In the year 2163...
The great Thurisaz War took over the entire world, shocking its citizens with what robots and artificial intelligence were capable of. The war began in Sweden when Emil Åkesson, CEO of Thurisaz Corporation, developed a new chip to install in their robots. The chip was supposed to make robots smarter and stronger to keep up with the evolving world. It also gave the ability to fight an unwanted person or enemy under the owner's command. Reports came in that people were injured or even killed by the robots when they confronted them, although the owner didn't give the command to attack. Soon after, robots were attacking their owners and everyone around them. This started the Thurisaz War. The United States and its allies responded with robots of their own that were specifically made for combat. All robots were eliminated three years into the war. The Thurisaz War left much death and destruction behind, making it one of the deadliest wars on Earth.
Year:
2187
Dyce inspected every square inch of his metal creation, checking if its body parts moved, cameras were working, and wires from development were not plugged in.
He rubbed his sweaty hands together. "Alright! Let's see if this works!" he said excitedly.
He plopped down into his rolling chair and opened his computer. The keyboard keys clicked as Dyce programmed the machine. "Please let this work, please let this work..." he begged.
Dyce needed to get this robot up and running. It was his only hope. He was participating in a contest held in New York City that could give him 200 thousand dollars if he won first place for the best robot. He desperately needed this money because his mother had a brain tumor. His family couldn't afford any more treatment since it was extremely expensive. Dyce couldn't just let his mother die.
He had to save her. She still had a lot of time...but how could he save her if the robot didn't work? It would be his fault if she died. Everyone was counting on him.
At the bottom of the computer screen was a green button that said: "activate". Dyce let out a slow breath and took off his safety glasses. "Here we go."
He clicked on the green button.
The robot next to Dyce straightened its posture and picked up its drooping metal head. Its glass visor had Dyce's reflection on it. The robot stepped off the platform, its body parts moving exactly like a human's.
"Hello. I am Korpha 1. I am your personal assistant robot. What is your name?"
"Dyce," he said with a shaky voice. "Oh my gosh! I did it!" he whooped.
"Did what?"
"Made you come to life!"
"Thank you for that. I want to see everything the world has to offer. I especially want to go to the beach."
"Well...there are no beaches around here. Do you want to go to the park instead?"
"Sure, that's fine."
"Okay, It's only..." Dyce checked his watch. "...3:45. That way we can practice using your abilities and stuff."
A neighbor across the hallway was hanging up a wreath with tiny lemons on her door. A cute summer decoration.
Mrs. Tulay didn't take her eyes off the wreath when she heard a pair of soft steps on the hallway carpet. "Hello, Dyce. How are you?"
"Hey, Mrs. Tulay! I'm good, how about you?" he greeted back.
"I'm very well, thank you. I'm just decorating for summer now!"
"Oh, nice! It looks good!"
"Thank you." She heard another set of feet, but much heavier ones. "You have guests over?"
"Uhhh...not exactly..."
Mrs. Tulay finally took her eyes off her summer decorations and turned. She came face-to-face with the "guest" she expected to see.
"Hello! My name is Korpha 1! You must be Dyce's neighbor," the robot greeted.
Her mouth fell open. "Oh wow! Did you make this?"
"Yep! I made it for a contest in New York," he said proudly.
Korpha 1 shifted her attention from the neighbor to its creator. Her left metal arm caught hold of her shoulder, her brand-new legs feeling slightly weak. She wanted to be more than just a show robot. She didn't believe that was the only thing she was built for; money. The world was calling her, and she hated to hear that she was only built for competition.
"That's great! Well, good luck!" Mrs. Tulay beamed, turning the doorknob to go inside her apartment.
"Thank you!" Dyce ended the conversation with.
"So I'm just a show bot to you, huh?" Korpha 1 accused, almost missing a step on the stars when she said that.
Dyce looked at her like she was crazy. "Yeah, that's why I built you. You're going to help me win money."
"For what?" she disputed, her monotone voice rising. "Greed? Unnecessary things? Everything you have ever wanted?"
Dyce stopped in the middle of the stairs. "I need it to save my mom. She is dying, and there is nothing else my family could do to help her...except for competing in this contest."
Korpha 1 looked down at her blue and orange metal feet. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to be used and forgotten about and then never be able to see the world."
"It's okay. I understand. After the competition, I'll see what I can do."
"Okay," she agreed, still uneasy with the fact that Korpha was just a tool to win. Will he still use her after?
They continued down the stairs until Dyce suddenly halted at the door.
"What are we stopping for?" she asked.
"Korpha 1, I present to you..." -he opened the door that went out to the street- "...the world!"
Hundreds to thousands of people took up the busy sidewalks and streets, cars flew on invisible lit-up roads in the air, and buildings presented a spectrum of colors.
"Whoa..."
"Pretty isn't it? Philadelphia is nice, but there are definitely prettier cities out there."
"This is amazing! I wasn't expecting to see this!" Korpha 1 awed.
"Come on," Dyce gestured to their right. "The park is down this way. It's not too far."
While walking, Korpha 1 saw other robots who looked like her. Some were small, but most of them were average-sized like her. There were even humans with robotic parts. She thought she was the only one out there.
They arrived at the park in a short time. Kids played around at the playground, a couple had a picnic in the grass, and a group of joggers ran on the asphalt trail.
Dyce took her over to an open area in the grass. "Okay," he said, clapping his hands together. "What do you know besides walking right now?"
"I know how to grab things."
"Okay, that's fine. Firstly, I want you to practice running. It's just a faster type of walking. Watch." Dyce ran to a tree and back. "See? It's not that hard."
Korpha 1 leaned forward and put her right foot back. With a powerful leap, she took off. Her surroundings blended into a blur of colors.
"Korpha!" a voice called from behind her.
She looked back to find the person who called her name. "Wha-" Something caught her foot and she fell over face-first into the grass.
"Korpha, you okay? You left me back there," Dyce panted, out of breath. "I probably should have told you that I built you to be insanely fast."
"Oh. Sorry," she apologized, pushing herself off the ground and picking the chunks of grass and dirt off her metal body.
"It's alright, my bad. But you did learn how to run though, so good job! How about we practice your abilities now?"
Dyce showed Korpha 1 how to use all the different skills and abilities he built into her. She easily learned how to use her tail, retractable blades, super jump, combat skills, and much more. She was the quickest-thinking robot he had ever seen.
"I think you're ready for the contest! How do you feel?" he inquired.
"Somewhat confident. I'm just really nervous. I want you to win so you could save your mom."
"Yeah, me too. We'll just have to see what happens."
Two Days Later
Dyce hauled the last suitcase into the trunk of the car and slammed it shut, the noise echoing in the parking garage. Korpha 1 opened the passenger seat door and peeked out. "Are you ready? It's been taking an awfully long time."
"I know, I'm coming." He jumped in the driver's seat and buckled up. He pulled out of his parking spot and entered the invisible roads in the air.
Korpha 1 stared out the window in wonder and awe at the world around her.
She didn't talk much during the trip since she was too busy taking in everything around her. Her mind was a child's mind since this was her first time experiencing things. Soon it would grow and have all the information she needs in her computer mind.
Dyce never stopped along the way since it was only over a two-hour drive.
Out in the distance, skyscrapers reached to the sky, and the city lights shaped a bright dome around the area. The lights of the Lincoln Tunnel seemed like they were flashing whenever Dyce drove past them.
Once they exited the tunnel, daylight met them again and the city presented its true urban beauty.
A loft of pigeons swooped over the street and back into the air. A massive hologram of a fish swam back and forth so realistically that it almost looked real. Almost every building had ads displaying things like movie posters, music, products, and fashion.
"So pretty..." Korpha 1 marveled.
Dyce turned left onto a street with trees planted along the road, making the city feel a little greener and less industrial.
"Here's our hotel. The contest starts at 6, so we should just drop off our stuff and go. Maybe pick up a snack or something."
Dyce and Korpha 1 hurriedly checked into their hotel room and left their pieces of luggage on the floor. Dyce bought a bag of potato chips and a granola bar from the cafe downstairs and hopped back into the car.
"The contest is in Brooklyn, so we have almost an hour of a drive left."
Korpha groaned and threw her head back. "Why didn't you get a hotel closer?"
"I'm not paying three-hundred dollars a night. You're crazy."
"That is quite expensive."
After a little less than an hour of driving in traffic, they reached Brooklyn. It was by far the busiest part of New York City. Everywhere Dyce looked there were people from all different backgrounds crowding the sidewalks.
A valet waited in front of a colorfully decorated building for the keys to Dyce's car. People with ID tags hanging around their necks walked inside the grand building, some carrying suitcases or large bags behind them.
Dyce pulled out a suitcase from the car's trunk and gave the keys to the valet, who drove away to park his car. He was also given an ID tag before walking inside with Korpha 1.
She was stunned as soon as she stepped foot inside the building. A chandelier hung from the high ceiling with tiny, yellow sparkles raining down on them. She caught one in her hand, but it immediately disappeared once it touched her metal palm. The outside of the building looked completely different from the beautiful neo-gothic interior. It felt like they were walking into an ancient medieval castle. The vast space was filled with the echoes of thousands of voices chatting throughout the room.
Dyce's heart pounded. Everyone inside the place was either participants, judges, media, or people there to just cheer on the competitors. He had to compete against most of the people in the crowd or impress them with his creation so he could get the money to save his mother. This was his only shot, and if he blew it, her death would be blamed on him.
Dyce's stomach tightened at the thought. He can't and won't let his mother down.
He parked his suitcase at a station with his name on an index card taped to the plastic table. Dyce's station was across from a woman with a small robot that looked like a ball and next to a man who had a fire-breathing dragon robot.
He wasn't too afraid when he realized how dumb those ideas were.
A small robot who only rolled around with its owner and a metal fire-breathing dragon? It sounded useless compared to Korpha 1, a personal assistance robot that could do whatever the owner needed it to do. Combat, mental and physical health assistance, and pretty much anything a person could think of.
Dyce felt confident and cheery until he caught sight of a middle-aged man down the row of stations across from him. The man had something that made Dyce's stomach tie into knots.
A personal assistant robot. Just like Korpha 1.
The man must have seen Dyce staring at him because he lifted his head and made direct eye contact with him.
Dyce covered his face with both hands. "Oh boy."
"What?" Korpha 1 asked, examining everyone who passed their station.
"There's another person who has a personal assistant robot. This is going to be tough."
"So? There might be some flaws with theirs," she argued.
"I don't know. But now I'm nervous."
He sat back in his chair, mindlessly scrolling through his phone before the contest began.
Judges with clipboards and red IDs hanging around their necks visited all the participant's stations. Other people looked around at the creations and asked what they did.
Dyce watched as the group of judges went to the man's station. They scribbled things down as his robot performed tricks and abilities.
The man's robot was tall and slender, with a long, sharp tail trailing behind her. Small wings covered her arms like a stiff metallic cape.
The judges grinned as they discussed something with the man. By their body language, Dyce could tell he exceeded the others in the contest.
Dyce massaged his temples. He let out a slow, long breath. "Deep breaths Dyce, deep breaths."
Korpha 1 planted a metal hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. Just relax. Your heart rate is too fast. I don't want you to pass out."
I hope I pass out, he thought. So I won't have to see myself lose and fail my mother.
Dyce watched the judges go down the row in front of him. He saw either smiles or thin lips on the judges' faces when they examined the robots. A male judge briefly shook his head when they reached the round robot.
When they finally made it down his row after what seemed like an eternity, Dyce told Korpha 1 to get ready to perform her abilities.
Korpha 1 rose from her seat and stretched her metal parts. "You're going to do great, Dyce. I'll make sure you win and save your mother."
Dyce responded with a small smile and a nod. It was time to show what he had worked on for a year in his tiny apartment. Hopefully, it wasn't going to go to trash.
The judges' first impression of Korpha 1 was shockingly positive after seeing the man's personal assistant robot.
Korpha 1 showed off all of the abilities she learned at the park. The judges leaned back and covered their faces as flames spawned out of her wrist. When she wanted to demonstrate her combat skills, she asked one of the judges to be her partner.
A muscular man in a dark blue suit stepped forward and positioned into a fighting stance. He threw a fist at her. It was then that he learned his mistake. Korpha 1 ducked and kneed him in the groin like it was nothing.
The man fell on the floor with a dog-like yelp and clutched his groin. The other judges paused what they were writing and helped him up. The contestants around him stared, some with a hand clamped over their mouths.
Dyce felt like either melting under the plastic table in embarrassment or banging his head against it and knocking himself unconscious. Why not do both?
The judges left his station with mostly good reviews, even though his robot did leave someone injured on the floor. Dyce was proud of himself, nonetheless. It was all over and now he could relax a bit. Now he just had to see who the winners were.
He spotted a taco stand to his left. The line was extremely long, with more people adding to it every few minutes, but at least that would pass the time.
"I'm going to get some food at that taco stand over there," he said. "Do you want to come with me or just stay here?"
Korpha 1 pushed herself from the table and stood up. "I'll come. And what are tacos?"
"I'll show you right now. Let's go."
They approached the long line of hungry contestants, moving nervously as they watched the judges go around the room.
It was 9:37 p.m. They had already been there for over three hours.
"Excuse me, sir," Dyce heard someone say over his shoulder. "Your robot is very impressive. You did a fine job on it."
He looked up from his phone and turned around to see the middle-aged man with the "copy" robot standing behind him. Korpha 1 and his robot watched each other like angry cats with their backs arched for a fight. Dyce found that they were the same height.
"Thank you!" Dyce answered, forcing a smile. "You did a great job with yours as well."
"Ah, I appreciate it," said the man, placing a hand behind his neck. He shook his head. "How rude of me! I didn't introduce myself! My name is Paxtyn Titova." The man held out a welcoming hand.
"I'm Dyce," he greeted, accepting the handshake.
"Mind if I take a look at her?" Paxtyn asked, implying Korpha 1.
"No, not at all."
Paxtyn moved over to Korpha, his curious gaze moving over every part of her body. He dragged a finger down her left arm before going behind her.
Korpha 1 yanked her arm in and crossed them tightly over her chest.
"Chromium, titanium, tungsten..." he murmured as he circled her like a vulture. "You did an amazing job. I could tell you built her with care. She's a masterpiece." He turned his eyes back on Dyce. "And the judges think so too."
"I hope so," he said with a nervous chuckle.
"Dyce, I already know you are going to win. The first time I laid my eyes on both of you, I knew. I want to make a deal with you. I'll give you 600 thousand dollars tomorrow in cash if you walk out of this contest and give your robot to me. That's three times more than what you will get if you win first place. What do you say?"
Dyce turned to look at Korpha. Her shoulders drooped, hands clasped loosely at her chest. "No..." she begged, her voice lowering.
600 thousand dollars. That was way more money than Dyce needed for his mother's cancer treatment. Too much. And losing Korpha 1, his most significant, priciest project yet? She was his creation, and who knows what Paxtyn might do with her? Strip her into a pile of parts? Dyce still needed to take her to the beach...
Korpha 1 must have seen his calculating expression because she said, "Dyce...please..."
Dyce faced Paxtyn, whose eyes sparkled with hope. "Korpha 1 is not for sale," he decided.
Paxtyn raised a bow. "Are you sure? I'll give you double. 1.2 million?"
"She is not for sale," Dyce repeated with a hint of irritation in his tone. He placed a hand behind Korpha's shoulder. "I lost my appetite for tacos. Let's go to that barbecue stand over there."
"Ixis," Paxtyn ordered.
Dyce guided Korpha away from Paxtyn and his robot before an arm extended out in their path, blocking them from one side. He heard Ixis step behind them. They were trapped.
"I'm afraid I can't let you go, Dyce," he said. Paxtyn moved closer to him, his breath floating between them.
Dyce leaned back uncomfortably. He'd never liked close talkers.
Paxtyn's voice dropped into a whisper. "I will get Korpha 1, with or without your permission. She will be mine. Now you can take my offer, or I will have to take her by force. You choose, Dyce."
A sweat broke out on his forehead. You choose, Dyce.
He felt Ixis planting her metal feet on the ground like a sumo wrestler, preparing for a fight.
Korpha 1's hands balled into fists, and so did Dyce's. Her tail flicked back and forth like an unhappy cat. Ixis' swept over the floor like a snake ready to strike its prey.
Then when the tension felt at its peak, Korpha 1 yanked Dyce behind her, plasma blades extending out of her wrists.
Ixis leaped for her, her clawed fingers glistening in the light.
Dyce threw the first punch at Paxtyn, landing it straight in the jaw.
Paxtyn backed away with a hand holding his jaw. People gasped and surrounded them, trying to break up the fight.
Dyce heard the ear-splitting sound of metal slicing over metal. He whipped around to see Korpha 1 and Ixis clashing, blades flying in all directions. The metal plating on Ixis' side had been torn off, and rigid scratches covered Korpha's chest.
A ball of fire came out of Ixis' wrist, spreading around them as the heat burned his flesh. Onlookers backed away, shielding their eyes.
Korpha 1 boosted into the air and landed on her, metal crunching beneath her feet.
Ixis screamed and lifted her hands, showing her palms. Lasers shot out and zapped Korpha in the chest, knocking her backward.
She fell and landed with a grunt. One hand covered a shallow hole in her chest, the edges smoldering hot. "Dyce, go! I'll take care of this!"
"No! I'm not going to let them take you!" he argued.
"They won't take me alive," she grunted, changing into a fighting stance he taught her.
Ixis went after her again, claws ready.
Korpa 1 picked her up and bodyslammed her to the ground with a hand clamped around her neck. Ixis thrashed and squirmed, trying to release herself. One clawed finger slashed Korpha across the throat.
Korpha 1 pulled back, dabbing her fingers to her throat. She felt the sharp ridges of the cut. "G-g-get o-out of h-here..." she told Dyce, her voice glitching and cutting off. Ixis damaged her voice box.
Korpha used her super jump again, hovering in the air. Dyce heard the clunking of metal above. A glowing ball of blue light on her left arm grew as the seconds passed. The ray of light shot down at Ixis.
She jumped back, the ray of energy blasting a station into pieces. She soared toward Korpha, wings flapping behind her. Ixis held a blinking device in her hand.
"Watch out! She has a bomb!" Dyce yelled. An arm looped tightly around his throat and pulled him to the ground. He gasped as the arm slowly squeezed the air out of him like a constrictor.
"I could have made this easy for you, Dyce. But you started this," Paxtyn grunted.
Dyce turned toward him and struck him in the ribs. Paxtyn doubled over, clutching his stomach. As the final blow, Dyce grabbed his head and kneed him below the jaw.
Paxtyn fell hard onto the thin carpet, briefly knocked out. Blood oozed out of his nose in a small puddle.
"I could have made this easier for you too, old man," Dyce panted.
The clashing of metal took his attention away from Paxtyn. Korpha 1 and Ixis battled midair, silver scratches covering their bodies.
Ixis threw the device, a cloud of fire exploding in the air and forcing Korpha back. People below screamed.
Fists and weapons were out again, but Dyce noticed Korpha was trying to get closer to her opponent. She wouldn't back away even when Ixis would maul her with her talons.
Then, he heard the air whistle, the crack of a whip. Ixis was tied in Korpha 1's extended tail, wriggling like a fish out of water. She produced a guttural cry as she tried to break free from the metal rope, which slowly squeezed the screws and bolts out of her. Her pained screams became louder and louder until Ixis split into two. Then, there was silence in the room. Pieces of metal rained down from the air, followed by two halves of Ixis' body crashing to the ground.
Exhausted and damaged, Korpha 1 descended from the air, retracting her tail back to normal.
As soon as she touched the ground, Dyce ran over and squeezed her close. She stiffened at the embrace, unable to identify if it was an attack or not.
"It's a hug," Dyce laughed, sensing the confusion within her. "It's a form of affection."
Korpha's body relaxed. She gently placed her arms around his shoulders. Even if she couldn't talk, he knew what she was saying. Thank you.
A few minutes later, police arrived. People stepped out from behind barriers, relieved to find the fight was over. Paxtyn was taken into custody. Dyce watched him get shoved into the back seat of a cop car, the blood below his nose hardened from time.
Korpha 1 glanced at the split metal body of Ixis on the floor, an unfortunate waste of parts. A cleanup crew picked up the limp halves and chucked them into a garbage bin.
She turned away and headed for the glass doors with Dyce, a whole world calling her name.
3 Months Later
Her pale, shaky hands carefully grabbed the mug from the table and sipped the warm, brown liquid inside. A white box-shaped outline was held together by stitches on her shaved head.
She rocked lightly in her rocking chair, observing the chaotic mess in the kitchen.
Dyce and Korpha 1 rushed around in the kitchen, batter flying far and wide, plates clattering in the sink, and the smell of burnt berries drifting through the air.
"Dyce! The pancake is burning!" Korpha 1 hollered. She briskly whisked around the batter, the ingredients all mixed in seconds.
"I'm coming!" Dyce shouted from the pantry. He hurried to the skillet, flipped the pancake onto a plate, then tossed it into the garbage.
Korpha stacked three blueberry pancakes atop each other and decorated the top with thick stripes of syrup and strawberry slices. She handed Mrs. Cunningham the plate with a napkin and utensils.
"Thank you, darling," she said, placing it on the table in front of her. "This looks delicious." Her weary eyes met the pink heart-patterned apron the robot wore. "I like your apron," she smiled.
Korpha 1 cheerily clasped her hands. "Thanks! I hope you like Dyce's homemade recipe!"
Dyce frowned at her from the corner of his eye.
"Oh, Dyce! You made the recipe?" crowed Mrs. Cunningham.
"Um...yeah. Yes, I did." He tried to show a proud grin. Nope.
He turned down the stove's heat and joined his mother, slumping into the couch. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. I'm getting better, but I'm never going to heal from that experience. It was all too much..."
"It's okay. It's all over. You're cancer-free now. Everything is alright," Dyce assured. "There's nothing to worry about." He dared to look at the stack of dishes in the sink. "I have something to worry about."
"Dyce, you didn't have to go through all that. It wasn't your fault at all."
"It would have been if I never helped. I couldn't stand to see my mother die so early. I couldn't not help."
Mrs. Cunningham nodded in understanding. "Thank you." Almost forgetting about the robot cooking in the kitchen, she added, "and your robot friend."
"Who wants seconds?" Korpha 1 offered, sliding a bottle of syrup down the island. He knew the question was for him.
Dyce raised his eyebrows nervously. "Looks like I have a lot to eat."
The End