Metal Heart

      ‘System startup…       Date: October 23, 2131…             Kansas State, North America…       Neural pathways stabilized. Initiating primary synaptic functions.’ Hello? What is this darkness all around me? I don’t like it. I can’t move, I can’t speak. I don’t understand what is happening to me. “Man, I hope this works.” Someone is touching me. I see a readout. ‘Sensory input detected in facial region.’       What does that mean? The world of darkness was gone as a new command was entered allowing her optics to begin transmitting. The room was gray and lifeless and lowly lit with the main source of lighting coming from the various monitors and devices scattered all around. They beeped, whirled, and hummed, being oddly comforting to her but were nothing when compared to the sound before. A voice. She wanted to hear that sound again. “Presto! Visual systems online. Hm…no overloads this time around.”       What is going on? Her neck moved for the first time to follow the source of the auditable sound. It was as if whatever direction she wanted to turn to came with a strange desire to move and immediately after her sights obeyed the curious command. The energy input gauge indicated a greater energy surge was occurring, but the warning system didn’t bother her. In fact, she actually was enjoying the sensation. He was sitting down at a desk, attention glued to the monitors displaying all sorts of readouts to notice her right away. Targeting chevrons appeared in her sights and locked onto the biological lifeform. An information readout indicated he was male and at the age of thirty-two. His name was— “Geeonn…” “Hm?” For the first time since her awakening, John pulled away from the monitors to locked eyes with her. Staring back with equal curiosity and wonder. “Are you trying to say my name?” “Geeonn…” the robotic voice tried again. He shot to his feet and invaded all of her visual receptors with his close proximity. She tried to fall back but realized she was on a vertical table and could not move none but her neck and various features of her head. It was a strange feeling whatever this was, something she could not put into words or process accordingly. “John. That’s my name. Can you say it?” “Geeonn…” the voice failed again to mimic a human’s with its obvious synthesized vocals. “Hold on one second,” he held up an index finger up before skidding back to his seat and went to work inputting commands on the keyboard. She tilted her head, curious as she began memorizing his facial features. John Burk had pale skin which registered as Caucasian in the information readout. His eyes were the color of blue and the shaggy hair was black greasy and covered his forehead. Trying but no sensation went out to touch the follicles. Even as she wanted to know what his hair felt like with everything that was her, she could not physically analyze it. Her optics turned low to a strange unwanted response being executed at being denied something desirable.  I want to touch. Why am I not allowed to touch? An information readout appeared, display information of various functions about herself, most of which read as ‘disabled’. Disabled? “Okay,” John tapped the final command key in. “Try speaking now. What is my name?” Her sights returned to the source of audible comfort.  I want to hear more. I want him to speak more. “Johnnnn…” her voice came through with more feminine qualities but still failed to match anything that could be identified as human sounding. “A little more…” John made more adjustments. This cycle of voice adjustment continued again and again until he got it right. The next attempt made her sound like a high pitched child, the next was too bass laced which did not suit her configuration. Next came something heavily laced voice sounding too seductive which John readjusted a heartbeat later. “John,” she said proudly. “Ah! There we have it. You sound perfect for your age.”       Age?  ‘Age, noun. The length of time that a person has lived or a thing has existed. A distinct period of history.’ She read the data readout that followed in her vision. They also indicated that her body’s age was to be that of eighteen. It made sense that her voice should match what her body indicates as being, even if she was only ten minutes old. He got close again, producing a fluttering feeling she did not understand. “How do you feel? Any pain? Systems check.” She turned to the readouts for information since she didn’t know how to apply any of the requested information to herself. “System indicates all is running within normal parameters. Sensation receptors are currently disabled.” “Ah! No sensation, no pain. Well, that’s good. But I think not being able to feel anything would kind of be disturbing in itself.” “Feel?” “Ah, yes. Well…” John went back to his desk and enabled a few more option features. “Feel.” “I felt you touch my face.” Her left appendage responded and before she knew it her own fingers duplicating the sensation of touch. Fingers combing the artificial skin, sending signals to register in her cranium.  I like feeling. John stared with curiousness. “That’s strange. You shouldn’t have been able to feel anything until just now. I haven’t touched you since before turning you on. I’ll have to make a note about that.” John tapped the device that brought up his personal data system and added notes both verbally and through physical typing of the holographic screen. Pausing in the latest entry when John saw that she was imitating his exact body motion. “John,” she said with more enthusiasm. “Yes,” he laughed. “I’m John.” “John,” she smiled happily. “John, John, John! Heee!” “Okay,” John held up his hands. “Don’t wear it out now.” She began to sing his name, liking how the word sounded when spoken. “At least your singing aptitude is functioning. So Eve is a confirmed singer.” “Eve?” She paused to this new word. ‘Eve, noun. A person believed to the first woman of the human race created from a rib according to the Christian faith. Companion to Adam, the first of man.’ A smile crept in at the origin story of the name. She like her name. “Eve,” she said, pointing to herself requesting confirmation from John. “That will be you. The first fully functional artificial lifeform. I thought the name would be fitting.” “I am Eve,” Eve looked down at herself, examining the female aspects of her body. “Where is the rest of me?” Now that more functions were enabled, Eve was able to peer down to her lower half only to realize no legs were there. According to the readout, humans came with a pair of legs, yet she did not have any. Additional resources were being diverted to Eve’s repertory function, too much in fact. Incoming data was not being processed correctly. A warning tone went off from the computer system, pulling John back to the desk and began making adjustments. Steadily lowering Eve’s means of receiving data.       Sensation and general creativity were lowered to a crawl. “Eve, whew,” John swiveled the chair in her direction. “Your legs will be attached later. Things like your hair and stuff are secondary concerns. Your neural pathways are not advanced enough to handle too great of input right now. The nanos have to gradually build those pathways as you get used to the bare minimum of existing first. Too much and your cranial system will overload and you will cease to function.” “Cease to function?” Eve stared at him perplexed. “Yeah,” a saddening expression fell on John recounting the memories that brought on such an emotion. “You are the seventh attempt at this. Let’s hope that’s our lucky number. I can’t take anymore of you dying on me.” ‘Die, verb, to discontinue living. No longer functioning.’ Eve did not like the sound of that. “I don’t want to die,” Eve sobbed. John rubbed the back of his head, nervous since he couldn’t promise that she wouldn’t. “Well, with these gradual input adjustments, your brain will be given a slow and steady build about the world. But I think you can handle the basics. Talking doesn’t seem to be a problem for you at least.” “Talking?” Eve touched her throat, tapping where she understood housed her vocal processor. “I like talking. I like talking to John.” “Well, that’s nice to hear.” John smiled awkwardly. “I want to hear John talk some more.” “Heh, where did that come from?” John leaned back astonished. “You want to hear me talk?” “Yes, yes, yes,” Eve nodded over and over again. “Hm? What do you want to talk about then?” Eve tilted her head, uncertain by the question. John pushed out all air in his lungs, knowing full well Eve could not handle such a question of social complexity yet. “Where should I begin? World history? How about what led to the pursuit of A.I? What led to you?” “Yes,” she nodded so fast John feared she was going to throw a motor out of commission.    Guess she really wants me to talk. “Let’s start at the beginning then, shall we?” John began explaining the history of the world and what led humanity to need artificial life in its social development. Eve listened to every word as John leaned over his seat, explaining detail after detail. Her information readout fed her all of what he said, even correcting some of his mistaken history facts, but Eve said nothing about it. John’s accuracy was of little importance in comparison to hearing him talk. She enjoyed the sound of his voice. It was so comforting, so soothing. Eve couldn’t image a world without it.