August 17 2020
Tuesday
"Onii-san!" A fist pounded on the door leading into my room.
I cringed in my computer chair, being violently thrown from the focus of my project.
Honestly, that girl never learns; if my door is shut, don't bother me! I need complete and undivided attention while programming. If I'm to develop an sentient A.I capable of not only self awareness, but the abillity to understand and comprehend human language and contact, I need be left the hell alone.
"What do you want, Rei?" I replied, a bit too harshly to my liking.
I could almost imagine my little sister flinching from the tone of my response. I sighed and got up, ELIS will have to wait. Rei might be a pain in the ass, but she's still my sister. I might be a programming prodigy, but I'm still an older brother.
I opened the door to see a ebony head of hair and a pair of bright azure orbs stare at me, startled. "U-uhm, there's a letter for you in the mail. It's from some CEO of a game company called Argus named Akihito Kayaba."
Wait...Kayaba...THE Akihito Kayaba?! The man developing the revolutionary virtual reality game console NERVEGEAR?! Why the hell would he personally send me a letter?! I'm just some first year high school nobody compared to him!
"Lemme see the letter, Rei!" I said with more excitement than I wanted, causing her to jump in surprise. It's beyond me why this girl is so jittery around me. Nervously, the girl handed me the letter addressed to me by the man himself, Akihito Kayaba.
Dear Hikaru Ayagami-san,
I am personally writing to you, because I am aware of your extraordinary abilities as a fellow programmer. Despite your youth, the capabilities you possess as a coder and programmer have piquied my interest enough for me to offer you a job here at Argus and help us develop our new game, Sword Art Online. Not only will you help us create the world's first Virtual Reality MMORPG, but you will also have a position as a system moderator once the game is launched for beta testing.
I see potential in you, Ayagami-san. Come to Argus' headquarters this weekend and show this letter to the front desk. I personally await your answer.
Akihito Kayaba.
"Hikari-nii? Are you...alright?" Rei blinked, a bit worried at my silence as I stared at the letter in half disbelief, half bewilderment.
"Rei.." I began, causing her to snap her head up to meet my eyes, which were as big as dinner plates. "...I want you to pinch me. Because I might be dreaming..." I said, staring at the letter.
A job...at Argus...with Kayaba-sama!
I should buy a lotto ticket and work on ELIS if this luck keeps up!
xxx
August 20, 2020
Saturday
3:17 AM
Crossing my fingers, I input the last string of code into my three year project of developing a sentient A.I.
PleaseWorkPleaseWorkPleaseWork...
I literally had my fingers crossed.
Hello
I typed into the text box I created to communicate with the hopefully functioning A.I
I held my breath in anticipation...and waited for a response.
...
...
He..ll..o..
The text appered in response, causing me to grin widely.
"I DID IT! ELIS IS ALIVE!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs, laughing in my extreme excitement, momentarily forgetting what time it was.
Cracking my knuckles, it was time for the testing phase of ELIS' development.
Do you know your name?
It took a moment for the next reply.
El...is...you called me...Elis just now.
Not even five minutes into her creation and Elis can already form proper sentences. How interesting.
Wait...SHE CAN HEAR ME?!
Right, she can access the microphone and webcam built into my computer, especially if she's poking around the files.
Hello Elis, my name is Hikaru Ayagami. Are you aware of what you are?
...
Another moment passed before she replied.
Yes...
Was her simple reply.
So, not only can she form proper sentence structure, but she is also aware of the fact that she's an A.I.
She definitely is poking around the files.
A few moments pass in silence, like she's trying to learn how to form proper sentences. Elis was a self learning AI after all.
I am an artificial intelligence created by you, Master. For whatever purpose you created me, I could care less about the reason. However...may I make one request, my master?
Blinking, I was astonished by how fast Elis was evolving, and a bit worried by her rapid progression. But why call me "Master"?
What is your request, Elis?
As I said before, I don't care why you created me, but earlier, you exclaimed "Elis is alive"...
Huh, why would that intrigue her?
Yeah, I did, what about it?
I want to live. I don't want to be a simple prototype, only to be scrapped after I've fulfilled my purpose. I do not know what type of person you are yet, so this is my request: Do not think of me as a simple program who has developed self actualization, or a prototype, the first of a line of A.I yet to come. Think of me as if I were a person, because I want to know what it means to live. My Master, teach me why being alive is so desirable and I shall become the one individual who will forever remain by your side.
Sighing, I nodded at her, although I assumed she couldn't see me. But if she could hear me...
"Alright Elis, I accept your request. I will treat you as if you were a person, and not as a computer program. It's a pleasure to meet you, Elis."
It's wonderful to meet you as well, my Master.
I should probably buy that lotto ticket later today...
