Alive

The Truth

Goshi leads me through the house, and I instantly seem to remember it. I remember where to go to get to my room, to the kitchen, to everywhere.

At least that memory is still there.

We go to the living room to sit, Ross and Nakya close behind. Once we are all settled, Goshi starts explaining.

"What I'm going to tell you is going to destroy everything you've ever known. I know it will be hard to understand, but it will be even harder to continue wondering. Please, let me explain everything before you ask questions." Goshi starts, and all of us nod.

"Okay," He says, nods, and sighs. Pauses for a moment, then, "I am not Goshi. The robot that attacked you was not Goshi. Nobody who looks like me is the real Goshi, and there are many. The real Goshi died a thousand years ago, and he was the last human to ever die, as he was also the last human to ever live."

The impact of Goshi's words hit me like a cannon ball. Even though I don't have much memory, Goshi told me that everyone still on Earth is a human. He said that that, at least, was what he led me to believe before I started discovering the truth, and I can't believe that something that big was right under my nose.

I gawk in silence as Goshi pauses again, but do not say anything.

"Everyone on the planet is a robot. Everyone. Not a single human, not even me. When the original Yogoyoshi Yumi watched the rest of his population die before him, and realized that he would not last long after them, he came up with a plan. He created the first robot of that time. Or, at least, the first robot of that time that seemed unquestionably human.

"He made the robot a replica of himself; every skill, every feature, every quirk that Yogoyoshi called his own was duplicated in this robot. And thus the Goshi 2 was born. He explained everything to that Goshi, and told him that even after he was dead, the robot had to keep building others. Other Goshi's. He needed to, because, as Yogoyoshi explained, all robots were like humans; he built the first and wanted all the others to be able to die of age, disease, unstable internal conditions, and so on.

"So the years went on. More Goshi's were built, while the original explained all his rules and expectations to all of them. He wanted the future to be good and safe and as the way he knew it, so eventually, he ordered the robots to start creating other robots that had features and skills of their own, but he said that these robots could not know that they were one of many robots; he wanted them to believe that everyone else was a human."

Goshi explains this large bit of the speech, and I kind of get it. But there is still so much that is confusing and he was right, my whole world has been turned upside down.

I was lied to the second I was created, and even though I fought my way to the truth, it all just seems okay. I feel like all the robots of the world should continue to be lied to, because something this serious is almost... it just almost too much.

"The robot population grew, and because of the lies Yogoyoshi had set, nothing bad happened. All the robots believed that if the 'humans' figured out what they were, they wouldn't be safe. And even the ones with bad ambitions rationalized that, because they weren't advanced robots, they couldn't take all the humans down to be able to rule.

"Yogoyoshi recreated a very great empire of a population that dared to love, care for others, and cherish their own and others' skills, but that did not dare to hurt anyone in any way. When Yogoyoshi finally died, he let all his Goshi's know that he loved all the robots, and that he was grateful to them all. He passed away peacefully, hoping and expecting his great, loving empire to thrive for many years, which it did.

"You see, only the Goshi's like me are supposed to know this past because of Yogoyoshi's wishes and incredible intelligence. Even when other robots are created in the womb of a mother robot like human children, they are sent to a special doctor when they are old enough to understand important things. There, they meet one of the many Goshi's and then are put under. When they awake, they feel as if they have just been built; they don't remember anything from before waking up. That Goshi then explains things to them and then sends them back to their parents. We try to do this when they are young enough so as not to take any special memories from them, but unfortunately, as there always are, some exceptions have to be made."

He ends the explanation, and I am appalled. That's the truth. The whole truth. And it's... it's insane really. And terrifying, and I have no idea what to say or do. Nakya and Ross look especially confused; they seem to be astounded that they had a life before the one they remember. They only remember waking up, as do I. I'm sure I look at bewildered at they do.

"Are we allowed to ask questions now?" Ross asks timidly after a second, to which he gets a nod. "If Yogoyoshi's plan worked so perfectly, how did Carlos happen?"

Goshi considers this for a moment, then says, "We decided a few years ago that it was time to let everyone know about the past. This was a mistake. We Goshi's taught it of course, and made people who took the class swear not to tell anyone else until we saw fit, but once we realized what the truth did to the others, we stopped teaching. Unfortunately, we did not try to erase the information from their minds, and young Carlos took the class. He learned everything he needed to know there, and soon had a great ambition. I'm sure you can guess the rest."

Ross nods, and then Nakya decides to ask a question, too.

"Why did Yogoyoshi even decide to create another race? I mean, why did he want to continue something that was already so broken? And why, after all these years, are things so similar to how they were a thousand years ago?"

Goshi smiles at this question, seemingly pleased.

"Your questions fit extremely well together, Nakya. Yogoyoshi wanted to save the Earth; he wanted to give life another chance. And yet, he could have let wildlife fix the rest, and no one is sure why he did create an entire intelligent race all over again, but he did, and because he was a very intelligent man, he knew we would continue to develop and destroy the Earth. 

"He figured out how to stunt our growth: he developed all robots, except Goshi's of course, to be very confused with any kind of technology that they were unfamiliar with. Of course he wanted us to learn and discover, but he programmed us with the idea that further exploration would be a bad idea. And so we do think it is a bad idea."

"Wow," Nakya says, smiling very slightly. "Yogoyoshi really knew what he was doing, huh?"

"He did have a lot of time to think it through." Goshi responds and winks.

We sit in silence for a moment, all processing what we have just learned and Goshi giving us time to process it.

Suddenly, one question comes to my mind that I can't believe I didn't see earlier.

"Goshi," I say. "Why did I stay with you? Ross and Nakya don't have Goshi parents. Why do I?"

"I was wondering when we would come to this question." Goshi says, grinning widely. "Takyi, you stayed with me because the Goshi's still think it is time for change. So I suggested the idea, to which they all agreed because, well, we're basically all the same. I suggested that a new Yogoyoshi should take over.

"I suggested that maybe Yogoyoshi's ideas, brilliant as they were, needed to be reconsidered by someone other than himself. He helped this Earth in so many incredible ways, but I think his time is up. He will always be remembered, but I think it is time for us to truly start remembering him and stop being him.

"And so, Takyi, I created someone that had all the intelligence and skill that someone would need to carry an empire. I gave that someone their own ideas and love in their heart, just like Yogoyoshi. And, Takyi, that someone is you."

I freeze. I don't know what to say. I'm honored and terrified and doubting and angry and happy and so many other things that are indescribable. So I don't try to describe them. I simply hug Goshi and whisper "Thank you" in his ear.

The truth is out, and I honestly don't know how to handle it. Ross and Nakya sit with me, even after Goshi leaves, to talk to me. We talk about our absolute bewilderment and we sit together are loving friends.

And ultimately, no matter how scared I am, I'm grateful to know the truth.

And grateful to not be alone in knowing it.