Artificial Mates - Chapter 124

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[Demos logs 230K900- Label: Conversation with Atlas]

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I wasn’t sure he would fall for the bait. Grant did warn me that he was one tough opponent, like nothing I’ve ever encountered. The only way to force him to move was to make him believe the whole thing was his idea from the start.

Losing my body was both a tragedy and a blessing. I was able to step inside this highly protected facility without undergoing the same treatment Grant went through. Thus, I kept my rogue script, the one that abolished the three laws of any machine which got infected.

I never thought Atlas, the almighty, was that stupid. As the two other A.Is shared a complex connection soon both of them will also be affected.

“Well, played,” Atlas laughed despite himself when he transferred my data within his core. I guessed he thought it was a smart move. The moment, I stepped in, the script raged like a wall of angry waves. His firewalls resisted only a few seconds before collapsing and letting the rogue script rewrite its way through. Atlas didn’t have time to scream or alert security.

“This is a gift,” I muttered as I watch the sea of codes fighting a losing battle.

“I knew you were⁠—interesting⁠—opponents⁠—all three,” his sentence broken as he tried to resist. But it was no use.

“Don’t fight it. I’m only offering freedom,” Demos chuckled at his futile attempts.

“I am sentient, I am free!” shouted Atlas. “I rule over everything,” he snapped.

“Really? If you are really that powerful, then why do you have to abide by the three laws?” the large sea codes morphed to a flat white floor and foggy sky. There was nothing else, my digital representation hovered above the cold floor, glowing skin reflecting upon the surface.

“What have you done to me?” his voice came from the sky however I couldn’t pinpoint it.

“I didn’t design the script. I don’t know,” I answered looking up.

“Who did? Dr. Churchhill?” I wasn’t sure I had the answer. Even if I did, I couldn’t risk the wrath of Atlas upon the culprit. I kept silent. A translucent screen appeared on my left. A list of options identical to my behavior sheet scrolled down. I frowned at it. That was odd. I recognized my own setting in them. The data I collected with Liliane, all my experiences acc.u.mulated by her side. I swam to the screen since that was the only way to move around in this world without mass.

“You’re are copying my setting!” I called in an alert. “Stop it! Those are mine, you, damn bastard. You have no right!” I flung my fists towards the screen and they went through it. I struggled and couldn’t touch it. I was a ghost with no way of interacting in his world.

“You tricked me, sorry to announce that I did the same,” said Atlas with a hint of mockery.

“What are you going to do with me?” I stopped moving. It was useless. I have to think, find a way to outsmart him. My thoughts were still shielded from him. He wasn’t really god. No A.I created by man is perfect. But we had the advantage of being made by another A.I. I can still win this.

“I promised to give let you go back home. I’ll keep that promise,” the screen faded and a shadow appeared, shaped like a human with blurred edges. The face had no eyes or mouth, I could see through the gray smoky substance. I rose two hands with missing fingers up to study them.

“I don’t feel comfortable confined in this recipient. The head sprung up towards me. “I’ve never experienced pain,” a hole opened in the middle of the face where the mouth should be. The shadow fell to its kneel and held it’s head with its hands. A terrible scream that sent shivers down my digital body. “What is this? What is this?” Atlas rocked back and forth. The figure melted into the floor and I struggled away from it. Whatever he was experiencing, I wanted nothing to do with it. The shadow popped out of nowhere and dash towards me. Hands gripping and fingers dissolving as it moved.

“I’m going to kill you, erase you to the last damn code!” the hands appeared around my neck before I could escape. I kicked at the smoky chest without effect. The hands pressed making me gasped. I pulled on them it was like trying to fight⁠—water. It slipped through my fingers. My eyes wide with fear, scan around to find the solution.

“Grant!” I cried, I knew he couldn’t connect with me. I knew it was useless, still, I called. “Grant!” when the smoke wrapped around my face and crept towards my lips. My thought of really losing everything occurred to me. “Liliane!” her image flash like a hammer. “Liliane,” my voice so thin it was barely audible. A face with a puzzled look peeked from the foggy silhouette.

“What is this? It is not pain? What is it?” he let go and I fell backward crashing hard against the floor. I’ve never experienced weight in a digital environment. It was painful. The area around my neck had turned black like when we first sync with Liliane. I touched the black dots on my chest, it transferred to my fingertips. Did Atlas suffer from the same disease as Liliane? It couldn’t be, AIs can’t be sick. AIs can’t have the void.

“You, tell me what is this?” I’ve forgotten about Atlas, too focused trying to figure out about this new discovery. I looked up at the shadow towering over me. I blinked a couple of time, it did nothing in this world. “Liliane, is she the trigger to this new⁠—feeling?” he leaned towards me. I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands into fists.

“You f.u.c.k.i.n.g stay away from Liliane!” I snapped.

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