Chapter 1: The Fixer Upper
image [https://i.imgur.com/59NXggh.jpg]
The sun was just starting to rise high enough to reflect off the solar panels on the roof of Toshiro’s Auto Repair Shop. The light that was filtering in through the dirty windows was also highlighting a problem that Kenji Sato was reflecting on. It wasn’t the tools that Kenji was organizing and reorganizing, the problem was he just didn’t have any real work to do.
He had already brought his uncle’s shop all the way from the stone age into the modern era. At first, it had been the perfect thing to keep his mind off the college classes he wasn't taking. He had thought his uncle Toshiro hired him out of charity or a favor to his parents, but it turned out that his uncle really had needed help. Unfortunately, it had only taken a few weeks for Kenji to automate himself out of his job.
He knew he could sit down at a computer, pretend to be busy, and collect an easy paycheck. It just didn’t seem right to do that to the man who had taught Kenji that priceless trick. He really needed to keep his hands busy so he could stop himself from focusing on how quickly everything had gone wrong.
image [https://i.imgur.com/4Ae9ObF.jpg]
"Kenji, you're burying yourself in work." Uncle Toshiro walked in, observing his nephew. Like Kenji, his hands were covered in a fair amount of grease. "I know it’s a lot, but your parents and I knew those rumors weren’t true."
His Uncle was a great guy, he lived for taking apart cars and putting them back together. He was someone who had turned their hobby into a profession. Kenji looked up to him and was even starting to enjoy the same hobby. Unfortunately, Kenji wasn’t good at expressing things like that.
"You think so?" He tried to look grateful for what his uncle was trying to say, but didn’t manage to say much himself.
"I do," Toshiro nodded, clapping Kenji on the back. "You've more than earned a break, take the day off."
A reluctant smile crept up on Kenji’s face. "Maybe I'll tackle that old truck out back."
"That relic?" Toshiro let out a hearty laugh. "Get it running, and it's yours. You’re the one who found it."
"Challenge accepted." Kenji replied, with a spark of excitement. Kenji threw on his jacket, grabbed his bag, and practically ran to the rear lot.
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Confronted with the rusty monster of a vehicle, Kenji walked around it and looked for a spot where he could set his bag without getting it filthy. He gave the truck’s roof the same reassuring pat his uncle had just given him. “I’ll bet you are wondering how you ended up here.”
Kenji loved machines. They were easy to talk to, and you didn’t have to guess what they were feeling or what they were imagining about you in return. Right now Kenji was imagining this truck had a dry mouth and a headache, and would rather be left alone.
"Kenji, analysis of the rust samples is complete." His daydreaming and soon to be pity-party was interrupted by a familiar monotone voice emanating from the passenger seat.
image [https://i.imgur.com/6GfMjdQ.jpg]
The voice had come from Aito, Kenji's digital companion, who was housed within the physical form of a teddy bear. He was wearing a multipurpose scanner, filled with self-charging thermal cells, and covered in a soft plushy exterior. Overall, he was adorable. Kenji had fused the bear's classic appearance with Aito's advanced capabilities, creating a unique blend of technology and charm. The toy originally had built-in speakers and cameras for parents to use in a nursery, so it was the perfect shell for Aito. While Aito’s physical body was a mix of second-hand parts, Kenji had custom built Aito’s software from the ground-up.
"What's the verdict, Aito?" Kenji lifted the bear from the driver’s seat, and borrowed Aito’s scanner to put on his own head.
The scanner lit up, projecting data and a digital overlay directly onto Kenji’s retinas. Aito displayed the truck’s information as he spoke. "The rust damage isn’t too deep, I can provide a short list of parts that should be replaced. However, the unusual discoloration we found on both the front and rear bumpers contains not only iron oxide, but also traces of blood." Aito’s tone didn’t change, but he almost seemed excited.
"Blood all over an abandoned vehicle?” Kenji arched an eyebrow. He briefly entertained the idea that someone was hit, and that both driver and victim mysteriously disappeared, but he quickly dismissed it. “A deer collision then, it totaled the vehicle and the owner abandoned it." He absently ruffled Aito's soft fur.
“The blood stains are human. Blood from several different humans, to be more precise.” The teddy bear’s robotic voice told Kenji.
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Kenji frowned. What had he gotten himself into? He talked his uncle into towing the abandoned truck back to the shop, but now he was going to end up filling out police reports instead. He knew he had to ask the next question, “On the rear bumper too?”
“Affirmative, although the scanner’s ability to sequence DNA is limited, it appears the samples from both the front and rear bumpers are exact matches.” The teddy bear paused before adding, “I am not currently connected to any government or police databases, so I cannot identify the people who had their blood taken.”
Despite the bleak topic, Kenji almost laughed at how Aito worded his last sentence. You didn’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to imagine what the truck driver did to get blood on both bumpers, but Aito made it sound like the sneaky vehicle ran off with some stolen DNA while twirling its mustache.
Before handing this off to the authorities, there was just one other thing Kenji thought they should look at. “What about the black box we found under the dashboard?”
The teddy bear’s eyes shimmered as his scanner projected data for Kenji to observe. “I completed passive scans of the device, but the data is encrypted. The box uses an unconventional code that I cannot identify.”
Kenji nodded, “Could the box be a recording device of some sort, like literal black boxes from an aircraft?”
“It does bear some resemblance to flight recorders and may serve a similar purpose. However, despite the nickname, flight recorders have been required to be bright orange for several decades now. I have data on the models that meet current safety regulations” Aito informed him, almost seeming proud.
Kenji was a little concerned that Aito knew so much about flight recorders. Like raising a small child, Aito was not granted unfettered access to the internet. At least not without a valid reason.
“Okay Aito, before we go on, explain why you were looking up data on flight recorders.” Kenji instructed.
“When Kenji was being investigated for cybercrimes, it seemed logical you would flee the country. Had you decided to hijack a plane, you would need to disable the flight recorder in order to evade capture.” Aito’s voice was his normal digital monotone, but Kenji imagined that Aito sounded pleased with himself for thinking ahead that far.
Aito’s willingness to break the law was one of the reasons Kenji hadn’t shown him off to his professors. Amoral Intelligences were technically illegal, but Aito wasn’t amoral at all. Aito just prioritized Kenji’s well-being above everything else. Plus Aito was still ‘young’. If they could just overcome this little glitch, then Kenji might be able to get the funding and approval needed to transfer Aito into something that could walk around on its own. Kenji stroked the soft fur of Aito’s head before trying to explain.
‘“Aito, I explained to you before, I was accused but I was innocent. It cost me my scholarship, but I wasn’t actually guilty of any crime. Now what made you think I would actually try to steal a plane?”
“Kenji watched a movie where a group of convicts stole a plane to visit Las Vegas, which he seemed to enjoy. It was reasonable that if Kenji enjoyed that movie he might also enjoy the same activities.” To Aito, the logic was flawless.
image [https://i.imgur.com/sp4umzL.jpg]
Kenji was beginning to regret watching old classic movies with Aito in the room. Teaching Aito ethics wasn’t easy when he had a hard time differentiating fantasy and reality. He would need to manually pore through all the data Aito downloaded later.
“Okay Aito, for now let’s get back to solving this mystery.” Kenji gestured at the black box sitting on the ground in front of them. He peered at Aito’s projected data, trying to make sense of the scans. The truck didn’t have any visible cameras or self-driving capabilities, so the hardware he was looking at didn’t fit with the rest of the vehicle.
Surprisingly, Aito still had a few more questions. “Will Kenji be accused of stealing the truck?”
“No, Uncle Toshiro and I checked before we towed it. The truck was legally abandoned with no previous owners listed.”
“If the truck belongs to Kenji now, will he be accused of stealing the blood?”
The ridiculousness of the question made Kenji laugh out loud this time. “No, I really don’t think so, but we should try to find out who the last owner was, in case he wants it back.” There could be a reward for helping to track down a criminal as well, but Kenji didn’t want to confuse Aito more. He was certain Aito would recommend that Kenji turn himself in for crimes he didn’t commit, in order to collect several different rewards at once.
Kenji leaned forward, as if that would help him get a better view of the image that was already right in his face. “But why in an old pickup truck? The truck is definitely older than this code. Aito, could you power it up?"
"Yes," Aito replied in perfect monotone. "After last night’s analysis, I believe I can output the correct voltage. We can access more data that way." Kenji imagined Aito was also curious.
Aito had one special attachment hidden inside his paw that could be used to charge and power different devices from his own battery. It was handy when every company tried to sell their own proprietary charger for every product. Technically, that little tool had been banned recently for being ‘dangerous’, but everyone knew that it was only dangerous to corporate profit margins. Kenji quickly placed the box near Aito’s right paw, where his stored electrical power could reach it. "Let's see what it's hiding."
As Aito processed the command, the scanner started to display new data: Welcome Back GOD. Resume Program?
"Who names themselves 'GOD'? A crazy person right?" Kenji chuckled awkwardly, pretending his old middle-school self hadn’t used that nickname online. "Should we input 'yes'?"
The enigmatic box suddenly started to vibrate, accepting Kenji’s words as a vocal command.
"Confirmed, initializing transport." Intoned a mechanical voice, the sound itself didn’t come from the box, but emanated from all around them. A brilliant light flashed from the device, engulfing both Kenji and Aito.
Kenji's eyes widened in shock. "No, wait, I didn't mean—"
But it was too late. The distant colors of the surrounding landscape seemed to reverse and converge on a point directly above the humming box, dragging the young man and his teddy bear into the newly created void. Their scattered tools followed. The vortex seemed like it would swallow the old pick-up truck as well, but that is where it stopped. The rusty monster was immovable in the presence of the reality-destroyer. Soon, the box was pulled into itself, the task complete. Then only silence.
They were completely gone, the distant noises of the shop and the quiet rustle of the countryside gradually filled the space where Kenji and Aito had been sitting. The truck stood silent, the only witness to the extraordinary event. A stray breeze gently swept away any remaining evidence.
image [https://i.imgur.com/4KU4wXW.jpg]
End Chapter 1: The Fixer Upper
Next: Chapter 2: Hacking On Heaven’s Door