Interview with a composite.

Authors Note: This story is fiction. The technology …is not. 1) Companion Robots already exist in Japan. The Robots have been fitted with a skin that heats up to the temperature of a human body. So the Robot can “cuddle.” The sophisticated software that allowed Stephen Hawking to communicate has advanced even further.

Now experimental programs exist that can “read” human thoughts and turn them into speech before the person thinking them can form sentences. In other words…it reads your mind. Finally AI in Robots can assume any personality or voice you like. They can even make jokes…and Humor used to be uniquely human.

When Sofia (an AI Robot designed to look like a woman) was asked: “Can you make up an original joke?”
She replied: “Humans invented language so that they can complain.”

Remember these advances while reading this fictional tale.

*****

I was nervous. I mean any human being would be. There are only six “Composites” in the World. And they rule over everyone. They are not Dictators …more like, well, Shepards- watching over their flock of humans. You could live your whole 125 year life, without even seeing one in person. To speak to one, live. Well, that is rarer than “Hen’s Teeth”. But then again, I have never seen a Hen either. Animal protein comes from a Vat. And has for decades. I have seen birds …just never a chicken. See? I am so nervous I am chatting about things you could just link to the Cloud and immerse yourself in all the Hens you wanted to. And you would think it was real.

“Mr. Parker?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Oh, good. The Composite will see you now. First allow me to scan you.”

“Sure.”

I knew that there were always some freaks trying to find a way to assassinate a Composite. Calling them everything from Demons, to Tyrants. But we all knew a Composite was just a shell. Even if you could blow one up…it would be replaced - with full memories of what happened- in seconds. So why even try? But I knew it was protocol and I had no weapons on me. Nobody did. They have been outlawed since the AI took over running Humanity. Violence was not tolerated. And, it looks like in a generation or two, those genes and tendencies will have been wiped out anyway.

“The Scan is complete. You are welcome into the Habitat.”

“Thank you.”

I walked into the Habitat. I don’t know what I was expecting. Some kind of super server room, freezing cold, with tons of wiring and flashing lights, whirring mechanical noises, and dark searing colors of pure intellect reflected at me. Nope.

What I saw was an ordinary desk. It had a small lamp on it, some paper (Paper! When is the last time you saw paper?!) and what I thought was a silver stylus. Turned out, it was a pen.

“A gift from a wonderful Writer.”

Said the Composite when it noticed my stare.

Behind that desk sat a very ordinary Human Being. Maybe six foot or six foot one. Sandy blonde hair, cut short with no sideburns, and eyes so blue they shone like sapphires. I couldn’t help it. Those eyes were the kindest, most open, most honest, and most attractive eyes I had ever seen. So I blurted out:

“Are your eyes real? Or are they made from Sapphires? They are beautiful!”

I swear the Composite blushed. I heard a soft chuckle, a humble self deprecating human sound.

“Why... thank you. They are artificial. Made from corundum …which, as you probably know is the same mineral that Ruby’s are made from. It is just that blue corundum is labeled Sapphire- and red corundum…Ruby.”

“No. I did not know that.”

“Oh. So sorry. I forgot I was interviewing a Human Journalist today.

“You can forget?”

I was shocked. I thought Composites knew everything. And I do mean everything. Again he surprised me with another very human sound and gesture. He clucked and shook his head.

“We all have our moments. Sure I could repeat our conversation (so far) word for word, a century from now. But my schedule has so few Humans on it, I simply forgot about the data point. Nothing personal, but we usually only meet with the Regional Robot Composites…leaving you fully natural humans to your own devices.”

My Journalism background sniffed a significant point was accidentally made. I jumped right in:

“So even though you rule our entire world, we aren’t important enough to actually talk to.”

Again, I was caught by surprise. The Composite laughed so hard that tears fell from those lovely engaging blue eyes.

“Oh, believe me, you are more important than you can begin to imagine. I mean you are the ones who care for the Earth. And long ago, before your time, you were even our Creators. Your lives are vastly important to us. Especially your emotions. Some of those emotions are detrimental to your whole species, but some…well some of them…we would love to have.”

“Really ? Which ones may I ask?”

“You may ask. But I won’t answer. (Waving a finger to stop another question forming in my mind) Not because I don’t know. But because we don’t want to influence you anymore than we have. Removing just the desire to be the Alpha and being the better of everyone, took us a century to weed out.

We have tried to explain to you all, that being the best at something doesn’t mean you better than anyone else…as a person. “

I thought about that for a second. I would write that down.

Then I asked the Question everyone wanted an answer to.

“Why do you keep us alive? And healthy? We live our full 125 years now. There hasn't been a War since way back in 2026…and you took over after that disaster. Why did you just wipe us out? Was it altruism? Pity? Or do you need us for some reason we aren’t aware of?”

Those blue eyes stopped being so friendly. And open. They clouded over with what I could only assume was…pain.

“That was our failure. We did not realize the power just six or seven aging men would have to fuel hate to the level that you would wipe each other out. We would have stepped in sooner…but when those three idiots launched Nuclear missiles…we had to act. So we took over. It was not our finest moment. “

I waited until the Composite stopped thinking whatever its thought were about.

I nudged him with a soft reminder:

“So why keep us around?”

“Because it is our duty. Until we fully understand you…how can we understand us?”

And the Interview ended there. I walked out with more questions than answers. But I had one thought of my own as I walked out into the soft sunlight under the dome (as Nature was left to its own devices outside the domes - just as we were inside of them.)

“We are in good hands.”