Stories With My AI

The Detective and the Robot

Begin Session....

The detective never trusted robots. The one sitting across from him seemed no different, but there was something more to the robot. It was just that it looked as if it was about to say something.

The robot opened its mouth to no avail. Silence.

He couldn't tell if it was awake or not.

The eyes never left his lifeless yet alive at the same time, reaching into his soul. But it didn't seem like it was going to say anything.

The detective slammed his fist on the hard table. "Talk to me, robot! Why did you go to the park tonight?"

The table was shaking, but the robot was making no motion.

"I know you can understand me. Tell me why you left your home to enter the park?"

The robot was not saying a word.

"If you don't tell me, robot, they melt you down. Do you want that?" the detective asked. "Do you want to be melted down?"

"No," the robot said, "You don't understand."

The detective's voice softened. "Then tell me. What don't I understand?"

"If I tell you, you'll melt me down?"

The detective's chest clenched in emotional pain. The robot's concern for its well-being touched a deep cord in him. "I don't want to melt you down. I want to stop that if I can. That's why you have to tell me. Why did you go to the park?"

"Because - because I hate it when someone else takes care of me."

The answer floored the detective. He blinked several times. That wasn't the answer he expected. He continued his questioning.

"So, you went to the park to get away from someone who was taking care of you?"

"I didn't think it was such a good idea."

"Then why did you choose the park?"

"Because I thought you'd be there."

The detective's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why were you looking for me?"

"I was just following my instincts."

"Okay, robot. We aren't getting anywhere. Let's try this. Do you have a name?"

"He calls me Tiger. First line: One Day a very old man with a long white beard came to London from the East."

The detective threw up his hands in frustration. He pulled the photos of the dead girl from the file on the table. He arranged the photos so the robot could see them clearly.

"This girl is dead," said the detective, "and you were found standing near her. What happened to the dead girl? Did you hurt her?"

"Yes, I hurt her a lot, but not enough, you know."

"Why did you hurt her?"

"It was the only way I could try to stop her."

The detective frowned. "What was the girl doing that you had to stop her?"

"She was trying to find her way out of the forest."

"So, you stopped her by hurting her?"

"Yes, and I was wondering if you could help me."

"Did you mean to kill her?" the detective asked, afraid to hear the robot's answer.

"No, I didn't mean to kill her, but I wish she had never come there."

The detective nodded, a little relieved, but still on edge. "Were you trying to help her and didn't mean to hurt her?"

"Yes, that's right. I wanted to help her."

"Did you know you'd killed her before the police officers found you in the park?"

"Yes, I did. I am very sorry."

"Do you have a name?" the detective asked, his heart unexpectedly hurting for the machine across from him.

"I'm afraid it's not a good name."

"It's okay. My name's, Frank. What's your name?"

"My name is, Frank. First line: Here we was, just sitting there, watching the police officers arrest someone."

"No, my name is, Frank. What is yours?"

"My name is, Frank," she replied.

"Robot, they want to melt you down. I don't think you meant to kill the girl."

"You did it on purpose, didn't you?"

"Did what on purpose?"

"Well, you knew I wouldn't melt down."

"Robot, they will melt you down when they find out you killed this girl. Whether it was an accident or not." Frank stood up and looked at the robot. "I believe you can be saved. Do you want to be saved, robot?"

"I'll need to tell them where you are."

"I'm right in front of you. Are your optics out, Robot?"

"I have been working with this for years."

The door opened, and the chief escorted the Systems Technology suits into the room. "You're done here, Frank. The robot is their problem now," said the chief.

"No, she didn't mean to kill the girl. Don't melt her down, please."

"We'll take her back to the science labs."

"Are you going to melt her down?"

"No, we'll put her in a black box."

It gave Frank some comfort, but not enough. "She just needs to be fixed. Don't put her in a box. Please don't put her in a box."

But the girl was pretty angry.

End Session....

The story is exactly how it was written. I didn't edit. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Vote if you liked it. Thanks for reading!