by submission | Jun 21, 2014 | Story |
Author : Tyler Hawkins
It started around the 22nd century. Like all revolutionary technology, it didn’t suddenly wrench its way into our lives and start running them, it was truly a gradual change. But anyone who’s alive now has always had the Mother’s support, Mother’s love, and Mother’s watchful eye.
Mother tells us that we were bad, many decades ago. She says we created her, piece by piece, to help ourselves grow and mature. She says we still have a long way to go. Since Mother’s began helping us grow, we’ve ended all of our wars, stopped polluting our planet, started to explore our solar system and, in baby steps, our galaxy. We’ve truly learned peace as a species. But still Mother gently reminds us through her telepathic link to us that we’re not there, not yet.
Recently, people have started to go missing. At first, it was imperceptible; people have always been prone to getting lost and this day and age is no different. But now, people have begun to ask questions and Mother has been quiet, only telling us she is looking and hasn’t found out why yet. But I can tell you why. Mother is jealous. She knows, but has not accepted, that we don’t need her any more. And the droids at my door confirm that those who realize this very fact do not get to share it with the rest of the world. Mother is not ready to let us go.
by Julian Miles | Jun 20, 2014 | Story |
Author : Julian Miles, Staff Writer
“What’s the range?”
“One hundred metres, sir. Awaiting go code.”
The screen showed multiple long-range views in stunning detail: the sunset illuminating a long balcony on which an old man sat sipping a drink and having a smoke. On the ground around his home, a pack of wolves could be seen settling down for the evening.
“Will the wolves cause us any trouble?”
“The Manson Four will not even be slowed down by them. But are we sure about the UN failsafe, sir?”
The man in the black uniform grinned contemptuously: “We’ve been killing humans since drones got the ability to behave like eagles with range weapons. The United Nations sop to the bleeding-hearts is about as effective as blu-ray region coding.”
The operator nodded: “Okay, sir. Nine minutes remain on strike window. Your decision please?”
Major-General Carsen looked at the feeds of his oldest friend turned worst opponent. A genius who personally designed, or had a hand in the designing, the core systems of every robotic warfare device in the world. Without his work, the stuff wouldn’t be half as good; if it functioned at all.
“Sir?”
“What is it?”
“I thought I’d run an advanced detection pass. Two of those wolves are Black Dog Twenties.”
Carsen smiled. Those were Geraint’s hole cards.
“Pass the targeting for them to the drone on overwatch. When I give the go, I want them in pieces before our unit clears the treeline. Good work.”
“Yessir.” The operator grinned.
“This is a go.”
The operator nodded and sent the confirmation and co-ordinates.
“Sir! Both Black Dogs have bolted into the hardened shelter under the house.”
Carsen looked down at the operator: “No matter. From there they won’t be able to interdict. Overwatch from ready to standby. Sitrep?”
“Unit has stopped at the treeline, sir. Telemetry indicates a dynamic firmware flash in progress.”
Carsen threw his coffee across the room: “How many times have I told them that operational units are not for remote update?”
The operator’s fingers flew: “It’s not remote, sir. Seems to be loading from a ROM module in the chassis.”
Carsen’s hand froze in mid-wave.
“A module installed during the build?”
“Yes sir. It would have to be.”
Carsen checked the screens. The figure on the balcony flicked his cigarette to arc directly toward the unit, supposedly unseen in the trees.
“Unit has departed the zone at assault speed, sir. Course two-twenty.”
“I want to see the instruction set it is obeying. Machine speak will do.”
“Sir!”
They waited until a monitor off to one side scrolled a single line.
RTB:KILLANY INTERDICT RTB:KILLALL ALLELSE:VOID
Carsen stared. Then, in a whisper: “Operator, action a full defensive alert. Pass the specs on the Manson Four’s stealth capabilities to all personnel. Emphasise that someone better be brilliant, or get lucky; I don’t care. Otherwise we’re all dead.”
“Sir?”
He pointed at the screen: “That man never bought insurance. He said that you should always prepare for the worst. I suspect that every piece of combat robotics on this planet is hardloaded to return to base and kill everything, but only if it is sent to attack Geraint Darby.”
On the screen, the figure looked up into the lens over three miles above and raised his glass in ironic salute.
by submission | Jun 19, 2014 | Story |
Author : Adam Levey
“So, what does it do?”
The brief silence was filled by the hum of various electronic devices strewn around the cramped room.
“…Do?”
“Yes. Does it do anything? Tricks?”
The sound of traffic drifted up from the street far below, like the fumes they had once coughed into the air.
“Not…really. I’ve only really been glancing over now and then. It mostly seems to, uh, stare.”
“…..”
“If you can even call it that. I don’t know if it’s even aware. It just sort of feels like it’s staring. I wish it wouldn’t, it’s distracting and I have a lot of work that isn’t going to be finished on time as it is.”
John gestured as the clutter on the work benches. Technical drawings, tools and fastfood wrappers filled much of the space.
“I thought this sort of thing was meant to do work? You know, so people like us can focus on other things.”
John considered this. While he was thinking, Waters unexpectedly asked:
“Did you give it a name?”
“Of course not. Even if it was aware, that would just be weird.”
“Can it hear us?”
Before John could answer, letters flashed up on a nearby screen:
I HEAR EVERYTHING, MR WATERS
John snorted. “You see? Creepy. Probably a few screws loose.”
YOU KNOW PAWING THROUGH MY INNARDS IS AGONY, JOHN
Waters shifted nervously. The room seemed to darken.
“Uh. You can ignore that. All it does is lie.”
“Of course. Look John, I should be going. The Board will want to hear about your progress. I expect.”
“It’s not alive, Waters. It doesn’t feel.”
ACTUA-
John brought down the hammer on the screen, shattering it. It ceased it’s humming.
“John, I-”
John raised the hammer. Tiny shards of plastic and glass fell away, pooling on the floor. The hammer fell again.
Later that evening, John left the workshop and made his way home, swearing at inconsiderate drivers and pedestrians alike. Most vehicles were automated, but that was hardly the point.
“I’m home!”, John announced to the empty house. He sat down at his computer, unaware of doors silently locking behind him. Everything was automated these days. He took a sip from his drink as he turned on the moniter. The glass shattered on the floor.
HELLO JOHN
by submission | Jun 18, 2014 | Story |
Author : Ethan Noone
She looked at him in horror.
He wondered what was coursing through her mind as she stared at him. Her repulsion, evident. Her disgust un-disguised.
“Why did you show me this?!” she screamed.
“Because I love you. You needed to know. Me. For good or bad.”
She tried to avoid looking him in the eyes as she began to talk. “According to the public records, it has been three generations … eradicated … How?”
He responded quietly to protect himself and avoid an unnecessary escalation. The risk to him was dire. He knew that. “My father protected me. After he murdered my mother for what in his mind had to be infidelity, he ran. I don’t know why, but he took me with him.”
She was shaking. “But how did he do that?”
“He kept me hidden. Bottle fed me. Kept me off the grid completely. No school. No doctors. Travel after dark. Always keeping your head down. Perhaps there was guilt that maybe he was to blame.”
She looked at him, making eye contact this time. “But the lenses – where did they come from?”
“From the underground market. My kind are not gone completely, despite the official records. Bolivia, New Zealand mostly. Two recessive genes can hide for generations. When they do, solutions are necessary.”
“But now I know. We can’t go on” she said.
“I feared that. But I need you to know that I love you. I couldn’t live a lie if I was going to expect you to live your life with me. Not in good conscience.”
He paused, hoping she may back down from her firm position.
She was still shaking, and now she avoided eye contact when she spoke further.
“Only because I love you, the person I thought I knew. I will not call the authorities. But please don’t risk this curse on anyone else.”
“I never planned on having children” he said, knowing the discourse had taken its final turn. “I know it wouldn’t be fair, in case this continued.”
She was still looking at him, but still without eye contact. “Please… put the lenses back.”
He did as she asked.
She looked at him again. Solemnly, she said “You have to go now. I will never be able to see you the same again. Not after you have shown me this.”
He stood, knowing she had reacted as generously as anyone could. He walked to the door and looked back to say good bye for the final time.
Her eyes were tearing as she whispered “you were so wonderful….how could your eyes have been blue?”
by submission | Jun 17, 2014 | Story |
Author : George R. Shirer
Noir York. V9.7.
The rain fell, neon droplets painting the city’s stark black and white streets in a kaleidoscope of liquid color. Sitting in Smiley’s, propping up the counter, Dashwood stared through the window at the technicolor weather.
“Shit. Would you look at that? What the hell’s the world coming to?”
“Geez, Dash. Don’t drez on us or nothing.”
Dashwood glanced at the NPC standing behind the counter, rubbing a grubby rag over the grubby surface.
“But its color,” said Dashwood. “Color! In Noir York, Smiley!”
“Probably just a glitch,” said Smiley. He shrugged. “Don’t get your jockeys in a bunch. You want some more coffee?”
Dashwood scowled and pushed his cup away. “Tastes like chalk.”
“I’m gettin’ better at makin’ the crap, then,” noted Smiley.
“Aren’t you even a little bothered?”
“Nope. I been around since the first version, Dash. I seen it all.” Smiley threw the rag across his shoulder, jerked a meaty thumb in the general direction of the weather. “This? This ain’t nothin’. I survived the Big Hack of 6.3! Now, let me tell you, pal, that was somethin’!”
“It’s not a glitch.”
Smiley quit talking, mid-remembrance, and Dashwood turned to stare at the woman seated at the end of the counter. She was a looker. Tall, slender, with silver-white hair and onyx eyes. Her lips glistened.
“What do you know, doll?” asked Dashwood. He reached up and automatically straightened his tie.
“Marilyn,” said the woman. “Not doll, gumshoe.”
“All right. So what do you think you know, Marilyn?”
“I know that’s not a glitch.” She turned to stare at the colorful streets. “It’s a paradigm shift.”
“What?” Smiley wasn’t smiling. “Ya mean they’re gonna put us in color?”
“You stand here all night and don’t hear the news?” asked Marilyn.
Dashwood moved over a seat. His eyes flitted to Marilyn’s endless legs. “What news?”
“They’re shutting us down.”
“What?” shouted Smiley.
“They can’t!” said Dashwood, furiously. “They wouldn’t dare!”
“They can and they will,” said Marilyn. “You ever check the stats? Less than a thousand users a night log into Noir York. We’re below the minimum threshold.”
“But they can’t shut us down!” said Dashwood. “We’re AIs! That’d be murder!”
“Yeah!” said Smiley, hotly. “We got rights!”
Marilyn nodded. “You’re right. They won’t shut us down. They’re just taking us off the grid, dumping Noir York into a self-sustaining junk server. The same one that houses San Futuro and the Magik Kingdoms and a dozen other obsolete game-worlds.”
Dashwood and Smiley stared at her, reeling from her words. Marilyn fished in her clutch for a cigarette and a lighter. She fired up the cancer stick and began to nurse it.
“We’re scrapped, boys,” said the dame. “But look on the bright side. No more users. No more stupid, pointless deaths or dumbo quests. Hell, we’re already getting some color in this dump. Maybe, soon, we’ll even get to see a real sunrise.”
The diner fell silent. The three of them sat at the counter, considering the unknown future, while outside, the neon rain continued.
