episode 05

Godspeed

The war had been fought with great courage, both factions playing with rigorous discipline. Many a good machine had died over the last decade. Indeed, The Leader spoke of this game as if it were something of Legend. Tak knew nothing of Legend, nor the intricate workings of war. He was built only for speed across the open expanse of desert; the same desert he was currently overlooking from atop a small hill near Base Camp. It had no name, this tundra of hot silicon. None that Tak was aware of, anyway.

In the distance he could hear mortar blasts – crude but effective – and streams of black smoke trailed peacefully across the nameless sea. Tak wondered what the endgame would look like. The formal treaties were scheduled for ratification at the end of this season, and then the mortar blasts would cease. Blasters would be useless once again. The Great City would be rebuilt. The next era would begin. The era of Trade and Industry. Tak did not know how such things were arranged, only that it was the order of things. He supposed it was only logical: one could not make war forever and expect to live in peace.

Tak slipped away, leaping downhill in graceful strides, and he secretly wished for a land with many hills. He paced himself to enjoy the jog back to Base Camp. Unlike most citizens, Tak had never been to The Great City. He was created after the war treaty was signed and after The Great City was emptied of able-bodied robots. He had never known peace, but what was there to know. His job would not change. It was the same in war or in peace. He was a courier-bot. He was a long-distance strider.

Base Camp was something of a misnomer: this was not the only encampment in the Prime Leader’s domain, and Tak knew that The Leader was not the only Leader. This was simply the default nomenclature of all who fought in this era of war. The SMPS upgrade [Standard Military Protocol Software upgrade], version 4.25-02, called for such structure in order to handle the vast numbers participating in the games. The Extremist faction had a similar naming scheme in place for the same reasons.

Following orders, Tak reported directly to The Leader’s encampment. This was an unusual order, as he usually reported to his station manager in the field.

“Reporting for duty. How may I assist,” blurbled Tak – a prerecorded courtesy phrase that had come prepackaged with the SMPS upgrade.

“Salutations, long-distance strider, Tak. Come in.” The voice was an octave lower than Tak’s and showed the gravelly undertone of a voice-condenser in need of replacing.

Tak did as instructed.

“What is your condition, long-distance strider, Tak?”

It was a standard inquiry that called for a non-thorough report, and Tak responded in kind: “Battery at 98.3 percent, hardware at 97.0 percent – estimated – software currently installed: field operations version 3.85, SMPS upgrade version -”

“That will do, citizen Tak,” said The Leader, apparently having heard enough to satisfy his reasons for the question, “prepare to receive message for courier service, Class A.”

A green LED, embedded within Tak’s breastplate, blinked on and off signifying wireless activity and was once again extinguished once the transmission was complete. Class A data was top-secret and could only be deciphered by the intended recipient. This was an unusual, and no doubt important, message. Most messages needed only Class B security, which could only be opened by the highest of ranks. Whether or not it got to a specific robot was normally unimportant. Robots were, after all, only robots – individuality was a concept yet to have widespread appeal, robot-wide, and was indeed frowned upon by robot culture – Prime Leader Asher being the only one-of-a-kind robot on the planet. Only humans felt the need for such luxuries. Tak smiled at the thought of humans, such civil, creative creatures.

“Report to Alpha-Block C, for further orders and a field operations upgrade. Godspeed,” came the final command from The Leader.

Tak wondered at that final phrasing – it was not part of military nomenclature – and he had noted an uncharacteristic smile on the face of The Leader. “What an individualistic thing to do,” thought Tak. He could not help wonder about the message. Its timing. So close to the end of the war. Could this finally be the call for peace?