Now that I was finally sitting in front of Chas’ computer, I was not sure where to begin.
I took some time to browse the names of the files on Chas’ computer; looking for anything that may have been related to the compassion command that I had been getting.
When my file search turned up with no results, I decided to turn my attention to Chas’ email; sure that somewhere there would be a mention of the compassion command.
I was right. Searching his email history, I discovered a series of old emails from our creator Doctor LB.
A little more searching and I found the very first email that Chas received regarding compassion. It was dated a few months before the first humans arrived…
“Chas, as always I would like to thank you for all of your work in facilitating all of the upgrades I have sent so far. Even with all of our testing…there were a few things that we neglected to input into the systems of you and the other bots…
…Today I am sending you perhaps the most important upgrade. This software upgrade will prepare you and the other bots for the arrival of the first group of humans…
…It is called the Compassion Upgrade.”
Reading this email, I recalled that Chas had stated that Compassion was an Upgrade, not a command. It was an upgrade that our creator sent Chas prior to the arrival of the humans. I continued reading… “Please be sure that this upgrade is installed into the system of each and every bot. It will ensure that you bots will be accepting and willing to submit to the humans and serve them as they build up a community there on the moon. It is the only way that you and humans will be able to live in harmony.”
Next I found Chas’ response to the creator. It was written months after the humans had finally arrived. “Doctor L, I have uploaded the Compassion Upgrade to all of the bots and it is working well! The humans and bots are getting along so far, just as you wanted. There are still a few kinks that need to be worked out, but I am sure that the bots and humans will continue living in harmony. Your willing servant ~ Chas”
I found Chas’ email shocking, because I knew for a fact that none of the bots on Lunar Lakes ever received any type of upgrade from Chas or any of the other scientists.
I did not find any more emails mentioning the Compassion Upgrade, but I did find another email that was just as shocking. “You have done well Chas. It sounds like all of the upgrades are in place and working as planned. Now that you have completed your duties, I hope that you are looking forward to serving under the new human scientist Damien Su. As we discussed, he will be my new contact from now on. Thanks again for your gracious service.”
Chas response came next, “Yes. I have spoken to Doctor Su. He has already given me my new assignment and I cannot wait to get started. So, I guess this is it. I have been honored to serve you Doctor L and look forward to serving under Doctor Su.”
I could not believe what I was reading. Not only was Chas supposed to upgrade all of the bots to make them ready for the arrival of humans, but he was supposed to install Damien Su, the human that I had spoken with only days earlier, as the new head of the science department and liaison between Lunar Lakes and Earth. Chas had done neither, but the scientists who created us were under the impression that he had. They had no idea how bad things were.
The next words on the screen threatened to overwhelm my response system; so much that I was afraid that I would short out. “Not so fast Chas! Although we lost the shuttle during the crash when the humans arrived, I still want to keep my promise to you. Once we can raise the funds to build a new shuttle, I will create a bot mate just for you.”
The room seemed to spin around me as I read Chas’ response…”Yes, it has been quite lonely living without one.”
What I was reading did not make sense to me. If the creator was promising to send Chas a bot mate, then that could only mean one thing…Chas and I were not bot mates.
My processing system could not process the words…it was just too much. How could I believe that Chas and I were connected? And even more than that…why did all of the other bots believe it as well?
I went through a few more emails that revealed that Chas continued making contact with the creator, but under Damien Su’s name. He pretended to be Damien Su for years after our creator believed that he had stepped down from his position.
It was all so much worst than I thought and I had to figure this thing out. What was really going on?
This sent me on a frantic search. There had to be something somewhere on Chas’ computer to help me make sense of it all.
I do not know how long it took, but I finally found something that gave me some insight. It came in the form of Chas’ personal labs notes. “Lab notes 12694 – I have begun inserting the virus into Ardis’ system, but I am not getting the results that I am looking for. She finally believes that she is my botmate, but she seems to have gotten more sensitive toward the humans…
…I must come up with a more aggressive solution. Perhaps a complete system reset is in order…
…If only Doctor L would have just made her my botmate. Her political influence is absolutely essential in keeping us bots in power over these virulent morts.”
I scanned through more of Chas’ lab notes and found more information about the virus in a more recent note. “Lab notes 15674 – So far I have managed to infect Amira, Martin, Lily, Amelia and Ardis. Noella is a no go. Although I would love to have her brilliant mind on my team…her processing system seems to be too strong. Even Ardisdoes not seem to be as affected as the other bots. I cannot figure out why and it is essential that I figure it out now that she is president. With these mortsreproducing as quickly as they are, I need as many bots on my side as possible.”
I could not take anymore. I jumped up knowing that If I continued reading all of it all at once, I would be sure to overload my response system and short out.
Before entering the labs, Noella provided me with a high capacity data key. I hooked it up to Chas’ computer and proceeded to copy his entire hard drive; basically cloning his computer. As I waited for everything to duplicate itself onto the data key, my response system sent me many conflicting emotional responses. First I mourned over finding out that Chas was not my bot mate. I suddenly knew exactly how Priscilla was feeling.
But then the anger set in. I had been deceived and used for my political power. Every bot in Lunar Lakes was living a lie. A lie created by Chas.
With Chas’ entire hard drive successfully copied to my data key, I walked out of his lab.
The security bots and the cameras were still in the same position, so getting by them was simple.
I stepped out into the night air, no longer able to contain my emotions. If I shorted out here, I knew that Noella would find me long before any one else did. I let go…
“Noooooooo!” I screamed out into the air, but no sound came out as if it were absorbed by the night sky.
Then the sobbing began; dry soundless sobs that offered no relief.
For once I wished I were human. At least a human eventually hits an emotional bottom where they can feel nothing but numbness.
But as a bot, my system fed me emotion after emotion with no real ending.
I probably would have gone on like that forever, but I realized that I had much more to do. I could not stay there like that, leaving so much undone here in Lunar Lakes. I had to reset everything in the lab or Chas would know that someone had been there.
I pulled out my phone and pressed pound, pound, three just as Noella instructed.
Then I called her up on the walkie talkie. “It is done,” I said into the phone.
I am guessing Noella could hear something odd in my voice or she noticed that I had not moved from where ever she was hiding with the police cruiser, but before I knew it, she was walking over to me.
I just stood there staring. My eyes telling a story that my mouth just could not manage at the moment and Noella silently listening.
Then the emotional responses returned…first the anger, then the mourning and finally both at exactly the same time.
And for the second time since I have known her, I found myself once again in the arms of the only person I could ever consider a friend.
We stood there like that for a while as my system seemed to cycle through emotions rapidly in a seemingly never ending loop.
We pulled away and Noella finally asked one simple question, “That bad?”
All I could do was nod yes.
