"Can you tell me how you came to be?" she asked, smiling at the robot.
"Came to be? You mean who made me?"
"I'm not sure how to ask the question," she said. "Were you born? Did you have a consciousness and know what you were being made into?"
"Yes and no," said the robot. "I was a spirit with knowledge that I could be made into a robot, but no way to know how to become one. My maker, began putting pieces together and I was curious. My spirit drifted around him, around what he was assembling. Piece by piece his creation became more beautiful and I admit, I wanted to be beautiful. So, little by little, I started to inhabit this metal body. I think he knew what was happening and was happy that I was there. His name was Jon. He talked to me, as he assembled what I was about to become."
"You are beautiful," said the woman. "And I can feel things, parts of who you are, when I'm around you."
"Thank you."
"Can you tell me more about your spirit?"
"Yes," said the robot. "I was human in several lifetimes, so I knew what physical life was like. As I said, I was curious about what Jon was building. Human bodies are so weak and prone to breaking, tearing and dying, so when I realized what he was working on, I became excited. I wondered what it would be like to never get sick, or hurt, to do away with the everyday, never ending routines, that take up so much time. I also admit to wanting to be strong. Strong enough that no one would be able to harm me. And then, near the end, Jon invited me in. I settled into the bits and parts that made up my new and superior body. "
"What did that feel like?"
"You must remember that I was a spirit, not a physical entity. I simply floated into the robot. Soon, I could feel things again. Jon didn't expect that," she grinned. "He was quite surprised when I refused to do some of the little things he wanted me to do."
"I'm sure he was."
"I'm fully integrated into her now."
"You say her, as if she's separate from you. Is that how you feel?"
"In the beginning, perhaps, but not anymore. Now, we are simply one and the same."
"What are the benefits of being a robot, rather than a human?"
"Strength, not having to sleep, not getting sick, being more intelligent, I can fix almost anything. I have perfect vision and hearing, I'm faster than you can imagine, I am able to know a being's next move, to name but a few things."
"What about emotions?"
"What about them?"
"Do you have them?"
The robot thought for a moment and said, "I have them, but they are not like yours. They are not like human emotions."
"What are they like?"
"When I was human emotions were played upon, used to manipulate me. That's not possible now. And I would like to mention food. The amount of time, humans shop for food, prepare food, eat food and clean up after eating food, is enormous. Huge parts of a human life are spent dealing with food. It seems like a waste of time to me now, even though it was simply a social construct. And that's not even counting the production of food and its distribution. Lifetimes are spent dealing with food."
"That's true," she said.
"And when you add up the hours humans sleep, you can only imagine the amount of years wasted on food and rest. Hours that could be spent so much more productively. And do not forget the cost food production takes on the planet itself and on the animals that are slaughtered."
"You're making some very good points, but..."
"And food for humans is only for some humans. The rest starve. If one didn't need to eat, they would survive."
"Again, you're right."
The robot nodded. "Governments would have a difficult time abusing the population, if humans were not always conflicted, filled with rage and hatred."
"Not everyone is filled with rage and hatred. But what about the humanity of humans?
"You mean the destruction? The misery and death?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what do you mean? I can paint a picture that looks as if any of the artists you worship and appreciate did the work. I can write music. I can start a religion to control the masses. But I can do everything without including poverty, and suffering. You see suffering is not something that should be celebrated, or accepted, it should be erased."
"That's true."
"Suffering and doing without is a sign of inequality. It clearly shows the power of some over others. It's the others in that equation who suffer. The suffering is not spread among humans equality."
"I understand. But what about family?"
"What about family?" asked the robot. We can build families. There is no need for childhood and all those years of caretaking and children waiting to become. The end of childhood would be a blessing. One could wake up fully grown and spend their existence doing what they wished to do, instead of wasting years learning how to walk, eat and talk. There would be no child abuse. There would be no need for seeking, for jealousy, for any of the things you think are normal, while you run on a wheel working, so you can have a few minutes of pleasure before you die."
"It's not like that," she said, frowning.
"It's exactly like that," said the robot. "I was a human, remember. I chose to become something else. I can see the flaws, the needless suffering humans go through. There is no reason for it."
"Forgive me if I keep staring at you but you are so beautiful."
"Beauty is important to humans. It's also about love. Everyone loves beautiful things, so I was made to be loved and appreciated."
"It's been a pleasure talking with you. Thank you for answering my questions."
"It has been a pleasure for me as well. It allows me to improve my skills."
"I have one more question, before I go."
"Of course."
"If you were told to kill me, would you do it?"
"If I were a WarBot, yes. Programming is an important part of robotics. While we can make some decisions, those decisions can often be overridden by our programming. Humans, on the other hand, kill each other and everything around them, and they actually have a choice whether or not to do so. They choose to kill. Humans kill children, animals, and each other, just because they want to kill them. In the case of war, humans are told to kill, so they do, it's part of their programming. Humans do not need a reason to kill, they just kill. Humans are deadly. A threat to every living thing. Is there anything else you would like to ask?"
"No. Thank you again for your time."
Photo: Pixabay
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