Rio's tears rolled down his cheek as the yellow glow of the TV flickered on his face in his basement. His long finger found the track of his tears on his face, wiping it away and bringing the moisture on his finger to his eyes. Heaving his chest heavily, he was glad that he was still capable of feeling this human emotion.
Embraced in the sacred silence as the two friends on the TV joyously reunited after years of separation, Rio allowed his heart to resonate with the human spirit and the release of emotions. Shaking his head in utter amazement, Rio was glad that 'The Shawshank Redemption' could still shake his core after he had watched it nine times before.
As the screen transformed into a canvas for the poetic dance of names and roles, Rio leaned back on his couch with a satisfying sigh.
"Get busy living, or get busy dying," the line kept repeating in his mind.
Rio rose to his feet when the movie had finally come to a stop, walked to the TV, and ejected the DVD from the player.
Every piece in his basement was his masterpiece imitating what humans had three hundred years ago. It took him six months to build the TV and the DVD player after he acquired the manual of making those in a forsaken shop. He dared say nobody in this world, well, maybe in his country, had a TV and DVD player like his.
Sometimes, Rio could not help but be amazed by how something so common three hundred years ago could disappear from the world without a trace.
With his gentle hands, he lifted the round, flat disc and put it in his collection box.
Inside the collection box lay another forty discs arranged neatly. These DVDs, their use was not known to the seller from whom Rio bought them at a nearby local antique shop, were classical movies back in the days when humans were still using TVs and DVD players.
As soon as he closed the lid of the box, a familiar 'beep' sound resonated in his basement. It was from another creation inspired by the movies he had seen - a computer.
The screen of his large, boxy desktop was flickering as a new email popped up.
Setting down his collection box with care, Rio strode to his computer, pulled his chair, and his hands landed on the keyboard and the mouse. It took him a few months to get used to them after he completed his creation. The computer before his penetrating eyes was connected to the Analytron Device in his living room above his head.
Everyone in this world owned an Analytron Device - a device that read SynthiCode. A SynthiCode was the identity card for everyone made of a special alloy called Pastolium, the same alloy integrated into his left chest that always reminded him of his past.
Whenever someone wished to reach him, the easiest way would be to go to his Analytron Device to retrieve it. The safest and fastest way, Rio's mouth curled up to a rueful smile as he thought about the device.
Even so, the sanctum he had built in this basement to remind him of his own origin—a human—was his favorite place in this world. Immersed in the joy and trouble of opening and waiting for the email, Rio rested his chin on the flat of his hand.
After a long while, the email opened to a short message: Coming in half an hour. Need the card.
Without a sender ID, saving him the trouble of checking his Analytron Device, Rio knew exactly who the sender was.
Rio pulled out the drawer under the table and retrieved a card measuring 4x5 inches. Only one remained. He had little time to update the information on the card before the sender arrived, aware that there was a lag from the moment his Analytron Device received the message until his computer beeped.
Stuffing the card into his pocket, Rio turned off his computer and surveyed the entire basement in one glance. He took pride in every creation there—the TV, the DVD player, the computer, the fridge, the lamp above his head...
Pulling the cord hanging from the ceiling, he was engulfed in darkness. Taking heavy steps up the stairs to his living room, Rio's heart dropped to his stomach as he approached the Analytron Device. Despite his disagreement with the sender's intentions for the NeoCredix Card, Rio couldn't help but give in to him.
Just when he arrived at the living room, a buzz sounded at his door.
Either the sender was early or there was a serious lag between his Analytron Device to his computer. Rio dragged his feet to the door and the ID number and facial recognition flashed on the screen next to his door confirmed that it was the sender.
Rio opened the door, "Isa, you're early,"
A man with lines etched onto his forehead, telling stories of resilience and perseverance, stood outside. Despite the weathered exterior, a fire burned within his green eyes. He stepped into Rio's house without uttering a word.
As soon as the door closed behind them, the man named Isa said, "I'm not early. You would have expected me earlier had you used your Analytron Device properly instead of the piece of junk in your basement."
The amusing tone in his voice brought a quick smile to Rio's face, making him aware of the taut sensation of the scar on his right forehead. Isa cast a quick glance at the ugly scar before settling onto the couch in the living room—a habit he kept reminding himself to break. Although Rio insisted he didn't mind his scars, the dark flicker in his eyes did not escape Isa whenever people scrutinized them.
Rio joined Isa in the couch and slided his Analytron Device on the table to him. He always thought the Analytron Device as the tablets humans used three hundred years ago. Their sizes and exterior appearances saving the powerful functions and speeds.
"Junks that remind me of who am I and my origin," replied Rio while switching on his AD and a quick knock on his left chest that produced a clear clunk.
Isa rubbed against his stubble on his chin, a contemplative look crept on his face, "A reminder that came with a price."
"A price that was not expensive as the one you are planning to do now," Rio said with worry laced into his voice, inserting his SynthiCode into his AD.
"But it's a price that I have to pay to preserve the little remainder of humanity in this world," Isa's mouth turned into a firm line as another wave of determination lit in his eyes.
Rio nodded.
Isa risked his life for this, even though Rio would not agree with it. Isa was just like Rio, in a way that Rio could not deny. The NeoCredix Card that Isa had requested in his message earlier would allow him to rob the bank off a good sum of money. The money would eventually go to the Slateville - the province most humans resided.
"The last time you wielded a NeoCredix to rob a bank, I hope the memory lingers, the narrow escape etched in your mind," Rio shut his eyes tightly as the familiar tingling sensation sparked in his brain, triggered by the AD on the table reading his SynthiCode.
His SynthiCode, a repository of his DNA and the fabricated details of the life he constructed after fleeing his old one—a mission deemed impossible by most in this world.
"Ten perished from starvation in Slateville before my arrival," Isa said, rubbing his temples.
"How many can you rescue?" Despite his brain now tethered to the AD via his SynthiCode, Rio adeptly multi-tasked. Despite his efforts to dissuade Isa, Rio inserted the NeoCredix Card into his AD, initiating an update to the latest central bank system.
"As many as possible."
"...," The Central Bank System updated, yet Rio knew the intricacies of routine security assessments and audits—a knowledge gained during his five years in the AI Harmonics Central (AHC). He chuckled inwardly at the irony of the institution's name, reflecting on days long gone.
As he continued updating the NeoCredix Card to bypass the central bank's latest security changes, Rio couldn't escape thoughts of his past.
"I was a hybrid, perhaps I still am," Rio mused, the Pastolium piece on his left chest a constant reminder.
With a NeoCredix Card in hand, Isa could infiltrate a bank without triggering his own SynthiCode, flagged by the bank system. The NeoCredix Card created a protective shield, rendering the bank's security system temporarily blind. Isa exploited this window to extract as much currency as possible.
The latest central bank system conducted security audits every fifteen minutes using programmed AIs. The predictability of AIs, Rio pondered with his eyes tightly shut, focusing on today's date—Year: 2309, Month: September, Day: Tenth.
The year 2309 was a constant reminder, a glaring testament to a world no longer controlled by humans. An accident two years ago, during Rio's tenure in the AHC, unveiled the government's hidden truths. Without that twist of fate, Rio might have remained oblivious to the reality concealed beneath the surface.
The world stood sharply demarcated into three distinct species: AIs, known as Synthetiks; the hybrids born of AIs and humans, named SynthHumans; and the remaining pure humans.
The functions and roles of Synthetiks, SynthHumans, and humans were meticulously calculated and regulated to suit the needs of this structured society. The creation, decommissioning, and control of Synthetiks unfolded within the confines of the AI Genesis Institute. Matters pertaining to SynthHumans were overseen by the intricate mechanisms of AI Harmonics Central. Meanwhile, the humans, relegated to the forgotten corners of Slateville, languished in neglect and abandonment.
There was a time when Rio took pride in his intellect. He successfully navigated the trans-formative test that elevated him to the status of a SynthHuman, a change meant to revolutionize the life of his family.
However, the five years laboring within the confines of the AHC proved to be not just challenging, but also strangely numbing.
His responsibilities included supervising the transformation process for SynthHumans, monitoring and regulating their behaviors, and intervening when the human components deviated from the prescribed AI norms. Rio's proficiency in studying human behaviors became a skill that the AHC closely observed and valued.
But, that did not last long. Until an accident... until he found a way to escape the firm grip of Synthetiks...
"What is it taking longer than usual?" Isa's voice sounded from a distance, shattering his reverie.
The NeoCredix Card blinked, ready in the holographic graphics within his closed eyes. Rio pulled out both his SynthiCode and NeoCredix Card from his AD.
"Reflecting on your past?" Isa raised his brow, recognizing the pensive expression that often accompanied Rio's contemplation of his history.
With a sigh, Rio sidestepped the question, presenting the card before Isa's eyes. "Be cautious. Exit the bank swiftly. You'll have less than fifteen minutes to complete the task."
"Understood," Isa acknowledged, taking the card.
As the door closed behind Isa, Rio slumped onto the couch. The lingering weight of reflecting on his past still clung to him, especially the left side of his chest.
The transformation into a SynthHuman mandated the integration of a special alloy called Pastolium, capable of storing infinite encrypted data within the human body. The agony of removing Pastolium was tenfold worse than its installation, particularly when done with brute force. The alloy tore away from his body in fragments, leaving behind unsightly scars—a perpetual reminder that he had once been a slave to the AIs.
His fingers traced the scar that traversed his right forehead and eyebrow, winding its way down almost his entire right arm, across his left thigh, and ultimately reaching the metallic sheen of Pastolium on his left chest. Despite the scars, the silent intensity persisted in those penetrating blue eyes.
No one evaded the grip of the AIs once they willingly succumbed to becoming a SynthHuman.
A glint of mockery danced in his unwavering and magnetic gaze—no one, that is, except him.