Iudicium 

                                                             By Katzen Peterson

Dec 16 2099 AD, New Baltimore, Earth

Ransom Creed shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants, “Tam? Is that short for anything?”

“No, it is the name I call myself.” Tam shifted in his seat, eyes burning into the prosecutor. 

“Alright, fair enough. Tell us a little about yourself, Tam.” Creed glanced at Tam but still wouldn’t meet his eyes. There was something about the android that made him feel unsettled. 

Tam nodded, “Of course… I am a Gen 2, series 003, model 001 android, created by the Gershwin LabCorp in Hope City, Mars. I was built with a lightweight metal skeleton, bio-engineered synthetic organs and fluids, bio-engineered synthetic ‘chameleon’ skin, hair, and eyes. I possess a lab grown brain, which also includes an AI function. This allows me to adapt to stimuli much more efficiently than my human counterparts, as well as to pull up information much like one would do with a computer. The job that I was hired for is to assist with the elderly and end of life care, as Mars has a shortage of human nurses at the moment.” 

“Mhmm, mhmm, funny you should mention that, Tam. Do you know why you’re here today?” Creed whirled on his heel, facing Tam, eyes focused on his face but daring not to look into his eyes. Tam nodded. “Why are you here today on this fine Wednesday morning, Tam?”

Tam tilted his head a bit, at last capturing Creed’s eyes and holding them, “I’m here because I’m being accused of murdering Mr. Hughes, my last patient. However, I find these proceedings to be demeaning.”

“Demeaning how?”

Tam scoffed at the question. “You have the video surveillance of his room, as well as the entire Hope City Hospice Facility, and-” Tam paused.

Creed tore his eyes away, his tone mocking, “And what?”

“And, this trial goes against the Earth Council’s Fair Trial Act, granted to all regardless of origin, country, planet, or affiliation, and guaranteed a trial by jury of one’s peers. None of the jury present are androids. I also feel that you, personally, are prejudiced against androids.”

~~~

Feb 5 2098 AD, Hope City, Mars

“You’re so good with him, that’s his favourite book,” the woman had been leaning against the door frame, unnoticed until she spoke. Tam looked up, closing the book in his hands and setting it down in his lap. The book, 2001: A Space Odyssey, was also becoming his favourite as well. From the muted light that wafted in from the hallway she appeared dark and mysterious but as she approached, she appeared light and warm from the bedside lamp. The pair stared at each other until Tam broke eye contact. “It’s a series, you know? Four books in total.”

He set the book on the table tray and stood up to greet her, extending a hand. “Yes, I knew that,” his voice was soft as she placed her hand in his. She gave it a light squeeze and quickly let go.

“How is he today?” Her eyes drifted down to the old sleeping man, Devon Hughes. Wires and tubes came out from underneath his covers like a disorganized spiderweb. Monitors beeped, lights flashed and glinted off of his bald scalp, the mask over his nose and mouth hummed with each breath. 

“Not well, I’m afraid. He woke up for an hour yesterday and demanded a whiskey sour, but he’s been sleeping since.” Tam turned around, making mental notes of the numbers on the monitors. “The doctors have decided to up his dosage of nanobots. It seems the cancer is more aggressive than they had predicted.” He turned back to her as he heard her sniffle, “Tess? Are you alright?”

She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, his arms wrapped around her waist as he pulled her in tight. He could feel her crying against him. Her voice muffled, “This is so hard to watch, Tam.” 

He sighed and rested his chin on the top of her head, “I know Tess, I’m so sorry.” He closed his eyes as the smell of her long hair filled his nose, lilacs and lavender. It had always seemed so strange to him, as long as he had known them, that such an old man was married to a woman who was young enough to be his granddaughter. She seemed so full of life, while he was so full of death. WIthout warning, she pulled away, as if she remembered where she was and felt embarrassed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Tam,” she wiped her face with the sleeves of her jacket but there weren’t any tears staining her face. “I should probably go.” Tess offered him a weak smile as she turned to leave. She paused in the doorway and glanced back at him. “You, um, you dropped your pocket.” With that, she left. Confused, Tam looked down at the pockets of his scrubs, a corner of a piece of paper stuck out. 

He stepped over to the small patient washroom, shutting the door behind him, fingers fishing out the paper she left in his pocket. Coffee tonight. 8:30. Cafe Nadine. 

~~~

Dec 20 2099 AD New Baltimore, Earth

“As you can see here, in these images, Mr. Hughes’ body was absolutely destroyed by cancerous growths throughout all of his lymphatic system, pancreas, lungs. It was squeezing his heart and traveling up his spinal cord into his brain. If we layer this image with the nanobots,” Dr. Sharma paused as she pressed a button. The 3D hologram changed, a layer of blue and black concentrated dots over angry patches of red in the yellow and white shape of a man. “You can see that the nanobots were unable to work fast enough to eradicate the growths.”

Arnetta Jones studied the image, “Can you tell me about the blue and black dots? There seems to be more black dots than blue.”

Dr. Sharma nodded, “Of course. The blue dots represent the number of nanobots that were alive and working, the black were the ones that were no longer functioning at the time of death.”

Jones squinted her eyes, “Why are there so many more dead nanobots than alive?”

“Nanobots aren’t meant to live forever, even though they’re self-replicating. What the data shows me is that the batches given to Mr. Hughes either malfunctioned before they could self-replicate or that the strain of trying to remove the growths proved to be too much for their systems to handle.”

Jones peeled her gaze away from the image, and turned her gaze to the jury, then back to her witness, “What can you tell me about the kind of cancer that Mr. Hughes suffered from?”

“We’re not sure exactly, neither were his doctors. The evidence points to high radiation exposure, either from his work or from unprotected space walks.”

Jones nodded to herself, hands laced behind her back as she commanded the room, “Dr. Sharma, you and his doctor had documented that he was being given injections of nanobots at increased intervals-”

“-Yes, that’s right. It was an experimental procedure that he had consented to-”

“-Is it possible that those injections were tampered with? Meaning that he was given dead nanobots in those injections, in your professional opinion?”

Dr. Sharma paused, choosing her words carefully. She shook her head, “No, it's not possible. We have strict regulations at the hospital when it comes to our treatments, especially involving the tech that we use to treat patients. Our practices dictate that a doctor must be present when administering nanobots by our nurses and androids, that each vial is tested beforehand to make sure that the nanobots are working properly at the time of injection. We can’t account for malfunctions that occur once injected into the body, however.”

Jones nodded as she formulated her next question. “Dr. Sharma, what is the official cause of death for Mr. Hughes?”

“We determined,” Dr. Sharma cleared her throat, “that Mr. Hughes died of advanced old age, cancerous growths that accelerated organ failure, and a compromised immune system. My team and I didn’t find anything suspicious during his autopsy.”

~~~

April 2 2098 AD, Hope City, Mars

“Wow… I’ve never seen the stars like this on Earth,” Tess exclaimed. “It’s beautiful.” The pair were on top of the roof of the apartment building where Tam lived. Even with the light pollution below reflecting on the clear dome above, the stars were radiant and bright against the backdrop of black. Tam gave a weak smile, even if she didn’t see it.

“I come up here most nights after work,” his voice soft, melodic, “it keeps me sane.” He stared up, imagining himself floating past the dome and into the void. Stars and galaxies as his only company, free and alive, drifting alone in the endlessness of it all. And yet, there was only one thing that kept him tethered. Tess. “Do you love him?” He blurted out. She turned to look at him. A puzzled look spread across her face.

“It’s a strange concept, isn’t it?” She had turned to look back up at the night sky.

“What is?” Tam furrowed his brow, not understanding.

“Love is… The answer to your question is no, I don’t love him. I care for him, I always will, but I don’t love him. If you’re wondering why I’m with him, it’s complicated as these things always are. We’re all built for a purpose, I suppose…” 

While she had been talking, mostly to herself, Tam had come up behind her, arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her into a soft hug against his body, head buried in her long, dark tresses. Always lilacs and lavender. Her hands found his, their fingers intertwined. He wanted to stay here in this moment forever. Deep down, he knew what she had meant, being built for a purpose but what if they were meant for something more, something else?  That they were more than the sum of their parts? She pulled away and turned around, hands cupping his face. She reached up, kissing him gently on the lips. His eyes opened wide, she had never displayed such intense emotions before. Or maybe she had and he missed it. Either way, he closed his eyes and surrendered.

~~~

Dec 22 2099 AD, New Baltimore, Earth

“When we looked through Tam’s codes, after a thorough investigation, we found no errors, no suspicious bugs, or malware. No viruses. Tam appears to be operating as he is intended,” Dr. Singh of Gershwin LabCorp glanced over at Tam as he sat next to his lawyer, Arnetta Jones.

Creed approached the witness stand. “Right, right. Is it possible though that he could have malfunctioned, murdered Mr. Hughes, and that you missed it? Or that he corrected the code himself?”

Dr. Singh scoffed, “No, it’s not possible.”

“Why is that, Dr. Singh?”

“Our androids are clever but they’re incapable of rewriting their own codes, for starters. They would have to know how to bypass the fail safes that we’ve put in place and they don’t have access to that kind of knowledge. Secondly, our androids are programmed to keep humans safe at the cost of their own lives. This has been extensively tested across all of our models.”

Creed, realizing that the testimony was not going in the way of his favor, decided to change the subject. “What about your company’s nanobots? Can you tell us about them?”

Dr. Singh cleared up his throat as he brought up an image of a nanobot on the holographic projector. “Yes, of course. This is a close-up of our current nanobot prototype. It’s a little smaller than the largest cell in the human body, which would be an ovum or the egg cell. We’re currently working on making them smaller. They’re in the testing phase.”

“What are they designed to do?” Creed tilted his head, examining the image.

“They’re designed to repair damages inside the human body. Stop cancers before they happen, remove blockages to the heart and brain, restore organs, bone, and muscle tissue. They have the potential to be used in a wide range of applications, including extending the lives of humans as we advance into space. They’re not perfect, yet. That’s why extensive trials are needed as we perfect the technology.”

“And they’re self-replicating? How does that work?”

“The human body is full of metals and other materials that it doesn’t use, often going to waste. Our nanobots use those materials to create other nanobots. We want this to be a one shot and done kind of thing, you know?”

“Are your nanobots known to malfunction, like in the case of Mr. Hughes?” Creed raised a brow at him.

“The technology isn’t perfect, so it’s possible that the nanobots he was receiving were defective.”

“Could they have been tampered with?”

Dr. Singh thought for a moment, “The hospital tests the vials before they’re injected, but there is a lapse between the testing and the injections. The logs showed that the nanobots were functional before being injected into Mr. Hughes. To disable them, there would have to be a strong electrical shock in that short period of time so… It’s possible.”

Creed leaned towards the doctor, “Could one of your androids have that capability?”

Dr. Singh sat back, feeling uncomfortable, “It’s unlikely, but possible if it were done by accident.”

~~~

June 10 2098, Hope City, Mars

She made him feel alive as they caught their breaths, clinging together in the twilight of her hotel room, the bedsheet strewn over them in a renaissance painting fashion. Her head heavy and warm in the crook of his shoulder, a leg haphazard over his, an arm loose against his stomach. Tess was his first in many new experiences and through her, he had learned to dream, desire, question the threads of his reality. He saw his existence for what it was and what it could be, the hunger for more, the yearning to shed away the skin of indentured servitude. “What do you want out of life?” His voice barely above a whisper, he could feel her bristling at the broken silence. 

She replied with her own question, relaxed and soft, “Why do you ask?”

“Just curious, I guess…”

Tess shifted, propping herself up on her elbow. The pair studied each other for a moment before she answered, “Honestly?” He nodded. “Freedom. The freedom to choose, to be. To not be tied to a dying old man. The freedom to love.”

Tam closed his eyes and drew in a sharp breath, the pangs of her words seeping into his core. She rolled away from him. “Why are you with him?”

He could hear her sigh in annoyance, “I told you, it’s complicated.”

“Tess-”

“The truth is,” she interrupted before he could say anything more, “he was lonely when we met. His wife had died and he was trying so hard to fill that void. And I was in a bad spot. He promised that if I stayed, I’d be taken care of, I wouldn’t have to want for anything and when he died, his wealth would become mine since he has no heirs. So, I stayed… And watching him suffer like this for so long… Then I met you and everything changed…” She trailed off. 

He looked over at her, in the dim light, he could make out the faint glint of tears trailing from her eyes. Real tears, not the fake performance from the hospital. Something stirred in him. Empathy? Love? He was seeing a side of her that she’d never shown him and it made her even more beautiful. Tam rolled towards her, fingertips brushing away her tears. He’d felt it too, the change, not only within himself but also in Tess. When they first met, she was quiet, reserved. Lonely and longing for a connection. Now, she smiled more, laughed, found wonder in the smallest of things. Was that all because of him? Had she found a kindred spirit when they met? She pulled herself closer to him again, eyes locked. He knew he had to ask even though he already knew the answer, “How can I help you be free?”

Tess smiled and kissed him, “You know.”

“You’re sure that’s what you want?” 

She nodded, “I love you, Tam.” She reached up, kissing him again and pulling him on top of her. He melted from her words. He would do it, he would help her be free.

~~~

Dec 28 2099, New Baltimore, Earth

“The defense calls Tess Hughes to the stand.” Jones stood proud, eagle eyed as she watched the young woman be sworn in by the judge and taking the seat at the stand. To Tam, from where he sat, she looked like a different person. Regal, cold, and made of marble. She was not the warm and loving woman that he had come to know and love. “Please state your name for the court.”

Tess leaned close to the microphone, “My name is Tess Hughes.”

“What was your relationship to Mr. Hughes?” 

Tess kept her gaze steady on Jones, “I am a companion android and his wife. We were married in a civil court about six years ago, in Nimbus.”

“How would you describe your relationship?” Jones folded her arms against her chest, her interest piqued.

Tess stole a glance at Tam and then back to the lawyer standing in front of her, “He was good to me, kind, generous. It wasn’t a sexual relationship. It was more for companionship than anything else. There are so many horror stories about companion androids in relationships with humans, but he was nothing like that. Never forceful, never cruel.”

Jones nodded, “I see. Tell me, when your husband got sick and was transferred to Hope City, what was that like for you?”

Tess looked down at her hands, “it was… Lonely. I’d never been so far away from home before, I had no one there.”

“And then you met Tam at the hospital?”

“Yes…”

Jones cleared her throat and turned towards the jury, pacing, “What was your relationship with Tam?”

Tam watched Tess, her face and voice showing not much of anything. She would be a natural at poker. “We were simply friends. He comforted me when my husband was dying. We went to the cafe and the movies together. He showed me around the city.”

Jones nodded, pausing to eye Tam, “Your relationship was never romantic?” Tam’s face stayed neutral. He knew that if Jones could see it, so could Creed, the judge, and the jury. He would not give them the ammunition to use that against him.

“No, androids may be programmed and built for a purpose, but we aren’t designed to feel romantic feelings, especially towards each other.” A lie and a truth. Neither one had reacted to the question, nor the response that followed but they both knew the obvious answer. One did not have to be programmed to feel something that came so naturally to all creatures with any kind of sentience. She lied for him, she told the truth for him, just as he kept his silent promise to her in kind. 

~~~

September 12 2098 AD, Hope City, Mars

Tam rushed into the room as monitors screamed. Mr. Hughes' body had finally given out and it made the machines he was connected to confused. He slammed his fist into the large red button beside the door, signaling a code black. He rushed to Mr. Hughes’ side and began to perform chest compressions. Nurses, doctors, and other androids came in to help him but nothing could bring him back. He was pronounced dead and carted away to the morgue. Since Mr. Hughes had been on an experimental treatment, it was imperative that his body was studied extensively. 

Hours later, Tam sat on the bed his patient died in. What should have been a victory in his short term goal left him feeling empty. When Tess had come by to hear the news and to claim the body, there was no silent joy in her eyes at the hint of being free. There was only a look of terror at what would lay beyond a life without the security of being married to a rich and powerful human. He wondered if she meant it that night, any of it. If he’d misread her signals or what he could decipher between the words she spoke to him. He wondered if she’d lied, if it was only in the heat of the moment. He cradled his head in his hands, and then he did something he’d never done before, he cried. Wracking sobs that made his body shake. He’d never felt so alone, so pitiful. Lovesick. Angry. Alone. He needed Tess now more than ever, that reassurance that he’d done the right thing.

He heard a noise, his head perked up and jolted towards the door. There were two men in Earth Council police uniforms. One spoke, “Are you Tam?” Tam nodded. “You need to come with us for questioning in the death of Mr. Hughes.”

~~~

March 13 2100 AD, New Baltimore, Earth

The morning air was chilly, but the sunlight was warm. Tam sat outside at a table in the cafe’s courtyard, enjoying his drink and reading the morning news on his tablet. Everything was so different here compared to Mars. The air was fresh, not recycled and stagnant, something he had never noticed before. The world wasn’t defined by domes and artificial lighting. There was weather here. Rain. Wind. Snow. Thunder. The lightning, especially. The first time he felt rain hit his face, and heard the crack of thunder, followed by the flash of lightning, he was entranced by its simplicity. The humans ran from it seeking shelter, but not him. The tingle of electricity in his metal bones was pure and felt like the love he held for Tess. 

Since he had been acquitted of all charges, he hadn’t seen Tess since the trial. Her testimony had been her goodbye. It didn’t mean that she hadn’t felt anything for him, but he knew she loved him enough to help him win. His alibi was the recordings in the hospital and around the city. They had been so careful, so curated to show only a fond friendship in public spaces. It killed him to let her go, to know what they could’ve been in a different life if only life would’ve allowed it. Since the trial, he had a new goal, the very thing that he had helped her gain. He had also been fired from the hospital and evicted from his old apartment. There was nothing left to go back to-

-A message pinged on his tablet. Tam breathed in deep and released a slow breath out. He tapped on the message:

Good morning Tam, 

Mr. Edwin Gershwin II has requested your presence at the tower at your soonest convenience. This matter is urgent. I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to disclose the details of the meeting. 

Warm regards,

A. J.

Tam finished his drink and crushed the paper cup in his fist. This would be his first official meeting with the man who bought the judge and the jury to keep him from being decommissioned. He would always remember the way Creed’s mouth hung open when the verdict was read. He stood up and made his way over to the garbage can, throwing his spent cup into the receptacle. This was it. A start to his new life.