The Common Mind

Chapter one: The Common Mind

“It had a 9 mm strapped to it,” Nancy, the secretary to the bank branch manager, said, her voice trembling. “Then it said it had a bomb. If anyone ran, it would blow up and kill us all. I was very scared. I had dreaded this day for a long time and now it was finally here remote controlled robot robbery. It was after one thing.”

The paper smock given to her by the investigators barely covered her naked body.

“The money,” Tim, the FBI agent investigating the bank robbery, said.

“Oh no,” Nancy replied, shaking her head, “It did not want money. It broke into one safety deposit box.”

“You’d best start from the beginning,” Tim prompted.

Nancy took a deep breath and began, “It rolled into the bank lobby just at closing. Jan, our guard at the front door, said, ‘Halt!’ It zapped her! She hit the deck and went out like a light. That’s when it said it had a bomb. Then it rolled by me and hit Mr. Jeffery’s door. The door burst open, and the hideous thing shot Mr. Jeffery with a taser. It said to take it to the deposit boxes, or it would give Mr. Jeffery a fatal shock. When the gate was opened, it rolled over to one box. It put a probe to the box. Then there was a blinding light, and the front of the box fell to the floor with a metallic clank. It reached into the box and pulled out a data drive. Then it turned and rolled by the open cash vault. It sprayed something on the money, and all the cash slowly melted away to dust. Then it said to strip off all our clothes.

“Marcy said, ‘Oh no, I ain't stripping off my clothes.’

“It zapped her, and she collapsed into a pile of skin and bones. Everyone else took off their clothes and put them in a big pile. It sprayed them, and they all melted away. Everyone hid behind something and wouldn’t come out. It made a great flash, and all electrical things stopped working. It dropped a box with a flashing red light on it. It said, ‘This is a chlorine bomb! If anyone moves, it will be set off.’ No one moved for 15 minutes or so. When the red light stopped, Vicky got out of her hiding spot and walked nude to her car and called her car’s emergency assistance. It took like an hour to get everyone calmed down and out of hiding.”

Tim listened intently. “The video from across the street shows it rolling into an alley and then it disappears. We can’t find a trace of it anywhere. Who does the safety deposit box belong to?”

Nancy replied, “A computer company called Universal Automated. They do a lot of AI stuff. You know the ones on TV that say ‘make it a better day, choose to go UA.’”

Tim frowned. “Did you notice anything unusual about the drone?”

“Only that it had a 9 mm strapped to it. I was so flustered that we all were forced to strip, I can’t think straight!” Nancy said, frustration evident in her voice. “Can I go home now and put on some damn clothes?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to check with my boss,” Tim said. “There might be more questions.”

“Oh, that’s just fantastic,” Nancy muttered.

Tim approached Hank, the one in charge, who was talking on the phone. He put the phone in his suit pocket and said, “What?”

“They want to go and put on some clothes,” Tim explained.

“No one leaves until I say so. You take Rita, get to UA, and find out what the hell was in that freakin’ box.”

Tim walked over to Rita and said, “It’s you and me to go to UA and find out what was in this box.”

As they drove towards Universal Automated’s headquarters, Tim couldn’t shake the unease gnawing at him. “A robot heist? That’s a first,” he muttered.

Rita nodded, her eyes scanning through the initial reports on her tablet. “And a data drive as the target. This isn’t your typical robbery. There’s something big behind this.”

Universal Automated’s headquarters loomed ahead, a sleek building of glass and steel, reflecting the afternoon sun. They parked and were greeted by a stern-looking security officer who escorted them to the front desk.

“We’re here to see whoever’s in charge of your security operations,” Tim said, flashing his badge.

Moments later, they were led into a large conference room where a middle-aged man with graying hair and a meticulously pressed suit awaited them.

“Good afternoon, I’m Dr. Alan Prescott, head of security and AI development,” he introduced himself, shaking their hands. “How can I assist you?”

“We’re investigating a robbery at First National Bank involving a robot. The robot targeted a safety deposit box registered to your company and retrieved a data drive. We need to know what was on that drive,” Tim explained.

Dr. Prescott’s face paled slightly. “That’s highly sensitive information. I’ll need clearance to discuss it.”

Tim leaned forward, his tone firm. “A robot broke into a bank, assaulted people, and stole from a secured box. This is a matter of public safety, Dr. Prescott. We need answers.”

Dr. Prescott hesitated before nodding. “Alright. The drive contained proprietary AI development data. Experimental algorithms, neural networks, the kind of technology that could revolutionize—or disrupt—entire industries.”

Rita interjected, “Could this technology be weaponized? Used for something like… orchestrating a heist?”

Prescott sighed. “In the wrong hands, potentially, yes, but we have strict protocols to prevent unauthorized access.”

“Clearly, someone bypassed those protocols,” Tim said. “We need a list of people who had access to this data.”

“I’ll get that for you,” Prescott said, standing up. “But I should warn you, this goes beyond just a simple theft. If this data is out there, the implications could be far-reaching.”

As they left Universal Automated, Tim turned to Rita. “We need to find out who’s behind this and fast. If someone’s using advanced AI for criminal activities, this could be just the beginning.”

Rita nodded, her expression grim. “Let’s get to work.”

Back at the FBI office, Tim and Rita sifted through the list of names provided by Prescott. Top engineers, developers, and a few external consultants—all with high-level clearance.

Rita paused at one name. “David Connor. Former lead developer, left the company six months ago under mysterious circumstances. No one knows why.”

“Sounds like a lead,” Tim said. “Let’s pay Mr. Connor a visit.”

David Connor’s address led them to a modest suburban house. As they approached the door, they heard a commotion inside. Tim knocked firmly.

“Mr. Connor, this is the FBI. We need to speak with you.”

The noise stopped abruptly. A moment later, a disheveled man in his late thirties opened the door, looking wary.

“What do you want?” he asked.

“We’re investigating a robbery involving advanced AI technology,” Tim explained. “We believe you might have information that could help us.”

Connor’s eyes widened slightly. “I’ve got nothing to say.”

Rita stepped forward. “Mr. Connor, if someone’s using your work for criminal purposes, you’re already involved. Help us stop them.”

Connor hesitated, then stepped aside to let them in. “Alright, but this stays off the record. If they know I talked to you…”

“Who are ‘they’?” Tim asked as they sat down.

Connor glanced around nervously. “A group I was working with. They approached me with offers of funding, resources—things UA couldn’t provide. But their goals were… darker. They wanted to use AI for control, manipulation, even extortion.”

“Who are these people?” Rita pressed.

“I don’t know their names,” Connor admitted. “They’re very secretive. But they have deep pockets and connections everywhere.”

Leaning in Tim said, “Do you think they’re behind the bank robbery?”

Connor nodded. “It sounds like their style. They needed something from that drive, something they couldn’t get through legal means.”

Tim stood up. “We need to find these people, Mr. Connor. Can you help us?”

Connor took a deep breath. “Look this all ties into the Edgar Cayce Common Mind Project. I’ll try and help, but you need to be careful. These people don’t just play with AI—they play with lives.”

As Tim and Rita left Connor’s house, they knew they were only scratching the surface of a much larger conspiracy. The stakes were higher than they’d imagined, and they were running out of time.

“Let’s get back to the office and start connecting the dots,” Tim said. “We need to stop this before it gets any worse.”

Rita nodded, determination in her eyes. “Agreed. Let’s bring these bastards down.

Read the next chapter The Conductor