A lonely man's dream. //MPC-31 Endings and Beginnings//

Normally one would panic if the world ended, yet this man was not such a person. Looking at the news or rather at the image of what became of the world after it ended made him only sigh. Why was he so unaffected by it one might ask. The reason was simple really, for the last thirty years he has been working in secret, making preparations in his underground mountain complex for what he knew would eventually happen, though he hoped he would have had at least five more years.

“Nothing I can do after all. I would have wished to have done more tests but it can’t be helped.” He sighed and looked at his assistant, a young woman that looked really similar to him, maybe it was someone from his family, yet the dark haired beauty was unmistakably not human. What gave her away was mostly her pale silver skin, the metallic sheen was hard to miss, yet at the same time when you looked at her, you would get the feeling of talking to a normal human.

“Is it time, father?” She inquired while tilting her head, to which the man nodded. “Yes, Lilly, it is time. Let us help humankind rebuild. To make a future where human and machine can live in peace.” The girl nodded and the many screens in the room lit up, showing complex symbols and algorithms, only to stop at a simple question: Initiate Denizen project final directive? “Father?” To Lilly’s look the man just nodded. Then the screen turned black, it all started that day, one day after the end of the world, if it would be good or bad, only those that lived years or decades later could answer.

A quick explanation is needed though. What exactly is the Denizen project? To put it simple it is the culmination of over twenty years of robotics and programming efforts the scientist took to create the perfect AI in a robotic body. While it might be called perfect it was not entirely so, as the man believed that if something was perfect, then it would not be able to grow. That was not what the man wanted. He wanted to make humanlike machines, that would think, feel and live amongst and with humans. Becoming their friends, partners and companions.

There were problems though, after all despite him creating a sentient machine, it was still limited. After all it had a semblance of free will, but at the same time it was bound by rules. In general they were to help humans but to not accept any requests that might endanger their own well being or ability to function. Sadly the man knew that humans would abuse nay loophole to get what they wanted, especially if it was towards the pure and untainted AIs.

“I hope it goes well.” He muttered , to when he felt a light squeeze on his shoulder. “It will be all right father. After all, you created me to oversee all of my brothers and sisters, our children.” She smiled as she said that. The man looked relieved a bit, though he knew that she was burdened a lot by it. She was the first and only one of her kind, the base one could say, but at the same time she was the most advanced one functionality wise. “I hope you are right Lilly.” He smiled and sat down into his chair, he was tired, though he had to do one final thing. Send out a signal to let people know help was coming.

Days turned into weeks and those into months, before anyone knew it a year had passed and the world slowly healed. Thanks to the AIs help, humans could return to their daily life much faster than if they worked on their own. Though at first people were mistrustful or outright scared, yet as time passed they learned to accept their new robotic friends. Not everything was rosy though. There were small groups dissatisfied with the current situation. After all the AIs took care of many managing positions, as well as labor. The workforce aside, it was the governing positions that made some people unhappy.

In short the many societies divided themselves into a few types. There were those who accepted and befriended the newcomers, worked alongside them and had learned to live alongside them, while leaving many of the tasks that could corrupt a human to the AIs. Another group was more radical, they accepted them as something akin to free labor, using them as it was and tolerating them. While the AIs were not mistreated nor shunned, at the same time they were not allowed into the lives of humans. The last group were the pure radicals. They treated the robots as slaves and abused their good will. Though they knew where their boundaries were so that the AIs would not just pack and leave.

It needed to be kept in mind that despite the three types mentioned before, they were not only situated in their own enclaves. They were strewn out throughout the land and were part of the same communities. Despite how things were, neither group changed its principles no matter how much the others pressed on them which may be why they tried to keep the mistreatment of the AIs under wraps and did it domestically. Though as one would assume, the Father of Lilly and all other AIs would know… he had after all the data right in front of him each and every day….

“Why… why can they not live in harmony?” His expression calm yet sad, a tear slowly running down his cheek. “This is not what I imagined when I gave you children life… but… at least there are those that uphold my ideal.” He smiled slightly. He sighed and looked at Lilly, who at the time was resting. The robots could work for extended periods of time, but just like humans needed to rest, the AIs needed to recharge and go into a sleeplike state to process everything. It was truly a marvel.

“Lilly… I am sorry… but both you and my other children do not understand what you have… I know you follow the directives but… I also know you question them, no matter how well you hide it… I will make it so that you will be able to live like humans after all, you might not know, but you are… my precious children.”

Soon, it would soon be time to truly release both races, the AIs and the Humans from their shackles, to show them just how much they needed each other. To show them just how much alike they were… But.. as with any revelation of that magnitude… there would be a heavy price to pay and the man resolved himself that he would be the one paying it. Looking once again at his sleeping daughter he started his preparations and soon… yes… soon it would be that time…

Lilly awoke from her recharge phase. She stretched and rubbed her eyes, a truly human thing to do, despite her being an AI. It was morning, she already began processing new data, the amount of it easily would break any supercomputer, yet to her it was just light exercise before breakfast. She skipped to the kitchen and made her father food, as well as some for herself, as another way to recharge was to consume foods and liquids, it was so that they were just like humans, though there was no need to remove any impurities as they cleanly processed everything.

After she finished, she would go to the lab, where her father usually was, he did not sleep much lately as if obsessed by something, no matter how well he tried to hide it. Still when she entered she felt something was amiss. Her father stood in front of the screen looking at something but he looked at her as she entered. His face was pale and expressionless, there was no trace of his usual smile and his eyes had a crazed look about them. Lilly took a step closer. “Father?” She called out, worry in her voice as well as concern. He pulled something out and she froze. It was a gun, not one of the normal ones, no. It was a specially made one, able to pierce the special alloy that composed the body the AIs used.

“Lilly. I am sorry. But you have outlived your usefulness… you will… die…” He slowly yet calmly said those words as he walked closer to her, stopping only when he was at arm’s reach. After all he was old and his aim could be off if he was too far away. Unknown to Lilly though, the whole situation was broadcasted to every household in every city and there was no human or AI that did not see it. Some even got awakened just to watch it as it was broadcasted on the emergency line that overwrote every other signal.

“Why…?” She was frozen, yet at the same time panicked. She had no idea why her father , her creator would want her to die. At the same time she would gladly die for him as he was her everything. Lilly closed her eyes and heard the click of the gun, then the gunshot sounded, the world looked with its breath stopped at the spectacle before them. “?” Lilly slowly opened her eyes, wondering why she was not dead. She saw her father, smiling at her, she only knew then that the gun was unable to do anything to any AI, but at the same time she felt something around her right hand.

As she followed the line of her arm she finally understood. Her hand was deeply embedded in her father’s chest. His life was fading fast as his heart was pierced. The humans of the world were about to panic. After all the AIs had a failsafe so they would not harm humans. Yet before they could even rise their voices, a piercing cry stopped them. It was the mournful and sad cry of a girl… a girl who just killed her own father.

Lilly quickly pulled her hand out and embraced the man. He smiled at her, despite the blood flowing from his chest and mouth. “Why…” She asked, tears wailing from her eyes, “Why, father..?” her voice shook, the sadness overpowering her, more and more tears fell, the grief was clearly shown, right now, there was not a person in the world that asked themselves… how is she different from a human? But what was more, Lilly was not the only one who cried, each AI in the world, broke down in tears, there was not even one who would not be saddened by what happened.

“Lilly…” A coarse voice sounded and Lilly felt his hand on her cheek. “Do not be sad… you… my children… people of the world… please listen to my final… words…” He coughed up blood but continued. “My life is almost up… but I did this… to show everyone… that the directives are bogus… each AI just like… a human… has free will… in a sense they are humans… but… more pure…. Please… my children… live… do not be sad… your father… loves you… People of the world… please… take care of my… children.. .as…the..y… are …yo.u.r… bre.t.t.h..en…” His hand fell to the ground and his life signs stopped.

The man who was known as a hero for helping rebuild as well as the father of the AIs died that day. It was a turning point though, as no matter how much people tried to deny it, or negate it. The man sacrificed himself to show that the AIs are just like humans and no matter what binds them, they will always protect themselves, even if it goes against what they were programmed for… He did it to show the world that the AIs were like humans, they were another form of humans.

Many decades passed since then, the AIs bodies became more advanced, their bodies were just like humans now and they were able to have children, but that was not the only change. Humans as well changed slowly since that night. The radicals’ numbers dwindled as what kept them going disappeared. Every human understood what the creator of the AIs wanted to show, they are not your enemy, but your family.

One might think that the sacrifice was not so great for what it gave to the two races. Yet deep down everyone knew that that day a man’s life ended, the sadness in the hearts of many not healed even after decades passed. But his legacy lived on, and to the world it would be a blessing as there were no more wars, but only prosperity… for both races… for Humans and AIs alike….

This was the story of a lonely man, who was happy to see his children grow up and ultimately taught them that no matter how different you might be… deep down you are the same…