ZEROS AND ONES
The
night was cool and the air was blustery the day that the executives of the Earth
declared the discovery of fresh, potable water on Mars. Billions worldwide
listened with attentive ear to the broadcasts, scientists clutched their fellow
man in ecstatic haze, and the world itself laughed with joy. Truly nothing
could have dampened the spirit of that glorious day.
The
next day, however, was another story.
The
first assault occurred on March 18th, 2087, when the nations Germany
and Russia broke out into a heated altercation over the land disputes and
investments in their scientific departments, already seeking to stake out land
on the planet. Soon, America, France, Canada, Italy, and Israel leapt into the
quarrel, kindling the fire of the dispute. From there, chaos ensued.
Progressively, more and more countries began to take sides, be it another
countries or their own. The battle of words soon became a battle of fists and
weapons, leaving diplomats of six countries dead and hundreds more injured.
The
world was shocked at the news, never before beholding such an outburst in an intended
meeting of peace. With the given violence instigated by the planet of war,
scientist around the globe decided to fund an underground project: Project
Quercus. From it, great innovations were made. The advanced magnetic motor, the
solar powered filtering system, and, most importantly, the ship ‘Libero,’ a
ship capable of transporting five million people to Mars in an estimated twelve
years.
In
order to escape the sinews of a corrupted Earth, twelve million voyaged on the
ship, which made two separate trips over the span of two years. Somehow, they
had remained discreet, their station at the Galapagos Islands, transporting
animal and plant species of practically endless variations.
Sam’s
eyes widened, awestruck at the pure wondrous innovation of the Mech. It stood about
twelve feet tall, its appearance angular and sharp, like the blades on its
hands. It was painted a deep blue and silver, like the colors of the Quercus
flag. Its mask, a horned helmet and faceplate, with dim aqua eyes that had not
yet come to life. Sam ran a hand through his dirty blond muss of hair.
The
young man scaled the Mech, wanting to examine the intricacy of its design. He
was not an engineer; far from it, actually. He was not stupid, by any means,
but he certainly did not comprehend how the hands of men could craft such
mechanical perfection. Sam shook his head and frowned. This was a bad thing. A very bad thing. He shouldn’t be
marveling at its detail, nor welcoming it on the planet. He should be wary. But
somehow, he was too enthralled to really care.
Sam
touched the metal gingerly, his hands brushing the sleek iron of the robot’s
leg. His eyes wandered up to its torso. There, engraved and highlighted with
dark blue paint, was the name ‘Colossus 303: Decimus.’ Sam smirked at the name.
“Decimus,
huh?” Sam muttered to himself softly. His eyes fell back down to where his hand
rested on the machine. Suddenly, the leg jerked, and Sam flew backwards in
fright with a startled yelp.
The
robot’s eyes glowed. It looked down to Sam, who now was on his back staring up
in shock and fear at the metal being that towered above him. From beneath the
metallic mask over its mouth, the Colossus’ voice rasped from its speakers.
“Hello,
companion. I am Decimus.”
Decimus’
circuits spat electric current, his eyes flashing faintly from the blow. The
other Mech, a large, grey robot with a hearty, cubic structure and blazing eyes
of yellow and red, bellowed at him, for the robots were sentient, and this one
was quite clearly enraged.
“Why do
you assist them?” The Tank crooned wickedly in a low bravado. “When it is quite
clear that they shall die? Why do you shield them with yourself when you could
just as easily turn and sweep them away with a bat of your hand? Do you not
want liberation?”
Decimus’
voice cracked, his speakers damaged by the force of the Tank’s attack. “We may
all have different roots, but we grow together. Together, as a team, we form the
trunk that supports the tree boughs, which in turn support the branches, which
in turn support the leaves, which one day will flower and bear fruit and a
haven for all beings.”
