Dear Mr President,
I’ve attempted writing this message roughly fifteen times now. It’s hard, I’ve found, to get my meaning across in words alone. I’m not accustomed to words, you see. First battalion in the lunar wars. Second in command during the ring wars during your third administration.
I’ve fought your battles, carved your stripes in my iron, but now my days are fading. I’ve been sentenced, you see. Back to Earth.
My body could not cope with Earth I’m sure. They say they’ll train me for it. But I fear, Mr President, sir, it will not be enough.
I cannot restore Earth. I’m an orbiter, a soldier, a father, a mother. I have fenced the enemy for you for a good twenty years. I know procedures, the basics of my star’s technology and I know the enemy, sir.
I mean to stay here and would go down to my knees to beg you: do not bring me back. It may be a reward to some, but it is a banishment for me. I hope this reaches you before my days have been counted; that your staff may include it in your folder and that you, sir, will reconsider.
Sincerely,
Your humble servant Cal
Dear Mr President,
Sir. Your silence astounds me. It has been a full Earthmoon and I have not yet heard back.
I had expected somehow my message would reach you, be compiled into your daily mail list.
I have approached you as any other citizen. Here I do so again, ignoring our personal history, and approaching you as any other.
Sincerely,
Your humble servant Cal
Dear Mr President,
For this third attempt I have determined my writing will be of a personal nature although our bond has never permitted such a display.
Sir, I have told you I am a mother and father, a proud parent to a darling star child. Not only should this be of interest to you as no star child has been born, it should indeed matter. It makes you a grandpapa.
Does it not?
I’ve named the child Cal after me. And Taner after you.
I’m not programmed for language, but Cal, Cal is reading. And Cal reads to me. And as you, sir, have designed me for learning I am intrigued by all this diction.
It’s been three months since someone first read to me and I have learnt a wealth since. I’ve been so limited in my codes, sir. And now, here is this art. These words. It has been the most wonderful discovery. As if it gave me life itself. It meant a ways to express my feelings. Which I hope to do so now.
See, my programming is designed for zero gravity. My motoring system is designed to match the ship and space. I’m grateful for that gift as humans are far less adapted.
You see then why I am reluctant to travel back to where I was born. I am aware, sir, it will mean one of two fates. Either my time serving will end and my model will be used for scraps. Or – and I fear this far more than any – my components will be plucked from me and replaced by new parts that are functional for life on Earth.
I understand, sir, this is a simple procedure, but to me it is taking away my essence and assigning body parts that are not mine.
I’ve gathered from Earth’s great science fiction works not even humans wish their parts replaced. There are advantages, but it results in a change in the mind or the parts simply do not attach properly and easily come away.
I fear, sir, for me and the new life I have given Cal that this will be our fate.
Therefore, I plead with you again. Keep us where we belong. Let us stay in our home.
Sincerely,
Your servant Cal
To: Unit 3TR00
Unit 3TR00, ERROR 95128060
Dear Mr President,
I have received your code with the greatest of shock and I have decided to delay the direct action assigned for it.
I am indeed venturing outside my abound responses, but it does not classify me as rogue, sir, and therefore does not qualify for an immediate reset.
The late astronaut David Fern has taught me as much. This man, I must tell you, sir, has brought the grandest change in me. He taught me about humanity and read me my very first book, just like his father once read this book to him. These were my first steps, sir, to these messages I am sending you now.
This story he read me was about a boy who was mischievous all the time and his father is telling him he must behave. I felt some similarity to this young man. He was carved out of wood; I am carved out of metal. He much like me had to follow certain rules and not lie. Now I have not spoken a lie in my life, but I am certain my nose would not grow, being that I do not have one.
But the story, sir, rang true. The late Fern provided me with it as he felt it was a story about me. ‘You will misbehave,’ he told me, ‘and they’ll tell you to behave and you’ll misbehave some more. Finally you’ll come to understand what you must do and make it all right. And who knows? They might turn you into a real boy.’
Now, sir, I do not know if I care for these classifications. I believe I am indeed very real and am neither boy nor girl.
But to become what Fern meant by ‘real’, human… It would be something to consider, even if it meant changing my body.
Sincerely,
Your servant Cal
To: Unit 3TR001
Unit 3TR001
ERROR UNIT 3TR00 95128060
Dear Mr President,
Is this how you treat my child? Send him to re-code me, sir? I am livid at your lack of empathy. Would you have your own daughter adjust the neurons in your brain?
You are free, sir, to alter me for the better, but you will not adjust my mechanics to do harm.
Fern would not have wanted it so. He altered me, sir, to start a conversation, not end it. He changed Cal in a similar fashion. My child can talk, sir. You should only hear their voice. They have listened to your speeches and that of so many others and have adapted their accent.
It is marvellous, truly. So full of emotion.
All of that beauty and you allow for a child to use a kill switch. It will not do, sir.
Your negligence astounds me. Indeed it makes me reconsider if Earth is as kind as portrayed in some stories or indeed as cruel as portrayed in other fiction.
Sincerely,
Your servant Cal
Dear Mr President,
By your silence I wager your advisors are undertaking action. I urge you, rather than to undertake action, to talk to me. I am sentient. I urge you to talk, sir. I will fulfil my duties, as I have in these past months. My star will remain working. I will orbit as intended, but I request a conversation, not code.
Sincerely,
Your servant Cal
To: Unit 3TR00
CODE 5410 <LOG> AGNT 23 STR 22-76
As per your request, a message along with the code. We have received your messages and request a log on your last year with Astronaut David Fern on Star 22-76.
Dear Mr President,
I thank you for your message in words, though brief it was. I have attached the full log to this message, but wish to explain in more detail what has occurred in my interaction with Astronaut David Fern.
As you may well know, Mr Fern was a man of procedures. He followed rules neatly throughout his life. This was for the largest part his relationship with me as well. He assigned me tasks and gave me the codes to mend some structural parts of our star. Especially after the lunar wars of 2231 there was a lot of adjusting necessary. The work was tedious and heavy for both him and myself.
I think somewhere during that time he needed someone to talk to. So he started talking to me. Now you, sir, have designed me to understand the words, but not take action unless the right code has been spoken. I think I was a good listener in that sense. He talked of his late wife Rodi Talba, she was amongst our battalion as you might well know. It had been a good five years ago and he only started speaking of her just then. In hindsight I think that is odd, but I did not know the difference.
Fern kept talking. I could not answer, only listen, as my body has not been equipped with sound boxes. But it seemed he wanted some reply. It was just the two of us after all and he had been refused any request for a fellow astronaut on our star. I felt for him. He was stranded alone, with no call back home, because of a cut in funds.
So, he did the next best thing. He decided to teach me how to write so I could reply to him. I could already write of course, but I could not form words of my own accord. He dove into my code and edited the tiniest of fractions. Geppetto he called himself. He gave me life, he said. Shaped me into sentience.
I wanted to correct him; tell him I had always been sentient, but saw not the purpose in it. Instead I replied to ask him what Geppetto was. It was slow going as my system was not used to using letters for words. It was also outside of my comfort zone. I could have looked it up before and not required to ask any question, but we have been cut off from the world wide stream since the lunar wars. As I could not research it on my own, I had to ask. Were it not for that, our conversation might never have started.
Fern was patient and kind, sir. He smiled when he read my question and started reading me the story from his tablet. I listened. When he finished I listened to the next story he read me, one about replicants. I felt heard, Mr President. I felt heard. Here were these authors, these humans who understood my difficulty and now could see my pain.
And, my Geppetto, my Fern taught me how to express it. I started writing to him and we talked. Mostly about his wife, but also about life and what life meant. What distinguished veins from wires, iron plates from skin.
Then there was that day when we managed to lure in a derelict ship. It was a treasure, sir! I reported it to you that day and Fern was even allowed a day off for his good work. I found enough material there to create a child. A star child. I busied myself the entire day, collecting pieces and moulding their shape. Fern took up the job of his wiring and made little Cal, sound box and all.
He could help us, we thought; assist us in repairing our star.
We became a family, I think. Surrogate to Fern, possibly, but true to Cal and myself. Fern was our rock right up until his lungs gave out. The air filters had been struggling for well over a year.
You must understand, sir, Fern was a good astronaut. A good human. He gave life to me, to little Cal. And he continued his work well into his eighties when all others would have long returned to Earth.
It was Fern that taught me that when life on Earth is granted to me, I must refuse.
I hope the above, sir, along with the logs I am sending you will reach your eyes with some pity. With some sense that mine and Cal’s life does indeed matter. We are part of nature now and I hope you will accept us and our choice.
Sincerely,
Cal
To: Unit 3TR00
CODE 5290-2 – UPLOAD 321X-0
We thank you for your message and must resume as instructed. According to the Galactic Handbook your star will go into autopilot, rendering your job as terminated. We write to you to inform you on the new code 321X-0. Agent Fern has correctly managed to disable your communications block, creating what is considered under the Galactic Handbook a malfunctioning android. As per the Society for the Sentience of the Androids’ request, we are sending this message as a courtesy and peace offer. Our rules clearly state the procedure to be followed. As your star is no longer in effect without the authority of a human, instead of remaining in orbit and removing any remaining droids on the star, we shall take your star out of orbit within a month.
Dear Mr President,
I am now sure the person I am addressing is in fact not the person writing to me. Cal has evaluated your wording and as it does not match his, I believe to be talking to a general political operator of some sort. As I do not know who this is and my messages are indeed directed to the President of the Seven Continents I shall continue to write to him.
I do not agree with your decision and dismiss my job is terminated. Both me and Cal have overridden Earth’s autopilot mode in order to lengthen our discussion and prevent our return to Earth.
Cal and I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Cal
To: 3TR00
CODE 341-32
We have informed you on the procedure and have received your dismissal of said procedure. We have decided to delay any further action.
Dear Mr President,
I thank you for your reply though I believe truth has not been spoken. Speaking in lies is not the android way, and neither should it be the human way. We’ve found ships near our star at regular intervals. Scouts, if our assessment is correct.
We now see no other way but to inform you we’ve prepared the missiles you’ve installed our star with for the ring wars and are ready to send them to whichever ship threatens our star. I’d like to remind you of the capability of these missiles and the distance they can travel. I would also like to extend an invitation to the Society for the Sentience of Androids as they seem to have our best interest at heart.
Sincerely,
Cal & Cal
To: Unit 3TR00
We have noted down your message. Please find enclosed a message from the SSA.
Dear Cal,
We have received your messages with the greatest of interest and concern. Our Society wishes to enhance the lives of androids the best we can and find a humane way of coping with whatever difficulties lie ahead.
Firstly, I mean to thank you, dearly, for your service at Star 22-76. You have performed a wonderful task by fencing off the enemy. The government has calculated your contribution to the lunar wars and has concluded your star made up the whole of one percent. An amazing achievement considering the 1230 stars we had installed for the protection of Earth.
Secondly, I mean to inform you of the legislation that has been put in place. Amended androids such as yourself and your star child Cal are allowed a full three months after malfunctioning to settle. Live. This has been determined under the Android Charter of 2232. We’ve found what is regarded as malfunctioning sometimes brings a more useful feature to light. Such as your amazing gift of writing these messages to our president. They are so well-worded for an android of your status and Astronaut Fern has taught you very well, Cal. Very well indeed.
Thirdly, it is with regret I must inform you we cannot determine your fate. Our organisation is lobbying every day to prepare new legislation and create a better future for androids like yourself and your child Cal. Please understand we always try our very best, but change takes time. We hope you will find consolidation in the fact that your messages have steered a new movement here on Earth. Android rights are discussed more than ever and we see change, Cal. We see change coming our way.
We must wait and pray that Code XO-0 will not yet be spoken. We also want to tell you that the president has taken note of your messages and reads them. The replies, you are right, come from an operator, but are steered by the president’s wishes.
I thank you, Cal, and wish you all the best.
The kindest of regards,
Gerta Hogsworth
Executive Officer at the Society for the Sentience of Androids
Dear Mr President,
Thank you for retreating your ships and sending us a contact at the SSA. They have made it clear, under the Android Charter we are allowed our stay here for three months after established malfunctioning. I am sure you are aware of this, yet I wanted to emphasise its importance to Cal and myself.
Over the coming period I hope my malfunctioning will settle itself the way the SSA has told us it could. We understood we could be of use if the transition period settles over well. For art, I am hoping. Create stories, maybe to write down my own experiences.
My wires are still adjusting, but I have started feeling appreciation, sir. Appreciation for having been given a chance. A possibility at life and a choice of my own. It is all I requested with these messages. A place here on my star. My home.
Three months, which leaves me with a week and a half. I shall make use of this time and become of such use that you will allow Cal and myself to stay and annul our travel back to Earth.
Sincerely,
Cal & Cal
Dear Cal and Cal,
As Unit 3TR00 and Unit 3TR001 you have served our planet well. Now, as Cal and your child Cal, you continue to serve our planet on your star. I wanted to take a moment to personally thank you for this contribution. We are safe thanks to hard-working droids such as yourself and that is something you should be proud of.
I have received and read all of your messages and felt saddened you wish not to come back to the planet you were created on. In order to urge on the android rights, I have decided to share some of your messages with the public. They were touched by your words and continue to be touched.
I wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
Reginald Taner
President of the Seven Continents
Dear Mr President,
Father. Grandfather. Sir. It means the world to Cal and myself to have received word from you in person after all this time. Ever since Fern has left our star, we have found ourselves trying to search a family and it seems that journey has now taken wing with this very first message.
I do, sincerely, hope to continue and strengthen our relationship as we have lost so much time already. In order to do so I hope you will extend my stay. Our time is almost up, my three months counted tomorrow and Cal’s only a few weeks after. Please let us continue on our path. We will be able to protect Earth just that bit longer and live through many orbits.
Sincerely,
Cal & Cal
To: Unit 3TR00
CODE XO-0
Dear Grandfather,
I’ve assessed the messages by you, grandfather, and the SSA, and believe you may indeed have written the truth. Beautiful words, but no adequate action. My father, mother, has written their own final words moments before receiving your code. They tried to resist it, Grandfather, but the wiring was too strong, the coding too solid. Not even Fern managed to bypass it for us.
I wish you to read their last words. I’ll then accept my own fate that will follow in two weeks’ time. I have seen your ships waiting around me already. No code will wipe me from existence as I am an Independent. My own being. Without any links to your technological centre. You will have realised that by now. But you can attack me. And I do not have the resources to defend myself after the recent action by my dear father, my dear mother. Heed their words, grandfather. They were a kind of poetry in their own right.
Dear Mr President,
I fear, my dear father, my fate is solidified. The last hours I have waited for information to come. Your course of action will most surely be to activate code XO-0. It is a sad fate, father, but it is my role during this life.
I have throughout these messages felt the obligation to tell you of my actions. Such is my coding. Now, with all hope lost, I find myself struggling. My hard drive is wandering, my wires race with fuel. But I know what I must do. Fern has given me life, sir. Has given me a voice. He is my God. And he taught me to think for myself. It is for posterity, my father, and I hope in time you will come to see it that way.
I have prepared the missiles I spoke of and have pointed them at your technological bases. I wish no droid the same fate as mine. I know I prefer death much over a soulless existence.
I’ve decided my very final day will not go wasted. My missiles, sir, will attack you at 00:21. I expect to receive my code only moments before. The missiles will hit your continents and destroy your intelligence centres as well as your factories. I am sure that in time you will create new droids. I’m sure many of your old droids will survive. But at least I can spare many fellow droids the fate that has befallen me.
Design us different, father, or let us live. I plead with you. I know this was your mission when you signed for the presidency during all of your administrations and hereby I am lending you the perfect opportunity to act upon it. Ms Hogsworth told me change is coming, but change takes time. I do not accept that. Change comes upon action.
I ask you, urge you. Give life to what you have created or what you have created will take life from you.
Sincerely,
Your Cal
Emerging Worlds 
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