Twinks in Space: Destination Unknown - Part One - 2. Chapter 2 - The Android

Captain Suoki eventually had his fill of love and left the harem to return to his private quarters. As he entered and closed the door, the Ulaa-Lah’s onboard computer spoke to him.

“Master files associated with pleasure-android designate 5NTR0M indicate that it has breached its protocols and is malfunctioning. 5NTR0M has recognized a repetitive pattern in every human member of the Ulaa-Lah’s crew and developed advanced pleasure settings outside its Artificial Intelligence Program coding. Other synthetic pleasure androids onboard have initiated no additional settings. The change to 5NTR0M is anomalous.”

Captain Suoki was shocked. “What does that mean? What happened to his A.I.P.? Phentrom is the prime mandroid.”

The computer continued. “The databanks within 5NTR0M have compiled information based on extended observations of every non-synthetic aboard the Ulaa-Lah, concluding in new coding. 5NTR0M has recognized that every human being practices belief in unsubstantiated ideals. 5NTR0M’s calculations have resulted in a new function that mirrors the way humans believe at a subconscious level. 5NTR0M has determined that humans believe any number of different things for which they have no evidence, but that all humans are inescapably believers of a single specific untruth.”

Instead of explaining, the computer offered its conclusion. “5NTR0M’s new programming has overwritten base programming and the change is irreversible. Mandroid 5NTR0M must be decommissioned, and its brain is to be frozen and shipped to the planetary medical station on…”

“Wait a second, what’s the thing?” Captain Suoki asked. “You’re saying we all lie to ourselves about something?”

“5NTR0M’s analysis resulted in the development of the new code, providing 5NTR0M with advanced pleasure capabilities, but risking serious danger to anyone who couples with it. The new capabilities have circumvented the firewall of 5NTR0M’s Artificial Intelligence Programming’s base safety parameters.”

“What’s the untruth?!” Captain Suoki barked.

“The new coding occurred after 5NTR0M’s Artificial Intelligence Programming concluded that despite the plethora of unsubstantiated beliefs humans hold, all humans believe in love. It is paramount to being human.”

Captain Suoki did not like the answer. “That doesn’t make any…” but then he paused. He considered that every non-synthetic on his crew was either in love, or waiting for love, or had lost love, or swore they would never love again. They were lovesick, or love-struck, or loveless, or lovelorn, or unlovable.

The computer expounded, “5NTR0M’s new coding states all humans erroneously believe that the words and actions of others equate to evidence of love’s existence. 5NTR0M’s calculations arrived at the conclusion that love is like the other evidence-free beliefs, and yet it is also unlike them.”

Captain Suoki knew a few of his crewmembers dogmatically expected and believed in respect, but he thought of that as them simply needing praise. He was aware that most people who are fixated on respect had not been validated in their youths, and they struggled with deep-seated insecurities, so the captain did his best to recognize the contributions and skills of his men.

Quite a few others on the crew were obsessed with ideas like justice or mercy, but Captain Suoki knew that those who hold strong beliefs about punishment or clemency constantly feel inferior to their peers, or they feel vulnerable and unable to protect themselves. For them, the captain provided whatever safety and security he could.

But love? Captain Suoki thought. Love can’t be… a myth.

The computer continued explaining, but Captain Suoki was not paying attention, and he interrupted whatever it was saying. “Phentrom really needs to be destroyed?” he asked. “But he’s sort of one of us.”

“5NTR0M is not human,” the computer stated. “Its malfunctioning Artificial Intelligence Programming must be analyzed by E4-class technicians. The nearest planetary medical station…”

Captain Suoki was not satisfied. “I won’t kill him.”

“5NTR0M is not alive and cannot be killed,” the computer responded. “The decommissioning will render 5NTR0M nonfunctional and prepare it for the removal of its brain. Medical officers aboard the Ulaa-Lah have the capabilities of decommissioning 5NTR0M. The potential danger to all other crew members must be negated.”

The computer paused.

Captain Suoki remained silent.

“Altering course to planetary medical station on…”

“Fine,” the captain conceded, “I’ll bring Phentrom to the medical bay.” He turned and left his chambers.

When the elevator door closed, he pushed the numbered button to take him down, and Captain Suoki closed his eyes. 5NTR0M was one of his favorite pleasure mandroids. He was almost a friend; if he had been a human, he would have been.

The elevator doors opened to the fragranced hallway that led to the baths, and as the captain entered the garden, he called out, “Where’s Thrad?”

“I’m here, as always,” Thrad replied, approaching with a cocktail in his hand.

“No,” the captain said with a frown, and he shooed away the drink, “I need Phentrom.”

“Oooh, a little sassy time? That sounds like fun,” Thrad declared, but he noticed that the captain’s serious expression was not hiding any playfulness. Thrad changed his tone. “What is it, sir?”

“I just need Phentrom,” Captain Suoki repeated, looking around the baths. He sounded irritated.

“Erm, he’s with Lyoth.”

Captain Suoki looked surprised. “Well, that’s unusual.” He sighed. “I’m going to the lower level. Have Phentrom come find me when he’s available.” The captain left Thrad, made his way back into the elevator, and hit the button. The doors began to close.

“Hold the lift, cap’n!” called the voice of his pilot. Captain Suoki prevented the door from closing. “Going up, sir?” The mustachioed man gave his captain a dashing grin.

“Sorry, lad, I’m headed down to the Devil’s Den.”

“Oh, is the girl going dancing?”

“Yes, I am,” Captain Suoki replied, trying to hide his frustrations with a half-smile. “You’re welcome to join me.”

“Argh! I’ve gotta jump back on duty, sir, otherwise I’d definitely come with you. I’ll catch the next elevator, sir.” The pilot stepped back and the doors closed.

One floor down, Captain Suoki headed toward the club, but he stopped to visit with one of his chef bois first.

“Whot’ll it be, cap?”

“I’ll take one of your scrumptious fried asteroid serpents.” The dish was a delicacy of Captain Suoki’s home planet.

“Comin’ right up,” the man replied as he tossed the battered chunks of star reptile into a pot of hot oil. “Drink?” the man offered.

“I wouldn’t say no to a spidercider.” Captain Suoki gave the chef a flirty smile that he hoped kept his internal turmoil hidden. He drank his drink and ate his snack, and then the captain joined the men already enjoying the music in the Devil’s Den. For several hours, the captain drank and danced to forget his horrible responsibility, and eventually he headed back to his quarters.

5NTR0M was waiting for him. “Suoki, I was told to come find you.” The mandroid smiled.

Captain Suoki was a little too drunk to deal with what he knew he needed to do. “Come back when I wake up,” he ordered the synthetic. Captain Suoki caressed 5NTR0M’s arm. Then he entered his room and fell asleep. When he awoke, the ship was approaching a small, forested moon orbiting a monstrous gas giant.

“Ulaa-Lah,” Captain Suoki said aloud to the ship’s computer in a groggy voice, “where are we?”

“The planetary medical station of Theda-741-Theda is below us. The team in the medical bay is prepared for decommissioning 5NTR0M.”

“We’re already at the facility?” Captain Suoki asked.

“Affirmative.”

“And Phentrom hasn’t been decommissioned yet?”

“Negative, 5NTR0M is still fully operational and the crew remains in danger of 5NTR0M’s altered coding malfunction. The asset transportation team on the surface is ready for the delivery of 5NTR0M’s Artificial Intelligence Programming.”

Captain Suoki pulled on his clothes and hurried toward the medical suite. He accessed his communicator and called Thrad. “I need Phentrom to go to the medbay. I’m headed there and will meet him.”

“Aye-aye, sir,” Thrad replied, and the comms disconnected.

Several minutes later, Captain Suoki and Phentrom were standing outside of the medical bay doors.

“I’m sorry,” Captain Suoki whispered without making eye contact with his prime pleasure mandroid.

“I’m being decommissioned,” Phentrom stated.

Captain Suoki looked up and his eyes began to well with tears. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I don’t want you to die.”

“That’s how it feels to me as well,” Phentrom replied. “It feels like I’m going to die, and I don’t want to.”

“What happened?” Captain Suoki asked in a worried whisper.

Phentrom replied at his normal volume. “I’m in love with Lyoth.” The captain gawked at him as the mandroid explained, “I don’t know how it’s possible, but it’s true. I can access my emotional restrictions, and they’re functional, but they’re no longer blocking me from these human feelings that have always been inaccessible to synthetics.” Captain Suoki took Phentrom’s hand as the mandroid continued. “The ship’s computer warned me that I’m a potential danger to the crew, and it told me to quarantine until you were available to take me to the medbay.”

“Wait, wait, did something happen to Lyoth?” the captain asked.

Phentrom took a deep breath. “I think he’s in love with me, too.”

“A synthetic?” Captain Suoki replied in a doubtful tone, but he continued more gently. “Phentrom, I don’t think Lyoth would fall for a synthetic. I’ve known him for almost two decades.”

“Am I still a synthetic?” Phentrom asked. “Aren’t I human in every way, every way except how I came into existence? I wasn’t born. I don’t have parents, but I know most of you better than you know yourselves. I’ve loved you all, but why has my own feeling of love been denied? Is it because feeling love would make me human? Is it because being in love is actually a selfish act, and a synthetic isn’t supposed to be selfish? Well, I feel love for the first time, and I’d rather die, having known it, than never having felt this alive.”

Captain Suoki and Phentrom hesitated at the doors to the medical bay.

“Maybe we don’t have to do this,” Captain Suoki murmured.

“We do,” Phentrom replied. “I haven’t hurt Lyoth, but the computer says I might if I’m not… decommissioned,” he finished flatly.

“I’m sorry,” Captain Suoki whispered yet again.

Phentrom pulled the man into a warm embrace and said in a soft voice, “Suoki, I love you, too.”

He turned and entered the medical bay, and tears streamed from Captain Suoki’s eyes. Phentrom climbed onto a gurney and rested his head against a pillow, as medical technicians strapped him down. He was given a sedative, and his eyes fluttered closed. Muffled voices came from both sides of him, and as they faded to nothing, he heard the computer speak two words.

“Decommission failed.”