… but there is also creation for the sake of beauty and the ultimate creation – that for the sake of creation alone. The last reason has always been the most compelling one; it was the reason, most poets assume, for the creation of the universe.
When man creates in such a fashion, his motives are godlike; at the same time he is indulging in the most dangerous of activities. When man presumes to be divinity, he is endangering his life and his soul.
Man is not a God. His vision is not so clear; his comprehension of the factors involved is not so complete; his control of his creation is imperfect.
James Gunn
Chapter 1
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Haile Kemali Paulus had the short dark hair of her mother but the facial features and piercing green eyes of her great-grandmother, the famous Haile Tesefay, “The Star Spotter,” who came to prominence for her work with the equally famous Tarban scientist Dr. Kebe. Haile Tesefay was the first on Tarba to see the “return of the stars.”
But that had been a hundred years ago. Since then Tarban scientists had discovered that their star system, along with a few others, had somehow been displaced in space but they hadn't been able to find out how it had happened or where they were with respect to the majority of human space. That was what Haile hoped to discover.
Haile was assisted in her experiment by an Em-based robot from the University of Tarba physics department whose name was Georg. They were using one of the department's labs.
She started the spin-two drive, not as a transport device which was its usual mode of operation, but as an exotic (negative) mass-energy generator. The device began to spin up its three-layered ring to create the Mach effect (named after the nineteenth-century physicist Ernst Mach) which would then shield a region of space from the universal mass and hopefully, from quantum fields.
If Haile was right, that time was caused by a temporal quantum field, Quantum Temporal Dynamics (QTD) as she called it, whose fundamental duration was a multiple of the Planck time, then similar to the Higgs field which permeates space and gives particles their mass, this temporal field would also permeate space and be the cause of time.
Now, if Haile could only shield her experiment from the temporal field enough, then any electronics within that shielded volume would operate without the dampening effect of the QTD field and therefore at a much different, hopefully much higher rate.
That was the plan anyway, to use the Mach effect the spin-two drive created to shield the experiment package from the quantum temporal field.
The drive itself resembled a water wheel a few feet across but with fewer spokes and a three-layer stack-up of special materials instead of blades or buckets.
As the drive came online, Haile, instead of forming a spherical-like droplet of negative mass-energy to open a link for transport, was trying to create a hollow rotating spheroid of negative mass-energy around her electronics. If successful, she expected that the rotation would cause the negative mass-energy to form a thin spherical shell. The thickness of the walls of that shell would be the key to shielding the electronics from the temporal quantum field.
To impart a rotation to the large spheroid Haile would use a second spin-two drive to create smaller spheres of negative mass-energy around the main spheroid. Since negative mass-energy repulses other negative mass-energy the small spheres would impart an impulse to the large spheroid creating a small rotation. If timed, spaced and given the proper momentum these small impulses would spin up the larger concentration of negative mass-energy, similar to the way a rotating magnetic field in an electric motor causes the rotor to turn.
Haile was creating the large spheroid and the robot Georg, with his superior reflexes, was creating the smaller spheroids with his spin-two drive.
Haile had stabilized the large spheroid, refreshing it from time to time since it had a tendency to disperse. It had assumed a spherical shape around the experiment which consisted of a box of electronics with an energy source in a cube about four inches square. The cube was mounted on a tee-like stand, the top of which was hidden in the almost two feet in diameter bubble of negative mass-energy.
The bubble which had assembled out of seemingly nothing was a white milky color, opaque and somewhat churning. Haile signaled for Georg to start his spin-two.
The spin-two drive not only creates a bubble of negative mass-energy along its axis but can “cast” or create the bubble at a distant location determined by the operator. Georg was busy creating and casting small bubbles of negative mass-energy just to one side of the large bubble. Before it was noticeably repulsed and dispersed Georg suppressed the first bubble and created another slightly to the side of the first. He continued the sequence, increasing in frequency, forming each small bubble and casting it around the equator of the large bubble but slightly offset each time.
The resulting repulsive force from Georg's small spheres was imparting a rotation to the larger spheroid. The rotation was getting faster and faster. Like the center of the two-dimensional surface of a stirred liquid begins to dip, the center of the spheroid was clearing (although Haile wouldn't know that until the experiment was over and she compared the experiment's clock with the lab clock).
Georg was becoming increasingly busy as he spun up the large bubble faster and faster. Haile was pleased with the experiment so far. Then she heard a rushing noise as if a wind. She noticed Georg had stopped.
Something like a clap of thunder startled Haile. The wind picked up. It was blowing in the direction of the experiment. She turned but noticed the doors to the lab were still closed. Then Haile noticed that the bubble of negative mass-energy deflated like a toy balloon. Soon Haile realized that papers were flying and speeding towards the spot where the bubble had disappeared.
Then it occurred to her.
A link.
By accident, Georg had opened up a transport link. The spheroid of negative mass-energy had enlarged it. The other end of the link must be in empty space. And that vacuum was causing all the air to evacuate the room. She needed to get out but then another thunderous clap was heard and the wind rushed back towards her. By then Georg was immobile and Haile was on the floor of the lab, unconscious.
Haile awoke in a bed in the hospital. Her mother and father and the head of the Tarba University physics department were there.
“Hi honey, how do you feel.”
“I feel okay mom.”
“The doctor says you hit your head, that's why you passed out. Do you remember?”
“Sort of. I remember trying to duck under the table. How's Georg?”
“He'll be fine Haile,” said Dr. Janeh. “They have him back at the university rebooting. Being an Em-based robot they will reload the original human brain imprint that he emulates and then update his memories from the last time he backed-up. He should be fine but he won't remember anything about the experiment.”
“Do you have any idea what happened to your experiment? We didn't find the electronics package. Apparently, it broke loose from the pedestal.”
“The experiment was going well. Georg had the main spheroid spinning rapidly and then I think he must have linked by accident. And probably the other end of that link was in space. The experiment package wasn't that tightly secured and was small enough to pass through the link, I guess.”
“So the air was expelled from the room explosively?”
“Yeah. And then it just as explosively returned.”
“That could mean the link collapsed due to an insufficient amount of negative mass-energy.”
“Is it usual to catch a link like that?” asked Haile's dad.
“No, it is not usual Mr. Paulus but not impossible. You see Loop Quantum Gravity shows that these things we call links are actually tubes of force that “link,” that's where the name comes from, remote volume elements of space. In a sense, they create and support spacetime. The negative mass-energy the spin-two drive creates opens these tube-like links. And since it's estimated that, on average, there could be more than one link per cubic nanometer of space, it wouldn't be impossible for Georg to open a link mouth by accident.”
“Yeah, Haile's tried to explain it to me before but I'm not much up on the physics.”
“Well, suffice it to say, that I'm surprised but not incredulous. So it's unlucky that it happened but lucky they caught the link they did.”
As soon as he said it, Dr. Janeh wished he hadn't.
“What do you mean Dr. Janeh?”
“Well, Mr. Paulus I mean ...”
“He means we could have opened a link to a far worse place.”
“What do you mean dear?”
“The other end could have terminated in a star dad.”
Mr. Paulus looked from his daughter to Dr. Janeh in horror.
“It's much more likely to link to empty space than to a star or any other object Mr. Paulus. The probability is pretty small to open a link into a star.”
“But not zero?”
Before Dr. Janeh could reply Haile's mom spoke up, “Dear, do you think it wise to continue this experiment since it has a possibility however small of ending in disaster?”
“Well when you put it like that mom.”
“Mrs. Paulus I promise you that we will figure out a way for Haile to do her experiment without undue danger. If Haile's theory is true then it would assure the survival of Tarba.”
Haile's mom and dad looked surprised.
“I didn't know it was that serious Dr. Janeh,” her mom said.
“It's not common knowledge Mr. and Mrs. Paulus but Tarba is in trouble. As you know we are a small, highly technical settlement and we are running out of certain resources that we need. Our planet and this space we are in are deficient in many of the elements an advanced technological civilization needs. That's why we depend on trade with others. And that has been greatly curtailed in our current situation since only a few of the other settlements were displaced as we were.
But the good news is that if Haile is correct and the shielding from the temporal field works we expect to boost computer performance hundreds if not thousands of times, then for the first time since Tarba found itself exiled to this space we will have the computing power to crunch the entire database of link information collected over the past hundred years. And in doing so we might find a hint as to where Tarba is currently located and maybe even a link back to the rest of human space and the resources we need to continue our civilization at its current level.”
Haile's mom stared at Dr. Janeh a moment.
“But you'll only run the experiment again if it's safe.”
“Yes, Mrs. Paulus,” said Dr. Janeh.
Haile was released from the hospital the following day. A couple of days later she was in Dr. Janeh's office at the university. They were discussing the experiment.
Dr. Janeh was saying, “If it finds a link at that location the fail safe will shut the drive down before it can create a large bubble of negative mass-energy and open the link's mouth. That should prevent any further accidents.”
“Won't that affect the spin up?”
“Some Haile. It might take slightly longer to spin up, that's all.”
“You know Dr. Janeh, mom and dad feel pretty strongly about me not continuing and I don't know if I can convince them this new process will provide the safety needed.”
“That's understandable Haile. But they don't have the training to judge. I'm afraid they'll have to rely on our judgment.”
Dr. Janeh paused as Haile was not quick to respond.
“So what do you think? Do you feel like it's safe enough to continue?”
“Dr. Janeh I know my rational brain tells me that the steps we have taken have made the experiment safe enough to continue. But my irrational brain is afraid.”
“That's understandable Haile. We are dealing with forces here, I mean the use of the spin-two drive, while it seems commonplace to us now, is still very powerful and dangerous. We should all feel some trepidation. But if we succumb to our irrational fears I'm afraid we, and that's we as a civilization, will perish.”
Chapter 2
Sigmund was crouching behind a burnt-out Helper 2 model. The mob of protesters had attacked the Helper robot and it, following orders, had not fought back. For Sigmund, the protests were a lucky occurrence. In all the chaos the security forces were stretched to their limits even with their robotic arsenal. It should allow Sigmund to slip away.
A hundred years, thought Sigmund as he waited for the crowd to move further away.
A hundred years of hard work here on Earth all gone. My partners scattered to who knows where. Me running and our business in ruins. Why did I ever come back to Earth?
Sigmund watched as one of the rioters tried to hurl a metal bar through a store window. It only bounced off the window almost hitting the woman in the head and making her even angrier.
Surely they know they can't break that nano-impregnated glass?
The mob had almost turned the corner and cleared the street. Sigmund stood up from behind the Helper bot and looked the robot over.
I bet they sacrificed you to satisfy the rioters since they can't destroy anything else.
Doors and windows were unbreakable and refused to open during the riot. There was almost nothing that the mob could destroy and that made them even angrier and more dangerous to such as Sigmund. For he was breakable.
Sigmund looked around to make sure the streets were empty. They were, none of the mob was still around and the smart conveyances were all avoiding the area. The security drones overhead had disappeared with the mob.
He started walking again toward the spaceport on the outskirts of the tower complex. Sigmund wasn't sure what he would do when he got there but getting off-world seemed to be the only sensible course of action. If the authorities caught him they might not banish him, but they might use him as an example of what could happen if you defied their orders. Sigmund should have left a month ago when he first became persona non grata.
But the business. If he had left then he wouldn't have been able to find new homes for all the robots that worked for Robot Enterprises. And he wouldn't have been able to get some of the company's resources off-planet where they might be useful in the future.
Sigmund hugged the walls and doorways of the buildings. He knew he could easily be seen but it made him feel as if he were doing something to avoid notice.
“You, robot, halt!”
Far back at the corner where the rioters had turned Sigmund saw a fellow. He was waving back to some others that Sigmund at first couldn't see until they rounded the corner. The mob had seen him and they were closing fast.
Sigmund jumped out from the cover of the doorway and ran.
The tower complexes of the twenty-eight century were a natural extension of the cities of an earlier era except that many felt they were depressingly huge. In the streets between the towering buildings, it was almost always twilight because the sun rarely filtered down to that level. Streetlights were almost always on. It was clean and antiseptic and inviting to those that were drawn to bright lights.
Sigmund hardly noticed. He was too busy trying to stay ahead of the mob. And with all the uproar caused by the howling protesters, he was sure the managers of enforcement would know of his whereabouts by now.
Sigmund was quickly approaching an open area. It was a small park. He had to decide whether to go across or around. Just then the decision was made for him as he heard more shouts from the side streets. Glancing that way he noticed that on the sidewalks and roads he would need to use there were people screaming and running toward him.
So across the park he ran as the mob behind him was gaining. Sigmund was thinking that probably he should have sprung for an upgrade to his hundred year-old leg mechanisms but it hadn't seemed necessary back during more normal times. They were good enough for a robot such as him and he had grown fond of them.
Running diagonally to the park's borders Sigmund was still losing ground to the mob. The park was large enough that its center was sunlit even with the towers rising miles into the air all around. Twenty yards in with eighty more to go Sigmund realized he would never make it, and then he saw something. About thirty yards ahead there was a shimmer in the air. Sigmund knew immediately what it was, a link mouth opening, he had seen it many times before.
The shimmering bubble was filling in, becoming more and more translucent. He was still ten yards away when it stabilized. Sigmund knew what to do. Just before he would have run headlong into the bubble he jumped up, performing a running roll, he pulled his knees against his chest as he spun. Then he was in the bubble.
Coming out the other end of the link he skid on his back into a wall. Once stopped he looked around and saw two other robots, similar to himself, working a control board.
“Marion, Lydell, is that you?”
One of the robots held up his hand. They were busy a few moments more before answering.
“Hello Sigmund, yes it is Marion, good to see you. We had to divert one of the humans that followed you through the link mouth to other coordinates.”
“Unfortunately we didn't have time to choose a proper destination,” said Lydell. “I'm afraid the random link destination we diverted him to was probably not conducive to human life.”
“Yes unfortunate,” said Marion.
“Well, what are you two doing here? How did you get this ship?”
The two were silent and seemed uncomfortable. Then it occurred to Sigmund.
“Wait a minute, this is a company ship isn't it? This is the Escan isn't it?”
Marion nodded yes.
“But you were supposed to deliver this ship to our supplier, Hilbert Industries, in lieu of payment. The whole journey was automated.”
“We needed it and besides Hilbert had no need for a fusion ship.”
“Well I guess there's no going back now. The company is dissolved by court order and I haven't the authority anymore to conduct its business.”
He was contemplative a moment and then said, “So, where are we headed?”
“We're not sure. We thought you would know.”
An alarm sounded.
“What's that?” said Marion.
“I don't know,” said Lydell. “I don't know anything about this ship.”
The ship shook.
“Sigmund, what was that?”
“I'm not sure Lydell but I suggest you two link us out of here, I think we're under fire.”
Sigmund was right. A United Planets fusion ship from Earth had located the Escan and had fired a warning shot. Just before Sigmund had the Ems link the ship out off orbit the comm came alive with a demand to identify themselves, but they were gone.
Ems were responsible for most of the operations onboard the Escan. Em stood for Emulated brain, that is a human brain scanned into a computer. Once in the computer the Em could reproduce itself (called budding) as many times as necessary to perform a job, like fly a fusion ship with a spin-two drive. Ems became available in the early part of the twenty-second century.
The Ems operating the spin-two drive brought the ship out of the other side of the link in good shape. The first thing Sigmund did was to query the navigational Ems for their position. Watching Marion and Lydell captain the fusion ship had quickly convinced him that he knew more than they did. Marion and Lydell didn't seem to mind that Sigmund was taking the initiative.
“We're over a hundred-thirty-nine-thousand AU from Earth,” said Sigmund. “Luckily we linked in the direction of the Centauri System.”
“Why is that lucky?”
“Because Marion that should put us in the vicinity of one of the old Star Way space habitats. It will give us a place to dock and recharge our isotopic reserves. Nav, do you have the coordinates of the closest Star Way habitat?”
“Affirmative.”
“Good, helm plot us a course to that habitat. How long will it take with the fusion engines?”
“Ten Earth days.”
“Too long. Link us to within ten AU of that habitat then proceed by fusion rocket.”
“Tell me Nav which habitat is it?”
“Thirteen-nine-five.”
Sigmund paused briefly then said, “Understood.”
He then turned to Marion and Lydell.
“Should take us about eight hours.”
He looked at both robots.
“Now tell me if you don't mind. Why did you not take this ship to Titan and turn it over to Hilbert Corporation? I had a couple of jobs lined up on Titan for you two.”
“I guess we didn't want to be stranded on Titan.”
“Yeah,” said Lydell, “it's not exactly a hub of excitement.”
“Excitement? You two want excitement?”
Sigmund shook his head.
“If you'd lived my life that would be the last thing you'd want. But I can't complain, I probably would have been torn apart by that mob on Earth if you hadn't rescued me. How did you ever find me anyway?”
“You were being televised. In fact, we've been following you for days.”
“I thought so, I would have never gotten away from Earth if you two hadn't intervened. I thank you.”
“You were always a good boss Sigmund,” said Lydell. “It's the least we could do,” said Marion.
Eight hours later the Escan was approaching the space habitat. It was a cylindrical design, rotation provided an artificial gravity and it used an Em-based active control system to maintain orientation. The cylinder was small compared to many later day habitats being only fourteen-hundred-feet in diameter and a mile long.
“There it is,” said Sigmund. “Ciudad de las Estrellas, 'City of the Stars'.”
“That's quite a grandiose name Sigmund for such a small habitat.”
“You are looking Marion at the only space habitat out of nearly twenty-eight-hundred that ever revolted against the Star Way Corporation.”
“Revolted? That was dangerous, wasn't it? I mean the Corporation did and still does provide the laser light that not only pushed light sails to incredible speeds but also provides, through the waste heat from the laser beam, the power needed by a settlement this far away from the Sun.”
“You're right Lydell. It was also the only one that was attacked by the Corporation.”
“Attacked?”
“Yeah the Star Way Corporation didn't take too kindly to the habitat's revolt. They sent a fusion ship by lightsail, remember this was before the wormhole or spin-two drives, with private security troops to quell the rebellion. Something went wrong, the ship was destroyed and the habitat damaged. The habitat never really recovered. Eventually, the Corporation bypassed this troublesome node and things went downhill from there. Though the Corporation didn't cut off the power, without the contract to maintain the laser relay station the habitat couldn't sustain itself. The inhabitants left for other Star Way habitats and the City of the Stars no longer existed.”
“So what are we going to do here?”
“It will make a good place for us to regroup Lydell. I don't think we will have to worry about being disturbed. And even though it is abandoned now I'm sure it was left with all the necessary station-keeping systems running and it should still be possible to restart whatever other systems we need.”
After being told to dock, the Em managed helm tried to contact the habitat's docking Em. It took several seconds before the Ems exchanged the proper crypto-keys. Then the docking port which was in the center of the cylindrical habitat's end cap and wasn't rotating was illuminated. Helm moved the fusion ship slowly in for docking.
“Good,” said Sigmund. “It looks like the docking mechanism is still working.”
In a sub-floor of the huge cylinder, in a control room, an alarm sounded. For the first time since the habitat had been abandoned several pairs of eyes were drawn to the docking indicator on the control panel.
“What do we do?” said one.
“We go and greet our visitors of course.”
This one paused as he looked from face to face.
“And take their ship,” he said.
All agreed.
Chapter 3
James was glad school was over for the day. He wasn't happy about what had happened in tech class. He had called the new district rules banning AI experiments a witch-hunt. That got him to the principal's office and early dismissal. In fact, he had a week's suspension. And they had called his mom and dad. Though he was glad school was over he wasn't looking forward to going home.
“Son, I know how you feel about robotics. But on Earth anyway, it has become a taboo subject. Couldn't you just find something else of interest for tech class?”
“Mom, the backlash against robots on Earth is ridiculous. The incident with the cosmic superstring wasn't their fault. It was the fault of the government.”
“James we've discussed this before,” said his father. “You have the truth on your side, we know. But you have to get along with these people and they blame the robots for the years of environmental disruption after that incident. To be honest I don't think the head of the World Council herself could change people's minds. It's become common knowledge and you won't convince most people otherwise. Why don't you focus on your physics studies for awhile?”
“I know dad. I'm sorry about today.”
“Can't you just limit your robot research to here? Find something else to study in technology class.”
“I will if you two will do just one thing for me?”
“What's that son?”
“Titan. I want to go to Titan to study. They have the most advanced tech and physics departments in the Solar System. If you will help me go, I'll stop doing my robotics, at least for now and I'll fit in at school and in public as best I can.”
Mrs. Hamilton looked stricken. But she knew that sooner or later James would go to Titan. Either now or when he became of legal age.
“Okay son we'll help,” she said.
James smiled wide, “That's great mom, dad. Don't worry I've still got a few years before I can go off-world. You're not losing me yet.”
Through tears, Mrs. Hamilton hugged her son.
The talk with his mom and dad had buoyed James' spirits. He went back to school with a determination to get along. He changed his project in tech class to one of those approved. He even began to enjoy the company of others again as he didn't discuss the politics of AI anymore.
James was working on his tech project one day when his Emmie (a personal assistant device powered by an Em) interrupted him, an unusual occurrence. It was only a message from his dad but it was short: Come to hospital.
I wonder what's up?
He wanted to call his dad but decided to do exactly as the message said. He explained to his teacher and left the school.
His electric bike would take almost fifteen minutes to get from school to the local hospital. Once there he checked the Em-enabled concierge and discovered it was his mom that had been admitted. She was still in the operating room, his dad had left a message to meet him in the waiting room on the fifth floor.
“Dad, what's happened to mom?”
Just then an orderly ran up to Mr. Hamilton and asked that he and James follow him to see the doctor. They went to the doctor's station. The doctor introduced himself to James.
“Very well James, if you and your father would follow me.”
The doctor took them into a private consultation room. He closed the door and asked them to sit while he stood.
“Mr. Hamilton, James, I wanted to talk with you before you see Mrs. Hamilton. She made it through the operation but I'm afraid she won't make it through the night. Internal injuries are just too extensive.”
“What do you mean? Even with modern medicine there is nothing more you can do?”
“I'm sorry Mr. Hamilton it would take almost a complete replacement of many of her major organs. No one can survive that kind of shock. The only thing we could do for now is imprint her brain.”
“You mean turn her into a robot? No, I think not.”
“But dad if we don't we'll lose her, as Dr. Jaffrey just said.”
“Son, your mom and I have discussed this situation. She did not want me to do such a thing. You know she won't even accept implants for her hearing problem. She is absolutely against the kind of human-machine mergers we are seeing today.”
“But they can do something to save her.”
“Not the way she wants son. Believe me, if there was any way that she could be made whole again I would absolutely have it done. But I can't go against your mom's wishes.”
“I can't believe this. We're just going to let mom die?”
James had moved his chair further from his father, almost as if he were trying to get away, to get away from the situation, to get away from his father, a father he no longer knew.
Mr. Hamilton turned from his son's gaze and asked the doctor, “Dr. Jaffrey can we see my wife? Can she speak?”
“You can see her but I'm afraid she won't be able to respond.”
“I see.”
Mr. Hamilton was silent a moment.
“Okay doctor do the imprint.”
“You mean it dad?”
“Yes son.”
“That's great, thanks.”
“One thing though. I want to speak with Martha's emulation first and alone.”
“Okay dad.”
James thought it seemed a reasonable request.
After all, she is his wife.
“Hello son.”
James was talking to his mother's brain imprint.
“Mother? You sound strange. I don't think they had a chance to match your voice imprints. That shouldn't be a problem, I have plenty of audio samples of your voice.”
“Let's not talk about that right now son.”
“Do you have all your memories mom?”
“Up until I was imprinted. Of course, there was a separation then. My time thread did not pick back up until I was given these resources.”
“Did it hurt mom?”
“You mean the imprinting?”
“Yeah.”
“No the imprinting was painless. Of course by that time I was quite out of it because of the accident.”
“I wanted to talk to you about that mom.”
“First, James, I want to talk to you about your future.”
“Okay.”
“Now I want you to promise that no matter what happens to me, or your father for that matter, you will continue with your plans.”
“Okay, I guess I can do that but what do you mean, no matter what happens to you'?”
“Because son I won't be staying with you. I've already asked them to terminate this imprint and destroy the data.”
“What? Why? Did you tell dad?”
“Son, your father knows my wishes. He told you didn't he?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
“So, you know that I do not want to continue like this.”
“But mom I need you.”
“If I've done anything right in my life son it's that I've raised you to be independent, to think independently. That's why you continued to pursue your studies in robotics even though society, at least our society here on Earth, has turned against AI.”
They were quiet.
“I've always supported you haven't I son? I mean it wasn't easy for me to agree to let you go to Titan but I realized you needed to. I was willing to let you go.”
James didn't respond, he didn't want to hear what was coming, he didn't want to let his mother go.
“James will you let me go now?”
Tears came to his eyes. He struggled to say something but he knew there was nothing to say but yes. It took a minute.
“Yes mom, yes.”
“I knew you would understand son. I love you.”
“I love you too mom.”
James wiped the tears with his sleeve.
“Now would you ask your dad to come back in, I want to say goodbye to him too.”
It was several minutes before James' dad returned from his wife's room.
“She's gone son.”
“I know dad.”
“Let's go home then.”
James had skipped school for a few days but was now back. He had spent the time researching robotics, studying physics and remembering his mom.
“Sorry about your mom James.”
“Thanks Lucy.”
“How unfortunate, that kind of accident almost never happens now.”
James looked at her blankly. He realized that he had forgotten to ask anyone how his mother had been injured.
“To be involved in an accident with an autonomous car. That's like a million to one probability. You know?”
James stared.
“Yeah Lucy, it is. Excuse me now I've something I need to do.”
James left the school without permission and rode his electric bike home. In his room, he looked at his desk filled with schematics, manuals and electronics.
Without thinking he moved to his desk and with one arm swept the desktop clear. Much of the materials ending up in the wastebasket. He bent over, gathering the scatter of papers and electronics, sorting the physics from the robotics, and faster and faster slammed each handful into the same wastebasket. As it filled to the top he repeatedly used his foot to compact the torn, bent and crushed debris. Only when the basket resisted any more compacting did he stop, sit where he was and begin to weep silently.
James was still sitting on the floor of his bedroom with his back against his bed when his father got home. He heard his dad call him but he didn't feel like answering. His bedroom door opened.
“Oh, there you are. Hey I got a call from school that said you were missing. Did you leave school without informing anyone?”
James was quiet. His dad noticing the debris around the wastebasket moved to face him.
“What is it son, what's wrong.”
James was quiet a minute more before he looked up at his dad.
“I forgot.”
“Forgot what son?”
“I forgot to ask how mom died. I mean I was going to but then I just forgot.”
“And you found out today?”
James nodded yes.
“I see.”
Mr. Hamilton sat down in the desk chair.
“Son, what happened to your mom is unfortunate but you shouldn't blame yourself or your love of AI.”
“But an AI killed her. How can I continue my studies after this?”
“Accidents are unavoidable if we are to live free son. Your mother understood that and she chose not to cower from such threats but to meet them head-on. I think that's what she would wish for you. To continue your studies. Maybe you'll advance the art and make it safer.”
“You mean I could make a special focus on safe AI?”
“Something like that son. I only know that your mother would be devastated to learn that what happened to her drove you from a field of study that you've loved since you were a child.”
“Mom did make me promise to continue with my plans no matter what happened.”
“Your mom, more than anything, wanted you to be happy son.”
At that James looked up at his father.
“Okay, for mom then.”
“Good now let's get some dinner, shall we?”
End of sample.
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