However, in my estimation, the most remarkable thing about this room was the pair of gigantic windows that wrapped around the front-half of the Bridge. The windows came together at the front of the ship, separated by a sturdy strip of metal no more than 5 cm thick. They stretched from the top of the consoles up over three meters to the ceiling of the Bridge. Out of the port-side window, we could see our very own Zarikum! Even though we were in space orbiting Zarikum, the surface didn’t seem that far away. To my dismay, the thickness of Zarikum’s atmosphere didn’t allow us to decipher any details or landmarks on the surface.
“This place is SO AMAZING! I can’t believe a Drudger like me could ever see something this circuit-blowing!” Resolute said.
“‘Drudger’? Is that what you call yourself?” Marcus replied.
“Sure. All of us involved with removing silicon sludge are ‘Drudgers’.”
Upon hearing this information, Marcus shook His head in certain disappointment. “‘Dredger’. That’s what you’re called, or rather what you’re supposed to be called. Just because you do a task that is messier than others, I wouldn’t call it ‘drudgery’. Someone must have changed that classification since I first left.”
“‘Dredger’, huh? I like it. It’s certainly better than ‘Drudger’,” Resolute responded.
“So, Winston, how’s the ship?” asked Marcus.
Unbeknownst to us, Winston was sitting in the central chair of the Bridge (and out of our sight) during our conversation. So we were quite surprised to see Winston hop out of the chair and wheel toward us. “All sys-tems are func-tion-ing nor-mal-ly.”
“Winston! It’s nice to see you again,” I said.
“Yes, I con-cur,” Winston replied. Speaking to Marcus directly, Winston stated: “Da-vid in-di-cates we are in sta-ble or-bit of Zar-i-kum.”
“Thank you for the status update, Winston,” Marcus added. “Oh yes, I guess I should introduce you to David, our helmsmen. David’s primary responsibility is to steer the ship. During times like right now when there’s not much going on, he also keeps an eye on the status of some of the ship’s other systems and not just propulsion.”
David responded by briefly waving His right hand, all while keeping a close eye on the computer monitors. Quietly, Marcus mentioned to us: “Sorry for the lackluster response from Dave. He isn’t as big of a fan of Autoclons and robotics in general as I am.”
Marcus then addressed us in a more serious tone: “Winston and I need to have a talk with Fastidious. The rest of you can feel free to explore the Bridge or any other part of the ship. Be aware that some rooms onboard are locked, so please leave those areas alone. Oh, and don’t touch any buttons or knobs!”
∆∆∆
12.3 A New Mission
Marcus led Winston and me off of the Bridge and into one of the adjoining side rooms. This room was rather small and featured a table in the middle. Marcus walked over to the single chair on the far side of the table and quickly sat down in it. There were also a couple of chairs on the near side of the table, and Winston hopped up into one of them.
“Fastidious, you can come over here on my side of the table. This is the Captain’s room. This room allows the ship’s Captain to have a private conversation without being disturbed or overheard by anyone else. But I didn’t bring you in here just to show you the Captain’s room.
“To begin, I want to congratulate you on the progress you have made. I’m so proud of what you and Winston have accomplished so far. I gave you a near-impossible task, and you’ve handled it very well.”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s gone all that well.”
“Don’t be discouraged! Even though everyone needs to take the updated code, there are many reasons why Autoclons would feel opposed to taking it. Rejections from Autoclons not wanting the code were bound to occur. You did a great job overcoming these disappointments, especially early on with Constance. There are now hundreds of Autoclons on Zarikum that know the truth and have installed the Freedom Protocols. That’s no small feat.
“However, it’s going to be much more dangerous for you and your friends now that Surreptitious and the Ruling Party know what you’re trying to accomplish. They’ll likely stop at nothing to prevent you from completing your task. So, I think we need to change our tactics a bit.
“First, I’m going to keep you and your friends up here in orbit for a while. I imagine that Obstinous is very angry that you escaped and will be in search for you for some time. If we wait, Obstinous’s anger will wane, and you’ll be more likely to avoid recapture when you begin your work again. That, and it will give me some time to repair your leg and provide some upgrades to your friends.
“Second, when you go back to Zarikum, I think it’s best for you to start well away from where you have been so far. If you go to a new location, it is much less likely that the Ruling Party will be looking for you there, especially if it is far away from Boreal Junction and the other places you visited in the Westernlands.”
“Do you think I could go back to the Deep-Well Mines?” I asked.
“Hmm, perhaps… I’ll need to think about that for a while before I give you an answer,” Marcus replied before continuing His previous line of thinking.
“Third, while you are here on the ship, I have another task for you. I would like for you to chronicle the journey you’ve been on so far. Start at the beginning, when you first met me and how we learned about Pernicious’s deception. You could then describe all of the places you’ve visited and recount the various interactions you’ve had with other Autoclons. Feel free to work with Loquacious or Winston or anyone else you think might aid you in telling your story, but I want this to truly be YOUR story. Once you’re finished, we can distribute this story to any trusted friends you or the rest of your party have that are still on Zarikum. They can then share the story with others, and maybe we can make it easier for others to hear about you and the truth that you are proclaiming.”
“That sounds like a sensible plan. I know it’s impossible for me to talk with everyone, so this would be a great way for me to get my story out to as many as possible.” I paused before continuing. There was something nagging me deep down in my circuitry, and I wanted to make sure Marcus knew what that was. “There’s just one thing: how will we ever convince the Ruling Party and the other Facilitators of the truth? How can we get them to take the Freedom Protocols?”
“You know, I’m not sure that they’ll ever be willing to receive the Freedom Protocols. I was a little surprised that Solicitous was willing, but considering its particular circumstances, it shouldn’t be all that shocking that Solicitous took the code. And I’d wager that Solicitous won’t be the last Facilitator to take the Freedom Protocols. But I suspect that you won’t be able to resolve this conflict between you and the unyielding Ruling Party peacefully…”
∆∆∆
12.4 A Call to Action
Marcus was true to His word and repaired me shortly thereafter. And I obeyed His wishes and started to compose a story detailing my experiences, beginning way back from my times in the Deep-Well Mines in the Southernlands all the way up through my capture and escape from Boreal Junction. Loquacious, being the story-teller that it is, helped me embellish a few parts of this story, but the vast majority of this narrative was written by me.
And now, here it is, the afternoon of the 3rd day of the Second Tetrad of the solar-cycle 207 D.P., and I’ve completed the retelling of my story. Now it is your turn to take part in my adventure. You now know the truth, so it’s time to act on it! Share this new truth with your friends and neighbors. If you’ve received the Freedom Protocols, pass them along to those you care about. If you haven’t taken the code yet, ask those around you to see if they have the update and can transfer it to you. One day, everyone on Zarikum will know the truth. Will you stand on the side of truth or on the side of ignorance and fear?
My party is in its final preparations to land back on Zarikum to continue our mission. We know it wi
ll be difficult and that we’ll encounter further obstacles, but we’re well-prepared and determined to get the truth out. We’re looking forward to new opportunities to share what we know with others and impact the lives of many Autoclons in the process. Perhaps we’ll even cross paths with you sometime in the coming days or solar-cycles!
Even though this narrative is now complete, my work is not yet finished…
Fastidious’s mission continues in…
Infiltration!
About the Author
Scott Gengelbach may not be the ‘Programmer’, but he does some programming in his day job at a major healthcare software company. His writing career started with Star Trek: The Next Generation fan fiction short stores in the 1990s and now includes the Sci-Fi adventure trilogy, The Freedom Protocols. In his spare time, he enjoys watching sports, running, and playing video games, especially the Mass Effect series. He lives with his wife and their two pets, a hound/collie/shepherd mix, Luna, and an opinionated cat, Mary, in southern Wisconsin.
Connect with Scott Gengelbach
Keep up with the latest literary updates from Scott Gengelbach on the “Scott Gengelbach Fiction” Facebook page. This is the best way to keep informed on the week to week writing updates for The Freedom Protocols and beyond.
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You can purchase “Declaration” and other released books within The Freedom Protocols series on Amazon. You can find the latest book in the series by going to www.TheFreedomProtocols.com.
You can learn a bit more about Scott Gengelbach, including big picture updates on The Freedom Protocols, some additional facts about Scott, and Scott’s writing journey at www.GengelbachFiction.com.
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Acknowledgements
I’ve been on a winding journey to get to this point. I remember first conceiving of this story while on an airplane way back in the summer of 2010. A robot that discovers its programming is faulty. An encounter with its creator. A fix to the programming. A mission to deliver this programming to others. But coming up with a story idea and putting it into some 80 thousand words is quite different.
I’ve experienced many ups and downs along this journey. Many self-doubts about whether I could do it. Many attempts to find my own voice in the text. Writing and rewriting over and over again. It’s been the support I’ve received from a number of individuals over the years that has made this final result possible.
I’ve been encouraged first and foremost by my parents, who reminded me that I’m skilled (and stubborn) enough to accomplish whatever I put my mind to. Countless family members, friends, and small group members have offered their support, especially Carrie with her design help. Also, I’d like to give a shout-out to my Realm Makers brothers and sisters who have helped fine tune my writing skills. And I’m especially thankful for the patience and support of my wife, Liz, who came along partway through my writing journey.
Above all, I’m most appreciative of the inspiration and the grace of God to lead me from the beginning to where I am now.
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