Six hours and thirty minutes later, they arrived. Grayson and the others remained in a drugged state. Androids worked with the steward to remove their seatbelts and carry them into the spaceport facility.
Waken in a secure holding area Terrack mumbled, “What happened? Why are we in restraints?”
The others listened as Doctor Reynolds responded, “Relax. You’ll be here a while.” He then exited the room.
Meanwhile, JT and Jennifer observed the group being carried off the ship.
JT said, “We need to stay out of sight until we can form a game plan. We are in some deep shit.”
Jennifer replied, “What are they going to do to Slade and the BMIs. I thought Slade was my father’s friend. I don’t get what my father is up to.”
JT and Jennifer quietly went their own way. They tried to use empty hallways to move around in the alpha site.
JT asked her, “What do you know about your father’s moon facility operations?”
Jennifer replied, “Not much. I know we assemble androids at this location for distribution on earth. Top units are made here like the security, assemblers, teacher, and scientist models.”
JT stated, “So, you have no ideas? You must have some idea of what is going on. Think!”
Jennifer and JT continued and walked down the hall until they found a computer terminal on the wall. Jennifer said, “These are the same terminal units we have at the Cybernotics facility on earth. I should be able to look at the schematics and figure out where we are at. Also, I’ll research what kind of labs and assembly sections are at this facility.”
JT asked, “What about where they took Slade and the BMIs?” Jennifer answered, “Possibly.”
They continued down a few hallways. The facility was massive. Its futuristic design was made up of white painted tritium metal beams and enclosed with clear tritium glass. The hallways lead from one structure to another. The moon facility’s main area covered a distance of approximately five miles in diameter. It was so large that it can be seen from earth with a standard consumer telescope.
Jennifer logged into a terminal and told JT, “Okay, I have the layout on screen.” They could see a diagram of the facility in 3D. They could click on any area, zoom in, rotate around the area and even click to see inside in 3D.
Searching through the diagram, they saw the different areas. There was an assembly area, central processing unit development, research lab 1 through 27, the command center, administration, spaceport, and cargo bay. Another had been sectioned off with what looked like extra secure interior walls. Those areas were labeled “holding facility” and “cafeteria.”
JT said, “Something is off. I see manufacturing facilities, but why is there a large holding facility and a cafeteria in the middle. They’re isolated from the other sections. I don’t see normal living quarters, a recreation room, or a gymnasium. All the things you would expect to see.”
Jennifer looked closely at the screen and said, “You’re right. We need to head there, so we can really see what’s going on.” Jennifer pointed to a security control room on the diagram.” JT nodded his head and they both walked to the security room.
JT and Jennifer entered the security control room and were met by an android security guard, at the doorway. JT looked at the area near the wall. There was a cart loaded with tritium android parts, including a large cylinder bar. JT, without hesitation, grabbed the tritium bar at immediately bashed in the head of the android guard. The guard did not go down with one blow. He had to strike it repeatedly until the head flashed and sparks flew. After beating it down to the ground, the lights in its head went dim, then out, as it completely powered off for good.
Once the guard was disabled, they locked the door behind them and familiarized themselves with the monitoring equipment. They located, viewed, and listened in on the holding area.
The Doctor returned to the holding area to explain his actions. Slade asked, “Doctor, why are we being detained?”
Doctor Reynolds replied, “Things have changed, and unfortunately for you, not in your favor. I want you to see something.”
Slade and the other BMIs looked to the left of the Doctor as large roll-up doors opened. They could see androids being assembled by humans on the assembly floor.
Slade asked, “Humans? On the moon facility? I thought this facility used androids and assemble androids.”
Doctor Reynolds had walked up to the window, looked down at the assembly area. Then turned. He looked back at Slade and the BMIs. JT and Jennifer looked on from the monitor and recorded the video feed, including what the Doctor said, “You see, the answer to the things you can't see can be found in the things you can."
Grayson and the others were lost. Grayson asked, “Meaning what?”
Doctor Reynolds replied, “You see, gentlemen. It was inevitable that man would become outdated by technology. That's why I developed you BMIs. But when man became too afraid to accept the facts, they stopped me. I looked for a solution and it was right in front of me. That's when I realized that the next step in our evolution was not to compete, we shouldn’t just add BMI technology to keep pace; evolutions purpose was to truly merge man and computer. To create the best of both worlds”.
The doctor had walked next to the window, looked out over the factory floor and said, “Those workers below. Those are your fellow BMIs well, your brothers and sisters. Those are the thousands of advanced model 1600 BMIs we made after the ban. With some reprogramming, you too will soon work for me.”
Terrack, in cuff restraints, tensed up, and tried to break free. He said, “Over my dead body.”
Doctor Reynolds replied, “That won't be necessary. Once you’re reprogrammed, you will belong to me like all the others. There is no way to fight me. Every BMI is either successfully reprogrammed or terminated.”
Slade interrupted and asked, “And me? What are your plans for me?”
The doctor signaled an android guard. The guard walked up to Slade and drew his weapon. Slade screamed, “No!”
Bam! The guard fired into Slade's chest. Smoke emitted from the large gaping hole in his chest, simultaneously killing him. The BMIs were shocked that the Doctor would kill his long-time friend.
Peyton said, “He was your friend!”
Doctor Reynolds replied, “No, not for some time. He is no use to me now. His knowledge of this operation and the fact that I could not reprogram him decided his fate.” The doctor motioned to the guards and said, “Take them for reprogramming.”
Grayson wanted a better explanation. He said, “Wait! What did you mean by? ‘The Answer to the things you can't see can be found in the things you can’."
Doctor Reynolds walked up to Grayson, rolled up his sleeve, and pealed back the skin on his forearm. Grayson saw electronic circuits pulsating, glass fibers with data flashing as it transmitted commands from the Doctor’s brain to the rods and levers in his arm. He was no longer human. He had transferred his conscience to an android body.
The Doctor explained, “My answer to the problem was simple: I realized that adding a computer to man, BMI tech, was not enough. Two years ago, when Cybernotics started making intelligent androids, I found the answer, androids. I had to find a way to migrate man's mind into Androids. Well, two years ago, I did it.”
Peyton spoke up, “You’re insane!”
The doctor responded, “Am I? I am virtually immortal. I can simply upgrade my body when it wears down. My ability to learn and store information is equal to any computer. But unlike BMI tech where the body will eventually wear out, my solution has no limits. Technology can no longer surpass me because I am truly state of the art.”
The Doctor commanded the guards, “Take them to the reprogramming center.”
Jennifer and JT were still listening in from the security room. Jennifer looked shocked and said, “Oh my god. My father, he's dead. He's no longer human. He's a monster.” Jennifer cried as she mourned her loss.
JT said, “This is bad juju. We need to get off this station.”
Jennifer replied, “Detective, there’s something you should know.”
JT grabbed Jennifer’s hand and tried to pull her. He said, “We don't have time this. I’m sorry your father is dead, but you will have to deal with this later.”
Jennifer jerked her hand away from JT and approached one of the computer terminals in the security room. Without touching it, mass amounts of information flashed on the terminal. She said, “No! No! Wait!”
JT then stated, “Hurry, what is it? What are you doing there?” He still did not understand what was happening.
Jennifer turned to JT and confided in him, “Yes, detective. I'm a BMI. One of those advanced series 1600 models.
JT replied, “Right now, I don't care. Let's go!”
Jennifer finished her scan and told JT, “We can't. I just scanned the system. My father's plan isn’t just to control things and become immortal, it’s to eliminate the human race. BMIs like myself included. The blackouts, he has been creating them to kill off the underling population. Then, he plans on giving the intelligent, affluents and government officials a choice: submit to slavery or die.”
JT said, “You’re right. We can't go yet. Your father’s maxim now makes sense. He has plan within a plan. Had we looked at the BMIs as a more of threat, we would have seen the true threat: androids. That cabbie Renlo was right. Androids are the true threat, not BMIs like you. I thought we made the decision to ice BMIs, when, in fact, it was the droids that got us to do our own dirty work. We riot, kill each other, and pollute the water supplies all on our own. They’ve also been getting us to ice ourselves. Someday, they will have no need for slave labor either. Once they master self-replication, they will eliminate the BMIs, the affluents, all of us.”
Jennifer used her BMI tech to scan the layout and said, “There is a weapons depository two floors down.” She pointed to the screen.
JT replied, “Yes, let’s get down there and arm ourselves. We’re going to have to shoot our way off this rock. If possible, we need to do as much damage as we can first. The chaos might buy us a little time if we can jack a ship for our escape.”