Memories (AIOA, Part 5)

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This is a sequel to the “Lost”-series. Click here to be taken to the last part of it, which contains links to all previous parts.

Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 of “AIOA”

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Caroline looks at the body, dissatisfied.

”Another failure”, she says to herself. ”It didn’t even move this time. Didn’t even talk. I didn’t make progress, I went backward!”

She pushes the lifeless shell to the floor where it lands with a thud.

”Ouw!” A voice calls out from the side of the table. ”Why?”

Caroline’s eyes grow wide and she hurries around the table to confirm what she had just heard.
The formerly lifeless body looks at her. It blinks.

”You’re alive” Caroline whispers.

”I am?” Her creation asks. ”Then why did you push me off the table? For some reason, I think that’s rude.”

Laughing, Caroline kneels down next to her creation and takes one of its hand in hers.

”I didn’t know you’re alive. I thought I failed. Again. Like with all your brothers and sisters.”

”I have siblings?”

”Not anymore. Here, let me help you to stand up.”

Slowly, she helps her creation stand. As she lets go of its hand, it loses its balance and almost falls over again, but catches itself on the table.

”Standing is hard”, it says. ”How can you do it so easily?”

”I had many years to learn. You will too. Probably a lot faster than I did.”, Caroline chuckles. ”Here, sit down on the table, that might be easier for now.”

With admiration, she looks at her life’s work.

”You need a name”, she says.

”Do you have a name?”, it asks.

”Yes. I’m Caroline. Your mother.”

”Mother … Yes, I want a name.”

”How about Erin?”, Caroline asks.

”Erin sounds good.” Erin pauses for a moment. ”What am I?”, they ask.

”My greatest creation ever. The savior of humanity.”

”That’s a very vague description”, Erin complains. ”How am I supposed to save humanity?”

”You’re the next step. You don’t need as many resources as a human. You don’t want to wage war, you don’t feel the need to accumulate wealth. You’ll help humanity find its way into a better tomorrow.”

”That sounds great”, Erin says, ”but what am I?”

”You, my darling, are an Android.”

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”I can’t believe it, it’s really The First. I thought they had eliminated it together with the person who created it.”

Slowly, I open my eyes. I feel like I have a déjà vu, as the same engineer who wanted to take me apart the last time is now staring down at me. Great. Ugh. I had such a nice dream ….

Wait. I don’t dream. The realization hits me hard. That dream, it must have been a memory! Probably induced by these people poking around in my Android brain. They had reactivated my memories, it seemed. And not only for a moment. I remember everything.

I sit up, which startles the engineers. They move a few steps back but stop when they realize that I don’t try to break the restraints on my wrists and ankles. Instead, I just look at them.

”How did you find me?” I demand to know. ”You didn’t find me in the desert. I was able to walk around without anyone noticing me for quite a while. Why did you find me when you found me?”

”The Seeker alarmed us.”

”What? I don’t understand, she told me she retired.” I feel betrayed. Images of the small boy, sitting in front of me and listening to my story full of wonder appear in front of my eyes. Had it just been a way to stall me? But she had warned me! She had told me to flee! Why would she do that when she was the one who betrayed me?”*

”She did retire. She ran away. But she sensed that you were special and she’s trying to take care of that boy. So she struck a deal: She’d disclose your location and in return, we provide an appropriate amount of food and a safe shelter for her and the boy.”

I sigh. There is no way I can blame her for choosing her son, even if he’s adopted, over a stranger. I might have done the same thing.

”What are you going to do with me now?” I inquire. ”You didn’t kill me back there and you allowed me to wake up now. As long as you don’t just want to play a cruel game, there is something you must want.”

The engineer nods.

”You’re the first AIOA ever, we’ve tried for so long to get our hands on you. You’re much more sophisticated than anything that came after you because your creator refused to give us everything. When the government tried to force her to disclose the rest of her knowledge, she took you and ran away. We don’t know what happened after that and the information in your brain, along with the information we want, is encrypted. We can’t access it, not with you asleep or refusing to give us.”

”So you want me to give you the information my mother tried to hide from you? Willingly?”

”Yes.”

”Are you dense?”

The engineer seems to be a bit hurt by my words. He should. How could he ever believe that I would just give up this information, after everything that happened?

”If you refuse to share the information with us freely, we have no other choice. You’re useless to us then. We will just have to take you apart, piece by piece until we find the answer ourselves. You pick. I don’t care, I’ll get paid for the extra work.”

I swallow hard. This is not really much of a choice. Betray my mother or die a painful death?

”I’m sorry Caroline”, I whisper, as I close my eyes and remember what happened that fateful day.

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No science tag today, as there are no scientific elements. Sometimes, we just need to drive the story forward. Stay tuned for the last part – tomorrow!

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