Brazil:  The Village

     In the center of the main road, a large crowd had gathered.  Although it was the middle of a workday, all of the village men were within this crowd.  They milled about, shuffling their feet, looking around, all talking about the same thing.  Every now and then, a villager would shoot a look towards their eventual destination; Drew’s house.  Out of the murmur, one could hear the words “today’s the day, isn’t it?” spoken over and over again.
     Suddenly, the crowd silenced themselves.  They parted, as Ricki slowly made his way through, towards Drew’s house.
     “Ricki, are you going?”  A young woman asked.
     “Of course.”  Ricki said flatly.
     As Ricki advanced by them, all the other villagers trailed slowly behind.

Drew’s House

     The back room had completely changed.
     All of the computer equipment was gone.  The tools, loose wires, and other mechanical gadgets had also been removed.   All that was left was a chair near the back right corner, the long table in the center of the room, and the robot laying on the table.  The robot lay on its back; it wore the gray and red jumpsuit that it had been found in.  Everything that had been opened up on it had been closed; it lay connected to nothing.  Drew and Allan stood around the table, with Anna and the Elder near the door.

     Ricki came through the door slowly.  “Have you started yet?”  he asked.
     “Not yet.”  Anna said softly.
     “I’m surprised you came.”  the Elder remarked.
     Ricki thrusted his hands into his pockets.  “Somebody has to be here, in case that thing goes wild.”
     Drew backed away from the table, as he noticed most of the inhabitants of the village crowded around the outside of his house.  “Okay, we’re ready.”  he said.
     Allan took the robots left arm and started to work with the computer interface.  “Okay, I’ve reconnected all of the robot’s activation servos.  We’ve triple checked; this should work.”  He took a deep breath, and looked around to see everyone’s eyes intently focused on him.  “First, I’ve got to turn it off, then turn it back on in order to activate it.”  He pressed a few buttons on the interface; the robot’s blue glow completely faded.  All of the keys on the arm interface also faded, except for one red button.
     Allan took another deep breath.  “You know, these things almost never work on the first try.”
     “Oh Allan, just press the button and get it over with.”  Drew was getting a little impatient.  Anna held her hands close to her chest.  Ricki continued to stand smugly, with his hands in his pockets.  The Elder leaned forward, for a better look.
     “Here goes nothing.”  Allan said.  He pressed the red button.

_SYSTEM 00 INITIALIZED
_LOADING NECESSARY PROTOCOLS
_WARNING!  UNABLE TO OPEN PRIMARY PERSONAL INFORMATIONAL SYSTEMS
_DIRECTIVES......NONE

     “Whoa!”  Allan jumped back, next to Drew.  The robot regained its blue glow almost instantly.  Its triangular red eyes, which had always been dim, now glowed a fierce red.  Everyone, including Drew, Allan, Anna, Ricki, the Elder, and all those looking inside from outside the building, gasped.  The robot moved on its own; sitting upright on the table, with its head still held down.  Finally, the head moved, looking up at first, then all around, never stopping on any one sight.
     “Where am I?”  The robot spoke.
     “My god, it talks!”  Drew exclaimed.
     “It’s so lifelike.”  Anna observed.
     Allan nudged Drew in the ribs.  “Go on, answer its question.”
     Drew rolled his eyes at Allan, then took a nervous step forward.
     “Um.....uh......”  Drew started.  “This is a small village in Brazil, which is in South America.”
     The robot stopped looking around, then focused on Drew.  “Who are you?”
     “Oh!  Well, my name is Drew.  That’s Allan behind me, and left to right against the wall are the village Elder, Ricki, and Anna.”
     “Do you have a name?”  Anna smiled, innocently.
     The robot gave her a funny look, then gazed into null space.  “I....I don’t know.”
     “Uh-oh.”  Allan said.  He moved closer to Drew.  “Remember, when his memory crashed?  I don’t think the backup system kicked in.”
     “Well,” Drew tried again, “is there anything about yourself you could tell us?”
     The robot shook its head.
     “Do you remember anything that happened in your life before this moment?”
     “No.”  The robot replied.  “Why?”
     Drew sighed.  “Well, we were hoping you could tell us what you are and why you were created.”
     “What I am?”  The robot asked.  “Am I not human?”
     Everyone gasped again, this time exchanging puzzled looks.
     “Christ, it doesn’t even know.....”  Allan said under his breath.  He finally stepped forward, next to Drew.  “No.  You are....uh....that is to say, you’re artificial.  I mean, you’re made out of metal, wires, circuits and relays.  You are some kind of....robot, or....”
     “Cyborg?”  The robot said.
     “Yes!”  Allan exclaimed.  “That’s just the word I’ve been looking for!  Cyborg!  You are a cyborg!”
     Anna was deeply engrossed in what was going on.  However, a small child who nudged her in the ribs broke her from her trance.  Carrying a small makeup compact, he had been sent by his mother.
     “Show him.”  The boy said, extending the compact.
     Anna took it and smiled.
     “Cyborg.”  The cyborg repeated.  “I don’t feel like a cyborg.”
     Anna stepped forward.  “Then, what do you feel like?”
     “I feel.....human.”
     Allan’s mouth dropped.  “A cyborg that feels?!  My God, what is going on here?!”
     Drew moved closer to Allan.  “I think we are in over our heads here.”
     “Here.”  Anna said, extending the makeup compact forward.  “Take a look at yourself.  Do you know what you look like?”
     “No.”  The cyborg took the compact cautiously.
     Anna smiled.  “Go ahead, take a look.”
     The cyborg opened the compact with care.  Upon catching his own reflection in the small mirror, his red eyes widened, and he moved back slightly with a start.  However, his eyes soon returned to their normal size, and he studied himself in the mirror.  He put the compact down on the table he was sitting on, and extended his right arm, moving the fingers around, watching with fascination.
     “Cyborg or not, that thing is definitely alive.”  The Elder said.
     Ricki snorted.
     Allan spun around, his back turned to the cyborg.  “It doesn’t make sense!  How can a cyborg....a.....a.....piece of technology.....really be alive?!  I mean, this goes beyond simple artificial intelligence, or, or, any simulation.  This thing is really......really......alive......”
     “So then.”  Drew said.  “What do we do now?”
     The Elder stepped forward.  “I think we should take things at face value here.  Suppose this was a man you found; badly beaten, left for dead.  With his memories gone, he’d have no place to go.  He would need a place to stay until he could figure out what was going on inside of his own head.  I know I would definitely offer that place to him, and this whole village would be supportive of him.  Well, this situation is no different.  Except our helpless man is made of metal.”  The Elder was now standing directly in front of the cyborg.  “So, I make my offer to you.  If you like, you can stay here as long as you wish.”
     Ricki snorted again.
     “Well.....I.....”  The cyborg said.  “Thank you.  I hope I won’t be inconveniencing you or your people.”
     “Not at all!”  The Elder said.  “We haven’t had a guest as interesting as you since Mr. Allan here came.”
     Drew and Allan exchanged a look, then shrugged.
     “Wait!”  Anna called out.  She came forward, standing next to the Elder.  “Before we go any further, we have to name him!   He is obviously alive and we can’t go on calling him ‘it’ or ‘the robot.’”
     “She’s right.”  the Elder agreed.  “We should name him-if that’s okay with you.”  He motioned towards the cyborg.
     “Yes.”  The cyborg said.
     Allan cleared his throat.  “Well, seeing as how I repaired him, I should get the honor of naming him.”
     Drew shot him a look.  “I was the one who found him.”
     The Elder turned to them both, and smiled.  “Yes, but, who is the Elder of this village?”
     “This is ridiculous.”  Ricki said resentfully.
     “Uh...” the cyborg cut in, “do I get a say in this?”
     “Of course!”  the Elder laughed.  “Do you have any suggestions?”
     The cyborg shrugged.
     “Well, I have one.”  Anna piped up.  She moved closer to the cyborg.  “Y’know, I’m getting older.  I don’t even have a boyfriend, but I want a baby.  A bouncing boy.”  She blushed.  “I imagined decorating that empty room in my house with blue, and getting a crib, and toys....”  Anna sighed.  “And his name would be.......I think we should name our robot Kain.  I don’t know; I think it fits.”
     “Not bad.”  the Elder remarked.
     “It’s’ok.”  Allan said.
     “Cain?  Y’mean the one who killed Abel?”  Drew asked.
     “Actually, I was thinking of Kain with a K.”  Anna said.
     “Well,” the Elder turned back to the cyborg, “what do you think?”
     “Kain....I like it.”  The cyborg said.
     “Well then, Kain it is!”  the Elder exclaimed.  “Anna, would you show Kain to the empty house at the end of Sunflower Road?  I think that’s where he’ll be staying, unless anyone else has a better idea.”
     “Sure.”  Anna said.  She took Kain by the arm.  “C’mon, let’s go!”
     “Oh.....okay.”  Kain said.  He jumped off the table and let himself be dragged along by Anna.
     “I want to come too.”  Allan said.  “There’s so many questions I want to ask!  Besides, maybe I can answer some of yours, Kain.”
     The Elder smiled.  He took Drew’s hand and shook it.  “That was sort of invigorating.  We haven’t had anything like that in a long time.  Thanks for the show.”
     Drew returned the smile.  “I’ve got a feeling that the show has only just begun.”
     The Elder turned and started out of the door.  Ricki deliberately followed him.  They slowly made their way through the rest of the house, eventually exiting out the front door.  Outside, the crowd that had gathered was beginning to disperse.  Half of the spectators were slowly wandering back to their houses; the other half nonchalantly following Anna as she led Kain down one of the side roads.
     Ricki took the Elder by the arm.  “Elder, you can’t be serious!”
     “About what?”  the Elder asked, innocently.
     “Letting that.....thing.....stay here!  Am I the only one who sees the danger it represents!”
     “I won’t deny that there’s danger.  But as I said before, if Kain was human, there would not be a problem.  He may not be human exactly, but he is still alive, and I owe him the courtesy I would give any other human.”
     “But Elder!”
     “There will be no questioning of my judgment on this.  If Kain turns out to be a problem, he’ll be dealt with.  But for right now, Kain is a lost and confused person who needs our help, and I’ll not turn my back on him.”  The Elder walked away, towards his house at the end of the main road.  Ricki was left standing in front of Drew’s house, looking very upset.
     “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”  Ricki said.

3 Years Ago
Tibet

     It was well past midnight in Tibet.  There was a full moon high in the sky, providing pale moonlight over the land.  Large trees and exotic plants densely covered the area.  Somewhere, an owl bellowed its call into the night, adding to the atmosphere of the environment.
     “I don’t see anything.”  A female voice said.  In a small clearing, a woman stood partly behind a tree.  She had long, blond hair, which she tied in a ponytail behind her.  She had a porcelain like round face, with large, blue eyes, a slim nose, and full red lips.  She wore a black turtleneck underneath a black military jacket, with tight, black jeans and black boots.  She was of an average height; almost six feet tall, and she was in great shape.  She held a small pair of infrared goggles, which she used to look around.
     “Nothing at all?”  A male voice said.  Behind the woman were three people; one male standing, another male sitting on a rock, and one female sitting next to the other male.  The man who spoke was over six feet tall.  He was well built; extremely muscled.  He had dark brown hair, which he wore in a crew cut.  He had a square face with a 5 o’clock shadow on his chin.  His attire was identical to the woman’s; except his jeans weren’t as tight fitting.  The other male had short black hair, which hung carelessly from his head.  He had a round face, with a moderately large nose.  He wore a black turtleneck underneath a black trench coat, with a baggy pair of black jeans, and black sneakers.  The other female looked to be a teenager; she pulled her long, black hair back, tied it at the top of her head, and let the rest fall behind her.  She had thin bangs over her exotic face.  She had timid, green eyes, and full red lips.  She wore a black hooded sweater, with tight fitting black jeans and black boots.
     “No, I don’t see anything, but the flora is awfully dense out there.”  The blond female said.
     “Well then, we’ll have to check the map.  Julie, do you have it?”  The man standing behind her said.
     “Oh, yes.”  Julie held the infrared goggles in her teeth, while she pulled a small, crumpled map out of her jacket pocket.  She handed it to the man.  “Here ya go, Maverick.”
     Maverick studied it for a few moments.  “Hmm.  It says here that there is a structure close by.”
     “Inhabited?”  Julie asked.
     “I don’t know.”
     “How far.”
     “About a mile.  Should we go for it?  What do you think?”
     Julie paused.  “It’s worth a try.  It’s a cold night tonight, and the last thing we need is for everyone to catch a cold.”
     “Hmm.”  Maverick turned around.  “What do you guys think?”
     The boy stood, and brushed some dirt off of his trench coat.  “I just don’t want to sleep on another rock tonight.  And why am I always carrying more equipment than anyone else?”
     Julie smiled.  “That’s what you get if you want to be a technical genius, Recon.  Half that stuff is yours anyway.”
     “All necessary to this mission.”  Recon said, matter of factly.
     “So then, I guess we’re going for it.  Let’s go guys!”  Maverick said.  He slung a backpack on his back and walked past Julie, out of the clearing.  Recon put a backpack on his back, and picked up two black travel bags.
     “I just hope we find a bed somewhere.  My back hurts, and for God’s sake, I’m only twenty years old!”  Recon whined.
     Julie gave him an elbow in the ribs as he walked past.  “Yeah well, in our line of work, you’re already middle aged.”  She turned around to the other woman, who was slowly getting up from her rock and picking up a small backpack.
     “We didn’t hear from you.”  Julie said.  “Do you want to go, Orchid?”
     Orchid looked up.  “Oh, yeah, it’s fine.”  She said.  She held her head down as she walked past.
     Julie looked up.  “That girl is hopeless.”  She picked up a backpack of her own, and left the clearing.

Fifteen Minutes Later
The Tiger Shrine

     “Well, this is it.”  Maverick declared.  He stood in front of a large building.  It was four stories high.  It was of a simple design; each floor was slightly smaller than it's predecessor, until at the top of the fourth story, was a red, triangular roof.  The building itself was a very plain beige.  The second, third, and fourth floors all had small windows, each currently closed off by their red shutters.  In front of the building were a few bronze sculptures of tigers in mid-pounce, with teeth bared in a fierce growl.
     “So, is anyone home?”  Julie asked.
     “Only one way to find out.”  Maverick climbed up a short set of stairs to the front door.  He opened it softly, and took a look inside.
     “Whoa.”  He whispered.
     “What?”  Julie stomped up the stairs, and threw open the door.
     “Whoa.”  Julie said.
     The inside of the building was done in marble.  There was basically nothing to the floor for the first seventy-five yards.  The sidewalls were tastefully fashioned to be pillar shaped, almost Greek or Roman in design.  Nothing but space was in between the pillars; it provided a gorgeous view of the world outside.  On every pillar was a lit torch.  A fine, silk red carpet extended from the door up to the seventy five-yard point on the floor.  For the last twenty-five yards of the floor, there was a short set of steps leading up a few feet to a raised area.  On the back wall, there was a large sculpture of a tiger's head, also golden.  This tiger seemed to be emerging from the wall, with only his head and front paws having penetrated through.  His mouth was wide open, in what would be a fierce yell.  His eyes were circular rubies, which reflected the dim moonlight that filtered in through the pillars.
     “Check this place out!”  Julie said, stepping further inside.
     “Julie!”  Maverick snapped.  “Get back here!  This place is obviously inhabited, so let’s go!”
     “Hold on, I just wanna take a look.”  Julie shot back.  “Man, this is a nice setup.  I wonder what it is.”
     “It is a shrine.”  A voice said.
     “Whoops!”  Julie exclaimed.  “We’ve been caught!”
     From behind the back wall, a Tibetan man emerged.  He had a bald, round head, with a wiry black mustache.  He wore a brown hooded cloak, which completely covered him.  Only his hands stuck out from the sleeves, as the cloak was long enough to drag on the floor behind him.
     “Specifically, this is the Tiger Shrine.”  the man said.  “It is here that we follow the religion of the Order of the Tiger.  May I help you?”
     Julie grinned out of embarrassment.  “Oh no.  We were just passing by.  Just leaving too, sorry for waking you up if we did.”
     “Well, you must have had some reason for coming inside....if you want a better look of the shrine I can show you around....”
    “No, no, that’s okay.  We were just looking for a place to sleep, and we thought that this place might be abandoned, but I see that it’s not, so we’ll be leaving now.”
     “Hold on, what is the rush?”  the man asked.
     Maverick came in from the door.  “Julie, let’s leave now....”  he said, pulling on Julie’s arm.
     The man extended a hand towards Julie and Maverick.  “If you haven’t a place to sleep tonight, why don’t you stay here?  It’s cold out there tonight and we have plenty of space in here.”
     “Oh no, we couldn’t-”  Maverick started, but he got elbowed in the stomach by Julie.
     Julie whispered in Maverick’s ear.  “Wait, why don’t we stay?  I mean, if he’s got the space, and he’s here offering it to us and all, it would be rude and stupid to pass it up!”
     “Julie....”  Maverick groaned.
     “Are you sure there’s enough space?”  Julie asked the man.  “I don’t want to inconvenience you....”
     “Plenty!”  The man smiled.  “This is a big temple and we have more room than we know what to do with.  Please say you’ll stay.”
     Julie gave Maverick a look.
     “Oh, allright.”  Maverick conceded.  “But only for tonight; we have to go early tomorrow.”
     “Great!”  The man exclaimed.  “It is only the two of you?”
     “Oh!  No....”  Julie motioned towards the door.  “Recon!  Orchid!  C’mon in!”
     The door opened slowly, and Recon and Orchid stuck their heads through.
     “Aw, for the love of.....get in here!”  Julie ordered.  Recon and Orchid came all the way in.  Julie turned back to the man.  “If it’s not too much trouble, we’ll take three rooms; two for the guys, and one for us girls.”
     “Sure, please follow me.”  The man turned around and headed towards the hallway on the right side of the back wall.
     Julie nudged Maverick in the arm.  “See?  Is it so hard to accept a little hospitality?  And you were all ready to sleep outside tonight.  But now, we’ve got beds in a warm place.  What would you guys do without me?”
     Maverick rolled his eyes.  He followed the man into the hallway, with Julie, Recon, and Orchid behind him.
 
 

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