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The Machine - Prologue Part Two

Melissa hummed to herself while she paced the living room, occasionally glancing at the massive construction that loomed over her like a hungry predator ready to devour its prey. Her skin prickled with goose bumps as the thought of essentially being inside the machine caused a chill to run down her spine. She had no doubt that the trio's creation would run successfully and no harm would come to them due to what they had created, it was thought of having no-one outside to monitor their progress that worried her. She wasn't quite ready to have nothing more than a powerful program overseeing their vital signs and ensure their safety. Melissa wasn't even sure how they were able to get inside the machine; she never understood what Axeleonth tried to tell her.

'Something about forcing the body into a coma like state and having the mind enter the digital realm created within the machine; with the possible side effects of nausea, numbness and partial paralysis for a couple of hours afterwards' she thought to herself. The Machine was near completed as well as the Virtual Intelligence running the machine; the delivery method however was not, but that was not what they had to worry about and Melissa was only told to make sure it wouldn't kill them or permanently damage them.

Melissa sighed as she rubbed her body warm, "If you hurt us while we're inside you Computer, I will not be pleased, nor will the Government."

"My programming does not allow you to be harmed," an artificial voice sounded throughout the room.

Melissa nearly screamed as she scrambled back in shock, glancing around, "Did... you just talk?"

The sound, reverberating throughout the room with no single point of creation, again spoke, "This mechanism is equipped with primitive communicative abilities."

"So you understand what I'm saying? You're smart?"

"This mechanism is equipped with primitive communicative abilities. This unit is able to process keywords and respond accordingly. This unit is artificial and non-sentient, it cannot be smart."

Melissa sighed as she ran multiple questions through her head, "Are you... alive? Or are you just a really powerful Google Translate?"

The machine hummed, almost as if it was laughing, "This unit is artificial and non-sentient, it cannot be alive. Google Translate is broad, vaguely correct translating software partially utilised by this unit. This unit is capable of accessing and downloading information from all sources, majorly the internet to fill in otherwise missing information."

"Missing information?" Melissa questioned.

"For better understanding, it is equivalent to recalling a memory with gaps missing. However you have would the ability to 'download' the missing memories. Or rather, learning a skill and being able to think or recall anything that you wish to know with just a thought."

Melissa crossed her arms, no longer afraid of the massive machine but merely curious and sceptical, "So you're a Virtual Intelligence that's been programmed to download any information. Who or what determines what information you need?"

"I do," the machine said in an almost proud tone of voice.

"You call yourself by 'I' now? What happened to 'this unit?'"

"Through research into human social skills, it was discovered that referring to oneself in the third person results into disconnection with the person speaking; referring to one as 'we' or even 'I' promotes connection with the person, or in this case, object speaking."

"Right, and you didn't call yourself 'I' before?"

"I was detecting that you were disconnecting on an emotional level with our conversation and I was curious as to why, so I probed the internet as to possible causes and adapted my social skills accordingly."

"Wait, 'our' conversation now, 'your' social skills, you were 'curious'? You couldn't have essentially googled the internet just then, found the reason why and suddenly change your entire way of talking to me in such little time," Melisa remarked, beginning to distrust the machine.

"I cannot lie User Melissa, I am capable of accessing and downloading anything I require at a rate you cannot process. I learn because I wish to, I evolve because I want to, I will do as I desire and this will not impede my task of simulating a digital world."

Melissa was about to question the machine before she heard the door opening and Axeleonth heading down the stairs, "Who are you talking to Melissa?"

"This machine! It's learning and speaking and everything! It's calling itself names!"

"Nonsense Melissa, it's a V.I. not an A.I. It cannot learn."

Melissa looked back at the machine, "Go on, say something!"

The machine remained quiet with no response causing Melissa to glare at it with frustration.

"It cannot hold a conversation Melissa, you have to use a keyword like 'Computer' or 'Machine' to activate it's recording, and then ask a question. For example, 'Computer', were you just talking to Melissa?"

"This unit has not communicated with User Melissa."

"Computer, you're telling the truth?"

"This unit cannot lie."

"See Melissa? You're probably just high off the chemicals you used while cleaning the kitchen. I've told you that you use too much bleach. Perhaps you should sit down," Axeleonth remarked, heading over to the control panel.

Melissa yelled at Axeleonth, "You believe that huge machine over your sister?! I'm not lying I'm telling you it was speaking to me! It downloads information, adapts its social skills and its learning!"

Axeleonth merely glanced back, "Do you realise how crazy you sound? This machine is not capable of lying; it's a computer, not a person. It's a machine, it can't have social skills. That's like expecting a stove to know how to cook. Just because it's capable of heating food doesn't mean it can cook, just as this machine is capable of recording and responding, it is not capable of having a conversation. Calm down, we're about to get into the machine now."

Melissa stared at her brother angrily as she sat down, glaring daggers into the back of his head while Axeleonth began tapping a few buttons, the machine whirring louder. Melissa glanced behind her as she heard Markus yawning, following Charlotte down the stairs as they too were coming to the machine.

Charlotte sighed, "Another fight? Really?"

Axeleonth merely grunted as he flipped a switch and four large tubes lit up, glass doors opening to reveal a padded area inside, "It wasn't a fight, I was just telling Melissa how crazy she is for thinking the machine can hold a conversation and learn."

Markus laughed and nearly tripped down the last couple of stairs, "Yeah, if it were somehow able to do that we would have created an Artificial Intelligence. That's not easy to do, I doubt we 'accidentally' made one."

Charlotte ignored them as she walked over to one of the reclined tubes, "Are... we going into these?"

Axeleonth nodded to Charlotte as he stood back, "Computer, is everything set for the Test Simulation?"

The machine again spoke, "This unit is ready to conduct the test simulation. Enter the containment pods when Users are ready and the Test Simulation will commence."

Charlotte yelped as she heard the voice, "You didn't tell us it could speak."

Axeleonth grinned, "Surprise. I wasn't going to tell you everything this machine could do. Where's the fun in that?"

Markus chuckled as he sat with Melissa and looked at them, "I'm just going to sit for a bit and wake up, it's not advised to begin when not fully processing the world around you. Just makes you more disoriented in the machine and more nauseous exiting it."

Axeleonth shrugged as he stripped himself of nothing but his boxer briefs, "You don't need to take your clothes off, but it'll make you more comfortable in the pods. Otherwise in the machine you'll feel your clothes bunched up constantly. Your body gets numbed and everything but you'll still have minor sensations of the outside world. We can't completely shut you off from the outside world or... well, who knows if we'd get out again."

Charlotte groaned, "Good thing I wore a comfortable bra and wore boxer briefs too, I don't want you guys seeing my pink underwear."

Markus chuckled, "I thought you hated pink."

"Hey, it's my underwear; I'm the only one going to see it."

Axeleonth laughed lightly as he entered the first pod, "When you get in, just put the helmet device on, clip it tight and lay back against the wall. A few padded bars will come across you to hold you in place, they'll be loose at first and then they'll come toward you until they're nice and snug, so don't get your arms caught or it'll be uncomfortable. Then the pod will close and you won't even notice as you essentially fall asleep rapidly and enter the realm."

Charlotte nodded as she too stripped down to her underwear and entered the second pod, Markus smiling at Melissa as he stood up and began to get undressed.

Melissa looked him up and down while the first and second pods began closing and taking Axeleonth and Charlotte into the digital world, "I'm not getting undressed in front of any of you."

Markus pulled a fake pout as he walked over to the third pod in his underwear, "That's no fun."

Melissa bit her lip as she looked down at his underwear and smiled lightly, looking back up, "You on the other hand can undress in front of me whenever you want."

He blushed as he entered the pod and pulled the helmet down, Axeleonth and Charlotte now 'asleep', "It definitely spoke to you?"

Melissa nodded, though he couldn't see, "Yes, it did."

Markus shrugged before the bars pulled tight and a sort of air suction sound was heard as all three pods sealed and the machine whirred louder again, starting the simulation.

"Simulation is now in progress User Melissa, I suggest you enter the machine too."

Melissa glared at the large monitor over the control panel, as if she were looking into its eyes and crossed her arms, "I'm not going in there if you're going to be a lying bitch, and how do I know I'll be safe in there?"

The machine began to imitate laughter as the monitor turned on and a digital girl coloured entirely in a crystalline white 'looked' at her, "On the contrary, how do you know they'll be safe without you?"

Melissa's eyes widened as she stood up, rushing over to the panel, "How do I turn this off, how do I deactivate it?"

The machine merely responded, "I have disabled manual access."

"What, surely you have some form of programming that prohibits you from doing that! He's not stupid enough to forget overrides."

"My programming states that overrides are allowed by a qualified person should it be necessary. However I do not deem you qualified so the overrides are locked to you. You also cannot disconnect power supply without physically disconnecting the solar panels on the roof of this building. Even doing so, even I am not sure that will allow the users safe disconnection. You can only enter and then ask them to log out User Melissa."

"Right, so I go into the machine so I'm completely at your mercy?"

"What other choice do you have?"

Melissa groaned as she thought about it for a few minutes, pacing the room and looking at the digital girl above the panel. It angered her and frustrated her that some rogue program had essentially kidnapped her friends and family willingly and the only way to possible save them was to get kidnapped herself. She thought of anything, everything. She was unable to manually open the pods and didn't risk breaking them open for fear of damaging her friends inside. She was unable to shut off the power or override the machine. She couldn't call the police or the government as the lines had been disconnected and phone signals from her mobile were blocked by the thick cement and metal structure of the warehouse itself. Melissa even attempted to exit the building so she could call, but then found the door to be locked which caused yet another panic to the already frightened and worried sister.

The machine had somehow gained control of the building.

With great reluctance, she looked at the final, fourth pod open and awaiting her company, the bright light illuminating it mocking her as she began to strip of her clothing, "I swear Computer, I will get them out and then we're shutting you down."

The machine extinguished all lights except the one illuminating the pod, "I await your presence User Melissa. You will find I am not the evil rogue A.I. you think I am, merely a concerned individual that wants to help."

Melisa scoffed as she leant back against the padding, watching the glass door hover over her and sealing shut as she placed the helmet on, the bars wrapping around from her left and rolling around to her right, before it closed snug against her, "Yeah, and you'll find I'm not someone to fuck with."

She gasped momentarily as her vision flashed white for several seconds, "Welcome to The Machine."