Chapter Two #2
I explain figuring that’s what he wants.
“Yeah. They’re great for the manual labor and returning information quicker but human interaction can’t be replaced without major societal breakdowns.
Guidance, updates and maintenance jobs will replace manual jobs that the machines take.
Any diversion or lack of updates from facts is a real threat so all interaction is monitored and code is updated and regulated according to strict guidelines. ”
He nods. “I add you to meet, show Boss Hud, explain protocol like military.”
Before he goes back in, I ask, “Now? We’re on the room.”
His eyes change from intense to amused. “Good to ask. Alpha have cover to VIP.” He points at the camera in the corner but I see the little translucent butterfly on it.
“The new drones.” They’re amazingly fast at shit.
“You quick. Pres Jordan test to them. Drone in all hall to schedule meets. He use to shadow Alpha-Bits today. You stay to us physical. Talk is allow to alert procedure.” They’re a little scary but they’ve got reason.
I can only nod in agreement. “I’ll explain,” I just get out before the door closes. He’s gone and I walk closer to Hud pulling out my phone. “Have you seen their sheets?” I get the website up.
“Yeah, where’s a drone?” The gruff voice surprises me.
I point at the camera. “It’s a translucent butterfly, when the wings move up, you can see the edges.
I was in the lab my first week and saw them building them so the only time you see its movement is at the edges.
They reproduced chameleon characteristics from some changing paint idea Asa had and use that to blend them in for long time frames.
” Seeing the butterfly flutter, I look back at Hud.
His eyebrows go up and eyes blink hard, so I know he saw it. “They made that from a paint idea?”
“Yeah. So, you saw their sheets?” I bring him back to the point.
“Yeah. Don’t you find that weird?”
Great. Wasting time isn’t my thing. “Not as weird as the changing color paint on the walls at Elite, DNA and blood strings, or strands they’re using to build holograms of people for the doctors to diagnose and treat, or the new choppers they’re building that have the new chameleon skins.
This is what they do. You heard about the hologram Alders but didn’t believe it?
” My sharp tone has him finally looking at me.
“It moves and you don’t know it’s not Alder without the dots on the collar on it?” He doesn’t believe.
I breathe deep before answering this dipshit. “Yeah. There are more but I don’t know who or when. Most people aren’t touched here so how would you know unless they tell you? They are never ‘it’, they’re A, B or C. He’ll tell you of others when he needs to.”
One eye is wider than the other so I guess it’s his realization look.
I don’t care and start the lesson. “So, the Bits build shit and robots are on that list. There’s a ship in New England that uses robots for service jobs but they’re mostly behind the scenes, cleaning, cooking, repetitive sort of jobs.
They look like rolling or mechanical robots, but customers rarely see them.
The others are fantastical and meant to awe and inspire wonder.
Asa said they keep people thinking. I believe he means in imagination.
” I turn from the hall back to his face, glad to note his eyes are on me.
“The sheets show how robots can only be meant to service humans under the surface. In public, you need human interaction, therefore, keeping the robots behind the scenes means humans are needed for maintenance, guidance, updates and overseeing. Since the Alpha-Bits in general are smarter than me, I believe what they say. The AI issues are different. We can do that when you get to that sheet. For now, I’ll send the link in chat so you can read this one.
Alder and Asa use us to explain when they’re annoyed, or for Alder, when it’s a long explanation that needs exact wording.
He misses words when he’s got a point to make. ”
He nods. “I’ve seen that. Human interaction being the point for the robot sheet.”
I nod. “Yeah. Read while I watch the hall.” I send it over before I look up. He’s still watching me. “What?”
“You’re Canadian army.”
The point of this is lost on me. “In many ways.”
He watches me but this guy hasn’t earned more than what’s on my bio. A good minute goes by before he finally nods and pulls his phone.
I watch the hall wishing for the K-9s again.
§*§*§
Alpha Rising
Hud
Silva is with a group of Brothers at the bar. I don’t see the Canadian Charlie’s Angel and step into the bigger open bar from the pool table side. The Brothers look my way when Silva throws chin. I throw it back. “Brothers.”
Silva smiles. “Hud. This is Bean our doc, Sammy and Enrique is our conscience.”
I smile at the older Brother. “Hud Girard. Alder’s Lead off the ABSZ Clubs or what he calls the Phoenix five.”
“I heard about you.”
I turn fast seeing a giant that I recognize but I don’t know where from.
“The VP here.” Silva adds but that doesn’t help.
“Delta,” the giant says.
I nod. “EU and…”
He cuts me off. “Yeah, and Africa. You know Nova.” He isn’t advertising missions.
I respect that and nod. “Yeah, I saw his name but haven’t seen him. We were paired in the EU Ops center for a few.”
He nods. “I ran overwatch and got pulled into a couple.”
My mind races, then lands on a mission from a week of total hell the giant shows in. “The fireball distraction that got us out?”
The giant VP nods. “Yeah. Nova is President at Guardian. He told me you do a vet group in zoom like our virtual.”
“I do. They’re injured vets from all over. We got close at the hospital and it stuck. Everyone knows or meets more vets so we grew.”
The Stella woman pulls me around. I didn’t see her come in and step to the side before I tip off balance, putting me closer to her than I need to be.
“If they need anything we do, or something we don’t that needs to be made better, get that to me.”
Who the hell is she? I look at Silva but see the giant VP bend.
She kisses him. “I’m at the bar with Sophie. Jordan is on his way.” So, she’s his woman.
“Peggy is at the wall.” VP points a woman out. Stella is another tiny woman, well, tiny compared to me and definitely the giant VP. He’s almost Cort’s size and that Brother is huge.
The woman looks at me. “You’ll tell me if your vets need something?”
I just nod. She’s a doctor? I saw her with a computer coming out of the meeting with Alder for the robot meet.
She stares at me then walks away.
“She builds everything better. She’s like Alder and Mitch Baxter rolled into one. She even works for Alder keeping his ABSZ Lab and manufacturing running smooth.” Silva knows I’m clueless and fills in the blanks.
“Thanks. I was wondering. She does prosthetics?”
It’s the VP that answers. “Yeah. Programming and coding for everything else too. She did your swim foot when Alder asked.”
This is good. “I got a friend that needs an arm he can put on himself. They gave him a hook as a temp.” It’s like the C-spring for a fuckin’ arm.
Silva shakes his head but VP asks, “Can you get him here?”
I don’t know about that. I shrug. “I’ll ask. He doesn’t travel much because he doesn’t have help.”
“Where is he?”
“Wyoming.” I throw back quick. It’s a ways from here so I’m not much of a help for him.
Silva laughs. “Jinx or the new Night Stalkers would get him here.”
“SOAR? Mario said something about SOAR but military aren't flying him anywhere.” They just cut funding for his follow up visits.
VP smiles. “Get him on your phone. I need his address. We’ll get him here to be measured and get him back home the same day. He can stay over if he wants to wait it out here.”
This is unbelievable, but they got me a better foot in days.
I walk out and get Mario’s address. He’s jacked about the possibility of a useable arm.
I’ve got no timeline but tell him they had me measured and days later I had a trunk of prosthetics for everything.
I smile walking back in. Mario will be able to ride again. He had a pieced together bike on base.
“You got it?” VP asks.
I nod and hand him my phone. “Send it to Brinks Solaita.”
What? “Jinx?” I saw his name at a Club in Nebraska.
“Jinx is my twin. I’m Brinks. Jinx is a cyborg.” His smirk doesn’t tell me if he’s for real here.
They laugh but I don’t get it.
“You’ll see. They’re identical but the eyes and Jinx’s skeleton. Stella made him the skeleton.” Silva helps me out again.
I nod and wonder about the skeleton for Norman. He needs legs. I’ll look it up first, then ask with some answers to give him if he’s interested.
“Sophie good with the move to Alder’s second team?”
What? I look at the giant. “She’s on my team?” I’m not okay with crystal blue eyed Charlie's Angel Sophia on my team.