RoboNomics

Chapter 81 - 2016

"Have you made a decision?" Rupert asks. "Will you come back to work or will you quit?"

We're in the study, which is all dark wood and books. It's a heavily masculine room with lush chaise longues and buttery leather wing backs.

It's also where Austin and I hang out together most of the time, for a very specific reason. It's the only room that's devoid of intelligent machinery. Rupert told us that this room had been Donald's sanctum -- where he went to think and to read and to plan his next steps.

I was going to come back. I was seriously considering it. But now...

"I can't. He'll find me."

"Who will find you?"

"Newhouse."

"Pardon me?"

"Newhouse -- er, his son."

"I see." A moment's pause. "Competition in business is inevitable. You mustn't be afraid --"

"I'm not afraid of competition."

"If you are afraid of the competition you steel your courage. If you are afraid of harm you obtain a security bot. I don't know what happened between you and this young Mr. Newhouse, but it's not as important as making this decision for the company once and for all."

That's when he stormed out. Since then, I've had a FlexScreen sitting on my lap. There are no InvisiScreens built into the walls in this room, so I examine the tiny monitor, scanning for news of my company, of RoboNomics, of Chris. Eventually, Austin walks in.

"I need answers, Andrea. I need to know what he's doing here and what we're going to do about it."

"Don't you think I'm working on it?" I turn back to my FlexScreen. "I've already ordered us robotic bodyguards."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Why is he here? How is he here?"

"I don't know about the how. But I do know that he's apparently the heir to the Newhouse fortune, including RoboNomics."

"Robert Newhouse's son? No, that's impossible. How did a garbageman become --"

"I'm working on it," I cut in.

Austin heads for the door with quick steps.

"Where are you going?"

"To get to the bottom of this," he calls over his shoulder as he retreats.

#

The next day I go into work. I'm accompanied by a huge gray android that reminds me, alarmingly, of the riot droids Chris and I once ran from.

No one stops me as I enter the sun-filled lobby of the iTronics tower. I don't know what I expected, a barricade of bots or maybe the executive team barring access to the company that I technically own.

The only strange thing that happens is that I see the most particular bot as it strides past me and out of the building. It's got the basic build of an android, but without the usual plastic skin with build-in tactile sense.

Instead, its metal frame is exposed. Across the frame are stretched flexible screens not unlike the one on my FlexPhone. And on those screens, I can see images of muscles. As the bot moves, I see them expand and contract in mimicry of the real thing. It's as if I'm looking at a person without skin.

As I hurry through the halls of the top floor to my office, I pass the offices of the executives. I can hear them whisper to each. I'm sure they're talking about me.

It feels like my chair is made of pins and needles as I sit down behind my massive desk. My view is blocked by the bodyguard bot.

The first person to see me is Mitra, not long after I arrive. She's all humble pie.

"Andrea, I'm really sorry. I just had to do what I thought was right for the company."

"And what happened to your desperation? I thought you had family you needed to get up here?"

"I still do. But maybe we just went about this the wrong way. We did ambush them, after all."

"It was your idea!"

She ignores this comment. "There's no reason why we can't still go ahead with the Foundation. I'm sure there are plenty of citizens in my boat. I'm sure that they'd be generous enough to --"

"Yes, they might. And we could try and persuade the others. But that's not the issue here. The issue is that I need to be able to trust you again."

She nods slightly, as if taking this in. "I see. And what can I do to win back that trust?"

I didn't actually expect her to say anything like that. I expected her to fight me.

"I just...I don't know." But then I think of something. "Actually, you can start by helping me out with something. Can you explain to me the purpose of the strange bot I saw in the lobby this morning?"

"There's a lot of bots in this building. I don't suppose you could be more specific?"

"Well, it was an android. It was taller than most people I've seen, maybe seven feet. But the weird thing was the way it looked." I explain it to her.

"Oh, yes. The machines sometimes get it wrong. After the first generation of products, iTronics did away with robotic engineers. We had basic designs and everything that came after would just be an improvement on that first generation. Instead of programmers and designers, we have robots and AI software. They cost less money over the course of their lives, but they don't always get it right."

"So what you're telling me is that these machines...these intelligent machines are reproducing themselves?"

"That's the long and short of it."

"Well," I say sarcastically. "There's no way that could be a bad thing, could it?"

#

Three days, a week. Two weeks at work and still Chris doesn't reappear. I settle back into my job. In the meantime, Austin and Rupert help me as I try to find out about Chris' presence in this Martian city.

"All we know is that he is Robert's son," Austin tells me when I arrive home from the iTronics tower one day. "But there's no mention in anything I've read of waste disposal, of the Protest Group or even of Toronto. Apparently he grew up in New York City, went to the best schools money could buy, was groomed his whole life to take over his father's empire. Is it possible that they are two different people, Andrea?"

"No, it's not possible. I'd know that face anywhere."

Austin scowls.

"Besides," I'm quick to add. "how else would he have known my name?"

(Continued in Chapter 82...)