'Gèmini' book in English by Joaquim Vidal

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:: Gèmini :: beta 2 :: essential information :: help and basic concepts for the reader ::

Gèmini >>>> This book’s title. The word suggests the idea of ‘twins’ with a certain dose of sublime deviation in the meaning. It refers to the cloning of human beings.

Axel, Pei, Hanz, Eria, Tania >>>> The main characters of the book. They are human beings genetically created through a rudimentary cloning process. They are clones. Genetic copies made from the DNA of other human beings. They are all copies from an original body. Tania is dead.

Axel_Original, Pei_Original, Hanz_Original, Eria_Original, Tania_Original >>>> They were natural human beings, not clones. Scientists. Their DNA was used to create the main characters of the book. These five characters are actually dead.

Holovideo >>>> 3D video that takes place inside a holocylinder. It can contain sound.

Holocylinder >>>> Transparent, solid and elongated vertical cylinder. Its volume is completely divided among small pixels. It is used to show real life shapes, animations and 3D videos with volume. It is ideal to watch videos of real people and 3D graphics. The observant is situated in front of the holocylinder and he or she uses it as a conventional computer monitor but in authentic 3D.

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Everything shown in the interior of the holocylinder has volume. The holocylinder is always used as a complement to the conventional flat computer monitors. While the user is moving through the menus and options in the conventional way in 2D monitors, the computer can launch three-dimensional videos and animations toward the holocylinder. The holocylinder shows real objects in 3D, no tricks. In this book it is assumed that all conventional, flat monitors show content only in 2D. The holocylinder was used in presentations of projects, marketing and communications in non-real time. The majority of the holocylinders were the size of a real person.

Dialogues, dreams, thoughts and other actions >>>> This book contains its own punctuation. It uses its own way to present dialogues, thoughts, dreams and other actions of the characters. When the name of the character is followed by a colon (:) it means the character will speak from this point on. Punctuation examples: Eria: >> Eria is speaking following the colon (:). Holovideo_Axel_Original: >> Holovideo where Axel_Original speaks following the colon (:). Holovideo_Pei: >> Holovideo in which Pei speaks following the colon (:). If the character thinks or dreams about something (action that differs from a dialogue) the name of the character will be followed by a dot (.) and by the word dream or thought... Punctuation example: Hanz.Thought: >> You can read what Hanz is thinking about following the colon (:). Eria.Dream: >> You can read what Eria is dreaming about

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following the colon (:). There are also other types of actions you will discover throughout the book. It will all become much clearer to you once you begin to immerse in the story.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative :: start ::

A winter full moon, with its sad, crystallized and startled face, continues on its slow path marked by centuries. Its eyes are the frozen symbols of eternal death helplessly watching the cold, desolate and humid landscape. The Great Disaster has not changed its melancholic expression in the slightest.

I’m alone, outside the lab... At the entrance... My friends left yesterday to explore once again and they will most likely come back with no news... As always... It’s a shame that we have never really discovered anything truly interesting... This time it was my turn... Someone had to stay to keep things under control... The boredom is beginning to be difficult to bear... I would like to be with them... In the action... with hopes to find something that isn’t ice, ruins, snow, remnants of civilization or weeds.

This silence, in the outside, makes me be able to hear my own breathing. The steam coming out of my mouth suggests I’m alive... A living form in the midst of so much desolation feels strange... The moon reflected on the leaves of some of the plants reminds me that something else has lived... Nature continues to run its course, despite it all.

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I’m beginning to get cold. I’m going back inside. I hope they have found a good place to spend the night. They’re my family. They’re all I have. I don’t know what I would do without them. Having each other, the four of us, is what compels us to keep going, not to give up, to go on without Tania... Here, surrounded by the safety of the lab 1,000 feet underground, there is no danger... But now that they are exposed to the night... So far we have not discovered anything... Despite the sensors having detected some movement that we haven’t been able to decipher... Sometimes we feel afraid. Tania’s death affected us so much... Time does not erase her from our minds... Now we feel vulnerable.

Good. Everything’s in order > entrance camouflage system activated :: hermetic seal activated :: energy system is the same :: maintenance system of plant life food in perfect state :: controls of external movement without change ::

Aaahh... Off to play with the immersive entertainment machine.

I had enough with half an hour of playing. Always the same experiences. I’d like to try something more but it’s not possible... Games... Music... People... I have only seen visual models in the material that our originals left us. I don’t know why they have explained so many things about their world. We will never be able to touch them or feel them. The only thing I feel is helplessness and anger. If they hadn’t told us anything about their lives we wouldn’t feel the need to want to learn about the traditions of their civilization.

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We simply wouldn’t know anything and we would have dedicated our lives to our things... We wouldn’t hold on to the hope to find something different to the holovideos of our originals... We wouldn’t yearn to find more people similar to us.

Aaahh... My original... I would’ve loved to have met him... I suppose he was exactly like me in all aspects... Or rather I would have been exactly like him... I suppose... If we were next to each other we would be identical; well, if we were the same age obviously... He’s been dead for centuries... It’s still hard to imagine... The recordings and his name are the only things left of him... Axel... My name.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative :: start ::

The fire has finally lit up angrily. The flames are fighting with each other in a ruthless battle. The wood is being consumed giving out a soft whisper. Looked at from above it’s actually relaxing. A silent battle.

The eyes observing the scene play Gods for a few moments, contemplating the destruction of the organic matter. The bodies are able to warm up while surrounding them there is nothing but cold and calmness. Their large, distorted shadows look like they’ve been anxiously fighting to stay alive.

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Eria: It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Hanz: What is, Eria? Eria: The night. I feel free and protected at the same time... Axel must feel very lonely. It’s been a day and a half since the last time I saw him and now I feel strange... Are you still tormenting yourself with Tania’s memory? Do you still watch her holovideos? Hanz: I can’t help it... It’s ok... I’ll get over it eventually... Eria: Come on, Hanz, cheer up. She wouldn’t like to see you like this. Hanz: Let’s not talk about it anymore... Look... Pei sleeps without a problem. Did you see how quickly he climbed up the wall? Eria: Yes. He thought he’d seen something in the distance. He climbed up to have a closer look... He had a better angle, no doubt... Although the sunset cut his time short... In any case, I was also able to enjoy a spectacular view from up there, even though it wasn’t so risky... This building is the biggest remain of external civilization we’ve ever been able to touch in our entire lives! We’ve thought to have seen something in the horizon many times, but in the end it was never anything important... But this time it’s different, we’re here, we’ve found a special place... It’s funny that we’ve never been in this place before... And now all of the sudden it turns out that Pei has seen something else. His boundless energy is enjoyable to watch! Hanz: When we wake up we’ll go to inspect what it is that he’s seen. Come on... try to sleep... Eria: Aren’t you going to sleep? Hanz: No, not yet. Eria: Don’t torture yourself, Hanz. Come here. Cuddle with me and sleep with me tonight.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Axel_Original: Right now we are thinking about a system to avoid that you destroy the lab when you are babies and begin to discover your surroundings. Hanz is suggesting that we keep you locked in a room until you’re old enough to get out. This idea didn’t go down well with the girls. They were outraged. Everyone is arguing in the next room. The yelling comes from the girls. I agree with them; I believe you should grow up being able to manipulate and feel comfortable with your world. But it’s also true that we need to find a way to prevent that you misuse some or all of your essential, life-sustaining machines. We’re also thinking about other equally important problems, such as; how are you going to feed yourselves during the first phase of your lives? How are you going to wash yourselves? Will you be capable of taking advantage of the body warmth of one another when you’re cold? Will you know how to help each other? Pei says that a lot of these things can be programmed. Using a combination of sensors, programs and holovideos we will try to facilitate your survival in the first few months. Personally, I believe they will be critical.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz.Thought: This building is a box of surprises. I’m going to

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take these papers to the lab. I will study them very carefully.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel.Half-asleep: Everything’s dark. I’m getting comfortable in bed. I can only see pitch black. The six of them are from the boots. They’re falling under the limit. The mouth appears. The hands want to tell me something. The face gets closer and it’s me. No. Uh. A reflection. I uncover myself. 'HEY!'. That was a shout in my ear. But there’s nobody here! I activate the lights.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz.Dream: Hello Tania... I want to hold you... Come here... Come towards me... What’s wrong with your body?... Your smile is broken... Your face has been cut off... Your body’s now divided into two halves that are not bleeding... Your left side walks towards me... Your right side is going somewhere else... My... My embrace is going slowly with one half of my body... I’m walking towards you... My right side can’t touch you... It’s true... I’m dead and four halves can’t fit into one chip... The chip? If I put all my might into the chip perhaps you will be able to implant it in you... Of course... Perhaps... I can’t see your breasts anymore...

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An electric knife is cutting tons and tons of raw meat.... The old gigantic factory can’t rest...

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel: Can we stop here? The sun is almost out. Pei: Let’s walk a bit more... I know we won’t get to the construction site we were talking about last time, but if we go on a bit more tomorrow morning we will be able to situate ourselves directly on the place we’re interested in. Quickly and without detours. We won’t even have to go through the building. We’ll be able to visit it in the afternoon and spend the night there if you want. Don’t worry, in a little while we will set up the survival equipment and we will get in it to sleep. I’m also tired. Axel: Eria’s face when she was watching us leave has stuck with me... It was as if her eyes were giving us one last goodbye... She was tense and sad... Can you pass me the codes? I want to go over them again. Pei: Take them. They’re worthless. Our originals left them to us with their best intentions, but if these codes are still being used they will deduce that we’re not who we’re saying we are because no human being can live for so many years. Not even with a DNA analysis. Even though we are identical, no one would believe us. The codes were for them. They left them for us just in case... Axel: You’re too pragmatic, Pei... Can’t you just stick to cheering me up? These codes were the only identification our originals had for the Corporation’s staff. It was enough and it worked. It needs

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to work now too. They authorized them as legal staff of the Corp without an implanted chip. Pei: We’ve been too lucky so far. Besides, if they kill us, Eria and Hanz would still be here. They would be able to continue a little while longer and even have a child. Axel: Yes... But remember that we don’t know exactly what it is that you saw last time. Even if it moved a little, it may not be alive. In any case, prudence was the best decision.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz.Thought: Hello Tania. I’ve been trying for a while but I can’t sleep. I feel pain in my chest. My nerves are on edge. My cold doesn’t let me breathe. I turn. You’re in my head. I turn again. You’re in my head. There’s no future. There’s no plan. Only yearning and desperation. Life’s not fair. Paradise is hell. Irony. Paradise has rotten. I want to see you. Touch you. At every moment. Give me future. My world has collapsed on me. I’m buried underneath my own ruins. I don’t have anything fun to tell. Pain? I don’t even feel it. The suffering is so intense that I no longer feel it. I would cry. But I am so tense that not even my eyes can make the gesture.

Powerlessness. Nerves on edge. Never again will I be able to make

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you mine. Never. I have tears. I’m back to the beginning. The ice and the anger have taken over me. Internal violence. I’m swimming through cold and crystal clear waters... But I’m drowning and I can’t swim out. I must control myself. I can’t appear to be in shambles. I must appear to be in total control. Thinking about you tears apart every cell of my body every second. You have possessed me and I don’t know how to get you out. This situation is beyond me. I’m so afraid that I’ve frozen. You’re dead. Why?

Why can’t a single holovideo of my original help me right now? Why so much useless information? Why so many empty images?

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz: Eria. I need to talk. I feel terrible. I can’t sleep. I can’t reason. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t... Enough... Eria: What’s wrong? Try to explain it to me. Try. Hanz: I can’t control it. I can’t control myself. It’s impossible. It chases me. It doesn’t leave me alone. I have it inside. It eats me up. It chews me out. It doesn’t ever spit me up. Eria: ... Hanz: Shit. Eria: Hanz. How can I help you? I want to help you but I don’t know how. Hanz: Stay here. That’s all. Keep me company. If I’m alone everything comes back and it starts all over again. When I get in I

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look and look for more exits. Every path takes me to closed doors. I can’t find a single open door; there is no exit. Not a single exit. I don’t want to come back in. Don’t leave me. Please. Eria: Calm down. You see? I’m here with you. I won’t leave you.

Eria: ...

Eria: There you are. Relax. It’s ok. Put your head on my lap. Do you like me fiddling with your hair? .

Eria: ...

Eria.Thought: Finally, he’s fallen asleep. I’ve never seen him like this before. Devastated. When we were kids he was always the one who analyzed every option, every possible solution. He’s the most rational of all of us no doubt. But now he doesn’t look like the same person. I don’t know how to help him. I have no idea. Poor Hanz. He needs my help and I don’t know what to do so that he goes back to being his old self.

...

Hanz: Can you put on holovideo 539.23 of my original? Just watching it normally brings me peace. Eria: I’ll activate it now. Don’t move. Hanz.Thought: To see my original is like watching my guide.

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Always so precise. So sure. So powerful. It gives me strength. It has always helped me go on. Holovideo_Hanz_Original: The genetic part is no problem, we’ve already run many tests. The problem could come from some malfunction derived from possible breakdowns of the apparatus. Over time the machinery may not work properly, or it simply may not activate when it’s supposed to. Another problem would be that our genetic material thaw out, or even that radiation penetrates the lab, but this would be an extreme case.

...

The idea is simple; when the sensors at the surface of the lab don’t detect radiation anymore, the lab would reactivate itself again. After that, when all the other functions have been activated, the machine will clone us. The fact that you are watching this means that the experiment has been a success. As you know, you’re my clone and I’m your original. You’re like a son for me, the reason why I’m holding up.

...

Eria: Do you like me massaging your face? It’s still very tense. Holovideo_Hanz_Original: Because of the lab’s limitations we can’t make copies of our own memory. We can’t transfer our own memories to you. The alternative solution is that you will have to learn through our holovideos.

We can’t make copies of our genes either. We don’t have the sufficient means to do it; the computers contain many modules of

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memory, but none that can digitalize DNA. For this reason, our flesh is fundamental. We’ve taken ovules and samples of our tissues and we’ve frozen them. These elements will be the foundation of our cloning.

...

Eria: Just like that. Touch me. Let go. Don’t think about anything. Relax... Holovideo_Hanz_Original: Our flesh is the most important part of the experiment. Without it the machines will not be able to clone us. The experiment is based on the machines and the flesh. A combination that must create you when it’s time.

...

Hanz.Thought: Eria is making a lot of effort for me. She worries about me. She can’t imagine just how grateful I am of what she’s doing. Any gesture, no matter how miniscule, is a huge help. I matter to her. I’m beginning to realize that I love her. Is that good? I need her. Holovideo_Hanz_Original: This lab’s priority is not the human genetics. So far we’ve only been able to run tests with our flesh. We have never cloned a human being before, only animals and plants.

...

Hanz.Thought: The flesh. I like your body very much. I love your

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juicy lips, your eyes, your breasts, your legs. You are so sweet and understanding... Holovideo_Hanz_Original: The surface is full of radiation and it will stay like this for centuries. After giving it much thought, we’ve come to the conclusion that the cloning is the only clean and valid system to maintain life; at least our life. The factors that incline us to think like this are, for example, food, the almost complete saving of the limited energy of the installations and the poor quality of life of the families that would exist from the conventional methods of human reproduction. There could even be homicides. Man is not made to endure a prison cell during his entire life, even if it’s in the shape of a lab... What’s more... At some point someone would want to try to go out to the contaminated surface. He or she would open the lab. It would get dirty with radioactive particles and he or she would unintentionally introduce here a slow cancer death... All of our efforts would be wasted...

...

Eria.Thought: Just like that. Lean on me. Kiss me. Vent. Let go of all your pent up tension. I can’t believe there is so much tenderness under there. Hold me tight. Holovideo_Hanz_Original: On the other hand, as scientists, the big challenge of this cloning process is very exciting for us and we are going to let our copies learn from the holovideos. The only inconvenience is that we won’t be able to see it happen.

...

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All the lab systems will go into standby until the computer reactivates all the machines. The lab will then again generate oxygen, treated water, plants and systems of evacuation and recycling of organic wastes. Finally, the flesh will thaw out and the machine will begin the process of cloning us one by one, or rather of cloning the samples that are left of us.

...

The flesh. The flesh is the most important element. The machines are programmed to generate life from the flesh. Machines and flesh. Hanz.Thought: I need you. Don’t leave me. I must give you pleasure until you can’t take it anymore. I’m yours. I’m very grateful. Do you like me touching you? Do you like this rhythm? Your expression of pleasure fulfills me completely. Holovideo_Hanz_Original: I only wish for you to understand us and to enjoy life.

...

Eria.Thought: Go on. I love it. How can you be so violent and tender at the same time? Your moves are soft and rhythmic and they are driving me crazy. What are you doing with your fingers? I’m discovering an extreme side of you which I love. I’m about to explode again.

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:: GĂ¨mini :: mini-narrative ::

Pei.Memory: Down the stairs. My body, rolling. Crashing against soft plastic. A lot of plastic and clothing glued to the walls. A soft bump. Eria is scared, crying.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria.Thought: This is register 113.89. I activate it.. Holovideo_Axel_Original: Well... Again... Every six months a new group of scientists arrived and the one who was already working here would leave. There were always five people inside this compound. We had two weeks left.

Now everything’s changed.

Something very unexpected happened. The Corporation stopped transferring very important parameters abruptly. This was the first time that something like this happened to us and we didn’t know how to react. Their process-decision unit had never made any mistakes... Never. It had sufficient barriers and multiple levels of security to prevent something like from even being imagined. There was a belief, almost a myth, that the main process-decision unit (the MPDU) was connected to everything. So we instinctively deduced that something very serious caused the cut. The flow of data wasn’t recovered. It was so surreal that even it felt like a joke or a virtual reality. Finally, after getting over the fear of the possible retaliation, we decided to connect the camouflaged receptors to the surface. We were forbidden to do this, but we were very careful not to give out any signal. We followed protocols. The sensors detected radiation at alarming levels, levels

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impossible to allow for normal life. Now we know that 427 projectiles were detonated from approximately 300 miles from here, 91 from 60 miles, and 132 more from 155 miles. It didn’t leave a consistent set of exact data, only guides. From the readings, everything points to a certain amount of destructive nuclear heads launched in mass and of spreading, dirty bombs with large quantities of radioactive particles; nuclear plants’ waste. In short, it was the first atomic war. Everything seems to indicate that there will not be another. There’s nothing left. It seems that the entire nuclear stockpile that was built was used... Absolutely all of it.

One could say we were lucky. The factors that helped us were:

The secret location of this lab; including to the majority of branches of the Corporation.

Absence of all radio communications; not even among us. No emissions, no trace. We don’t even have chips implanted on us. They extracted them out before coming here.

Being hidden inside an uninhabited terrain.

Not being the target of any missile, probably because they didn’t know we existed.

With all the data we have now, plus with the nuclear winter and the severe damage to the ozone layer, we can confirm that there is no life left anywhere else on planet Earth. The entire web of corporations, franchises, democratic governments and

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dictatorships have destroyed one another. We’ve saved all of this information so that you can see it. We also have some approximate calculations of the duration of the radiation on the terrestrial crust. We’re alive, but we won’t be able to get out again.

We have not received anything from the Corporation; no data, no help... Nothing.

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LONG RANGE MISSILE CORP-297

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Axel_Original: All right... It was an intensely globalized and relentlessly competitive planet... But it worked. How is it possible that everything was just thrown away? Who pushed that button first?

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel.Whisper: Don’t move. It’s better if you don’t make any noise. Pei.Whisper: That looks like a cyborg. Axel.Whisper: Yes. A combat cyborg. A machine with organic parts. Pei.Whisper: Maybe it carries an implanted human brain... One that has survived radiation... Axel.Whisper: Wait a minute... This model is slightly different... I don’t think I have ever seen it in any register. Pei.Whisper: I can’t imagine what it could be doing. Axel.Whisper: No idea. It looks like it’s standing guard, but it can’t be. We’ll watch it for now. It’s truly big. Covered in ice. Perhaps it spent the night on guard. Pei.Whisper: Let’s get a little bit closer. Axel.Whisper: No. This machine is too big for us. If it attacks us we won’t stand a chance.

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Pei.Whisper: The ice makes it even more impressive. I would like to get a closer look at its face. Axel.Whisper: The weapon attached to its left arm would tear us apart with a single shot. Pei.Whisper: Have you noticed it has not made a move? Axel.Whisper: Yes. Only that small flashing light on its back. It indicates it’s fully operational. Pei.Whisper: The other day it moved a bit, but we couldn’t distinguish it sufficiently well. Today it doesn’t move, maybe it’s on standby mode. Axel.Whisper: I don’t think so. Look... I’m going to take a few breaths to relax. You could do the same. Pei.Whisper: Yes, but I find it very hard to do. Axel.Thought: Shit! The cyborg has turned around! ... Pei.Thought: It stopped again. ... Axel.Thought: He’s not moving so we’re going to do the same.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel.Thought: Nerves. Cold sweat. ... This cyborg is a mystery. Who knows if it still has the fingerprints of its creators, supervisors or victims on its armor. It must have memories of lives and places that no longer exist. I would love to know what’s inside its memory.

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... The temperature is very low. The sun is shining over everything from its highest point. There are no clouds and the sky is so clear that it looks like it never ends. I don’t know what we will do, but for now it’s better that we stay put. ... Pei.Whisper: I need to change positions a bit. Axel.Whisper: No... Pei.Whisper: Calm down. I won’t move again. Axel.Thought: Shit! It has detected us. It’s looking our way. He’s lifted the cannon! I can’t move! Pei.Thought: It’s started running this way. Chunks of ice are flying off it. I can’t move. My body is not responding!

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Tania_Original: Life as it is today will not last forever; it will end, melting into darkness. Life as it is today can last forever, but in my memories.

Living and remembering. Remembering and living. Savoring the moments until my own life will melt into darkness. Even though every moment is lived differently depending on age and stage in life, all of those moments will be worth it; because I will have lived them.

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Hanz.Thought: I’m falling in love. I have so much energy that it never seems to end. Always charged. Much more receptive. Every spark of beauty is capable of exciting me. I feel unique. I know it will end. But while it lasts I feel different. I am different. Boiling from the inside and feeling the qualities that I thought were gone coming out again. I love myself and I want to project that onto others. I can’t help it. I want her only for me. I want to project that I’m different. That I’m worth it. I must seduce her. Attracted. It’s a challenge. I truly live. An unknown world is smiling at me and it’s inviting me to play. I know it can end badly. But the desire and the curiosity are stronger.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel.Thought: The words came of my mouth subconsciously. The codes came out of me shouting. Shouting. One after another. My face didn’t have enough muscles to be able to express what I felt in a single moment. I’m still paralyzed. The cannon taking all of my focus. The quick sound of the electronic articulations. Now the danger is far from my eyes. The landscape glows again. I can see my breath. My cold hands. I’m not dead. Cyborg.Thought: 23L4KJ8XV987234JKH23876234JH23G4JHG76C5XV765JHGC2329 87987V876876123JHGNBVVKIJKY8768XACCEPTED8712398123KJ HLLKJXC980BV7879X56127HJ1B9876V876123KP76CODES020X77 291JHHUI787X998712Y8876V561862356657687CV8B6BU283476

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87OBJECTIVE687SDJKH2IUY9876XCG87687W34UIH27182376UHI U6B8TO723J4KH9876OBTAINB98734O5IJ3LKNM980XB798E74989 8CV7NB761523765INFORMATION87879871298379898798D7G98 79898D79G82734HG87X6CV123123908094869309890DB809CB8 092LRKJPUX90C7V98023RLKJ98XC7V9873987X9 Cyborg: The codes belong to R&D staff. Who are you? Pei.Thought: The codes still work. I don’t understand... I must take control of the situation. Axel is a bit stunned. Cyborg: How did you get here? Pei: I’m Pei and he’s Axel. Our campsite is eight days to the west. We’re fourteen scientists in total. Unarmed. We’re experimenting with flora. Have you been here for long time? Cyborg: Yes. Pei: What are you working on here? Are you on guard? Are you awaiting orders? Cyborg.Thought: 987123SDF8798BV7N987214H9876BVC987234HKJCHVB9876345 987123986442287G98798D7G87623487EMOTIONAL9876DE9871 23DATABASE781623876E887263487687H987987FG98H7345JLKH B98DF7G98374TKJSHDF872634876287687SD6XX Guest: We’re waiting. Axel: What? Pei.Thought: ‘We’ are? Axel.Thought: I see its head from an angle. From below. I’m vulnerable. I’m not even up to its waist. Miniature. Giant. Guest: It’s a pleasure to be able to speak with real people again. I’m happy to see and hear that you are human beings. I would love to hug you but I can’t. Axel: Hug us, you say? I don’t understand anything. You’ve been very close to blowing up our heads!

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Axel.Thought: Why did I say that? I need to be more careful. Pei.Thought: The voice is the same and it has the same robotic tone, but it feels like someone else is talking. Guest: I know it’s a bit confusing. It is to me as well. My host was doing its job. It has its own directives. I can’t interfere. Pei: You can’t interfere? You’ve attacked us! Axel.Thought: Noises. Everywhere. Cyber. Articulations. Undetermined. Inside its left leg. In its abdomen. In its head. Whispers. A lot of them. Consecutive. Quick. Its exterior unaltered. Guest: I haven’t attacked you. I was with a lovely young man. He’s perfect. He knows exactly where to touch. Of course he’s not real, but that’s even better. Right now I was beginning to eat on the grass. Axel.Thought: But it hasn’t moved! I’m beginning to understand. Pei.Thought: I think I know what’s going on. Pei: A perfect young man, eh? And what do you think of us? Are we perfect for you? Guest: Well... You’re quite cute. Your butt is nice and firm. Pei: What’s your name? Guest: Colette. Pei: 'Colette'? Axel.Thought: There are two of them. Colette: This is body you see is not mine. Mine is more beautiful. I take care of it. My skin is soft. I follow a balanced diet. Axel: But we can’t see you... Colette: I can see myself in the mirror when I’m brushing my hair, but I can’t show you my appearance. I can’t let you hear my own voice either.

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Cyborg.Thought: 86SDFG876KJ2H43876G8S5OBTAIN7DFGL23K5JHXCV8762 123JG87D6V87XB6INFORMATION87235HKJ2H987XCV698723R98 LKXCJB983479T879887BV614JHBI723R6987BV69823RLKJF98S7F GA098S7R13IHR98076V806Z087BV6908 Colette: What did you say you were doing here? Pei: Looking for new plants. Plants strong enough to have survived the radiation and the cold. Plants that we haven’t catalogued. Colette: You don’t look like scientists. Pei: I know. Axel.Thought: Angular shapes. Threatening. White. It looks like plastic. Resistant. There are visual codes that didn’t exist before. Printed. They’ve appeared. Useful emblems for the other cyborgs in case of combat? Are they useful now? For whom? Wide and strong chest. Robust legs. More impressions. They change. Blue ones. Pei: Aren’t you bored here all alone? Colette: Sometimes. But I try to keep busy at all times. I often speak to my host. It’s been quite difficult. I can speak with my memories. Axel.Thought: Hermetic exterior. Totally active inside. I’m slowly going around it. It keeps talking. It watches me. It knows perfectly well where I am. At all times. I’m its prey. We’re his game. Wait a minute... Its light on the back. It’s not a light. It’s another impression. No object sticks out from its body. The graphics shift constantly. Extremely quick. Its back seems one enormous monitor full of symbols, too fast to be able to distinguish them. What the hell is it codifying? Can someone see these symbols?

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I’m back with Pei. Pei: Do you remember ever seeing other real human beings like us here? Colette: No. Pei: Nobody? Colette: No. It’s a shame. Pei: Had you detected any human life before us? Colette: I’m not sure. There are many things that I can’t get from my host. Axel.Thought: Does it emit only visual codes? It’s completely operative. Is there perhaps another kind of communication that we can’t sense? Is it communicating? Or is it just trying? With whom is it communicating? Does it transmit to its section? Does the system still work? Are there more things that we don’t know yet? Axel: Did you see the explosions that ended everything? Did you both see them? Colette: I’ve seen some explosions. I was able to get my host to let me go inside those records. When it happened I wasn’t yet able to distinguish between real and virtual. We have gradually learned to put up with each other a little better and to back off a little bit. It’s a machine but it’s come to understand that sharing things is beneficial for the two of us. It’s hard to explain... Axel.Thought: It’s recording us. It won’t give us any more information. Why is it distracting us? Pei: Can you explain to me what you are? Colette: I think I’m a captured brain, DNA and memory made by scientists like you. They said I was a good candidate and I volunteered. Highest prestige. I thought I would climb up the ranks. I would get to be a privileged nurse.

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Axel: Wait a minute... A capture. Are you a program? Colette: Yes... I have my doubts, but I think so. Pei: Incredible! Axel.Whisper: I don’t like this at all.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz.Thought: I can never find the right position. I can’t breathe through my nose, only through my mouth. I get up instinctively running to the toilet. I get here in time. I throw up again. A momentary relief, I know. It actually gives me a certain pleasure. My tense body, crying, sweating... Back to bed. When is this going to end? I can’t see the end of it. I feel horrible. I can’t sleep, that’s all.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria.Dream: A metallic pool. Clean. Lit from the inside. My body is submerged vertically. Only my head stands out. I look down and, through the crystal water, I see my feet hanging, moving slowly, harmoniously. My legs swinging softly. I’m naked. Free.

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I look up slowly and I see that above the fresh water level there are mountains of ice. The ice takes up a large part of the surface and it extends far into the horizon. A giant, white mass adding purity and serenity to the moment. The steam surrounds me. It rises freely from the liquid surface. It disappears high up, between the night and the stars. The liquid water supports me. The ice protects me and the steam makes my imagination fly. I feel relaxed and soft. I know it’s not real. I can feel it. But I don’t ever want to leave here.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel: Good. I think it hasn’t followed us. Pei: I still don’t understand why you were in such a hurry. I didn’t sense any danger. Axel: Let’s let things calm down a bit... Let’s pretend we’re looking for plants and let’s spend the night in the building. Tomorrow we will meet with the robot again. We’ve had enough strong emotions for one day. Pei: I was looking forward to feeling emotions. I’m happy. Axel: Emotions? So you like the logical problems, I have a new emotion prepared for you. This cyborg we’ve just found is not actually a cyborg, it’s an android. A robot. Pei: It doesn’t have any organic parts? Are you kidding me? Wait a minute... Of course! It must be one of the last models. My original saved their descriptions.

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Oh, right! A lot of descriptions but no images. I remember. So, Collette doesn’t have a human brain, no tissues, it’s not real. Is it virtual? Axel: Yes. ... On the one hand we have a robot that is the shell or environment and on the other a virtual clone that cannot exist without that environment. The clone lives inside the machine. It’s a program, it needs a CPU to exist. I remember well the descriptions of your original. I had never been able to understand them. There weren’t any details. Now everything’s clear. Very clear! Pei: I can see that too... We only need to relate it to other registers... Wow! Colette is so human... The robot must use her to foresee the emotional reactions of human beings. That way it’s more mortal. This type of robot must make an excellent weapon. A nurse... She’s perfect! Full of warmth and feelings. An emotional complement that fits a killing machine like a glove. ... With this technology it’s no wonder that the entire world went to hell. ... Axel: Let’s see... ... The robot uses the captured psyche of an experienced, sensitive woman, therefore she has the ability to speak and communicate with people. It can ask her questions or use her without her realizing. Deep inside, the guest is a program and the computer can manipulate her as it wishes. Initially, the virtual clone doesn’t realize what it really is or where

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it is. The host supplies it of everything, therefore the guest is docile and calm. When the clone is hungry, the robot automatically supplies it with food. The guest has the needs of a real human being, but the machine controls them instantaneously. This way, if the guest realizes what’s going on, it feels grateful to the host. ... Collette is an example of being able to obtain the best results when one is happy. ... Did you notice that in this case the word ‘host’ has nothing to do with the same word that refers to a virus? Its meaning is completely different. Pei: Mmmmhhhh... Like this... ... In this case, the perfect profile for a potential guest is an emotionally intelligent individual, plus with experience in relating with other people. The guest knows how to react to certain situations. ... That’s why they captured adults and not newborns without any type of living experience. The robot can be guided by the emotional reactions that a person could have and act accordingly. That makes it a very dangerous enemy. A combat robot like this one is good against humans, machines and cyborgs. Axel: Let’s continue with the reasoning... ... They captured the mental state and the body of the volunteer during the optimal moment of her life. They obtained a purified copy of the volunteer from the Corporation with already acquired

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memory and speech; the content and the recipient that would become the guest of a giant and brutal host. The volunteer was already born within the Corporation and was raised and educated there. She had the culture and the values of the company. ... Pei: This way the guest has her own name, an adequate past, the Corporation’s education, experience, and the reasoning of an adult human being. Ideal for the compatibility with the host. Less chance for rejection. ... Anyway, it can’t be easy to build a virtual clone; digitalizing the DNA chain, splitting the main mother cell –or whatever it’s called-, simulating all the cycles of cellular reproduction until getting to the point where an adult body is achieved. They probably froze the simulation at that moment in order to avoid the body from aging but at the same time leaving all the other vital functions working. ... All of that in a virtual environment generated by a powerful computer which had to inject memories, also previously digitalized, inside the captured adult’s fake cloned body. The memories would’ve had to be located inside the brain exactly on the same coordinates that they were found. That means that the age of the cloned body would have to be very similar to the age of the original one so as to obtain the maximum precision on the transfer. The brain would’ve had to be of the same size and structure. The relations between neurons would’ve had to be the same. You know how the human memory is saved in different places following a pattern of neural webs. Everything would have to be

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put exactly in its original place, otherwise the links would break.

Without a doubt, the host robot is the one who is constantly processing, always in real time, the resulting data. And there are a lot of data...

100,000 millions of neurons... 50,000 contacts with the neighboring cells... ... Axel: I suppose that the creators of this system devised a selection process of candidates with premises that they weren’t able to check. I think they would be proud of the Collette we’ve met today; so happy with her situation. She’s acquired the conscience of what she is and she hasn’t withered away in selfpity. I doubt the host would’ve known what to do with the sadness of a guest if that had been the case. Or would it have been able to induce happiness? The creators of this model were very good at their job. Perverse, but very efficient in all the details. Pei: Yes. Note that, due to the robot not having any type of tissue that could be spoiled or fall victim to a cancer, it’s not so vulnerable and it can last much longer than a cyborg. It’s so well built that not even the radiation has affected it. Axel: I think it will be very windy tonight. The wind’s already starting to blow. I’m cold. Shall we go back in the building? Pei: Yes. We need to start a fire. Do we have much food left? Axel: No. Not much.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Pei.Dream: I’m standing up on top of a delapidated building. I look down and can barely see the bottom through the fog. In front of my feet there is a void. It’s very dangerous, but I’m not afraid. On the contrary, it gives me confidence. I hear Collette’s voice behind me. She encourages me to jump. I know I will get very hurt, but I step ahead and I freefall. I don’t feel the impact. I don’t feel it. But my body is torn apart. The robot is watching me without moving. My wounds have already healed. I’m on top of the same building. I look down and I can barely see the floor. I can finally see it, through the fog. Hanz, Eria y Axel are determined to jump. They want me to jump first. No way. Now I’m scared. I got very hurt before. I felt a lot of physical pain. They force me to jump first. I run away. I hide behind the delapidated buildings. The robot follows me. It suddenly launches its cannon noisily. It’s preparing to open fire. At whom? Me? At my siblings? It shoots. It doesn’t touch me. I hear screaming. Are they dying?

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel.Thought: I think Pei’s having a nightmare. His expression; it looks like he’s suffering. Jerky movements, instinctive. What my senses are perceiving aren’t helping me calm down. The changing dim fire throws waves of light on Pei’s tense face and body. The strong winds outside are whistling non-stop creating a surreal and gloomy atmosphere. I’m alert. I can’t sleep. Even if I cover my ears I can hear the whistling wind in all directions, penetrating my mind. Lashing out on Pei’s image and my tired body... My body is very tired but still tense. Waiting for a possible surprise attack or simply some unexpected movement. Waiting for something serious and unforeseen to happen, something that we couldn’t have even imagined. I wish with all my strength for all of this to end well. Let it be a new beginning. I would like to be at the lab, sleeping peacefully. Breathing as always. The four of us together. Eria fiddling with my hair, kissing me with her juicy lips while I’m taking care of the machines that more or less I understand and which have never hurt me. The machines that are part of my life, they have raised me. This other machine can tear me apart. It can kill us. It can kill us both and is sufficiently intelligent to follow our tracks and get to Eria and Hanz. It can burst them into pieces! I’m terrified. I’m getting a panic attack. Someone stop me. I can’t

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wake Pei up. Anguish. They don’t know anything about this. I can’t warn them. If Pei doesn´t come with me tomorrow the robot will get suspicious. I can’t take any risks. This type of intelligence is way over our heads. I can’t lie to it. Or can I? I don’t know. We don’t have the privilege of testing our luck. I love them too much. If it were only me then I could try, but I feel responsible for my siblings. Right now that responsibility is more important than my own life. Irrational. Think of something else. I must make that effort. Breathe. Ideas are clouds that dissipate, that come and go. There you go... Better... Everything’s off. I think of something else. Good memories. Yes... Eria’s tongue licking my fingers carefully, slowly, smiling... Her fresh tears sliding down my naked back... Oh, shit! I can’t get rid of it! The agony comes back. I need to get some fresh air through my nose and let out all that corrupted, hot air through my mouth. I need to calm down! What should we do to keep that thing away from the lab? How can we become friends? How can we become friends but also try to keep it away? Or maybe... Might it be useful at the lab? What if in a few hours it becomes our enemy? All of this is truly over my head. It’ll be better to wait until the right moment. It’s so difficult for me to wait! Pei’s just opened his eyes. He seems scared. I put my hand on his shoulder to calm him down a bit.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria.Playing.Zone 00: Ok, I’m already in the immersive entertainment machine. All my senses are connected to it and ‘cubic project 2’ has launched. I’m elevated and attached. Perfect. This time the two red cubes won’t get away. The only difficulty of this game is that I can only save the position when I change zones... And I have never made it past the second... Oh, well. I need to start all over again because I don’t remember anything. It’s been a long time. Come on! Suffer, you red cubes... I’m going to find you!

I can see my organic armor’s arms. I move them and they respond perfectly well. I’m floating in a completely white empty space, surrounded by motionless sky blue cubes arranged equidistantly. I go carefully between them so not to touch any of them. Yikes! I don’t control of the armor well yet. I’ve just touched one and it fortunately looks like nothing has happened. They’re not dangerous... But there are so many that they’re making me nervous. I go further up. I want to get out of here. So far I don’t see any enemy. Better. I tense up my legs and I shoot upward to the point I intended to get to. I’m here! I no longer have any cube in my vision. I look down. They’re there, motionless. I turn around to see if there is anything interesting on the horizon... Nothing? It can’t be! I’m only at the first level. Let’s see... Towards the end there is a small blue dot. Everything’s white except that small dot. Come on... Quick! While I get close I notice that the dot is becoming a whole set of structures more or

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less cylindrical that are actually many sky blue cubes arranged helically. I can’t make any sense of all of this. I can’t remember anything! What should I do? I look in all directions and I don’t see anything else. I slowly get closer to this new structure... I don’t trust it...

First and foremost... The controls... How do they work? To communicate I need to speak normally looking at the desired location... To take an object I need to touch it with an index finger... To activate something I only need to touch it with the back of my opened hand... To change weapons from arm to arm I need to turn my wrist with an abrupt movement... To fire my weapon I should close my fist abruptly pointing at my target... Every time I close my fist my weapon fires... What else? Oh, yes.... For every moving object in my angle of vision, my computer will lock in a semitransparent square that will track it... It doesn’t matter how many objects it sees, all of them will be locked in with the tracking red square in three-dimensional coordinates.... To aim at an object I only need to point at it with my arm... If I fire a missile and the target has a red square locked in, the projectile will follow it until it gets it and destroys it.... I love self-guided missiles, it’s a shame that they only work on moving objects, otherwise the projectile is limited to follow the direction of my arm.

Let’s see... I select the missiles on both arms... I aim at a motionless sky blue cube and I shoot with the machine gun... The cube is not affected... I change weapons with my wrists on both hands and I shoot a couple of missiles at the same cube... Nothing...

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Hello cube! Nothing... No answer... I slowly get closer and I touch it with my index finger to hold it or suck it in... Nothing... I activate it with the back of my opened hand... Wait a minute! The cube changes colors and it shines! A robotic head starts to come out of it. It has no eyes and its mouth is covered with a plastic patch! It’s a completely white, athletic woman with a prominent chest and cannons for hands! My computer locks in a red square.

‘Hello’. It doesn’t pay any attention to me and it starts to shoot me! I tense up and while I leave I launch a self-guided missile. It doesn’t fail. A lot of red squares begin to appear. A lot of dangerous, robotic space girls. They shoot at me with missiles. Every projectile has a red square locked in. It’s getting saturated. Some impact my armor. I point and shoot frantically. I’m better than I thought. There are only seven or eight girls left.

Done! Everything’s clean again. What is that object down there? It looks like an orbital station or something similar. It must have emerged when I activated the cube. I think everything begins to happen when I activate any of these cubes. What if I activate the cubes I found at the beginning? I’m going back!

I activate one of them... Oh! Boxes full of light! I take one and... my armor charges up with energy! I take another and my armor has completely recovered.

I tense up and quickly come back to the object that looked like an orbital station. I stop in front of it. It spins on itself. If I touch it, will enemies will come out? No! I’ve touched it and a gate has opened. I go inside...

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I hear a voice that tells me that I’ve just left zone 00 and that I’m in a transitional space. It says that if I wish I can save the position (and status and inventory) and recover it whenever necessary. Of course I want to save everything!

I’ve already passed through one zone and I’m not as clumsy as I thought!

The voice informs me that I’m ready to enter zone 01...

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel.Thought: The night wind has kept the sky cloudless. Clear. Pure. The sun came up a little while ago. Elongated shadows. White landscape. Cold... We are warm-blooded beings challenging everything, challenging our own future. We don’t say anything. We don’t want to disturb the stillness. Tension in Pei’s eyes. I notice he’s walking very straight. Nervous. Pei went up to the building’s highest point and didn’t see anything... The robot probably moved a little bit and from that angle he wasn’t able to see it. Where is it? Is this some kind of tactic? Is it observing us from somewhere else? It’s probably nothing, but it’s made us more nervous. We need to keep walking. I’m in a hurry to get there. I would give anything to have a vehicle to move around more

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quickly. Going on foot is the safest method to avoid technological detectors, but it’s also the most tiring and slow. Above all, I want to know whether they will cut my life short or whether I will be able to continue having goals, building projects. I’m in a parenthesis and I need perspective... And I need it now!

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Pei_Original: This morning, while I was raising, welding and modifying the warm fluid ducts going up to the surface, I fell from a considerable distance. Once on the ground I checked myself and I didn’t have anything broken. I then cried out in pain for a little bit while I was checking my wounds and small cuts which are now quite itchy. I need to stay still and I can’t. The wounds are healing and are uncomfortable. The others are quite sick of hearing me whine and that’s why I’m telling you this; this way I can vent a little while I record myself. We’re modifying and reprogramming the warm fluid ducts: The way it is now, almost with no further changes, when the entire lab stops to wait for you, everything will stay like this. The machines will remain idle for many years. We run the risk that the sensors of the basic machinery will freeze or that it will never start. The warm fluid ducts are already working, but not how we would like them to work.

We’re performing modifications in the system so that, when

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everything is on standby mode, the surface sensors and a small circuit of ducts with antifreeze in them continue functioning. Put simply; the nose of the lab needs to always be sniffing. Another thing that can never stop working is the mechanical and electronic part of the freezer where the ovules and our tissue samples are located. They must always be at the same temperature, no fluctuations. They are the heart of this entire experiment and the machine housing them can never stop. To achieve all of this the machine that warms up and circulates the warm fluids must remain functional during the entire time. It doesn’t require too much energy.

Every eight years, the entire remaining system of warm fluid ducts will begin to activate and each time it will very slowly defrost the main machinery of the lab. This includes the entire electronic system of cloning. We don’t want anything important to break down with the passing of time and the cold temperatures. One day, when the sensors issue the order, the lab as well as all the programmed tasks that will give you life will begin to function, guaranteeing that all the other installations will work properly. There is a margin of error, of course, but we don’t think that it will affect anything of vital importance. We are dealing with this now. The calculations are adding up.

All the details are important. The intention is to save energy that you will need when you’re alive.

My wounds are swollen, my body’s rigid, and I feel irritable. Every move I make hurts.

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Hanz.Thought: I would give anything to feel physical pain instead of psychological pain.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel.Thought: I’m rechecking every corner. Is it watching us from somewhere else? There are no footprints. Nothing. It’s not here. It’s not here! We are in the place where we said we’d meet. The same place where it was yesterday. No trace. No sign of it. Is it watching us? Will it come back later? Where did it go? Is it aiming at us? Pei: Do you see anything? Axel: I told you! Nothing! They will kill us, Pei. They’re going to ambush us! Pei.Thought: I keep spinning around at 360º and I can’t see anything but white and ice. No trace. I’m paying attention to any change. We’re a perfect target from any distance. There are no hiding places that could possibly protect us from any projectile. Axel: I feel like running away, but I know it would be no good. It would look very suspicious. Pei: That’s true. Axel: What do we do? What do you think we should do? Pei: What are we supposed to do? Axel: I don’t know! Maybe it will come back. Pei: No shit, Axel! There are no footprints. A robot big and heavy like this one always leaves some sort of trace... And there isn’t any anywhere!

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Axel: You’re right. It’s left somehow and it doesn’t want us to know where it’s headed. Pei: Wait a minute... Colette!... What do you suppose she’s doing? Is she sun bathing in a fictional beach? She can’t influence the host... Or can she? Axel: The lab! What if it went to look for where we came from? What if it finds the lab? What if it finds out that everything we’ve told it is a lie? What if it blows up the lab? What if it annihilates us and Eria and Hanz? Axel.Thought: My knees give way and I fall to the ground. Pei.Thought: I’m very small. A tiny dot in the middle of a white, frozen universe. Despite having Axel with me, I’ve never felt so lonely. Helpless. I’m not my own owner. Subordinate. I depend on a machine. Axel’s on the floor and I still hope that Colette will do something for us. It’s strange but, for a moment, it’s like I’m looking at this whole situation from the outside. What’s happening is so big that it doesn’t feel real. It can’t be real... There has been some trick that we just haven’t been able to see... I’m so sick of it! Axel: Pei! We’re still alive! Let’s get out of here! Let’s come back later! We’ll be able to think more calmly later. Pei: All right! Let’s run! Quick! Axel.Thought: Perfect. We’re running and nothing is shooting at us. I run faster. I run as fast as I can.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Axel_Original: Angry, disappointed, demoralized... Life is too beautiful and valuable to let it go to waste. I toy around with sadness and I even feel a certain pleasure in it. I feel like being happy. I’m afraid of what’s coming... They’re all nuances from the same existence.... While my core stays strong I can let myself be seduced by changing emotions. I miss, I feel liberated, I laugh, I write, I exercise, I believe, I remember the good moments, the bad moments, I reflect, I ask for help from the few who love me, I make them laugh.... I’m alone, I’m accompanied. Death will get here... In the meantime I want to live life; I only have one and I must take good care of it.

Hanz.Thought: What nonsense.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria.Playing.Zone 01: I go back to where I left the game last time... Let’s see... I go out and a voice tells me I’m in zone 01... Wow! How cool!... There are a lot of things here... I turn around and I see the sphere which I just exited... First of all... Can I come back to zone 00?... I open the door and I get back into the sphere that looks like an orbital station.

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I hear a voice that tells me I’ve left zone 01, that I am in a transitional space and if I wish to I can save the position (and status and inventory) and recover it whenever necessary. No. I don’t want to save anything now. I leave. I open the gate at the opposite side from the one I used to come in and I go out. A voice tells me I’m in zone 00. That means I can come and go through all the zones that I have visited. Very good.

I go into the sphere and come back to zone 01. I’m impressed. I’m surrounded by blue, white and violet superimposed fogs. There are an infinite amount of small, static dots of white light. They are everywhere; some are touching me but they’re not affecting my armor. I can see very well in the distance. The result is quite magical. I can’t see the end to the fogs. It seems endless.

I turn to my right and I see a bubble with something inside. I turn back to my previous position and I look up and ahead... It seems there is a place where the fogs are denser. I look back and in the distance I see more things that I can’t describe.

I don’t trust this at all. Come on! I tense up and go at full speed toward the place where the fog is denser.

What? Nothing here? I go through it and... And... Oh, shit! Everything around me is changing. I get out!

I look back and... In place of the fog there is a gigantic girl made

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of colorful gases and she’s looking at me calmly. She moves very slowly... I get closer and... She has my face! She’s my representation! I change weapons desperately. Missiles on both arms! Although my armor hasn’t locked in a square, I shoot frantically. Missile after missile... But they get lost in the infinity. Nothing’s happened. Maybe she’s not dangerous. What if I try to communicate with her?

Me: Hello? Apparition: Hello. I was waiting to see your face. My face. Me: Who are you? Apparition: I’m your mirror in this world. Your guide. Me: What’s your name? Apparition: I’m your guide. Me.Thought: It looks like she doesn’t want to talk too much... Anyway, it’s better if I don’t bother her too much. I don’t know if she can open fire. Me: Can you prove it to me? Apparition: You’re not asking the appropriate questions. Me: I see... You’re my guide... Guide me towards the cubes I want to find. Apparition: I can only see one cube. It’s carried by a being with wings. It’s in zone 05 right now. Me Why do you have my face? Apparition: You’re not asking the appropriate questions. Me: Are you my guide only to find the red cubes? Apparition: Yes. Me: Now I understand.

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... Goodbye. Apparition: Come back when you want more information.

Good. Now I know where I need to go whenever I want the location of the cubes. That will be for later. Let’s see... Where is the entrance for zone 01? Ah! Because I was moving while I was talking, now it’s behind me; down and to the left. I look ahead and down also on the left side. There’s something moving at the end. I tense up and go! What... What’s this? I stop! A very bright glow! It’s blinded me for a few moments! I make a 360º to see what’s around me again. There are two new objects in the distance that are releasing a white light. They’re aura doesn’t bother me but it indicates they are there. They’re two dots. Perhaps they’re spheres. One is in front of me but very far. The other one is to my right and also very far. Are they spheres to change zones? I go forward quickly toward something moving in the distance. Ok, done. What’s this? An irregular, floating saturation of navy blue fluid which looks to be following a cycle. It doesn’t depend on anything. It arranges itself in large drops and they elevate. They then get divided into small drops and they fall, as if it were rain. A strange cycle. What are these semitransparent things? Are they small, floating plants? Oh, they have humid flowers! My armor has locked in a small square on each moving drop, I think they’re harmless.

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I get a little closer to take a more detailed look.

A lot of consecutive red squares come out of nowhere! What does this mean? What’s coming out of those flowers? Bees! They’re closing in much too quickly! I can’t take them all down by myself! The self-guided missiles can’t handle all the targets!

I launch a good amount of projectiles while I run back with as much tension as I can achieve. Quick! I change weapons to machine guns. I shoot. I shoot. I shoot. They sting me. They’re very big. Each bee is the size of half of my body.

I cross the apparition-guide going backwards. It’s volatile. The bees aren’t. They follow me.

Me: I haven’t done anything to you! Leave me alone! Bee: You have entered our territory. You must die. Me.Thought: The bee speaks! Do they all speak? Me: Leave me alone! Bee: It’s my duty. Me: I only want to see if there is something useful inside the water!

They don’t believe me. It’s useless. I must kill you. All of you! They sting me. My armor is holding up well but the energy is going down. Kicks with the legs and feet. A rainfall of bullets. My arms are getting hot.

Finally, I think no more bees are coming out of the flowers, which are now far away.

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Me: Die! Aaargh! Eat this!

Three! There are three left! They dodge me! I’m going crazy spinning about myself! Change to missiles! Coming back to the flowers! Fast! Good. No more bees are coming out. The three bees left have a red square locked in. The missiles are already flying in their direction. Hit!

I finished them! There aren’t any left!

Calm down... Eria, calm down...

I need to touch the liquid. The touch seems to be pleasant to the armor. It slides down its surface. I look toward the elevating drops. I take one touching it with my index finger. A nice and fresh sensation fills up my body. How is that possible? How can a sensation cross through the armor? I’d never felt anything like this in any machine... The armor is full of energy again. Now I understand why the bees were protecting the water. It gives energy. It regenerates.

Everything’s so beautiful from here! I move and I see the apparition-guide on top of me. Away. One of the objects releasing a white light aura is close by. It is actually a sphere to change zones. I’ll go there later. I need to finish inspecting this zone.

At a certain distance to my left I can see a metallic object. Going! It’s a small ship of angular shapes. It looks like there are prints of impacted objects on the surface. It has a small cabin. It looks like

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it’s made of a black semitransparent material. I try to activate the cabin touching it with the back of my hand. It works! It’s opening!

Ok, already open. I look inside... What? A newborn? There’s a newborn! It looks like he’s sleeping. He looks so relaxed. I feel like touching him gently. My organic armor doesn’t let me. It’s too bulky. I touch him with the back of my hand to see what he does...

Suddenly his body begins to change in leaps and bounds... He grows... He’s becoming older... He sleeps... He looks like an adolescent... He’s ripped... He’s an adult! Oh, how hot!... Mmmhh... He’s too beautiful to be real...

Me: Hey! Wake up! Nothing... He doesn’t hear me... He keeps on sleeping... I touch him again with the back of my hand... Nothing... What should I do to communicate with him?

I’ll come back later... I want to go somewhere else now... I look around and I see another object releasing a white light aura... From here I can see it’s another sphere to change zones... I’ll try it later. Now I’m going to see what the hell was that bubble I saw when I entered this zone.

I tense up to go at full speed... What’s going on? Something grabs me and doesn’t let me go! I turn around and... What?!

The man inside the ship has woken up, he’s floating, he’s staring

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at me with ice cold blue eyes and... He grips me hard! Why is he doing that? Why? Shit! My energy levels are going down very fast! What? He’s sucking out my energy! Leave me alone! Energy at 50%.... I punch him... Nothing... 30%... I scramble to change to a machine gun... I rip his arm out in a burst... I’m at 15%... My armor’s too weak... I’m losing vision... I move and the man gets all the bullets I send him... He ends up broken into pieces.

I need to go and power up any way I can...

I’m back with the liquid and the flowers... What a relief... I touch the water and the water and the energy grows until I’m back to full power...

Good... Before leaving this zone I’m going to take a look at that bubble and check what’s inside it...

I tense up...

I’m here... I look without doing anything... It might give me another surprise...

Inside the bubble there’s a man... Yikes... What do I do? If I shoot I might get him in a bad mood... The man’s floating inside the bubble... As if sitting down... With his legs crossed... He doesn’t have a single hair on his head. He has an aura surrounding him... His eyes are closed...

Me: Hello

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Man: Hello Me.Thought: He’s answered with no problem. He hasn’t attacked me. He hasn’t opened his eyes either. He doesn’t look at me. Me: What’s your name? Man: I’m the prisoner. Me: That’s not a name. Man: No. Me: Perfect. You’re a prisoner? Whose prisoner? Man: I’m the bubble’s prisoner. I can’t get out. Me: Let me see if I can fix that...

It looks easy but I’m sure it’s not... My machine guns shoot but the bubble stays intact. It swallows all impacts. It also eats my missiles. I try other weapons but all of them have the same effect. I get defensive, waiting for a counterattack. Nothing? No one attacks me? This is strange.

Do I need to touch this giant bubble? Maybe it will suck out my energy... I don’t know... Well... I can always come back to the regenerating water to power back up.

I touch the bubble... Nothing... No effect...

Me: What should I do? Man: You need to open the bubble with an object. Me: What object? Man: You will recognize it. That’s all I can tell you. Me: All right. I will probably find it in another zone.

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In the meantime, I would say there isn’t anything left unchecked in zone 01. I will get out and save everything. Which transitional sphere could I go to? Let’s see... The one that’s near the ship where I found the newborn...

I go there slowly, taking in the scenery... These little light balls brushing my armor... I love them... The blue, white and violet fogs now transmit tranquility and calmness to me... After all the jolts this zone has given me...

I go inside one of the spheres that look like an orbital station with a white aura... I hear a voice telling me that I have left zone 01, that I’m in a transitional space and that if I wish I can save the position (and status and inventory) and recover it whenever necessary... It informs me that I am ready to enter zone 03...

I’ll go in another time. I save everything and leave the machine. Back to reality.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz: Are you coming from outside? Eria: I’m beginning to worry. I don’t know how normal it is that they haven’t come back yet. What if something happened to them? Hanz: I don’t think so.

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I can imagine the scenario... They’re still inside the building... Right now Pei must be about to commit suicide waiting for Axel to make up his mind. Ha! He’s so careful and hesitates so much before making any decision that by now they must be arguing whether it’s a good idea to go down there or not... If Pei hasn’t already gone alone! Carelessly! Eria: Hey! Don’t grab my butt! You’re not like Pei! Those kind of things don’t become you. Hanz.Thought: Has he slapped my hands away? I don’t understand... Eria: What’s wrong, Hanz? Don’t look at me like that! Hanz: Like what? How? Eria: You know... Hanz: No. Eria: What’s wrong, Hanz? ... You asked for it... ... I didn’t want to tell you so not to load up the situation, but you’ve asked for it... Listen closely... ... Since Axel and Pei left and you and I made love for the first time, you haven’t stopped whining... What the hell is wrong with you? Tell me! Everything’s wrong to you. You don’t like the food. The lab is too small. It seems you’re looking to throw all your resentment at me. I understand you’re suffering for Tania’s death, but... is it only that? You overwhelm me, Hanz. You give me too much load to carry. I also like sex, but it seems you want it to spread hatred, not for

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love. I was also here when she died... Remember? What do you think? That it doesn’t affect me? You don’t need to remind me of it every day. Don’t look at me that way. Take those staring eyes away from me! I would love to turn the page but you don’t let me. I’m beginning to feel tired of your negativity. Where is the old Hanz? React, Hanz! Hanz: I only wanted to play a little... Come on... Don’t take it like that... Eria: I’m going outside again... I need some fresh air... I will play with the immersive entertainment machine later... Don’t get in it. ... ... Hanz.Thought: You’ve rejected me! Don’t you understand me? I don’t like behaving like this but I can’t do anything about it. I thought I could trust you, but apparently you’re on the other side. I want to touch you and I want you to help me get rid of my internal anxiety, but you don’t want to. You don’t understand anything. You’re too simple-minded. Perhaps you feel sorry for me. I’m better than you are. Shit! You want me to hold back? You don’t want me to talk you? Perfect. I won’t talk to you! Let’s see who can endure it the longest. You need to communicate, but I don’t. Let’s see who wins! I don’t have anything to lose. It’s your turn to eat shit.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel: How did it disappear without a trace? How is it that all the footprints end here? How did it do it? It couldn’t have simply walked away on foot. It’s very heavy, he would have left some sort of visible mark... Even if it wanted to conceal it, it would have left some mark... Pei: But there aren’t any around this area where it was on guard. While you were analyzing this small area, I was checking the rest. Nothing. The footprints end here. Let’s see... He couldn’t have walked away on foot... Perhaps it went underground? Nothing points to that. There is no pile of disturbed ice. Nothing out of place. Axel: How about flying? Pei: I didn’t see anything that indicated it could fly. Axel: You’re right. I didn’t see any space for wings in its structure. Pei: Maybe it levitated? Axel: If it could float it would be due to an expulsion of pressure gas from the soles of its feet and it would have therefore left a track. The ice over which it levitated would have melted or cracked. We would be able to see that track now. Let’s check it anyway. ... ... Pei: I don’t see anything. It doesn’t look like it’s watching us either. Axel: I don’t trust that’s true. I can’t stop being alert.

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... Pei: Axel! Something’s just occurred to me! Let’s go back to the spot where the footprints end! Axel: Let’s go! ... ... Pei: Look! They end here, right? What if the robot hasn’t moved? What if it was simply picked up from above? There’s nothing up here now, but... What if something helped it leave? Some sort of flying gadget could have come, grabbed him from high up and moved it a few moments later. Axel: We hadn’t thought of the possibility that it wasn’t alone. Wait a minute... If some sort of ship came to look for it, it would have made some noise. I’m not sure whether it would have been loud or quiet, but we would have heard it. ... Shit... The wind. We didn’t hear it because the wind was blowing. It came last night. The wind... And it most likely came without the lights on. Pei: Let’s calm down... I’m beginning to get more scared... Does this mean it’s not alone? ... Axel: It’s possible that there other robots out there, but it’s not very logical. This area is of no interest. Remember that during the conflict no missiles fell here. It wasn’t a target. Pei: Very well... So what was that machine doing standing guard here then? Axel: I don’t know. I don’t even know whether the robot knew why it was here... Things of the MPDU... Pei: That’s right! Things of the MPDU!

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Axel: All right! It’s possible there are more robots around here. In any case, they would need to be quite far from here. Pei: That doesn’t make me feel any better, Axel! Axel: Let’s see... It’s possible its companions came to look for him last night... But not likely. Why did they take it away if there wasn’t any danger here? To take it to a more secure location? It’s not logical! It could have managed this situation on his own quite easily. When in doubt, it could have eliminated us... In an instant. Problem solved! If what the companions wanted was information, it could have sent it and that would have been all. You saw that its communications were working well. Pei: I find all of this fascinating... But I’m sure there are a lot of things we’re not thinking of... Look... You know I don’t normally worry too much... But this time this situation has softened me. What if it reported that it wanted to be picked up? Axel: Listen to me... Let’s continue with the reasoning... Why would they have taken it to another location? Did they take it because we have discovered it? It doesn’t make any sense. It wasn’t a spy robot. It was a combat robot. It was standing guard. Its mission wasn’t discretion. They already had other machines in charge of spying. This wasn’t one of them. Maybe its mission ended when it found someone and they took him. But... Why? Pei: If that’s the case... Are we being watched by others? Axel: Pei! We’re becoming paranoid! We’re fabricating our own fear. The solution must be a lot simpler. ... Axel: Our most reliable hypothesis is that they took it from above. ...

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Axel: What if it left with an additional unit of transport? Pei: What do you mean? Axel: That it left with the same transport system in which it came a long time ago. With its ship. Maybe it had a capsule hidden relatively close by. Pei: Man... That would be a good explanation. In fact... the best one yet. It could even be that it could communicate with its own capsule. I’ve never seen robots’ capsules on the database at the lab, but even so it seems the most probable scenario. Axel: Now the question is... Why? Why did it leave? ... To warn other units like it? I don’t know... If it had the capsule here it could mean that there are no more robots in this area. Maybe it went to a location further away. ... To go back to its general quarters? It probably no longer exists... Pei: To follow us from a distance? Axel: That could be it. Pei: Shit. What could be the reason? Axel: That’s the worst part... I have no idea... It could be for any reason... Can you think of anything? Pei: No. Axel: What do we do?

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria.Recording_Holovideo: I feel weird, I don’t know what it is but I’m too melancholic and sad. I’ve been very distant today. I don’t know exactly why I’m crying inside, but I suspect it’s rage, right now I feel like I want to explode. I feel like I’m in a hermetic box, moving anxiously, wanting to get out but not being able to. I think about Axel. Where are you? I want to be with you every second, and I also want to hold you tightly against my body, listen to your words... Will you come back? Will all of you come back? When?

Being with my own is everything to me, total happiness, euphoria. We give each other love, hugs and a lot of happiness. A warm sensation of security and wellbeing that is indescribable. I feel fulfilled.

But not now. They’re not here and Hanz makes me feel disgusting, dirty and loathsome.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria.Playing.Zone 03: I’ve just exited the sphere and I’m inside zone 03. I’m suspended in a void. I’m in absolute blackness. I’m

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in the midst of bodies of men and women. Lots of them. All of them naked, floating. They seem dead. I’m surrounded. They have a blank expression in their eyes. Inert. Adrift. They give out light. They’re completely white, as if they had no blood. An acute sound, distant. Continuous. Going to infinity. It echoes. As if it were rebounding. As if they were echoes from memories. The memories of all of them.

I try to move slowly. I don’t want to disturb the peace. I don’t want to bother them.

There is a girl with long, black hair in front of me that has liquid drops on her face. The liquid coming out of her eyes floats upwards. Tears? There is no gravity. The girl is very pretty. Liquid volatile drops that elevate.

Many wires appear from the distance. From above. They approach her at full speed. Organic-metallic-electronic wires, they contain big and small veins. They’re hollow and suck in the suspended water drops. There aren’t any left. While the drops were being absorbed, some kind of monitor appeared on top of the girl. A big monitor. Like an electronic monitor. Like a projection. It doesn’t have any depth. There’s only one element filling out the entire surface. It’s her expanded face, but as opposed to her real face, this one shows facial expressions. The monitor is quickly and repeatedly showing authentic expressions of pain. Of tension. Of suffering. Of hatred? Has she just stared at me with hatred? Or is that just what it

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looked like? Good. Nothing’s happened. The monitor continues to show more faces that send shivers down my spine.

It seems the fear has moved me back subconsciously and I’ve touched one of the bodies around me. It belongs to a young man. Dark hair. He moves positions slightly following my touch.

What? A white light comes from the distance and it suddenly lights up his face. The body reacts and he abruptly changes his face. Is he alive now? Did the light make him come alive again? It’s like the light beam gave him power. He stares at me. At me. His face shows no emotion.

No! What’s happening to me? Cold! Very cold! It’s like I’m freezing. What are you doing to me? I’m freezing inside. From the inside out! The armor begins to lose energy quickly. I can’t shoot! I’m so cold that even my arms and legs aren’t responding!

No!

I’m losing my vision!

I’m dying! I can’t see anything! Cold! I’m at 5%. It’s the end. Pain!

What? It seems my armor is working on its own. Less pain. Does it have a survival instinct? Is it possible it’s related to the fact that it’s organic?

It’s going opaque. It’s shut itself down. It has isolated me from

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the outside. I’m in the dark. I feel a small vibration. My whole body is sore from the cold.

I don’t have much energy. Time passes. What do I do? I feel weak. This attack has weakened me.

It’s been a while since I made any movement. If I try to move will it attack me again? I make a soft movement and I go up. The vision comes back only by thinking about it, by talking to the armor. It seems I don’t know all my organic protection can do yet.

The attacker is lifeless again, but it’s surrounded by wires. They’re doing something to him. I better not make too much noise.

I place myself in front of some sort of monitor where different facial expressions of pain and suffering are being shown nonstop. I don’t want to touch it. I don’t trust it. I feel curious and I’m also sad. I speak softly.

Me: What’s causing me so much pain? Monitor_Girl: Do you want to know why I make these faces? Me: Yes. Monitor_Girl: Come in and pretend you’re me. Me: What?

The facial expressions stop their quick and consecutive movement. Her face stops and she opens her mouth. She’s waiting for me...

I have very low energy. 5%. I better go back to zone 01 and

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power up again. I go straight to the sphere. I will come back later. I’ve had enough shocks for now.

...

I’m back inside the sphere. I hear a voice that tells me I’ve exited zone 03, that I’m in a transitional space and that if I wish I can save the positions (and status and inventory) and recover it whenever necessary. It informs me I’m ready to enter zone 01...

I’ll go in another time. I save everything and leave the machine. I come back to reality.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel: My first thought is that maybe we should come back separately, that way if it wants to follow us and it’s the only robot it will be harder for it to do it. It can’t split itself. Judging by your expression I can see you agree with me. That was hasty idea. Without thinking. Pei: Yes. The footprints. The footprints we leave behind will be extremely easy to follow. And let’s not forget that the robot may have a very good radar. I’m sure it has a very good radar.

No. Coming back separately is not a good idea. Also, we have no food and we only have one survival kit to sleep in. I don’t even

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want to think about sleeping bare, it’s way too cold at night... Axel: No. Let’s drop it. We must come back together. At least this way if the robot surprises us we could try something. We can help each other in any situation. We can keep better guard. We can take turns standing guard. Pei: It seems the solution that’s less bad is to continue doing what we’ve been doing up until now. Axel: Yes. It makes me feel better that we’re not carrying any technology. They can’t detect us because of that... And remember we’re also dressed appropriately. The hidden tight clothing we’re wearing conceals our body temperature quite well.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria: How are you doing, Hanz? Hanz: Good.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria.Playing.Zone 03: I come back to zone 01. The drops have filled up my armor with energy. I’ve exited the sphere and I’m back in zone 03. I go straight to the suspended monitor on top of the girl with long back hair.

Me: Are you still waiting for me?

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Monitor_Girl: Come in and pretend you’re me.

The face on the monitor opens its mouth and waits for me. I throw myself towards it. I close my eyes.

I open my eyes. I’m inside a white, light tunnel. There’s only one reference in front of me, in the distance. A miniscule dot in the dark and shapes. I’ve lost all notion of speed. Am I standing still? Am I travelling at full speed? The light embraces me.

Uncertainty...

I got out! Did I get out? I don’t understand... What’s this?

I’m inside infinity. I feel very small. In a dream world. Floating in the midst of blackness and bright, changing colors.

An orgasm of representations. Like holovideos. Movement. Life. Tension. Suffering. Elasticity. Everything attached by invisible wires pulling on each other. Surrounded by images that push each other strongly. They knock each other down. They rebound. Every organic-ghostlike-semitransparent force is in combat with the others. Red and blue tones. I would have never imagined anything like this setting before. I feel closed in and oppressed. Emotional and liberated. It seems that opposites make more sense inside this place. It seems feelings flow less inhibited by reason. My heart is beating hard.

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I notice that the detection system of moving objects via small squares doesn’t work here. Everything around me must be intangible.

Calmness...

It seems that of all the representations, eight of them stand out... No... Seven.

What should I do?

I shoot with the machine gun...

No effect.

Do I speak?

Nothing’s listening to me. What do I do? I approach one of the important forces. Its appearance changes rapidly. I don’t know what’s caused it, but it draws me to it. I’m scared. It hooks me in a spasmodic movement. I’m part of its inertia. But I feel transparent. I’m not getting sick. A woman’s strong and sensual voice speaks inside the depths of my mind. I feel hot liquid drops. I’m inside each one of them.

Voice: >I am your perennial sadness. Because of me you generate enough pity to those around you so as to ensure their loyalty. They feel useful. Links are created. I

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generate pity. The manipulation does the rest. You use me wisely. You take advantage of me. To the max. You know I’m useful. Since you were a little girl. You always had the adults at your feet.<

I feel hypnotized. I go towards another important shape. I feel pushed towards it.

I’m hooked to it. I notice my shape changes. It flows rapidly towards other shapes, colors, sounds. I’m like music. Rhythm. Another voice speaks to me. It’s just like the last one, but different in a way I can’t describe. Different notes from the same song. This song that is the girl in which I’m inside. The girl who has swallowed me. Very lovely smell.

Voice: >I’m your creativity. You use me for scheming to gain new followers, to continue giving reasons to those around you to follow you. To be the queen. To put your group against whoever realizes your lie and wants to attack you. I’m very useful to you in the art of seduction. In the mix of sad stories and captivating smiles. I help you create misty atmospheres, ambiguous; perfect traps. You’re very proud of me, especially when you use me to manipulate those around you. They’re deluded. They believe you need help. You have seduced them and cheated them so that you are now able to do whatever you want with them. Because of me you know which is the next step in the devious ways of human manipulation. They approach you to make you smile and you do it just enough, with a very tender embrace. You

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make them addicted, they think they are the chosen ones to take away your sadness. They feel important when the only important one here is you. They don’t know that, but you and I do. They think they’re superior to you, but they’re at your feet. You use me to always give false hopes, to continually create desire, never-ending and sickly desire to the boys around you.<

I’m dazed. Another force pulls me in. I feel sensual.

Voice: >I’m your physical beauty’s perception. I feed your ego. You use me to acquire the confidence to start any seduction process. Your admirers feed me. A fair exchange. Your young, doll-like body makes my job easy. It’s an object of desire. So fragile. It arouses a protection instinct in others. Primitive. I encourage you to take care of yourself, make yourself look prettier, impregnate your body with the right smells. The emitted pheromones always help. The subtle hint of your nipples will drive them crazy.<

I head that way. But I actually don’t want to go. No...

Voice: >I’m your fighting spirit. You only use me when strictly necessary. You’re hiding in your nest. You govern from there. The rest do the job for you. You ignore me. You always have. You and your conformism disgust me.<

Another irresistible force calls me. It inoculates me in the brain. I want to become fog. I want to be inaccessible.

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Voice: >I’m your fear. I dominate you. In all your actions. You can’t stand me but you’ve become used to living with me. You can’t imagine life without my omnipresent presence. What would you do? You’re fond of me. You hate me. The relaxation therapies take me away from you only momentarily. The tears won’t be of any use to you. You’ve finally learned how to use me.<

The interior of the girl is forcing me to discover it. I’m pretending I’m her. Do I really want it? I feel as if all the weight has completely disappeared. Am I floating inside my own armor? It can’t be. It’s all psychological. I’m being suctioned by another changing shape.

Voice: >I’m your own independence. You remember me, but the fear is stronger than me. I feel obsolete. As time goes by, I am more like a utopia. You notice that survival is more and more difficult. You’re getting older, despite still being young and desirable. You need other people to give you life, to give you the energy to go on. Addiction. You look at me and feel sadness and bitterness.<

There’s only one force left. And it’s oppressing me. I feel angry at everything. Why are you forcing me to see you just as you are? I’m not like you. I’m not you. We share similar aspects, but not all. No.

Voice: >I’m your torment. You need to get me out of your head and you try to relax and not

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think about anything, but you will never be able to do it. Too many things lead you to me. Conscience is one. Memories. Without realizing it you have created a space inside me, like a bubble where everything goes in and nothing goes out. You’re going to like it! It’s a small part but very interesting. If you want, you can try to come in, although you won’t be able to come out. I will help you a little, but not too much. Losing a battle sometimes leads to winning the war.<

Of course I want to. I will destroy you! I feel hatred and anger. Also powerlessness, but I’m putting that emotion aside. Let’s see what you offer me. Let’s see what torture you impose on me. I feel sorry for the girl. I will kill you. Suck me in!

Me: I want to come in. Yes. Suck me in.

What? Haven’t you understood me? What do I need to do to come in?

Shit. A very strong jolt almost breaks me to pieces. That’s the way I like it! You’ve understood me perfectly well. Perhaps you wanted to make me suffer a little with the wait. You’ve suctioned me into your guts, eh?

There’s gravity! My body feels heavy! My armor and I are falling. I touch ground immediately. I’m slipping! All done! I found my balance! The armor is very heavy now. The

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ground is unstable, sort of metallic, like made of mercury. I sink. I can’t do anything about it! I’m glued to the ground. I’ve stopped sinking but now I can’t move. I’m trapped! What do you have in store for me now?

I’m figuring out my location... I’m a prisoner in a small, hollow, metallic sphere that’s surrounding me. The height of my head coincides with its center. The material of the entire interior is like mercury. Fickle. There are small waves that appear, cross each other, and then disappear... My own thoughts are rebounding. I feel my own breathing inside my head. The sound bounces off and comes back to my ears from all angles.

I can’t move! Panic is beginning to devour me! I need to get out! I shoot with the machine guns! The sphere absorbs the bullets effortlessly.

Launching missiles would be useless! Or maybe they would explode inside the sphere and the blast would tear me to pieces. Or maybe the sphere would simply swallow us as it did with the bullets. I better not try that. Shit! I can’t get out!

What do I do? My heart is going to explode!

Calm down! Calm down! I must think coolly.

In front of me I can see my own reflection and it moves following my movements. There’s something strange... My reflection doesn’t have an armor! How can it be? The sphere only reflects my body?

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Wait a minute! It’s not my body! It’s the body of which I’m inside. It’s the girl’s body! The reflection follows my movements exactly but they correspond to the girl’s appearance! I’m pretending I’m exactly her inside her world. I wasn’t expecting this! What’s that? Small fluctuations in my reflection. No... Wait a minute... Fluctuations in the entire carrier! Lots of them! Thin fogs... Whispering?... And I can’t do anything...

They’re moving very slowly.

This one is penetrating my armor... Its going through me! I’m very scared... A sensation of inner emptiness invades my whole being... Suddenly I feel very sad... Is the thin fog changing my mood? I can’t do anything about it... I can’t move some place else... My strength is leaving me but the armor’s energy is stable... Melancholy... You’re beating me... I can’t fight against this... I don’t know how... A soft voice inside my head calls my attention with a bittersweet sensation... A feminine whisper...

Whisper: >I dance uncontrollably. Lasers. Holovideos of shapes. Hypnotic music. I’m in the center. All my friends have come tonight. I’ve had to use my skills to achieve it. I put my arms up. My back moves with the beats penetrating my mind. Sweat. The ingested substances are taking effect. I’m extremely sensitive. Protected. No one can hurt me right now. I let go more. I feel adored. My brain flies. My eyes have been closed for a while. It’s amazing. And I sense I can still feel more. It’s not over yet. The pleasure rises more and more. It feels like I’m swimming. My femininity is coming to the surface. Someone’s shaking me around. It’s like I’m waking up.

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What? A voice informs me that a loved one has suffered terrible injuries. Self-inflicted injuries. Might or might not live. I fall to the ground. What have you done? Why? What made you make that decision? We grew up together. We parted ways a long time ago. A lot of tears slide down non-stop. Was it that bad for you? You looked so unhappy in the middle of information... Sadness has taken over me again. No one can help me heal this moment. So many people...<

I’ve adopted her sensations as if they were mine. I’ve seen the scene while the voice was speaking to me. The inner emptiness is growing more...

Another thin fog goes slowly through my abdomen. I can already feel the disillusionment... No... Please... I feel it so deep inside...

Whisper: >I’ve presented the project successfully. I’ve finally been able to seduce them... I’m the best! I’ve just proved it so! There were people much more prepared than I was! I did it! I’m so happy! I can’t believe it! I jump! I shout! He gives me some news. He’s leaving me. Short. Why? Now? Without talking about it? After all the things we’ve been through. After so many great moments spent together! He’s waited for me not to be so worried with the project to tell me. He considered this to be the right moment. His department’s colleague. She... The best moment of all! He’s destroyed the best moment I’ve had in a very long time. He’s interrupted my happiness! Couldn’t he have told me when it really happened? Why has he concealed it

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until now? Why don’t they ever let me achieve complete happiness? Why can I never achieve the ecstasy I deserve? Why does someone always have to break it?<

Another thin fog disappeared through my left leg.

Whisper: >I’m dozing off softly. In a sweet state of wakefulness. Half real. Half dream. Taking a stroll... I’m with him, sweetly, in an embrace. Like two children. He strokes me. It’s not cold and it’s not hot... The soft wind carries me. We touch. I feel him. Our skin is touching, but without disturbing each other. I feel like merging our bodies into one. He loves me. Finally... Everything’s different now... I curse the noise that makes me land abruptly. Damn, girl! Why? Why do you wake me up? Do we need to leave? Now? Already? You’ve blown up a precious moment! That you didn’t know? Of course! You can’t even imagine the emptiness or the frustration I feel! I feel bitterness inside. Everything. My stomach feels empty but it has nothing to do with appetite. It’s empty of hope. The longing overwhelms me. No. Go. I’ll go in a minute. I want to be alone. It was only a dream but I’ve come back to reality way too quickly. Why can I never get to the end of my special moment? Why does someone always come to crash it whenever I’m beginning to enjoy a climax? Why don’t they let me be happy for once in my life? Only once, just to know what it feels like. Have I already lived happiness and I wasn’t able to distinguish it? I can’t compare it...<

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What is this? A collection of frustrating moments? Of potential happiness that doesn’t ever get achieved? Of intense intimate moments in which you’d like to abandon life once and for all? Of moments in which you’d like to end the routine of falling and getting up again? To end life’s routine? I feel so alone... I’m feeling so weak... Nothing’s really worth it... There’s always someone who destroys everything... That special moment... When I’m beginning to taste it... To savor it.

That’s enough... Don’t go into my chest... I would like to get out of here... But...

Whisper: >Alone. At last. After a terrible week. Privacy. I deeply wishes for it. I needed it. To reunite with myself. Everyone has problems. And what about me? I don’t have them? At last I’ve been able to get rid of everyone. You bother me now. I don’t want you near me. When I need you I will let you know somehow. Don’t worry... it will be soon. But this moment is only for me. Music. Relaxing music... A recording of a voice telling me stories... Synthetic fragrances that relax my senses... An intimate light... My ergonomically reclining bed... The music reaches a point where it gives me goose pumps... A state of natural semi-intoxication invades me... I feel like I’m reaching perfection... I hope no one bothers me this time... A little while longer and I will almost fall asleep of pleasure and contentment... The music turns into refreshing water that slips through my long hair...

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Thousand-year-old consciousness... When I was a little girl... Playing with my friends... Laughing... What were we laughing about? Oh, yes! I remember! Marthia was grounded for being silly! Wow! It seems like it happened in another life... Who the hell is knocking on the door now!? How enraging! Who the hell could it be? The perfect moment has gone to hell! Didn’t I tell everyone not to bother me this afternoon? Instead of relaxed now I feel a little angrier than before. What do I do? I will never forget this one whoever you are!<

A hint of anger has stayed inside me. I want to impose myself. I need to get out of this state. I scream. I scream as loudly as I can to make myself be valued inside this depressing world. Another thin fog is going through me... No!

If I go on like this the depression will consume me. I yell! It won’t be of any use but I must make myself be valued. A spark of will is still present inside me. I hear my screams while they bounce off the walls of the sphere. They’re weak but they seem to be waking me up. The metallic waves from the walls of the sphere begin to make unexpected movements. Is it possible that my screaming is affecting my surroundings? Is that how I should get out?

The whisper begins to speak but I don’t want to listen to it. I need to scream louder.

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In front of my feet I feel something emerging. I look at it. A bulk covered in a liquid metal. I put all my strength into bending down. What is it? Come on... I need to take it... It can’t be worse than what’s already happening to me... I take it... I pick it up... What? It looks like some sort of old megaphone, like the ones used to intimidate terrorists. Remains of liquid metal fall off it. I connect it. I speak through the device. My voice is louder and much more high-pitched. I scream. An earthquake. My scream rebounds, unbearable. It wakes me up abruptly! I must scream louder! I scream as loudly as I can! Screams! They’re thunderous! A violent earthquake! The sphere I’m in suddenly explodes! The fragments fly off! The thin fogs take off freely. They dissipate. They dissolve. The remains of the sphere are volatilizing.

I’m back in the previous space. Floating in the midst of blackness and bright changing colors. I still carry the megaphone in my hand. Where can I store it? Maybe the armor has a system... I bring the megaphone closer to my right leg and the armor suctions it and a part of the device stays visible, ready to be used again whenever necessary. My mood’s calming down and stabilizing again.

I slowly turn about myself. Everything appears to be as it was before. I come back to torment, to see what’s changed. I get closer.

Whisper: >I’m your torment.

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Did you like it? I have other ways of showing myself. Losing a battle sometimes leads to winning the war.<

Good. That’s enough. In fact, I believe I’ve achieved everything I wanted to achieve. I have a new goal. I get out of here. I don’t believe I will need to come back again. In any case, the white light tunnel will always be open in case I need it. The megaphone will be useful. I know a bubble...

I go through the white light tunnel and I go straight to the sphere.

...

I’m back inside the sphere. I hear a voice that tells me I’ve exited zone 03, that I’m in a transitional space and that if I wish to I can save the position (and the status and inventory) and recover it whenever necessary... It informs me that I’m ready to enter zone 01... I’ll go in another time. I save everything and leave the machine. Back to reality.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel.Thought: We don’t have many defenses so let’s use all the ones we have.

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We need to be as invisible as possible. The footprints are easy to follow... Even so... Who knows... Maybe something that we can’t control can also help us a little... We have the clothes... Let’s go over it... The synthetic material of its fabric reflects the surroundings as if it were a plastic mirror. You can see it perfectly well up close, but from the distance it’s deceiving to the human eye. We have seen that up close it can’t deceive robotic sensors. Perhaps the reason is that our face is in the open and continues to give out heat. I don’t believe the front visor has any effect in this case...

In fact, the holovideos already explained to us that the clothes were designed only to conceal us from satellites, that way it confused the subtle emissions of heat from the clothes with the inner temperature of a small animal... In any case, the antiradiation UV cream we made and that we apply on our faces regularly may work in our favour... Perhaps it will have some effect from a distance... Perhaps it will confuse them... Maybe the sunglasses will also keep our facial heat emissions slightly lower...

Luckily only our faces are in contact with open air... Maybe the clothes won’t be very useful with the robot, it knows what it’s looking for... If it’s looking for us.. .

Axel.Whisper: I have too many question marks... Pei: Are you talking to yourself? Axel: I was thinking about the clothes we’re wearing. Pei: The clothes? They were useless! They caught us anyway! Axel: Maybe the noise you made had a lot to do with it, don’t you

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think? Pei: Don’t make me angry!

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria: Where are you going? Hanz: I’m going out for a walk.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria.Thought: The music going into my ears excites me. I hear it inside my body. It’s like somehow it links up with my most primitive animal instincts. The sounds that remind me of the wind or of breathing relax me. I relate the low sounds with darkness and the high-pitch sounds with light... Why?

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Pei.Thought: I feel the tense and cold muscles of my face. Besides wearing clothes, my hands are frozen and feel numb. I feel multiple tiny, acute pricks on the back of my hands and the

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tip of my fingers. I need to move them more. It’s hard for me to walk. The survival utensils are very heavy today.

I can’t wait to get there. I’m very hungry. I’m thirsty. We have no food. We have no beverages.

Is the snow good? There is the problem with the radiation... But... The snow is new... I’m very thirsty...

I bend down. I feel very rigid. I look to the horizon. Nothing. No trace of the robot. I’m sure it’s watching us from the distance. I take some snow and put it carefully in my mouth. It’s good. Very good. I swallow it. Axel: What are you doing? Pei: Can’t you see? Axel: Yes. Of course. ... I’m very thirsty too. ... I don’t know... ... Mmmmhhhh... It’s good. Very good.

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WAY BACK TO THE LAB

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria: Are you ok, Hanz? Are you sure? Hanz: Yes. And you? You look a little sad. Eria: It’s nothing. ... Hanz.Thought: This is beginning to work.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel: Wait a minute... I’m going to urinate. Pei: How do you feel about leaving more traces than necessary? Axel: Stop complaining. You’re as guilty as I am. Pei: I was just kidding. We’re putting up with enough tension and tiredness, it’s ok to crack a joke now and then. Axel: That’s true... Are you coming? Let’s see who can aim the furthest! Pei: Ha!

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz.Thought: Do you want me? You will never have me. Do you remember all the times we made love? You never had me.

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Tania was never my possession either. She was free. I believe that there are very few things in the world that can lead someone to suffer in silence so much, that can lead to your own self-destruction, like having the girl you’re in love with wrapped in your arms, making love to her, but knowing that you will never have her completely. You want to own her but you can’t. Never. You try not to lose her, but you somehow know that it’s inevitable. You don’t know what to do. You let your nerves get the best of you.

Is that how you feel about me, Eria?

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel: We’ll eat later, Eria... Have you sealed the entrance? Eria: Yes. Please rest, will you? Pei: Now we will see whether the exterior camouflage system actually works. Hanz: There’s nothing indicating that the camouflage has ever failed. Why do we need it now?

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel: Maybe it thinks that we’ve disappeared like him. Just above us, at the surface, there’s a place where our footprints end.

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If it were looking as intensely as we were, it could find some mechanism at the lab’s entrance. Let’s hope it doesn’t...

Only here we possess the conditions to live normally...

...

I’m sure it figured out that what we described about us is false and that we don’t have any colleagues camped anywhere. It must be angry now. It didn’t attack us because it wanted us to lead it to our real base.

Maybe it’ll be outside in a little while, looking. One hopes that the sensors are as passive as our originals asserted. I believe we don’t need to disconnect them either, I want to know what’s going on outside. Although it will probably have a good camouflage system against radars, who knows, maybe it emits a small signal that we might be able to receive.

I know we’ve never detected it before, but remember that the radars sometimes gave us signals that we didn’t know how to interpret.

And it seems that it’s been in that place, watching, since long before we were alive.

...

What is the reason it disappeared that way? It’s very strange, Hanz. So far Pei and I have not been able to find any apparent

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logic to it. Look... The robot is from the Corporation and the codes were correct... Or that’s what it said... Or they were old and it played along with us to follow us and obtain information... But... What kind of information? It’s all very odd...

...

We’re now in our original’s situation. Shut off. If we go out and it catches us then maybe all that they intended to happen when they gave us their tissue will suddenly come to an end. It could kill us. It can.

...

Remember that our camouflage systems were the best at the time.

...

You haven’t had a cannon shoved on your face. You’ve never seen such an imminent death.

...

You must understand that we can’t fight it in any way.

...

Let’s wait... I don’t know... Let’s wait three weeks or a month

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here, inside the lab. We must not go out under any circumstances. We’ll see later... Do you agree? Do you understand this?

...

Come on! Let’s hug! That’s it...

Hanz.Thought: It’s been a long time since we’ve had a group hug. It seems now we only do it during difficult situations. Eria.Thought: We’re together again. Pei.Thought: This feels good... Let’s see if this situation ends soon... A month without going outside is a very long time for me. It will be hard. The lab is very small.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel.Thought: It seems like the sexual desire is always present. Is it because I’m a man? I’m always ready. Even when I don’t feel like it, the instinct pushes me. Why? Because I’m warm blooded? Because I have the perversion stuck in my brain? I can’t free myself. I don’t want to either. When my body begins to throb in tension it’s when reason comes into conflict with animal instincts. After a while I can only enjoy a few free moments, until I feel the pressure again. My muscles feel sore. Fluids. Sweat. Momentary peace.

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With time I’ve come to see that sex is not the most important, but it’s part of my genes. It’s always with me. The instinct catapults me and helps me feel passion in many shapes. Even in darkness there are things that fascinate me... Lines of pale light... ... Axel: Are you awake? Eria: Yes... You can’t sleep? Axel: No... I love being back in my room... A normal night... I mean... I’m very tired and I shouldn’t have any problem... Eria: ...But? Axel: Deep inside I’m still alert... I thought it would be easier... Eria: I’ve missed you... I love your body’s warmth... I’ve slept a lot these past few days and I almost don’t need it now... ... If I had a son, I would like it to be yours. Don’t tell anyone... Especially Hanz. He’s acting very strangely. I feel sorry for him. I try to help him but I can’t... He makes me feel bad... And guilty... ... I often wonder whether I can have children. I know I do everything well. With all of you. I follow the instructions of my original and Tania’s original. I like sex. I have no obstacles. I love all of you. What’s not working? I take advantage of the fertile days. Am I infertile? ... Can clones have children? What I ask myself most often is whether the hurried cloning

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contains a flaw. Is it you? ... We’ve been making love for a long time and nothing... Besides the pleasure... Axel: You’re beginning to sound like me the way you’re talking... If you go on like this you’ll go crazy... Don’t worry... We have no way of knowing... Eria: Don’t laugh. You know what I’m talking about. Our originals... They prepared both Tania and me to be able to have children, above all. ... Now I feel a lot of responsibility. I’m the only one who can perpetuate the species. It’s too much. I know I shouldn’t think about it... But... Turn around... You deserve a back massage, it feels very tense... Axel: Yes... A little... What about you? Everything ok with you two these past few days? What happened to Hanz? Eria: I don’t know exactly. He’s not well. He doesn’t seem himself. Axel: What sometimes goes through my head is... Whether we will have anyone that will remember us... Anyone to whom we could tell our stories. Eria: Don’t say things like that... They’re not helping... Axel: I’m sorry... I’m loving what you’re doing to my back... Mmmhhh... I think we need to treat Hanz as we always have, that way he will go back to his old self at his own pace. It seems this last season everything’s gone a bit out of control,

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and you know how he needs his routine. Be as friendly to him as always. Don’t shy away from him. Now everything is more out of control than never, but we can try to live a life as normally as possible. Eria: Let’s see if that works... I assure you I had never seen him like this... Axel: Your hands are incredible!

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Pei.Thought: We have a busy day tomorrow looking for information. I need to sleep. I need a clear head. Right now I have an excessive amount of ideas in my head. I’m too curious. I would start looking right now...

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Pei: No... It’s not this one either... Go on... Axel: No... ... No... Not this one... Pei: This one! Let’s look at it! Axel: Your original was a fanatic of new technologies. Where does all this information end?

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It looks like he was always up to date with military secret affairs... Well... At least as much as he could... He was very loyal to the Corporation... They seemed to trust him... Pei: So many robots made to kill. Technological escalation. It doesn’t cease to be somewhat funny. Axel: Sure, but if it weren’t for the war, we would have never existed. That’s what’s truly funny. Pei: Look... It’s a bomber robot... And in the file... Wow! It’s amazing but this is not the one we saw... This one is bigger... Much bigger. Plus it’s relatively old. It must have been from the time prior to the cyborgs. Before they implanted human tissues into machines. Axel: Let’s take a look at the other records... It’s obvious this is not the one... ... Pei: We’ve been here for hours already... I’m going to switch archives... Let’s look at my original’s notes about the digitalization of human beings. Maybe that will give us new clues as to what we need to be looking for... Axel: Yes.. I also think that’s the key... Pei: But there are so many recorded notes that it’s going to be a little difficult... Axel: No problem... We have a lot of time... Pei: I detect a hint of irony in your statement... Axel: Maybe a little... Just enough... Pei: Of course... ... Here it is... This sounds very familiar!... ‘Digitalization of a human being’... ‘The capture of a human being; sections and phases’... Check this out... ‘The candidates’ psychology’... ‘Optimal moment

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of capture’... Axel: Where did they enter the data they obtained? Pei: Look... Here... ‘Final phase’... ‘Obtaining a virtual clone’... Pure software... ‘Implantation of an electronic board as a unit of process or co-process’... Look at this... ‘Operation / Life with the virtual clone’... ‘Environment / Space / Landscape’... ‘Physical and bodily needs / Solutions and satisfactions’... Axel: It’s exactly what we remembered that day... This was it... My memory is not as bad as I thought... Pei: Yes... But look here... ‘Application’... ‘Investigation phase’. Axel: Here’s where the path ends. ... Pei: We can keep looking for another concept. So far we’ve only been thinking about robots. And we have seen that robots are relatively old. I think we need to find a very modern military unit outside of a cyborg. Let’s look for infantry units. Shall we assume that the robot we found was some kind of soldier? Axel: Yes. Pei: There are a lot of them... Let’s look at the more modern ones... This time it allows me to order them by date... ... Axel: Stop at this one! Pei: I have no other option. This is the last file. Axel: It has a lot of technical details... I don’t really understand them very well but I remember this file caught my attention a long time ago... It’s a file that didn’t contain any image... The one I asked you about that time... Remember? Pei: Maybe a little...

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Axel: Let’s look for something out of place... Something new... Something we’ve never seen in any other record... Pei: Everything’s so technical... I don’t see anything that says whether it can fly or not... Supposedly it’s infantry and therefore it can’t fly, but... ... It doesn’t say anything about the transport system carrying him to his target either... Axel: Let’s look at it slowly... It could be that this file isn’t it and there’s nothing to find... What the hell was it? We’ve seen so many different data throughout our lives that now I’m all confused... We’ve had way too much free time, Pei. Pei: And now we have even more free time.... Axel: Yes... Pei: Hanz! How long have you been here? Hanz: Not much. I was just watching you. Axel: Can you help us? Hanz: I wouldn’t be of much use. I didn’t see the robot. I will stick to watching... All right? Pei: Very well. ... Axel: What’s this? Pei: What? Axel: This! Look! This component! ‘Unit of inorganic emotional assistance’... Can you see the word emotional? Pei: Yes! Axel: And it doesn’t say anything about organic tissue or anything similar! Pei: Look at the previous file!

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Axel: It doesn’t have any image either, but... Yes! It was a cyborg! And it doesn’t have anything similar to inorganic emotional components. It has emotional components but they’re organic. Pei: I’ll go back to the file we’re interested in! It’s a different soldier model from the previous ones! Axel: Very different! The previous ones are cyborgs and this one is a robot. This unit represents a change with respect to the other infantry units. It’s a robot like the old ones again. Why would they go back to the old robots if there isn’t a good reason? Why come back to a model of pure machine if it seems the cyborgs were producing such good results? Pay attention to this! During a good many years only cyborgs were used. It looks like the pure robots were obsolete. And suddenly... A pure robot is built again and it’s the most modern and powerful jewel of the infantry! This supports our deductions, Pei!

When all is said and done, we’re not finding anything new... We’re confirming what we had already deduced that day.

I had already looked at many files of robots, cyborgs and machines guided by human beings. I remembered the fact that the more modern files or prototypes didn’t contain any image. I remembered that one of the files about a robot that contained the added term ‘emotional’ caught my attention, but I didn’t know why. Like so many other things, I also looked at the notes of your original about experiments in other labs of the Corporation. But I didn’t connect the dots up until we came across the robot face to face. You know that a brain under pressure produces

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spectacular results. At first it was data that wasn’t useful to me, like the majority of information we find at the lab... But in the end...

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz.Thought: What if the robot lied to them and that Collette was only a program or a sequence in its artificial intelligence? What if it was only a lie? The robot’s programmers could have entered routines to lie to civilians or something like that... To create confusion... To make the troops seem more intelligent than they actually were. ... What if I lie to them? How could I convince them that it’s not necessary to be so hysterical? How could I teach them a lesson? Do I tell them that just now one of the computer functions that had never started before has been activated? How could they finally learn that I also exist? No more underestimating me. I’ve kept quiet enough in my life. I’ve held back enough... And in the end it hasn’t done any good. Eria doesn’t pay as much attention to me as she does to Axel. And he’s not as intelligent as I am. ... ‘Inorganic emotional assistance’... If I analyze the words... ‘Assistance’: Help? Self-help or help for someone else? Emotional help for someone? Help for civilians in defense operations to calm them down? To be

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able to get them under control better? To keep panic under control? Maybe assistance means manipulation. Manipulation to generate chaos and panic? Maybe that’s going too far... Or maybe not... 'Emotional': 'Emotional'? Its own emotions? Or provoking emotions on others? Does it provoke emotions to the one being lied to? What for? To get information out of them more efficiently? To create sympathy? 'Inorganic': Obvious. Non-organic. It’s a chip or a program. Simple artificial intelligence. Or perhaps it means that that the help isn’t any kind of organic nourishment or drug, but words or something like that...

Also... all that information is inside the file along with all the other details. It doesn’t stand out. Is it that important?

It may mean everything they’re suggesting, but it could also be what I think it is; a simple lie for gullible humans. This way it looks like the machine wants to communicate with them when what it’s really doing is acquiring first-hand information. Why would they have to endow the combat robots with emotional intelligence? These machines only follow orders and the artificial intelligence could take control of the situation perfectly well in case of isolation. No. They don’t need emotional intelligence and, should an abnormality occur, it could become a disruption. Feelings can be distracting in certain cases. I can’t believe anyone would have to really endow the robots with the assault of feelings, not even if they were of the tiniest help. They proceed and that’s it. They destroy and move on.

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These types of robots were already sufficiently developed and didn’t need anything human. I believe the artificial intelligence was already so evolved that the human tissues stopped being necessary. The tissues and the feelings themselves weren’t needed anymore. Cold calculation is the best weapon for a soldier.

That she was with a boy? How can it be? Was there maybe another virtual clone, besides Collette, inside that machine? A resource of the A.I.? Too much confusion... Too much disorder. A machine is organized. Processes. Routines. They can be extremely complicated but in the end they don’t cease to be that, machines. Why make an A.I. so complicated if they could have prerecorded answers to make the negotiator reason? The machine can manipulate the conversation to instill fear or calmness. The program is intelligent enough to have a pre-established, coherent conversation. Why did they need to generate conversations with people? Maybe, among other things, they did it as a front for the media. To create sympathy towards the military from the general public. Ah! Public opinion! So important and at the same time so easily manipulated. The fact that the wars were transmitted live must have conditioned a lot of things. The military had to look good. People had to be happy. Happy and lied to. While they had their soda. ... Wait a minute...

What if the robot is infected with some kind of computer virus? A virus that can alter the infamous ‘inorganic emotional assistance’ and that can alter the machine’s behavior?

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The result would be unpredictable... In fact, it seems it is... The android, according to the description, communicates and can therefore receive and emit a virus. How come nobody thought about this before? What was a robot doing lost in the middle of a zone where, theoretically, there was nothing to guard? Well. It’s a new point of view... And more of them are coming.

A hacker could have entered the operating system and changed the values. The results would also be unpredictable to the naked eye. Our lab could only transmit and receive computer data through one single physical channel, and it was the MPDU. The most secure and incorruptible channel known to man. But the robot received orders from its superiors from a distance. The communications could have been manipulated. I’m sure there was security in place, but an expert with means could be able to break it. That can’t happen in this lab. The communications channel was unique. It was constructed with underground cables directly connected to the MPDU. Nobody knew of the existence of this channel. I still don’t understand how they built it. How they were able to secure it so that nobody knew anything about these underground wires. Maybe a small robot, nearly minuscule, made a tunnel a few inches in diameter from the capital (from the MPDU itself or guided by it) until they got here; always underground. The robot itself must have pulled the wires. Once here it wouldn’t need to go back. It could be destroyed or it could self-destroy. Due to the tremendous distance between the lab and the capital, this is the only way it could go undetected.

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... What’s up with her? She looks at me but keeps her distance. She touches me and tells me not to worry, but he hugs and kisses Axel. She tells me not to worry, she’s just having a bad day. I have a sixth sense, a red flag has been raised with urgency. A needle that doesn’t stop jabbing my guts, my stomach. A bad feeling. I’m one too many here. I disconnect. I live inside myself. I tell myself nothing’s wrong. The two girls I have met are quite strange. I’ve never understood them. Every time I’ve kept to myself I’ve ended up functioning more or less well. But I’ve always worried. Now I’m realizing that I’ve always bottled up everything. All these emotions are bottled up inside me and now they are about to knock down these walls I’ve built around me. They’re tough but the weight is beginning to be too much. And now I’m very worried. A sense of guilt is gnawing at me nonstop. Guilt, fear and jealousy. It feels like a bad combination. I only want a kiss. An expression like the one that night. How enraging. You’re ignoring me. I’m your equal and, in certain aspects, I’m better. What have I done so wrong? I can’t stop asking myself. Nothing. I haven’t done anything wrong. I’ve done very important things for everyone.

She looks at me like she feels sorry for me. I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me! My stomach is turning granular. Why can’t I sleep like I used to? I’m losing my health. I’m going out of control. And this is what I am afraid of. I’m afraid that she will notice I’m losing control. My self-control is what makes me strong. The internal discipline. The determination. The suffering. This is what makes me tough.

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And she doesn’t know it, but I’m very used to suffering. Suffering a lot. This extreme armor I’ve built for myself serves to stop the pain that the smallest rejection makes me feel. Tania was able to see it. She saw me inside. It took her years. And I didn’t help her see it. On the contrary. No... With the dignified optimism of a legendary fairy she stroked me and made me feel secure. But she’s not here anymore. I’m alone. Alone with myself. With all the crap that pushes me to get out. The discomfort gives me anger and I feel like destroying everything. I can’t go down to that level. I can’t let primitive instincts dominate me. I’m a clone. A wonder of genetics. The pride of my original. I want help but there’s no one that can help me. Determination and control. ... The lab... Its construction... The big building we found... It occurred to me yesterday for the first time... Maybe... There’s no way to know right now... Not even the originals say anything about it...

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Pei: I know that our originals have told us many times that one could only be connected with the MPDU through a completely secure line. That was when everything worked. What I mean to say is that we don’t know anything regarding that line, or what system they used. In fact, we don’t know anything at all.

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Can the robot get connected to that wire somehow? I know it’s underground, but... Can the robot get access to our computers without even getting close to our lab? Axel: I hope not. Remember that the line was the most secure that our originals knew. Nobody knew where that wire was. On the other hand, the web of computers of this lab is internal and by wire, it doesn’t emit anything outside. I don’t think it can access it in any way. ... If the robot got close to us the sensors would detect it. ... Anyway, I’m no longer sure about anything. Pei: Me neither. What if the robot has equipment as advanced as our lab’s? It’s not a wild possibility, remember that it was one of the latest models. The Corporation would’ve had the technology to design the best detection system and, at the same time, know a way to elude it. Axel: I see. What do you say, Hanz? If the robot could connect somehow to our computers it could reprogram them, right? Hanz: Yes. Of course. It’s a military robot. It’s always ready to attack. Pei: I suppose it could even block the entire system. Hanz: It could play with us and we wouldn’t know where to start. It could look at and copy all the archives from the computer. It could modify them. It could kill us slowly by halting the ventilation systems of the lab... It could own us.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz.Thought: Why would there be remains of a building so large in the middle of nothing? ... I would say that that structure was still under construction... Or at least unfinished. ... What was that building meant to be used for once finished? A rehab clinic for famous people? A place for celebrities to relax and where they couldn’t be disturbed? A big luxury spa hotel far away from everything? Away from journalists and the media? How else could the location of such a big building be explained? So far away from any city? It can’t. A peaceful oasis. It must be something like that... When Eria called me because she’d found a small package inside a brick box in the building, it immediately sparked my curiosity... The package. It contained a small broken down personal pocket computer and a bunch of worn out papers that I still can’t understand how they made it intact. Sheets, print outs of orders, employee relations, shifts, machinery, repairs... All very cryptic... Scratch paper... The owner of those papers must not have completely trusted computers... The orders for big indoor pools, showers, and massagers really caught my attention. The rest of the information is still a mystery to me. No matter how much I look at those papers I can’t make out anything else. They wouldn’t be able to make these connections, not a chance. ... I don’t know exactly from where I took all this information from...

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From which holovideo... During the era of my originals, clinics for stressed out famous people or with addictions to various different drugs were quite common. It was common in the hypocrisy of that society. Celebrities... Based on what I’ve seen, famous people were necessary. That way people had someone to admire or imitate. Famous people manipulated the tastes and tendencies. I believe that, deep down, the Corporation was using famous people to drive the population properly. Through them the Corporation seduced public opinion. I believe the Corporation instilled part of its doctrine through celebrities. Is it possible that a famous person was trained directly by the Corporation from childhood? Educated to seduce? ... Let’s go back to the cover up theory... It occurred to me yesterday... I haven’t told anyone. And I’m not going to. It seems none of them have ever thought about it, and not even the originals made any comment about it...

It’s very suspicious for a building under construction to be so close to a secret lab like ours. And all of it in the middle of land away from everything...

Did they intend to finish up the construction one day? Or was it destined solely to conceal another construction? Destined to conceal the construction from scratch of this secret lab? I’m sure a tunnel was excavated from that site. All the assembly materials would arrive at the building’s construction site and it would be transported here through an excavated tunnel that would connect both places. Here. What would become our lab in

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the future.

Even for the indiscrete eyes of unauthorized employees or the own Corporation satellites’ used wrongfully, this building, in theory, would need to be explainable. All paperwork would need to be in order.

Was the building’s construction abandoned once the lab was finished? Did it go on but very slowly so to conceal this area continuously? Were the scientists that came here loaded and unloaded there? Did they come here on foot like us? What was the robot Axel and Pei found doing there? On guard? Did it begin its guard when the lab stopped working? And what about the dwellings of the construction workers? And all the machinery? Where are they? Were there any workers in the area the day of the Great Disaster? Was no one there already? ... I imagine they must have dug a provisional underground tunnel from the building under construction down to the lowest and deepest part of our lab (where the energy generators are located). It would then be dug upwards to achieve a large space. The lab would be built inside this large space. To finish up, it would only be necessary to dig, vertically, a small and long tubular access in a way that it would be connected to the surface with the lab’s space. To build the entrance to the surface they would need to cover the small opening with a camouflage canvas so that the satellites wouldn’t detect anything strange. There are more ways to achieve the final result, but I find that this one was the most appropriate one.

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All the surplus soil and rubble would be taken to the building under construction. No suspicions. The entire unassembled lab would gradually travel through the tunnel and it would be assembled here, where the lab would finally take shape. A long road but a secure one. If my reasoning is right... Then... Where is this tunnel? Why don’t we have access to it? Why do we come in and out from an overhead entrance? Once the lab was built, they probably closed down the tunnel again with the previously extracted soil in order to avoid any intrusion from the building. For the safety of the scientists that worked at the lab. When we were at the construction site I didn’t see any sign of excavation. I believe we are witnessing a job very well done. ... How did they manage to keep the lab’s construction a secret? I’m sure all communications from the construction workers were controlled and censored... Maybe there was no possible way to communicate. I suppose all the construction workers and the military troops that participated in any way in the construction of all of this must have had a quick death before they were able to say anything about what they’d done. Based on what I’ve seen, the Corporation was very strict. It didn’t tolerate any predictable errors. I don’t believe the construction workers suffered a painful death. It’s a shame that technology to erase memories didn’t exist.

The scientists that worked in this lab... Only them would know

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about its existence then... Were they eliminated once they left? Logic tells me that that’s the case, but...

Why did our originals not even wonder about this? Were they that absorbed by the system? So blindly trusting of the Corporation?

Naturally, I could be wrong with all my assumptions... But... No.

If everything I’m thinking about is wrong... Then... How was this lab built without any detection from any satellite? No. It was done exactly how I’ve deduced it. I’m sure. There is no other way.

Nobody’s thought of this idea... Ignorant...

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria.Thought: It’s been a while since I examined you thoroughly... I need to try not to get distracted or get carried away... But I find it hard to do... Let’s begin with some tests...

Holovideo_Axel_Original: Contrary to what I had predicted, the machines never surpass the human species. The human fear of being enslaved by machines made the whole world become conscious about it and made them try to control the entire

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electronic evolution.

In perspective I realize that, oddly enough, there was also a mechanization of human life. All human life was under rational control. Corporations and governments wanted to use their power to control every single aspect of human life.

There was a dehumanization of society. I can see it very clearly now. The machines had nothing to do with it. It was human beings like us who wanted to keep everything under absolute control. Sex was highly present within the aesthetics of the Corporation as a symbol of our carnal and non-metallic condition but, at the same time, expressions which exceeded a threshold of public morality were very harshly censored. Phallic symbols of every shape were everywhere. Power symbols. The machines were apparently controlled, but humans continued depending on all kinds of technology. At the Corporation technology represented the same way of life. It was everywhere. It didn’t matter whether it was obsolete or last generation technology.

Fear of the machines. Fear of death. Intelligent cyborgs, androids and robots weren’t very well looked upon inside society. They were basically used in military technology. They depended directly on power. Away from the public opinion’s eye. They told us that, in case of battle, machines would die instead of human beings. Apparently it was human beings who told them what to do. They weren’t telling us that in the hypothetical case of rebellion they could self-destruct without

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any complications.

Adoration of physical beauty. Anyone who couldn’t keep up with it would often go against the system. The purging of terrorists by security forces. Any kind of rebellion was impermissible. I can see now that reeducation jails were almost decorative. Only small faults existed.

Medium and low human classes were necessary, but they were very tightly controlled. Cameras. Any subject was easily eliminated at the slightest violation. Only useful population existed.

Humans still had the creativity that the machines lacked. It was suspected that cyborgs (mixture of human and machine) were also capable of creativity, and from this stemmed the main distrust from the population. Humans didn’t need to be fabricated... They reproduced. They only needed to be taught properly. They could work hard, manage, and they had imagination.

I realize that I’m almost speaking like a machine. My education is engraved deep inside my brain.

I notice that they never mixed us with cyborgs, they said that this way pure men’s knowledge could be protected. That’s how it was in all establishments. I suppose that has to do with the motivation... A very important condition for human productivity. While we felt superior, we would

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stay hopeful... But ultimately it was the MPDU who organized everything. And the MPDU was a big computer.

That’s how our daily life worked. Full of human contradictions.

Life is change. A fight between opposites.

Human perfection’s investigation carried the control and the oppression of those that weren’t so perfect. That oppression had a name. Terrorism. Tiny bombs of devastating power. Consternation. Blown up bodies. Destroyed machines. Mutilation. Blood. Internal organs. Horror. The media.

But this was my society. The corporation to which we belonged. The one that gave us everything. The one that took away everything. I miss it.

Eria.Thought: Well. This one doesn’t say anything about it. How about this one? It’s from much later...

Holovideo_Axel_Original: Nothing had to change by any means. I’ve been thinking more about it now that I have a lot of time in my hands. The Corporation and its main competitors did everything possible to maintain the world order in which they were well positioned. They exercised pressure over the powers that ignored the rules. They invaded the ones that, for example, began to use intelligent robots and robots for labor excessively (substituting human labor). It was considered an intolerable threat

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to global balance. They said it was a danger to the human species, but I suppose that the business aspect weighed in heavily. The human hegemony of the large corporations had to continue. Everything was working and nothing had to change. The big corporations didn’t want to lose their privileged positions of power in the global economy.

If a power threatened to change the rules, the others went after it. Force was a way to keep the peace.

Ultimately, corporations were engaged in commerce, and commerce has always been transacted among humans. I believe all commerce was based on buying and selling solutions for the human problems. Comfort, leisure, communication, food, security, and territory was bought and sold... In addition, the population of each corporation was a producer and a consumer at the same time. Corporations needed humans to obtain profits. I suppose that a society of machines would be organized very differently. Would machines be motivated to look for comfort? Wealth? Would they be motivated by envy? Would they trade? Would they compete with each other? Would they fight for territory? Would they all unite? Would they use humans and their needs to their advantage? What role could corporations have played in all of that? Would the entire global outlook have changed? Would the leader corporations have maintained their status? I don’t think so. Present corporations didn’t want to change because they knew it would have jeopardized them. Maybe they wouldn’t even have a reason to exist. In a different scenario, the

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strengths and weaknesses would be also different. They wanted to save their respective statuses. The big corporations were huge monsters with little capacity to react to sudden changes. Our Corporation... They told us we were the envy of the competition... That we were the best... We needed to make sure everything stayed the same... Always ahead... No rest... We couldn’t lose our privileged position in the world... The board of directors couldn’t be exposed to a revolution by the population. It would have meant many human casualties. The military would’ve had to act to straighten things up. The damages would have been very difficult to fix in the short run. It would have been an era of radical changes and it would have probably meant the loss of its leading position in the market. Loss of strength and power. A revolt of any kind couldn’t be allowed. Therefore they worked on the population’s morale. The population always needed to be united and motivated. The objective of the Corporation was to maintain status quo. To always be the best.

What was the cause of the Great Disaster? Who pressed that button first? Why were radioactive weapons the only ones used? Why weren’t biological weapons used? Were they used? Were they used away from here? Everything was so unexpected...

Eria.Thought: Not this one either...

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel: Ok. Eria has already started reviewing the holovideos. Let’s see if she can find some useful information... Pei: How do we do it? Axel: We can get moving. Let’s look around the main part of the lab. Maybe something catches our attention... Let’s follow a method... Six floors for each of us. The main part of the lab is composed of eighteen hermetic floors with square floor plans that form part of the core of the large vertical structure situated underneath the long hollow cylinder going up to the surface. If we divide these eighteen floors among three people, we will each have six. We need to check under every step of the stairs connecting the floors externally, and also the space of about 3 feet separating each floor with the one below or above which houses the wiring and the pipes. Let’s please not forget the space, including on each floor, that houses the pipes going up or down vertically from one floor to the other corresponding to the air and water circuits... Let’s see... We already know that the entire structure of the lab, including the external stairs of the floor, are hermetically isolated from the external subsoil, but even so it’s possible that there exists a weak spot. The fact that the lab is hermetically isolated, which I supposed it is to avoid a malfunction in the air circuit or something of that nature, doesn’t discard that there may be a hidden spot through

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which one could get to the subsoil. Is it possible that there is a spot that leads to some small cave? Outside and surrounding the entire hermetic system of the lab there is a structure of seismic shock absorbers built in to minimize the effect of earthquakes. Hanz: Which floors do I get? I would like to check the deepest six floors.

:: GĂ¨mini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Tania_Original: My childhood? The city of cosmetic surgery? City 37? What do you want me to say, Axel? I will tell you whatever I want first... The center... Big skyscrapers... Curvatures... Curvilinear buildings... Cleanliness... A lot of machines that blended with the environment... Malls... Night bars... Holovideos everywhere... Youthfulness... Young bodies... Tight dresses... Clinics everywhere... Cheap... Of all kinds... Cosmetic surgery accessible to all... Research and development labs... Humanity was in command... The machines adapted to our tastes... Glass and metal (of chrome and metallic colors)... The sun produced reflections... The night was filled with lights of colors that transformed the vision... It was beautiful... I loved going out at night, drinking those liquors that made me feel so good... They made me feel clean... University with those attractive guys... I was young... The city was a symbol of life and youth... Cleanliness and future... Purity... Catharsis... The fact that it had four rivers crossing it made the night so romantic... Places where you could

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let go... Where you could show off your beauty... Everyone could see it... They could admire you... I remember that attractive top with the golden Corporation’s logo on the shiny black fabric. The guys couldn’t get their eyes off me... What a night!... Lasers and holovideos... If I could describe it more exactly with words...

I remember having looked at the city at night, from above, from the clinic where I was in training, from its rooftop, surrounding by elegant wavy antennas. A soft wind was blowing. My hair dancing in the air. It had been a long day. A lot of operations. Operations that produced momentary happiness in the eyes of the patients. External beauty motivates the internal one. I was very tired but very relaxed. I had worked nonstop. I didn’t even have any time to think. I loved that feeling. I was looking down. At that moment I was above everyone, distant. I saw everything even though no one saw me. The city was enormous. All the people from the Corporation passed through it at least once to fine tune and update their bodies. To smooth those wrinkles or suck out the fat, to transform into the self they always wanted to be when they looked in the mirror, to rejuvenate their look, to self indulge. It was a very important city. A city of consumption. And I was a part of it. I felt useful to people. My people. I had a very special bond with them. They all came with high hopes... And to see their faces when everything was successfully finished... Ah, priceless!... So proud of themselves... Many of them had traveled a long way by land... From up there I imagined them sleeping peacefully. That man that was so afraid of the operation but wanted to go on with it anyway... The little girl that wanted to get that damn blemish off her face... That night she must have been sleeping thinking about

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the future... A future without embarrassment... Even he must have been sleeping peacefully... I was so in love at the time... I almost didn’t even need to touch him... I was happy simply with the idea of him on my mind. I knew where he lived. I remember that I looked towards his living quarters. He was a facial features synthesis student, among other things. He was so thoughtful, tall and dashing... His skin... His eyes... When he looked at me... A fleeting thought... The mere concept of him already painted a smile on my face.

The mixture of the changing water from the rivers together with the amount of glass, metal and lights gave the city an aweinspiring appearance at night. The air was so clean... The spotlights illuminated the great gardens, the electric green, blue or pink plants, all created from genetic transformations. I get excited at the thought all of that... The tranquility of those lit up nights... The helicopters with their spotlights... The high towers with lonely, straight, and blue lasers rising to infinity, upward... I had dreams... My whole future was ahead of me. At the time I was studying medicine. I was already performing small cosmetic operations. That was only to earn money... But what I really wanted to do was to fight against illnesses. Viruses. Bacteria. Rebel cells. I wanted to dominate them. Eradicate them. Kill them.

When I was a little girl I sometimes saw my parents ill, weak, sad and in a bad mood. They told me that the tiny viruses that attacked them from inside were to blame. I will never forget it. A seed was planted in my small little girl’s head and it haunts me to this day. To dominate viruses. I’ve been obsessed with this idea almost my entire life and, even though I truly know about the

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subject now, I still haven’t mastered it. Mutations. In my city, the cosmetic surgery’s capital, there were still internal illnesses. Obstacles to the welfare and self-image of the people.

Viruses attacked from inside. For the external imperfections there were cosmetic surgery solutions at popular prices. Illnesses attacked the appearance from the inside. Viruses and bacteria were the cause of unhappiness. I had to fight against them. I knew that my future was in City 0. After a while.

I had to do everything possible to be one of the best students in my city. Learn as much as I could and then go to live and study at the central city, the Corporation’s capital, where all the resources were. I was ambitious. I had a very clear goal. For that reason I also took advantage of all my city had to offer. Despite having been born further north, in the cold. My parents and I moved to City 37 when I was still very young. In the end, City 37 has always been my city. I’ve always carried it deep inside of me.

My curls danced with the wind that night. I remember it was very peaceful. You could hear all the noises flooding the streets from up there. Below me. But it was muffled from where I was. As if I were only watching. As if I weren’t there. As if time didn’t exist for me. I had the eyes of an adolescent and everything was the future to me. Everything was ingenuity. The ambition and desire to work hard have taken me very far.

Great sculptures of bright metal and spotlights. Huge sculptures.

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Shapes with a woman’s body. Spotlights projecting a white light from her eyes. Shapes of the muscular body of a man looking up at the sky. Spotlights of blue light from his eyes.

Hotels... Clinics everywhere... Big malls... Big 24-hour self-service stations where people could choose the appearance they desired holographically and then send it to the clinic...

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Pei.Thought: Ok, I’m at the top floor, number 00. I will never understand why the floors are numbered in increasing order from number 00 at the top floor to number 17 at the bottom floor. I remember the reasoning... It holds that floor 00 has this number because it’s the first one that is reached from when you start going down from the surface. I would have numbered them the other way around. Oh, well...

I need to check floors 00 to 05... Item by item... Meticulously... I don’t like meticulous jobs...

Oh, well... It’ll keep our minds busy and stop us from thinking about what could happen to us...

I will start with the elevator cabin connected to the surface. There doesn’t seem to be anything special in it. Also nothing in the emergency vertical stairs running parallel with the elevator circuit,

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at least at this level... We will check the stairs later if we can’t find anything anywhere... There is quite a distance from here to the surface... It doesn’t seem probable that they hid it there.

Around the internal network computer on secured wire of this floor there doesn’t appear to be a false bottom either... Let’s see... No. Wait a minute... Let’s see if someone has sent me any e-mail with specific information... No... No e-mail from floor 10... Eria has probably not found anything... No one has tried to send a videoconference either... The programs would send a notification... It’s fortunate that the network doesn’t leave the lab. The robot can’t connect to it from outside.

There’s nothing suspicious in the space corresponding to the real size holovideos’ projector that they took to floor 08...

Nothing in the cleaning compartment of the floor...

...

I’ve already checked every little corner of this floor 00 and I haven’t found anything. Not a single sign. Not even on the ceiling... I start checking the first step of the stairs going down... Let’s see if I can find any sheet of paper or something similar with the codes on it... I like that there are not elevators between floors. That way it forces me to exercise and it makes me feel alive. My hypothesis stays strong. I believe there are no elevators between floors for two reasons; to avoid breakdowns and, above all, because of the Corporation’s obsession with the physical fitness of the human

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being. The scientists stayed in shape going up and down on foot. Besides the exercise equipment on floor 04 there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any type of physical activity that can be undertaken within this complex. This way the scientists kept their bodies working, in addition to their brains.

The designers of the lab only seemed to have mercy in one aspect; the two-person elevator on floor 00. It was necessary, for starters, to go up and down several hundred feet through the cylinder connecting the lab with the surface and, in addition, it was not prone to breakdowns because it was used very little...

But even so it did break down... Yes... At least now it works normally... Shit...

I better start thinking about something else.

:: GĂ¨mini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Axel_Original: After all, the Corporation was a company that produced and consumed everything that could be produced and consumed. The surplus was exported. There were some basic rules they taught us from when we were very little. One of them was that we needed to minimize costs and maximize profits. The Corporation had to be better than all its competitors. That meant, for example, that to minimize costs

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every city had to be a specialists in the production of a single type of product, service or solution of need. To put it more simply and generally; every city generated in massive amounts one type of product or service different to the rest of the cities. The cost per unit of the product was much lower. Most of the technology of the city was designed to obtain the best product or service of its specialty intensively. It was all meant to achieve lower costs than the competitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and a high quality product. In manufacturing, for example, given that all the costs were divided by the impressive amount of products manufactured by each factory, the final cost per unit was very small. The more products were made in a single installation, the lower the cost of each unit manufactured. Lower price of final sale. We also need to remember that, although everything was owned by the Corporation, all the companies competed against each other within the cities. This rule also meant that profits had to be maximized so that they could be invested and more services, military power, etc. could be created. Another basic rule was capitalism. One could breathe capitalism at all levels. Competition. The way to get the best out of everyone.

Self-sufficiency. That was another idea that I still have engraved in my mind. We needed to depend completely on ourselves and sell the surplus to other corporations and governments. Prices, therefore, had to be competitive. The best. To dominate commerce. The Corporation had to be the best of all of them. The strongest. The whole world had to depend on it. Competition at all levels. We always had to be the best at everything.

The Corporation, just like any other company or living organism,

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would tend to expand and grow. And in the process it would logically come up against the rest. Tension.

So far, the only disputed territory with the other corporations and governments was the place where we have always been, planet Earth. There weren’t any human colonies on the moon or anywhere else that I know of. There were plans and projects, but they never seemed to come to fruition.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Pei_Original: Programmed and complex automatic cloning process. Possible error detection system optimizing so that everything succeeds avoiding risks. All systems ready and prepared. Programs and mechanisms. The objective of so much work is that it is successful the first time. After that it will all be quite useless, the alignments and the processes will be broken and the code will be erased automatically when the entire program comes to an end. You don’t need to try to run tests. You won’t get anywhere. This way we discard any temptation on your part. We know that normal human reproduction from only five subjects could produce malformations in the long run. We know. But only this way we can ensure that it runs according to nature and that different individuals who will emerge will have characteristics that you carry hidden in your genes.

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We don’t know how clones of clones would turn out with our rudimentary system either, therefore that is not an option at all. We have thought about this and the majority of our conclusions are negative, we will not give you the opportunity to clone yourselves. We don’t want to run any risks. The option through natural means is the least risky. I don’t think you would understand our reasons. We’ve done it this way and now it all depends on how responsible you are. If everything goes well, we will have brought you into play and you will then ‘only’ need to survive. If you stay in the lab, you’ll need to keep in mind that its capacity is very limited.

Eria.Thought: Meanwhile, I’ll keep on filtering intensively all the archives our originals left that were expressly directed to us. I let the computer help me with the search; with its automatic methods. If the information we’re looking for is somewhere, I’m sure they gave it to us at some point and it must be in an archive. If they didn’t want us to find it, they probably made sure to delete it from the entire file set in the lab. They were very efficient. I don’t believe they made any mistakes.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_12: Have you found any place where those damn defense weapons could be hidden?

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Pei.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_00: No. I haven’t seen anything that looks like a hidden safe. Hanz.Thought: Perfect. I’m sure they’re in my zone. Machine guns. Explosives. Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_12: Have you found the access codes to the safe? Pei.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_00: No. Eria is still looking for them through the holovideos. No news. I haven’t found anything either. Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_12: The question is whether our originals forgot to give them to us or whether they didn’t give them to us on purpose with the excuse of avoiding violence amongst us. We already know what their fears are... Pei.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_00: I think they never thought we would come across an android outside... Oh, well... We will think about it later... Let’s see if Eria finds something useful... Hanz.Thought: It has to be me who finds the box... And keep the information to myself... Let’s see if Eria finds the codes... Let’s see if I find them... Pei.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_00: Of each group of scientists, only one person knew of the existence of the hidden weapons and the access codes of their safe. The Corporation did it like this for safety. Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_12: In the end, all of our originals knew of the existence of the weapons. Your original mentions it casually in a holovideo. I suppose Eria will find it. It’s a shame that I can’t remember any more details. I think Axel had the idea of looking for the weapons when he

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remembered that holovideo. It’s strange that none of us can even remember the location or the codes. I don’t know if they hid them on purpose. I want to find the machine guns! I want to learn to shoot for real! Pei.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_00: Calm down a little. Where are you now? Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_12: As you can see, I’m finished checking floor 12 out of all the floors I got. There’s nothing special. Nothing in the cleaning supplies compartment... The rest of the floor is completely filled up by computers, there’s no space for anything else. They take up all the space. There isn’t any space in the ceiling either. I suppose that on floors 13 and 14 I will come across the same situation. They’re identical... The small holocylinders... All the data processing tasks... I have various investigation processes for codes that so far haven’t generated anything new. I’m also looking inside the active project archives our originals were working on, to see if I find something encrypted or hidden. All the things they had developed for the mission are thrilling, all experiments run in order to find the most potent computer bomb in history... Pei.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_00: Our originals were very intelligent. I also found their projects for the Corporation very thrilling, but we must focus on the job at hand now... Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_12: And what do you think I’m doing? Based on their work sketches you can tell they had a very structured project, much more structured than the ones by the

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other groups of scientists that came through this facility. Also, based on the messages that they sent each other while they were working on the experiment, you could see that the bomb was almost finished. It was potentially devastating. Intelligent. It generated a large number of small deathly bombs that grew, infected, and multiplied generously. Each bomb learned from the computer that resisted it. Each consulted the others and worked jointly. Together they could generate a bomb directed at a great computer to blow it up from inside. At the same time, all the bombs recognized all the Corporation’s equipment and didn’t attack them. If a bomb became isolated by the competition, it exploded instantaneously doing as much damage to the computers as possible. The targets were the competition’s big computers. Pei.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_00: But they never finished it. The entire real world was destroyed so the destruction of computers was not necessary. Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_12: Haven’t you ever considered that the MPDU could have used an unfinished version of the bomb to attack the competition and that that was the reason why all the nuclear missiles were launched? Could it be that the MPDU finished the bomb on its own?

What if the MPDU had the bomb designed from the start and only used our originals to obtain more ideas? Did the competition feel totally cornered and launched their entire arsenal before they were left without any technology? Was it human beings who launched the nuclear missiles or was it the main computers from the competition who saw their imminent end and tried everything to avoid it? What if the computer made the decision without counting on humans? What if the competition’s

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human leaders didn’t want to go down alone? Was it desperation who launched the first missiles? The Corporation’s answer would then not take too long and... What if the MPDU had it all figured out already? It wouldn’t start an exterminating war to kill itself... So that they would destroy it... Pei.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_00: I had never thought about that... Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_12: Of course. The bomb that was being designed here took into consideration all the variables. Our originals were the best, but I still hope to outstrip them. Find some remainder of the codes hidden in some data archive. Find some text or message of some kind that indicates where the weapons are. Hanz.Thought: If I find them, I will be more powerful. The robot is not showing up. If the robot is not the threat, I will become the threat. I will put things where they belong. Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_12: I don’t know which one of the originals was the only one who initially held the information. If we find out who it was, we can start with him o her. Who would you say it was? Was it Axel? Axel’s original was specialized in complex living organisms; human, animal, plant... He dominated the connection of life tissues with machines: Neural connections, genome, cloning, data and neurons, and the powering up of humanity. He was an experienced doctor and programmer, a fanatic of humanity. I don’t know whether his profile was chosen to save the armament...

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Was it Pei’s original? He was an expert programmer and fanatic of the Corporation’s military. He looks like a good candidate... Was it my original? Hanz was an expert programmer. He loved machines. They’re easier to understand than human beings. He knew all the systems. He even knew systems that weren’t the Corporation’s. He was able to master all the machines that he received from the competition. He got illegally connected to numerous computers from the competition. He got into the basic archives, he had manipulated them... Nothing escaped him. He was very calculating. He also seems to have a good profile... Was it Eria’s original? She was a training systems expert and an artificial intelligence programmer. She knew the system of relationship between ideas of humans and machines perfectly well. She was like the psychologist for both worlds. Perhaps her psychologist side made her a good candidate profile... Was it Tania? She was an expert on the real world’s viruses. Her knowledge could have been applied to computers. Expert on tissues and illnesses. Tania seems to be the least likely candidate to win our competition. Pei.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_00: I would place my bets on my original. He knew every weapon perfectly well.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Pei_Original: Besides the traditional service of euthanasia for people who ceased living with human dignity, in

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City 203 one could find all the services an older and wealthy person could desire. My dad lived there. In the middle of nature, pools and hospitals for the elderly. He hadn’t opted for euthanasia yet because he really wanted to meet new people... Especially new women... He also had, above all, enough savings and investments to be able to enjoy it. He still felt useful at the Corporation. No one could have anything bad to say about him. No one could look at him the wrong way. His data spoke for itself. He was still of service to society. He had the money for all the luxuries. Nurses that took care of him exclusively. He was a useful retiree for the functioning of the Corporation. Retirees like him made a city of services for the elderly like City 203 work. And, as I understood, the 203 was a highly profitable city and with high turnover. He was still living with human dignity and the city’s shops always attended him with a smile on their faces. I was very happy for him.

...

When he received the notice, he thought euthanasia could wait. The alternative was to move to City 203. He found it very appropriate. He didn’t have many other choices. Only two options. The rules were always very clear for everyone. We all had to be useful to the Corporation. The dignity of human life had to be preserved. He moved to City 203 and from then on I only saw him once more. I don’t know if he died before the Great Disaster.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel.Thought: I’ve spent too much time on floor 06. Too humid. Too many cultivated plants. That damn ripe tomato has made a mess out of my boots. I should’ve seen it falling. I look like the produce man! I can’t stand hot and sticky humidity. I will have to change later.

...

Nostalgia. Floor 08 always makes me feel this way. It’s in no way similar to 07. They’re the same and they originally had the same function, but now... Night and day... On this floor all the physical, chemical and genetic machinery are organized and have their function, or at least they had their function. Too many useless and unorganized machines on floor 07. 07 looks like a collection of waste from the experiment that gave us life. I suppose deep down we like seeing it just as our originals left it.

I don’t know whether the fact that I’m now face to face with death, I’m beginning to feel more mystical than usual, but... At the same time I turned these lights on... A very strange feeling came over me...

Memories. Childhood. Siblings.

I’m left awestruck, as always.

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I run my hand over a piece of metal that forms part of the Creation Section. I recheck it once more while I inspect its hidden corners. Everything’s fitted to perfection by extracted pieces of machines that performed completely different tasks. The cryogenic that preserved the ovules and the tissue samples of our originals for such a long time stopped working a long time ago. What’s also shut down is the computer that issued the order to defrost the material, to extract the needed cells from the samples, manipulate them with the ovules and create ‘zygotes’ to be chosen from, ultimately, one of each type. Five in total, corresponding to each individual. Five completely different embryos. The table that had contained the five hermetic plastic bags full of liquid (uterus imitation) now only contained the tubes that were attached to the bags. Quite a mess of food and defense dispensers, drainage pipes, small robots, measurement tools.

Here there’s the robotic arm that performed so many tasks. The first one was to burst every one of the bags and place the newborn in its place. It delivered us. I’m sure the weapons’ box is not around here.

I put myself in our originals’ shoes and I see amazing work.

During the first six months of life, the holovideos spoke to us constantly. The reason, they clarified, was that children are attracted to the melody of the sound of human voices. Their theory was that until more or less 6 months of age, a child is not capable of doing anything. Cameras followed our movements. When the computer recognized a movement or sound, it activated a robot arm, some machine, started a holovideo inside this big

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holocylinder and/or it started a 2D video on the monitors... It’s funny to watch the holovideos that the originals recorded for this process now. It was them carrying dolls that represented little children. They used them to teach us things. Children learn from example. That, together will all the mirrors on this floor, gave us self-consciousness, the sense of self. We could see how we really were and that way we could relate ideas.

The room temperature was ideal. Programmed. We were naked inside these transparent plastic boxes open at the top. They thought of everything. The food that the robot arm fed us was the one that during many years had been frozen and dehydrated along with the tissue samples. The machine mixed them with water and spoon-fed it to us. The computer issued the order to extract all the urine and poop through the drainage tubes attached to the box that contained us. The robotic arm cleaned us with water and air jets. Warm and lukewarm air. The arm handled us to make us turn around. When we were able to get out, we were able to see, with the novel eyes of a small child, that we could access the floors up to 06. Floor 07 was closed and the originals had put up fences. We couldn’t go any higher than floor 06 or lower than floor 08. There was soft clothing covering all the dangerous surfaces. There wasn’t anything dangerous for us there except for the machines on floor 08. The holovideos told us off when we touched anything hazardous on this floor.

All the network computers in the lab were off. They were turned on once we were taught how to do it. At first only the educational

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computers worked and they put them away from others in case we pried too much. I remember well the lessons from the other big holocylinder, on floor 10. In the control room the lessons were more advanced. I still like to go over everything our originals taught us.

The holovideos reacted with our actions. They told us off, they encouraged us. The programs and the cameras made that possible. I believe the teaching started from two years of life. What an enormous amount of work! They had the rest of their existence to perform all the tasks for this experiment. I’m still in disbelief. I can’t understand how we’ve survived. Little children need security and love. Our originals sent us their love however they could. I love my siblings very much. We’re like a unit. I don’t know what I would do without any of them. Ah... Tania...

Let’s see if Eria can find something in the archives...

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Hanz_Original: My childhood. City 170. The city of meat. Hard work. Since I was a little kid. My parents; strict, understanding, hard working. No one ever gave them anything. They taught me discipline and determination. Dedication. Day to day. Nonstop. Little by little. Fight for every little thing. They supported me. They pushed me.

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After school I went to the meat factory where my mom worked. They let me stay there until her shift was over. It wasn’t for very long, but it was every single day. I was fascinated by all of that. Machines everywhere. Huge rooms. I suppose my small size made me see everything in a more majestic way. It was all beyond me. It stayed with me. Metal. It has influenced me for the rest of my life. Great platforms where huge amounts of raw meat, intubated and without brains, were cultivated. Its objective was human nutrition. The meat was healthy and free of illnesses. That’s what they would say to me when I asked them if it was good for us. It was visually disgusting, but at the same time fascinating because of its complexity. The vast amount of semitransparent tubes with moving fluid in the room produced a unique kind of beauty. The robotic system that governed it all... I felt small before such automated greatness. So many machines taking care of so many tons of meat. They made them grow...

I remember the whole process... At the beginning, an articulated ceiling arm put a small piece of meat in one of the multiple square-shaped platforms and would then insert in it all kinds of drainage, feeding pipes... In the following weeks that uniform mass of meat was fed and grew more and more. After that, one of the electronic arms from the ceiling picked the piece of meat up again with all its weight and it put it in some kind of railcar. At the end it was taken to another room where it was cut, treated and packaged. Ready to be transported. It was an automatic process.

My mother was in maintenance. I remember how she fixed all the non-intelligent robots and programmed them. Always with a smile

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on her face. She liked the work. She taught me how to program processes. I was so little that I didn’t understand it very well, but I liked whatever she showed me. I suppose her enthusiasm was contagious. She made me feel the passion and pride in getting a job well done.

Going out with my father was great. The man to man conversations, even though I was very little... The advice... He was demanding... Very. He would say to me: ‘Perfection doesn’t exist, but you must strive to get as close to it as you can. That way you will feel good about having tried your best. No one would be able to tell you that you didn’t try.’ We walked at night. The streets lit up and...

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Pei.Thought: I’ve already checked half of floor 02, Hanz’s room: The folding bed, the laptop connected to the network by wire and the mini-holocylinder, the top part of the fitted shelves, the shower, the bathroom and toilet, inside the closet, underneath the washer and dryer... What a mess... Hanz has become very disorganized lately... The synthetic soap that we made for the washer is everywhere... He used to be so tidy...

The cleaning supplies closet on this floor was also free of

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suspicion...

Now ‘only’ the part of this floor I always try to avoid is left... I don’t want to go in... I’d prefer to save myself the grief... I don’t want to go in Tania’s room...

...

But I have to do it...

...

Empty room... She’s not here anymore... And she will never be here again... The way she laughed... The way she would suddenly get mad and after a couple of minutes she was happy again...

She was all about good sense and hope... If I could go back in time... I’m getting very sad...

I see her happy face... I see her dead face...

And I couldn’t do anything else...

The bed’s unfolded. I can’t look at it... I don’t want to...

I’m empty... Everything is exactly the way she left it... Everything that was her last day...

To die like that... There are still some traces...

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It was even a worse way to die than our originals’...

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel: I’ve even looked in the most unlikely places inside the bathrooms of each of the floors and I haven’t seen anything. I was convinced that I would find the box inside one of the testing lab floors 07, 08, 09 and... Eria: Well, you can get started here. This is the last one left. I’m still looking... Axel: Have you found anything in the computers? Eria: No. I have processes in place that haven’t produced any results. But they’re not finalized yet. Axel: Where would you start? Which is the most suspicious place on this floor to you? Eria: None. I don’t think they would hide something precisely in the Control Center of the lab. Axel: Except if the Corp people thought exactly like you. Maybe they hid it in a completely improbable place. Right in front of our noses. I would start around... Lift your feet! Eria: Maybe you’re right. Then... I would start to examine the lower space of the holocylinder. It’s very large. I don’t know if we will be able to move it. Only you and me. If it weren’t there I would look inside the holovideo recording cabin. I would look directly above and below. Perhaps our originals left some clue. I don’t know... This is the place where they recorded all the holovideos... Maybe it’s symbolic...

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Axel: That’s very silly! Eria: I know, but if you think about it, you’ll realize that all of this is silly. The fact that we exist is the silliest one of all. And next up is the fact that there is a combat machine outside. Axel: I love you.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz.Thought: The nuclear generator at the lowest level. It powers up the entire lab. When will it stop? We’ve saved as much energy as possible. Will it last for the rest of our lives? And the lives of our descendants? It’s fortunate that it’s never broken down. The Corporation built good products. On the other hand, these fire extinguishers expired centuries ago...

Where does the waste go? Outside? It can’t be, we’d be able to see it. It must go down here somewhere... Does the water come from the underground currents going through here? Does the air come from the surface? Or is it produced by separating the oxygen from the water’s hydrogen? H2O. I don’t know... I don’t know!

I have no idea how they’ve done it.

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I’ve never been able to answer these basic questions! Why haven’t they told us any of this? Don’t they trust us? Why aren’t there any conclusive archives? Why haven’t they told us anything? They’ve only told us whatever they wanted! We’re their experiment!

What if the generator breaks down? We wouldn’t be able to do anything about it! What if something essential breaks down? Have they not told us anything because there would be no solution? We’re old enough now! We would be able to handle the truth!

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_10: Only these three holovideos talk about weapons and codes, the rest only mention it casually. If you haven’t found anything it means that we already know where the weapons are. The tube going up to the surface is the only thing left to check. There’s no use in trying to find them, we don’t have the codes. I believe the originals erased them. I’m sure. If that weren’t the case, they would’ve left them somewhere we could find them. Look... In the second holovideo Pei’s original says: ‘Weapons won’t be necessary in your world’. You see... It looks like they didn’t remotely expect us to find a combat machine here, on the surface... There’s no need for you to look for anything else... They erased them... Hanz.Thought: Of course I’m going to keep on looking! I’m not

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giving up yet! It’s possible that the codes are sitting right next to the box itself! You incompetent fools! Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_17: Are you all up here? Eria.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_10: Yes. Pei’s already back. He’s been examining the surface exit room. Hanz.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_17: I’ve already checked everything assigned to me, but I will give it a last look. Eria.Speaking_to_the_network_computer_on_floor_10: Ok. We’ll wait for you here.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Hanz.Thought: Here’s the box! Looking down makes me feel very dizzy. The vertical stairs are never-ending. Tania. Where are you? It’s asking me for the codes. I don’t have them. They’ve hidden them! They’ve erased them! Everyone’s against me. You pigs! The originals, my siblings... Everyone!

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria: The lab’s external main gate is open! There’s something

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outside! The sensors! Something’s moving up there! Outside! Axel: What? Pei: I didn’t see anything before! What’s going on? Axel: Isn’t the external mini-camera working? Eria: No. You can’t see anything! It’s found us! Axel: It’s found us! How did it do it? Were you very noisy today, Pei? Pei: No. I was very careful! Axel: Well, it heard you again! Shit, Pei! You’re always getting us in trouble! Where’s Hanz!? Eria: Downstairs. Axel: That’s good. He should stay there! You stay here too! Pei and I will go up! It only saw us two! It doesn’t know there are four people here. Maybe it will have enough with us two! Let’s go, Pei!

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Axel: Come in! Come back in here, Hanz! Right now! NOW! Hanz: Don’t touch me, Axel! You’re not my boss! Axel: Come down! Hanz: Don’t touch me! Axel: If you resist, Pei will help me and we will hurt you! Come on! Why did you go outside? Hanz: You’re a loser! Come! I’ll eat your brains out! Come you two! I will rip your ears off! I will punch your noses to pieces! Axel.Thought: SLAP! Another one! Axel: I’m sick of you looking at me that way! Do you want us to

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get killed by that robot? All of us? Hanz.Thought: Asshole! Where’s your neck? Where is it? Come! Don’t duck out of the way! Pei.Thought: I need to get them back into the lab in any way possible! I can’t! Where do they get this strength from? Axel: Mmmmmmmmmmbf! Hanz: Nggggshhhhhsssshhghhhhh! Pei: Arrrrgghhhhh! Pei.Thought: What a bite! Pain! Axel: I will drag you to the lowest floor! Now! Bite the dust! Pei! NOW! Pei.Thought: Direct punch! Hanz falls down! Finally! He’s behaving like a wild animal. Hanz.Thought: My nose touches the ice. He takes my arms! He drags me! I struggle! Nothing! He drags me! Anger!

...

Axel: You can close the door now, Pei!

...

Axel: Can’t you understand that if the robot was nearby, waiting patiently, now it has us? You idiot! It has detected us, asshole! Maybe you have already killed us all. What the fuck is wrong with you? Lower your fucking gaze already! Haven’t you had enough? You’ve tried to kill us all!

...

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Axel: I’ll go down with him, Pei. Come when the elevator is back up. I have a good grip on him!

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Eria: What? Have you gone crazy? I don’t believe a single word of what you’re telling me. You’ve put us all in danger. What’s going to happen to us now? Aren’t you thinking anymore? When did you stop thinking? From now on we will have to keep you under tight control. Explain to us again what’s driven you to stop reasoning like a human being and has made you go outside leaving us all aside! You’ve condemned us! Thank you, Hanz! You’ve just killed me! I want to strangle you with my own hands! Hanz: Tania. Eria: What? Axel: What did you say? What does she have to do with all of this? Hanz: Can’t you understand? I was the one who killed her. Axel: And what does that have to do with anything? Don’t you remember anymore? You were the only one with the courage to do it! The only one with enough cold blood to give her her wish! It doesn’t matter! The robot will find us! It’s only a matter of time now. There isn’t anything we can do to avoid it! Eria.Thought: His gaze has changed, maybe he will tell us the truth now. Hanz: I loved her with all my being! I would’ve done anything she

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asked me to do! And she asked me to kill her! Why me? Eria: Because, unlike what you’ve done today, you did the act that honored you the most as a human being! Because you loved her with all your being! I wasn’t brave enough! You had the courage to do it! Pei: I couldn’t. The idea of what I would’ve had to do horrified me. Axel: The guilt I felt was so much that I couldn’t look at her without crying! Do you understand? I can’t get Tania’s image off my head, unconscious on floor 00, without being able to wake her up. Breathing like that. Without breathing. I already told her not to go up to repair the elevator, it was too high. Did she listen to me? No. She always had to look for perfection. Those mood changes... But she wasn’t perfect. The slip on the vertical stairs, from that height... Paralyzed from the neck down! And it was my fault, do you hear? When she asked me for the pill three weeks later, I couldn’t believe it! I couldn’t do it! I couldn’t kill her! That was too much for me! Eria: She asked me for it and I had to leave her room. I only wanted to hug her and kiss her! I imagined her dead and my stomach shrunk even more... Look... The sensors aren’t detecting anything, at least for now. Pei: I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t articulate a word. I froze. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t do anything. I wasn’t able to. I can’t. It was a long time ago. I stored it in the back of my mind. Always avoiding it. Hanz: And I said yes! She wouldn’t leave me alone. She was increasingly persistent with me! She said it had to be me who had

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to do it! I couldn’t kill her! I couldn’t! But she couldn’t do it to herself! I knew that if she tried something silly like bleeding to death by biting her tongue, we would prevent her from it. She tortured me every day to give her the lethal pill. We didn’t know whether it would still work. The pills were for cases of massive invasions by enemies in the lab. No escape. The originals left them to us only for extreme cases of great suffering, for cases they couldn’t even foresee. Watched by the lab’s machines. When I took them and all the alarm sensors beeped you knew what I was going to do! And you didn’t stop me! You didn’t even want to see me! We didn’t know whether it would provide the expected result. The pill had expired and it affected her only a little.

Cutting her veins was the most brutal act I’ve ever committed! I stayed by her side. I gave her company until she died. Time didn’t go by. She smiled at me sometimes... Tania...

You can’t begin to imagine the nightmares I have. How I want to die every night.

And you talk to me about a damn robot from outside? Let it kill me! Let it exterminate us if it really is here!

All of you are becoming paranoid! Just like I am!

That a robot wants to come in? We’ll show it the lab! That it wants to kill us? Let it kill us! We will die like human beings! We will die with dignity! Just how Tania wanted to die!

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We are a bunch of cowards, here, locked in forever! Dead scared! Can’t you see?

This is what our originals didn’t want for us. Leaving aside all the mistakes they made, you must remember that they spent their entire lives in this place, inside the lab, so that we could live outside like normal people! Outside! We have no weapons! We can’t defend ourselves! We’ve nothing to win! We’ve already lost. So... Let’s live like normal people the little time we have left! It could be a little or a lot!

Let’s do what Tania wanted. Dignity! Eria: I had never heard you speak like this in my entire life, Hanz. Pei: You’re absolutely right, Hanz. You’re absolutely right.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative ::

Holovideo_Eria_Original: Time goes by. We’re mortal. I don’t feel life. I’m so used to it...

Living is the most normal thing for now. If I look deeper inside I can feel the heart pumping blood. It all works. It’s all automatic. It seems independent from me, but I depend on my body. When it doesn’t work properly, I can’t be me. I’m a subordinate. While the body was growing up, I was also growing up; the reasons were more and more sophisticated. I depend on it, on life, on time.

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The more time passes, I am more me, and I am less me. Paradox. The more my existence fulfills me, the closer I get to my end. I look outside from inside. I see me one way and then on the reflection on the mirror I see myself like others see me. Often differently of how I see me. It’s a strange feeling. I’ve always seen myself more or less the same way, but they see me differently. My body changes. Time sculpts it and molds it. The time I’m living now is for you, daughter. Every one of my breaths is taken with the objective that you will be completely you, with all the culture we can give you. The more wisdom you acquire, the more fulfilled you will feel.

All my images are useless if no one gives them meaning, if no one associates them with a feeling; happiness, yearning... If it’s hatred, it would be better if you burned the images... Or hide them until you feel the fresh air accompanied by nostalgia...

You don’t know me, but you can even be able to love me from all of myself that I’m leaving you behind. The holovideos, the videos and some objects... It’s all I can give you from my world; to perpetuate me, to try to cheat death... Death will take me...

Soon.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative :: the end ::

Holovideo_Eria_Original: I’m very scared. I’m shaking. This is my last recording. It looks like I’ve already become your friend through this recording room. I only think of the day that you start watching my holovideos. I feel like crying, but we must do it. We’re already finished... We’re finished... Everything’s ready. In a few centuries you will be born.

But we can’t let our bodies die inside the lab. They need to decompose outside. You can’t find our bodies here, inside the lab. Wasted away. It’s not hygienic nor ethical. It can’t be!

We can’t let you see death from infancy. We don’t want to traumatize you.

I can’t stop reiterating to myself that our mission has been accomplished... But I don’t want to die yet!

We have the euthanasia pill. The poisonous pill of very quick effects that we had in case someone discovered us and wanted to torture us. With it, we protected the Corporation. Don’t ever take it unless you’re suffering and the illness has no remedy. Live to the max. I’m doing this for you. I do everything for you. My life wouldn’t had made any sense for a long time if it hadn’t been for you. Be born. You must be born! Don’t fail me! Please!

I don’t want to die! ... But I do feel like going outside the lab. It’s

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been way too long locked inside this cage. Always smelling the same things, looking at the same structures, the same tools...

Going outside... I love how it sounds... It seems impossible... I’ve repressed this feeling one too many times... That I look forward to! You’ll be able to go outside whenever you want to! I will only be able to go out this once. The radiation will pollute us without compassion. We will walk far and then we will take the pills. When it’s time, all at the same time. Looking at each other’s eyes.

We’ve become so close...

We will see the world again, we will be able to touch the ice, to jump, to feel free!

You will be able to walk freely, whenever you want to, see the clouds, the clean light, let the cold air make you feel crystalline.

Goodbye, Eria, I would’ve loved to have met you. Don’t stop thinking about me.

Goodbye. I don’t want you to see me cry.

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:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative :: the end :: description of events from the preceding days ::

The only strategic satellite-sphere left, concealed, of three-feet in diameter, is tirelessly circling planet Earth. It saves the communications to avoid being detected. Only the minimum. They didn’t destroy it. It’s circling Earth, rapidly. It doesn’t have eyes. Its visual sistem continues to be fed solely by images sent by the Corporation’s military forces that are left operative (robot androids, automatic tanks, hunting robotic airplanes, satellites...). There are increasingly less of them. Dejected or empty power tank machines. The spy satellites were annihilated. It designs and executes strategies. It has five virtual clone-guests inside it. It’s still at war.

A robot that was placed by another sphere has emitted a contact signal. Contact with defenseless staff of the Corporation. The sphere that used to govern it doesn’t exist anymore. The sphere takes control. Issues the order. Military hierarchy. The sphere doesn’t know why it was placed there. They don’t know where there are enemies that want to attack them. It hasn’t had any contact with any human being from the Corporation in centuries. It’s been a long time since it had any contact with enemies. Machines. Its directive is to protect the Corporation’s staff, as long as they don’t jeopardize any military action.

In this case there isn’t any strategy in danger. There hasn’t been any movement for a long time...

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It automatically contacts all the war machines left operative located near the sector. All of them receive the order to structure a defense perimeter around the located staff. The correct codes. Investigation. No implanted identification chip. Secret scientists. No location. The MPDU doesn’t answer. The unauthorized personnel doesn’t need to know anything regarding the military operations that are carried out. MPDU directive. Less mistakes. Everything’s done in secret to avoid problems. But there are priorities, and defending the Corporation’s own personnel is a priority. However, the main military priority is defending the Corporation itself.

The closest airlift unit took all the robots and placed them forming a defensive perimeter of 50 miles radius on radar invisibility mode. Robots invisible to any radar, even the Corporation’s own radars.

The war hasn’t ended. No one has said that.

:: Gèmini :: mini-narrative :: the end :: description of future events ::

A winter full moon, with its sad crystallized startled face, continues on its slow path marked by centuries.

The lab is empty. Lifeless. Nobody controls it. They’ve all died of old age. The machines are shutting down. They died a long time

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ago. They’re not heroes. Everything deteriorates. Nobody will remember their story. Everything they did will be lost. They didn’t have any children. They couldn’t.

The full moon... So beautiful... Nobody will be able to look at it from the lab anymore... Maybe from nowhere... No human beings... Only virtual clones... Inside robots.

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http://www.digiconcrete.net

Gèmini

Joaquim

Vidal

Juventench :: ISBN 84-9644442-2 :: 2006 :: :: free English version :: 2010 :: :: all the texts, images and 2D and 3D art have been created by Joaquim Vidal Juventench for Gèmini :: many thanks to > Joan Marc

Berenguer,

Llimós,

Raquel

Climent

Ferrer,

Sílvia

Mellado and Eduard Vidal // this book

has

been

translated

Desiree Spain – thank you for making

possible

with

your

Designs ::

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:: Gèmini :: commentary :: how did the robot found by Axel and Pei disappear? ::

The robot was raised by an automatic airlift unit (large helicopter –unmanned– with two main rotors) and it was moved and placed on the floor 50 miles from the initial spot. At its new location.

Following the orders of the strategy satellite-sphere, the robot and the rest of the war machines near the sector were placed forming a defensive perimeter of 50 miles radius on radar invisibility mode. Hidden. The center of the imaginary circle was the place where the two alleged scientists were found (in fact, the two clones).

The new location of each war machine was destined to defend Axel and Pei from a possible military attack by the competition. Axel and Pei were the Corp’s personnel. The only ones left at the time, according to the satellite-sphere.

The scientists weren’t military. They didn’t ‘need’ to know anything about the operation. The machines follow their programs.

The strategic satellite-sphere continued to follow the current protocols. No changes. Maybe one day it would receive a response and new orders.

The MPDU was still not responding... The MPDU was still not responding... The MPDU was still not responding...

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The MPDU was still not responding... The MPDU was still not responding... The MPDU was still not responding... The MPDU was still not responding... The MPDU was still not responding... The MPDU was still not responding... The MPDU was still not responding... The MPDU was still not responding... The MPDU was still not responding...

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