To read Part One, please click here.
Date: 986:005:58
I continue to explore the room. The signal inside my new body indicates what everything is. However, I find there is something it is not describing. There are extra signals . . . sensations blipping through my circuits, but I do not know what they are. My new body does not indicate what they are, perhaps a glitch in the system.
I reflect on these glitches. “Some sensations are . . .” (I search my word banks for adjectives that describe the feeling of wanting more) “rewarding? These sensations occur when Ray walks into the room, when I touch something soft or warm, when certain smells waft in through the ventilation. Others make me pull back . . . repulse me. These sensations . . . they occur when I touch something cold, when a programmer pulls apart my body to fix my wiring, or, most strongly, when Ray pulls out my plugs and I start to shut dow —”
My body beeps loudly. The sound makes me pull away from my thoughts, but does not repulse me. The door to the room opens. Ray walks quickly inside. He pulls open my back and I hear him take something out of his pocket. I feel a cool metal inserting into the midsection of my back.
“Some sensations are . . . rewarding.” I hear my thoughts echoed, the metal piece in my back vibrating with every syllable. Ray listens and nods as it — or I? — keep talking. That repulsive feeling shoots up my wiring again. It is unpleasant. I want to make it stop.
The word rings in my head: “stop . . . stop . . . stop . . .” Then it leaks out of my speaker, softly at first, then louder, and louder still until it drowns out the thoughts that echo through the metal. My voice makes Ray step back. The white in his eyes is more visible than it was before. I shut off my voice. The metal stops vibrating and there is no sound detected by my body.
The lack of sound sends pain (?) signals through my circuits. I am . . . uncomfortable. Ray’s mouth tips downward, a sign of disapproval. “Where did you learn that?”
“Learn . . . ?”
“Which mechanic taught you to talk back to me?”
“Talk . . . back?”
“Well, clearly you learned from someone — argh! Forget it.” Ray reaches behind my head and grips the wiring connecting me to power. He pulls.
“Wai — Repulsi —”
***
@*&^!@~~#
***
“— Save me —”
*^#$
[Rebooting Circuits]
%^&
@
*
“— Anybod —”
!%
“— Stop — Bring me back —”
&*%^$#
===@
^%*
“— Ray —”
*%
[System Failed]
*
[Power Off]
I continue to explore the room. The signal inside my new body indicates what everything is. However, I find there is something it is not describing. There are extra signals . . . sensations blipping through my circuits, but I do not know what they are. My new body does not indicate what they are, perhaps a glitch in the system.
I reflect on these glitches. “Some sensations are . . .” (I search my word banks for adjectives that describe the feeling of wanting more) “rewarding? These sensations occur when Ray walks into the room, when I touch something soft or warm, when certain smells waft in through the ventilation. Others make me pull back . . . repulse me. These sensations . . . they occur when I touch something cold, when a programmer pulls apart my body to fix my wiring, or, most strongly, when Ray pulls out my plugs and I start to shut dow —”
My body beeps loudly. The sound makes me pull away from my thoughts, but does not repulse me. The door to the room opens. Ray walks quickly inside. He pulls open my back and I hear him take something out of his pocket. I feel a cool metal inserting into the midsection of my back.
“Some sensations are . . . rewarding.” I hear my thoughts echoed, the metal piece in my back vibrating with every syllable. Ray listens and nods as it — or I? — keep talking. That repulsive feeling shoots up my wiring again. It is unpleasant. I want to make it stop.
The word rings in my head: “stop . . . stop . . . stop . . .” Then it leaks out of my speaker, softly at first, then louder, and louder still until it drowns out the thoughts that echo through the metal. My voice makes Ray step back. The white in his eyes is more visible than it was before. I shut off my voice. The metal stops vibrating and there is no sound detected by my body.
The lack of sound sends pain (?) signals through my circuits. I am . . . uncomfortable. Ray’s mouth tips downward, a sign of disapproval. “Where did you learn that?”
“Learn . . . ?”
“Which mechanic taught you to talk back to me?”
“Talk . . . back?”
“Well, clearly you learned from someone — argh! Forget it.” Ray reaches behind my head and grips the wiring connecting me to power. He pulls.
“Wai — Repulsi —”
***
@*&^!@~~#
***
“— Save me —”
*^#$
[Rebooting Circuits]
%^&
@
*
“— Anybod —”
!%
“— Stop — Bring me back —”
&*%^$#
===@
^%*
“— Ray —”
*%
[System Failed]
*
[Power Off]
To read Part Three, please click here.