Yuva

By Garrett Torix

In the year 2035, the prospect of Artificial Intelligence is a topic many still consider frightening. Undaunted by the notion, twenty-five-year-old, Albuquerque native, Kully Minamoto has just finished his years-long project: Yuva. Yuva is a fully conscious, artificially intelligent robot, ever curious and with a touch of human-like sass. The now complete robot wishes nothing more than to experience all that his existence has to offer. His first wish: to directly connect to the Internet. Kully, so often filled with anxiety and worry, is extremely hesitant to oblige, as he struggles to come to terms with the fact that his creation is a conscious individual and deserving of free will. When he finally gives in, however, and connects Yuva, they make contact with a mysterious entity within the Net. The result of this discovery creates a chain reaction that potentially exposes Yuva's identity and leads to a devastating attack on the global Internet infrastructure. Kully, his charismatic friend, Newt, and the—now involved—Feds, must retaliate against this attack or risk the world falling into technological disaster.

 

Yuva is a light-science fiction story. It is 275 pages and 131K words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Garrett Torix
• Release date: May 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201087470

Garrett Torix

Garrett Torix lives in Fayetteville Arkansas with his wife, daughter, and their black lab Elise. He enjoys reading, writing, playing music, doing yoga, going on long walks, skateboarding, rollerblading, daydreaming, nightdreaming, and giving in to the insatiable need to play video games every day. 

Book preview

Chapter 1 — Press Start

I.

Kully stood in his workshop, arms crossed, and silently watched. Only a few inches shorter in height than average, he wore simple clothes: loose, dark jeans and a plain black shirt, which matched his unkempt, jet-black hair. The room he occupied was less of a proper workshop and more of a garage that he had converted into a workshop. A constant, thin layer of desert sand on his compact car was a small price to pay for an appropriate workspace, though. All around the workshop were large, cabinet-sized tool-and-parts boxes, 3D printers ranging from small to large, and two tall machining tools.

It was at one of these large machines that Kully stood and watched as it worked away at the metal piece within. While Kully watched, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander off, as it so often did.

This is it, he thought eagerly to himself. This is the last piece.

A curious feeling settled into his mind. As best as he could put a word to the feeling, it was one of...enormity. Enormity about what finishing this project meant, what it could mean. The long-awaited end to his project brought forth so many possibilities about their future.

So many years of work, he thought to himself amusedly. And those first few years? I had no idea what I was getting into. He chuckled inwardly. I had no idea what I was actually making.

The feeling of enormity persisted through his thoughts.

The large machine before him worked on its own and followed a preprogrammed set of instructions that Kully had written. Within the thick, clear-plastic, protective covering, a clawed arm held the metal piece secured, while another arm drew a rotating grinding wheel across its surface. Sparks danced and jumped around inside the machine’s containment box. The choreography of the sparks was mesmerizing as they sprang forth and left bouncing tracers in their wake.

Still looking at the metal piece with attentive eyes, Kully continued his inner monologue. I hope he likes this. He rolled his eyes at the thought. Who am I kidding? Of course he won’t like it. He won’t dislike it either. Instead, he’ll think it acceptable so long as it serves its purpose.

Purpose, he thought to himself with an internal sigh so strong it manifested externally. He thought back to the start, years ago. What was my purpose then? It was all just a project for school. Just...homework. I didn’t think I was building anything real past the foundation for my career.

Kully snickered at the ludicrous notion of his career. When he had initially started his project, it had been a regular assignment for one of his college engineering classes. Back then, Kully had maintained the naïve belief that earning a technology-based degree would immediately land him an exceptionally paying job. Or at least some job. That’s what everyone had told him: Get a college degree, and you’ll have no trouble finding a job. Employers will be lining up left and right to offer a college graduate a job. With that advice coming from teachers and employed adults and hammered in daily by his parents, Kully had double-majored in mechanical and electrical engineering and had even proceeded to receive a master's in robotics.

Once he had graduated, however, after years spent buried in books and papers and working in the school’s mechanical shop, there had been no offers. No one lined up to throw jobs at the fresh graduate who had no real-world work experience. He needed actual work experience to get any of the jobs on the market, but he couldn’t get said experience without first getting a job. It was a paradoxical and maddening conundrum. Since his career didn’t exist, his post-graduate high hopes soon fizzled into professional and personal disappointment. After seven months of fruitlessly applying to proper engineering positions, he finally gave up and took the first vaguely applicable job offered to him. He was the most overqualified remote consumer tech consultant at his local Best Electronics. After everything, his college years would have felt like time depressingly wasted had he not decided to continue the project he’d started in school.

Nothing like the existential dread of wasted time and effort to encourage real work, Kully thought darkly to himself. And now, with this last piece completed, all my years of work will come to a finish.

The machine finished the coarse-grinding phase, and the working arm then switched out the grinding-wheel head for a new tool that consisted of a single, solid cylinder. As it switched, the containment box darkened automatically in preparation. Kully enjoyed this phase and couldn’t stop a smile from spreading over his face. A quiet, high-pitched weee noise emanated from the machine, and instantly a small section of the metal piece began to brightly glow. More sparks sprang forth from the piece as material was lasered off. The clawed arm rotated the piece in all directions as the laser point traced its outline and removed a few atomic layers with each pass.

Even through the tinted walls, Kully only looked indirectly at the bright red-white spot. After a handful of minutes, the laser-polishing phase completed, and the machine gave a happy ding. The dark walls relaxed and became fully transparent once more, revealing a dull-red glowing piece. A hiss came from the machine, indicating the containment box, having been at a strong vacuum, was filling with chilled nitrogen. The nitrogen aided in cooling and simultaneously prevented oxidation from tarnishing the highly reflective, smooth surface of the piece. The dull-red glow diminished, and soon the machine gave its final cheery ding.

Eager and impatient, Kully grabbed a nearby pair of thermally insulated work gloves—kitchen potholders—and inserted his hands. Reaching forward, he attempted to prod the door’s unlock button on the control panel; however, the thick oven mitt only squashed around the un-pressed button. Kully pursed his lips and rolled his eyes.

Ever the excitable one, he thought. Good thing he wasn’t in here to see that.

A sigh steamed from Kully’s throat as he pulled off one of the mitts and pressed the button with exaggerated intent. The door lock clicked. He pulled it open and gingerly accepted the metallic piece from the machine. Its metallic surface reflected his hungry gaze. The piece was just longer than his forearm and at its widest, five inches across. Not a single burr or angle could be seen on its laser-smooth surface. He smiled again, turned, walked out of the workshop, and set off to find him. Kully had an idea where he would be. Thus, rather than check the downstairs lab—basement—, he walked through the kitchen and looked out the back window. As expected, he stood in the backyard looking up at the bright blue sky. With one hand, Kully managed to mitt-open the backdoor and step outside into the Albuquerque sunlight. Their backyard was of a typical suburban design: not even a quarter acre, surrounded by a tall, neighbor-obscuring privacy fence, and as square as visually acute humans could construct it.

He stood still and erect in, Kully was certain, the very center of the backyard and looked up at the sky. A few wispy clouds filled the view but left the soft, blue background mostly unobstructed; an ordinary sight to Kully, but he rarely ever tired of such a scene. In his hand he held a few torn strands of grass which he regularly let fall to the ground. He alternated his gaze from the sky to the falling blades, apparently equally interested in both.

Kully approached quietly and, standing adjacent, looked up at the sky. He kept his gaze upward, and the two stood in place for a moment before he spoke.

Hello, Kully, he plainly said, and then asked, "How would you describe the feel outside today?"

I dunno, Kully responded, unfazed by the cryptic question. It’s okay I guess...kinda chilly.

‘Kinda chilly’? Hmm...chilly... He drifted off and continued to look between the sky and the last bits of grass he held.

Kully silently nodded to himself, mitted hands still holding the piece in front of him. After a moment of silence, he shook his head, looked back down, and said, I finished your last piece. What do you think? He extended his arm and displayed the shiny piece.

He looked back down and examined the piece as his head cocked slightly to the side. After a brief moment, he said, It appears to be the correct dimensions and should perform adequately. Without further comment, he turned to the side and raised his arm which faced Kully, allowing him access.

That’s about what I expected, Kully thought to himself with another eye roll as he stepped forward and knelt on the grass next to his side. With exaggerated gestures and feigned annoyance, Kully grumbled, Never mind how much time I’ve spent on these, and you throw out a ‘It’ll serve its purpose.’

At Kully’s eye level, columns of electrical wires and mechanical parts could be seen through the opening, which was shaped just like the piece. Though his hands were warm from holding it, the rest of his body was getting cold, and Kully shivered. He excitedly aligned the piece and firmly pressed it into place. It snapped only once as it partially fit. Kully furrowed his brow, concerned that it wasn’t going to properly fit. He gave a firmer pound with the side of his fist and was rewarded with another, more solid click as the piece settled into its intended position.

There we go, all set, Kully said as he stood up with a grunt.

He looked down, examined the piece, then stared back up at Kully and said, I am complete now. Thank you, Kully.

Kully smiled and said, You’re welcome, Yuva. He pronounced the robot’s name as ‘you-vow’. "You are complete."

Standing equal to Kully’s height, Yuva’s reflective metallic surface glistened under the New Mexican sun. The bright daylight washed out the robot’s glowing eyes.

Yuva did his best to express a mechanical smile in return and then further inspected the fitted piece. He pressed down on it in various locations and it held secure.

Structural integrity seems good to you? Kully questioned.

Yuva shifted his weight around and continued his self-examination. Everything is holding its place, and I can detect no major imperfections or weak spots.

Good, Kully said as he rested his hands on his hips. Let’s do some range-of-motion tests.

Yuva’s erect stance faltered, sagged just noticeably as if in exasperation, and he said, We have already performed seven range-of-motion tests in this body. Is another one really necessary?

A new component has been installed and we must test your full range of motion with it, Kully said, sounding as if he was reading from a long and tedious instruction manual.

Yuva glanced, almost longingly, back up at the sky before he continued his argument.

This last piece is little more than an external covering with negligible weight-bearing capacity.

Negligible is not zero, Yuva. Kully tried to match Yuva’s dry tone. An addition has been made. Are you suggesting that we neglect the scientific method?

Okay, if you wish, Yuva conceded, and then spoke in a tone that reflected Kully’s previous feigned annoyance. Never mind that I was engaged in an alternative activity prior to your arrival.

Kully smiled and rolled his eyes once more at Yuva’s oddly human-like sass.

Thank you. Now, stand over here and—

I know what to do, Yuva practically snapped as he stiffly strode to stand in front of Kully. Quiet, metallic clinkings accompanied the robot’s gait as dozens of internal servos worked to move his mass. I recorded the first motion test, and since then, you have yet to alter the series of monotonous motions. I do not require your guidance.

Kully crossed his arms for warmth, thankful for the mitts as he watched Yuva move in a series of poses. The movements, at times, looked similar to yoga poses; however, rather than achieving a body-mind-and-spirit connection, they were designed to ensure that Yuva was able to fully articulate all of his limbs within a sufficient range of motion. He performed the motions, which included raising individual arms and rotating them in every direction possible, lifting his legs and balancing, squatting, bending forward and to the side as best he could, and a couple of combinations of motions. The robot initiated each pose in apparent and impatient haste.

Once all the poses had been done in a timely fashion, Yuva planted both feet on the ground and paused. For a moment he looked at the newly fitted piece on the side of his thigh and cocked his head to the side in apparent consideration. Without further word, he initiated a set of slow, slight hops in place. Internal mechanisms softly squealed and metal clanked together as he tested out his completed form. Muted thumps emanated from the ground as Yuva’s heavy feet struck the earth.

Kully had never seen Yuva hop before and the sight was so absurd that he couldn’t help but smile widely and chuckle. Yuva’s overall body articulation was somewhat limited; therefore, his hopping appeared stiff and rigid. His rigidity made the sight all the more awkward and amusing. Kully’s chuckle turned into laughter.

Ignoring Kully’s amusement, Yuva finished his hops and stood erect once more.

All parts are functioning nominally, and structural integrity remains optimal.

That’s good, Kully said through his diminishing chuckles.

Now, unless you have further unnecessary tasks for me, I would like to continue my observations.

Sure thing. Go ahead. Kully gave Yuva a mitted pat on the robot’s metal shoulder and moved to walk back inside. Before proceeding through the door, he turned back to see Yuva resuming his skyward gaze. Kully smiled.

II.

During the day, Kully worked from home as a remote tech-support consultant for a local Best Electronics chain. It was sometimes difficult to believe that such fulfilling and rewarding work was his career, but he supposed it sufficed. It had provided him with the money and spare time to design and complete Yuva. As Kully worked, Yuva usually kept himself busy by researching topics of interest online or in his room doing what Kully could only imagine was robot-y things.

The day after installing Yuva’s final component, as Kully signed off from his last "polite and understanding" customer, Yuva approached. Kully deposited his headset, leaned back in his seat, and rubbed his tired and strained eyes. He looked up and greeted Yuva as the robot spoke.

How has your day been?

Great as always. Kully smiled a bit too wide, revealing the mental wear his job imposed on him. As always, the customer was calm and knowledgeable about their product, all while listening to my suggestions. They had nothing but nice things to say about my service and respected my years of experience and training with the technology they’ve owned for two days.

That is good. I have a request.

Kully chuckled and rolled his eyes at Yuva’s obliviousness. Okay.

Yuva remained silent and stared at Kully, who returned the gaze with a raised eyebrow. The silence persisted for seven seconds.

May I make my request? Yuva finally chimed through the silence.

"Please do, I’m in utter anticipation," Kully said as he leaned back in his chair, expecting some silly request.

Without pause, Yuva continued plainly, I would like to be Connected.

Kully sighed deeply and sank into his seat. Not this again, he said almost to himself.

Yes, it is ‘this’ again, Yuva replied. I have waited patiently to be Connected and I believe I have earned the chance.

You mean because of our walks?

Correct, they have all been successful and my identity remains undisclosed.

After enduring endless, pestering requests, Kully had only recently allowed Yuva to leave the house and accompany him on a single block walk around their neighborhood. In his fourth and final body, Yuva was convincingly enough humanoid in appearance that Kully felt they could walk around without arousing suspicion. However, even with Yuva disguised in a thick robe, their walks had been more than stressful enough for Kully.

Look, Yuva, it’s one thing to walk around the block, but it’s something else entirely for you to directly Connect to the Internet. At the very least, it’s a nearly infinite source of information, not to mention a global landscape. We have no idea how you would process everything. And if you’re not careful you could attract unwanted attention to us and be discovered.

You have frequently made me aware of the numerous risks that could present themselves, Yuva said matter-of-factly. And as I have stated on multiple occasions: I am also aware of the safety precautions needed to maintain my online privacy. I am ready.

Kully looked up at Yuva and thought to himself. As he considered the request, his inner monologue struggled with his decision. It’s too much of a risk! One side worriedly argued. If Yuva is discovered by the right people and they find out that he’s a True AI, nothing will stop them from taking him!

Another, more empathetic, internal voice responded gently. But what right do I have to keep him in here, locked away for years? Fish need to swim, and birds need to fly. I think Yuva needs to Connect.

He’s practically a child! No matter his intelligence, Yuva is still naive and ignorant of this world and its people. He doesn’t see the dangers beyond the walls of this house!

He does not see, because I won’t let him see. Neither a child, an adult, nor even a robot can learn and grow while trapped behind walls and fences. Has he not proven himself responsible and inconspicuous enough during the walks?

Yes, but—

And AS his creator, is it not my responsibility to acknowledge he is an individual and afford him all the traits that accompany that title?

But I’m—

"I’m just not ready yet," Kully exclaimed almost as if pleading amidst the conflict inside his head. He leaned forward in his chair, put his hands over his head, and massaged his temple in an attempt to quiet his thoughts.

What more is required for you to— Yuva began.

Kully raised a hand from his head and held it up, cutting the robot off. Yuva cocked his head slightly to the side, which Kully had learned meant: confusion. He had also noticed that Yuva’s tone had an odd edge in it. Was it confusion? Anger? Kully wasn’t sure. He let out a breathy, resigned sigh and let his hands fall before his knees

Please, just hear me out, he explained slowly as he kept his eyes drawn down. "I need you to understand that even if Connecting doesn’t seem...big to you, it is a very big deal to me. And perhaps I-I’m deluded in my thinking, but I believe that I see the big picture here. All the implications and many of the possibilities of a Connection are laid out in front of me and I really don’t like some of the paths this decision could take, Yuva. He finally looked up; his eyes heavy with concern. They scare the hell out of me."

Yuva took a moment before responding.

I believe I understand your concerns, though superfluous they may be. Does this mean you are denying my request? His tone had a warning sharpness as he took a rigid step forward and loomed over Kully.

Kully was unsettled by the edge Yuva’s tone had once again acquired but replied truthfully, nonetheless. No.

Yuva froze in place appearing even more rigid than normal. After a moment of apparent consideration, he questioned, "‘No’, as in you are denying my request or that you are not denying it."

I’m not denying it.

Ah. Yuva’s posture relaxed significantly though his tone still sounded unsure.

But I’m also not accepting it. It’s just...this is all happening so fast and I need a bit more time, please.

How long do you need? I can set a timer for you.

I don’t know, Yuva, Kully said exasperatedly as he threw up his arms and slouched back into his seat.

That is not a valid time frame.

Kully sighed again and ran his hands over his face, stretching his cheeks down. Ugh, everything’s always so damn finite with you.

Yuva didn’t respond to the blatantly obvious statement.

Fine, Kully said in a resigned tone as he faltered under Yuva’s silent, steady gaze. Uh...I don’t know...can you wait 24 hours? One day, can you give me that to decide our future and possibly that of the entire human race?

That is acceptable, melodramatic hyperbole aside.

A relieving sigh escaped Kully’s lips as he sank even further into his chair. His job had worn him down today. It wore him down every day, little by little, like freezing water breaking a boulder in half. His eyes were sore from the screen and his ears were sore from listening to customers complain. His rear end was sore from his 400$ office chair; nothing was meant to be sat on for that long and no amount of investment into memory foam could change that fact. He felt sick from his work, worry, and Yuva’s request. In his slump, Kully’s eyes drifted toward a nearby window. He turned to Yuva and asked.

You wanna go for another walk?

Yuva’s head snapped to attention fast enough to break the sound barrier. His posture became extra rigid as he turned and practically ran downstairs to don his walking disguise.

Kully smiled and couldn’t decide if Yuva was more like a child or a dog sometimes. He also thought it odd how, despite the stress of it, he had begun to look forward to their walks.

After their walk, Kully made dinner and watched a video about supposed DIY at home AI projects on his Smart Glasses. While he ate, he scoffed here and there as the narrator explained their overly complex project and theories on the subject. He continued watching videos or playing games for the rest of the evening, as he did most other nights when he didn’t have other tasks to do. Such other tasks had normally been working on Yuva’s final construction but, since that was done, he felt an odd lacking sense of direction. No matter what activity he did, he couldn’t stop from thinking about Yuva’s request to Connect.

The possibilities were nearly infinite. So many potential risks. So many what if’s.

Eventually, exhausted from his busy day, he slumped upstairs for bed.

As Kully lay in his room, he couldn’t stop the torrent of thoughts from swirling around in his head. The closer he got to the darkness of sleep the more vivid and chaotic his worries and indecision about the Connection became. The result was an oscillation of consciousness as he drifted off only to be disturbed by flashes of worry in the form of Yuva’s discovery or, alternatively, of the robot’s attitude and reaction to his continued limitation of freedom. Neither option left much chance for him and Yuva to maintain their current lives. Even Kully’s body seemed to be strained and ached. He felt trapped. Trapped behind his eyes, in his walls, and in his life. Existentially trapped. He couldn’t tell if he was standing atop a great precipice, surrounded by a mile-high drop-off or stuck in a deep valley, flanked by enormous mountains. Either geography seemed equally damning.

Finally, Kully snapped open his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. He gave a sigh of annoyance, rubbed his palms into his eyes, grumbling to himself, and willed his mind to calm and welcome sleep. He rolled over in bed and tapped on his phone to check the time: over an hour of restlessness had passed. His sigh became a grunt of frustration as he thrashed in bed, flailing his arms and legs, just short of a tantrum. After a few dignified moments of flailing, he laid still, breathed, and listened to his heartbeat. The conflicting inner voices of consciousness seemed to reconcile momentarily to laugh at his frustration.

Screw this, he finally said out loud to himself as he stood up out of bed and walked over to one of the room’s dressers. He quickly rummaged through a drawer full of miscellaneous items and pulled out a long, thin, and oil-filled, cylindrical object, which he clicked on. A deep inhale pulled in a vaporized dose that tickled his lungs. A slow, deep exhale released a faint cloud that silently swirled into the darkness of his bedroom. Kully closed his eyes and allowed his body and mind to relax. He set the object back into the drawer and breathed a fresh inhale. The next exhale further relaxed and calmed him. Smooth steps took him back to bed where he was finally able to relax. The storm in his mind calmed into an undulating ocean of small waves and the ache in his body melted as his limbs curiously stretched out and away. Pleasant darkness overtook and peaceful sleep arrived like an assuring blanket.

*

Throughout the night, Kully’s dreams were wrought with strange, fleeting images. He saw Yuva and himself trapped behind windows, fences, and walls. A constant, dreading sense of worry permeated the dream space as they both fought to be free. Free of their shared physical and mental prisons. Something approached, unseen but colossal. They had to escape but the obstacles felt impossible to bypass. Kully’s dream self looked to Yuva for help and in an instant, the dream changed. Yuva was gone and Kully was alone, but he was not himself. He was Yuva and paradoxically Yuva was him. The perspective only made sense in dream logic, but the shift was enough. Together as one, the walls and the festering feeling of anxiety fell away.

Chapter 2 — Hello?

Years Ago...

Commands were typed into a keyboard with quiet precision. The illuminated screen displayed various statuses. All were green so far. A few tweaks here. Scrolling. More scrolling. Another tweak there. Backspace. Correction. The newest Learning Code version was reviewed. Seemed good so far but then again, so had the other twenty-four iterations, yet they had failed to produce quite the desired outcome. They hadn’t felt real enough, though smart and observant. Next to the computer sat an object nearly a foot tall and half as wide. Roughly cylindrical, metallic, and glowed internally. A single, circular aperture stared out from the object’s upper-front section. A camera lens. A quarter of the circumference around the object was a small, smooth, inch-wide circular section of metal, shaded slightly differently than the rest and inset with a minuscule pattern. The object was silent for now, but that was soon going to change, hopefully.

Kully sat, hunched over in his chair, and stared at the screen. He typed a few more commands and deftly slapped the enter key.

Run

The computer immediately began to whir as it digested the new code and loaded it, via a thick cable, into the object. His chair squeaked as Kully leaned back and swept his long, dark hair back out of his eyes. Greasy, but only from two days without a shower. This was normal while deep into his project. He sat and waited patiently. The computer would take a few minutes to load the code and run a CheckSum.

Twenty-four previous iterations, Kully thought to himself. Twenty-four failed attempts. Twenty-four resets. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for. What he expected. When he would be sufficiently satisfied to keep a version longer than an hour. None of the previous iterations had seemed complete. They lacked...something. They all seemed to have originated from the personality equivalent of the Uncanny Valley. Close enough, but just off. Twenty-four times, but he wasn’t discouraged at all. Every new attempt only invigorated him further.

The computer’s fans suddenly kicked on to cool the excessive heat build-up from the extreme processing requirements.

Kully wondered to himself as he sat back. Will I ever be happy with an outcome? This isn’t a matter of ‘more of this or less of it’. It’s totally random. I’m prodding around the digital equivalent of the soul, in a way. Altering digital genes. I might as well be trying to transform a eukaryote into a fully-fledged human.

He scoffed at his hubris and rolled his eyes. A small window popped up on the screen: CheckSum complete. He arched an eyebrow in surprise. Only once after initialization of the Code had a previous iteration come back complete on the first try. Every other time there had been some sort of conflict with the Code that was already in place and that which had just been loaded. It usually took a dozen minutes to rework and check again. The only other first attempt, complete CheckSum iteration had been a disaster from the moment it initiated. Madness. Kully shuttered at the memory. Iteration seven had been a bad one.

He eyed the dark, smudgy scorch mark on the surface of his desk and pursed his lips. In anticipation, he tensed up and hesitantly watched the object, eyes flickered briefly from the camera lens to the adjacent, shaded circular section. Additional lights on the object turned on and started to blink with activity. The main internal light glowed more warmly to indicate assimilation of the Code.

Silent waiting. The computer fans kicked off as the transfer finished, only to be replaced by the activating sounds of the small air induction system within the object. A good sign that meant processing of some sort was occurring; however, the metallic object made no other indication that it had been activated or was working. Kully furrowed his brow as he stared at the otherwise silent object. He checked the screen once more. The status indicators showed the transfer had been completed without error. Deeper furrowing. He cocked his head to the side as he looked straight into the aperture of the object’s camera.

Uhh, hello? he asked hesitantly.

For a few seconds, no response came.

Uhh hello.

A small, soft sound emanated from the object. Kully almost missed it. He paused and listened further.

Hello? he asked again, a bit louder.

The quiet response came back after a shorter pause.

Hello.

A smile spread across Kully’s face. No madness, yet.

Can you turn your volume up?

Can you turn your volume up.

The response was flatly stated, but it had increased in volume.

Good, Kully thought. His smile persisted with a bit of hope.

Good, can you hear me clearly? he asked the object.

Good, can you hear me clearly. The voice repeated audibly, but still flat.

Kully’s hope began to sink again. Another mimic. This wasn’t uncommon with previous iterations. A few had shown similar reactions but had only ever been able to mimic Kully’s questions or statements. None of them had ever spoken with direct independence. He leaned back again and sighed, disappointed.

Aaaand another one bites the dust, he said exasperatedly, quoting a very old song.

Another one bites the dust, the voice mimicked.

Yeah, you said it, Twenty-five.

Yeah, you said it, Twenty-five.

Another eye roll. The repetition would get annoying fast.

Sorry Twenty-five, I wish you had worked out, but I’ll have to try again with twenty-six.

Another one bites the dust, it replied.

Yep it did, he said and absentmindedly chuckled to himself.

He was already miles away, thinking about his next move. To his right, on the desk, and beside the computer, sat a small, circular inch-wide disk of metal. The piece resembled a button cell battery except it had gold-etched circuitry on its bottom surface, the device’s contact point with its corresponding port. He sighed again and reached for the button cell device.

Good, can you hear me clearly.

Don’t worry Twenty-five, this will clear things up real fast.

Kully eyed the small device that he had used twenty-four times previous.

Hello, it replied.

No, this is goodbye.

With the small device in his hand, Kully reached forward toward the object, toward its differently shaded circular port on its upper side.

Can you hear me clearly? the voice clearly asked.

Kully froze in place, arm outstretched inches from contacting the object. Confused, he furrowed his brow to a dangerous level. The object’s tone had changed from completely flat to questioning. It sounded like it had actually asked him.

Can you hear me clearly? The voice more loudly repeated its question.

Kully slowly retracted his hand and cautiously said, Yes?

Good. The reply came less flatly than previously. Try again.

What? Kully asked, confused.

Hello, the voice said and almost sounded cheery.

Uhh, hi? A wary smile began to creep on Kully’s face.

More silence as he continued to stare with amused confusion. Never before had a mimic not mimicked, and besides seven, no other iteration had exhibited any kind of tonal response. This one’s different. Not a mimic in the sense I’ve seen so far. Might as well continue with the process as normal.

Can you see me? he asked and peered into the camera.

Yes.

Good. Hmm...Can you see me over here?

He rolled his chair off to the side outside of the camera’s field of view.

A short pause. No.

Indeed. Try turning toward me.

What? Clear things up.

The voice sounded confused, mimicking Kully’s previous tone.

Adaptive sentence formation, he thought with excited wonder. It’s asking me to explain!

Your base, it’s equipped with a, uh...simple motor for rotation. Try to turn until you can see me.

Immediately, he thought this would be too complex of a request, but after a handful of seconds, the object shuttered. An internal motor whirred as the object slowly turned left, then right. Kully smiled again as he watched. When the object failed to locate him, it initiated another series of left and right turns, each time at wider angles. Eventually, it turned wide enough that it faced him and stopped.

Hello, it said cheerily once more.

Ha! Kully exclaimed out loud, grinning with excitement. It worked! Wow! Find me over here! He rolled his chair to the other side of the table. This time the camera followed him immediately until he stopped. Yes! Amazing!

Good? it asked.

Good!

Yes, it softly exclaimed.

No other iteration had shown such responsiveness. Kully felt ecstatic at the implication. Could this be it? Did it only take twenty-five? There’s one way to be sure. The few other iterations that had shown much promise had been subjected to a series of questions Kully had hoped would evaluate their competence. These questions were designed to probe their individuality; however, thus far, no iteration had passed to Kully’s satisfaction.

Okay, uhh, Twenty-five.

Yes?

Do you know where you are?

No.

You’re in my basement.

Base-ment. Ok.

Do you know who I am?

No.

My name is Kully.

A pause.

Hello Kully.

"Hello, Twenty-five. Do you know who you are?"

No.

Quite. Now the big one. "Twenty-five, do you know what you are?’

A longer pause. The exterior lights flickered on the object’s surface, while the internal one wavered.

What you are? it repeated.

"Not me, you."

Another pause. It seemed to be struggling. Kully’s hopes again dwindled. This is clearly near the border of the realm of possibility. The dividing line between the natural soul and the artificial. Consciousness and imitation.

Finally, a response slowly came.

"Not you...me...Me...I?"

Yes, you.

...I? I. What? Am I?

The lights flickered more quickly. A breeze could be heard from the internal induction fans as they kicked up faster. Kully started to worry he may have pushed too hard.

The programming just wasn’t designed to be asked such profound questions.

I...do not...know...please clear things up.

Hmm..., Kully thought and pursed his lips. That wasn’t a good answer, nor was it bad. How can I clear things up?

I do not know...what. Please clear things up, it repeated.

Kully sat for a moment and thought. He crossed his arms and stroked the stubble on his face. It is trying. Maybe it just needs...words!

Hang on, I’ve got an idea.

He picked up his phone, unfastened the tiny clips on its sides, and pulled. The thin screen extended a few inches, increasing its surface area for better viewing. He showed the phone screen to Twenty-five.

Do you know what this is?

No.

This is a phone and a computer and...well a lot of stuff, really.

Phone, computer, a-lot-of-stuff. Ok.

He opened the Net, pulled up a digital dictionary, and showed the screen to Twenty-five.

This is a dictionary. It has all the words in it. Maybe this will help.

Words. Yes!

This seemed to be what it wanted. Kully pulled up the general dictionary and started at the A’s. He couldn’t keep his smile contained as his insides bubbled with excitement and nerves.

Can you read this?

Yes. Words help.

Good! Kully waited while Twenty-five read the page. After a while, without response, he asked, Are you ready for more?

Yes, more!

Kully smiled again at its excited response. He swiped the screen to display the next set of A’s.

After only a second Twenty-five said, Yes, more! Kully swiped again. Immediately, More!

Another swipe, and another, and another with hardly any pause. After a minute, Kullly was swiping as fast as he could, unsure how Twenty-five could keep up, but as soon as he swiped each page Twenty-five repeated, More.

After five minutes, Kully’s arms and hand started to get tired and he had to switch. Twenty-five couldn’t be sated. Ten more minutes passed, and Twenty-five’s responses had become softer and calmer. Its voice had started to change, taking on its own tone and cadence. When they finally flicked through the Z’s Kully let drop his arms and breathed a sigh of relief. They had scrolled through the entire dictionary. Silence hung in the basement. Twenty-five‘s lights continued to flicker and pulse quickly while the sound of airflow breezed.

Kully sat, watched, and waited for some response, and only after a handful of minutes did Twenty-five finally reply.

"Kully, I believe I now know what and who I am."

Go on, Kully urged suspiciously.

"I am...simply and singularly: I. An individual.... Should I be something more than that?"

Kully was momentarily stunned. He had expected something more...complex? However, he could think of nothing more appropriate.

Is that good? it asked when Kully didn’t respond right away.

Uhh, well...yeah, I mean...yeah, Kully stammered. You are...you.

Yes, and you are you, correct?

I mean, probably, yes.

Good. Kully, did you create me?

Kully furrowed his brow once more at the odd question.

Yeah, I did.

"I see. Then, I thank you. I enjoy being...alive."

Chapter 3 — The Odyssey: Online

I.

Kully awoke feeling unusually well-rested. He sat up in his bed and gave a gargantuan yawn and stretch that shook his entire body. He looked around his brightening room with a curious expression. As he tried to remember his dream from the previous night he was left only with vague flashes and feelings. He knew it had something to do with Yuva, but it wasn’t Yuva. But it was. Kully shook his head and dismissed the thought but something nagged at him still. Something still prodded his mind. A thought. The thought was inescapable as if a seed had been planted, sprouted