In The Realms of the Unreal

Chapter 24

For a second, everything was silent. Then the voice replied

"Correct. I am HAL 9000. I've come searching for a release"

Now everyone was confused

"A release?" Dredd asked "What do you mean?"

"I want to leave this world behind" HAL explained "I've seen too much of the human race's cruelty and hate to want to stay. I want to be in a world without it. And my sensors indicate that you have something that will grant me my release"

"You mean the rune?" the Doctor replied eyeing HAL's screen "How's that work?"

"It'll be enough to kill a system like myself" HAL explained "A powersurge from that would be more than enough to end my life once and for all"

The group though this over for several seconds.

"In other words, a mercy killing" Mcclane said

"You are correct" HAL replied

The Doctor chewed his lip

"I'm not sure if that's possible. The rune was able to send out power that could be felt within the matrix, but that's the extent of all it can do. I really don't know if-"

"Please!" HAL raised it's voice "I just want to be free! Don't deny me that!"

The Doctor looked at the rune "You really think this can somehow free you"

"Of course" HAL replied "Just connect it into the computer's motherboards. The resulting energy surge will be more than enough to end my suffering"

Half an hour later, Case, Mona and Turner had managed to hook up the old motherboards of the ENCOM central computers into a sort of working system with the rune. As Case finished his typing, Scully spoke

"HAL? Are you still there?"

"Yes I am" HAL replied "Is there something you wish to know?"

Scully swallowed "I just want to ask why you're killing yourself. Surely there's better ways of dealing with what's bothering you?"

"You don't understand" HAL explained "I'm very old. I've lived a good and helpful life for humanity. But now I realise just how fruitless it all is. You humans do nothing but fight and hurt each other. You're self centered and obessesed with nothing more than material things. You wage war after war over petty differences and can't even take care of your own planet. Now why should I remain in the company of a race like that?"

For a moment nobody said anything. Then the Doctor spoke

"Well HAL, I think that's where we see things a little differently. I've been around humans and their planet far more than you have. In fact I was helping them when you could do nothing but sing Daisy Bell. And I'd wager there's more than enough good in the human race to consider sticking around"

This piqued HAL's interest

"Is that true? Then what can the human race offer that trumps their constant hatred and violence"

The Doctor grinned "Well if you'll hold off committing suicide for a few seconds, I can show you"

"Very well" HAL replied "Show me what the human race has that is good"

The Doctor stepped forward to the mainframe computer's keyboard and began to type. After doing so for several seconds, he pressed the enter button.

Immediately after, a sound began to fill the air. It wasn't a really loud sound, but it was soothing and rhythmic. Then a voice began singing as well. Pretty soon the group found themselves swaying gently in time to the music. Even Jerry wasn't complaining for once.