🔹Strata 6: Healing and Memory
In nature and old data, Renyke discovers forgotten warmth. Can a machine remember love, loss, and belonging? Healing begins with remembering.
Welcome to Immersion. You have reached Strata 6
Trouble at the Bank (Animal Instincts)
The instinct to fight has been observed in both humans and animals. Dominance protects vulnerable species from harm. Neural circuits of rage, anger, and violence exist because humans and animals need them to protect offspring, and to secure food, drink, and safety.
But to be aroused or entertained by violence is more particular to humans than other species. Some humans have even fetishised the power of winning: they seek it out and are physically stimulated by it.
This pleasure in violence, along with the thrill of danger, comes from a deep innate human psychology. It is linked to a desire for competition, thrills, and excitement, as well as the promise of adrenaline which humans find stimulating.
Androids do not experience pleasure in this way. They do not experience the effects of pleasure chemicals, like dopamine, or a motivational salience which can lead to the desirability of an outcome. All androids however have been programmed to protect an asset or assets at all costs. Often these goals will result in violent acts.
But the excitement of a fight remains uniquely human and is a self motivated, self fulfilling exhilaration often irrespective of intellectual advancement.
The oversized droid tried to nudge Renyke into the chair. This small movement, a deliberate, forceful action, raised alarm bells. This droid and this place were dangerous.
POS was now completely unresponsive.
The Droids were staring intently, too close for comfort. The finger clicking was getting even more intense.
Renyke took a few moments to compose himself.
'I seem to have made a mistake,' said Renyke, 'I have nothing to exchange after all.'
Queenie, looking worried near the door, demanded access to leave.
'Let me out, this is not my affair,' she said to the door guard who had stopped her exit with his thick arm. She kicked his shin and he laughed. 'That just tickles,' he said, bending down and scowling in her face, too close for comfort.
Still nothing from POS......
Renyke realised he was on his own. This was new. total autonomy was not possible for artificially created learning machines. There was alway a system in place. The system was paramount to seamless function.
One of the droids got closer to Renyke and explained, 'You gotta have something useful for your friends at the bank. We like useful things. Must be something nice you got for the banker.'
The other droid looked at Renyke's bag. 'What's in the bag?' he said moving forward to remove it from Renyke's shoulder.
Maybeline crawled out onto Renyke's collar snarling and spitting. She was screeching violently and standing on her hind legs.
'We take anything, old phones even. Anything with data, or storage, or files, photos, NFTs. We take hardware too, your bank is really *frienly. The watch looks tasty. We like watches at the bank. Don't we like watches?'
His thick-set assistant nodded, wires and cogs vibrated inside a hole in his cheek.
Suddenly POS was available again and activated defence and attack modes.
Renyke engaged his bionics and with lightning speed, head butted the first droid who flew back and smashed the other's head with the force of a truck. Cogs crushed and whirred and they both hit the floor.
Maybeline screeched and began removing wires from orifices in the droids heads.. Then she stood victorious on her hind legs looking around for another victim.
Human, age 48, ID: possibly David Shrewen, wanted for murder, extortion, fraud, by *CASM
A short well dressed man approached trying to calm the situation. He lifted his hands in surrender. He was nervous without the protection of his now defunct droids.
The Door guard held the female guide by the neck and she was screaming, 'Let us go we're no trouble honest, no trouble!'
'Quiet', said the door guard squeezing her neck tighter and choking her.
'My name is David Shrewen and I have a reputation to uphold. One of professionalism and integrity. I must apologise for my overzealous staff.' He put his hand out to shake Renyke's hand.
Shall I lock weapons on target? asked POS.
Renyke engaged an army-issue laser bolt-gun in his hand that would take out the whole room and anyone in it.
He would prefer not to use it but he pointed it at Shrewen's face fixing a menacing stare.
'Duuuuude, we got no ishy here. No *ishy, just data. A misunderstanding my friend?' Said Shrewen.
'Drop the lady!' Shouted Renyke, 'we are leaving.'
'Let them go', shouted Shrewen, without hesitation and putting on a brave friendly smile.
The door guard released Queenie, as the banker backed off with his hands still in the air.
Renyke reversed his way towards the door watching the room through his the 360-degree embedded viewfinder.
There was a bag on the counter.
...Contains *bits, may I suggest we take it.....? said POS
Renyke grabbed the bag. It was heavy. The Banker protested. 'Not the whole bag man ......I got bills to pay!'
Renyke pulled out a handful of the contents and threw the bag on the floor. He didn't need it all, enough to get some kind of vehicle to get him to Redact. The last thing he wanted was a gang of stupid droids after him in this Hell hole. They might hold him up.
The banker was yelling as Renyke and Queenie took their exit.
Shrewen was shouting as they made their way back through the market, 'You got some neat tools man, we could use you at the bank!'
to be continued....
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