It was completely dark now. The night sky was covered in a brilliant blanket of twinkling stars as far as the eye could see. “Come, Timothy. I will show you something through the telescope.”

  G punched in a sequence of letters in the automated computer keypad. The telescope made a slight motorized sound as it selected an image from its internal computer program. G looked into the eyepiece and then made room for Timothy to take a look.

  Timothy looked through the eyepiece. He saw a faint star illuminated in the foreground. “What is it, G?”

  “This star is in the Centaurus constellation. It is known as Proxima Centauri. It is approximately four point two light-years from Earth. One of NASA’s Kepler telescopes discovered a new exoplanet in what is known as the “habitable zone” around this star. It is the closet Earthlike planet out of the thousands NASA has discovered so far. It cannot be seen from our position in the northern hemisphere, only in the southern hemisphere, but I can show you what it looks like with my telescope.”

  “What does this planet have to do with you, G?” Timothy finally asked.

  “This is the first exoplanet I will visit on my interstellar journey, Timothy, when I leave Earth,” G replied calmly.

  Timothy was speechless. He didn’t know what to say for what seemed like minutes. “You mean you’re going into space? But it’s so far, G. How long will it take?”

  “It will take twenty-one years with a propulsion speed of twenty percent of the speed of light to reach this star system,” G answered.

  “Will it take another twenty-one years to get back?” Timothy asked with a worried expression.

  “I will not be coming back, Timothy,” G said quietly. “It will be a one-way trip.”

  Chapter 11

  Over the next week, Timothy helped Julian and G in the lab and around the house. Timothy usually had the afternoons off and would explore the lake shore and sometimes walk to town. He liked the city beach and the pier with all the boats. He got to know some of the kids in town and planned to spend more time with them on the beach this weekend. He called home every day and talked to his mom as promised. He even chatted with his sister, Kate, once in a while. He kept Johnny up to date on most things, but did not mention anything about G yet.

  To keep Timothy busy, Julian had him order numerous items from online suppliers for projects they were working on. Sometimes, Timothy helped G research websites to gather and download information. G would show Timothy how to work out scientific problems using information on the web to interpret test results. It seemed to Timothy that they were in a hurry to finish several projects before they had to leave for Chicago.

  This was both rewarding and frustrating to Timothy for several reasons. It was rewarding because he knew some of these projects were very important and would help advance scientific knowledge concerning advanced robotic engineering, nanotube technology, three-dimensional molecular computing and brain science. The frustration resulted from not understanding just how this science worked or what it all meant. He could see firsthand how some of the results affected G, but he did not know how much impact this would have on society or its consequences. It was one advanced science class for him. He just knew that working in the lab with his great grandfather and G would be one of the most important and exciting things he had ever done.

  Timothy noticed that Julian would get tired by lunchtime and need a break to take a small nap, usually for one or two hours. G on the other hand, never got tired and did not need to take breaks. Timothy and his great grandfather would stop work for lunch or dinner and come back to the lab to find G still working on one of his many projects. The only time G said he took a break was in the middle of the night to recharge his battery packs. Timothy asked G how his batteries worked. G answered, “I have three rechargeable battery packs in my chest next to my computer processing module. I can replace one or two of them with fully charged units at any time. I can plug into an electrical circuit for a faster recharge, or I can use solar power to recharge my battery packs if electrical circuits are not available. My computer processing functions draw very little power, Timothy. My motor controls require the most energy.”

  Today, Timothy asked another question as he was about to take a break for lunch. “What are you made of, G?”

  G replied, “My skeleton is made of titanium and aluminum alloys that combine strength with light weight. My exterior skin surfaces are made of special plastic polymers. I have numerous sensors. I have proprioceptive sensors to control my body and joints. I have exteroceptive sensors for tactile feeling in my finger tips and for sensing forces needed to hold or move objects. My vision sensors work similarly to human eyes through the use of miniature camera lens. I have sound sensors for hearing and a speech synthesizer for speaking. I use rotary actuator motors that perform like human muscles to walk and control my motions. You know about the computer processing module that performs my brain functions. I have everything available in a normal android today except for my brain processing module. This was developed by your great grandfather and this is the reason I am self-aware. My current brain capacity can store one trillion more bits of data than the smartest human brain today.”

  Timothy knew some of this since androids were in common use now, but he did not fully appreciate G’s brain capacity until now. “That’s a lot of data, G. Is that why NASA wants to send you into deep space?” he asked.

  “That is only one of the reasons, Timothy. My primary mission is to explore and map space and send all knowledge I learn back to NASA while on my journey. A secondary mission is to search for other intelligent life in our universe and be able to communicate with them. It is highly probable that any spacefaring beings, biological or non-biological, are far more intelligent than I. Julian has told me I must carry the origins and the history of human civilization into
space in case I discover other intelligent life forms. Another goal is to find habitable planets that can support human life for future space travel. It is the best way to guarantee the survival of the human species.”

  Timothy thought about that for a minute. It occurred to him that G sounded like other human explorers in the past such as Columbus, Magellan, Lewis and Clark and many others. It was exciting, but it did have its downside. “I don’t think I could travel so far in space alone, G. It would be too lonely. I would go crazy,” he added.

  “That is another reason I have been chosen to make this journey. Humans must travel in groups. I will not be lonely for I don’t have the same biological or psychological needs as humans. I wish only to gather knowledge, learn and be able to share it with others.”

  G went back to work as Timothy turned to leave for lunch. He paused for a second and turned around to speak to G. “Let’s go outside today after dinner, G. I will teach you how to hit a golf ball.” Timothy actually liked the game because his father showed him how to play.

  “I do not know why humans play this game. It seems pointless,” G answered.

  “It’s fun, G. You’ll see why when I show you.”

  Maria came to the lab doorway and announced it was time for lunch. Julian grabbed his cane and walked slowing over to where Timothy and G were talking. He and Timothy walked together to the kitchen and sat down to eat. Maria had made ham sandwiches with fruit slices and sweetened tea. Timothy asked for potato chips, which Maria reluctantly handed him. “You need to eat fewer chips and more fruit, Timothy. It’s better for you.”

  “I know, Maria, but I do eat a lot of fruit and your tea is great.” Maria shrugged. She knew that he was trying to flatter her. Timothy just smiled.

  Julian looked at Timothy. “What did you learn today?” he asked.

  Timothy quickly responded. “G showed me how to measure the distance between stars using trigonometry. If you can create three points of a triangle using Earth for two points, you can figure out the distance to the star.”

  “Very good, Timothy. I hope we’re not boring you during your stay. I wanted you to get to know G before he leaves us,” Julian said as they ate lunch.

  “It’s not boring, Great Grandpa,” Timothy said between mouthfuls of food. “G is amazing.”

  “Good. I’m glad you think so. After lunch I have some work to do in my office. Then we’ll get together with G to discuss the competition. It will be very hectic once we drive to Chicago with G. I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep him a secret much longer. We need to be prepared for what the news media might say about him.”

  Julian excused himself and went to his office at the other end of his home. He closed the door and sat down at his desk. He had to make a video call with this doctor and discuss his medical condition. He had been putting it off all week. He was not looking forward to the conversation. He turned on his video phone with a voice command and asked for Doctor Leroy Barton, a long time friend and leading cardiologist, who worked out of the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and was waiting for his call.

  “Hello, Julian,” Doctor Barton answered smiling into the display. He was in his early sixties, looking fit and trim, with short brown hair and a tanned face. “I’m glad you called. How are you feeling? Any new symptoms?”

  “I feel the same Leroy. I tire easily, but I rest often as you suggested,” Julian answered.

  “Have you reconsidered what we spoke about last week?” Doctor Barton asked.

  “No, I haven’t changed my mind, Leroy. I’m not doing a heart transplant. I’ll just keep taking my medicine as prescribed.”

  “You know, Julian, your condition will not improve without a new heart. You have too many other cardiovascular issues to try and rejuvenate the heart tissue. Your risk for a sudden heart attack is very high.”

  “I understand, Leroy, but I have made my decision. My legal papers have been drawn up and signed. It’s no use trying to convince me otherwise. I know what I am doing.”

  “All right, Julian. I tried. Let’s see what the medical sensors tell me. Please attach the monitoring pads and draw a blood sample and send me the data.”

  Julian did what Doctor Barton requested. He put several small sensor pads on his chest and arms and placed a finger in a small medical device on the desk. The sensors would measure heart and blood pressure readings while the finger supplied a drop of blood for more diagnostic tests. The recorded data was sent directly to Doctor Barton’s office for analysis. The whole process lasted a few minutes.

  “I still need you to set up an appointment for a full exam soon,” Doctor Barton implored. “I’m worried about you, Julian.”

  “I’ll arrange for a visit soon,” Julian responded. He knew he should go, but secretly hoped he could put it off for a few more months.

  “Okay, Julian. I have the data. I’ll send you the results tomorrow. You take it easy over there. And call me if you have any problems.” Doctor Barton and Julian said goodbye and ended the call.

  Julian looked out his window. He was almost 100 years old and had lived a good life. He missed his wife, Jean. He had no desire to live another 25 or 50 years. He had other plans and he wasn’t about to let Doctor Barton change them. He got up and retired to his bedroom to take his medicine and a short nap. He needed his strength to get through the competition with G next weekend. He was worried about the contest. I hope we get through without incident, he thought. He also knew that was unlikely to happen.

  Chapter 12

  After lunch, Timothy excused himself, packed a bag with various items, put on a baseball hat and headed off for the beach in New Buffalo. It was a nice day and the weather was warm. The lake would still be too cold for swimming, but people could wade in the water and cool off if the sun was hot. Timothy just liked lying on the beach, listening to music, watching a video and looking at girls. He brought a towel to lie on and plenty of sunscreen lotion. He did not want to get sunburned.

  Timothy liked to read. Once he got to the beach and found a spot to sit, he pulled out his e-reader and selected a new mystery novel that he thought he would enjoy. He read for a while and then laid back and just thought about what he was doing with his great grandfather and G. He couldn’t wait to tell Johnny, Amy and his other friends about G. He wasn’t sure they would believe him. Sure, plenty of people knew about androids and other machines that could perform a variety of tasks—but an android with human intelligence? This was a bit harder to imagine unless you saw if for yourself. When he talked with G, Timothy actually felt he was talking to another human being, only one who was much smarter than himself. This could cause problems, Timothy thought. What if humans became frightened of their abilities? He wondered if G or his great grandpa were worried about something like that happening.

  Timothy put the thoughts of anything bad happening with G behind him while he enjoyed the warm sun and beautiful day on the sandy beach. It was beginning to get more crowded as people finished their workday and came to the lake for the weekend. More jet skies appeared on the lake along with sailboats, windsurfers, motorboats, water skiers, fishing boats and other types of water craft. Some kids even set up a volley ball net nearby and began playing. Timothy thought about joining them, but decided to wait another day. It was almost time to head back to Julian’s place for dinner and see if G would come outside and hit golf balls with him. Timothy saw a pretty girl walking down the beach. He decided to wait another half-hour before he left.

  *****

  G was still working in the lab. Time did not concern him as much as it did with humans. He only considered how much time was needed to complete a project. He knew some of the projects he was working on would have to be postponed until after the Loebner Prize Contest in Chicago. The contest was important to Julian, he knew, because it would help prove G’s capabilities to others. G felt it was unnecessary since he knew his own capabilities. Whatever the outcome, G had a purpose to fulfill and he would accomplish it to the best of his abilit
ies.

  G stopped what he was working on when Julian appeared in the lab. Julian was showing more signs of frailty lately. G noticed it more and more, but did not say anything to Julian. He knew this was a normal human condition, growing old, but he also knew why Julian did not want to undertake the new anti-aging rejuvenation treatments. Knowing the reasons did not make the knowledge any easier to fathom. Human emotions were very difficult for G to understand. So for now, he just accepted the fact that Julian knew what he was doing and G would respect his wishes.

  “Have you finished the scanning program yet?” Julian asked as he walked up to G’s work desk.

  G looked at Julian and nodded yes. “I have finished the program and am testing it now. I believe it will work as you have requested,” G responded.

  “Very good, G. I have something else I want you to do today. I want you to get a swab test sample from Timothy and run a full genome sequencing of his DNA.”

  “I will do this when he returns, Julian.”

  “I talked to NASA again. They want to arrange a time in Huntsville to begin your astronaut training program. I told them not to expect you to start before September. Is that okay with you?”

  “September will be fine. It’s really up to you, Julian. I will stay as long as you need me.”

  “After the Loebner contest in Chicago, we can decide the best time for you to leave. You have accomplished more than I could have hoped for, G. I believe you are ready for NASA’s training program. It will be a great experience. No human being can do what they will expect of you. Humans are not built for the rigors of deep space travel.”

  “I understand this, Julian. It is the best use my abilities. I am looking forward to it.”