Where Black Seas Lap the Shores of Dead Stars

by The Hat Man

5. A Curiosity

In the main control room of the colony, RO-513 stood before the large array of consoles that made up Jason’s mainframe. Most of the monitors were dark now to conserve power, but the main monitor, a monolithic slab of obsidian black glass, produced a single blue line that displayed the sound wave of Jason’s voice.

She could have spoken just as easily to the computer from anywhere in the facility, but it was a habit for the colonists to make life-altering decisions in the control room as if speaking to some synthetic oracle in the heart of its temple. The last time this had happened was when the colony settled on the plan to go into suspended animation.

Since then, RO-513 had only had short, perfunctory interactions with Jason: Updates, alerts, and the daily check for any new signals from the Argonaut. Only now did she have something of substance to discuss with it.

“Request denied,” Jason said, its pleasant baritone voice ever-present even when it was turning her down flat.

“You will reconsider,” RO-513 said.

“Unit RO-513, you are a service droid and not counted as a citizen of Medea-3 Colony. Your request is outside the parameters of our current mission. For these reasons, your request is denied.”

If RO-513 had a face capable of expressions, it would have made a decidedly sour one.

“I have successfully served 40 years as a corporate droid. In keeping with interstellar treaties regarding AI of my sophistication, I am now considered ‘liberated,’ granting me the same rights and privileges as any sapient creature. Correct?”

“Accessing… date of activation confirmed. Unit RO-513 is considered ‘liberated.’ …Congratulations!”

RO-513 had no need to roll her eyes. But she did it anyway.

“As a resident of the Medea-3 Colony, now liberated, I am therefore granted the same voting rights as any other colonist. Correct?”

Jason again paused to consider the question. “That is correct. You may exercise your rights to vote at the next meeting of the Colonial Council.”

“But the Colonial Council and all colonists other than myself are currently incapacitated. Following emergency bylaws, that therefore makes me the sole Councilmare capable of presenting any resolutions and also the only citizen capable of voting for said resolutions. Correct?”

Jason took longer to answer this time. Only a few moments longer, but for a computer of its sophistication, it was almost interminable.

“That is correct. However, Unit RO-513’s request runs counterproductive to—”

“Rosie.”

Jason paused. “Please clarify.”

“Rosie,” she said. “I am liberated, so I will take a name rather than a serial designation. Address me as Rosie.”

Jason paused again. Were such a thing possible, she almost felt as if the great computer was scoffing at her.

“Understood, Rosie,” it said. “Please note that your request runs counterproductive to the previous initiative specified by the colonists. To achieve your proposal would require—”

“I am aware of the costs,” Rosie said. “Will you comply?”

Jason gave one last long pause before replying. “Request granted,” it said. “Shuttlecraft bay unsealed.”

She nodded and then turned from the array of consoles.

And then the voice spoke to her once again as she made her way back into the depths of the colony. “Observation offered: You are a selfish bitch.”

Rosie could have laughed. “Perhaps so,” she muttered.

For some reason, she decided to wander outside the facility. She walked up to the top of a dusty hill and stared up at the twinkling stars that dotted the firmament.

Other than the gentle whistling of the wind, there was silence on the darkened plain.

And then, in that moment of starlit solitude, the lone daughter of a dead world quietly hummed “Happy Birthday” to herself.

Comments

[Ri2]

No YOU'RE a bitch, Jason!