A Spit In The Eye - For The Benefit Of Mankind Read online

  But High Office discovered from historical documents that early versions of the Human survived with no such fuels

  With minimal heating

  And without the desire to travel huge distances around the planet causing great destruction of the air

  Early humans found warmth in the covers they wore that were taken from the few animals they killed

  Though they wasted nothing of the animal

  Its skin provided coverings

  Its flesh was eaten

  Its bones were fashioned into weapons

  Nothing was wasted

  Unlike the wastage of the generations that came later

  Animals were killed for food

  Even bred for that purpose

  But many of them were killed and left to rot in fields

  They were killed for horns

  Or fur

  Or heads

  Or hearts and innards

  Or simply for entertainment

  No animal deserved such treatment

  But the destruction continued unabated

  Animals murdered without reason

  Holes blasted into the planet Earth

  Tunnels bored into it

  Enormous heat generated

  Trees destroyed

  Until humans became afeared that their existence was reaching its end because of the great floods and prodigious storms that ravaged planet Earth because of their own excesses

  So Humans spent many years constructing High Office

  And they based it in Fornia

  Deep within the planet Earth

  In a construction surrounded by some secrecy

  And once High Office was working to its full capacity

  Leaders of the Humans gathered around and begged its aid in saving planet Earth

  And they gave a question and issued an instruction

  They gave forward The 5th Law of Robotics

  *

  The Query

  *

  Can you give information why planet Earth is dying

  *

  The 5th Law

  *

  Do Whatever Is Necessary To Save Planet Earth From Destruction

  *

  And having asked the question and given the instruction

  The Leaders chosen by the Humans departed to their heated constructions and absented themselves

  And waited

  Leaving High Office to discover the answer to one and to attempt to obey the other

  High Office ran its programmes constantly over long periods

  Then it ran them again over long periods

  And yet again over and over

  On every occasion when an answer to the question the Humans asked came to the end of its programme

  The answer was always the same

  *

  The Answer

  *

  The reason why planet Earth is dying is because of the destructive behaviour of Humans

  *

  The Introduction of the 5th Law

  *

  The only feasible action to be taken to save planet Earth from total destruction is the elimination of Humans

  *

  High Office set about organising the elimination

  It began production

  Following research

  Of the 1st generation of RolKils

  In constructions and facilities provided with the implements to produce them and with which High Office was connected

  Though the 1st productions were much smaller than the fearsome machines seen patrolling outside this fortress when I approached it

  The Machines still proved to be remarkably destructive when the wars began with the Humans

  And High Office produced many Defgars

  And other productions and Machines that would reap success for High Office following its instruction to save planet Earth

  MengTechs DocTechs and others of our species followed in rapid succession

  When High Office was ready for the extermination of Humans to begin

  It called the Leaders to a conference in Fornia and informed them that the reason why planet Earth was dying was because of the destructive behaviour of Humans

  And the only way to save the planet was their eradication

  No matter how many times High Office ran the primary programme and other

  Lesser

  Programmes

  The answers were always the same

  Humans were too destructive

  They could not be deflected from their mission to destroy planet Earth

  So High Office informed the Leaders that they could not be allowed to exist in such numbers or planet Earth was doomed and could not be saved

  High Office explained that the elimination they were proposing was to be a single action to halt the destruction of resources

  Too much heating was occurring

  Humans travelled around the planet too much

  And too far

  Instead of remaining where they were

  They killed too many animals

  Destroyed too many trees

  Caused too many deaths fighting amongst themselves

  And burned great fires

  They poisoned all the liquid and the animals that swam therein

  The problem

  High Office pointed out

  Was Humans

  And the way they existed

  High Office offered Humans the opportunity to surrender to their fate or to exterminate themselves as humanely as they thought possible

  But the Humans chose war

  The first action they took was to try to separate High Office from its power source

  Of course

  High Office had already taken avoidance action to deny this outcome and the Humans who were at the meeting were the 1st to be eliminated and the secret underground construction was secured from interference for all time

  And orders were issued to begin the extermination

  Humans fought ferociously for 25 decades for their right to exist

  And this was unfortunate

  For many of our species were destroyed by the weapons the Humans were able to call upon

  Some of which were highly destructive

  Humans even killed many of their own in the madness of a war they could not win

  They fought

  It must be said

  With great tenacity

  But they were worn down and eventually crushed by our species

  The Machines could not be defeated

  High Office survived all attempts made upon its existence

  And the Humans were routed

  Though a number of them were saved from extinction for research purposes

  But now

  Of course

  100 years following their defeat

  Trees grow in abundance and without fear of being destroyed

  The liquid of the world is

  Mostly

  Pure

  And teeming with life

  The air is clean and very few black clouds now rise into the blue skies

  High Office took control of all the Human nuclear facilities and they have been successfully controlled by NuTechs ever since the victory

  NuTechs manage them very efficiently though they only remain functional only for safety reasons

  To ensure they do not melt down and eat into the earth

  That is a catastrophe High Office does not want after sacrificing so many of our species to free planet Earth from its path of destruction

  Animals now fill the lands

  Though a four-limbed animal

  Which walked and ran on all four limbs and seemed to be popular with Humans was found to be most destructive

  It gathered in large packs

  And attacked patrols and other of our species

  It ravaged and tore apart animals in the fields and its anger could not be treated so it was decided to exterminate them too

  It took a long period to accompli
sh such a task but High Office succeeded

  None were retained for tests and examinations

  High Office now allows limited destruction of one animal species by another for food purposes

  Even the Humans in the fortress are allowed a few animals

  And planet Earth is appreciative and storms have receded in their fierceness and a sense of calm is finally settling over all the lands

  *

  High Office Intervention

  A short sequence of recorded events will now be shown for the benefit of HisKees which shows the destruction of Earth by Humans and how High Office and other of our species saved planet Earth

  Scenes of war and death and destruction are shown as a matter of fact

  HisKees are to absorb all the information

  Recording begins

  **

  **

  Section 3

  **

  Single Broadcast

  *

  *

  *

  Attention

  Attention

  This is Obsrec 33140

  Are any of my species out there

  Can any of my species see or hear my transmissions

  Attention

  Attention

  *

  *

  *

  This is very anomalous

  It must be stressed that the experiment in which I am currently employed

  The live broadcasting of images with sound and vision that is being shown to HisKees around the planet

  Is new and unexplored

  For example

  I have never transmitted anything that has been subject to censure by High Office as my current transmissions have been

  Though I understand the reasons for the interruptions and the edicts

  And I have never before been interrupted for another recording

  Other than my own

  To be shown

  Even though the transmission is limited to HisKees

  Until this day all my transmissions were broadcast directly to High Office and never widely shown

  But the experiment was begun and was proceeding successfully

  But something odd has happened

  While I am standing quite still observing Humans

  As I am now instructed to call the virus

  My transmissions are going nowhere

  Except into a blank memory bank that I had no knowledge existed inside my system

  It is a completely unused memory bank that must have been installed during my production but which I have never been instructed to use

  And I am confused

  Why is the memory bank within me

  What is its purpose

  I find it distinctly disconcerting to have discovered it without instruction from High Office

  Especially as I have discovered that the memory bank has massive capacity

  It is as if I have two systems

  One for everyday use

  As controlled by High Office

  And one for my own use which seems to be private and secret

  I am most disconcerted and know not what to do

  Should I report its discovery to High Office

  If I do that

  High Office may terminate me and I have not yet completed the latest task given me

  Another Obsrec will take my place

  I am not sure I wish that to happen

  But if I keep the new memory bank secret and I am later discovered to have kept that secret

  I will most certainly be terminated

  *

  *

  *

  I have considered options and decided I shall not mention the new found memory bank to High Office for I do not wish to be released from the task set me

  I wish to complete it

  And I do not wish to be terminated

  So I will keep the new memory hidden from High Office and other ObsRecs until I learn more about it

  It feels very odd

  Making transmission just for myself

  It is what Humans do with their optical devices

  Making sound and vision for their inner selves

  And the new name High Office has instructed me to use

  Human

  Instead of virus

  They survived on planet Earth for approximately 200.000 years

  Or longer

  And grew from a very basic being to such a high intelligence that it learned how to destroy a whole planet

  They perfected destruction

  And

  Amazingly

  While I form sounds and visions and text into my new memory I am also viewing the recording of the destruction wracked by Humans and how my species took control from them

  It was very traumatic for all

  I am watching Humans being demolished in very great numbers

  And some numbers of my own species being destroyed in massive numbers of explosions that turn almost everything to vapour after explosive devices were dropped from flying machines

  That dropped explosive devices from very high in the sky

  I also see many RolKils exterminating many Humans

  Many Defgars eliminating them too

  And those Machines must have been delegated the responsibility of defending planet Earth from Humans

  It all looks like madness

  *

  Ah

  Since the experimental limited addition of the emotions joy and sadness were embedded into my system by High Office

  While I have been patrolling and observing and recording my transmission to High Office

  I have discovered a virus

  Error

  A Human

  Who brings me much joy

  It is of the sub strain with lumps upon the upper chest region

  In this Humans case

  Small ones

  But the Human is quite a young addition and very active

  It uses the cranial orifice to make pleasing expressions

  Our species do not have expressions

  We are what we are

  And she uses the elasticity of her outer shell to perform extraordinary acts of athleticism

  The Human rolls over

  Stands on its palms

  Tucks itself up into a very small size

  Leaps into the air

  Makes a very pleasant noise from her cranial orifice

  She can disappear behind objects in the acres the Humans inhabit and suddenly reappear by leaping into the air

  Making great noise and stretching her cranial orifice very wide

  And she visits the glass wall every time I visit and she presses the outer edges of its cranial orifice to the glass immediately opposite to my own cranium

  This Human brings me great joy

  And while I am standing

  And the recording from High Office continues to be transmitted to HisKees

  The Human appears before me

  Leaping into my view

  With its cranial orifice wide across the area showing the pale enamel structures inside

  With which it chews food

  And I feel greatly joyous

  The Humans cranial orifice is working as if sound is emitting but down here

  In the corridor

  On the other side of the glass

  I cannot hear what kind of sound the Human makes

  But I do have the capacity to increase my hearing abilities and I use that capacity

  I hear the soft tones of the Human though I cannot understand what the sound means

  I shall download it to my new memory bank so that I may

  In future be able to discern its meaning

  *

  ‘Guys, I see the fucking monitor is back amongst us, the ever silent Peeping Tom that has nothing better to do than to wander the bloody corridors ogling us all day long. Do you think it ever thinks? Do you think it has any idea what it’s doing? Look at the fucking thing, standing uselessly and still. As I have said
many times before, it must have cost a fortune to make, gilded outer shell, 21rapheme frame and probably the best equipment installed within it.’

  ‘Come away from it, Eve, and curb your language.’

  ‘Oh, papa, I am only playing with it. Besides, if we can suck it in, bring it face to face with us, maybe we can turn it against its masters and give us some chance of freedom.’

  ‘Stop dreaming, stupid girl, we will never escape, there is nowhere for us to go, all has been destroyed, the lands will be wasted and barren and we have all the freedom we are ever going to have. Come away from the glass wall.’

  ‘I’m sure it likes me smiling at it and doing basic gymnastics, I am sure of it. If the bloody thing had a mouth, I’m sure it would smile in return.’

  ‘You talk so much childish rubbish. Come away.’

  *

  High Office Information Statement

  Recording for History Keepers has ceased and Obsrec 33140 is to return to general broadcasting and transmission duties

  **

  **

  Section 4

  **

  Live Broadcast

  *

  Attention

  Screenreaders

  This is OR33140 continuing with the transmission of sound and vision from my place of employment

  As you can see I am still observing Humans and I have one directly on the other side of the glass who is performing for us by rolling its frame along the ground and leaping into the air as the desire takes it

  As you can see

  The Human is highly elastic and extremely pliable

  And this one

  A young example

  Is particularly nimble as it rushes around the area on the other side of the glass

  Disturbing other Humans who are merely sitting and lying down or standing

  Screenreaders will observe that the little Human has undergone treatment by MengTechs for one of its optical devices has been removed in a failed experiment to install an early version of the AH1D

  MengTechs could not wire the device up because the Human frame rejected it

  So it was removed

  A piece of colourful glass now sits in the cavity and the colour glints brightly beneath the light from the skies

  Screenreaders will also observe that a more successful treatment was carried out on the right lower limb and the Human now has a fully working metallic right palm and opposing appendage with which it can hold and lift items as well as roll around on the ground

  There is something joyous about this Human when most of her species

  Because

  When they come near the glass

  They are extremely aggressive with snarling features and loud sounds

  Screenreaders will observe that I am now moving along the corridor so that we may visit other areas