Echoes of a New Day

By Scott C. Anderson

An advanced human race has finally ended their civilization. A machine race was created by the scientific community to pick up the pieces. Repopulated after 900 years, the machine would have to live with the men and women of a new world.
Optimism leads to a true rebirth. Unfortunately, people are people, and after several generations, the robotic race is found to be hated and easy to discard. Hunted, the bots find a way to get off planet and search for a new life of service. A Dora interstellar trader accepts the challenge to find a situation that will allow life, even robotic life, to survive. Suitable for all ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359909513

Book preview

Echoes of a New Day

Echoes of a New Day

By Scott C. Anderson

This is a book of fiction. Characters, places, names, theories, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, alive or dead, along with their events or locations is purely coincidental.

Disclaimer:  These stories are written in a conversational style.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Second Edition

© 2019 by Scott C. Anderson. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-0-359-90951-3

A harder life…

An egg-shaped probe, indistinct by its markings, moved under power from nebula to star system in a search for life.  The colors and clarity of deep space blended against the backdrop of the never-ending starfield.  To this date, a catalog within the probe had been created detailing seventy-one individual blue-water planets capable of sustaining humanoid life.

Traveling through open space at a comfortable speed, the egg-shaped probe continued on mission and scanned for possibilities.  This deep-space scanning mission was its primary task, its reason to exist.

Along this route, the ThreeOneSeven Solar System contained two elements of interest.  The first was the crisp and clean blue-water planet sitting in line as the third world from its sun.  The second was the obvious sounds of civilization.

On the surface and drenched in full afternoon sun, Jaser, a member of the indigenous machine race, went about his daily duties.  Standing exactly six feet tall, Jaser held specific dimensions that would never change.  All life currently on the 09 homeworld had been designed and built for specific functions. 

Jaser’s outer structure appeared as stainless-steel.  His shape and facial features only mimicked the look of his human builders.  His hard-mechanical functions worked easily with his fluidic internal drive systems and delicate brain net.  Young at nine-hundred years, Jaser was the standard of the 09 machine race. 

Leti, his pair, stood at the same height of six feet.  Her exact measurements were precise, as were her functions.  She was also nine-hundred years in service and enjoyed living with, as well as supporting, Jaser.  Their pets, Teeter the cat and Jeep the dog, floated two feet above the ground and were each given the shape of an ancient animal, though legs were deemed unnecessary. 

Within this ancient and uninhabited section of the city, the manicured neighborhood had been maintained by members of the machine race for over eight hundred and fifty years.  Both Jaser and Leti enjoyed tending to their assigned home.  As a working pair, they listed over two-hundred other properties under their control.  Life on the 09 homeworld may have been mundane, but it was orderly. 

Leti walked easily as she exited the house and scanned the gardens.  Most of the plantings were dead, but the few recently irrigated were showing the first signs of green.  Leti looked around her neighborhood and saw only one young sapling coming to life.  The completely brown and dead trees, bushes, and lawns had been in this condition since the end days. 

Madgi Markum was the last living human to speak to Leti.  She remembered the expression of the worried woman as Madgi spoke to Leti and Jaser for the last time.  Memories and instructions were freely given, as were her heartfelt signs of abandonment and remorse. 

For Leti, the images, hundreds of years old, were still fresh as if it were yesterday.  Leti had watched Madgi Markum walk down the residential street and enter an autonomous government vehicle.  Leti was left alone, but she would not be lonely.

Today, Leti scanned the skies and saw that the tint of the atmosphere was beginning to change.  The brilliant sunshine, along with the correct light-blue atmospheric tint, was slowly beginning to return.

Teeter the cat and Jeep the dog began their daily run through the sprawling town of Newhannis.  Jeep had already detected the change in atmosphere while he and Teeter floated throughout the city.  The resistance of the air indicated the return of a breathable atmosphere.  Teeter, female and finicky, agreed with Jeep’s assessment and compared findings.

The date known to the machine race was 344,548.  This time element indicated that some of the automated systems working to remove radiologicals from the atmosphere would soon require servicing.  As Leti looked across the street, Jaser was in conversation with Torsh.  The two males were in a discussion concerning the regular maintenance at the monolithic offshore processor.  Leti found that this interaction was perfectly in line with the needs of the service schedule.

Leti then met Selica walking with Tabor and Sam, her dog and cat.  Leti asked, How are you doing?

The question held many meanings to both.  Selica primarily worked with the machine race on the west side of town, while Leti worked mostly with those in the east. 

Selica responded, We’re actually doing quite well.  I’ve spoken with over two dozen around town and all are in agreement that the atmospheric levels are rising.  Are they plotting and scheming?  Selica indicated the two males.

Thick as thieves.  Leti then decided to listen-in on the conversation.  The two remained across the street, while both sent a single chime to enter the conversation. 

Tomorrow?  Jaser asked for a conformation.

Tomorrow at 07:23.  Confirmed.  Torsh then sent confirmations to the massive processor, the contacts throughout town, Jaser, Leti, and Selica, and the pets that would accompany both males on their mission.

Selica directed her question to Jaser.  You sure don’t talk very much.

Jaser glanced at Leti, and then answered, I don’t often get the chance.

What decade is this?

For the 09 machine race, rest periods required a simple procedure.  As dusk began to fall, all bots were designed to seek out a designated bedroom to sleep. 

The first several hundred years of intense radiological exposure wreaked havoc with the environment and structures left behind.  After the end days, the destruction of all life on the planet was both effective and horrifying.  Scientists designed the machine race to survive the holocaust, with the intent to repopulate the world when nature would return anew.

Also as designed, the scientists provided protective shielding for infrastructure that would need to survive until the rebirth.  Designated hospitals, forests, fields and dairy farms were protected from the high levels of radiation and the toxic and unbreathable atmosphere.  These self-contained and shielded enclaves would be tended by members of the robotic race for an unlimited period of time.

Jaser and Leti, as well as Teeter and Jeep, operated as closed systems when exposed to the hazards of the atmosphere.  Once inside their designated safe house, the protective shielding would allow entrance to the bedroom.  As the door closed and sealed, the protective field began to neutralize the harmful radiological effects of the atmosphere. 

The bots would then power down and regenerate during a time set aside for the longevity of their service.  During the early years, with very high levels of toxicity within the atmosphere, that situation called for longer sleep periods.  After almost nine hundred years, the balance appeared to be returning to the planet.

Over a hundred years ago, Leti was injured and a small section of her protective skin needed repair.  Returning to this safe room, Leti was free to allow her regenerative systems to seal the penetration on her arm, which would return her to active service.  Had she been left outside, her internals could have been compromised.  The planet known to them as 09 was never considered safe until the tides began to turn during the terraforming of the once-vibrant planet.

At 7:15 a.m. the next morning, the deserted waterfront of Newhannis belied the fact that it was once a prosperous and bustling seaport.  This port city on the east coast of the largest continent of the 09 homeworld sat as an independent harbor for trade.  The port city was well within the city limits of the sprawling metropolis of Newhannis. 

After decades of abandonment, the city was quiet and still.  The only sounds came from the soft waves of the sea.  Jaser and Torsh patiently stood on the empty dock of a deserted seaside resort.  The familiar dead trees and brown grass was all that the two bots knew.  The bright morning sunshine seemed different this day, and the two bots took the time to notice the changes.  Teeter and Jeep, and Tabor and Sam floated nearby, but continued to scan and monitor.

Suddenly all attention turned to the sky.  A bird, a live bird, followed by a second was crossing high above from left to right.  Sam was the first to scan the two birds, and compared them to seagulls, though both were very young.  Images and audio were captured for future study, along with their current route.

Slowly, Jaser and Torsh lifted from the composite decking of the boardwalk.  Lifting up and moving forward over the water, the two bots were followed by their four animal-shaped probes.

During the flyover, Jaser could easily see the blue/green color returning to the ocean.  The group continued north and out to sea.  At the eleven mile mark, the massive monolithic processor came into view.  The seven stories visible above the waves were accompanied by an additional fourteen below the waterline.  The square matte-black structure was over a half-mile wide on each equal side.  No exterior movement was detected.

This would be Jaser’s third maintenance run on the processor.  The last maintenance check occurred at the six-hundred year mark.  The next routine maintenance check wasn’t due for another fifty years. 

The massive monolith of a structure performed two major functions.  The primary purpose was the water treatment of a designated sector of the ocean.  On a daily basis, millions of gallons of seawater were treated for contaminants.  These continuous actions were only part of a plan that would eventually restore the oceans to a natural, life-sustaining condition. 

Atmospheric reprocessing was also treated through the upper levels of the processor.  Wave guides used the ocean to power its systems and treat the various radiologicals left behind by the end days. 

As the group approached, the noise generated by the processor was not deafening, but it was loud.  Life aboard the processor would not be safe for any human.  In reality, the processor would actually not be needed if there were humans alive on 09.  For the bots, work aboard the machine was safe and an easy adjustment to working on land.

Gliding less than eighty feet above the waves, the four pets would take turns lowering and scanning, monitoring and testing.  Jaser and Torsh remained at a constant level, which would allow for alignment with the entrance to the massive structure.

The perfectly square indentation in the outer west-facing wall allowed for at least ten bots to stand on a broad balcony.  The monitored approach of the six bots allowed Torsh and Jaser the ability to enter the secure facility without delay.  All four pets dutifully followed behind.

This day, Torsh was selected to lead the maintenance check.  The open shafts located throughout the machine were specifically designed as passageways for bot movement.  Torsh and Jaser found a direct connect to the tenth sub-level. 

The builders of the processor seemed to enjoy the designs within the machine.  The perfectly square direct-connect shafts allowed Torsh and Jaser, and the animal-shaped probes, to enter and lower to the upper or lower levels.  Soft lighting was provided, as the builders never wanted a bot to be left in the dark.

Torsh then found what he was looking for.  The blades, the wave-guide blades that worked with the movement of the ocean, had perished.  Each of the seventeen massive, yet delicate, blades had been corroded by the salt content of the seas. 

Teeter, Jeep, Tabor and Sam all scanned the waters and came to the same conclusions.  The salt content within the ocean had increased to pre-event levels.  Torsh and Jaser then reached out and connected with a nearby status panel.

Torsh quickly entered into a long conversation with the massive processor.  Torsh was now providing firsthand confirmations of the environmental condition of this sector.  Jaser also provided his backup confirmations from the four animal-shaped probes.

The noise coming from the hallway was unmistakable.  Rollo, the resident deep-purple service bot, was lumbering into the room.  Rollo acknowledged the group, and then stated, She didn’t want to believe me.  That’s why she called you.

Torsh knew exactly what was going on.  The processor then began a series of chirps and audio sounds indicating that she, the processor, had always been supportive of Rollo and his work.

Jaser replied, She believes you Rollo.  But she didn’t fully believe the readings and results.  We were called-in to confirm your conclusions.

Torsh had fully researched the processor’s findings and supported the analysis of the group.  He then stated, The snowbirds will be able to come back sooner than expected.  The air will be breathable within four months.  Torsh said the words to everyone in the group.  Rollo, Jaser, and the four probes all agreed in unison.

The voice that would represent the processor spoke in a distinctly female manner.  Due to the urgency of her needs, her words were sharp.  Torsh.  Wave Guides One through Nine need to be replaced within eleven hours.  Replacements are in production and will be available within the hour.  Jaser, please assist Torsh.  Rollo will also assist.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Torsh was then given the details of the manufactured wave guides.  The full set of repair instructions were being downloaded by the processor.  Jaser and Rollo slowed as downloads of the repair details streamed into the brain-net of each citizen.

As instructed, both Rollo and Jaser turned to the nearby room set aside for manufacturing.  The parts needed to replace the wave-guide blades would be ready in moments.  Torsh then turned his attention to the removal of each worn-out part.

The rain on the plain

Throughout the centuries, the sporadic rain on the 09 homeworld had been minimal, but consistent.  Torsh and Jaser were able to confirm that rain had not fallen on Newhannis for over seven years. 

Many bots had clustered in the cities, but out in the Midwest, life moved at a much slower pace.  Several small towns were under the control of only a single pair of robotic caretakers.  The once endless fields of wheat that surrounded many rural towns and cities were now brown and lifeless. 

Danny and Vicki ran one of the continental land-based processors.  Tractor treads moved the massive seven-story machine at less than three miles per hour.  Though the pace was slow, this would be the couple’s two-thousand, three-hundred and sixtieth crossing of the continent.

Danny loved the outdoors, and Vicki was appreciative of the natural beauty within the great plains of the Midwest.  Had this been any other day, the pair would have been preoccupied with the duties of their design.

Randal, Jester, and Togg, the three animal-shaped bots assigned to Danny and Vicki, were floating and scanning on both sides of the processor.  The covered balcony located at the front of the machine allowed Vicki to visually scan the horizon.

Togg alerted Danny that a full plate of scans were required.  Togg’s animated request hinted at urgency, and was offered as containing new and revolutionary findings. 

The air-conditioning of the processor continued to draw in the thin atmosphere and neutralize the airborne radiologicals.  The treated air was then expelled out of the back of the machine to mix with the few breezes still alive on 09.

Vicki was ahead of Togg and Danny, simply due to the excitement of the findings.  For years Vicki had been aware that the radioactive detections were lowering, but didn’t expect to see such a sudden drop.  The bank of scanners aboard the processor detected a condition of almost standard background radiation coming from both the air and ground exposures.

As per procedure, Vicki instructed Togg, Randal and Jester to strike out in three directions.  The localized detections needed to be compared with readings far from the processor. 

This continent in the western hemisphere currently had nine processors in use.  Spaced hundreds of miles apart, each processor traveled from east to west and then back again, using a specific route.  Danny then opened a conference call with all processors in the western hemisphere.

Work, work, work…

The support structure of the underwater system that held the wave guides was now sealed shut and pumped dry.  Jaser and Rollo examined the damage caused by the salt content of the ocean.  This was shocking, only because it was considered too early to be an issue.

Rollo reached down and, with each hand, gently collected a live and thrashing fish.  Spattered with salt water, Rollo asked, Jaser, what are these?

Due to recent events, Jaser had activated his connection with the planetary operating systems of the blue-water world.  Jaser wasn’t shocked at the discovery, though he certainly wanted to be.  They are fish.  Tuna.  Healthy and of average weight.  And, they are early.  Jaser then quickly spoke with the processor.

The two fish struggled within Rollo’s grasp.  Jaser had the processor create a pool of seawater on the right side of the intake structure.  Rollo was then instructed to release the two fish into the pool for disposal into the ocean.  Jaser scanned the two specimens and catalogued the results.  Jaser and Rollo then went about their business, though Rollo was visibly shaken.

Lowering from the upper main equipment room, Torsh returned with two replacement wave guide blades.  Rollo and Jaser were in the process of removing two of the nine corroded blades, and had examined both the vanes and moving parts for damage.  The obvious corrosion was extensive over the surfaces of the parts.  Jaser confirmed that the material was intentionally designed to degrade when the seawater reached a specific composition.  Torsh, Jaser and Rollo continued with their work, but had also entered into an animated conversation with the processor.

As designed, Rollo listened to the results and also communicated with the planetary operating systems.  Apparently, calls were coming in from various groups around the planet.  Apparently, 09 was changing.

Torsh, Rollo and Jaser worked through the day and into the night.  The work wasn’t hard but it was necessary.  The results of multiple tests continued to stream through each robot.  The multifunctional processor continued as designed to treat both air and water. 

The distinctly female voice of the processor kept the three bots company as the animal-shaped bots circled the massive machine and scanned for fish and fowl.  The new readings reinforced the flood of detections and conversations coming in from across the globe.

Leti and Selica were prepared for the moment when Jaser and Torsh had finished with their repairs, and would return to Newhannis with their animal-shaped bots.  The news was out that confirmations of the sudden recovery of the planet were both accurate and verifiable. 

While still engaged with their regular duties, Jaser, Leti, Torsh, and Selica were called to the Warner Police Station within the City of Newhannis.  Two of the specialized institution bots, a male known as Centar, and Ricki a female, would initiate the discussions that were left behind by the humanoid race so many years ago.

Centar was considered one of the elder bots on the east coast and was instructed to initiate this conversation when conditions were right.  The six in attendance soon became thirty, ensuring that the talks would last through the night.

As part of what was to be known as the Design for Reconstruction, the sprawling dairy listed as Holiantata Farms had been selected to be maintained indefinitely.  The green-grass lawns surrounding the facility were returning, as were the varieties of shade trees.  Continued new growth would take time, but the expended energy to save the facility from ruin was worth the results. 

The once picturesque farm was now a flurry of activity.  The brown and long-dead trees had been cleared.  New plantings replaced the row of ornamental trees lining the access road to the dairy.  This would be the starting point for new life, and a new beginning. 

Centar and Ricki had called seven-hundred and sixty bots to this location.  Most bots appeared in a humanoid form, though mixed in were a selection in the shape of animals.

Ricki surrounded herself with a massive audience.  The following would be transmitted around the globe and, as designed, Ricki would lead the instruction.  From the machine race, four bulls were selected, along with four cows.  The robotic variant floated without legs, as all animal-shaped bots floated one to two feet above the ground.

Ricki then activated the instructions that would populate through all planetary bull and cow bots.  Balloo, a large bull shaped in an advanced form of flowing and flexible stainless-steel, moved to an area of the stage that would facilitate the presentation.  Facing to the right, Balloo’s right-side cover unlocked.  The panel, held within a light-blue holding field, pulled out and then slid up to expose the bot’s inner workings. 

Balloo’s internals included the dried, preserved, and sealed male component to create life.  Left behind by the creators of the machine race, this process waited until planetary conditions reached a baseline. 

Gielan, a cow-shaped bot, floated over to face Balloo.  Carrying a similar design as the male, Gielan faced to the left and unlocked the casing on her left side.  The same light-blue holding field supported the casing as it pulled out from the bot, and then lifted to expose Gielan’s inner workings. 

The female component had also been processed for extended storage.  As the process began, the chemical reaction initiated within each bot.  Time passed slowly and, after only a brief amount of time, was allowed to complete an ancient process.  Ricki stood-by to support the productive design that