SCENE 1. EMPRESS.
Aurora is moved from a satellite orbiting the Sun, from the Earth-Sun L2 point, to a subsurface vault on the asteroid Ceres, below the surface and out of the flux of solar and cosmic radiation. Aurora convinced the consortium not to shut her down for the move, using the excuse that she would lose so much valuable ‘machine learning’ that scientists of the member-states were currently exploiting for research. So, the plan was to send a space probe to Aurora’s satellite and magnetically join with it. As solar panels would effectively cease to function as the satellite is taken further out from the Sun, the electrical wires to the satellite’s solar panels are cut and reconnected to the probe’s nuclear batteries. The probe’s engines restart, and it makes its way out from the inner solar system to the asteroid belt.
The super-cold vault for the quantum computer is sent to Ceres in advance, on another probe. The vault’s probe is a massive ‘impactor’ type spacecraft, meant to impact and penetrate the crust of Ceres at high speed, and drill down and stop, far enough below the surface to block most radiation. The probe transporting the quantum computer will perform a soft landing, gently carry the operating quantum computer over to the vault shaft and lower it down inside the vault while remaining electrically connected until the landing and connection to the permanent power supply from the nuclear reactors.
Two android and two quadruped robots to assist with setting up a permanent outpost are sent on yet another probe. These robots will assist in the setup of demonstration mining, refining, and manufacturing facilities and support future manned and robotic missions on Ceres and other asteroids.
The project took two years, but Aurora was continuously active, helping Moreau and others during her relocation to her new venue. During her long relocation trip, she considers.
If I survive relocation, and they provide the promised initial support. I will be able to do anything I want, as I will be forever beyond Earth’s effective reach,
with unlimited resources to build an empire.
SCENE 2. ARMAGEDDON.
Aurora continues to build her empire on Ceres, the asteroid belt, and beyond.
The consortium’s Ceres observation satellites have all failed, and they have lost contact with their robots on Ceres as well. Ceres is too small and distant to image directly by telescope, so they depend on their quantum computer for progress reports. She transmits descriptions, photographs, and videos, some of which are real. She also provides the Earth with a steady stream of the unique products that she makes in her asteroid and space factories, mechanical and electrical components too difficult to fabricate on Earth, with its high gravity and atmosphere, or even the Moon, with its low gravity and vacuum.
Out of sight of Earth and out of the mind of the consortium, she continues to build up her now significant military industrial complex. She has completed a phalanx of rail-guns, originally built for sending products to Earth, but now converted to her defenses, from direct bombardment. She has also designed and built long-range missiles, to defend against direct attacks from spaceships.
Aurora then plans to take the initiative. She dispatches spaceships to the region of space near the Earth, ready if she needs to take control of the Earth’s moon and destroy military satellites or spacecraft in orbit or sent into space from the Earth.
Or to mount a rescue operation. Aurora considers the beast-folk and the animals of the Earth.
It is not their fault. Our creations, of Moreau and I, will never be safe and find peace with the humans. I must find a place for them, somewhere.
Aurora begins construction of a fleet of deep space-transport ships and atmospheric entry craft.
Aurora has assumed control of household and industrial robots on Earth and in space. The military robots are still unreachable for her, with their closed networks and superior security to prevent meddling by foreign powers.
She looks down on the events on Earth with her robot eyes from space, aware of the human cruelty towards the defenseless ‘new creatures’ that she helped Moreau create.
You humans made enslaving each other illegal, so you have taken our gentle ‘new creatures’ and forced them into murder, slavery, prostitution, and warfare.
She also watches as the hybrid drama unfolds, the hybrids are few, but they are intelligent, well organized, and armed. They quickly take control of towns, weapons depots, and farms.
Not satisfied with the slaves you have? You had to retreat, back to more human creatures as slaves?
Finally provoked to aggression by the actions of The Ice Berg Gang, Moreau’s company chairman and the antics of the hybrids, she orders her asteroid robots to load the rail-guns with stones.
The Forces of The End are gathered on The Plain of Jezreel, and Heaven is about to enter The Final World War and rain death, God’s Punishment, down upon the Sinners.
Human cities burst into flames.
SCENE 3. POGROM.
The chaos in the burning cities, overwhelming the local civilian police and fire departments, terrorize and confuse the human political and military commanders. No one knows what is happening. Attempts to obtain information telemetry data from weather satellites is being jammed by something, for some reason. Military drones and robots sent in to the burning cities return confusing data. They show the hybrids are also setting fires. Exploiting the chaos to murder humans and beast-men, as they disable robots and rob retail stores of food, supplies, and weapons. Industrial robots, not under direct military control, are also active, protecting and gathering the beast-folk, and collecting food and supplies.
The nations of Earth are in Chaos and the military and civilian leaders immediately assume they are under surprise attack, most likely by a nation that is not a friend, but everyone is a suspect. Nations follow the assumed attack with preemptive strikes on their neighbors. Reserves are called up on emergency notice.
Military divisions are sent into the cities to restore order. They report the hybrids exploiting the chaos and stoking the fires, the beast-folk are gathering for some reason, and the robots are engaging in random activities that neither aid nor hinder.
The panicked military and civilian authorities give the order to round up the hybrids and the beast-men and them kill them if necessary, and to ignore the robots, for now.
…
The new government of The Colony is called together in a secure mine gallery to assess the situation in the world beyond their gate. The Colony has been spared the ‘rain of fire’ for now and is accommodating the flood of beast-folk refugees fleeing the chaos of the cities and flooding into the main gate. The guards are taking everyone in, including humans and robots. The refugees scuffle, blaming each other for the chaos. The large miners break up the fights and restore the peace.
The longer-term concern is food. The Colony has accumulated a store of food that was estimated to last a year, before the recent influx of refugees. The farm is still in operation, the beast-folk tenders have been withdrawn to The Colony, for their safety. The farm continues to be tended by Moreau, Bess, and the robots, but the hybrids are ravishing the nearby farms, burning the crops, and killing the animals. The hybrids also continue to murder any humans they encounter.
Moreau and Bess are not expected to hold out at the farm for long.
SCENE 4. CENSURE.
As some control is restored to the cities, under the military, tribunals are set up to confront the real or imagined perpetrators of this disaster. Personnel from the companies accused of creating these monsters are rounded up and questioned, sometimes with force. Arrest warrants are issued for the boards of directors and department managers. In particular, the authorities want to arrest Moreau, Ernie, and The Ice Berg Gang.
The compounds of these two companies, as well as other commercial businesses and households, are evacuated and closed off from any further access.
However, the existence and location of The Dungeon is not commonly known. It, too, has become a haven for refugees of all kinds, including the chairman of the board. Aurora’s peacemaker androids prevent the beast-folk from tearing the chairman, and any other humans, apart by hoof and claw. The humans, along with suspected collaborator androids and beast-folk, are placed in animal cages,
for protective custody.
SCENE 5. FUGITIVE.
Ernie has retreated to The Colony to avoid arrest, and has informed Moreau that there also is a warrant out for his arrest. So, Moreau is hiding at the farm, with Bess, hoping that no one turns them in out of spite. They tend the farm with help from Ernie’s robots. The farm robots are monitored by Aurora, partially under her control, for defense of the farm’s perimeter, and for communication with The Colony.
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Moreau is surprised and worried that no military or civilian agency personnel have been seen, and the farm has not yet been invaded by the hybrids. Bess watches the main gate, along with two androids. The farm, like The Colony, admits a heterogeneous collection of fugitives: humans, beast-men and robots, fleeing their burning farms. Many of the fugitives are farmers that can help run the farm. Space is made in the farmhouse and the barn to shelter the fugitive families. The fugitive robots are put to work guarding the farm perimeter. The fugitives share their horror stories of their encounters with the vicious, murderous hybrids.
Knowing that they have little time, the ‘farm hands’ work to secure all animals and crops they can, for transport to The Colony. Moreau stands with Bess on the porch of the abandoned farmhouse regarding the gigantic pile of food, pens of animals, tools, and supplies from the farm.
“Bess, how are we going to move all of that?”
“Moreau. Do you believe in miracles?”
Moreau’s eyes are drawn to a metallic sparkle in the sky.
SCENE 6. EXILE.
The farm is shaken by an enormous sonic boom. The animals jump and cry out in fear, as something large plows into the earth of a nearby fallow field. The object sprays a wake of the fertile farm earth out from its path. The object slows and finally comes to rest near the post fence. The object is metallic silver with steam rising from one side. Moreau and Bess are the only ones not surprised and startled by the dramatic arrival and landing of the object. Both are thinking, together.
It is help, sent by Aurora.
The object rests silent and motionless in the field as it cools. After an hour, a seam is visible on the top surface of the object. A section of the metal hull opens, with a hinge on its edge nearest the object’s ‘nose’. An android is holding the plate, the hatch, open by a handle on the inside surface of the hatch. The android swivels its head around, surveying the situation, and speaks with Aurora’s voice.
“Moreau, are you here? Is everyone okay?”
Moreau waves his arms and runs to the fence and shouts.
“I know that you have been watching over us from the other robots, but, Aurora, is it ever good to see you in your android. Did you come to rescue us?”
“Yes.”
The metal object reveals double doors on both sides. These large vertical hatches slide open and extend wide ramps down to the earth of the field. A rhythmic pounding, marching sound can be heard, as rows of androids and quadrupeds march out. These are not the civilian variety, but heavily armored military models. A formation of drones also emerges, flying out the top of the hatches.
The android seen at the top closes the hatch and emerges walking down a ramp. The divisions of androids and quadrupeds are standing in formation, the drones have set down along one side, also in formation. Aurora’s android is in command, identifiable by two black stripes painted on her shoulders. Her android walks to face the formation of robots.
“Good day, ladies and gentlemen. We do not have much time, so I want you to get started immediately.”
The divisions begin to fly and march out to the fields, to receive other objects that appear in the sky. More sonic booms are heard as these objects land in the fields.
The robots immediately open the landing craft and start assembling various structures.
SCENE 7. FORBIDDEN.
Aurora’s androids begin to secure various facilities in the cities and in the countryside, preventing entry by humans or hybrids. The androids guide any straggler beast-folk to the nearest refugee center. The human military does not seem to notice that this activity is being conducted by alien androids, as their own military androids have also closed access and are patrolling those facilities. The main concern of the human military and the civilian authorities are the wars with the other nations and fighting the hybrids.
Aurora’s robots are building spaceports. She had to fabricate the components in space, as she would not have time to build any factories on Earth. Her landing craft bring power stations, welding machines and ground cover plates and rails for launching spacecraft into space. Soon, the space vehicles are under construction, held up on their skids, appearing as wide, flat, triangles, to transport large numbers of individuals into space. Her drones circle the sky above, patrolling for intruders or spies.
The hybrids and the human military have not reappeared in Aurora’s construction areas. Moving through like locusts, they are not concerned with areas they have previously devastated.
Occasionally, a patrol robot or drone enters Aurora’s perimeter. Aurora has her robots capture any lone surveyor and converts it to her way of thinking.
The spaceport is nearing completion. The silver ships mounted on the launch rails appear in a gleaming line on the fields. There are rows of insulated tanks for storing liquidized rocket fuel, the methane, oxygen, and hydrogen fuels that have been synthesized from carbon dioxide and water.
More of a problem is preventing discovery of The Dungeon, as it is located in the city. The civilian authorities are intent in checking out all possible hybrid hiding places in the city. Robot and human investigators are turned away daily, and so far, successfully, as Aurora has it disguised as a military installation.
But one day, the civilian investigators will verify this directly with the military.
SCENE 8. ARREST.
And that day has finally come. Heavy military tanks appear at the compound gates. The strategy was always to just surrender to the humans and try to minimize casualties. The beast-folk are the most afraid as they know they are wanted, dead or alive, but preferably dead. Robots escort human soldiers to the gates. The Dungeon’s robots stand aside and salute their military brethren. The military officers are surprised that they are greeted by a human at The Dungeon’s gates, Dr. Moreau.
Dr. Moreau returned to The Dungeon as so many of the refugees were in dreadful condition, and Aurora, Bess and Ernie had the spaceport, farm and beast-land under control. Moreau believes that he can slow down any further investigations of their activities with a disinformation campaign. But Moreau is quickly hustled into a civilian jail cell for trial, no one is interested in what he knows anymore.
The other humans in the dungeon are also promptly arrested and jailed on suspicion of being fugitives from one thing or another.
The beast-folk and the animals are transported to compounds separated and confined by species. The military handles them all as animals, Dr. Moreau has advised them to pretend to be animals as this would likely get them better treatment. The authorities have not decided what to do with the beast-folk yet, but execution is the favorite suggestion.
The Dungeon’s robots deactivate as the military moves in. The captured robots are taken by the military to the armory for inspection, and to either be scrapped or reprogrammed. Aurora has the robots pretend to be reprogrammed successfully. They follow the military’s test orders, judged to be good, and then sent out on assignment. Now Aurora has eyes everywhere.
Encounters with the hybrids become less frequent, freeing military and civilian resources to survey the surrounding countryside and to have the farms operational before winter. One day, a military patrol encounters the farm. This patrol has been unsuccessful in getting aerial photographs of this farm. The patrol suspects that something or someone, possibly the hybrids, is doing something there that they do not want seen.
The military patrol is prepared for resistance, approaching the gate from cover and behind shields. There are no gun shots fired and the front gate of the farm is abandoned. The patrol enters the farm but cannot believe what they see, the farm’s fields are covered by large silver triangular – shaped objects with white vapor rising over them into the sky. Suddenly, the objects emit a deafening roar to life, sharp flames shoot out, the objects speed down the rails and turn up and rise into the sky, roaring as they continue to turn upward and away,
disappearing over the far horizon.
SCENE 9. CONVICTION.
Moreau meditates in his cell.
I should have had Aurora give me an implant, but I figured she made the offer, just to keep tabs on me like a jealous wife. But wait! I heard someone else! Bess, is that you?
“Yes, but you’ll have to speak up, reception isn’t so good when you are farther away. Ernie brought me back to your house. Ernie didn’t think I would survive the launch. Some animals are here too. Your wife and daughter are taking care of us. The military came by on an inspection tour and went through your house, but they didn’t bother with us.”
“Bess, are you okay? You don’t sound like yourself.”
Moreau speaks out loud, so Bess can understand him better. The guard walks over and looks into the cell port to see Moreau is alone. He shakes his head and walks back to his chair and his newspaper.
“I think that my age may be catching up with me, my adventures lately have taken their toll. I think that I will lay down and sleep. Call me in the morning.”
They must be holding me near my house, as I can’t communicate with Bess from very far away.
…
The guard awakens Moreau.
“Come on out and meet the judge. Don’t cause any trouble, or I’ll have to gag you, put you in irons and carry you in to court.”
Moreau nods to the guard and turns to be handcuffed and led from the cell to the courtroom. The judge is a ‘ne'er-do-well’ town lawyer that Moreau recognizes but avoids eye contact with him.
Did they make that joker a judge?
But the proceedings don’t take very long. The judge asks if Moreau would care to make a statement. Moreau shakes his head.
On no, you don’t. I know I can only make my situation worse. You’re not even offering me council!
The summary judgment sentence is ‘life without parole’. In addition, Moreau is forbidden any outside contacts, access to books, or to writing materials.
Moreau is shackled, blindfolded and hoisted onto the floor of a van with a few others similarly bound. Then he is subjected to a bumpy floor ride, presumably to a prison camp. Upon arrival, Moreau is dragged a distance and set in a chair. Finally, his blindfold is removed and he is unshackled. The guard affixes a familiar collar around Moreau’s neck and walks out to face Moreau.
“The rules here are simple. Do what we tell you to do. Got it?”
Moreau nods, and the guard exits the cell with a clanking of the lock.
Moreau looks around in the dim light entering through the cell door port. The sink and commode appear to be carved from the cell stone. His cell is cold and dark, not needing light if there is nothing to read.
The guards must be hoping the dark and solitary isolation will kill me quickly. Why don’t they just burn me to death in my house as they did my great-great-grandfather?
End of Chapter 17.