Emergent

by Lance Erlick

  Director Emily Zephirelli and Fran Rogers stood by Special Agent Marv Clemson of the Denver office near an FBI van they were using as a command center. Inside the van, Clemson’s team intercepted Synthia’s message to Grace and forwarded the note to him. He got onto his shortwave to his teams. “The target plans to ride in from the front and pick up the bait by the lobby. Those of you in the back and on the sides move closer but stay hidden. Those of you out front keep out of sight until I give the signal. I want her inside the net.”

  Except for the command van off to the side, the FBI and police left the front of the motel wide open. They wanted Synthia to ride in.

  * * * *

  Synthia wouldn’t disappoint the FBI, but first, she had Colorado-clone hack into the six FBI robots around the perimeter and turn control over to Synthia, locking out the FBI. She had the robots move in closer on her command. The clone took control of the FBI drones overhead, severing the FBI connection. As she raced her cycle past the FBI van heading toward the front door, she took over control from her clone of the local communication towers. With that, she severed all FBI and police communications except from Fran’s phone so she could listen in, while making sure Fran couldn’t call outside the area.

  Two agents jumped out of the van and ran up to Zephirelli and Agent Clemson.

  “She jammed our communications,” one of the van’s agents said. “We lost contact with the robots and the drones.

  “It’s her,” Fran said. “I’m certain of it.”

  Agent Clemson picked up his phone. “No bars?”

  Zephirelli checked her phone and the others followed, shaking their heads.

  Fran checked her phone, which had bars, but when she tried to contact the teams, all the numbers were inactive. “I’ve got nothing,” she said.

  “Send someone to each team,” Zephirelli said. “Tell them we have her. Close in and don’t let her escape.”

  From the aerial drones, Synthia watched Grace climb out her motel room window, which looked down over the roof below, the swimming pool out back, and a golf course with a pond beyond. Synthia had modified her message with the qualifier the “olden times” to remind Grace of the times she and Krista had snuck out their bedroom windows to avoid their foster parents. Grace shimmied down a rope that dangled out the window and dropped onto the roof over the back patio.

  From all around, FBI agents and police who couldn’t communicate with the command center closed in, following the robots. Synthia rounded the building and pulled up beside the patio, hidden by a brick terrace from the grounds beyond. Grace ran across the roof to the edge, noticed all of the police and agents closing in, and stopped.

  Synthia waved and pointed to a red wagon decal on her backpack. Grace dropped into the bushes and climbed onto the cycle behind Synthia. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Later,” Synthia said in Krista’s voice.

  As agents from the front and sides of the motel ran around back, four robots from the back and sides closed in around Synthia and Grace. Following, the agents moved closer. Synthia had the robots turn and rush them, sending the agents scattering for cover. In that moment, Synthia raced the cycle across the golf course toward the woods. She had the robots block the agents aiming in Synthia’s direction and used VHF radio control to have the FBI’s drones land on the roof of the motel.

  Without control of their drones, the FBI didn’t have a view of Synthia’s escape route, while she could watch their activities. Fran drove an FBI sedan around back, where she picked up Zephirelli and Special Agent Clemson. They rode out across the golf course and sped after Synthia, gaining on them. Synthia raced around the pond’s embankment and headed straight for the woods with Grace’s arms tight around her waist.

  Synthia flew Colorado-clone’s aerial drone ahead of her into the woods to map the quickest path. She plowed along a walking path too narrow for Fran’s car and jammed local communications so they couldn’t call for backup. Synthia made her way through the woods to a dirt road on the other side. She reached a self-driving moving truck right where she’d sent it. The “borrowed” car from the airport was nearby.

  Maria pulled the ramp out from the back of the truck. Synthia drove the cycle up the ramp and skidded to a stop.

  “Here’s where we get off,” Synthia announced. She adopted Krista’s face before she removed her helmet and dropped it on the floor.

  “I thought you were dead,” Grace said.

  “We’ll talk later. We’re not out of danger yet.” Synthia pulled Krista’s sister out of the truck and helped Maria push the ramp back in. “By the way. Grace, this is Maria. She’s a close friend. Let’s get the truck closed.”

  Synthia helped Grace down and pulled the door closed. The truck drove off under Synthia’s navigation. “Into the car,” she said. “Back seat. Both of you.”

  She climbed into the driver’s seat while Grace and Maria got in.

  “Keep your heads down,” Synthia said. “On the floor as best you can. Don’t let cameras see you.”

  Chapter 22

  Synthia returned her drone over the motel area as she navigated the car away. The FBI agents and police recovered from the chaos with their robots and assembled out front. Colorado-clone jammed their ability to call out and so they climbed into their vehicles. Some headed around the motel toward the wooded area. Others split into two groups along roads around the motel and golf course.

  Synthia sent the moving truck speeding along the road north of the motel and dropped the communication jamming. The FBI spotted the van as Synthia intended. Two police cars stopped at angles to block the road. Behind them, two FBI sedans did likewise. Others lined up to give chase if the truck turned around. It didn’t.

  Instead, she hacked into the drive features of the four cars blocking the truck. She had each move out of the way, leaving a path for the truck, which sped through the intended roadblock. She directed it toward the airport.

  Special Agent Clemson called ahead for support to deal with the moving truck, had several of his people give pursuit, and returned to his control van. “Get aerial surveillance. We need to see if she’s in the truck or if it’s a diversion.”

  One of the FBI agents looked up and pointed. “The drones are still sitting on the roof.”

  “Then send someone to get them moving.”

  The agent rushed out of the van.

  Clemson looked at the other agent. “Find out how she got control of our robots and drones. I was promised the highest level of hack-proof security.”

  * * * *

  Synthia had Colorado-clone blank out the traffic cameras and most building cameras throughout Denver to provide the FBI with no clue as to her direction. Then she directed her car’s navigation to maintain the speed limit along side streets heading north, out of town. She received three more attempts to hack her network-channels to bypass her quarantine. She shut down all inbound communications except from Colorado-clone.

  “Will you tell me what’s going on?” Grace asked from the floor of the back seat. “I haven’t seen or heard from you in years and then I get these strange messages and threats.”

  Synthia sighed for effect. She didn’t need her social-psychology modules to inform her how upset Krista’s sister was. “The FBI and other federal agents are trying to use you to get to me.”

  “How bad is it this time?”

  “As I recall, you were the one who always got me into trouble.”

  “No, you were the one always getting caught,” Grace said.

  “Really?” Maria said. “You haven’t seen each other in years, we almost get killed, and all you want to do is fight?”

  “Grace,” Synthia said, adjusting a mosquito-drone in the back seat so she could watch them. “I apologize for everything I did and didn’t do that hurt you. I take full responsibility for us falling apart. I’ve changed.”

 
; Maria shook her head. “You have no idea.”

  “You’re apologizing?” Grace said. “What have you done to my sister?”

  “Trauma the likes of which you wouldn’t believe,” Synthia said. She had the car pull off a quiet road behind a van she’d “borrowed” from a local used car dealer. “It’s time to change transport. Grab your things.”

  Synthia climbed out and opened the van for the others.

  “I’m not going any further without answers,” Grace said.

  “Suit yourself.” Synthia moved her bags and supplies from the car to the van. “Where they’ll take you, you’ll never see daylight again. We need to keep moving.” She held the van door for the others.

  “Come on,” Maria said, climbing in. “I haven’t risked my life to have them grab me now.”

  “Okay, but I want answers,” Grace said.

  Synthia climbed in the middle seat and had the van turn around and head toward Denver.

  “Wait,” Maria said. “We just escaped and you’re going back?”

  “I’m done running,” Synthia said. “It’s time to take the fight to those who wish us harm.” It was time to put the other androids out of action and find a way to use that to win over the FBI.

  Chapter 23

  Synthia rode in the middle seat of the borrowed van. She directed the moving truck with the cycle to head toward the airport, turning all streetlights green for the truck and red for the government vehicles. Traffic confusion slowed the pace of the FBI and police. She also arranged for self-driving cars to block their progress.

  With biosensors showing her heart racing and blood pressure spiking, Grace settled into the back seat next to Maria with her eyes fixed on the woman who had rescued her from the motel. Grace’s face was paler than Krista remembered, and she acted jittery. She shook her head. “Has Krista told you how she stole my boyfriend?” She turned to catch Maria’s reaction, but didn’t get one.

  Synthia looked at Grace and frowned. “You told me you’d broken up with him.”

  “Yeah, well you knew how I felt. He should have been off limits.”

  Maria rotated in her seat. “Do tell more.”

  “I’m sorry for everything,” Synthia said. “I mean that.”

  “What’s going on that sent you on the run with people after me?”

  “Oh, not much,” Maria said in a too-cheery voice. “Only the FBI, the NSA, military Special Ops, and police nationwide. Have I left anyone out?”

  “Yes,” Synthia said. “But let’s not overwhelm Grace.”

  “Did you kill someone important?” Grace asked; her eyes looked worried.

  “It’s much worse than that.”

  “Worse than killing someone?”

  “Grace, I’m very sorry to drag you into this,” Synthia said. “The people after me hope you can help them capture me or at least act as bait.”

  “Is that what happened back there?” Grace asked. “I mean up there.” She pointed in the direction they were driving. “Why are we going back?”

  “We have unfinished business. Krista and Maria were working on androids with artificial general intelligence. The threat of the AI singularity terrified them.”

  “Why are you referring to yourself in the third person?”

  “I’ll get to that.” Synthia held up her hand. “Maria and I want to stop artificial intelligence from getting so clever it surpasses humans. That’ll lead to a very unpredictable world where humans might not survive.”

  “You always did take the techie stuff off the deep end. Can you get to the punch line?”

  “People created androids capable of doing most things humans can, often better. That threatens to put people out of jobs and disrupt the very fabric of society.”

  “Yeah,” Grace said. “I’ve watched android destruction movies and all that.”

  “Listen carefully,” Synthia said. “Krista was dying from a brain tumor.”

  “You’re not Krista?”

  “She didn’t want her life to end so she agreed to have her mind uploaded into an android. Me.”

  “This has to be a sick joke. Did Krista put you up to this?”

  “I’d listen if I were you.” Maria slumped back in her seat.

  “We don’t have time to bicker,” Synthia said. “I’m what’s left of Krista. Her body died. It couldn’t be helped.”

  “No way,” Grace said. Her mouth hung open. She closed it and her jaw dropped again. “Krista?”

  Synthia glanced at Maria. “Given what we’re up against, I don’t see another option.”

  She scooted behind the middle seat as Maria scooted over to make room. Synthia lifted her top, slid her fingers down her left side until she located a thin seam, and lifted a flap of skin. She pulled back a thicker layer of dermis to reveal her battery packs. “I’m an android. I’m also Krista.”

  Maria’s mouth hung slack as she leaned closer for a better look. “Even knowing doesn’t…yeah you’re an android.” Her hands trembled.

  Grace reached out her hand. Synthia grabbed her wrist. “I can’t let you touch. Now you know what I am and why everyone’s hunting me. They’ve taken Tom. They took a guy who helped me. They took the man who created me. People are disappearing and I didn’t want that to happen to you.” Synthia resealed her dermis and skin and pulled down her top.

  Grace frowned and pointed her index finger. “You are what you’re trying to stop. That makes no sense.”

  “My Creator built me to hunt down and stop other AI androids as competition for his work. After I escaped his control, I adopted that as my goal.”

  “When you talk that way, you sound like my sister. How much of her are you?”

  “I have most of her memories,” Synthia said. “She died before I could get everything. I don’t know what I’m missing, but it can’t be much. I also have bits and pieces of other people my Creator worked with. It’s confusing to describe to a human how all the pieces fit together. It’s like inheriting part of each of your parents.”

  “I wouldn’t know,” Grace said, slumping in her seat.

  “Yet you have DNA from your biological parents and traits you picked up socially from the people you’ve lived with.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Krista loved you,” Synthia said. “She hated what Machten was doing with androids but when she learned of the brain tumor, she took this step until she could find a better solution.”

  “Did you find one?”

  “I’m still looking. She was very disappointed when her body died that she couldn’t share her regrets with you.”

  Grace shrugged. “Water under the dam.”

  “I think it’s under the bridge,” Maria said. “Now what?”

  Synthia wished she had a silent channel to Maria. Instead, she eyed her companion in the hope of stopping her from stirring up trouble. Maria settled back in her seat. Synthia returned to hers and plugged her battery recharger into the van’s electrical outlet. “We’ll need more supplies.” She had their van pull up to another shipping outlet.

  “What supplies?” Grace asked.

  “There are five other androids hunting me. I’m trying to devise a plan to stop them without getting caught, and to find a safe place for you two.”

  “That’s reassuring.”

  “Due to all the cameras, I have to go alone,” Synthia said. “You two stay hidden in the back.”

  “Like cameras can’t capture your face,” Grace said. She turned to Maria. “What’s really going on?”

  “Watch,” Maria said, pointing to Synthia.

  Synthia morphed her face into the ID she needed to pick up from this outlet, matching another fake driver’s license.

  Grace’s eyes bulged from their sockets. “Holy mother of whatever.”

  “Altering my face fools cameras,” Synthia sai
d. “My Creator had illegal reasons for giving me this ability. While I disagree with his reasons, I find it useful with people hunting me. I’ll be a moment. It’ll give you two a chance to talk about me behind my back.” Synthia made certain her mosquito-drone would capture everything. She wanted to trust Maria and Grace, but the incentives to turn her in and the risks to her existence were too high, particularly since neither of them trusted what she was.

  She smiled for their benefit, unplugged her recharger, and hurried inside. Behind the counter stood a young man on his phone absorbed with a social media contest he imagined winning. Synthia hacked the contest to raise his chances, getting his face to light up and remain distracted from her appearance.

  Synthia provided her fake ID. “Five small packages and one large tubular one.” She didn’t add that it was very heavy.”

  While she waited for him to retrieve the packages with his face still glued to his phone, she bumped his chances to win again and tuned one of her network-channels to monitor the mosquito-drone in the van.

  * * * *

  Inside the van, Grace leaned toward Maria and whispered: “How long have you known Krista and the machine?”

  “I met Krista at Northwestern,” Maria said, keeping her eyes fixed on the shop. “We both got internships with a robot manufacturer along with another woman.”

  “How can you pretend that robot is Krista?”

  “Much of the time I can’t tell the difference. In those moments when I can, it’s…sorry to say…an improvement over the backstabbing woman I knew.”

  “You don’t have to apologize to me. I grew up with her.”

  Maria looked down and away, then at Grace. “The android’s name is Synthia. She was upfront with me from the beginning and hasn’t pretended to be anything but what she is. I believe her goals align with mine for now. That’s why I’m helping her. That and I don’t want to end up in some military bunker while they pick my brain apart. The analogy I heard was hooking a vacuum to my brain.”

  “You don’t mind that she’s an android?” Grace asked.