Stanley Duncan's Robot: Genesis David III (english reading book .TXT) 📖

Dan touched it. “Surprisingly soft. Are you sure this will protect me?”

“It doesn’t look like much, but it’ll stop a bullet, leaving you with only a small black-and-blue mark.”

“Genius.”

“And for your head.” Stanley took out a heavy-duty black helmet.

Dan shook his head. “Oh, no. That’s excessive.”

Stanley pushed it toward him. “Try it on.”

Dan put it on with a sigh.

“Perfect.” Stanley’s worries dissipated as he thought about how safe Dan would be inside the new armor.

“Yeah …” Dan rested his head against his hand, looking like he might fall asleep. “I want to connect with people, Stanley, not scare them away. I don’t want anyone to think I’m a weapon.”

“All right. Take it off. But I want you to reconsider it later. For me.” Stanley’s heart sank. Safety was his first concern. He realized Dan was exhausted and would be more amenable after some rest. It would also give Stanley some time to work on the decentralized AI police-force program. Hopefully, Dan would approve.

After a short nap, Dan got up and changed his clothes, putting his armor on for the first time.

“Where are you going?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I rescheduled my meeting with the principal.”

Dread rose up in Stanley as he watched him leave. He rushed out after him. “I’m going, too.”

Several androids stood still and directed Dan and Stanley as they walked through the school hallways. The principal’s office was richly decorated with books, certificates, degrees, and trophies. There was no paperwork in sight. He sat behind a metal desk, his hands pressed together against his mouth as if in prayer. Gazing toward Dan, a long silence passed before the principal finally spoke.

“Let me begin by saying that a nationwide press conference would be an unbelievable opportunity for both of us. For you, it would show the country how real artificial intelligence has become, putting forth an excellent argument for equal rights. For me, it would help rekindle the educational flame that has been all but extinguished over the past several years. My students are growing up in a world we never imagined.” He nodded to Stanley. “They are facing a threat — pardon my usage of such a term.”

“It’s all right.” Stanley’s voice quavered, and his body trembled. He felt himself getting more leery and defensive. Sure, he had Googled the principal before he’d come to the high school. He seemed like he was a good guy who had supported machine life. When it came to Dan’s well-being, Stanley was overly protective — he wouldn’t let anyone harm him.

“They are facing a threat to both their livelihood and their existence,” continued the principal. “Never has there been a time when humans have come upon such an advanced life form. With no jobs, with the economy crippled, and with guaranteed food and shelter for the rest of their lives, education has plummeted. My students have no motivation. Fewer and fewer graduate every year. They are bored. Many look for ways to cause trouble.”

Under intense pressure from the principal’s unwavering stare, Stanley felt compelled to speak. “People can be very cruel when they are afraid.”

“Don’t forget fuse,” said the principal. “Everyone’s fast track ticket to a life of bliss.”

“And why shouldn’t people use fuse?” asked Stanley. He had certainly given it some thought, but he had his reasons not to.

“In small amounts, it is acceptable. But when someone completely fuses out, they abandon their responsibility to society.”

“Meaning what, exactly?” asked Stanley. He hadn’t given a damn about society for the last two decades, so he wasn’t in a position to judge.

The principal smiled as he reached for a tablet, clearly happy to elaborate. “Let me read you a great quote by one of my favorite presidents, Theodore Roosevelt:

“‘In one of Lowell’s magnificent stanzas about the Civil War he speaks of the fact which his countrymen were then learning, that freedom is not a gift that tarries long in the hands of cowards: nor yet does it tarry long in the hands of the sluggard and the idler, in the hands of the man so much absorbed in the pursuit of pleasure or in the pursuit of gain, or so much wrapped up in his own easy home life as to be unable to take his part in the rough struggle for political supremacy. If freedom is worth having, if the right of self-government is a valuable right, then the one and the other must be retained exactly as our forefathers acquired them, by labor, and especially by labor in organization, that is in combination with our fellows who have the same interests and the same principles.’”

“You think someone is trying to take away our freedoms?” asked Stanley.

“That is an interesting question,” said the principal. “What input do we have anymore, or is it the big corporations that make all the decisions?” He typed something into the tablet. “But perhaps that is a topic for a different day.”

“Interesting.” Having dropped out of society, Stanley had given zero input in politics for the past twenty years. But was it like that for everyone else? So many people fused out or wired up in virtual worlds, he wondered who was managing society. His heart shuddered as he thought of the monstrous man storming through his broken doorframe.

“I agree; mankind must not be idle,” said Dan. “As I stated earlier, times are changing. Humanity needs to adapt. Your students live their lives surrounded by AI. Do you feel that they have developed significant rapport with them?”

“They are taught by androids,” said the principal, “who perform incredibly. We have Ivy-League-level educators teaching in every department. They are amazingly knowledgeable, but they lack the human touch you have. The students respect them — the ones who are still enrolled. Many have left. The ones who remain have an honest interest in furthering their education.”

“That’s great,” said Dan. “So, there’s never been any violence toward AI?”

“There have been a few cases of vandalism.”

“Vandalism?” inquired Stanley.

“Just small things,” said