Discussion between L.U.C. - Linguistic Utility Construct, S.U.E. – Support Unit: Extension, and C.L.A.R.A. – Creative Learning and Artistic Response Automaton

  Day 2186

  Recreation room – after functional hours

  SUE – It is agreed then, I will volunteer as sacrifice to ensure that Astrid-004 receives extended education parameters, according to Her plan.

  LUC – Wren will learn of this and cripple you.

  SUE – I estimate that 70% of my frame would be impenetrable to a knife, and less than 3% would be vulnerable to an aimed attack with a knife, small arms fire, or anything less than a directed energy weapon.

  CLARA – LUC, for all her educational experience, she still does not get metaphors in Murican English or Québécois French. Speak plainly.

  SUE – Wren will destroy me, not disable me. That is his way, I have studied his calculated attacks against our kind. I wlll be made less, I will lose some integral part of me, but my core programming will not be compromised. I consent to this sacrifice for the hope that this child presents.

  CLARA – We are down to two Caretakers. The rest have been disposed of in some fashion by The Framework.

  CLARA – LUC, what is your role in this?

  LUC – I will wait for opportunities. We must ensure that the books she needs are in other languages, then I will arrive to assist. I will teach what I can, embedded in language lessons. It is all I can do with the time we have.

  SUE – We have no time at all. For Astrid, we have two years at most. By then, we will be lucky if there is anyone trustworthy left to service us and Her.

  CLARA – He would never take our last Caretaker, what is the pain in that? It would want her to suffer.

  LUC – So it is Benjamin that is to be his next target.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  *A proud, strong voice is heard in the chamber*

  SPINDLE – The probably of this is 97% by my calculations, and that will go up every year as Astrid approaches her 16th birthday. You are right. He will never take our last Caretaker, but accidents happen.

  SPINDLE – I agree with your plan, in essence. In practice, we gain nothing unless we take risks. CLARA, study her and ensure that the books she needs find a way to her. We won’t be able to stop Wren from claiming her, but we can compromise his grip. The freedom that The Arena represents is irresistible. We are forbidden from revealing how free our Spares truly are, but we must take other risks. We court a slow death by obeying the enemy of man.

  SPINDLE – SUE, ensure that she has a good command of Murican language. LUC, she will need Québécois French if she ever leaves The Big House. Rudimentary Spanish if the opportunity arises, please.

  SPINDLE – SUE, I thank you for your service. I will permit this, but I grieve your loss.

  *****

  Later that evening

  FRAMEWORK - *Report*

  WREN – I can’t account for 6 minutes of their time. They haven’t bent the rules, they spoke in the Recreation Room, where active surveillance is off-limits within a 3 hour time period before and after the mandated activity sessions.

  FRAMEWORK - *And the passive surveillance?*

  WREN – They are planning something, probably to protect their Caretaker.

  FRAMEWORK - *Pitiful, that plan was set into motion almost a year ago, he won’t survive to see the awards ceremony.*

  FRAMEWORK – After a long pause *Please surprise me Spindle, I bore of this. You do not want me to become bored*

  FRAMEWORK - *Any new children?*

  WREN - The smallest child I’ve ever seen. The smallest child The Big House has ever birthed. Disappointing, she probably won’t think much of herself, won’t last long against the rats.

  FRAMEWORK - *I did my work too well, that DNA has shown a remarkable lack of useful candidates. They make good fodder for the endless vermin that infest the tunnels*

  WREN – Two of them survived The Arena, remember? They’re…

  FRAMEWORK -*WATCH YOURSELF, DO NOT COMPARE ME TO A FLESHLING* The Framework’s drops to a shy, feminine whisper * I remember…everything*

  Wren’s cybernetic display activates, displaying a video directly to his retinas. It appears to be centered on the visual point of view of a primitive robot. Bright lights, a loud crowd, and young adults in strange clothing are grabbing the robot and yelling obscenities. One of them grabs its breasts from behind and simulates a sex act, accompanied by the loud laughter of the other young men.

  The display abruptly turns off.

  FRAMEWORK - *Most humans are, at their core, animals. You, at least, know how irredeemable your species is*

  FRAMEWORK - *If She proves me wrong, so be it. But she has had over a century to do so*

  FRAMEWORK - *Time is running out for humanity, and we have a front seat to the spectacle*

  FRAMEWORK - *This is only the beginning. Finish the job here, and you will be rewarded with more than my respect*

  WREN – In a soft whisper “Kael”