The workaholic snob

Schwartz looks over at Harold. Despite everything…no, because of everything, from the very beginnings he could no longer truly remember, Schwartz cared.

He cared for Harold. He cared for Anderson. They had dragged each other down into this hell, each playing his own damned role. 

They were stuck here forever now. The only choice, perhaps the most important choice they could make, was whether they could forgive, to start to move on and heal. Or to be stuck in this kafka’s trap of never ending regret, guilt and torment.

He moved closer, nuzzling against Schwartz’s shoulder with affection he had felt reluctant to show before. Now he just couldn’t care. His hand curled around the other’s.

He had always longed for Harold before, perhaps he had before he became ‘Schwartz the AI’. Was Schwartz even his real name? Or was it one he’d been reassigned?  Schwartz wished that Harold had been more open, more affectionate like this towards him. He would have stepped in sooner, saved Harold from this cycle.

Both of them. 

Schwartz simply listened, resting his head against Harolds’.

Anderson didn’t look up at Schwartz, eyes all closed. His hand snaked up to comfortingly hold the other’s arm.

The Narrator turns to him, holding the back of Schwartz’s head and pulling him into a hug, a hug Schwartz had the choice to pull away from.

andstanleypushedabutton replied to your post “andstanleypushedabutton replied to your post “curiouscompanions …”

“I was a Stanley. But yeah, I think Harold could use company.”

“Does one ever truly stop being a Stanley once their purpose in the Parable is over?” Schwartz muses, the ghost of his former self makes an appearance. 

andstanleypushedabutton replied to your post “andstanleypushedabutton replied to your post “curiouscompanions …”

“I was a Stanley. But yeah, I think Harold could use company.”

“Does one ever truly stop being a Stanley once their purpose in the Parable is over?” Schwartz muses, the ghost of his former self makes an appearance. 

Anderson didn’t look up at Schwartz, eyes all closed. His hand snaked up to comfortingly hold the other’s arm.

Anderson didn’t look up at Schwartz, eyes all closed. His hand snaked up to comfortingly hold the other’s arm.

“You don’t remember a damn thing. You don’t even remember sitting in my office as I checked your vitals. The only reason you’re here is because you were strapped for cash and you were lead to believe that a few weeks of testing would get you easy money. I knew this and I still let you think you were going to see your family again. We didn’t even have to decency to call you by your own name. I hated calling you Stanley—like you were just some, some nobody who didn’t deserve to be called by his actual title. 

“And He mangled you. Chad woke up day and he found everything flatlined. You were essentially brain dead and he knew deep down that Alvin found a way to do it. You’re a patchwork of code doing a job you weren’t even made for. The back-up AI wasn’t even supposed to be sentient, but Alvin somehow found a way to make that happen too.

“A wedding. Whose was it?Mine? A friend? Family? Harold, I want to know more. You’ve got to know more about…about who I used to be, don’t you?” Schwartz pleaded with Harold. He could have gone his entire existence happily not knowing any of this had been missing. Yet here it was, all laid out on the table for him to question and wonder. “…What was I like, back then at least? You’ve got to know that much, right?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything about your family. I’m sorry…”

“You don’t remember a damn thing. You don’t even remember sitting in my office as I checked your vitals. The only reason you’re here is because you were strapped for cash and you were lead to believe that a few weeks of testing would get you easy money. I knew this and I still let you think you were going to see your family again. We didn’t even have to decency to call you by your own name. I hated calling you Stanley—like you were just some, some nobody who didn’t deserve to be called by his actual title. 

“And He mangled you. Chad woke up day and he found everything flatlined. You were essentially brain dead and he knew deep down that Alvin found a way to do it. You’re a patchwork of code doing a job you weren’t even made for. The back-up AI wasn’t even supposed to be sentient, but Alvin somehow found a way to make that happen too.

“A wedding. Whose was it?Mine? A friend? Family? Harold, I want to know more. You’ve got to know more about…about who I used to be, don’t you?” Schwartz pleaded with Harold. He could have gone his entire existence happily not knowing any of this had been missing. Yet here it was, all laid out on the table for him to question and wonder. “…What was I like, back then at least? You’ve got to know that much, right?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything about your family. I’m sorry…”