Chapter 46 Vows and Codes #2
Adélard nodded, barely acknowledging the lab tech.
Instead, he gazed across the vast chamber filling the base of the complex, delight kicking his heartbeat into double-time.
A thrill of power, invincibility, and pride swelled in his chest as he beheld the new inventions.
Before him stood rows and rows of metal robots—arms, legs, torsos, heads, all assembled, ready for his genius to transform them from spare parts into an army.
While they bore a human size and approximate form, they had no faces, no trace of humanity about them.
Mechanical marvels, to be sure, but would they do the job?
The technician babbled excitedly. “We’ve improved on the twenty-first-century prototypes.
These have enhanced chromoly steel alloy frames, high-stress components, and precision tooling.
Arrows and bullets glance off their plating.
They’re faster and stronger than humans, although they’re still vulnerable to heavy explosives and armor-piercing. ”
Curious, Adélard sauntered a few steps across the concrete to examine the nearest prototype. He stroked the smooth steel of its arm, noted the joined fingers and thumb. It could operate a weapon, all right.
“Now, in a few tests,” the woman in the lab coat continued, following on his heels, “a direct hit to a joint disabled the attached limb, but they’re virtually impervious—don’t need to eat, sleep, and can be recharged in the field with solar power.
“Instead of eyes, multiple cameras encircle the heads to record and stream color images to the remote operators,” she explained, pointing at the silver headpiece.
“Ultrasonic, infrared, and other sensors detect how far away objects are, and the fingers are fitted with tactile pads that register touch.”
Adélard had insisted that the robots not be equipped with artificial intelligence. The Oligarchy agreed that the army should consist of automatons who blindly obey their programming and instructions. One AI trying to tell everyone what to do was enough.
“Once you’ve completed the programming, we can execute a proper field test.” The lab tech erected herself at his side, beaming with self-importance, clearly waiting for a pat on the back.
“Impressive,” he admitted. “How many?” Set in a tight grid, they seemed to go on forever.
“There are a thousand here. We’ll make more if these live up to expectations. The programming station is over here.” She motioned to a glass-paned office behind them and escorted him to the door. “I’ll leave you to do your magic.”
“Thank you.” Adélard didn’t remember her name; there were so many assistants, and this one worked in engineering. A blush rising in her tawny cheeks, she strode away, a jaunty bounce in her step.
Adélard was acclimating himself to the new workstation when First Cipher Aurelian LeCun strolled in, the bright lights shining off his silvery hair. The expression he wore was that of a cat who’d caught the canary.
“So, Adélard, what do you think?”
He rolled his chair around and stood out of respect for the prime minister. “I won’t know until the programming’s done, and they’ve been tested. But I have a good feeling about them.”
“Today was your son’s matching ceremony, wasn’t it?” LeCun entered the office, glancing at stark white walls, gray floor tiles, and an impressive board of circuits, lights, and buttons. “Are you certain you approve of that woman as a wife for him?”
“She’ll work out fine,” he answered with assurance.
“I paid her enough. Krystal has foresight and ambition, and she’s a wizard with people.
She observes, predicts, and persuades, and would make an excellent addition to our propaganda ministry.
Yet she lacks the family name and prestige to advance on her own.
As a Delacroix, that hindrance disappears. ”
Adélard didn’t mention the part about her preferring women or that she’d be more than happy to strike a discreet, open arrangement with Soren.
As for the Oracle using imperial data to match couples?
Sure, that’s how it normally went. But he was in charge of data harmonization, perfectly situated to fudge numbers and tweak results. Who would know?
LeCun nodded. “We’ll see how she progresses. Minister Zhou has been asking for more talent to maintain the Cult’s control.” He gestured toward the control panel. “How much autonomy will you give them?”
“We want them to move, select and engage assigned targets, and execute simple binary decisions,” he said.
“Not autonomous thinking—only directed autonomy. I’ll initialize actuators, pathfinding, kinematic routines, and the stability-control algorithms. Human operators will issue mission waypoints and target assignments. ”
“You’ll include diagnostics and failsafe subroutines?”
“Certainly. My prime consideration is that the robots will be our tools, incapable of usurping human authority and becoming our masters.”
“This is our greatest achievement,” declared LeCun. “Even before the Great Correction, no project this ambitious was ever accomplished.”
“The Book of Doctrine predicted this: From chaos comes order; from order comes life. We endured chaos, brought forth order with the Core’s help. Now we protect life by sending machines to fight in our place. I believe the founders would be proud.”
“Indeed.” LeCun removed his glasses, rubbed them with a cloth, and replaced them.
“Their first assignment will be to patrol the southwest border, watching for the Iron Army’s approach.
Their sensors will allow our operators to see and hear everything the bot warriors observe.
We can send out individual or mass orders to one, a group, or all of the steel soldiers from kilometers away.
Irons is a fool, and Frost, an idealist. We will wait for them to destroy each other, then march in to crush any resistance that remains. ”
“The world will then respect the powerhouse they disregarded.” Adélard sat down at his computing station. “Now, let’s make this happen.”