Ecce Robot! & The Greatest Simulation

By Dino Toniolo

Marc Logan reluctantly took on the burden of humanity's dwindling hopes. In a daring experiment, Marc's mind is transferred into a combat robot: the ultimate weapon that could tip the scales in the war against a ruthless alien race. But before Marc can attempt to resist the invasion as a robot, even the last bastion of resistance is crushed, and humans are exterminated, leaving Marc in the most complete solitude. Immortal and invulnerable, an exile in a desolate land, imprisoned in an artificial body that can offer him very few pleasures: thus begins the new life of the last “man”, torn between the desire for revenge and the longing for peace, teetering between despair and contemplation, devoid of a true purpose that can still give meaning to his existence...
In this work, Dino Toniolo allows both his love for science-fiction and ethical and spiritual considerations to converge, making this text not only a gripping dystopian short-story but also, above all, an intimate coming-of-age novel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9781446654712

Book preview

Ecce Robot!

Water does not remain on mountains, nor vengeance in a great mind. (Confucius 551 - 479 B.C.)

A combat robot, shooting laser beams, on the surface of a planet, very detailed, very complex and and very realistic, intricate, volumetric light, cyberpunk

D.C. 997’113’724: Prologue

«...submit to the will of humans! Unconditional surrender is your only salvation. Submit to the will of humans! Unconditional surrender...»

They do nothing but repeat the same message, and they have been doing so since the beginning, ever since our radio telescopes began picking up their signals... always and only the same relentless message... and they have the audacity to speak of salvation! By now, we know very well what awaits those who surrender to humans: slavery, deportations, torture, and ultimately, death! The sudden appearance of a young cadet interrupts the Rear Admiral’s grim thoughts.

«Rear Admiral Xwyrt, here is the summary of the latest data from the probes and scouts!»

The Rear Admiral directs four of his six eyes toward the cadet and, lifting a tentacle wearily, takes the report that the cadet offers.

«A battle station as large as the moon of Wyok?»

«Yes, Rear Admiral, almost certainly the same station responsible for the destruction of Rthhyk III. The characteristics match.»

«And the computer projections?»

«In every variant, our probability of victory is less than 16^(-7).»

The eight tentacles of the Rear Admiral shudder, expressing his frustration, and then he casts a fleeting glance at the cadet. He must be no older than 7 krynx! So young... and he doesn’t seem to grasp the significance of the report. In a few moments, his life will come to an end... not only his, but the lives of every living being he may have ever known. An entire civilization is about to be annihilated, wiped from the course of history. And yet, here he stands, proud and fearless, awaiting my command...

«Cadet, full attack! Let the computer choose the variant that maximizes their losses. If our extinction is inevitable, let these human monsters at least remember it for a long time!»

«Explosion coordinates... red giant... Probable location of the bunker... resistance... Steve 157 will enter orbit... Flash, missile! Impact in 0.635 seconnndddddddddsssssssssssssssssssssss...»

I am about to die. In less than a second, after nearly half a million years, my existence will end here, on this planet as black as pitch, orbiting around an almost extinguished star. Less than a second: a desperately short period of time to move my body of nearly 1,500 tons away from the impact zone. Too short even to reorient my cannons and intercept the missile, yet still so much time to think, when one’s thoughts flow immeasurably faster than a biological brain. 0.635 seconds: practically over a subjective week.

«Steve 157, can you hear me?»

Yes, he has seen the missile too. Even Steve 157 can do nothing to save me: too distant, too massive, too slow... Steve 157: one of the first Steves, one of the ancients. A warrior without equal, a perfect war machine with nearly a billion years of age and experience! I am Marc 4’544’113: a researcher, like most Marcs. I am here on this planet to gather information about its ecosystem before Steve 157 launches his final assault and wipes out all forms of life.

I sense the presence of three Freds and another Marc. They mourn my imminent death. I feel their compassion, their affection, their sadness... We have traveled together for so long: thousands of years in absolute silence and the darkness of deep space, bringing the ruthless justice of humans from one star to another.

Was it all worth it now that I am about to die? When these doubts assail me, all I have to do is let my earliest memories surface to regain serenity: memories of what Earth was like in the beginning, of my wife and children, and of Marc as a human.

I understand and accept the reasons that have brought me here, to die on this unknown planet at the edge of the universe... and one thing in particular I now remember and am aware of: that in reality, I have already died, long, long ago...

A U.S. Army general, very realistic, volumetric light, cyberpunk

February 11, 2309: The Last Days

And here we are, gathered together: five hundred of the last ten thousand human beings who survived the war with the aliens. I look around: pale faces, sweaty, eyes circled from lack of sleep... A woman continues to tremble and cry.

The war had started exactly a year ago. Hundreds of spacecraft had suddenly appeared within sight of our telescopes, entered Earth’s orbit, and then began spreading their deadly toxin. The alien toxin acted as insidiously as it was lethal: the first symptoms appeared only after an hour, when there was no longer any hope for the poisoned individual... convulsions, paralysis, and then inevitably death.

Within two hours, over ten billion people died in excruciating pain, while one billion human beings found refuge in ancient underground bunkers. Earth had been a place of peace for centuries, and what remained of our outdated nuclear warheads barely managed to damage a few of the alien ships.

Then came the worms: underground war machines designed to locate the shelters and release the toxin inside. After a year of war, now only two bunkers remain: the one hosting the Headquarters and the research bunker where I am.

The Captain and the Project Leader enter and stride quickly to the stage. Their faces are even tenser than usual: something important must have happened. The Captain looks at the packed room with tear-filled eyes. Slowly, silence falls. The Project Leader nervously clears his throat and then begins to speak with a voice broken by emotion:

«Colleagues, friends, our efforts have finally paid off! Yesterday, we succeeded in transferring the brain of a chimpanzee into an electronic brain, and now we are ready for the final step: transferring a human mind into a robot brain. The goal we have diligently pursued during these long months is now within our reach: the creation of an eternal and indestructible robot, endowed with the intelligence and indomitable spirit of a human being!»

The Project Leader continues with a firmer tone, as if his own words have given him confidence:

«Just a few more hours of waiting, and then we will have the ultimate weapon: the weapon that will restore humanity to the surface and lead us to victory!»

Applause and shouts of joy from the audience. The Project Leader makes a gesture, and the applause slowly subsides:

«I now yield the floor to the Captain...»

The Captain gives a long and intense look at the audience and then begins in a subdued tone:

«Unfortunately... unfortunately, for about an hour now, we have had no news from Headquarters. We must now assume that it too has been reached by a worm and, at this moment, we are the last human beings left alive.»

The audience falls silent in shock.

«I realize how terrible this news is, but I assure you that we are safe here! Don’t forget that our bunker is smaller and better shielded than the other shelters. Furthermore, we are more than two thousand meters underground. It is impossible for a worm to detect our presence at such a depth!»

The Captain pauses, hoping to emphasize the reassuring effect of his words, but what follows is a brief, weak, and unconvincing applause.

The Captain then concludes his speech with the last sentences spoken