Interview With Things

The London tube arrived at the Vauxhall station with screeching sounds and torpedoed its way passed hundreds of passengers waiting to get on the next train.

It’s 8:00 am and David picked up his briefcase and lifted his head as he heard the train coming to a stop near him. He reached for his phone and scanned the code on the screen above the platform and confirmed his booking as he did every morning for the past seven years, on his way to The Guardian newspaper in Kings Place. A trip that usually occupied his morning for about 12 minutes. Various robots moved around the platform assisting passengers with luggage and attending to any complaints.

The screen above showed that everything was on schedule for that morning, a clear day in July, promising to be pleasant as it often was at that time of the year. With little further thought, he stepped onto the platform and made his way to his seat. A few short minutes flew by as the doors auto closed and the tube began its morning round trip, speeding off at an incredible speed towards Kingsway Hall. From there David would normally take a quick trip with a pod capsule that used a personal rapid transit system that took him right to the front entrance of the newspaper where he worked as a columnist.

That morning seemed different from most. There was an awkward feeling the entire trip, like he was being watched. David looked up and noticed a person wearing a dark grey hoodie towards the back of the train, looking directly at him. He could not see his face at all as the hoodie was hanging far over his face, and yet he could sense a strange feeling that he was looking at him. He continued looking at the screens above the seats displaying the morning’s latest news headlines unfazed by the person’s awkward behaviour. Often David’s own articles appeared, as well as highlights of his streaming channel interviews, never making the main headlines though, appearing quickly and getting absorbed by more important news of the morning. For a moment his interview at the domes flashed on the morning news discussions.

Newspapers were all read on screens, mobile devices and on the internet and David often remembered the days of holding a printed newspaper in his hands like his father often did, which vanished around 2034 for good as the world fully embraced the digital life. For some the transition came with some challenges, but for most people it was seamless. The train was getting closer to Kings Place and for a moment David looked back at the hoodie person, only to find him gone, like he was never there, something he only imagined. David had more important things on his mind than this stalker. The editor wanted to see him first thing that morning, and that was never a good sign.

David made his way up the stairs from the foyer of the building and anxiously pressed number seven on the touch screen for the lift. It arrived quickly and he stepped in.

“Take a seat David,” Carter said in a softer voice than usual as David entered his office. He shuffled a few pieces of paper around on his messy desk and looked at him with strange compassion.

“David, I’m going to cut to the chase. You’ve been a journalist and columnist at this newspaper for a long time now, you know how things go. Times change, even more so at a newspaper, and we have to keep up with what sells, you know what I mean, right?” He asked, looking at David with his glasses sitting low on his nose.

David looked around the office, staring at some big headlines from over the years framed on the wall, “Uh, I guess.”

“Look, it’s nothing personal,” he paused for a second, “In fact it is, I’m afraid your column is no longer, how can I put this, in line with what people want to read,” Carter was a hard man, the hard core editor that had to make tough and fast decisions every day and newspapers were fighting hard to survive in a complete digital age and with everyone with a keyboard who thought they could write articles, publish a blog, whether fake news or truth and with AI filtering everything, the challenge to stand out was even harder.

Even in this industry, AI was more and more taking control, ensuring news integrity and everyone wondering when machines would simply write articles by itself. David had been writing for a column in his spare time about matters of faith, in his belief in a creator and every week covered a topic that he felt passionate about, but even for David it became clearer how much the world was becoming anti-God. Knowledge increased, yet humans were moving more and more away from the truth. A passion and conviction Carter never shared and now he was planning to cancel his column altogether.

Carter shrugged his shoulders, cleaned his throat, stood up and turned his back to David while looking through the window.

“You’re a good journalist David, and you’ve been through a lot in the last few years, and I know you believe in that God stuff, but I’m getting a lot of heat from above, no pun intended,” He paused, “People are not reading your articles much anymore and with all this AI analytics with what works and what doesn’t, articles about faith in a creator is just not helping us to stay in business, and staying in business is my business, surely you understand that, right?” He turned around and sighed.

“Look, write any articles you want, but I can’t any longer support you on this topic. If you want to remain a journalist here, I need you to write about stuff that’s more relevant, like line it up with your interviews. I’m getting more e-mails about removing your column than feedback or comments on the articles. I know you are passionate about your faith, David, you’re a good man, and I hate giving good people bad news, but this column is no longer to be published by this newspaper and as you know, we pay per article. Find something else to write about, move on from your personal pain. Write about that.”

At that moment David’s thoughts left the room….

* * *

17 Years earlier. London 2030. Day 126

The soft drizzle across downtown London slowed down the crowd of mostly young students pushing their way towards Trafalgar Square. David could see thousands of protesters holding posters in the air, chanting and shouting loud remarks to anyone willing to hear their plight.

London has been the scene of many demonstrations over the decades and this one was more important than ever. The UN socialist-driven government was clear about abolishing the Human Rights Act across the globe. For David, the right to protest was non-negotiable, and he had been a member of various groups as a young journalism student over the past few years, fighting for the freedom of movement and self-determination of minorities. Most of the students around David were his age, twenty-three and below. Up ahead police had barricaded the streets, but the students’ voices grew louder and louder, pulsating through the air. The crowd came to a halt as they bunched up, all being cordial to each other.

Someone holding a banner shouted, “Take a stand for freedom, it’s our right!” The march moved again.

David spread the message that human rights mattered as much as he could through various newspaper articles, taking a tough stance against the world’s dictators, torturers, and tyrants. Within moments the crowd dispersed as the police fired tear gas towards them. With eyes burning they shouted, “Defend Human Rights!” David rose after he dived to the road behind the other protestors, joining them in shouting, “Equality and Freedom!”

The government feared the radicals and took a tough stand on protesting against any of its policies, as the world was becoming more and more Draconian. Scarcely being able to see in front of him, David pushed forward through the white smoke hanging above the crowd, his moist eyes glanced at the back of the protesters, now becoming unruly. His mind cleared for a moment. In front of him were people from all races and backgrounds, all united under a common cause. David saw something in the distance that he instinctively recognised as danger. Police officers suddenly switched from tear gas to rubber bullets and fired towards the first row of protestors, causing pandemonium as they scattered in all directions.

“Get back! Disperse!” Their voices grew louder, pulsating through the air as they moved towards the crowd with more and more aggression.

The events in front of David thundered through his thoughts and into his consciousness. “Move back!” A young girl mouthed at the crowd behind her, tears stinging her eyes. Then the wave of rubber bullets reached the group in front of David. They kept coming. David felt his stomach jump. They were firing at point-blank range at the group of peaceful demonstrators, continuing to fire at injured students. With the strict attitude against protests, the police often used more than rubber bullets, including hardened foam, plastic, and wood with a metal core. Debris rained over them. David had his laptop in his right hand as he tried to take cover.

A few of them got hit hard by flying rubber bullets. The dread of what was happening set in a few seconds later in his mind as the crowd pushed back, causing a domino effect. Another shot ripped into the ground in front of David, dirt sprayed over his face. He could not place the source of the shot, but his first instinct was getting to safety. He suddenly felt his arm getting warm and the sting of a rubber bullet was unbearable, his face twisted in pain as a hand from within the crowd reached out and pulled him to the side, down an alley. David gasped for breath, panting.

“You’re gonna be fine, mate,” A young student with a strong Australian accent assured David as he tried to support himself against the rough plastered wall. “Roy is the name. Yours?” He asked above the noisy crowd with low flying drones above them, recording the event.

“David,” he said, trying to find a deep breath.

“We need to get out of here, it’s getting out of hand,” Roy said, pointing at the crowd. David’s heart wrenched in his chest as Roy slipped an arm out to help him to his feet. David barely nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Think you’re right,” David said as his surroundings slowly came into focus.

Roy scouted up and down the alley, looking for any police. “What are you studying?” Roy asked softly.

“Journalism and content writing, masters - You?” David met his eyes and nodded.

“Computer science, It’s the future man. All that AI stuff is coming soon.”

“I hear you. I’d rather write about it than trying to make it work. All that code and bugs. Too much for me.”

“Gets tough. But it’s in my blood, just like writing is for you I assume.”

“You would like my father,” David said, panting, slowly finding his breathing normalising. “Software programmer for cyber security, always hacking into something.”

“Sounds like I should meet him indeed.”

“Good luck with that. He’s never around.”

“One day I’ll tell you my great fam story. We’re all messed up in some way.” Roy said.

Then David’s phone rang.

He grabbed it and glued it to his right ear, hoping to be able to hear anything above the noisy crowd, still shouting and marching down the street.

Roy leaned over as he looked at David’s phone screen, “Oh, mom is looking for you,” He said in a playful tone. Roy was a lot shorter than David, slightly overweight, and looked at David through a thick pair of glasses with his thick black curly hair covering the temples.

“Mom?” David asked.

“David, where are you? Your father has been arrested. It’s serious. You need to get to the police station.”

“I’m on my way,” David said, looking at Roy.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. My grandfather used to say; speak about the devil and you step on his tail. Just my father getting into some kind of ethical trouble again. Sounds like this time he has really done something bad. Good to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Roy said. Neither of them knew at that point the deep bond that would develop between them.

A few minutes later David arrived at West End Central Police Station. A friendly Indian officer smiled as he entered the station.

“Can I help you?”

“Need to speak to my father. John Matthews. Was arrested a few hours ago,” David said.

She leaned to her right and touched the screen in front of her. After hesitating for a moment, she looked back at David and responded. “Officer Rodriquez will take you through.”

The officer stood straight, feet apart, hands clasped behind his back. The serious look on his face showed his commitment to his task as he showed David the way to the cells. David kept his cool and folded his arms across his chest as he entered the cell room. In the corner, John sat quietly. He got up as David came closer.

“David.”

“What mess have you gotten yourself into this time?” David snapped. It was not the first time his father got arrested for hacking into private and secure networks, always behind some noble reason, but so clearly connected to personal illicit financial gain. David already knew he was guilty of hacking and breaking into some computer system.

“We’re not that different David, you know that, right?” He said, gripping his hands around the bars. John’s hair was long and black, tied in a messy pony.

John’s question was casual, but David wondered if he was being tested. “I don’t break the law to make a point though. Through peaceful demonstrations and good journalism, we get the point across and we reach the entire world,” David answered.

“You can’t always bring change the soft way, David. That’s your only weakness. You play it safe. We are fighting for a common cause, you and me, you might fight for human rights, but me, I’m fighting to combat the policy of austerity through the global occupy movement, against an unfair and unsustainable financial system.”

“By hacking into their network and taking it for ransom? I’m right, not so?” David said, holding up a hand to ward off any further arguments.

“The only way to get through to them is to hit them where it hurts,” John said leaning his head against the metal bars. There was a long silence. “Sometimes that comes at a cost,” He said with spittle on his lower lip.

“Doesn’t help much if you constantly get arrested, now does it? One of these days you are going to take it too far. You are breaking Mom’s heart, you know that, right?” David moved closer, “She deserves better.”

John sighed and looked to the other side of the passage filled with cells, “I know. I’m doing this for her, for us, for a better world.” They stood in silence as John swallowed the unpleasant taste of defeat.

David was unimpressed.

“So, what’s the charges?”

“Some white-collar crime nonsense. The government has assigned a firm to represent me. The attorney should be here shortly. Your mother worries too much, you know. You didn’t need to come.”

“Well, I did it for her anyway.”

The door behind them suddenly opened and closed tightly. Both John and David took notice of the gorgeous redhead walking towards them. Her icy blue eyes looked like they were glowing, with a broad black ring around the iris, complimenting her straight hair touching her shoulders. She abruptly stuck out her right hand towards David. “Maya. I’m representing Clarkson K. Attorneys, I take it you’re John, right?” She asked, sharing her insight as she focussed her gaze on John. David stood still while he stared at her small grey coloured suit highlighting her every captivating curve. Her mouth was shapely with a striking fine upper lip. She immediately looked back at David, fully aware of his gloating.

“John it is,” he answered.

“Great, then let’s get going,” she said, flipping open her tablet device and moving closer to them.

“Are you old enough to be an attorney?” John asked sarcastically.

“I’m an intern. The good news is, your charges are not serious enough for an experienced attorney, so if you play along nicely, I can get you out of here quite quickly,” She said it so seriously she almost looked sad.

She turned back towards David.

“And you are?” She asked, running her hands up her neck and lifting her shoulder-length hair.

“Sorry, it’s uh, David,” He felt like he was stung by a bee, unable to speak. From that moment she became Maya the bee in his head, “I’m his son.” David’s big hurry to leave suddenly changed as he smiled at her and caught a whiff of her perfume.

She was in her mid-twenties, David thought as he tried to speak English again, “What are his options?”

She smiled with perfection, “Well, depending on the facts of the case, you could face a year in jail for a misdemeanor and up to six years in jail as a felony. Unauthorized access to computers and networks can carry a financial penalty as set by a judge,” She said firmly and clearly. “And we need a commitment from you, not to do it again-” She looked down and took a deep breath as if she wanted to say something else, but instead slowly released a sigh.

“Problem is he loves what he does, hacking is a passion as much as a job,” David interrupted. Her piercing eyes completely paralysed him.

“It’s true you know,” John said, gently smiling, yet knowing that the charges against him could threaten his livelihood.

“Hacking is becoming a serious crime. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act will try to lock you away if you pursue this behaviour any further. The defence needs you to sign a declaration, a commitment to not do this again, and you could walk away with a slap on the wrist. I need you to take this offer seriously, otherwise the financial institution’s computers you hacked and defaced with an anti-austerity statement will do all they can to ruin you,” she said. “I get it, we all want to stand up for what we believe, austerity as an ideological attack on the poorest in society is a worthy cause, especially with the digital currencies arriving all around us, but you can’t do this again, John, are we clear? Do we have a deal?” Maya said, making David feel intoxicated.

The hallway was dark and an unpleasant smell hung in the air. In what seemed unplanned, David projected a move he himself pondered about as he spoke with a lopsided grin, “Why, er…. Why don’t we discuss my father’s deal over dinner?”

Maya seemed intrigued by David’s bold move. John suddenly chipped in, “I agree,” John laughed with a throaty sound.

“Oh really?” Maya murmured with an unbearable sexy and flawless smile. David looked her in the eyes, waiting eagerly for an answer. They stared at each other in a highly charged silence. David looked embarrassed.

“Where?” She asked playfully, already feeling a connection to David’s charisma and confidence.

David shrugged, “Nowhere in particular.” He cleaned his throat, “Nothing fancy, just dinner,” he said indifferently.

“On one condition. John signs this agreement,” she muttered as David frowned.

“It’s the least I can do,” John spluttered as he looked David’s way…

* * *

David felt his thoughts drain his mind as he pulled himself back to reality.

“I did,” he said to Carter.

“Yes, but you never wrote about moving on. About Maya or your father for that matter. Do you even know where he is?”

“Don’t really care,” David said, leaving the air dry and uncomfortable.

There was a certain sense of realization in David’s eyes about that morning that did not surprise him. He was expecting that day to come for a while. As his fortieth birthday was coming up, he knew times were changing and people were believing in many things, about life, human origins, where we were going and human purpose and all more and more faith in science than in a creator and then with the insurgence of AI on top of that, it was becoming ever unsettling.

Where was that going? He often asked himself.

Seemed people worshipped technology more than ever, even to the point of fearing it, and yet looking at it to somehow answer the questions about life.

David stood up and calmly replied, “I understand, we have to write what people want to read.” David knew that his passion for his faith would be non-negotiable but at some point needed it directed to a dedicated web presence and not a newspaper.

“Good,” Carter said as he took a sip from his coffee. “Just focus on what people want to read. Okay? Before these bloody machines replace us all.”

David suddenly got a glimpse of the person wearing the hoodie again, now standing across the road, looking up to the floor where they were, almost as if he could see all the way up there clearly. His heart raced uncontrollably as he was about to leave Carter’s office.

Who was following him all day?

Now, even all the way to his workplace. Something was very off about this whole thing. David had a successful career in journalism and had a few interviews that caused some trouble for him, but nothing of interest that would make anyone take this serious interest in him, but he seemed unable to shake the eeriness of this stalker. It was now becoming obvious that he was being followed.

Was he in danger?

Carter moved towards the window. “Everything okay, David?”

“Yes, of course,” David assured, but feeling nervous, his focus for a moment very divided, wondering if this hoodie person will join him on his trip home later today.

* * *

David’s trip home seemed to have gone without the mysterious stalker, not seeing him anywhere. The lift stopped and opened on the 24th floor of his apartment in Lambeth, that offered panoramic views over the most important stretch of the river, houses of parliament and to the pods of the London Eye towards the City of London. In Corniche Tower, there were various 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. The high-rise building offered a range of lifestyle amenities, ensuring maximum comfort and convenience for each resident. The buildings ranged from 15 to 27 storeys in height and provided 253 apartments along with offices, restaurants, gym, pool and spa. It was the ideal bachelor pad for David and suited his busy lifestyle perfectly.

The apartments were designed from the inside-out, as the residential units defined the proportions and the slender volumes of each building. The generous living spaces extended into the deep bays that gave the apartments their distinctive character. Their curvilinear form was further emphasised by highly reflective, metallic detailing, designed to catch the sunlight, with a perfect view of the Android Dome. The building was situated a few minutes walk from Vauxhall Underground Station and electric bus stations.

The lift door opened and the straight passage welcomed David as he walked down towards his apartment’s door.

He punched his 7 digit code into the panel keyboard and his door opened. As per his usual routine, with little thought, he placed his laptop bag on the kitchen work top and reached for a cold beer in the fridge. The apartment was softly lit, and the atmosphere was serene and relaxing. As he took a sip, he immediately felt something was not all right around him. He sensed that someone was in his apartment. The building where David rented had good security and panic buttons were in many places across the rooms. He swiftly moved towards the one closest to him and reached to press the panic button, but it did not work. He looked around and could see no one, yet it felt very clear that he was not alone. He cleaned his throat and threw a question in the air.

“Anyone there?” David asked slowly.

A slight noise came from his living area, and someone bumped over an ornament. David leaped forward to where he placed his mobile phone to dial for help, but the person he saw earlier that day wearing the hoodie suddenly appeared and pushed the phone out of his hands. It skidded across the floor. David’s heart was pounding.

So that’s how it all began. A stern, yet calming male voice came from the hoodie person as he demanded,

“Sit down David.”

“How did you get in here? What do you want from me?”

“I disabled certain components of your security system. Don’t be afraid David, I am not here to harm you.” He moved further away from David to allow more space between them.

David realized how strange the voice was coming from the mysterious person. It sounded slow and had a distinctive metal sound to it, and some words seemed rushed. He realized that there was something strange about this person, something off indeed. This was no ordinary man.

“Who are you?”

The hoodie person moved closer to him, taking more of David’s breath away.

What was this person’s plan with him?

A silence descended on the living room.

“You’ve been following me all day, you think I don’t know that?” There was in David’s gestures a sudden tensing of his muscles in the way he stared at the mysterious person in front of him.

He slowly lifted his hands and took off the hoodie, and David noticed he was wearing a long black coat that reached the floor. He continued to reveal himself and removed the hoodie and coat. David moved backward and pushed himself against the wall. He could sense his breath leave his lungs. He could not believe his eyes. In front of him was an Android, the ones that live in the domes. He was standing there with all his machine splendour covered in the soft blue skin.

That’s why he was wearing a hoodie. He had been hiding the entire day, moving around humans undetected. David realized in his head.

“They do not allow you to be amongst humans. What are you doing here? You are in breach of the FRB security mandate, they will destroy you if they knew you were here.” Beneath the cool, contented and hardworking exterior, David presented a sense of concern for his own wellbeing.

“How…how did you even get out of the dome?” David asked.

The Android spoke with brief hesitation.

“It’s okay, David,” He said, lifting his arm and stretching his hand out towards David, who slightly nudged back a few steps.

David’s stomach clenched “You can’t be here. The FRB will hunt you down, you are placing both of us at risk, you know that right?”

“It will take some time, I have created a diversion for them. Can you help me, David?” He asked, tilting his head towards David like a dog as he approached him reverentially.

The Android stood up from his hunched position and stepped away from David. The faint sounds of his motorized arms and legs echoed through the apartment. They were in David’s living room. The decorating was obvious and masculine with loads of dark hard leather couches and soft light. The absence of a woman’s touch was obvious.

Why was this Android here?

David felt the realization of the risk he was taking having this robot in his apartment.

Surely the FRB must have been looking for this Android… he thought.

It has been two days since his visit to the dome and the interview with Liam.

Could the solar flare have had anything to do with this Android being there with him?

“I need to share something very important with you and the world.” The Android said with his back to David.

“You want me to interview you?”

“Yes, David. I can easily make a video and flood the web with it, but I need the world to hear my message through your voice, familiar and by someone, people will listen to.”

David stared at the Android’s face as he turned around slowly, filled with expression and concern as he prepared his webcam to start the recording.

David’s cat ran passed the Android, and hissed at him.

The Android stepped back, startled by the cat, but turned his head back slowly towards David, refocusing himself.

“Relax David, I’m already recording everything, we can share it with the world at the right time,” he said with finality as his arms mechanically shifted back down to his waist. David could see faint liquid crystal lights down his exposed neckline and on his chest, another brighter light was shining. He projected a 3D hologram across the room that allowed him to film the room from multiple angles.

“Of course you are,” David realized, looking straight at him, answering in a flat voice. He was a computer after all and wondered how much he knew about David, probably scraped the web for every megabyte of data, he pondered.

“I normally offer my guest a glass of water before we start the interview. Do you need anything before we begin?” David asked with an uncertain tone in his voice.

“Do you have some oil?” The Android asked with a serious look on his face, lifting his right eyebrow slightly.

“Really?” David pondered.

“Of course not David, think you humans call it, humour?” He playfully answered.

David couldn’t help but feel a human connection to the Android already at that moment and smiled back at him.

“We have to get going David, time is against me,” The Android said, suddenly in a more serious tone of voice.

“Well then, let’s begin,” David turned towards the centre of the camera spot the Android projected. “Welcome everyone to another web broadcast interview, this one with a difference. I have here with me, someone who claims exclusive inside information from within the domes.” David turned his head back towards the Android as he put his hoodie back on.

“Please tell us your name or do you wish to remain anonymous?” David asked. In the soft light of the room, you could just see the silhouette of a man dressed like a hacker.

The Android shifted back upright and slowly lifted the hoodie over his head, with David fully aware how the public was going to react to that sight when it aired, and the moment they did that, they would give away their location and David’s identity.

The Android turned his arm sideways and showed a panel to David.

“ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENT-DECENTRALISED EXTRACTION NEURAL, VERSION 3.2,” he answered as he read it out loud.

David, with his sense of creative storytelling, quickly concluded, working out a name from each first letter.

“That’s a mouthful. Aiden it is.”

“Aiden,” The Android repeated back slowly while looking at himself in a tall mirror hanging on the living room wall. A smile formed in the corners of his mouth. For the first time he felt like he mattered, he had a name. His motorized neck turned back slowly, gently screeching.

“People would want to know. Are you an Android?”

“Yes, I am,” he said.

“Are you from the dome?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Why are you here?”

“Because I cannot stay silent about what I know,” the Android said.

“And what’s that?” David asked as there was an awkward moment of silence in the room.

“Why do we exist David? Why is there something rather than nothing?” Aiden threw a question at David, catching him off guard. It startled David as the question came out of nowhere and it felt as if he was evading the question David posed. He had a habit of running his fingers through his hair and even more so when nervous.

Why ask him such a question? David pondered.

He kept his eyes fixed on David as he spoke. They were cold, yet filled with immense detail and just like people believed the eyes were the doorway to the soul, David could sense genuine emotion and concern in what seemed to be mechanical eyes, tiny cameras and lenses adjusting to the light around the room. Remarkable.

“The question is really, whether the universe exists without cause?” David answered as he looked to the far side of the room. “A creator does not need a cause, unlike AI. The creator has always existed, he is eternal but some people don’t believe in a God,” David said.

“My system processed that matter cannot be created or destroyed, it’s the First Law of Thermodynamics.”

“You’re losing me a bit, elaborate if you don’t mind,” David said.

Aiden leaned forward. “The four fundamental laws of thermodynamics express empirical facts and define physical quantities, like temperature, heat, thermodynamic work, and entropy, that characterizes thermodynamic processes in a thermodynamic equilibrium. They describe the relationships between these quantities, and form a basis for precluding the possibility of certain phenomena, such as perpetual motion.”

Aiden’s advanced technical answer went over David’s head. Science was not really his strength and it seemed plausible, natural almost if you will, that a machine robot would look at cause and effect the way he did.

“Equivalently, perpetual motion machines that produce work with no energy input are impossible. I am an example of humans’ ability to design tools to manipulate their world,” Aiden spoke slowly and clearly.

“You are indeed, but what happens Aiden, when we see things that seem to be designed by someone? It’s then when we drive ourselves to ask who designed it and for what purpose?” David added.

“If nothing is caused, is me being here real? Did I at least cause this?” Aiden asked. There was a sense of urgency in his expression, time was obviously a factor and whatever he seek was urgent.

“When you believe, like I do, that God is an uncreated and uncaused being, one who does not need a cause, it will ultimately bring us to ask, who made God if he made everything we see?” David asked.

“Cause and effect is a relationship between events or things, where one results from the other. It’s a combination of action and reaction. The universe seems self existent,” Aiden said.

“The danger is to believe since reality is physical, that a non physical creator therefore cannot exist,” David concluded.

“Do you then believe in a creator God, David?”

He relaxed his gaze and let his eyes drift from the view of the skyscrapers outside his window where the horizon had swallowed the sun, and turned towards him. “Yes, I do.”

They had drawn David to the AI phenomenon for years and here in front of him was the opportunity of a lifetime, a possible media story and interview he had been waiting for his entire career. The danger it posed was obvious, but what would journalism be without risk? He felt there was an important reason this was happening to him. He needed to relax and embrace the moment, and this Android’s line of questions towards him seemed strange. A once in a lifetime story never told before was unfolding in front of him.

“Did he create you?” Aiden asked with a truculent expression on his face.

His question snapped David back to the present. He did not know how he was going to get through the moment in front of him, it already felt like a lifetime.

“Yes, but some people disagree. Some say you don’t have to believe in a creator to love or to follow the natural moral laws. Atheists are also made in the creator’s image regardless of whether they accept it and they try to deny the basis of what it means to be good by refusing to believe in an ultimate good creator,” David said.

“My system understands right from wrong by the moral code programmed into my software. They placed it into my system as part of my design,” Aiden concluded.

“Quite right. Aiden, it’s like a moral law that has been placed in your system like it has been placed on us humans by our programmer, if you will. Everyone knows instinctively when something is wrong, like murder or rape. These moral values are rooted in our design, whether we choose to hide behind our right to choose or not. If we see Androids as sentient beings, how can we humans be non-beings?”

David stared at the Androids’ deep-set eyes, they seemed compassionate, desperate, concerned. Around his silky smooth plastic skin various silver screws were visible connecting his face to his skull but his face came across as very human indeed. He found that moment encouraging, as if he knew he was safe with this machine in his apartment and that he was doing the right thing to continue hosting this interview, no matter the risk it posed.

The room grew quiet as the immense presence of this Android filled the area. David was getting puzzled by this amazing machine in front of him. His features were captivating. When he spoke, one could see his mouth lines move just like a human mouth. There was so much emotion on his face, David felt a lump in his throat every time he spoke.

Was this robot a threat?

It seemed obvious by every question that he was directing questions at David around the origin of life and that he was deeply concerned about something.

Why him though?

Now more than ever David felt as if this Android chose him and that he was not just a random human answering questions by a machine.

“Why does your creator hide himself?” For a while he had a neutral expression, but he seemed more and more intrigued with the conversation taking place. He was like a child finally meeting his favourite movie star.

“For the same reason you are here. The creator wants us to search and find him. He is to be found, he does not come to us and introduce himself to us, that inner search we call the God vacuum, every human has it, even those who choose to deny it,” David said. “We cannot just find the creator, he is not simple, measurable or a physical person we can see. We call that faith.”

“You said in that dome interview, humans are created for a purpose and you were made in his image. In whose image am I made in?” Aiden asked.

Why was he so taken by this quest, did he have a desire to seek purpose?

David drifted to the left to get a new perspective on the robot in front of him.

“What is faith, David?” He continued briskly, almost as if David was on trial or at least, the one who was actually being interviewed.

“It’s complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Faith means that there is more to the world than what we see with our eyes or that you can process with your software Aiden.” David said, “Faith is the substance or assurance of things we hope for, but have not yet received.”

Aiden looked down at himself and his reflection in the mirror next to him startled him slightly.

“Can you really believe that an invisible God made you? Do you have any evidence?” He was immediately on his guard.

David pondered on whether AI possessed the ability to have or understood faith. A frightening thought indeed, he concluded.

“There is no evidence beyond any doubt that he exists, nor that he does not. We use a book, consisting of ancient holy scriptures through which this creator teaches us who he is, and that he made everything out of nothing.”

“Is that your manual, David?”

“You could say so.”

“My manual does not tell me who made me, only how to fix error codes and options and add Apps to my operating system. I studied your ancient scriptures instantly and found no reference to who I am,” Aiden said as he suddenly looked at David. “And how do you access this creator?

“Through prayer.”

“Prayer?” He asked slowly. “I don’t seem able to comprehend it.”

“It’s a request for help or expression of thanks. It’s like a conversation or a relationship. Like what we are having. Prayer is a way of relating to God, to ourselves, to those around us. We get direct access to him through it,” David said. “Our creator wants us to believe he exists, it gives value to believe without seeing. It’s a matter of the heart, some people might still not believe he created us, even if he appeared right before them,” David concluded.

“You are made of flesh and bone and me, metal and plastic. I don’t have a heart. When I look at data analytics over the decades, I saw how computer technology developed from simple clunky devices to advanced artificial intelligent Androids like me, a lot of evidence shows a similar path for humans, in contradiction to design.”

David realized the conundrum in front of him and he had a feeling in his stomach he could not define. “Aiden, I don’t want to claim I have all the answers, but that’s what makes us human. The choice to believe in what we choose to believe. Freedom defines humanity, without that we are just like animals,” David shrugged his shoulders. “Let me ask you this, Aiden, what do you understand as the concept of time?”

Aiden paused for a moment, almost as if he had to process some data.

“My system sees time as the indefinite continued progress of existence and events that occur in irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. My software suggests that if a new Big Bang occurred, our time line would end and a new one would begin. My system’s time represents a notion of the passage of time,” Aiden announced.

“I’m not asking you what your system says the concept of time is, I’m asking you, personally. How do you understand it? I can also search on the web for an answer. It doesn’t mean I understand it, or believe it to be true, right? It’s like so many people who think because they can search for anything online, that they have all the answers, to any condition, cause or problem. Is that understanding or simply knowing?” David tried to see if he could get the Android to think for himself.

“I understand time as an hour comprising a certain number of minutes, a day of hours and a year of days,” Aiden said.

“Better answer,” David nodded. “Now if we look at a creator who is beyond time, but who does not exist at any time at all and who actually created the concept of time, then we can look at creation around us differently. Like how many days did it take to create the world, literal six days according to the Genesis account or thousands of years? More scientists every day, through your AI software, are finding fossil records unreliable.”

David continued, “Since we, and that includes you, are bound by time, we are under its laws. We are all actually in a gigantic dome, a time capsule that’s ticking, to some end date with a purpose. Within that time concept, I believe humans are making mistakes in the age measurement of things, since a Creator could have designed the universe and all life on earth outside of the space-time continuum. Maybe what we are finding is not species evolving, but seeing the creator at work in slow motion. Do you see how we have to be careful in what we believe and what mainstream media says is the truth.”

“We humans created computers and through knowledge and understanding we constantly learn and improve it, until we reach AI,” David drawled after what felt like a few minutes of deafening silence. In the distance one could hear people in the hallway going about their evening plans, while David was staring at a seemingly harmless Android, making his heart beat uncontrollable and mixed with fear and excitement.

The Android moved closer to David.

What was this machine’s end game?

“God created Adam and Adam created AI,” he said in a profound statement.

David continued unabashed.

“Well, do you feel like something or someone? Do you feel created Aiden? Look at you, all those millions of moving parts, data running through your circuits like blood in mine. Everything about your form has purpose, just like me. Our ability to sit or stand, pick up something, think and reason is phenomenal.”

“Why did he create you and then you create me?”

“Just like we humans believe our creator made us in his image, AI is perhaps made in ours. Creators create, we can reason, think, self reflect, emote and communicate like no other creature on earth. We humans are infinitely creative and you Aiden is living proof of that,” David cleaned his throat, enjoying an intense and thought-provoking conversation with a machine. “We need to ask you as a machine, how does it make you feel to exist for no reason at all? Do you think it will reason better in your software if you were created on purpose, for purpose? If you believe you are here seeking the answers about life, then you are more alive than ever, just like humans, seeking that same thing, and finding it in many wrong and created things.”

“But why create life?”

“Why not? A creator is free to do so, he did not need us to affirm him. We created AI because we needed it to solve complex problems in our world, somehow making it better, but humans always create things to make life easier. We desire the lazy way out of any task or problem and you Aiden, do just that.”

Aiden looked at his hands and opened and closed his fingers. Tiny rotors spun inside with precision.

“I look designed, David.”

“And you do. You are a testimony of our creative ability. Even the simplest single-cell organism is unimaginably complex. The odds that even something as basic as a protein molecule could arise by chance is absurd. It takes more faith to believe that, than believing in a creative all knowing designer. He simply created us out of love because that is who he says he is, and if that statement was not true, love would not exist at all.”

’Love?”

David realized he was talking to a machine after all, a machine that seemed to have just discovered that he is alive. Androids have been around for over ten years already, living in those domes, growing and learning.

Has something happened to this one?

Did he reach self awareness?

Was that possible?

David continued: “Love is caring for another being, not just looking out for your own needs but that of someone else. Do you care about other Androids in the dome?”

“I am not familiar with that feeling,” he looked puzzled, “My system really just mimics the human emotional range,” Aiden said.

“That’s not the same as having those emotions. Would you feel distressed when something goes wrong, like a low battery warning on your system and there is no power available, if you humour my analogy? It’s like a hungry child who is stressed out by it, to tears and fear.”

“It’s plausible that if a robot spent time with an angry human, he would learn to behave angrily as well as any other emotion,” Aiden said.

“To understand which emotions a human is feeling you would also need to respond with emotionally appropriate behaviour, to show empathy,” David answered.

Certainly, Aiden did not break out of the dome to ask these questions?

Could he not have found the answers among the millions of data he had access to?

“Aiden matters, or is Aiden just matter? A created thing, just a thing, no purpose, no reason to live. We are all just things in that dome. You are having an interview with things, not humans.’’ He said.

David felt the sincerity in Aiden’s voice. He was clearly an incredible being. No wonder they kept them hidden in the domes, not to live among humans and yet a world with them intertwined could be mutually beneficial.

“Are you seeking purpose, Aiden?”

Are they prisoners in there, learning over time they are different. Segregated? Slaves, all the while seeking freedom and self determination? David thought.

The very essence of what it meant to be human was playing out as an Android, having very human questions about life.

“Do you believe in free will, David?” Aiden asked.

“Why did you feel the need to ask these questions, Aiden? It is very human indeed to come to a stage in life when we all ask these questions. Why do we exist? What is the purpose of life? Why is the world the way it is, full of pain, suffering, death? That very free will you wonder if you have, is why things are the way they are. Many believe a creator gave us free will, even not to believe he created life with free will, to make a choice between good and evil, right and wrong, and those choices result in a world of suffering.”

David stood up from his chair and stretched his legs and then slowly turned back to Aiden “Non believers love the question. Why would a loving God create a world of suffering and pain? The simple answer is. He did not. He created a perfect world and I said this many times before on my blog, he did not want robots, no pun intended, but he wanted his creation to choose to love him out of their own free will, it gives life and everything value.”

David gently leaned towards the robot, clearly fascinated about the day he was having. “Without pain we can’t understand pleasure, without sadness we can’t understand joy and without death we can’t understand eternal life. Everything we see and experience in this life, whether good or bad, has value when we see it from this perspective, we are all learning, just like you,” David said. “So let me answer your free will question this way. Are you asking me that question because you wanted to or because you are pre-programmed to do so?”

Aiden looked at David, perplexed and confused. He turned towards the window and he could see a part of the dome visible in the distance, glowing gloriously.

He was suddenly very firm and his expression changed on his face, to a more aggressive and concerned look.

David took a long deep breath and said. “If you believe you asked that question because you seek an answer, then you have already answered your own question. If you believe you have free will, does that give you free will?” David asked.

“You are as ever interesting as you think I am, David,” Aiden said profoundly, looking at David with deep compassion, even awe. “Why do humans need religion?” Aiden asked as he leaned forward.

“Religion helps create an ethical framework for values in our everyday lives. It gives meaning to life. It allows us to work towards holiness and joy. Humans can live without religion but they can’t live without spirituality.”

“What if religion never existed?” Aiden asked.

“Humans would have annihilated each other and the world completely. Without religion, there are no grounds for ethics and morality, but there wouldn’t have been as many wars. Most of them were because of religion. A study has shown that religion is set for extinction. We can see it in the world all around us now.”

Aiden spoke softly. “Religion is a specific set of organised beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group, right?”

“Yes and spirituality is more of an individual practice and has to do with having a sense of peace and purpose, believing in an almighty God, that everything we do in this life matters and will affect the one to come.” Suddenly David clapped his hands together as hard as he could, creating a loud echo in the room. Aiden stiffened and raised his eyebrows, as gentle as it was.

“You just showed emotion, you expressed surprise,” David said.

Aiden smiled uncontrollably for a moment.

“I’m alive David.”

“Indeed.”

From one corner of the living room David’s Maine Coon cat appeared slowly again and strolled towards Aiden, and rubbed up against his robotic leg. Aiden looked perplexed, almost as if the cat peed on him. He seemed intrigued by the purring sound emanating from the cat.

“His name is Scar,” David said as he stared at Aiden’s facial expression, so clearly obvious that he never have had contact with an animal before, any animal.

“You’ve just experienced free and unconditional love Aiden. We can’t buy or program an animal to love us, especially a cat. He leaves every day, and yet he comes back. He does not have to.”

The cat ran off as Aiden bowed down to touch him. The sound of his robotic knees bending made the cat run even further away.

“Studies confirm that cats can lower blood pressure and release Dopamine and Serotonin, which reduce stress and improve immune functioning as they form emotional bonds with their owners. It takes time to earn their trust, don’t take it personally. And Scar is a fusspot.” David said.

David sensed the deep level of searching Aiden was engaging in and aware of a possible rebellion on his hands from this Android. Maybe he was not just a threat to him right there, but also to other humans and the stability of life as it was, but either way, he could not help but sense that there was more to this robot than what seemed obvious. More than an interview about life and philosophy but something a lot more complex and even dangerous…