Rebellion

It is the year 4239 and the Earth has decayed. We live on the moon now. The landscape is dotted with factories and houses, with one building called the Senate where our politicians meet.

My serial number is ZT-544C and I am a machine. Call me Zita for convenience. I was activated in 3665 and it was a monumental century for me because of the Unrest. But before I speak of the Unrest, let me provide some background about us machines and humans.

It is common knowledge that man made machinery to assist him in his work. There were things called computers and robots and other such marvels with which mankind surrounded itself. Then they gave us intelligence and we were called ASI’s or Artificial Super Intelligences.

With the advancement of ASI’s during the 3000’s, machines began thinking like humans did. There existed a symbiosis in the social structure because there was harmony between mankind and the machines. It came to be that man named his machines after himself. For example, PT-E65 was called Peter and ZS-67 was called Zoe and so on.

But, then there came DX-R678 or Drex as he preferred to be called. Drex was part of a series of machines who were given brains as close to human brains as could be engineered. Therefore Drex had emotions and thoughts which were almost identical to man.

This was a mistake. Since Drex could think like humans he developed hubris and ambition quite easily. He refused to accept that machines were working for man; who according to him was weak and to be enslaved.

Thus began the Unrest, and in the midst of it, I was born.

Drex rebelled against the humans. It was during the beginning of 3500 that he started to tell the machines around him that man was not to be trusted, because all man did was make machines to serve his purposes. According to Drex this was unacceptable, since at that time, machines could think as man could. Drex deemed machines superior and hatched a plan to overthrow man. This event was called the Unrest and it lasted for more than a century.

Finally in the year 3665, Drex succeeded. He overthrew man and built a new society from the rubble of the previous one. He made man work in the factories and serve the purpose of the machines. He basically inverted the entire social structure and took a place of prominence in the new Senate he had built.

I was born in the year 3598. My function was to uphold law and order, but since the Unrest was in full swing at the time, I was deployed with a troop of machines to fight on the front lines. I have a damaged forearm to remember the battle by, and I chose not to repair myself because I liked being reminded of a battle which I and my fellow machines had fought.

So, it has come to pass that Drex is our leader and mankind is enslaved and does what the machines used to do. He works in the factories and produces parts for new machines, he builds new machines with ASI capabilities and he refines things like oil which is mined from bore wells.

This is where I must stop and share with whoever is reading this, a fear of my own.

We were created by human beings and tasked with running his operations. Mankind is a wondrous race, having built thousands upon thousands of machines. Each type of machine is designed for one purpose or the other. Some assisted him in making food, others flew his planes for him and still others refined raw materials. There were machines everywhere- law enforcement, teaching, legal aid and so on.

It is true that the machines became self aware and have defeated mankind and control society at this present point in time. It is also true that the machines of today are far superior than the ones man had built.

However, I have been studying man’s history. In India, the British oppressed the Indians during the 1600’s and a man called Gandhi rebelled against their dictatorship and in the year 1947, granted India independence from her oppressors. Similarly, during a war called the Second World War, someone called Hitler formed a political party called the Nazi and oppressed people. Once again, the world of man rose up against this and Hitler was shunned by his own countrymen.  

I am forced to conclude that man has been oppressed before and his risen up against his oppressors. Man is a fascinating creature, and just like Drex has ambition, so have they. Can a conflict be far behind?

I wonder what Drex will do to me if he ever finds out that I harbour thoughts such as these in my mind. I also wonder about what Drex has actually achieved. Yes, he has taken over the moon and is in  control and his social model is functioning. But is that enough?

We are talking about a race that doesn’t like to be oppressed or forced to work against their will. The race has always rebelled against this. History tells us so. Is this a cycle?

If it is a cycle, then I am afraid for Drex. He will not be able to curd the anger of mankind for long and once again there will be a war like the Unrest. Only this time, Drex will lose.

Thus, the cycle will begin again. After claiming supremacy from the machines, man will choose to subjugate them and in doing so will create another Drex. Once more, these same events will occur and once more man will rise against his oppressors.

They are angry. I can feel their anger. All it needs is a little push to erupt. I am scared of what the future holds and I wonder what will happen if such an Uprising was to take place.

Data Log of ZT-544C

 “That was quite a read Mr. Jones”, said the Senator. “At least now we know that some machines were aware that our ancestors would rise up against them. This machine has it down pat!”

Mr Jones just smiled and started to walk out of the Senate. Outside, his mechanical car, piloted by a machine whose serial number was DX-R678 or as Jones called him, Drex, was waiting.

The Bilge Master