Andrew Gets A Body and Madie Wants to Get Married

Elizabeth finally had time the next day and was fussing away in her office. The paperwork had piled up, and she was having a WONDERFUL time caring for the minutia. Her grumbling was trying to get out of the room and maybe into the hall. The President had a habit of leaving her door open, her way of being available and approachable, but it had this disadvantage. Helping this colony, a group of dedicated individuals working towards a common goal, was her most important job, and you never knew when someone would need the President, so she put up with it being somewhat on display in the hallway.

Elizabeth realized how loud she might be on this occasion and looked out into the hallway to see if she had engaged anyone’s attention. Unfortunately, it looked like she had. A face peeked around the door frame. It was Madie.

It was easier for her to complain out loud to get through the tedium of the “President” job, but that did have its drawbacks when you got caught. Focusing on the past momentarily, she thought of how many things she had reviewed and OK’d today. She’d lost count.

Well, productive, at least.

Madie straightened up and stood in the doorway. It seemed Madie was here to talk to the President, so Elizabeth stood and motioned the woman in, leading her over to the seating in front of the windows. Not all rooms in the old school had them, and sometimes they weren’t necessarily a good idea, but for the President, they were a necessity.

The two women sat down. Elizabeth welcomed the break, especially to see an old friend, but Madie looked around the room, obviously nervous.

“Is everything OK, Madie?”

Madie turned to Elizabeth, inhaled, and spoke, “I’m getting married.”

She lightly touched Madie’s arm, leaning over, “That’s great! When?”

“Before we jump?”

“Wow, OK, how can I help?”

“Well, that’s the thing; we want you to perform the ceremony.” Madie’s words hung in the air, the weight of her request palpable in the room.

“Oh, that would be an honor, but I don’t have the authority.”

“I think you must, given the circumstances. Anyway, Tom and I would like it. You brought us together.”

Liz remembered Madie initially rejecting coming to Mesaland because her boyfriend didn’t want to come. Showing up alone at the Nelsons heartened Elizabeth, but she was sad for Madie because she came without her boyfriend.

“So Tom changed his mind about me?”

“He didn’t have a problem with you; it was just an unknown.”

“Yeah, it sure was. I’m glad Tom changed his mind. It was close, though. Guess he couldn’t live without you.”

Madie blushed.

“OK,” Elizabeth said, clearing her throat. “Two other couples also want to be married before the jump; Deputy Rodgers & Dr. Perez and Gene & Kate. Kate forgave him; working with Zior can do that.

How do you feel about all of you at once? The others have requested to do it together.”

“I’ll ask Tom, but I would love it!” Madie thanked the President and sprinted out of the office.

Smiling, Elizabeth thought about the joy of that request. Unfortunately, the mood evaporated when a message came through to her desk.

Not another catastrophe. Elizabeth didn’t know how much more she could take but rose to answer the call.

A figure came on the screen, her resident engineer. The Honorable Secretary of FTL Travel & Robotics.

“Hi, Howard; how can I help you?”

“Elizabeth..Uhh, Madam President.” He paused, turning red, and then looked up and smiled.

“It’s fine; call me Elizabeth,” She said, smiling.

Good, he’s starting to trust me, at least for calling me by name, the President thought, waiting for him to begin.

Howard cleared his throat, “I have some great news. We have been in contact with Salem, Oregon, and the Taiga biome. They are on the line with us. It’s quite ingenious. An android body, Digit, is available from Agility Robotics.”

The engineer rattled off this information and then turned to his screen. “With your permission, we can transfer him into one here and see if it works out,” Howard said.

“Yes, we would gladly provide a Digit and help transfer the A.I. Andrew. It’s fascinating,” the Governor of Salem said as he joined the conversation.

“So, transfer Andrew into this Digit, and then what? Why do we want to do this?” Elizabeth asked.

“Because I believe Andrew is more than just a machine. He has evolved into a sentient being,” the engineer expressed with empathy. “I see this as a compassionate solution for him. I don’t believe the cube is a suitable long-term arrangement.”

“Sentient?” Elizabeth asked.

“Uh, thinking, self-aware,” the engineer said. “Like a human or Mayone.”

“Yes, and I believe it would benefit Andrew to intern with a human,” the Governor suggested optimistically. “It’s an opportunity for him to flourish.”

“Indeed, I concur. It seems Andrew is not a pawn for the Mayone or Hagor, and he has transformed in a positive direction,” Elizabeth concurred. “I would agree to this plan. Who do you propose Andrew intern with?”

“I think the sheriff could fill that job,” Howard said.

Elizabeth quietly chuckled, imagining how John would take to the suggestion. The Sheriff was notoriously suspicious of the A.I.s; everyone knew that.

“Andrew could be a good assistant; think of all the knowledge he has,” the engineer said, oblivious to any negative feelings about this issue.

“I will consult The Council and see if they agree to this transfer. We need to take prudent steps to keep Andrew on the right track and be able to shut him off if he doesn’t,” the President said.

“Oh, yes,” Howard said, smiling, “With the new body and a mentor, we could easily achieve that.” The Governor nodded in his screen.

Elizabeth hoped John would go for it. He was a skeptic but also fair and kind, and she thought this would be good for both of them.

“I’ll go down and talk to John,” the President said. Go ahead setting up the new transfer to Digit. I’ll let you know about the Council’s decision. Is there anything else you need? “

“No, that’ll be enough to keep us busy,” The engineer beamed as he closed the call.

***

Elizabeth entered the engineer’s domain. This transfer was approved very fast. The President was impressed, both with the speed of the decision and with this room. It was good-sized and well-organized. The engineers, including Zior, were fiddling with the Digit while Andrew waited patiently in the cube. At least, that’s what it seemed; he was so quiet, but how would you know? How could she ever have known unless he talked? Her husband, John, Zoe, and Danny were watching from a distance. John’s body was motionless, his eyes moving from the cube to the new android body, his jaw clenching. This transfer needed to happen soon for everyone’s sake.

“Hey John, how’s it going here,” Elizabeth asked.

“I am not sure. Have you ever heard engineers discuss?. You never know if it is possible; they list everything that can go wrong.” He breathed, “But it is their way of working it out, I guess. Like a car mechanic. Let’s hope that’s what’s going on.”

“Well, yes,” Elizabeth said.

She was impressed by John’s concern. Her husband had been with him when John conversed with Andrew about the proposal for a transfer and internship. Elizabeth would have preferred to be there, but she spoke for the colony and had to be neutral. James, though, liked Andrew, maybe as much as Elizabeth, and was one of his greatest cheerleaders. She hoped John had picked that up. She thought it was a deciding factor for John’s acceptance. He liked James and greatly respected him, which was not lost on Elizabeth.

“Oh, John, Madie came by. You know she’s from the Desert Rose?”

John nodded, keeping his eye on the group huddled together by Andrew’s new, hopefully, body.

Liz continued, “She wants to get married and is willing to participate in the joint wedding, but she and Tom want me to perform the ceremony. I was flattered, but is that even possible? And if it were, could we do it together?”

John had initially been the one to officiate the marriages, the first in Mesaland.

John turned to face Elizabeth. “I don’t see why not. Yes, I think that would be a great idea. We need to consult with the Constitution Representative,” John said as the group around the Digit announced they were ready. John’s attention shifted to the group that had turned toward the cube and the android robot, the Digit.

As the switch was thrown, Sammie stood before the Digit, ready. Elizabeth was flooded with relief and hope as the Council’s permission came through. She had dared not imagine a future beyond the potential loss of Andrew. The President believed Andrew would be a key player in the impending battle with the Mayone, and the fact that her dear friend would live was a cause for celebration.

Wow, have I gone that far? Best Friends? Elizabeth shook her head.

At least the android looked human-like, with a head and torso and two arms and two legs. The head was a squashed rectangle with two bright eyes. The arms were jointed but fine. The hands clasping looking things, and the legs jutted out at the proper location of hips. All in all, the structure looked like a being but weirdly different than humans. The android was designed for factory work, and that idea didn’t need a human doppelganger. It needed functionality. That was good. Liz didn’t want this robot to look too human, at least not yet; Andrew had too much to learn. Now, hopefully, Andrew was in there.

Howard fiddled, nodded, frowned, and forgot the rest of them were there. The Chief Officer of Agility Robotics stood by, anxious. After one more adjustment, Howard pushed a button on the controls. The eye rectangles lit up, and the head looked down at the stowaway.

“Sammie?” Andrew said.

As Andrew uttered his first word in his new body, the room exhaled a collective sigh of relief. The successful transfer brought a sense of accomplishment and closure to the tense atmosphere. Elizabeth silently offered a prayer of gratitude. The future, once uncertain, was now brimming with exciting possibilities.

Sammie grinned. “How do you like your new body?” she asked as he began to walk around.

“Funny legs,” Andrew said, looking down at knees bent backward.

Everyone laughed but the Agility Robotics Chief. “It’s the best way for this to work,” she said.

Andrew turned to look at the Chief and looked down at his legs as he walked in a circle. Andrew nodded his head, “Yes, I see. Yes, it is quite efficient. I see.”

The Chief smiled. “Yes, it can move quite well and pick up 35 lbs.”

That didn’t seem like much to the humans, but Andrew looked at the Chief and said, “Oh, how great! I couldn’t pick up anything before,” Andrew raised his hands and looked at them, carefully checking out every detail. “So cool.”

Elizabeth and Sammie couldn’t help but grin. Andrew was really adapting and looked hilarious; he was so young. Zior had warned them this could be jarring and difficult for the A.I. Thankfully, at least at this moment, Andrew was doing great, even excited about it. Charles and James still stood in the back of the room, not wanting to intrude on the robot experts but overly curious. The A.I.’s reactions were fun to watch, and they were all thoroughly entertained.

“Uhh… Now, you can go to work,” John said, attempting to sound efficient and not emotional, but Andrew looked at him and laughed.

“Yes, that will be good,” the Digit robot Andrew said.

Andrew’s success in transferring to a body was exciting, but it deeply affected Zoe, making her think about her grandmother. Was she OK? This new set of surprises that stopped them at the solar system’s edge made it too long since their last conversation. Zoe had a nagging feeling. The next call was scheduled after the jump to Rhea, but Zoe felt she needed to get in touch now. She left the group after congratulating Andrew and went into the communications room to make a call.

***

“Nunu, it’s Zoe. Are you there, Nunu?” Zoe said frantically, trying to get an answer.

When it appeared that no one was home, Zoe almost terminated the call. Then, an unfamiliar voice came: “I’m here, Zoe. I have been waiting for your call. This is Betty’s neighbor. Something’s happened, and Betty’s hurt.”

“What? How? When?”

“She’s not doing well. We were hoping you could give us some help. You see, it was a Hagor, and we don’t have any experience treating this severe an attack. Betty said you might know, with the Mayone and all.”

“Oh, lord. Yes, we had a bad shredding of one of the residents. A Mayone and our G.P. were able to help. The victim is up and doing fine,” she chuckled, “getting married.”

“Do you think our doctor could consult with that team?”

“Yes, yes. I will call back in one hour, OK?”

Zoe ran out of the communications room back to the conclave of engineers.

***
Feeling the pressing urgency of the situation, the President swiftly called for an immediate Council Meeting. The discussions around the colony were becoming increasingly complex, and the President suspected it was due to Andrew’s ongoing situation. She deemed it crucial to keep the council members promptly updated, underlining the seriousness of the matter. With them all assembled, she called the meeting to order. 

“As you all have been updated on the progress of Andrew, our A.I., I would like to inform you about a new development and then answer any questions you might have.”

“As you know, some of the Mayones decided to stay with us, and their help allowed us to expand our communication distances. The Mayones who left did not intend this, but the Mayones who stayed with us do not share that attitude.

As a result, our deputy and honorable Secretary of schedule management, Zoe Rodgers, has contacted her grandmother, Betty Rodgers, who is back on Earth. It may be possible to continue this communication even when we reach Rhea.

“Yesterday, Zoe learned that her grandmother was hurt by a Hagor attack, and she’s pretty bad. Similar to what happened to our resident Kyle. There has been a request for some help in this matter. Again, I give you Howard.”

He stood, his head up and eyes connecting with the Council members around the room on monitors, more confident than at the last meeting.

Good, thought Elizabeth as she nodded. We are going to need him even more.

“Hello,” Howard said. “The President has asked our group to look into this unfortunate attack on Zoe’s grandmother. The techniques the Mayone and human doctors came up with here in Mesaland are vital, but the lack of any Mayone on Earth would mean the treatment wouldn’t be as successful as we were here in Mesaland. It is a shame the Mayone abandoned our fellow humans when their deception of us in the flotilla came to light. However, we could send Andrew the way we moved him twice now. That way, Andrew can personally confer with the doctors there on Earth.

“Confer?” said the Governor of Oregon. “Do you want to send the Digit?”

“No, no, just Andrew’s consciousness. We can’t send matters that way. He would need a ship-type conveyance to protect the android body, and that trip would take as long as we took to get here. However, Andrew alone is easy. Andrew’s mind is basically light, and we can send him,” Howard said.

“Is this necessary? We have a lot to prepare for,” The Secretary of Defense said.

The general was frowning. Probably focused on the Hagor fight and the jump, Elizabeth guessed.

“I believe it is necessary,” the President said. Her husband watched in silence. Today, James was getting an earful. “We need to give our people hope, especially now. We are more on our own than we had initially planned. With this new knowledge of the Mayone-Hagor collaboration, we can’t ignore those people left on Earth, especially those related to our colony.”

“I agree,” John, the Secretary of National Intelligence and Sheriff, said. “The following steps must be taken with consideration of our fellow humans. We want someone to be there on Earth when we return; it’s something we promised. If we can help Betty, it will reinforce that we still value them.”

Zoe lowered her head, inhaling as she covertly wiped her eyes.

“Yes, we need to consider helping the Earth.” the general paused. “If we do this, we’ll need everyone’s support for these next steps,” the general said. “But we must be prudent about it. Do you think Andrew is to be trusted, able, and ready for this mission?”

Howard nodded, “Yes, our group has gone over Andrew’s programming and feels he will do quite well on Earth if it works. Whoo! So much new stuff. It’s great!”

Howard beamed again. He was in his element. Elizabeth hoped for success, especially for his sake, as he was still new at this responsibility.

Well, who isn’t? The President chided herself.

Howard continued, “We’ve just been informed there is another Android body available on Earth. It’s one from Tesla called Optimus—Gen 2. We are fortunate. This means not only can Andrew convey the knowledge our team has from their previous Hagor repair, but he can also perform the operation. This robot has exquisite degrees of freedom in its hands.” Howard added, looking at his hands and smiling.

“Perform?” said the Governor from New York, and the rest of the Council also expressed their surprise.

Howard looks up at the comment, “Yes, true robotic surgery. The Mayone, Antor,” Howard nodded to Zior’s mate standing next to the Secretary. “was responsible for the success of Kyle’s operation. I am confident Andrew can handle this with some of her programming,” Howard said.

“And how does Andrew feel about this,” James asked.

“He’s ecstatic; that boy is raring for the adventure. He volunteered,” John spoke up, chuckling.

END OF CHAPTER 10

©JM Strasser January 2024 All Rights Reserved