First publication anywhere.
Trooper Craig Mason was having a pretty good day. He had issued three speeding tickets in the last hour to drivers who really (in his mind) deserved them.
It was getting near lunch time, so Mason exited the freeway and selected Gordon Avenue to take him over by the mall with all the restaurants. As he continued towards the mall, he could see the brightest yellow truck he had ever seen in his life, about a 28-footer, coming at him. At first he thought it was a certain brand of rental truck he was familiar with, but as it came closer he determined two things. The logo said “AUTODRONE,” and it was travelling 45 mph in a 30 mph zone. The truck continued on past him without slowing, so Mason tried to get a look at the driver. He did not see one. Mason thought to himself: Hmm, pretty good driving to duck down, continue driving straight, and not vary your speed.
Mason turned around and caught up to the truck as it approached one of the mall entrances. He attempted to send the traffic-stop info in on his in car terminal (MDT). No beep of acknowledgement. Two more attempts. No beep. No response. Guess I’ll have to do this the old fashioned way, Mason thought. He picked up and then had to uncoil the slightly dusty microphone.
“712 to dispatch.”
There was a pause, then a female voice answered. “Jeeze Craig, you scared me half to death. What…you in a dead zone?”
“Appears so. Stopping a yellow standard cab truck with Texas plate Adam-David-Two-Six-Zero-Four…not the right sequence for Texas….must be a personal plate. They allow those on commercial vehicles in Texas?
“Must be... Location?”
“Gordon Avenue, south entrance to the Kent Mall.”
As Mason activated his overhead emergency lights, the truck quickly turned into the mall’s south entrance and stopped in the parking lot. When Mason stopped offset behind it, the entranceway was now completely blocked.
Mason exited the patrol car, motioning to several drivers to go to the next entrance. The drivers didn’t move. They appeared more interested in the bright yellow truck and what Mason was doing.
Mason approached the truck cab, still unable to see the driver in the side mirror.
“Driver, roll down your window!” he ordered.
No answer.
“Roll down your window or open your door.”
Still no answer.
Mason backed away and approached from the passenger side. Again no sign of a driver in the mirror. Mason tried handle. The door was locked. He stepped up and peeking inside. No one in the cab. The cab was separate from the box, so the driver would not have been able to hide in the cargo section.
Mason returned to the driver’s side door and tried to open it. Also locked.
He turned slowly, examing the empty pavement. How had the driver had managed to flee without him seeing it? The parking lot was empty, and his traffic-stop angle would have shown him anyone running away.
Where had he gone? Maybe he’d missed something. Could the driver be on the floor?
Annoyed, Mason pounded on the cab door with his open hand. It did not have the normal metalic sound, more of a dull thunk. Must be some new compound, Mason thought. It is a newer truck.
Feeling a little foolish, he yelled: “Driver, exit the cab NOW!”
* * * *
Josh Stills was bored. He did not understand why they didn’t send him home; he was only monitoring 17 AutoDrones. Those could be split among the other monitoring stations easily. Although he would have liked to leave, he needed the money, so he decided not to say anything.
A warning light on his panel brought him back to reality. AutoDrone #2604 had left its programmed travel route and was now stopped, an action not in the route programming.
Stills activated the camera array for #2604. The front view showed a parking lot, a few parked vehicles, and lots of stores. No one was near the vehicle to the front or the front passenger side. The back corner showed a police vehicle with its overhead lights on, stopped behind the AutoDrone truck. An officer was up by the cab and pounding on the door with his hand.
Stills activated the audio system. “Can I help you, sir?”
The police officer jumped back so rapidly he almost fell, but recovered quickly.
“This is Iowa Highway Patrol Trooper Mason. You need to exit the vehicle NOW!”
“I can’t do that sir.”
“And why not?”
“I’m not in the truck.”
“Well just where are you, smart ass? Under the truck? In the box?”
“No sir, I’m in Texas.”
“Sure you are. Either come out, or this window goes and I’ll drag you out.”
“Please don’t do that, sir.”
“Why not? I’m ordering you to come out!”
“The AutoDrone 2000 has anti-theft devices built into it. I’ve been told that nasty things will happen if you break into an AutoDrone 2000.”
“Nasty things are going to happen if you don’t come out.”
“Please, sir, don’t break the window, my supervisor will get pissed, and I don’t know what the AutoDrone 2000 will do to you. I’ve heard that things happen…”
Seeing a new line to pursue, Mason asked: “So let me talk to your supervisor. I supposed he is in Texas also?”
“Yes sir and it’s a she.”
“Well, get her!”
Stills let out a sigh. The thought of having to summon Mrs. Bates was not a good thought. He found Mrs. Bates to be downright scary. He sighed again, and pushed the supervisor summon button.
“What!” It was indeed Mrs. Bates. Her blunt response made him jump in his chair.
“Ma’am, AutoDrone #2604 has left its programmed route and is now stopped which it wasn’t supposed to do where it is and a police car is behind it and a Trooper in Iowa is going to break the window and I told him not to and…”
Mrs. Bates cut him off. “I’ll be right there.”
Stills winced again. Now she was personally coming into the monitor center.
Mrs. Bates entered the Monitor Center like she was on a mission, which Stills guessed that she probably was. He got out of his seat as she approached. She didn’t even acknowledge him further except to ask “Is the cop still there?”
“Yes, Ma’am, I think so” Stills responded.
“This is the AutoDrone control Center of Texas. Who are you, and why did you stop my truck?”
“This is Iowa State Trooper Mason, and I stopped your truck, if it is yours, because it was speeding” Mason responded. “Now I need to talk with the driver.”
“That’s impossible.” Bates argued. “The AutoDrone 2000 cannot speed. It is programmed to travel at or under any posted speed limit as conditions warrant, anywhere in the United States. And, you cannot talk to the driver, as there is none.”
Now it was Mason’s turn. “That’s impossible. Someone is accountable for this truck going 45 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone. If you cannot produce the driver, the truck will be towed.”
Mrs. Bates responded so quickly, she almost cut Trooper Mason off. “Do not tow that truck! It has anti-hijacking devices and things can happen.”
“I keep hearing about these ‘things’ that are going to happen. Are you threatening me?”
“No… No one is threatening you but I’ve been told that the trucks should never be towed unless the computer senses a breakdown and allows it. Otherwise things happen.”
“Well, tow it is.” Mason responded.
Stills could hear Mrs. Bates sigh. “I guess I need to talk to your supervisor.”
Stills thought he even heard the Trooper sigh. Mason decided that another officer might be a good idea so they could watch both sides of the truck for any fleeing driver. He was still not convinced that the driver was not in the truck. He also needed to call for a hook, and he needed to contact dispatch. His personal com also was not working. He returned to the patrol vehicle.
“712 to Dispatch.”
“It’s about time. Your personal com out also? I know—it must be the dead zone. Status OK?”
Mason advised that he was OK and asked for the supervisor. His talking to the truck had lead him nowhere. And he needed a tow hook dispatched.
“712, um, you mean you talked to the truck driver?”
Mason, shaking his head, admitted that he had only been able to talk to the truck, or someone in control of the truck, but not the driver. It was a long story and he would explain later.
“So, 712 how come their coms work and ours don’t.… Umm....never mind. I know the answer to that. S12 enroute. Also, I remember something about a new fleet of transport trucks that were all computer controlled….like….last year at the dispatch seminar. Don’t remember much of it as I was kinda hung over. You say it was going 45 by the Mall? That area used to be 45 before they put the mall in four years ago.” (Small laugh) “Must have forgotten to tell the truck.”
Sgt. Bill Anderson acknowledged the request for an assist, routine, on his MDT and made his way along Gordon Avenue to the mall entrance where he observed the bright yellow truck and the trooper’s car. Mildly annoyed that the stop was blocking the whole entrance, he decided not to say anything at present. Mason was a good trooper, so there must have been a reason.
“Whatcha got, Mason?” was all he said.
Mason took a deep breath and told the story, with emphasis on the not to break in or tow part. “She also wants to talk to my supervisor.”
“And just where do I go to talk to this person?” Anderson wanted to know.
“Just up by the cab. I can hear them just fine, and I guess they are hearing me OK.”
If it hadn’t been Trooper Mason, Anderson would have suspected some type of gag being pulled on him. He also didn’t think Mason could keep that straight a face if it was a gag. If it was, it was a good one.
He walked up to the cab area, and cleared his throat.
“This is Sgt. Anderson. To whom am I speaking, and where is the driver?”
“This is Jill Bates, Command Terminal Supervisor for AutoDrone of Houston, Texas. The truck is driven by a computer. Do you understand?”
“And where is this computer? In Texas also?”
Mrs. Bates activated the control info panel for AutoDrone #2604. “Actually, it’s in Missouri, near Columbia. We mostly utilize the interstates so keeping the centers close to them helps with continuous communication.”
“So your corporate headquarters is in Texas, and you are controlling this truck through a computer in Missouri? Is that the story you want to go with?” Even Anderson was becoming slightly annoyed.
“Well no, not exactly. Our headquarters is in Dubai.”
“Well, ma’am, how am I going to hold your company accountable for this speeding truck? Write the computer a ticket?”
“I guess that’s your problem. I do not get paid to know your job also.”
That statement along with the arrival of the wrecker ended the conversation.
Sgt. Anderson walked over to the wrecker and recognized the driver as a local named Edwards. Anderson and Edwards exchanged pleasantries. Anderson advised that the vehicle was locked and he wanted a look inside as the driver may or may not have fled. Jim Edwards went around the side of the wrecker, opened a panel, and after some banging noises, came up with his favorite door-opening tool. It was a funny looking, twisted piece of metal about two feet long. Anderson was happy it wasn’t a hammer.
“Once you unlock the door, just stand back so we can get inside.” Sgt. Anderson said.
As they approached the truck, the voice came on again startling Jim Edwards. Sgt. Anderson was now used to the talking truck.
“What are you planning on doing?” It was the voice of Mrs. Bates.
“We are going to open the truck, and then if no one wants to claim responsibility for its operation, I will tow it.”
“Please don’t do that. The truck has anti-theft and—”
“I know, also anti-hijacking devices on it.” Sgt. Anderson finished her sentence for her. “And I still need a driver.”
Mrs. Bates sighed and looked up at the clock. Turning back to Josh Stills, she said: “Your shift was over five minutes ago. We are not paying overtime, so I’ll take over from here.” Mrs. Bates then turned back to the console as an emphasis to his dismissal.
Josh Stills had been standing the whole time, as indeed Mrs. Bates had already “taken over” when she walked in. He acknowledged her request and headed for the break room to retrieve his lunch bag. As he entered the break room, he glanced up at the news video playing—and stopped in his tracks. It showed a bright yellow truck in a mall parking lot. Text was scrolling:
BREAKING NEWS: TWO IOWA HIGHWAY PATROL TROOPERS AND A CIVILIAN SUFFER ELECTRICAL SHOCKS DURING A TRAFFIC STOP ON GORDON AVENUE AT THE KENT MALL.
MORE INFORMATION AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE. PLEASE STAND BY…