A Clockwork Heart, Chapter Two
We get to find out a little bit about how Talson came to be who his is, here in
“Son, I know you’ve been dying to ask me what’s making your new ‘bot so different from the others, and I won’t keep you in knots any longer.” P.T. Laughed as he guided Talson away from the workbench, where they’d been making adjustments and doing more programming for the new simbot.
“Well, of course I’m curious - it is my name, after all.” Talson said with an indulging wink at the older scientist. He knew these games meant a lot to P.T., and even though he didn’t know why, he didn’t need to. He owed his life to P.T. and Sabine, and he would always be grateful for the many opportunities they created for him. If P.T. wanted the game, he’d have the game.
“This is top secret, of course, and you must tell no one; not even Charles.”
This surprised Talson, as Charles was his lab assistant at the Jules Verne Society. He always knew that he was P.T.’s favorite, but Charles ran a close second in that race. Then Talson started putting it together; ‘the late nights P.T. spent here working with me on this ‘bot, instead of at the JVS like usual. Charles wasn’t involved in any part of this project, and since it was being done in my home lab, no one at the JVS would even know about it.’ Now Talson really was curious.
“I don’t talk about my race very often, but as a matter of history, you know about our involvement with the ancient pyramids in Egypt.” P.T. began.
Talson nodded.
“My people have visited the Earth for many years, offering help and knowledge to advance their culture. Because we were so different, and the knowledge was so different from what they knew, the people became afraid of us, eventually turning against us. Do you see now why I’m always after you about keeping the technology ‘friendly’? People fear what they don’t understand, and they hate what they fear. When the violence began, we left as much information scattered around the Earth as we could, and returned to our home.
Back where I come from, only a few are still taught the ancient language that was worked out between the humans from that time and our race. Many were bitter about the rejection of our gifts, but some kept on, believing the day would come where there would be friendship and understanding between our kinds. I was raised in that group, and it is why I was chosen to come to Earth once I was old enough. It is also why I’m careful about the technology that I share. I believe the ancient ones left behind much more than I was taught growing up. Here. Look at this.”
P.T. went to his backpack and pulled out some things he’d brought to show Talson.
“This picture is an example of some of the knowledge that was left here. This stone is in Egypt, but much of the writing has worn off. In order to access the complete formula, I’ll have to do something the Jules Verne Society frowns upon. I’ll have to use the time machines, Talson.”
‘The formula …’ At this revelation, it all fell into place for the shocked Talson: the secrecy, working at Talson’s home lab instead of the JVS, keeping this from Charles. He looked at P.T., speechless.
“I know what you’re thinking - I know it’s illegal to use time travel for personal gain, but I don’t think of what we’re creating here as personal gain. Talson, we could change the world with what’s written on those stones! They, along with relics that were left there, hold so many secrets, Talson, and together, you and I can unlock them!”
Talson tried to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. “So this writing,” he said, pointing to the picture. “This writing is the formula that you had me put into the new ‘bot’s system?”
“Exactly!” Shouted P.T. “Son, I believe what we have here is a formula to create a new type of life form. I think that knowledge is what frightened the ancient Earthlings enough to rise against my race all those years ago. They weren’t ready back in that time, but in this time, I think things can be different. I believe, if we present it in the right way, we can do marvelous things for this world.”
“Life form? The new ‘bot will actually become a life form? As in, alive?” Talson stammered.
“That’s what we’re going to find out. I want to start gradually, and learn as much as we can before we try to go all the way with this. Have you noticed anything special about your ‘bot so far?”
Talson thought. “I haven’t put it to much use yet - mostly it’s been on shutdown while I was working on it. I did notice one thing…it smiles. I thought it was something you programmed in it for me.”
“I’m no programmer, son, that’s your department. I’m the scientist. If she’s smiling, it’s either something my son programmed, or something she’s doing on her own. You need to run her as she is for a bit and take notes on her behavior.”
“Her.” Talson said, shaking his head. “Why is it a ‘her’? Why did you decide it should be a female?”
“Two reasons. First, Sabine wants a daughter. She knew you’d never make a housebot for yourself, because you’re always so busy making them for others. She decided this was a way to kill two birds with one stone. She gets her girl, you get a housebot. Second, she is a female. Part of the contents of the liquid was taken from the tomb of an Egyptian princess. If my translation is correct, some of her dried internal organs were stored in this canopic jar I took samples from.”
“Ewww.” Talson said, grimacing, taking the ancient clay jar that P.T. handed him. He quickly put it on a stand near the lab door.
“The ancients didn’t use simbots; they tried to reanimate the human bodies of the deceased. They only wanted to ease the pain of losing a loved one. That was what crossed the line for the humans and began the legend of mummies. This time, we’re not resurrecting corpses; we’re creating a new life. These simbots will be able to function on an entirely human level, but with repairable and replaceable parts. They can do any job we ask of them regardless of danger.”
“But isn’t that like creating a slave race? Once they have life, what gives us the right to dictate how they use that life? And what about their rights? They’ll want things. They’ll want to vote, they’ll want to marry. P.T., what you’re suggesting here is anarchy.”
“Not at all! They’re already slave labor; they just don’t know it. All their wages now go to their family’s funds. Giving them self-awareness will end that. This way, they’ll have no owners. They’ll choose their families. They’ll be highly paid for their individual skills, and their money will be their own. And why shouldn’t they vote? Why shouldn’t they marry? Their abilities will give them value, not tie them down. Talson, it’s the dawn of a new world, and together, you and I can bring it about.”
Talson looked down at the simbot and tried to think of it as a ‘her’, someone who would have thoughts and opinions, and quite possibly the strength to impose them on others.
“There’ll have to be limitations; their strength alone will prove to be frightening to the general public.” Talson began.
That’s when P.T. knew he had him. “We’ll work that out, you and I. Run her for a few weeks, then I want you to come to Egypt with me. Ancient Egypt. I want you to see things as they were before they became crumbling relics of a poorly executed peace treaty. Talson, you’ve always been like a son to me, and I wouldn’t trust another soul with this. In the hands of the wrong person, things could go badly, just as you’ve realized. Together, we can make this work.”
Talson stopped listening at the mention of ancient Egypt. He was going to be allowed in the time machine. ‘The time machine! A once in a lifetime opportunity.’
The JVS had the only ones in existence. They were strictly regulated to make sure no one tried to change past events that might negatively impact the present. While Talson, being one of the star inventors at the Jules Verne Society, had limited involvement in their creation and maintenance, he was never one of the chosen Travelers. Why would he be? That was for the astronauts, not the inventors.
No single inventor worked the entire project - that ensured that a functioning machine could not be built without the knowledge that each individual inventor contributed. That power would never rest in the hands of just one person.
Talson was thrilled to be chosen to participate, and being the youngest inventor on the project by far drew a lot of resentment towards him at the JVS. It didn’t take long before Talson’s ideas and his talent to see them through changed their minds. As it turned out, many of the other inventors came to Talson for advice on their own portion of the work, which was strictly against the rules. Talson’s respect for the JVS waged war with his inventor’s curiosity, and in the end, he did offer his help and advice, if only to see if his ideas were correct.
Never in a million years would he betray the Society by attempting to create his own time machine, but in his heart of hearts, he knew he possessed the ability to do so. For him, the thrill was in the inventing. He never dreamed about actually using the device. Now, he was being given that opportunity. The machines had been operational for just over three years, and they believed all the bugs had been worked out.
‘Me? A Traveler?’ Talson let his mind drift.
He knew there were strict psychological tests for the Travelers. They had to be sure that no one would attempt anything foolish. Everyone had regrets; something they wished they could go back and do differently…
Talson couldn’t help but think about his family. How his father scoffed at his love of science and inventing. How he refused to send Talson to a science academy, instead expecting him to stay in the city and run the family grocery business.
‘This is family money, for the family, not for Talson’s silly dreams!’ his father would yell. ‘We put the money into the business, the business grows, the family prospers! You don’t need a fancy school for this! You don’t need to invent something for this to happen! This is common sense, and it’s free!’
Talson knew his spineless mother would be of no help, and his brother and sister were too young to take a stand against their father. But, Talson was smart, and he found a loophole in his father’s old-time logic. He applied for scholarships. He entered every science contest he could find. That’s how P.T. found him. Found him, and saved him.
Thanks to P.T. seeing his invention, at age 15, he was awarded full scholarship to the prestigious Twinbrook Science Academy. He didn’t say a word to his family; he quietly tucked his brother and sister in one last time, packed his meager belongings into a pillowcase and snuck out during the night.
He called them once he’d arrived. His father refused to speak to him, and refused to let him speak to his siblings. His mother cried that he was betraying his family and that he needed to come home. Talson decided his work would someday earn enough money to take his brother and sister away from his cold and heartless parents and raise them with the love and freedom he never had.
He stayed at school. Then the Dark Times came.
Talson begged his family to join him at the school. P.T. made all the arrangements so that they could. His father wouldn’t even come to the phone. His mother cried, while his father screamed in the background, ‘This is my home! I will not be chased from my own home! The government wants us to abandon everything I worked for all my life and move to the country so they can take my land! They will not have it!’
Talson tried to convince his mother to come and bring his siblings, but she would never go against his father. ‘Just Jinhai and Lei, then! Let them come! Mr. Smith will send a car for them!’ Talson pleaded. ‘Don’t tell papa, just let them come! Mama, let them live!’
Instantly, his mother relayed this to their father, and his rage grew. ‘My children remain here with me! They know the meaning of family, and will not run off to some school to waste time and money they could be spending learning the business and working the gardens! You are no son of mine - do not call this house again!’ The next sound Talson heard was the phone being ripped from the wall of his father’s house.
He resigned himself to the fact that his family was as good as dead, and he hardened his heart at the loss of his little brother and sister. He could only hope their deaths would be quick and painless.
Talson felt the pain of failing his siblings all over again. Would he be tempted to go back to that moment; find a way to save them? The arguments of the psychologists were well known. There’s no way of knowing if his quiet brother or sweet sister would’ve grown up to assassinate the president, or build a bomb that would destroy a city. They could simply be involved in some random accident that would change the world they lived in now in such a way that someone from today would cease to exist.
Even though P.T. never told him, he knew he’d gone to the city himself to try and save the other Curious children from their dark fate. Talson’s father pulled a gun and threatened to shoot him if he ever came back. He’d heard P.T. telling Sabine all about it, and how he heard the children already wheezing and gasping for air in the first stages of their doom.
His parents made their choice, and condemned his siblings along with themselves. Talson had a new family now, and he would not fail them. There was no going back to his own past. He was sure he could do this.
He’d just passed the test.
“Talson, are you alright? What’s the matter?” P.T. looked with concern at Talson, seeing some inner struggle play across his face.
“It’s nothing. I…sometimes I just can’t believe how my life turned out. I mean, ancient Egypt? P.T., I just don’t know how to say…” Talson stammered, looked at P.T. and suddenly grabbed the man into a hug; something he’d never done before.
P.T. held him tight, and then released him as soon as he felt Talson move to break the embrace.
‘If Sheng Curious wasn’t already dead, I’d gladly kill him for what he’s done to this boy.’ Instead of dwelling on that, P.T. did what he always did. He tried to fix Talson’s damaged self-esteem and emotional well-being.
“Talson, you’re one of the most brilliant minds I’ve encountered on this Earth. Your abilities are a rare and precious gift, and that you want to share them with the world shows what a good man you’ve become. The things you create are beyond amazing. Speaking of which, let’s power up this new ‘bot you’ve built and see what she’s got under the hood.”
Talson appreciated the change of topic; P.T. knew he was uncomfortable with emotion and was always thoughtful in that respect. He laughed, letting go of the tension the memories brought, and got to work powering up the ‘bot.
“Tell me about this new ‘bot; she looks pretty different from your usual fare.”
“Well that was by your design, not mine!” Talson laughed. “To tell the truth, I didn’t enjoy it at all. It’s harder to fit all the gears and pipes inside such a small chest cavity. The big, barrel type is much easier to work with, but if it makes Sabine happy, I guess it was worth it. She’s got her girl; that’s what matters.”
Right on cue, the simbot came online. “Good day, Mr. Curious. Please give me a moment to adjust my time settings.”
“Please, call me Talson.”
“As you wish, Talson. My time settings tell me that it’s time for your dinner. Would you like me to list my known recipes?”
To Talson’s surprised look, P.T. filled in the blanks. “In her initial programming, I had Pascal put in some of your favorite recipes from Sabine while you were at work at the JVS.”
“Sounds like Pascal did more than the normal initial programming.” Talson sounded impressed.
“He hangs on your every word; you’re a complete hero to him. Everything he knows about programming, he learned from you!” P.T. answered. “Frankly, I have no idea what he put in her!” he finished with a chuckle.
“Well, I’ll have to ask Mr. Pascal Smith, Master Programmer to come help with the rest of the programming!” Talson responded with a chuckle of his own. The truth was, he loved spending time with P.T.’s boys, and he especially loved teaching Pascal all he could. That boy was like a sponge, and Talson had no doubt that as soon as he was old enough, he’d be the new star at the JVS.
Turning his attention back to the ‘bot, Talson thought about dinner. “How about Sabine’s famous roast chicken? Oh! And her herb potatoes?”
“Very well, Talson. Will Mr. Smith and your new guest be staying for dinner as well?”
P.T. and Talson looked at each other. Before either could ask, the doorbell sounded.
The new ‘bot made to answer the door, but Talson beat her to it. He got downstairs and saw the oxy monitor was showing a healthy green. He swung the door open, fully expecting Pascal Smith to be standing there. Instead he was shocked to find Rita, holding a bag of carry-out.
“Rita! What a surprise!”
“Really? I’m not surprised at all. I knew you’d forget that I was sending a car for you tonight, and I thought it was a safe bet to figure you’ve forgotten to stop working and have dinner. How am I doing so far?”
Talson put his hand on his forehead as he remembered the phone call he’d gotten from Rita’s manager. “Rita! I’m so sorry! I can’t believe…oh my God…Please, come in!”
He took the bags from her and placed them on the hall table. She came inside as P.T. and the ‘bot came downstairs and joined them in the main hall. Her eyes grew wide as she looked at the ‘bot and back to Talson.
“Rita, you remember P.T., and this is the gift his family got me for my birthday. Well, technically, I made it, but I wasn’t aware it was going to be for me. Am I rambling? I think I’m rambling.”
“Good day, Ma’am. Will you be staying for dinner?” the simbot asked with a smile.
“Good day to you. I was planning on staying, but if I’m interrupting, I can go.” Rita gave a confused look to Talson. “Is she smiling?”
“Yes, it - she is. And you’re not interrupting at all.” Talson said reassuringly. We’ve just powered it up for a test run. I’m actually glad you’re here to see it. Please, let’s all go sit down while the ‘bot makes dinner. Oh, wait. You’ve brought dinner.”
“Allow me to set the table for you, and I’ll bring drinks. What would you like?” the simbot asked Rita, again with a smile.
“Some coffee would be wonderful, if you have it.” Rita responded.
“And you, Sir?” the ‘bot turned to P.T.
“I’m afraid I won’t be staying.” P.T. answered. As much as he knew Talson probably wanted him to stay, he had no intention of being a third wheel. “Let me know how the ‘bot does this evening, and I’ll bring Pascal around tomorrow evening after work. So good to see you again, Ms. Florenta.” P.T. said, placing the clay jar he’d brought on the table while he put his jacket on.
“But P.T., I thought you’d want to stay and see the new ‘bot in action.” Talson said with a stern look at P.T. that clearly hinted ‘Please don’t leave me alone with the pretty girl!’
“I trust you’ll document everything perfectly well without me standing over your shoulder.” P.T. said with a look that hinted back, ‘Sorry, kid, time you learned how to talk to girls all by yourself.’
Talson shot P.T. a look he didn’t see, because he was already out the door. Then he guided Rita to the dining room, where the new ‘bot had already put the carry out onto dishes and set the table for them. He pulled her chair out, and Rita sat down. No sooner than Talson sat down himself, the ‘bot was back with drinks for both of them.
“Will there be anything else?”
“No, thank you. That will be all for now.” Talson answered. He wished the simbot could eat, just so someone else would be in the room with them.
“Talson, this may be none of my business, but can I ask a question about the simbot?”
“Of course.” Talson answered; relieved to have something he could talk about without sounding like an idiot.
“What kind of a simbot is she?”
“Sabine’s been on me forever to build myself a housebot to cook and clean, but I’m always so busy making them for others that I never got around to make one for myself. The Smiths kind of tricked me into it, by putting in an order for this special ‘bot, and the first time I powered it up, it delivered a message, telling me it was a gift from the Smiths. She’s a prototype, actually. P.T. and I are trying out a new build type and some new programming, and better to test it here with me than on the general public.”
“A housebot, then.” Rita seemed relieved.
“Yes. It’s quite different than any I’ve built before. Sabine wanted it to be a female, and it’s the first time I tried to make one with an appearance of gender. I may have gone overboard on the blush. I must say, seeing it takes some getting used to.”
Rita laughed then, and Talson was clearly puzzled.
“Talson, she needs some clothes! I thought you had a pleasurebot there, because she was walking around without clothes!”
The look of utter shock on Talson’s face brought on a new fit of laughter from Rita. “Talson, what are we going to do with you? Wait here. I have one of my costumes in the car.”
Talson was too mortified that people would think he had a pleasurebot to even notice that Rita left the table. In a moment, she was back with a garment bag.
“I’d say we’re pretty close to the same size. Why don’t I help her try this on while you wrap your head around the fact that you have a new woman in the house?” She laughed as she walked away from a shell-shocked Talson to go find the simbot.
“I’m sorry; I’ve missed your name.” Rita said when she found the ‘bot cleaning the kitchen.
“I haven’t been given one yet by Talson Curious, but when the Smiths were doing my early programming, they referred to me as the Countessa of Curious Manor.”
“That’s quite a mouthful. How about we call you Tessa for now?”
“As you wish, Ma’am.”
“And you can call me Rita.”
“As you wish, Rita.” Tessa smiled.
“I’ve brought you some clothes, Tessa. Let’s get you into them, shall we?”
The ‘bot was confused by the concept, but in a few minutes, Rita had Tessa decked out in one of her stage costumes.
“Thank you, Rita. This is a most wonderful gift.”
Rita put Tessa in front of a mirror and asked, “So what do you think of the new, improved Tessa?”
Tessa stood motionless before the mirror, taking in her appearance.
Tessa’s eyes went from her new clothes to Rita’s and back again.
“Well?” Rita asked.
“Will I get hair, too?” Tessa asked.
Rita laughed and took Tessa by the arm. “Let’s go ask the inventor what we can do about that!”
Rita walked into the dining room first and made a drum roll sound. When she had Talson’s attention, she said, “Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Ms. Tessa Curious!” With a flourish, she swung her arm towards the doorway, and Tessa came in. She stopped and looked at Talson with a smile.
“I must admit, that is better.” Talson said. “Do you think that’ll stop people from thinking…you know. I just never even thought about it seeming like…”
“I think this will solve that problem for you, Talson. And she’s not an ‘it’, she’s a ‘she’. Her name is Tessa. You should use it. Say it for me.”
Talson smirked. He loved that Rita felt close enough to poke fun at him. “Tessa,” he said sarcastically to Rita, then looked at Tessa again. “I didn’t realize you had a name. My apologies. Did you thank Ms. Florenta for the clothes?”
“Yes, Talson, I did. It’s quite thoughtful of her.” She smiled at Rita, then back at Talson. “Will I be getting hair, too?”
At the look of surprise on Talson’s face, Rita laughed again.
“I’ll see what we can do in the morning.” Talson said, once he composed himself. “Would you please bring us more coffee in the living room…Tessa?”
“Talson, I’ve never seen anything like her before. Does she really think for herself?”
Talson gave a nervous laugh. “That would be impossible, of course, but the new programs we’re working on are meant to make it seem that way.”
“Well I, for one, absolutely adore her. Keep the outfit; it suits her. She’s like having a little sister around to look after. Can I borrow her when I’m in town? I’d love to take her shopping!”
“If all the testing works out, that would actually be helpful. Thank you for helping me with it - her. Sometimes I’m so busy thinking that I don’t see what’s right in front of me. I can’t even imagine what people would’ve said when I sent her on her first errands. The villagers would be at my door with their torches and pitchforks!”
“Yes, your naughty simbot would’ve made quite the impression.” Rita laughed. She settled back into the plush cushions and relaxed. “You have a lovely home, Talson.”
“Thank you. Sabine picked it out for me, once I graduated from the Science Academy and began work at the JVS. I’m hardly ever in this room; I’m usually upstairs in my lab or passed out in my bed, if I’m not at the Jules Verne Society. It came mostly furnished, and Sabine chose whatever else it needed. She had someone doing the cleaning for me, but I imagine Tessa will be seeing to that now. I truly am blessed to have Sabine and P.T. looking after me.”
“May I ask a personal question?” Rita’s voice was soft and she treaded cautiously.
“My real parents?” Talson guessed.
“Yes. But only if you want to talk about them.”
“As a rule, I don’t. I don’t even think about them. Basically, my family was lost in the Dark Times while I was away at school. End of story.”
“Oh my God, Talson. I had no idea. I’m so sorry that you went through all of that.”
“I made my peace with it long ago. P.T. and Sabine stepped in and showed me how a family was supposed to be. Everything I am, I owe to them. I imagine they would’ve adopted me if they could have, but when the Dark Times came, there was a lot of chaos and most of the records needed for that were stored in the cities. By the time things were organized again and running smoothly, I was already 18. It didn’t matter. No piece of paper could change what they were to me; what they are to me. They’re my family now. So what about your family?”
“I’m currently without a family. I do have a grandmother who lives in France, but other than that, I was the only child of parents who travelled the world and didn’t spend much time in one place. I guess I learned to be so outgoing from them; we moved quite a lot. Always being the ‘new kid’ makes you learn to make friends pretty quickly. They died in a plane crash when I was twenty, and by then, my career was in full swing, so I was circling the globe myself. I did love them, but I can’t honestly say we were close.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Talson said, turning to face her.
“Don’t be sorry, I have a pretty good life. I have wonderful friends in cities all around the world. I have you here in Twinbrook. One of the reasons I like you so much is that you’re not a groupie or a hanger-on who’s looking to sponge off of me, or sell pictures to the tabloids. I accept you for who you are, and you accept me for who I am. That’s what friends are for.
Someday, I’d like a family of my own when I’m ready to give all this up. I don’t think it would be fair to a family to wait for my current world tour to end to spend time with me. When that time comes, I’ll find a wonderful man who’ll dote on me endlessly and give me a few kids. That’s another reason why I enjoy our friendship. You can never be that man, because inventing is your world. You could never turn your back on it to devote yourself to me; not like I would want, and we both know it. So there’s no relationship pressure, and we can just relax and be friends.”
“I think I should be insulted, but I’m afraid you’re right. I have never met anyone like you, Rita. I’ve only known you a short time, and I’m pretty sure, aside from Charles, you’re the best friend I ever had.”
“If you just learn to open up to people, you’ll make more friends than you know what to do with. Maybe meet a nice girl who loves science like you do. We’ll work on that. And on that note, I think it’s time I called it a night. Thank you for a wonderful evening, Talson!” Rita stood to go, and Talson stood with her. He walked her to the door, where Tessa waited with her hands folded.
She looked up and smiled as Rita approached. “It was wonderful to meet you, Rita. Thank you again for the gift, and do come again to visit soon.”
“I’ll do that, Tessa. I’m looking forward to spending more time with you as well next time.” Rita turned to give Talson a hug goodbye, and then impulsively gave one to Tessa. “You’re a wonderful hostess, Tessa. I’ll see you soon!”
Tessa and Talson stood in silence once the whirlwind that was Rita left the house. Tessa broke it first.
“A hug is a form of expressing fondness.”
“That’s right, Tessa.”
She seemed to ponder that for a moment before she suddenly changed direction. “Talson, would you like me to draw you a bath before bed?”
“That sounds wonderful, but I think I’ll just go right to bed. It’s been quite a day. Would you like me to show you to the cellar so you can power down on your recharging base?”
“Thank you, Talson. I have some more cleaning to do, then I’m sure I can find the base myself. You go to sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
‘Rita was right; it really was like having a woman in the house.’ Talson thought as he crawled into bed. Unaccustomed to the sound of another person moving about, Talson fell into an uneasy sleep.
~That's it for now. Thanks for reading, and I hope Chapter 3 will be up soon!