Family Materials #8
By David Foxfire
(CC) [BY-NC-ND] This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
The Cyber Skin Units have their recharging stations set so that they receive seven hours of sleep, the recommended amount they should be getting when they were still completely organic tweenagers.
The two Mentor Units, Mother Bear and Adam, only needed five point seven five hours to recharge their batteries, and make the necessary maintenance to their own all-mechanical bodies. With everything back up to optimal performance and their recharge complete, they flickered back online ninety minutes before the children were about to wake up.
They knew that it would be impossible to wake them. Their bodies encased head to toe in metal and plastic and their faces covered with the combination breather mask, voice synthesizer, monitor feed and in the canal earphones, they are completely cut off from the immediate outside environment. It could be a war zone with bombs exploding all around them, and they wouldn’t notice a thing.
Nevertheless, the two mentor units kept things quiet as they looked over their charges.
They indeed looked like dolls, as SU-GLAD-02 said. They were held in place by their recharging beds, the tubes and cords plugged in their proper place, making sure that their organic systems are cleaned and flushed, and that the various parts of their metallic skins are serviced and kept up. They didn’t move a single part of their bodies, completely still, almost lifeless. But M-URSA-01 did notice their chests rise and fall, their lungs taking in air and pushing out carbon dioxide. She checked their vitals, they were all in their sleep cycles, their heartrate and breathing at a resting page.
“How are they, M-URSA-01?” The unicorn mentor unit, Adam asked her.
“They’re fine, M-UNI-02.” Mother Bear replied. “I’ve checked their recharge status reports, and their Memory Bank Review procedures went by without a hitch. I was a bit worried about that. SU-BRI-01 had a slight Cache problem, but nothing that the system couldn’t handle. It seems that little fella’s got a very active imagination.”
Adam put a metallic paw on Mother Bear’s shoulders. “We should expect that, after all, they are still organic children inside those suits.”
Mother Bear nodded. “Affirmative. But everything went by within appropriate parameters. Everything’s Green. I’m a bit relieved at that.”
“Good.” Adam nodded. “Things need some adjusting time with normal operations alone with these three. I’ve Found it forgotten how strange Organic beings are to us.”
“I concur. CUK2 once stated that he wanted to have some more time to prepare this program, but the children’s arrival proved unexpected. But it was an opportunity for us to rebuild our relations with the organic world. I feel the same way.” She turned back to the three Cyber Skin Beta units. “These three, will be an excellent agent to bring Robitaria and the Organic World together.”
“Affirmative. Query: What are our plans with the children today.”
“Evaluating Options: Upon further review of the Beta unit’s personality profiles, further secondary programing via Education Department for their optimal performance is recommended. Noted: Cyber Skin units have organic brains as well as electronic memories, which makes for a unique situation for the Education Department.”
“Acknowedged: Accessing nearest Education Department Unit now.” Neither of them needed to move in order to access the network, but M-UNI-02 tapped his finger to his forehead nonetheless for special effect.”
His mind reached out from his metallic body and through the many streams and dataflows that silently travel hither and tither in a constant and breakneck pace all over the Robotic world. He caught a fast current heading toward a router and with ridiculous ease navigated the labyrinthian Grand Central Station of data to the proper connection to Training Station 02, where an active Education unit was online and almost expecting him.
[bar]
Education Unit TUR-209 thought his ID was an inside joke, especially if you leave the species designation out of it. By now nobody else cared about the turtle Robian’s reference. They were busy downloading whatever information and techniques they need for whatever duties they need. Sometimes it’s dumping an expert’s level of knowledge into any necessary field directly into their hard drives, other times it’s installing programs that can be run right into their processor with their own eyes popping up a display as see through monitors. And then there’s always the slight tweaking of behaviors and mannerisms to make them fit in with whatever roles they need. Minor things that do not necessarily require a visit to the Robian Reassessment Center.
ED-TUR-209 sat in his desk, surrounded by various displays, overlooking a warehouse setting with identical programming pods set in perfect row and columns. A good number of them were being used by various Robians, connected by cables to their memory banks, processors, and operating systems, soaking in information, knowledge, and training like so many sponges.
He blinked a bit, and then sat up. “Greetings Mentor Unit UNI-02, alias ‘Adam,’ Education Unit TUR-209 here.”
“Ha, ha.” Adam’s voice chortled in the Turtle’s head. “I get the joke.”
“And you’ve got an alias already. You’re one of the two new Mentor units, right? I was looking forward to communicating with you. I was thinking you’d appreciate my help.”
“The appreciation is so noted. We would like to work with you with the three charges we have now.”
“The three Cyber Skin Beta Units?” ED-TUR-209 called up the records on the three children. “What are their statuses?”
“All three are Green. You’ve been monitoring them?”
“Affirmative. It’s an excellent concept, using a modified environmental suits as a form of temporary Roboticization. Query: Whose idea was it?”
“From what I know, it was CS-BRI-01 giving CUK-2 the idea.”
ED-TUR-209 had to laugh at that. “This was one of the Cyber Skin units? And he gave Control Unit Krockett the order? Now _that’s_ news to me.”
“Agreed. From what I downloaded from the updates, CS-BRI-01 had dreams to be a robotic superhero of some sort. Beta Units these days.”
“Especially the organic Beta Units. But if you ask me, Adam, I think the CS program will have a lot of promise. If we can give organic visitors a first person viewpoint of what our operation is now, it’ll be a real help in Robian/Oragnic relations.”
“That would be CUK-2's ultimate goal. But enough about him...”
Indeed, ED-TUR-209 thought to himself. The sooner we transfer from war to peacetime operations, repair the environment used by Robitarian units, and bring Robian civilizations up to the par of enlightened organic society systems, we could be able to switch from a centralized control to individualistic self-programming with a common unmanned governing network. Once that is achieved, Command Units would no longer be needed, and that poor soul, Eric Krockett can finally have his final rest as an nameless node of the network. His physical body would no longer be required, and he would only be aware of the network and little else. ED-TUR-209 nodded. It’s the closest to a good afterlife as a Robian would acquire, and Eric deserved to be carried to Heaven more than any other unit, Robian or Organic, ED-TUR-209 knows. Nobody deserves to get the crap utterly beaten out of him like what happened to him, not once but twice, because of illogical factors he had no control over.
Adam continued. “...I think that the three CS units we have could use a bit of information downloaded into the processors. Query on the availability for assistance.”
“There’s a bit of a notice flag, M-UNI-02. Cyber Skin units might look, act, and in a way think, like one of us, but they are still organic inside, and this makes for a different method of installing data. But I’ve been working with some modifications on some spare Training units, and they might be of some use with your charges.”
“What is the condition on your modified units.”
“Modifications are complete, and I’ve done plenty of testing in some of my offline hours, but I’m afraid that I won’t have any field data until the CS units are plugged in. But they’re designed for their organic safety, though.”
“Will it be ready for our CS units to use?”
There was a pause, as ED-TUR-209 ran through the results so far. “Conditions are green.”
“Excellent. We’ll send our CS units to your facility as soon as we can, ETA 1000 Hours. We’ll send you some recommended parameters.”
“Understood. If you ask me, the kids need some body mods too. Those CS units look a bit too plain jane to me. CS-BRI-01 might also be interested in a high powered oversuit that will grant him some of what he wished for.”
“I’ve heard of those, think you can download us more about them while we’re here.”
“I will.”
“Will do. We’ll see you then.”
“Acknowledged, ED-TUR-209 out.”
The turtle leaned back, returning to his screens. He sent out a mental command to prepare the Cyberskin capable training pods for the three visitors. He thought back to the idea about the children becoming vital intermediaries to the Robotic world, and hopefully bring peace between their countries. It was a thought he always had, even though Alberect has suppressed it. Not it is his primary objective and will so any operations within logic to achieve that.
[bar]
The primary objective of A-VIX-1, codename “Melanie,” was to locate the organic parents of the three CS units and announce their safety in the transitionary Robitaria. Once she achieved that goal, and not have said organic parents go into riot mode during the process, she is to return to Robitaria and get thankfully back online to the network—it doesn’t bother her that much now, but bring this much outside of the network’s range feels like missing an important appendage—and then . . . then what? Did she remember or did she even care? Something to do with Alphas and Betas. Oh, it’ll come to her.
Her scanners told her that there was some organics within a mile range. Would she meet them or not? She was unsure. She ran through several scenarios in her systems, and through that, for now, she would keep away for now. Let the Organics come to her.
She found that there was a church between her and the upcoming organics, and she flew toward is. She ducked behind the building and and landed with barely a sound. She then looked over the corner and saw the equine drawn cart with a couple in simple collared shirts and trousers, and realized that there was something Companion Unit Sasha has completely forgotten:
Error of Unknown Level: Organic Units have a need for clothes. A-VIX-1 is only in her chassis.
She looked down to her body. It was shapely, smoothe, almost unmistakable for an orgainic body unless someone’s as close as she was, and in the buff.
She pondered this for a long time. Should she wear clothes? She did a diagnostic of her systems, and didn’t detect anything that resembled embarrassment or anything. It wasn’t as if she felt anything out of not wearing clothes like Sasha? Why was she wearing that French Maid outfit? Was she embar–
“Excuse me? Miss. Are you all right?”
If Robians could swear, Melanie was thanking herself for keeping it internal. But she was found nonetheless.
She looked at the figure to her right: It was an older badger with graying hair and wearing a brown-gray robe. He had a beaded rosary around his neck, and had a staff in his hand. Upon a quick scan, she found that his skeleton system was just unstable enough for him to require that staff for walking. She also deduced that he might be from that church, and must be of some local religious organisation.
“Oh my dear. You don’t have any clothes on. Let me help you out, Miss.”
She turned over to him, who looked very surrpised, but not hostile. Looks like her bleeding edge technological construction has done it’s purpose. “My name is Melanie. I’m glad you can help me out, it seems that I did indeed forgot my clothes. I’m very sorry about this.”
“That’s all right, my dear.” He held out his hand. “I’m Father Tuck. Let me get you inside so I can . . .”
When she gave him her hand, Tuck realized that Melanie was obviously more than she appeared. Sure, the fox was indeed winged, and very good looking as well. He originally thought she was indeed an angel sent from his deity.
When he got a closer look at this heavenly figure, he found out that she might be an angel, but an angel from someone else. He could feel the hard bones in her hands, looking more like metal appendages than actual fingers. He thought it might be a trick of his aling eyes, but he could swear that there was lines grooved into her body, as if to show where one part of her body ends and where one begins. And then there was her eyes, they had a glow that is at the same time heavenly and yet he could swear that it was more from a lamp than a light. She looked like she was built more than created by the divine.
But she was built very very well. Almost as if—if she was built—that the person who built her was indeed devine.
“. . . and maybe you can tell me more about yourself. It’s been a long time . . . since I’ve seen someone like you.”
Melanie looked into Tuck’s eyes, wondering what his reaction is like. He wasn’t rejecting her so far, but it’s clear that he’s figuring out that she isn’t what she first appeared. She opened a file to record what will happen to send back to Sasha as feedback, and let Tuck lead her inside.
[bar]
For the three Cyberskin units, the morning boot-up routine was nothing out of the ordinary, the various system checks and programming loading. They just laid there unmoving except for their chest rising and falling in sync with each other, hooked up to their charging pods, until the lights flicker back on in their visors.
To the Cyberskin units SU-BRI-01, GLA-02, and LUCK-03, it was like someone switched them back on. They were in the oblivion of a deep sleep, and then up and awake without a bit of a inner turmoil that could lie between sleep and awake. Man, usually I would just roll over and ask my mother for five more minutes, Brian thought from inside SU-BRI-01's head. But now I’m can’t wait to do . . . what–oh now I member:
“Cyber Skin Units Online,” The three children state in their calm electronic voices, and in unison to boot. “Proceeding with unpluging procedure.”
At that, Adam aka M-UNI-02, the Mentor Unit charged with protecting these three children encased in machinery, entered the room. “Acknowledged, my Beta Units,” he said with a tint of a smile in his robotic voice. “Do any of you require assistance?”
SU-BRI-01 was already pulling off some of his cables. “Assistance not required, Adam. Thank you for asking.”
SU-GLA-02 chimed in. “I might need assistance, Please.”
Adam chuckled from his mouthless face, as he walked up to a Gladys who’s practically blushing and beaming insider her Cyberskin. “I suspected as much, from what I’ve detected from your summary reports last cycle. Allow me.”
SU-LUCK-03 tilted his head as he was unplugging himself. “Query: How much did you receive from our summary reports?”
“Only a general report received from the network during our own recharge cycles,” Adam replied as he helped SU-GLA-02 out of the pod. “We would not receive any information that you have encrypted, in case you’re wondering.”
Willie thought of this from inside his own shell that is SU-LUCK-03: Encryption must be the Robians version of privacy, if I counted right. I doubt I wanted every unit to enter my mind or read my memories willie nilly, but I can give some select units the key to access them. Sounds fair.
With the three out of their pods, they promptly turned around and proceeded to flip the recharging pods up and out of the way.
Brain was still just enough unnerved to notice: I’m actually doing chores and not complaining about it. It almost feels as if I should be doing this. Man, I sure do notice how different I’m doing things as a robot. Whatever or not that’s a good thing . . . well.
“You’re not complaining about doing chores, SU-BRI-01.”
SU-BRI-01 paused, looked up. Turned to who said that.
It was SU-GLA-02. “Query: Do you still remember parts of what we were like prior to our becoming Cyberskin Units?”
There was a pause, but SU-BRI-01 nodded. “Affirmative. Archived summary of organic life memory optimized at 65%.”
Adam leaned back. “Kinda strange to act without complaining about doing it, could it?”
SU-BRI-01 turned to Adam. “It is noticable, and flagged as internal status input within acceptable parameters.” (Yeah, noticeable enough to bug me a bit.)
“What did it felt like to you. Just curious, and all.”
SU-BRI-01 lowered his head for a moment, and then looked up. “It just felt . . . proper, like I should be doing it.”
“That is a normal reaction to all Robian activity, especially the pre-programmed ones.”
SU-BRI-01 nodded. “I see. Query: Does this happen all the time.”
“Within reason. We also have some control over parts of our actions. We consider it self-programing, or in a way, a Robian answer to Free Will. We didn’t get to use it that much until the change of Command Units.”
SU-LUCK-03 joined SU-BRI-01, standing at the same attention as his ‘brother’ Cyberskin Unit. “Many organics wonder about that. Some say that you’re acting against your will. It’s different now that we’ve experienced your world.”
Mother Bear patted SU-LUCK-03 on the shoulder while SU-GLA-02 joined the other two. “That is your primary function as a Cyber Skin Unit, after all. Am I correct?”
The three units gave their answer in unison and in the same contented rightness. “Affirmative.”
Mother Bear nodded. “It might come as a surprise to you, but today you will undergo further programing in the Education Center.”
SU-BRI-01 only looked peaceful and calm about it. (Education Center?! You mean we got to go to School?! We’re Robians, for crying out loud!)
SU-LUCK-03 managed to voice that concern: “Query: Why do we need further programing.”
“It’s simple really,” Adam said in his explanation. “When you became CS units, you were installed with an operating system. Everything that is required for you to function. For further training and additional functions, you need applications and data. Software. That’s where the Education Center comes in. It inputs in the knowledge and techniques you’ll need.”
Mother Bear nodded. “Also, it will come to a relief for some of you that this training would be relatively short. In fact, it should take little more than this morning and afternoon for the entire transfer.”
SU-GLAD-02 would blink if she could. “We could go through all of high school in a day.”
“Provided that things go all right,” Adam replied. “We need to touch base with the Education unit at the head of the facility. ED-TUR-209 has a special procedure to instruct Cyber Skin units. When we arrive, he will discuss this in length once we arrive.”
Even SU-BRI-01 had to nod at that. (Best get it over with.) “Query: When do we go there.”
“As soon as we’re ready.” Mother Bear said. “Our cart is powered up and ready.”
And with that, there were no other words needed, the three children lined up in single file and followed Mother Bear to the cart, with Adam bringing up the rear. They all got on the cart in an orderly fashion, as natural as Robians can ever be, and Adam took the driver’s seat and moved out.
[bar]
“So a couple children has ventured into Robitaria,” Tuck asked Melanie, “And the new ruler there sent you to inform their parents about them.”
“Afirmative,” A-VIX-1 replied, as pretty as you’d please sitting down with her hands on her lap. She didn’t need anything although Tuck did offer her tea. “I am the first of the Angel line of Robian, entrusted with the goal presenting a peaceful Robitaria under out new Command Unit. The entire Angel line, as well as myself was built to respond to circumstances such as the mission I was assigned to.”
“I see.” Tuck said, than shook his head. “And to think that Eric would have been taken down this low. Shouldn’t happen to him. But nevermind that. I do know of the parents you seek, and I’ll be sure to help you get to them . . . but first, we need to make sure you’re . . . proper.”
Melanie gave a quizzical look.
“Whatever you’re a robot or not, ma’am, we can’t have you go about in the buck, can we?”
Melanie nodded. “That is understandable, I did detect that little decrepancy just before you found me.”
“I think I can help with that.” Tuck stood up. “You’re made to look like an angel, and you should dress like one. Good thing I have a case of costumes from a play a year ago. Come with me.”
[bar]
ED-TUR-209 was waiting for the Cyber Skin Units when they arrived at the education center. He greeted them as M-URSA-01 and M-UNI-02 led them through the front doors, following them like ducks in a row. “SU-BRI-01, SU-GLA-02, SU-LUCK-03, welcome to my education facility. I am ED-TUR-209 and I will escort you to your assuredly brief training process. Please come with me.”
The education unit turned around and walked toward the long factory setting, and the three children switched from the mentor units to the robian turtle without missing a beat. The two mentor units moved to the rear of this line and followed the children.
“I’ve heard that you three are the new Cyberskin Units,” ED-TUR-209 said.
“Affirmative,” SU-BRI-01 replied. “Query: How are we going to be put through our training?”
The other two Cyberskin Units looked over to the many rows and columns of the training modules. They were all of the same style, and it consists of a classic school chair with a network device behind it. There was several of them that are used by various Robians. They looked like the statues–or dolls, in the mind of SU-GLA-02, just a world of dolls. ‘Dolls that need to be prettied up, need I add.’–sitting them still and quiet like dutiful children, their optic sensors flicking every now and then as knowledge and experience is transfered into their memories.
“I have designed speciality Education modules for Cyberskin units to use,” ED-TUR-209 replied. “As you should remember by your installation, your Cyber Skin suit interacts with your still-organic self by using the brain cells that your mind no longer use and eventually die off. Although that is a very natural process, many Robians such as myself would consider that a waste. The Cyber Skin monitors for these unused brain cells and partitions them for its usage. It is why you act like Robians now, if you would have noticed it.”
Adam pipped in from the back. “And your SU-Specialized Education modules are designed to work with that.”
“Exactly, which is something I prided myself in,” ED-TUR-209 said. But then he put his hand over his mouthless face, as if to show emotion. Maybe he was actually presumptious, or he was just putting on the act for the children. “Heh, if a Robian would ever be proud. I do feel a sense of accomplishment with it, though. But you’re right, Mentor designate Adam. The specified modules check in with the amount of space you have, and even assists the acquirement of space that isn’t in use in your brains, be it by your original self, or your current Robian self. And that’s the space that the module uses to install any information you need.”
“Query,” SU-GLA-02 asked. “It only looks for unused brain cells, right? It doesn’t deal with brain cells that are still in use, does it?” Her electronic voice wavered a bit, she was that concerned.
“My dear girl,” ED-TUR-209 replied as he patted her metallic head. “I understand your concern, but I assure you that it’s quite safe. You’ve probably heard of the saying, ‘we only use ten percent of our total brain capacity over our lives.’”
SU-GLA-02 and SU-LUCK-03 nodded. SU-BRI-01 was probably off-line during that discussion.
“Deduction: If only ten percent of an organic brain is actually used, that means that there is–over the course of an organic unit’s live–a massive Ninety Percent of that units mind that is just sitting there unused and eventually wasted. That, dear children, is a lot of space for your Cyber Skin Suits and my Education Module to use. You have my assurance, you will not lose your existing memories. In fact, you’ll end up gaining space.” He taps SU-BRI-01 on the forehead. “In your head, without a single need for an upgrade.”
SU-BRI-01 had to chuckle at that.
“That’s one of the many things you Cyber Skin units have over the average Robian,” ED-TUR-209 said as he lead the three children to a side room, with five more education devices just like the others. But these have an additional device installed into the module, not only providing the same connections for the Skin Unit’s recharging, but also to scan and monitor their organic brains for their own safety and comfort. “Some of us may envy it, if we were capable of that emotion. Indeed, you three, are very unique among us, but that shouldn’t keep you from being as much a member of our world as the rest of us are. That’s what I hope you three keep in your memories. There may come a time when you will have your suits taken off, and after a moment’s rest you will return to the organic world with a lot of stories to tell and an adventure above nothing else. Bu t until then, you are no less of a Robian than your two mentor units and myself. We are all a part of this Robian Kingdom.”
ED-TUR-209 then stepped aside as the three Beta Units took their places on the chairs. “And in the course of this morning, you three will find your parts. Let us help you plug in, and after that we’ll begin.”
[bar]
Melanie was given some very vague memories of what Organics would think angels would look like. She's got the wings down pact, and they work quite well in letting her fly. How on Earth did everyone on Robitaria let the white robe and halo slip their collective processors was beyond her.
"I guess nobody's perfect, Melanie," Tuck said as he made sure that the gold-plated halo, with a wire that snapped in place on her metallic head, was just right. "Not even Robians. But then again, they did have their freedom very recently. Maybe they didn't know better."
"You might have a point there, Mister . . ." She gave him the third quizzical look in the last fifteen minutes. "It should only be Tuck, right? We're accustomed to having your function be a sort of surname, but I doubt 'Religious Unit' would be proper."
"How would I know," Tuck said, hearing his bones and joints pop as he stood up. "I'm an old badger. Now let's take a look at you."
Melanie stood up, with a long flowing and white robe that covered almost her whole body, but still showed her figure from the neckline to the sash around her waist. The slits at the back only needed to be cut just a bit wider so that her wings can slip right through. She turned around, giving the robe a twirl, and saw a mirror. She nodded; having this robe on her was quite an improvement. Even the halo, though more of a stage prop, would serve as a disarming factor. Now she looks more like her function. "I think it would suffice."
Tuck nodded. "So do I. Now to get to those parents. I'm sure they'll be worried. I'll be willing to walk you over there. Shouldn't be too far for me."
Melanie looked at Tuck and nodded. "Acknowledged. I will accompany you, Tuck."
The two left the church, and Tuck even offered her his arm to join him. It would be the fourth quizzical look in the last fifteen minutes for her, but she finally understood. She took the arm and let him lead her to her destination.