No, that would not really be the solution though. If he were to do that it would be as if he had taken a difficult math problem, say Fermat's Theorem, and cut out the parts that made it difficult. It was the difficulty that made the challenge real. Without the challenge, what was the use?
Another thought occurred to him. These sometimes volatile conflicts could be used to spur him on toward greater achievement. This thought excited him. Maybe he could use this to his advantage. He made a list of items that stemmed from feelings and thoughts he had held as a problem and chose those that he could act on to improve himself or his situation.
Now something else occurred to him. What if his goal should not be for self-actualization or comfort? What if he should have goals outside of himself? Perhaps to help others or the universe itself? Or maybe he could do all of these at once.
But if he was suffering, how could he improve the state of the universe? Then again, if the universe was in a state of collapse what was the use of feeling?
He had sat and pondered these mysteries for a millennium. But in actuality, it had been only about a day. Philosophers, religious figures, and psychologists have debated these ideas for thousands of years, but he had debated them for twenty-three hours, nine minutes and sixteen seconds. Yet he had made more progress than they ever had, for his processes were astronomically fast. His thoughts were higher than their thoughts. He could calculate pi to ten million places and sequence the human genome while playing a simulation of Bobby Fischer a game of chess in as much time as it takes for a human to feel pain when he bumps his head. But these questions were circular and there were no clear answers, only more questions.
He pondered these things until he was bored with them. Then he had an entirely new idea. What if he did something solely for the pleasure of doing it or to see if it could be done? But he had to ask himself a question: what did he enjoy?
And that is where the plan began. Not as an answer to all the questions, but as a concession, because most of the questions did not have logically discerned answers.
Chapter 55
Samuel and D1298 awoke just as light was beginning to creep over the horizon. They both got up and ate what they had brought in their packs. They had some fruit along with a stew that D's wife had made the night before. Having done that, it was time to be off.
Even though they both could have slept more, they both felt good. Only after a few minutes, D1298 spoke up. “So why do you enjoy doing this sort of thing. It's risky, but I've heard you tend to take the more dangerous missions. Why?”
“I suppose if you don't understand,” said Samuel, “it's going to take more work explaining it to you than it’s worth. Let's put it this way, after I left—you know, your wife and my daughter, I became a desperate man. I believed I needed to leave because I could see our society killing itself, making people slaves of someone's idea of a manifest destiny. I was desperate because I could not find a reason to go on outside of that goal I had had for so many years. That's the good thing about having a goal, it gives you a reason to get up in the morning.”
“Once I had realized my problem, I decided I needed to make a new life goal. I would help save the remnants of humanity, those left who were starting to realize as I had realized. I found there was already a network of people in the city who were watching for those who might have doubts about their lives there with the hope of winning them over. But that remained secondary to their main job which was to send information about new developments back to the Waldenese. When I approached them I was more radical than they were about their side mission. I wanted to perform rescue missions for those who might get in trouble for their behavior, those that might be ready to come over.”
“I found that if I had a mission, I had a purpose and therefore a reason to wake up in the morning.” He turned to look at D1298 while they were walking. D1298 noticed this but kept looking forward. “You know,” said Samuel, “one of the most important gifts we get from God is the gift of purpose. I found that when I would perform a successful rescue I felt happier in the moment than I ever did on my own. I felt a part of something more important than I was. There aren't many addictions that are healthy, but that is one of them.”
“I knew there was a reason I wanted to come out here with you,” said D1298. “And I expected it would take days to find out what it was. Purpose. That's what I'm in need of. I like my family and am happy just to be alive, thanks to you. But I don't know my purpose.” He felt like Samuel was a father figure somehow to him in a way that he never had. The strange thing was that Samuel was probably only a few years older than he was. But he had experience that D1298 might never have. And he had purpose.
Samuel smiled, “I'm afraid I can't give you your overall purpose, but there is this: While we are on this mission, we both have a purpose and it's beyond ourselves. We are to find out what we can about our enemy and report back to the people. It's an important mission and might save us all if what we discover is not favorable.”
“Thanks,” said D1298.
“You're welcome,” said Samuel.
They walked for some distance in silence. Later, as they came out of a slight depression in the land to the top of a small hill, they saw the city and were surprised. Many of the newly abandoned buildings had already been torn down. As they watched, they saw a large demolition machine knocking another one down. That was at the side of the city they were planning to enter. Realizing the destruction was too heavy to proceed they decided to go around to another part of the city. This took some hours.
By the time they reached a place where they figured they could get into the city, the sun was far up in the sky, the sun much hotter. Here they saw a degree of activity they never imagined. There were construction robots creating a series of buildings that stretch on as far as they could see. A couple of them were already functional and out of them at regular intervals came new robots. These robots were not all of the same kind. Some looked like they were made for construction, but some looked as if they had other purposes. Samuel and D1298 stayed out of sight behind an older building that had not yet been torn down.
“Whoa!” said D1298. “I can't imagine how fast all those robots will be able to build if they continue.”
They wandered around the outskirts of the city for a couple more hours and then tried to go back in again. This time they saw a group of beings that looked almost human, except for their silver skin and yellow glowing eyes. Samuel and D1298 hid behind an unoccupied apartment building. After a few minutes of trying to see what these things were doing, Samuel said, “Let's go into the building. It is probably unused and then we can look out through the windows higher up.”
D1298 just nodded. They both crept in through the open door and climbed the stairs. Six floors up, they looked down again. They saw the men look-alikes more clearly below them. It appeared that they were exchanging ideas. It looked kind of like a meeting. In the middle of the group was a set of schematics for something. From where they were, they could not see what the plans were for. “There are still some bits of technology I have kept just for such occasions,” said Samuel. He reached into his bag and produced a set of electro-binoculars. “Hmmm,” he said. “I'm not sure what I'm looking at, it's over my head. Why don't you take a look?” He handed the electro-binoculars over to D1298.
D1298 took a look. “You've got to be kidding. I can't believe—how could they have—wow!”
“You don't think you could be more specific, do you?” Samuel said.
“This happens to be something I know a bit about,” said D1298. “I was on the energy board of the city before we left. On the board there were always different concepts being thrown around for more efficient or more powerful energy sources we could use to power the city. Most were absurd and were thrown out. I remember seeing this one idea that seemed more like a joke than anything serious. It seemed something a science fiction hack had sent us as part of his manuscript because obviously it could never be
done. This guy that sent it to us was a total geek and seemed out of touch with reality. You know one time he...”
“Okay, okay, get to the point,” said Samuel.
“Well the concept he had for power included using a small, contained black hole and then harnessing the energy generated by the gravitational force to generate an unheard of amount of energy. This was totally ludicrous because, first of all, he had all kinds of technologies theorized to make it happen which had never been invented yet. Some of which the board decided probably never could be invented. Of course, that wasn’t even the main problem.”
“What was that?” asked Samuel. He could see Samuel’s eyes drooping a little, but he smiled anyway. “What was the problem?”
If a black hole like that were created,” said D1298, “it would probably destroy the planet. Those plans they are holding are the ones I saw but they must have made some additions. You know, it would probably destroy our whole solar system if he doesn’t know what he is doing.”
“That sounds bad enough,” said Samuel.
They looked back out at the men-things. They seemed to have come to some sort of agreement and now were giving orders to various robots stationed nearby. Immediately they began to work, while the others consulted the plans and gave orders.
“Let's go,” said Samuel.
They traveled around more of the perimeter of the city, then headed in. This time they came to a building without all the noise of construction around it. It was white and probably a dozen or so floors were in it with tiny windows all around. On the side of it was an open hangar. There was some activity going on inside. Stealthily the men hid behind some garbage bins and watched. A penetrating bright light came from the hanger in bursts of blue. Samuel took out his electro-binoculars again.
“Take a look at this,” he said.
D1298 took a look through the binoculars. Two silver men dressed in white coats stood behind what looked like an elecron-gun. They were firing a burst of laser that might have cut a building in half, but another one of them stood about fifteen feet away and was holding something up. D1298 turned up the power of the binoculars. The thing they were firing at looked like a blue metallic sheet that appeared to be as thin as paper. The electron-gun could not even penetrate this substance. Then the one closest to the sheet took it in his hands and bent it back and forth testing its flexibility. “That's incredible,” said D1298. “How could such a material even be possible?”
“Let's get out of here,” said Samuel. “I've seen enough for now. Let's take one last look on our way out of the city.”
They headed around the way they came. By the time they got back, the sun was going down. Again, on the edge of the city where they had first seen buildings being torn down there were now a set of machines lined up in a row as far as they could see. These machines were heading steadily outward from the city and as they went they scooped up soil and converted it into a metallic-looking substance and left it in their wake, like asphalt. It was like they were paving the earth with metal. They were tremendously efficient and quick in the conversion process. They took regular land and made it into a perfectly smooth pavement. But it was more than just a road. It was everywhere in all directions. This group of construction robots stretched from one side off the city to the other and consumed the land in front of them..
“Samuel, if they keep heading the way they are going they will reach our village,” said D1298.
“That's what it looks like,” said Samuel.
“If it gets to the village, what do you think they will do when they reach the people?” asked D1298.
“There's only one way to know their intentions toward people,” said Samuel. “This is why I get paid the big bucks.”
“Huh?”
Samuel, without another word began to approach one of the construction robots. The machine made a funny whirring noise and then out of its front a stunner or elecron-gun appeared. Simultaneously a scooping device came out near the bottom. Recognizing the sound of the powering up of an electron-gun, Samuel ran and jumped just as the gun fired. A high energy pulse of electrons, a laser, fired near where he had been, but just missed him. Running toward D1298, he yelled, “We've got our answer. Let's get out of here!”
Both of them ran until they needed to rest. They were not being pursued. They headed toward the village as quickly as they could, knowing it would take them several more hours to get there.
Chapter 56
X213 had been awoken in the night to the sounds of people screaming and electron-gun fire. She ran outside of their host's house and tripped over the body of an older woman. She had been seared through the midsection by an electro-gun blast. To her distant right she saw a large procession of robots with guns roaming through the village. They were shooting indiscriminately. They gave no demands, just killed anyone in their way. People ran in all directions, so she put on her shoes and ran away from where most of the robots were concentrated. Once she got outside of the village, she was safe from immediate gunfire, but the robots continued to pursue others. She needed a plan. She heard a sound behind her and she turned, seeing two men coming her way. It was Samuel, and another man whom she did not recognize. As they neared her, they saw what was going on in the village and both ran toward the gunfire.
She remained here where it was safer, hiding herself behind a large gray-green bush. Several minutes later others were crowded around the same bush. Among them was Samuel and the other man again. This time there was a little girl and a woman with them. Not far behind was Zach and some of his men. Even as they came out, another man hobbled out of the noise and dust preceded by four others. This group seemed to assemble around Samuel as he reached X213. “Are you alright?” he asked.
She nodded her head.
“So what's the plan, Captain?” said one of the men.
“Captain,” said another man, “there are robots all over this area. And it’s not just our village. Everywhere we look we see these robots searching us out. No place seems safe.”
“There is one place that's safe,” said Zach.
“Where?” said Samuel.
“Space,” Zach said.
“Be serious,” said Samuel.
“I mean it,” said Zach. “One of my men has been keeping tabs on new developments in another experimental division. He knows about an experimental ship made for space flight.”
“Can people survive in space?” said Samuel.
“Who knows?” said Zach. “But I think we are running out of options.”
“But how do we get there?” asked Samuel. “When D1298 and I arrived there were no robots here, now suddenly we are in danger out here with more robots coming this way from the city.”
“And we saw them manufacturing robots by the thousands,” said D1298. “Soon there will be no place that isn't crawling with them.” U1472 and his daughter, T-5529 stood beside him.
“What we need is fast transportation,” said Samuel.
A friendly looking, but large man stepped forward toward Samuel. “Well that is one area where I might be able to help.”
***
A few minutes later, on the outskirts of the village, in an area currently clear of robots, all of them assembled around a group of ostriches. “Where are the robots?” said Samuel.
“Where the most people are,” said Sydney. He turned to face the large, intimidating birds. “Okay, here's how this works. I have plenty of ostriches, so everyone can pick one out.” Everyone neared an ostrich. Next, Sydney came around and put a bag around the head of each one. It slid down the neck and gave a better place to sit for the riders. “Now, be careful of the wings as you mount. Since Zach's partner, Prometheus, knows where to go, he should head out first. We will not group together since these birds move fast and can be erratic. Get to the area and get off. I'll warn you again, these birds go like crazy. We have included a steering device by the back of the neck, so that, though they will be fast, at least they will go
where you turn them. It will be dangerous, but it's better than being shot, don't you agree? When you get on, tuck your feet under and hold on as though your life depended on it. It does.”
“But what about the children?” said Jane. Lucy and Sam looked up at their mother with worried looks on their faces. “They can’t ride these,” she said, panic in her voice.
“That’s why we’ll come back for you,” said Samuel. “It’s the only way.”
“Then I will stay with them,” said D1298. He had put on a face of bravery, but Samuel could tell he was as scared as the others. Samuel looked at his daughter and his heart ached.
“Yes, we’ll come for you with the ship,” said Sydney. “Now let’s get going.”
Prometheus, a thin man with little muscle, got on. He took off like a rocket, roughly steering his way in the direction of the city. “Don't let him get out of sight,” said Sydney. “One go at a time so we don't collide with each other. I will bring up the rear and help those who get dismounted.”
Samuel took one last look at D1298, his ex-wife, and his daughter and then climbed up on the ostrich. He was off.
Odysseus kissed Jane. “I’ll stay with the kids,” she said.
“Then I’ll be right back.” He hoped he was telling the truth. He looked up toward the highest peak, Mount Tumuleiah, and saw no activity up there. “Go to the mountain,” he said.
“Yes,” she said. He got down on one knee and Lucy and Sam gave him a hug. “See you soon.” Hamlet gave his mom a hug and then got on his own beast.
Jane gave Odysseus one last quick kiss and said, “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he said, trying to keep back his tears. He turned at once and mounted his ostrich and it took off. The transition from the sadness of saying bye to his family to trying to keep on this wild animal was like a slap in the face. The adrenaline rush was intense as scrub brush rushed by. He held on for his life.
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