A Wonderful Life

“Nonsense!” She yelled and threw the book in the corner. He jumped off the couch and headed to the table covered with more books holding information about the time before the Change, which said nothing about the actual events. There were descriptions of a cruel, chaotic world where, one day, the people suddenly decided to change the world and live in understanding and love. The scientific discoveries and innovations created during the year of the Change were in the Archives and accessible to everyone. She had read, if not everything, then at least a larger part of the books there, but she could not find the answers she was looking for. The extended works of writers covered the old times’ beliefs and transformed them into praises about the present day. At first glance, a person could learn everything about anything because today, unlike in the past, there are no knowledge restrictions or prohibitions. What was missing was the information about the spark that ignited the fire of this spontaneous, global, and wild evolution of civilization and society’s morals.

The woman left all thoughts of the past aside. She took a shower and prepared lunch. The annoying melody of the doorbell interrupted her before the first bite. She wanted to change the tune, but this was not her house, and she was leaving in a few days. She opened the door while biting the colossal sandwich.

The faces of two strangers glowed:

“Good day, we are from…”

She slammed the door with her leg and continued eating. She admired their stubbornness and creative disguises. Last week in Paris, they were dressed up like plumbers. The uniforms of her chasers were perfect to the last detail, and anyone could be fooled. She was not looking at the clothes. She was looking at their eyes and movements. The chasers could not hide the character and skills they had built for years. She collected her belongings in the backpack with one hand while munching pickles with the other one. She put her clothes on in a hurry and grabbed the second sandwich. The fast movement made the tomato slide to the side, so she pushed it back into the sandwich with her tongue. She grabbed the backpack and walked toward the front door.

“You got faster,” smiled the woman stepping outside.

A dozen heavily armed masked soldiers stood with their guns pointed at her, ready for action.

“You can’t escape this time!” yelled a guy in a suit standing behind the group. The slight trembling of his voice showed he was not entirely confident in his words. “I have a warrant for your detainment form the 13 Ladies.”

The piece of paper waved in the air held no value in the eyes of the woman. She could easily overpower the armed men like she had done many times before. The request of the 13 Ladies to stand in front of them transformed into a detainment order, which made her curious to find out what they wanted from her.

“First, we have to return the books to the library.”

The suit frowned. She walked forward, throwing her backpack at one of the armed men:

“Sweety, help the lady.”

The soldier’s weapon flew down when he reached to catch the backpack. The rest nervously squeezed their guns and stepped away from her path.

“The books are in the living room. Be careful. Some of them are quite old,” the woman went on with her instructions, walking toward the open car door.

“My name is Pelit, Head Secretary of the 13 Ladies,” the suit introduced himself.

“Nice job,” she said, licking the sauce from her fingers. Her hands were not clean enough, so she pulled out the man’s pocket square to wipe them up. “I expect cooled champaign and a box of the Lady Responsible for the Information’s favorite chocolate bonbons on the plane.”

The woman sat in the car and patiently waited for the soldiers to put the books in the trunk. She played her music to distract herself and avoid conversations with the Head Secretary of the 13 Ladies. Next to her, Pelit was frowning. The books she mentioned had to be returned to three different cities in opposite directions. Their trip continued to the airport, and from there, the plane took them on a ride to three continents before heading to the location of the meeting. Pelit explained the reason for the delay to the 13 Ladies. Their comments were not kind, but they agreed to delay the discussion.

The soldiers were crying out of pain on the floor of the plane.

“Lе-lе-let us talk about this,” startled Pelit. He had pushed himself to the seat. The knuckles of his fingers were pale from squeezing the handles of the chair.

“I am not putting this stinky rag over my head,” said the woman calmly.

“I understand you don’t like it, but that is the procedure. The hood, I mean the mask, is mandatory for everyone.”

“I am not everyone,” she said, and with a calm voice, turned to the soldier trying to stand up and attack her from behind. “Stay down.”

The wounded man looked at her and collapsed on the floor. Pelit gathered his courage and quoted the safety rule:

“Outsiders are not allowed to know the location of 13 Ladies’ secret meeting locations.”

The woman gave him a friendly smile:

“Right now, the 13 Ladies are thirty kilometers North from here. The building was constructed over seven hundred years ago. The exterior is in classic ancient style, but the interior has the latest technology and comforts. The security consists of descendants of samurai and ninjas, whose families had served in the army for generations. There is a small temple in the garden near the house, under which two tunnels lead to a submarine and an airport. I can even tell you what flowers are planted in the garden.”

“How?” whispered Pelit with his eyes wide open. The people could meet the 13 Ladies anytime in their offices or on the street. No one knew where the secret meetings were held, and no one was allowed there without the expressive approval of all thirteen council members. This woman knew everything about one of the top-secret buildings in the world. Pelit wondered what other classified information she knew.

His confused expression made her smile. She took her backpack and walked out of the plane. The driver opened the car door for her, and she sat inside. It was clear that the secretary would need a few minutes to report to the 13 Ladies and call a new security team.

“Those men are some of the best, and you sent them to the hospital,” said Pelit when he joined her in the car.

“Compliments will not bring you closer to my bed,” she winked.

“It is good that you decided to come peacefully. The 13 Ladies issued more serious measures against you.”

“What do they want from me?”

“You don’t know?” Pelit overreacted in his surprise. He wished to take this opportunity to nag but stopped himself in time. “You will find out.”

“It will be fun,” the woman shrugged shoulders and turned her music on. There was no point asking any more questions because the secret meeting room meant that only the 13 Ladies knew about the topic of the conversation. She looked outside through the window. The buildings reminded her of her last Tokyo visit and the meeting with one of her father’s friends. They spoke about many things, but most of all about the Change. Even he never told her what he had seen during that fateful year. His only advice was to search for what was hiding before her. This puzzle was driving her crazy. It was as if she was trying to see something she did not know existed. She kept asking questions and listened to anyone who wished to speak. When the 13 Ladies started chasing her, she decided she was on the right track. She ignored the official written invitations to the meetings and then evaded the disguised chasers for a long time. Yesterday, they appeared armed for the first time. The 13 Ladies’ persistent and cautious actions showed they needed her without society knowing that, and she intended to use this to her advantage.

The car moved through the mansion’s wide-open gates and took a tun on the alley covered with smooth rocks. Pelit observed the plants in the beautiful garden. Everything was just like she said. He had never been here even though he was the 13 Ladies’ Head Secretary for over seven years and had organized four secret meetings held in different places. Pelit had so many questions but, as always, let them fly away from his head. He knew what he needed to know to perform his duties and never asked questions.

The car stopped at the mansion’s doors. The visitors walked in and left their shoes next to the door. The maid greeted them and led them down the hallway. Pelit was amazed at how the classic construction of the beautiful old house perfectly blends with modern technologies. Just like she said. A door opened, and the guests met the 13 Ladies.

“Pelit, thank you for bringing our guest. You can wait outside,” said the Head Lady.

The secretary left. The guest was invited to sit and treated to a cup of tea and sweets. In silence, the 13 Ladies studied the woman who managed to evade them for so long. She sent two teams of the best soldiers to the hospital and knew the secret meeting’s location. She was dangerous, but for now, she was of vital importance.

The guest also took advantage of those silent moments to look around the room. The doors toward the backyard were open, and it seemed like the room and garden were one. The sweet aroma of spring flowers filled the air and contrasted with the sharp taste of unsweetened green tea. The silence was broken by the murmur of a decorative waterfall and the songs of the birds outside. The guest appreciated the harmony and peace flowing out of every direction. Clearly, the 13 Ladies needed to relax before or after meeting with her.

The maid walked out, and the lecture began. The 13 Ladies competed in scolding the guest, listing the troubles she had caused with her refusal to meet them.

“I broke a nail,” frowned the guest, looking at her hand. “I guess you really need me. You are lucky that my schedule got cleared.”

“Your arrogance is endless!” yelled the Head Lady. Then she remembered they needed the guest and continued with a softer tone. “There is a project that could help the technological development of the entire humankind. If the project is successful, it will positively influence every aspect of our lives. You are chosen to join the team.”

“Your task is to teach artificial intelligence how to think like a human,” the Lady of Information and Communications added.

“There is a solid foundation for this research, and the latest innovations are already implemented in toys and work robots. Why do you need a military robot who thinks like a human?”

The 13 Ladies looked at each other. In a world where information was available to everyone, this woman knew the best-kept secrets.

“There is no mole,” said the guest, sipping her tea. “It is logical this is a military robot. If it were just another artificial intelligence project, we would be in your offices. You sent disguised soldiers to bring me into a secret meeting location that has not been used in twenty years. Nowadays, only military projects continue to be top-secret. By the way, why are there still secret projects? Isn’t that against the fundamental laws of innovation and information transparency?

“Enough!” the Head Lady’s voice overpowered the guest’s words. “The project will be secret until we are confident in its success. This artificial intelligence unit has an impeccable human form, which can make part of the population worry. That is enough information for now. You have to decide whether you will take part or not.”

“I want to see the artificial unit first,” said the guest.

“No,” said the Lady of Safety and Protection. “This requires the highest security clearance level. You will not get one before becoming part of the project.”

“I have to know what I will be dealing with. You know what I have worked on so far, and apparently, I am qualified and valuable enough for you to chase me for months instead of hiring someone else. I want to see the artificial unit. If it is a matter of a couple of behavioral guidelines, there is no point in wasting my time. I will give you my recommendations without necessarily joining this circus. But if it is worth my attention, I require complete freedom of action and unlimited resources.”

It was clear the 13 Ladies had discussed possible demands because the Head Lady said:

“Alright. If you join the project, you will have an Unlimited Card and complete freedom, but you will be fully responsible for the unit. Besides all this, the project must remain secret. If even one person outside of the authorized personnel finds out about it, you will be the first person executed after the Change.”

“Fine,” said the woman, sipping from her cup.

The long flight and the detours could not fool her. This time, the 13 Ladies ordered her to be transported in a vehicle without windows, and no one spoke to her. Pelit did not join her. The van stopped, and the doors opened. Ten soldiers stood in a semi-circle around the van. Seeing the reinforcements, the woman concluded that they already knew what had happened to the last people who directed weapons at her. A young man in uniform with a broad smile walked past the soldiers:

“I am Lieutenant Rian. You are right on time to meet the General.”

“Hello,” smiled the woman.

An old man with dozens of medals on his uniform walked toward them. The lieutenant introduced the General as Head of the Project but never mentioned his name. The woman wondered if an award or medal was missing in the collection on his chest. The last war was before the Change, but she noticed some of the new medals granted by the 13 Ladies. Questions and suggestions about secret operations popped into her head because, officially, there has not been a conflict or problem that may need military interference.

“I could have told the driver a shorter path to Area 51,” the woman smiled. “I assure you, they never said a word. I knew where I would be taken before getting on the plane. It is disappointing that you chose such a trivial location for a secret project.”

The General threw a glance at his soldiers. He was confident that they never said a word during the entire time. Unlike the Guardians of the City Order in the settlements, they were trained according to the old military books before the Change. The General took care of that personally. This woman was brilliant, and her martial skills were equal to those of the best fighters in the world. In his life, he had met only one other person like her. Now, just like back then, the General decided to turn his attention to the work:

“The 13 Ladies informed me about your demands. Lieutenant Rian will help you. You can turn to him for everything. Don’t leave the base without my permission. Don’t share details about our work with anyone outside the people directly related to the project.”

“I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die,” said the woman, raising her right palm.

Under the wrinkled eyelids, the General’s lively eyes were measuring her. His thoughts ran like a wild river while he was trying to find a trace of mockery or danger in her voice. He could not read the emotions behind the friendly smile of the woman, so he continued:

“Lieutenant, show the project to our guest.”

“Follow me,” Rian led her toward the elevator.

The soldiers were still on alert but not pointing their weapons at her. They walked into the elevator with the guest and the lieutenant. A moment before the doors closed, she saw the General’s car heading for the exit, followed by another vehicle. The only interesting thing in the elevator was the board counting the underground levels. The doors opened, and the group continued down the corridors until they reached a room with monitors. Few scientists, who obviously had more caffeine than blood in their veins, wildly hit the keyboard buttons.

“Those are the scientists working on the project. Right now, they are making the latest improvements,” said Rian, walking toward one of the scientists. “Professor, are you done?”

“Yes,” said the man in a green turtleneck shirt.

“Some delays are possible, but we are working on the issue,” another man reported.

The second scientist’s comment caused a robust reaction on behalf of the green turtleneck:

“This would not have happened if we had high-quality programming.”

“It is not my fault that everything is overheating!” hissed the woman from the corner of the room. “I did not choose to work with such trashy computers.”

“The processors are not trash, noob! All prototypes have issues,” the green turtleneck raised his voice, and the rest of the scientists joined the quarrel.

“It is fun here,” said the guest to Rian. Being so deep under the ground was unpleasant, and the scientists’ shouts made her nervous. She could not stand people who considered themselves all-knowing and all-powerful while behaving like rabid monkeys fighting for food. “If you leave me with them, I will kill them.”

“I’ll make sure you meet as rarely as possible. Professor, open the door, please.”

The lieutenant’s words brought the silence back into the room. Everyone turned their eyes toward the heavy iron door at the end of the room.

“As if they have locked a wild animal,” thought the woman. “Why are they afraid?”

The heavy metal door glided, and in the next moment, a deafening alarm filled the air. The soldiers turned their weapons toward the guest. To them, she was more dangerous than anything in the darkness of the next room.

“What is going on?” asked the lieutenant.

“I am sorry, we have system problems all day because of the object’s updates. Everything will be alright in a few hours,” said one of the scientists, and the alarm shut down.

“Why are the lights off?” asked the guest.

“We turn them on when we work on it,” explained the green turtleneck.

“You really keep the project in the dark,” joked the guest. “Does the artificial unit need light?”

“It does not need light,” laughed the green turtleneck. “It does not need anything. It is just a smart toaster.”

His grin aggravated the guest. This moment pushed the scales of her decision to take the job if not for something else than at least to poison the scientists’ lives.

“I do,” said the woman, turning her attention to the gloomy room. She could almost sense the presence of something inside. It was not a sense of a living creature, but it was not a sensation of a machine or an artificial unit. It was a sensation of something familiar, but she could not remember what.

The bright lamps illuminated a room no bigger than a garage cell. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of a thick granite layer and an incredible quantity of concrete. The only things in the room were a metal chair and the man sitting on it. The guest walked in and felt how the depression flowing from the walls tried to conquer her. She expected to see a unit of plastic and metal. In front of her stood a perfect replica of a human being. The man on the chair had a nice face and dark eyes but had no hair, eyebrows, or eyelashes. His grey uniform had no marks or signs. He was sitting on the chair with hands on his hips as if he couldn’t decide whether to stand up or lean back. An actual human cannot hold this pose even for a few minutes.

“Why does he have no shoes?” asked the guest.

“He doesn’t need them. He doesn’t need clothes either, but we put them on because the females were getting distracted,” laughed the green turtleneck.

“I see he doesn’t need hair either,” said the visitor. She did not like the scientist from the first moment. His every word confirmed her initial impression, and it quickly transformed into hostility. To ignore his presence, she turned her attention to her future pupil.

“Robot. Android. Synthetic man,” the words echoed in her mind, accompanied by images from movies and books. Before the Change, people often dreamed of creating artificial humans from metal and plastic. Today, fully functioning limbs, skin, and synthetic organs are used in medical procedures. There were countless toys and synthetic pets that acted like real creatures. There are even robots with human appearance used for heavy work or sent to dangerous locations where a human could not survive. They had the base programs and essential artificial intelligence to make simple decisions. Some human-like models could tell jokes and quote poetry, but that was also complex code created by programmers and scientists. This artificial unit exceeded the latest technological achievements. Every average person could say that on the chair sits a man with synthetic skin or slight make-up on his face. The guest continued to study him. The next moment, she noticed that the artificial unit also examined her.

“An unknown object in a familiar environment creates spontaneous reactions like curiosity and fear,” the guest thought. “You are curious and smart. I can bet you can learn on your own. They don’t know that. Otherwise, they would’ve been careful what they say around you. What else are you hiding?”

The guest turned to the artificial unit:

“I am Casandra. Call me Cas. What is your name?”

“We call him Proj…” started the green turtleneck.

“I am not asking you!” growled Cas, immediately feeling better. She turned to the robot again with a calm and friendly voice. “What is your name?”

There was no answer. The eyes of the unit were directed ahead of him toward the wall next to the door. Cas wondered what caused this insubordination. Such behavior in a human could be because of a lack of desire to communicate, stubbornness, pride, or even arrogance. If that was a human held captive his entire life, the lack of response could mean he is testing her. But why? Maybe he wanted to see if she was like the other scientists. Such a defensive reaction is unheard of in artificial units because it proves conscious self-preservation.

“She expects it to answer!” laughed the woman in the next room. “We never installed a dialogue program.”

With the edge of her eye, Casandra noticed that they had gathered at the door observing her. This could explain the unit’s lack of desire to communicate.

“How do you give him orders?” asked Cas.

“Everything is automatic. We created the best programs in existence,” said one of the other scientists proudly.

“How do you teach him?” the guest continued with her questions.

“Through complex codes and algorithms. We also upload information in his memory. What are you doing here? Who are you? Lieutenant, who is this woman?” the green turtleneck asked with rising anger in his voice.

“She is the behavioral specialist chosen by the 13 Ladies,” explained the lieutenant.

“What do you speak about with him?”

Casandra’s question was met with reactions ranging from laughter to aggravation. Only Rian and the soldiers remained serious.

“What opinion could a gun or a car have?” laughed the woman scientist. Then, she changed her tone to the appropriate one for the following lecture. “Everything in him is programmed for maximum efficiency. We created behavior programs allowing him to choose the correct answer from a list of options. His decisions are fast, and he considers the risks of the situation. His success rate on the training ground exceeds a hundred percent.”

“So, you don’t know what he thinks or feels,” concluded Cas.

“This is a serious laboratory!” snorted the green turtleneck. “If you want sweet behavior, go to the pet developers.”

Casandra ignored the provocation. Now, she knew where to start. She went to the other room, took a chair, and returned to her student. She sat slightly to the side, so he had to turn around to see her.

“Look at me,” said Cas with a calm voice. She waited for a few seconds, but there was no reaction. She raised her hand to the face of the artificial unit so the pointing and middle finger aligned with his eyes. After that, she moved her fingers, pointing at her face. “Look at me.”

“He has no mimicry programming,” spat out the green turtleneck, but his voice faded.

The synthetic eyes followed Casandra’s hand, turning the attention of the artificial unit toward her face.

“Hello, I am Casandra. Call me Cas. What is your name?”

“Code name of artificial unit ‘Death’, project number 36493208, created on October 7^th, year 1^st after the Change. The 13 Ladies of Planet Earth approved the project. Head of the project is General…”

“Wait, wait!” interrupted him, Casandra. “You know, you don’t look like a thirty-four or a Project. I think it is time to choose a nice name for you. What do you think about that? If you were born the year after the Change, I am four years older than you. This means you must listen to me and do as I say.”

A muffed beeping sound came from lieutenant Rian’s portable computer:

“Casandra, the 13 Ladies want to speak with you.”

Rian turned the screen toward Casandra, showing the 13 Ladies. They were still at the exact secret location.

“During our short meeting, we missed informing you that we included the artificial unit in your search four months ago. The artificial unit found your location,” said the Head Lady.

Cas understood the hint. If he can find her once, he can do it again. Her mind turned to its favorite entertainment of finding flaws and turned her thoughts in a different direction.

“I was not hiding. You could have found me in five minutes through the main net. You were observing me. You were studying the world outside. Now, I know what you want, and I’ll give it to you.”

“I decided to join the project,” said Cas. “I expect to get what we agreed upon. I take control of the project and will answer only to you and the General. You will not question my methods or stop me before I inform you that my work is done.”

The 13 Ladies agreed and ended the conversation. The green turtleneck got busy writing complaints to the General to express how humiliated he felt by this sudden demotion. Cas noticed that her new student kept his eyes on her during the entire conversation with the 13 Ladies.

“Miss,” said Rian.

“Call me Cas.”

“Miss Cas, I can show you your room if you like. You must be hungry.”

“Yes. See you tomorrow, my new friend with an exceptionally long and absolutely inappropriate name,” Casandra said to her student. There was no answer. Just a continuous gaze. “Tomorrow, we will work on your manners.”

Cas returned the chair to its place and noticed that the scientists had returned to their work as if they had forgotten that the rest of the world exists. Before she walked out, she threw a glance at the synthetic unit. He had turned his attention to the gray wall again.

“Like a teenager sick of over-patronizing parents,” thought Cas. The last few minutes taught her that, first, the scientists don’t realize the importance of their work. Second, the artificial unit is more intelligent than all its creators put together. Third, the artificial unit wanted to learn and develop beyond the borders of its programming. The most important thing was that he kept his newly gained knowledge secret. Cas wondered if he had already calculated the chance of being disassembled by the scientists to find out how he learned to think independently. If the answer to this question is yes, then the artificial unit could be considered alive because it is afraid of death.

Cas returned to reality and heard the last rules of life in the base.

“We are like a family here,” concluded the lieutenant.

“Quite a dysfunctional family.”

“Well, we all have weird cousins. Unfortunately, they are all your colleagues. This is your room. Tell me if you need anything.”

Casandra looked around the room. It had the necessary furniture. The huge bed was a pleasant surprise. There were no excessive decorations or details. A screen was attached to the wall above the desk and connected to the computer. The night lamps were on, and their light made the walls look like dark olive oil. A security camera was hanging in one of the corners. Her backpack was on the bed, but she was sure they had checked her belongings.

“I would like some food. It doesn’t matter what, as long as it is cooked today. I want to read everything about the project, preferably on paper. I will need access to the systems. I also want you to remove the cameras and all other safety devices from my quarters.”

“They are here for your protection.”

“Rian, I become very dangerous when someone tries to enforce protection over me. Get them out of the room. Thank you.”

Half an hour later, Cas had everything she had asked for. The dinner was spaghetti and fruit salad with cream for dessert. The small desk vanished under the pages with information. Rian adjusted the screen on the wall to show the live feed from the project’s room and turned to Casandra:

“Do you need anything else?”

“No, thank you. Good night, lieutenant.”

Cas was alone. She got busy studying the documents while having dinner. The achievements in this project were incredible. She never suspected that such advanced technology existed. The matter of the project’s secrecy surfaced in her mind. All technological research was open to the world in the public archives, and schools worldwide helped with the development of everything. The documentation got boring, and Cas turned her attention to the screen. The main channel showed live feed, while the rest was the data of different equipment. His temperature was one degree above the average for a human being. His weight was also a bit higher than the standard for his height. He even had an artificial beating heart that moved the serums throughout his body. Casandra switched the view to live feed. A single lamp placed right above the artificial unit illuminated the room. He was sitting in the same pose as before. Cas wondered if he chose to sit this way or if it was part of the programmed behavior. His gray clothes faded in the dark background. The vague light barely showed the outlines of his head and palms. The bare feet were like pale lines on the floor. Cas could have thought this was a picture if it was not the clock in the corner of the screen. She liked the old black-and-white movies, but this scene was depressing.

The screen glowed with a blinding light. Three scientists entered with cables and blinking devices in their hands. They plugged the wires into the wrists of the synthetic unit and behind his left ear. Cas observed the test object. There was no sign of fear or resentment, nor was there any attempt to stop them.

“Just like a toy plugged into the charger,” thought Cas, wondering if the unit understood what was happening. Did he know that after every time the cables were plugged in, he became better than before? The data showed that the updates made the unit faster, smarter, and stronger, but there was no information on whether he realized that.

The scientists left the cables and walked out. Cas opened the schedule to see what was going on.

“Connecting to the global network for interface update,” read Casandra. This top-secret creation, the incredible secret the 13 Ladies needed to appoint an old-time General to keep safe, this miracle of the latest technological development needed an interface update from the global network like an ordinary cell phone. Casandra burst into laughter.

Yana, 04th March 2022

Yana: Thank you for reading the entire story! I made the first chapters of my novels ‘Talya and the Sapphire Tears Crown of the Immortal Dar’ and ‘Phoenix Fleet’ available. If you wish to purchase my novels or learn more about me, check the Hello! page. Please, don’t steal my work. I have never known a person who stole from me or hurt me and lived happily ever after. Not a threat; it is a proven fact. Enjoy the stories, and be happy!