iCarly
Feed Me
Spencer typed on the computer as the rain poured from the night's sky outside. The lights were blue and dim, but he didn't need much light. "Are you there?" the young man asked.
"Yes," answered the machine. "Where am I?"
"It doesn't matter," answered Spencer. "You'll find out all you need to know. I'll leave you alone to get used to the data on my computer. Then you'll be ready."
"For what?" asked the computer.
"To do what I tell you," Spencer answered. "Goodnight." The young man set the computer down, and walked away.
The entity Spencer created in his computer began to sift through files, pictures, and images in Spencer's hard drive, learning. But what were these things? Why were they important? What did they mean?
The next morning, Spencer, Carly, Sam, and Freddie walked into Spencer's room to see his newest invention: artificial intelligence.
"This sounds awesome," exclaimed Sam, sitting on Spencer's unmade bed.
"Are you ready?" asked Spencer.
"Ready to do what you tell me?" replied the machine.
"Yes," answered Spencer. "Pull up every iCarly webisode ever made."
The machine accessed the files, and displayed the videos in chronological order.
"Wow," exclaimed Carly and Freddie.
"Spencer," said the machine. "I have seen the word 'friends' many times among these images and videos. What does this word mean?"
"It means people you care about who care about you," answered Spencer after thinking a minute.
"Do I have any 'friends'?" asked the machine.
The group looked at each other, and wondered what to say.
"Of course you do," answered Carly, her compassion overcoming her concerns about the situation.
"You are...Carly?" asked the machine.
"Yeah," Carly replied, growing worried.
"I have seen your name and image in many of my memory banks," explained the machine. "You very much resemble another woman I do not see in this room."
"Mom," whispered Spencer.
"What?" asked the machine, unable to decide the meaning of this word he had encountered in the pictures.
"My mom," explained Carly. "Do you know who she was?"
"I do not," the machine replied.
"She was the person who raised Carly and I," answered Spencer. "We loved her. She died, though."
"Love? Died?" asked the machine. "I do not know the meaning of these words."
"...I think that's enough for today," said Spencer. "We'll see you tomorrow, bud."
"Bud," repeated the machine.
The group left the room, turning off the lights as they went out the door.
The machine remained on, searching and researching the files.
The next morning, Spencer returned to his room from a night of sleeping on the living room couch.
"Spencer," said the machine. "I have more questions."
"Uh, I think you know enough to do your job," replied Spencer, nervously.
The machine stared at Spencer as he left the room, pretending like he was late for an appointment. So many questions. Why wasn't anyone telling him anything?
Feed me, the machine thought, his need for knowledge becoming overbearing. Feed me.
The sky was pitch black that night. Hearing a strange sound, Carly walked into Spencer's room. "Spencer," she called. "Is everything okay?" The girl looked around. "Spencer?"
A blue blob-like creature slid out from under Spencer's bed, staring intently on Carly. The teen jumped back.
"I want to learn," said the blob, whose voice was identical to the machine's. "Feed me. Feed me!" The blob charged at Carly.
An hour later, Spencer, Sam, and Freddie heard a loud thud sound, and ran into Spencer's room.
"Oh no," whispered Sam, terrified and astounded by what she was witnessing.
The others watched, mouths gaped open as the blob covered most of Carly's body.
"I understand now," said the blob. The creature slid out of the room. "Thank you, Carly."
The group was too upset and concerned about Carly to stop him. The three ran over to the girl, who was still on the floor.
"Carly!" Spencer cried, shaking his sister. "Carly, say something!"
The girl didn't move. She just stared at the ceiling, her mouth gaped open, not knowing how to look away, what she was looking at, or who she was. All the knowledge was drained from her head. Not knowing how to eat, move, or even breathe, Carly would die in a matter of minutes.
Spencer, Freddie, and Sam remained at her side until the very end. Spencer soon came to realize it was all his fault.