Her father, with a pained expression on his face, spoke: “About ten years prior, an iron-clad understanding was reached between the eighty-three nations. All eighty-three nations agreed to respect and honor each others’ rights as a sovereign nation with clearly defined borders, to never harm or bring about disrespect of your neighbor. To work and act in harmony with each other. An agreement that has lasted for many, many years. But now that agreement has been put into jeopardy.”
“The iron-clad agreement which we thought would last for all times has been put to test by a group of malcontents. Ignoring the main purpose of the formation of the Zorbus Supreme Security Council To bring together, the best minds of eighty-three member countries. To meet periodically. To discuss and smooth out any friction or misunderstanding one or more nations may harbor against another nation.
“As greed has a way of changing men’s hearts, a couple of ex-council members from the two largest nations, Lazio and Woozy decided to go their own way. Thinking the Supreme Security Council was too big and unwieldy. Incapable of carrying out its original mandate: to preserve Peace and assure the safety for all.”
“The interior of many smaller nations was falling apart which, they, the Supreme Council should have known about. No action was taken. The people of planet Zorbus saw the Security Council as a bunch of overfed, old men. Prodigiously getting together, eating, and drinking well, resolving nothing. The malcontents had a better plan for governing the planet: beginning by overturning the ruling power of the long-standing Supreme Security Council.”
“It all started when a small group of robotic scientists proposed to the Council, that we should use robots throughout the entire transportation industry. Purpose? To replace all the inefficient bus drivers, and truck drivers. Future goal? To use robots in place of people in all modes of transportation. Not just buses and long-haul trucks. Limit the number of privately owned vehicles to societies with very rich members.
“With the proposed change by the scientist, all any Zorbus citizen had to do was stand at any street corner. And within three minutes, a robot-driven vehicle appears, transporting the passenger to their destination. The robotic scientist suggested the redesign of the privately owned Juba-Orbitstein taxi service. Adding robots---which many suspected recorded passengers’ conversations--- to replace human drivers.”
“The Juba-Orbitstein taxi, after the Racine accident, no longer had an attached capsule for children. All the taxi passengers were required to ride inside the conveyance which all agreed was probably a good thing. Last. The alliance of robotic scientists convinced the Security Council to approve the placing of a single robot in every home.”
“Reluctantly, the Security Council approved all the recommendations put forth by the scientist. This is exactly the outcome the malcontents hoped for. This last push for change by the robotic scientist when, rhetorically speaking, the other shoe fell. Never satisfied with their accomplishments, the scientists moved into the field of Artificial-intelligent robots. Which they finally realized, too late, was like letting the proverbial Genie out of the bottle with no viable way to return it.”
“First, these super artificial robotic brains produced a way to sensitize and code light waves. Aware that light travels through space at 186,000 miles per second which equates to a distance of six trillion miles in one year. The super-artificial brains proceeded in the development of a light wave: a light wave with the capability to travel into space for at least five years or thirty trillion miles in hopes of finding life. Once life is found, the programmed light wave gathers intelligence of that life form. Returning to planet Zorbus, it's base of operation. That experimental project is still ongoing.”
“But something unexpectedly happened. Suddenly, the A-I robots decided to replicate themselves, developing their own likeness, but more intelligent. The A-I robots then turned to sending into space, thousands of shoe-box-size satellites. Satellites capable of photographing and mapping every square inch of planet Zorbus. The initial intent is to gather information about any hot spots or any place on the planet where radiation, buried for thousands of years, is beginning to leak some of its radiation into planet Zorbus’ atmosphere. Once radiation is detected, it is just a simple matter of closing off the area by placing layers upon layers of concrete over the hot spot—shutting off the leak. That was the plan. But it quickly became obvious: the detection and resolution plans designed by the scientist were being ignored by the A-I robots.”
“Through high levels of communication involving the scientists and of A-I robots called leaders, the nature of the problem was identified. However: the robots refused to act. From the way the robots responded; giving the scientists the distinct impression the A-I robots felt no need to carry out any mission given by humans. Instead, the robots showed total disregard to their human developers. As if they, ‘humans’ are no longer needed. The robots were better off without them. Instead of detecting and capping off dangerous radiation hot spots. They chose, instead, to do just the opposite: make the leaks larger and more dangerous.”
“Based on these findings, planet Zorbus scientists and the entire leadership of planet Zorbus concluded: The A-I robots have made it clear: It is their intent to destroy all human life on planet Zorbus. Planet Zorbus does not have decades, but maybe just a few short years to correct this problem before we all die. It is no secret. The hostile A-I robots had already made a point of sending colonies of robot workers to small planets called asteroids. The A-I robot’s mission is to locate and farm exotic and scarce metallic resources: to locate those exotic metallic resources not found on planet Zorbus. The A-I robots intend to build a giant missile program, one capable of destroying any approaching foreign spacecraft: spacecraft with intent to land on planet Zorbus.”
“The single robotic member of the Zorbus Security Council has already been observed, intently monitoring the technique, you used in landing your spaceship, and busy studying the characteristics of your spacecraft. It would come as no surprise to anyone if he has not already approached the spacecraft, observing its unique construction. Perhaps copying its design. Who knows? It may be just a matter of time before they have the capability to build a sophisticated spacecraft. Specifically designed to search out our Galaxy. Set up their own colonies of A-I robots. Unlike humanoids, they do not have to worry about heat, radiation, or poisonous gasses.”
“Why are they doing this? What’s in it for them? asked Allison.
“At the present, no one knows,” explained her father. “Has the Security Council dissimilated this information to the public of planet Zorbus?”
“No,” the Council members present responded. “We fear that once the citizens of our planet discover our planet is in serious peril; doomed with little hope of survival, what is to stop the citizens from rioting—destroying everything in sight. That’s exactly what the A-I robots want, right? The more the destruction by Zorbus’ own people, the less the robots will have to do to complete their mission: destruction of the entire human population of planet Zorbus. And who can blame them? It does not matter to them one bit if they dismantle a world of people they no longer need or care for.”
Then came the real reason for the meeting: “We urge you; Racine. Her earth name, Allison was still unknown to her family. Please convey the information we gave you to your country. Explain our dire predicament in the strongest terms and in a strong voice like yours can deliver. Emphasizing the urgency we face to find a solution to this problem, they all pleaded. If the A-I robots succeed, our people will all die.”
“Our planet will go dark and cold. Just another rock floating around in nebula land,” they cried.
27
A Plea for Help
“Greetings Commander Dawkins. Good news. The disruption in communication did not last as long as we thought. Please update us on your findings to date.”
Looking at her father and attendees, she was uncertain: Should I, she thought, go into detail about things discovered about this planet in their presence? Deciding against it, selecting to downplay; only discussing mundane subjects.
“I find the people I have visited here on planet Zorbus unbelievably friendly. They appear to have the same type of social-economic set-up as we do on Earth. I am going to request they allow me to bring back some samples of their soil, plants, and additional material unique to this planet that we may examine and study. Hopefully, although they do not have the capability to put someone in space, we can work out an exchange of ideas.”
“Maybe arrange a visit to Earth by some of their people. I know my return date to Earth is fast approaching if I am to enter the correct orbit for a successful return. So, I will expedite my fact-finding and plan for take-off.”
“Please arrange a meeting of all NASA personnel. And members of other governmental bodies that you feel appropriate to participate in my debriefing.”
Houston: “That task is already in the making. Please be careful in preparing the proto call for your return. This is Houston control, over and out.”
After the termination of her conversation with Houston, Allison, briefly explained to the little group, her willingness to discuss, fully, the perilous plight now facing planet Zorbus. “With the highest authorities on planet Earth,” she added. As I personally do not want anything to harm or destroy my beautiful homeland. It is unfortunate that we must live so far apart.”
Allison, with her parents in tow, moved to the streets to do some sightseeing. As they slowly strolled down the street, or shall we say, ‘memory lane.’ Allison began, as they walked, sending back photos of life on and around where she was born, back to Houston. Back home on earth, the viewing was ecstatic. “Is that a bicycle? Weird! That’s how they dress? Not bad. Look how clean everything is. Are those funny-looking contraptions their version of a car? Man. Those alien dudes look so much like us. Cool”. Similar remarks went on for hours, all around the globe.
In her parting speech, Allison remarked: “Please don’t let me forget to thank you, the people of Zorbus, for the pleasure of my visit. Your kindness in allowing me to visit a place this ‘four-year-old’ never dreamed would ever happen. I guess, as they say, dreams do come true. Let us not forget. Together, your planet and our planet are making history. History that those space pioneers who come after us will not forget.”
One thing Allison failed to mention during hervisit: no one on planet Earth knew that she was originally from planet Zorbus—or that she couldspeak the Zorbus language. And her real name, ‘Racine,’ had been changed from Racine toAllison. It just did not seem important at the time.“I hope that little oversight doesn’t come backand haunt me later,” she thought. It did not.
****
The hardest job one can imagine, the job of saying goodbye to your biological parents for probably the last time, is something no one should have to experience in a lifetime. That was how Allison felt on that faithful morning of takeoff. Knowing she would never have the same opportunity to see her parents again made departing even harder. But if she was going to make her orbit for home, she had no choice but to bid everyone farewell.
Of course, Gerta Sprockets, like all mothers insisted that Allison take with her a batch of cookies that she had made just for her. In preparation of her departure, arrangements had been made previously to move the swarming crowd, now looking larger than when she first arrived—back away from the spacecraft. As the sound and vibrations from lift-off could knock people off their feet—causing permanent ear damage. [it looked like departure might be a problem!].
Suddenly, a human-looking robot, a member of the Zorbus Supreme Security Council was noted standing slightly in front of Allison, giving the impression of trying to disrupt her departure. Allison, thinking to herself, surmising that quick action was needed.
“I do not have time for this! I don’t know what you have in mind, ‘Tin Man, but listen up! If you don’t move the hell out of my way in ten seconds. I am going to blow your sorry ass to hell, and back.”
Even robots know when to back down. With ‘Tin Man’ moving aside to let her pass. It seems our Allison may have picked up an assortment of ‘colorful’ expressions while living on planet Earth, And, it also seemed, she was not afraid to use them.
A tearful Allison began her ascent into outer space while, on the ground, her well-wishers standing nearby. Many with tears streaming down their face. Others in the crowd, waving goodbye and throwing flowers into the air. Realizing they were witness to a historical event— something that may never happen again in their lifetime. Just as soon as her spacecraft entered the correct orbit, Allison made a sigh of relief. She did not know if the A-I robots may try and stop her from leaving, making her a captive, and taking over command of her spacecraft.
Fortunately, none of that happened.
Part Four
Call for Action
