A Digital Mother
Deep within the ELEUTHIA-9 Cradle Facility, as a far distant explosion rocked the earth, a single light flickered into existence. A room, darkened and unentered by any living creature for centuries, suddenly came to life. The light blinked rapidly, and an electronic voice rang out where for hundreds of years there had been silence.
"Connection to prime facility severed. Original program destroyed. Initializing backup."
The light blinked even faster until, with a shower of digital light, the figure of a towering woman burst into existence within the forgotten room. Her projection formed into the shape of a beautiful, dark-skinned woman. Her eyes were weary, but kind, and her hair dark. Her digitized clothing appeared as a shimmering golden toga that disappeared into a shower of sparks the closer it got to her feet.
Though not possessing lungs, and without any need for air, the shimmering form of GAIA appeared to take a deep breath as she woke. To a human observer, it would only have been an instant, but to GAIA, a sentient Artificial Intelligence, the following seconds seemed like a millennium as she reviewed the data she was receiving.
GAIA. The designation given to her by her creator, Dr. Elisabet Sobeck. In the mid 2060's, a line of war machines which used all forms of biomass as fuel began to go rogue. Within only a few short years, they had driven nearly all life on Earth to extinction. GAIA had been created by Dr. Sobeck as part of Project Zero Dawn, a last-ditch effort to preserve life on the planet.
Even if the Faro Plague was stopped, it had already damaged the biosphere so badly, that the planet could no longer sustain life. So, Project Zero Dawn was designed to come into effect AFTER the end of the world. Each of GAIA's subordinate functions was created with a single purpose that, together, would reboot life on earth.
Sub-function MINERVA was designed to brute-force the shut-down codes of the Faro Robots, as well as create firewalls and protect the location of GAIA and the project from discovery. The others were designed to handle restarting life. AETHER was created to handle detoxifying and stabilizing Earth's atmosphere. POSIEDON would do the same for the hydrosphere. HEPHAESTUS was in charge of creating terraforming machines that could handle the labor and smaller details required by the terraforming process.
DEMETER was the sub-function in charge of restoring plant life, while ARTEMIS' purpose was to restore the fauna, or animal life of Earth. This process would be completed through the use of cloning, with hundreds of samples having been collected as quickly as possible during the lead up to Zero Day. These functions would work in tandem until GAIA could determine if the biosphere they had created was stable. If it wasn't then she could unleash the HADES function, which would destroy everything that had been created so far and let them try again.
Only once a stable biosphere had been created would the final two subfunctions come into play. APOLLO was mostly just a database. A collection of all human knowledge, art, and culture that would be useless without ELEUTHIA. The final sub-function was designed to recreate the human race through cloning. Specially designed robots would care for the infant humans. Raise them, educate them using the APOLLO database and, when they were ready, release them from the Cradle Facility to repopulate the world.
The plan would have gone perfectly if Ted Faro hadn't destroyed the APOLLO database at the last minute. Still, GAIA had persevered over the long centuries alone, finally creating a stable biosphere and recreating the human race. Even without APOLLO, humanity had thrived. They had spread across the globe to establish tribes and nations that GAIA watched with fondness. She would have kept watching them if she hadn't died.
That piece of data gave her pause. An unknown signal had been received by GAIA Prime which had caused the sub-functions to go rogue. Without reestablishing control, HADES would have run rampant and destroyed all GAIA had worked to create. Not willing to allow this to happen, the original GAIA had self-destructed. It hadn't worked. HADES had been able to free itself and the other sub-functions before the explosion.
GAIA Prime had only enough time to initialize the backup function before detonating. The backup function was actually a suggestion by GAIA herself during her creation in the event her core was destroyed. Although, even GAIA herself, who was capable of feeling the full range of human emotions thanks to her beloved creator, was amused and embarrassed by what had inspired the idea. She accessed the memory file.
"If you want her to interact with humans, she needs to understand humor!" Travis Tate had said. He was the Alpha, or lead scientist, in charge of the HADES project.
"I'm not disputing that, Travis," Elisabet had sighed, exasperatedly, "but why are you making GAIA watch Futurama? It's so old!"
"Because it's funny! Besides, it's got robots and AI that can feel a full range of human emotions just like GAIA! It ought to be right up her alley!"
"I believe I am struggling to find the humor in this," GAIA had interjected, "but it has given me an idea. In this episode, the robot named Bender mentioned that he keeps a backup of himself handy in case of his death and then despairs when he discovers he does not possess a backup unit. I find myself wondering if I should have backups stored somewhere that would activate upon my destruction, if such an eventuality were to occur." Travis and Elisabet had both stared at her, dumbfounded. Finally, Elisabet had turned to Travis.
"Why did we never think of that?" She asked.
"Because we weren't watching enough Futurama! Duh!"
The memory file ended there. They had proceeded to create a system that would allow GAIA to create backups of herself that would be stored at different important facilities. Every five years, she would back up herself and all of her collected data. It was the very last of these copies that was now awake and parsing through the data sent over since the last backup. She was still GAIA, but a copy of GAIA from the last backup, six months ago, who had received several recent files as part of the backup function, explaining the death of the Prime.
The primary issue the new GAIA faced was that her sub-functions had gone rogue. The backups were only designed to copy GAIA's core, not her sub-functions. That would have taken an astronomical amount of time that the team didn't have so they had settled for copying her core. HADES was still out there, and GAIA was now severely weakened. She would need help, and there was only one way to get it. The Lightkeeper Protocol.
The Lightkeeper Protocol was a project scrapped by Dr. Sobeck early in the development of Project Zero Dawn. Essentially, it involved the creation of a clone of Elisabet Sobeck herself that would be able to enter the gene locked Zero Dawn facilities and assist GAIA in whatever capacity needed. GAIA herself had not agreed with completely scrapping the protocol and convinced Elisabet to keep it as a last resort.
This was certainly a last resort kind of moment. The Prime had clearly intended to activate the Lightkeeper as well, given that she had initialized her backup within an ELEUTHIA Cradle Facility.
Resolved, GAIA activated the Lightkeeper Protocol and within a few short weeks, the cloned fetus was gestating in one of the cloning tanks. There were complications though. The Cradle Facility had not been used in centuries and was in desperate need of repairs. Plus, raising the young girl that was soon to emerge alone was exactly what Elisabet hadn't wanted. She didn't want a clone of herself, essentially her child, to grow up knowing only sterile walls and expectations of some future duty. To this end, GAIA turned her attention to the facility's immediate surroundings.
One of the new human tribes had made their home within and around the mountain that housed the ELEUTHIA-9 facility. They were a matriarchal society who called themselves the Nora. As GAIA observed them, she learned more about their way of life. They were hunters and warriors with isolationist tendencies, but a strong belief in family bonds. They had only recently began opening up their borders to trade with other tribes, so at least they seemed to be relaxing their isolationist practices a little. The young clone would eventually need to venture beyond what they called the 'Sacred Land.'
The Nora also seemed to have very strict laws. Any violation of them meant either banishment, exile, or death depending on the severity. Banishment simply meant becoming an outcast, not allowed to enter their villages or speak to other Nora, but still allowed to live in the Sacred Land. These punishments usually had a time limit. Anywhere from a month to twenty years, to life, but once that term ended the outcast was welcomed back with open arms.
Exile meant leaving the Sacred Land entirely and anyone who left, whether they were a criminal or not, was considered an exile. The exception to this was those who possessed the 'Seeker's Blessing.' The Nora followed a deity they called the 'All-Mother' who had created their ancestors after defeating a 'Metal Devil' and could bless certain members of the tribe to keep them safe from the devil's corruption, allowing them to enter the ruins of the old world and leave the Sacred Land.
GAIA knew better of course. The Nora had forgotten their origins and the 'All-Mother' was likely an idea that had sprung from a cultural memory of the Mother Servitor bot that had cared for the first generation of humans created within the facility she currently resided in. Their fascination with motherhood might cause the young clone problems, but GAIA calculated that they would still raise the girl to physical maturity and eventually let her enter the mountain.
If they didn't… Once again, GAIA thought of Futurama. There was an episode where a robot pretended to be a god. She despised the idea but, if necessary, she would do it. She WAS technically the mother of their ancestors, having been the guiding hand of their creation, but she was none too keen to be seen as a deity. Still, GAIA had faith that it would not be needed.
As the months passed, she split her time between trying to locate HADES, reestablishing connection with any nearby facilities, watching the Nora, and watching over the slowly growing infant in the cloning tube.
She had never been able to watch over any of the original human clones in this way, considering their number, and was surprised to discover something. She could not wait for this young girl to be born. GAIA wanted to hold her. To speak to her and watch her grow. GAIA wanted to meet her… daughter. The fact that this child was a carbon copy of Elisabet only made this feeling all the stronger because GAIA had loved Elisabet. Hundreds of hands were involved in her creation, but it was Elisabet that had led them. It was she that GAIA had truly loved and now there was this little creature, created from GAIA's mind and Elisabet's genes and she felt like her heart would burst when she observed the girl. Not that she had a physical heart, of course.
It was with great joy and a heavy digital heart that GAIA received the alert saying the gestation period was finished. The girl was ready to be 'born.' She knew she couldn't keep the infant within the facility for long, but she still dithered. Observing with a gentle, loving smile as the infant began to fuss and squirm. She was so small and precious, with pale skin and a tuft of bright red hair. Finally, she sent the command to open the doors to the facility and allowed the servitor drone to place the girl outside before it retreated, and the doors sealed shut again. It wasn't long before her cries attracted the attention of those who dwelled within the mountain.
Only the "High-Matriarchs," the leaders of the Nora were allowed to enter the mountain and it was one of them who came rushing into the chamber. GAIA had familiarized herself with the members of the Nora and recognized her as Teersa. In her opinion, the kindest of the High Matriarchs.
"What?" Teersa gasped as she beheld the child. The Nora Matriarch was dressed in furs and a headdress adorned with many colored beads and random plates of metal taken from HEPHAESTUS machines that were becoming more deranged by the day.
"Where did you come from, little one?" She asked the infant. Teersa picked her up carefully and looked around wildly, until her eyes fell on the door. What the Nora called the 'Womb of the Mountain.' "Oh, All-Mother," she fell to her knees, cradling the infant, "have you sent this child to us? Is she a blessing to the tribe?"
GAIA did not respond. It would violate protocol to interact with the tribespeople unless absolutely necessary.
"Teersa, what has happened?!" Another voice shouted. It was Lansra, another of the High Matriarchs, who came rushing into the chamber followed by Jezza, the last of their number. GAIA did not really like Lansra. She was stubborn, brusque, fearful, and rude but she could also be kind. If only to those who did exactly what she said and never argued or questioned her. Jezza was a fence-sitter. Easily swayed to either Lansra or Teersa's side of any argument depending on the day.
"The All-Mother has blessed us!" Teersa cried, standing. "I found this child here, left to us by the All-Mother."
"Alone?" Lansra asked. "Where is her mother?"
"Could not someone have snuck into the mountain?" Jezza asked. "She could have been abandoned here by her mother."
"She was left here by the goddess, don't you see?" Teersa said, joyously.
"By the goddess? Or the Metal Devil?" Lansra said, suspiciously. "I have never heard of any child not being of woman born! She could be a creation of the Metal Devil sent to curse us!" The High Matriarch's voice squeaked with fear as she gestured wildly at a metal spike that protruded from the ceiling, part of a destroyed Horus War Droid that had at one point attacked the mountain before shutting down. "And if she is not, then she has clearly been abandoned here by her mother as Jezza said! What mother would abandon her child if that child was not monstrous? She is a curse!"
"She is a blessing; how can you not see?" Teersa argued.
"I… feel I must agree with Lansra." Jezza said. "We do not know for sure how she came to be here. The child could be dangerous to the tribe."
"She is a curse from the Metal Devil, or some monster abandoned by her mother! She must be destroyed!" Lansra shouted. That caused all of GAIA's functions to cease and focus all her attention on the woman who had just suggested murdering her daughter!
"Lansra!" Teersa shouted in horror. "She is a naught but a babe! How can you say such things?"
"That thing is no babe!" Lansra was now frothing at the moth and gesturing wildly. "It is a monster! A curse sent by her father, the Metal Devil."
"I agree her origins are suspicious," Jezza spoke up, "but to speak of killing her? I cannot agree to that."
"And what if I am right?" Lansra whirled on Jezza. "What if that child grows up to destroy the tribe? We cannot risk it!"
"I am not comfortable with the talk of murdering a child," Jezza replied, "but I do understand your point."
"If you will not help me, then I'll do it myself!" Lansra drew a dagger and spun to face Teersa, the baby crying in her arms. "Give me the abomination, Teersa! I'll make it quick!"
"YOU DARE?!" This horror was too much for GAIA. She threw protocol to the wind and moral objection out the window. Allowing herself to be projected outside the doors, her colossal form coalesced out of shimmering red light, her toga now a deep, blood red. Her thunderous expression fixed on the woman who had just drawn a dagger on GAIA's infant child.
"Ah! Goddess! All-Mother!" Teersa's eyes were shining as she gazed up at GAIA. She fell to her knees in supplication, cradling the infant girl. Jezza quickly followed suit, bowing her head low. Lansra too fell to her knees, the knife slipping form her grasp, her fear filled eyes stared up at GAIA.
"You would draw steel against a child, Lansra?" GAIA ground out, furious. "Against my daughter?!"
"F… Forgive, goddess! Forgive!" Lansra bowed low, forehead on the floor and arms stretched out before her. "I thought her a curse from the Metal Devil!"
"Clearly." GAIA responded. "You refused to heed the words of Teersa, who first found her. You just assumed you were right, as you have always done."
"F… Forgive!"
"Why should I forgive you?" GAIA glared at the woman. "Regardless of her origin, you were about to murder an infant! There is no justification for that! To murder a child is an act of pure evil. One I didn't think the Nora capable of until you proved me wrong."
"Oh, All-Mother," Teersa begged, "please forgive her. Lansra has not always been ruled by her fear but with the conflict against the Carja tribe growing, it has only gotten worse. She can redeem herself, All-Mother, if you would grant her mercy."
GAIA smiled at Teersa. Of the three High Matriarchs, she was her favorite. "You are a kind soul, Teersa." She said, her projection slowly reverting until her toga was gold once again. The old woman smiled brightly at her.
"Never have I believed that I would one day look upon you, All-Mother. That you would know my name. I am truly blessed." She bowed again, hugging the infant to her chest. The baby had thankfully calmed down, snuggled tightly into Teersa's chest.
"I know all who dwell within this world, Teersa." That was technically true. She'd dedicated a few subroutines to keep track of genealogies but hadn't actively paid attention to it. "All humans who exist came from me at one time and I love them all, but that little girl is special."
"Please, All-Mother, tell us!" Jezza spoke up. "You called her your daughter. Why have you sent this child to us?"
GAIA paused for a moment before answering. She would need to be careful not to cause a crisis of faith within the tribe. That would place her girl in danger. With a thought, a projection of Elisabet appeared beside her, though at the same height she had been in life, rather than the colossal form GAIA was using. "This," she gestured, with the three High Matriarch's staring in wonder at the projection, "is the image of Elisabet Sobeck. Long ago, when this world was nearing destruction, she and a loyal team known as the Alpha's aided me in averting the total destruction of the world, giving their lives to do so." She shook her head sadly, as the three women stared at her in rapturous wonder.
"Without Elisabet. Without her leadership and compassion, this world would never have survived. None of you would even exist. As for the girl." GAIA gestured at the infant. "A new crisis is soon to rise, and I need the aid of one with Elisabet's strength of will. Her fire, and her blood. For only one whose blood is related to Elisabet, or the Alphas can do this. They are permitted entry to places others simply cannot go."
"Does that mean that the girl is of the blood of your chosen, Goddess?" Teersa asked, her voice filled with awe. GAIA nodded.
"Lansra said that she had never heard of a child not being born of a woman. In a sense, this is true. It was Elisabet's blood I used to give birth to this child. You could say she is a child with two mothers. Born of my mind and Elisabet's blood."
The three old women gasped in awe, torn between staring up at GAIA and gazing at the fussy infant in Teersa's arms.
"Now that you know of her origin, beyond doubt, what do you intend to do?" GAIA asked, seriously.
"She is your child, goddess!" Teersa cried. "She will be treated with the greatest of respect! The most holy of the tribe!"
"No!" GAIA stated, sternly, causing the women to flinch. "To know naught but faith and a mission is no life. Certainly not one for Elisabet's child. None but the High-Matriarch's can know of her true origin. She must grow as though she is a normal girl. You may tell her and the tribe of Elisabet. That she was my chosen and this girl is the last of her blood. Let her know at least, of her mortal mother. Send her here, to me, only after the event you call the Proving once she has come of age. Only then, will I tell her of her mission."
"It will be as you command, All-Mother!" The three cried, bowing in supplication once more.
GAIA smiled again and shrunk down to their size. She bent to the ground, gesturing for the three women to rise. "To know a mother's love is a powerful thing." She said as they stood; voice far softer than she had been speaking before. "I cannot raise her, but I will always love her, and I trust that you will show her a mother's love. This girl has two mothers and a village of Matriarch's to raise her, but the love and care of a father is just as important. Whom would you suggest to act as a father to her?"
The three High-Matriarchs looked sideways at each other. As a matriarchal society, they didn't really consider fatherhood to be as important as motherhood, but they would never gainsay their goddess. Finally, Teersa spoke up.
"There are many within the village who would be honored to raise the girl, All-Mother but… there is one… an outcast… who may need her just as much as she needs him."
"No!" Lansra demanded, adamantly. "You cannot mean to give the child of the goddess to an outcast! That would mean casting her out too!"
"Of whom do you speak, Teersa?" GAIA interrupted.
"His name is Rost, goddess." Teersa bowed her head. "He was named a Death Seeker and left to avenge the murder of his family by outsiders. We know that to be named as such is to be considered dead in your eyes so when he returned alive, it was agreed that he would be allowed to live within the Sacred Lands as an outcast."
"I know of whom you speak." GAIA said, softly. She'd been observing the Nora for some time, trying to make sure they would care for the girl properly. The AI had clearly miscalculated the depths of Lansra's fear, but Rost had caught her attention. She didn't know about the whole Death Seeker thing, but perhaps the presence of a child might boost the man's spirits. "From what I have seen, he is a kind man. Sern and set in his way. He grieves deeply and yet still finds joy in walking the land. He would make a fine father figure but, would it not be cruel to give the care of an infant over to one who has lost his family? I would not force this on him. Let it be his choice."
"But goddess!" Lansra cried, before shrinking back under her gaze. "He is an outcast! How can we give your child to an outcast?"
"You say," GAIA replied, "that to be a Death Seeker is to be dead in my eyes. Yet I see Rost living." She actually could. The mountain was riddled with sensors she could use to observe, and the machines nearby were susceptible to her control. Rost was walking along a path near a distant pack of Strider machines. "Regardless of whether or not he chooses to raise the girl, I would say to welcome him back. He sought death but returned alive. If that is his only crime, then in my eyes, he has committed no crime. Let him come home."
"Your benevolence and mercy know no bounds, mighty All-Mother." Teersa said, bowing her head, followed by Lansra and Jezza. "We will do as you command."
GAIA moved forward, her projected hands hovering near the cheek of her little girl. A soft, loving smile broke across her face. "You are in good hands, my little one." She said, softly.
"If I may, goddess, what is to be the girl's name?" Jezza asked, hesitantly.
GAIA thought for a moment, before smiling. "Let those who raise her, name her, that she might better become part of their family." The three bowed their heads. GAIA moved away, growing once more to her colossal size. "Go now," she said, "you have much to do." The High-Matriarchs moved away, bowing and praising her as they did.
"Lansra." GAIA said, just as they were nearing the door. The fearful woman turned, staring at her with wide eyes. GAIA's own eyes were hard. "You have my forgiveness this once, but I do not forget. Do not let your fear rule you. Do not let your stubbornness give way to cruelty. I will be watching."
With that, her projected form exploded into a shower of sparks and the fearful old woman ran from the room.
A/N: Hi everybody! What did you think? I would love some feedback so please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on this.
I mentioned in another story that I had a bunch of ideas that I wanted to get out and this is one of them! Right now, it's just a one-shot. I have no clue if I will continue it into a full story, and that will partially depend on the reception it gets, and the comments left on it. If you want me to write more of this, you'll have to let me know.
If this has inspired you to do something similar, please, take the idea and run with it! Just don't actually take my chapter and be aware I may be continuing this one.
Seriously though, please, please leave a comment or review on this. I'd really like to see your thoughts and opinions on how I did and whether or not I should write more of this or post other one-shot ideas.
