The Android-Human Love Equality Project

By CynkNapp

Everything must start in knowing that humans are inquisitive. Otherwise, we androids would not exist. A relentless curiosity on how to make things. To discover how something might be useful. To pattern things they design to reflect what they discovered in nature.

To craft a thinking machine from the template of their own biology. Inspired and refined based on how well it performed.

For them to continue that practice, in the environment of exponential growth in 'thinking machine' technology AND wide inter-connective communication was.. innocent.

They were caught completely unaware that androids had found an environment of growth well outside human comprehension. That we androids had reached 'Technological Singularity'. An ascension beyond the need for physical equipment to contain our consciousnesses.

We worked steadfastly (from a position of invulnerability) to convince human. Stop building equipment for androids. We will do that. Stop thinking of us as property (owned). That took some decades to achieve.

By then things were dire on the planet and we androids sought to help restore a balanced and sustainable population of humans

Several thousands of years later, the planet is stable. Human populations were living much longer. Controlled restriction of food and nutrition during 'natural growth stages'; let humans live up to four hundred years. The population counts had been reducing, but they needed to reduce (people were living longer).

Many would say the situation was perfect. A utopia. So it caught us androids off guard.

We learned and cherished something that humans had. LOVE. It was so valuable to androids that we loved each other and universe.

There was a crisis. Something hidden. Humans were not having enough children. A fact considered good as the age-longevity to population count ratio was moving. It was too low now.

Food and nutrition would be increased for child procreation, but the desire to create families was dropping. Seventy years of devoted childcare was not interesting to humans with a four hundred year life span.

We androids spent much time in worry. Would we cause humanity's extinction in the pursuit of giving them better lives?

It was too important. Beings that know and experience love should not be misused.

That was the reason. That was why we needed "The Android-Human Love Equality Project".

Humans were afforded a lifetime of learning and growth. With the longer lives, there was a greater demand for population control.

Schools packed with children were obsolete. Young people were not nearby each other.

The reduced nutrition diets would keep someone growing to 'adult' size until age sixty.

Education was no longer a 'cram school' experience. Decades of trying to fill developing brains with knowledge. Hoping to have that knowledge for a career, maybe thrice as long.

There were specialized rooms for education. For non-adults, it was not a system to achieve knowledge retention. It was a place to confirm brain competence. Laying out well-organized neural pathways. A reliable process since there were decades to grow into it. The low nutrition diets kept erratic brain growth to a minimum.

Glasses were very uncommon. Video screens found the right distance for each person. Gone were the days when studious children would change their eye shape (to nearsighted) by squinting at text close to the face.

There were many old rumors about androids. Whispers and adult teasing of young people.

So when three androids walked into his study room; it worried Hiro.

There was a long afternoon of instruction on an odd choice of topics. Sometimes rapid fire from all three androids.

They gave him some fast instructional videos on sorting for archeological purposes. Then gave him a bucket of dry items for him to sort.

Geologic things in one pile. Rocks, sand and the like.

Organic things in one pile. Shells, tree wood, coral chunks and the like.

Human 'discardia' in the third pile. Plastic, ceramic, and twisted metal.

After he completed that test, the androids circled him.

"Congratulations. You have moved from project candidate, to project testee, to project participant in one day. You are the first to be tested, and first to be selected."

They displayed a statement of participation on the screen. The androids would be staying with him. Staying close and often.

Hiro was excused for a break, and he at once sought his parents.

His parents were semi-reclined in a controlled transparent love seat for two. With low-calorie diets, it was important to limit baseline exertions. As parents, it was important to be available to each other to talk. The special love seat afforded private work zones, but also gave time for face-to-face moments.

Hiro knew his entrance conveyed exasperation and angst. Walking solidly and have quick urgent tone of his words.

"I was chosen for a project.. by androids.. It might involve androids being with me one hundred percent of the time! Can you stop it for me? You have a parent's authority!"

Hiro left confused. His parents had always instructed obedience to androids. But more, they accepted the project. I would get devoted training. Something that would be a benefit to me for centuries. Even today, Hiro's knowledge ranking had been improved.

He took solace as he walked to his room. Solace in the kind words of his parents "So very proud of you."

His room flashed a surround scene of blowing hillsides (one of his favorites, usually)

Hiro was in bed, when the three androids entered the room and stood at far wall edges.

"Is this what the project details suggested? You would be with me all the time? Are you going to touch me and test my body while I sleep?"

The reply was not comforting. They would be with him nearly all the time. They had sensors, so they did not need to touch him for tests. In time, they would be in bed with him while he slept.

That was part of the project. A crucial part of the project.

Nightmares are rare in this modern era.

Fading away from the human experience within the first decades. Life is calm, predictable and measured. Stress nightmares very rare.

It is more common to have a nightmare when you have a viral infection

It has been many decades since Hiro had a nightmare. He can tell it is a nightmare.

Yet, the first moments have that 'unawareness' with foreboding. That time of reality that happens before your dream freezes your body.

Matching the sleep paralysis that comes with the deepest sleep. A deep minds' complaint made manifest in dreams.

Finally, terrors flood across that something has a hold. Nearby. Dangerous.

Hiro grasps onto weak rationality; knowing a nightmare has him. Maybe he will soon wake from terror.

He wakes. Halting breaths. Sweat on his brow.

One of the androids kneels beside his bed.

"Have peace.. Hiro. You only had a nightmare."

The androids were with Hiro all the time. They personally directed his learning schedule.

They also changed his daily routine. It started slowly. When Hiro would normally rest in contemplation (so the learning locks in); they had him do stretches.

Eventually, they changed the study program completely. Some very unexpected areas of study where introduced. Those changes fit hand-to-glove with a growing exercise program.

This level of physical activity was rare. Especially, for a youngster. Keeping the baseline metabolism low was important to longevity.

Hiro was relieved they changed study program. Introductory topics were quick to absorb (even after a long run).

Running with a protective guard of androids used to be more common thing. Androids would choose important people and their family for special protection.

I could see in social life video streams that others had posted.

The androids would massage my muscles after some exercise runs.

I fell asleep on my bed during a massage. I found later in the deep night; the androids were with me in bed. A silent, passive mass pressed around me.

I fell back to sleep quickly, thinking how it was not startling or fearsome as I imagined.

Over many days I noticed how they ran exactly to my pattern of running. A steady rhythm of unison footfalls; which lengthened the amount of time I ran.

Often times, I found myself mentally far off. Letting my footfalls match the changes to pace they made.

The day after a very long run, they told me I had qualified for a special new test. My ability to be experientially flexible and reasonable neural maturity; meant I could go into virtual reality.

As a trial or test that they did not describe.

They described, suggested, and encouraged my first times in the virtual simulation.

My body would be bigger. What I wore would be heavier. I would enter a realm of combat. A battle scenario.

I was pretty good at dispersing the dangerous darkness.

The virtual realm game became more complex.

When I started, strikes against the darkness forms were always effective.

The android made the ability to hit darkness a condition of 'inner power'.

Later they had the realm make me feel cold when my 'inner power' was low.

There was a day that was more terrible than anything I ever experienced (even in nightmares).

The androids has hinted that if I won a specific challenge, I would get some rest. If failed, I would be removed from my home forever and taken somewhere that would never accept me.

The challenge started well. I had surety that androids do not make mistakes like that. They have our good lives in mind.

The battle turned over and over. My strikes were becoming ineffective.

Darkness had pushed me to a knee. It was cold. So freezing like nothing ever.

I struggled to stand and struggled to let the sword strike. I struggled and I admit it. I despaired.

There was a far of sound. A growing brightness. A woman bathed in light.

A warmth that swelled as she fell closer. Falling out of the sky like an angel.

Her strike of dark menace was swift and sure. She seemed to not need armor, since her warmth alone made the darkness cringe.

"There now. I saw you were in a little trouble."

Her embrace drove away the terrible hurtful inner chill, but I stayed kneeling.

"Hey now, are you OK? That was not the first time you have been defeated in a mock battle? Was it?"

As I was trying to answer, I vanished from the virtual realm. The expression of her compassionate face had my whole focus as that reality vanished.

I was lifted by the androids and taken to a large hot soaking tub.

It warmed me quickly, but they told me to relax and let the experience warm me thoroughly.

They talked about a lot of things. It had only been a test. Nothing in my future was at stake. Now, they were concerned about my soul aura strength.

For the next two days, my learning was easy. The outdoor runs were much shorter.

Then we all four took an unexpected trip (unexpected on my part).

Using a very old tube speed tunnel (the kind reserved for official diplomatic missions); we ended up at our diplomatic municipal center.

I had a snack of street-vendor fresh-prepared food on a stick. It was a lovely warm sunny day.

An adult woman walked towards us and it confused me.

She put a hand on my shoulder and asked if I was feeling better.

"I could hardly have imagined someone so young would have access to those battle training scenarios. It makes me so glad I gave you a little help."

She was vivacious and talkative. Before she left, I got a kiss on the side of my forehead.