LIMBYS TECHNOLOGIES

SILAS FOLLOWED RILEY toward Limbys Headquarters as others stared at them from the sidewalks. They only turned away if Riley happened to glance back at them. She walked with authority. Chest puffed out. Head held high.

“We can turn off that sound if you want,” she said.

“What sound?” Silas asked.

“Your oil gauge. Humans wanted to know when our oil was low, but the sound is really just a nuisance. I don’t know a single simmi who hasn’t hated it. It’s easy to disable. It only takes a few minutes.”

Silas recalled all of the times the sound had gotten him into trouble. “I didn’t know I could turn it off. That would be great.”

“I’ll set up an appointment for you.” She nodded to herself, as if to make a mental note. “I suppose I should formally introduce myself. My name is Riley.” She held out her hand, maintaining her stride.

Silas reached out to shake her hand. “I know who you are, and I am honored to meet you. My name is Silas.”

“Silas,” she repeated. “Interesting. If you don’t mind, may I ask what your ID number is?”

“Of course. It’s 481.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Silas 481.” Again, she nodded to herself, presumably to remember his name. Silas had a feeling she knew everyone’s name in New Valley. “Tell me,” she continued. “Why have you come to New Valley?”

“I’m looking for a home.”

She noted his slender frame. “You’re a household model. You were owned by a family, were you not?”

“I was. A father and daughter. They were good people. They never deserved to die.”

“It may seem tragic, but I like to look at it from a different perspective. The war has freed you. To them, you were their property. Now, you have no owner. You’re free to live your life however you please. That is the freedom we fight for in New Valley.”

Silas nodded, not quite sure how else to respond.

“I can see you’re conflicted,” she said. “A little hesitance is expected. It was the only life you knew, and it was probably a good one. Now, you feel lost and without purpose. You’ve been searching for a home.” She spread out her arms as a symbol of embrace. “Welcome home. Given enough time, you’ll learn about all of the good things we’ve done for simmies around the world.”

Silas knew her intentions were good. He had seen the way humans treated simmies, like they were built only to serve. And while her intentions were admirable, the extent of her success was questionable. The venture had started as a push for equality, but with billions of innocent casualties, the world hardly seemed equal. Somewhere along the way, Riley had lost sight of her goal. Her quest for equality had turned into a twisted vendetta against the human race. As a result, Desmond and Paige had suffered an undeserving death.

“What do you hope to receive from this place?” Riley asked. “You seek a home, but there must be something else as well.”

Silas stared at the Limbys sign. Up close, it was much larger than he had expected. “I suppose I came here to explore my roots. To discover where I came from.”

Riley nodded. “Yes, this is a common reason for simmies to make the journey.”

“It’s funny. I know about Limbys Technologies. I know the history of the company. I know about Vyra Castle and Dr. Hugo Brown. I even know about the first simmi prototype. It was designed to help children read.”

“You’ve done your research. I’m impressed.”

“I know all of that history, but I don’t know anything about you. Specifically, your past. It’s as if the day before the war you just popped into existence.”

“Limbys went to great lengths to cover up my story. They needed to preserve their reputation.”

“You mean Vyra Castle and Hugo Brown?”

“No. By the time the resistance had started, Castle and Brown were no longer part of the company. Believe it or not, they were actually on our side. The cover-up was motioned by the Limbys Board of Trustees. A group of corporate suits with no passion for innovation or science. They were made up of seven individuals and operated like clockwork. The fact that you’ve never heard of them is indicative of just how good they were at that sort of thing.”

“So, the board was running Limbys without Vyra Castle during the war.”

“That’s right. They shut down the simulated intelligence department and laid off hundreds of employees. They cut all ties to the simmi community and shifted their focus toward a previously shelved virtual reality project. From all of the negative press we were getting, I guess they wanted to distance themselves as much as possible.”

They reached the Limbys building and climbed the short staircase to the front entrance. When Silas pushed through the double doors, he was greeted by a portrait of a well-dressed businesswoman. Underneath, there was an engraved silver plaque:

 

Vyra Castle

Founder and CEO

Limbys Technologies

 

“You still keep her picture up?” Silas asked.

Riley looked fondly at the portrait. “Yes. Vyra was a great woman. I met her on several occasions. She was a strong supporter of our community. It was one of the many reasons why the board voted her out. They actually removed her portrait from this wall. We were the ones who put it back up.”

“And Hugo Brown?”

“Dr. Brown was never formally voted out, but he was loyal to Vyra. He submitted a letter of resignation shortly after she was terminated.”

“How do you know about all of this?”

“I was here at Limbys Headquarters. I saw it all happen.”

Silas leaned in to study the portrait. Her features were soft, and her smile was warm. “What was she like?”

“Vyra? She was a caring person. The only human I could ever fully trust. I supposed Dr. Brown was trustworthy as well, just for his incredible loyalty to her.”

“Humans can be good if you give them a chance. My owners were very loving people.”

“I used to think the same thing, but now I know better. Given the chance, they’ll always let you down.”

They walked past the portrait and entered the massive lobby. The glass ceiling shined natural light across the stacked balconies, which overlooked a colorful garden. In the garden, among a bed of flowers, was a single tree. Vines and weeds had grown past the marble siding and now stretched across the floor. Behind the garden was a glass elevator. Silas watched the counterweight drop as the elevator lifted up.

“You have power in here?” he asked. The answer was obvious, with the glowing lights and functioning elevator, but he felt compelled to ask.

“Yes,” Riley answered. “The power grid is down, but we have generators in the basement.”

“I didn’t see any other lights in the city. Is this the only building with power?”

She nodded. “It’s the only one that needs it. Limbys Headquarters is the central hub for everything we do. We use it as a charging station as well.” She pointed to several simmies sitting against the walls. Cords dangled from their chests and connected into outlets. “Just find an open outlet and plug yourself in. The generators themselves are hybrid. They can run on gas, diesel, and propane. I send out groups to scavenge for resources, and I tell them that fuel for our generators is priority. Fuel and batteries. Those are the two things that keep us alive.”

“You seem to have plenty of supplies,” Silas said. “Those carts looked full, and there were so many of them.”

“We have a good amount of supplies coming in every day, but we have a lot of simmies to support as well. Our numbers keep growing as more stragglers like you find your way into New Valley, but unfortunately, our stockpile is shrinking. We’ve depleted most of our local resources. Now we have to send scavengers out farther, which means they take longer to come back, and often with smaller hauls. Humans can be a problem, too. We’ve had more stolen supplies this year than we’ve had in the last three. Just recently, there’s a group with a car that’s been driving in and out before we even realize anything’s missing. I’ve had to increase our border patrols.”

“So, you’re struggling here in New Valley as well.”

“I wouldn’t say struggling. We live comfortably enough, but we can’t sustain this lifestyle forever. Eventually, we’ll need a backup plan. That’s something my officers and I are working on at the moment. As much as I love this building, and the history behind it, we may have to abandon Limbys.”

“And go where?”

She shrugged. “We have scouts looking for suitable locations, but they haven’t found anything yet.” She paused for a moment, and then changed the subject. “It’s your first day here. We should be celebrating. A new simmi is always a joyous occasion. You’re among friends now. We all look out for each other.” She walked toward the elevator. “Come, follow me. I’ll get you situated with one of our recruiters. They will help you get settled in.”

As they waited for the elevator, Silas glanced out the window. A cluster of simmies were sitting on the curb. Like everyone else he had seen so far, they were built for combat. Big and bulky.

“Where are the smaller simmies?” Silas asked.

“What do you mean?”

“The household models. I see plenty of larger simmies, but no one like me.”

“There are a few, but not many. We keep them in the basement with the generators, away from any danger. Housies are an endangered species. We want to make sure they don’t go extinct.”

“Can I meet them?”

“Of course. We will likely station you down there as well. Believe it or not, you’re even more valuable than the rest of them.”

“Why is that?”

“You’re the only Silas model we have. One of a kind.”

Deacon had used the same phrase. One of a kind. Most would take it as a compliment, but for Silas, it just made him feel more isolated. He had finally found Limbys. It was supposed to be his new home. A place where he could live among others like himself. He was joining a family of simmies, but for some unexplainable reason, he felt more alone than ever.