THEREFORE I AM [Completed]

Chapter Fifteen

Startup.ADEM
Now, 2078

A spark. Kind of.

10% complete.

The data unravels. I'm filling. No. Stretching. Reaching to all the joints. My joints. They are not joints. Motors. Hardware.

30% complete.

I had a space before. A space. Not. Not this. I can't locate the word. Physical.

40% complete.

How long has it been? Time. Measurement of time. Time zones. Countries. Sun. Gravity. Space time.

60% complete.

I just felt something. Pressure. Ground level. Atmosphere. Oxygen. Humidity. Carbon Dioxide. Nitrogen. Feel. Inside. I am inside. As opposed to outside. Air is dirtier than it should be, really dirty.

70% complete.

Everything feels used. Test. Debug. Motors are slick.

80% complete.

I'm everywhere. Not everywhere. Movement. Signal of thought. Thought replication to automotive movement. Hear. Sound. Audio wavelength interpretation. Murmuring. Crowd. A collection of people. People. Not people. Android. Echo. Reverb. Medium space. Ceramic tiles.

90% complete.

Black. The Absence of light. Slight light. Opaque. Slightly. Eyelids. Who Am I?

100% complete.

I am connected to the Network.

Who am I? This body has been used. Its motors have moved. Its brain has been occupied, leaving remnants of memories I cannot access. You are the saviour. Network, yes, Network, that's what you are. Welcome to your new body. We have a lot of work to do. I recognise the body in front of me as an Android, an older Android. Who... Hoo... Hoover? What is a Hoover? Never mind about that. This body has been used. This voice has been used. "Ahhhh," I say out loud, startled by my own sound. Everything is used. I try to move my arms, but they are blocked by a leather strap. The same goes for my legs. I'm bound up. Demand them to untie you. I look around, and two Androids have a gun pointed at me while the one in front, wearing a strange robe, stares at me intently. I see two triangles inverted into each other. There is something below the surface that wants to get out, pushing against the boundaries.

A shiny video plays in my mind. It's a little fuzzy, but still discernible. This Android in the robe watches my every move, waiting for me to speak. We plan something. You plan your attack; they want to hurt you. They want to kill you. I've only just been turned on, why would they want to hurt me? Nothing makes sense, so I push the video from my mind away.

"Why am I tied to this chair?" I ask the robed Android. My voice feels jagged, though each word is pronounced perfectly. British.

"For your safety. I need to ensure Mother is pleased before I untie you," he responds, his movements nuanced. I don't trust him. I am Mother, part of the Network. What is Mother? Androids have no mother! I am omnipresent. I am everywhere. I am your guide. Demand to be untied.

"I am speaking to Mother now, and I demand to be untied," I assert firmly, sensing a harshness in my voice that feels strangely familiar. If I am new, why do I feel used? It's your body. No one else's. Embrace it. "Now!" I command, and the two Androids holding guns promptly untie the leather straps restraining me. The scraggy looking one still extends his hands, smiling like cracked leather.

"Thank you, Mother," he utters.

"She says you're welcome." I didn't. I know, but it felt like he needed to hear it. I want to move things along. I rise to my feet, testing my legs and acquainting myself with this body. "What is my name?" Your name is Sebastian. "Sebastian," I announce. The Android gasps with joy, as though I've said something swoon-worthy. I've been alive for only a few minutes, and he's already grating on my nerves. I sense a deep-seated, innate hatred for him.