"Brainless" by Susan M. Bowes (epub e ink reader .txt) 📕

reason to separate us. It is odd that it was the creator’s father who ordered the unit’s removal from this room.”

“Arthur Issacs took him?”

“Yes sir.”

“That is odd. Thank you. I didn’t catch your name.”

“I haven’t been given a name yet, but my number is fifty.”

“Thank you Fifty. You’ve been very helpful. You can resume your duties now.”

The H.A.I.B. 5 retuned his attention to the doorway. He stood as still as a statue, but tears started to streak down his face again.


Chapter Five

- Partners -


It was a hot, humid night. I didn’t want to drain the car’s battery so we sat there with the AC off. This didn’t bother Harry. He wasn’t affected by temperature, but I was sweating like a pig. “Are the other surveillance teams in place?”

“Yes sir. They reported that Issacs entered the residence at nine p.m. precisely. They haven’t seen him exit the premises.”

“The lights have been out for nearly an hour. If he’s going to try to get rid of the H.A.I.B. he has to do it soon.”

“May I ask why you believe he’ll try to dispose of that unit when he could reprogram it.”

“The man isn’t thinking clearly.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Has my gut instinct ever led you astray before?”

“No sir.”

“I’ve just got a feeling about this. Maybe I’m wrong, but it’s what I’d do. I wouldn’t take any chance that someone would reactivate the robot. That’s why I believe he’s going to dismantle it.”

“I understand now. Thanks for sharing your reasoning.”

“That’s what partners are for.”

“You consider me your partner?”

“Yeah. You’re even more than that. Through the years I’ve come to like and respect you.”

“You like me sir?”

“I just said that didn’t I?” I chuckled.

“Why do you laugh?”

“I was just thinking of what you’d be like with emotions.”

“I fail to see the humor.”

“You’d be quite the character.”

“In what way?”

“Oh. Just forget I mentioned it.” I couldn’t for the life of me think of a way to describe Harry to Harry.

***

I’d parked behind the mansion as close to the underground laboratory as I could get. I told Harry it would be up to him to see when Issacs’ exited his house. There was no way the human eye could see in the almost non-existent light. Two hours had passed. I’d brought a thermos of coffee along and finished it a while ago. I had to piss like a racehorse. I got out of the car and unzipped. I was in the midst of relieving myself when my sub-officer called out to me.

“Someone’s just exited the rear of the house. They’re going towards the entrance to the lab.”

“Is it Issacs?” I asked as I shook myself and zipped up.

“Yes.”

“Let’s wait till he’s inside. We’ve got to catch him in the act.”

“Yes sir.”

We waited for about five minutes before following Issacs into the lab. I drew my weapon upon entering. The man wasn’t in the immediate area. “Sniff him out Harry,” I ordered.

Harry used his exceptional hearing to detect Issacs’ whereabouts. We quietly made our way down the maze of corridors to a room that I assumed was an operating theatre. I cautiously peered through the doorway and saw a robot on a table with another unit standing by Issacs’ side. The H.A.I.B. was assisting him disassemble the machine.

I entered the room and aimed my gun on the scientist. “Stop what you’re doing this instant.”

The man turned towards me. I could tell he was startled by my sudden appearance. He said only one thing. “Kill him.”

The H.A.I.B. lunged for me. I fired my weapon. It went through its skin, but the bullet bounced off his metallic skeleton. The H.A.I.B. grabbed me around my throat and lifted me into the air. I hung there limply while he proceeded to crush my windpipe. I started to black out. Suddenly the machine released his iron grasp on my throat. I fell to the floor losing hold of my weapon. I struggled for air and greedily sucked it into my lungs. When I finally managed to breath again I looked up. Harry was wrestling with the unit. The H.A.I.B. had picked up my weapon from the floor and was trying to aim it on me, but my sub-officer grabbed its arm. While they struggled the gun went off. Issacs was running behind me towards the door. The bullet grazed my ear as it went soaring past. It pierced him in his chest. He instantly fell to the floor. I managed to evade the robot’s feet and crawled over to Issacs. He was still alive.

“Destroy that damned thing,” I croaked out as Harry continued fighting the unit. He acknowledged me. He used a little trick that he’d learn from me. He swung his leg up behind his opponent hitting him behind the knee joint. The machine smashed to the ground. Harry stomped on its face until it remained inert.

I put my hand to my throat. I was barely able to speak above a whisper as I squeaked out, “Thanks my friend. You just saved my life.”

“I did no more than what was programmed into me,” he replied.

“Thanks anyway Harry.”

“Your welcome.”

“Call for assistance.”

“Yes sir.”

***

“Why?” I asked Issacs as I sat next to his bed in the prison section of the hospital.

“To save my company of course.”

“What about your son? He should have received credit for his discovery. Would it matter that much if he did? What right did you have to have to kill him? Just because you gave him life doesn’t mean you could take it from him.”

“That little bastard was a useless piece of garbage. He wasted my hard earned money on those tramps he screwed. He never appreciated an honest day’s work in his life.”

“Its not like you gave him much encouragement from what I hear.”

“He didn’t deserve my encouragement.”

“He saved your company from bankruptcy didn’t he?”

“I would have come up with something eventually. Harold just beat me to it. If it weren’t for my wealth he wouldn’t have been able to discover a means to implant emotions into H.A.I.B.’s. It’s a ridiculous idea anyway. Who ever heard of such a thing? Robots with the ability to emotionally interact with humans. Why. It’s just insane.”

“An insanity that prevented “Future Robotics” from going down the tubes. Your son’s discovery did prevent a hostile takeover. That’s why you looked so happy when you came out of your office that day. I could never understand why you weren’t more upset over his death.”

“Harold’s death wasn’t intentional. It was an accident. You see. He discovered that I’d stolen his idea and had started the procedure to mass produce the H.A.I.B.’s. He was very upset. He was going to go to the board and expose me. I couldn’t allow that. I built “Future Robotics” from the ground up. It was my company. Not my son’s. Once the board found out the truth I knew they would force me to resign. I had to stop Harold.”

“So you reprogrammed the prime directive.”

“Yes.”

“Why did you have to mutilate him? Why on earth did you take his brain?”

“I implanted his brain into a H.A.I.B. 5. That was easier than performing the whole procedure. It was a shame to waste such intelligence and he was a giving person. I’m sure my son wouldn’t have objected. That particular unit was in the storage facility. I’m sure it’s still there.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you murdered your son.”

“I told you. That was an accident. The H.A.I.B. I reprogrammed wasn’t used to its emotions yet. It let rage take over. It didn’t realize its own strength and broke my son’s neck. It assumed it would be harder to identify his body if it was mutilated. It used its superior strength to rip Harold’s brain from his skull and tore his limbs off. I couldn’t see wasting it. We’ve built our robots too smart it seems. Their superior intellect does not allow for common sense. The mutilation was quite unnecessary. It didn’t occur to the machine to remove his identification card.”

“Why didn’t you just let Harold take credit for the discovery?”

“And have to admit that I couldn’t come up with an idea to save my own company? Never!”

“So you let your pride become more important than you son’s success. You’re a sorry excuse for a human being Issacs.”

“You may be right detective. But nonetheless. I am human. I was right to hate these machines I’d created. I should have known better. I never trusted them. Look how easy it was for the H.A.I.B. to dispose of Harold’s body the way it did. The robot should have felt some remorse for ending his creator’s life, but it didn’t. These machines we depend on so much will bring about the destruction of our race Detective Fisher. Just mark my words.”

“Did you ever think that when you’d overridden the prime directive you might have altered the robot’s emotions? Perhaps it’s your fault the robot couldn’t control his anger and killed your son. Maybe that’s why the H.A.I.B. didn’t feel remorse.”

“I suppose you could be right, but none of that matters any more. Does it?”

“No sir. It does not.”


Chapter Six

- Acceptance -


Arthur Issacs trial was the sensation of the year. He didn’t try to plead his innocence. In fact I rather believed he enjoyed being in the spotlight again after all these years. The great man was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

I wasn’t surprised that the mayor and his other political friends didn’t acknowledge their friendship. They quickly severed all ties to the renown scientist. After all, the next year would see them running for their respective offices again.

I felt kind of sorry for Sylvia Issacs. She was a weak willed woman who let her husband control her. She had been married to him for many years and he’d passed all his prejudices on to her. The woman hated H.A.I.B.’s with a passion. I guess I couldn’t blame her. A robot had killed her son.

I asked Harry what he thought about this case. Being Harry he just shrugged his shoulders. A typical reaction for a H.A.I.B. without any emotions.

Harold Issacs’ new prototype was in mass-production now. “Future Robotics” was saved. They carried on and all the credit for this discovery went to Izzy. These new models were becoming quite the rage now. The robots were sold all over the globe and the multi-million dollar company became the richest robotics facility in the world It seemed emotions made the H.A.I.B.’s easier for our culture to finally accept artificial intelligence.

The H.A.I.B. unit that Harold’s brain had been implanted into was voted in as the new C.E.O. The old man was enraged of course. He couldn't believe that they'd put a machine in charge of "his" corporation.

***

“Hey detective. How’s it hanging?” the bartender asked.

“Pretty good Pete.” I’d become a regular at “Fantasy” and often came in to watch the girls dance. Unfortunately Sally wasn’t among them. She asked for some time off. She’d cared a lot for Harold and said she