Franklin Mears 2 - rightous warriors

If I was working on an article about the situation in Syria, I would use the word "brutal" often. This conflict has been going over six years now, with high casualties. I feel sorry for the people of this now broken nation but I had to focus on a smaller situation that maybe won't have any greater effects on the world, but something the public must learn about. Even as I was traveling on the broken roads of Syria, I noticed that things were still not as clear as I hoped it would be. That android's answers raised more questions and I was really starting to lose my optimism. I asked myself the same question every night: Will it make sense at the end?

My contact managed to get me close to the area that the kurdish rebels were occupying. He reminded me how we could be ambushed by ISIS at any moment, due to their huge presence in the region. Deep inside I knew that I had to somehow ask their nandroids too, I just didn't know how I can do that without losing my head. Eventually, I told Kamaal how I had to get into the calpihate so I can finish my job, but not even another hundred dollars to his paycheck were able to get me inside. Or at least not with him. He hated the idea of stepping inside ISIS territory so much it kinda reminded me of most journalists on the west, barely capable of driving outside their own city.

For some odd reason, rumors have been spreading around soldiers and officers alike. Word go out of the rebel camp about mymission to discover the truth behind the warrior nandroids. I got asked a few times if I'm the western journalist who is obsessed with robots. I always replied with a kind yes but deep inside I knew that I should just lay low. If my work in Syria gets too much attention, my life could be at risk or my job can be sabotaged. Over all, I don't think that everyone wants the public to know the truth. My first interview already got me interested in this topic. If the US goverment is truly behind this, then they will definitely do everything they can to hide their secrets.

Despite a war going on around me, my trip was a success. A few days after I met Mahla, I would have my first and hopefully last experience with the now infamous Islamic State. We were dangerously close to the warzone, next to a city on the northern part of the nation. Kamaal was about to turn around when we were stopped at a checkpoint. A syrian commander told us that the figthing was brutal and that we shouldn't proceed any further. I had a feeling that we are running out of time, but fear turned into a excitment as a female voice speaking english started talking ona local radio broadcast. The message was about a possible interview in a "safe" part of town. They asked me to meet them, so I can ask their nandroid out without me getting killed.

This was bviously a trap. Everyone - including myself - knew this. But this was an opportunity that I simply counldn't let go. Despite the syrian army's presence and my guide's cowardly attitude, I sneaked into the city one night and headed towards the location they said on the radio.

I arrived to the meeting without any trouble and quickly found myself surrounded by most ruthless terrorists as of the time I'm writing this. Even if their intention was to behead me later, they forced me to walk into a well lit room without harming me. As I stepped inside, I saw the voice on the radio. A nandroid in an ISIS uniform just like the ones her human brothers wear. She was sitting in a chair and told me to sit on another chair in front of her.


*The following transcript was the convsersation between Franklin Mears and the ISIL nandroid*

"Nice to meet you. Can I have your name please?"
"Sadeeqa."
"And you are a nandroid who fights for the Islamic State..."
"Obviously."
"I will only ask a few question, mostly related to-"
"Just make it quick."
"Oh, yes of course."
[Franklin takes out his notes]
"First of all, I see that you got accepted into ISIS fairly well."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well the ISIL is fairly... Conservative to say the least. Do they look at you as a normal member?"
"I am just a humble tool of Allah. Unlike how the west would think of me, here they know that I'm just a thinking machine, fighting in the eternal jihad."
"So they just gave you an uniform when you arrived."
"I was already wearing it when I joined the caliphate."
"How long have you been part of the jihad?"
"Ever since it began."
"And you fully support these extremists?"
"These are rightous warriors infidel! You better watch your tonge."
"Of course, of course."
[He clears his throat and flips through his notes]
"Alright, I would like to know how you got here exactly."
"That's none of your business."
"Can I at least know more about your education? I know for a fact that older nandroids had to be trained by humans. And I also learned that robots who were sent out to the syrian rebels were trained to be soldiers."
"You are crazy. Maybe nannies do, but we don't go through your definition of 'school'. I was trained by the best jihadists on the world. May Allah protect captain Morgan."
"Morgan? I'm not sure if-"
"Silence. Next question."
[Franklin takes a deep breath]
"So your first memory was being trained by these people."
"Naturally. After my quick training I was sent here. They created me, showed me the right path and I serve under them ever since."
"Did they also send you out on a plane?"
"I don't undertsand what you mean by this."
[He takes something out of his pocket]
"These pictures show a robot fighting for the rebels on the south. She was trained to fight for them and she was sent out to the region just like you."
"This is crazy. I don't believe this. The only soldiers who look like me are here in our caliphate or Musfirah in Afghanistan."
"Wait- Hold on... The talibans have a nandroid too?!"
"It's duty is to serve the great warriors on the afghan mountains. It will help get rid of our enemies in the region insallah."
[Knocking and arabic speech can be ehard in the background]
"You asked bad questions infidel."
[The android shouts back in arabic]
"No, you just gave me too much time."
[A couple of explosions can be heard in the background. Followed by more shouting and an explosion close to the room]

*The recording ends*

People called me lucky before, but on that night I felt like the luckiest bastard on the planet. The russians started to get involved in Syria more and more and they decided to raid the city I was in. Their strategic bombing gave me a chance to escape and I ran back to the army camp with only a couple of bruises.

This Sadeeqa wasn't really cooperative but she helped go deeper into the rabbit hole. I knew a name and a location for my next interview and I knew that my guide wouldn't drive there. I payed Kamaal to drive me back to Beirut where I gave him most of the money I had. After shaking hands I flew to Kabul, capital of Afghanistan.

I started thinkng about this entire situation. The story of the ISIS android sounds familiar to the rebel one. It wasn't necessary for me to ask questions about the kurdish nandroid. My heart told me that I would get my answers in the mountains of the taliban.