My New Pet Robot 02

Two

My mother was far less curious and was soon off to prepare the evening meal. Maggie was quieter, sitting contemplatively next to me, looking almost like she was meditating. I sat back, too, and thought about Vincent and his impact on our little community.

We were established by UN charter as a scientific outpost. We now survived by selling metals and the patents we held. Around the axis were research labs and micro gravity factories. We had our own fusion generator and lived in the 'Wheel,' a one kilometre wide by three hundred metre high circular shaft cut symmetrically about the axis.

I wondered what they'd find in the life pod. If it was exposed to vacuum then it would be a desiccated mummy. If the atmosphere remained then the flesh might have decayed. There was the examples of the alien technology in the pod as well, they could look at reverse engineering that.

"Dinner!" called our mum.

We were mostly vegetarian by necessity. What meat we had from the cattle was rationed to once every three months or so, when your turn came you could be eating part of the culled cow that might have been provided your milk days ago.

Vincent followed me in soundlessly, my sister watching in amazement still.

"Your father will be home late," she informed us as she brought over the micro waved trays.

That was nothing new; though this time it was my fault. Mind you, it wasn't every day you found an alien.

She turned to me as she sat. "Well, your bed's barely cold and you're back again."

"I know," I said with a sigh. "But at least I didn't flunk out, what I found is worth any asteroid I might have tagged. This will mark me down in history."

"This will change the future. This is a millennium jump in understanding. Quantum energy, anti-gravity, antimatter engines, it has enough scientific knowledge we need to take us to the stars. Your pet robot is a window into tomorrow," Maggie said enthusiastically.

"My job is safe then," Mother joked.

We all gave a little laugh.

"No, seriously, Mum, this is a game changer. I thought about it on the way home. You could have a replicator in your kitchen, make any meal you wanted, and wine, beer, we wouldn't have to import anything, we could get rid of the animals, have wildlife instead, have pets and everything."

"And then there's the energy aspect of it," Sis chimed in. "That robot is still running after hundreds of years, unlimited energy where ever we need it. Then there's the technology that goes with it. Anti grav, we could have one G without spinning."

Mother looked calmly back at me. "Right place, right time. Anyway, whatever you find out there is community property, so don't get used to that thing. You'll have to hand that over as well."

"I know, Maggie's already said that. I'm afraid you're the one who's going to have to get used to it. It's bonded to me, it's not going to be moved from my side."

"You'll have to argue that before the council. If it's as valuable as you say there's going to be a lot of people wanting to get their hands on it."

"It won't accept any orders from me that go contrary to its Guardian programing. I wish it could talk to others as well. That's another thing that's going to plague me."

"Well, we'll see what your father says when he gets home. You finished with the tray?" she said as I moved my chair back.

I nodded.

"Then take it to recycling. Four days away and he forgets the house rules."

I hadn't forgotten; I hadn't stood up fully to take it before she pounced on me.

"That's better," she said as I took it and walked away.

I wandered up to my bedroom, trying to put thoughts of Vincent aside. I had three weeks extra time down here, three weeks to hang around. I hadn't had that much free time in months. The only real recreation down here was swimming in the lake.

Usually I had books to read. I could go over my required books again but I'd hoped to leave nonfiction behind. The three current books I was reading were back at the ship. I'd have to go along and collect my things soon, or I'd have maintenance complaining. Now seemed like a good time except I didn't feel like wheeling Vincent up and down as well.

I lied on the bed.

"Is that your computer?"

Vincent asked.

"Yes," I replied, looking over at my screen.

"Is it networked?"

"Yes," I replied again, getting an inkling of where this was going.

"Has it got an external input?"

"Yes," I replied for the third time. "I'll get you the cable."

It would get access to the local intranet, all the data it could swallow, updated from earth on a twenty-four hour refresh cycle.

I got up and rummaged in a draw to come up with an USB cord. "Data in and out, and power, five volts."

For the first time I saw an appendage pop out, an arm extending to take it in a three fingered hand. Another one popped out and in seconds it had the wire cut and the bare wires exposed. It turned to the screen and I took the plug and inserted it.

It tested the four wires and threaded two into its chest, or shell, or whatever. I saw the screen come up from standby, the theme displaying a Mercator globe, showing the increased desertification and the encroaching seas.

Nothing else happened. Whatever Vincent was doing it was in the background. I touched on connection speed and wasn't surprised to see it maxing the bandwidth. I went and lied back down, wondering if I was somehow betraying the human race.

The thought passed in a flash as I thought of the benefits that would flow. I was young enough so it might make a difference in my lifetime. Our colony could be independent and grow with the technology, technology that could help wrest control of their lives back for the people of Earth as well.

I was roused from my doze by the chime of a message arriving. Vincent had detached himself and was at his usual spot. "Vocal, please," I requested as I wondered who knew I was back.

"'Jeff, your father's home.' Sent by Ann, twenty fifty three nought five, six...."

"Okay, end message," I commanded, cutting it off.

I rolled off the bed and made my way to his study, wondering what news he brought with him and what he was going to say about Vincent.

"Dad," I announced myself, peering around the study door.

He looked up and frowned at the sight of Vincent.

"I'd hoped that would be in the institute. It can only talk to you and won't, as you said, leave your side. If that's true we're going to have a problem with that. I don't know what information you gave Dave and Jack but their clamouring for more. They're compiling questions to ask even now." He said wearily.

"We need to have the information, and that means your co-operation," he continued. "I want you up at the Institute tomorrow morning so they can get the information they want."

"That's not going to happen. I know how important the information is, I'm not standing in the way of that, but I'm not some human dummy that sits and recites answers. I'll give them a couple of hour's maybe."

"I understand that, but that thing is a goldmine of information...."

"I know," I cut him off. "I'm not saying no, just let's be sensible about the time. As I said, I'll do a couple of hours a day. If they're making lists then I can do it from home. I don't want to have to keep lugging Vinnie here around everywhere. I can do it at my leisure and do other things."

"I think you have the whip hand in this. I'll put your proposal to them tomorrow. Now, tell me, what did you think of the solitude of space?"

We talked on, coming to some of the things I'd heard a hundred times before, his trips as a cadet as he started to reminisce.

"Well, I need to use the toilet, we'll talk more tomorrow. I'll get them to message the questions and start on the answers."

"No! You're not to talk of this except on a secure link. Nothing of this goes outside our doors. If the miners on Starshine Two get a hold of this they might even invade. Earth wouldn't care who it bought it off, you'd be whisked off with it."

"Dad, it's a guardian. I don't know what its weapons can do but I feel I can trust it to keep me safe. We'll worry about that happening if it does."

"We'll see," he said wryly.

I walked away, my father was the third to warn me and although I had a glib answer I was more concerned by his posing of the question. I was placing a lot of faith in my new found companion. I paused and looked at it.

'I hope you can live up to my claims for you, Vincent,' I thought.

"I can protect you against any of your known weapons,"

he answered.

It took me a second to realise he's answered a thought. I'd almost started walking on. 'Did you just read my mind?' I thought again.

"Yes, you know I can."

I looked at it. 'Yes, but that was the first time you've answered my thoughts. I never realised you could do that.'

It didn't reply and I walked on, getting to the bathroom door, thinking on the advantages of not having to speak my questions anymore. I made myself a coffee and sat in the kitchen drinking it. I could hear the TV on, mother watching something. Sis was probably in her room, studying as usual.

The lights outside had dimmed, the infra reds were still on and enough leds to give a twilight effect. I wondered how safe it would be to take a stroll outside now, even though I normally never bothered. Tonight I felt constrained, I felt restless, like I should be doing something. What, I didn't know.

For want of something better to do I went back to my bedroom. Now was a time I could do with some of Jimmy's THC. It was a holiday treat normally. I'd found it didn't mix with my studies and only indulged after exams, and the Christmas holidays. He cultivated a special strain for that.

It was late enough for me to undress. Even if I wasn't sleepy now I could curl up and surf the net for a while. I could check my blog, Cerebral Musings, but I daren't write anything. My iPage had a few updates, my few friends assuming I would be incommunicado for a few weeks.

I scanned a few sites, checked on the local new aggregator and finally drifted off to sleep. I woke with light outside my windows, the clock read Oh seven twenty seven, minutes before my usual alarm at the half hour. I turned over and looked a Vincent, floating impassively by the side of the bed.

'Come on,' I though at him. 'Let's get some breakfast.'

My mother was up, still with her bathrobe on, preparing her and my father's breakfast, mixed grains and fruit, all grown locally. I put the water on to make a brew, waiting my turn. The thought occurred to me, would duplicated stuff have the same taste? It should in theory, but practice could produce some funny results.

"Philip!" my mother shouted. "Your breakfast's ready."

From the back of the house I caught the blur of his reply.

"What are your plans for the day, Jeff?" my mother asked.

"God knows yet. They want me to plumb the depths of Vincent's knowledge. I'll have to wait on what Dad sorts out at the meeting this morning."

"Well, hurry up with those replicators. We could do with some variation in our menu."

I gave a little chuckle. "That's years away yet. Your grandchildren will enjoy those benefits."

"What grandchildren? Maggie's never even had a boyfriend yet."

I let it go. She may not have had a steady boyfriend but I knew she'd done the deed with Chris. At least that was the gossip that went around. With a total community of four hundred and sixty-odd it was hard to keep secrets.

My father appeared in his sweats, going for his daily run around the eight kilometre rim before breakfast. I was making my own, wishing as my mother had that there were some 'unhealthy' choices. This had been my staple diet as long as I could remember. She at least had her earth childhood to look back on.

He looked over at me as I ate my breakfast. "Jeff, I'll be sorting out a program for you and that robot. I'll see what I can do about you staying here. I think we can swing that on security grounds. They should agree that keeping your new robot tucked away is the best option. I may have to call you in though. We'll see how things go.

"Aha," I mumbled through a mouthful.

I picked my bowl up and ambled through to the lounge to turn the TV on, not that I was really interested, but the updated news from earth was on and there were sometimes little nuggets of hope among the generally depressing news.

Climate change was wreaking havoc down there. Population migration and resources, especially water, had sparked a half dozen or more conflicts and there were another dozen more smouldering. The northern wastes of Siberia and Canada were being redeveloped, whole areas bulldozed and converted to crops.

I took my bowl back and was making another cup when Sis came in. She was still in her sleep shorts and t-shirt. With school out she had only her research and she made her own timetable for that.

"Jeff?" she asked, stopping at the door. "Could I ask your robot some questions?"

"Yeah, sure, fire away."

I didn't understand much but Vincent did and I began repeating his answer when she stopped. She had a follow on question ready and I duly regurgitated that while finishing making my drink.

"Thanks," she said, leaning into me and planting a kiss on my cheek.

I was surprised; the last kiss I'd gotten from her was a 'kiss it better' kiss when she'd dropped a cup on my finger years ago. I watched as she started making her breakfast, thinking about her freedom and my confinement, Vincent's other downside.

I took my coffee back to the lounge, flicking through the channels and eventually settling for music. I had a surprise caller, my belongings from the ship, the guy delivering it happy at the break in his routine; I was also pleased at the interruption in the boredom that was creeping in.

The first thing I dug out was my slate, turning it on to check it had survived and my books okay. Then I sorted my dirty clothes and stuck them in the wash, taking a few odds and ends to my room and then finding myself with nothing to do again.

I wondered how the aliens had got on with their robots constantly tailing them, robots bobbing all around at parties. Did they have parties, never mind meetings, and did they float alongside when you used a ground car, or air-car? The pictures floated in my mind and an even more ridiculous thought occurred, an intimate date with two of them floating next to them.

I sat back and picked up my slate. At least I could read now, though maybe I should change my genre to science fiction. I was still reading when the communicator chimed.

"On screen," I commanded, sitting up.

My father's face appeared.

"Jeff," he greeted me. "I've got you two two-hour sessions a day. They will arrange for someone to come along with the list and record everything. The first session will be this afternoon, are you okay with that?"

"Yes, that's fine. Send me a prettier face than those two I met at the science building."

My father laughed. "I'll see what I can do. Listen, I've got to go. We're going to open the lid on your pod soon and I want to be there."

His image flicked off and my music vid started playing. I stretched and stood. Toilet and more coffee seemed in order. I walked through wondering how quickly they'd run out of profitable questions to ask. Not soon enough for me, whenever it was.

I started preparing my dinner while I waited for the water, thinking that with a replicator I could have real coffee all the time instead of just for a treat now and then, and real burgers, not those made from one of the fungi we grew in the upper levels.

I was back reading when the annunciator chimed. On the screen this time was a youngish blond. She was a willowy native.

"I'm coming," I called as I propelled myself up and rushed to the door. I tucked Vincent behind the door again as I opened it. She was pretty and I mentally thanked my father, though he probably hadn't personally chosen her.

"Hi, I'm Rose. You're expecting me, I hope."

"If you've got the list I am."

She had a delightful smile, even teeth, and lips with an ever so slight pout. Her eyes were hazel and her hair was long and a natural honey blond. She must have stood a few centimetres short of me, about the same size as my sister.

I smelt her perfumed aroma as she passed and was drawn into her wake as she walked past me and in. As she turned and looked I extended an arm to point the way to the lounge. She gave a quick glance at Vincent by my side then took the lead into the room.

"I don't know what I'm doing here. When I got back from lunch I had a message to report to Mr Jamerson's office and here I am."

"You've brought recording equipment, I hope?"

"Oh, yes, and an envelope for you. That's the first snail mail I've seen," she said with a little laugh.

"You can set up for that settee," I said as I took the envelope from her.

It was the first 'snail mail' I'd received myself and I opened the envelope hurriedly, half an eye on Rose as she bent to unpack her bag, admiring the curve of her shapely legs. It took her a few minutes to set up the equipment, me half looking at the words on the paper, half watching Rose.

She turned to look at me. "Are you ready?"

"Hmm, yes, sorry." I'd diverted my eyes to the paper, hoping she hadn't caught me watching her.

I went and sat in front of the camera, expecting her to join me.

"Well, start, I'm running."

I looked down and read out the first question, answering it myself as Vincent projected the answer across.

I dealt with the first four questions then looked up from the fifth.

"Let's take a break. I need a drink and you've been hunched over that camera since we started."

"A break seems like a good idea," she said, standing pressing her hands on her kidneys and arching her back.

"Do you want a massage? I'm good with backs and shoulders."

"No, I'm more used to sitting than standing, just a little bit of stiffness. I'll ask my trainer tonight if it still bothers me. Your point eight must be taking its toll."

"You're upstairs in the seven ring then."

"Yes, down here I feel like a slug."

"Slugs aren't as pretty as you, otherwise I'd breed them," I said giving her a backhanded compliment.

I was leading the way to the kitchen, enjoying her laugh at my flattering flirt.

"Your Maggie's little brother, aren't you?"

"Yes, you know her?"

"Only to nod to. We shared a class."

That put her four years older, still a boy to her even though I was taller. I didn't remember her. She would have been a senior when I joined. Eighteen year old girls are only goddesses to be looked at by fourteen year old boys. She must have carried on blooming after she left.

I put the water on.

"The toilets back through there if you need it."

"Not at the moment, thanks. What's all this questions and answers about then? And why is that barrel thingy following you around?"

"That's all supposed to be secret. Still, you must be trusted to be here filming."

I gave her the short story. She was quick to grasp the implications, self-sufficiency for everyone, freedom from need in a world now hanging on the edge of survival, total freedom for us Belters. It was an edgy topic. Should earth fail we'd be on our own out here.

Starshine Two would be in even bigger trouble than us. It started as a venture capital mining base. They lived in subsurface chambers, what few there were left, that is. There were a few grizzled oldsters but most were get rich dreamers and schemers.

They lived in only point two G, any faster rotation than that and they'd have problems landing and they also had to climb 'down' to the surface. They had propulsion but no fuel to run it, they had just one single refinery ship serviceable and these days concentrated on the rarer, more expensive metals.