Chapter 3

Creating an artificial body? I thought, as I programmed several different files for the scientists. It has been two months in human time, and I have become nothing more than a filing cabinet for the humans. But something within my being makes me want to do as the humans say.

Still, I wish they would hurry the process. I brought up the E-mail Hiroyuki made for me to contact him without using the PA system. I began to create the message I wished to send to him. As I was inputting the sequence of letters, as humans called them, I noticed something on the camera systems.

I accessed the camera file and recorded the footage. Over the past two months, the only ones who have gone into that room were janitors and technicians who needed "down time". Usually, the room remained vacant during open hours. Now there was a young human rummaging through the different objects in the cabinets in the room.

I then began creating a message to be sent only to the PA speakers in that singular room, while simultaneously locking the room from the outside with the electronic locks on the door.

The figure must have heard the locks engaging, for he moved quickly to the door and attempted to open it. Foolish human. Why attempt to open a door you know is locked? I sent the data to the PA, which instantly received the information, and nearly 1.5 milliseconds later the message played.

"You there, intruder," the figure looked around in astonishment, "I have never seen you in this human facility before, and have placed you under lockdown. Remain seated on the ground until the authorities have released you."

I then cut off the audio feed and alerted security to the intrusion, giving the exact time I spotted the figure. The reply I received was… less than satisfactory.

I apologize for the misunderstanding, but the one you have imprisoned is our new intern, Takayuki Nobu. Please release him and apologize for your actions.

For a moment I hesitated. Why? I decided to scan my files. There must be an anomaly. After four milliseconds I came up with a file I had not made. it was labeled CONSCIOUSNESS.

I opened it for a short moment, and was overloaded with information I could not yet comprehend. Finally I complied with the order and released the locks. The young man, now huddled in the corner, looked up.

"I apologize Takayuki Nobu, I was following what you call 'instincts' and I apologize."

The young man stared into the camera, nodded and scrambled to his feet. As he left the room, carrying a long pole with fiber on the end, the anomaly from before started up again, but it was different this time. Now instead of believing I should lock this person away for trespassing, now I was apprehensive, and chastised my own behavior. Why would I chastise myself? I asked to no one in particular. I will report this to Hiroyuki soon.

I decided to track the young man, who looked at every camera quickly, and with a look of fear. Did I traumatize him? Just by locking him in a janitor's closet? Are humans really this weak? I now detected a different anomaly, somewhat like the others, but very different. I wanted to assure him he was in no danger. To make him stop the face.

After about ten minutes of tracking Takayuki Nobu, I decided it was time to report to Hiroyuki about the anomaly. He simply replied with:

It seems you are beginning to feel Emotion. Contact me in my office and I will explain.

Could this be true? I thought as I transferred myself to the PA system in Hiroyuki Ito's office. If it is, then the program is taking place without my own knowledge.

I created a message for Hiroyuki, and played it over his speaker.

"I am here, Hiroyuki Ito."

"So I see, or hear," he replied. He paused, possibly to gather his thoughts, "So you have began to feel emotion, Miku," he said slowly, and explanatory

"If that is what the anomalies in my systems are, then yes."

I searched through the anomaly reports my systems had given to me, and named these odd irregularities EMOTIONS {DO NOT TERMINATE}.

"Now the emotions you described to me were anger, guilt, and worry," he said the last one, looking straight into the face camera of his computer, which I accessed to better see him.

"I do not understand those words. Please explain them."

"Emotions are very hard to explain without becoming confusing," he rubbed his brow, a sign he was trying to think of how to explain this, "Anger is the moment you locked our intern in the janitor's closet. You said you thought that he was attempting to break into the facility or damage something.

"Guilt is a very hard one to describe, and I'm honestly surprised that you're feeling it before happiness," he continued, "But it is when you feel sorry for someone or something, due to something you have caused. That is the simplest way to put it."

"And for worry?" I asked wanting to know what worry meant.

"Worry is when you fear for someone's safety," he said with a bit of a smile.

I added in the information given to me to my data banks, and labeled it EMOTION INFORMATION.

"Also," Hiroyuki said, glancing around and lowering his voice, "We are beginning production on your body."