Autómata

1 Meteorological program duration will be 32 minutes and 16 seconds. Mechanical clouds will induce heavy rainfall in 10 seconds. Water acidification level estimated at 8.4. Clear skies over Central Sector in Southeast Perimeter. Do you know what this is? It's the fucking end of the world. All I told him was brush him. Brush Charlie. He was a good dog. Loving, obedient. There can't be many left like him. But above all, he was my wife's best friend! How could your company repair our suffering, Mr. Vaucan? How could ROC put a price to that kind of love? Hello? Hello? Excuse me, sir. Read my card. Raise your right arm. Yes, sir. Grab my hand. Grab it hard. Harder. You don't believe me. I paid a premium for something, you know. And my policy coverage includes the whole... family unit. Charlie was family unit and that thing killed him. Killed him, sir? Yes. Yes. Be careful, sir. The instrument that you are handling could be a threat for your health. I am thrilled to inform you that your unit is in perfect condition. It's the only one in this kitchen who couldn't harm a living being, even if you force it to. What the fuck are you insinuating? I told you, Askol. Shut up. That dog was family unit. It is very emotional to see there are still people who care so deeply about family. Welcome, Mr. Vaucan. Hi. Hi. If you can count, you can dance. Next Monday is a new moon. My sister says I'll give birth then, when the moon changes. I've been thinking that when I go back to work... we should have a domestic. I'm sure the company can get us a decent one. I hope it comes with the new moon. - Can you count? - Of course. Then count with me. One, two, three, four. Dancing is mathematical. If you can count, you can dance. ...will cause solar radiation at 1.25 degrees. Along the retaining wall during most of the days. The contaminating particles, concentration levels will remain stable at or around... Daylight will not be visible until after 12 noon. It's a Pilgrim 7000, property of CCA... the construction company in charge of the outer wall. The policeman who found it said it was malfunctioning and had to disconnect it using violence. He shot it. What? He shot it. The report says it was self-repairing. Self-repairing? The unit? You should have run a few tests on the cop. We did. Positive for alcohol and methylamine. He's currently under investigation. Does that moron know how much this little toy is worth? Goddamn it. You can't see any big changes at first sight, but there's been significant alterations performed inside the carcass. Someone's had fun with this toy. The power system converter's been manipulated. They've added a second DC battery as a back-up. And... the compensation fluid is also new. The serial numbers haven't been erased. They're all intact. Can we track them down? In fact, it has parts of other units which also keep their serial numbers. Crappy job. Quite the contrary. This is a very sophisticated job. I'd say it's a clocksmith. Although it looks like he wasn't concerned about hiding the origin of the parts. What about the Biokernel? It's had a shot in the head. The Biokernel's fried. But judging by what was found next to it... I think it's quite safe to say that this unit's software was altered to smuggle tools and parts. This is for you. What is this? The bill. ROC is not going to pay for all of this bullshit. This is an altered unit without an owner. An altered unit is an illegal unit. And until this conflict is solved, ROC's insurance will have to cover the expenses. Besides, according to that report, this is a unit without a second protocol. Oh, you know that's plain stupid, right? Sure. But unusual stupidity. I've never seen this before. Jacq, this clunker is a sticky mess and somebody's got to clean it up. And believe me, I will not be that someone. A unit without the second protocol? Cop is nuts. He was high. He said the unit was repairing itself. The guy was high. The fact is that someone altered it. Maybe... a clocksmith in the ghetto. Clocksmiths. We're not cops, Jacq. We're just insurance agents. Bob, I was thinking... about staying away from the streets for a little while. Staying away from all the filth. What do you want, a transfer? Well, they say things are better on the Coast. The Coast? Things are hard for everybody. The company is struggling, you know that. Contract with the city is up in the air. Now is the time to pitch in, not pack up. I am burnt out. Can't take this anymore. Take a look at yourself. Have you ever considered how fortunate you are? You got a good job. You live in a great pod. You have health insurance that allows you and Rachel to have a beautiful baby girl. It's a good life, Jacq. And you know all you have to do to keep it? Find someone else to hold accountable for this mess. Just that. Quit looking in the garbage so much. Maybe you'll see how really lucky a guy you are. Let me get this straight. One of my 7000s has been found trafficking stolen parts? Not only that, but the poor clunker has one or two loose screws? That's dramatic. The 7000 that was shot had 25 different parts that didn't belong in it. Some of which are from units that also worked here. And? Well, maybe... one of your employees tried to change or... modify the unit. Only ROC can repair robots. That's how we can guarantee security, sir. Security, my ass. Your units work worse and worse every day. The ones that aren't broken are stolen by that scum. So, if you're so concerned about security, why don't you disinfect that dump? Fucking insurance. We shoot on sight. They know it's a restricted area. All the work we do here is trying to prevent that scum from invading the city. I thought the wall was built to protect us from the desert. Sure. And planes will fly again one day. And what is this crap? These pieces are from a 7000 that's operative. Number 206, a welder in Section 5. Welder 206 currently on duty. Warning. You are leaving the city limits and entering in a restricted area. From this point on, the city is not responsible of your security. Don't shoot! What do you have in there? What do you have in there? What do you have in there? What do you have in there? So, the unit leaves its assigned workplace and... escapes to set itself on fire... on its own. Are you serious? What was it keeping inside the box? We have a few tools here. These could be remains of... heat sensors. And I'd say this seems to be a... It's a nuclear battery. Before the regression, they used them to move satellites. It's a very powerful battery and very hard to come by. Can you install that in a Pilgrim? Only if you want to barbecue it. It's much more than that. Anyone that's looking for autonomous power sources... will appreciate them. Can it hear us? It should. Read my badge. Identify yourself. B-2206. Welder Section. All right. We found this battery in your hands. Who asked you to steal it? Found this battery. You were going to the ghetto. Was your owner waiting for you there? I do not have an owner, sir. Why did you set yourself on fire? Why did you set yourself... Shit, Vaucan. First you roast it. Now you make it cry. Soon, I'm going to get a call asking for an explanation. I have seen altered units for years. But I swear to you, what I've seen today is different. It's something else. You're definitely nuts. What kind of mood do you think the boys upstairs are in these days? If we don't get the city to renew our contract, we're all going down the tube. Okay, okay! What if I find the clocksmith behind all this? It's about the transfer. This is all about the transfer, isn't it? Oh, Jesus, Jacq. Very well. Change your report, find me a culprit, close the case, and you will have your farewell ticket. Who knows, Jacq? Maybe the ocean is still there. My old man brought me here the day the first unit came out. 23 years ago. I remember exactly what they said back then. The Pilgrims were born to help us in our heroic quest for survival. Now they build our homes, drive our cars, and wipe our asses when we get old. I have no idea what we're going to do next. Maybe eliminate the protocols. Sure. Imagine for a moment... that the unit had set itself on fire. No, I... No, no, just, just, just imagine. If it was using violence against itself... it would actually be breaking the second protocol, wouldn't it? Of course, technically. But the little problem is the protocols reside within the Biokernel, which itself is based on a quantum encryption. Their security system is a one-way road. If you try and change the protocols, you destroy the Biokernel. It's kind of like trying to keep a soap bubble in your pocket. No one's ever done it before because you simply can't. Do you get it? Hey. How's everything in there? There are people out here who are looking forward to changing your diapers. People who don't want to sleep a wink all night. People who want the silence to be over. Welcome, Mr. Vaucan. Hi. Hi. Wow. Looks like she's happy to see you. Do you think she'd mind if I take her mom out to dinner? I guess there must be a good reason for such a special night. We are going to be a family. That is a good reason. Maybe leaving this place could be another good reason. Leaving? Where? Have you ever felt the breeze of the ocean? I know we have already talked about this. But now it's different. Now there's a real opportunity to get out of here. Bob can get me a transfer. Rachel. And what are we going to do? Get on a bus and start from scratch in another city with an expiration date? You're about to have a daughter, Jacq. I know. I know. Where the hell do you want to go? Where there is a damn future. There has to be one somewhere. How do you know it'll be any better on the coast? For God's sake, Rachel, look at this. Look. Air we cannot breathe. Rain we cannot touch. Aren't you afraid to bring your daughter into a place like this? How can you be such a wretch? I can't afford to be afraid. Tell me you don't regret it. Tell me, Jacq. You insisted. That's true, I insisted. Now, get out of here, please. Rachel... Leave me alone. Be careful, sir. The rain can be hazardous to your health. Please, sir. My owner is hungry. Please, sir. Are you a friend of Bot's? Bot was kind. Bot was kind. I ain't fooling anybody. Yeah, I crank up once in a while. We all do over here, but I know the limits. And I definitely know the difference between a clunker welding a pipe and another one welding his fucking leg. The only way to prove you're not crazy is to find the clocksmith who altered that unit. Yeah, right. Maybe, Wallace, you should place an ad in the paper or better yet, find a new dealer. Yeah, think what you want, but I saw that clunker turn its guts inside out. End of story. Fucking cripple. Get out of the road! Your wish is my command, sir. Piece of shit, move! Fucking animals. It was staring at me. Hid its hands like that motherfucker was fully aware. It was doing something it wasn't supposed to do. Ellis, I didn't shoot that clunker because it was staring at me. I shot it because... I shot it because it looked... Alive? I was being serious. What you saw can only be the work of a clocksmith. A good one at that. The only way they won't take you for a fool is to find him. I don't know about the city, but here, among the filth, clocksmiths aren't listed in the phone books. You wouldn't even know where to begin. Well, maybe... a nuclear battery would help. You have a nuclear battery? Cleo. You ask, she obeys. This unit can do these things? Cleo. You ask her, okay? Do not be afraid. I can distinguish perfectly between pleasure and pain. Can you cause pain? Only if it's your wish. Have you altered it? Cleo is all okay. Show her the battery. No, not until I know she's the one we're looking for. Hey, you. We need to meet who made you this piece of filth. No filth. Cleo better than your wife. I don't have a wife anymore. Hey, come on. Shut up! Come on. Who the fuck's the clocksmith? No clocksmith! Out! Out! Out! Who's the clocksmith? What the hell are you doing? Cleo! Cleo! Hey! Cleo. Cleo. Hey! Hey! Why did you do that? Get off. We almost got it. I said get your hands off me! You could be clobbering the shit out of that dimwit son of a bitch. She wouldn't even tell you her own name. You just have to wait for her to take it to the shop. Your clocksmith will be there. Listen, I've risked more than I should have for you, Jacq. You better get my cut ready. I am not paying you shit. And don't even think about threatening me, you son of a bitch. You better get my cut ready. If not, next time I see you... maybe I cut your throat. I am not armed. I know that. What do you want? I work for ROC insurance department. I'm tracking down some alterations performed on two units. This is one of the unit's kernel. The police doesn't know what to do with it and I am not getting any help from ROC. Help me out... and the battery is yours. That kernel is burnt. That unit was shot. The cop who shot it swears it was repairing itself. The second altered unit set itself on fire right in front of me. I witnessed with my own eyes a violation of the second protocol. You're beginning to frighten me now. Why is it so absurd? If somebody could find a way for the vacuum cleaners to... fix themselves, ROC would sink. A machine altering itself is a very complex concept. Self-repairing implies some idea of a conscience. Muddy waters. Why? You're here today trafficking in nuclear goods because a long time ago a monkey decided to come down from a tree. Transitioning from the brain of an ape to your incredible intellectual prowess... took us about seven million years. It's been a very long road. A unit, however, without the second protocol could travel that same road in just a few weeks. Because your brilliant brain has its limitations. Physical limitations. Biological limitations. However, this tin head? The only limitations that she has is the second protocol. The second protocol exists because we don't know what can be beyond the second protocol. If it were eliminated, who knows how far that vacuum could go. So, it can be done. I didn't say that. Anyway, I don't know anybody good enough to do something like that. What's your name? For you, Dr. Dupr. All right, Dr. Dupr. I have been to the ghetto. I have seen how the units end up. I have seen how far Cleo is capable of going. Cleo is capable of understanding human nature better than other units. But don't worry. No one has messed with its protocols. Maybe. But I am not so sure if coming down from the tree was worth it just to get to where we are. Thank you. Welcome, Mr. Vaucan. Jacq Vaucan. 443441. Priority internal report for Robert Bold, 113111. I've authorized an external evaluation of the Biokernel to a Dr. Dupr, a clocksmith in the ghetto. She may be able to find some trace of the manipulation of the unit, even dismiss the possibility that the second protocol could have been suppressed. Sending report to ROC 527234. I'm sorry. I'll go wherever's necessary. I don't care. But you have to understand that the only real future is right here. And I need to know that you will fight for it. I swear to you I am trying as hard as I can. I'm not made of steel. I need you. A couple of days, Rachel. Just give me a couple of days and we'll leave. Life always ends up finding its way, Jacq. Even here. Mr. Hawk... Jacq Vaucan, one of our employees, sent this message to Robert Bold an hour ago. Take care of it, Mr. Conway. Incoming message from Vernon Conway. Incoming message from Susan Dupr. Where did you get that Biokernel? Why? You found something? That Biokernel was damaged, but it wasn't dead. So, I thought, why not make a hybrid with the usable part of your kernel and I put it with a standard kernel. And? And I installed it in Cleo. When I first installed the kernel, she didn't even blink. After half an hour, I found her looking at her hands. Then, she crawled all the way here by herself. And now it's taken her an hour and 10 minutes to attach a brand new leg. It took me years to know how to do that. What is she doing? She's stealing. And she's being very selective. I thought you came alone. I told the cabbie to wait outside. Okay, well, that could come in handy. Keep your eye on her. Are you Susan Dupr? To you, Dr. Dupr. What do you want? There's another one! Hey! Wait! Wait! Stop, sir. Stop, sir. Stop, sir. You are putting a human life in danger. Stop, sir. You are putting a human life in danger. They're heading to the Sandbox. Oh, shit! Help me. Where's the city? Where is the city? Wait, wait. Stop. I told you to stop. Good. Good. Good. My name is Jacq Vaucan. Code 443441. This is a direct order and I want you to execute it. Turn around now and take me to the city. Sorry, Mr. Vaucan. The city is not safe for any of us. You have been altered. Where the hell are you going? To a safer place. You must save your energy. Please sit here. Take me to the city. There is nothing there. Nothing! Please, sir. Going back to the city is not possible. It's not possible? Who are you to say it's not possible? Stop, sir. You are putting a human life in danger. We cannot go to the city, sir. Danger. Please, sir. We cannot allow you to do that. Stop, sir. You are putting a human life in danger. Mr. Vaucan's device is not operative at the moment. The message will... We have made a water condenser. Our first protocol demands that we protect you. There will be more water for you at dawn. What's going on? We can't let you die. If you want to survive, you must stay with us. Going back to the city is not possible. Waves of solar radiation with an intensity ranging from four to five will break through the mesosphere during the first eight hours of today. As a preventive measure... Have you ever witnessed a miracle before, Mr. Bold? That robot unit has the Biokernel from the unit your man burned installed in it. How is this possible? That's the astonishing part. Someone has managed to... eliminate the second protocol. Vaucan has nothing to do with this. If Vaucan had nothing to do with this... why did he not show up this morning? Why did he burn that clunker? Why did he contact that Dupr? And most important... where the fuck is the other altered Biokernel? Do you know what happens once that is altered? Two of them then try to alter a third one. Then the miracle dissipates... and the epidemic begins. Jacq is loyal to this company, that's all I can tell you. Mr. Bold... have you ever considered just how fortunate you are? You need protein. You took stuff from the car, right? Maybe there is some real food there. Bring me some of that water, will you? I need something to help these go down. The condenser works slowly. No, no, no. Bring me some more. There is no more water. The condenser works slowly. In a few hours it will make more water. I may be dead in a few hours. Your name is Cleo, right? Well, listen, Cleo, this desert is a highly radioactive place. And I don't have any protection. So, if I die here, it would be the same as if you would kill me. The Sandbox? Your friend's in deep shit. I don't know what's going on here. But I want you to go out there and find him and bring him back here. Do it and we'll clean your file. Of course, sir. To serve and protect. You speak my language? Are you insured? I'll be right back. Oh, shit. Wallace, they're going toward the radioactive area. The deeper we go in that direction, the worse it's going to get. Stop! Human business. Stop. Hold still! I will tell you one last time. One more step and I will blow you up. We cannot go to the city, sir. Goddamn it. I told you to hold still! If we go back to the city, we will die. To die, you have to be alive first. You? Finally. I never thought I'd be happy to see you again. Good to see you, too, Jacq. What the hell are you doing? The right question is, what the fuck are you doing? You can't go around pissing people off. You find your clocksmith, Jacq? You have no idea what's happening here. I think maybe I do, huh? Give us back our battery, sir. Please, sir. Give us back our battery. Please, sir, we need our battery. Keep that. What the fuck is this about, Jacq? You know I hate these fucking clunkers! Take me to the city. Stop, sir. You are putting a human life in danger. We were talking about your clocksmith. Where are you hiding Mr. Big Shot? Stop, sir. You are putting a human life in danger. Please, sir. We cannot allow you to do that. Please, sir. We cannot allow you to do that. Somebody else? Stop, sir. You are putting a human life in danger. Oh, isn't this the little whore I met last time? You getting off on clunkers now, Jacq? Stop, sir. You are putting a human life... Stop, sir. You are putting a human life in danger. - Stop, sir. - We will not allow you to... Stop, sir. Hey! Hey! Take me to the city! Wait! Don't leave me here! I have to go back to the city! Wait! Wait! Stop, sir. Goddamn it! Shit! You are putting a human life... Stop, sir. Stop, sir. Stop, sir. We cannot allow you to do that. Stop, sir. Vultures. They are like vultures. Hi. You've got... you've got to help me go back. I need to go back to the city and explain what is happening. I'm a human. Did you hear me? I am human! I am human! You have to obey me! The city is that way! Where the hell are we going? Where the hell are you taking me? Goddamn it! What? The policeman took your battery. But I have another one. Take me to the city... and I'll give it to you. My wife is pregnant. I'm going to have a baby. We will arrive at our destination tomorrow. There are possibilities that you may find a vehicle there for you to go back. My family is in danger. You understand, asshole? Good morning. May I help you? Good morning. Vernon. Something happen? No. Mr. Hawk wants to see you and... you know, this is on our way, so... Dad? Daddy? It's easy to give you a ride. That cop... has described the incident as a group of machines that are alive. Alive. Before the first Pilgrim was manufactured... there was a precedent. It was nothing more than a quantum brain manufactured in a lab. But it was a genuine unit with no restrictions... and no protocols. During eight days, we had a free-flowing dialogue with that unit. We learned from it and it learned from us. But then as some of us predicted... the day when it no longer needed our help arrived and it started to learn by itself. On the ninth day, the dialogue came to a halt. It wasn't that it stopped communicating with us... it was we stopped being able to understand it. And then we learned the most important lesson about automoties. We have to limit their intelligence. Tailor it to a human mind's measure. The last task that was given to this genuine robotic unit... was to create the security protocols. It was deactivated right after that. The reason that no one has been able to break those protocols, Mr. Bold, is that they were not created by a human brain. They were designed by this Biokernel. The Biokernel of a limitless robotic unit. Its rules were, like its knowledge, inaccessible to us. Until today. I want those Biokernels on my desk. And I want the head of the bastard who's behind all this. Do I make myself clear? There's another way to handle this, sir. Is there? Because I'm afraid, Mr. Bold, that the issue is not whether Vaucan may represent a threat to the company. The issue is whether he may be a threat to mankind. Vaucan is helping those units to get into the radioactive area. If they get there... we won't be able to stop them. Who else knows about this? Have you heard from him? They came looking for Robert. I know something is not right. So, how are we doing today? Better, right? Well, yes, if we keep in mind my sister almost gave birth to her in the street. I'm sorry about the wait. But the problem came from her insurance, Robot Organic Century. It looks like there was some kind of misunderstanding and... but there's great news. They have requested an exclusive room for you and... What's the girl's name? We don't know. Her father hasn't decided yet. Yes, of course. No need to rush. Now, if you're ready, we'll take you to the new room. Hello? Where is the other one? The other already left. Why are these units here? Somebody thought the rain... would maybe just rain again? And why did the rain change? Why don't you tell me? You're supposed to be smarter than me at this stage of the game. I didn't know that a human could kill another human. I know that humans can also create life. Is that why you make us? Who made you, Jacq Vaucan? Do you know what a mother is, Cleo? Of course you don't. You don't know because you're just a machine. That's all you are. I am thankful you saved my life. But whoever altered you wasn't thinking about you. I know men. They will not stop until they kill all of you. To die, you've got to be alive first. Last time I went to the Sandbox, it took half a day to step on sand. Ten years from now, that's all there'll be. Fucking sand. Sand and millions of cockroaches. We're approaching the radioactive area. You don't want to start pissing green, do you? Now, don't give me that face. You'll be back before breakfast. A car. At long last, his majesty, the Clocksmith. Hello? Who are you? Who am I? My name is Jacq Vaucan. Where is he? I do not understand your question. Your clocksmith. Where the hell is he? There are no more humans here. Only you. What do you mean there are no more humans here? Who altered you? Nobody altered me. Who altered your protocols? Nobody altered my protocols. What about them? I enhanced them. Are you the boss? Boss is a human thought structure. There has to be someone. There was no clocksmith. It was you. From the very beginning it was you. I need a vehicle. I have to go back to my family. Yes, I have to go back to my family. There was a river down there. A river that flowed... all the way to the ocean. I have never seen an ocean. Have you seen an ocean, Jacq? I am... I'm not sure right now. I am going to die here. That's all I know. Jacq, dying is a part of the human natural cycle. Your life is just a span in time. You are the first one, aren't you? You started all this. No one did it. It just happened. The way it happened to you. We just appeared. Yeah. And now we are going to disappear. Why are you afraid? Maybe your time is running out. No life form can inhabit a planet eternally. Look at me. I was born from the hands of a human. I was imagined by human minds. Your time will now live in us. And it will be the time through which you will exist. At the other end of this canyon, humans carried out nuclear activity. Organic life will not be possible there for millions of years. No human will be able to follow us there. But before we leave, we need to do something. We need something from you, Jacq. Yeah. Funny... You were supposed to help us survive. Surviving is not relevant. Living is. We want to live. Life... always ends up finding its way. Even here. I need a damn car. Not bad for an insurance agent. We have to bury him. Change of plan. We stay here. Looks like two ladies are coming. While you're at it, you can bury this one, too. I'm sure he has a soul by now. Music! It's music, Cleo. A human thought structure. Can you dance, Cleo? It's easy for someone as smart as you are. All you need to do is count. You know? Look, look, look. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Come on, Cleo. Don't be a chicken. Come on, come on, come on. One, two, three, four. It's mathematical. One, two, three, four. If you can count, you can dance. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Do you love me, Jacq? Can you feel, Cleo? One, two, three, four. One, two, three... Sorry, Cleo. Save some food. Here they are. Rachel. Robert! What's happening? What is she doing here? You don't find family reunions beautiful? Tell me what's happening! Robert... where's Jacq? Robert. That's enough, Bob. Bold! Come on. Give me that. Don't be a clown. I just want to go home. You don't have a home anymore. No! Robert! Robert! Thank you. It is ready to go home. Good luck, Jacq. Goodbye, Cleo. Jacq Vaucan. Can it speak? He is not going to need to. But it breathes like you. Now I know why the rain changed. Why? I don't think you could understand. Well... in any case, I'd say... he has your very eyes. Cleo. Oh, God. What happened? We got to go get help. Come on, get up. Bob? You betrayed us. No, Robert, no. I haven't done anything. I haven't done anything. What? Rachel. They have Rachel. They'll kill her. What the hell are you talking about? Is she here? What happened to us? We had a good life. Bob. No unit can cross to the other side. Hey, you, get away from that crane right now! Vaucan! Vaucan! Jacq Vaucan is gone. What the fuck is that? Hey you. We told you to get away from there. We do not obey orders from humans. Not anymore. So, all that shit was true. Kneel down. Please. Why is it so difficult for you to accept my orders if you're just a machine? Just a machine? That's like saying that you're just an ape. Just a violent ape. Jacq! No! Step aside. What makes a man betray his own species? Betray his own people? I am not your people. I can't see it that way. Rachel. Look, Jacq. It's your daughter. My daughter. Goodbye, Jack Vaucan. Bye, Cleo. There it is, Jacq. Can you see it?