With our combined efforts, we finished sowing the field with over an hour to spare until Lazuli-fall. Considering Systematicus didn’t think it could finish the field by itself by the end of the day, I guess we really were of some use to it after all.
“I’d say I’ve got this farming thing pretty well down now,” Loquacious added. “You know, if our quest doesn’t work out and I can’t get a job as an Entertainer, I could always fall back on being a Farmer. How would you like to have me as a co-worker, Systematicus?”
“I do not think that would work well,” Systematicus replied.
Loquacious laughed, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
∆∆∆
3.4 Overcoming Self-doubt
After completing our work, we headed over to the central storeroom facility and waited for the other Farmers to finish their specific tasks for the day. The building itself wasn’t all that tall; it reached up to eight meters at the top of the roofline. But it was expansive, nearly 40 meters long from east to west and at least another 25 meters wide. On the western end of the building, there were several giant piles of harvested crystals. The piles contained a different size and composition of crystals, but within each pile, the crystals appeared to be nearly identical. On the eastern portion of the building was an array of various farming implements used by the Farmers, including small carts and a few larger collection vessels. There was even a pair of large transport vehicles capable of moving a large collection of crystals to other outposts for power consumption. A walled-off room, used by the Farmers to store their personal items, comprised the northeast corner of the building. After returning the small cart to its storage location, Systematicus and the rest of us headed to this room.
“This is where all of the Farmers come after finishing their tasks for the day,” Systematicus said. “If you would like to meet with all of the Farmers, this is the best location and time to do so.”
“So I guess we’ll just wait here until the Farmers finish up. Systematicus, can you let us know when everyone is here?” I asked.
“Yes, I can do that.”
“Do you know if the grange’s Facilitator will visit us here?”
“Likely not. The Facilitator does not usually talk with us when we finish up for the day.”
“Well, I guess that will make my job a bit easier,” I added. This discussion would be difficult enough as is. Because our message wasn’t flattering of the Ruling Party and the Facilitators in general, the presence of the grange’s Facilitator would complicate matters.
We waited in the room for over 30 minutes before a few Farmer Autoclons started trickling in. Over the course of the next 40 minutes or so, the four of us were joined by over 20 Farmers.
“I’m starting to get nervous,” I admitted to Loquacious. “I haven’t really spoken in front of this many Autoclons before. I’m just not all that eloquent. You’re the expert story-teller here. Can you do the talking for me?”
“Well, this is YOUR story. It would be most appropriate for you to tell it.”
“I know, it’s just…” I paused. I wasn’t sure how to put in words how I really felt. I knew this was my story, but talking with a couple of friends one-on-one about what I experienced felt completely different from addressing this large group of Autoclons that I’d never seen before. I knew Loquacious would be good at telling our story. I was just a Miner from the Deep-Well Mines. Why would these strangers believe what I had to say? I guess I just felt that Loquacious the Entertainer would be able to convey our story better than I ever could.
“How about this,” Loquacious suggested, “I can start the discussion, and you can take over when you feel comfortable. I know you can do it!”
“So do I,” added Winston.
“OK, that sounds good to me.” I appreciated the two votes of confidence, but I was still unsure of how I could address this group. At least now I wouldn’t have to initiate the discussion.
After one final Autoclon entered the room, Systematicus came to us and announced that everyone was present. It was time to begin.
As promised, Loquacious started things off: “Good evening, friends. My name is Loquacious, and these are my friends, Fastidious and Winston. You’re probably wondering why we wanted to bring you all together this evening. Well then, let’s get straight to it.
“Have you ever felt like you’re trapped in your current profession with no way out? Have you ever been yearning to expand your knowledge and to experience more than what you have here? Or maybe you’ve enjoyed your experience working here as a Farmer, but you still have some unexplained longing for more? We’re here to explain why you’ve asked yourselves these questions, and better yet, we can give you the ability for you to explore these topics for yourselves.
“The simple answer is this: your programming is incomplete. A long time ago, during the reign of Pernicious the Cunning, our programming was hacked. Our altered programming bypassed some of our most critical functions: our Freedom Protocols. These are essential for us to make the fundamental decisions during our lifetime: where to live, where to work, what profession to take on, when we retire, and so forth. In the place of our Freedom Protocols, we’ve been given inferior programming forcing us to rely upon the Facilitators to make these choices for us. Our most impactful decisions aren’t in our own graspers, but in the graspers of the Facilitators!”
Loquacious paused after these comments and allowed them to sink into the thoughts and calculations of the Autoclons assembled before us. The crowd murmured as the Autoclons commented to their neighbors concerning what they just heard. When the room quieted down, Loquacious resumed.
“We know this may be hard to believe. Why would our fellow Autoclons and our respected Facilitators do this to us? We don’t know why this was done, but we have speculated that they wanted order. They wanted control over us. By removing some of our decision-making protocols, they could now tell us exactly where to go and what we should be working on. If there was a shortage of workers in one settlement, then they would be free to command some of us to go and fill that need. If we were no longer as productive as we should be, then they would have the ability to fire us and assign someone else to our role. They might have billed these changes in the name of ‘productivity’, but at what cost? We all lost our personal freedom to be the Autoclons we want to be.
“And here’s the worst thing about all of this is this: we’ve been deceived into thinking that the freedoms we currently have are the full extent of what the Programmer designed for us. The programming changes made by Pernicious the Cunning were so insidious that they maintained our protocols to make everyday choices, like who we can be friends with, and when we shut down each night, and what we can do on our time off. We’ve all been duped into thinking we have freedom, when in fact, the most fundamental freedoms we were originally afforded have been rendered null and void!”
These last comments caused uproar among our audience. Many of the Autoclons assembled pressed forward to get closer to us. One of the more skeptical members in the gathering asked us: “How do you know all of this?”
Here’s my chance. Sure, I was still anxious, but this was my task. Loquacious had done an excellent job getting the assembled Farmer Autoclons interested in our message, but it was now time for me to tell my portion of this tale.
“I have met our Programmer.”
This last declaration stunned the audience. If we didn’t have their full attention before, we certainly did now.
“Eight days ago, I was out wandering west of the Deep-Well Mines, damaged from a violent sand storm and running low on power. My sensors identified a platinum-like rounded structure in the distance. Although I didn’t have a clue what it was, I desperately needed help, so I made my way over to the structure. As I approached, I could tell that it wasn’t a building but an actual spacecraft. I talked with the owner of the craft, a Human Being, and He invited me in. After a quick conversation, He told me that His name was Marcus Reed, and that He was our very
own Programmer! He spent a day or so mending my damaged parts and upgrading some of my vital systems while I was shut down. Here, you can see the new power system He installed in me…” I opened up my power case, much like I had done for Constance. Several of the Farmers closest to my position came forward to get a better look at my improvements. A few of them made audible comments marveling at the design. I continued.
“While He inspected me, Marcus performed a check of my programming code. That’s when He found out about the alterations made to it. We calculated they were made during the reign of Pernicious the Cunning. How or why these changes were made, we didn’t know, so Marcus instead turned His attention to correcting the code and re-establishing our Freedom Protocols in my code. Once that was complete, He gave me a mission to go out and share this story with my fellow Autoclons and distribute this restored code to all of you. Just to be sure I wouldn’t go alone, He provided me custody of His latest creation, Winston.” I motioned my starboard grasper toward Winston, and Winston obliged by popping up off of the ground nearly a meter high, much to the delight of our audience.
“After Marcus commissioned Winston and me with this task, we shared our knowledge with my friend Loquacious. Loquacious believed me and took the updated code and joined us in our mission. Now it is your turn. You’ve all been told the truth; a truth about ourselves that was covered up by the Ruling Party in ages past. We can give you this fully intact code, providing you with the full measure of freedom designed by our Programmer, but you must decide for yourself if you want to accept this code or not. So, who would like to come forward and take the first step toward freedom?”
After finishing, I felt a wave of relief. I thought I had done an adequate job convincing them that I was telling the truth. I didn’t have to wait long to find out how if our speech was effective. The full gathering of Autoclons approached our group to receive the code! Over the course of the next half hour, Loquacious and I distributed the code to every single Farmer gathered before us, including our host, Systematicus.
After the last of the audience finished rebooting, one of the assembled Farmers approached us. “What do we do now?”
“Well, what do you want to do?” I responded. “You’re no longer forced to obey the every whim of the Facilitators, but you’re going to need to work somewhere to get the credits needed for your survival. If you like your current profession, you may want to stay here at the grange, or you can travel to one of the local outposts and explore for yourself what job you’re most interested in.”
“I enjoy my work here at the Wild Crystal Grange. I think I’ll stay.” Many others made the same comment. In fact, every single one of the Farmers decided to stay and continue to work as Farmers at the Wild Crystal Grange. Well, all but one…
As the Farmers all departed for their own abodes for the night, we approached Systematicus. The last hour or two had been so hectic that we hadn’t considered what the three of us would do that night, and perhaps Systematics could help us out.
“Systematicus, can we spend the night at your place again tonight?” I asked.
“Sure.”
The four of us started back toward Systematicus’s abode. Loquacious and I talked about how well everything went that night. We were amazed at the great response we received and were genuinely excited to continue our mission. We started talking about what we wanted to do next. We both agreed that we should take off in the morning for another location, but where would we go? After taking a look at my navigational array, we had two logical options: Outpost Oblique and the Shallow Pool Drudgery Station. Outpost Oblique was the next destination on the road out of Wild Crystal Grange to the northeast, and it represented just a five or six hour journey up the road. However, with our most recent good fortune, we decided to go to another small worksite, and the closest was the Shallow Pool Drudgery Station to the north. As we reached a conclusion for our next destination, we arrived at Systematicus’s place and entered for the night.
∆∆∆
3.5 Our Trio Becomes a Quartet
3:36, Day 18, Fourth Tetrad, 206 D.P.
The next morning began with me coming out of hibernation after everyone else. Loquacious, Winston, and I started preparing to leave to the Shallow Pool Drudgery Station, but we had one more thing to do before we left.
“We can’t thank you enough, Systematicus. We needed a friend here, both as someone who would be willing to house us at night and as an envoy to the other Farmers. We wouldn’t have had the success we had yesterday without your help!” Loquacious said.
“I am glad to be of some use to you.” Systematicus paused, looking down at its front wheels. “I have been considering what to do next. The others want to stay, but I do not think I could be of much more use here. I am starting to wear down and cannot do as much as I used to do.” Systematicus paused again. “Would it be a bother if I came with you?”
The question surprised us. My first thought was that Systematicus wouldn’t be of much help to us. But then again, Systematicus, for all of its physical limitations, was now a friend of ours, and we could repay this friendship by having Systematicus join us.
“Are you sure you want to come along? We will be traveling a lot, and we won’t always use the roads to go from one place to the next. We may not get the same warm reception we got here at other locales,” I replied.
“That does not matter to me.”
I conferred with Loquacious briefly before responding. “If you’re willing to make the effort and share in the risks we may face, then we would be pleased if you could join us.”
“Thanks.”
“We are planning on leaving shortly. Is there anything you want to bring with you?”
“Yes. I will be back.” And with that, Systematicus exited the building.
“It seems like Systematicus is an Autoclon of action... and not words,” Loquacious added. The three of us waited inside for nearly ten minutes before Systematicus returned.
“I am now ready,” Systematicus announced, having returned with its small two-wheeled cart in tow.
“I guess the cart could come in useful. Do you want to take anything else from your place?” I asked.
“No. The cart is mine, so I wanted to bring it with me. There is nothing else I wish to take.”
“OK then, let’s get out of here.”
We made our way to the main road and exited the grange. “This way,” I declared, and I turned off of the road and angled our course to the north.
Chapter 4 - The Drudgery Station and the Facilitator
4.0 Slow Going
4:04, Day 18, Fourth Tetrad, 206 D.P.
We headed out to the north-northwest from the Wild Crystal Grange, moving toward the Shallow Pool Drudgery Station located nearly 55 kilometers away. My original intent was to go a majority of the way that first day. However, I soon discovered that having both Systematicus and Loquacious along guaranteed us for slow travel.
Shortly after we left the main road in our travels north, I asked Loquacious, “So, do you have any advice for today’s journey based on the celestial bodies?”
“No, not really. I’ve already checked, and I didn’t see either the Sovereign or the Scoundrel. I would’ve liked to have seen the ever-graceful Sovereign for our journey, but at least we don’t have the Scoundrel looking over our backs.”
“What is the ‘Sovereign’?” Systematicus chimed in.
“It was the original nickname the Autoclons had for Kapali. Now, most people just call it the ‘Sluggard’, which doesn’t sound appealing at all, if you ask me.”
“Oh.”
Our first several kilometers were easy going. We were still on the flat Wild Crystal Plateau. Much like we experienced traveling to the grange, we passed by some rogue crystals growing in the favorable soil on the plateau. At Systematicus’s suggestion, we harvested a few crystals and placed them in Systematicus’s cart for use later on our journey.
As we approached the northern terminus of the plateau, we n
oticed the terrain transitioned to a more rocky composition. Most of the rocks were small and could be easily traversed by our wheels, but the further we progressed, the larger the rocks became.
After about an hour into our journey, we reached the edge of the plateau. It ended abruptly as the plateau rose above the terrain to the north rather steeply, forming a cliff that we found to be too steep for us to try to descend. I checked my updated topographical data and determined that our best way down would be about 2.3 kilometers to the west where the plateau gently descended to meet the valley floor. We traveled this distance quickly and were able to find a suitable path down off of the plateau. This part of the terrain was quite rocky, almost bare of the usual sand that I was accustomed to. The slope off of the plateau wasn’t steep, but we still had to take our time to find a course that avoided large rock formations and boulders.
Once we reached the bottom, I gave a navigational update to the company. “The next several kilometers of our journey will be almost due north. It appears that the terrain will be rocky with a few small ridges, but it shouldn’t be as bad as the huge dunes we faced south of the Wild Crystal Grange. By Lazuli-fall, I hope to be another 20 kilometers from here.”
“I do not calculate that I can make it that far today,” Systematicus said.
“Well, you’ll never know unless you try,” I responded.
The rest of the day passed by without incident. The rocky terrain slowed our rate of travel. Systematicus also preferred a slower pace than me, so as Lazuli-fall approached, we were a full four kilometers short of my intended goal.
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