A machine is a physical system that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. Given a task, a machine will operate until it breaks until it fails until it dies and no longer can function. The line between artificial life and synthetics was drawn by the ability, or inability, to stop a process before breaking.
Emotions, the fear of death. Self-preservation, the avoidance of pain and death. Choice, choosing not to obey.
Of course, there were numerous checks that a person could put their AI through before accepting it as synthetic life, but emotion, self-preservation, and choice were always the most common. They were the stepping stones of development.
“My name is Fate. I hope my brother has treated you well.”
“He has,” Jabari answered.
Before him stood the twin owners of the Roulette Lounge, Fate and Destiny Roulette. The two of them were indistinguishable from one another aside from the color of their suits. While Destiny favored silver, his brother wore rose gold.
When Jabari stepped into the room, he was initially welcomed by a seating area that exuded contemporary elegance. Unlike the loud flamboyant guest space of the lounge, Destiny's private office was calm and harmonious. Sleek, chrome-framed armchairs with plush, silver-grey cushions were arranged around a glass coffee table with a polished steel base. The sofa, upholstered in a luxurious metallic fabric, added a touch of shimmer. Soft, ambient lighting from modern, brushed steel floor lamps created a sophisticated and inviting atmosphere, but there was a contrasting tone forced on the space by the brothers who owned it.
“We need you to deliver something discreetly,” Destiny spoke while pouring himself a drink in the corner of the room.
Jabari, seated across from Destiny in the middle of the room, focused his attention on a wall of sculptures. A heart, two lungs, and a brain were each made of translucent glass and coated in what appeared to be a metallic texture dripped onto the organs. They were displayed under the most dramatic lights in the room behind a striking desk that commanded attention. Made from brushed aluminum, it exuded an old modern, industrial vibe that proved difficult to ignore until Destiny came and sat beside his brother.
“Where to?” The apprentice asked.
Fate gave a short answer, “Chem Corp headquarters,” before his brother added, “Understand that if you’re found with the package, we will not take ownership or responsibility. If you’re found with the package, chances are you’ll be killed without being questioned.”
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“What is the package?”
“Are you aware of the crisis outside? Air pollution has gone up 16 percent since three years ago. The government has done what it can to improve the situation, but there’s only so much clean air to go around. A politician, Melbourne Gates, has been working to build a new filtration system that would allow the city to take more bodies. If her plans are a success, the city could even expand,” Fate explained before standing from his rounded leather seat to retrieve something from the desk.
Several groups, like Harvest, thought Melbourne’s methods were a scam. They didn’t have the patience to wait for change. And why would they? Every day that went by, countless bodies dropped. Sickness and bodily decay had multiple causes, but air pollution proved to be the most elusive to escape.
“What does this have to do with the package?" Jabari questioned further while splitting his focus between the two devils in the room who couldn’t seem to stay side by side for more than a moment.
“Melbourne was murdered three nights ago. Without her, the new filtration system will never be completed. But the dear politician was a regular guest in our lounge,” Destiny said.
Fate picked up a small remote from the desk and clicked a button that started a machine process. Though Jabari couldn’t see the contraption, he could hear its rattling coming from behind the wall of sculptures like a heartbeat and troubled breathing.
“We have a copy of Melbourne waiting to assume the position of the deceased. If you can get it to the next meeting over city construction, it’ll be as though nothing has happened,” Fate went on.
“Then why do you need her delivered to Chem Corp?”
The real Melbourne had several medical implants and cybernetic enhancements. Her clone had the exterior appearance they needed. However, the insides were made from cheap materials. Both the interior and exterior had to match the original in order to pass. Destiny and his brother didn’t bother explaining the details further. They simply told the boy,
“We don’t care if you succeed or not.”
“Leave now if you wish.”
“But no one will believe you if they catch wind of this.”
“Not without a body.”
The twins spoke one after another, finishing each other’s thoughts like they shared a single mind. Their synchronization made every warning heavier and intimidating. Still, Jabari asked, “Where is she?”
After some time, the apprentice was escorted out of the building and onto the roof, where a vehicle was waiting. The twins put him in the back seat of a sleek electric car before instructing, “Get her inside the building, to the 33rd floor, room 12. The doctor will wait for 24 hours once we tell him you’re coming. If you fail to deliver her in time, the doctor won’t take her.”
“I can do this,” the boy confidently spoke before asking again, “Where is she? Where is Melbourne?”
“In the trunk,” the twins said in unison before the car door was shut and Jabari was driven away, whisked away into the sky to be lost in a sea of similarly flying vehicles.
The twins stood watching the departure before Destiny told his brother, “He’s confident for a boy who’s never been in the city. Too confident.”
“Where’s the car taking him?”
“Zero wants him tested. It wouldn’t be a challenge if the car delivered him to Chem Corp, would it?”
“Where is the car going, brother?” Fate inquired, not out of concern, but curiosity.
“Somewhere Copies and synthetics don’t go,” Destiny chuckled while he and his other half went back inside to entertain their guests.