A Clockwork Heart, Chapter Six
Welcome To Chapter Six. We learn a bit about Sabine's work, and watch as Talson struggles with a decision.
Talson and Pascal had finished reprogramming Elliot, and they joined Sabine, P.T. and Viddy for a nice visit in the parlor. Tessa refreshed everyone’s beverages, and they all listened to Sabine talk about her recent trip into space to study the ozone layer.
Sabine passed around pictures that she’d taken from the space schooner where she’d spent the last month, taking readings and monitoring the condition of the holes in the ozone.
It was apparent to everyone how much Sabine loved her time aboard the space schooner. The look on her face, and the excitement in her voice drew them all in, as they listened to her tell the story of her latest trip.
“Here she is in the hangar; the T.P. Barracuda. Definitely not like the airships that Rita flies around the world in, is she? Some of the astronauts hate when the ship breaks through the atmosphere and into space itself, but for me, it’s my favorite part. Of course, most of them come from the old times when it was more like a quick explosion and it’s over, instead of a few hours of sailing over rough seas. Hearing the clanging and hissing of the steampipes when they power up; having to buckle in and grab hold of something, being tossed around like a ragdoll, it just makes you feel so… alive."
"My wife, the Sky Pirate!" P.T. chimed in.
Sabine laughed along with the others, then continued. "Once we’re out there and the metal sails are deployed, they catch the steam created by the ship and it all smooths out. It’s a much gentler ride than the astronauts were used to. They tell me the views are much better than they were from their old rockets. The glass they used had to be smaller and thicker to deal with the force of the blast required to leave the ground. Looking through the giant shields, now they’re like little kids seeing space for the first time.
I personally think they feel a little guilty; seeing the damage out there they contributed to with their old ways. I think it’s important that they see that, to stop it from happening again someday.” Sabine gave a sigh and pulled another picture from the stack.
Tessa came closer to look over her shoulder.
“How amazing, to be up there and look down on the planet like that!” Tessa remarked. “It’s very beautiful. And Talson’s inventions help you work up there; is that correct?” Tessa looked away from Sabine for a moment and gave Viddy a pat on the head. He’d sat himself down at her feet to play with his mechanical dog, but his hand seemed to occasionally find it’s way to her calf, running up and down it until Sabine or P.T. noticed and shooed him away.
“That’s right. His gravity displacer helps us take readings that we couldn’t get before. His rotational pull makes those reading far more accurate.” Sabine replied. “Now we have far more detailed information on the ozone, and the effect our efforts are having to heal it. Do you see that orange area right there?” Sabine asked, pointing to one of the pictures.
“That area was 304.80 millimeters larger last time we took readings. I know that it seems a very small difference, but the fact that the size of the hole is decreasing is very meaningful.”
She pulled out another picture, this time of the planet. “The Earth used to be such a beautiful blue from space; but the chemicals they dumped in the oceans to clean them up evaporated into the clouds, and both ended up that unnatural, neon color. We’ll have to look at that for centuries before the damage is completely repaired. Thank God we were able to save most of the species that lived in it with the aquariums. But I guess I’ve wandered off topic, haven’t I?”
“The progress on the ozone is wonderful, but there is some bad news. See this red zone here?” Sabine continued. “This is a poisonous cloud, and it’s headed our way. Talson, you’ll want to have Tessa go to the market and stock up. You’ll be quarantined at home for a few weeks. They’ll make the announcement in two days, so that will give you a head start on the rush.”
Talson shook his head. “Tessa’s not ready for that just yet, but I’ll take care of it first thing in the morning. Thanks for the head’s up, Sabine. Is there anything you need while I’m there?”
“No, but thank you, Talson. I took care of it this afternoon. We’re all set. The merchants always appreciate that I let them know ahead of time, so they can prepare, and they take very good care of me.”
Talson turned to Pascal and added, “Pascal, work detail is delayed until the cloud passes. Then it’s business as planned, got it?”
“Got it!” Pascal was a little too happy about his upcoming “punishment” of working with Tal on the firebots for the city.
“ Might I make one more suggestion?” Sabine asked, crossing her arms.
“Of course.” Tal responded.
“Take this opportunity to have this monstrosity removed from your head.” Sabine flicked Talson’s braid.
Talson blushed. ‘When did it get that long?’ he wondered. “I’ll stop for a haircut in town before I start shopping. Is that soon enough?”
“I can do it, Talson. If you don’t think I can handle the shopping, at least let me take care of your grooming.” Tessa chimed in.
‘What am I hearing?’ Talson went over her words in his head. ‘They’re just ordinary programmed responses to solve a problem at hand, but her tone - she sounds as if she thinks she’s let me down. I can’t be imagining this.’ Talson looked to P.T. who was also looking at Tessa sharply. ‘So he heard it, too.’
“Very well, Tessa. You can take care of the dreaded haircut, so Sabine can finally sleep at night.” Talson winked at Sabine, but quickly returned his gaze to Tessa. “First thing in the morning. And I think you’d do fine with the task of shopping itself; it’s just that I don’t think other humans are ready to see you yet. Remember, they’re used to bots that look like Elliot out there.” He nodded towards the garage.
Tessa smiled, and clapped her hands together under her chin. “Very well, Talson.”
‘Her hands. Why is she doing that? Did Pascal program mannerisms too? No, he’s smart, but he’s not that good. I struggled with facial expressions myself. I certainly never bothered with anything more than that, and he’s certainly not capable of that.’ Again, he looked over at P.T. and saw him studying Tessa intently.
Sabine rose, drawing Viddy up from his spot on the floor near Tessa. “I know that look. I won’t wait up. Let’s go, boys. The scientists have things to discuss.” She said, reaching out an arm to herd Pascal along, too.
“Thank you for the dog, Tal.” Vid said to Talson as they headed for the door. “Can’t I take Tessa home, too?”
“Nope. Sorry Vid. I need her here. Maybe after the cloud passes, I can bring her by for a visit.” Talson squatted down to Vidcund’s level and gave a playful chuck to his chin. “What would you do with her, anyway?”
“I’d marry her.” Vid responded solemnly.
Amidst the laughter that filled the room, Tessa smiled down at him. “That’s very sweet, Vidcund, but Simbots aren’t allowed to marry humans.”
“You’re not a simbot. You’re Tessa.” Vid responded. “Bye, Talson! See you later, dad!” He tried to wrap himself around Tessa before Sabine yanked him out the door, shaking her head again. “Bye, Tessa!” just made it past the door before Sabine got him through it.
Tessa stood near the door, her smile fading, as she looked over at the two men. “Talson, may I ask a question?”
“Of course, Tessa.”
“Elliot’s casing has been all but worn away with them sanding down the corrosion damage. They won’t be able to do that too many more times. What will happen to him when he can’t be repaired any longer?”
Talson found that he didn’t want to answer the question. ‘This is not normal. She’s having feelings. Look at her face!’ Finally, he looked at Tessa and tried to explain. “Tessa, Elliot is not like you. ‘Bots like Elliot wear out, and they need to be replaced when they can no longer be updated or repaired. That can’t ever happen to you. We took steps when we made you so that it can’t happen to you.”
P.T. stepped forward and was much more blunt. “Tessa, are you afraid of being dismantled?”
“Fear is not in my programming.” Tessa said weakly. “But I strive to be useful enough to serve in my capacity so that it will never come to that.”
Talson found he didn’t like P.T. putting that thought in her head. He didn’t understand what was happening here, but he could see that she was afraid, whether she’d been programmed for it or not.
“I promise you, Tessa. You have my word that you will never be dismantled.” Talson went to her, taking her hands.
It was clear to both men that she was relieved to hear that. “Thank you, Talson.”
“You’re welcome, Tessa. Could you please go check the chlorine levels in my lap pool? I feel like a swim before bed tonight.”
“Of course, Talson.” And with that, Tessa headed for the cellar.
“I don’t get it.” Talson paced the parlor, trying to think it through. “I’ve gone over and over her programs. They’re upgraded so that she can make her own logical decisions; far more than any ‘bot I’ve ever created. But there’s nothing; absolutely nothing in there that should be causing this.”
P.T. had his own ideas. “We don’t know that she’s actually experiencing emotion. She may just be gauging her own reactions to match those around her. That is in her programming. She could be copying mannerisms and inflection or tone, because she feels those would be appropriate to the situation.”
Talson had to agree. “True, that was included in the new programming, but is it possible to be executed to this degree? She seems to be showing excitement, disappointment, fear, worry even. P.T., is this a possible effect from what you mixed from that jar?”
P.T. frowned, rubbing his chin. “It should be possible, but I really didn’t think it would work, and certainly not to any noticeable degree. There’s a large part of the writings that I wasn’t able to decipher. Maybe we need to move that trip to ancient Egypt up and get the rest of that writing before we go any further with the rest of the contents in that jar. You still have it here?”
“I do; I moved it to the cellar. It’s cooler there, and more out of the way so nothing would happen to it. But in the meantime, we still have a problem. There’s no way to tell between what her programs are causing and what the formula is doing.”
“Well, you’ll have to shut her programs off; at least the ones that pertain to her emulation of human behavior. There’s no other way.” P.T. seemed surprised that Talson would even have to ask this.
“How can I do that? I just promised her that I wouldn’t do that to her!”
“Tal, this is the only way to figure out what we’ve got here. You knew what we were toying with when you made her.”
“I knew some of it. I didn’t know what you had in that jar; more of your secrets, remember?” Talson was getting angry again.
“Son, I’m not suggesting you shut her down; just a small deprogramming that would only be temporary, so we can study her. We talked about the possibilities of having self awareness in your ‘bots. This is what we have to do to reach that place. As soon as we know the answers to this question, you can put her back to rights.”
Talson struggled with his thoughts. ‘She’s a simbot. These are my programs. I would do this to any other ‘bot I made and not think twice. We have to know; no, I have to know if the new programs are capable of this. I have to know for me, if she’s mimicking feelings, or having them.’ He knew, once he’d worked it all out, that P.T. was right.
“I’m sorry, P.T. I over-reacted.” Talson reached out a hand and shook P.T.’s.
P.T. Clapped him on the back. “You reacted like a person should; you chose concern for someone over scientific curiosity. That’s never a bad thing; especially if this test shows these behaviors are more chemical than mechanical.”
“I can’t do it tonight, though. I want to give it just a little more time before I tell her.”
“I think that’s wise. Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll come back to help. I’ll get things ready for the trip in the meantime. Let’s leave that jar here for now; it’s much safer on your desk in the cellar than in my house with those boys!”
Talson had to agree with that, and they had a laugh over it as he walked P.T. out the door, closing it behind him.
Leaning against the door, Talson sighed. He didn’t know how he would explain what he was doing to Tessa, and if she would even understand why. He turned to make his way to the cellar for his swim. ‘Some laps will clear my head; make sense of all of this.’
Just then, Tessa called up the stairs, “Talson! I found Rita’s song on the radio!”
He stopped in his tracks when he heard singing drifting up the stairs from the cellar. Talson was struck with a memory so strongly, he leaned on the wall for support as the song carried him along…’By the light(not the dark, but the light)…’
‘…of da sivery moon (not da sun, but da moon), I wanna poon (not a foke, but a poon),…’
“Who’s got such a pretty voice? Who’s doing all that singing up here?”
“I sing! I sing pretty!”
“You sure do! Who taught you such a silly song?”
“Talson! Talson teach me!”
“Sing it for me again, before I have to leave for the store.”
“No leave! Stay with Lei. I sing pretty!”
“I wish I could, but Papa needs me to work tonight.” Talson thought, ‘and when you’re old enough to count, Papa will have you there, too.’ He pushed the ugly thought away. He wouldn’t darken Lei’s mood by being sullen.
“Sing while I get ready for work, so I can remember your pretty song all night long!”
Talson left the room to put on his work clothes. He was exhausted from school and tending the garden, and knew he’d be stuck in that store until at least midnight, closing up. He knew little Lei would be up here all alone, because no one could be bothered to deal with her. ‘She’s worthless to them until she can work.’ He came back into her room and tucked her into her crib with a kiss before he left, and heard her singing all the way out the door.
‘Honeymoon, keepa shinin’ in June…’
Talson slammed the memory shut. He had no idea where it came from, or why it chose now to resurface, but he refused to set it free. ‘That part of my life is gone.’ Anger filled him as he clenched his fists and continued to head towards the cellar, thinking, ‘That song…not in this house! I’ll put a stop to it right now.’
“Your silvery beams will bring love’s dreams…”
‘We be cuddlin’ soon…’
“By the silvery moon!”
The stage at the Cabaret Gothique was featuring a new girl. She stopped singing for a moment and glided to the music, moving around one of the velvet chairs that were placed on stage. She moved her perfect body in time with the music, shaking her assets and throwing high kicks over her head in time with the beat. She went back to the microphone and sang the next verse.
“By the light, of the silvery moon…”
Guy Loftner didn’t bother looking at her face; no one was here to see their faces, and really, they were all the same. The only thing on his mind for the past day was this meeting with Shades. Apparently, Arlo was too busy to interview Guy himself, so he left the decision to Shades. He’d only just gotten the call at sunset, and the meeting was here at the Cabaret twenty minutes later. Feeling the adrenaline rush of securing his place inside the club; inside Arlo’s crew, Guy let himself relax and enjoy the show.
‘The little gal’s got some pipes on her.’ He thought, his eyes travelling the dancer’s shapely legs as she reclined and draped them over the arm of the velvet chair. With another high kick, she moved from her lounging position to standing beside the chair, one hand on the back for support as she kicked her way around it and back to the front.
“I want to spoon, to my honey I’ll croon love’s tune...” the girl sang, and suddenly she shimmied, dipping low, giving everyone a glimpse down the front of her top. Everyone’s jaws hit the ground, including Guy’s. The move had brought them nose to nose.
He couldn’t believe his eyes, but for an entirely different reason. ‘Toothpick? Holy Shit! Jay’s gonna kill her! Then he’s gonna kill me!’ He wanted to stand up and scream at her, ‘What are you, high-showing up here like this?’ but then he saw that she was. Their faces were inches apart, and she didn’t even recognize him! ‘Hell, her eyes are barely open!’
The light arousal he’d felt watching her earlier vanished into memories of a deathly skinny little girl with dark circles under her wide eyes and caked in dirt, clinging to Jay’s arm when they were kids, never allowing him to leave her side. All through childhood and into their teens, everywhere Jay went, he was accompanied by her shadowy stick figure.
Guy remembered thinking that she couldn’t talk; probably some left over trauma from the Dark Times. He’d thought that for years, until she was a teen and finally started letting Jay out of her sight for short periods.
Guy was staying at their old house then, which he’d helped Jay reclaim. That particular day, he was bringing in a new dog from a Shelter raid. Stopping in his tracks at the cellar door, he heard singing coming from the Survival Room, where they kept the animals that they fed from. Guy and Jay had finished that room themselves since Jay’s father died before he could do it himself. Following the voice quietly down the stairs, he was floored to find it was skinny little Toothpick, singing her heart out while she tended the animals.
She was startled when she heard him, and stopped right away. He’d never heard her sing again, but it did break some kind of barrier, because from then on, she wouldn’t shut her mouth.
“Where were you? Where are you going? What are you doing?”
He had to say, he liked her better with her mouth shut. And looking at the girl, singing innocent lyrics to ancient songs and making them seem suggestive, he still felt that way.
‘What in the hell is she doing here? How in the hell am I going to get her out of here? Is she under cover, too?’ It seemed that now, the endless questions belonged to Guy.
He saw a human reach his hand up to touch her as she danced by him, and heard a low growl that made the man snatch his hand back and place it in his lap. Guy realized the growl may have come from him.
‘Get hold of yourself, Guy! Blow your cover and you’re both dead!’Guy tried to think, but found himself senseless when she shook her breasts in his face.
Shades laughed and leaned into Guy. “Got an eye for the new girl, huh?” With a nudge, he looked down at Guy’s pants and said, “An eye, and maybe something else!” He kept laughing as Guy looked at his lap in shock.
‘Oh my God; it’s TOOTHPICK, for cryin’ out loud! What the hell! I can’t get wood for Jay’s sister!’ He squeezed his eyes shut and called back the images of the scrawny, annoying tag-a-long of his childhood.
“And it looks like she’s got eyes for you, too!” Shades added when her bottom swayed back and forth in front of him in time with the words she sang. “Hey, why don’t you take her home tonight, you know, as a little signing bonus from the boss?” Shades suggested.
Guy almost slid out of his chair with relief. Shades had just given him the perfect way to get her out of here.
“Really? Man, I’d love to get a piece of that tonight!” Guy said, trying not to let his voice waiver.
“Sure thing! Arlo knows how to take care of his boys.
“Cool, man. I’ll try not to break her!” Guy laughed to hide the stress of getting her out of the club alive, and the frustration from unintentionally picturing her in his bed.
As soon as her song was finished, Guy threw her over his shoulder, trying not to notice the curves in places where there used to be none. As he turned back to make sure no one was following, he called to Shades, “Thanks again! See you tomorrow!” as he carried her out of the club.
The girl lifted her head and wiggled her fingers in a tiny wave, “Bye, Shades!”
With his arms around her squirming, fishnet-covered thighs, Guy desperately drilled images of boney little ‘Toothpick’ into his head.
He almost dropped her once, when she giggled and slipped her hand into his back pocket.
“Oooh, aren’t you a strong one!” She suddenly went still and quiet, as he made his way to the new apartment just a few doors down.
‘Thank God, she passed out!’ He’d hoped she would; he wasn’t ready to deal with her just yet. The woman’s body beneath his calloused hands made it difficult to keep those old images of the scrawny kid in his memory. Her hand, still tucked into his back pocket, didn’t help.
Guy quickly fished his keys out of his front pocket, opened the door, and went to deposit her on the couch. Looking at the flea-bitten, tattered sofa that had come with his “furnished” apartment, he just didn’t have the heart to dump her there. Instead, he carried her upstairs and laid her down in his bed, the only piece of furniture he’d bought since moving in.
He took off her shoes, and his eyes moved up her fishnet stockings to her corset. The images he’d fought so hard to clear from his head all came rushing back, and he quickly threw the blanket up over her, covering her to her chin. Turning his back to her, he left the room, shutting the door behind him.
The sunlight was just starting to come in through the tattered curtains in the upstairs hall; the only black-out curtains were in the bedrooms. The second bedroom contained a bed left over from the previous owner, and Guy was pretty sure it was now home to a family of rats. He hadn’t even bothered to right it, leaving it lying on its side where he found it.
Guy shielded his eyes as he came down the stairs. He found a blanket in the closet, and threw it up over the curtain rod, keeping the sun at bay. He looked down at the dirty couch, springs sticking out from odd angles, and shook his head.
“Well, ‘Old Skeevy’. Looks like it’s you and me today.” He sat heavily; all the adrenaline from the past week, as well as the last few hours had finally left him drained. He pulled out his cell phone, passing it nervously from hand to hand.
‘What am I going to tell Jay? There’s no way he sent her in there; this has to be one of her little games. I bet that shitbag Sloane brought her there. Probably told her she’d be a big star. He’ll be seeing stars, alright, as soon as I get my hands on him.’ Guy finally put the phone on the cheap metal stand next to the couch. He’d wait until he talked to the Toothpick; got the whole story. No sense getting Jay all riled up until he could fill in the blanks.
‘Always with the wrong crowd, always up to no good. Just when it looked like she was finally done with that crap and ready to grow up, Jay’s stupid girlfriend goes and hooks her up with Sloane. Freakin’ Roma. Why does he stay with her?’
Guy’s thoughts were all over the place; past and present began to blur. Before he knew it, he was out.
He didn’t know how long he’d slept; it had to be hours, but seemed like minutes. He stood, rubbing a spot on his back where a busted spring dug into him. Small fragments of dreams he’d had tried to push him to consciousness as he made his way to the kitchen for a drink. He blocked them out. All he wanted was to go back to bed. He put the empty glass in the sink and headed upstairs.
He slid into bed, and in seconds, he was fast asleep.
That's it for this time. Thanks SO MUCH for reading; your support and encouragement mean the world to me! Stay tuned for Ch 7!
Credits:
Many thanks to the most awesome proofreader on the planet, Holleyberry!
Steampunk Ship T.P. Barracuda picture by Michael Sormann
Space shot by David Michalczyk @ www.art.eonworks.com (modified to add red spot by Aussie Karima)