Sector Seven

by Kaden Sinclair

  The personnel of his new lab were busily at work when he arrived, but everyone greeted him warmly and respectfully when they saw him enter. There were shy and tentative waves and anxious smiles. Jason made sure to say hello to everyone. Most of them he’d never seen before. There were interns and junior staff everywhere. Some engineering personnel, those specialized in fulfilling his equipment needs, were setting up their own offices and work areas.

  A few of the engineers clearly felt themselves superior, having knowledge of the biosuits and of the nanotechnology that far outstripped Jason’s comprehension. Some smiled at him as if tolerating a new student; a few arched their eyebrows and he sensed their disdain. Most likely, they felt they should oversee the project instead of him, their knowledge of the technology and its uses giving them a sense of entitlement.

  However, it wasn’t in Jason’s nature to let their attitudes bother him. He knew others had a mastery of disciplines in which he had no skill. Instead, he assumed they possessed the necessary acumen for what they needed to carry out their part of the research. The team had been selected, presumably, because of their merits. For this reason, he did not concern himself with their overt disdain since he was glad to have them on his team.

  He called a meeting with his staff and the respective engineers, trying to honestly explain the general concepts of what they were trying to achieve. He asked them to please express ideas and new testing openly. Then, to demonstrate what they would be focusing on, he broadcast to each of them a sense of love. A commanding and abiding sense to view Jason as the most wonderful and loving creature they could imagine. He broadcast mindless adoration.

  He made the broadcast brief, cutting it off as he watched them all start to stare at him worshipfully. He felt dirty, and guilty, but it had been an effective demonstration.

  He made sure to be honest with them about what he’d done, trying to explain how he’d reached out to the nannies in their suits and sent instructions that translated to a “push” to their suits where he changed the emotions to what he wanted them to experience. The suits then changed the biochemistry within the respective host to match. He let them know he did not understand how he was capable of this, especially to the degree and completeness of which he could accomplish what he did. He indicated he simply felt he achieved this as if he was using another sense. He also indicated that he had to focus on maintaining the emotions, or the host reverted to normal the moment he let go.

  Every person, including the engineering staff, was startled. Even though the imposed feeling had been cut off, they still had an abiding sense of fondness for him they couldn’t seem to shake. Jason instructed them to find ways to shake off or ignore his broadcasts, especially those of this nature. They were told to find ways to change their reactions. Either to enhance the feelings he sent, or to block them out; to become immune to him, or to seize control and broadcast the feelings themselves. In this way, each person became a research subject.

  • • •

  He met regularly with the other doctors on the team, reviewing information and sharing ideas. As usual, Emma Garbine proved the most receptive to his ideas, and the most helpful in tuning them toward his research. She asked him to try putting himself in other people’s thoughts and seeing through their eyes . . . which resulted in complete failure. She remarked on his attempts with kindness and urged him to try again.

  After six months, the engineers gave Jason a new suit, one with increasingly enhanced broadcast and feedback abilities. New nannies had been developed, too, which were hyper-sensitive to him. The enhancements resulted in Jason being able to sense everyone inside the hospital, and for many miles outside the facility if they were in the open.

  One test, where he took a hover car above the towering buildings, left him breathless and unable to process the millions of people he’d felt. He couldn’t filter or discern so much information unaided, and new augmentation for his cognitive storage and control had to be developed. The technological advancements were dangerously close to how the Techs were able to access all the vast data of the connected world, but the new storage method varied so greatly in the desired result as to be truly pioneering. The dangers were voiced loudly, and many urged a halt to the progress while they evaluated what they’d discovered. It required the full ratification of the Council to pass a resolution to continue. This deeply disturbed Jason because he sensed the Council’s greed. He knew this new technology could result in terrible abuses.

  All these enhancements were clearly understood in concept, but only Jason could, thus far, fully utilize them. Something deeper in his genetics or bio-chemistry lent him the necessary direct communication. Emma constantly read his neural activity and prodded him to experiment. She exclaimed often at the uniqueness of his mind.

  Much of the enhanced reach related directly to re-broadcasting from person to person as a relay to further Jason’s reach. Experiments had proven that people were blithely unaware that information could be rebroadcasted from their suits and nannies, allowing even more people to be used.

  At the end of seven months, during which time he and Monica found themselves frustrated and stalled for ideas about how to stop the progress of the Council, it became public knowledge that nine of the thirteen members of the government had become permanent . . . until their deaths. The other four would be elected and replace those who were already failing.

  The population hardly seemed to care. There were no outcries and barely a whisper from the media.

  It made Monica hysterical. She cried often when they were in private, complained about feeling her freedoms had been eroded, and shared her frustration at the blind acceptance of the public. She told him she acutely felt the walls of domination closing in.

  He agreed, but felt his hands were tied.

  They made a point of going to dinner and then out clubbing when they could, though he found little time to enjoy these dates with Monica. Jason’s work completely consumed him and he had to be dragged away from it under protest.

  Eight months later, he saw the Tech again. The Tech stood outside his apartment one morning, in the middle of the street.

  At first, Jason didn’t notice him. As he left the apartment building, he saw the anti-gravity transports acting in what appeared to be an erratic way. Puzzled at the strange anomaly in the normal flow of traffic, he stopped to take a closer look. When he did, he saw the Tech. Vehicles zoomed at high speed around him, treating him like an obstruction. The hover vehicles at this level simply swerved aside or rose over him, only to settle back toward the ground. Fast-moving traffic could hardly endanger the Tech, since it controlled everything technological in the entire Sector.

  Jason, however, panicked. Without thinking it through, he reacted as if the Tech could be struck by any of the zooming transports. Instinctively trying to help, he ran out in the middle of traffic to pull the Tech out of the path of the vehicles.

  The Tech reacted more quickly than Jason would have thought possible. Fast as a lightning strike, the Tech sped toward Jason and he found himself lifted off the ground by its mechanically enhanced and flight-capable suit. They flew briefly over the traffic and landed safely on the top of his apartment building.

  The whole thing happened so fast, Jason barely had time to process what had happened. His worry over the Tech being harmed quickly gave way to fear for his own well-being. His heart pounded in his chest when Jason realized he’d been plucked off the street like a child, and with as much ease as picking up a doll.

  When the Tech roughly set him down, not seeming to realize its strength, Jason staggered backward and fell onto the heavy foliage on top of the building.

  He sat, stunned, for a moment as the Tech regarded him, then got up and pulled a large, tropical leaf off his butt. He laughed and smiled at the Tech, extending the leaf as a gift.

  “Here, this is for you.” The Tech didn’t respond to Jason’s joke, but watched him curiously. Jason tossed the leaf off to the side. “Uh, yeah, so thank you.�
� He ran his hand through his hair. “I guess I forgot you are totally safe in the middle of heavy traffic and I kinda freaked out.”

  It continued to look at him with a steady gaze. Jason, unsure of himself, glanced around, noting the lush vegetation, busy insects, and small rodents moving amongst the foliage. Typical of most buildings, his apartment building exterior was a shell of natural balance. Jason had never seen it from this vantage point.

  Refusing to be daunted, albeit disconcerted by the silence, Jason used his most powerful new skill to broadcast his joy at the surprise visit, knowing the Tech could turn the broadcast abilities of his nannies and his suit off like a light switch.

  The Tech’s eyes widened in surprise. Perhaps for the first time in his adult life, he had been thrown off-balance, because he stepped backward involuntarily, lips parting as he breathed in sharply.

  Without waiting for the Tech to dissuade him, and operating on pure intuition, Jason stepped forward and followed up with a hug. He pulled the Tech against him, setting his chin on his shoulder.

  The Tech made a startled noise and did not return the embrace, but did not resist him, either.

  Jason stepped back, still sending waves of calm mingled with gladness. Despite his low-lying fear, he felt happy to see the Tech again.

  “Thank you, Jason Emerson, for your kindness toward us.” The Tech paused. “This emotion. It takes us by surprise.” Another pause. “We are glad to see you as well.” For a moment he seemed to be struggling with staying focused on Jason. “We regret causing you distress from wishing to physically observe you at close proximity. We did not intend for you to be alarmed.” Then, he did something that shocked Jason just as much as he’d shocked the Tech. He smiled at Jason—a genuine if uncertain smile. “We enjoy watching you when we have time.”

  “You’ve been watching me?” He wasn’t sure what to think.

  “Yes. We feel compelled to watch you when we are able. We have decided to make our presence known, as we deem it harmful to be deceitful in our invisibility.”

  “Why? Why are you watching me? I mean, is there something wrong? Or do I need to help you with something?”

  The Tech’s eyes became unfocused briefly. Jason assumed this meant he was issuing several million commands and taking in vast amounts of information, evaluating the time he could spend conversing or interacting, time distracted from running the Sector. Jason couldn’t be sure, since he didn’t really understand what happened behind those green eyes, but surely the vast complexity of being connected to everything was a difficult distraction to overcome.

  A look of concern crossed the Tech’s face. “We watch you for no reason other than we wish to. We do not mean to cause you concern.”

  Jason detected a lie in there. Or maybe not a lie, so much as the omission of information. Could the thing really even lie? Something prevented it from talking openly and Jason took a moment, unsure of what to say. So, the Tech watched him both because it wanted to, and because of something else. Probably related to his research, Jason reasoned. He decided to keep up the guise.

  Jason smiled. “That’s rather flattering. I can’t imagine many people are interesting to a Tech.” He couldn’t help but notice the piercing green eyes and the fine lines of its jaw. It seemed sheer idiocy, but Jason found himself attracted to the Tech for a lot of reasons.

  Apparently, Jason’s flirty humor had no impact, since the reply was almost mechanical. “All humans are of interest. However, there are no other individuals under direct observation at this time.” Again, the Tech seemed uncertain about how much to convey. “We do not know why we are compelled to seek you out. We have suppressed this behavior, which is not useful or productive. However, we have found the urge to find you builds up over time and it is easier and more pleasing to watch you physically when time permits. It is not enough to observe you passively through remote data collection.”

  Jason hesitated before deciding to dare a question. “Did someone order you to watch me?” He needed answers and there might not be many chances to get them. Answers meant getting to know this strange person, something Jason felt compelled toward anyway. “What should I call you? Tech? I admit I feel weird and don’t know how to address you.” He smiled. “I mean, handsome and sexy seem a bit bold even for me.”

  The Tech stepped back, its eyes curious, surprised. “We are not thought of as handsome and sex does not apply to us. We do not believe we have desires such as you have. We do not understand your assertion in this regard.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a jerk. It’s just—I figured you were being honest about watching me. So I sorta feel I owe it to you to be honest back.” He grinned, a calculated action he decided to employ. Then, also with calculation to be coy, he looked up and moved his eyes back and forth along with a slight motion of his head before looking back at the Tech. “Seriously, I’m sorry. I haven’t dated in a long time and sometimes my sense of humor gets the best of me.”

  “We must go, Jason Emerson, we have duties which require our proximity.”

  Realizing his flirting wasn’t welcome, Jason said, “Okay, sure. I’m just Jason, if you are all right with that. It’s sort of weird to be called by my full name repeatedly. I feel like a sign post.”

  The Tech stepped forward and grabbed him again, clearly intending to fly him down to the street. Jason stepped into the embrace and wrapped his arms around the Tech, preparing to be lifted. In a moment, Jason realized the Tech wasn’t moving and so he pulled back slightly, breaking the embrace.

  “We are Tarien Fade, Jason.” The Tech struggled with some long-forgotten sense of self, green eyes searching Jason’s face with an unexpected look of vulnerability. “I am Tarien. I have not used my name in a long time. We are bound by our ties to the WorldNet and do not often feel a sense of self. It is within my capabilities, as are most things, but I have not identified as separate since young.”

  Jason dared a light touch on Tarien’s jaw, which elicited a widening of his eyes and a slight tilt toward Jason’s touch. “You aren’t so scary after all, Tarien Fade. What a fitting name for someone so mysterious and aloof.”

  “We . . . I do not mean to be aloof. It is necessary for our work. We do not hold the same values as the rest of humanity and do not possess a sense of isolation as do you.” He continued to look at Jason as he lifted his hand and placed it on Jason’s chest, closing his eyes as if to enjoy the sensation of Jason’s lingering fingers. Then, softly, he said, “I have not felt human contact such as this since I was a child. It is surprising. I have . . . missed it, I believe.”

  “I thought you knew everything. How could you be surprised?” Jason did not step away.

  Tarien’s eyes widened. “We know only what is processed by the technology to which we are bound. We know only the present. The future is often discernable based on environmental clues, extrapolation, but individual behavior baffles us, as it does you. We are human too, Jason. We are not monsters.” There seemed to be an incredible sense of loneliness in those words. They tugged at Jason’s heart. “We feel you reaching out with emotion. This is new to us, forgotten. We are unsure of it and wish to understand. It is . . . desirable for us to have these emotions.”

  “You certainly look and feel human, now that I’m not scared to death of you. Of course, it would help if you didn’t control the entire world we live in, but whatever.”

  “We really must go, Jason. Would you allow me to embrace you again? For the purpose of flying you safely down to the street level? We do not wish to cause you further trepidation by acting without your knowledge and consent.”

  Jason grinned. “On one condition. You should have a hug. A real hug, not something fake or utilitarian. Just this once. It’s more comfortable and it really does feel nice. Promise.”

  Tarien wrapped his arms around Jason and, for a moment, held him, resting his head on Jason’s shoulder. Jason held Tarien close, as if Tarien were a child seeking comfort. Then, suddenly, they lifted off the buil
ding and floated down to the sidewalk. The sudden motion was startling, despite Tarien’s assertion about not causing Jason trepidation. Clearly, knowing almost everything made it difficult to fathom that real humans required communication or body language. The danger represented was something Jason simply couldn’t get out of his mind. Whatever else, Tarien was transhuman, possessing the strength and speed of a robot and the mind of an AI.

  Naturally, every person within eyesight was stunned to the point of disbelief. Jason disregarded the emotions pouring in around him as they descended. He didn’t have to see the crowds to know people were shocked.

  As they landed, Jason stepped back and smiled, unwilling to let the private moment be ruined by all the gawkers. “Thank you.”

  The Tech looked haunted, his eyes sad. “We know you are frightened of us. We know you are suppressing fear. We thank you for tolerating us and we are sorry we have interfered.”

  “No, please don’t say that! Yes, I’m scared of you because you have the power to completely shut me down. You control everything I can see and hear and feel. But it seems you wouldn’t hurt anyone. I’m not sure why, but you want me to be near you. I can’t help but be drawn to you. So would everyone, I imagine. You’re a mystery. We all wish, privately, we could know more about you. I’m just lucky.”

  “We would never harm. We cannot, even if there was a desire. We only protect. It is our purpose. This makes me uncertain if what I have done conflicts with my programming. We fear we are harming you by our interaction. We cannot foresee the consequences.” He gazed skyward for a moment. “Thank you, Jason. We must go.”

  Jason watched Tarien lift his face skyward, then fly away. He continued to stare after Tarien had vanished behind the buildings. Slowly, the sounds of the city entered back into his awareness, making him realize the moment had stilled his senses outside of the small area in which they had both stood. Looking around, he saw people staring, saw traffic had mostly slowed or stopped. Shoppers and people dining had left the stores and restaurants to gape at him. Jason felt a flush of self-consciousness that surely made his face red. He felt a hand on his shoulder and noticed Mom stood behind him. Her light blue eyes conveyed a sense of panic. The wrinkles above her brows more pronounced as she knitted them together with concern.