Danna Pearce was a young 13 year old girl who lived in Georgia. Born to two loving parents, she had a childlike quality about herself, even at the age when most girls were starting puberty. Unlike those girls, though, she chose not to abandon her innocence in favor of bawdy pretense, and rather cling on to those ideals and values her mother and father taught her. She still pretended the corner store held untold secrets, or a mud pie was a delicious, homemade apple pie. Even though other girls in school made fun of her for being a "baby" or "mama's girl," Danna continued to exude pureness each and every day, with no signs of changing.
Of course, what other paradise is there for a moral girl like Danna than Walt Disney World? She treasured the resort with a passion, as did her parents before her. They'd been pass holders since Danna was 3, and every visit was an adventure in itself for her. The first trip was like a rite of passage. She'd admired the crazy spinning and near-misses of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, been frightened by the hairpin turns and constant jump-scares of Snow White's Adventures, and relaxed amongst the beautiful scenery of Peter Pan's Flight. Even now, when the World was ever still evolving, Danna considered it her second home.
Right now, Danna was headed to the park in her dad's Toyota Corolla, sitting in the backseat with the window open, breathing in the cool breeze blowing from the window while taking in the sights and sounds of the 1998 summer. Her purple Game Boy pocket was propped beside her, in case she ever got bored during the six hour drive. But Danna was restless, so much to the point of not complaining when she woke up at 5 that morning, and she probably wouldn't need it. The car had just entered Florida, so Disney was nearby. Danna awaited the majestic welcoming arch.
Eventually, out of the corner of her eye, Danna spotted the sign for Orlando. In just a few more minutes, they would arrive at Walt Disney World and start their day.
Her dad turned to her and said, "Are you ready to have some fun, Danna?"
"Of course!" Danna cheered in her charmingly upbeat tone of voice.
And what did they see but the entrance to what was commonly dubbed the Happiest Place on Earth. Danna couldn't keep from feeling a wave of nostalgia and excitement wash over her. She was about to experience yet again stories of fantasy, stories of tomorrow, stories of adventure. Never once would she get tired of it all.
A few hours passed. Danna had done most of the rides there were to enjoy in the park, and she was currently in Tomorrowland. Tomorrowland usually meant the end of the day, but Danna made sure to spend as long as she could there and savor whatever there was offered. Eventually, she came across an attraction she'd passed numerous times before.
Looking up, Danna read "The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter?" She'd skimmed over it in the map many, many times, for who knows how many years by this point, but she never thought about doing it until now. Maybe because the attraction implied a terrifying experience? The reason was unknown even to Danna.
Danna flashed her Fastpass and entered a queue decorated to look like a convention center. Screens told about events like "Mission to Mars: History or Hoax?" and even an intergalactic pet show. Suddenly, a video came on screen detailing the history and accomplishments of a fictional mega company called X-S Tech.
Hmmm… this seems interesting, Danna thought. The further the video progressed, the further Danna was immersed in the lore. The chairman, L.C. Clench. The idea of "seizing the future." The words "If something can't be done with X-S, it shouldn't be done at all." It was a whole new concept to Danna, who often aspired to be the change she wished in the world. Suddenly, the doors opened to another room, as a cast member ushered everyone in. The words above the door read, "TELEPORTATION DEMONSTRATION."
In the second room, a motionless robot animatronic with a head like a bike helmet stood in the middle, blocked by a handle in front of a series of rows. He was flexing his arms, implying he was more than just a prop. Between him were two tubes, one of which contained a cute little alien.
Danna entered the front row, intently waiting for the demonstration to start. She couldn't wait to hear more about the X-S Tech lore, and how they could "seize the future." After a short introduction by the chairman, the robot activated himself, sighing contently.
"Ah! Welcome, weary travelers, to the great big universe of X-S!" he said. "You may call me S.I.R. That is S, I, R, which stands for Simulated Intelligence Robotics." Danna couldn't understand what it was, but she felt drawn to the robot's voice. Usually she was very innocent, but something about this robot made her feel a way she hadn't ever in her life. It honestly scared her a bit. She decided to continue watching the show, dismissing any thoughts brewing in her mind.
S.I.R. angrily faced the cute alien in the tube, demanding "What DO you want, Skippy?"
Skippy made a noise that sounded like "I wanna get out."
"No, you may NOT get out," S.I.R. laughed. "You're our… lucky volunteer." Skippy groaned as S.I.R. continued with his speech. "Now, dear friends, you're probably asking, what could the galaxy's leader in sophisticated technology possibly do for me?"
Dear friends? Danna thought. The thought of a robot with such a dazzling voice referring to her, a carefree young girl, as his "dear friend" amazed Danna. Maybe dreams do come true at Disney after all.
"Well, how would you like to travel anywhere, anytime, at the touch of a button?" S.I.R. said. At those words, Danna imagined the scene unfolding: traveling to another place, another land, any time she wanted. But she didn't want to do it alone. She wanted to do it with S.I.R., as even though he was just an animatronic character, her mind believed somewhere, he really existed.
S.I.R. went on to demonstrate the X-S teleportation technology with Skippy as the test subject. The process basically deconstructed the atomic configuration of an object, sending the particles to another location, where it was then reconstructed. However, when Skippy successfully reappeared at the left tube, he seemed burnt and charred. S.I.R.'s reaction wasn't a very good one.
"Oh, shut up, scruffy; you're not burned, you've just got a healthy glow," S.I.R. sneered. Danna started thinking. Did S.I.R. have xenophobia of alien creatures? The way her referred to them as "lower lifeforms" earlier showed he had some sort of disdain for them, and the way he was acting towards Skippy proved her point.
Even though he's kind of a jerk… I really do like him, Danna thought. I wish I could change him.
The show ended with S.I.R. making Skippy disappear indefinitely, but that didn't shake Danna's newfound love for him. She continued to listen to the android as he described that the next step in X-S teleportation would be across "the breath of a galaxy, the span of a universe," and how one of the audience would "seize the future."
"Bon voyage," he said.
At that moment, Danna reached out her hand. Time seemed to stop. It was as if Danna and S.I.R. were the only ones in the room. Danna trembled, as if reviewing what she knew of this character, and carefully deciding which words to say.
"Am I your dear friend?" Danna said.
"Of course, you are," S.I.R. said, with that same snarling, sneering tone of voice he had before, somewhat implying he did not consider Danna a friend. However, Danna continued with her innocent questions.
"If so, will you be there for me until I die?" she asked.
The only words from S.I.R. were "Why?"
"Because you're a robot. Robots never age. They just thrive on until their body rusts or they're shut down," Danna said.
"And what good is that?" said S.I.R. "I'm just an employee at X-S Tech. Nothing more. I don't feel the same feelings humans do."
"I love you. I never want to separate from you," Danna said softly. She could see herself drawing closer and closer to S.I.R., as if she were floating past the handle and the two of them were ascending to heaven above.
"Oh, I know what this is!" S.I.R. just oozed condescension. "This is that 'compassion'," he made quote marks with his fingers, "thing you humans are so well known for. Delightful! I'd doubted it even existed." But Danna failed to see the wickedness in this character and kept trying to bring goodness out from him.
"Even I can see past your intimidating personality and sense goodness in you."
Immediately, S.I.R.'s mood changed. "Really?" he said, quite humiliated. Thoughts raced through his metallic shell of a skull; thoughts about his morality and if he really wanted to continue existing. Am I a robot because I am artificial? I am not flesh, yet I can think and feel for myself. Have I really been so… amoral?
"We could teleport across the breath of a galaxy, the span of a universe together," Danna said, her eyes shining vibrantly, reiterating S.I.R.'s words from the end of his speech.
S.I.R. couldn't speak. Why have I been so cruel? All I want to do is seize the future… yet I'm trying to do so via the wrong methods.
"Think over these words. I want you to consider them the next time you welcome someone," Danna said. "Now... the time has come for you to answer..."
A brief silence fell over the two of them, and Danna couldn't dare to look back for fear of breaking the illusion. "Do you love me?" she asked. She reached out and touched the "X-S" symbol on S.I.R.'s robotic vest, her eyes locked with his.
S.I.R. paused for a moment, almost like he was suffering a Blue Screen of Death. A human in love with a robot? And she wants to know if I return the favor? Well… she HAS taught me something.
"The answer is not yet in my memory banks," S.I.R. finally said. That answer was not enough for Danna, so she continued on her innocent speech.
"Being human is not limited by genetics, not by ideologies, not by biology," Danna said. S.I.R.'s green eyes seemed to widen at these words, as it was too much for his processor to handle. "Being human is imperfection, free will, and compassion for fellow beings."
Wait… what have I been thinking this entire time?
"You are human. Human is thought. Human is error. Human is love," Danna said. She waited for S.I.R. to respond, at which he thought for a moment, his artificial mind racing, before grabbing Danna's hand as they shared a moment together.
"You are human," Danna said, as she closed her eyes and cherished the moment.
Danna sighed and opened her eyes, when suddenly she snapped back to reality to be met with a lifeless S.I.R., slumped down over the control panel of the teleportation system.
"Right this way, volunteers!" rang the voice of the attendant who intended to usher them into the main theater.
As she was walking away from the pre-show room, Danna turned to get one last look at S.I.R., hoping he'd acknowledge the impact she'd had on him. But unfortunately, he did not answer.
Later, in the Contemporary Resort hotel, Danna relaxed in the pool. The day had been a blur. She couldn't decide on whether that moment with S.I.R. had been her overactive imagination or had really happened. All she knew is that the attraction that had followed had scared her good, with its use of special effects to make it seem like a bloodthirsty alien was loose in the audience. She had wished for S.I.R. to save her a few times during the show. But alas, as he didn't respond to her final look at him, she wasn't sure if that would happen. However, one thing was certain: she had changed him, even if others went into the attraction and were met with the same cruel behavior he has exhibited before.
Maybe, just maybe, the next time she went to the Magic Kingdom, S.I.R. would remain changed for the better.
Those park guest days of telling tales and biting nails are gone,
But in my mind I know they will still live on and on,
But how do you thank someone who has taken us from the Earth to X-S?
It isn't easy but I'll try,
If you wanted the sky I'd write across the sky in letters
that would soar a thousand feet high,
To S.I.R., With Love.
The time has come, for Tomorrowland, a land so grand must end,
And as I leave I know that I am Leaving my best friend,
A friend who taught me that disturbed and cruel don't mean a fool.
That's a lot to learn.
What! What can I give you in return?
If you wanted the moon I would try to make a start
But I would rather, you let me give my heart,
To S.I.R., With Love.
Those awkward years, have hurried by why did they fly away.
Why is it, S.I.R., children grow up to be people one day,
What takes the place of riding jets and toy targets in the world outside?
What is there for you I can buy?
If you wanted the world I'd surround it with a wall I'd scrawl
These words with letters ten feet tall,
To S.I.R., With Love.