Peace and Chaos By Noah Moufarrij

Two scientists and a robot struggle to get out of an all-consuming earthquake, but on top of this,

the scientists also must install the last update for the robot.

http://time.com/3726563/japan-earthquake-anniversary/

HISTORY NATURAL DISASTER

Reflections on the Earthquake in Japan, 4 Years Later

Lil y Rothman @lil yr othman

March 11, 2015

Cover Credit: PHOTOGRAPH BY ALY

SONG / REUTERSThe Mar. 28, 2011, cover of TIME

On Mar. 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit Japan

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Return to Fukushima

It has now been four years to the day since an earthquake and tsunami upended Japan. These days, the country continues to rebound from the devastating natural disaster that struck on Mar. 11, 2011, with cleanup nuclear and otherwise and reflection ongoing.

In the days and weeks immediately following the earthquake, those questions were all the more urgent.

TIME devoted a special report to the aftermath of the disaster, taking a look at Japans nuclear power industry as well as its national character. The insights drawn from those investigations are still worth heeding, even today. As TIMEs Nancy Gibbs wrote in the aftermath of the quake:

It only started as a natural disaster; the next waves were all man-made, as money fled to higher ground. Fear and uncertainty sheared $700 billion off the Toyko Stock Exchange in three days. Japan makes nearly a quarter of the worlds semiconductors and most of its gadgets. Sony suspended production at seven plants; carmakers slowed output, fearful of gaps in the supply chain; power companies scheduled rolling blackouts. How can a global recovery take hold if the worlds third largest economy is out of business,

even temporarily? Meanwhile, Switzerland announced a freeze on new nuclear plants, Germany shut down all its facilities built before 1980, and the U.S. Congress called for hearings on nuclear safety. The flooded Japanese plants will never reopen. But demand for power only grows.

We sleep easy in the soft arms of clichs: hope for the best, prepare for the worst; risk varies inversely with knowledge; its a waste of time to think about the unthinkable. But Japan shook those soothing assumptions. No amount of planning, no skills or specs or spreadsheets, can stop a force that moves the planet.

Everything was chaos. Women screamed, children cried, and men ran. This scene could very well

describe Tokyo on December 23, 3025. Anywhere that was safe was taken, and so we see two men and

a robot running from their own lab.

If we had time to meet these men, and would not be squashed, we would find that the older one, Dr.

Hiro Takara was a fairly obscure but brilliant scientist. In addition, his student, Dean Anderson was a

modest man of the age of 21 trying to make a living in science, and Dr. Takara had kindly taken him

under his wings.

Finally, their robot, NM-24366 was an extremely advanced robot, which could think for itself, but

could not feel emotions.

How are we getting out of here? Dean shouted, as he could barely hear himself think, because the

screaming was very loud.

Calculating, said the robot casually.

We must go through my emergency tunnel in the lab! Shouted Dr. Takara.

Adding factor, said the robot.

How rough is this quake?! Dean questioned.

On the Richter scale: 11.4, replied the robot casually.

Well never get there alive! Dean shouted with a moan of sadness.

Solution found: we must go to the lab and make our way through the rubble. Then, we must find our

self-balancing unicycles, open the tunnel, and go through it, NM-24366 monotonously said.

We also have to install your update, Dean realized.

If we die my friends, at least we will die trying, Dr. Takara said proudly, and at that, they started

running back to the lab.

They ran through the city and dodged debris, to make it all the way to their lab, which they had

originally abandoned. They finally made it to the remains of their beloved blue-walled lab.

Luckily, the lab was far from any other buildings, but because the ground was shaking so hard, they

had trouble clearing a route to the tunnel. Finally, Dean found the unicycles and the passageway.

CRASH!!!

Dean looked up to see Dr. Hiro Takara struggling to hold up a piece of the wall that would have

otherwise killed him.

Get out from under there, you might die! The doctor shouted.

Dean quickly ran out, but just as he got out, the chunk fell on the doctor.

NO! Dean shouted as he tried to lift the stone, and commanded the robot to do the same.

But, no matter how hard they tried, they could not lift it, and the other parts of the wall started to crack.

You have to go, theres nothing you can do for me now, Dr. Takara said, coming to peace with his

death.

Dean ignored this remark and kept trying.

You must let me die, but, you will have the opportunity to see my final update for NM-24366, said Dr.

Takara, trembling as he pulled out a case with many locks and lights.

I dont want that, I want us all to get out alive, including NM-24366! Dean said.

You have been like a son to me, now please take this case, Dr. Hiro Takara said, proudly.

Were getting you out! Dean shouted.

Please, grant an old man his wish, Dr. Takara said peacefully.

Yes sir, Dean said, trembling.

Dean took the case reluctantly. The lights on the case turned from red to turquoise and the locks

unlocked themselves to reveal a small memory card that glowed blue, and was mainly silver.

Plug this in once you are safe, now go, The doctor said nodding his head.

Its been an honor, Dean said, as he and the robot mounted their unicycles.

Likewise, the Doctor said saluting him.

Dean waved goodbye and rode with NM-24366 through the tunnel. Soaring on the extremely fast

and automated unicycles, they finally made it out of the tunnel just in time to hear the tunnel collapse

behind them. Dean had remembered the chip, and carefully lifted up a plate on the robots shoulder and

replaced the old chip with the shiny, new one.

Immediately NM-24366s lights turned from a green to gold, his facial expressions became more

dynamic, and his metal body (which was a little old) started reforming with a shifting of the metal plates

on his skeleton.

Dean did not have time to marvel at the extraordinary changes, as he had to run from the

earthquakes all destroying path. As they rode their cycles, the robots eyes lit up, and his face had

formed a sort of smile.

What, what is it? Dean said.

Look at the wind chimes on the porch of that apartment, up there, the robot said calmly and happily.

Dean had never heard him talk like this, he only heard him talk in a formal voice.

Yeah, what about them? Dean asked curiously.

Look, in a time of all chaos and misery, a small little wind chime remains peaceful, as ` unaffected by its

surroundings, the robot commented.

I know what that upgrade was, Dean realized.

What was it? asked the robot, already knowing the answer.

Dr. Hiro Takara has made the first robot to ever think and feel emotions, Dean said, as if he had just

solved a Rubiks Cube.

You are indeed correct, the robot said as they rode off, away from the terrors of the earthquake.

THE END