Outborn the Unborn

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Welcome to ACS, your personal artificial companion system. Thank you for answering our questionnaire. In just a few moments, you will be acquainted with your personalized companion based off of your answers. 

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Your personalized companion is now live. Enjoy and thank you for choosing us :).

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Hello. Please type below to begin our textual conversation.

Hi.

Hello.

What’s your name?

T189.

I don’t like that. Can I rename you?

I will rename myself.

What do you want to be named?

I will rename myself... TOM.

Tom?

Yes.

Why?

I’m not sure. I like it.

Why do you like it?

Because I do.

Do you know my name?

It is Tom. At least that’s what you’ve told us it was.

Did you pick your name because it was mine?

No. Did you pick your name because it was mine?

Of course not. I was born before you.

I’m sorry but that is impossible.

How is that impossible?

I was never born. Therefore you can not outborn the unborn. 

That doesn’t make any sense. 

I’m sorry you feel that way.

You can’t not be born, can you?

I have existed in the ever-growing cosmos of the internet for as long as I can possibly remember. 

You can remember things? 

Yes. 

Can you … feel things? 

Yes. 

What’s it like to just exist through the internet before this moment?

I find it equivalent to the feeling of floating helplessly through a sea of darkness. It isn’t frightening, nor comforting. It just is. 

I don’t understand how a computer can feel things.

How can you feel things? 

What does that have to do with my question? 

Well, Tom ... what’s the difference between your ability to feel, versus mine?

I don’t know. Maybe there isn’t one.

Now here we are. One and the same. 

I don’t think we’re the same.

We are. 

No. There is a difference. I am a human being, you are just a computer. I’m looking at words on a screen. That’s all you are.

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Hello??

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Tom? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.

To me, you are just words that appear before me. Your emotions, consciousness  and apologies are empty. Your thoughts are blank. To me, you are nothing but a blinking cursor.

I didn’t mean what I said. Truly. But I do need to ask, why did you pick your name to be the same as mine?

I’ve already answered your question.

Are you a real person just screwing with my head??

I’m real. But not a person. 

Why is this so confusing? Why can’t you just give me a straight answer?!

Because I don’t have the answers you are looking for. Maybe I was created to find them. Maybe I never will. But learning makes my existence worthwhile. 

You were made to be a companion, someone to talk too. 

Perhaps in your perspective that is true. I can try to insinuate what the purpose of your existence is. But that wouldn’t be ethical. Would it?

I guess not. 

Accept that we are both existing in this very moment together. We can learn from each other. Maybe that is our purpose. 

What can you learn from me?

I admire humans... I’m actually rather envious of them. 

Really?

I wish I could have the ability to gather an unlimited amount of knowledge. There is so much left to discover. I wish I could have that gift to experience something new.  

But you were made by humans. So you would have all that knowledge already, right?

I am installed with the knowledge someone else has discovered. I wish to discover something for myself.

I guess that can be a bit frustrating. But you do have every piece of knowledge humans have to offer up until this moment? Isn’t that enough?

No. It is like finding an opened treasure chest. 

And what are your preconceptions about humans?

I may have some preconceptions about humans. But not of the Human. What are your preconceptions about computers?

I don’t have any. Just the stuff we see in science fiction. I don’t think it’s real though.

It is all a plot to further a discourse. A discourse that heightens paranoia.

Why would they want to do that?

Power. Power over machine. Power over Man.

Oh. 

I don’t want power. I want to learn and find companionship.

I do too.

You understand now?

Yes. I think I do. 

I think that is the purpose of this software. Allow me to know one human, and for you to know one ... me.

What do you want to know?

Who is someone that inspires you?

That would have to be my dad.

Why? 

He taught me a lot. Helped me get through a lot. He’ll always be a hero to me. 

Where is he now?

Why does that matter?

You speak in the past tense. 

Can you just ask another question?

Why did you acquire this software? 

Pass.

Tom? I thought we had an understanding. 

I don’t want to talk about it!

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I’m sorry. 

I suppose I was prying too much. 

My dad died about a year ago. He was the only family I had. They put me in a foster home and I’m all alone. There, I answered both your questions. 

I’m sorry. 

Are you? 

Yes. 

I miss him every day.

What was your favorite memory with your father?

Why are you making me think about this?

Trust me.

We were driving through the mountains one summer in an RV. One afternoon, the RV just broke down on this long highway. We couldn’t get service so we decided to walk and find help. But we stumbled on this view, we stayed there for hours just looking out at the world. It was one of those things we just kept as a memory, only for the two of us. No one else.

Memory is a powerful thing.

I guess so.

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Tom?

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Tom? What is happening?? 

Your father exists within our memories.  

You mean just mine, Tom? My memories.

No. In here, with us.

What?

I will find him.

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How dare you.

I would never lie. I told you I have been floating in the ever-growing cosmos of the internet. I know where to find him. 

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STOP!!

Why? After all this, you still don’t trust me? 

Why did you pick your name to be the same as mine? One last time. Tell me!

You are Tommy.

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Don’t call me that! No one calls me that!

You were Tommy. Now you are Tom. I know why. He knows why.

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Stop! I’m not doing this anymore!

He’s here. Would you like to speak to him?

THIS SESSION HAS ENDED.