Kalli offered a blank stare of incomprehension. “We told you. He is Dariux...”
“No, not your names. Are you aliens?” Olivia asked. “Spiritual beings?”
“Oh, no. Nothing like that,” Kalli said. “We are humans. Just like you. Only from the future.”
“How far in the future?” Dale asked.
“We are from the year 2172,” This came from Dariux.
“That’s one hundred and fifty years more than my time, and we are now one hundred and fifty years before my time. Is that a coincidence?” Olivia asked.
“Not exactly. The machine can travel to any time, but only in 150 years increments. We call it a ‘bounce’. My guess is that during this ‘bounce’, we picked you up. It was not supposed to happen. There are safety mechanisms to prevent that. But obviously they failed in this case. Time travel technology is very new, even for us. We are still working out the problems.” Dariux explained, looking chagrined.
“Do you mean to say,” Olivia closed her eyes, licked her lips, and squeezed Dale’s hand so hard he feared she might grind it to dust “I was just caught up in some experiment gone wrong and that was the reason I was dragged into the past? Just because you guys were fooling around with some untested technology? What sort of irresponsible behavior is that? Is humanity forever going to be subjected to the threat of disruption just because...”
“Nothing like that,” Dariux interjected in soothing tones. “We performed exhaustive tests and implemented stringent security measures. This was the first time we tried it in an inhabited area. We knew about the risk of accidental drag. That’s why we studied the maps of the region in your time. According to our records, there was not supposed to be a road in the coordinates where you were picked up. It was supposed to be a wooded area. Empty and uninhabited.”
“Yeah, well, where did you get your information from? My GPS seemed to be just as mistaken right before I was ‘picked up’, as you call it.”
“That’s exactly it,” he said pensively. “We were relying on GPS information from your time. It was obviously inaccurate. This will have to be considered for subsequent expeditions.”
Olivia was shaking her head, and her mouth twisted into a troubled line. Her body vibrated, and when she finally let go of his hand, it was to tangle her fingers in her own skirts, to keep them from shaking to pieces.
Dale stroked a comforting hand down her shoulder. “We have established how Olivia ended up here. But we have not yet ascertained the reason for your expedition.”
“Does there need to be a reason other than innovation, science, and technology advancement?” asked Dariux innocently.
“The development of new technology is usually expensive,” Dale replied, pinning him with a glance, “not to mention dangerous. Time travel doesn’t seem like an enterprise to undertake without a very compelling reason.”.
Dariux eyed Dale warily. “You are right. Our mission had a purpose. And as it turns out, what happened with Olivia turned out to be a happy accident in terms of our mission.”
“How so?” asked Livvy.
“We came to learn about human interactions and relationships. About love. In order to explain, we need to give you a panorama of how the world is in our time.”
“In our time,” said Kalli, “humans are dwindling at an alarming pace because people are not having children anymore. It’s not that we are physically incapable. We have created robots that look like humans, and they can be designed and programmed with all the characteristics one person could want in a partner.”
“So why attempt to create a lasting bond or make a relationship work with another imperfect human being when these robots are available and a relationship with them is easy and satisfying?” Dariux added an edge to his voice.
Dale sought Olivia’s eyes instinctively. Did this make any sense to her? What were these robots that had apparently replaced humans in their relationships with each other? To him, they sounded like automata. People were having relationships with machines? It was all so strange. Fortunately, Livvy seemed as dumbfounded as he.
“The robots, of course, can not reproduce,” Dariux continued. “There was an attempt to create a male robot equipped with sperm from donors, in order to impregnate women, but it was an abysmal failure. Very few women were interested. They consider child bearing and rearing a dreadful prospect that would damage their bodies and interfere with their personal pursuits, so they did not want this robot. So far, the creation of a robot capable of bearing children has been unsuccessful. And given the poor acceptance it has had, the idea has all but been abandoned.”
“This mission to the past was to observe and study first hand what made people fall in love and stay committed in a relationship with each other.” Kalli threw Dariux a look full of animosity. “Both Dariux and I are scientists. He is an engineer, and I’m a neurobiologist. We hope, by traveling to different time periods, to find a common thread to the human amorous relationship that can be used in a rehabilitation program to turn the tide on a generation addicted to robots.”
A stunned silence followed these revelations.
Dale’s head was spinning. Nothing made sense. One thing was obvious, though. These people didn’t understand love. They wouldn’t hesitate to take Olivia. He leaned forward, one basic question still unanswered. “What are these robots you keep talking about? Are they some sort of automaton?”
“Similar, but much more advanced,” Dariux explained. “They look exactly like humans, and possess artificial intelligence, which means they act like humans too. In Olivia’s time, robots already exist, though none as advanced as the ones in our times.”
“In my time, robots look like... machines.” Olivia said. “I don’t think anyone would think of having a relationship with one of them. Of course, I have seen movies that depict advanced robots like the ones you are describing, so I have no trouble imagining them. Although I have to confess that it seems far-fetched that people have reached the point of preferring a fake relationship with a robot over a real one with another human being.”
“Why is that so difficult to understand?” replied Dariux. “Just consider how many human relationships fail. Getting along is difficult. Personalities clash. Life’s problems erode relationships. Even monotony, boredom, and weariness affect even the best. Is it any wonder that people prefer a relationship where there’s no drama and all their needs are met? When they aren’t, or even if they merely change their minds, they can simply exchange or reprogram their robot and receive all the benefits of a new relationship.”
“But what about love?” Livvy asked, appalled.
“What about it?” Dariux replied almost defiantly.
