The Human Inside

Chapter 26

Classroom 312

    "So what do you think so far?"

    Sarah looked up from her screen and paused the playback.

    "Amborgs." she said observingly. "They aren't what they appear to be."

    "Go on," Mandy leaned forward with interest.

    Sarah noticed this and continued to share her observations.

    "As the war progressed, with each hour," she recalled. "I did not see the amborgs as numbers anymore. I saw them as soldiers and I also saw them as... human."

    "That is what I tried teaching 117 over a long period of time," Mandy nodded in agreement. "Now let me ask you this, why do you think the war was such a bad reason for the original amborgs to evolve as humans?"

    "The more exhausted they were," Sarah replied, "The less energy they had, it made many of them revert back to a basic human instinct. Almost a violent one."

    Sarah looked at her teacher for confirmation. Mandy only stared back with a pained expression and was silent.

    "That was the point wasn't it?"

    Sarah looked through the footage of the Domino Incident and within seconds, recapped all that she had seen.

    "The amborgs were Dr. Kendrick's symbol for the tools to rebuild and lead humanity onto a better path. When the war happened, it was a fight to destroy everything the amborgs stood for and 117 led all of them on the defensive. By arresting the man responsible, he potentially avoided an even bigger catastrophe. But, I cannot confirm this query though."

    "That is almost very accurate Sarah," Mandy smiled. "At the beginning, a lot of people questioned why the amborgs had to study to be like humans again. David 117 and the original family of amborgs were all advanced beyond physical and mental abilities that people could only dream of. Yet, they were kind and helped people of all status. They fought for the homes that left them for dead and they gave hope back to people that needed it. But the Domino Incident happened because eventually, one man, in this case the assassin, wanted to destroy all of that. Someone envious about their accomplishments. Fortunately, he didn't succeed because 117 found it in his heart to continue showing pity and respect and chose not to act out in violence. In a way, the amborgs became more human. They were faced with probably one of the worst encounters they'd ever dealt with, for the first time in their entire cybernetic lives."

    "But it caused an emotional stir that almost led to violence," Sarah said remembering the final planning of the mission. "Johnny 5 almost seemed ready to fight against 117."

    "Let's just say that the amborgs learned a lot more than they bargained for," Mandy explained. "The assassin did succeed but not in the way he originally intended. Instead of destroying the amborgs by subjugating them to violence, they found a way to adapt and accept that into their lifestyles."

    "Wait," Sarah replied. "You approve of the fact that we still have emotional tendencies towards violence?"

    "It's always in us Sarah," Mandy replied. "The seed of violence is always waiting to bloom. How we demonstrate or show self-control is how we always have good judgement. But when we come to a point in time where we forget about certain parts of ourselves, then we are capable of destroying our own humanity. The amborgs worked so hard for a peaceful life that eventually, they learned the hard way that our primitive roots always focus on violence and aggression. From that though, they learned a great deal about emotion. Many of them after the incident learned how to blend in exactly like the rest of the population and some decided to continue on without emotion. The discoveries and self-sacrifices of the amborgs from the First, Second, and Third group became the most remarkable stories I have had the pleasure of witnessing."