What!

I have always questioned life;

what it stood for;

where we were going,

what we were here for,

why some lived while others died,

and to this day -

I still don't know why...

Copyright 2002 by K.J.Jekyll. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles, or reviews.

This book is distributed subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be sold, lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publishing agent, in this case being specified as K.J.Jekyll, in any other form of binding other than that in which it is bound.

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

This book contains the complete text of other versions and is marked this year of our Lord 2002 as "The Original". This copy supersedes any others as the original, but all other copies remain the sole property of the author.

This edition is web version 2 of What!

This is Produced Proudly in Christchurch, New Zealand, by K.J.Jekyll

It's time to wake up!

Prologue

I have always questioned life;
what it stood for;
where we were going,
what we were here for,
why some lived while others died,
and to this day -
I still don't know why...

In the year 2710, the referenda was passed, that Animation Travellers could only remain in suspended animation, for a maximum of fifty years at a time. A subsequent law was passed later, that a traveller could return to their virtual journeys - after five years hard reality. This privilege would only be allowed once they had paid their social dues, if they could...
    There was a hue and cry from "no one", most of the Animation Travellers were sleep walking, how could they protest, but they were in for a rude awakening - literally. As far as the records were concerned, there were several hundred million citizens of the world "Sleep Travelling", in reality, the numbers were well above this. There were so many Animation Travellers, their numbers were likened to that of grains of sand - or amusingly a swarm of "Ants" which fitted nicely to the term Animation Travellers - so the name stuck.
    In the years following 2300, just two hundred after the successful implementation of suspended animation, AT became a big hit. The idea of living forever in a wish world, using all the tricks of virtual reality and suspended animation, took the world virtually by storm. Sony, Philips, Mitsubishi, Daewoo, Microsoft, and a large number of financial big boys, launched the concept of AT, and sold it hard. Facilitates sprung up everywhere, and as they did, the streets emptied. Because this was initially a sport of the rich, those that Animation Travelled were generally despised, more out of principle than anything real reason. They were the new breed, like those with the first; digital watches, cellular and computer phones, androids, automated houses. Yes, technology could be a frightening thing...
    As the mainly educated population of the world went into hibernation, so did progress and evolution slow. The sad fact was, who wanted to labour for wages that would be over taxed, when there was the promise of whatever you might dream of, just an AT sleep away. To pay for this "wish" many sold their possessions, depositing the money into high risk accounts, praying the sum and accruing interest would be enough. Others who didn't have the required money, sold whatever they could; their possessions, other peoples, their bodies - others, their very souls...
    So life continued, yet the world was a changed place, and the big companies made more money than they knew how to spend. The reality of their actions though, were more than questionable. Some opponents accused them of genocide, genocide of the human race, as the future of man was put into doubt. There were tantamount to wars fought on the question, thankfully these wars were fought in the court rooms, the only victims being the big companies, and the odd lawyer's wallet.
    And time pressed on, mankind crawling his way from achievement to achievement. Thankfully there were still enough intelligent and motivated people awake to mind the world, but only God knew how much further mankind would have gone, if AT hadn't become a reality. Space travel and the colonization of the planets, these projects were pursued and attained, still finding the right skilled personal was difficult. Countless pioneers risked and lost their lives, many of them might have been saved - if there had been adequate resources, put into executing these projects.
    The gap between the rich and undeveloped countries increased exponentially. Over indulgence and pestilence ravaged the world, as if the seven seals themselves were being opened. So the world resources were stretched to the limit, and beyond. A mutated version of the Embola virus swept; Africa, China, the poor countries, and threatened to march its way across the face of the Earth, if nothing was done. In a blind panic the governments of the world banded together, and began making and breaking laws. One of their first, was the law concerning Ants, the world needed access to the great resources peacefully slumbering therein, while the world was in the midst of its death throws.
    There was a great need for research in so many areas, trained technicians to work on the Alpha Two space station, in the cities of the moon, Mars, Venus, Uranus and beyond. Really it was the old war started all over again, the governments were sick of being manipulated by the big companies, the companies tired of being regulated by bureaucracy. The AT supply companies had called the tune for too long, made their mountains of credits - and the cost, it had been too high. Unrest, hidden agendas, and espionage waged ceaselessly, a war that knew no quarter. Then there was the real war, not even a twinkle in Death's eye when Animation Travelling had taken hold, but this did not stop it from becoming one of the major causes of death, in the years that followed. This war had sprung up from an unfortunate encounter in space, the exact details were obscure due to the lack of living witnesses, but the criminals involved and the nature of the enemy was clear enough. With martial law announced over the globe, man's precarious existence came to be highlighted, he could not continue as he had been - a change had to be made, and made now!

Chapter 1
When do we start living
and sadly - when does it end?

2837, March the fifth, nine thirty in the morning, his world fell apart. He had just been for a long run, partaken of his usual massage, and been pleasured by his hand maidens - the lights went out. Then it was cold, so damned cold, every nerve in his body screamed, as he actually did verbally. He had no idea how long this went on, to his mind it could have been forever, still that was improbable.
    "Mr Benson." a voice spoke around him.
    "God?" had he died and gone to heaven, or was this hell?
    "No," someone chuckled at the thought, "I am doctor Strauss, you have just come out of suspended animation, there will be some side effects for a time, but you will be fine." the voice reassured.
    "Animation Travel," he recalled belatedly, "why have I been animated, has the money run out?" how long had he been out, five, ten, fifteen years...
    "No, your money did not run out. It's the law, Ants can only travel for fifty years at a time."
    "Fifty years," he breathed as his body warmed, "have I been gone as long as that?"
    "I'm afraid it was a little more than that. Unfortunately you were in a section that was overlooked. You have been sleeping, I mean travelling, for approximately three hundred years."
    "Three hundred years!" the number bringing the Traveller's mind fully awake, snapping his eyes open, and him into a sitting position.
    "Easy, you'll shock your system into a coronary." the doctor warned, while offering physical support.
    "But three hundred years! I asked for five, ten, fifteen, what use will I be in this world, my friends, family - they will be dead..." happy birthday to him, he was now three hundred and thirty three years old.
    "I think some one screwed up, but some how I don't think you're going to get an apology out of them. They'll have been dead for about two hundred odd years by now - unless they decided to AT too."
    "So what do I do?" needing direction, any direction would do - even a name, his...
    "I see from your file, that you were with the military, you were a qualified and respected pilot."
    "My memory is a little hazy, I think I was, but as you know, that was a few years ago."
    "Only as far as some of those here are concerned. To you it will be as if it were yesterday - and talent doesn't fade so easily, yes?"
    "I suppose." he reluctantly agreed, yet his life of; relaxation, hand maidens, nubile girls, pure out and out pleasure, had blurred it a bit.
    "There is a need for people with skills as yours. The Automations do a passable job, but there is no substitute for a competent human operator, sadly they are lacking now days."
    "Automations, what are they?"
    "An artificial intelligence used to control larger items; apartments, factories, vehicles, whether it be by land, sea or air."
    "So what's wrong with these automations?"
    "There have been a few problems lately. Production runs have suddenly halted for no reason, people killed in their homes - by their homes, and at least six transports have crashed so far this month. We've had the best minds working on it, but the prognosis doesn't look good. In a perfect world we should just do without them, till the problem is rectified - if it can be, but we can't..."
    "So what's the theory, sabotage?"
    "It could be, even the leading minds just don't know, as usual, but they do know we're in trouble."
    "So they're animating anyone with pilot experience." but it didn't make sense.
    "No, we're animating every one, the war is worsening, the world is falling apart... if we don't sort out the mess soon, well Animation Travelling will be all that is left."
    "That bad?" the Traveller didn't like the sound of how things had progressed, as for a war - he wasn't up to hearing about that right now.
    "Probably worse than you can imagine. Look, you'll need to be put on the rehabilitator for a week or so, then physically and mentally you'll be in a better position to judge what's required of you."
    "Rehabilitator?"
    "It's the machine used to re-acclimatize Animation Travellers. We use muscle stimulating drugs and the machine to assist physical recovery, electrohypno therapy to assist in accelerated education - and the best thing is that you won't feel a thing."
    "Sort of like Animation Travelling."
    "I guess, never tried it myself."
    "No, why's that?"
    "Because I've seen the results of too many failed awakenings..." the doctor frowned.
    "Failures?" a shiver ran over him, at the word.
    "The chance of coming out of AT, without any damage is low, most people tend to acquire some sort of problem, whether it be mental or physical."
    "It couldn't be due to the rehabilitation process itself, could it?" the Traveller played doctor, three hundred years out of his time.
    "No, we thought of that years ago. Without rehabilitation the failure rate is much higher. Any way you seem to be handling it well, I have another awakening to attend, I'll get a nurse to take you to the rehab' unit. I'll see you in a week, okay?"
    "You couldn't tell me my name could you?" embarrassed by such a request, still he just had to know.
    "Name," the doctor looked surprised and concerned, "some travellers do forget their name, generally it suggests trauma..."
    "Please..." hoping he wasn't going to have to beg.
    "William Benson. Though that might not be correct, the records we have, ah, are pretty mixed up..." the doctor then went on to draw a sketch of how William had been found.
    "Sure, and thanks for the friendly ear." William's opinion of the gangly young doctor, had undergone a dramatic change, reinforcing the idea, that it was dangerous to judge people by first impressions. Following this, he was left alone, seated in a heated chair to assist the loosening of his body's muscles and joints. Coming out of AT, he thought with some irony, was like being born, and he was feeling as weak as a child...
    "Mr Benson!" a voice came from nowhere.
    "Sorry, I must have dozed off." William apologised.
    "Ants have a bad habit of doing that," a rather striking woman came into view, "you people really don't know how much easier my job would be, if I didn't have to deal with the likes of you." showing her dislike for what William represented.
    Yes, he had been warned of that when he had first inquired about AT. "I thought a short escape might be - fun." William tried to defend his situation - three hundred years after the fact.
    "I think you escaped for a bit longer than you anticipated," she smiled at the information in his file, "you're going to have quite a hard time of it, things have changed over the last couple of hundred years."
    "I'm prepared for that." he hoped in vain.
    "One of the first, probably the most obvious will be the way we dress, social customs..." she smiled as if he were in for a surprise, but didn't elaborate.
    William was assisted into a thing that could have been a wheelchair, then again it could have been a space shuttle by the looks of it. The uniform that the nurse wore was strange, it was almost as if he could see right through it, but no, that had to be his sight playing tricks on him. Out in the corridor the change in the world was immediately obvious. The articles of life, the people, they were the same but clearly different, William had to look twice to ensure that he was really in the land of the living, and still not Animation Travelling. Clothes, hair styles, body jewellery, they were the same, but evolved years beyond his understanding - this was the paradox of the situation, because he knew it was going to take some time to get used to it.
    There were other patents in vehicles like his, while the staff wore the intriguing uniform that seemed transparent and yet not. Indeed there were a few people, whom William could not identify as either patient, staff or visitor. The people may as well have not been wearing anything at all, such was the transparency or brevity of their clothing. In most instances the people here wore a headset like device, that appeared to be a cross between sun filters and an audio interface.
    The journey from the room of his awakening, to where he was to be rehabilitated, was not long. He was thankful for this, since the strangeness of the experience actually disoriented him. In this new room were a number of machines, some of which were already occupied, others were being prepared for use. He was parked beside one of these, and another rudely awoken Ant.
    "How long you been back?" an overweight, middle aged man asked.
    "Just come out..." William tried to put a time scale on his awakening.
    "Quick," he chuckled, "I heard there was a push on. The lawyers must be about to do battle again, they must be trying to get out as many as they can, before the courts rule. I guess I was lucky, I've been out of AT for a week, had a chance to get a little used to this time first..."
    "And?" William was interested in an objective opinion.
    "Ah, about the same as any other I guess. They have some strange customs, especially this clothing, greeting, ring finger thing. Still the last definite time segment I was in, 2788, they had this custom about no skin showing at all, very dull..."
    "When do you originate from?"
    "2700 was when I started doing AT."
    "So you're just a youngster." William smiled.
    "I'm still over two hundred years old young man." the man was indignant.
    "Sorry." William wasn't about to reveal his supposed age, least he be thought of as a senile old fool, just waiting to be taken advantage of.
    "You're unit is ready Mr. Wit." a person who could have been; a technician, doctor, nurse, or janitor, introduced themselves.
    "I hope to see you again, you probably won't recognise me though." the middle aged man laughed in such a manner, to suggest, that something evil or miraculous was about to happen.
    William was at a loss as why he wouldn't recognise this man, or did this rejuvenation have side effects? Before he could come to grips with this, there was another patient beside him, this time one who had just been released.
    "You look a bit out of it," she sat beside him, waiting for a nurse, "once you are re-educated things will make a lot more sense, I know they do to me."
    "What was it like?" he asked, noting that the striking creature beside him, didn't look any the worse for the experience.
    "Very much like AT, but the end result," she ran a hand over her obviously firm body, "I didn't expect this, it's great."
    "How's that?" he couldn't help but stare at her body.
    "Feel this," she took his hand and placed it on a breast, "no support, as pert as I ever was, like I was a teenager again."
    "Yes, I see." William had to admit she did feel good.
    "Come on Grace," they were interrupted, "Mr Benson has only been out of AT for a couple of hours, we don't want to get him too excited."
    "Oh sorry." letting his hand drop back into his lap, but it was he who was sorry. Then as if to make up for her behaviour she slipped him a card, "This is going to be my address so I've been told, come round if you like, we won't know anyone, maybe we can hang out together?"
    "Sure." but William didn't think it would be possible for any part of her to hang out, more likely she would poke out...

~ It was; dark, cold, lonely, and yet it was. This time William knew what was happening, why, and when he was awakening, after all he had just been educated about it. As he knew he must, he waited to be attended, and as he did a flood of warmth crossed his body, it was time to get up.
    "Mr. Benson." a hand shook him lightly, trying to get his attention.
    "Yes?" it was exactly like waking from a long invigorating sleep.
    "The treatment is complete, you can try and get up if you like."
    "Get up, yes, time to get up and go to work..." he levered himself from the rehab' unit without too much difficulty, only to be greeted by a wave of spinning nausea.
    "He's not responded very well to the treatment." someone noted.
    "I don't know about that, look at those muscles..." William felt a warm hand brush across his still naked body.
    "See if you can get a response." there was a mischievous tone to the words.
    The warm hand shifted from his shoulder- running down, down into his lap, to caress him, as if he were a cow...
    "He's functional," the hand stopped its motions as William reacted, "at least we know part of him is okay."
    "That's good, we need fresh blood in the genetic spread, I think he'll be a welcome addition."
    "Has he been interviewed yet?"
    "No, hasn't been awake long enough, must have got caught up in the last rush - poor thing still doesn't know what's going on, or why he's here." the words were ominous.
    "He'll find out soon enough."
    "Yeah, I'm sure he'll feel like the rest of them, and want to go back to Animation Travelling..." they left the room, with William sitting on the edge of the bed, vision impaired, feeling as if he were very drunk. ~ William found himself on the floor, he must have fallen, his condition hadn't improved.
    "...won't know if... shit he's fallen out of bed, quick get the blue team in here now, he's regressing!" ~ "Mr. Benson, how do you feel?"
    "I feel great." and he did, what wonderful drugs they had in this era...
    "You had a close call, we nearly lost you, but you're in the clear now. We were failed to be informed that you had been in AT for such a long period, in such cases rehabilitation should not be attempted for at least two weeks. I regret the incident, there will be an inquiry, you'll definitely get compensation. I would say the reason for this is the damned court push - they'll never learn, heartless bureaucrats." something was held to his lips, from which William drank greedily.
    "How long since I was reawoken?" William wondered how long his treatment had taken so far.
    "Two months, which just goes to show how serious your condition was. Still as I said - you'll be fine now. This rather striking young woman called Jane has been in a few times to see you, said you had her card, said you should call her some time." obviously trying to change the subject to something more pleasant.
    "She must have been the one I met in the rehabilitation room, we only exchanged a couple of words..."
    "I think you'll be surprised, but there's an affinity between Ants that goes way beyond explanation, apparently it's at its strongest just after rehab'."
    "That would explain it." William agreed, opening his eyes for the first time, only to be greeted by blinding light.
    "Here, I'll reduce the intensity."
    "Thanks." his sight found a focus as the tears stopped forming.
    "Two days and you'll be interviewed, best you start preparing for that."
    "Interviewed, ah yes..." newly implanted knowledge came to his aid.
    The interview was a crucial point in an Animation Traveller's revival, it was where a team of appropriately selected experts assessed the condition and value of each newly revived citizen. Each person was judged from their history files, those running the interview would be well versed in the applicant's attributes, and what their future could be. At this interview many aspects of the traveller's; character, intelligence, and physical attributes would be judged. To do well at the interview might see the new citizen assured an easier time, a professional life, to fail to impress, show a negative attitude - the same as being conscripted into the army as cannon fodder.
    The overtones in his new knowledge were ominous, that Ants did not have the same rights as other citizens, they had to prove themselves, they had a debt to repay society, and repay it they would.
    "You rest for a while, try and reorientate yourself, and when you can, get up and have a wander round. This is your world now, best you try and get used to it before you have to face it fully." with this the doctor slipped out of the room.
    For a time William lay and stared at the ceiling, letting the world seep in slowly, then as he felt more capable, he sat up and contemplated doing as the doctor had advised. Perched on the edge of the bed, he considered his naked body, it had been transformed into something that he didn't recognise. Where there had been flab, loose wasted flesh, now there was bulging muscle, and lots of it. As he tentatively put a foot on the floor, he smiled at the notion that every part of him seemed to have been exercised and was now bigger - he even had a tan.
    William had taken three steps across the room before he realised it, his body stronger than he could ever remember it, such was its strength, for a second he felt like a god, immortal. As quickly as the idea came, it vanished, such a vain self opinionated thought, he cringed at the idea that he could have had it. If everyone in this new world was like this, and were self opinionated along with it, he felt social interaction could be quite tedious. There were a number of control pads on the wall, which he approached with intent - these were a convenient diversion from his self absorbing thoughts. Even though he knew most rooms were equipped with thought attuned sensors, he was hesitant to try them. Three hundred years out of his time, he was still lost, even though he had acquired most of the required knowledge to live in this era.
    The closet hidden within the depths of the wall revealed nothing but a few robes, robes for patients, that didn't seem any different to those of a thousand years ago. Since in his time, nudity outside the appropriate area was frowned upon, he donned a robe, and instantly felt more at ease, despite the simplicity of the act. Having mastered his environment here - ha, feeling more than a little hungry, and knowing no way to call for room service, he decided to wander further. At the door he hesitated, took a deep camouflaging breath, signalled the door to open, and plunged himself bodily into a whole new world.
    The corridor was crowded, as was fitting a hospital in the twenty ninth century. Yes those here appeared to have the common old ailments, that mankind would always have. Noting the room number, he started off, heading in no particular direction, knowing only his curiosity might be appeased. The first thing he noticed was that the general nature of the people in the corridor, this corridor, they were different to those he had seen before. These people looked less healthy, were thinner, more like real people to him. Intermingled with the norm' were individuals that looked out of place, he guessed they could have been compared to him, physically too perfect, too healthy.
    "May I be of assistance?" one of these approached him, a woman dressed as a nurse; trim, pert, pretty, and yet something about her made him cautious.
    "I was wondering where the cafeteria was?" at least part of his agenda.
    "I will guide you," and was at his side in an instant, "do you required support Mr. Benson?"
    "How do you know my name?" it didn't seem probable.
    "All patients are entered into the neural active data base, of which I have complete access."
    "An android, you're an android." it fell into place.
    "Yes," she sounded annoyed by the admission, as if it made her a second class citizen, "were there not androids in your time?"
    "Yes of course, but they were more - obvious."
    "I think you will find, many things have changed since your home time, probably more than you could imagine."
    "So I have been told more than once." he admitted, as they moved off down the hall, the cafeteria their destination.
    As they walked the corridors, William hoped food was still the same, and asked a few more questions.
    "So what is the real story, why are all the AT's being revived?"
    "There is no 'real' story but the one given to you. Earth is in crisis, it needs all the skilled citizens that can be found. We need new blood, new ideas and approaches, citizens who can think for themselves, know how to repair things - like me."
    "Are you broken?" she looked fine to him.
    "No, but there are thousands like me who are, there just aren't enough skilled technicians available, and willing to demean themselves to work on androids."
    "You mean I was brought back to service androids? Couldn't androids service androids?" none of this sounded like a life or death crisis.
    "Yes, in some cases this is successful..." then changing the subject, "There are greater issues to be resolved, in your case, your background could be useful to assist with the situation here and now..."
    "Useful, how?" and which situation?
    "Such specific information is unavailable to me at this time. I would approximate that it would have to do with your future, your military and pilot experience..."
    "So what about the war?" he was almost sure this had to figure pretty highly in the scheme of things.
    "War, oh yes - I wouldn't worry about that..." even though she were a machine, she avoided the question as effectively as if she were human.
    Then they were entering the cafeteria, a room like any hospital cafeteria, in any time - and that smell. Suddenly William's appetite was diminished, maybe that was the idea, still he had to have something to eat, or die of starvation. Choosing food groups that could have been anything, William left the line with a plate of something resembling food. Despite the appearance and smell of the contents of his plate, it tasted good, and in five minutes flat his stomach was full of warmth. A reassuring feeling of contentment spread through him.
    "Do you feel better now?" the android surprised him by its continued presence.
    "Yes," he acknowledged, "yes I feel a lot better, even if I don't know what I just ate."
    "Synthesized protein, soya products, vitamins, essential minerals, artificial pulp and colouring."
    "I think I'm going to be sick..." William frowned.
    "Are you unwell?" showing genuine machine concern.
    "No, I was just joking." frowning even more.
    "Ah, a joke." as if the android was identifying irrational behaviour.
    "So how old are you?" he felt the need to unsettle her more.
    "Age... my inception date is three years, eleven months, fourteen days, twenty hours, six minutes and ten seconds ago..."
    "So you've got a birthday coming up."
    "A birthday, androids don't celebrate birthdays."
    "Why not?"
    "We are machines, created to serve."
    "And man, he is not a machine created to serve?"
    "I do not understand the question."
    "The parallels between God and man, man and machine, they are not similar?"
    "There could be comparisons, if the comparisons were valid..."
    "And not considered bad taste." William smiled at his joke.
    "Androids are not considered as valued members of this society..."
    "Almost as bad as being an Ant?" William ventured.
    "Still you are human."
    "So I have been told. Though I get the feeling I'm just as much a commodity as you are."
    "Yes." she didn't argue.
    "Come on then, it's time you showed me a bit more of this place, before they slap the irons on, and put me to labour to pay for my crimes."
    "Yes," she brightened, "the hospital complex is more than beds and corridors. There are a number of recreational facilities, some of which I think you will find enjoyable."
    "Do they have a bar?" he asked casually.
    "A place to socialise and consume alcohol?"
    "Correct."
    "The Cosmic Glass is one such place."
    "Good, it would appear that you are correct. I am going to enjoy myself after all, lead on, we're wasting valuable drinking time." so they left the cafeteria, bound for a drink, after all William needed something to wash away the after taste of all that artificial food.
    The android, that William didn't know if she even had a name, attempted to show him all of the hospital, which he soon realised, was huge. His original idea then of finding the bar, and having a few stiff drinks took priority, he made it his priority. But the android doggedly wanted to show him one last section.
    "This is one of the places, where the casualties of the battles come." suddenly they were walking in between beds of recovering soldiers.
    "The war, it has casualties?" it was the first time William had thought of it like that, in purely human terms.
    "The war between man and the others has always had causalities."
    "Others?" he didn't understand.
    "The others in space, we refer to them as the others - aliens! Humankind met with them hundreds of years ago, we have been in a cold war with them ever since, some times not so cold..."
    "Ah," the picture came into focus, "I am here as a pilot, to fight for man's right to travel in the void of space. So how come no one has spoken to me of this till now..." his reawakening then had been no random happening.
    "We try to bring Animation Travellers up to date as quickly and easily as possible."
    "So why not just include it in the rehabilitation process?'
    "We did initially, it was less than successful. When man met the others things did not go well, it is suspected that an Animation Traveller started the war in the first place..."
    "An AT..." but what could he say, no wonder Ants were hated so much.
    "Come, let us go to the bar, you look as if you could use a drink."
    "Yeah, and I think we'd better make it a double."
    In the bar, seated in a corner, they waited for an attendant to notice them, and take their orders. They were unnoticed for a time, then a couple of men approached, by their look they might have been off duty soldiers, and had some sort of score to settle.
    "Ant?" one of them asked.
    "Yeah, so?"
    "It's you that is responsible for the war, we just want to even the score." the men had obviously consumed too much happy juice, and were mildly out of control.
    "Actually, I haven't done anything for at least three hundred years." William promised them.
    "That's the trouble... while you've been taking it easy, we've been slogging our guts out, trying to live with the consequences of what one of your kind did!" the leader moved closer, his intent obvious.
    "Look pal," William rose, preparing to be attacked, "I don't know what's going on here, but there is a good chance I'll be fighting beside you before too long."
    "It's too late for that, I want revenge now..." launching himself at William, and would have dealt a vicious blow, if he had made it across the table.
    With a mighty blocking blow, the android intercepted the soldier, or by the look of him now - exsoldier.
    "Watch it, it's an assault droid." the attitude of the others suddenly changed.
    "Take him back to the recovery unit, he will require medical attention, he will live." and with that the android dismissed them.
    An attendant came across, cleared away the broken glass or whatever it was, took orders and warned them sternly, that there were more recovering soldiers in the vicinity. Squadron twenty three was on shore leave, visiting their buddies in hospital, and generally making a nuisance of themselves, some things never changed.
    "Does this happen often?" William asked over what he considered to be a beer.
    "Unfortunately yes, Animation Travellers newly out of the rehabilitator are easy to detect, the physical condition is a give away."
    "Yes it is a bit much." he flexed an arm, and marvelled at the muscles there upon.
    "You will have to be careful, still your interview is in a day, from then on you will be safe."
    "How's that?"
    "Simple, either you will be fighting for or against the establishment, either way, it is the same as life or death..." so she told him the state of play, without actually telling him what to expect at the interview.
    Despite the incident here, he felt reasonably at ease in this environment, the surroundings were reassuring in an oddly familiar way, as all bars seemed to be. A fresh intake of soldiers came in, they weren't wearing uniforms, the training was evident in their movements nevertheless.
    "Trouble?" he motioned to them.
    "Only if more than four of them attack us."
    "So do androids fight against the others?" he still had no name to call the alien foe, nor a face to put to them.
    "We all fight; man, woman, machine, we all fight to differing degrees of effectiveness."
    "Meaning?"
    "Our foe seems to be able to predict android ploys, it is almost as if they are like us."
    "So what are they like, this enemy?"
    "We have never met them face to face, no one knows what they look like, their identity, their origin. We only know they inhabit the Alpha region and its vicinity, and that they consider us a threat."
    "How did all this start?"
    "As far as the records show, a transport made contact with them, relations started from there. At first things went well, trade was considered, organised, but before trading began it all fell apart. We sent a negotiator to them, unarmed, alone but for a simple scout escort, it never came back. They told us our very existence was a threat to them, that we were dangerous, that to have contact with them would lead to nothing but disaster."
    "And the response naturally was equally rational."
    "No, the leaders followed the rules of etiquette, accepted losses and attempted to restart negotiations - and that it appears was the mistake."
    "The aliens took this as a sign of weakness, or acceptance that it was okay for them to do as they wished."
    "Possibly, there have been no public announcements about the discussions that followed, except that Outworlders would eliminate us if they could."
    "Nice neighbours we've got..."
    "Ant huh!" they were interrupted once more, by yet another soldier, this time a woman.
    "That's right." William rose, ready to defend himself, rather than let a android do it for him.
    "Thought so, all muscle and tan," she sneered, "we don't appreciate the likes of you in here. This is a hospital, where soldiers come when they've been wounded in battle - fighting because of one of you!"
    "Do you know that for a fact?" he tried again to be rational.
    "It's common knowledge..."
    "Common to whom; politicians, sub versants, soldiers, traitors?" he was goading her, and didn't know why.
    "You sure have guts for an Ant," her eyes lit up, "must be all those fantasies, they've made you think you're immortal. Well take a step forward and meet reality!" she coiled like a spring, waiting to punch out at whatever came within striking distance.
    "That's enough Sergeant East!" another woman joined the battlefield, this one carrying an air of authority. "He might be a Ant, but he's also human, either we fight together or we fight each other and die apart."
    "But..."
    "There are no buts, dismissed soldier!"
    "Yes Sir!" she spat, but it was obvious she didn't consider the matter to be finished. William would just have to make sure their paths didn't cross again.
    "Now you," it was William's turn to be dealt with, "have you so little respect for us, and even less sense, to come in here - now?"
    "I know no reason why I should not be here." William's resolve was hardening.
    "How long have you been out?" she asked next, as if this could be his only defence.
    "Today." he admitted.
    "He was in rehab' for two months, the section he was in was over-looked, he has been travelling for approximately three hundred years." the android chipped in.
    "Three hundred years, that was what you requested?"
    "No, I said between five and fifteen years."
    "So you no more want to be here than we do?"
    "No, and I think I want to go back." he shook his head.
    "It's too late for that mister, I'd say way too late. So what were you; a shop attendant, barber, interior designer..."
    "Pilot, I think..." he interrupted her insults.
    "Pilot, really, what hover transports, valet, limousines?"
    "Military aircraft, and the odd transport." the android suddenly remembered more of his past.
    "Ah," this took the wind out of her sails a bit, "so why did you AT?"
    "He was involved in an accident, got messed up, lost his fiancé, cat, apartment burgled, felt his life was falling apart, and the only escape was..." again the android had a surprising relapse of memory, and turn of phrase.
    "Except some pencil pusher screwed up, and here you are." the soldier almost seemed sympathetic.
    "Yeah, I guess that's what happened. My memory of the past is still a little hazy," he gave the android a suspicious look, "but if I had known it was going to be like this, shit I would have given my life there a better go."
    "It's like I always said, you can't run away from trouble, the best way to face it, is take it head on."
    "Spoken like a true soldier," William frowned, "no wonder we're at war."
    "Look son," the woman motioned him to move across so she could take a seat, "we're at war, it's not that we enjoy being shot to bits, lose our friends and fighting partners... But it's war and that's all there is to it."
    "But what are you fighting for?"
    "Our right to live in this universe, the right to escape this world, that is slowly dying under us."
    "Pollution, I thought it was under control." it had been in his time.
    "May be the greenies lost the vote, or some greedy son of a bitch simply said - shit this is too hard, I'm going to go Animation Travelling instead."
    "We could just agree to disagree." he ventured.
    "What, come to a compromise, a soldier and an Ant?" she was insulted at the mere thought of it.
    "Sure, I'll even buy the first round."
    "Well, I don't want to start another incident, like the one last month..." she recalled a nasty incident, "we're still paying for the damage, so I suppose I'll let you buy me and my troop a drink." she waved at the bartender, as if this were the expected outcome.
    "I think I've been had..." he moaned.
    "Don't worry Mr. Benson," the android tried to reassure him, "you still have eighty four million, three hundred and twenty six thousand, nine hundred and eight credits left."
    "Is that much?" it might have been only enough to buy one last drink.
    "Are you kidding," the woman soldier interjected as she accepted her free drink, "I didn't know there was still that much money left in this sector."
    "Well after tonight there might not be." he offered.
    "Well, how can I leave now with such an offer in mind," she waved a few of the others across, "time to do a bit of damage guys," she laughed at the obvious expression on William's face, "we've got two and a half hours to drink as much as possible..."
    The rest of the day became a blur, as William became as intoxicated as those round him, on a drink he could only compare to Drambui with beer chasers. The soldiers weren't that bad a lot, once he got to know them, a few never got over the fact that he was a Ant, the rest, they were too happy to care. As for the woman in charge, Campion, she treated him as one of the troop, which he took as a great compliment. The troop were here on what was equivalent to shore leave, boarding in a facility next to the hospital, undergoing mental and physical conditioning for their next tour of duty. They had two more weeks of this, then they would spend a minimum of six months out amongst the stars, escorting transports, delivering supplies, checking automated space stations, generally acting as the local constabulary.
    Campion promised to be at the bar almost every day for at least an hour or two, and that she would put the word round for her troop to leave him alone - for a Ant he was okay. They parted amidst a number or promises, of getting together again, of reliving their youth, of having another drink or six, yet as they said their good byes, William wondered if he would ever see them again.
    The android escorted him back to his room, since he had long since lost the capacity to recall exactly where it was. Once there she stripped him of his simple costume, then placed him on to the bed, stating something about giving him some medicine, so that he wouldn't wake up with a sore head... ~ "The interview is scheduled for eleven o'clock, they don't like to be kept waiting."
    "So what exactly should I expect at this interview?" he needed solid inforamtion.
    "Nothing more than an informal discussion, yet the outcome will shape your actions, your place in this society."
    "Co-operation might be a good idea then." he considered fully.
    "I would deem that a wise choice." she wasn't about to sway him one way or the other, as if forbidden to tell him anything.
    They reported to the interview room as ordered, and waited fifteen minutes outside, better to be too early than late. At five past eleven William was requested to enter the room, that the android would wait for him, and prevent anyone from entering.
    "Now Mr. Benson," William was sat in front of a line of people, two women, three men, all military by the look of them, "I see you were a military pilot before you became an Animation Traveler." the man before William saying this, as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.
    "That is correct." from what he could remember.
    "You know there is a shortage of experienced pilots, that we have vacancies for pilots, more fighters and transports than people to fly them?"
    "I have heard reports of shortages."
    "And your opinion on this is?"
    "That war is stupid." maybe not the right thing to say, but hey war was stupid.
    "You can't escape the fact though," one of the women spoke out, and William was shocked to find it to be Campion, "that we are at war, like it or not. If we win we keep what we have, if we lose - there will be no going back. Now is that stupid, to fight for what we have?"
    "No." there was no argument against this.
    "Therefore we must continue as we are, make the best of it - yes?" the man taking over once more.
    "Yes, I guess." again William had to agree.
    "So then, unlike a lot of the cases we have seen recently, the one involving you seems clear. Many AT's have no useful skills, but you, you have a clear attribute we can use, the only question is, are you willing to cooperate?"
    "It depends on what you have in mind." he had to be honest, getting killed wasn't on his agenda, cooperate or not.
    "We could sorely use someone with your abilities, you will have to be retrained of course. With a couple of tours of duty behind you, we can offer you a position here."
    "So if I train, complete a number of missions, prove myself, you'll give me a cooshy job?"
    "Not exactly, training recruits is a tough assignment. If they aren't trained correctly from the start, they'll always be second best."
    "Okay, I'll accept that. So what sort of time scale are we talking about?"
    "A couple of months training, accelerated and normal, a few milk runs to assure you have absorbed the information, then out into the real battle field. We would anticipate you will serve at least two years on each tour of duty, of course there will be shore leave, stand down time, and a companion assigned to you if you require one."
    "A companion?" William had heard nothing of this till now.
    "Due to your, ah background, we can assign an android companion, to interact with as you see fit..." suggesting that no one else would want to have anything to do with him.
    "Interact with..." was man now in love with his machines?
    "If you make it to a higher rank, we can assign you a human companion." a clear indication that competent people were valued, and rewarded.
    "Very kind, but I think I'd like to chose my own - ah, companions."
    "As you would have it, so have you made a decision yet?"
    "As if I had a choice," William looked to each person in turn, "you're calling the tune, I'll do whatever I can to become a useful member of this society, as long as I'm not asked to kill myself in the line of duty."
    "Good officers are hard to find, we have no intentions of losing even one of them, even if they are an Animation Traveller." suddenly William was officer material, what the hell was going on!
    "I'm glad to hear it. Are you proposing that I become an officer?" William just couldn't help himself.
    "Yes, your profile indicates you would make a good officer. Major Moore assures us that you have the correct attributes." indicating Campion.
    "There are not many AT's that could spend a couple of hours in a bar with a troop of soldiers, and live to talk about it." she acknowledged his feat, even if it had been paid for with a bevy of alcohol.
    "So when will this start?" William accepted that it already had.
    "Now. You will report for basic training, as one of the new intern troops. Due to your status the android already assigned will remain with you - as a guard, companion and reference, for the time being."
    "A guard to prevent some one slitting the throat of an AT in their sleep?"
    "Correct. In time you will be accepted, but as you have already noticed, some people have a healthy disrespect of your kind." as it sounded he did also.
    "Especially the military." William nodded, to his surprise the officer facing him nodded back.
    "Before we can go on, we need you to perform a few simple tests; psychological, intelligence, personality, loyalty, biological profiles. These tests are basic, about two and a half hours worth, they will support the information we already have, and confirm that you are ready for such an assignment."
    "I totally understand your reservations. I dislike such tests, but I too would like to know if I am who I think I am."
    "Good man, follow corporal Wilts, he will show you to the testing rooms."
    William followed an officer in fatigues, the first he had seen outside the interview room, to William it showed that the military still liked to dress up - as if they would ever outgrown it. The tests were simple but to the point, nothing but a cross reference and confirmation, that he was who the files said he was.
    "Very good private Benson." his name had changed from civilian to private. William had ascended to the first rung on the military ladder, "Keep following corporal Wilts and he will show you to your new home, barracks 2112, good luck."
    William was offered a hand, which he considered then shook, a new respect building inside him for the military, one he hadn't suspected could exist - again? Down the long corridors he followed Wilts, no words were exchanged, Wilts didn't approve of him - and he had a cold feeling of deja vu, watch words for an ex-Animation Traveller.

(35 pages of 400 - I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of the future, I know I had a lot of fun writing it - KJJ)