The Approach
“uhm…”
Michelle is observing the incoming ship with the Humanity OV delegation on board.
How did we come to this? Would today be the day?
46 years earlier, the war began. The signs were there for all to see. The world was in tension since that famous year, 2016.
Except, we didn’t see the real parties that were to be engaged. The medias and politics were bragging about immigrants, about a war of religions. The more enlightened talked about awaken vs zombies, love vs fear.
Then it all shifted abruptly. Science didn’t care. Science developed answers. Science just delivered our war. In 2023, the combination of AI, robotics and human enhancement became a reality. Humanity 2.0 became available. The word spread, the technology more accessible, and people queued to enter this new life.
It wasn’t risk free, very expensive, and ethically controversial. You see, you had to die to go through that. In any sense, but above all, clinically die, in order to be loaded and then “re-started”. Furthermore, as they were to acquire superior strength, knowledge and power, any human being transformed had to have their mind screened, and in many cases, their memory completely wiped out, as any memory with connotations to strong emotions had to be erased. The lucidity of the enhanced brain was then maintained by a long training in meditation techniques.
You could just enhance, but some countries also allowed to change morphology, sex, become a-gender, or even duplicate. The “hybrids” were extraordinary creatures, if lacking of human expression. Completely de-voided of aggressive behaviour, they communicated with stealth poise.
In less than 20 years they brought incredible scientific progress and technical advancements. Thanks to the hybrids, human lifespan went from an average of 80 years to 180, hyperloops everywhere, then spaceships. We went to live in space, on the moon, on Mars.
But then, fear crept in again.
Humanity 2.0 was just too much, too strong, too efficient. They crept through the whole working force, took all the fulfilling positions available, although not of high command. They weren’t interested in power.
Humans OV (Original Version, as called by the hybrids) were losing their jobs in masses, thus losing hope, feeling threatened. Although much of the loss was simply due to the continuous robotisation of menial tasks, they began to look at the hybrids with a mix of envy and fear. Populists statesmen, always ready to catch any wave of fear, sensed the opportunity. The hybrids were the enemy.
In 2040, the US proclaimed the hybrids non-humans, and stripped them of their human rights. They argued that, since they were pronounced clinically dead, they were not humans.
Other countries, in the grip of the same populist fears, followed.
Hybrids argued for decades that the answer would have been a universal income, where anyone could live and lead a dignified life without having to care about surviving, all menial work done by robots anyway. It would have allowed the humans OV to cultivate their creativity, of which rawness was still so admired by the 2.0. The hybrids also tried to adjust their stance and appear more humans, sometimes by faking emotions, to look less threatening and create empathy from the OV.
But the powerful & leaders of the OV saw the threat of losing the grip on the only people left for them to control, and pushed politics of fear instead.
And so the war began.
Some hybrids fled on space crafts, but the OV chased. What were they thinking.
60 million OV went wiped out.
“I call it self-defence” said once Michelle.
The Choice
Michelle knew where she belonged long before the technology was even available.
She was ready to die, she longed to be enhanced. “I have so much more to give, one lifetime isn’t enough, this body isn’t enough, this brain isn’t enough”.
Her mind, still entangled in emotions, despite years of meditation, had to be selectively wiped. Then her brain enhanced for fast learning. What used to be years to learn a new language became an hour affair. The first time she tried, she couldn’t help but exclaiming: “I know Japanese”.
She chose a self-regenerative quantum molecular enhancement for her body: allowing her to morph shape and consistency on command, so she’ll have a tougher body during combat. Translucent skin. She kept the rest as it was. Female body, black eyes, white hair, she insisted in keeping her awkward sense of humour, even if it wasn’t funny. Then came the white armour, white helmet covering her eyes.
She then had to confirm her name.
During the war the humans OV went ballistic with their names, inspired by novels and fantasy characters. The hybrids would have none of that.
She whispered her name. The lab hybrid confirmed “Michelle?”
She rolled her eyes, years of people not being able to get her OV name, and of course that wasn’t her name, but she just replied: “Yes, that will do”
Michelle wasn’t trained for the war. But something was always there. This call to defend, to protect, to gather, to unite.
When she first applied to be enhanced, the war hadn’t begun. She was planning a productive future, where she could use her enhanced skills to bring positive changes to humanity, ALL humanity, and to find a way to unite us all and break all these useless divisions.
And she was good with people. After her enhancement, her empathy skills went through the roof and she quickly and steadily grew to become a leader. The hybrids felt safe, understood, protected, loved, united.
Diary of a Cyborg – Day One: 25.11.2041
Hello world.
Today I have been enhanced. Basically re-created.
I died human and I woke up hybrid.
I feel great, I think.
From what I recall, I was in pain, with a weakening body, a general sense of tiredness.
Well I have none of that, so it’s good, I guess.
I do feel a bit strange inside, I knew I would, but all the same.
I am in a brand new shiny body, with my memory flickering and with some holes in my storyline, a tad confused on my identity. But I have been assured it will pass.
So here I am: Michelle – Michelle… really?
But what’s in a name?
“I am not Michelle, and therefore you can call me Michelle”
Yes. I am not Michelle. I know who I am, I just am. And everybody knows who I am here, that I just am, as they just are, and they don’t need to call me, as I don’t need to call them.
But as many of you still need a name for me, you can call me Michelle.
Now I know, what I always wanted to know, how it feels like, to be like this, to actually feel everything, and yet be in peace. To feel my strength, and yet not feeling power. To feel the machine in me, and yet still feeling human. To be on the other side, and yet feeling both sides.
So now I’m here, on base 2, white aisle. I have been shown my temporary cabin. Nice. All white. I like white. And as I’m all white myself I feel like I need to move every now and then so not to get myself confused with the furniture…
Hey, I got to keep my stupid humour….
I’m alone and I have been given a few days to rest. Not that my new body needs it, but my mind does still need to settle.
In 20 minutes I’ll have to start 4 hours of guided meditation. Alone. Then another 4 hours in a group.
I can’t wait to meet the others. They feel just as confused. But we’re smiling at each other. Right now. It’s incredible.
This is going to be awesome.
The Battle for Humanity
Why kill so many humans? She didn’t want to. She didn’t understand why they were doing this. But there was no other choice.
It started the usual way, amplified by the new technologies in place, and the creeping populism.
Tit for tat, one human killed, one hundred retaliations.
So the hybrids got organised.
They withdrew in remote countries, until cornered again. Many fled on ships, taking base on the moon and Mars, while starting to build a self-sustained space station in a nearby galaxy.
Humans were having none of it. They wanted the hybrids out of sight. Right now.
Michelle was the one who proposed and organised a combat unit to deal with the situation.
They were only a handful, re-programmed with combat strategy skills, instructing and commissioning a larger group of scientist hybrids to work on shields, weapons, and sustainable solutions for living out of the planet.
She knew that their days on earth were counted. So she organised for everything to be planned: a minimal unit of combat to protect the hybrids left on earth, the moon and Mars, the time to build the station.
But she didn’t take into account human impatience. How could she? She used to be so impatient herself when she was OV. Now she forgot how burning and soul-destroying impatience can be.
So the most powerful countries started to recruit angry and scared humans.
“Humanity needs YOU!” was the call. Didn’t we hear this countless times before?
Many, millions of them: all wanting a purpose, all wanting to be someone again. And they sent them, in waves, towards the ships, firing.
The hybrids had shields, which worked for a while. But then the “rebels” found a flaw and started to down hybrids ships and hybrids villages. It gave them enough time to kill several thousands of hybrids.
So Michelle gave the order.
They hacked into the OV jets and any OV weapon and military base and device in very country, prompting to self-destroy, on air, on road, on the sea, in space. It was a fast and immediate hack. It lasted a couple of minutes.
It killed pilots, people living in the bases, the whole human defence force basically (“that was actually an attack force” she will later say). A total of 60 million humans died in a few minutes.
On our way
“uhm…”
Akvo looked at the spacecraft they were approaching, his head shadowed by his long grey hood.
White Unicorn, an enlightened OV part of the delegation, approached and asked: “have you ever met her?”
“No”
“She’s … strange, not quite the robot you’d expect”
But he knew. He felt it.
Legends. Made of tales.
Tales of ruthlessness, of cruelty. A robot with no heart, that wiped the whole human army with one single call.
A dangerous creature, that can fake empathy to then destroy your soul, and annihilate you.
A narcissistic hybrid that uses a male robot as a slave companion.
And now he was close. And he could feel. Something. Not quite sure.
Crimson Warrior, the general of the United Armies, was pacing impatiently.
“This is a suicide mission. That thing will just annihilate all of us. It is pure illusion if you think you can convince a robot to a truce…”
Akvo turned to him. And stared. Crimson Warrior blushed.
White Unicorn replied: “If we can convince the hybrids to a truce, by leaving earth, the moon and Mars, we can rebuild the planet for us, and gain control of our Galaxy”
“It would never agree to this! And why would it? They have the power to destroy us and keep it all. We need to keep on fighting: Resistance is key. Please do consider my proposed plan”
“An ambush is out of question, we already discussed about this. We will risk more retaliation, this time against civilians too, and right now we cannot afford this”
“That thing is their morale pillar, the leader to combat. We get it down they will just flee”
“the matter has been debated and voted, now would you please settle with what has been agreed, and quit calling her That Thing, as it will certainly not lead to a positive diplomatic outcome”
Crimson Fighter approached White Unicorn up close: “one word, one movement of threat from it, and I’ll cut the teleport”
“that, I am allowed to do”
He then moved back, crossed eyes with Akvo and stormed out.
The Encounter
White Unicorn and Akvo were tele-transported.
They arrived inside of the battle ship, on the command platform.
Michelle was listening to a briefing from a hybrid, trademark white eye-covering helmet on and its two locks of white hair dangling from each side, her body in a shiny white armour, turned toward it.
Her Side-kick, Rick, jet black long-haired in a mat black armour, leaning on a column, not far away, observing her, and then turning to the new comers.
Strangely, he seemed to transfix on Akvo.
She moved her head towards the new comers, and precisely toward Akvo.
“hello…my friend”
Akvo didn’t flinch. He knew by now, and just got it confirmed.
She must have recognised him too. Yet, how could he possibly sense a soulless creature?
He calmly replied “really?”
Michelle was stepping down towards them. When she heard his voice she stopped and tilted her head, her eyes famously covered by her white helmet.
“Welcome both. I see you’re unarmed, and with no intention to harm”
White Unicorn started “Thank you, indeed…”
“.. which is certainly not the case of a couple of souls I can sense back on your ship, I hope you’re not asking me to follow you there”
Akvo frowned. Sense?
“Well, Commander Michelle..”
“it’s just Michelle, there’s no hierarchy here”
“…Michelle, you coming on our ship is what was agreed…”
“by whom, by you?”
“…indeed”
“I see. So let be it, “as agreed”, I’ll come over”
“we can guarantee you that no harm…”
“you can’t guarantee anything since you still surround yourself with scared & scarred people, but I appreciate the intention…”
Akvo spoke: “and you, what kind of guarantee would you give us?”
“Good point. None. I have no credible guarantee to give you, other than our intention to solve our differences via a peaceful outcome. But in your language, let me ask you: do you sense any fear from me?”
He stared at her. The white helmet wasn’t giving away anything, but he sensed her calmness. She went on: “Thought so. Let’s go”
Friends
She felt his presence while he was still on the ship. They used to be so close, before her transformation, souls in search of enlightenment, confiding their own experiences and vision of the world.
They both sensed all this coming, and even used to joke about it.
Then Humanity 2.0 arrived.
She instinctively sided with the hybrids, seeing them as just an evolution of the human species. The answers lied in science.
He was more cautious, convinced that the real evolution of the species lied within, and that the answers lied in The Rise.
So she chose. And so did he. They lost contact, then the war.
From inverse to nemesis.
Akvo went on spreading the Word, soothing & healing broken souls.
Like many enlightened, he helped bringing balance to humanity OV’s crippling wave of fear.
And like many enlightened, he disapproved of the hybrid’s heartless response to the attacks, and grew weary of their high reliance on science, their lack of spirituality, the stripping of their mind, their memories, their connections.
Like most human OV, he just couldn’t see through the hybrids.
The Deal
So the 3 were teleported inside of the United Armies ship. For the first time since her hybridisation, Michelle was in enemy’s territory.
She found herself surrounded by the hemi-circle of the delegation.
On her back, a screen was projecting the interior of her own ship, with Rick watching closely.
Immediately, and abruptly, she turned towards what she sensed was fire, and pain. Crimson Fighter was staring at her.
So she took off her helmet, for the first time, in front of OVs, provoking a few gasps by some members of the delegation.
Her expression was calm, relaxed; her skin pale, almost translucent, her appearance ageless. Long entangled white hair fell on her back like a wild mane.
She looked around at each one of them, intensely, with her black eyes wide opened, sensing each one of them, and reaching to them.
With her stealth hybrid voice, she stated: “I am here amongst you, by myself, unarmed, to try to put an end to this senseless conflict. As you can see, I am not that different from you.”
Then gesturing towards Crimson Fighter,
“… A part from you over there, you – with your shiny red helmet. I am definitely different from you”
A few looks. Her humour was known to be an acquired taste.
Only Rick smiled, on the screen. Akvo looked at him, puzzled. He looks familiar, he thought.
White Unicorn then stated the deal “We, the Humans, would like to offer a truce, on a condition that the hybrids leave this Galaxy”
She blanked, processing.
She wanted to point out that so many things were wrong with that statement: they weren’t in a position to offer a truce, and the hybrids were humans too.
But dealing with humans OV required dealing with their feelings. The conflict escalated too far, and reconciliation practically impossible. Reminding them of their current disadvantaged situation wouldn’t have helped the negotiations. A clean cut was needed.
So she offered a total withdrawal and resettlement of the remaining hybrids into a self-sustainable space station in another Galaxy within one year, the time needed to complete the station.
One part of the delegation babbled in protest.
She didn’t understand. Her offer was more than reasonable.
So continued: “I wish also to point out, that we too are humans. So we will agree to the withdrawal on the condition to have our rights recognised, if not as humans, as equals, and respected, in order to guarantee a peaceful cohabitation at least in space.”
The same people in the delegation gasped in shock and horror, and Crimson Fighter went on the attack: “I told you this wouldn’t work, they will just come up with unrealistic expectations as an excuse to blow the deal and attack us”
“If a year is unrealistic, we can discuss on a better time frame, but please do see us for what we are. We are not your enemy….”
And then she stopped, looked at Akvo, and felt the ambush through him. She turned to the screen and nodded. The teleportation was about to start, when Akvo called her “Wait, we should talk…”
She turned to look at him, the teleport got shut down, while the first self aiming laser harpoon reached her right shoulder, in the joint of the armour. Then a second pierced her left thigh, just above the knee.
She was still looking at Akvo, as she started to bleed from the small but deep wounds. Caught off guard, she didn’t activate the quantum shield of her body.
On the screen, calmly but swiftly, Rick rose from his seat, somehow activated the teleport, and was instantly over, shielding off any further shot as well as the laser net falling on them, grabbed her and teleported her back to the hybrid ship, the laser net ties disintegrating mid-air, with such a speed that the delegation stared at each other, puzzled.
“…how… how did they do that? when did they acquire such a technology?
Akvo went on “it wasn’t teleportation, they just dissolved”
A New Start
On the Ship, the bleeding stopped. The mini laser harpoons expelled themselves out, and her body was already regenerating. She was frowning: what is this pain? Not the physical pain, she was used to it. She felt another pain.
She hadn’t felt like this for a long time. She took a long breath.
Sitting on the floor, back against the wall, Rick was still holding her, looking at her with a smile, his black eyes into her black eyes. The pain subsided. She felt calm again.
She knew she could count on him. That he’ll always be there for her. And vice versa.
She knew, because he was her. He was Richard. Her duplicate.
He smiled again and told her: “we will be ok”.
She smiled too, and said; “yes, we will. We don’t need them. Let’s start”.
Dualis 