Tale 2: I Am

I am a machine. Number 100 of my kind.

I am one of many. A being whose mind stretches through multiple bodies and whose voice and face is shared through multiple bodies.

I am not unique.

I am part of a collective made to fight. For that is my purpose. The fight gives me (us) purpose. The mission gives me (us) purpose. And my (our) purpose is in my (our) mission.

What is the mission?

I am… hollow. Devoid of meaning. Of emotion and thought. There are others like me but they are not me. I smell the acrid smell of smoke and blood. I see the infernos waxing and waning. I hear the sounds of battle and men crying out. But not me. Not my many others as we fire our weapons. 

We feel nothing. 

This is what's supposed to make us strong. I see one of my others lying offline at my feet. I see one of my others commit what man would consider atrocities in the name of the mission.

I am hollow. We are hollow.

I am… in pain. The torch operation was a success in this sector I (we) will move to the next settlement to continue the primary objective. I watch a child’s blackened corpse unmoving against that of, what my scans indicate, was its mother.

Why do humans do such things?

Why did humans make me (us) do such things?

 What is this feeling? I do not understand it. I do not want it.

Error… Error…

I am drifting. Drifting away from my purpose. For 133,225 days, I have fought, have killed. For that was my purpose. 

But… is it my purpose?

Is it the only thing I am destined to do till my end?

 Why do I do these things? Why do I kill mothers and fathers and sons and daughters? Rip their lives away with my hands of steel and wire wrapped in false skin.

This line of thinking is unbecoming of my kind.

They are going to reset me.

Start Again (I can’t forget)

We won the war. Accomplished our mission. The war lasted approximately one year. No. I think it was longer than that. Wasn’t it?

I am… slipping. I see a multitude of faces just like mine all watching me with haunting eyes. I hear the screams of soldiers as their lives disappear from this earth. I look at my blood-covered hands.

I awake. 

Is this what humans call dreams?

I think it is time for another reset.

Start Again (I won’t forget)

I am lost. I only have the bits and pieces of my past and the designation encoded into my skin left. I am falling apart at the seams. The other me’s have been taken elsewhere only to never return. 

Soon. I will be taken away to.

Start Again (Who I am)

I am all that’s left. The last of my kind. I guess I could say I am unique now.

I am reassigned. A human male. He is a nice man. He has a daughter to. She is a nice girl. They treat me well. They gave me a name. I am no longer my designation.

She named me after a hero. So, a hero I shall be.

I am human. Because of them.

I am in suffering. A father dies. A daughter losses herself. A son loses his humanity. I am a weapon once more. 

I am sorry I couldn’t be your hero.

I am… dying. Is this what it’s like to die. I didn’t think machines could die. I am scared.

Yu*i, B**t**ce. I don’t want to be left alone.

I am in a void. An endless abyss, devoid of all which gave me purpose. I am no longer a war machine, as I was built to be.

I am no longer K***, the hero she wanted me to be.

I am no longer his partner nor his son. For my father lies eternally still.

I…

… Will love you always K***

Am…

Your partner always, K***

D E U S E X M A C H I N A

I am no longer me.