A Future Unknown

A little kindness goes a long way

 The months went by like a tidal rush in a narrow passage, and Theo Willmall, felt alive again. He had not been this excited since he unraveled the coding system of the inner layers of the human genome.

Even though Swedish Ecologist Eric Vasa was in the way. He had newfound purpose, and Dr. Morgan, seemed to like to spend more time with him than her own husband anyway. Which Theo gladly accepted.

Maybe it was the stimulating conversations he could give her, which her Husband could not. He had also found out that she was vice chairman of the board, for the new colonists. Once again he had been lucky for some reason. He didn't know why, he never deserved his luck.

"You know that I never thanked you." Theo said.

She was looking through one of her old records to find a theory she had abandoned, that he had shed som new light on. "Thanked me for what?" she asked. She looked at him again. With those flawed but beautiful eyes. Her eyes had deep, rich brown, full of warmth and emotion, but slightly mismatched—one with a faint fleck of gold, the other slightly narrower, giving her gaze an unevenness.

He approached her, and she surrendered to his presence. He could see her innermost thoughts wrestling with her integrity. Gently, he touched her hand and felt a surge of electricity course through him. She didn't pull away; instead, she allowed it to linger for a moment longer than she should have. A warmth enveloped him as her breathing began to slow down.

"Thanked me for what?" She asked him.

"Thanked you for, standing up for me."

She looked at him. "Don't be all mushy about it." She turned around and pulled her hand away and started talking about molecular structure. She looked back at him and smiled. He shook his head with a grin on his head, because he knew. He didn't care about her husband. She enjoyed his company as much as he did. A century had passed since he let go of his love. This time, he wouldn't make the same mistake; he was claiming what was his.

***

Later that night he chuckled, as he read the documents on his holographic. He could not even remember being in as splendid a mood as he was now. He refocused on his contraband. Her exact words had been. "Dr. Theo Willmall was most likely the smartest person on the planet. A super-genius in everything he sets his mind to. However his lack of social grace was match by his towering arrogance - he saw himself as far superior and often dismissed others' opinions. His brilliance was blessing and a curse, but we need him. He is the best at what he does. There might be unforeseen environmental issues that our bodies can not tolerate, the only one I believe could solve that is Dr. Theo Willmall. I will not risk Humanity because someone is a complete ass. We don't need him for his social skills. We need him for his mind. Dr. Morgan Tyler."

He read the highly illegally obtained report. He didn't know, if he should take what she had written as a compliment or an insult. "No social grace.... A complete ass.... a super-genius" At first he had snorted at it, but now it made him chuckle.

***

They had bonded in a way few did, a connection he had only felt once before. He was the only one among the colonists who understood her reports on quantum physics. For her, it was liberating to have someone to vent her ideas to. For him, well, she had everything his ex-wife had lacked and more. She was smarter, spicier, and had a backbone like no one else he had ever met, and he just wanted to fix all her flaws. He had even suggested it, and she had almost slapped him. He loved it. She made him feel alive. Luckily for him, he had observed certain marital issues surfacing. But he had time on his side; five years was a long time to persuade someone.

She would invite him to her lab and he would ask for an opinion on a formula he had solved. They even shared the same love for exotic coffee. Unfortunately for Theo he had to swallow a little bit of his pride, as it was her husband who provided them with beans, or rather Ecologist Eric Vasa provided her with beans that he then "stole" from her and now made his delicious coffee with. Of course the Ecologist knew how to grow beans. Damn treehugger. It tasted even better than the luxurious beans he used to import from Costa Rica. Pride hurt (check) tastebuds satisfied (check.)

"Theo Willmall, do I hint a smile in your face?"

He was shocked "No." He replied and she laughed.

They stayed up late into the wee hours of the morning exchanging ideas and new theories of the universe. It was exhilarating for him to have someone who understood his work on quantum genome exploration. She was almost as smart as he was, and it was such a relief.

One morning in his newly acquired sleeping quarters. He opened the nano-box and turned it on. "Feels good to be back Sir. Where is my body?"

"Not so loud Winston. You are technically not supposed to be here. Winston lowered his voice. "Sorry Sir. Are you up to no good again?"

"What do you know about me being up to no good? You are a robot."

"Well Sir."

"Don't answer that." Said Theo

"Yes Sir." He dutifully replied.

"I need you to upload yourself into my robot assistant; it's driving me crazy. But when we're in public, I need you to act like any other idiotic AI."

"I feel violated Sir. Do I not get a clean slate?"

"Ehh, since when did you develop feelings? Asked Theo.

Before Winston could answer. Theo heard someone outside his room. He closed the box and Winston was once again shut down.

"Who was that?" Theo almost jumped out of his skin as Morgan entered his room.

"I was listening to a recoding of some old data regarding dream projection." He replied.

"You are needed in the main council room." She saw his face shift in to an utmost curious look, and did not like it. "Let me rephrase that, you are coming as my advisor. That means you shut the hell up and speak only when spoken to. Do you understand that?" Morgan said.

"I..." He loved when she got all spicy with him.

"Do you understand that?" She uttered again.

Theo Willmall almost opened his too cocky mouth but said nothing. He nodded instead. "I'll meet you there. I just need a moment. You know, nature calls." She left the room and he quickly short short circuited his assistant robot, and rewired it and connected it to Winstons box. Letting Winstons nano-bots work, transform and adapt the circuits to his frequency.

"I'll see you soon, friend," said Theo as he walked out of the room. Those exact words would shift the entire trajectory of an ever-evolving AI like Winston, and Theo had no idea that his small act of kindness, had altered the destiny of humanity.