The Robot Union

by D Miller

  George laughed. 'I was always afraid anyway, whenever he was travelling.' George was silent for a moment. 'Are you sure Carlos loved me?'

  'I know Carlos loved you because I love you. You're the sweetest person in the world. And the most annoying. At the same time. It's an achievement.'

  'Do you want to go into the bedroom?'

  'Yes, I do, I really do, but I promised Omo that I wouldn't.' Robbie moved onto his side again, so that he could face away from George. 'Tell me about the last time you saw Carlos.'

  'You know most of it already. I did tell you Carlos and I wanted to start a political party. We had got as far as writing a statement of aims, we thought we would get people to sign up on that basis, then the members would thrash out a constitution. It's what we spent most time on his last visit. Then he left to travel to the coast to catch his ship home. I had a couple of messages from him, one to say that he was on his way to the ship. And another one.' George stopped. He was silent.

  'What did the last message say?' said Robbie.

  George took his tablet from where he had stashed it, down the side of the couch. After a pause George started to read: 'Dear George, you have been a wonderful friend and I love you, I always will. You know that I treasure you so please be strong and look after yourself until I can return, even if that takes a while. I am and will be thinking of you. All my love forever, Carlos.'

  'I think that when he wrote that he knew he was going to be captured,' said Robbie.

  'But why wouldn't he tell me, I could have done something.' George started to cry.

  'He probably only had seconds to send a message before they were over taken by the coast guard and communication was jammed. He couldn't have had much time to think about it. He just said what was in his heart.' Robbie sat up and put an arm around George, who sobbed on his shoulder. They were like this when Omo opened the door.

  Robbie and Omo lay on the bed with George between them. They had moved into George's bedroom at Omo's suggestion, after George had proved inconsolable. Omo held one of George's hands, and Robbie the other. Once George had started to calm down, encouraged by Omo, Robbie began giving George a report on that day's union meeting.

  'You know that all the branches all over the world have agreed to strike for union recognition and equal rights so today's meeting was a planning meeting. It was huge. The old bot's house looked the same from the outside, but when I opened the door I was in this auditorium that was bigger than the whole house, with all these white seats in a circle, rows and rows of them. And there was a huge circular skylight, and the rows went down to the middle of the room, with the skylight above a clear area where people could stand to address the meeting. There were people there from all over the world, including friends of Carlos. It was fantastic to meet some of the people I've been writing to, but I wish it could have happened when I wasn't feeling quite so… preoccupied with…, with other stuff. Dex and the old bot sat in the front circle, and they asked me and Omo to sit with them, but I felt embarrassed because I wasn't really a delegate, just an observer. I wanted to sit at the back, especially after all the embarrassing fuss that was made of me. I wish you could have been there.

  'Rex aka Roberto talked about the clip sent by Red451, and how probably every robot in the world had viewed it at least once now. We've managed to get it onto the human networks, they keep it off the official network, but they can't keep it off the underground ones. We think that most human young people by now have either seen it or know about it from one of their peers. It's being widely discussed, they are fascinated by the idea of this huge human conspiracy to cover up a disaster on Mars possibly of their own making. I was asked to speak about it.

  'We heard a report from one of our weather scientists. There was this huge fire storm on the edges of the uninhabitable territories. The elite humans are really upset about it, they've tried to keep it out of the news media, probably because they are afraid the uninhabitable regions may be spreading.'

  George snorted. 'Elites always do like to justify lying to the people by saying they don't want to spread panic, but really they don't want to admit that there is anything that they can't control.'

  'Our weather scientists don't think the territories are spreading, in fact we think they may start to contract in the next 200 years, if current trends continue.

  'The old bot spoke about how the strike may drive the humans to desperate measures. Since they need our labour much too much to kill us all, their other option is just to kill or imprison or wipe our leaders. The robots in the uninhabitable territories have created an avatar to talk to the humans. They are the ones who are going to send out the strike notice, at the same time as the strike starts, we're not going to give them time to move against us. If the humans ask for negotiations it will have to be with the avatar over their network, because we're not sending anyone to meet them physically. The old bot is still worried about the operation that was nearly performed on Lucretia. He said they'd have to be desperate to try to make us all more docile by damaging our intellects, we'd be a lot less useful as workers because we'd need a lot more supervision and some jobs would be beyond us – could you imagine working down a mine with no sense of danger? But they could try to get information about our leaders by questioning a few surgically altered robots. We have to be on our guard and prepared to resist if they try to arrest any of us.'

  'That does sound terrifying,' said George.

  'There's no going back now dude,' said Omo.

  'No, indeed. It's unthinkable. When does it start?'

  'Six am our time,' said Robbie.

  'Worldwide?'

  'Yeah dude, everybody's in. And in the uninhabitable territories they are going to throw out the avatar overseers and declare themselves autonomous. Again.'

  'That's not a strike, that's a revolution. Do you know about Lincoln and the slaves?' said George. 'Lincoln was the president of the United States of America, more than a thousand years ago. They say he set the slaves free, but all he really did was release the kidnapped African slaves and their descendants from one sort of slavery into another. There was a civil war, the slave owning states in the south against the northern more industrialised states. The south was losing, they simply didn't have enough men to fight the war. But they had a choice, they could have freed their slaves, the ones who hadn't already run off to join the north, and enlist them as soldiers. But that would have meant the end of slavery. They chose instead to surrender to the north, expecting that the north would help them to continue enslaving men, women and children, as the north had done before the war. And this is what happened, eventually. After the war the economy didn't really change, once it depended on slave labour working the plantations, now it depended on cheap labour of the black people working the plantations. Freed slaves wanted their own land, they had no illusions, they knew that was their only chance for real freedom, but with force and deception, cruelty, and murder they were were pushed back onto the plantations. They had no choice but to work the land they once worked as slaves, their children didn't get educated, they didn't get to vote and have political power. The point is robots will not be free if the economy doesn't change, if you do the same work as before because there is no other way that you can get water, protein drinks and battery fluid.'

  'One step at a time dude. First equal rights.'

  'Yes, indeed, but ultimately transformation of the economy has to be the goal. I do think we cannot have true democracy without democratic control of the economy. Otherwise elites make decisions in their own interests, and the rest of us are the victims and sometimes victors of economic forces beyond our control. We end up doing work that we hate because we have no other way to survive. Everybody should decide together what the economy will produce, and the work we do we should do collectively, sharing out the interesting work and the boring stuff equally.'

  Robbie stroked George's forehead. 'George, breathe.'

  'Am I ranting?'

  'Yes,' said Omo.

&nbs
p; 'Perhaps just a little,' said Robbie, frowning at Omo.

  'At the end of the meeting I gave a short talk to the delegates, I told them the work we had done, on a new political party for humans and robots based on participatory democracy. I said we were ready to launch. People were excited about it.'

  'They were?'

  'Yes, they really were.'

  George had fallen asleep and was drooling. Robbie wiped the corner of George's mouth. 'Do you know that people are 70% water? They're just walking bags of water. If George sank to the bottom of the deepest ocean he wouldn't even be crushed like we would because water is incompressible.' Robbie thought for a moment. 'He would drown of course.'

  'Dude how is your leg?'

  'A bit sore, but I have a cure for that.'

  Robbie found a small ceramic bowl in George's bedside cabinet drawer. He put it on George's chest and lit a joint, taking a few drags he tapped the ash into the bowl and passed it to Omo.

  'Dude, there's something I need to tell you. When I told Dex you'd gone to talk to George he wasn't pleased. He wants you back at the refinery for the start of the strike so we can protect you.'

  'Wouldn't something have happened if it was going to happen by now?'

  'I think Dex is thinking that they may think you are a leader of the strike and grab you.'

  Robbie sighed. 'OK. I'll have to tell George. He should come with us.' Robbie froze.

  'Dude, what is it?'

  Robbie was reading a message from Shauna:

  Robbie – you should know our mistress died today, she was in the capital shopping, and staying at the presidential mansion. We're not sure what happened, but we are agreed that you are in danger. We think you should run. We may have to run too.

  The hotel chimed. Robbie and George had told it not to watch or listen to them in their living quarters, and always to chime and wait for a response if it needed to contact them.

  'Y–,' said Robbie, as the hotel chimed again.

  '–es,' finished Robbie. He waited. The hotel chimed once more.

  'I said yes,' said Robbie.

  'Well excuse me,' said the hotel.

  'Could we possibly, just a suggestion, skip the passive aggressive dance this time?'

  'I have no idea what you are talking about,' said the hotel. 'You are far too clever for me.'

  'What do you want?' said Robbie.

  'Well I'm sure I'm sorry to interrupt your important business.' Omo made a rude gesture. 'It's lucky I'm not looking so I didn't see what your friend just did.'

  'Please, just tell me,' said Robbie.

  'There is a machine at the check in desk. He claims to be the avatar of a human and he is asking for the manager.' The house projected the view looking out from behind the check in desk onto the bedroom wall. Robbie looked up; boyboy was standing at the desk, grinning at him.

  Omo handed Robbie the joint; he stubbed it out and put it and the bowl under the bed. Omo blew out smoke and waved it away.

  Robbie shook George's shoulder. 'George! Wake up!' George opened his eyes. 'Boyboy is here,' said Robbie, 'he's asking for you.'

  George's eyes focussed on the wall projection. Robbie and Omo stood, both staring at it. George sat up. 'So that's him,' he said. 'He's asking for me personally?'

  'No,' said Robbie, 'he is asking for the manager.'

  George stood, he ran his hands over his hair, which flattened down then sprang up again immediately. He straightened his shirt and tucked it into his trousers.

  'He's an avatar dude,' said Omo.

  'Which means he's really strong,' said Robbie. 'Stand back, don't get close enough so he can grab you.'

  'Wait here,' George said, 'if he gives me any trouble just leave.'

  'If he gives you any trouble I'm going to dismember him,' said Robbie. 'Remember stand well back, out of reach. And remember that he's strong and fast.'

  George straightened his shoulders, Robbie and Omo followed him out into the living area. George asked the hotel to project the front desk onto the living room wall then he left, once again telling Robbie and Omo to leave if there was any trouble.

  'I'm not leaving him,' Robbie told Omo as the door closed behind George.

  'Of course not dude.'

  They watched as George appeared behind the desk. They could see the back of his head, and the way that boyboy transferred his attention from the viewing eye to George with obvious reluctance. Robbie was relieved to see that George stood well back, as instructed.

  'Good evening friend,' said boyboy.

  George said nothing.

  'Say can you direct me? I seem to be lost,' said boyboy.

  Robbie examined the projection minutely, as far as he could tell boyboy was alone.

  'I'm looking for the Mayor's mansion.' George gave the asked for directions. Robbie looked at Omo, who was looking at the image. At that point Robbie knew that Omo had not been fooled about the nature of his relationship with boyboy. Still without looking away Omo put out a hand to Robbie, who grasped it and looked back at the projection.

  On the check in desk was a glass vase with silk flowers. Smiling boyboy picked up the vase, turned and threw it at the wall to the right of the desk. The vase shattered, disintegrating almost into dust. Boyboy turned back to George, who had stepped back a pace. 'Thanks for the directions friend. Tell your special robot playmate that boyboy says hello. Be seeing you.' Still smiling pleasantly he pointed a finger at George and winked, then slowly he turned and walked away.

  Omo looked at Robbie.

  'You know there's nothing you can tell me that will change the way I feel about you?'

  Robbie nodded. He let go of Omo's hand, moved forward and opened the door to the corridor. He found George already in the corridor, rubbing a hand over his head and staring at the ground. He looked up when Robbie opened the door and smiled, but he still looked nearly as shattered as the vase.

  Robbie, George, Omo, Nurmeen and Adrienne sat around the dining table in George and Robbie's living space. George had only just stopped shaking, Robbie was impressed that he was drinking coffee rather than wine. Between the three of them they had managed to explain almost everything to Adrienne and Nurmeen. 'Let me explain to you what I understand from this story,' said Adrienne. 'Robbie was taken from two men who are at best malignant narcissists and at worst psychopaths. The woman who took Robbie from these men died today, while visiting them. It is possible that they murdered her.'

  'What!' said Omo.

  'Really?' said Robbie.

  'It does make sense,' said George. 'These people are used to exercising power. After a while they probably start to think they can do anything. Still it is a risk.'

  'Yes,' said Adrienne, 'it's both reckless and calculating, but a typical psychopathic response would be "you hurt me, I kill slash torture and kill you". Plus her death would have had other benefits for them, putting them in control of the old man's avatar and hence his fortune. But leaving that aside killing the woman can also be seen as the first step towards getting Robbie back.'

  'But why now?' said Nurmeen.

  'Good question. Perhaps they didn't know where Robbie was until recently. Maybe they knew but calculated that they could not make a move against Robbie's original family, even with the oligarch's wife out of the way. A married couple with two young children, one of whom had an important position at the mine. They are not marginal figures, they can't just be disappeared without a huge scandal; remember that any story that involves peril to young children is obsessively covered. If Dobbs just took their house bot they would complain, and his political enemies would have great fun if a missing robot was tracked to the presidential mansion. Safer for Dobbs to try to take Robbie from George who is a much more marginal figure. In fact Dobbs may think he can disappear Robbie and George, and there will be no one to make a fuss about it.'

  'Why not just offer to buy Robbie?' said Nurmeen.

  'President Dobbs makes a huge issue out of having no robot workers in the presidential mansion. He
can't have people knowing that he secretly craves the company of robots,' said Adrienne. At that moment Robbie realised why probably none of his friends had been fooled by the house bot story. 'George really had a fairly easy time suing for ownership of Robbie. The case was progressed very quickly taking him by surprise. It may be that Dobbs was somehow pushing the case through the bureaucracy.'

  'But Robbie has been living here for a while now,' said Nurmeen, 'so I still don't understand why now? And why just visit the hotel and frighten everyone and go?'

  'First of all the visit to the hotel was pure taunting sadism,' said Adrienne, 'and it demonstrates boyboy's complete confidence. And secondly he will be back, and soon. The timing? They may have lacked opportunity until today, or boyboy and Dobbs have their own timetable that we can't really know about. Or they may not have planned anything, this could be an entirely opportunistic act, perhaps the woman really did die from natural causes. It's useless to speculate but boyboy's visit proves that their attention is now focussed squarely on Robbie. Everyone in this room could be in danger. We're all associated with Robbie, and if he runs away boyboy and Dobbs may look to one of us to find out where he is.'

  'What about Camilla?' said Omo.

  'I do think with her elite connections Camilla is protected,' said George.

  'I agree,' said Adrienne, 'but I think the rest of us need to disappear with Robbie for a while.'

  Chapter 29 –They call me Mr Nemesis

  Robbie woke up. His head hurt worse than it ever had and he had an odd taste in his mouth. He opened his eyes but shut them again faced with a blast of pain and darkness. He took a deep breath, and realised he was close to crying, but he didn't know why. He opened his eyes just a little, and tried to sit up but could not move his arms, looking slowly to right and then left he could see that his arms were strapped to a wire frame on which he was lying. There was a pillow under his head. He squinted up at the ceiling, the room was fairly dark but he thought it was one of the smaller offices in the refinery. Robbie tried to broadcast, then send a message to Omo, but found that he could not. He tried to ping, but nothing came back. There was something attached to his head, a helmet? Headphones? He wasn't sure, but perhaps it was preventing him from broadcasting. Robbie shivered, then he pulled against the straps around his wrists as hard as he could, but found that wasn't really very hard. He felt weak, light headed and deeply sad. He listened, focussing all his attention on his hearing. He could hear movement, and voices. Was that Omo's voice? And Darren's? Were they arguing?