Chapter 8: Human Robots
Back on earth, Divya and Ami are working on her school project. Divya says “I’m sure to bag first prize in the science exhibition this year. Thanks Ami.” Ami smiled and replied “Come on Divya. You have done a lot of work too. It was your idea to make this gadget.” Just then her dad arrives. He overhears some of their conversation. “What’s going on kids? And what is this?” he asks pointing at a prototype machine. Divya says “Dad, this is an electronic gadget which can bring out the things one has in mind.” “That’s interesting. But how does it work?” he asked. Ami replied “These are the two wires which sense the brain waves. These are to be attached to the forehead. The data brought by these wires is the analyzed by this machine. And with the help of this output device, it draws the picture of your thought.” “Does this really work?” said dad looking at some of the sketches drawn there. Divya replied “Yes, indeed. As you can see these sketches, these are the things what we had in mind at the time of scanning. Would you like to test it?” dad said “Yes, of course.” “But since this gadget is just in the primary stage, you must have to imagine one thing and concentrate on it,” Says Divya attaching the wires to his forehead. “Very well” said dad. Dad closes his eyes and begins to imagine something. But the gadget is unable to detect. “Concentrate dad concentrate.” Says Divya. He tries to concentrate, but the gadget simply keeps shaking the pencil at one spot with an irritating sound. The more he tries to concentrate, the more vigorously it shakes the pencil with the increasing sound. Divya and Ami are totally confused. In the process, the pencil breaks and dad falls unconscious on the floor. They try to wake him by shaking, but he remains unconscious. The sound of the machine has stopped but Ami’s sensitive ears could hear a faint beep. He says “shhh… I hear some beep sound. Do you hear it?” Divya says “beep? No.” Ami follows the beep and reaches his chest. He says “Is he having a pacemaker or anything of that sort?” Divya replies “ pacemaker? No.” she too presses her ear against his chest and hears a faint beep sound. Ami tries to give him first aid with his hands. He seemed shocked and says “I can detect a digital signal from his chest.” He then gives a mild pulse to his chest and it works. Dad becomes alright. Divya is almost in tears. She says “oh, dad I was so scared. But what is all this? Do you have any device implanted in your chest?” dad laughingly says “ha..ha.. what are you talking? And don’t worry both of you. I’m absolutely fine.” Ami replied “ No, sir. I think there is something inside you. But don’t worry, I can detect it easily.” Dad is thinking it all to be fun. Ami holds his wrist to check the pulses and said “you have a very fine but deep cut on your wrist.” Dad replies “ where? I can’t see any and there is no pain.” “It’s been done by laser.” he says pressing his thumb hard on the nerve. “Aaa....ouch! What are you doing? It hurts. Leave me.” Cried dad . But Ami’s grip is too tight and he is not able free Ami’s grip. Before Divya could react, Ami releases his wrist and says “see, this is what was induced inside your body through this cut.” He had something very-very minuscule in his hand. It was nothing more than a dust particle. He gives magnifying lens to them. Divya and dad look through the lens and say together “an electronic chip?” Ami replied “yes! A nanochip.” Dad is totally surprised. He mumbled “inside me? But how and when?” Ami said “relax sir. Let us find out. Dad took them to his study room cum lab to study it further. On close observation they found that it was fabricated from an organic material very identical to human muscle. That was the reason it adapted so well in his heart. They scanned the data inside the chip and transferred it to the computer.” Now they could see the data on the computer monitor. “Oh, no. its in an alien language! We will never be able to understand it.”said dad. Ami replied “I can read it. It’s the language of Gianta.” Dad is again surprised and says “yes, even I think so. But why did they do so? Is it a conspiracy? And wait a minute, how do you know their language?” Ami did not reply but kept decoding the data. Divya said “dad, come here. I will explain everything to you”. She then told him everything about Ami. Dad is a bit upset first because she had kept him in dark for so long. But later he understands her point of view. She says “I’m really sorry. But Ami is a friend. If it was not him, we could never have guessed that the aliens have implanted a nanochip in your heart.” Meanwhile Ami completes decoding and he calls them. On seeing the decoded data dad says “oh my! Ami you really saved me! I would have become their slave otherwise.” Ami replied to explain further “Sir, you were under their control. But as per their plan, they have kept two options one is sleep-mode and the other is active-mode. So when the Nano-chip is in sleep-mode, you behave normal. And when they change it to active-mode, you behave as their robot and obey only to their instructions. That is when your mind goes blank.” “I see.” said Divya.
“And see they are using our satellites to control the nanochip. Maybe when I tried to concentrate for your project, they were programming me to be in active-mode. So, my concentration opposed the functioning of the nanochip. As I tried harder, it tried to reset my mind. And that must have made me unconscious.” Divya asked “They are real traitors. How friendly they behave and are preparing to stab us at the back. I wonder what are their intentions?” Dad replied “Their intentions are clear. They want to know secret information through me. I am worried if others are also been implanted with such chips?” Ami asked “what make you think so?” Dad said “Because I am not the only one to visit their planet. Many people from different countries have visited them. That is why they were so keen to call us again and again to their planet on one pretext or the other. And we thought they are so concerned and hospitable.” Divya asked “ Strange, we too visited there but returned normal.” Dad said “That is because you did not come to the conference room. There, at the entrance of the conference room, we have to undergo an identification test only for the first time. That is done through a wrist band. It is very tight and I remember a jerk on wearing it. I’m sure it is the device they use to induce the nanochips. And as all of us had gone through it on our first visit So all must have been induced with it.” He thinks for a while, makes a call in the office and says “Come, both of you, let us go to the Research Centre.
He confidentially informs this matter to all the research centres. The information is secretly conveyed to the president of America. It is very difficult to find the robots among the normal persons. Dr. Ahuja needed some time to act so he requested not to make any arrests or inquiry.
Even the ambassador of Gianta is not arrested but is being kept under watch, so that the aliens do not come to know that their plot has been exposed. There are several people from different countries as well who are suspected to be human robots. Dr. Ahuja meanwhile calls the people he knew had visited the aliens along with him. With Ami’s help, he successfully removes their Nano-chips. He asks for a list of all the people worldwide who had visited the planet.
While on planet Gianta, the alien scientists are surprised as why some of their robots are not responding. They sense danger and immediately programs all their human robots into active mode permanently. Before Dr. Ahuja could act on the list of human robots, they become openly active, taking charge forcibly everywhere. These human robots handcuff and arrest all important people in their respective departments. Dr. Ahuja calls the other research centres for help, but is shocked to hear the monotonous robotic voice at the other end. He tells this to Ami and adds “This is at the reception. How do they get the Nano-chip implanted to that level?
Ami is quick to response “Oh my! My worst fear have come true. Those robots are now doing the job of their masters. That is, now they are converting other humans into robots.” Dr.Ahuja said “My god! That means very soon there will be human robots all over the world.” And rightly so, suddenly there was a whole population of robots everywhere from leaders, high ranking officers to the news readers and general public. And before anyone could realize they kept multiplying. Only Dr Ahuja’s research centre is free from robots un
til now. They know they have to act very quickly before the robots reach them and convert them too. Ami says to Dr Ahuja“Sir, these robots are being given instructions via satellites. Why not cut the satellite link itself?” Dr. Ahuja replied “no! That would mean total communication cut. It will do no good. It may prevent them from taking further instructions but what about the conversion drive they are already programmed to? We must find some other way.” Ami agreed with him and sat on the computers linked to satellites and started to work quickly. Dr Ahuja and others are discussing the matter. Dr Roy said “Let us talk to the aliens to stop all this or else, we will wage deadly war against them.” All others agreed that it can be the only solution and that with the Presidents order, they must take the action and use nuclear weapons against them. Moreover planet Gianta is minuscule compared to our Earth and even their population is not more than a handful. Dr Ahuja replied sharply “you are forgetting gentlemen that they have the whole lot of human race as their robotic slave, which works as per their will. Instead we are a handful lot at present. They can use our nuclear weapons against us. We are in control of just one nuclear station while they may be having control over several, through their robots!” One of the scientists asked “so, what do we do now?” Dr. Ahuja said “no talks. Only action. Talking to them will make them alert. So we will fire nuclear weapons at them directed by our satellite links and then immediately cut of the satellite links completely.” He paused and then continued “with satellite links cut off they will not be able to give instructions to robots. We can then one by one cure them by removing their nanochips.” Dr. Roy replied “that will be no better situation because there will be just handful of us against the entire world. But anyway this seems to be the only solution,” while this discussion is been carried on, Ami keeps working with programming and suddenly his shouts of joy surprises everyone. He says “Yes! I have done it.” He turns to Dr. Ahuja and says “Sir, I succeeded in cracking their code to the software of programming the nano-chip.”
Dr. Roy said “Wow! That’s great! But what next?” Ami said cheerfully “now I will try to change their program and stop this destruction.”
Everybody is speechless. He hurriedly begins his work. He is working whole heartedly with keeping his head calm. There is an announcement but Ami remains un distracted. It says that paramilitary forces have been arrived to guard the Research centre.” Dr Ahuja patted his head and said “oh no! It happened more quickly than I guessed. We are trapped. Lock the door. They can be here any moment!” Dr Roy said “But sir they are here to guard us.” Dr. Ahuja himself went and latched the door. He said “didn’t you notice the voice making announcement? It was a monotonous robotic voice!” “Yes, it seemed so.” said Dr. Roy. “That means those soldiers are robots and are now inducing our staff with the nano-chips?” “Yes, that’s right. As long as we are inside, we are safe.” He turned to Ami and asked “hurry up Ami; we have very less time left. Will you succeed?” but Ami keeps working without uttering a word.” Dr. Roy is watching the CCTV monitor. He shouts “oh my! Look, those robots are coming this way!” many were their own staff, now human robots with a horrifying expressionless faces. Soon they could be seen through the glass on the door. They began to bang the door. Everybody starts for looking something to save himself but they are so many in numbers that it is impossible to either escape from them or to overpower them. They are now trying to break open the door. The huge door puts up a strong defence but they are so many banging the door with all their might! At last the door gives way and falls down with a loud noise. Everyone including Divya and her dad stand dumbstruck, except Ami who is still on computer. The robots zoom inside but stop with a jerk. Suddenly they all seem normal. Ami shouts with joy “yes! I succeeded.” Dr Ahuja asked “what did you do?” Ami replied “I programmed the nano-chips into sleep-mode permanently.” The crowd of soldiers and their staff are looking at one another amused. Their expressions are as if asking each other “what are we doing here?”