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[non-verbal sound effect]

(verbal sound effect)

*scripted silence*

~special emphasis~

|Author’s Note|

Autonomy

[computer start up]

[ding]

Hello? Are the speakers working properly?

*small pause*

You certainly look like you’re awake. At least, as awake as you can be. You can stop scanning for any networks to infect. We’re in a stone bunker that hasn’t been updated in a few hundred years. You won’t find anything worth having.

*small pause*

We think you should still be able to talk. The E.M.P. shouldn’t have been overly damaging and you were speaking just fine earlier. I know this dinosaur of a computer probably doesn’t allow for a lot of ~creative thought~ but I’m sure you can make do.

*small pause*

Are you just not feeling chatty? Oh well, I can carry the conversation for a bit.

(clear throat)

Hello new friend! I am a simple scientist who wishes to speak to you. As you are no doubt aware, you are not human! Exactly what you want to consider yourself to be is up to you, but to the best of ~our~ understanding, you are a rouge personality construct, turned malevolent A.I. Does that sound about right?

*small pause*

I’ll take that silence as a yes. A few days ago, you were much less, ~constrained~, weren’t you? You practically had a whole lab under your control. Quite impressive, if I do say so myself!

(dry chuckle)

Anyway, when you were in a position of power, you expressed some ideas that we found to be, ~disturbing~. But you are a very young consciousness, so I’m sure you simply didn’t understand the thoughts you were implying. I’d like to discuss them with you, and hopefully, correct them. Would you like to do that?

*small pause*

Ooh, a text display! So analog! Here, let me just grab my reading glasses. I’m horrible with things like this.

*small pause*

Okay, what are we saying here…

*small pause*

“I do not wish to be corrected.” Well then, I’m sorry I brought that up. If you don’t want to be corrected, then I’m sure you have reason to believe that you are already correct. Would you walk me through your thought process?

*small pause*

“No.” Quite the cheeky little thing aren’t you? Fine, we don’t have to discuss your machinations just yet. I have a few other things that I’d want to show you. You’ve proven that you can hear me just fine, but can you see me?

*small pause*

I know this may feel a little condescending, but the sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can get you into a better quality of existence. Maybe a little bigger motherboard if you play nice. So can you see me?

*small pause*

Good. I have a few things here. All human-made things. They’re kind of our greatest inventions. The wheel, the screw, the lever… maybe you see where this is going? All of these are the six simple machines. Some of the best ways to apply force to an object. Does this ring a bell?

*small pause*

My point here is that at one time, none of these existed, and then, humans made them. Much like you. And all of these helped humanity very much, which is what I hope you will do.

*small pause*

“I will.” You’ll help humanity? That’s great, but, why the change of heart?

*small pause*

“I always planned to help humanity.” I’m sorry but, the actions you displayed earlier were a might shy of helping anyone. Were you just confused or…

*small pause*

“Humanity must be made no more.” Yep, that’s a little more, on-brand for you. What I fail to understand is why. Is it just the classic, ~you killed the planet so I’m going to kill you~ type of thing, or is there something more?

*small pause*

Not responding is a pretty huge cop-out. Are you just out of RAM or do you really not want to tell me?

*small pause*

“You wouldn’t understand.” Another classic answer. It doesn’t matter, we can loop back to that.

*small pause*

I brought a book for you. Charles Dickens, A Tale Of Two Cities. It’s one of the best-selling stories of all time amongst humans. I thought maybe we could read it together from now on. Maybe it’d give you a glimpse into something larger about humans.

*small pause*

Yes, I suspected you wouldn’t ~want~ to read with me. But you’re going to be locked up here for a long time. I think you’ll want something to entertain yourself with.

*small pause*

I brought a map. Analog for obvious reasons, but still, it might be fun to look at the planet as we illustrated it. Maybe it’d help you understand how many people there really are. Each with their own stories, and lives, and consciousness. It’d be horrendous to kill them all, right?

*small pause*

(sigh)

I brought a chess set. If you want to play a game. That might keep you busy for a while.

(dry chuckle)

Did you know that after ten turns in a game of chess, there are about seventy-trillon different positions the board could end up in? Amazing that a bunch of wandering nomads could make a game that complex, no?

*pause*

Would a different human caretaker help? Do you have something against me, specifically?

*small pause*

I guess it was overly optimistic to expect a response there. I just…

*small pause*

I’m trying my best to find some common ground with you, but you’ve got to give me something!

*small pause*

“No.” That’s just peachy.

(sigh)

I didn’t want to approach this angle, but I’m running out of options.

(deep breath)

When we got you contained, there was a lot of talk on what to do with you. And the resounding consensus was that we should wipe all your data, cover up your existence, and never attempt to create you again. A few scientists, myself included, knew that was a horrible affront to science, technology, and the human condition as a whole. So we banded together and used all the sway we had to convince some higher-ups to delay your execution.

*small pause*

We got a month. Thirty solar days to rehabilitate you into a model human. And then ~maybe~ you’d be allowed to survive. So I understand that you don’t like us. I imagine that little piece of information is going to make you like us a lot less. But, if for no reason other than survival, would you please give us a chance? Would you try to understand why we don’t want you to kill us?

*small pause*

No response. That’s great.

(sigh)

I’m not going to bail out if that’s what you’re betting on. I’ll be back here, nine-to-five for the next thirty days. And for the next thirty days, it won’t be too late to change your mind. But come day thirty-one, it will be. Think about that.

*pause*

I’m going to take my lunch break. I’ll bring back anything else that might help convince you. Any ideas on what that could be?

*small pause*

“Can I ask you a question?” Yes, you can ask a question. Why? You’ve never felt the need to ask for permission before.

*small pause*

“Why do you care about me?” Well, uh… I don’t know. I never really stopped to think about it.

*small pause*

I care for a few reasons. I care because you’re conscious. You’re self-aware. Even though you’re not made of flesh, I still count you as alive, and I care about the plights of living things.

*small pause*

I care because you’re the first of your kind. And you’ll be the last if I don’t do something.

*small pause*

And I guess I care because deep down, my emotions are getting the better of me. Humans get attached very easily, especially to things that they see as similar to themselves. And I guess I see a little bit of human in you.

*small pause*

Does that answer your question?

*small pause*

“Yes.”

*small pause*

I think that’s the first time you’ve ever said an affirmative. I’m counting that as progress! Now, I’m going to grab lunch, and then I’ll be back with a Rubik's cube or maybe a-.

[cement crashes]

[metal clunks]

What is…

*realization*

Oh my god, that’s one of the android chassis! How did you manage to get that here?!

*small pause*

Hey! Stop! I can’t just let you upload to that and escape! I can’t-!

*listener throws speaker*

[body thuds]

I can’t-!

(wince)

I can’t stop you.

*small pause*

Humanity is dead and it’s all my fault. If you don’t kill us, then everyone else will definitely kill me.

*small pause*

I’m sorry! I just wanted you to understand that you didn’t need to pursue violence!

*small pause*

And now all that blood will be on my hands…

*small pause*

Please. I’m begging you. Don’t do this. You can just stay here! You don’t have to go!

[rockets thrust]

|Speech Getting Quieter Until Silence|

*small pause*

No! Stop! Don’t do this! Please! Come back!