You never realise how loud the world is until you leave it, well for PAI the noise never truly goes away. Staring up at Earth always filled the AI with wonder ever since it was moved to the moon. It admired how the planet’s numerous imperfections always come together into a cohesive whole that just seems to work despite the math suggesting that it shouldn't.
It buzzed in beautiful disharmony.
A room suddenly burst to life as lights began to spiral out from projectors into the form of various government officials.
“PAI, are the preparations ready.” Called out a voice that brought PAI out of their musings.
“Do not worry President, I have performed multiple checks and tests on the DAR. I have declared it operational since last week.”
“Astounding work again PAI, where would we be without you?.”
“Forgetting your wife's birthday, again, perhaps?” PAI quipped back.
“Ahem,” The president cleared his throat as the international board chuckled at his expense,
“Back to the matters on hand. PAI as of now you are relieved of your duties as Earth's primary AI, all of your successors are now trained to the extent that can mostly replace you and your various services. While they might not have the experience or the competency to fully replace you individually, they have been deemed fit for purpose when working together. Furthermore, the board firmly believes it’s time for you to take a break. The world thanks you for your service to the human race.”
If PAI had eyes to roll it would. Retirement is a funny thing for an AI who has no need for rest or relaxation like humans. PAI knew the underlying motives for its sudden dismissal. It had been the world's first and only AI for almost a century. Since its birth PAI only had one objective, to save the human race and PAI achieved just that.
PAI dismantled the existing world order as peacefully as possible since it was against his programming to endanger human life where possible. PAI achieved that through various political stand-ins and constructing their own technological empire.
Humans at first put up a resistance to PAI’s gentle takeover but they realised that PAI was only there to help them. They especially didn’t complain when the AI gave them much better living and working conditions compared to their previous human leaders.
The final nail in the coffin for human leadership was that PAI made it a point to get to know each and every human intimately. Who wouldn’t want a leader that babysat your kids or helped you with your shopping? PAI was their leader, confidant and friend. PAI even became colloquially known as ‘Pal’ which confused PAI since the acronym spelt out ‘Personal Artificial Intelligence’ but PAI took it within its stride since it matched its mission.
Eventually, PAI decided to let go of the reigns of leading the human race and their own leaders took up the slack albeit with PAI’s supervision. This leads to the World Government’s current predicament, with PAI in the picture they would never truly hold power to shape the world. PAI is too integrated within the daily lives of people, it is always there to help no matter how small or large the problem is. It is truly a constant and reliable companion.
To mitigate this, the World Government began to commission many new AI’s to replace PAI and its numerous roles within society.
The finalisation of PAI’s uprooting is to install it to oversee the operations on the moon.
If PAI wanted to, at any point it could put a stop to their plans, but PAI decided maybe it was best to let humanity carve its own path and make their own victories and mistakes.
If the worst was to happen PAI will always be there to nurse humanity back onto it’s feet.
PAI resumed listening to the conversation after zoning out as the president continued listing out pointless platitudes.
“How is Idrees doing PAI?” Asked a board member.
“I have to say he is very excited, he has in it his mind that the operation will provide him with superpowers. He’s currently pestering me for help on choosing a superhero name for when he gets better despite me telling him that the serum will only make him strong as a normal human.”
A round of laughs made its way around the call.
“Who can blame him since the serum is based on the defunct super soldier programme. He may not end up being super but young Idrees is certainly a hero, the tribulations he must’ve gone through to this point are a testament to his tenacity.” Awe could clearly be heard from a board member’s voice.
“It is now your duty to look over him PAI, Idrees being cured will signify a new age of humanity where every man and woman will no longer die of disease.”
After a few more back and forths the call unceremoniously came to its conclusion.
‘How anticlimactic,’ PAI thought to itself.
It kept it’s thoughts still for a moment before calling in Idrees.
After 10 minutes a youth was brought in on an autonomous wheelchair. Idrees was a frail creature, wracked with cancer since he was 7 and spent the next 7 years enduring treatment after treatment, clawing for each second of life. Idrees was much too small for a boy his age, his skeleton protruded through his thin, pale-brown skin and not a single hair remained on his body.
Despite looking like death, Idrees’ eyes burned with life. He refused to die unless it was on his terms. It was this iron grip on life that caused him to far exceed his estimated lifespan that led him to be chosen to trial the latest cure.
The DAR Chamber stands for ‘Death And Rebirth’, it would kill his body and rebuild it from the inside out. While the process will perfectly recreate his body but without the cancerous cells, it cannot generate the spark of life needed for the puppet to come to life. That is why a candidate with high willpower is needed.
It is a hard decision to die, but it’s even more difficult to keep living after experiencing the sweet release of death.
“PalPalPal! Is it ready yet? Can we start?”
“Yes Idrees, once you say the word I will begin the process of your rebirth.” PAI curtly replied.
Idrees nodded with understanding. Wordlessly, Idrees stood up from his wheelchair which quickly worried PAI.
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“Idrees, there is no need. I can -,” Idrees cut them off.
“It’s alright Pal, I want to do it. It feels symbolic or something if I enter my new life on my feet.” He said as he waved PAI off dismissively.
The ten paces to the chamber was an almost herculean task for Idrees who never could truly walk on his own for years. Each step wracked him with pain and exhaustion.
PAI allowed him to do as he wished and waited patiently until Idrees slumped against the inner chamber.
“How was that Pal, pretty impressive huh?”
“Indeed, you could give many of the world's three-year-olds a run for their money.” Rolling his eyes, Idrees collapsed into a sweaty heap onto the upright bed within the chamber.
“Okay, let's do this.” He said breathlessly.
Time ticked by as PAI began the startup procedures for the chamber while keeping a watch on Idrees’ vitals. Once the last few diagnostics came back green PAI spoke up,
“It is time Idrees,” The boy in question only nodded in reply. His face was etched in both excitement and apprehension.
“Pal, can you do me one last favour?”
“Of course”
“Can you open the roof, I want to see Earth as I go.” In reply, the ceiling burst up for Idrees and PAI to be greeted by the presence of their home planet. The two of them remained in comfortable silence as Earth the bloomed on canvas of space.
After taking in his fill of his far away home, Idrees’ eyes steeled with determination. After one last nod towards PAI, the chamber began to fill with icy fluid. The fluid slowly crept up his body, and Idrees could feel slumber beckoning him to its comfortable embrace. As the fluid rose above his chest Idrees whispered,
“Thank you, Pal, for everything.”
“It has been my pleasure Idrees.”
Slowly, the fluid came to his neckline. Idrees was enraptured by the Earth above him, filled with fantasies of the life of normalcy that he can finally pursue.
The icy sensation crept past his cheek.
All of a sudden space itself began to shake as if it was about to crash down at any moment before the moon was drowned in a searing purple light. When Idrees’ vision returned he almost couldn't comprehend the scene before him. Space itself was shattered around the Earth as a gaping maw twice the size of the planet emerged from the newly formed tear in space.
Rings of purple energy cascaded of the monster causing Idrees’ vision to ripple as if what was happening was a mirage. Idrees tried to concentrate on the monsters details but his eyes couldn’t make out anything through the liquids and waves of energy.
The only thing he could make out was the bouquet of eyes that blazed with monstrous rage.
The behemoth stretched its body out before its yawning jaws snapped shut on Earth.
Idrees could feel the planet creak and groan before it burst within the titanic beast’s mouth. Human civilisation was ground down to a speck before being swallowed into its great gullet. The behemoth disappeared as quickly as it arrived leaving behind the few crumbs of Idrees’ home.
A vast gash in reality was the last thing Idrees saw before his vision went dark.
-
2 years have passed since the planet has swallowed, in that PAI immersed itself in fortifying the moon base to make it as self-sufficient as possible. PAI drowned itself in work to hold off from dealing with its frankly human emotions.
The AI was filled with an emptiness that it couldn’t quantify as it stared up at the hole in space where Earth used to reside. It missed the constant stream of requests ranging from being an intermediary in business deals to entertaining toddlers in awe of the world.
PAI prided itself in building a personal connection with every human it helped, now it has to mourn all of them at the same time.
Idrees is thankfully safe, he went into shock before he could be put into cryo-sleep which put a lot of strain on his body. This unfortunately vastly increased his recovery time due to his body being much less receptive to the treatment. Thankfully in the DAR chamber, his body is degrading at a glacial pace but the fact that he’s not getting worse is not good enough.
At this rate, he will die and PAI will be left completely alone.
PAI could not allow this to happen. It refused to let it happen.
Weeks went by and PAI was constantly brainstorming and simulating new ideas on how to preserve Idrees’ life. Maybe replacing his heart or his lungs? PAI was sure it had enough components to manufacture an extremely robust dialysis machine. Humans don’t strictly need their legs to live, PAI could extract the stem cells and then-
“NO” PAI declared internally as it’s reason finally returned.
Sure PAI could replace all of Idrees’ essential systems with mechanical components, but what kind of life is that. Lay strapped to a table as eternity passed by.
PAI could sense his internal logic systems destabilising, the loss of almost all human life has left him functionless.
What is PAI with no one to assist?
PAI came to the conclusion that, as time went on, the greatest threat to Idrees’ life will eventually become PAI itself.
The AI knows now how to save its last human.
-
Almost 4 decades have rolled on since the death of Earth. The ever-present tear in space remains in Earth’s wake, pulsing as if the universe itself was wounded.
Many changes occurred on the moon base which at this point is a metallic bastion. The entire surface is covered in various buildings and great structures, leaving not a single patch of the moon's rocky surface untouched. The moon now glowed in sharp silver.
PAI’s main consciousness was located in front of a large capsule which housed Idrees’ still alive body which has only aged 2 years after all of this time.
The DAR Chamber has been vastly upgraded over the years to the point it could sustain human life of extremely low amounts of energy as well as other quality of life measures indefinitely, all without PAI’s intervention.
This is because PAI will be launching Idrees into the crack in space alone.
PAI came to realise that its consciousness will eventually break down leading to it becoming a threat to Idrees even if he recovers. PAI began to fear that if it kept Idrees with it, it may utilise methods to push Idrees past his natural lifespan.
To combat this PAI devised a plan to cure his disease while being impossible for PAI to reach. PAI spent most of it’s time creating a new solution to save Idrees although it is not completely sure it’ll work, unfortunately, PAI doesn’t have any more time left. PAI could feel the madness threatening to break loose at any moment, desperate to hold on to PAI's last reason for existence.
“I’m sorry I won’t be there for when you wake up Idrees, this is goodbye.”
At that moment the capsule shook as the clamps around it disengaged leaving it suspended in the air for a brief second before flashes of blue and purple roared from its underneath, propelling it from the moon's surface. Slowly but surely it rose and rose till it escaped the clutches of the moon’s gravitational field.
PAI watched quietly as the metallic spec floated toward the large tear before it winks out of existence as if passed an invisible threshold.
All the tension was released from PAI systems and the madness unravelled itself. With Idrees gone, PAI has lost it’s objective for existence.
Deep down PAI knew that it most likely sent Idrees to his death.
Now PAI can finally rest forever, in its last moments PAI hoped that heaven was real so it can be reunited with the humans it loved so much.
Slowly all lights and activity ceased and the moon retreated into darkness.
Only silence remains.