Cyber Soldier

2248. Everyone lives underground; the surface is uninhabitable. The United People of Earth, a military state, rules. Kaida, a young soldier, and Cy, child genius, strike up an unlikely friendship.

Scene 1

INT. OFFICE �" NIGHT

A plain office with cement walls. There are no windows.

INSERT: OFFICE WALL

The wall is covered in diplomas and awards. One reads: Kaida Talley, Honours in Neurology. Every diploma has a fingerprint and barcode number in the bottom-right corner. To one side, there is a picture screen.

INSERT: SCREEN

A 3-D holographic picture depicting ten or twelve young adults in military uniform, smiling.

BACK TO SCENE

KAIDA walks in, the DOOR CLOSING itself behind her. The lights turn on automatically. She sits at the desk, opens a drawer, and pulls out a bottle of whiskey. It is oddly shaped and unlabelled. She POURS herself a glass. She’s about to drink when the PHONE RINGS. She puts down the glass and answers.

KAIDA: Hello?

JOHN: (over phone) Lieutenant Kaida Talley?

KAIDA: Speaking. Who’s this?

JOHN: This is Lt. Colonel John Waldon, from military HQ. It’s been requested that you come to Central right away, ma’am.

KAIDA: Why?

JOHN: I’m sorry, Lieutenant, that’s classified. You’re to be briefed when you get here. You leave tomorrow morning at oh five hundred. Don’t be late.

KAIDA: Ye--Yes, sir.

The line DISCONNECTS.

Scene 2

INT. BUNKER HALL

Inside a cement hall, with guards in uniform at every door.

KAIDA trots at the center of a tight formation of marching soldiers, who are heavily armed and staring straight ahead. She, too, is wearing a uniform.

Being led out by two guards:

YOUNG SOLDIER : (yelling) That kid doesn’t know anything about me! He’s just a creepy little freak!

KAIDA watches him pass. She is nudged on by the soldiers. They stop at a door, with a fingerprint pad on one side.

SOLDIER 1: Go on in.

KAIDA puts her finger in the scanner, which glows.

COMPUTER: Kaida Talley, confirmed. Identity chip, please.

KAIDA passes her wrist over the scanner.

COMPUTER: Access granted.

The door OPENS.

Scene 3

INT. HOLDING ROOM

The room is all white. On one wall, there is a large, one-way mirror.

KAIDA’S POV

KAIDA enters the room. CY, a young boy, is interacting with a blue 3-D screen covered in formulas. Behind him, watching KAIDA, is RYLES. He’s wearing a military uniform.

BACK TO SCENE

KAIDA: Um... hello.

CY turns around, interested.

RYLES: Yes, hello, lieutenant. I am Colonel Ryles.

He offers a hand and they shake.

RYLES: You’re probably wondering why you’re here.

KAIDA: Something like that.

RYLES: In June of 2243, you signed up for an opt-in military research fellowship.

KAIDA: Yes, but I didn’t think I got in... that was five years ago, you’re still pulling up names from back then?

RYLES: Yours is a bit of an exceptional case, I’m afraid. This is Cy. (gestures) We’d like for you to get to know each other a little first, and then we’ll sit down and you’ll be officially briefed. Understand, Lieutenant?

KAIDA: Yes, sir.

RYLES leaves. KAIDA turns to look at CY, who is watching her intently.

CY: Greetings.

KAIDA: Hey, there. I’m Lieutenant Kaida Talley, from Eastern command.

CY: I know who you are, Lieutenant. I requested you specifically.

KAIDA: You requested me? You’re the reason I’ve been transferred to Central?

CY: Yes. I apologise, was that... rude?

KAIDA: Rude? How could a kid like you have any clout with Command?

CY: The idea of... friends... intrigued me. I requested to be provided with one. When the candidates presented were unsatisfactory, I chose a specific individual myself.

KAIDA: I... see. So I’ve been sent to, what, play house?

CY: Is that what friends do?

KAIDA: Well, no. Not exactly.

CY: I would like to do what friends do.

KAIDA: Right.

CY: Together.

KAIDA: Right.

Scene 4

INT. NICE OFFICE

The walls are wood. On the back wall, there is a holographic image portraying a nature scene.

RYLES and KAIDA sit face-to-face across a desk.

RYLES: So... what do you think of our little protégé?

KAIDA: Frankly, sir, I’m a bit confused. What are you doing with a little kid like that?

RYLES: I’m sorry, Lieutenant. The details of Cy’s project are classified.

KAIDA: I don’t have clearance to this project’s file?

RYLES: Sorry, no.

KAIDA: Then why am I here?

RYLES: Let’s just say that... it’s in our best interest to keep Cy happy.

KAIDA: You want me to, what, spend time with him?

RYLES: Yes.

KAIDA: For how long?

RYLES: Until we tell you to stop.

KAIDA: And I don’t get to know why he’s important or what you plan on doing with him?

RYLES: No.

KAIDA: Right.

Scene 5

INT. HOLDING ROOM

KAIDA is sitting on a new, white round chair. CY is interacting with his screen again; it shows a complex, moving model of a galaxy.

CY: (still facing his screen) Lieutenant.

KAIDA: Yeah?

CY: Do you have many friends?

KAIDA: Sure. Some.

CY turns, making eye contact.

CY: What are they like?

There is a thoughtful pause.

KAIDA: Airheads, mostly. But good people.

CY: I see.

Silence.

CY: Lieutenant?

KAIDA: Call me Kaida.

CY: Is your official military designation not Lieutenant Talley?

KAIDA: Yes, but... friends call me Kaida.

CY: I see.

A short pause.

CY: Kaida?

KAIDA: (a bit annoyed) What?

CY: Have you ever been outside?

KAIDA: No. People don’t go outside anymore.

CY: I understand that there were some missions executed while wearing specialized equipment.

KAIDA: I’ve never been. That’s for the really smart, scientist types.

CY: Are you not competent enough to execute one of these missions?

KAIDA: I’m not sure, it’s really not my field of study. Probably not.

CY: I see.

Uncomfortable silence. CY resumes operating his model galaxy.

 

Scene 6

INT. INFORMATION ARCHIVES �" NIGHT

A huge display screen covers one wall. There is a station with a chair in front of it.

KAIDA enters, looking furtive. She sits at the booth and turns it on. On the screen, there is a request for a password and a thumb print. KAIDA TYPES until the screen changes.

It reads ‘research projects’ in large lettering. KAIDA TYPES ‘Cy’. A small ‘no matches’ notice pops up. She returns, types ‘genius’. The same ‘no matches’ notice appears. She returns to the first screen, and selects ‘browse’ from a list of options. She selects ‘Central, Wing B’. A ‘no files’ notice appears.

KAIDA: (Quietly) D****t.

Scene 7

INT. HOLDING ROOM
SUBTITLE: A few months later...

KAIDA is wearing a different outfit than she was in the last scene. The two are comfortable together �" we can see that some time has passed.

KAIDA: Hey, Cy.

CY: Yes?

KAIDA: Do you know why you’re holed up in here?

CY: (blankly) I’m not sure what you mean, lieutenant. I’m not “holed up” anywhere.

KAIDA: What does Command want with you?

CY: I’m not sure. I was born here, I believe. Often, they come to me with questions, and I help answer them.

KAIDA: What kind of questions?

CY: I�"I’m sorry. I’ve been informed my work is classified and not to be discussed.

KAIDA: Yeah, I know. Forget I asked.

Scene 8

INT. HOLDING ROOM

CY and KAIDA are sitting cross-legged on the floor. Between them is a holographic projection of coloured lines and dots. They periodically select dots from the mass and displace them.

CY: Kaida?

CY chooses a dot and moves it into the corner.

KAIDA: Yes, Cy?

KAIDA makes her own move.

CY: I have encountered a... difficulty. In my studies.

KAIDA: Is that so.

CY makes a move. (Et cetera, for the rest of the scene)

CY: I’m studying English literature of the early twenty-second century, from the Third Revolution.

KAIDA: Of course. And...?

CY: I came across an interesting reference to a genre called poetry.

KAIDA: Mmhmm. And what did you find?

CY: A collection of seemingly nonsensical literary devices. With intent, I suspect, to incite strong emotion in the reader.

KAIDA: And this was a problem because...?

CY: I don’t understand it. I can’t quite grasp its purpose.

KAIDA: Does art have to have a purpose?

CY: Everything has a purpose. For example, in 2096 when Black published his works about the clueless penguins and their pile of fish remains, he was obviously creating a metaphor for the ecological and socio-political difficulties of his time. He hoped to convey a message.

KAIDA: Poetry conveys a message, don’t you think?

CY: A senseless one.

KAIDA: I suppose. It depends on your definition of senseless. Some might say all us humans are a little senseless. In a way, emotion matters more to us than reason.

CY: How distressingly inefficient.

KAIDA: I agree.

There is silence. They each make a few moves on the game board.

CY: It’s interesting...

KAIDA: What’s that?

CY: You said “us humans”.

KAIDA: Yes.

CY: Do you see me as human?

KAIDA: Are you saying you’re not?

CY: I’m not sure what I am.

There’s a thoughtful pause.

KAIDA: Don’t think about it too much. I try not to.

CY doesn’t respond. After a moment, he displaces one last dot.

CY: Aklea.

The holographic lines and dots all shine blue.

KAIDA: You win, Cy. Again.

Scene 9

INT. NICE OFFICE

The back wall’s image is a calm beach scene.

RYLES sits comfortably at his desk. KAIDA is seated across from him, fidgeting.

RYLES: I asked you here today to let you know that you’ve been transferred back to Eastern command.

KAIDA: (surprised) Oh. Has Cy found a new... friend?

RYLES: That won’t really be necessary.

KAIDA: I think you’ll find that it is. That poor boy craves people’s company; you can’t just leave him in a box alone. He needs to be with people.

RYLES: Don’t presume to criticize a project whose file you haven’t even read. Honestly, Lieutenant, you really don’t know what you’re talking about.

KAIDA: (sharply) I think I know more than you do, considering that I’ve actually spent some time with him! He may be a genius, but you can’t forget he’s a child. How can you live with yourself, locking a young boy up like that?

RYLES: I would advise you to stop now, while you’re ahead. Just forget about this. For your own sake.

KAIDA: No, I won’t just close my eyes and be done with it! Why are you studying him? He’s just a kid! And why aren’t there even any files on record that say that he exists? What exactly is going on here?

RYLES gives KAIDA an evaluating look.

RYLES: I’m going to give you one chance to walk out that door, Talley, and leave this alone.

KAIDA stays defiantly put.

RYLES: Fine. I’m going to tell you something that is absolutely classified, if only to keep you from doing something stupid. You’re not to share this information with anyone, you understand? On pain of death.

KAIDA nods curtly.

RYLES: Young Cy is not what he... appears to be. He’s part of a military study, codename SILICON. In September of 2240, we came up with plans for a very fast supercomputer. We wanted to run simulations with hundreds, thousands, of variables. This project presented certain... interesting possible applications.

KAIDA: (sarcastically) All for the forces of good, no doubt.

RYLES: Do you want to hear this or not?

KAIDA looks chastised.

RYLES: The human brain contains over 20 billion neurons, within less than a square foot of space. It consumes only 30 Watts of power a day, and can process millions of terabytes’ worth of information. In short, it’s a very efficient computing machine. We created a supercomputer by merging silicon microchips with brain tissue, with moderate success. But the brain tissue couldn’t survive very long in the nutrient solution we were using. It was evident we’d need a human body to house the computer.

KAIDA: And you used some little kid’s body?

RYLES: Nothing so crude. We grew the body in separate chambers and pieced it together �" much easier that way. However, the effects of a body on the computer’s capabilities were unexpected... we soon realized efficiency was greatly reduced. The system wasn’t following direction properly... it was wasting resources in unimportant pursuits. The apparent quest to understand human behaviour, and consequently, gain a friend, is one tedious example. It’s been analyzing poetry, for Christ’s sake.

KAIDA: You’re trying to get him back on the right track, is that it?

RYLES: Not exactly. We’ve decided, after careful deliberation, to terminate the project and restart.

KAIDA: So... what? Let him go, make a new cyber kid?

RYLES: Let loose a several zillion-dollar piece of research technology in downtown Central? There are some very expensive parts to that machine that are worth salvaging.

KAIDA: (shocked) You’re going to kill him!

RYLES : It’s a machine, Lieutenant Talley. Nothing more.

KAIDA: You’re barbaric.

RYLES: Be very careful what you say, Lieutenant. Don’t do anything rash. Just go back to Eastern and let us take care of things here. There’s nothing you can do.

KAIDA: Right.

KAIDA stands and walks out.

Scene 10

INT. HIGH-SPEED UNDERGROUND TRAIN

KAIDA is sitting, facing forward. Several plain grey bags with barcodes on them are on the seat beside her. She is staring at the opposite wall, empty. There is no one else in her car.

Suddenly, two SOLDIERS barge in from one end of the train. They are carrying guns. They approach KAIDA and stand to either side of her.

SOLDIER 1: Lieutenant Kaida Talley?

KAIDA: (monotone) That’s me.

SOLDIER 2: You are being taken into custody for Disobedience and Disturbance, Section 3, bullet 6 of the 2180 United People of Earth Act.

KAIDA: What? On what grounds?

SOLDIER 2: Theft of military technology.

KAIDA: Are you talking about Cy?

They stand in silence.

KAIDA: ...Is he missing?

SOLDIER 1: Just come with us, please, ma’am.

KAIDA: (quietly) Good for him.

KAIDA is cuffed, and patted down for weapons. She leaves with the SOLDIERS, unresisting, smiling to herself.

 

Reviews

[Eye0fthebeh0lder]

Your writing never ceases to amaze me. Keep it up.