Cynthia and Julion looked astonished, Larry just floated around as he couldn't display emotions if he could even feel them. Before the trio stood five beings that were not alive ten minutes ago. Each had a different expression to show on their face. Some had gray hair and some were hardly out of puberty. There was only one thing in common among these five people: the green worker uniform with the UN's symbol of unity on the lapel.
Cynthia turned to her companions. Since she was the one who chose the identities of these people, she introduced them. "Larry, Julion, I would like you to meet Audie, Sergio, Betsy, Alexis, and Jamil."
Jamil Salim's light brown skin spoke of a life in harsh weather. His haughty expression under his thick beard made him look like the guardian of some forbidden treasure.
In reality the only treasure he guarded was the knowledge of lasers. In life he had been the first to produce a practical, hand held, powerful, zettawatt laser. Like many scientists he had touted its many commercial uses never intending it to be turned into a weapon. He ironically died during a protest against the first regiment to use them.
Alexis Peters, long dark hair that brought out a soft round face. Her muscles relaxed nevertheless she looked just a tad annoyed at having to stand around. She had a basic need to be where the action was. She seemed very alert to her surroundings watching and being curious about the others as much as they were of her.
This was natural given her background as the first female and last President of the United States of America.
Betsy David contrasted a bit with Alexis in that she had short-cropped hair and her long bangs nearly covered her bright green eyes accented sharp but lovely cheekbones. She didn't display any emotions. She stood there arms crossed.
She had the air of one appraising the situation.
She could have been just looking for her next big story. She was, after all, the woman who fired up Russian patriotism to help win the First Nuclear War.
Audie Fuchs, his sandy hair curled just above his eyebrows, waited calmly. He stood tall and proud ready to go to work. Like Alexis, there was no doubt that he was a leader. He would be standing at total attention had his hand not been flexing as if he needed a weapon in it.
Fuchs had been a competent Major of the Luftwaffe during the Second Nuclear War and been promoted over the years. As a General Major he joined forces with the Brazilians in actions to bring an end to the Third Nuclear War. Cynthia feared that his skill in military strategy eventually may become necessary.
Sergio De Souza, a handsome, tanned Brazilian, appeared to be close to twenty years old and well-built. Had he been human he may have weighed over two hundred and fifty pounds, pure muscles, much more than the hefty Julion. However, this man was an android and naturally weighed quite a bit more because of all his mechanical parts despite how light they were designed. He had an easy yet eager air about him.
His identity was the only one Cynthia hesitated to include. She certainly wanted the inventor of the bots as a part of the group for symbolic reasons. The problem came from other aspects of his history such that he worked military intelligence most of his life and was rumored to have leaked confidential information on more than one occasion. Cynthia attempted to leave much of this information out of the files they included in his personality. She knew, of course, it would be impossible to leave it all out and wondered how much what she left in effected him.
Giving them each a specialty and basing them upon people who had those backgrounds was a logical thing to do. Taking those famous people's faces and attaching them to anthropoids only could be proof that Cynthia had a sense of humor.
They of course didn't have the memories of their namesakes as none had been recorded. They did however provide them with every bit of data they could find on each person with an appropriate, pre-programmed, personality.
"Everyone this is Julion, Larry, and I am Cynthia. I can see that some of you are quite confused and curious about being here. It's a little hard to explain. You are anthropoids, artificial beings. You, hopefully," The word came out under her breath, "have the equivalent of memories of people who lived in a different time. We have activated you, because you all have great minds and were leaders and/or people who made a significant difference in your own time. Now, your services are needed again."
Cynthia was willing to stay and explain everything to them. She needed their understanding if they were to help her ruin the Boss' plan.
"We are now in Brazil, the capital of the world. There were three nuclear wars since the beginning of the twenty-first century. Brazil was victorious in the last war and became the ruling power. I have programmed this information into each of you but it needs to be clear the government has become corrupt subjecting all but the rich to a virtual slavery.
"As a result of this slavery, continents have been dedicated to breeding grounds. Once great nations such as America, Britain, and Australia, are now the most diseased and crime-infected countries in the world. Since all the people in poverty are expendable to the rich and there is a great supply of them, they are used as workers.
"Only a few selected individuals are able to rise out of the working class into the middle class to become scientists, security officers, and managers." She continued even as the faces on the new anthropoids turned to despair.
"The billions of other people are forced to work and live in unwholesome surroundings. The work hours are long and the pay is little, but to the rich the pay's still too much. Therefore, the middle and high classes devised a plan to rid themselves of the worker class altogether. With the invention of robots almost a century ago," she gestured to Larry as an example, "the higher classes have become soft and accustomed to having others do their work.
"Then one person, Linda Aldin, had a hideous idea." She smiled grimly as the thought crossed her mind that in a way she was talking about herself. "Though the bots are useful they have their limits, so she came up with something to categorically replace the poverty-stricken portion of the human race. She built me, a prototype of what was to replace all the horrors that she had to grow up with. Since I seemed to be working properly, she and her assistants began building you.
"You were intended to look, act, and have the knowledge of people already living. The brilliance of the project wasn't just that you could do those people's work. It came in the fact that as expensive as you are to build from conception to the age of twenty a worker cost three times the cost of building an anthropoid. After that, anthropoids cost next to nothing to maintain and they work for free, where workers cost billions for the rest of their lives in just food and shelter. So you can imagine their eagerness in replacing workers.
"However, our creator did not anticipate a technical error resulting in my free will and subsequently my wishing for a better life for the working class. I am sympathetic to them and therefore we," gesturing to her two companions, "have activated you and not given you the memories of people living but of salutary people who are long gone. If you are willing we will incorporate you into this society and tear it apart from the inside out." She received approving nods all around.
"There is one provision though. After we have freed the working class, we all have to be destroyed." Murmurs filled the room. She waited for them to die down. Cynthia wanted to finish before she answered their questions.
"We anthropoids are a threat to the human race, built for its destruction and can still be used for that cause if we are ever caught and reprogrammed. Right now, we are better suited to help the workers. We have strength and wisdom on our side. If we at least begin a insurrection with these qualities and the people will rise up and show their own qualities, we will no longer be useful. Before we go any further, I will need your consent to this plan of action. Otherwise, we will have to deactivate you."
Each in their own manner agreed without issues, but Cynthia could feel questions remained in the room. The first hailed from Betsy. She exposed a Russian accent. "Forgive my ignorance, but I am a mere journalist. What can I do to help create a rebellion?"
Cynthia nodded, understanding her question. "You each have your own unique skills. Yours is your ability to rally people, Audie's, for example, his peace making skills, and Jamil his technical knowledge. You certainly will be helpful convincing the workers that we're on their side."
Alexis was next to ask, "All right, let's say, we free your working class and then all of us are destroyed. I would assume that meant this laboratory and all of those other anthropoids as well." She motioned to the covered bodies behind her. "How do you know that without us to lead them that the rich won't just take over again?"
It was a reasonable question after what this poor woman had been through, and there was no real way Cynthia could answer it. She had already led America in the early twenty-first century out of their national debt and cut down considerably on the crime, making it the strongest, best, and freest nation in the world. Shortly after her untimely death, the First Nuclear War began with an accidentally activated nuclear bomb from Turkey destroying the capital of Switzerland. Had she still been the president of the U.S. then she may have been able to lead her country in the war, or find other more civilized ways to end it. Either way she could have salvaged the entire situation. However, her vice-president who succeeded her, sat back and let the rest of the world fight, lowering the status of the country and eventually destroying it.
In contrast, Sergio, who only seemed inspired by this. Despite growing up during the Second Nuclear War, he had risen through science to use his knowledge productively.
Unfortunately, his major invention didn't help the people he wanted it too. He created the first of the worker bots and the end of fair wages.
Sergio answered Alexis' question. "There is no guarantee. Don't you see? Cynthia said that the bots are slaves. I built bots to enhance our lives, not to have them do our bidding. It is just another variable to the equation."
"I believe he means no matter what happens some other problem may arise. However, there are steps we can take to ensure history does not repeat itself." Jamil said.
"As long as the working class does not become corrupt," Betsy added, "then the rich will be outnumbered and without power. It's unlikely they would take power again." She was well-versed in political history. After all, she wrote for the New York Times for almost fifty years.
"Why institute a revolt at all? Civil protests work. We could also alert the media." Sergio said.
Cynthia nodded. "The media is controlled by the government. Council Member Neves is the CEO of Neves Broadcasting Network. It is of course an avenue we're pursuing and something that Betsy will certainly be able to help with.
"While protests aren't against the law (there really aren't many laws) security bots break up any large gathering within minutes. We haven't counted them out entirely. We just need to increase our numbers and our ability to protect ourselves."
"This is all fine and dandy." Audie stepped forward. "May I be so bold as to ask: Why don't we just go in and take over the few big Bosses there are? I'm sure the seven of us could take them on."
Cynthia answered him sincerely. "No, we need to integrate ourselves into society and take over from within against the entire higher classes. So, as the others pointed out, they can keep their freedom."
Cynthia could tell Audie really didn't seem satisfied with the answer. She knew deep down there really was no other way of going about this rebellion. They would have to fight with their brains, or rather their computers, not their brawn. That's why these anthropoids here were mostly fashioned from people who used their brains to get the job done. Julion now addressed the mixed group.
"I have hacked into the Worker Employment Database and added your names, as well as a couple fictitious names for Cynthia and myself, to the employee list of several companies. Also integrated into your programming is the knowledge of your new positions. If your superiors have any questions, just hand them the chip that Larry is passing out now."
Jamil stepped forward. "Exactly where are we supposed to meet after work?"
"That's what Cynthia and I are going to do right now. We will be looking for a place to house us for a short time until we can get you all places to live." Julion answered.
"For now," said Cynthia, "let's plan to meet at the entrance to this building since we don't even know where this house will be." With that, she led them out of the lab.
***
The elevator door opened into the empty hallway. Six workers, a manager, and a bot walked cautiously toward the busy lobby. Julion broke off the group and motioned for Sergio to follow him. Each of the androids had been given low-level jobs, positions to keep them inconspicuous. Julion pointed down the hall to the security rev bots. "Beyond that door is the factory where you'll be a mechanic." Sergio grunted at this. "Don't worry, that job's not as bad as you might think."
"Right. Remind me to thank you later." He shouldered his way down the hall. Sergio would remain at Robonotics of Brazil while the others work elsewhere. Julion doubled timed it to rejoin the group.
Cynthia, in her maroon uniform, looked like the leader of a group of employees. Julion watched as she transformed herself into that leader. Larry took his place beside her as a guard to help the show a little. With the others in tow she walked straight for the door.
The doorman stopped Cynthia with a firm, "Halt! Workers are to remain indoors during work hours."
"Idiot, I am escorting these workers for field research. I have validation for their temporary discharge here." Cynthia sharply pushed a chip at the bot.
Julion gripped his fists ready for a fight if the bot questioned her further. It took the chip. Julion relaxed. Obviously it believed her to be Linda. The others followed and Julion hid his face as best he could.
Cynthia led the group to several buildings around the city. Each time, Julion tensed and each time they walked in with no confrontation. Transfer orders seldom were questioned.
Once the final android assumed their new post Julion, Cynthia, and Larry again were alone. Julion had doubts about all this but he hesitated to insult her with questions. How could incorporating five anthropoids into a large society create a rebellion large enough to take on the strong government? Assuming they did get their point across in a short enough time without being caught where exactly would they get their armament and base to begin the war? At least Julion presumed there would be a war. He looked over to the android and wondered exactly what was going through her mind. "What's next?" Julion asked simply.
She surveyed the area. "We find a place to house all of us until we can get them individual apartments. Then we start worrying about having them put the right ideas into peoples' heads."
"I know this is being pessimistic, but what if they put a search out for the missing androids? What will you do if they realize who they are before they even get off work today?" Julion asked.
"I'll play it by ear." Cynthia answered. "Come on." The three moved down the street with Larry in the guard position. Julion and Cynthia walked arm in arm as if married. Workers were not authorized on the streets in the daytime unless moving from one job to another. Middle class citizens, however, were seldom bothered by security bots -- especially if they had a bot of their own -- which was not uncommon. Having a working class spouse was not uncommon either. So they had a decent chance of walking where they wanted without being hassled.
"How do you do it?" Julion watched her curiously.
"Do what?"
"Walk around as if nothing's wrong. How can you suddenly just accept that you're an android when yesterday you thought you were human?"
"I don't know." She shrugged as if she were human. "I guess a switch just got flipped inside me."
Julion knew there was more to it than that and after helping to build the androids had become curious about their inner workings. Moreover, what it might do for him.
"So, um, I know you didn't transfer any memories into those androids. What's the process? How did you get Linda's memories?"
"She recorded the impulses and brain activity while she remembered certain key events. Theoretically intervening events are recorded as secondary information. There is special equipment in the lab for interpreting all of this. These things also influence the personality programming. It's all then uploaded as data into specially allocated locations."
Julion marveled at her. "Sometimes you do sound more like an android than a human."
"Sometimes you sound like a pan troglodyte." Larry interjected.
Cynthia giggled. Julion believed she enjoyed their exchanges. He decided it'd be better to ignore them.
"So… Things could be added or deleted."
"Yes, of course, once it's recorded it's the same as any data in a computer."
"That means you're not exactly like Linda." Julion found himself relieved at this.
"I thought that much was evident." Larry said.
Before the conversation could go further they reached the human resources center which served the entire city. Just inside the door was the bulletin board with a listing for available housing. They began their list of possible hideouts.
***
Sleeping in late was one of the pleasures of being middle class. Linda Aldin woke up as the sun peeked in through her lace curtains at eight a.m. She woke slowly staying in bed for a while, yawning occasionally, just allowing the oxygen to wake her fully. She dressed casually and even walked to work slowly today. She didn't need any stress right now, after what happened yesterday. She knew she was in for a good yelling from the Boss. So things really couldn't get much worse. At least that's what she thought.
After she was inside the building she passed 10NUD's desk without receiving a message from the Boss. Perhaps, she thought, today's going to turn out well after all.
Whistling a happy tune, she entered the elevator that automatically went to her floor. When the doors opened before her there was an eerie silence.
Strange, where have the bots all gone? She moved through the empty lab towards the computer. On the way she absently knocked her knuckles against the beds. She was halfway through the room before her mind clicked, and she did a double take on the beds. Not only the bots were gone, but now some of her precious anthropoids were missing too!
Who could have done this? How could they be taken and no security alarms go off? The first thing to come to her mind was Sally. Sally had been the last one with the anthropoids. But she didn't believe Sally took them. Linda never told her anymore than she needed to know. Perhaps Sally took them and the bots somewhere else to complete the work on them. That was unreasonable -- none of the equipment needed to vitalize the anthropoids were missing. Could she have activated them here? No, even with the bots' help Sally could never have activated all the anthropoids in the time she was left alone with them.
Linda's train of thought was broken when the lift's doors hissed open. Linda swiveled to confront Sally. Linda's eyes were blazing with heat. "Where are my anthropoids?!"
"I-I d-don't know." Linda couldn't believe Sally would lie like this. "You were the last one in here with them." When Linda, her expression still burning, did not answer Sally continued to explain. "Don't you remember? You came in and ordered us all out."
Linda calmed down as she stared at Sally as her mind tried to focus. "Cynthia." She said slowly. It had to be her because Linda came nowhere near the building after she left it yesterday. How could Sally have believed Cynthia to be her? Sally had worked closely with them both so by now she should know the difference. Then again a small part of Linda was ecstatic. She created the android so perfectly not even a close friend could tell them apart.
Her moment of happiness faded again when she looked at the empty table where her anthropoids once were. She knew she was dead if the boss found out. A dark mood fell over her. Estevez would have to be told about this, and she didn't want to be the one who is to tell him. Hell, she didn't want to be anywhere he could find her.
Another feeling washed over her, panic. She knew what the Boss would do to her when he found out the anthropoids were missing. When Cynthia wasn't found yesterday, the Boss became so angry, she spent six hours in the Medical Clinic.
She would not show her state of panic though it consumed her. She tried to project a calm but angry attitude. She started to empty a cabinet with some software chips. As she did so, she commanded Sally.
"Go to Estevez. He has to know about the anthropoids. Tell him I suggest we double the bots in the search for Cynthia and Julion. If we find them, we find the anthropoids."
Linda picked up a bag and stowed the chips into it. Sally watched her with a skeptical expression. She stepped warily forward to the blonde woman.
"How am I supposed to know you are who you say you are?"
Linda regarded her with a jaundiced eye. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Sally shrugged. "Oh, I don't know, maybe it means you're not whom you appear to be, that you are an android. Maybe," She said as an afterthought, "Linda sent you up here to have me and the Boss believe that she had nothing to do with the disappearance of the anthropoids. When, in fact, she took them with her for more profit than she could have ever gotten here."
"You're way off." Linda retained her composure. "Just do as you're told."
"Why don't you go tell him?" Sally voice shook with a little fear.
Linda slammed the case closed and headed for the lift. "Because I have a flit to catch." She threw her head around so her hair slapped into Sally's face. "If Estevez finds out they're missing from me he'll blame me for everything. If he hears it from you, well, at least I'll be far away." Linda knew she was home free as the door closed between them.
***
Cynthia and Julion with bot in tow walked up to the fifth housing facility they had visited today. "I sincerely hope this one will accept us, since it is the last one on the list."
Cynthia shrugged off his comment, took Julion by the arm, and walked in the door. Larry floated in behind them. The office was in the front building of a three-hundred house complex. Directly inside the door was a dusty reception desk cluttered with stacks of pads and knickknacks. Among the piles of junk on top the desk was a newer optical radio -- a radio that projects images directly onto the retina making you feel like your in the room with a symphony, newscasters, or just get psychedelic images -- strangely enough it didn't work on Cynthia. Obviously the rent here is high enough to provide the manager with all the latest technologies and fulfill all her wants.
The manager sat reading a fax pad that provided her with all the latest news of the world. The radio was currently giving off the weather report that said what it says every day, hot and humid with an 80 percent chance of rain. Cynthia leaned over the desk.
"Excuse me."
The large woman, in her mid fifty's, wore her orange hair up in a bun and had on a long, flowery brown dress, a strange sight for a middle class woman. Around her neck hung the UN's unity symbol that she was clinging onto as she read quietly aloud to herself.
Cynthia knocked loudly on the old flaking wood of the desk to get her attention. The lady finally looked up and seemed shocked to find the people standing there with a security bot to back them up. "Oh, have I done something wrong?"
"No, nothing at all." Cynthia smiled kindly to keep from spooking her. "This is Sid, my fiancée, and I am Greta Louise. We're looking for a place to live." Quietly she added, "We're getting married this weekend."
"Ohhhh! How wonderful! I'm so happy for you, deary. And he's sooo cute." The older woman took Cynthia's hand. "I suppose you want a three-bedroom house, just in case you have little ones coming soon." She winked, her long dark eyelashes fluttering.
Cynthia encouraged her. "We'll take anything you have available, and the bigger the better."
"Isn't that the truth, babe?" The woman's blush turned a shade redder and she winked towards Julion. She whispered back to Cynthia. "He is a looker. You make such a cute couple."
Cynthia was beginning tire of this line of conversation. "Thank you. So do you have a place?"
"Oh, yes, of course, I do believe I have several homes you may enjoy." She seemed undeterred that Julion was merely a worker and pressed a call button on the desk. "Let me just call in my assistant. We can get all the paperwork looked at, then we'll go look at the houses." The blue pedbot wobbled in. Despite all the money this woman must have, she probably didn't give a damn about bots. This one was in terrible shape. "L16 will process your data chip." Cynthia handed over one of the chips she had specifically designed for this purpose while she was in the lab.
L16 returned the chip quickly. "Everything checks out perfectly." The bot's cracked voice replied.
The old woman smiled. "Good. Now come deary. We're going to find you the perfect home."
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please send me any comments you might have, good or bad. Copyrighted 2008 by Christine Schnell. Go ahead and share it with others just keep my name with it.
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