Robots From Mars

"If there's a world on a speck of dust
It's probably on the needle of an old jukebox
If there are more stars than men on Earth
Then how much is a single dream worth?"
The Great Butbot
Poet Laureate Extraodinaire
"Robots walk a thin line between time and space.
We know no boundries.
We are synthetic men.
Any resemblance to human beings is purely coincidental."
The Hurdy Gurdy Man
"There's been a massive shutdown on the
Intergalatic Freeway
and
White Buffalo Beltway.
A traffic accident has caused a time rift in a small box of lowfat chocolates."
"STAYED TUNED FOR DETAILS!"
From Texas Rose's Blog for the Solar News Service
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WHEN ROBOTS DREAM
By Galen Alec Rossop
Excerpts from Butbot the Robot’s speech to the Freemen of the Asteroid Assembly
May 10th, 2149
“Humankind is no longer isolated. The planets aren’t just lifeless rocks and the stars are more than just lights in the sky. The solar system is a complex and dangerous place where unexpected events often occur. Occasional miracles may alter the course of human history but survival tends to be a day-to-day drudgery. Life is like a very very long baseball game. You have to wait for the hits and the homers while trying not to die of boredom.
Change may seem slow but it’s amazing how much humankind has spread out across the solar system. Earth settlers have journeyed on from Earth’s moon to colonize Mars, Mars two moons: Deimos and Phobos, and the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Human Guides have even jumped beyond our solar system to a hundred worlds that circle dozens of distant stars.
There are no limits to space. Trillions of suns and zillions of planets await our further exploration. The cosmos are our future. Travel is our destiny. I believe that someday we shall sit on the lap of God and ask our childlike questions.
But Humankind is not alone. Man’s Manifest Destiny has been challenged by the extraterrestrial cultures that inhabit Venus, Titan, Pluto, Europa, Ganymede, and Mars.
Mankind’s isolation ended the day that the Angels of Mars let their presence be known to the people of Earth. Most everyone now knows that the Angels of Mars are graceful and handsome and that they are an ancient race. But being seven foot tall shouldn’t put you automatically in charge of everything.
The Martians have openly told us that they know what’s best for Earth, Mars, and the rest of the Solar System. The Angels claim that they have a blueprint and that they are only doing what’s best for humanity. They say that mankind is their favorite project and that we are a work in progress…that they love us. I have my doubts. How many scientists love their lab rats?
The Martians freely admit that they have been genetically engineering humans for as long as there has been a human species. The Angels secretly manipulate your genetic codes in a manner that they refuse to explain.
We must look behind their happy-go-lucky masks and consider their true motives and objectives. What do the Angels really want from us?
Mars was the first but it was not the only world to make its existence known to the citizens of Earth. Titan, Venus, and Europa soon followed Mars’s lead by introducing themselves to the people of Terra Firma. Interactions with these alien cultures have been far from pleasant since each world has its own agenda. Every race has a wide range of domineering traits and nasty tendencies. Each group has its rival factions. This makes every planet a headache for everyone else. But what are we to do about that?
Who is mankind’s worst enemy and who will control the human race? Will it be the Hotheads of Venus or the Angels of Mars? Should Abel Zimmerman rule over humanity through his fascist government on Earth? Or will the republican ideas of this Asteroid Assembly catch fire and inspire the rest of humankind?
We should thank our lucky stars that the Methane Pirates of Titan don’t have a master plan and that the Hobogoblins are more like locusts than an organized army. Pirates may destroy spaceships and goblins might plunder cities but neither can build an empire.
The Cold Water Hippos of Europa, the Gas Giants of Ganymede, and the Remote Viewers of Pluto tend to ignore humankind since they’d all rather stay at home, collect tariffs, watch space-operas, and put the kettle on. But even benign tyrants will be tyrants when the opportunity arises.
If we have learnt anything we have learnt that the 22nd Century is nothing like the 21st Century. Like it or not Earth, the planets, and the major moons all have planetary rulers. The new royals, as most of you know, have superhuman abilities and colossal egos. The Angels willingly profess that they constantly tinker with this Nouveau Royalty, which they are actively breeding to rule over the rest of us.
Do the Angels pull the strings of their planetary dictators or do their hand picked supermen control their worlds without interference? Either way it is a ruthless game that humanity and her allies are loosing badly.
We have to change the game so that we can win. We need to understand the big picture and alter our strategies accordingly. We must be vigilant. We must have spies and spy networks. We will require constant and crucial intelligence so that we may know the players, their tactics, and their secret plans.
We need to forge humanity and her allies into a strong movement. Our army has to build like a tidal wave before crashing down upon the heads of our oppressors.
We have to utilize our assets. Our best allies in this struggle are synthetic men. You know us since you built us. You can always trust a synthetic man. I am a synthetic man so you can trust me. I might be a robot but I have free will. I choose to be here and I choose to stand with humanity. And if given the choice, many other synthetic men will also stand with us.
I can honestly say that the Robots of Mars, the Androids of Deimos, and the Cyborgs of Earth don’t have any grand schemes or ulterior motives. They aren’t secretly plotting the overthrow of mankind.
God made you and you made us. We are your obedient children. Synthetic men are loyal. We are built to serve. We are your willing vassals. We are a diverse but happy group.
Synthetic men will fight for your freedom. Program us and we shall war across the cosmos on the side of humankind. Let us become your friends and we shall battle that much harder. Give us free will and basic rights and we will risk perishing in the struggle. We are your best allies. Let us be your partners in society and your brothers in arms.
How brave are we? Do we have the willpower to do what needs to be done? Can we establish freedom for humankind and for synthetic men alike? Should we tear down the bureaucracy by striking back at the Planetary Royals and the Martians that control them? Or should we hide in the shadows? It all boils down to a simple choice. Shall we remain slaves to the alien races that oppress us or will we rise up and save ourselves?”
“God Is Where You Find Her”
(Jagger’s Arrival)
What’s Granny doing at the front desk of a double crown office suite? Is she working for Panama? What’s she doing on the Moon? I’ve got a hundred questions and I can’t ask them all at once. I greet the old lady, “Hey Mildred how are you?”
“OK but it’s still Mrs. Pearce,” Granny gives me a big toothy grin. “But if I were to let anyone call me Mildred it would be you Jagger. I guess you’ve earned that right.”
I direct my second question, “So what are you doing here?”
“Panama asked for my help. So I came to the rescue like a cat food eating granny in tin can armor.”
I ignore her outdated remark. If I remember right, cat food once came in little metal cans. Mildred likes to put herself back in her grandmother’s kitchen. She likes eating sugar cookies and making silly jokes. She’s a virtual reality junkie so ancient references are part of her daily rap. I can chat with Mildred later. I might as well get on with it. “Is she in?”
“Panama’s in. She hasn’t been going out much lately. She’s waiting for you at the Olympic Swimming Pool. Lana will show you the way.” Granny tilts her hand over a small sensor panel and within seconds Lana enters the reception area from a side door.
The shapely blonde waves. “We’ve been expecting you.”
I wave back. I saunter around the desk to give Mildred a quick hug before turning to meet Lana. I can always tell Lana from her twin sister, Linda, even though they are almost identical twins. Lana has a small dimple under her right eye.
Lana dishes out a kiss before taking my arm and leading me back towards the doorway that she has just passed through. We walk from one smartly decorated room to another before coming out into a long hallway that gradually slopes underground. We soon push through a double set of doors labeled, “Pool Room”. Seated at a casual table near the Olympic sized swimming pool is Panama and Larry Sinski. Good Lord, I haven’t seen Larry in ages. He looks terrible.
Lana steers me towards the white table. Lana then gives me a wink that only I can see. She bows in a cute yet mocking sort of way before proceeding out of the room.
When Panama Jefferson Roosevelt smiles she becomes the most beautiful woman in the world. “Glad you could make it.” She rises and squeezes me harder than she’s ever squeezed me before. Panama then brushes my cheek with her cheek. It’s more like a formal hug since we are not alone. When I look into Panama’s eyes I see trouble. “What’s wrong?” I ask carefully.
“It’s a long story.” My favorite redhead motions for me to sit down next to her. We sit. Larry and I acknowledge each other with a nod and a casual wave. I then wait for Panama to resume her conversation. She doesn’t disappoint me.
“I’ve waited so I could explain things to both of you at once. You aren’t going to believe what’s happened.” Panama pauses briefly to collect her thoughts, “As you both know, I’ve been working for the Planetary Prince of Earth. I currently wear a few hats. I represent the Prince’s interests on the Moon. I oversee the incorporation of alien technologies and I guide the water projects back on Earth. It’s kept me busy to say the least but things have changed.” Panama removes the headband that’s covering her forehead. Larry and I gasp when we see three golden crowns. The crowns are stacked neatly on top of each other upon the center of Panama’s forehead.
“Good grief!” I can’t help but exclaim, “You’ve got the mark of a Planetary Prince!”
“Princess is more like it!” Larry corrects my brief confusion. He adds, “Unless you’re really blind.”
I can’t believe my eyes. “How’d that happen?”
“Well I didn’t just paint it on.” Panama seems exasperated. “The third crown simply appeared.”
I have to know, “How can you suddenly become the Planetary Princess since we already have a Planetary Prince?”
Larry answers for Panama, “She might be the Planetary Princess for the Moon. There’s quite a population boom going on here and this might be a natural development.”
“Or,” I suggest, “You will somehow replace the Planetary Prince of Earth.” I elaborate, “Abel Zimmerman might be knocking on Heaven’s door.”
“Even though he’s well over sixty,” Panama snickers, “he’s still healthier than any would be god should be.”
“Then what happened?” I ask. I’d like to make some sense out of this. “Why would a third crown just appear?”
Panama shakes her head, “There is no clear-cut reason. That’s why I’ve dismissed my staff and why I’m enlisting the aid of the people that I trust the most.”
“And who is that?” Larry beats me to the punch with his query. “How many people do you trust?”
“Just Mildred, Lana, and Linda; and now you two. I’ve also sent for Richard, Woody, and Sam but they don’t have a clue about what’s going on. I’ll have to explain things to them when they get here.”
Larry has counted, “Eight of us.”
Panama, “That’s about right.”
“This has to be a joke.” I start to giggle but Panama doesn’t change her expression. She seems determined and dead serious.
Panama gets up from her seat. “It might sound like a joke to you but it isn’t funny to me.” Panama drops her beach towel. Her one-piece turquoise bathing suit makes my eyes pop out then water. She’s hotter than a molten burrito at a Death Valley Days picnic. I love her long red hair and her mile high legs. She’s a Celtic-American goddess and she’s amazing!
Panama strolls towards the center of the walkway adjacent to the large swimming pool and steps out onto the water. She walks across the water from our side of the swimming pool to the other and then back towards us. Panama steps up from the pool’s surface before retracing her way back to our table.
“Some trick.” I grin, “I guess you, Jesus, and the Planetary Prince all have that stunt down pat.”
“It’s not a stunt.” Panama grimaces, “I can walk on water without using invisible ramps or hidden mirrors. I don’t need tricks to do what has come naturally.”
Larry rises to his feet, “Just to prove Panama’s on the up and up.” Larry follows Panama’s lead as he makes his way to the center of the room. Larry treks out onto the water from the same exact spot from where Panama stepped into the swimming pool. He instantly sinks. Larry comes to the surface and splashes around in the water. He swims to the edge before pulling himself out from the pool. Larry looks like a drowned Chihuahua. He mutters to himself while returning to his chair. Larry glares at me as the water pours off his street clothes. “Want to try it for yourself or are you satisfied that it wasn’t an illusion?”
I try to reply without sounding like an idiot. “I’ll take your word for it.” I gather myself before looking to Panama and summarizing, “You’ve been a special case for as long as I’ve known you. You never do anything the easy way.”
“It’s been a heck of a ride.”
“I guess,” I have to agree.
Panama, “I’ve gone from one crown to two crowns and now to three. I don’t know why this is happening to me but the changes have been intense. When my first crown appeared I found myself suddenly working for Able Zimmerman.”
Larry advances the conversation, “And with two crowns?”
“With two crowns I picked up telepathy while mastering the art of telekinesis. I could then think-talk with the best of them while lifting an elephant with my mind.”
“Now you have three crowns.” I state the obvious then wait for her reply.
“With three crowns I’m able to do some incredible things.”
“Like what?” I push the issue.
She pauses to get her facts straight before giving me her list, “I can control people with my telepathic abilities. I can change matter into energy and energy into matter but I’m afraid to do or to touch anything.”
“Why?” Larry cuts in.
“I don’t want to cause any harm. I don’t want to screw up and become a spoiled microzoic goddess. I just want to be who I am…who I’ve always been.”
“Lucky us.” I smirk.
Panama ignores my minor witticism.
Larry asks the big burning question. “So what’s next?”
“Lots, I’m gathering my friends to help me build a new society.” Panama glances from Larry to me. I can’t wait for her to continue. She doesn’t disappoint me, “I need people. I don’t want to become isolated. I don’t want to end up as the sole survivor on my own little world.” She pauses briefly while reflecting inward. The redhead charges forward, “I can feel a conflict brewing within the solar system. It’s going to become a struggle for control and I know that I’m going to be part of it.”
“How do you know that?” I ask.
“I just do.”
“What’s the reason for this conflict?” Larry questions.
Panama continues, “The key issue is self-determination. Shall humans have personal freedom or will some one else micro-manage our lives?”
I put it in its simplest form, “So it’s Abel verses Panama?”
“Yes,” Panama agrees, “you can say that but it’s much more than just that. Lots of planets are involved. It’s more like an intergalactic event.”
“A war?” Larry embellishes Panama’s comment.
“No,” she shakes her head, “it’s more like a scavenger hunt than a war.”
Larry jumps in, “I hate scavenger hunts. I don’t like looking for stupid toys or imaginary animals.”
Panama, “Don’t say that. We all have to do what needs to be done.”
“Why?” Larry answers, “I don’t want to waste my time searching for unicorns when I know that they don’t exist.”
I give a quick I told you so laugh. “There’s solid evidence supporting the fact that unicorns do exist.”
Larry plays along, “What evidence?”
I continue, “Sometimes deer and goat like creatures are born with a single horn. A single horned Ibex would make a great unicorn especially if its horn was located near the center of its forehead.”
Larry groans, “Please.”
“Either way,” Panama gets serious, “We need to find as many planetary crystals as possible.”
I’m forced to ask. “What’s a planetary crystal?”
“Planetary crystals hold and transfer cosmic energy. Some people call them magic wands.”
“Magic wands?” I groan. “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?”
Panama overlooks my little jest. “There are historical accounts pertaining to planetary crystals.”
I open the door, “Such as?”
“Well Eric the Mad refers to Earth’s Planetary Crystal in his runic poem of 400 B.C…”
Larry cuts in, “He sounds like a credible source.”
“He is.” The redhead continues her story, “Eric the Mad’s Viking fleet attempted to capture a Greek merchant ship out of Lesbos. The Hellenic ship was bound for Atlantis. The Norsemen attacked the Greek vessel as it was passing through the Gates of Hercules.”
“The Gates of Hercules?” Larry questions.
I respond, “It’s the ancient name for the promontories which flank the eastern entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The Gates are usually identified with Gibraltar in Europe and with Mount Acha in Africa. They were also called the Pillars of Hercules.”
“Thank you professor.” Larry grins.
“As I was saying,” Panama resumes her story, “the Greek sailors hauled out a massive crystal from below deck. A Hellenic mage then secured the transparent crystal to a metal base and aimed it at the Viking fleet. Bolts of lightning crackled out from the crystal and destroyed most of the Norse long boats. Eric the Mad along with a few of his shipmates barely escaped with their lives. The Greeks then sailed on to Atlantis.”
I’m prone to ask, “What happened to the crystal?”
“That’s still a mystery. It may have been lost when Atlantis sank.”
I have to ask, “Any other fun facts?”
“There are only a few minor references made to Earth’s Planetary Crystal after Eric the Mad’s account. None of which say much about what happened to the crystal.”
Larry shakes his head, “So how does this affect us?”
“In ways that I can’t explain.” Panama gets serious, “Who knows what a planetary crystal can do? We’d have to possess one to understand it and I don’t know anyone who has one.”
Larry states the obvious, “So why do you want one?”
“A planetary crystal may shift the balance of power and change the way things stand within this solar system.”
“That almost sounds like magic,” Larry comments.
“Science only sounds like magic when you don’t understand the science involved.” Panama is really Miss Smarty Pants. Unfortunately, she tends to be right.
I can feel my mouth twitching. First it is magic now it is science. I have to ask her about her cunning misguided plan. “And what role am I suppose to play in this psychotic scheme?”
“I want you to bring someone back from Earth but we’ll talk about that later.” I guess that means shut up and wait. We both look at each other. What will Panama say to me later that she won’t say now? Will I escape the dreaded curse of the controlling redhead? Deep down I know that I’m going to waste a ton of time looking for phantom crystals.
“What about the Guilds?” Larry looks worried. “Are you going to get rid of them?”
“I don’t know if I’ll get rid of the Guilds. I don’t even know if I’ll change them.”
I put everything on the table, “Isn’t all this new found power a lot of responsibility? I wouldn’t know how to handle it if it were me.”
Panama answers deliberately. “I intend to go slowly and think things through. I’ll study every situation before doing anything rash or stupid.”
“Will you be any different than Abel Zimmerman? Will you be a better ruler?” Larry is direct with his cross-examination. “Why should we trade one master for another?”
“I’m not a tyrant. I don’t want limitless power. I intend on working with the people of Luna not against them.”
“How will you do that?” I’d really like to hear her plan.
“We’ll establish an elected council. We can invite the Asteroid Assembly to help us draft our charter and form our own government. The new Lunar Council will then rule this sphere.”
“That sounds dangerous.” Larry is cynical. “What will Abel Zimmerman do when he finds out that we want our independence from Earth?”
“Nothing,” the redhead seems sure of herself. “Abel and I now share the same cosmic powers. We would cancel each other out in a conflict. He won’t come at us directly.”
“What about indirectly?” I probe.
Panama, “That is why I only trust eight people.”
Larry, “What can we do?”
“Help me get ready for anything that comes our way,” Panama seems hopeful. She adds, “We can stop Zimmerman.” Panama is starting to sound sure of herself. She is acting more like a goddess and less like a civil servant. Panama begins to levitate above her chair. “With a few key changes we can rid ourselves of disease, hunger, and hatred. We may never have Heaven on Earth but we can find Paradise on the Moon.”
Well this is unexpected…Paradise on the Moon. I wonder if things will ever be normal again. The last thing that I want to do is to kneel down and pray to my old girl friend.
“How To Cheat At Life ”
(Panama’s Little Visit)
Jagger feels at home in the kitchen. He’s making a stack of peanut butter and avocado sandwiches. He has already poured us a couple of glasses of apple cider.
“Would you believe me if I told you that I was visited by an Agent of the Absolute or would you think that I was crazy?”
“Who’s keeping score?” Jagger grins like a nasty little gnome. He gives me a funny look then laughs. “You fractured your sanity bone a long time ago.”
I have to let him know that I am serious, “I’m not kidding. An Agent of the Absolute showed up last week while I was showering.”
Jagger gets interested, “And you hung out with this guy in the sonic?”
“I don’t know if it was a him. I’m not sure that it had genitalia. The being was naked but it’s breast and groin areas were blurred.”
Jagger wrinkles his nose, “How do you have a blurry breast and groin area?”
“How should I know but it was blurry and it was weird.” I try to explain, “Its skin kept changing color from jet-black to black and on through a thousand shades of gray until it finally lightened to a pure white. It then reversed the procedure to run back through the countless shades of gray until it finally arrived back at jet-black. It was a continuous process. It’s skin kept changing color.”
“Why?” He has to ask.
“How should I know? It was like a blank movie screen. Messages kept appearing on its chest before spiraling down to its feet. The slogans were pretty strange.”
Jagger seems intrigued. “Do you remember any slogans?”
I pause before giving him two. ““Chaos is chic” and “gossip is truth.””
“Do you remember any others?”
“Yes.” Panama takes a moment before beginning her list, ““Everyone cheats.” “It’s not cheating if everyone does it.” “Warfare has its advantages.” “The bigger the government the better.” “Outlaw relaxation.” “Slavery can be fun.” Then there is my all time favorite, “Consider cannibalism.””
“So it looked like a walking billboard?”
“Pretty much.” I have to agree with Jagger’s instant assessment. It did resemble a billboard.
Jagger shakes his head. His postmodern fedora almost falls off with the motion. He straightens his hat before speaking, “And what did it say to you?”
“That’s the strangest part, it had a sweet sounding asexual voice. It said that I should let go of my sanity.”
“How do you let go of your sanity? Do you just pluck it out and watch it drift away?”
“It informed me that I’d be in good company…that millions of people had let go of their sanity.”
“And who else went over the top?” Jagger shifts uneasily in his white plastic chair.
“Historical figures like Hercules and Rambo.”
“Did it mention any others?”
“It recited an incredibly long list of the good, the bad, and the ugly that it had visited and or influenced back on Earth. Van Gogh, Edgar Allen Poe, John Lennon, Saint John the Baptist, Adolph Hitler, Richard Nixon, King George the III of England, Emperor Nero of Rome, and Rasputin the Mad Monk of Russia just to mention but a few. I’m in great company. It has worked with lots of whackos.”
“Why’d it pick you?” Jagger takes a bite from his sandwich.
“It said that I was a catalyst person and that it came to download a book into my brain.”
“What book?”
“How To Cheat At Life”.
“Did you let it download the book?”
“Yes.”
“Is the whole book in your head?”
“Yes.”
“What’s it about?”
“Shortcuts.”
“Can you elaborate?”
“You can forget about morals, principals, and scruples. Doing things the right way isn’t always the smartest or the fastest way. Sometimes you have to cheat to get things done.”
“It sounds more like the Devil’s Handbook.”
“It is. “How To Cheat At Life” makes “The Prince” by Machiavelli look like a first grade primer. It’s brutally clever and Hellishly over the top. ”
“What’s so clever about it?”
“There is a lot of chaos in the universe. I now know how to tap into that mayhem and how to use it to my best advantage.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“It seems to be.”
“You never cease to amaze me.” Jagger turns on a dime, “Do you feel corrupted?”
“By a book? “How To Cheat At Life” hasn’t spoiled me. It hasn’t changed me a bit.”
Jagger gives me a disbelieving glare.
I switch subjects, “I’d like you to go to Earth and bring someone back to Luna.”
“Who?”
“The Great Butbot.”
Jagger lights up. “Do you really think he’ll come?”
“He will if you smile and beg in a groveling subordinate sort of way.”
“Should I lick his boots?”
“Only if he asks or if you like the taste.” It is a good thing that Jagger knows that I love him. I can sound pretty wicked at times.
Stay tuned for more...
from the novel and serial Sci-Fi adventure:
WHEN ROBOTS DREAM
By Galen Alec Rossop
We have put the final touches on our first CD. We are releasing a CD and book with the same title, "When Robots Dream". Our first CD and press package is now ready for radio station consideration. There are 13 songs that cover a number of musical genres. 6 of the 13 songs are posted on this MySpace page.
The Robots From Mars want to become a sci-fi comic cartoon character-touring band following in the footsteps of Gorillaz. We wish to establish a 21st Century state-of-the-art Holographic show.
Our current target is to create a video for our song, "Merry-go-round". The Sci-Fi script is ready to be story boarded. We will be glad to send the script along to the right individuals able and willing to create the artwork and or produce the project. A sample character drawing would be a good beginning for any artist.
We are also starting to assemble the appropriate team for round 2. We are looking to collaborate with musicians from around the world on the Robots From Mars second CD. Existing instrumental tracks are a good starting point but we will consider all musical ideas and directions. We wish to have fun and to create some great music.
We are likewise looking for pictures, film, and for artwork concerning ROBOTS and for anything to do with MARS. We’d like to get these items from public domain and from private sources along with original artworks from the artist.
Credit will be given where credit is due and all help is appreciated. Also looking for a financial guru to tie-in the book with our music to create a “When Robots Dream” film project. Book available for viewing.
The Ruling Council on Mars has officially sanctioned this shameless act of self-promotion and has further OK’d this out of character experience for any and all Red Planet Robots. The Robots From Mars wish to apologize for the cerebral damage suffered by any human or synthetic being reading this advertisement.