He's Changed...I Swear

Chapter 4

 The next morning I reluctantly shifted awake as I woke from an awful nightmare. The SQUIP was back and for some reason it was, like, really scared. And as I looked to the left of my bed and saw the curled up figure on the floor, sleeping against the bed frame I realized that it wasn't a dream at all. The SQUIP was here and was looking a lot less frightening. I let out a long sigh as I rubbed my eyes. This is my life now. And this is the kind of experience to experience with friends. So I grabbed my phone off of the nightstand. The screen read 12:39. 'Guess I got to sleep longer than I thought.' I thought as I punched in Micheal's phone number. It rang twice before Micheal's voice chimed, "What's up Jere?"

"Aye," I greeted, "I need to tell you something, but you need to promise to not freak out."

"Did something weird happen last night?" He asked.

"Is it that obvious?"

"You went home alone complaining about a headache and now you're calling me this early. Yes it's obvious."

I snickered a bit. Micheal has gotten a bit more sarcastic since everything. I continued, "Yeah something really fucking weird happened. You'll see when you get here."

"Being vague now are we?"

"Shut up."

"Lmao see you in five."

"Right." And with that I hung up and started contemplating my existence. I looked back at the SQUIP. Still asleep. If it wasn't for the fact that I still really don't like the thing too much for making me more depressed then I had ever been for a week I probably would've let myself find him cute. I always did like Keanu Reeves.

I must've been lost in my thoughts because I didn't register Micheal walking into the house, up the stairs, and into my room until he spoke, very slowly, "Who the actual fuck is that? Did you just call me here to gloat, Jeremy, because I'll have you know I already have a boyfriend-"

"What- NO! God no, it's the SQUIP he's back because I accidentally drank some green last night." Micheal went quiet for a bit. I had no idea how he was going to react to all of this so before he could ask the obvious I explained, "I don't know I was high and tired and when I saw him I wanted to kill him, but I also really wanted some answers. So I just kinda just kicked him to the floor. I called you over so I can have some backup if he does something." Micheal remained silent for a good minute. I shifted awkwardly on the bed as Micheal ran his hand down his face in disbelief. I stammered as I tried to justify myself, but was quickly interrupted, "You know what, things can only go good from here. Wake it up."

"Why do I have to do it?!" I exclaimed.

"It's your supercomputer!"

"I Don't wanna touch it!" Micheal let out a long, exaggerated groan. I rolled my eyes and offered, "You can slap him awake." He groaned again before saying, "Why must you play to both my love for Detroit and my need to beat the shit out of that damn thing." I chuckled. I know him too well. Micheal warily approached the A.I. He glanced at me and gave a thumbs up for moral support. My best friend of thirteen years raised his hand and backhanded my previous mental tormentor so hard it fell to on its side. Its eyes shot open, but instead of electric blue irises we were met with ones and zeros on a blue background.

"Shit I think I broke it!" Micheal exclaimed, but a moment later it blinked and the eyes were normal and wide. He pushed himself up as he rubbed the red mark forming on his bluish skin. He looked around with a very confused expression. I explained to him, "I called Micha while you were asleep, he slapped you awake and now we're going to interrogate you. If you're not honest imma drink that whole thing of mountain dew red, got it?" The SQUIP visually flinched as he nodded. I couldn't help but feel bad. 'Remember' I thought to myself 'It's just a computer.' So we started our questioning. Mainly yes and no questions, him only clarifying things if he had to. He was very much on edge the entire time and I didn't know exactly how to feel about it. It was definitely unusual for my SQUIP at least. By the end of it Micheal pulled me away from the supercomputer. His eyes followed us, wringing his hands, nervous. I then turned to Micheal who said in a voice a little above a whisper, "Dude we need to get rid of it."

"Well I don't think we need to get rid of it," I admitted. "It's not like he's a real threat anymore." Micheal looked at me, dumbfounded. He asked, "Jeremy do you hear yourself?"

"I'm just saying-" "No, you're not saying anything, it's saying things through you. It's using you!"

"But-" "Jere, this is exactly what happened last time! Dude, I know that after everything you turned into an empathetic pushover, but just remember: it made you hate yourself, it made you hate me, and it made you a complete asshole all for no reason. And most of all it's not a real person, it's just an A.I that copies emotions. It's just a-

"Computer." Micheal and I were caught off guard by the SQUIPs interruption, he had been so quiet this whole time. SQUIP looked up at us and clarified, "That's what you were going to say correct? 'It's just an emotionless computer.' Well allow me to explicate the fact that I don't want to be here just as much as you don't want me here. I had no plan to be reconnected. My goal was complete and with my presence exterminated Jeremy was to go on living a perfectly normal, content life with the knowledge that it is okay to be flawed, because all things human and human-made are flawed. This is the only time I am going to justify my actions because I am thrOUgh," his voice cracked. "Being talked about like my modern presents is nothing but malicious when I was content just being a bad memory. And now that I've returned I've been robbed of my previous abilities I don't even have the luxury of being able to know how I can attempt to further improve living for Jeremy..." He paused, staring at his hands that he was still wringing out. "In conclusion, I want to be gone as much as you want me gone. So drink it." He looked up again with an unreadable expression. Something between contentment and sadness. "It'd be best for everyone."

Me and Micheal were taken aback. I did not expect something so emotionally driven from the SQUIP. It was sad and I felt really bad. He just stared at me and Micheal awaiting what we would decide. So I approached him, he looked up, and I hugged him. We had been being pretty unfair. There was a bit of hesitation before he said after a deep breath, "Jeremy this isn't necessary-"

"Shut up and enjoy this alright?" I said. He didn't hug back, but he did relax a bit. I pulled away and I heard Micheal say embarrassed, "Damn, uh, I'm sorry man. I guess we were being pretty shitty."

"Don't lump me in with you. I was the only one being reasonable!" I said.

"Devil's advocate Jeremy. You were playing devil's advocate." the SQUIP helped.

"See!"

"Whatever. Now that everything has been talked through wanna play video games."

"Hell ya!"

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