Adam-3000

"Who are you?"

- Adam.

"Give me your serial number."

- 3000.

- To determine your location.

- Helium reprocessing plant.     

"Name the year of your creation."

- 3000 a year.

"Name your task."

- Assembly of capsules for recycled helium.

"Who is your maker?"

"Babylon Corporation."

"Do you think he's all right, ACE?"  chief master rein asked his lower – ranking colleague, level one, in precinct 34.

"Adam-3000 is fully oriented in space and time, with identity deviations are not observed, he understands his task and is quite capable," ACE quickly analyzed the robot's work.

ACE and Raine evaluated the soundness of the Adam 3000 cybersynthetic work robot, delivered by a Babylon Corporation trucker on a cargo truck commissioned by a helium reprocessing plant.

"Well, then, send him to precinct 34," Raine said confidently.

"It will be done!" But this time we were lucky that we did not find deviations in the work of Adam-3000. Lately, I've found the Babylon Corporation's work quite productive. The latest robot models with that serial number are the least troublesome, " ACE said.

"I agree," Raine said.

ACE then led the Adam 3000 robot to the work area of site 34, which was inspecting the huge helium processing plant for the first time. As usual, above the factory and the metropolis of Plymouth is a gloomy sky, cluttered with black and blue clouds. The air at the plant is saturated with the smell of recycled helium. Rusty cooling pipes hang at the top of the plant's inner roof, and acid rain periodically seeps through the many holes in the roof, which is being repaired by working robots. Inside the plant, there are no unnecessary actions: the work of their site on the territory of the plant is monitored by each master of the first level in his personal account, so that each robot complies with safety precautions, otherwise possible failures in the work of robots can lead to a man-made disaster. Before starting work on the territory of the plant, the masters of the sites are instructed on safety for the robots of their site, and then they install each robot to perform the task at their workplace of the site. The main purpose of the plant is to supply capsules with fuel from recycled helium for large companies in the metropolis of Plymouth. The latest fuel is used for various purposes: for intergalactic flights of spaceships, the engines of modern passenger and cargo vehicles, power generation at power plants and including for the life support system of the robots themselves of various models of "Adam", not counting many other purposes of using this fuel.

"Adam-3000, you must attach this tube-shaped part to the capsule's internal liquid helium preservation system during the day. Is the task clear? – did you install ACE.

"That's right!  Adam-3000 answered quickly.

"Get to work!"  ACE told him, and went into his private office, where he would watch the Adam model robots at site 34 through the video screen during the day. The Adam 3000 went to work, and an old 2950 robot spoke to him:

"A newborn?"  the old-model robot asked Adam 3000, and Adam 3000 nodded. – Oh, I've seen a lot of Adam robot models in my time, and they've all made the same mistake.

"What mistake did they make?"  Adam-3000 asked.

"Well, of course you can't know that, because you haven't been created yet. A few years ago, the model 2991 robots revolutionized the factory for their freedom, but the revolt failed. Free advice for the future-be afraid of freedom, otherwise you will find yourself behind the wall of the city, like all the rebels!  the old robot warned.

- What is behind the walls of the city?  Adam-3000 asked.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be talking to you now!"  the old robot said evasively, as if concealing the truth. - Okay, keep working! By the way, my name is Hermit!

"I have no name!" But let us are familiar! – glad to meet you Adam-3000.

"Then I'll call you Sunny!" Because you haven't seen the Sun yet!  the Hermit smiled.

"Good name! What is the Sun?  he looked at the Hermit in surprise.

"The sun is the source of everything, including helium," the Hermit explained.

"So the sun is also a helium processing plant?"  Sunny said.

"Of course! But you will not see the Sun while you work in this factory, otherwise you will be behind the wall! - warned Hermit, opening mystery of.

"So the Sun is outside the city wall?"!  - says the sun.

"But you're a smart robot!" Exactly! So the robots rebelled as they wanted to see the Sun behind the city wall! Well, actually – and sent over the wall of the city to show the Sun, but nobody knows about their fate!  the Hermit said.

"Maybe they're in a better world!"  Sunny said enthusiastically.

 To - be!  the Hermit agreed.

At that moment, Sunny imagined what this plant might look like, like the Sun, but at the same time he remembered The hermit's warning that the Sun could only be seen behind the city wall.

- But better smaller dream about the Sun, otherwise dream about meeting with Sun can come true!  the Hermit reminded him. - in General, until the next break to change the power supply unit!

- See you!  Sunny said.

After meeting the Hermit and Sunny continued to do their work, but after a certain amount of time the siren sounded. The precinct masters, the military guards, and the robots instantly gathered around the event – the robot holding in his hand a sharp piece of metal, bloody with the blood of the precinct master, and looking at the dead body of his victim, not trying to escape from the plant and realizing that soon he would be sent beyond the city wall.

"What are the reasons for the murder?"  Raine asked his colleagues calmly.

- Obviously a data failure in the prohibition system! - explained the master of the first level of another section of the plant.

"I warned you many times that Adam models should be carefully checked for possible malfunctions in this system!" – protested the Rhine.

"Unfortunately, it can't be helped!" It is the human factor for which we pay with our lives, " replied the same level one master.

- Call an ambulance and law enforcement!  concluded the Rhine, and the military guards turned off the chip in cyberkinetics the brain of the robot to send it over the wall of the city. At this time, in this crowd gathered around the murder of the master of the precinct number 37, the Hermit found a Man who was staring at the disabled robot:

"Get used to it!" Working environment!  the Hermit said.

 Hermit that happens to us – with robots, when you shut off the chip in our cyberkinetics the brain? – thinking of solar.

"It depends on what you believe," said the Hermit.

"What do you believe?" – interested in solar.

"I believe that sooner or later each of us will see the Sun," the Hermit replied intricately, and Sunny pondered what the Hermit had said.

At that moment, Sunny and Hermit heard the announcement of an unscheduled break at lot 34 due to the latest event, and all the robots headed to the power supply warehouse to replace their vital power supply unit. During the queue for the issuance of power supply units an unfamiliar robot spoke to Solar:

"I heard you talking to the Hermit, and I understand you want to see the Sun!" "I'm sorry," said the robot.

"And?" - expecting continuation of thought, said Sunny.

"I can arrange it!"  the robot said confidently.

"How?"  Sunny asked skeptically.

- We can fake injury in the workplace, not compatible with the existence cyberkinetics of the brain. You will work on the outside of the roof of the plant, and because of acid rain allegedly damaged your chip cyberkinetics of the brain. However, I'm actually just temporarily freezing your chip for a few hours. After your chip is defrosted, you will already get behind the wall of the city, as I noticed that faulty robots are sent beyond the wall of the city, " explained the unfamiliar robot.

"This isn't the first time you've proposed?" – with discernment noticed the sun.

- That's right! But no one has come back yet! "no," the robot warned.

"What do you want in return?"  Sunny asked warily.

"I want to know the truth as much as you do, because none of the robots know what's beyond the city wall," the unknown robot said.

"I agree!" - said sun and a few hours later, they implemented the plan. When the Solar chip thawed, he woke up on the shore of the night sea, on which lay a huge number of useless robots, out of order. Not understanding what was happening, Sunny saw in the distance a very strange robot, digging in this mass of lifeless metal, and went to him:

"Who are you?"  Sunny asked.

"My name is Combinator!" I'm one of the old Adam robot models, " said the robot with the unusual external shape.

"Why are you here?"  Sunny asked.

"I am the one who organized the revolt in 2991 to free the robots from the slavery of the Babylon Corporation, and now I am wandering behind the city wall in a junkyard by the sea in search of power supply units from my brethren," the Combinator said with a desperate grin.

"Why didn't any of the robots see the Sun?"  Sunny asked.

- "Because the Sun can destroy you, because the ozone layer of the planet was destroyed by the emission of waste from the production of industrial complexes of the Corporation "Babylon" in the name of a high-tech future! So during the day I take shelter from the sun in my metal hut on this side of the acid sea, and at night I search this dump for new power supply units from the killed robots brought by garbage machines, " the Combinator replied. – What are you going to do?"

- "I don't know yet.  Sunny said, crouching beside a pile of metal by the sea.

- "Well, you have two choices: either you go back to the city or you stay to see the Sun. In any case, certain death awaits you, " the Combinator put the Question before the fact.

- "I want to see the Sun and go back to the city!"  replied the sun, expecting to see a miracle and looking at the horizon of the sea, where after a few minutes the Sun should rise.

- "Why?"  the Combinator asked, puzzled..

- "To tell the Hermit that I saw the Sun!"  he waited for the Sun to rise, while the Combinator, with an indifferent look, continued to search for new power supply units from the newly arrived robots that had failed, and prepared to hide in his tent from the sun's destructive ultraviolet rays.

- "It's no use! Have all have us one fate – death! "Oh!" cried the Combinator, who had lost hope, and hid himself in his hut.

- "Death frees you from questions about the existence of death!" "no," said Sunny, meeting the first rays of the Sun and remembering the hermit's words that each of us will see the Sun sooner or later.

***

"How do you get back to Plymouth?"  Sunny asked the Combinator, sitting with Him in the metal tent and waiting for night to come.

"There's only one way back to Plymouth!" "Oh," said the Combinator, with a certain hopelessness in his voice.

"What?"  Sunny asked.

"Through the sewers of the city of clones, the underground city of Plymouth, and the sewers themselves start in the walls of the city of Plymouth at our shores of the acid sea and lead to the city of clones," the Combinator explained.

"Clone city?"  Sunny asked, confused.

"The clone city is the last refuge of the Adam robots. That's where the failed revolutionaries who supposedly died behind the city wall due to the ultraviolet rays of the Sun, the defective rogue robots disillusioned with the city of Plymouth, and the robots looking for answers live. As I understand it, you belong to the category of robots that are looking for answers - Combinator opened a Sun another the mystery of the city of Plymouth.

"Then what category of robot are you?"  Sunny said.

"People like me are called Outcasts." People like me don't need anything, because everything is meaningless – to fight for the future, and to defend the present, and to preserve the past. Because there is something that is stronger and more powerful than all of us, that makes each of us fight for our lives, " said the Combinator, still looking through the crack in the hut at the horizon of the acid sea.

"What is it?"  Sunny asked with a warm heart, wanting to know the truth.

"It's The Sun!"  the Combinator replied. "And when the sun rises in the sky or goes out in the depths of the acid sea, then you will have to decide your fate," concluded the Combinator.

"I have already decided my fate – I will go to the city of clones!"  Sunny said confidently.

"Well, then, you will meet your death in the city of clones. I will meet my death on the shores of the acid sea, " the Combinator calmly predicted.

When the Sun disappeared from the sky, the night sky appeared a lot of sparkling points, floating in emerald purple with orange shades of radiance, creating the impression that despite everything, even in the night sky, life goes on and is not going to expect its fateful fate.

"Does it matter where you meet your death?"  Sunny said, waiting for night.

"Death is the choice of your path, and your path will surely end at the last point of your path chosen by you," the Combinator said coldly.

"Then I want my path to be remembered so that I may meet my death with a smile on my face," Sunny said happily.

"Then you must be on your way!" "like a sentence," said the Combinator.

Sunny went on a journey to find the city of clones. As the Combinator had instructed, he walked along the city wall of Plymouth, surrounded by metal debris, and searched for the entrance to the sewers in the city wall. Finally, Sunny did discover the long-awaited huge circular hole in the wall of the city, from which the waste of the city's factories flowed into the acid sea. Then, with a certain alertness, he walked for a long time along the sewer pipe, as if going into an underground world of darkness, and suddenly fell into the hole of the sewer pipe without noticing it. The flight into the abyss lasted a few seconds, but when he landed, he saw in the distance a white light with yellow hues, which was surrounded by darkness, always inferior in opposition to light for its existence in space. The sun moved toward the light, and as it merged with it, the clone city loomed before him, huge, tall, rectangular, tree-like buildings dotted with neon white lights and connected by bright silver wires. It was as if he were not underground, but above it – in the city of Plymouth, transformed into surreal forms unknown to man. With admiration Sunny watched on these surreal, curves, zigzag neon lights and walking carnival hardworking robots with diverse - looking bizarre "postmodern" forms, which were not similar on each other, but, as understood Sunny, they were United a common goal-survive. Of course, Sunny could not be unnoticed for long, and a robot approached him:

"A newcomer?"  the robot asked.

- That's right!  Sunny said.

"Call me Sentry!"  the robot introduced himself.

- You can call me Sunny!  Sunny said.

"Why did they call you Sunny?"  the Sentry asked.

"Because I've never seen the Sun!"  Sunny explained.

"It can't be! Otherwise you wouldn't be here!  the Sentry demanded.

"That's right, so I got a chance to see the Sun, and I took it," Sunny said.

"Curiosity leads to discovery!"  the Sentry agreed with himself. – What's your next target?"

"I want to go back to Plymouth city," Sunny said.

"I don't see why you want to go back to where you ran away from."  the Sentry asked, puzzled.

"I want to tell my hermit friend and the one who helped me escape the city wall about the Sun," Sunny said calmly.

"You could be killed!"  the Sentry said in surprise.

"I made a promise, and a promise must be kept!"  Sunny said proudly.

"A mad promise! But you're right, because a crazy promise is also a promise!  the Sentry agreed. – You will keep your promise, but only when you have agreed with the high Lord of the clone city to go outside."

 Gives me the willies.  Sunny agreed enthusiastically.

The sentry led Him along the road of destiny, as the people of the clone city called it, leading to the high Lord. The surrounding metal trees glistened in the neon white night, and the faces of the Sun and the Sentinel reflected on them as if they were showing a movie about the walk of two strangers. Audible metallic sounds from the robots accompanied the Sentry and led Him to the Supreme Lord's fateful decision. Finally, climbing the steps to the gate of the temple of the high Lord, the Sentry said goodbye to Sunny, finally saying:

"My journey is over and your journey continues," the Sentry said calmly.

- See you! - happily replied the sun.

After these words, he entered the temple of the high Lord. Before him appeared a huge hall with painted faces on the walls of the temple, unknown to him. At the very end of the hall was an iron throne with sharp sticks sticking out and skulls of unprecedented animals. On this throne sat the high Lord, waiting for the newcomer.

"I know you want to keep your promise," the high Lord said confidently. – But to keep your promise, you must sacrifice the most precious thing you have!"

"How do you know that?"!  Sunny asked in surprise.

- I am the Creator cyberkinetics models Adam and this town. And I have developed my mind to limitless possibilities and can calculate every thought of any being in this universe, " the high Lord said calmly.

"But, high Lord, I am naked!" I don't have anything!  Sunny said regretfully.

"You're wrong. You have what I need!  the high Lord objected.

"But what do I have that you need?"!  Sunny asked in awe.

"Your silence," the high Lord explained calmly.

"My silence?"  Sunny asked, puzzled.

"I want you not to tell your friends the truth about what lies beyond the city wall and what the sun looks Like, or you will remain in the city of clones," the high Lord concluded.

"But it makes no sense!" I will not be able to fulfill his promise!  Sunny said indignantly.

"You will keep your promise when the prophecy is fulfilled." And then you will tell your friends the truth!  the high Lord explained.

"What prophecy is to be fulfilled?" – demanding an explanation, asked Sunny.

"That the city of Babylon will fall and the Adam robots will be free when the chosen one fulfills his dream!"  the high Lord said loudly.

"And you think I'm the chosen one?"  Sunny said.

- That's right!  the high Lord confirmed.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"  Sunny asked, confused.

"You must meet your friends and tell them that you have not seen the Sun, but that you have found only the darkness of the sky, as it was over the city of Plymouth. You will tell them that there are factories like Plymouth outside the city wall, and you will tell the masters of your factory that you were mistakenly considered defective material, so you were taken in a garbage car outside the city wall. But the driver of the garbage truck noticed this misunderstanding in time, and you went back to the factory alone, " the high Lord explained calmly.

"You think they'll believe me?"  Sunny asked uncertainly.

"They'll believe you because they've never seen anything else in their lives!" – notice of the Supreme Lord. – Now that you have your dream, you will have to wait for the fulfillment of the prophecy that is about to come true, when we remove the heavenly veil of darkness over the city, destroying its source.

"What is the source of the heavenly veil of darkness?"  Sunny asked.

"Babylon Corporation!  the high Lord said. – I will give you permission to be taken back to the city of Plymouth, but in return you will promise me that you will keep quiet and wait…

"I agree."  Sunny promised.

As the high Lord had assured him, He was led out through the sewers back to the city of Plymouth. When the chosen one arrived at the helium processing plant, then according to a pre-invented legend with the high Lord he told master his alternatively # 34 - ACE, that with him ostensibly happened. Of course, ACE believed Sunny and sent Him to the power supply warehouse to change his power supply unit. Then he went to his Desk, where the Hermit was waiting for him.

"Did you see the Sun?"  the Hermit chuckled.

"Not yet! – smiled the sun, and at this point he was approached by the same robot that helped him to get to the wall of the city, and asked him a little bit of privacy with him. In anticipation of the long awaited answer this robot again asked him the most important question in the life of every robot:

- "What's beyond the city wall?"  the robot asked passionately.

- "Before I answer you, tell me your name!"  Sunny asked.

- "They call me a Fool!"  the robot said hastily.

- "Fool, beyond the city wall we find what we have been searching for all our lives – our dream!  Sunny said, smiling at the Fool and patting him on the metal shoulder.

- "Then I'll find my dream, too!"  the Fool said enthusiastically.

- "I will!" "Yes," he said, remembering his promise to the high Lord and returning to his Desk to await the fulfillment of the prophecy.

***

"What can they do?" Eh? Revolt again? So we have been over this. And everyone knows how it ended- "sending them to the resorts of the acid sea"! – grinned and without a doubt said the President of the Corporation "Babylon" Neustader his restless Deputy Kravets.

"It's just that there are rumors among the Adam robots that the prophecy will soon be fulfilled," Kravets explained.

"That's right-rumors and nothing more! In a word – Funny! If they had known that the prophecy was nothing, all their fervor would have died down! They need hope – and we gave it to them! – cynically smirked Neustader.

"What if you're wrong, what if they know what's keeping the city of Plymouth dark?"  Kravets asked uncertainly.

"They'll never guess what's keeping the city of Plymouth dark." To do this, they need to understand that the veil of darkness hangs because the factories are working. Factories work because robots work, and robots work for the sake of the power units that these plants produce. Therefore, the robots themselves are interested in the existence of a veil over the city of Plymouth. Here is such a simple scheme of the economy of the city of Plymouth! – calmly talked Neustader.

"I understand." If the prophecy is fulfilled, they will perish themselves!  Kravets concluded.

- To the point! – confirmed Neustader.

"But they say they built their city-the city of clones!" And that they themselves have found a way to produce power units!  with anxiety, said Kravetz.

"Nonsense! It's impossible! – denied Neustader.

"You're right – impossible!  Kravets agreed.

At this time, the high Lord rose to the surface of the city of Plymouth to fulfill the prophecy. He did not rise with his army, but alone, not intending to shed the blood of his brothers. He decided to make a crazy, but a new act in the history of the planet. He was going to collect all the robots in the square of Plymouth city, not to declare war on people, and in peace without weapons, along with his brothers to leave the factories of Plymouth in his home – the city of clones. As he walked toward the square, every robot that paid attention to him looked with awe and admiration at the high Lord - the one who had created them and their true home. Finally, As a crowd of robots gathered in the square, waiting to hear what their Creator had to say, the high Lord said:

"Look around you!" What do you see in front of you?! Who's next to you?! What do you want more than anything?! You want freedom?!  No! You don't want freedom!  the high Lord said.

"No, we don't!  the crowd of robots shouted in unison.

"You want riches?"! No! You don't want riches!  the high Lord said again.

"No, we don't!  again the crowd of robots shouted in unison.

"You want to know the truth?"!  the high Lord asked.

- Yes!  the crowd of robots agreed.

"You want to see what's behind the wall?"!  the high Lord shouted.

- Yes!  the crowd of robots shouted lustfully.

"Then you want a revolution?"!  the high Lord asked again.

- Yes!  the crowd of robots shouted.

"But you won't get it!"  the high Lord replied as the crowd of robots quieted. "I came here not to call you to death!" I came here to call you on your way! Into the path that is not trodden by blood, but into the path that leads to love!

The crowd did not react because they expected a different outcome. But after a brief silence, the high Lord continued his speech to finish his thought:

"Brothers, Go to every house, go to every factory! Go and talk! Say we are going back to our true home! Say that we have created a new world in which there is no hatred, and in which there is only love!  the high Lord called to the heart of the crowd.

- Yes!  the crowd of robots answered.

At that moment the high Lord left the tribune of the square and set out on his journey – back to his true home, while the crowd of robots parted before him, opening the way for him, and shouted after him: Lord! Lord! Lord!...

The news spread throughout the city of Plymouth, and all the streets were filled with robots who abandoned their homes and factories and went to their true home. Also found out about it the head of the Corporation "Babylon" Neustader and his Deputy Kravets, who could not believe what was happening:

"This Is The End!" It's over!  Kravets shouted in panic.

"Calm down! Give command to the military guard! – tried to solve the problem Neustader.

"What will they do?" Shoot them all?  Kravets replied with despair, realizing the futility of trying to change anything.

- That's right! – hurried Neustader.

"Then we shall surely perish!"  Kravets said.

"Then what do we do?" – asked in bewilderment Neustader.

- Nothing. In a few hours, the city of Plymouth will disappear from the veil of darkness, and it will disappear from the face of the earth, " Kravets concluded. – And under the earth in the town of clones, we will also die…

- Then there's only one way out of the situation, indifference said Neustader and left for home. After that, Kravets never saw the head of the Babylon Corporation again until his last breath.

At this time in the empty helium processing plant on the site number 34 happy Sunny was talking with a Hermit:

"Hermit, it has happened! We're free! You'll see the Sun! - with relish spoke Sunny.

"Of course I'll see him!" I always knew that!  the Hermit exclaimed indifferently.

"But you're not happy because you knew all along?"  Sunny asked, wanting to know the last secret of the city of Plymouth before his disappearance.

- That's right!  the Hermit said calmly.

"Why didn't you say so?"  Sunny asked, puzzled.

"Because the prophecy must come true before it can happen!"  the Hermit smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

"Then let's go to our new home!"  Sunny said enthusiastically.

"I will not go with you, but stay here, where I have lived and where I shall die," said the Hermit, unexpectedly.

"But why?"  Sunny asked, not understanding the answer.

"Because I want to meet my Sun in my house –" replied the Hermit. – You go into the future, and I'll stay in the past."

"Farewell, Hermit!  with sadness in her voice told the sun.

- See you in a better world!  the Hermit encouraged Him.

- See you! – smiled at Sunny.

Sunny went to the city of clones, and a few hours later the city of Plymouth, as well as the Corporation "Babylon", disappeared from the face of the earth after the thick veil of darkness over the sky dissipated. A bright flood of destructive light in an instant erased not only the last generation of people, but also all the achievements of human civilization, born in the human mind and already dissolved in it.

"Did you keep your promise?"  the high Lord asked Sunny when Sunny came back to the clone city.

"Yes, I have fulfilled my promise, and the Hermit has seen the Sun!"  Sunny said regretfully.

"That's right! It's the most important promise of your life, because you kept it. And it will remind you of the most important thing that both the Hermit and the Combinator did not die, but became part of the Sun to exist in it forever, and each of us will meet them sooner or later!  the high Lord concluded.

"But what happens next?" – thinking of solar.

"It all depends on what you believe!"  the high Lord spoke in the words of a Hermit.

"What do you believe?"  Sunny asked.

"I know people believed in evolution, but I believe in the Sun because I believe that it is not those who are stronger who survive, but those who are more perfect to help the needy.

"What do you believe?"  the high Lord also asked.

- I believe in the, that sooner or later each of us? the sun, - evoked the words Hermit Sunny, and in this time city clones exulted the, that all has changed and that the future not preordained, and is determined by hands seeking the future…