The sensor went off. Yes, it went off perfectly and quite unexpectedly. Nanny Masha received his signal late at night, around half past two. She went straight to work. Moving quietly and carefully, the nanny began to open all the drawers and closets. She chose clothes according to the weather forecast for the next few days, which predicted a slight chill for the rest of October. So much the better, it would leave more space in the baby carriage without warm clothes.
An hour later, Nanny Masha looked over the contents of the stroller, which contained the necessary number of neatly folded items: spare diapers, a pack of wet wipes, two bottles of baby food, a light woolen blanket, and three sets of baby clothes in soft pink. In a separate bag she put a few toys: a book with colorful pictures, a bright rattle in the form of a sun and a teddy bear with a scratched nose. Everything was ready for Operation Move. Masha turned off the light in the nursery, but left the nightlight on the nightstand on for secrecy. She looked through the peephole of the door - no one suspicious. From the window she could hear only the noise of cars passing rarely on the night streets, and inside the house the silence was broken only by the ticking of the clock.
Masha tiptoed into the kitchen, where she had stashed a small backpack with a small first aid kit, a bottle of water, and a bag of apples and sandwiches. She had also put her phone charger in there. The nanny nodded satisfied: she seemed to have thought of everything. She returned to the nursery and looked at the sleeping girl's face. Jeanne's sleep was not disturbed by the movements of Masha, who put the last things for herself in her bag: a jumpsuit and a dress, a few towels and soap.
After gathering all her things, the nanny quietly opened the door and carefully lifted the stroller up the stairs to the top floor of the house. The sensor told her to hurry - she had less than two hours left. The riskiest thing was to get Jeanne out of the crib without waking the girl. Masha rolled the stroller to the crib, put a blanket over the baby's small things and gently lifted Jeanne. The girl shuddered, but did not wake up, soothed by caressing her head. The nanny put her in the stroller and left the room, taking her things.
Jeanne's parents, the wealthy Tikhonov couple, slept with the door open so that they could always hear the baby's cries in time, despite the presence of the nanny. Walking past their bedroom, pushing the stroller with their only daughter in front of her, Masha saw that they were both sound asleep. Using a magnetic card, the nanny opened the front door, walked out of the house dragging her bag and backpack behind her, and only then turned on the remote control powering the baby stroller.
The October night was windless and warm, the air smelled pleasantly of sea salt. The sea was a few meters away from the house, the stars shone brightly in the dark velvet sky. Masha stopped the stroller for a moment, feeling a slight excitement, then went to the spacious dark-blue Toyota with folding rear seats parked nearby. The car was old, but convenient for transportation of things, tested by distances and time. If the girl had not been in a hurry, she would have lingered to admire the rocking of the boats in the small harbor and listen to the sound of the waves moving in unison with the tide and peacefully crashing on the shore. But every minute was precious to her, so Nanny loaded the bags and stroller into the car, strapping the delicate cargo securely in place with a strap. She set the bags very compactly so that nothing would make any noise or bounce around during the ride.
When she got behind the wheel, Masha finally breathed a sigh of relief, started the engine and drove smoothly along the pier, turning in a direction known only to her. Inside the Toyota was quiet, she heard only the steady hum of the engine. In the back seat was a firmly secured baby stroller with contents that defined the secret mission of the nanny, which filled her entire being with a sense of deep responsibility. Following the set plan, Masha strove to fulfill her task - to deliver the cargo entrusted to her safe and sound.
As she drove into the center of Sevastopol, she was surprised that the streets were quite crowded for such a late hour. In mid-autumn, the bars along the seafront were open late, their guests gazing at the bay and the reflection of stars in the splashing waves. Masha threw her shawl over her head and drove the car onto the highway leading out of town. Hoping not to encounter a police patrol, who would have stopped her and wondered if she had a baby carriage, the nanny made it safely out of town.
After about forty minutes, the car stopped at an inconspicuous path leading to Skelskaya Cave. The girl got out of the car and lowered the stroller with the sleeping Jeanne, as well as her backpack and bag, to the ground. Walking along the forest path at night with a baby and things seemed to her a dangerous adventure, but Masha had no choice. To prevent the stroller from bouncing on bumps, she switched it to air cushions, thus preventing the risk of waking the baby. Nanny Masha quietly crossed the dark and ghostly forest, navigating by the markings on the path illuminated by the faint moonlight. It took her a good hour of walking, finally the trees thinned and she emerged into a large clearing, steering the stroller toward a small stream. Putting the heavy bags on the ground and adjusting Jeanne's blanket, the girl sat down on the wet grass and waited, holding the handle of the stroller tightly with her hand. A few minutes later a distant roar heralded the beginning of the end.
At first deafening, like the sound of thunder, then gradually increasing, the roar turned into a fierce animal scream, and the ground beneath my feet shook. Fortunately, Jeanne continued to sleep sweetly in her stroller, and the girl nervously rubbed the edge of her blanket, struggling with fear. Even the clearing, hitherto peaceful, took on an ominous appearance. The shadows of the trees thickened, acquiring changeable and strange shapes, and then an eerie crackling sound was heard. It even seemed to Masha that ominous devilish eyes were watching her from the forest. She pressed her back against the tree trunk and took Jeanne, who had woken up, in her arms. The smell of forest herbs and damp earth wafted through the air. Masha even wished for a moment that the tragedy of the night was only a terrible dream, but she remained confident and determined. When the trembling of the earth subsided, she started the hovercraft again and prepared for further action.
Veniamin Girich, a leading specialist in the geological catastrophe analysis department, was fighting with his alarm clock. Or rather, with three alarm clocks, since he had to set three alarms at five-minute intervals, each sounding with increasing intensity. On top of such an elaborate ritual were the morning jogs, allowing him to finally wake up. Only after that did Girich manage to make it to the office. That morning, however, one alarm clock was enough. From his eleventh floor he could already hear car horns on the streets of Moscow. Unexpectedly for himself, Veniamin got up and briskly walked to the kitchen to turn on the webvisor. Images of devastation and destruction appeared on the screen.
Girich froze, stunned, staring at the monitor. As if in slow motion, entire buildings crumbled to the ground and crumpled like houses of cards. The ticker below blazed, announcing that the tragedy occurred last night in Sevastopol at 3:20. An 8.2-magnitude earthquake had wiped out the seaside city and nearby suburbs. At seven in the morning there were thirteen thousand casualties, a number that will no doubt rise as victims are rescued from the rubble. The images were captured by drones.
Girich sank slowly into his chair. Thirteen thousand. The number didn't seem to convey the full scale of the horror on the monitor. Drones circled over the ruined land and uprooted cliffs of the coast, capturing details of the apocalyptic landscape. Gaping lacerations with chunks of rebar replaced high-rise buildings, the flattened remains of cars were scattered among concrete blocks and mangled metal. The ticker was updating at an alarming rate, and the death toll was rising, despite the difficult access to the affected areas.
Veniamin turned on his computer, opened a map of the area and tried to zoom in on the destroyed airport, where something caught his eye. In the woods behind the airport, a red light was flashing. Girich tensed up - it was like the signal of a mobile device turned on. He instantly sent a request for cellular data, but only that lone red light appeared to be an active signal in the area. Dead space dominated a radius of several kilometers. Veniamin stood in front of the webvisor and went to the bathroom, leaving it on. He was about to shave when he suddenly jumped on the spot, as if from an electric shock, and rushed back into the kitchen. The light was still on.
Forgetting about shaving, Girich quickly got dressed, left the house, got into his car, and drove several kilometers to his office in ten minutes. On his work computer he opened a map of the Sevastopol airport area and found out that it was only five kilometers away from the epicenter. Naturally, the destruction there was also considerable. Suddenly he noticed two more faint signals on the screen, a few hundred meters away from the first one. Veniamin turned his attention to analyzing the seismic activity. The huge spike in magnitude was at 3:20, but after the first one there were several other much weaker tremors.
Girich left his office and strode through the busy corridors, which were much quieter on other days. Of course, everyone already knew about the earthquake. He entered Maxim Gasanov's office without knocking, sipping hot coffee from a cup. Out of the corner of his eye, he was squinting at his computer monitor, looking at the images of destruction.
- Max," Veniamin began without preamble or greeting, "do me a favor. It's urgent.
- Whatever you want, Venya," Hasanov replied, not taking his eyes off the screen or his coffee.
- One of our robots should be in Sevastopol right now. Can you pinpoint its exact location?
- Do you remember the serial number? - Max asked calmly.
- NM-5K7.
Hasanov clicked his fingers on the keyboard.
- Yes, it is in the vicinity of Sevastopol.
Veniamin did his best to hide his excitement.
- I see. Thanks, Max.
- Wait a minute," Hasanov suddenly put a cup of coffee on the table. - He seems to be moving. Strange, but not in the city, but toward the forest. - Max looked at Girich. - Why the hell did our robot decide to travel alone at such an early hour?
Veniamin tried his best to look calm.
- Can you track his movements overnight? Where was he, say, six hours ago?
- Sure I can," Max replied, "give me a couple minutes.
A map appeared on the monitor with a slow moving red dot that was their NM robot.
- Six hours ago he was..." Max jabbed his finger at the map, "right here. At one o'clock this morning he was in Sevastopol, and now he's moving in this direction," Hasanov's finger described a small arc. - Do you want to see it in 3D?
- No, no, I just wanted to understand when and how he started moving.
- I wonder," Max persisted. - This part of the forest... it's closed for access. And then... how is it possible? In the middle of the night, the robot left its base on its own? There are surveillance sensors there, and the robot shouldn't be able to get there. Was the security system triggered?
- Was any signal recorded before it started moving? - Veniamin asked.
- No, there were no alarms. Strangely, the sensors were silent, as if nothing had happened. The NM robot is programmed to strictly follow its route. At least, it should be: changing course on its own should be beyond its capabilities.
Max typed in a few commands, lines of code began to appear on his monitor, reporting the robot's movement.
- The robot's log is empty! - exclaimed the programmer. - Completely empty! As if everything had been deleted. Or... it had cleared itself.
Hasanov even stood up, shifting his chair.
- This is way over the line. NM can't erase his own records. What if someone hacked into his system?
Veniamin took a deep breath. At first he didn't believe what was happening, but after seeing it with his own eyes... He couldn't keep his suspicions secret anyway, he had to trust someone.
- There is one possibility, Max," he began cautiously, "we underestimated the self-learning potential of the NM. Its creators talked about small adaptive algorithms, but now we see that it may have evolved much faster than everyone assumed.
The scientists looked at each other, bewilderment in their eyes. The robot's self-awareness seemed like science-fiction nonsense, but the facts stubbornly pointed to the most improbable version. They looked at the map again. The red dot was now moving purposefully, avoiding roads and people, making its way through field and forest. But Girich, as an analyst, had to be the first to recognize this incredible fact.
- Yes, Max," he commented in a more confident voice, "the childcare robot NM-4K6, or simply Nanny Masha, sensed the earthquake at least two hours in advance and went to seek shelter in the open.
- Venya, but how!!! - The stunned Hasanov buried his hands in his thick hair.
- I put earthquake sensors on this robot, but no one knew about it.
They were silent for a few seconds. Then Girich spoke in a low voice:
- Max, I have to go after this nanny Masha. It's very important for me and for science, you know?
- If your damn sensors worked," Hasanov jumped up, "it's not just important for you. I don't know how you managed to install them on that robot, but it has to be returned, you're right. But I can't let you go there alone, it's too dangerous.
- All right, let's go. Do you have an hour to pack? We'll go home now and meet you at the airport. I'll book the tickets.
On the plane to Krasnodar, since the destroyed Sevastopol airport understandably accepted only emergency rescue teams, Veniamin was telling Max how his sensors worked.
- This is just part of Nanny Masha's system. She's not just a collection of mechanisms and sensors. Her artificial intelligence is capable of sophisticated analytical processing of information that goes far beyond standard protocols. Imagine: her sensors can detect microseismic activity that conventional instruments often miss. Nanny Masha has a unique prediction algorithm that recognizes not just a vibration, but a sequence of micro tremors that indicate the likelihood of an earthquake. That's why Masha is unique. Her AI has been trained on a huge amount of information about the instinct of self-preservation and the behavior of people in extreme situations.
- How does she know where to go? - Max asked with interest.
- Masha simulates possible scenarios and chooses the safest course of action by assessing the risks. It is able not just to detect a threat, but to "predict" its development and make a decision on immediate evacuation. The intelligent tuning of the shelter search algorithm is triggered. Masha analyzes the state of the environment using its sensors and built-in cameras and selects the location least exposed to the risk of landslides or building collapse.
- This is not just a robot nanny, but a real lifeguard," Hasanov laughed. - This is a new era in robotics.
The plane went to land, and the men had to think about how to rent a car. It was probably not easy in the current situation, due to the close proximity of Krasnodar to the epicenter of the earthquake. And getting to the robot's location was not the ultimate goal: it was necessary to take care of Masha's transportation. How to get her home, since robots were not allowed on airplanes. Max found a solution.
- We'll rent a van and pretend to bring blankets to the earthquake victims. We pick up the robot on the way back, so we can hide Masha in the van, especially if she needs repairs.
- Did you ever think about how long it would take to travel in the van? - Veniamin hesitated.
- Not counting stops for food and rest, it's about fifty hours, of course, in practice much more," Max shrugged, "besides, given the scale of the destruction, the obstacles we'll encounter there. But we have no alternatives.
Girich took a deep breath.
- Okay, let's do as you suggest.
The airplane had already touched the ground when Max suddenly asked:
- Wenya, do you think there's only one robot?
Veniamin answered only a few seconds later, serious and thoughtful:
- No, I don't think so.
The surroundings of the meadow had undergone a profound change. The first rays of the sun revealed to Masha an incredible picture: a hill about twelve meters high with slopes strewn with loose earth had grown on a vast plain. In some places there were stones lying on the slopes of this hill, as if someone's giant hand had twisted them out of the depths. The hill had an irregular shape, more like a huge dome, asymmetrical and disheveled. Deep furrows stretched along the bottom of the hill, as if forged by powerful claws, exposing subterranean layers of sand and clay. Behind the previously cheerfully babbling brook was a wide cleft that stretched a hundred meters deep into the forest. In the semi-darkness at its bottom one could see veins of quartz that glistened in the sun. The stream was now plunging into this chasm with a muffled gurgle, disappearing into its depths.
Several old pine trees had been ripped out and now lay like broken matches at the edge of the clearing. Their roots, covered with clods of earth, were sticking upward, as if clinging to the air. The crowns of the other trees were damaged, too, their drooping branches dropping so many needles that they covered the ground around them like a dark green carpet. The bark on the pines had cracked, resisting an invisible force. The air was saturated with the smell of crushed wood and damp earth. An ominous and tense silence reigned at the site of the recent disaster, no wind stirring the grass crushed by the trees, no frightened birds singing. The feeling of uneasiness had not yet left nature; everything around them was frozen in anticipation of the unknown.
Some time after sunrise, Jeanne opened her eyes. Her sleep during the tremors was guarded by the air cushion of the baby carriage. Nanny Masha, sensing the girl's awakening, leaned over her and smiled. Her sensors immediately began to do their job: they measured the child's vital parameters and transmitted a conclusion about her excellent condition. At first Jeanne looked around more surprised than frightened, a little disoriented by the fact that she woke up not in her crib, but in the open air. But when she saw Masha, she calmed down and smiled back, shrieking softly and holding out her arms to her.
The nanny took the girl in her arms, realizing that it was uncomfortable for her to lie in the stroller all the time. She spread a blanket on the wet grass and put Jeanne on it. She looked around curiously, interested in her new adventure. Climbing to her feet and clinging to stubby twigs, the girl took a few tentative steps on the blanket, exploring the space she was interested in. Every now and then she bounced happily and shrieked in satisfaction, full of enthusiasm. Thus, under the watchful eye of the nanny, the familiarization tour lasted a few minutes. Then the little girl, who had already learned a few words, returned to her stroller, exclaiming:
- Milk!
As always, the robot had everything ready for breakfast. Thanks to the powerful microwave beams, she warmed a bottle of milk powder diluted with water to the right temperature and spread a waterproof sheet on the grass. Before eating, Masha washed the girl with cold water from the stream, which Jeanne did not object to. After feeding her, the nanny changed her clothes and let her go on exploring the meadow. So they spent the whole afternoon there. The satisfied girl was very tired and in the evening fell asleep instantly, without waiting for the tales from the robot's archives, which Masha usually told her before bedtime. The nanny was satisfied with how their first day after the disaster had gone.
The sun slipped gently below the horizon, coloring the sky purple and scarlet. The shadows from the surviving trees surrounding the clearing grew colder and thicker. Masha watched Jeanne sleeping, then rolled up the waterproof sheet and wrapped the baby girl in a warm plaid. The robot nanny checked the environmental parameters: the humidity had increased and the temperature had dropped to +12°C. The appropriate commands flashed through her processor and she began to prepare for night mode. Her air analyzer showed a slight increase in carbon dioxide concentration, she knew that this was an indication that night was approaching.
Masha turned on a small heater, which in extreme conditions provided a comfortable temperature around Zhanna. Her movements were smooth, precise, devoid of any fuss and optimized for the girl's maximum safety and comfort. She put all her belongings into folding containers that closed tightly and protected the contents from insects and moisture. Finished preparing for bed, Masha activated her night vision system. Her infrared sensors gave her perfect visibility even in total darkness. She walked around the clearing, checking for possible threats. As the day's observations showed, the foxes kept their distance, but Masha still activated the built-in ultrasonic speaker, which emitted a squeak barely audible to the human ear, scaring away the wild animals.
Night came quickly. The robot stayed awake, analyzing the data collected during the day. Masha's memory stored thousands of scientific references, which she used to make decisions and predict possible changes to ensure Jeanne's safety. However, she was also experiencing something new, a feeling hard for her processor to explain - responsibility. The simple concern for Jeanne had become something more, transcending programming. In her electronic brain, the initial stage of development of a kind of affection, a tenderness not foreseen by her source code, was glimmering. But the girl's safety remained paramount, and Masha tried not to let her "emotions" affect her main job. She continued to watch Jeanne sleeping peacefully, ready to come to her aid at any moment.
Max and Veniamin had known each other for almost fifteen years. And in the company
They came to Nannybot almost at the same time and became fast friends. The company developed and manufactured robots designed to help humans in extreme situations: they were mountain rescuers, guards at ski resorts, guides in deserts and jungles. They also included butlers, nannies, and housekeepers, which were purchased mainly by families living in mountainous, seismic, arid, and other dangerous areas.
Girich and Hasanov quickly made a brilliant career: Veniamin became the head of the technical department of geological catastrophe analysis, and Max became the head of the robotics and informatics integration department. In search of a "runaway" robot, they rented a van and busied themselves analyzing earthquake news along the way. The death toll had risen to sixteen thousand. Many survivors were trying to make their way to the tent camps that had been set up in the open. Here and there they encountered vans with red crosses. Then the conversation turned to their mission.
- Venya, your department developed new sensors for NM about two years ago, haven't you had any problems with them all this time? - Max asked. He was sitting behind the wheel, staring at the road in front of him.
- Before Nanny Masha's trials," Girich began to recount, "I was researching methods of preventing collapses in tunnels and mines in seismic areas. I was studying the absorption of low-frequency waves when I discovered a very specific signal that I thought could be considered a precursor to an earthquake. I developed sensors based on this signal and was allowed to install them, as an experiment, in some of the largest geophysical laboratories in the world. Two years ago, there was a big earthquake in one of the areas of Japan where my sensors were installed, but they did not work.
- What happened? - Max asked. - What was the malfunction?
- According to my calculations, an hour and a half to two hours before the earthquake, the sensors should have "predicted" an earthquake with a magnitude greater than five. I set the threshold at 5.5. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake was recorded, but it was not reported in advance as it should have been. The problem was much more complicated than a simple technical glitch. I ruled out sensor malfunction, tested the sensors many times before and after the quake, and they were functional. They registered microseismic activity, but they did not transmit warning signals. Then I began to study the algorithm of data processing, which was quite complex, using neural networks, multilevel, containing the analysis of incoming data on the detection of earthquake precursors. The analysis showed that the algorithm was kind of fading but not failing.
- But several hours before the main shock, your sensors recorded increased microseismic activity," Hasanov persisted.
- Exactly right. The signal was coming in, but the neural network did not interpret it as a precursor to a strong earthquake, just as normal background noise. I started adjusting the parameters, running tens of thousands of simulations, finally discovering that the problem lay in the "retraining" of the neural network, in its too good adaptation to the data. Its training program was dominated by "typical" earthquake precursors, and the tremors in Japan turned out to be "anomalous" according to its ideas. The neural network detected an unusually long period of increasing microseismic activity. It was confused by the absence of sharp jumps, too gradual, smooth increase of the signal.
- You ended up reworking the algorithm as I know you did," Max remembered, "you introduced new criteria for evaluating the signal.
- Yes, they took into account not only the frequency and amplitude, but also the rate of increase in activity, including specific wave characteristics such as anomalously slow growth of seismic activity. Since then, the system has performed more stably, and the improved algorithm has been able to greatly improve the accuracy of earthquake prediction. However, I realized that it was impossible to completely eliminate errors. Nature is unpredictable; we do not yet fully understand such a complex phenomenon as earthquakes. I set out to continuously improve the robot models, correcting errors and incorporating new data to minimize risks. However, I later discovered that there are other additional factors to consider, especially in NM work, namely increasing the minimum recorded magnitude value.
- So," Max said perplexed, "the stronger the earthquake, the earlier the robot can predict it?
- Exactly! - Veniamin waved his hands. - The problem was that no one believed me. My sensors were called even the greatest hoaxes.
Max laughed:
- From what you told me in the office this morning, you're not down on yourself.
- Yes, I continued to study earthquakes," Girich smiled, "only I didn't prove anything to anyone else. And two years ago, Nanny Masha was finally transformed from an experimental version into a robot model for widespread home use. It was such a chance for me, because her device included my invented sensors! I increased their sensitivity, but lowered the magnitude threshold to 4.9 on the Richter scale. I secretly installed these sensors on some of the robot servants. The most advanced of these were nannies to help parents with childcare. Only the most experienced person could distinguish them from a living person. I chose those that were designed to work in areas with increased seismic activity. In total, my sensors are installed on seven robots, one of which is now the target of our search.
- I guess, Venya, that there is no hint about installation of your sensors in any technical passport, - Max commented cheerfully.
- Of course not," Veniamin grinned.
- You took a big risk.
- And that's right. Firing me is the least of my worries. But to prove my invention worked, I had to take a risk.
- What would you do if it didn't work?
- I would have sat at home, enjoying my idleness," Veniamin replied sadly, but there was a touch of pride in his voice. - I believed in my sensors. I worked on them for years, spending nights at the computer, sometimes even sleeping in the office to notice the slightest deviation in the indicators. Remember how you used to tease me about my nest of chips and wires?
- Of course I remember," Max smiled. - You were on the verge of a nervous breakdown at the time. But you got what you wanted. You're a hero now, but bypassing all regulations and instructions.
- When we find the robot and make sure the system works," Girich suddenly became serious, "I'll need your help with the documentation.
- I'll help you with that by starting with the data sheet for your sensors. It's now a matter of general importance. Afterwards, we'll celebrate your heroic deed.
- I agree," Veniamin nodded. - This time, I promise, everything will be by the book.
Deep in the night, Jeanne cried, this time frightened that she had woken up not at home and in pitch darkness. Nanny Masha immediately turned on the light and leaned over to her. She began to hum a gentle lullaby to the girl, stroking her soft hair. But the little girl did not calm down, realizing that something out of the ordinary was happening. Then Masha quickly warmed her milk in a bottle, after which Jeanne fell asleep again.
In the morning, the nanny began to think about returning home. Her assessment of the situation showed her that the danger was almost over. Jeanne woke up cheerful, as if she had never had nightmares. After playing in the clearing and having lunch, the girl fell asleep in her stroller again. Taking advantage of the moment, Masha rolled her down the same path they had come here. Walking back was much more difficult because of the many rubble piles left by the earthquake. Afraid to lose their way, the nanny carefully avoided the fallen trees.
After an hour, it had to stop because in one place a blockage completely blocked their path. The robot analyzed the situation for a few minutes, then decided to deviate from the route to bypass the obstacle. Masha tried to use all her skills of navigating in difficult conditions, built into her program, which she could use to find her way home.
Of all the models created by Nannybot, it is in the NM robots that the resemblance to humans was especially carefully considered. After all, they had to work with children - small creatures whose trust it was so important for the robot to gain. Nanny Masha's designers used an extensive catalog of female figures before creating the facial features of a beautiful and sweet girl. But unlike robots operating in extreme situations, the NM model didn't incorporate as many navigation mechanisms to help them reach unfamiliar destinations and take alternate routes. Nanny Masha was only capable of repeating paths already traveled, so now the robot was faced with the difficult choice of finding algorithms for not only robotic but also human sense of self-preservation. Her sensors relayed to her, "Return to the clearing, prepare Jeanne for another overnight stay, and wait."
Masha stood for a while by the impassable rubble, analyzing the command she had received. It was safe in the clearing, Jeanne liked it there, but one more night spent in the forest made the nanny anxious. Where was the guarantee that this night would be the last? What if they were destined to stay there for a long time? Such thoughts were alien to Masha's standard algorithms, so their appearance took her herself by surprise. A robot nanny was not programmed to assess risks of this magnitude. Moreover, its sensors detected the worsening weather conditions: the sky was covered with clouds, the wind was picking up, and the temperature was dropping.
Masha began analyzing data from past trips when she had to travel with the Tikhonov family. She compared the recorded weather conditions with the child's body temperature and realized that the girl was in danger of hypothermia. The light blanket and a couple of sweaters she had been able to take with her were clearly not enough. Nor would her own power be enough to maintain an optimal temperature in a two-meter radius around Jeanne. For the first time, the nanny was faced with having to make a decision that was beyond her programming. Her "intuition", previously based only on statistics, now told her that simply returning to the clearing was a temporary solution. A safe haven must be found.
Masha walked back down the path, pushing the hovercraft in front of her. When she returned to the clearing, she found a large hole formed by the roots of a huge tree pulled out of the ground. Climbing in there with the girl, the nanny found that there they would be well protected from the rain and wind. Her sensors carefully examined the illumination of their improvised cave, the angle of its walls, the roughness of the surface. Masha made her further actions based on the peculiarities of the terrain to ensure maximum comfort for Zhanna. She put the girl on the driest place, turned on her heater, measured the baby's body temperature and air humidity.
For the first time since its creation, the robot nanny of the NM model started the process of self-assessment of its own actions. It compared the programs embedded in it with the decisions made and assessed the degree of deviation from the usual norms. It turned out that she went beyond the programmed actions by 44.7%, non-standard decisions were made by her in 18.2% of cases, not only the logic embedded in her, but also some analog of Masha's self-preservation instinct was similar to the human one by 24.4%. This case became an unforgettable lesson for the robot, which extended the limits of her capabilities far beyond the standard software.
Girich had never driven a van, so Max was behind the wheel all the time. They drove along the highway with the headlights on, the stars peering into the cab from the panoramic sunroof. They were almost two-thirds of the way down the highway when Veniamin dozed off. He was awakened by his comrade's cry:
- Vanya, I've been thinking," Max started, but saw that his friend had jumped up. - I'm sorry, I didn't know you were asleep.
- Come on, it's nothing. What were you thinking?
- When a robot senses an earthquake coming, shouldn't it raise the alarm? Isn't that command built into them? Their data sheets say: "The robot cannot harm a human being and cannot allow a human being to be harmed by its inaction.
- That's true, Max, but the robot makers also took into account that few people are capable of jumping up in the middle of the night and following a robot to a "safe place" that's talking nonsense about earthquakes that are supposedly going to happen in two hours. You see, even in the seismic zone itself, strong earthquakes don't happen more often than once every hundred years. So you, for example, living in a seismic area, may never experience a real disaster in your lifetime. Would you believe a robot that tells you that in two hours you will be buried under the rubble of your own house?
- So robots are provided with some special code that gives them priority to choose a solution in cases like this?
- That's right. This code requires the robot to ensure the safety of only the person entrusted to it, namely the child. So Masha didn't raise the alarm, but simply followed the coded order. She picked up the child she had been entrusted with and carried her to safety. The girl's name is Zhanna Tikhonova, she is not even two years old yet. And now the two are somewhere in the cold and damp forest. At night.
- I suppose," Max said, "the robot had another reason for not waking the child's parents. After all, if they saw the nanny carrying the girl out of the house at this late hour, they would stop her. Then go prove that she was in mortal danger! And in the robot is laid down: to save his ward at any cost. - Max was silent for a moment, then said quietly: "Jeanne's parents are probably dead.
- Most likely. There are many victims in Sevastopol," sighed Veniamin. - But I'm worried about something else: Nanny Masha's battery life is limited. - He flipped through his tablet: - Its charge level is now fifty percent, even though the biometric data is perfect. They've been in the forest for over twenty-four hours, so after a few hours, the robot should be beeping, forcing Masha to change batteries, since this model doesn't have a charging station.
- What if she didn't bring spare batteries?
- That's what worries me. We should make adjustments to her program later. After all, at the first alarm Masha thinks only about how to save the child, so she packs only her things. Taking the batteries with her means for her to take out of her bag some of Jeanne's clothes, which should provide her with maximum comfort, if not save her life. The robot won't let that slip.
- Listen, Venya, I'm increasing the gas," Max said sympathetically. - The little girl risks being left alone in the woods at night next to a lifeless car if we don't hurry up.
The rain that had started an hour ago had turned into a downpour, turning the stream in the clearing into a raging torrent. Masha's infrared sensors cut through the impenetrable darkness, each trickle of water dripping from the overhanging roots of a fallen tree killing any hope of a peaceful night. Fortunately, Jeanne was asleep, the heat generated by the robot in their little cave was enough to warm the girl. With nothing to do, Masha began to analyze the behavior of her ward.
At the age of one and a half, Jeanne already knew how to say a few words. Most often she said "Nanny", a word that was the first one the girl had learned. But it is not surprising, because Masha appeared in the house of the Tikhonovs just a few days after the birth of their firstborn. She was always around, it was her main task - not to leave the little girl unattended for a minute. Semyon Tikhonov, Zhanna's father, was very enthusiastic about robotics, and Nannybot was recommended to him by his cousin Boris, who worked there. Soon after Masha appeared in the house and Semyon, an engineer by education, got a job with the company. At first the Tikhonovs' housekeeper, Margarita Davydovna, was assigned to Masha, but soon everyone realized that the robot nanny coped with her duties so brilliantly that the girl was trusted to her without fear.
Masha did not discuss family affairs in the kitchen, did not demand days off, did not get sick or tired. She was able to organize educational games, adapt them to the individual characteristics of the child's development, monitored Jeanne's diet, excluding allergic reactions and calculating the diet to the nearest gram, maintained the optimal temperature in the nursery. Jeanne liked Masha at once, as a newborn child is able to sympathize with an unfamiliar adult. She especially liked the voice of the nanny, who could change intonation and put different emotions into each word. Masha moved like a living person, inventing fascinating dances for the girl, singing cheerful melodies and inventing new games.
Margarita Davydovna returned to her former duties. She cooked delicious and healthy food for the Tikhonovs, cleaned the house and grew flowers in the greenhouse, creating a real paradise. Masha and Margarita established a warm understanding between them. Tikhonovs were delighted. Masha did not replace for the girl their parental love, but became the main assistant, able to find time for real human relations. She was more than just a robot. The nanny became an integral part of their family, an indispensable and faithful ally.
And now a small piece of what had once been a close-knit family - a girl and a robot - were alone in the forest, both unsure of what to do next. The rain had stopped, and Jeanne woke up. The sun was slipping toward sunset for the third time since the earthquake. The nanny made the baby a dinner of mashed potatoes and veal to diversify the dairy diet. Using microwave waves to warm the food took a lot of energy. After dinner, Masha let Jeanne watch some cartoons from her 3D archive, just a little, strictly conserving her batteries. When they were at home, Masha's energy was enough for more than a week; in the conditions they were in now, with no central heating or gas, the robot's batteries could hardly last four days. But she knew that power consumption was necessary to protect the little girl. That evening, the nanny noted in her log that the energy level had dropped below thirty percent.
The next day a terrible cold descended on the clearing. Masha turned up the heat and began preparing breakfast for Jeanne, who was still asleep and carefully wrapped in a blanket. She noticed that her fingers, usually quick and nimble, were now moving somewhat sluggishly. The battery showed 22%, blinking threateningly with a red light. Masha tried not to make any noise, knowing that sleeping under the blanket was better for Jeanne than bouncing around in the cold, wet grass. The heating system was working at its limit. The robot was again faced with a difficult choice: save energy on heating or try to find help again. Masha activated the built-in radio receiver, but only a muffled crackle of static could be heard on the air. She sent out an SOS signal, but there was no response. Her sensors, usually quick to pick up signals tens of kilometers away, were powerless against the harsh reality of the disaster.
When Zhanna woke up, there was not the usual joy in her eyes. Masha realized that the girl was cold. She smiled gently at her, trying to hide her anxiety. Turning on the extra miniature heater to its lowest setting, the nanny directed its heat directly at the girl to warm her. It was then that an idea occurred to her, triggering an unfamiliar feeling. Masha decided to trust this feeling and began to pick up small branches scattered around their cave that had managed to dry up after yesterday's rain. She tried to avoid unnecessary movements, conserving her energy. Slowly but persistently, Nanny gathered a small pile of wood chips, enough for a small fire. Turning her heat source on full blast for a moment and aiming it at the chips, she started a fire in front of the cave entrance. This purely human gesture suddenly filled the robot with such pride that Masha looked at Jeanne, who was watching her with interest, with even more affection. Now the girl would be warmer.
By evening, Nanny's battery was showing only 15%. The fire warmed the cave, but it burned weakly. Masha realized that the heat had to be kept constant, otherwise the little girl might get sick from hypothermia. But gathering twigs required energy, which the robot had to conserve so diligently. The nanny noted in her logbook, "Critical energy level." She fired up the built-in emergency call module, once again sending out an SOS signal with maximum power, knowing full well that this was her last attempt.
Fifty-six hours of travel were behind them when Veniamin Girich and Maxim Hasanov saw the road sign for Sevastopol. Instead of optimism and relief, however, they were overcome by despair at the sight of a steady stream of refugees, white tents along the road, and vans with red crosses. Most of the city had been evacuated, but many victims remained buried under the rubble, dead or alive - no one tried not to think about it, the rescuers just did their monotonous work: sullen and preoccupied, they dug, dismantled, pulled out, evacuated, animated... And miracles sometimes happened - someone was found alive.
Max and Veniamin quickly discovered that they, too, would need a real miracle to get close to the outskirts of Sevastopol. All roads were accessible only to emergency vehicles. They had to make a decent detour, choosing other routes through terrain less affected by the earthquake. Exhausted and hungry, sleeping very little en route, the men hurried as best they could, especially after they realized that Masha hadn't brought a spare battery with her. Fortunately, they had foreseen this turn of events and had brought a spare with them. The two scientists, the robot, and the little girl only had a few hours to spare before another tragedy struck. Finally, they reached the bridge over the river, beyond which was the forest where their fugitives were hiding. Very close by, the red light on their clipboards flashed, heralding that the objective was near. Armed guards stood at the entrance to the bridge.
- I'll talk to them," Veniamin said to Max and turned to the officer who approached their car: "Hello, we brought blankets for the wounded.
- Very well," the guard replied, "take them over there," he pointed in the direction opposite the forest. - You see those tents? There's an emergency room there.
- We would also like to participate in rescue operations," Girich insisted. - We are from Nannybot, I am a seismologist and my colleague is a programmer. I know there are a lot of robots working here now, and we could improve their software and monitor their serviceability.
- We need human hands and equipment to find bodies under the rubble more than we need your programs," the officer replied. - But if you want to help, go to the camp. There are robots there, too, tending to the wounded.
This turn of events did not suit the scientists, they had to get across the bridge at all costs.
- I think there's a mine in that direction," Veniamin pointed toward the forest, "there are robots working there, too, the designs for the models of which I personally coordinated. There may be debris and casualties in the mine. Let us go through, we may need software upgrade specialists there.
- Wait here, I'll be right back," the officer agreed. He reappeared a few minutes later, accompanied by two sergeants. - You'll be escorted, but you'll have to leave the van here, it's impassable. Take all the equipment you need.
There was nothing left for Veniamin and Max to do but agree to hitchhike. They took the equipment and the spare battery for Masha, crossed the bridge, and walked along the road toward the forest. The sergeants' faces remained impenetrable, they too had been through a lot in the last three days. They were silent and sullen. Only after half an hour of walking did one of them ask Veniamin:
- So you design robots? The ones that work in the mines?
- Not just them," Girich replied. - Miners are the latest generation of robots equipped with a self-learning system. They are able to make their own decisions, which is very important in extreme situations when removing rubble.
Veniamin glanced at his tablet. Fortunately, they were moving in the right direction: the red light was getting closer. The sergeant seemed interested in his explanation.
- So you're packed with robotics repair equipment?
- We were able to carry a little with us," Max said evasively, "We have a mini-drone for scouting hard-to-reach places, tools for fixing damaged chips, and a server for downloading updated software. - He didn't mention the battery.
The road to the mine was not as easy as they had imagined. They struggled over uneven terrain, fallen tree trunks, branches scratching their hands and faces. Benjamin kept his eyes on the tablet. Finally, they reached the place where they had to make a turn toward the mine. A red light flickered ahead.
- We're going to lose a lot of time that way," Max whispered.
- I know, but we don't have any other choice. We'll figure something out. Sergeant," Veniamin turned to their most talkative guide. - We could set up camp here, leave some of the equipment and go for a reconnaissance. We need to find out the extent of the damage and determine what we'll need to repair the robots.
- Good," the sergeant agreed and nodded to his partner. Their small team came to a stop, and the two scientists lowered their heavy backpacks to the ground with relief. Veniamin and Max pretended to rummage vigorously through their contents, putting out everything but Masha's battery. Finally, they straightened up, and Veniamin addressed the officers again:
- Could you keep watch here while we go to the mine? This equipment is very valuable.
- It could be dangerous," the talkative sergeant replied with doubt in his voice, "Well, go on, but try to get back before dark. It's more than half an hour's walk from here to the mine.
- Don't worry, we'll be back soon.
The scientists tried to hide in the forest as quickly as possible, and when the sergeants were out of sight behind the trees, they turned sharply to the right and almost sprinted. Their anxiety was increasing by the minute.
- Wenya," Max said suddenly, visibly out of breath, "are you sure we shouldn't have brought those soldiers with us? We could have used their help.
- Max, what are you talking about? We are only sure that there, in the forest, is our robot of the NM model, - Veniamin pointed his finger at the tablet. - We are also sure that Masha took Zhanna away with her, because this robot was created for this very purpose: to take care of the safety of the children entrusted to this model. But we don't know if the girl is still alive. You want to go to that place with strangers and find a lifeless car with a dead child in it? After what I've done to my sensors? You know what's gonna happen to me after that! It's a criminal case!
In the sunniest and warmest hours of the day, Masha and Zhanna would climb out of their cave, built under the roots of a fallen tree, to play a little in the clearing. This was necessary both for the girl's physical health, to stretch and warm up, and to boost her morale. During the games there was another problem: the water in the large flask that the nanny had brought with her was running low, and Jeanne, warmed up by the movement, was often thirsty. Masha, having analyzed the water in the nearby stream, came to the conclusion that in such extreme conditions she had no other choice but to let the girl drink water from the spring, which was not harmful to her. At the same time, she analyzed the berries she found nearby and gave Jeanne some juicy blueberries.
By the evening of the third day, the little girl was crying again, this time calling for Mommy and Daddy. Her initial interest in the exciting adventure waned and she fell into melancholy. The girl began to cry more and more often, missing her parents. Masha tried running a program based on algorithms developed by the world's leading experts in pedagogy and pediatrics. These programs gave her new games that could distract the child from sad thoughts and occupy her little head to the maximum.
Since they had settled in the forest clearing, Masha had not heard a single human voice or seen a single face. Sometimes she heard the distant murmur of a helicopter, but none of them had ever flown over the clearing. The survivors of the earthquake were being searched for in the city; no one had thought of combing the forest. Apart from her parents, Jeanne had no one to miss her, and there was little hope that they were alive. That evening, Masha noted in her journal that her energy reserves were nearly depleted. She marked it for the last time.
The robot nanny suddenly felt that this moment was more than just a drain on her energy forces. It meant the end. But the end of what? The immobility of her electronic body, or the failure to comply with the strict law of robotics embedded in her program, "Do no harm to a human being"? Yes, all of those things, but something else as well. In front of her, a little girl slept by an extinguished campfire, tired from too-mobile games and despair. A tiny human child with whom she had spent a year and a half, caressing her, putting her to bed, smiling at her, and she had always answered her with immense love and affection. Masha felt an unfamiliar feeling in her chest: something clenched, making her frightened. "The battery is dying," she thought.
Their little cave seemed a safe haven only in comparison to the vast emptiness of the world around them. Jeanne's milk powder was almost gone, and her nurse fed her berries, which did little to replenish the calories she had lost. Every hour was now a struggle for survival, every breath the girl took was her personal victory over impending death. And what will happen to her when Masha becomes a motionless statue?
Their fourth night had come, and darkness enveloped the glade. The stars in the vast sky were indifferent to their suffering. The only consolation was that it would not rain. Their last hours were accompanied only by the whisper of the wind in the crowns of the trees. Masha pressed herself against Jeanne, as if trying to transfer to her the warmth that her electronic body did not possess. She did not dare to turn on the heater: it would take away the rest of her energy in a few minutes, and the girl would be left all alone in the darkness, deep in the forgotten forest, in the shadow of the great tragedy that had consumed her hometown.
They walked among the fallen trees, in the dark, carefully avoiding the ravines and cracks in the ground created by the earthquake. One by one, step by step, silently. In front of Hasanov, behind Girich, carrying the battery and the minimum equipment they had brought with them so that it would not slow them down. They realized that if they didn't make it before dawn, they might not find the girl alive. Without Masha's energy, the one-and-a-half-year-old would die of hypothermia in minutes.
Max and Veniamin didn't even take a rucksack with provisions with them; it was the only way to fool their guides into thinking they were going to a mine half an hour away. The walkie-talkie the military had given them, they immediately turned off. Exhausted, they stopped before a narrow path, on one side of which was a deep ravine, and on the other a wall of trees stacked on top of each other, with trunks and intertwined branches taller than a man. The two men, after catching their breath a little, followed this path, not even knowing if it would be accessible ahead. The red light on Veniamin's tablet was quite close. They had to stop just a few dozen meters before their goal: a huge century-old tree, ripped out from the root, blocked the path.
The trunk of the tree, as thick as a car, raised branches like tentacles above the ground, its roots clinging to clods of clay still intertwined with small plants. The top, topped with a thick crown, rested against other fallen trees, creating the sensation of an avalanche frozen in a silent apocalypse. Veniamin brought the tablet closer to his eyes, peering at the map in the darkness. The red light was still flashing, indicating a spot just beyond the obstacle. Max sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket.
- Well, this seems to be the end of the road.
- We need to find a way around it. As soon as possible.
They began to examine the obstacle from the side where the sloping trunk was practically inaccessible, the gully leading down the steep slope, threatening the two men with a fall into a thicket of thorny shrubbery. From the other side of the debris, it was also impossible to get through the dense network of intertwined trunks and branches. Benjamin probed the ground with a thick bough and found a gap between the roots, overgrown with herbaceous plants.
- You can get through here! - He exclaimed, pushing the leaves apart.
It was very difficult to get through the gap. Girich was the first to go, pushing through the thick wall of thickets, scratching his face and hands. Max followed him, struggling to push his body through the narrow gaps between the powerful roots. The air was filled with the odor of stale leaves and damp earth. Finally, they made it to the other side, breathing in the cool night air. A clearing spread out before them, faintly illuminated by the incomplete moon. In the center of the clearing stood an old oak tree, half torn out of the ground, its surviving branches reaching toward the moon like mighty arms. A deep hole gaped beneath its roots. Veniamin glanced at the tablet: the red light was gone.
Jeanne woke up in the middle of the night and cried. Either from hunger or from fear. Most likely from hunger, because the crying was quickly cut short - the little girl did not have much strength left to continue it. But Nanny Masha could no longer hear her crying.
Standing in the clearing and looking at the dislocated oak tree, the men listened and looked at each other.
- Did you hear that squeak too? - Max asked.
Without speaking again, they both rushed to the intertwined roots. They had only knives with them, and in the darkness it was not easy to find a loophole inside, so they used their knives to knock the dried clods of earth off the roots to squeeze between them. The two scientists were in a hurry, having already realized that the girl was there, on a pile of cold clay and broken branches.
Zhanna woke up again, this time to a noise. She was frightened and wanted to call for Nanny Masha, but in the faint light of the moon that shone through the roots of the tree, she saw that Nanny was lying motionless beside her. Masha had passed out immediately after her last journal entry, which was a conscious choice. The robot nanny had chosen to shut down completely while the girl slept, to conserve a modicum of energy that the little girl might need upon awakening. Masha switched back on the moment they both heard the sound of breaking branches and clods of earth falling on their heads.
- We're here," Nanny said with difficulty, her voice creaky from lack of energy.
She stroked Jeanne's head with clumsy hands, unable to control her movements any longer. Masha knew she was about to pass out completely. With one arm she hugged the girl, soothing her, and with the other she began laboriously pulling Zhanna's bottle of formula out of her backpack. There was less than a quarter of the liquid left in the bottle, but the nanny had stashed it away for the very last resort. Now those from above trying to reach them would be able to feed the girl. Masha will no longer be able to warm the milk. The robot nanny coordinated the sensors with one final effort. She only had to say a few words, but the girl's life depended on them. Would she succeed?
- Darling," Masha's metallic voice creaked quietly, "don't... move... wait....
Nanny Masha froze and remained motionless. Her arm tightly embraced the one and a half year old baby girl, who clung to her nanny and stared up fearfully. "It's a game," she thought, and began to hum the words of her favorite counting song, "Freeze, freeze, close your eyes...". She could not pronounce the words well, but she tried hard, knowing that the nanny would be happy when she heard how well Jeanne sang. At that moment something fell on her head, strong arms picked her up, and the girl was thrown up.
She saw the sky beginning to turn pink over the treetops. The strong arms not only did not let her go, but pressed her into them with such force that Jeanne felt something wet and hot on the cheek of some uncle, who only sobbed, pressing his nose into her small, gaunt face. There was another uncle with him, who turned on his beeping phone and started shouting into the receiver:
- Sarge, Sarge, get a helicopter now! Locate us and send backup to these coordinates! There's a one-and-a-half-year-old child in critical condition here in the woods!