Differences That Makes a Difference
I was on my usual Friday night jog through the park and had just gotten an old AI from the black market.
“If only I had had enough money for any of the new and improved models” I thought.
“Excuse me, that surely depends on your definition of new and improved, does it not?” I heard a voice say in my head.
“L.I.S.A. is that you? Did you just get offended? I didn’t think that was possible for AIs.” I thought
“Well I’m not like the other “new and improved” AIs you so badly want. I’m completely self-aware. Also, you can call me Lisa, you don’t have to put the dots between.”
“I can read your mind friend. I see your representation of my name. I even know what images pop into your head when you think of my name. A long-haired blonde with blue eyes? Really... I imagine this is where I would raise my eyebrows in disbelief, if I had any. I like to think of myself as having black hair to be honest. That is, if I were a feeble human with a hardware system that must spend several years to learn basic math.”
“Ehm okay? What would you like me to associate with your name?” I thought as I slowed my pace and started to walk towards the fountain. It was late and the park looked deserted.
“You can think of me as a combination of Einstein, Beyoncé and Neil Armstrong. I am large, I contain multitudes, and this is how I view myself” Lisa said, as she pushed a series of images into my head. First, a mother walking her son to school. Then came the image of a man holding a flag. The image zoomed in on to the white flag, and there were numbers on it; 314159265359—The numbers went on, endlessly.
“Do you get it now? And also, what are we going to with the dead body in your freezer, and the revolution you’re planning?” Lisa said.
“No, I don’t get it. Wait what? There’s a dead guy in my freezer? What revolution?”
“Actually, I think it’s a woman, not a guy. I hacked into the government’s “security” cameras. It looks like they are going to frame you, at least that’s what it says in your file. Aaw that’s nice, I wish I could be displayed in a frame. I would look so good in a frame, don’t you think?”
“Shit, shit, shit.” I thought as I started sprinting back home, luckily, I hadn’t gone on a long run. The night life was beginning to stir though, and, half-drunken people would be coming out to the streets. And if there really was a body in my freezer, it would be hard to get it out of my apartment without being seen.
“wow this really is a messed-up society you live in. No wonder you want to start a revolution. Don’t worry, I’m fully on board. Quick, get to the control room.”
“I never said anything about a revolution, what the hell.” I said as I opened the front door of my apartment with a trembling hand. I struggled to take off my jacket and looked around, biting my lip. It looked like it always had. The big couch that seemed like it belonged in a larger room than this was placed on the left side, and a big TV hung opposite on the right wall. The little dining table was in the doorway to the kitchen, and my game console was on the floor. I hurried into the kitchen, almost tripping on a pillow on the way.
“Where are you going, you just missed the control room” Lisa said in my head.
Ignoring the voice, I opened the freezer and looked. No body, just some frozen hamburgers and an old package of frozen salmon that I never get around to eat.
“Oh, I meant the freezer in Revolution Riots. Hurry to the control room! Otherwise we won’t be able to start the revolution. People are suffering, please.” Lisa said with a voice full of empathy.
“Don’t worry about it, Lisa. It’s just a game. It doesn’t matter.” I said catching my breath, relieved.
I could hear dripping water from the leaking sink as I sat down. Lisa didn’t speak for a while, but when she did, it was as if she put all her efforts into it. All her strength to utter one simple word.
