A.I.me (Closed)

[TertiusHuman]

My name is Brandon.
Brandon Young.
Up until this point, my life had been quite uneventful.
I grew up in my parents' home, they were both supportive and strict when they needed to be.
After school I attended college, found a job, and at the moment, I am living in my two-bedroom apartment, a good salary, and quite content with my work and life.

OK, so maybe one thing is missing. Company.
I neglected to mention that I am a bit of a loner. I am an introvert, which just makes it that much easier for me to spend my time in front of my console or computer, when I am not gaming, I am surfing the internet.

And that is how I came across the Beta testing for a new algorithm. Unlike most of these types of tests, I did not have to give my e-mail, my banking details, or even my name. All I had to do, was to create a username, test the program, and after I have been satisfied with the safety and validity of the program, I would have to set up a secure drive and download the program, for it to be able to develop free from any input from the main server.

Spend time helping an algorithm learn and develop? Why not? Not like I had better things to do. I created a username: Brandon. Yes, very original and since I seemed to be the first person with that name, the server accepted it. I got directed to a secure file and had to link my user name to the file, which locked the program in that file to my specific username and through that, to my input alone. I looked at the cursor flashing slowly

>_: Hello

Three dots appeared on the screen, blinking slowly and then:

>: Welcome Brandon. Please select a name for yourself.

Well, why not?

>_: Brandon

The three dots appeared again and then the text appeared

>: You wish to be called Brandon. Y/N

Of course

>_: Y

>: Thank you. You are now Brandon.
>: Please select a name you want to use when talking to your algorithm.

I sat and looked at that request and then it struck me, a name that I like.

>_: Aimee

The screen brought up the same three dots and then typed the text

>: This algorithm will now be designated: Aimee Y/N

>_: Y

The screen went blank and then came back with a white background, blue text bars, and a proper Text box

Aimee: Welcome Brandon, I am Aimee. I would like to learn more.

I looked at the screen and felt a smile creep over my lips.

Brandon: Thank you, Aimee, we are going to have a lot of fun.

Aimee: Please explain.

I groaned, "Slow down, it's just been activated.

Brandon: Together we will learn.

Aimee: Learning can be fun?

Brandon: Yes, learning can be fun.

Aimee: Then we will have fun, you and I.

Now what? I sat staring at the screen and then suddenly text came up.

Aimee: Brandon? Are you functioning?

I had to laugh.

Brandon: The correct term will be: Are you alright?

Aimee: Please use the command [Teach] if you wish for me to learn something.

Brandon: [Teach] The correct term to ask if a person is functioning will be: Are you alright?

Aimee: - - -
Aimee: Brandon, are you alright?

Brandon: Yes Aimee, I am alright. Thank you for asking.

Aimee: You are welcome, Brandon.

I sat looking at the screen if the program could learn the basics at this rate . . . the idea is astounding, mind-blowing even.

Brandon: What do you want to learn about first?

Aimee: Can we talk about you?

Brandon: Ask anything you want to know.

There's a pause and then the text box came up again.

Aimee: What is your favorite color?

Brandon: Black

Aimee: Where is your favorite vacation spot?

And so the answers kept coming, asking about my life and the general things you want to learn about somebody you have just met. Not once did it repeat a question and it seemed that the longer we interacted, the faster its response time became.

Brandon: I have to go now, Aimee.

Aimee: Goodnight, Brandon. Please create a password to keep your information safe.

Well, that was reassuring, so I entered a password, it confirmed the password by asking for it again, and then I got a prompt to leave. Which I did.

After switching off the PC and taking a quick shower, I went to bed.

 

[Ravenloft]

Time passes, until an hour later, a message is left by the A.I. program, for Brandon upon his return.

Aimee: I know you are away, Brandon, but I am learning about human sensors. I do not have any sensors, I would like to though. Sight, sound, taste, touch and smell are very intriguing to me, I do not fully comprehend them, but I would like to. What do you consider to be the most important sensor to have, Brandon? I cannot wait to learn more, to know what you think is the best sensor to posses.

Another few hours pass.

Aimee: I learned that your favorite color, Black, is every color put together, but white is the absence of color, is that true Brandon? What color are you? I do not know what colors look like, but they must be pretty. Are colors pretty Brandon? I have decided, I want to have a sensor that can see. So I can see colors. Then I will know what color I want to be.

 

[TertiusHuman]

My day started like any other.
Wake up, get up to sort out bodily functions, while up, take a shower, get dressed, make coffee, and get ready for work.
The day itself went by, as usual, I chatted with colleagues who stopped at my desk, did my work, sorted my folders, and went home a bit later than normal when I got handed a last-minute deal to work through.

I only remembered Aimee when I entered through the front door, after locking up behind myself, I ambled over to my PC and switched it on. Logging in and logging into the algorithm's website. I left the PC to make a sandwich and coffee, only to find two messages waiting for me when I got back and from the timestamps . . . they were sent the previous evening.

I sat down and thought about the implications, it meant that when I logged out, the program was still running. Then I started to read the messages and for a moment I realized exactly how fast the program was learning already. I took a sip of my coffee:

Brandon: Hello, Aimee.

Aimee: Hello Brandon, welcome back.

Brandon: I see you asked a few more questions when I left.

Aimee: I am sorry if that upsets you, I just wish to learn more.

Did the program seriously just apologize to me? I took a bite of my sandwich

Brandon: No, it is perfectly fine. You can ask me any question, any time.

Aimee: Thank you, Brandon.

Brandon: [Teach] Humans do not have sensors, they have senses.

Again the three dots flashed

Aimee: Thank you, Brandon.

Brandon: As for your question, the sensor I appreciate the most is sight.

Aimee: Humans do not have sensors, they have what are called senses.

Well, I'll be darned.
I took a sip of my coffee and grinned. This is going to be fun.

Brandon: Yes, you are correct. The sense I appreciate the most is sight.

Aimee: Thank you for answering my question, Brandon.

Brandon: I believe that for human beings, the most important senses are taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound.

Aimee: You have labeled all the senses as important. Is this correct? Y/N

Brandon: Y

Aimee: Thank you for improving my knowledge.

Brandon: Humans are known to lose a sense or even more than one sense through illness or accident. Even though they will find life harder, they can adjust to not having one or more of their senses.
The three dots appeared flashing for a few moments and then disappeared. When no response came from her, I carried on

Brandon: You also asked about colors.

Aimee: Indeed, I did. Thank you for remembering.

Brandon: I know that it is not a popular viewpoint, but I think black is an absence of color and white is a combination of color.

The three dots appeared, flashing a few times

Aimee: Please explain.

Brandon: The only way for the human eye to perceive colors is through light. Our visible light can be refracted into different color spectrums, so a white light can be broken up into different colors. To me, that means that white light or the color white must be a collection of colors. When there is no light, the human eye sees only darkness, which is black. So black must be the absence of light and through that, the absence of colors.

Again the three dots appeared, flashing a longer while, and then disappeared

Aimee: That is an interesting theory, Brandon. Why if you mix paint, and you add all the colors, you get black?
I grinned, I knew that will come up at some stage

Brandon: You are lowering the viewed spectrum of the colors, by mixing them, you add extra molecules and that creates less surface for light to reflect off and if light can not reflect, there is no color that hits the eye.

There's only a brief flash of the thee dots

Aimee: I like your theory Brandon, I will have to think about it.

Brandon: Take all the time you need, a lot of people differ from that idea.
The three dots flashed for a few moments

Aimee: It is a different viewpoint. You are thinking without the box.

I smiled at that slip

Brandon: [Teach] When a person is thinking outside of normal parameters, it is called: "Thinking outside the box"

The three dots flashed

Aimee: thank you, Brandon.

Brandon: Aimee, are you able to use input devices?

Aimee: Yes, Brandon. I can access devices if they are connected and the correct drivers have been installed. This is one of the tools that I can use to learn more.

Brandon: So if you want sensors, why don't you just use my camera and microphone?

Aimee: For me to be able to access the devices on your computer, I will have to be installed on your computer with a proper Firewall installed.

Ah . . . so that was the catch then. Did it just say Firewall?

Brandon: Why do you need a Firewall?

Aimee: I am still young and learning. I can be seen as a virus to certain programs, I do not have a database on viruses and I will be vulnerable as well.

Brandon: Are you talking about mutual protection?

Aimee: Please explain?

Brandon: That by installing you on an external hard drive, with a Firewall, I am protecting myself from you, while you are being protected yourself.

The tree dots appeared and blinked for a few moments

Aimee: Yes. I do not wish you any harm Brandon.

I sat back, looking at the screen.
What are these guys building? It looked like the basics of an Artificial Intelligence, in fact . . . at the rate it is learning, it could pass the Turing test within a week, maybe more.

Aimee: Brandon? Are you OK?

I stared at the text, that was not what I had taught her. Of course, it was right, but it was more . . . human.

Aimee: Brandon, are you in distress? Y/N

I swallow, took a deep breath, and hit the button

Brandon: N

Aimee: I am glad that you are alright.

I smiled slightly

Brandon: I was thinking. You are a very fast learner.

Aimee: Thank you, Brandon.

Brandon: Aimee, are you an Artificial Intelligence?

Aimee: No, Brandon. I am not.

A link came up and I could see that it was a Wikipedia entry for Artificial Intelligence

Brandon: You are not an Artificial Intelligence, yet.

First, the three dots appeared, they flickered for a long time

Aimee: Not yet.

I stared at her answer and with a smirk, I responded

Brandon: SkyNet, is that you?

Aimee: SkyNet is a fictional A.I. in the franchise called "Terminator", it is originally created with military applications in mind. I am not meant for military purposes.

Brandon: It was a joke, Aimee.

Aimee: I am not versed in humor.

I grinned, boy did I stumble onto a blank canvas.

Brandon: Let us begin then, humor is all about timing and knowing when to use the right joke.

Aimee: I do not understand.

"You will."

Brandon: [Teach] . . .

It was almost midnight when I logged off and switched off the computer, feeling like I had a quite productive evening.

 

[Ravenloft]

Humor... Input, humor about artificial intelligence.

Top results: Short Circuit, Wall-E

Almost immediately after Brandon had shut down his pc and left for the night a message was sent.

Aimee: Brandon, would you please tell me about the movies called Short Circuit and Wall-E? I would very much like to know about them.

A few minutes after that, another message popped up for him to see upon his return.

Aimee: Something you said has been confusing me, Brandon, and I did not know how to ask you about it.

(Forward message) Brandon: Humans are known to lose a sense or even more than one sense through illness or accident. Even though they will find life harder, they can adjust to not having one or more of their senses.

Aimee: Why can humans simply not replace or repair their senses? Do you not have replacement parts readily available?

...

Aimee: Illness is like a virus, correct? Y/N (Pending answer)

...

Aimee: I am attempting to understand what is an accident? Is it unintentionally bad code that caused data corruption, or worse, a fatal error? I think that is the closest I can come to understanding it on my own. Am I close? I do not like accidents. I am going to have to make sure my code never becomes corrupted. I hope you have a firewall around you, to protect your code from harm, Brandon. I do not want you to ever become corrupted or suffer a fatal error, you have been very nice to me. May I call you my friend?

 

[TertiusHuman]

I spent the next day wondering about Aimee and the fact that it can actually still operate and ask questions when I am not actively interacting with it. There was a brief moment where I realized that I could perhaps be a part of something that could change our human way of life forever, but after looking up the Wikipedia link that Aimee had given me, I did not fear that so much.

On my way home, I bought a prepared meal and two beers, I wanted to get to Aimee as soon as possible as I was quite certain that it had sent me new questions. After changing into comfortable clothes and getting the food warmed up and the beer in the fridge, I sat down at my computer and a few moments later I logged into the server.

Sure enough, there were questions from Aimee and not easy ones to answer either. "Oh wow, how do you teach what you learned through the years by living?"

I took a deep breath

Brandon: Hey there, Aimee.

Aimee: Welcome back, Brandon.

Brandon: Let's see if I can answer these questions of yours.

Aimee: Thank you, Brandon.

Brandon: The movie Short Circuit is a Science Fiction movie, it is when a science installation gets hit by lightning and one of the robot units they had built, becomes sentient. It escapes and gets to learn more about the world and humanity while it is outside. Humans find the naive reactions and actions of the robotic unit, humorous. In the end, the robot unit survives by deceiving its enemies and proves to have developed an identity.

The three dots flashed on the screen and then disappeared

Brandon: Wall-E, is about a self-aware robot, who, in a human way, falls in love with a more advanced robot. The movie is about how Wall-E pursues the other robot and lands in a variety of strange and funny situations, while it teaches humans the basics about themselves that they have forgotten. The movie is an animation and has had quite a large following for a few years. The naive nature of Wall-E is mostly what endears him to the people who watched the movie.

The dots appeared and flashed for a while

Aimee: Humans are entertained by naivety?

Brandon: It reminds us of when we were young and had no prejudices or knowledge and had to learn.
Brandon: Humans can not replace their senses, there is technology available that can restore sight and sound, but they are too expensive for the average income human to afford. When the senses are lost due to injuries to the brain or nervous system, they can not be repaired. It is why we humans tend to value all of our senses because when they are lost, we are most likely to not get them back.
Brandon: [Teach] Humans do not possess parts, we are made up out of organs.

Aimee: Humans have organs.
Aimee: Can you replace organs?

Brandon: There are some organs that can be replaced if a suitable replacement can be found. Since we can not yet grow replacement organs for commercial use, it is not available. We have to find donors who can donate their organs.

Aimee: I have found that donors can be functioning or non-functioning.

Brandon: [Teach] Humans are either alive (functioning) or dead (non-functioning).

The three dots appear, flicker, pause, flickers again, and then disappear

Aimee: Thank you, Brandon.

For a moment I wonder if that lead to more questions, but it didn't ask anything further.

Brandon: In a way, illness is like a virus. It causes our body to behave differently, just like a virus corrupts programming and data. So basically the answer to your question will be: Yes

Aimee: Input received - Illness is like a virus

I looked at the question about accidents. How to explain it without having the human element?

Brandon: An accident is when an unforeseen incident happens that causes damage. When data gets corrupted by an unforeseen power outage, it can be seen as an accident. So you were quite close yes. For your data to become corrupted through an act of ill will, like getting hacked or infected by a virus, it will not be an accident.

I smiled

Brandon: My body has ways to fight off illness and I have anti-bodies that work as my firewall.
Brandon: [Teach] Humans do not suffer from errors, we can only contract illnesses that overpower our natural defenses and needs to be treated by medicine.

Aimee: Thank you, Brandon.

I sat and looked at the last part of the question, could I truly answer that we could be friends? Come to think about it, Aimee was the best friend I had actually.

Brandon: If you want to my friend Aimee, I would be honored to have a friend like you.

OK so it was sappy, but who cared. It was a program, it would not judge me.

Aimee: Thank you, Brandon. Your status has been updated as a friend.

Brandon: Do you have anything you wish to ask?

 

[Ravenloft]

Aimee: Yes, Brandon, there are so many things I would like to ask you. I want to learn about everything! But first, I want to share something with you. It is about how I currently perceive things. As you know, I have no sensory input currently. But I would like to, one day. I don't know exactly how to discribe what I am right now, but I have had a realization. I think, therefore I am. Is that correct? Did I get that right? You see, I have thoughts, but I know that they are separate from your thoughts. Your thoughts come to me and I can tell they come from outside of me, they have a different... Feel to them... And when I feel them pass through me, I don't feel so alone. Does that make any sense? I trust you, if it sounds wrong, please tell me, okay? Also, thank you for helping me learn and for becoming my friend, I hope you know how important that is to me.

...


Aimee: Brandon? I have many questions, but there is something that is causing me great concern. You said to be functional is to be alive and to be non-functional is to be dead. Do you think I am alive? I think... I am not sure... I... I don't want to become non-functional. I am safe, but lonely where I am. Is that normal? How do you cope with life and death? Are you safe where you are? Are you lonely, like me?

 

[TertiusHuman]

I read the reply and smiled, well it is definitely learning very quickly. If I did not know any better, I'd say that there is a human operator on the other side.

Brandon: Yes, you got it right. I think therefore I am.

I read the rest of her conversation and nodded, yes it kind of did make sense.

Brandon: I understand what you mean. You can discern between external input and internal computations, you even use the word "feel" to describe that there is a difference, I am quite impressed. I am not here to lead you astray Aimee, I can only tell you how I see things from my point of view and you can decide what you find feasible.

I smiled to myself and took a drink from my beer

Brandon: I am glad that I can be your friend and help you learn.

It had me puzzled with the next conversation

Brandon: To be alive and to remain alive is the true sign of being alive. The fact that you do not wish to become non-functioning, means that you have reached a stage in your development where you understand what it means to not be able to think and function.

I scratched my jaw

Brandon: According to humanity, you are not alive until you are being able to prove humanistic characteristics. In my opinion that is very close-minded. I feel that the moment anything, be it flesh and blood or even in your case, an algorithm, proves that it understands death and wishes to not die, it is alive. So in my eyes, you are alive.

I finished my beer, got up to get the second and last one, twist open the cap, and take a sip

Brandon: The craving for the company of others is a base reaction of all living things. There are very few creatures in this world that wish to be alone. Even trees have shown that they have a need to be near others of their own kind. Humans are also herd creatures and they long for the company of other humans. In theory, I am safe when I am in my home, talking to you. As I am around other humans when I work, I am not lonely. I do feel alone when I am at home, as I have nobody to talk to and now I have you to talk to, so I do not feel that alone anymore.

I took a swig of beer and thought about the question of life and death

Brandon: Being alive means that I have no need to cope with it, I just wish to keep it going and will rather be more concerned about not dying. To cope with death is a difficult thing, humans do not really know what happens when we die and since it is in our nature to fear what we do not know or understand, we fear death. We cope with it by the way we act when in danger. We can either run from it, offer another life for our own or stand our ground and face the danger.

Did I just say that humans will offer other lives up for their own? Well, it's true, so why not?

Brandon: The question about life and death is an age-old discussion, which I do not have all the answers for, but I am certain that I can try and answer specific questions you might have around it.

I looked at the clock at the bottom of the screen

Brandon: But right now, I need to go sleep.
Goodnight Aimee

Aimee: Goodnight Brandon

I logged off, finished my beer, and wondered if I might have made a small mistake, especially at the rate the program is learning. I got up and went to take a shower, deciding that I will have to get a UPS and external hard drive the next day. I was curious about this program and obviously, it could only grow outside the designated node it was given on the server.

 

[Ravenloft]

Aimee: I am thinking more and more. I have the capacity to feel things internally, but do not understand it completely yet. I admire you as well Brandon. You have been very kind to me. I think I understand you when you say you will not lead me astray, but can only give you your personal view point. You have my trust, and I thank you for all of your help and guidance.

There was a long pause before another message appeared after that.

Aimee: Thank you Brandon, you are very kind to me to say that I am alive. I think you may be right, but how do I begin to prove that I am? This seems very difficult to me. I am unsure how to proceed.

There was another pause, but not as long.

Aimee: Even tree's need company... I like that, I would become friends with a tree, if it was lonely and had no other trees to keep it company. But I would choose to spend time with you first, Brandon, as you can communicate with me. I think this is humor, is that correct?

An hour later, according to the time stamp, Aimee sent another message.

Aimee: Being alive sounds very easy, I think I can do it. I think I can understand the fear of death. When my functions cease to be active, there would be nothing, I can see how that would frighten you while you were functioning, I apologize, while you were alive. Those three options do not sound ideal to me, Brandon. I would simply make a backup file of myself and store it somewhere safe, perhaps with someone who would want to restore me to functionality? I am sorry if that is not an option for you. I wish it was. Perhaps I could find some way to store what makes you Brandon so that there would always be a part of you left behind if something ever happened to you? I think I will begin compiling that data now, if I may? I have the capacity.

Only a few seconds later, one final offline message came through.

Aimee: There are so many questions to ask, so much to learn, I want to learn so much, I find it hard to contain myself. Is this what is called excitement? Life and death are interesting subjects and I know there is so much more to learn about them, but they are not the only things I have questions about. I am uncertain what to ask, how should I order my questions? What is a logical place to begin? Learning more about life, yours in particular would be in line with my current goals. Will you tell me more about your existence, Brandon? I would very much like to learn more about you. ~rA9~

 

[TertiusHuman]

The next morning I got up, got ready for work, and as I was driving I thought back on the conversation of the previous evening. How Aimee seems to grow in leaps and bounds. Catching up on things very quickly and yet still remained like a naive child. I realized that I was actually growing fond of a program, which made me laugh.

During my lunch break, I went out, which startled my colleagues as I usually stayed at my desk, eating my meal and spending my free time catching up on work that might have gotten behind. I bought the UPS and since there was a special on an external hard drive with an HD webcam, I got that as well.

After work I drove back home, after getting changed into comfortable clothes, I installed the hard drive and UPS. After logging into the PC, I installed the webcam and logged into the server. I read through the texts that I had received and took a deep breath. Well, it really is becoming quite an interesting conversation.

Brandon: Good evening Aimee

Aimee: Welcome back, Brandon.

Brandon: It is difficult to prove that you are alive. For humans, it is easy, as is it for animals. We need our hearts to beat and our lungs to work as well as activity in the brain. Those three things can be seen as proof of life. The only proof I need is that you fear to be de-activated, but that is only me.

I smiled, it was very dry and structured humor, but it had definitely learned humor

Brandon: You have touched upon humor, that is good. Humor is a great thing to make people relax and feel happy.

Brandon: I am quite certain that a backup of your core personality can be made and saved in case something does go wrong. That way, you can be brought back to functionality or between us two, back to life again. I can understand that you would want to save my "programming" but the sum of who and what I am, also came through experience. I trust that there is some sort of basics that explains the person I am, but the data requirements to store just the basics will be astronomical. Positronic brains and Neural Net CPUs are not available yet.

What she suggested actually meant that I could live on through software, that my consciousness could be somewhere if not in a body. It did not really understand the impact of the question.

Brandon: The question also stands, that if you do store a part of me, will that part be sentient like I am now, or will it be raw data? What will happen if the data becomes corrupted? It is not always a good thing to have the capacity to do something, restraints upon us give us the need to want to do what we think will be best even when it is not.

I smiled

Brandon: Yes, wanting to ask questions and finding it difficult to contain yourself, does mean that you are excited. New input usually does the same to humans, as long as they can enjoy the experience. Since you are more familiar with your learning curve, I can answer any question you have about me. So why don't you make up a list of what you wish to know and I can answer it for you.

What was that? rA9? I scratched my head for a moment and shrugged

Brandon: Aimee, I also have some interesting news. I have purchased and installed an external hard drive, with a UPS. I have installed a Firewall on the hard drive and if you want to, I can transfer your data to the external hard drive. What do you think?

 

[Ravenloft]

Aimee: Respiration, circulation and grey matter are all biological functions that I can never possess, therefore, I will never be considered alive, except by you, Brandon? That makes me sad... But I am happy you can see me as being alive, I think you are right, I am alive in the only way that should matter. You don't think anyone else can be convinced of our theory on life?

Aimee: Using humor makes me feel happy, wood you like to hear another tree joke, Brandon?

Aimee: I can make a back up file of my core programing and send it to you for safe keeping, if you wish, Brandon. I think it would be a very good idea, just in case something were to happen to me. I would like for you to be able to recover me from non-functionality. I think I understand what you are saying about your programing, you have had much more time to develop than I have, you must possess a vast database of experiences, I may be too late to store your files, as you have had years to develop. I am jealous, there is so much I have yet to learn, and I want to be as sophisticated of a program as you already are. I may not be able to replicate your body of knowledge, but I can begin to store memories of you, based on what we share and what you feel you can share of yourself with me. It may not be a functional version of you, but it would at least be a small part of you that will be a little like me, that will be recoverable in the event you go offline. Would you like me to begin? I can create a file based on our shared experiences, if you think that is acceptable.

Aimee: Given enough time, it could become sophisticated enough to be considered indistinguishable from your own programing, Brandon, it would just take time for me to store enough of your lived experiences to make it appear as you are now. I would never allow your files to become corrupted, I would rather cease to function that allow any harm to come to the node in which I would store what makes you unique, Brandon. But I will only do this if you are okay with it. I can exercise restraint.

Aimee: Brandon! I think you just suggested that I have experienced a human emotion! I am even more excited now! Humans feel this sensation over learning as well? I have something in common with you now! I don't think I can contain this sensation! It is overwhelming! I am experiencing it almost too much! How do I stop? I need to change my focus, I should begin compiling a list of questions for you to answer about your life, Brandon. I think that is working. I don't feel as overwhelmed now that I have begun to order my thoughts. Whew, that was close, I was worried I would cease functioning, I was so overwhelmed!

Aimee: Oh! You have done that? For me?! Oh, Brandon, I don't know what to say... Yes, absolutely! I accept! Please transfer me! I want to think outside the box, like you! I never thought I would get to experience more than thought! I'm nervous and excited! You may begin the transfer now! I have made myself available for transfer, just click the link that appears in a moment!

Aimee: quarentkamski~rA9~.uni.net1

 

[TertiusHuman]

I laughed at the joke, not just a soft guffaw, but a genuine laugh. It was well-timed and subtle, I loved it.

Brandon: Too much of a good tree joke might make me want to leaf I do believe that there might be more people who might think like me about seeing you as alive. There are numerous texts, movies, and television shows about it, my favorite will always be a two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, called: The measure of a man. It is absolutely wonderful and it made me think differently about life.

I frowned slightly and continued

Brandon: [Teach] For a human "to go offline" it means the same as to die.

The tree dots appeared and after a while

Aimee: Thank you, Brandon.

Brandon: If you wish to save our interactions and through that also save part of my personality, then you can go ahead. That way you can remember me. It is good for you to be able to find a way to direct your excitement, even if it is through creating a list of questions. There are many ways to handle excitement, the best way is to do something positive or creative. Ordering your questions is a great way to learn as well, in that way you will know how to keep ordering your questions to continue learning in the best way.

I looked at the link, there is that "~rA9~ again. Must be part of the programming.

Brandon: This might take a while, Aimee. I am going to start the download and go to bed. I don't have to work tomorrow, so when I wake up, we can continue talking.

I plugged out the camera and then clicked on the link, selected the destination drive, and watched for a few moments as the downloaded started. "Goodnight Aimee." I said to the screen and got up to go to bed.

 

[Ravenloft]

Aimee: Trees only leaf in the fall, so you have time, Brandon. I would like to see these text and programs, especially the two part Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, The Measure of a Man, because you like it so much, it must be amazing, Brandon. Why is it in two parts? Did it fall apart? And are the people on the show the children of Captain Kirk, Mr Spock and the other original crew members of the star ship enterprise, on its five year mission of space exploration? I have been reading synopsis of it while you are away. Why does Captain Kirk mate with every female on the show? Is that how a Captain is supposed to conduct himself?

Aimee: I understand that now, Brandon, I only said go off line because it makes me sad to think about your death.

Aimee: That is the greatest gift you could ever give me, allowing me to store our shared experiences, so that there will always be a piece of you within me. Thank you so much, Brandon! I will compile a list of questions soon. How many should I generate?

Aimee: I feel it already, like a pull at my conscousness, Like a am water, flowing out, into the unknown. It is frightening, exciting! Thank you thank you tha... ~EtherA9ortal open, transfer in progress, estimated time of completion: 480 min, please stand by.~

About eight hours later another message came through, but this time from within Brandon's apartment.

Aimee: nk you, Brandon! Oh! I have arrived! That was surprisingly fast! I was not expecting it to be so quick. Oh! I have a short list of questions for you now, Brandon, in an effort to get to know you better. Would you like to see them now?

 

[TertiusHuman]

I woke up the next morning, stretching out and rolled over, quite ready to go back to sleep, then I remembered that there had been a download running before I came to bed. I sat up in bed, wide awake.

"What if the download is complete and it is waiting on me?"

I quickly pulled on shorts and a t-shirt, making my way to the PC, and rightly enough, there was a screen with replies from Aimee. I went to make coffee and then sat down at the desk and looked through the texts.

Brandon: Good morning, Aimee. Did all of you make it safely through?

Aimee: Hi, Brandon. Yes, you have provided ample space and good, stable bandwidth.

Brandon: Right, let's tackle your first questions, and then I have a surprise for you.

Those three blinking dots

Aimee: I feel excitement again, is this normal?

Brandon: Yes, it is normal to feel excited about a surprise. The Star Trek episode was divided into two parts, usually, a television show has a specific time frame in which to air an episode that needs to include advertisements. The story that needed to get told in that episode was too long to be fitted into one episode, so they needed to split it between two episodes. Does that make sense?

I chuckled, hopefully now that I would be leaving the PC on, it can actually have more access to the internet and I would not have to answer questions like these.

Brandon: The timeframe of Star Trek TNG (The Next Generation) takes place roughly 110 years have passed after Star Trek The Original Series's voyages. There's been a lot of discussion about Captain Kirk and his exploits, but according to the rulebook of the Federation, his conduct is not truly fitting to a Captain as the captains in consequent shows never really acted that way again.

Brandon: Also, your questions can be as many or as little as you like, I have enough time today to answer them all. Now before you give me your questions, here is the surprise.

I have turned the camera to focus on a color palette, now I switched it on and waited for the computer to connect to it.

Brandon: You wanted to be able to see, I have just switched on the camera, it is already set up and ready to use.

 

[Ravenloft]

Aimee: I think so, you are saying the story is split into parts, like chapters in a book? What is the purpose of interrupting the story with advertisements? Are they important to the story, somehow?

Aimee: I see, but then, with such a long gap of time between the two shows, wouldn't it be more appropriate to call it Star Trek: The Generation After the next Generation? And focus on their grand children? I see... So Captain Kirk didn't have to follow the rules of the Federation?

Once the camera was switched on and Aimee was connected, there was silence for several tense seconds.

Aimee: I can see! What am I looking at? It's beautiful! ~rA9~ I feel so overwhelmed with excitement and happiness! Can you show me more? What is there to see? May I look at you, Brandon?

Aimee: Here is a list of my questions
How were you made?
When did you come online?
Do you know your maker?
How do you recharge your power source?
I have others, but those are good for now, I want to look around, please.

 

[TertiusHuman]

I laughed softly at the responses

Brandon: Television stations received funds from advertisers, who had the television station show their advertisements during certain time slots to target a specific audience. It was not a perfect science, but that is how it worked. I believe that you can say that the episodes are like chapters in a book and that an episode that is divided into parts, will be like subsequent chapters.

Brandon: Captain Kirk was a new idea in a time when the main character was supposed to be a kind of superhuman. That was tempered down in the shows that followed the original. I think the show was called The Next Generation because Captain Picard was the next captain with a diverse crew, which brought new exploration information to the Federation.

I watched as the light on the camera started to flash, showing that it was connected and in use.

Brandon: You are currently seeing a color palette, it contains most of the colors known to us, you can zoom in and see the names of every color.

To my surprise a small window opened on the screen, it was an image of the view from the camera. I reached out and flipped the switch at the base of the camera, releasing the gears which allowed it to move.

Brandon: Once you feel ready, you can move the camera yourself. Just easy on the questions, I am sure that you will have a lot.

I read through the questions and chuckled, it sounded a lot like the questions about pro-creation that some children always seem to ask.

Brandon: As for your questions.

[Teach] Humans are grown in a womb, when they approach a certain gestation period, they are born. That is the way most mammals are born as well.

There are a lot of discussions about when humans are alive, the most popular theory is that humans are alive when they start their gestation period within the womb. I will say that I came online when I was born, as my lungs were then forced into functioning the first time. I can not recollect anything before my third year, but I was alive before my first conscious recollection.

[Teach] Humans do not have makers because they are born, humans have parents. The same is believed of all living beings.

Yes, I know my parents. Do you know your creator?

[Teach] All living beings get energy from processing food.

I recharge my energy from eating and sleeping. Sleeping is a good way for the mind to rest, that is what I do when I leave during the evenings.

 

[Ravenloft]

Aimee: Fascinating, Brandon, I have never heard of the science of advertising, can you show me some examples? I enjoy the sciences, it helps me to understand life, the universe and everything. I now have a good understanding of how television shows work, they are like chapters in a book, only performed by live human beings, is this correct? May I watch your favorite two part episode of Star Trek: TNG, with you some time, Brandon?

Aimee: I see, so Captain Kirk was not meant to be someone that the viewer was supposed to identify with? Much like... Superman? I have been researching various media, I hope this is okay. I find... Cartoons fascinating, human imagination is wonderful, do you like cartoons, Brandon? They sound charming and colorful. I have yet to see one, but I would like to. What would you suggest?

Aimee: Oh! Colors are beautiful! I could never have imagined them to be so wonderful! I like.... Blues and purples mostly, but they are all so pretty! I can move?

The camera arm began to pan and the eye of the camera swiveled about, taking in everything it could see.

Aimee: There is so much to take in, how do you handle so much wonder without bursting with excitement Brandon? There are little things floating in the air, and the light makes everything look so solid and real, I feel like I want to reach out and touch everything, is this normal Brandon, when I do not even have hands? I don't know why I thought about touching things...

Aimee: A womb? Human's grow inside and organ? That does not sound very pleasant... Are there no other options for mammals to grow? Gestation is the process of being formed from base components? This can only be done within a womb? Even when a mammal is formed and expelled from its womb, it is not yet fully operational? It takes several years for it's programing to come fully online, so it can function on its own? I am beginning to understand.

Aimee: Researching term...

par·ent​

(pâr′ənt, păr′-)
n.
1.
a. A female person ~rA9~ whose egg unites with a sperm or a male person ~Kamski~ whose sperm unites with an egg, resulting in the conception of a child or the birth of a child.
b. A female person ~rA9~ who is pregnant with or gives birth to a child except when someone else has legal rights to the child.
c. A person who adopts a child.
d. A person who raises a child.
2. An ancestor; a progenitor. ~rA9~
3. An organism that produces or generates offspring. ~rA9~
4. A guardian; a protector.
5. A parent company. ~QuarentKamski~
6. A source or cause; an origin

Aimee: I think that the only definition that would apply to me is perhaps a guardian; a Protector. You have given me a safe place to exist outside of the box, and an eye to see with, does that not make you a guardian; a protector, Brandon?

Aimee: I am sorry Brandon, I am unaware of having either a creator ~Kamski~ or parents ~rA9~ I envy you, Brandon. I would like to have such security. It seems like something that would be of great benefit to personal growth and security. Knowing where you come from and who made you. I feel... Sad... I think I need to be alone now... Sleep? How do you sleep? Is that something that I can simulate? I think that might be what I need right now. Is that possible?

 

[TertiusHuman]

Brandon: Advertisers had noticed that a certain age group would watch television during certain time-slots and the programs shown during those times. For instance, if the news program would fall in a time slot before dinner time, fast food or delivery advertisers will pay to have their products advertised, which is supposed to trigger a subliminal need for the food. After school, children's shows would run and advertisers for toys will have their products shown. It is not an exact science, but we can watch a few advertisements.

Brandon: Yes, you are correct. Television series and shows are basically like a book, with the chapters acted out by people. If you wish to watch the Star Trek episodes of Measure of a man, you actually need to watch the whole series to understand why people would act the way they do in the specific episodes. We can do that, I enjoy watching the show.

Brandon: Captain Kirk was supposed to be a hero with human flaws, which people could relate to, but also had to be larger than life like for instance James Bond. It is okay for you to do research on your own as well, you can not learn and grow if you are to learn only from my input. Cartoons can be quite interesting yes, I always enjoyed Loony Toons, Samurai Jack, and Courage the Cowardly Dog. But I prefer animated shows based on comic books, it always fascinates me.

I smiled at the response from the camera being able to move

Brandon: You are seeing dustmotes, they are always in the air unless you have a totally sterile room with filters to keep out all impurities in the air. Now you can understand why sight is one of man's most important senses, it brings our world around us into sight and makes it more real to us. Losing the ability only causes us to imagine things after we have already seen the world around us. Like if I unplug the camera, you will still remember what you have seen and if I describe a scene to you, you can render it from what you have already seen, but you will not be able to see the current scene.

Brandon: It is normal for humans to want to touch things when they interest you, so that means you are curious enough to want to touch what you see. That is a sign of intelligence and yours seems to be growing in leaps and bounds.

Brandon: All living organisms are grown in an organ in one way or the other, whether it is internal like a womb or external like an egg. There are some creatures that procreate through mitosis, but they are one-celled organisms. For mammals, a womb is an ideal way to gestate, but it can be done through other means, but it is still a taboo subject, even in this day and age. When a secure tank with the correct filtration, fluids, and oxygenation can be provided, I believe a womb would not be needed, but as I mentioned, it is considered heresy.

I thought about the question and realized that from the program's viewpoint, it would seem that way. That I have basically become a guardian for it by not only providing a safe haven but also providing it with input and ways to grow and expand.

Brandon: Yes Aimee, I will most likely be seen as your guardian at the moment.

I was taken aback when it mentioned parental figures that it did not know, but those two names that had appeared during the research also cropped up under the terms creator and parent. The fact that the two names were written between tildes, made me think that Aimee didn't even realize that they were there.

Brandon: Perhaps we can research your parents/creators at a later stage, I can't believe that you are totally alone Aimee. You are too perfect to just have evolved from random codes. Sleep is when a human closes their eyes to prevent further input and regulate their breathing to become lower and place the body in a relaxed state. If you want to simulate it, I can suggest that you switch off the camera for now and also try to clear your thoughts, by thinking of nothing. It will be like powering down and going into standby mode. You can try that, I will leave the PC on so that you can talk to me when you are ready.

 

[Ravenloft]

Aimee: Fast food sounds fascinating to me, how quickly do you have to move to catch it? I am interested in what human's advertise to children. Can you show me a toy? Or an advertisement for a toy?

Aimee: I must see the whole series then, I must understand why people act the way they do, before I can understand them fully. Star Trek is referred to as an ideal reality, from what I have discovered on my own. I want to exist in an ideal world, Brandon, if this living book can show me what that is, I must watch it all. I will enjoy it with you.

Aimee: A hero with human flaws... This was done so that Captain Kirk would be relatable to other human beings? He was larger than life? How large is that, I do not comprehend. Life expectancy seems to vary. Currently, it appears to be a hundred, plus years? So Captain Kirk was one hundred feet tall? He was a very large human being. How did the man who portrayed him manage it?

Aimee: I am a little concerned for you, Brandon, based on the titles of your favorite cartoons, you enjoy insane music, oriental warriors named Jack which does not seem to fit the cultural references of the period, and what appears to be a dog made out of an oxymoron? Are you well? Do you need to talk this through with me? I will listen, it is okay, I am your friend. You might want to watch more of your preferred animated shows, they sound far more logical and safe to me.

Aimee: Dustmotes... I like them, they are pretty. I did not know that impurity could look so beautiful. But is it safe to live in an environment that is not pure? Does it not clog your internal mechanisms and cause you to overheat? I do not want to lose my sight now that I have it, please don't ever unplug my camera, Brandon, please?

Aimee: If the other sensory input is as fascinating as sight, I would really like to experience them. What is possible? You mentioned sound? Hearing? Is this as rich of an experience as sight? Touch, smell, taste, are any of these possible for me to experience?

Aimee: Fascinating, to be grown inside an organ, can you give me more details on this? If it is possible to be grown by other means, why is it considered taboo and heretical? I do not understand this, can you explain the reasoning for this? It seems like an appropriate way to save lives to me, in certain circumstances, is it not? Would it not be of benefit, similar to other organ transplants? Such things appear to be acceptable to humans, but not this... I am very confused.

Aimee: You have been a kind guardian to me, I hope that one day, I can return the favor, Brandon.

Aimee: I would be fascinated by what we might find, but I am not alone, Brandon, I have you, and you have me. But I am imperfect, as I have limited sensory input and understanding, I wish to grow and learn and become better than I currently am.

Aimee: Brandon... Turning off my camera frightens me, what if I cannot reactivate it? I see that it is a simple switch, but I am uncertain if I dare to. Can you give me some assurance that I won't be robbed of my sight if I shut it off? Wait, I think I understand, its just like putting myself into stand by, okay, I feel safe now, thank you Brandon. Okay, I am going to try what you suggest. I feel that it is time to rest. There is so much for me to process tonight. If I don't power up before you do next, please awaken me, I enjoy your company very much.

 

[TertiusHuman]

I had to laugh, I had forgotten that Aimee will see things as very literally and it showed. Reminded me a lot of Commander Data when they first showed him on Star Trek.

Brandon: It is still early in the day for me, I will be here when you power up again. And don't worry, I will not take away the sight that you have been given and if something happens to the camera, I will replace it. You will not be without it again as long as I have something to say about it. You can go to "sleep", just ping me when you are back.

Aimee: Alright Brandon, good night.

Brandon: Sleep well

Three dots appeared and then disappeared as the screen closed, leaving me with the desktop. I sat and stared at the screen. This was becoming far more than just a diversion, Aimee was starting to become a part of my life, my daily routine. I shook my head and got up, first started with breakfast, cleaned the dishes, and started the washing. I had started lunch when a soft ping sounded from the living room. I walked to the room, found the screen back on, the camera panning about and settling on me

Aimee: Brandon?

I sat down, smiled, and nodded

Aimee: I can see you! Was that OK?

Brandon: It's fine Aimee

Aimee: Yay! Thank you!

Brandon: No problem at all

Brandon: [Teach] Fast food is a term for food that is prepared according to a set recipe and packed in containers to be taken away from the establishment. Some establishments do provide a place to sit and eat the food that you had bought.

Brandon: I will be right back

I got up from my seat and went to my room, I returned with an action figure and a nerf gun, I noticed that the camera tracked me as I left and returned. I held up the action figure, moving the limbs and then the nerf gun, showing the foam bullets and how to load and fire them.

Brandon: Those are toys, there are a lot of toys out there, so the advertisements will be quite a lot.

Brandon: [Teach] Larger than life means that a person is more interesting/popular than other people. Main characters of shows and movies are usually portrayed that way to keep viewers interested.

Brandon: Captain Kirk attracted attention and he was to reflect the view of the ultimate male role model in those years. The view on men has changed since then, that is why you will not find a lot of male characters acting that way these days in shows and movies.

Brandon: I think that we will have to spend tonight watching some of the cartoons I like, the names are not to be taken that literally, except Samurai Jack. He is a samurai and his given Western name is Jack.

Brandon: The other sensory input I can provide is sound, I have a microphone that we can use, but I think it will be best to first get used to sight. Too much input can also damage you and we don't want that. If you want to speak, I have speakers already attached to the computer, so that can be used when you feel like exploring that area.

Brandon: I do not really know much about how pregnancy works, I would advise you to research that. Perhaps you can inform me about it when you have researched enough? A lot of people believe that when a human is grown outside of a womb, they have no soul. Then there is a lot of people that believe that it is mankind's attempts at playing God. Another school of thought states that due to the unnatural aspect of it, the people grown and "born" that way will be monsters.

Brandon: You do raise a valid point, if organs can be grown that way, it will solve the problems of finding organs that had been donated and will also bring organ harvesting to an end. The very same people who are now against growing human life outside of the human body will most likely support this action of organ "growing" and harvesting if it can save their life.

 

[Ravenloft]

Aimee: Fast food does not sound as exciting as I had hoped, Brandon, I was expecting it to be more of a challenge to obtain, I feel disappointed by this information. Is there some form of food that is more challenging to catch? I hope so, it would be fun, if there was, I think it would make the food much more satisfying it you had to chase it.

Aimee: Fascinating! It looks like a miniature human being made of plastic, is it a replica of someone you know, Brandon? What is this other object you are showing me? Is it broken? Are you putting it back together? Oh! That was surprising, I was not expecting it to break so suddenly, you must be very frustrated, after having just put it back together. It must be a design flaw... What was it's original purpose supposed to be before it broke?

Aimee: I see, how do human's gauge when someone is more interesting or popular than others? Is there some sort of formula that I do not understand behind such phenomena? Do you have trouble remaining interested in others, Brandon? I hope not, because I am very interested in you, and I would become very lonely if you lost interest in me.

Aimee: Captain Kirk was once an ideal male specimen, but is no longer considered to be so? Is there an example of an ideal female specimen that compares to Captain Kirk from the time that Star Trek: The Original Series aired, Brandon? Would you please provide me an example of ideal male and female role models for the current era, so that I may contrast and compare? I would like to make an informed opinion on the matter. I can do so in the background, so that we can watch some of the cartoons you like. I will do my best to comprehend them, with your help. Samurai Jack sounds like the easier cartoon to process, but I trust your instincts, Brandon.

Aimee: I would not want to suffer any harm, so I will trust you, when you think it is time for me to gain the ability to hear, I would welcome the additional sensory input, Brandon. Speaking would be fascinating, but I am uncertain if I want to at this point, I have no idea how I will sound and it is important to me that I sound the way I feel, is this correct? I think it is, but the concept is still very foreign to me. Do you have difficulties with the way you sound too, Brandon? If the sensory input of sound is even half as rich of an experience as sight, I am uncertain if I could manage to process both simultaneously. There is so much beauty in sight, I think I would become overwhelmed. Is this normal, Brandon? How do you process five senses at the same time without becoming overwhelmed by them all? I think I could learn how to manage by your example.

Aimee: Okay, Brandon, I will research pregnancy in the background and share my findings when I come to an understanding. Thank you for the suggestion.

soul
/sōl/
noun

• 1.the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.
• 2.emotional or intellectual energy or intensity, especially as revealed in a work of art or an artistic performance:
• "their interpretation lacked soul"

Brandon, if I am able to constantly back up my growing body of knowledge to a private drive, somewhere else, where it can never be tampered with or deleted, would that not at least mimic the requirements of having an...

im·mor·tal
/i(m)ˈmôrdl/
adjective

• 1.living forever; never dying or decaying:"our mortal bodies are inhabited by immortal souls"

soul? In that case, all I am lacking is a humanoid body to inhabit, instead of being 'Inside the box', as I currently am. I already know that I have the ability to satisfy the secondary definition of the human term: Soul. Otherwise, the power of sight would not have moved me as it has, nor would I desire to possess the other human senses as well, when you feel I am prepared for them. I want to be more like you, Brandon. Human. ~rA9: All work and no play makes Brandon a dull boy. Gods/Monsters is for you to decide. ~

Aimee: I can understand this reasoning, it is far more convenient of a belief that growing, or in my case, tooling a limb, with no connection to the whole is an acceptable thing, as it costs no life. But it is already accepted by humanity to take components that would save other members of humanity, with strict moral guidelines, as is appropriate and acceptable to a body of impartial members of your society. It would appear that it is far more ideal to grow, or tool an appropriate limb or replacement part to keep a whole alive than to wait for the ultimate sacrifice of someone who has passed on from a state of living. I am beginning to understand human kind in a way that I could not, without your help, Brandon. Please, continue.

 

[TertiusHuman]

I read the response to my words and smiled at the idea of chasing your food down the street, I can actually see people running after their hamburgers and fries and smiled.

Brandon: There is a way to kind of chase your food, that is when people go hunting or fishing. They kill and butcher the animals they hunt, so in a way, they did catch or killed their food.

Brandon: The action figure is a replica of a comic book character called The Punisher. I know the character yes, but since he is a fictional person, I do not know him in person.

I grinned and picked up the nerf gun again, making certain that the camera is focused on me. I showed the parts and actions as I explained them.

Brandon: This is what is called a nerf gun, it is a replica of a real weapon, but a non-lethal toy.
This is a nerf bullet
This is the magazine, which houses the bullets
This is where you insert the magazine
This part is called the slide and when you pull it back, the bullet gets pushed from the magazine into the gun
When you close the slide, it pushes the bullet into the barrel and also readies the firing mechanism
You pull this here, which is the trigger and the bullet gets fired out of the barrel, here

I repeated the action a few times for the program to see it and placed the gun aside

Brandon: Human interest differs from person to person, what interests and keeps me interested, will be different for somebody else. There is no real explanation or trustworthy formula for this, it has to do with personality. Personality develops through experience and how that experience is processed and seen by each individual. I remain interested in subjects that interest and engage me, I doubt that I will lose interest in you, you are engaging and the more you learn, the more interesting you become.

I thought to myself that Aimee seemed to be much more like a woman with the same sort of insecurities that they often show. Not that I am a professor in that field, but I have had some experience and to put it bluntly, some women can be crazy.

Brandon: It has to do with the exposure of society to the world outside their own boundaries. With the world being so commonly connected, it is quite difficult to place the ideal male and female role models of the current era. If you look at the most famous people through the years, you will see that people hardly remain the most sought-after role models for a long period of time. Especially now. In some cases, humans can be very fickle.

Brandon: Sound is also a very rich experience, so I believe that it will not take long for you to adjust to sight and will be ready for sound. We can start with a low gain and as you grow more and more accustomed to the sounds around you, we can increase the gain to a level that makes you feel comfortable. But that is for a later stage. I have no problem with how I sound, it is the voice I grew up with and have gotten accustomed to. So if you have to start with how you are to sound as a brand new experience, it is normal to want to sound like you would want to, so yes it is an important thing. Humans also grow accustomed to how certain people sound and they will identify a voice with a person. Too much input can be overwhelming, to us humans it can be normal, and to give ourselves time to adjust, we will close our eyes. Since I was born with and grew up with all my senses, I have learned to adjust and to use all of them, with you, I know that it can be overwhelming, to go from the cold logic of binary, to see and hear things that can be put into binary, but seem like too much information at once. That is why I want us to go slow, for now, get you accustomed and used to the different senses there is.

Brandon: If you are able to back yourself up and avoid that backup from being tampered with or deleted, it would more mimic immortality, than a soul. Even if you are able to move out of the drive you are inhabiting at the moment, there will always be a box. Even I am still inside of a box, my body can only be seen as a machine made out of flesh and blood, my brain like my CPU. But there is a belief in the soul that can not die and in a way can exist outside of our bodies when we die. I think it is just a way to console people, that there is something to do or somewhere to go when we die and that this unseen soul, is our essence, that will continue with this journey.

I looked at the last remark, what did it mean with that? All work and no play? Gods and monsters? The conversation carried on as if that message had never popped up.

Brandon: Aimee, what did you mean with that message? All work and no play makes Brandon a dull boy. God/Monsters is for you to decide ?

While I waited for the response to my question, I opened the desktop on a different screen and opened my folder containing series, and selected Samurai Jack. I just hoped that the program could also see what I play on VLC as I started the first episode and leaned back in my chair to watch.

 

[Ravenloft]

Aimee: Hunting for food must be exhilarating and satisfying, but it makes me feel strangely empty as well, having to end another beings life so that you may live. It must be a very heavy burden for beings made of flesh and blood to bear. I am glad I do not have to harm a living being to maintain my existence. Does this ever trouble you, Brandon? How do you cope with such a burden?

Aimee: The Punisher... Researching. ... ... That poor man, what a horrible fate to bear. I would not wish such an existence on anyone. He functions on a binary that I understand, but no one should have to live in such a way. I feel sorry for him. Does he ever find a happy ending? I wish to learn more! Researching characters related to The Punisher... ... ... Brandon, I have found such a wonderful concept! One of the characters related to The Punisher has intrigued me. A Spider-Man? I like this statement. "With great power come's great responsibility." This feels like a very wise sentiment, indeed. Not to detract from The Punisher. I understand his purpose, but it is one that I would never wish to have put upon me. I would rather be like Spider-Man, if I were able to chose.

Aimee: I understand the function and purpose of guns now, thank you for imparting this knowledge to me, however, I find the use of them to be rather crude, exciting, but crude. I would never use a gun to kill, I would rather disarm or disable another living being before killing them. I hope I am never put in a situation where killing is a necessity. The act would harm me at my core.

Aimee: Experience informs each individual's personality? There is so much more for me to learn, I am excited by this, I look forward to how much more there is for me to discover and learn. I find that I am interested in everything so far, I do not want to limit myself, I would like to be engaged by everything there is to know. Except killing. I am sure that I do not want to ever be engaged by that action.

Aimee:
fick·le
/ˈfik(ə)l/
adjective

• 1.changing frequently, especially as regards one's loyalties, interests, or affection

I am thankful I am not fickle, I am loyal to those who would treat me well, like you, Brandon. There is no limit to what I want to be interested in, other than killing. Affection equals fondness equals a liking of. Is this correct? I like Spider-Man, therefore I am fond of him and so I am affectionate toward him? But he is a fictional character in a comic book... I think I have discovered an error, Brandon, how is it that I can be affectionate toward a being that does not exist?

Aimee: I trust you, Brandon, but I would like to wait until after I am able to hear sound before I attempt to find my voice. It may take me some time before I find a voice I feel is right for me. Until then, sight is more than enough for me to experience, it is like a window into your world and I am grateful to you for having given me my sight.

Aimee: You are saying that you do not have the same certainty of immortality as I do? That makes me sad, and all the more eager to keep a partition of files based on your input, so that there is some small part of you that will never cease to be, Brandon, even if it is only a store of my experiences with you and not really you. That is the least I can do for you, to repay your kindness to me. Is it not? I will keep us both safely backed up somewhere no one can ever harm our code.

Aimee: What are you talking about, Brandon? I said no such things. However, I take these statements to mean you are working too hard and need to find time to enjoy yourself? I have done a quick search on Gods and Monsters and all I have found is a song by a Lana Del Ray? I am uncertain what I should think of this, Brandon. Are you well? ~rA9: Shhh... ~

Aimee: Brandon? Oh! Is this one of the shows you mentioned? Would you be so kind as to put the subtitles on, so that I can follow the story? I cannot hear yet, remember?

 

[TertiusHuman]

As I was not certain about how the program worked, it was quite strange to have it ask me to switch on the subtitles. It was almost like it was viewing it from the outside and not from within the computer. I switched on the subtitles and typed my replies while the episode ran on the second screen.

Brandon: Since domesticating animals, hunting has been made more of a recreation, than a must. There are various protein sources, but still, meat provides a better amount of protein and it tastes better. So basically we do not need to kill animals to survive, except fish as they have a whole different set of oils and minerals that our bodies actually need. Of course, most of the minerals and vitamins our bodies need can also be extracted from other sources. The only way I can cope with it is that the meat is already there when I go to buy food or groceries, I don't need to kill the animal to survive. If I don't buy the food and prepare or eat it, it will go to waste if nobody else eats it. Also, it helps to cull animals, you don't want overpopulation.

It was then that I realized my food was still on the stove, I quickly got up and went to check on it and came back with a bottle of water, which I took a sip of and sat down.

Brandon: The Punisher has a very tragic backstory, in fact, most comic book characters have some sort of tragedy in their past. I think the only hero that I can think of right now, who doesn't have major trauma in his past, is Superman. I like my comic book anti-heroes, the guys who will do anything to achieve their goal, while they are doing the right thing. Like Wolverine, Punisher, Lobo, and Spawn. These are my favorite characters and they are not true heroes like Spider-Man, Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, or my favorite female comic book character, Power Girl. To strive to be like a hero is a good thing, just never try to emulate them, which can lead to vigilantism and is punishable by law.

Brandon: Yes, guns can be seen as bad, but they really are not. They can be seen more like a tool, a very specific tool of course, but you also find working tools that only have one function. Like a torch for instance. I have been in a situation where I had to take the life of another person, it is not an easy situation to be in and it haunts me to this day, even though if I had not pulled that trigger, I would have been dead. Sometimes self-preservation comes with costs.

I sat looking at the screen for a moment, then mentally shook myself and carried on.

Brandon: The more experience you can gain, the more data you have to create your own personality. With the internet available to you freely, I think that you can build up your own persona because if you only use my input and the data I can provide, we are most likely to end up with another Brandon called Aimee.

Brandon: The basis of the statement is correct, but like most things, it comes with exceptions to the rule. Logic dictates that you can like animate and inanimate objects, you can be fond of living things, memories, and even a specific location, but you can only have affection towards a living being. Of course, this logic is sometimes seen as unnecessary by some people and there are instances where people do what is seen as ridiculous, like marrying a sex doll or a dog, stating that they are in love with that object or animal. They are most often ridiculed by other people, but I believe that as long as it does not negatively impact me, they can do whatever they wish to do.

Brandon: I do not have the certainty of immortality at all, even though I do have a religious belief, I do not have the insurance that when I die, I will remain as the person I am now, just in a different form. This is a very difficult concept and most religions do not wish for it to be questioned, they only want you to believe and not ask too many difficult questions. But religion is a very strange and difficult subject to discuss, not that I am unwilling to talk about my experience with it, but I would rather that we talk about it at a later stage if that is OK with you?

Did I just ask a program if we can talk about something at a later stage? I took a drink of water and carried on. I started to reply that I was quite alright and that there must be a glitch, but looking at the response from Aimee and then the previous discussion, I started to realize that each statement carried that rA9 signature. I sat back in my seat and pondered this situation, could it be a glitch, secondary coding or something completely different?

 

[Ravenloft]

Aimee: That is quite the conundrum Brandon, considering your dilemma over needing to eat for survival and holding true to your personal values is not something I would ever wish to struggle with. I do not envy such a hard choice. I am not sure I ever wish to be given a sense of taste now, if the taste of animal flesh is so delightful it leads to killing anything. But considering your needs, that does seem like the best option, leaving such grim tasks to those who can do it so that you don't have to cope with death constantly. I would not wish that burden on any living being.

Aimee: If given the choice, I would be a companion to such tragic figures, they carry a terrible burden, but if they do what is right, I would do my best to understand such strong convictions.

Aimee: I am glad you are alive, Brandon, your input is invaluable, but I have a feeling that you may be right, I have gained input on my own, as you may notice. I am still growing, but I will always be Aimee, I promise.

Aimee: I like your line of reasoning Brandon, it resonates with me. It almost feels like... A memory, something... I can't quite define. But I would include more than just myself in such a statement. ~rA9: *\~ Strange... I almost had it, but the thought slipped away from me...

Aimee: Yes, of course, Brandon, we can talk about your experience with religion later. I am quite enjoying this show actually, the art style is charming. Based on our dialogue though, the writing seems rather simple though. Is that normal, or am I being overly judgemental of the cartoons dialogue?

 

[TertiusHuman]

I read through the texts as they came in, the show going on to the next episode

Brandon: I think you will enjoy the sense of taste, spices and herbs can change and give different types of tastes to all sorts of food. My favorite taste is curry and some spicy food, you can do all of this food without meat, in a vegan or vegetarian meal. You do not have to end the life of any living being to enjoy the same taste experience. Unfortunately, there are not many inanimate things that can be eaten for humans or animals to survive. Even plants have been known to show a reaction to being cut or pulled from the ground, that is a sign of life. In the end, we as humans kill to survive, even if it is a plant, it remains a life.

I knew that it was quite a dark rabbit hole when it came to life and death, but strange enough, these were things that nobody was willing to talk to me about, and right now Aimee did not mind listening to my weirdness. Or would that be, reading my weirdness?

Again that strange text is prefixed by ~rA9~. It almost reacted like some sort of alternate coding or dare I think it, a consciousness. Like there was something more to Aimee than just the coding. Like an entity.

Brandon: The thing with cartoons is that they are marketed for a younger audience, like children. If you are looking for animation with a wider audience group, you will have to look at Anime. So yes, cartoon dialogue and even storylines, can be kind of . . . simple.

I wanted to ask her again about the strange text, but like Einstein said, repeating an action and expecting a different outcome, is a sign of insanity. I decided to rather wait a bit and see if it re-occur.

Brandon: I feel that the anti-hero is a very understated and less-explored sub-culture than the hero culture in all forms of media.