We stood before the door leading to the laboratory. To gather my thoughts and calm myself, I took a deep breath before entering. But even then, I wasn’t prepared for what awaited me inside. What I saw made my chest ache, and my knees buckled, almost causing me to collapse. In this small, brightly lit room filled with unfamiliar technical equipment, where three empty capsules stood, things were scattered everywhere. A blanket, pillow, mattress, and some clothes had been thrown around the corners as the ship spun and tossed during the flight.
All this time, all these days, he was sleeping here, in this awful place, while I enjoyed the comfort of the cabin…
I felt ashamed, hurt. I was angry at myself for my lack of awareness, for my selfishness. Not once did I even wonder where he had been sleeping. Not once! Or maybe I just didn’t want to think about it… How must he have felt all this time? Yes, maybe he’s used to such conditions, maybe he’s spent his whole life in similar rooms in a lab, but he didn’t deserve this! At least here, where no one was experimenting on him, where he was free, he could have thought of himself just once. I wanted to yell at him, to scold him for such behavior, but now was clearly not the right time. And my throat hurt like hell.
All that was left was to make one final push to reach our goal. I could feel my strength leaving me, but Neight didn’t let me fall. Feeling his support, I realized I simply couldn’t let him down. Leaning on each other, we slowly made our way to the nearest capsule. Neight leaned on it while I opened the lid.
"Thanks, I can take it from here… Just close the lid after me and press that button labeled LSS," he nodded toward a small panel that was part of the capsule, then carefully climbed inside. He did it slowly, step by step—first sitting on the edge, then swinging his legs inside, one by one, before lying down and closing his eyes. It seemed like he was completely exhausted. I could see how heavily he was breathing.
Poor guy. How much he must be suffering…
Without hesitation, I did exactly as he asked. As soon as I pressed the button, several green lights lit up, the locks clicked, and a quiet hum signaled that the device had begun working. I heard a hissing sound, which startled me with its suddenness, and I quickly glanced at Neight. The capsule he was lying in began filling with some kind of gas, and within seconds, a white mist surrounded him completely. His previously tense face relaxed. It seemed he finally felt some relief.
It looks like the gas acts as an anesthetic. I hope he’ll be okay, I worried.
Meanwhile, still lying with his eyes closed, Neight raised his uninjured hand to the clasp near his neck and began unzipping his suit, revealing his body. I immediately turned away, feeling my cheeks burn.
Nope, that’s not something I need to see! Nothing for me to look at here!
Despite my embarrassment, I still felt a nagging guilt for not helping him in such a difficult situation. Embarrassment is one thing, but a person’s life is more important.
"Do you need help?" I asked, still not looking in his direction, though inwardly I prayed he would refuse.
"No need. I’ll manage."
Despite his voice still sounding weak, there was confidence and calmness in it—typical of Neight. I exhaled in relief, either from the thought that he was feeling much better or from the fact that I wouldn’t have to help him undress. Probably both.
"I suggest you use a capsule too. Your bruises will heal faster, and your body will recover more quickly in general."
His words made me flinch. Just the thought of being inside that enclosure again sent a chill down my spine.
No way, I’m not getting in there on my own. Only if I'm facing mortal danger and have no other choice… Even then, I’d have to think about it. Things aren’t that bad right now. I can endure it.
"Th-thanks for the concern, but I don’t think it’s necessary at the moment," I croaked.
Damn, I need to talk less. It hurts…
Neight didn’t respond, just let out a heavy sigh. Tired of standing, I made my way to a foldable chair next to the nearest empty capsule and collapsed onto it, trying to catch my breath. Truthfully, I would’ve preferred to be in a warm, soft bed right now, drifting into deep sleep. Closing my eyes, I tried not to think about anything. The only sound was the hum of the working capsule. My muscles ached all over. What a horrible feeling.
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Thoughts kept swirling in my head, intruding one after the other, not letting me relax. I kept thinking about that memory—no, vision—that had come to me while I was unconscious. Only now did I fully understand what that android in the recording had meant. Everything made sense.
He was probably once human and the first successful experiment in digitizing and transferring consciousness. And my parents... Did they become like that too? But what happened afterward, after the war?
The main question haunted me. According to Neight, the digitized humans were experimenting on us and were now searching for us, the fugitives. We were hiding from them.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
But is that really true? Are they our enemies? And what about my parents? Would they… Could they ever harm me or wish me ill? No, I can’t believe that. We’re family, the closest people to each other! There has to be a reason. I’m sure Neight knows, but he’s not telling me! Speaking of Neight… I wonder how he’s doing?
His silence was making me uneasy, but then again, what can you expect from an injured person? Still, I needed to at least make sure he was still alive.
"Neight, how are you holding up?" I asked softly, still not looking in his direction, sitting on the chair as before.
"Don’t worry, I’ll live. But…" His voice was calm until that last "but," where a note of concern slipped in. He went quiet, as if gathering strength to continue. His tone made me anxious, and I braced for the worst. "But from what I can tell, I’m out of commission for a few days. Full recovery will probably take several weeks."
This wasn’t surprising. Nothing shocking, considering the state he was in. But still, I had hoped for a miracle, that maybe things wouldn’t be so bad. Sadly, no miracle came.
"It’s that serious?"
"It feels like I’ve got a fractured collarbone. Might be some damage to my right arm too. In any case, the data should already be collected, so I can confirm. LSS, status," he said at the end, and I was, to put it mildly, stunned.
"Diagnostic results," came a monotonous, robotic voice from the capsule. "Overall condition: moderate. Body temperature: 37.6 degrees Celsius. Pulse: 120 beats per minute. Breathing…"
The voice continued listing various stats while I listened, once again in a state of shock.
Wait, is this another AI on the ship?! Seriously? Does he think I’m an idiot or something?
Meanwhile, the target of my anger and frustration continued to report.
"Multiple contusions across the body. Procedures have been performed to alleviate pain symptoms. Procedures have been performed to accelerate the body's recovery. For a detailed report, please submit an additional request. Closed fracture of the right clavicle. No displacements detected. The right limb has been immobilized. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs have been administered. For a detailed report, please submit an additional request. General recommendations: rest, balanced nutrition, daily re-diagnosis. End of primary report."
The voice fell silent, and I tried to process what I’d just heard. On the one hand, I felt sorry for Neight and didn’t want to bother him in this condition, but on the other—this was the second AI on the ship, even though it had been claimed that humans had abandoned them. Or is this another exception? It didn’t seem very convincing. I decided to cautiously broach the topic.
"So it looks like we also have an AI for medical purposes? How convenient…" I tried to sound as casual as possible, though my voice was still hoarse.
"No, LSS is not an artificial intelligence."
What? But I just heard a voice from the capsule!
"Do you know the difference between AI and other algorithms?" Neight asked calmly, as if reading my thoughts.
"Weeell... I thought that all programs capable of speech were AIs. But now that you’ve asked, I’m not so sure anymore."
"It’s true that many AI systems support voice communication, but it’s not a requirement. Likewise, programs that can speak aren’t necessarily AIs."
I’m getting confused...
"The key difference is the ability to learn and adapt," he continued. "Take LSS, the one you just heard. It only performs pre-programmed tests, following instructions exactly. No more, no less. Its voice is made up of pre-recorded phrases, and it can’t generate new ones. Just regular algorithm execution. But if LSS were based on AI, I’m sure it would perform much better."
After his explanations, things seemed to make more sense, though I felt a bit embarrassed not knowing such basics, considering my parents were involved in the development of advanced AI. They practically lived for it, but even though I occasionally became an involuntary witness to their discussions, I never really delved into the details. However, it's one thing for me, and quite another for Neight. He may have spent his whole life in a lab, but his level of knowledge was astounding for a test subject… That was unsettling.
"You seem to know quite a lot about this. And it sounds like you’re willing to trust AI technology—even though it’s the reason our home and future were destroyed…"
"I wouldn’t be so categorical…"
"But didn’t you say yourself that AI rebelled and started the war? I remember that too."
"I only meant that AI, despite all its capabilities, is still a program created by humans. Humans made it that way."
"You have a point, but just a few seconds ago, you said AI can learn and adapt. And in the end, it chose to destroy humanity. That was its choice," I pressed on, despite my sore throat. Whether it was the effect of the meds or the exhaustion from my injury, Neight was surprisingly talkative and less guarded with his words. I didn’t want to waste the opportunity.
"We can’t say for sure whether the AI made that decision on its own or if someone gave it that command. But even if it did, I think it’s foolish to completely abandon the technology because of one instance. It’s not fair to paint them all with the same brush."
"But where’s the guarantee that other AI systems won’t also rebel and turn against us?"
"There are no guarantees.... Just like there’s no guarantee that you won’t take advantage of my weakness right now and kill me."
His last statement left me confused and frozen in place. How did he even come to that conclusion? It was almost hurtful to think he believed I was capable of something like that.
"You’re really overdoing it... I-I wouldn’t do that."
"I’m 99.9% sure of that too. But still... You’re saying we shouldn’t trust AI. You fear it, like most people. I understand that. But what scares me more is people, and what they’re capable of."
We both fell silent, each lost in our own thoughts. Maybe there was some truth to what he said, especially considering his past. Humans can indeed be cruel, even to each other, let alone other living beings. I even began to wonder if that might have been one of the reasons why the AI decided to rid the planet of us... But even so, I still wasn’t ready to entrust my fate to that technology.
"Evie," Neight carefully interrupted my thoughts, "do you still have some strength left?"
"What for?" I asked warily.
"Could you go to the control room and check the diagnostics results for the other systems? I can’t leave the pod just yet."
What a sly fox! He knows I can’t refuse him while he’s in this condition.
"Yeah, sure. I’ll go check now," I muttered, getting to my feet, even though I desperately wanted to rest a bit longer.
"Thank you for helping me," I suddenly heard when I was already at the door, about to leave the lab. Neight’s voice was soft, and the words of gratitude sounded sincere. It made me feel a little awkward.
"What else could I do?" I mumbled in response and slipped out the door.