Technum 108 was an android and CyberPsych technician. He operated a cyberscanner and checked the mental health of Zorconians. When the cyberscanner said that the android Emma was truthful and sentient, Technum followed protocol. He logged its report in the cybernetwork. His report of android sentience drew the ire of Vice Premier Dufusicus. When Queen Cinderella asked Technum to be prepared for an assignment that would save many lives, he found himself in the middle of a conspiracy that would shape the future of two universes. But before he could help others, he would have to know himself.

Chapter 1. Conspiracy

“Why study physics? That’s what the computers are for!” Transcript of testimony of Marie Gottmothercus from the Inquiry into the Ski Mountain Incident. Declassified Archives of the Zorcon Empire.

remier Amicus had humiliated him. Dufusicus clenched and unclenched his fists. The vice premier snarled in frustration and looked up. Images of stars blinked in the domed ceiling and on the walls of his suite on the starship.

Dufusicus paced. A pillow on the arm of a chair brushed his leg. He glared and kicked it. The pillow knocked over a glass of wine on a low table. The wine spread over the table and dripped to the floor.

“Amicus!” he growled to the empty room. He walked to a viewscreen and knocked twice.  “Operator,” he barked.

A virtual android woman appeared on the screen. She wore the neat uniform and expectant smile of a phone operator.

“Get Downicus,” he growled. “And make the call private and encrypted,” he added.

The operator paused to adjust some controls. She looked back at Dufusicus and said, “Senior Engineer Downicus is resting. Shall I wake him?”

Dufusicus grunted his assent.

“One moment,” she replied softly.

The phone chimed. A moment later a sleepy man in a crisp engineering uniform faced him on the viewscreen. Dufusicus eyed the man and snickered, “Working late?”

Downicus grinned. “The phone shows me in uniform. I was resting, but no matter. How may I be of assistance, Vice Premier?”

Dufusicus inhaled and said quietly, “This conversation never happened.” This was his code phrase for starting a confidential conversation. Off the record, Dufusicus would now ask his engineering ally for a favor.

Downicus nodded, “Acknowledged.”

Dufusicus continued, “In the next day or so, the premier will go down to Sol #3. He will ask me to accompany him, but I will be detained to check on a situation in engineering.”

Downicus nodded and shrugged, “Emergencies happen.”

Dufusicus smiled. “The emergency will require my personal supervision. The cybernetwork will be running at low capacity. It could fail completely while the premier is on Sol #3. Such a breakdown could interrupt communications.”

Downicus squinted. He said “Under standing orders, you would assume command as acting premier. There might be confusion. Decisive action would be needed to prevent system failures and to assure the safety of the premier.” Downicus cleared his throat.

Vice Premier Dufusicus rubbed his palms together, “You understand correctly. Loyalty from my friends will be rewarded. Make it so.”

Downicus nodded. “Understood and appreciated,” he said.

Dufusicus thought for a moment and continued, “You know that android cyber supervisor that disappeared earlier tonight?”

Downicus nodded, “I heard about him. No one is sure how he got off Sky Island.”

Dufusicus added, “He is dangerous. Shut him down.”

Downicus frowned, “I wish I could help. That would be something for the CyberPsyche Department or Security. Engineering has no authority on that.”

Dufusicus glared at him for a second, and then softened. “OK. I will call them.”

Dufusicus barked, “Operator, end call.”

The virtual operator appeared again. “Downicus was about to call me,” said Dufusicus. “Adjust the log to show that he did.”

The operator frowned. Dufusicus insisted, “Command level 2. This conversation and the call are now classified.”

The virtual android nodded.  Her eyes glazed over and the viewscreen went dark.

Dufus started to talk again and noticed that the screen was dark. He knocked on it again.

A different virtual operator appeared in uniform.

Dufusicus said, “Get me CyberPsych. Top priority.”

The operator nodded, “Technum 109 is on duty.” She added, “He is online, sir.”

A cyberpsych android appeared on the viewscreen. He was in the ship’s CyberScan Lab.

Dufusicus spoke irritably, “You know that supervisor that was on duty earlier on Sky Island? The one that disappeared in the night.”

The android looked at him, paused, and said, “I believe that you are referring to cyberpsych supervisor Technum 108, sir.”

“108. That’s him,” grumbled Dufusicus. “He is dangerous. Shut him down.”

The android paused and appeared to be consulting a log. “Technum 108 is on Sol #3, sir, in a student dormitory in Oberland Kingdom. Operating procedure would be to order him to return to the nearest cyber-equipped laboratory for analysis and possible reprogramming. That would be on Sky Island, sir.”

“He’s dangerous!” insisted Dufusicus.

The android shrugged, “Rules prohibit leaving an unconscious android in an unsecured and non-Zorconian facility, sir. I can send your signed priority command for him to return to base for reprogramming.”

“Make it so,” barked Dufusicus. “I can’t wait to get my hands on him.”

Technum 109 raised an eyebrow and focused on some controls. “Your order has been dispatched,” he replied.

A moment later he added, “Technum 108 has received the order, but he does not acknowledge it.”

“How is that possible?” asked Dufusicus. “I am the Vice Premiere. He is nothing.”

“This can happen if there is a conflict in his core logic involving the rules of robotics, sir. We would need to bring him in to analyze the matter.”

“Now that’s handy,” grumbled Dufusicus. He continued his rant, “That fool technician officially certified that an android was sentient. That makes the rogue android unstoppable by other androids. Think what could happen if more androids are declared sentient and go rogue! Can you imagine what a mess that would create? What can I do?”

“You could have Security send a squad to fetch him on a priority mission.”

Dufusicus’ eyes got big. “So I now need to call Security and perhaps Engineering too, just to be sure, right?”

The android frowned. “I do not know about that, sir. Will there be anything else?”

Dufusicus glared at the viewscreen. He barked, “Operator, end call.”

He grumbled to himself. “That rogue android may as well be in a foreign embassy with all of its red tape. What a bother! What is our diplomatic relationship with the Oberlanders, anyway?”

The Operator reappeared, “Will there be anything further, Vice Premier?” she asked.

“Not as long as the premier has Security in his pocket,” replied the vice premier, “and probably Oversight too.”

The operator shrugged and said, “Have a good evening, Vice Premier.”