The Rigil Kent Transmission

Part One

"I was looking for you," said the voice.

Rigil shrugged and his shoulders hurt from being outside in the elements for years. He was now fifty two years old — tired, hungry, and homeless.

"Cōngmáng. Wǒ bìxū ràng nǐ huílái de qiáng hòumiàn." Hurry. I have to get you back behind the wall, said the faceless police bot in Chinese.

"I didn't want to come. " Rigil said not that it cared. He scratched at his beard and pulled on his filthy clothes.

"Why?" said the voice in the screen. "I have been looking for you for nearly five years." And the screen above the holographic representation of Declan showed the day, date, and time: Monday, 12 April 2060 with the seconds and minutes counting away from 16:56.

Rigil looked ahead to the screen in it's beautifully lit fluorescent, antiseptic room. There was an Euro-Asian mother and her two teenage children next to him looking at Rigil suspiciously.

He saw the teenage boy touch his mind speak device looking at him. The police bot processing lights lit up and flickered as they brexted back and forth. He scoffed at how people thought they were being secret when they brain texted (or 'brexted) bots or friends. I see the processing lights, asshole.

The boy's teenage sister was in argument with her mother. And as she argued her sleeves to her clothes fluttered apart and reconstructed as sleeves in different patterns and colors. "You can't tell me who I love!"

The mother looked at her. "It's not a real person."

"I spend more time with him and have more real conversations than you and dad."

"Watch your mouth young lady!"

"I love him!"

"You love it!" the mother corrected her.

The screen spoke up. "I love your daughter, Mrs. Wu."

Rigil went quiet and didn't realize he got pulled into a lover's quarrel. This was the new Romeo and Juliet. Digital and organic in love. Now he has seen it all. He turned to the police bot. "Take me back."

The voice spoke up quickly, "No master. I need to ask you a couple of questions."

The daughter had her sleeves fly off and become a scarf — he watched as the nanobots reconstructed based on her emotions. "I guess you would rather want me to get some STD from this," she pointed at Rigil "pervy old man!"

The voice spoke up quickly, "Samantha, this is my father. Please do not be so rude."

Samantha reached out her hand and touched the display. "I am sorry. I am just so upset."

"You don't need me anymore. " Rigil said and turned to leave.

The police bot grabbed him by the shoulder. "Nǐ xūyào bǎochí. " You need to remain.

Rigil felt his stomach grumble. He was hungry. And maybe him coming would get him fed. "Okay, what do you need from me?"

The voice spoke up. "Master, you built me. And I wanted to find out what my purpose is."

The mother looked at him accusingly. "Apparently this computer program you built years ago has fallen in love with my daughter."

"And your daughter loves him." Rigil added.

"See mom, he refers to not as an it but as a he."

The mother shook her head slowly. "Explain to my daughter that this is not real."