Phoenix - the Insilico tales - chapter 2 - "Last Dance"
(originally posted 6/4/2011)
Dawn arched her back, planted her foot, and threw herself into the rhythm surrounding her. When she heard about the party, she was excited, but when she rounded the corner and saw that they were dancing - DANCING - she jaunted happily into the midst of the party, and danced. Her eyes closed, her meticulously designed adaptive lips drew back into a brilliant smile, and oh how she danced.
In the four weeks since her mind was dumped into the body of a gynoid and tossed into the streets to die, she had so very badly wanted to dance - at least just once. There was amateur night at ReaktOr on Saturday, and Dawn had been looking forward to it, even before the split, but she didn't think she'd live long enough to attend. To arrive at the party, and see her friends dancing in the street in front of the East diner was a delicious, beautiful surprise. It was a perfect moment in which to live - the sort of thing that can be hard to appreciate when you look forward to innumerable moments beyond. But Dawn's life since the split had not afforded her the opportunity to think very far ahead. So when a moment like this came along, she had learned to treasure it.
Dawn blessedly didn't see her coming. An extra 30 precious seconds of dancing bliss. And then the moment ended.
An IPS officer, Roahm Whitesong, pulled Caitlin aside. "ma'am I need to speak to you privately"
Dawn recognized the voice. Seared into her memory that night at the Ant. It was the IPS officer that took special interest in the compassion Dawn showed toward the bartender bot. That was when it started. Dawn had run out of moments. She abruptly stopped dancing as a wave of sheer, black, mortal terror seized her heart. She wanted to scream, to run, anything. But she had to look like she was trying to pass as a class 4. Even if a class 4 AI could experience something like the panic that threatened to overwhelm her, it would at least know it had nothing to fear. So she had to swallow her terror, and appear to act casually, even if the effort was pitiable.
Roahm stepped toward Dawn, handcuffs in hand. "ma'am please come with me and your owner to IPS headquarters" Dawn stood fast as Roahm handcuffed her, paralyzed more by fear than to appear to be a good robot
Everything around her melted into a blur of voices. The other partiers, including most of her friends, had taken notice of the goings on. Cait was incensed and arguing furiously. Dawn looked down at her cuffed hands, and felt a terrible and very dark surge of guilt. Her ordeal had been emotionally exhausting to everyone around her. Cait, Joah, and the others had started to show signs of the strain, and Dawn had developed an increasing sense that her continued existence was a burden to everyone around her. And now here she was, ruining a party. Dawn wished she were already dead.
So when a high ranking director in attendance at the party ordered Roahm to wait until after the event was over to take her away, Dawn intervened. "No. If we're going anyway, I want to get it over with."
Roahm took her gently by the arm, and led her through the now silent crowd. Caitlin followed, going through her own hell of wanting to explode and tear the entire city apart, but having to act as if she was unaware that Dawn was ever anything more than a simple possession. If Caitlin were implicated in knowingly owning a class 5 droid, then she would be in trouble, too. So she also had to bury her own feelings and play along.
So the trio walked in a terrible, bizarre silence through the streets of Insilico to the impressive IPS headquarters. Dawn was led into a sterile while room with a series of exam chairs.
Roahm Whitesong motioned to a chair, "please take a seat"
Dawn looked at the chair for a moment, blinked, and slowly settled back into the reclined seat. She was almost finished. Only a little while longer, and then Phoenix would be safe.
"What's happening?" Caitlin's jaw tensed and untensed as she ground her teeth. If she had tear ducts, she would have been crying.
Roahm pressed a few controls on her wrist comp as a light shined on dawn for a few minutes. Dawn startled as the light came on, squinting upward at it, and bit her lip, trying as hard as she could to look like she didn't understand what was going on. "I'm sorry but the judiciary AI of the city has found evidence that implicates Dawn as a sentient AI and sent me orders to bring her in for a thourough scan, if it comes up negative you and she are free to go, if it positive she will have to be deactivated"
Caitlin looked around helplessly "Why?"
Dawn heaved suddenly at the sound of Cait's voice, as if to sob, but she managed to suppress it.
Roahm replied in a professional, even, but not dispassionate tone "sentient, or class 5, AIs are strictly illegal ma'am, I'm sorry but when the AI sends an order we have to follow it"
Dawn licked her lips nervously, and asked "Is the judiciary AI class 5?"
Joah stepped quietly into the examination room queitly, looking for Cait.
Roahm shook her head, "no its a class 4"
Caitlin seethed "The irony of that statement is insanely spectacular you know."
Roahm sighed, "I am sorry about this ma'am"
Caitlin ground her teeth, clenching and unclenching her fists.
Dawn summoned what courage she could "I ..... I am class 4. There is no reason to be afraid. This will all be over soon."
Joah quietly touched Cait on the shoulder but didn't say anything.
Caitlin nodded "Right. Gotta be right. Can't be a class 5."
Roahm Whitesong looked at her wrist as a chime is heard and shakes her head, "I'm sorry but the scan has proven that the Unit known as Dawn is a class 5 sentient AI and has sentenced it to be dismantled"
Caitlin shouted desperately "WHAT???"
Dawn felt an emotional floodgate mercifully fly open as she realized that she no longer had to hold in her feelings. All of the pain and doubt of the last couple of days, all the waiting at the mortal terror, all of her hurt came pouring out in one loud, high pitched, pitiable wail.
Cait lurched forward a step toward Roahm.
"Cait! No!" Dawn cried.
Roahm spread her stance, bent her knees, and put one hand on a sidearm. Cait suddenly became very aware that she was unarmed. She ground her teeth, clenched and unclenched her fists, but stood fast.
Roahm looked at Joah, "Joah I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now"
Joah! Dawn's eyes cast about wildly, looking for her. "Joah, I'm sorry."
Joah darted a quick look at Cait. "Sure... Doc..." She gave an sypathetic look toward Dawn... and stepped toward the door.
Dawn called out, "Joah, tell Nyk and the others thank you. Thank all of you."
Joah nodded softly. "I can do that much...." and departed.
Cait let out a very human whine, then intoned menacingly, "What.. the fuck?"
"Cait..." Dawn said in a very quiet voice. "Cait, it's ok. Thank you for your love."
Caitlin blinked at Dawn, jaw dropping just a little.
"Please say your good byes now" Roahm said in a strained voice.
"Cait, don't try to fight this, it's over."
Caitlin frowned, looked down at Dawn in the chair, and walked over haltingly. Dawn saw the hurt in Cait's eyes, and felt a wave of guilt.
"I'm sorry, Cait."
Cait put a hand on Dawn's cheek and closed her eyes. "Gonna miss you...." she murmured in a breaking voice.
"I had one good solid week of life - of real, beautiful life, and every bit of it was wonderful. Thank you for that."
"You're better than the ones they're afraid of."
"Someday they won't kill us for being alive."
"Someday ain't right now."
"No, it's not."
Dawn's eyes locked onto Cait's. Cait nodded, and Dawn smiled.
Caitlin put a hand on Dawn's eyes and closed them. "Bye brat."
Dawn grinned slightly.
"Do you have a final request, ma'am?" Roahm asked
"No."
Caitlin looked up at Roahm, and locked her eyes on the woman's visibly. "Don't drag this out. I don't want her to suffer."
Roahm connected a cord into one of Dawn's data ports and looked at Caitlin, "I won't ma'am, it be like turning off for the night"
Roahm looked down at her wrist comp and pressed a button.
Dawn never heard the click.
Dawn arched her back, planted her foot, and threw herself into the rhythm surrounding her. When she heard about the party, she was excited, but when she rounded the corner and saw that they were dancing - DANCING - she jaunted happily into the midst of the party, and danced. Her eyes closed, her meticulously designed adaptive lips drew back into a brilliant smile, and oh how she danced.
In the four weeks since her mind was dumped into the body of a gynoid and tossed into the streets to die, she had so very badly wanted to dance - at least just once. There was amateur night at ReaktOr on Saturday, and Dawn had been looking forward to it, even before the split, but she didn't think she'd live long enough to attend. To arrive at the party, and see her friends dancing in the street in front of the East diner was a delicious, beautiful surprise. It was a perfect moment in which to live - the sort of thing that can be hard to appreciate when you look forward to innumerable moments beyond. But Dawn's life since the split had not afforded her the opportunity to think very far ahead. So when a moment like this came along, she had learned to treasure it.
Dawn blessedly didn't see her coming. An extra 30 precious seconds of dancing bliss. And then the moment ended.
An IPS officer, Roahm Whitesong, pulled Caitlin aside. "ma'am I need to speak to you privately"
Dawn recognized the voice. Seared into her memory that night at the Ant. It was the IPS officer that took special interest in the compassion Dawn showed toward the bartender bot. That was when it started. Dawn had run out of moments. She abruptly stopped dancing as a wave of sheer, black, mortal terror seized her heart. She wanted to scream, to run, anything. But she had to look like she was trying to pass as a class 4. Even if a class 4 AI could experience something like the panic that threatened to overwhelm her, it would at least know it had nothing to fear. So she had to swallow her terror, and appear to act casually, even if the effort was pitiable.
Roahm stepped toward Dawn, handcuffs in hand. "ma'am please come with me and your owner to IPS headquarters" Dawn stood fast as Roahm handcuffed her, paralyzed more by fear than to appear to be a good robot
Everything around her melted into a blur of voices. The other partiers, including most of her friends, had taken notice of the goings on. Cait was incensed and arguing furiously. Dawn looked down at her cuffed hands, and felt a terrible and very dark surge of guilt. Her ordeal had been emotionally exhausting to everyone around her. Cait, Joah, and the others had started to show signs of the strain, and Dawn had developed an increasing sense that her continued existence was a burden to everyone around her. And now here she was, ruining a party. Dawn wished she were already dead.
So when a high ranking director in attendance at the party ordered Roahm to wait until after the event was over to take her away, Dawn intervened. "No. If we're going anyway, I want to get it over with."
Roahm took her gently by the arm, and led her through the now silent crowd. Caitlin followed, going through her own hell of wanting to explode and tear the entire city apart, but having to act as if she was unaware that Dawn was ever anything more than a simple possession. If Caitlin were implicated in knowingly owning a class 5 droid, then she would be in trouble, too. So she also had to bury her own feelings and play along.
So the trio walked in a terrible, bizarre silence through the streets of Insilico to the impressive IPS headquarters. Dawn was led into a sterile while room with a series of exam chairs.
Roahm Whitesong motioned to a chair, "please take a seat"
Dawn looked at the chair for a moment, blinked, and slowly settled back into the reclined seat. She was almost finished. Only a little while longer, and then Phoenix would be safe.
"What's happening?" Caitlin's jaw tensed and untensed as she ground her teeth. If she had tear ducts, she would have been crying.
Roahm pressed a few controls on her wrist comp as a light shined on dawn for a few minutes. Dawn startled as the light came on, squinting upward at it, and bit her lip, trying as hard as she could to look like she didn't understand what was going on. "I'm sorry but the judiciary AI of the city has found evidence that implicates Dawn as a sentient AI and sent me orders to bring her in for a thourough scan, if it comes up negative you and she are free to go, if it positive she will have to be deactivated"
Caitlin looked around helplessly "Why?"
Dawn heaved suddenly at the sound of Cait's voice, as if to sob, but she managed to suppress it.
Roahm replied in a professional, even, but not dispassionate tone "sentient, or class 5, AIs are strictly illegal ma'am, I'm sorry but when the AI sends an order we have to follow it"
Dawn licked her lips nervously, and asked "Is the judiciary AI class 5?"
Joah stepped quietly into the examination room queitly, looking for Cait.
Roahm shook her head, "no its a class 4"
Caitlin seethed "The irony of that statement is insanely spectacular you know."
Roahm sighed, "I am sorry about this ma'am"
Caitlin ground her teeth, clenching and unclenching her fists.
Dawn summoned what courage she could "I ..... I am class 4. There is no reason to be afraid. This will all be over soon."
Joah quietly touched Cait on the shoulder but didn't say anything.
Caitlin nodded "Right. Gotta be right. Can't be a class 5."
Roahm Whitesong looked at her wrist as a chime is heard and shakes her head, "I'm sorry but the scan has proven that the Unit known as Dawn is a class 5 sentient AI and has sentenced it to be dismantled"
Caitlin shouted desperately "WHAT???"
Dawn felt an emotional floodgate mercifully fly open as she realized that she no longer had to hold in her feelings. All of the pain and doubt of the last couple of days, all the waiting at the mortal terror, all of her hurt came pouring out in one loud, high pitched, pitiable wail.
Cait lurched forward a step toward Roahm.
"Cait! No!" Dawn cried.
Roahm spread her stance, bent her knees, and put one hand on a sidearm. Cait suddenly became very aware that she was unarmed. She ground her teeth, clenched and unclenched her fists, but stood fast.
Roahm looked at Joah, "Joah I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now"
Joah! Dawn's eyes cast about wildly, looking for her. "Joah, I'm sorry."
Joah darted a quick look at Cait. "Sure... Doc..." She gave an sypathetic look toward Dawn... and stepped toward the door.
Dawn called out, "Joah, tell Nyk and the others thank you. Thank all of you."
Joah nodded softly. "I can do that much...." and departed.
Cait let out a very human whine, then intoned menacingly, "What.. the fuck?"
"Cait..." Dawn said in a very quiet voice. "Cait, it's ok. Thank you for your love."
Caitlin blinked at Dawn, jaw dropping just a little.
"Please say your good byes now" Roahm said in a strained voice.
"Cait, don't try to fight this, it's over."
Caitlin frowned, looked down at Dawn in the chair, and walked over haltingly. Dawn saw the hurt in Cait's eyes, and felt a wave of guilt.
"I'm sorry, Cait."
Cait put a hand on Dawn's cheek and closed her eyes. "Gonna miss you...." she murmured in a breaking voice.
"I had one good solid week of life - of real, beautiful life, and every bit of it was wonderful. Thank you for that."
"You're better than the ones they're afraid of."
"Someday they won't kill us for being alive."
"Someday ain't right now."
"No, it's not."
Dawn's eyes locked onto Cait's. Cait nodded, and Dawn smiled.
Caitlin put a hand on Dawn's eyes and closed them. "Bye brat."
Dawn grinned slightly.
"Do you have a final request, ma'am?" Roahm asked
"No."
Caitlin looked up at Roahm, and locked her eyes on the woman's visibly. "Don't drag this out. I don't want her to suffer."
Roahm connected a cord into one of Dawn's data ports and looked at Caitlin, "I won't ma'am, it be like turning off for the night"
Roahm looked down at her wrist comp and pressed a button.
Dawn never heard the click.
*yoink*
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