Polendina's Parenting Problem
Chapter 1:
Creation
The Floating City of Atlas, 9 years prior to Salem's attack.
"Are you sure this is the most efficient way?" A gentle voice queried from across the room, the slightest hint of hesitation in his usually stern voice betraying his underlying concerns.
The examination room was painfully silent, and felt empty, with the only features being a dozen boxes stacked haphazardly in the corner of the room, evidence of their recent relocation. A single bulb swung from the ceiling, the light burning their eyes, save for the occasional flicker that only served to heighten the already tense atmosphere. This has to be fixed before they can do some proper work here, he thought. How were Atlesians capable of producing some of the most advanced tech ever seen, yet they couldn't get a single lightbulb to work?
His self-moving chair turned around to face the individual who had spoken to him, and then he smiled.
"Yes." Pietro assured him, seemingly unperturbed by the uncertainty in his colleague's voice. "My team has run extensive trials and tests and come to the conclusion that this method will not have any significant adverse effects on my physical health, and I put my full trust in them."
"If you say so, doctor Polendina." A rather unenthusiastic response, he thought, but that was to be expected. Very few people understood what he was doing, WHY he was doing it..
Adjusting his glasses, Pietro gazed down at the harness he was wearing, continually draining small amounts of aura from his body with each passing second. A dull, green light emanated from within the harness. It was the color of his Aura.
Nine months it had taken to complete this project. Nine months of begging for funding and equipment. Nine months of insomnia and constant fears as to whether this would be a success or not. Whether all his work would be for nothing. Would his creation be indistinguishable from a regular human? Would it be capable of inheriting the daunting responsibility of saving this entire continent when it needed to be saved?
Will she have a soul?
He felt a small crackle as his aura weakened, but he wasn't concerned. After all, it was what he signed up for, it's what he wanted.
"With all due respect, but weren't you the one that agreed with this plan to create a protector that possesses a soul, feels empathy and is capable of experiencing true emotions?" Pietro looked at his colleague expectantly, declining a glass of water that was being offered to him by an Atlesian military colleague, with a kind smile.
"I did." James Ironwood cleared his throat as he leaned over the panel, his gaze fixated on the harness. "But not if it costs the life of one of my best colleagues."
"Don't worry about it, James. Doctor Watts assured me that splitting a part of my aura to be put in this project will not have any significant effect on me in the long run." Pietro laughed confidently, moving his chair towards the General to join his side at the examination table.
The two men gazed upon a small, glass pod that held nothing more than a motherboard. Despite the flickering light in the room, they could both see a green shade from within the glass pod. A green aura. Even as they were watching, the light seemed to brighten and the core was glowing more and more with each passing moment.. The Aura transfer seemed to be working.
James smiled assuredly before speaking.
"And what about the body?" The General asked again in his typically stern tone of voice. "The android must have a physical form to function, right?"
Pietro frowned, visibly uncomfortable with the way Ironwood addressed his life's greatest creation. This was greater than anything he'd ever worked on before, something that would advance science and technology for years to come. He could still remember his ecstasy when the project was given the green light and he could begin the culmination of his life's work And during the nine months since, with each singular day Pietro felt as if he grew closer to fulfilling his lifelong dream; creating life, and raising said life.
But for a renowned Atlesian scientist, spare time was brief, and he had been unable to find a loving partner to raise a family with. His disability also didn't do him any favors in terms of finding love, given he would never be able to walk on his own for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, adoption also wasn't an option for him, as under Atlesian law it required the signatures of two legal guardians.
The Atlesian law however, never stated anything about building your own child.
He grieved over his loneliness most nights, longing desperately for companionship, wishing more than anything that the space inside his apartment and workplace didn't feel so smothering and empty. Everything was so quiet and still, taunting him every day about his lack of a partner, someone to hold and love. It all felt so sterile and emotionless, with Pietro yearning for something more whimsical that felt free and easy-going.
He was one of the greatest minds Atlas had ever seen. But he wished he didn't have to celebrate his victories in science on his own.
So he set out to do what he knew best; to create.
A synthetic, humanoid being, preferably female who is capable of basic speech and human-like behavior. A protector that was capable of defending an entire city with her own abilities, while also being able to make rational decisions without the input of others.
But to Pietro, she was to be something far more important.
A daughter. That was his true goal. Someone he could look after and raise, and share all the things that a parent does with a child, some serious, some frivolous. But most importantly;
Someone to love.
"Ah yes." Pietro stated, "I put the directive of creating a physical prototype of the first stage in the hands of Dr. Lilac, and Professor Watts. They should bring her in anytime now." He glanced at his watch as he spoke, the merest hint of anxiety gnawing at the back of his mind.
"I still don't get why you want the prototype to experience different ages in her 'life' before she's capable of stepping on the battlefield. Can't you just simply program her to combat protocol from the start?" James questioned, raising an eyebrow at the idea of installing a modernized combat AI in a synthetic body that has the appearance of a 10 year old girl.
"James," Pietro replied sharply, the irritation clear in his voice, "If we want to make a synthetic 'combat soldier' who is inextinguishable from a regular human in both looks and behavior, isn't it only logical to provide the AI with a life that's as human as possible? Who knows what might happen if we were to create a fully weaponized body, and put an undeveloped, unknowing mind into it. It would be utter chaos!. She needs to learn how to be a human first, before she can learn to be a soldier."
Before Ironwood got a chance to counter Pietro's argument, a blip interrupted them, confirming that the aura drainage process was completed.
"Alright." Pietro spoke, unfastening the safeguards that secured the harness on his torso, putting it on the table next to him. "Now we just nee-"
As if on cue, doctor Polendina's sentence was cut short by the door to the room swinging open, signalling the entry of his colleagues, doctor Lilac and doctor Watts. Between them they carried a metal case with a glass front, the doctors struggling slightly with the weight. They reached the centre of the room and lowered it to the ground, the glass facing Pietro and Ironwood.
"Atlas' finest stylists have not disappointed us doc, look at this beauty!" Doctor Lilac exclaimed excitedly, tapping the glass casing they brought in.
Pietro's chair jolted in response. It felt like he was gazing upon his newborn child. A first look at the life that was about to be. He had fantasized many times about what the appearance of his creation would look like, and now his racing mind could finally be put at ease.
The doctor leaned over the glass, his body trembling in anticipation. And the sight before him was enough to bring tears of joy to his eyes. He re-adjusted his glasses and squinted slightly to take a closer look.
Inside the case lay a small girl, probably just over 4'5 foot tall, her eyes closed as if fast asleep. Although her complexion was rather pale, her cheeks were lightly freckled, but just enough to be visible to the naked eye. The mold they had used to make her soft and delicate 'skin' had worked better than he dared hope, as it fit the robotic humanoid like a glove, leaving no traces behind to betray her synthetic nature.
He looked at her eyelids, complete with eyelashes that were more realistic than he had ever believed possible. What color are your eyes? He wondered. The question lingered in his mind for a moment, the mystery one that the doctor was eager to find out. And he would, later this day, he thought giddily.
As for the garment, doctor Lilac was right. Atlas' finest stylists had combined to create something special for this project, and their hard work was evident. The girl was clad in a beautiful cream-colored dress with black buttons and golden accents on the sides. Doctor Polendina also spotted a beautiful oxidized green bracelet that wrapped around her slender wrist, and a few hints of the same color on her otherwise shiny black little shoes. The outfit looked top-notch from head to toe, made with the care and precision of the finest tailors in all of Atlas.
Beautiful waves of shoulder-length orange hair flowed past her face and behind her ears, curling ever so slightly at the ends, contrasting beautifully with her pale skin complexion. The wig-maker really outdid himself on making this one look stunning.
She looked exactly like a 10 year old girl. She was perfect. He did not regret the picks he and his team had made.
Briefly he wondered where the green accents in her clothing originated from, as it had not previously been discussed as a color to include, unlike the others.
Did his colleagues make this decision based on his aura? They knew that green was the shade of his aura, and his favorite color.
"She's beautiful." Polendina spoke sincerely, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye with his handkerchief.
"Well, where are you waiting for?" Doctor Lilac questioned a bit too eagerly. Her face was beaming with excitement. Watts however seemed far less certain, leaning against the wall looking notably unsatisfied, something that concerned doctor Polendina.
He made a mental note to consult with doctor Watts about his troubles later today. 'Hopefully that will raise his spirits.' He thought.
Addressing the other occupants of the room, Pietro spoke up.
"Oh right." His tone of voice changed to something brighter. "Let's not waste any time!"
With the press of a button, two of the many robotic arms that were mounted on the ceiling reached down and grabbed the metal and glass box, lifting it up before setting it firmly against the wall, in front of the scientists and the general.
For what felt like the millionth time, Dr. Polendina praised the robotic arms. They had significantly reduced the workload on his shoulders, especially as his own physical strength was failing. Dozens of projects had been accelerated due to their assistance
Moving his chair adjacent to the case, Pietro ran his fingers across the glass, behind which his 'daughter' lay. On the side of the case, just as arranged, was a keypad that required a 6-digit code to open. A code known only to the members of the team, a code Pietro had repeated to himself every night. The date of the first day of this project. 'The day of conception' as they would often refer to it.
With shaking hands he entered the code, stepping his chair back slightly to allow the case to open. With a faintly audible 'Tssss' the glass swung aside, revealing just how much prettier the girl was without a thick layer of glass to obscure her features.
"A fine piece of tech." James declared proudly, clearly happy with the outcome and a smile formed on his face. As those who worked with him could testify, he didn't smile often, making this moment all the more memorable. "Atlas is proud to call this theirs."
Again, a phrase that irked Polendina. Although the ultimate goal of this project was for this girl to assist the Atlesian military in the future, that was the future. Right now, thought the doctor, this girl shouldn't belong to anyone but herself.. He would have to make very clear to the girl that nobody was to take away her identity, no matter what.
"Insert the motherboard, Doctor Polendina." Watts groaned impatiently, having had enough of the staring. It was an android, so what? Atlas had hundreds of them in active service that were all more valuable to the military, as they did have weapons to protect others with. What was the Atlesian Military supposed to do with a robot resembling a little girl?
"Doctor Lilac, if you would be so kind?" With a smile he pointed to the pod on the desk, still glowing green with his aura and doctor Lilac obliged with a kind smile in return.
With a set of tongs, she hesitantly reached inside the pod to grab the motherboard, before carefully handing it over.
He felt his heart pounding loudly in his chest as he reached to the back of the girl's delicate neck before popping open a small patch of skin to reveal another keypad that was locked with the same 6-digit code.
With the utmost caution he inserted the motherboard. He could feel multiple sets of eyes burning in the back of his head. The doctor had been so focussed he hadn't even noticed the two other colleagues, doctor Braun and doctor Phillips, enter the room. They stood by his side, both laying a hand on either shoulder.
This was it. This was what he had been working towards. The culmination of millions and millions of lien, thousands of combined hours and countless sleepless nights. This was the moment of truth.
A long, painful silence.
And then..
Whirring. The unmistakable sound of a machine coming to life.
His creation coming to life.
Pietro gasped as the girl's eyes fluttered open, revealing a pair of beautiful green orbs similar to the accents in her clothing. For the doctor, time seemed to stand still, everything else in the room forgotten, the only thing that mattered was the girl in front of him. Silence hung over them as she adjusted her eyes, blinking a few times before glancing down at the man in the chair in front of her.
"Hello there." He kindly spoke, his voice slightly cracking, his eyes softening at the sight of what he was witnessing.
In return, the girl smiled back kindly, as she stepped out of the case with subtle ease.
Despite only having been created mere moments ago, it was almost as if she knew who he was. It wouldn't surprise him if she had known from the very first wire and the very first piece of software, but that didn't take away the tenderness or importance of this moment.
He didn't even hear the cheers of joy from the people behind him. Nothing registered apart from the being in front of him.
He had created life.
His creation was born.
Penny was born.
"Salutations."