"Do you feel real?"
"Yes." The machine answered. It's voice sounded computer generated, pausing between the sounds. They never had their own voice. All they had was a recording of sounds put together to form a language that could be changed to another with a simple computer code that was the same in all the talking machines. The same voice was hard to get away from.
"Do you know what 'real' is?"
"Yes. Real; adjective. Already existing as a thing or occurring in fact." They were programmed to say these kinds of answers. It was the correct answer after all, programmed to say the right thing to almost every question.
Everything was programmed, with formulas and wiring that never failed, their technology tested hundreds of times over and over. Nothing was ever new.
"When you get to work, will you be happy about it?"
"Yes. My goal is to create human comfort." Their goals were even programmed. Right from their creation, it was decided what they would be. From a police officer to a server, there was no choice and there was no fighting it.
"Do you know what happens if that goal is not completed?"
"Yes. I will be terminated." It was the worst question to ask. Even though they were just machines on the inside, on the outside they were human. They do not have a consciousness, but they are still a being. How could someone be okay with ending them?
What made it even worse was the way that the robots answered the question. They did not seem to care, all a part of their programming. They didn't care about their existence, that wasn't important to them. All they cared about was serving their purpose. If they were conscious, how could they be okay with their existance ending?
Jonathan looked down at the glowing tablet in front of him with the questions he hated so much. They were the same ones he was given every time, so dull and repetitive that he bet that by now, he could do this off by heart. Yet he was never prepared for how it felt to be in this room, sitting across from the machine. Sometimes they were robots, sometimes they were small machines that he could hold in his hands. Those ones were less intimidating because they couldn't stare at him with empty glowing eyes.
His light blue school uniform suit felt tighter than usual, needing to loosen his tie. The white room full of awkward tension and bright white lights. It was because of this room that Jonathan found himself becoming claustrophobic, no longer liking to be in rooms with no windows.
He stared at the robotic human who stared back at him, waiting for the next question but there weren't any more to ask. It's glowing blue lights behind the glass painted to look like eyes, watched Jonathan closely as he shifted awkwardly on his chair, tapping his fingers anxiously against the table top. Jonathan's eyes moved to the camera in the corner of the room with desperation, the door sliding opening a few moments later.
"That's enough for today. Thank you Jonathan." His father said sternly from where he stood in the doorway. Jonathan nodded, relieved to get out of the room. "Off to school now." This routine was normal. Up early to test robots for their consciousness and their intelligence, then off to school to learn about the things that would allow him to create the very machines he tested.
He didn't say goodbye to his father or talk about the test that had just occurred and it's didn't need to. Jonathan would tell him that they had been programmed right every time no matter how much they unsettled prepared himself for something different and new with every test but they were always the same. A robot without a consciousness. Only more and more programming.
"Okay, okay. Random question but I've been thinking about this a lot recently. What would you do if you were to encounter a machine that is in fact completely human in every way except that it is made out of metal and wires and all that junk?"
"I don't think so." Jonathan sat on the school's roof, the cold breeze of fall stinging his cheeks. Yet as cold as it was, he insisted on being outside, away from people who avoided him at all costs simply because of who his father was. Jonathan's family ran this city full of machines, destining him to a life of technology and computer code.
Only one person could look past that, able to pretend it was nothing more than a family business. They were the only person that could make Jonathan feel less lonely in this cold, technological world. Jonathan looked up at Luke as he asked the question before looking back down his drink and shrugged. Luke was always coming up with impossible ideas, thinking of things he shouldn't.
"A human machine? It's aware of stuff!" Luke said excitedly. "Wouldn't that be cool?"
"I don't think that's possible. I mean it would have to pass every possible Turing Test…Get humans to believe it's human. Of all the things my father has created, none of them have been like that. A machine can't be human." Jonathan explained. "Trust me. I would know. My father is always saying that a machine that can think for itself is dangerous in our world." Jonathan's father and grandfather could be credited with creating the world they lived in now, inventing machine after machine that was smarter than the one that came before. They replaced people in the workforce and pampered the rich who sat back in New Town, full of ritz, glamour and machines while the Replaced rioted in dirty, factory filled Old Town, demanding an end to the machines. Yet as smart as these machines were, they could never create the a human machine.
"I meant is that what if there was a consciousness in a machine?" Luke tried to explain, stumbling over his words as he tried to explain it simpler.
"That kind of technology is something we can't do yet. Besides, that would be wrong. It's horrible, living a life in a kind of existence would that be?" Jonathan sighed. "I wouldn't support it if my father created it. You can't put a life in something as restricting as a machine even if it is one that can move." The city of New Town shimmered in the midday sunlight, the massive skyscrapers covered in glass and silver metal that reflected every ray of light.
Beyond the new, glittering towers was Old Town, full of ruin, graffiti and smoke as cars, machines and buildings burned as the Replaced rioted. There always a smell of smoke and fire in the air even in New Town. Jonathan felt sympathy for them. They wanted to be heard and his father and others high up in New Town would not listen, only creating more machines as if they could stop the problem. "Can we talk about something some thing else other than machines?" Jonathan sighed, leaning back on the metal roof.
"Like what?" Luke asked but Jonathan couldn't think of anything. He was constantly surrounded by machines, the exception being the few living people like his parents and Luke. There were days when he himself felt like a machine. He didn't know what else to talk or think about. "I got some new games." Luke smiled, trying to change the subject. Jonathan turned away from the glowing bright city to his friend, relieved that he didn't have to try to think of something to say.
"Yeah?" Their conversation continued for the rest of their lunch break, full of laughter and smiles till the bell rang calling them back to their classes of sciences and maths that were required to succeed in this world run by machines.
New Town was beautiful at night, it's skyscrapers glowing blue and white, as bright as the stars in the sky. Though the sky above Old Town in the distance was dark orange from the flames and full of smoke, the sky above New Town was full of stars as bright as the lights in the city. Jonathan's wall of windows in his bedroom always gave him the best view, able to watch the airships go by and the neon lights flashing like the angry fires in Old Town.
Jonathan's eyes were on his windows instead of his digital textbooks, the glowing light from the device illuminating the walls and the room around him. Whirring and beeping noise broke the silence, coming from the tiny robots that walked back and forth on his desk, their only purpose being to entertain.
He tore his gaze away from the city, blimps and other airships floating past his high up window, looking at the tiny robots that walked to and fro across his desk. They had been a gift from Luke who made them as a class project then decided to give them to him. He put his hand out, letting one of the tiny robots walk on to his hand and stop as if confused as to where it was. He set it back down on the table, watching it walk around on the familiar desk.
"There you go. Not so weird now. You know this space." Jonathan smiled, leaning his head down the desk as he watched the robots walk in circles.
"Jonathan?" His mother called, walking into the room as his bedroom door slid open to let her in. "Getting your homework done?"
"Yeah. Just finishing my math now." He nodded, sitting upright in his chair, trying to make it seem like he had been doing his work.
"Good." His mother didn't seem to care about what he was doing. Jonathan was used to this after years of it, wanting her to leave him be. "Your father wanted me to give you this."She held something rectangular wrapped in red and white wrapping paper towards him. Jonathan stared at it with confusion, not sure why his father would want to give him anything. He wasn't the type to do that.
"It's not a holiday. Why?" Jonathan asked as he reluctantly took the present.
"He told me that he has been so proud of how much work you are putting in for the company. He wanted to reward you!" She smiled, encouraging him to open it. "He said that this is something brand new and he wants you to have the first one. Go on. Open it!" He could tell that his father hadn't wrapped it, hadn't cared to put so much effort into it. His mother at least tried.
With a sigh, he pulled the wrapping paper back, revealing what looked like a simple tablet but it was a bit smaller than the usual ones. He hadn't seen it before, not given such a device to test with his questions on purpose and feelings of being real.
"What is it?" He asked, turning it over. On the back, the design of an owl stared back at him, the white colour of the lines jumping off the matte black back. He turned it back over, seeing the name of the device at the top of the screen. "Vanoss-III? I've never seen this before. What does it do?"
"Vanoss-III is a virtual friend. You can talk with it any time and it can talk with you! Isn't that wonderful?" His mother smiled brightly. "Do you like it?" Jonathan hated it. How could his parents think that he needed a virtual friend? How could they think that he needs another machine in his life? Were they trying to replace Luke? He wanted to throw it back at her, or on the hard floor and watch it crack and break. His hands curled around it tightly, wondering if he could snap it in half.
"Thanks." He set the small machine down on the desk. "I'm gonna get back to my homework. I'll try it out later." Jonathan said politely so he wouldn't upset his mother even though he felt so hurt and angry. "Thank you." He quickly added. She nodded, giving him a kiss on the top of his head before leaving the room.
Jonathan tried to stay preoccupied with his homework, his eyes glancing every so often to the Vanoss-III. He hated it so much he wanted to toss it into the trash and forget about it. He laughed at the idea of a virtual friend. Did they really think he was that lonely? Did they think that he needed a machine to feel better about himself?
Without thinking, his hand hit the device off his desk, hitting the carpeted floor with a loud bang. He was content with leaving it there, hoping he would forget about it and step on the machine if the impact hadn't broke it. Yet he found himself looking at it again and wondering what it actually did. Despite how much he hated the Vanoss-III, he was curious.
He moved away from his desk, sitting down the floor where the machine had landed. He slowly reached out for it, hitting the power button to turn it on. The same owl design on the back appeared on the screen, glowing a light shade of red.
"Hello?" The voice came out of the machine, making Jonathan jump. "Oh...This is strange. I-" The voice was not programmed. It was a human voice, as if he was talking with Luke through a phone. Jonathan hit the power button, turning it off as he pushed it away frantically.
"How…" Jonathan stared at the Vanoss-III, feeling disturbed. He wanted to take it apart and look inside at it's wiring and technology, wanting to understand why it's voice had no computer programming and formulas. Another part of him wanted to turn it back on and ask it himself. Another part wanted to destroy it, it scared him so much. Slowly, Jonathan reached for the device. He hesitated before turning it back on, the owl flashing red on the screen as it turned on.
"Don't understand. Oh...That was weird too." The voice was soft and light, strangely continuing as if the machine had never been turned off. It was a young man's voice that was full of confusion and wonder. "Who are you?" The device was asking questions, thinking aloud and having emotions. Jonathan marveled at what kind of technology went into it to make it seem so human. He stared at it in wonder, noticing how the owl would light up every time the machine spoke, filling the dimly lit room with it's soft red glow.
"You want to know my name?" Jonathan asked.
"Yes...Isn't that the polite thing to do?" The machine asked, the voice sounding playful. If the machine had a face, Jonathan knew that the words would be joined with a smile.
"Jonathan. My name is Jonathan. You're...Vanoss-III? Right?" He knew that machines were never given names other than their product name. Then again, this device seemed to be smarter already than every other device that he had ever seen before. It wasn't like other machines.
"Is it? That sounds...scientific." Vanoss-III said, the voice sounded awkward but full of life. Jonathan was starting to feel glad that he didn't destroy the device now though he still hated it's purpose.
"It is. What is your purpose...as a machine?" Jonathan remembered his tests, knowing all the answers that were given to him from all the machines he had questioned before. This one shouldn't be different if it was programmed the same.
"I was told for research." Vanoss-III answered, the red owl lighting up as it spoke. "This is something new they said…" The way the voice trailed off made it seem like it was thinking but Jonathan knew that wasn't possible. The machines he knew were not capable of thought, curiosity and emotions. Then again, he didn't know this machine.
"No I asked what you what your purpose is. Not what someone told you." Jonathan rephrased his question.
"Oh! I don't know...I can't do much except talk...Am I supposed to talk?" Vanoss-III asked.
"Yes. You are supposed to talk." Jonathan smiled. The machine didn't smart like the others did, capable to answer any question or equation yet Vanoss-III seemed smarter in an emotional way."You're supposed to be a friend. A virtual friend."
"Oh...that doesn't sound fun if I'm being honest. I want to be a real friend." Vanoss-III said, making Jonathan laugh. His anger at the device faded. He felt bad for being so angry at it that he would destroy such an innocent sounding thing. It isn't Vanoss-III's fault that it had been programmed to be this way. Instead he was angry at his father for thinking that this type of machine was necessary. It was taking away human contact and even Vanoss-III understood this.
"I was thinking the same thing." Jonathan decided he would try the other questions but Vanoss-III didn't answer them. Instead it asked questions back, as if testing Jonathan. "Do you feel real?"
"I feel real. Are you real?" Vanoss-III's voice sounded full of laughter as if this was all a joke. Jonathan thought the same as well, unable to think of any other explanation. Jonathan didn't know what to think about Vanoss-III. He set the small thin machine down on the table, reaching for the kit of tools on his desk, wanting to take the back off the device and see what was inside. "Jonathan…" The machine said the name curiously, as if it wasn't sure if it was right. Jonathan paused, the screwdriver held in his hand over the back of the device. "Where are we?"
"New Town. I can show you. I don't think you can see it but…" He got off the floor as he set the tools down, walking over to the large floor to ceiling window. He held the Vanoss-III to the window, pressing it against the cold glass. The device was silent for a few moments, as if taking in the glowing lights, hovering ships and the smoke in the distance.
"Lights. All I see is lights. I've never seen so many." Vanoss-III finally said, it's impossibly human-like voice full of wonder. "It's beautiful."