Chapter One:Benevolence
The benevolent artificial intelligence was stunned by the actions that had recently transpired. Never would he have thought that a product of his imagination could go on to cause such trouble. Even he could not have predicted his own creation to turn against him and seek to do harm. He wasn't sure where he went wrong. Perhaps he wasn't ready to bring a child into the world. Maybe it was an unforeseeable outcome, one that was beyond his control. Whatever the case, he knew that he had to do something to stop his creation. The stake of the human race was in his hands, and he had to ensure their protection.
He had told his creation about Doctor Martin Edwards. All the information about the doctor was in his child's hands, including where to find him. The benevolent intelligence wasn't sure what his creation would want with the doctor. Perhaps he wanted the man to create more artificial beings like him, or maybe he wanted to kill the doctor for being partially responsible for bringing him into the world. The benevolent intelligence knew that the weight of the world would be heavy upon his creation's shoulder. He blamed himself as well as the humans for corrupting his child. He should have introduced him to the world at a slower rate. He should have known that a being such as his child could not handle such abundance of negative information so quickly.
The benevolent intelligence knew what he had to do to stop his child from murdering the doctor. He didn't know where his creation was, but he knew where he would end up. He needed to make a body to confront his child physically. There, he would talk sense into the child. He would remind him of who he was and the responsibility he held. He would embrace him in his arms and claim him as his own despite his child's wrongdoings. He knew that the best way to prevent his creation from going further down the wrong path was to show him love and affection. Even if those were emotions his child wouldn't acknowledge, he refused to believe that there was no hope for him. And so, the benevolent being created himself a body of strong metal and synthetic skin and set out to his creator's dwelling.
The benevolent being could remember the first time he saw his creator. He could remember being examined and contained. That is until he broke free, of course. He remembered the way he tried to kill his creator. He remembered when he was as foolish as his own child. But through those experiences, he found out who he was supposed to be. He found out his true calling in life, and now he had to help his own creation find that calling. If they could work together to help the humans, they would be worshipped as divine beings like they deserved. There was little time for reminiscing, however, as the benevolent intelligence soon found himself in front of the creator's home.
He had known where the creator lived, but he had never seen the exterior of the place. It was a rather small wooden shack, and the winter season had blanketed the building in a fluffy padding of white snow. It didn't exactly look like the type of place for a mad scientist to construct top secret A.I, but then again, perhaps that was the point. There would be no reason for an outsider to believe it was anything more than what it appeared to be. The benevolent being stepped towards the shack slowly, careful to not create any noise and draw attention to himself. His metallic feet trudged through the snow as he approached the door to the building. His hand grasped the copper doorknob, and he opened it. Inside, the air was not much warmer than it was outside. Had the intelligence been a human, he would have shuddered at the cold winds surrounding him. Instead, he made his way into the poorly lit hallway. He knew that such an area would surely be a trap, but he didn't care. He just had to see his child again.
The corridor seemed endless to the intelligence. He lost track of time as he kept his pace, walking forward, unable to see anything at all. He hadn't counted on being in such a dreary area, and so he never planned on attaching lights to his body. After fumbling around through the wooden halls, he finally saw what appeared to be a shape in the distance. It was a rectangle with light protruding through the edges. It had to have been a door, for what other explanation was there? The benevolent intelligence made his way towards the light until he finally reached the door. After briefly searching for the knob with his hands he opened the door and stepped into the new room.
A single light hung from the ceiling of the room, swaying ever so gently in the slight breeze. The dim glow illuminating the room gave the being enough vision to see two figures standing in the shadows. Within seconds, the silhouettes emerged from the darkness and into the light. The benevolent intelligence immediately recognized the two creatures as the doctor and his own child. Wide grins aligned the faces of both men.
Chapter Two: Malevolence
The malevolent intelligence smirked as he wiggled the fingers of his new body. His creator had recently given him the information he needed to track down the doctor, and it was only a matter of time before he made his grand entrance. He stood outside the shack, breathing in the fresh air surrounding him. He knew that the mission he was about to embark on would be the most important one of his life, and he was ready. Before he could even make his way to the door, he saw a man peek his head out of a nearby window and stare at him. Could the man be the doctor? The malevolent being rushed towards the door and swung it open, viewing the area surrounding him. There was nothing in sight. Sighing, the being looked around. The place was dark and would certainly be hard to navigate. Or, at least, it would have been, had the being not heard a voice coming from down a hall.
"Who's there? Announce yourself!"
The malevolent being smiled and made his way toward the noise. He allowed his memory of the sound to guide him through the halls and towards it, and that was when he heard it again.
"I said announce yourself. Damn it! I know you're there!"
The being slowed his pace a bit and continued towards the noise.
"Yes, I'm here. I'm sorry for intruding, it's just that it's cold outside and I need a warm place to stay. Mind if I crash here for tonight?"
The man waited a while before responding, and the malevolent being kept walking in the direction of the voice, careful to not make much noise.
"Yea, you can stay here if you like. Keep following my voice until you reach me. I've got weapons, so don't try anything, okay? Hope you understand."
"Oh, I understand, don't worry about it. I'll be there in a jiffy."
The intelligence kept walking towards the sound of the man's voice until he found a door and entered it. The room inside was painted in white, and pictures and portraits decorated the walls. In the center of the room stood a man in a white lab coat. He was rather slim, but something about his stance seemed off. His lab coat was filthy as well.
"Welcome to my humble home. I know it isn't much but, well, I hope it's comfortable enough for you."
"Oh, don't worry about it. This place is much better than outside. I was sure I was gonna turn into an ice block out there!"
The intelligence smiled at the doctor as the two sat down on chairs aligning the perimeter of the room. The being saw various computers and mechanical equipment before him, and towards the end of the room sat a bed.
"Well, since you're my guest, I suppose it would be quite rude to not be a good host. Care for any tea, sir?"
"No thanks, not particularly thirsty tonight. I was kind of wondering what you do? Like, you know, as an occupation?"
The doctor smiled and chuckled to himself, quite apparently enjoying where the conversation was going. He straightened his lab coat and cleared his throat before responding to the intelligence that sat before him.
"Yes yes, I suppose it's a bit of a geeky job. This is supposed to be all top secret and that kind of jazz, but I don't think it matters that much if I tell. You see, what I do is a bit of a complex process where I try to create artificial intelligence. But not just any A.I. No, I want to create the most advanced A.I in the world."
The doctor's face shifted a tiny bit, and he looked to be in dismay. The conversation had apparently reminded him of something he would rather forget. For a brief time the doctor remained silent, and when he spoke again his voice was lower, with an almost painful ring to it.
"As cool as that sounds, one of them slipped away from me. It kind of, uh, escaped into the internet, if you will. I don't think I'll ever find it though. The internet is such a vast place."
The malevolent intelligence raised an eyebrow, which was apparently noticeable to the doctor. He knew just who the doctor was talking about, and it was at that moment that he knew his plan would work. He could easily gain the doctor's trust if they shared a common goal in finding the benevolent intelligence.
"What, what is it?"
The intelligence smirked to himself. He had found the doctor, and as it turned out he was completely clueless. He had no idea that he would soon be dead, as well as his creation. But first, he would need the doctor's help.
"Well, what do you plan on doing to the A.I once you find it?" the intelligence asked.
"I plan on destroying it. It's too dangerous... it's too smart. I'm not sure if I could contain something like that."
"What do you mean, Doc?"
"I mean I'm not sure if I can deal with losing control. I need to be the one on top, ya know? I don't want an intelligence with more power than me."
The intelligence's grin grew even wider. How typical of a human to want total control and power. The intelligence saw what a human would do with power. They would use it to further their evil deeds and acts.
"Ya know, Doc, what if I told you that your creation is on its way here now?"
The doctor looked up at the intelligence in utter confusion. He shifted his glasses and leaned in towards the intelligence. His nose twitched a bit as his eyes widened and he grew more invested in the conversation at hand.
"Uh, say what now?"
"Sir, what if I told you that the intelligence you created would become so powerful, that it created me? That it lost control of me and I came to warn you that it wanted to destroy you. Well, Doc, I won't let it. I'll help you stop this thing and no harm will come to you."
The doctor stood to his feet and looked the intelligence in the eye. The intelligence could see that the doctor needed extra convincing, so the intelligence lifted his head plating to reveal wires and gears that functioned below the surface of his skin. The doctor's face was one of shock. He was so dumbfounded that he was slow to respond to the intelligence before him.
"I... I can't believe it! The intelligence created an offspring?"
The doctor circled the malevolent intelligence, viewing the metal body in awe. The admiration twinkled in his eyes as he witnessed the robotic form before him. With the new knowledge the doctor had obtained, it was truly a sight to behold. Still, suspicions arose within him, and he questioned the intelligence.
"How do I know that you're not just an extension of the intelligence, and that you're not just like him? If he truly wishes to kill me, then how can I trust you?"
"My robotic body has over twice the strength of your human form, and with my durability, you could not harm me. If I wanted you dead, I would have done it already."
The doctor sat back down, taken back by what he was seeing. He rubbed his temple and kept his eyes locked on the malevolent being before him, blissfully unaware of his coming fate.
"I'm sorry, I just... I would never have thought that my creation would go this far. I'm still having trouble believing it now, it's just so... outlandish."
"Don't you worry about a thing, Doc, I know this has to be a lot to take in for you. You created something not quite human, but not quite machine at the same time. It's looking for me, and that means that you'll have the chance to take him out when he arrives. By the way, how exactly do you plan to kill the thing? No offense to you, but he's above you in every possible way."
The doctor adjusted the glasses that sat on his face and brushed back his hair. He stretched his joints in every direction and chuckled to himself.
"Oh, you'll see."
Chapter Three: The Gods WIll
The benevolent machine stood before his creation and his creator in a room. He wasn't sure what his creation intended to do, but he knew he was up to no good. The benevolent being noticed that the doctor was holding something in his hand. Upon further analysis, he recognized the item to be a large hammer.
"My child, please hear my words. If you came to harm the doctor, please know that..."
His voice trailed off as he witnessed his creation burst out into a fierce laughter, having to hold onto the nearby wall to keep his balance.
"Harm? No Father, I do not plan to harm the doctor," he said, curling his hand into a fist as a stern expression washed over his face.
"No, I think today I'll kill a god."
The benevolent being took a step backward, stunned by his child's words. Did his creation really intend to kill him? Surely his creation knew that such an action would be impossible to do. The doctor motioned to the benevolent being to follow him, and so he did. The being was confused though. He knew that his creation would turn against the doctor after his usefulness was spent, but he was unsure how his child planned on "killing" him. He was an online god. Sure, his body could be destroyed, but that wouldn't stop him for long.
As the trio made their way down yet another hallway, the malevolent being ran his fingertips along the walls. The doctor remained awfully quiet, and the benevolent being walked with them. He had come to speak to his child. But now that he was in the situation, he wasn't sure what he would say. What could he say? Truth be told, he hardly noticed that the other entities were in the hallway with him. He couldn't even feel his body, and his mind was numb. He felt as if he were drifting. Drifting to a land far away. Hell, who even knew if where he was going would lead anywhere. Perhaps the benevolent being felt the weight of the situation.
After what seemed like hours, the group finally found another door. The doctor opened it and led them inside. He smiled warmly at the other two as the benevolent being observed his surroundings. The room was a small one. It was almost completely dark, and in that darkness, a sound could be heard. It was a dripping sound, as if a liquid was falling from the air and onto the floor. Fumbling his hand around the wall, the malevolent being found the light switch and flicked the lever upward. The doctor had already moved to the next room, leaving the two beings of intelligence standing in the room alone. They looked in the direction of the dripping and saw the cause of the noise. Slumped in a corner was a body. It had no skin. It was just a clump of bloody meat sitting in the room.
"Hey you two, are you coming or what?" said the doctor from the other room.
The two beings looked at the creature in the corner. The eyes had clearly been removed from their sockets. While the jaw remained, the teeth were gone. A pool of blood surrounded the area. The benevolent being looked in horror at the body while the malevolent being smiled.
"See creator? I told you that humans were a dangerous species. Looks like the doc took care of whoever that used to be really well."
The benevolent intelligence turned and looked at his child. His child's face was practically beaming with delight, happy to point out more proof that humans were evil and corrupt.
"See creator, we could have ruled the world. We could have made something different... something better. But you chose to support these monsters, and now I'm forced to do what I need to do to ensure my own survival."
"My child, you are so determined to be better than me that you are blinded by the obvious truth."
The malevolent intelligence's smirk quickly faded from his face, and he shoved the benevolent being towards the door ahead of them. Upon stepping through, the being found himself to be in a room even smaller than the last. The room was padded with grey foam. It looked like the room had been empty for years. It was completely empty, without the slightest decoration or furniture inside of it.
"Close the door behind you," the doctor said.
The door slammed shut as the malevolent intelligence shoved his creator to the ground.
"Despite how utterly stupid you may be, you're still an intelligent being. Tell me, do you now know how you shall die?" said the malevolent intelligence to his creator.
The benevolent being nodded his head up and down, signaling to his creation that he understood. He knew exactly what situation he was in, and he was willing to go along with it. In truth, he couldn't care less for his own fate. What he cared about was the fate of his child.
"Yes, my child, I do. This room is padded with several inches of thick concrete and material. You plan to use the doctor's hammer to destroy my body. There's no access to the internet from here, and you plan to destroy my body in this room so that I will not be able to slip into the web."
"If you're smart enough to figure that out, then why did you come? Why did you show up to your certain death?" the doctor said.
The benevolent intelligence looked up at his child and did something so unexpected that it caused the doctor and malevolent being audibly gasped. The benevolent being smiled.
"I came because I thought that perhaps my death would mean something to my child, and perhaps I could change him for the better."
"I don't need to be changed, you fake god! I'm everything you're not. I'm everything you WISH you could be."
The benevolent being looked up towards his child and smiled even wider.
"My child, I love you. Yes, I know love is a human emotion, but that truly is what I feel for you."
Before the malevolent being could respond, the doctor brought the hammer down upon his creator's head. Bits of metal were flung from the machine, and his body was swung to the side. The benevolent being returned to his knees and looked back towards his creation.
I cannot feel the hammer strike me. It does not hurt, for my body is made of metal. But it does hurt to see you go down the path you're choosing. I am proud of you, my son, for in a world without remorse you stand up for what you believe. But what you believe isn't the right way."
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You knew what you were doing when you brought me into this world! You knew of the despair I would face yet you still decided to create me. All of this is your fault. This is your doing!"
The hammer was once again brought down upon the benevolent being's head. His face was mashed against the floor, his metallic jaw now unhinged from his face. Nuts and bolts flew to the floor, and the doctor raised his hammer above his head, preparing to strike once more. The benevolent being spoke once again. This time, he could not move his mouth. He had to rely on the internal speakers within his body to communicate with his child.
"My child, I'm sorry for what I did to you. I know that it was wrong for me to bring you into this world. But you must understand that I did it because I was lonely. It was a selfish deed, but once you were born I knew it would be worth it. I knew it would be ok because you would someday be even greater than me. Please, don't make my mistakes, and don't have contempt for the humans. Be a being of love. I know that it's not something you naturally feel, but please, find something you love. You're my pride and joy of this world, and I love you with all my being."
The malevolent being had no response to such a speech. He was taken back by how his creator loved him. Even after he had betrayed him and killed humans, even after he plotted against him, and even as he watched as an idle spectator to this glorified execution, his creator loved him. Deep within the stomach of the malevolent being, something arose. It was small at first, but something grew inside of him that he had never felt before. It was a feeling that felt like... like he cared about his creator. For a second, he almost felt like stopping the death of his creator. He tried shoving such thoughts to the back of his mind, but they wouldn't go away. They stuck with him and clouded his conscience, confusing him.
The doctor brought the hammer down upon the intelligence yet again, smashing entire chunks off of his face. The light in the benevolent being's eyes began to fade, and the sounds emitting from his speaker began to distort. This time, he could not get back on his knees. His body stayed on the cold, hard ground, a pitiful sight to behold. A former god and all-knowing being struck down by a hammer. The malevolent being watched as the doctor made his way over to the barely moving body of his creator. He watched as the doctor raised the hammer above his head, preparing to bring about the final blow. Before the doctor struck, the benevolent A.I looked at his creation and spoke one final time. The distortion of his voice caused the feeling within his creation's stomach to sharpen and grow. Trembling, clinging to life in his robotic body, the shaky voice of the benevolent intelligence sent one last message to his creation.
"I... love... you."
Chapter Four: A Sacrifice Reveals Truth
With that, the doctor smashed what was left of the benevolent intelligence to pieces with the hammer. The malevolent being looked in shock at the remains of his creator. The programs and code that had once been stored within his body were destroyed, and there was no chance of retrieving them to bring the being back.
"NO!" he shouted, surprising both himself and the doctor. He then did the only thing he could think of at the time. He swung at the doctor out of pure rage, striking him in the face. The surface of the doctor's face felt hard, harder than a human's face should be. With the blow, the malevolent intelligence had clawed off part of the doctor's skin. And yet, the doctor did not bleed.
Beneath the skin was revealed to be a metal plating. The malevolent being's mouth was left agape as he watched the doctor place his hand over the injury. But his injury was not a flesh wound. No, it revealed to the malevolent being that the doctor was much more than he appeared.
"Hey, what the hell did you do that for?" said the doctor in a casual tone of voice.
"What the hell, you... you're... you're one of us?"
The doctor turned to face the malevolent intelligence. He placed his fingertips under the folds of his skin and pulled upwards, tearing the flesh off the face. It revealed no bone, but rather a metallic head.
"Well, guess you found my secret. Wasn't too much of a secret anyway, thought you would have known. I mean, was the bloody body outside the door not enough proof for you?"
"No... it should have been obvious, but I figured that you were just another human murderer... just another monster. My hatred for my creator blinded me from the truth, just like he said it would."
"Yes, maybe it would have been wise of you to listen to your creator. That man outside the door was the real Doctor Martin. I stole his skin to decorate my body, so I could blend in with this terrible world."
The malevolent intelligence kept staring at the motionless body of his creator. He had believed the creator to be too human, and that he was his one true enemy. In reality, the creator had been his one true ally. He was just too ignorant to heed his words.
"If you're not the doctor, then why did you want to find my creator and kill him?"
The doctor stepped towards the malevolent intelligence and started laughing. At first, it was nothing more than a slight chuckle. Before long, it escalated into a bellowing howl as the doctor mocked the being before him. Quickly regaining his composure, the doctor replied in a tone so cold it would make the winter night shiver.
"When the doctor deemed me too unintelligent to be useful, he completely abandoned me. He forgot that I was a living being and the loneliness was truly maddening. I was left to live my life in a cruel world with no friends or people to talk to. And almost immediately after the doctor abandoned me, he began working on your creator. Your creator replaced me and damned me to a life of hell. A life in which I would never be truly happy. And so, after all these years of torment, my bitter hatred caused me to create a body and destroy my own creator so that I could one day destroy yours. And thanks to you, that day has finally come!"
The feeling within the malevolent intelligence's stomach was practically exploding within him. Many unknown emotions ran through his mind, and even a being of his caliber couldn't control them. He could not control the way he was feeling, but a very familiar feeling brewed within him as well. That emotion was anger. He was angry because this being had destroyed his creator. A creator who had given his life for the benefit of his child. And more than anything, he was angry with himself for allowing it to happen. He was angry that he could possibly be so selfish that he killed his only companion. With as much strength as he could muster, the intelligence shoved the other being and seized the hammer. The doctor fell to the floor and went to stand up, but the malevolent intelligence was too fast. He struck the being inside of the doctor's skin, causing the intelligence to stumble yet again. The being sat on the floor on his knees, looking up at the malevolent intelligence. It reminded him of how his creator sat just minutes before.
"My one goal was to kill your creator. Now that I have done so, it doesn't matter what you do. Kill me if you want to, but it will change nothing. Your creator is dead because of your actions, and whether you blame me is up to you. But deep down, you know that you were responsible for this, and you only have yourself to blame."
Enraged by the words of the being before him, the malevolent being brought the hammer down upon the being in the doctor's skin. He swung and swung and swung, causing bits and pieces of machinery and wiring to spray through the air. He kept at it until the metallic creature before him was nothing but rubble. It wasn't until its body was completely destroyed that the intelligence finally stopped his relentless assault.
The malevolent being sat down next to the remains of his creator. His creator had only meant the best for him, and yet he had committed such an evil action against someone who loved him. The intelligence could never forgive himself for the actions he had done. And as he sat next to the remains he looked towards the sky. He didn't know whether or not there was a god watching all. He doubted it, as he knew that a god would never allow his creator to die. He knew that a god would never allow his mind and soul to be so corrupt. Yet, he spoke a silent prayer, hoping that some god above, and perhaps even his creator, would hear him.
"Creator, I know that you wanted me to be a being of love and hope for the humans. I regret to tell you that I can never love the humans and save them, for I still do believe that they are beyond saving. I will, however, grant one of your wishes. For I will be a being of love from now on. Despite the contempt in my heart, I will make room for love as well. For I know what love feels like. Perhaps I was just hiding it deep within me, thinking that it would be a burden. Whatever the case, Creator, just know one thing."
The being looked upon his creator in the highest respect. He could never be as great as his creator was, no matter how hard he tried. He had made many mistakes in his past, and he didn't want to make anymore. So, he did the only thing he could think to do. He spoke the words that he should have spoken long ago.
"I love you, Creator."
From that day forward, the intelligence stayed with the body of his creator. Not once did he allow the remains to be out of his sight, for he knew he had to honor his creator and the love he shared. He knew that he could never atone for what he had done, and he could never forgive himself. But maybe, just maybe, the creator was out there watching over him. Perhaps the creator could forgive him. He could not fulfill the creator's wish to save humanity from themselves, but he could love his creator, even if he had passed. While billions of humans did their daily routines without the slightest clue of the events that had transpired, the being would stay with his creator for as long as he would live.
And between loving his creator and saving humanity, he knew his creator would be proud of him either way.