My name is Poon. I am a biosentient interface, and I have been sent to deliver and provide security for prison colony six on moon outpost 7 while offloading my prisoners. The earth shines like some irredescent jewel in my vision. The moon is so desolute . I must keep my thoughts focused. Many of the prisoners that I have accompanied to this outpost are considered the most dangerous on earth. The United Earth Confederacy established these outposts back in 2131 when the first significant global terrorist attack whipped out most of Chicago in a nuclear attack. My kind were trained to work with companions such as Gabrielle. I would like to refer to her as my companion. Eight foot of the strongest metal alloy our technology can supply today, full laser capability with a pulse sonar mechanism designed to generate significant force to move a two ton boulder and jettison it into the atmosphere on command.
Family must come second but the honor of being designated a Guardian is one of great prestige, so I must go where the needs are most. Poon they say, “you are a freak. Not human. That is because they do not understand my relationship with Gabrielle. I am her fail safe so to speak. While in commune state, I can control Gabrielle’s functions with just my thoughts. It can be difficult at times to control the “stream” that links my thought processes to hers. I can make Gabrielle walk, stop, and even kill on mental commands. I am trained to override and even shut down Gabrielle’s systems. I am virtually her master and she is my protector. The transport landed last night and we proceeded to escort these two new prisoners Antoine Faust and Remay Horst accused and prosecuted in accordance with the Confederation’s guidelines. Antoine will serve twelve years in colony prison on the base camp and Remay six years for the attempt to plant a pulse bomb in London in 2214. My home world has changed in its perspective. The violent and destructive must be isolated from their human counterparts at all costs even personal freedoms. The good of the many outweigh the paper rights of the few.
My two prisoners may well be assigned to work the water recovery stations just north of the Tyco Crater. These resources will futher help to establish a moon base as there are significant stores of water beneath the surface. I must rest. My headaches return and I must shut Gabrielle down and prepare for delivery of Faust and Horst to outpost commander Roger Huberte.
Today was productive for me. I offloaded Horst and Faust and both Gabrielle and myself took off in the prison shuttle for the base camp. I was very impressed with Huberte’s command of English. He was not using a translation communicator and I must say for a Frenchman he was very articulate. Base camp prisons on the moon were unique. Two huge domes interconnected via tunnel. One dome housed the prison unit which presently held 8 men and two women and the second the Guardian staff which was comprised of one doctor, Doctor Nim and three guardians, one sentient like myself named Tang and another such as Gabrielle. The water and air recycling units were set within the second dome. Numerous rods extended from the surface some 20 feet into the atmosphere encircling both domes in a perfect rectangular pattern. These rods were strategically set. Even if a prisoner was foolish enough to even think of escaping, these rods were programmed with motion sensors and could shoot high intensity lasers set from stun to exterminate. They could hone in on target and literally burn a hole right through you. Each prisoner’s quarters was equipped with a bed, table and chair. The floors, tables and chairs were magnetized and could be freely moved about the quarters without having too much concern for the lack of gravity. Preprocessed food was stored dry in a large silo adjacent to the guardian dome. At some point in the day, just before turning my prisoners over, I spoke with Faust and Horst. “What the crap, Poon, are you a lecturer now? What do you mean? I countered. Antoine, poignant in his defiance. gazed into my eyes. Do you realize Poon, that there is nothing human about you any more? Do you realize Poon, that they took out part of your brain. You’ve got a chip. You’re no different that that piece of tech junk you make tech love to. Antoine, I don’t understand what you are getting at. I have a family on earth, a wife, children. I protect, I serve and you kill and destroy. Poon, your will is not your own. Don’t you get it. I am tried and convicted by Confederation standards for speaking out against the system. Corruption demands a severe response. For that I am a potential terrorist. At that instant, I do not know why, but just as I was completing my thoughts…Gabrielle. Images and facts, logical patterns of thought deception. Yes, I know Gabrielle. Antoine, your trial was fair in accordance with the laws promulgated by our homeworld. I could not focus, as my brain exploded and the pain. It cut into my temples like a dull block of ice. Too many facts too fast. Download stop, Gabrielle!! Stop. Better.
I will be returning back to earth in two days. Dr. Kim and Huberte were most hospitable. We sipped tea and feasted on reconstituted dry food. It is not home, but the menu today was chili reconstituted of course, in sealed bags. Dr. Kim showed me the video chamber where staff could relax to music or three dimentional films. The helmets were rather cumbersome but interesting and there were enough translation devices for everyone to enjoy any of the films available through satellite retrieval. My headaches returned this morning and Dr. Kim supplied me with a lithium derivative that would, he said, solve the problem. I had disengaged from Gabrielle this morning. It is difficult. Sometimes, I do not even know myself.
An unscheduled shuttle arrived today. No markings. I engaged Gabrielle and the other sentient was alerted this morning. Hugh explosion. They are attempting to breach the perimeter with pulse explosives. One rod was breached. Difficult situation. Poon, instruction await. Gabrielle, enter fourth perimeter, load pulse. Await. Must coordinate with other sentient Tang. Intercomm activated sentient 24028 Tang upload… Tang. Location. Poon, I am at fourth perimeter now awaiting your arrival. Shuttle ofloaded two men and one woman as I can see. Will join you. On my way. Heart racing. Must compose myself… I had reached the fourth perimeter and Tang was outside the dome already. Suited up and as I had exited the dome with Gabrielle, huge explosion, My god, if there is one, my suit not breached… However, Dr. Kim dead outside. Suit breached. How and why. I know now. God, I know. Gabrielle, alert critical stage. Robotic entity link to Tang 24028 must exterminate. Poon, second command reinforce interface command protocol. Cannot exterminate robotic entity. Gabrielle, sentient Tang 24028 protocol critical override. Exterminate Tang. Exterminate!!! Poon, must obtain numeric override sequence instruction and explanation. Gabrielle, Tang just killed Dr. Kim. Must exterminate protocol, one moment. My mind raced. Numeric sequence 22, no 5522994108 password SUSPECT engaged!! Poon, digital residue Dr. Kim’s wound indicates weapon belongs to Tang 28024. Confirm Poon override accepted. At this moment, another huge explosion. Where are the people from the shuttle? Gabrielle, respond are you injured. Poon, will attempt pulse laser. Shuttle not offloaded. Protocol verified. Poon, left extremity link for side arm destroyed. Cannot utilize sonar. Will use core control. At that moment Gabrielle’s chest opened. Metal sheeting dropped away and a huge beam shot from her central core. Tang attempted to jump past the death beam and his right arm was severed in the process. Gabrielle, you must complete. Verify extermination. Poon, engaged, extermination completed. Gabrielle, must hold perimeter. Must run back to the dome and retrieve sonar weapons. Retrieved. Pulse sonar gun loaded. The three approached perimeter. Gabrielle, hold your ground coming. Hurry, Poon, my God hurry man. Locked and loaded. Ready, Gabrielle. I see the three approaching. Using sonar. Lock down CPU. Gabrielle, respond. No time. Three sonar pulses set. Practically blew me off the planet. Three down…. Gabrielle. Upload and exterminate. Poon, extermination complete with override protocol 5522994108 password SUSPECT. The three laid dead with massive holes through their abdomens. Good, job Gabrielle. Must radio base. Robotic entity link to Tang 24028 upload communication. Fortunate for me!!! How, fortunate. Miss my family. Miss my family. Robotic entity link Tang 24028 respond. Sentient identify. Poon, numeric sequence override Tang 5522994108 password TRAITOR. Digital ID indicates Tang 28024 murdered Dr. Kim, human entity. Poon, sequence 5522994108 password TRAITOR acknowledged. Poon, to 24028 Tang: “ Standdown”.
Had to radio moon base TYCO for assistance. They indicated a shuttle would arrive in 3 days. Earth base guardian home planet has responded and I will leave when the shuttle arrives in two weeks. A new sentient will be sent from earth on that shuttle. Dr. Kim, Huberte, the guardians are dead. Secured dome lock down with help of Gabrielle and Tang 24028 robotic entity, which I renamed for now “Friend”. It sounds more human. I cannot link directly but have set up interface through Gabrielle. She provides instructions and Friend executes. The headaches are excruciating. Perhaps, the Confederation will allow early retirement for me. War pay so to speak and I can recapture my life. How I miss my family.