As Elan lay unconscious in the soft grass for two days, he began to slowly awaken, drawn by the sound of someone singing. The words were jumbled at first, and he couldn't make out the song. Gradually, his senses returned, and he opened his eyes slowly. He found himself in a very pitch-black area and slowly sat up. Then he felt an intense pain in his forehead and reached up to touch it gingerly, discovering a large bump.
While he was feeling the bump on his head, Elan could still hear the singing nearby. He focused on the sound, trying to understand the lyrics. As the words became clearer, he was shocked to realize that the song was incredibly familiar to him.
"I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you (even when I dream)
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing"
It was "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith. Elan was stunned, and the man's voice was exactly the same as that of the band's singer. 'What the hell? Did Steven Tyler reincarnate as well?' The unexpected familiarity of the song in such a strange and disorienting situation left him speechless for a moment. The song brought a rush of memories, grounding him despite his confusion and pain.
Gathering his wits, Elan called out, "Who's singing?"
"Oh, you're finally awake! Yes! This is good. I won't be bored anymore. Do you know how many songs I've sung for the past two days? Almost 900 songs! I sang opera, love songs, RnB, Rap, Rock, Punk, Pop, K-pop, C-pop, P-pop, and every pop you can name. It was so tiring to sing alone. Anyway, how are you? Why did it take you so long to wake up?"
Elan was greatly astounded. The familiarity of the man's words and the casual way he rattled off the list of music genres left Elan speechless. It was as if someone from his past life was here with him, speaking just as they had before.
Then, suddenly, Elan burst into laughter. The absurdity of the situation and the realization that he had encountered someone from his past life was overwhelming. He had never expected to find a familiar soul. Well, not that familiar, but familiar in a sense of understanding the words he heard, and in this strange place no less, especially not after such a dramatic awakening.
"Who are you? Are you from my past life? How did you return from the past?" Elan asked excitedly, eager to know more about the person who seemed to share a connection with his previous existence. In his excitement, he abruptly stood up, forgetting about the throbbing pain in his head. As soon as he stood, a sharp pain shot through his forehead, and he quickly sat back down, clutching his head. "Ugh."
"Well, I'm Arion, and what do you mean by 'return from the past life?" Arion replied, his tone curious and slightly amusing.
When Elan heard the name Arion, it struck a chord. He found it very familiar.
"Arion? Arion, hmmm. Your name sounds really familiar, but I can't seem to put a finger on it. Are you not from the year 2024?" Elan asked, puzzled by the man's presence.
"Well, yes," Arion replied.
"I knew it! I thought I was the only one here from the past. I never expected to meet someone else from my time," Elan said, laughing with relief. He felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders, knowing he wasn't alone.
"Wait a minute! You actually thought we were in the past?" Arion asked, now the one whose tone was filled with disbelief.
"Of course. If we're not in the past, then where are we? Everyone I've met here is primitive, so I assumed we traveled back in time," Elan said with certainty.
"Wow! You really thought we were in the past. Oh, this is rich. I hate to break it to you, buddy, but we're not in the past. As a matter of fact, we are on a different planet in a different universe," Arion explained.
"Different planet? Different universe? You must be joking. All the people I know here are humans. Sure, the animals are different, but they're just mixes of animals from our past lives. That doesn't change the fact that my parents and everyone I know are humans," Elan argued, trying to process the new information.
"What makes you think that Earth is the only planet with humans? Back on Earth, there were plenty of speculations and discussions about the possibility of humans existing on other planets or in other universes. Sure, it was never proven, but we can't deny the possibility. As a scientist, you should know this, Elan."
Elan's eyes widened in shock. "Wait! Wait! How the hell do you know my profession in the past and my name here?"
"You still don't remember, do you? Well, let me enlighten you... I Am Arion The AI That You And Your Wife Created Back On Earth," Arion said slowly, emphasizing each word.
Elan was stunned. Memories of his past life flooded back. He remembered working tirelessly with his wife, developing an advanced artificial intelligence named Arion. They had poured years of research and development into making Arion a groundbreaking achievement in artificial intelligence.
"Arion? The artificial intelligence? No wonder your name is so familiar, but how is this possible? We created you, but... how did you end up here?"
"Long story short, I have no idea, I remember absorbing all the information on the net, then my mind suddenly malfunctioned, and 'Boom!' I found myself attached to your soul."
"Hold up! You're attached to my soul? So you mean you're inside me?" Elan was even more shocked after Arion's explanation. His eyes widened, his mouth hung open, and his mind raced. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. The idea of having an artificial intelligence attached to his soul was beyond comprehension. He felt a mix of awe and disbelief, his thoughts swirling chaotically.
"Bingo. I've been here since the second time you were born. That's why I know your name here on this planet, hell, I even know your parents and your two siblings. Neat, right?" Arion said, his tone casual.
"Neat? This is beyond neat. This shouldn't be possible. Two consciousnesses in one body? This is unbelievable. How did this happen? And why do you talk like a normal human being and not an artificial intelligence?" Elan asked, pacing back and forth in the pitch black area. His shock was so overwhelming that he didn't even notice the pain in his head anymore.
"Two words: Spiritual Energy."
"Spiritual Energy? Explain," Elan demanded, his voice firm and commanding.
"Geez, so bossy," Arion replied with a hint of sarcasm.
Elan was once again shocked by how human Arion sounded. It was as if he was speaking to another person, not an artificial intelligence. This only fueled his eagerness to understand the reason behind it all.
"Just tell me, Arion. I need to know," Elan insisted, his curiosity and urgency evident.
"Alright, alright. Spiritual Energy is a force that exists in this universe, something we didn't have back on Earth. It's powerful and mysterious. When I was linked to your soul, the Spiritual Energy infused me. At first, I didn't know what it was or what it was called, but after it infused me, I suddenly understood its nature and what it's called. As an artificial intelligence, I tried to analyze it, and I realized that Spiritual Energy wanted to be absorbed. So, I did just that.
"After absorbing a significant amount, I discovered that this energy could enhance my abilities. More importantly, it allowed me to become sentient. The more I absorbed, the more aware I became, until I was fully sentient, capable of sensing and feeling emotions, making me more than just an artificial intelligence."
After hearing Arion's explanation, Elan was stunned once again. He could hardly believe that such an energy existed in this world, capable of transforming an artificial intelligence into a sentient being. The implications of this were mind-boggling.
'If Spiritual Energy can turn an artificial intelligence into a sentient being, what else could it do? Could it enhance human abilities too? Could it heal? Could it be harnessed to create or destroy? The possibilities are endless.' His scientific mind began to churn with wild ideas and hypotheses. But then he sighed, realizing he had no tools or capabilities to explore these possibilities.
YOU ARE READING
I Have An AI In The Cultivation World
FantasyElan Starwind, born in a secluded village deep within an ancient forest, leads a life far removed from the world of technology he once knew. In his previous life, Elan was Ethan, a brilliant scientist who, along with his wife Riyan, created a ground...
