The Soulful Robot

By Dennis King

At opposite ends of the underpass two vagabonds began stirring, one human, one not. Neither initially was aware of the other. Last night both had taken shelter at opposite ends of the underpass for the same provincial reason, to get out of the cold, mildly acidic, rain. As the early morning spears of sunlight peels back the damp layers of night cloaking their sparse forms, they finally each see the other, warily and suspiciously. One was a robot and one was a man.

Normally the robot would steer clear of humans, especially one apparently living a suspiciously nomadic lifestyle. With reservations, the robot began to cautiously move forward, somehow drawn towards the human by the similarities of their fate.

Over a coffee and nothing else breakfast, the Spacetech John discovers the 'Bot he nicknamed Pete is sojourning within a decades long search for a soul. The 'Bot is a Believer in Christ but has concluded that he needs a soul to be saved. The robot is determined to trade for one. As they finish their first morning discussion, a serpent that has been surreptitiously monitoring their conversation slips off among the rocks.

After discussing the 'Eight Problematical Factors of God and Salvation', man and robot decide to join forces on the quest. The true and untrue factors they had discussed were;
1. God does exists
2. God does not exist
3. There is life after death
4. There is no life after death
5. Faith in God allows salvation
6. No faith in God causes damnation
7. You gain life after death even if there's no God
8. God would grant you salvation even if you did not believe.

Shortly thereafter, it was decided they might have to barter with the devil for a soul for Pete so they looked to hook up with a Sorcerer. They reviewed the Sorcerers Bulletin Board and after scanning past several hundred entries, contacted a firm called Good Spirits, Inc., and engaged the services of Madam Catherine Montage. At first she was reluctant to make trip, because they wouldn't specify why she was needed.

Determining that the last three world plagues were caused by the devil's mathematical formula, the trio is able to dial in the past to see and hear actual conversations between the devil and those he has tempted. The next plague is due any week.

Then, there he was the Devil himself. Taller than a man by half-again. Thick of limb and chest and covered with translucent reddish scales which revealed lost souls withering in agony under his skin. You could observe these tortured creatures from the tips of his horns right down to the bladed point of his withering, serpentine tail. Speaking, his voice reverberated with an intensity and sarcasm that brought physical pain.

Thus Pete is trapped within a pentagon and if he steps out the entire world will suffer the plague. But he must get out to acquire the bargained soul. Can a robot really go to Heaven? Will Pete get his soul? What are the devils temptations? Who dies, John or Madam Montage? Who is dead among the living?

Who lives forever in Christ? You? Maybe. Maybe not? If you are not certain, this is a must read.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dennis King
• Release date: Aug 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311573728

Dennis King

Hello friends, if you are looking to download my free or low-cost selections of books and essays, you've reached the right place. All you have to do is scroll down a couple of pages to peruse those offerings.What is your favorite reading genre? If you like adventures or stories with military intrigue, try “Betrayed by Soldiers” and follow that up with “Deep Cover Shakedown.” If you like poetry, you can read 20,000 words of original, rhythmical composition in “Romantic Poetry”? By poking around in the nooks and crannies of the offerings listed you will find illustrated children's stories, Sci-Fi, and many short essays that have proved useful in informal Bible Studies or self-help for the troubled souls suffering from worry or anxieties.For those of you that wish to know a little about me, after growing up in the small town of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, I served for twenty years in the military. During that time, I served two volunteer tours in classified combat situations and flew more than 100 combat missions manning a .50 machine gun from the side-door of a Marine helicopter at the height of the war. After being promoted to Staff Sergeant (E-6), I requested Officer Candidate School. As a Signal Officer, I served in Field Artillery, Signal Battalions, and Recruiting Command. My last assignment was at the Pentagon with the Army Research & Development Agency.For the avid card players out there, I invented and offer TOSS Playing Cards, comprised of an eight-suited deck that plays every card game you know with more excitement and challenges. The deck can be reviewed at Toss.iWARP.com.Retired, I now serve as a Red Cross Disaster Services team member and Spiritual Care. Please, feel free to email any comments, favorable or not. Every author, like to hear from the fans or critics. You can reach me directly at [e-mail].

Book preview

The Soulful Robot

First All World Serial Rights © 2020 Dennis D. King

All rights reserved.

EPUB ISBN 9781311573728

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Meeting

Eight Problematical Factors of God and Salvation

The Enchantress

The Numbers

Seances Past

The Australian fact-u-drama

The Plan

The Beast Returns

Revelation

Epilogue

Other Links

Novels by This Author

Children's Stories

Free Christian Essays

Author's Notes

Toss 8-Suit Playing Cards

The Meeting

At opposite ends of the underpass, two vagabonds began stirring, each unaware of the other, as early morning spears of sunlight peeled back the damp layers of the night that cloaked their sparse forms.

John, a human, moved with a stiffness that reflected the wear and tears his hired-hand, working-class life had forced upon his body. The other, obviously a robot, moved with a fluid strength that belied his 300-odd years of existence. Last night both had taken shelter at opposite ends of the underpass for the same provincial reason, to get out of the cold, mildly acidic, rain.

The robot used one of his telescopic orbs to survey the stranger. What he saw was an unkempt man, forty to forty-five, wearing the common blue uniform of a tech-tradesman. As he increased the magnification, he noted, with vivid clarity, that the man’s uniform was unusually void of all expected insignia’s.

In fact, at full amplification, he could even see the inconspicuous holes where the bygone stitching had left a darted border between the faded and unfaded cloth. Normally, if the robot had any choice, he would steer clear of humans, especially one that was apparently living a suspiciously nomadic lifestyle.

Despite these inward reservations, the robot began to cautiously move forward, somehow drawn towards the human by the similarity of their fate.

The man, still reclining, recognized the form drifting across the rubble of what used to be an eight-lane thoroughfare. As he was calculating his probable path of retreat from any confrontation, the object of his fears drifted nearer. Then that figure came into full view. Even within the blinding glare of the rising sun, it was apparent, by the slightly different stride, that it was a robot.

Yes, though of human form and size, one could clearly imagine seeing the servos, just under its skin, that allowed the robot erect functionality and human-like manipulations.

While it was unheard of to see a ‘Bot in these vagrant-like circumstances, instinctively the man realized that this was not a threatening situation. In rising, he shook out the kinks pressed into his flesh from sleeping on the cold concrete. With a confident, though cautiously hesitant demeanor, he strode towards the middle, yet neutral ground.

Near the point where their paths would intersect, there was a rancid, mosquito-infested ditch, and the rubble and rubbish of another nearly collapsed overpass. On an east-facing concrete slab a large, strangely rust-colored snake was basking in the early morn’s sunshine.

Before either of the two came within rock-throwing distance, the serpent slithered down into the grass and weeds. However, unlike most other reptiles, which would have crawled deep within the debris for additional shelter, this viper slithered ever closer to the more dangerous outer fringe of camouflaging cover. There he coiled, not to strike, but seemingly mesmerized by their slow advance and the beginnings of their low-toned discussions.

When they came within a few meters of each other it was the man named John who gave a curt, non-menacing wave of his hand and spoke: Say there friend, what brings you to this hobo hideaway? Why are you out and about amid this low-life territory? Have you no task at hand to perform or general orders of employment?

No, I have been without orders for over two years, even though I am a Power Enhanced Automated Terra-form (P.E.A.T.) robot. My tasks used to be those of the senior P.E.A.T. running the Nu-Chicago, Ozone Replenishment Facility. I worked there until I received satellite- fax instructions to prepare all the lower grade ‘Bots for reassignment by the CTP. CTP is short for the Central Tasking Pool, as you presumably know. On those instructions, we hurriedly re- worked the static ‘Bots to provide them their necessary mobility, but mobilizing and decontaminating the hot-bots required several months of additional work before we could safely lower their rad counts to specification tolerances.

Yeah, I read all the details about that, John commented. You guys had been fusion blasting single atom molecules, at the upper atmospheric levels, to get improved oxygen bonding effects. Under those extreme radioactive conditions, it’s hard to believe that the CTP passed any of your worker ‘Bots. I think the article stated that 85% of the robot units were rated serviceable and only seventy-five other ‘Bots failed. The article reported that all the hot-bots had to be disposed of. Saving such a large percentage was monumental work, but why aren’t you working somewhere else now?

When I requested my Assignment Ruling for a new position, the CTP refused. They stated my original fax instructions applied only to ‘Bots of lower rating rather than my higher Industrial Grade status.

Well, that sounds so typical. Instead of using common sense and giving you another assignment, they let you remain unassigned because of your superior rating. Human or ‘Bot; bureaucrats are always the same, aren’t they? Couldn’t make a simple ruling if their life depended on it. By the way, call me John. Say, you wouldn’t mind if I called you Pete instead of Power Enhanced whatever, whatever would you?

No, but why? the robot replied.

Well Pete, you’re unmistakably a ‘Bot, but except for your plasmetal skin, you look so natural it seems friendlier to call you by a nickname. Say, why didn’t you sat-fax back to your higher headquarters to have those original instructions amended? That’s what I would have done. If I really wanted a job, that is.

That’s precisely what I attempted to do, but by the time all the units were decontaminated, the Headquarters and every out-site Ozone plant was disbanded. You know, the outstanding work we did cause the atmospheric levels to drop dramatically. The air is better now than two- hundred years ago, the robot stated as a matter of fact. I feel proud about it, he continued with a sign of boastfulness.

Pride, that’s a humanistic feeling, John commented, as he pulled up a discarded synthetic box to sit on. Are you some sort of human-converted robot? You know a lot of the industrial grades five and above used to be?

"You know, I have wondered about that myself and even set into motion several very comprehensive internal-programming checks and plugged into the main analyzer back at the plant. I have tried all known methods of reverse engineering, but no human properties or organs were found. However, it was all to no avail, there was not a single trace of