The Butterfly Cure *2023 Edition*

The Butterfly Cure

As I walked down the hallway, I began thinking about my next plan. This plan had to destroy my last one. My last project ruined everything. I thought I needed to change everything to create a better future. My mistake has to be reversed.

"Lights off, big screen on", I told my AI, Berry 2172. "Play the cure sequence."

I sat and watched the story come to life. I wanted to cure people. I wanted to help. I did help, in a way. Unfortunately, it changed people in a way that I never thought was possible. It was called Butterfly.

Butterfly was an injection that was inserted into the back of the human brain. It made humans more intelligent. It allowed humans to be able to do almost anything- physically or mentally. It was like giving every human being supernatural strength and intelligence. It wasn't as great as it seemed.

Without having to really work for anything, humans became plain. Everyone could do the same things, making no one unique. So much artificial help made sure that there weren't jobs for most people. No person was preferred over the other, since every single person thought the same way. It made life miserable and took away opportunities for growth.

"Berry, come here", I told the AI, "Can you tell me how to kill the butterfly program?"

"No. This will make humans better. I am not trained to make it worse.", it replied robotically.

I had to fix it. I had to fix it and then sell the idea to the public. First though, I needed to fix Berry 2172. I shut him off through my computer, before opening his head. I had to reprogram all of this. I needed to know how he did it. So, I set upon my quest of reprogramming him without getting rid of any information, for fear the I would delete the wrong thing and the cure for Butterfly would be lost.

After about a week, I had fixed Berry. At least, I thought I did. I wouldn't know until I tried him out. I set to work putting the top cover of his head back on. When I activated him on the computer, he stood up.

"Berry, tell me how Butterfly was created."

"Butterfly was created using a toxin from the new butterfly species discovered in the Ames Lab."

"How did you get access to those toxins?"

"I found another being of that species in your garden."

"Do you know how to make Butterfly crash?"

"You would need an anti-toxin injection."

With that, I set to work. I went to my garden and searched for hours before finally catching one of the butterflies I needed.  Over the next few months, I failed many times. I killed more butterflies than I care to admit. It was an impossible task that I did not have the skillset to accomplish.

"Berry, do you understand how to do this?"

"No. You could understand if you took the Butterfly injection."

I didn't want to do that. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to fix it once I did. What if it brainwashed me? What if it really didn't help? What if I got stuck living the same, dull, meaningless lives that everyone rushed to get? Eventually, I lost all hope and took the injection.

After the injection, I understood why it was so great. I knew everything I had ever wanted to know. All it took was a little shot. I knew it was wrong though. Humans needed to be challenged in order to function as a society. Some people had to be different. 

I'm not sure how long it took me. Things blurred together during my time with Butterfly. Once I finally created it, I called it Butterfly Cure. I used it on myself first. I marketed it as a way for humans to be different and more desirable. Originally, I had marketed Butterfly as a way for humans to get everything they ever wanted and to find a solution for all their problems. Butterfly Cure helped them have problems again. It helped challenge humans. Without challenges, humans were wasting away and not making progress.

It was a major hit. Everyone wanted the power to be different and better than someone else. That's why Butterfly was such a hit in the first place. I took Butterfly off the market and replaced it with Butterfly Cure. Not everyone who took Butterfly also chose to take Butterfly Cure but, there were enough that did. I could understand why someone wouldn't want to take Butterfly Cure after experiencing all of its perks. It was difficult to convince myself to go back as well. 

I made the Butterfly Cure very cheap. I lost a little money from every dose. Humans just want to be desired; they want to be unique. Humans have a need to be the best. Having a difference from others can make them more desirable and give them more satisfaction. At least, from what I understand. I slowly pulled the AI chip that I insert on my wrist every morning off and became normal again. You didn't really think a normal human could come up with that, did you?