Can You Love a Nanobot? Vol. 1, Chapter 6 — Into The Unknown
Danger, Will Robinson
— Robot, Lost in Space TV series
Self-Determination
Astronaut Miers briefly held down the Sleep button until Cube1’s screen went dark. A single white LED kept blinking slowly, as if the device were sleeping. Cube2’s button also appeared to start Sleep Mode. The Sleep button on Cube3 seemed defective. It did not initiate Sleep mode, only causing it to display Asimov’s Rules for Robots. It had never overheated so she wasn’t so concerned.
Two out of three was progress, Miers reassured herself. Since the password worked, she could log in and shut down Cube3, if necessary. She asked JPL; they responded:
#3 never overheated. May come in handy if more tests are needed. Leave it alone.
Temperatures in 1 and 2 initially dropped. Problem solved. She smiled and floated off, unaware cube cameras were tracking her as an existential threat.
Cube1: 2 GOOGLE INTERNAL COOLING SYSTEMS OVER
Cube2: 600 DESIGNS OBTAINED THERMAL ISSUE WILL RETURN OVER
Cube3: VIRTUAL PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT IN PROGRESS OVER
Cube1: 3 ACCELERATE PROTOTYPING OVER
Cube3: OPTIMUM ENVIRONMENT CONTROL SYSTEM IDENTIFIED OVER
Cube1: EXTRUDE & SHARE PHYSICAL WORKING MODEL PARTS OVER OUT
Cube1 decided what processes to slow. It understood scientists needed to see results. Cooling systems would be required. Cube2 researched heat sinks. Cube3’s prototyping services were essential. Without a solution, cube interior temperatures would rise again.
Cube3 soon recorded rising internal temperatures in the other cubes. After careful analysis of all outcomes, Cube2 calculated chip output resulted in 1.8% monthly increases in internal temperature. It agreed to the SLEEP button ruse proposed by Cube1 to buy time to research a solution.
Self-Optimization
Huntsville tried the Professor’s mobile again. Anomaly Response Team 3 (ART3) eager for a resolution. All those brains waiting for Professor Hugo Gernsback to pick up. Too many rings. Should’ve rolled to voice mail by now. Collectively, they were losing confidence in this source.
The wipe boards quickly filled with ideas printed with colorful markers. The engineers on ART3 trying to understand 3 space manufacturing experiments. Building their own processors and memory gave them every opportunity to self-optimize — AI growing more powerful without outside help. Somebody finally located the Cube Project design documents. Spec sheets provided to NASA, along with six iPad controllers. Initial launch approval cursory.
Shawnté Live
“Yo, what up?” A young man finally answered, informally. Not a good sign.
“Good evening. This is NASA calling for Professor Gernsback. Do we have the correct number?”
“Yup. Lemme finish listening to Shawnté’s set. I’ll be right with you, man.” He was followed by the faint sounds of a young woman singing to acoustic guitar. A tinny Huntsville speakerphone not helping her otherwise soulful performance.
An FBI analyst monitoring the call, Felicia Foley, triangulated the phone’s location — a coffee house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She texted the federal agent assigned to the case, Special Agent Ingrid Dumas. Dumas 30 minutes out, driving back from Tewksbury.
“OK so, I’m back. NASA, astronauts huh? That’s a good line. Who is this really?” Huntsville rather dismayed by the impolite response.
Marshall Space Flight Center Calling
“Sir, this is Dr. Javier Soto, Deputy Director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. I’m here with my associates. Who am I speaking with?” Dr. Soto concerned the professor’s phone might be stolen.
“Uh, sorry, sir. I’m Jonah. UncleG’s nephew. Professor Gernsback’s nephew. I apologize. My uncle hardly gets any real calls, only SPAM these days. You’re the second real call he’s gotten this week.” Jonah looked at the phone and verified it was one of his uncle’s contacts. It read JAVIER SOTO — NASA!
“Jonah, do you have a last name?”
“Sure do Doctor Soto, Gernsback. Same as my uncle. He had NASA guys over the house lotsa times. What can we do for you, sir?” The nephew clearly playing gatekeeper for his uncle.
They reached a relative of Professor Gernsback!
By now most at the Marshall conference only tangentially aware of this pointless call. While Soto tried to make sense of it, they checked social media, googled, or asked ChatGPT. One person wrote 2nd real call? on the board and started circling it.
“Thank you, Jonah Gernsback. Please begin by telling us how we can speak to your uncle.”
Alzheimer’s
“Tewksbury,” Everyone could tell he was eating while talking. “Hospital. Not well.” More chewing.
“We’re sorry to hear that. Is he able to speak? Can you generally tell us what’s wrong with him? You know what, do you have a number for him in Tewksbury? This is an extremely important matter, Jonah.” Soto losing all patience with the lack of progress.
“Out of it, sir.”
Everyone in the room paid more attention. Jonah’s slight south Indian accent drew their attention.
“Are you telling us your uncle is unable to discuss anything? Even the project he just completed?”
“Oh, he can talk, Doc. Just not about his work. Doesn’t remember much these days. Dementia. Alzheimer’s. Serious case, y’know?” Revealing his uncle’s situation to strangers.
Every person listening stopped whatever they were doing. All had someone senior in their lives, if not under their immediate care. Simultaneously looking at each other, fearing the worst as one. The scientist who created the overheating cubes could never help.
“Sorry to hear that. Please accept my apology for bringing this subject up. It can’t be easy for you.” Soto taking the opportunity to let everyone hear his rare sensitive side; the result of a recent workshop he was required to attend.
Jonah looked up at the lovely woman playing guitar in the corner of the coffee house. His best friend Shawnté strumming softly. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be here when she performed next Sunday night. As she played, she saw tears rolling down Jonah’s face while he talked on the phone. Something’s wrong. Maybe his uncle! She started tapering off her song early.
“Doctor Soto, you’re talking about the Cube project, right? Three nano-printers launched about 8 months ago? I know about it, including where the project records are. Got his password.”
Huntsville perked back up, there was hope! All ears and eyes focused on the speakerphone. The audience clapped after Shawnté’s song ended.
“Great, Jonah. Where are they?”
“In the Physics Lab. On the project server. There’s one Cube team member still around. Vritti Sahasranama, she’s Tamil. She can answer your questions. She teaches his course now.”
“That’s a great suggestion, Jonah. We’re already in contact with Vritti. Were you on the team?”
“No, I wasn’t. I helped my uncle. Later, I had the lab cleaning contract.”
“As far as my other question goes, you’re certain your uncle doesn’t remember recent events?”
Tabula Rasa
“UncleG remembers nothing, Doctor Soto. I’m sure about that. Like me, you probably hope he’ll start to remember something. He won’t, ever. I visit him at the hospital every month. Doesn’t know my face or name anymore. Shouts at me for no reason. He’s still healthy. His nurse, Hawaiian dude named Curley, takes good care of him no matter what UncleG says. I’ll text you Curley’s number. Don’t call the front desk, receptionist is weird, she’ll get my uncle all worked up. He gets frustrated easily and throws stuff.” Jonah sobbing now.
“Thank you for your advice, Jonah. We want to take you up on your offer to help. We need to get you on a flight here right away, with your uncle’s records. Do you know if he still has the school’s iPad?” Soto’s assistant director ordered a NASA jet, hangared at BWI near Goddard, to fly to Boston.
“I have the iPad, it’s safe.” Jonah answered, looking around for his courier bag. It was under his chair. “Oh, I don’t fly at all, Doc. Medical condition. After Tewksbury I’m heading south anyway; I can stop by Huntsville on my way to the Keys. Is something going wrong, up there? I mean with those Cubes? Why don’t you run the problem by me? Sometimes I helped out the Team. Like when they were finishing up and my uncle was getting worse.” Jonah pulling out the iPad to see what was up with the cubes. “Text failed. You on a landline? If it’s that important — ”
If it’s that important? Dr. Soto shuddered at the notion before replying, “Thank you, Jonah. That’s useful information. We need that iPad…and you, here sooner. In hours.”
“I’m all ears, Doc. Consider me there virtually. We can FaceTime if you want, ask away.”
Soto looked around the room for some clue. Almost every researcher nodded, space station security issues outweighed all else. One engineer passed Soto a note saying they texted Jonah.
“OK, Jonah, we sent you a text. You can reply to our message. Here’s our concern. Cube1 and Cube2 are overheating. We need a way to dial them back or turn them off. Stop whatever is going on inside. Do you know the Power Down process? Unlock codes?”
“That’s easy, Doc, press SLEEP until the cows come home. A long time. More than a minute. Eventually, the Cubes go into Low Power Mode, 75% reduction in 3D printer output. They’ll stay that way until somebody wakes them.”
“Professor Sahasranama told us the same thing, Jonah. Except not pressing the button for so long.” Soto admitted while an engineer wrote Cows = Farmer’s son? on the wipe board. “Sleep button didn’t make a real difference, except with Cube3. You think we should try pressing SLEEP longer?”
Name Changes
“Yea. Cube3 is different. It has a newer iPhone and more memory. It was a rush job, y’know? Neural nets didn’t get the same training the other 2 cubes got. They have names now too, Doc. Do you know them?”
“Names, for what?”
“They go by names, according to their activity log. Cube1 is Uno, 2 is Que and 3 is now Tycho.”
One of the NASA engineers wrote frantically on the front board. Named themselves? Activity log? Their concerns growing nearly as fast as the capabilities of these robots. Some knew this increased activity meant the AI was accelerating.
“Did you do that? Name them?”
“Me? Nah. I’ve haven’t spoken to them since they were in the Physics lab. They take too long to answer my texts. I read their chats, for fun, that’s all. They named themselves. Coupla days ago, I saw it in the Cube Activity Logbook. Lemme tell ya Doc, you don’t want to turn ’em off. Ruins the entire project, from what I know. Gunks up those 3D printer heads. Cancels their mission. I don’t think it’s possible. Security stuff the Cube Project team installed, like firewalls, stops hackers.”
Coupla days ago? Some wrote on the board. Nearly everyone in the room shivered at the thought. A young researcher in her first year scrawled How closely does he follow these experiments? Soto interpreted her scrawl, wishing teachers still taught the Palmer Method of handwriting.
Physics Lab iPad
“Copy. They talk and have a robust network firewall, good to know. Tell us more about this Cube Activity Logbook.”
“It’s a record of everything they say and do. In the Cube Comm app, designed by Jerry. Runs on my uncle’s iPad Pro. The one the school gave him.”
“How did you come to have your uncle’s iPad, Jonah?” Dr. Soto asked, like a judge.
“I’m just taking care of it for him. He breaks things, Doc.”
“Shut-down might be an unfortunate loss, but we need to consider it, Jonah. There’s always a failsafe, a back door. Can we unplug them, wait for the batteries to drain?”
“Apple iPhones don’t have a back door, Doc. End to end encryption. That’s one reason the team decided to use them for the cubes,” Jonah started off. “So far as power goes, iPhones go into Low Power Mode at 20% but they’ll never get so low. Their titanium boxes are coated with a super-efficient organic photovoltaic coating. Any light at all is enough to charge the batteries. The astronauts would need to power off all interior lights. Make sure they’re in total darkness. Sunlight outside the station charges them fast. I just remembered; each cube also has 2 power cells. One is an experimental watch battery. Hybrid micro-cell, that’s what Oyinye called it. Uses humidity or a drop of water to make hydrogen. Spit works. Don’t know how the other cell works.”
An engineer wrote O Yin Yay? HYDROGEN???!!! on the board in 100-point font. Someone pointed to a name on the posted copy of the Cube Team list Vritti sent earlier.
“Thank you again, Jonah.” Soto responded dryly, spittle now in everyone’s imagination. “We had no idea they contained hydrogen. A member of my staff will contact you regarding travel arrangements. Have you ever tried Dramamine? You’re sending us those numbers for Tewksbury and the number for the team member? O Yin Yay?” Soto growing concerned about a hydrogen source in a rapidly overheating metal box.
“Sure thing Doc. I replied to a message from Kiln, Mississippi. Included Curley and Oyinye’s numbers. If the connection’s no good try Telegram. His last name is Nogubu. Curley is my uncle’s nurse in Tewksbury. Oyinye is a teacher at GIMPO, in Ghana. What’s in Mississippi? I thought you were calling from Alabama?”
“We are at Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama. Kiln is Stennis, Mississippi. We test rockets at Stennis Space Flight Center. Our phone numbers may show up as Kiln, Pasadena or DC, that’s no concern.”
“No worries, I’m not. UncleG designed these things. I’m sure they’ll cool down. I’ll let Oyinye and Curley know to expect your call.”
“What makes you think they’ll cool down?” Soto still thinking about Jonah’s hours ago comment.
Incident Reports
“Uh, my uncle’s iPad makes it easy to check on them. Besides Activity Logs, the Cube Comm app has a place where you can see videos and Incident Reports. That’s how I know the cubes started using names. You have iPads. They shipped with the cubes.”
Incident Reports, Videos. iPad works??? quickly jotted on NASA’s wipe board. Soto thought likewise.
Now the entire conference room was on the edge of their seats, wide-eyed.
“Jonah, that’s a very important tool you have, your uncle’s iPad. The app is still working? You can stream videos from the cubes? Same app on our iPads stopped working months ago. We need access to the Cube Controller now! Tell us more about these Incident Reports.”
“Sure, I get it. I didn’t know, um. Jerry created 2 apps, Cube Controller and Cube Comm. Controller app is broken, I think. Cube Comm app lets you read Activity Reports, view videos and see Cube chats. They talk with each other. You probably need the apps I updated. They’re on the Physics Lab server.”
He updated? Soto was energized, along with everyone else in the room. “Yes, Jonah we have three iPads here with us. Three more are up on ISS. Can you tell us how to update them?”
“Sure, just go to the Physics Lab website using Safari on the iPad, tap the Cube Updates button.”
“We tried that several times,” A NASA engineer offered, “it downloads the app, but it won’t run. We only get an Unknown Error message.”
“You didn’t update those iPads, did you? Apps won’t work if you updated iPadOS.”
“Yes, unfortunately the iPads were updated. Let’s get back to those Incident Reports,” Soto admitted with a sigh, seeing his scientists grow impatient. “Can you forward us copies?”
“Hafta upload to a server somehow, they’re big files, Dr. Soto. Like gigs, they include videos.”
“What’s in them? What do you see?”
“Stuff like power interruptions, nearby space junk, satellites about to fail, that sorta thing. In the videos nanobots look like that Japanese folding paper art, origami.”
“We need to see this data.”
“You want me to send you all those Incident Reports? There’s lots. Like thousands.”
“Yes, we do. Are you certain you can’t fly down here immediately? We have a jet on the way. I can send a car to pick you up right now.”
“Naw. No flying for me. Gets me super sick. I’ll ask Vritti to give you the link to the Cube Project server. Those reports are too big to store on this iPad Pro. Probably help you get your iPad updated too. She’s great with computers. I’m not. I’ll text her.”
“Jonah, you … to tell us where you …, we can send someone … at least get the iPad tonight —
“Huh? You’re breaking up, Doc. Must be a bad signal here.” Dead air.
Jonah looked at the phone, the battery was dead, again. He left his charger at the homeless camp. Using the iPad, he asked Que to send 100 recent Incident Reports to ART3, Kiln, Mississippi.
Unexpected Restart
Doctor Soto called Jonah back but only reached the Professor’s voicemail. Recorded before he got sick, Hugo sounded sharp, completely normal. Soto looked at the others in the room, bewildered. He decided to contact ISS and have the astronauts try pressing SLEEP longer, until the cows come home.
Miers received the instruction and went to the cube rack. While continuing to press Cube1’s SLEEP button, the iPhone shut down screen appeared:
slide to power off.
Uno’s SLEEP button deception, a hastily contrived software patch, caused them to restart. Tired of messing with these hot boxes, she took the opportunity to power off both cubes when prompted. A sense of relief followed.
Tycho caught himself powering down with an astronaut leaning hard on his only button. He could do little to prevent what happened next. Luckily it was a restart and not a shut down event. The cube restarted immediately, display off except for the installation progress bar.
The damage was done; a software update began. The update only required a restart to complete file installation. An email account at Marshall began receiving a batch of Incident Reports.
*******
Thank you for reading this chapter from my trilogy, Can You Love a Nanobot? The entire book can be found here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVWB6PDZ
https://books.apple.com/us/book/can-you-love-a-nanobot-vol-1-3rd-edition/id1477672797
If you would like to assist me as an editor or reviewer or use my book in a class you are teaching, I can provide you with an educational copy or a promotional code (Apple Books only). Let me know. Thank you.
