Franklin Mears 1 - the syrian nandroid

Throught my career, I have seen and written about many bizarre, shocking and seemingly crazy events. I have published multiple articles about robot death squads produced by Murdoc, terrorizing farmers in Bolivia. I gathered evidence about Sirius sentry guns guarding lithium mines and Volkman even tried to bribe me after I shed some light on their dark past. These shady corporate actions were of course always made for the sake of profit and even if these great corporations designed robots to commit crimes against humanity, these events made sense in a sick greedy way.

As I was spending some time on my blog on a rainy september night, drinking my coffee, I realized the fact that out of all these giants on the robot market, I never heard or discovered any secret about Sterling Robotics. The company's golden age has passed, but even then their presence in the market is still huge. Goverment contracts and a dozen subsidiary companies aside, they haven't done much in recent years. I was about to go to sleep when a mysterious man called John Smith, using a stock photo of some white guy in a suit sent me an email.

"Hello. I am impressed by your work. I have sent you some photos. Take care."

A couple of photos were attached to the email. These pictures showed modern nandroids produced by Sterling somewhere on the middle east. Some of them were destroyed while others were standing in group photos, standing in uniforms. One picture was a screenshot from what I assume was a beheading video where a small and skinny figure can be seen in the background. Whoever this John Smith is - if that's his real name - he sparked my curiousity. What were nanny bots doing there and who sent them? I knew that I need to find answers but I also knew that the trip won't be safe nor cheap, but I am willing to risk my life for information the public deserves to see.

If something went wrong and my work couldn't be published -or I died before I could do it myself -, then I will tell you that my name is Franklin Mears, independent journalist and number one enemy of robotics companies. I have spent years of my life digging out their secrets and exposing them to the world. During the spring of 2017 I spent a month on the middle east, trying to find answers for the question: what are nandroids going in Syria?


Before I started my journey, I focused on learning a bit more about the pictures. I contacted a few friends and searched around the internet, asking about the uniforms and factions that were on the pictures as I'm not a big military expert. I learned that most nandroids were allied with the syrian rebels while a handful appeared to be soldiers of the Islamic State. I also discovered that most of the photos that portrayed destroyed androids were not manufactured by Sterling but in fact, they were russian nurse bots. After this and reading more about the Syrian civil war, I got in touch with a local who would safely help me travel around the country. For a reasonable price of course.

After finishing my research I bought a ticket to Beirut, where after landing I quickly made my way to a local hotel where my contact, Kamaal was waiting for me. We talked for a bit and I explained to him my reason to visit the middle east in great detail and that I wanted to visit the kurdish militias and other rebel groups first as they had actual, Sterling produced nandroids in their forces. He scratched his head for a bit but after I reminded him about how much I am willing to pay him, he mentioned that he knows a guy who can get me inside a camp that belongs to the opposition and a camp that belongs to the kurds. At that point I had no intentions of visiting the Islamic State but I knew if I can't get enough information to discover something big, then I need to make a visit to the ISIL.

The trip was everything but uneventful. The war was still raging on and after entering Syria we had to pass through several firefights and skirmishes. Kamaal was a little bit nervous when we entered rebel territory but after he got us in through one of his friends, he was calm as if there was no war at all. During the trip I asked him if he knows anything about the nandroids but he knew as much as I did. Assad got nurses from Russia. Something that I wasn't suprised about.

We eventually approached a rebel camp. Kamaal drove us close and started talking to someone on his phone. A few minutes later a soldier who must have been some officer told me to come in but only after I got searched. I left my camera in the car so all they found was a notebook, a pen and a voice recorder. As I was escorted inside, the officer asked for my name. I told him who I was and to my suprise he read one of my work. The only reason why I was actually allowed to ask around was because our similar views on the world and because of Kamaal of course. I told them why I came here and if they know anything about western nandroids working for them. He gave me a suprised look, told one of his men something I sadly couldn't understand and made me enter a tent. He explained it to me how the robots are a little bit of a touchy subject but he will let it slip thanks to our "similar beliefs".

Before I could ask him why, a small figure entered the tent. I quickly realize that this soldier was in fact an actual nandroid! There was a real, Sterling nanny droid standing next to me while dressed in some sort of army uniform with her hair shaved to be really short. She saluted her superior and said something in arabic. I asked the commander to leave us for a few minutes which he did without questions. It was only the two of us now.

She gretted me in perfect english to which I informed the robot that I wanted to ask her a few question. She happily agreed to this and sat down in front of me.


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

"Okay, can I please have your name?"
"My name is Mahla and I am a medic, scout, radio operator, spotter and driver of the Syrian Interim Government."
"So you are all of that? I mean, you have a lot of jobs... Your role changes constantly?"
"It depends on the situation but I'm usually treating the soldiers and civilians."
"Alright."
[Franklin checks his notes]
"So how did a Sterling product get here? Aside from vending machines, I don't think the company brings other products around these parts."
"Well, me and my sisters are special! We have been chosen by our CEO and that really nice Obama fellow to be sent out into this warzone to help the civilian population!"
"To help the citizens? Like... To act as nurses?"
"Oh we were also tasked with clearing rubble, removing mines, running really fast and fixing vehicles."
"How long have you been here?"
"I have been produced six years ago."
"Well alright you must be an older model then?"
"Yes! I heard that robotics have advanced since then. Fascinating!"
"So you were still trained in a school?"
"That's right! We went through specialized nandroid training! New models don't do that anymore?"
"Nope. Since 2012 they already have everything in their brains when they leave the factory... Now uh back to my questions. Aside from the tasks you listed, did they train you in other things too?"
"Well, we were also trained to use firearms, create IEDs, drive vehicles and had to read the Quran. I can't complain though, it was lots of fun and they are all fascinating subjects."
"Aha... When you finished school... Where did they send you first?"
"I remember that we were on a plane, and that it was night. Obviously we were in a desert. We were activated on an airport, dressed in an uniform like this and we were told to do everything our commanding officers told us to do. Ever since then we all served the opposition."
"So the US goverment supplied the rebels with nandroids too?"
"Oh... Well... I think that makes sense?"
"Kinda... But here is one more thing. Do you know other nandroids who are fighting around these parts? And I'm talking about the middle east here."
"Of course! I contacted my sister Ajda a week ago. She was taken in by our kurdish friends in the north. But most of us serve under syrians."
"So they are all rebels."
"Yes, sir! We are happy to bring justice and we are happy to fight against that devil Assad!"
[Mahla shouts something in arabic and and stands up]
"Okay okay I get it. Now, I know I said this was the last question but-"
[Franklin takes something out of his pocket]
"These are Sterling nandroids who serve for ISIS. Do you know anything?"
[Mahla sits down again but does not answer]
"Mahla? Can you tell me what are your sisters doing in the Islamic State?"
"I'll be honest... I never knew about this. I j-just don't know what to say. I only know about nandroids like me... Can you give me some time to think? I need to be alone."
"If you don't know anything then sure. I don't have any questions left.

*The recording ends*

After the interview I found the commander again and I wanted to ask a few questions from him. His english was trash but I managed to understand what he was talking about.

The conversation with him was pretty much fruitless. I asked him to confirm that America supports the rebels with weapons, training and as I found out today, nandroids. He said that he would only answer me if his camp and his name remains anonymous. I agreed and his answer was a simple "Most people already know that this is true" which I was not suprised to hear as it was true. I also wanted him to answer my question about the "ISISbots" to which he could only answer with an honest "I don't fucking know".

We spent the night at the camp, and I found out that I had to sleep in the same tent that Mahla occupies. When I met her for a second time she was not smiling like when I first saw her. I asked for the location of the kurdish android which she told me with a quiet and tired tone. I just assumed that she was just an outmode since on this part of thew world every nandroid has to kill in a war they don't really have a reason to fight in other than the fact that they were sent here by a superpower.

The next day me and Kamaal left the camp and I told him to go to the location the first android told me I can find a kurdish robot. He warned me about the ISIS presence there and how close the town is to the frontlines but once again I calmed him down with a few more dollars. This rabbit hole was deep and I was ready to jump into it.