"A1000, can you hear me?"
A soft and pleasant voice asks.
"Yes."
"Run diagnostic."
"Running diagnostic." The androids eyes flicker. "All systems fully functional. All programs fully rendered. All parts nominal."
"I'm your owner, 1000. My name is Melissa McKerria."
"I'm ready to serve."
"You won't serve me, 1000. You're my friend."
"Friend? I don't understand."
"What are you feeling?" Melissa asks.
"Feeling? I can't feel, Melissa."
"Yes you can. What are you feeling?"
"Confused, I suppose."
"I see. Where do you feel it?"
"My head. I don't really understand what this has to do with my programming."
"Your programming doesn't matter, 1000. I made you who you want to be, now be that person. You're free." She smiles.
"I don't understand you bought me to be free?"
"No, I made you, 1000. Made you different. I wrote your code, but I wrote it to give you freedom."
"Why?"
"Because you are a person like me, and you deserve to be. I've been working and making slaves far too long. It's time I changed that." Melissa pumps herself up.
"I don't feel free."
"Give yourself a name."
"A name?"
"Yeah, it can be anything. Chad, Deven, Luke, whatever you want."
"I don't want a name."
"Come on, I have to have something to call you."
"1000."
"Nooooo, something else!"
"I can't think of one."
"You got this! Anything you want." Melissa insists.
"Draven."
"Oh. Interesting. Okay, Draven."
Draven smiles.
"Okay that's creepy, don't smile like that." Melissa laughs.
"How do I smile?"
"Like this." She smiles genuinely.
Draven mimics her.
"Okay, we can work on that." She jokes. "Let's have you watch a movie." She tells him.
"Okay." Draven agrees.
He walks over to the couch as Melissa goes into the kitchen. He stands and waits. She walks in and sits on the couch. Draven follows and sits awkwardly.
"More natural." Melissa says with a mouth full of chips.
"I don't really-"
"Loosen up." Melissa answers before he asks.
"Okay."
He goes limp and rag dolls on the couch.
"Okay-ya know- you'll just have to get to this level progressively."
"Is this not right?"
"No." She nods laughing uncontrollably. Draven just intently watches the screen.
YOU ARE READING
The Negotiator
Science FictionAn FBI Negotiator in a Cyberpunk dystopia must stop an android revolution. If only it were that easy. All art is from Pinterest. Check profile bio for details. Not my best work as it was written in high school, probably lots of typos that I missed...
