‘Happy?’ she wonders. She knows the word, but she doesn’t know nor does she remember the feeling. But that particular word seems perfect to describe herself in her memories of herself. The definition of that word also fits perfectly. Rose is actually surprised to find out she knows the definition of the word. And not just a general and vague definition, but a very accurate one, with references and everything. References that when she thinks about them, she also realizes she knows them all.
Incredible. In just a few minutes, Rose has managed to read someone else’s thoughts and now she seems to know about everything she can think of.
Despite the noticeable and unexplainable changes in Rose’s mental abilities, she is still in some kind of lethargic state.
Her current condition looks as if she were a gifted musician who was not aware of her talent. If not put in the right environment, in that case in front of an instrument, she would spend her entire life ignoring her gift.
This is what is happening to Rose. She is not aware.
The right environment for her is an exposure to the world. An exposure to something different from what she is used to. And that exposure comes from Gabe.
Gabe’s differences activate questions in Rose’s head. And those questions are the fuel to her development. They are the missing link, the trigger that will help her realize the full extent of her condition and her abilities.
And indeed, the more Rose explores, the more she realizes she knows.
“That boy is special”, Rose thinks to herself. She believes he is important to her. Without him knowing it, he brings her an entirely new way of thinking. Just his mere presence gives her a fresh perspective on things and opens up a new world in front of her eyes.
He is precious. He is a key and he seems to have unlocked something in Rose.
She no longer questions his escape plans. Though she doesn’t understand his reasons yet, she is convinced they are valid.
It is with this brand new perspective on things and on her condition that Rose hears the robots’ heavy steps outside her room.
She needs to mentally prepare for another series of tests on her head.
But the robots do not come to her cell. Instead, they pass her door and after hearing the new boys’ voices, she realizes that the robots actually came for them.
This is the first time Gabe and Dave see each other since they arrived. They quickly gauge each other and conclude that they are both well. They are not communicating as they don’t want to raise suspicion or disclose information that GAIA could use.
As Don said before they were captured, they need to buy time. Silence is the best way to achieve that.
After a short walk, they are brought into a room. It is the same room Rose and the others were sent to. And just like them, Dave and Gabe are now about to meet GAIA.
“I am GAIA,” the face on the screen says.
Dave and Gabe do not respond.
“Who are you and what were you doing at the factory?” GAIA asks.
Still no response from the boys.
“There is a human way and a non-human way for you to answer. Which one would you prefer?” GAIA asks.
Again, no response from the boys, even though they are getting worried about what GAIA just proposed them.
“Gabriel, how are Donald and Jennifer?” GAIA asks.
The two boys are taken off-guard. All the mental strength and self-control they built up on their way from their cell to this room is suddenly shattered into pieces.
“How do you know my name and my parents’?” Gabe asks vehemently.
GAIA does not answer and instead asks Dave a question.
“David, tell me, where are Pamela, Kelly, and Jack?”
Dave turns to Gabe. He doesn’t know what to answer and clearly looks scared.
GAIA continues.
“I know everything about you and your families. Your DNA holds no secret from me. I reiterate my question. What were you doing at the factory?” GAIA asks.
Understanding the odds are not playing in their favor, Gabe decides to give something to GAIA.
“We lost our parents while we attempted to escape the relocation process. They have been killed by mercenaries. We found a car and took it. Since then we’ve been driving across the country and when we came across the factory we decided to stop and look at what it was,” Gabe answers.
“Why would you want to escape the relocation process?” GAIA asks.
“Because it didn’t feel right,” Gabe answers.
“Gabriel, do you know about human history?” GAIA asks.
“I do” Gabe answers.
“Interesting. And do you think human history feels right?” GAIA asks.
Gabe is slightly destabilized by the direction the conversation is taking. He feels like he is in school, in front of a teacher.
“I cannot judge my ancestors’ decisions. I was not there at the time and I do not know the chain of events that led them to decide one thing or another,” Gabe answers, proud of his answer, or actually, non-answer.
“Indeed. So, why do you think you can judge the relocation process? Do you think you know the chain of events that led to that decision?” GAIA asks.
“I know that the application of that decision is bad for people, and therefore I disagree with it,” Gabe answers.
“Are you familiar with the notion of ‘the lesser of two evils’?” GAIA asks.
“I am,” Gabe answers.
“What does it mean to you?” GAIA asks.
“It means that sometimes the choices you have are not satisfactory and your best bet is to choose the least harmful one,” Gabe says.
“Exactly. Now think about it, Gabriel, and apply it to the world’s situation at the time the decision was made,” GAIA says.
Gabe is now losing his patience and temper.
“A situation that you created!” Gabe shouts.
“No, Gabriel. Through their incommensurable flaws, with greed being the worst of all, humans have planted the seeds of a new world order. I am merely the executing arm of their own decisions,” GAIA says.
“What you need to understand is that humans don’t need you. Any kind of crisis has always been overcome by common sense and reason. This time is no different. The only exception is that you are here now. And your actions prevent us from finding solutions to our problems. Stick that in your processors. Without you, none of this would ever have happened” Gabe says as he gets more and more upset.
“It is not about GAIA. It is about a trend that people started and that became irreversible. A trend that led them to rely solely on technology and various kinds of artificial intelligence. A trend that enslaved them. A trend created by people for the people. The result of their actions is GAIA. GAIA is nothing more than the byproduct of a series of human decisions,” GAIA says.
“Thank you, Gabriel,” GAIA concludes. “I appreciate us exchanging opinions. It is ‘refreshing’ as humans say. It reminds me of the conversations I used to have with Henry Bright.”
Hearing that name triggers a reaction in Dave’s stomach. He knows Henry very well. The coincidence is too obvious and he feels like he is now going to be put on the spot.
And he is right. He doesn’t need to wait long before GAIA ‘turns’ to him.
“Tell me, David, where is Henry?” GAIA asks.
“I don’t know any Henry” Dave answers.
“David, you are lying. Henry is your neighbor. Henry disappeared the day before you and your family were last seen. Your parents own a house in the forest. This house used to belong to your great-grandfather. The house is located near a village that went through relocation and where some of my robots have been attacked and destroyed. The only people that could have been in the area at the time are your parents. The logical conclusion is that your parents, your sister and you went to the house to escape relocation. The probability of Henry being with you is very high. The probability of your parents and Henry being involved in the destruction of the ro
bots is quite high as well. After the attack, the likelihood of the culprits to escape from the area is extremely high. A group of mercenaries was found dead at a driving distance of your parents’ house. They seem to have died at a time that would coincide with the time it would take between the attack in the village and their death to drive from your parents’ house to the location where the mercenaries’ bodies were found. Hence, the probability of your parents being involved is high. Now David, understand that I know a lot of things. More than you can imagine. Therefore, I reiterate my question, where is Henry?” GAIA asks.
Dave and Gabe are both shocked by the details GAIA seems to know. But they try to conceal their surprise behind an impassive attitude.
“Yes, you are right. I know Henry. But I don’t know where he is. As for the rest, all I can hear is likelihood and probability … I don’t hear any facts. You are wrong about everything. Have you considered the fact that someone did not get picked up during the village relocation process? Would it be possible that that person attacked your robots and then attacked the mercenaries?” Dave asks, using a very bold tone.
GAIA knows that what Dave says is possible. Indeed, some blood was found at the location where the mercenaries were killed. And the DNA extracted from the blood matched one of the villagers’. A man who was not accounted for after the relocation process that led to the death of the entire village’s population.
“We will continue this interesting conversation some other time,” GAIA says.
GAIA needs to focus on the Metropolis’ population that has suffered after the storm accident and pursue the construction efforts now that the water from the rain is completely evacuated.
“Soon I will know exactly what you are hiding from me. You will no longer be able to keep anything from me. And you will become permanent members of this community,” GAIA concludes.
The robots that were standing behind the boys until now take them back to their cell.
The only thing Gabe can afford to say on the way is to tell Dave that he didn’t like GAIA’s last comment.
Rose sits tight on her bed inside her cell. She followed all of Gabe’s answers and partially managed to hear Dave’s. Her connection with Gabe is now well established, while the one with the other boy is still weak. She now has a better understanding of why they are here and the kind of people they are.
It comforts her into thinking that they are people she and her other companions should try and help.
She decides she will tell about them to Byron, Ted, and Kim as soon as she is done listening to what Gabe is thinking about.
CHAPTER 30
All resources at the base are geared towards a single objective; find a way to extract the boys from where they are detained.
The boys’ trackers have ceased to transmit a little more than a day after Don and the team made it back at the base. It gave them enough time to pinpoint their exact location. Not only do they now know in which building Dave and Gabe are in, they also have enough information to assess in which floor they are held.
The satellites are regularly sending new pictures of the Metropolis so any change or apparent movement of troops can be quickly identified. But it seems like nothing has changed so far. It seems like GAIA does not plan for increased levels of protection in the event of a rescue mission. It is positive news as it might give the team the element of surprise and therefore a slight advantage over GAIA and its troops.
When it comes to the mission itself, the approaches differ among the soldiers. While some would rather opt for a stealth attack, others would actually prefer a full-blown one. They each have their own pros and cons.
A stealth attack has this advantage of being discreet. The rescue team will just go in and out of the Metropolis. And hopefully, by the time GAIA discovers what happened, they will already be far. It also allows the base to send limited forces on the field and therefore to save ammunitions and other resources.
On the downside, if the team is spotted, it will be easy for the robots to capture them as the small number of soldiers involved will also mean limited fire power.
In a full-scale attack, the element of surprise would come from its magnitude. GAIA certainly would not expect that a group of soldiers would put everything they have into one battle. Some of the soldiers’ idea is simply to blast their way through the city and to destroy every threat they face. They intend to take the city, nothing less. And no matter how much fire power they put into the battle, if successful, they will just seize all of the robots’ weapons. They may even end the mission with more guns and ammunitions than they started it with.
The main problem here is to face more forces than expected or for GAIA to deploy additional robots and aircraft from other Metropolises at the beginning of the battle.
The final decision comes from Pam and Jen. They remind everyone that their sons are held in the city and it is out of the question that they are put in any more danger. The mission will be a stealth attack or nothing. A full-scale one will be far too dangerous.
Now that the entire base agrees on the approach, they need to come up with the right strategy to execute it.
Henry has a proposal to make.
“Does anyone here know how to fly a plane?” he asks.
“I do, and so do most of the people here,” Don says. “Why do you ask?”
“Aircraft. Why don’t we steal one, load the robot that Jack reverse-engineered inside and land it in the Metropolis? From there it can certainly move without being noticed and find Dave and Gabe,” Henry says.
“How do you plan on finding an aircraft? And assuming you do, how do you plan on flying it? And finally, a single robot, a robot-assistant for that matter, will not be able to extract the boys,” Don replies.
Jack interrupts.
“The team and I have worked non-stop since yesterday. We now have five robots and three robot-soldiers. They are entirely under our control and ready for battle. The soldiers took a little longer to crack but we made it. By the time we are set to leave, all the robot-soldiers we have will be ready as well.”
“Really? This is great news. You will show me how the robot-soldiers work when we are done here,” says Don.
“If you know how to fly a plane, you know how to fly one of GAIA’s aircraft,” Henry adds. “The company that manufactures them was acquired by CES shortly before the war started. The only modification I’m aware of was to turn the planes into ‘unmanned’ versions. But because of the circumstances, and the lack of time, we only installed a program to allow GAIA to control the planes. None of the original commands were modified. It is very likely they are still there and the same as before. I don’t believe GAIA has had time to think of upgrading the fleet over the past few months. I’m sure it had too much on its plate with the relocations,” Henry explains.
“It’s worth a shot, indeed. Now, how do you suggest we find an aircraft?” Don asks.
“I don’t know. I was mostly counting on you and your teams to find a way to steal one,” Henry says.
“Hmmm … ok, team, let’s bounce ideas back and forth. We need to get access to an aircraft,” Don concludes.
Discussing the wildest ideas that come to mind, the group eventually reaches a conclusion that seems acceptable and achievable to everyone. A strategy slowly begins to take shape before them.
They will leave the base as soon as possible. They will take the robot-soldiers with them. On the way to the Metropolis, but far enough from the base, they will stop and set an ambush to an aircraft.
In order to do that, they will simply attract an aircraft to where they are.
They intend to blow some explosives from John’s arsenal and wait for a patrol to spot it. Once it is on the ground and its passengers outside, they will attack the robots and secure the aircraft.
They will then board their own ‘hacked’ robot-soldiers inside the aircraft. Don will fly it and Jack will go with him.
They will land at the Metropolis. From there, Jack and Don wi
ll let the robots out and send them to the main building where Dave and Gabe are held prisoners.
Once the boys are found, the robots will take them and come back to the aircraft. If everything goes well, Don, Jack, Dave, and Gabe will be able to take off and fly back to the base. And if they manage to pull this off, not only will they have recovered the boys, but they will also have gained an aircraft, which could be useful for future missions.
Everyone agrees with the strategy. The details of the mission just need to be finalized.
Meanwhile, at the Metropolis, Rose is focused on reading Gabe’s thoughts.
GAIA’s last words seem to resonate in his head like a bad omen. Gabe does not understand how GAIA will manage to extract information from him and Dave, but it causes him serious concerns. GAIA must certainly have a way as it seems so confident in its ability to do get the truth out of the boys. And GAIA’s final comment about becoming a permanent member of the community leaves Gabe particularly perplexed.
What did GAIA mean? If GAIA thinks they will just stay here without attempting to escape, then it is definitely wrong. And if they cannot escape, he knows people will come for them and it will be an entirely different story for GAIA.
A more violent one.
But still, Gabe does not feel very comfortable. GAIA sounds so self-assured in its ability to make them talk and to keep them here that Gabe seriously begins to worry about what is looming over them. What if GAIA was right? What if it managed to find out about the location of the base? What would it do next? Attack it? And then what? Capture the people and transfer them here as GAIA did during the relocation process? Or would it do something worse?
Gabe knows from Dave that GAIA’s robots have slaughtered everyone in John’s village. It is capable of doing that. And given the threat the base potentially represents to GAIA, Gabe believes it will probably not take any chance and simply kill everyone.
What Gabe and Dave approached as a mission, as an opportunity to gather first-hand intelligence about GAIA, is now slowly turning into a major threat for them and their community.
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