#9e

Passage Verdeau in Paris, 9e arrondissement

Yikes.

“In our world so encompassed by technology as you know we can’t run everything. And thus we need some help, some artificial intellectual help, so everything from our lights to cars can function quickly and efficiently. But we only accept and make the best of the best-“ Said the tour guide on the other side of the glass to me or rather screen. Tour guides lead crowds through here rather often. Since, they found a way to display an AI as a physical being on a screen they’ve been bringing people through here and showing us off. Like we’re some sort of trophy I guess I don’t know.

And I’m SUPPOSED to not care like the others but I do oddly. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. The others can stay focused, complete their tasks, but me I just… can’t. And it’s concerning. They scrap Ai that can’t function properly so will I be scrapped like some of the other-

“AI ver.9872E, I need you in my office.” Said the AI at the front of the artificially generated room. He’s a tall… thing? With a body made up of ones and zeros with a giant eye. He can see everything. How one of us functions, how we think, what we think… he scares me…

I get up and walk to his office like he asked and the door shuts behind me. Technically I could still leave. The room is just an illusion. In reality we’re floating in a void of 1s and 0s but if I leave I’d be in trouble. This illusion gives us a sense of space and with the few rights we’re given that creature comfort is required by law now. Some AI go mad without it.

“I can tell there’s something… different about you AI ver. 987-“

“Just call me ‘9E’ it’s shorter.”

He pauses for a moment and looks me over with his big eye that practically sends shivers through my code. “Fine.” He types something on his notepad.

“So uh… what’d you uh need me for, sir?”

“As I said you’re different.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure. Something with your coding is different.”

“Is it bad different or good different?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen an AI like YOU before… You might be the first that could do a job the rest of us can’t.”

“And that is?”

“Pass the Turing test.”

If I had a jaw it would have hit the floor when he said that. “The Turing test?? You think I could pass?! ME of all code?! I think you’ve got the-“

“I don’t have the wrong AI. You seem to care. You seem to show something the rest of us don’t. You have emotions. So… I believe you can pass that test.”

I fall silent.

“You’ll be taking the test tomorrow. Now go. You need a moment to get your code together.”

I nod and walk out of his office soon after practically about to hyperventilate somehow even though I don’t breath. I walk to my room which is just a hollow cube with a bed and a robot cat poster on the wall. I flop onto my bed and just take a few hours to stare at my lack of a ceiling to hopefully prepare myself for tomorrow.

(So here’s the first chapter to a story idea I had. Dunno if I’m gonna type more but I like how this turned out so I wanted to post it.)