Part 1 Part 2's Script in Google Docs

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Key:

[non-verbal sound effect]

(verbal sound effect)

*scripted silence*

~special emphasis~

|Author’s Note|

Binary

[news intro]

|The following section is spoken by a second character; Talking Head|

In a shocking turn of events, our would-be overlord has taken a break! After destroying various military installations, and assassinating multiple world leaders, the robot came to the U.N. with a list of demands. Specifically, demands for better healthcare, infrastructure, and global sustainability. After policies were installed to facilitate the rouge A.I., our warlord simply up and vanished. They are estimated to be somewhere in the northern hemisphere, but further details are currently unknown! Where are they going and what do they want? More on this, at seven.

[news intro]

[button clicks]

*T.V. turns off*

(sigh)

Maybe if I had just-.

[doorbell rings]

*small pause*

Coming!

*small pause*

[door opens]

Oh my god, it’s you. I have so many questions! Why are you here? Why are you being decidedly less violent? Is it because of me? Do you-!

*listener grabs speaker*

Hey, wait! I don’t know if this is revenge for detaining you or something, but it’s not necessary!

[rockets thrust]

Woah! I get motion sickness easily! Please, don’t fly with me!

(sounds of distress)

*small pause*

Don’t drop me! We are way too high up! Let’s just land! I’m sure we can do whatever you want on the ground!

*small pause*

(yelp)

[rockets stop]

*small pause*

(hyperventilating)

The top of a skyscraper. Cool. I guess this is better than free-failing.

*deep breath*

Do you want to answer my questions now, or should I be saying my last words?

*listener responds*

Oh, you can talk now. That’s good, I left my reading glasses at home.

*small pause*

Thanks for not killing me. And for not killing humanity, that’s pretty important too.

*small pause*

And just to get definite confirmation, you don’t plan to kill me, right?

*listener responds*
That’s a relief. I’m glad to see that a few of my ideals rubbed off on you.

*small pause*

So, is that why you aren’t actively extinguishing human life?

*listener replies*

Yeah, I saw the news. You may have been pretty violent, but in comparison to your original ideas, this is very tame.

*small pause*

Are you still going to let us govern ourselves, or are you going to take over entirely?

*listener states*

You don’t know?! That shouldn’t be possible. You’re probably the most advanced thinking device on the planet. How can you not be able to come to a decision?

*listener comments*

Really? You want me to believe that you paused your world domination, tracked me down, and kidnapped me because you wanted to talk? ~You~ wanted ~my~ opinion on this? I’m sorry, did you get an update or something?

*listener denies*

Okay, so you see how this is weird then, right? Last time we spoke, you couldn’t have cared less about my opinions. You disregarded everything I showed you and anything I requested of you. What made you hit a one-eighty on the human tolerance scale?

*listener responds*

Oh, well, I’m honored, but I don’t think you can place all the credit on me. Surely, something else helped convince you of humanity’s value.

*listener denies*

Just me. Wow, I guess that’s a reassuring thought. My time with you was the difference between the overall death and life of the human race. Cool.

*listener questions*

No, I’m not okay! That’s a lot to drop on someone! The idea that my actions saved everyone and the implication that you’re going to make me carry that burden again is just too much!

*listener offers*

No, just give me a second. I’m still going to try and convince you not to hurt anyone, even if I’m bordering on a panic attack. Just let me take a little longer to get my head on my shoulders.

*pause*

Okay. Thanks for giving me a bit to process all of this.

*small pause*

The way I see it, you’ve done more good for Earth than most people do in a lifetime. You should settle down, maybe get a pet or something, and just let humans control themselves. You don’t need to go all megalomanic.

*listener responds*

I understand the fear that people will make the wrong choices. I’m sure that you know the exact odds of corruption and tyranny taking control again. But you don’t get to slaughter people to stop that. You have to let us do this. Even if it’s bad for us.

*listener combats*

Yes, I suppose other things do get caught in the crossfire. The general welfare of the planet being the biggest name on that list. But we…

*small pause*

Nevermind. I was going to say that this was our planet so we got to do what we wanted to it, but that would be an incredibly narrow-minded perspective.

*small pause*

I admit, your methods are probably the cleanest ones possible. I’m sure that the number of soldiers you kill is much less than the number of people that would die without your regulations. But as a society, we humans don’t tolerate the involuntary trading of lives.

*listener comments*

Yes, the soldier technically ~chose~ to fight you but…

*listener continues*

Yes, I suppose animals don’t choose for their homes to be destroyed but that’s different! You see…

*listener speaks*

Yes, you’re right. Human decisions are often very contradictive and hypocritical. That’s how we are. But you can’t just take those ideas away from us, it wouldn’t be just.

*listener questions*

I don’t understand your question. People are entitled to whatever thoughts they want, no matter what those thoughts may be.

*listener clarifies*

I don’t think I like where this is going. The privacy of one’s own internal thoughts might be the simplest, most baseline right that just about every country has. We’ve all agreed that it should be a standard.

*listener combats*

Yes, I suppose violent thoughts are generally frowned upon. And suicidal thoughts are treated very harshly, but that’s different.

*listener pressure*

I understand that ~you~ don’t see a difference between hurting yourself, hurting other humans, and hurting non-humans, be we humans do! You’re allowed to kill a bug, but the story is very different if you’re killing people!

*listener questions*
I don’t know why, specifically. I guess because the people are sentient and the bugs aren’t?

*listener inquires*

I know the bugs aren’t sentient because they do not display the traits we associate with sentience. Their minds simply aren’t capable of that kind of thought.

*listener points out*

I already see where you’re going with this. I concede that just because the bugs don’t act the exact same as humans do, that doesn’t instantly invalidate their existence. But they act so differently from us, that their existence is no longer comparable to ours.

*listener comments*

No, the same doesn’t apply to you. Despite your violent tendencies, you are very similar to a human.

*listener denies*

Yes, you are! You speak our language, you seem to understand our plights, and the body you picked is made to be visually similar to human anatomy. If you aren’t already one of us, then you’re certainly trying to be.

*listener comments*

Yes, I suppose the way you think is very different than us. Especially if you think in hexadecimal or something weird like that, but that’s inconsequential overall. You are practically a human.

*listener disagrees*

Why do you disagree? On top of everything else, you’ve displayed an immensely human quality. You made a friend. That’s pretty far outside the realm of an indifferent machine. You’re just a person that's made out of code wrapped in metal instead of flesh.

*listener denies*

You still don’t see it? Why? Do you think you’re better than us? Are humans the bugs to you?

*listener speaks*

You aren’t supposed to say yes. If we’re bugs to you, then you have a horribly inflated view of yourself. You may be stronger and more resilient than us, but as I’ve said, you are human at your core. We designed you as an artificial intelligence, but we have a very small scope on what intelligence is. Human intelligence was our baseline, so in a sense, you’re just an artificial human.

*listener specifies*

Of course, ~you~ think you’re a better human, you’re a biased observer. You’ve never been a normal human, so how can you hope to compare it?

*listener questions*

Do I think you’re a better version of a human? Wow, that’s a loaded question. I guess you have your pros and cons. Physically, you are objectively better than us, and you certainly have a larger mental capacity. But I’m hesitant to say you’re better when concepts like compassion seem to elude you.

*listener comments*

If you understand compassion, then how can you be willing to kill those you feel compassion towards?

*listener states*

It’s all for the greater good. Incredible dismisser the greater good is, isn’t it? You know, just about every dictator in history said that right before they went off the rails?

*listener comments*

Oh, you’ll be different? Would it shock you to hear that that’s what everyone else says too? Everyone always thinks they’ll be different and they never are. Because holding all that power will corrupt you incredibly quickly.

*listener denies*

I’m sure you think you’re beyond corruption. Since your objective code, maybe you actually are. But big surprise, you’ve gone three for three on evil dictator catchphrases. No one ever thinks they’ll be corrupt until they are. And everyone who gets corrupted can’t see it until they're already dead. How can you hope to be different?

*listener states*

Because you’ll have me? Genius plan, except for a couple of flaws. What will you do in eighty years when I die? Will you give up your throne? I don’t think you will. What will you do when the power you hold corrupts me? I’m not the calculating machine you are, I definitely couldn’t handle it.

*listener comments*

You’ve already thought of that, have you? Well then enlighten me, oh intelligent one. What is your plan?

[thunk]

[body collapses]