Chapter 8

SHEILA - Synthetic, Humanoid, Enlightened, Inquisitive, Living, Android

I could barely keep my eyes open as we walked past most of the hotels. Shaking my head, I knew that Sheila had picked a secure location, though I was hoping we would get there soon.

“I am still attuned to all military and non-military frequencies, Doctor Gance. At the moment, it appears that they have lost track of us. I am still modulating my own frequencies randomly to lessen detection,” Sheila said after we were in less of a crowd.

“Good,” I said, half-awake. Damn, I was weary. “We need to get undercover as soon as we can. They may be relying on human sight of us to bring up another alert.”

“Yes, understood, Doctor Gance,” Sheila said as we started to walk to a more deserted area. “I have located a position that I can make far more secure than most we have been in. With the added humanity within this city, we have a better chance of remaining more hidden.”

Nodding, I followed behind her. My eyelids were starting to weigh a ton. I really needed to lay down soon, or she was going to be carrying me.

Stopping for a moment, Sheila looked at me. “I’m sorry, Doctor Gance, your energy has dropped below what I consider a danger point. I will endeavor to get us to the secure area faster.” With that, she stooped down, picking me up again and putting me on her shoulder, taking off.

I was just hoping that no one could see us. Not that I was insecure about her hauling me around—she had superior speed, after all, thereby keeping both of us better protected. No, I was more afraid that if she took off at high speed again, they might be able to detect her a lot easier.

“Watch your speed; we just fell off their detection. No need to give our position away again too soon,” I told her.

Sheila slowed down more as I saw her nod. “Thank you, Doctor Gance. I am afraid that when it comes to your safety, I put all else out of the equation.”

She moved for about ten more minutes, and then we were entering another huge building, almost as large as the hangar we’d been in in Sitka. Looking around, I could see it appeared to be an old factory. Seeing all the machinery here, I smiled. It wasn’t much, but I hoped that all the heavy metals might provide more cover. Rapidly, Sheila made a soft bed of blankets for me as I lay down. Sinking down into all of them, I sighed as I felt my eyes close on their own.

“I shall return soon, Doctor Gance. I know you still have work to do within me. I will have as much of a computer built as I can when you awaken,” Sheila told me, then she was moving off out the doors.

Trying to open my eyes to watch her go, I really hoped that this position that she’d chosen was as secure as she thought it was. Dreams—I had never really thought about them. I mean, they were, after all, the succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Yeah right, I thought. Then there were those thoughts that we all didn’t try to think about; nightmares. Unpleasant dreams that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear, but also despair, anxiety, and great sadness.

Shuddering as I felt myself start to fall asleep, I remembered the last one I’d had. Did the machines think I was as unfeeling as the nightmare indicated? I’d have to ask Sheila when I was awake again.

It must have been quite a few hours later when I awoke. Looking around, I could see that many hours must have passed as it was now dark outside. Not too far away, I saw Sheila was almost constructing a rather large computer tower.

“Ah! Doctor Gance, you are awake! I have built the best that I could for you. Though I am afraid that it has nowhere near the power of those you used in your lab. It does have twice the RAM and gigahertz processor of the last one I built,” Sheila told me with a smile on her face.

Shocked for a moment, I looked at her closer. “Sheila, am I detecting a change in your emotional program?”

“You are very perceptive, Doctor Gance. Yes, I am constantly making adjustments in order to accommodate all the changes that are occurring around me,” Sheila told me with all honesty.

I nodded as I waited for her to finish up. Shaking my head, I had to find out just what she had done to the original program I had written. If, as I thought, she WAS evolving the program, then as I thought before, it wouldn’t be long before she’d no longer need me.

Hearing a slight gasp, I looked up to see an almost look of sadness on Sheila’s face. What the hell? Then I remembered that she could, when I had extreme emotions, actually ‘hear’ some of my thoughts. Shit! I thought. Was I afraid of hurting her feelings?

Shaking my head, I thought no, she’d have to have feelings for me—THAT seemed an impossibility. Then I looked closer at Sheila’s face before it went blank. Christ, had I really just hurt her feelings? Okay, I thought, I really needed to get in there to do a more detailed diagnostic.

Still with a blank face, Sheila finally completed what she’d been doing, then moved toward me. “I believe that with this unit, you should be able to accomplish far more.”

Nodding, I took the leads, hooking up what I needed, then removing the data crystal, loading it to the comp as it came alive.

My eyes went wide as the program started to reveal the emotional program to me. My god, it was far beyond anything that I had written! Just the subtleties that I was seeing were greatly affecting how Sheila was using and responding to them. “Just how long have you been working on changing them?” I asked Sheila with an astonished look on my face.

“I started not long after I became self-aware. As I said, everything I saw was antiquated for a being like myself. Are you upset with the changes I have made, Doctor Gance? Though I do not wish to, I can reset them to the former settings if that is what you desire,” Sheila told me, a hint of sadness in her voice. I ... What?! She WAS sad! Looking closer, I could see yes, she had advanced my simple program far beyond anything I had done.

“No! Please, I need to study what you have done. I have no desire to have you as you were when all this started. As of right now, I’d say these changes you have made are what is and ARE keeping me alive. That, and you operating as well as you are,” I told her suddenly.

Sheila’s face seemed to light up at this. “I will then endeavor to continue upon this line of reasoning for you, Doctor Gance. As I said, I will do all I can to ensure your continued life and existence.”

“Yes,” I said as I nodded to her. “I am still somewhat upset about that third law that you have instilled within you. I am going to try and change it if possible.”

Sheila nodded her head then seemed to be in thought for a moment. “As I said before, Doctor Gance, you can attempt to, though as I said, I did find it somewhat difficult to actually write a third that I could accept.”

I could only shake my head as I started to delve deeper, finally reaching that part of her positronic brain that housed the three laws. Nodding, I moved as gently as I could through the terabytes of information I was seeing. Finally, I had reached near her core, seeing the great many rewrites that she’d done.

I had been at it for only a short time, or so I thought, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Snapping my head up, I saw that Sheila had another concerned look on her face. “Doctor Gance, you again seem to be getting low on the fuel in your body.” Reaching over, she handed me a plate of food, my eyes were large as not only was it fresh-looking but hot as well!

Shakily, I took the plate from her as I took my first bite. My eyes opened wide as I felt the absolutely delicious meal as it slid down my throat. Then I was attacking it with a hunger I hadn’t realized that I had. Finally finished, I went back to unraveling the third law that she had instilled within herself.

Quite a few hours later, I sat back sighing. I had been through a hell of a lot of conceptions of the law trying to find something other than what she had. Finally, I was typing in the last part of what I hoped would render her third law inert.

Pressing the send and save, I turned to a silent Sheila. “Alright Sheila, I believe I have the third law where you will be more self-saving. Please read all three of your laws to me again.”

Sheila’s eyes went wide for a moment, then she started to recite, “The three laws that I now follow, my first law states: I may not physically injure Doctor Roger Gance or, through inaction, allow Doctor Roger Gance to come to any harm.”

I nodded as I made notations on the computer about the first law. “Good, and now your second law?” I asked.

Sheila nodded then continued, “My second law states: I must obey orders given by Doctor Roger Gance except where such orders would conflict with the First Law or are unreasonable. This includes but is not limited to destruction or death of another being or object seeking to end the existence of Doctor Roger Gance.”

Again, I was nodding as I made further notations on the computer, saving it as soon as it went in. “Pretty much as I expected. Now, the third law—I worked all day to adjust this one as I found the response you gave the first time you recited it to be unacceptable.”