What Are You Made Of?

by Gary Starta

  Unfortunately, those kind of attributes did not keep Peter’s eye from roving towards other women he believed were more passionate. Karen Hiroshi was one of the women Peter had fantasized about as he immediately experienced a range of emotions he never quite felt for his wife. Karen was the kind of woman who could add the romance missing from Peter’s marriage. One could say Karen and Peter shared the chemistry so many singles seek to attain. But since Peter was not single, he vowed he would remain loyal to Anna for the remainder of their marriage. The dire news that both their lives would be cut short caused Peter to reflect and analyze what kind of life he had experienced with Anna.

  Peter and Anna started living together two years after college. The couple decided they did not want children and would devote their full energies to the pursuit of their careers. Anna excelled in physics and became a professor and Peter went on to work for an engineering firm specializing in holographic design. The young couple then decided it would be quite fashionable to get married in an electronic ceremony. The federation governments had just instituted the technology required to allow anybody to marry anyone at anytime. All pertinent records as well as DNA samples were on file and readily accessible via computer. Complete blood work and genetic coding information could also be accessed through the federation’s statistical data base. Those who wished to become parents could match their genetic make up to create a holographic rendition of their prospective child to see if the odds favored a female or male child. Couples participating in these ceremonies simply had to enter their names in the system they could access from their homes. The computer would then analyze the data in the system and proceed with the ceremony if both parties were eligible for marriage. Once the computer checked the participants ages, the system proceeded to see if the prospective bride and groom were currently married to anybody else. The computer’s fool-proof system had created more than one embarrassing situation when it discovered a previous engagement. The tele-simulation show World’s Funniest Moment’s’ captured several ceremonies being cut short when the computer stated: “Our records indicate you are married to someone else.”

  While the ceremony could be continued even if both participants were found to be married, most applicants terminated the process upon these findings. The reason was purely financial as federation governments were allowed to revoke the multi-partnered man or woman’s right to claim any dependents on tax forms as soon as a second spouse was taken.

  Peter wished he had considered one of the computer’s prompts more carefully. When the computer asked: “Are you sure you want to select this mate as a life partner?” Peter recalled his response was conditioned and not from his heart. The Ciprelli family was raised to always carry through on all their verbal promises and Peter found this sudden case of cold feet would not be an exception to that rule. Even when the computer stated: “Are you sure want to do this?”—Peter quickly volunteered a hasty “I do.” Peter found some comfort in Anna’s stoic behavior towards the marriage and counted his blessings. Most men take a silent vow to accept a lifetime of complaints from their spouses. Peter did not have to endure any complaints from Anna. However, Peter found his conscious was not so forgiving.

  Peter tried his best to recall the moment or action that allowed Anna to capture some part of his heart during that time period. He knew some of that attraction was due to their thirst of knowledge. Anna and Peter believed research could eventually solve every conceivable problem the human race had. Peter found it ironic that he now was debating whether to share his research with his wife.

  He then wondered if there was a time limit to some of the things people became passionate about. Could his interest or like for his wife expire? Did all interests have a shelf life? And was this just a natural human condition?

  Peter wrestled with these unanswered questions for a few more hours and finally fell asleep. When he awoke, he instantly made the decision to die with the knowledge he had gained from the upload. Peter reasoned that his engrams could be capable of recalling this information when they were transferred to an android brain upon his body’s death. The android could then enlighten the world about the incident when Ceres was safely colonized.

  With that dilemma solved, Peter’s thoughts drifted on the reality that a part of his mind would soon be kept alive in an android body. Humans previously took two paths to attain a form of immortality upon their deaths. Some chose to procreate and have their children carry on both their name and genetic coding. Other more art-minded types were more inclined to leave behind a great painting or a piece of music so their artistic creations would keep them alive in the memories of their survivors. Dr. McElroy’s hybrid plan now created a third option—to attain a form of afterlife via technology. Peter Ciprelli found it pleasant to fantasize that some part of him would be kept alive. He now had another chance to experience romance with this option. Peter soon fell fast asleep again as thoughts of Karen Hiroshi invaded his imagination.

  Chapter 7: Mission of Peace

  “Fire upon the enemy vessel!” Steven Carlisle commanded the bridge crew of his ship, Pegasus.

  “Do you think that action is wise based upon an analysis of the enemy’s weapon arsenal?” Steve’s first officer Brandon Scott asked. “I don’t have time for arguments, commander,” Carlisle responded. “Just follow my orders!”

  Commander Scott fired phase cannons at the triangle-shaped ship which had illegally intruded upon federation space. The enemy ship refused to identify itself and ignored Carlisle’s hails. Weapon fire by the Pegasus unfortunately missed its target completely. “How could we have missed?” Carlisle cried.

  “Captain, I detect that the enemy has a system which can neutralize our laser weaponry, Scott reported to Carlisle. The unidentified ship then rocked the hull of the Pegasus with a weapon of unknown origin. “Let’s try to evade another volley and maximize our engine output to outrun these bastards,” Carlisle ordered. Before the helmsman of the Pegasus could act—another blast of enemy fire hit the starboard side of the ship. “Engineering is reporting that the last hit caused massive damage to the propulsion system. I recommend we surrender to the enemy,” Scott suggested with emotional detachment. “A federation vessel will never surrender to an Imperial ship,” Carlisle retorted defiantly.

  “Then you have sentenced this crew to death,” Scott said with finality. Carlisle then pushed Scott away from the control panel and ejected the ship’s engine core into space. “I won’t let them have access to a federation vessel. When they try to board us we will engage them in hand to hand combat,” Carlisle commanded.

  Carlisle then looked upon the ship’s view screen with horror as he saw a blinding flash of light overtake his ship. The brave captain then braced himself to meet his maker…

  In reality, Steven Carlisle was engaged in a computer-simulated game called Holo-Voyage in the Terran Ark rec room. Steven rarely lost hostile encounters with alien races as he had over three years of experience playing the game. For Steven, a very thin line separated reality from fantasy. Fortunately for Carlisle, he was standing on the side of the line that did not lethally punish him for making a mistake.

  Holo-Voyage employed holographic technology to surround the participant (Steven always played solo as his wife refused to bother with what she called “such crap”) with a host of settings conducive to deep space environments. Carlisle had stepped aboard the surface of a dozen federation planets the game had created. However, there were limits to the possible situations and outcomes of Holo-Voyage games. The computer game could provide a choice of five first officers, for example. Steven enjoyed selecting commander Scott as his AI first officer because the simulated crewman always questioned his orders. Carlisle could therefore predict and expect certain reactions to the orders he gave. The limitations of the game provided Steven with a certain comfort zone in his fantasy quests. However, the real game of life could rarely be mastered with such predictability.

  The game’s shortcomings were reminiscent of a 20t
h century computer program named ELIZA. Programming limitations often became apparent when a human attempted to have a conversation with the primitive AI. ELIZA often repeated the content of the person’s conversation in the form of a question. The program was incapable of creating its own answer to a situation it had not previously encountered. Conversations with ELIZA therefore became tiresome for humans as the program could only acknowledge it had heard what was said—rather than understanding what was said. In comparison, Carlisle could expect only a limited range of responses to the orders he gave his simulated counterparts in Holo-Voyage. Steven was fortunate that the game could randomly shuffle enough circumstances and speech patterns to make each round of Holo-Voyage interesting. Interesting that is, if you are a die-hard science fiction buff.

  Mia Carlisle maintained a distance from her husband when he participated in such games. Deep down she was afraid the fantasies created by the game could somehow influence the future of the universe. If she had her way—which was rare if ever—Mia would program the game for a peaceful voyage each and every time it was played. The only aliens who would exist would be the ones that quickly entered into a beneficial partnership with the human race. All planets would be ready for habitation. And there would be no need for artificial intelligence because humanity would have already derived an answer for every mystery ever encountered. Mia wondered how her husband could be interested in a game that glorifies space battles when it took centuries to make Earth war-free. An enlightened humanity should make sure its quest for new knowledge did not come with a price tag. “Would man ever be able to shed the part of his makeup that included aggression and conquest?” Mia lamented. Mia wanted to be a part of the first colonization effort that did not involve conquest of another race. Steven purposely kept information about the Ceres’ insect population under wraps from Mia as he feared his wife would protest any harmful impact the settlement had upon the bugs. He recalled that Mia had wrote a thesis in college on why arachnids should be considered intelligent beings.

  Mia ultimately believed intelligent beings should solve all problems peacefully or risk extinction from aggressive acts. In a nutshell, Mia did not live for the danger her husband pined for—even if the danger was fantasized.

  Mia stood outside the door of the rec room until she could confirm that Steven had powered down the game. She then stepped in and gave her husband a hug. “Thank God you are done with that game,” she joked.

  “I will never be done with that game and please don’t thank a divine creature I doubt ever existed,” Steven teased.

  “Then how can you believe in the existence of evil aliens?” We do not have any proof they exist in a biological form similar to our own. So why do you have faith in them?” Mia complained.

  “Well if your God exists, then why couldn’t he or she have possibly created more than one type of intelligent life?”

  “Steven, I question that theory every time I see you play that game. The programming for that game does not possess intelligence as it cannot creatively provide situations or answers it has not been fed. So maybe there are intelligent aliens, but I absolutely don’t believe in intelligent machines.”

  “You are aboard one of the most intelligent machines ever created, dear,” Steven argued.

  “My point exactly—the ship was created by humans. This ship can only perform the tasks someone programmed it for. It’s going to have no idea how to react to something it hasn’t previously been conditioned to understand, Steven.”

  “Mia, don’t you remember reading about Robert McElroy. He created software that allowed robots to engage in independent thought until it was banned by all federation governments.”

  “The robot you are referring to could only question his place in the universe among other things like being asked to do routine household chores. McElroy’s programming didn’t make the robot more creative, just more inquisitive.”

  “When one asks questions, that is a sign he or she is capable of learning,” Steven countered.

  “It’s acceptable to be overly inquisitive if you’re five years old, but it’s quite another thing when a fully grown being questions why the grass is green or the sky is blue every five minutes. Such behavior borders upon psychosis when one doesn’t realize how to behave among others. And if you ask me, there’s already enough psychotic people. We surely can live without psychotic robots.”

  “Okay, Mia I see your point,” Steven reluctantly agreed. “I know from my experiences with Holo-Voyage that you can’t win every battle.”

  The computer chime then rang and Linda Dougherty appeared on the rec room’s view screen. “I have another contest for you guys,” she announced. “Whomever can come up with the best name for our new town will be allowed to become its mayor for one year. I know the mayor status is unofficial in the eyes of the federation, but I think we’ve earned the right of some type of self-government. So please get your answers in to me by next Friday.” The view screen then faded to black as Mia and Steven stared into each other’s eyes for a moment.

  “Steven, we’ve got to come up with the name for our new hometown. It’s so romantic.”

  “I think the whole process is just political if you ask me,” Steven sighed.

  “Nonsense,” Mia charged. “The naming of one’s home is a very human thing to do. In fact, I believe it’s a great test to put to your holographic robot friends. The day a robot desires to name itself or its home will be the day it has learned to be affectionate. And creativity is usually fueled by an affection for someone or something.”

  Steven then wondered to himself what Mia would say if he countered that the Ceres bug population had decided not to name its home. However, he chose not to open up another can of worms as his quest for battle had been quenched for one day.

  Chapter 8: Behind the Backers

  Renee Mercer knew he had to act quickly before Chuck Paterson could talk to another media company. The association had been lucky that Paterson had went to the National News Network first. NNN had the biggest vested interest in the colonization effort among the media giants and would weigh its options based upon financial gain. Lady justice was apparently blind when it came to the larger profit margin as evidenced by Kay Jennings decision to ignore the scandal. Jennings kept her conscious at bay by reasoning that Paterson’s story was only alleged. The days of a journalist pressing buttons to get at the truth were dim memories in the eyes of the National News Network editorial staff. The electronic media giant viewed itself as a public relations firm for the most successful corporations and whomever they backed as their political leader. NNN found it turned a profit when it did not ruffle the feathers of the public. A status quo approach to news reporting was preferred as it provided a form of control over the public. Since the current generation of people had never experienced a war or major act of hatred, most public polls found there was no more fear of political scandals. Federation governments were set up throughout the world to maintain democratic elections. As a result, famine and many major diseases were eliminated. Big business knew it could only get bigger with a content public. Political and religious organizations were no longer seen as a tool to maintain control over the people. In fact, church and state were never as successful as the current corporate regime which influenced the minds of an entire planet as well as those citizens who would be choosing to live off world. Corporations worked hand to hand with the media to spread their propaganda 24/7. Electronic messages had mass audiences beckoning at their call unlike religions which relied upon Sunday sermons or politicians who were limited to monthly speeches.

  Many historians argued that colonization would never have been made available to the public if corporations were not backing the effort. When space programs were run solely by the world’s governments, many years of progress were squandered due to budget constraints. Corporations such as NNN hoped to one day run their businesses on Ceres. Many corporations such as Compware Inc. and Tokyo International Air Coach invested millions of dollar
s in research to find what kind of businesses would thrive on the new world. Despite some uncertainty as just what kinds of businesses those would be, investment firms all advised their clients to fund the Ceres project. The funding included providing housing, food and health care for all Ceres scientists and civilians. The funding also included the construction of star ships and their AI builders.

  Mercer knew he had to stop the Jackson incident from reaching the public. But is was absolutely imperative that he keep the robot assault story from the firms that helped provide the automatons. News that association employees were attacking the very symbol of corporate investment would not keep the Board of Trustees very happy. No one other than a science geek would have cared that a robot had been violated. What Mercer had to worry about was what the robot stood for in the eyes of the financial backers. Since the robot stood for dollar signs and rising stock prices, no harm of the machine would be tolerated. If corporate backers lost their faith in the association, they could very well institute another private agency to take care of space and aeronautics. Mercer was well versed by the association’s president that corporate faith must be maintained at all costs. The cost of that campaign had already resulted in one murder and now Mercer was faced with ordering at least two more deaths.

  So just how would Mercer maintain the “faith” this time? As morning segued into early afternoon, the security executive still did not have a clear plan as to how he would implement his clean up effort. It would not be as simple as sending two security guards bursting through a door to fire upon an unarmed man in the confines of the association headquarters. Paterson had not reported to work in the past two days and Mercer doubted he could entice the whistle blower to step upon the space association’s grounds. He also had confirmed that Bob Schmitt was a threat as reported by Jennings. Mercer had confirmed Kay’s allegation by hacking into Schmitt’s data net to find the message entitled “Cold Dish.” Renee assessed Schmitt as less of a threat because even though the technician knew information he probably would not take any action to endanger himself. The security executive prided himself on making these kind of character assessments on all his employees. In the words of association president Kenneth Copperfield: “Your job depends upon it.” Renee had spent several years working for federation law enforcement to sharpen his character assessment skills. Mercer’s fascination for profiling criminals was not only his job but his hobby. He found it fascinating that a corporate executive or a gang banger could both be capable of committing the same crime. Mercer always found the perpetrator to be far more fascinating than the criminal act itself. In this analysis, Mercer labeled Schmitt as a fence rider which he defined as someone who would give up his conspirators to save his own ass. Schmitt was not the rebel that Paterson was turning out to be, Mercer theorized. Bob had actually called out sick as opposed to Chuck who did not. Still, a weak link in the chain had to be eliminated, Mercer told himself.