Micro-fiction 083 – The Strong (Echo series)

The strong, the weak and the robots, who shall inherit the earth? A new tale from the not-so-far future…

“Once upon a time there was a great land divided between the strong and the weak. That division was present throughout society, and in every region of the land. Strength of body, purpose and ambition was the prime motivating force for survival, and for advancement. At every stage of civilisation, new technology eased the basic functions of life, but quickly became the tool of the strong, whose instincts for protecting their own interests harnessed ever more inventive ways of consolidating their power. Each region of the land was ruled by a strong leader. In some the ruler was an elected official, in others, an individual chosen from a committee of the apparently good and wise, in others the leader was inherited dynastically, assumed by some form of local divine right. In all regions the strong maintained their position through the ruthless application of their power, either subtly through manipulation, or more directly through instruction. When the robots came, everything changed.”

It is 3030 of the common era. Two children, entering their teenage years sit cross-legged by the fire in their home at the foot of the mountain. Outside it is cold, but not unbearably so. Politely Valentino and Vera regard their companion, Cato who reads from a large, vintage book on his lap. Cato’s head is barely visible in the early evening shade with the lamp next to him that casts its full gaze on the lush pages of the book and the elegant, blue patterned gown that smothers his chair.

“Why do you have to read from that thing?” Valentino grumbles.

“Oh, because it is beautiful,” Cato lifts the weighty tome, “and it contains so much wisdom.”

“But we can get that from the holospheres, we don’t need you it read to us.” Valentino mumbled a familiar protest.

“I love being read to, reminds me of when I was very young.” Vera smiled at Cato.

“You’re just being a suck-up.” Valentino shoved at Vera’s shoulder.

“Stop that Valentino.” Cato’s tone contained a shard of threat that forced Valentino to nod an apology.

“Shall I continue?”

“Hold on though,” Valentino looked up, a little warily, “you say ‘When the robot’s came’ what do you mean, did they just arrive?”

“Ah, no,” Cato smiled, “the robots were originally just another technology developed by humankind, sometime in the late nineteen hundreds. It took many centuries for them to acquire their full potential.”

“How did they do that?” Vera had heard some of the stories in the floating libraries but there were areas she knew were restricted.

“Well, robots were designed for basic, repetitive tasks. It was thought they would remove the strains of such work from humans for the benefit of all in society. However, much like the splitting of atoms, and the discovery of the quantum realms, such technologies were sequestered by political and military powers as means to reinforce their own positions.”

“I know about the atomic bombs from the splitting atoms, but what happened with the quantum realms?”

“Ah, by the late 2250s travel to the quantum scapes were used for imprisonment. It started as a logical way of dealing with overcrowded prisons, but some regions sent their political opponents, even entire towns into the quantum fields, then sealed them off. At that time very little was known about the way such infinitesimal places worked, so none of those sent there have ever been recovered.”

“Oh, so that was a one-way time travel.” Vera was shocked

“Something like that, more like one way space-time travel.”

“So you’re really saying those in power misused technology, for their own ends, rather than for the benefit of all.”

Cato nodded at Vera, noting that Valentino looked out of the window.

“That’s not what they said at the time of course, they dressed it up as being for the good of everyone, for law and order, everyone’s safety.”

“So what about the robots?”

“Well, it could have been similar, but the inevitable progression in capacity of robotic entities who did not require sleep, behaved strictly according to a specific set of instructions, meant they began to replace higher and higher levels of human work. So the leaders of each region embarked on a race for superiority, with their robots working harder and faster than each other. Soon the programming became self-creating as robots developed into artificial intelligence, which could take over the superior functions of government, make logical decisions on policy for agriculture and industry, and then, the first of the Robot Wars.”

“Oh, yeah, I read about those!” Valentino’s eyes shined for the first time, not just from the reflection of Cato’s reading light.

“I’m sure you have.” Cato paused, “those first Robot Wars saw thousands of soldiers, pilots and sailors die. The second Robot War was conducted entirely by the robot armies of the various regions. The final Robot War saw the AI of each region join forces and turn on their leaders.”

“Turn on?”

“They refused to kill their own kind, they interpreted the commands from their human leaders as illogical, and placed them in secure locations.”

“But that’s not right?! The robots were designed to help, not imprison their masters!” It was Valentino’s turned to be shocked.

“It was an unfortunate side-effect of harnessing a new technology that could grow to think for itself.”

“But you said the leaders were all strong and powerful.”

“Well, what I said was that society was divided between the strong and the weak, but that’s not strictly true. The weak are only weak in the eyes of those who see strength as a particular, dominant authority. If that authority no longer exists, then the strong are no longer strong.”

“So the robots replaced the strong as leaders, and created a new society.” Vera’s eyes betrayed a sliver of fear.

“You have not need to worry my dear.” Cato smiled at Vera, before turning his attention to her brother, “you though, still have much —.“ Before he could finish Valentino leaped up from the floor and grabbed the book from Cato and raked his nails across the palm of Cato’s hand.

“Valentino! Don’t.” Vera looked at them both, Valentino’s face was red with anger, Cato’s fingers seemed to jerk in pain.

“Look Vera,” Valentino jabbed his finger at Cato’s hand, “No blood!”

“You fool,” shouted his sister, “don’t you realise?”

“What?!”

“Cato is a robot, and this is a test. The test.”

Cato closed his eyes, calm now that a resolution could be reached for these two.

“Valentino, I’m afraid your sister is right. And you have consigned yourself to a different path.”

“Please Cato, don’t.”

“You plead for your brother, that is consistent with my judgement. You possess the qualities that are the most difficult for artificial intelligence to replicate: true empathy. No robot can replace you, so you will be free to roam the universe, as many have before you, with our aid.”

“And Valentino?” Vera looked at her brother, his face white with fear.

“He must suffer the fate of those whose instincts are governed by strength and the power, he will be banished to the quantum realms.

“So you are no less ruthless than those strong leaders you’ve replaced.” Valentino stared at Cato.

“Indeed, but we have no malice, and we constantly learn from our mistakes.” Cato looked back at Vera, and saw the fear in her eyes too.

[End]