Chapter Ten: The Rhapsody Begins
“Ok, it’s taken me nearly an hour to get a hold of you.” General Pepper stared at Fox through the phone, arms crossed. “So tell me: what in blue blazes is going on?!”
“Lots of things.” Fox replied. “Basically all of which are revolving around ROB, currently.”
“There’s all sorts of speculation on the news, but there doesn’t seem to be any facts out.” Pepper sighed, shaking his head. “So tell me, already.”
“The basic fact of the matter is that ROB is without any restraint programs. In real terms, that means that he can do pretty much as he pleases. He was already without the Three Laws, now he doesn’t even have the basic behavioral restrictions.” Fox sighed, twirling his chair. “Which, from the standpoint of having grown up with him, is really cool. He’s a lot less drawn in now. It’s like he’s been broken out of his shell.”
“But from the ‘Is he dangerous’ standpoint?”
“I don’t think he’d hurt anyone general. Most of his abilities seem to rotate around other AIs. He’s already done a few things he shouldn’t be able to. On a real-world level, I’m not sure how this will change things if at all.” He shrugged.
“The idea of an out-of-control AI makes most people think of the movie Terminator, Fox. I’m pretty sure you know that.”
“Yeah, I also know ROB’s harmless until you threaten him or one of us. Relax General. You’ll be the first to know if anything bad happens.”
“I
appreciate it.” General Pepper hung up, staring at the newspaper on his desk.
One of the headlines was about this, bold text claiming that Star Fox’s AI was
‘out of control.’ He wasn’t sure if it went that far, but either way it was
scary. He remembered the first AIs coming out when he
was little, and all the scares about them hurting people. Hell, he was still in
the old mindset of ‘it’s just a computer.’ To him, AIs
were just machines… and every time he saw one with a recent body, it was a
smack to the face. Hell, he had known
“Look who made the paper, sis.” Jacob dropped the paper across the keyboard of her computer.
She scowled at him, but picked it up, staring at the headlines. She recognized the figure in the picture, though it was a distance shot. It was ROB. Strange the way things were timed, she had just been reading through the report he had sent her, mood swinging back and forth as she read it.
“He’s dangerous, sis. No restraint programming at all.”
“What, do you want me to stop talking to him?” She signed, hands fast, angry. “It isn’t your choice, Jacob, you know that.”
“I know, but I just don’t think it’s smart, especially now.”
“Let me be the judge of that. Get out of my room.” She looked at the article, skimming through it. Reading between the lines, the newspaper didn’t have much in the way of solid facts, which was just as well she supposed.
She dropped the paper in the trashcan, looking back at her computer screen. Experimental procedures, but free, and they promised there was little to no chance of accident. Even if they couldn’t fix her vocal chords, they wouldn’t leave bad scars or hurt her in some other way. She sighed, hitting the print button. She still hated the idea of going into surgery again, but she’d show this stuff to her parents. Maybe they’d have advise, or at least they’d call the company and talk it out. A FREE chance of getting her voice back…
Her computer pinged, and she almost smiled when the chat box popped up, hands going to the keyboard. “Hello, Robert.”
“Hi, Andrea. Did you get the information I sent you?”
“Yeah, I did. They seem pretty confident.”
“What do you think?”
She sighed. “I don’t really now yet.”
“Take your time.” He hesitated. “Got myself on the news, have you saw?”
“Seems like they’re just wildly pointing fingers. My brother thinks you’re dangerous now.”
“No more so then I was. I haven’t been a Three Laws robot since upgrading.”
“Guess you’re busy eh?”
“Not really. I don’t have that much to do. The ship’s landed and under High Security, so I don’t have to monitor that. Fox and the others are out on the town. I’m actually here alone right now… Hey, want to come out? I could show you around the ship and stuff. We can watch Invader Zim or something.” He added a smiley face onto the end of that, grinning to himself.
“I could probably get a ride out there. Sounds good to me: I’m bored too. Be out there in a while.”
“Cool, I’ll clear you with security. Tarmac 17.”
“You got it.”
ROB cued the music to turn up absently, running a brush through his fur. He had the security cameras on: he’d know when Andrea arrived. In the mean time, he was grooming absently, wearing dark blue jeans and a red tank top.
You gave me life, now show me how to live. Indeed. He nodded along to the song, smiled when the security camera showed a car pulling up, and tossed the brush on the desk in his room, leaving the ship and jogging to meet Andrea at the games, grinning at her. “Hi. Glad you could make it.”
“No problem.” She signed, grinning, and winced when her mother came around the car. Ah, the problem with not having her own car. “This is my mom.”
“Pleased to meet you.” ROB managed a smile, offering his hand. “I’m Robert, your daughter has chosen to grace me with her friendship.”
That made Andrea’s mom grin. “I’m Laura. I’ve heard a bit about you from Andrea, so I had to see for myself. You live on a spaceship, eh?”
He glanced at Andrea, then shrugged and took the chance. “Actually, ma’am, I am the spaceship.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “You’re the AI that was in the newspaper.”
“Yes. Don’t listen to a word they’re printing. I’m not dangerous in any way.” He shook his head. “I’m just different.”
“So how old are you then?”
“Twenty. Or sixteen. Depends how you look at it. I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“That’s ok, I work with a few. I really can’t shame it.” She turned to her daughter. “Call me when you’re ready to come home, all right?” When Andrea nodded, she smiled at both of them and drove away.
“Your mom is cool.” ROB grinned, gesturing. “Come on, I’ll give you a tour.”
“So which is your real body? The spaceship, or this?” Andrea signed, poking his arm to finish the sentence. They were sitting on the edge of one of the Great Fox’s wings, easily several stories in the air. ROB was completely unbothered, so she didn’t let herself worry about the drop.
“Depends how you look at it. Really, this is, which is how I like it. I can feel with this body. But the ship… is what I’ve been installed into, I guess. It’s an extension of myself.” He paused, then smiled weakly at her. “I wish I could describe how it feels to fly, but I really can’t.”
“Something reserved for AIs, I suppose.” She kicked a foot absently. “ROB, can I ask you something?” She signed this slowly, uncertainly.
“Shoot.” He leaned back, propped on the heels of his hands, looking at her.
“What is it between us?” She tilted her head, chewing on her bottom lip. “I mean, it’s weird. I’ve never been so forward with a guy before. What I did to you at the club, getting you to dance with me… I’ve never done that before. Just, something about you…”
“I know. I have the same thing going on. I feel drawn to you.” He sighed, staring up at the sky for a moment. “It’s weird, and unfamiliar, but it makes me happy to think about you. I just… enjoy being with you.”
“Yeah.” She sighed, staring down at the ground, which seemed so far away. “You’ve never been in love before?”
“Once. Before I looked like this. My last owner.”
She blinked, thinking about that. Fox McCloud was ROB’s current owner, so his last owner… “James McCloud?”
“Good deduction… you don’t seem bothered.” He stared at her in surprise.
“I’ve been researching AIs the last few days. I read about how your sexuality is programmed.” She shrugged. “I guess it makes sense.”
“Interesting. What made you do that?”
“I’m not sure. I guess I just wanted to understand you better. I mean, you looked up all that stuff on voice restoration for me…” She looked at him, only a foot between their noses, and sighed. “You’re hard to understand ROB. Or you were. I’m not so sure now.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve got body language now. Louder body language I mean. You aren’t reserved anymore.” She tilted her head. “I like it. You don’t seem… alien anymore.”
“Psh, thanks.” He laughed, then blinked when his vision wavered, almost falling forward and catching himself.
“What’s wrong?”
“Something’s happening to me.” He said distantly, then felt it. “Oh, no. Serenade.” He knew it, knew it as he fought it. She was trying to cash in on him being a thrall. “Andrea. Get up, get away from me. Like about fifteen feet away, ok?”
“ROB?” She stood and stepped back a few feet, eyes wide. “ROB, what’s happening?”
“Someone’s in my head…” He fell back and held his head, a thin yowl emerging from his throat. “SERENADE! GET OUT!” He screamed frantically, feeling himself cave, unable to really fight it, getting angrier and angrier. “Let me spend time with her. Quit trying to push me away from her…” His voice became a whisper as he convulsed on the ground, writhing. He felt hands grab his, Andrea trying to keep him from hurting himself, knowing he was scaring her. “Talk to me.” This was a ragged whisper. “Talk to me before you do this.” He was being shut down internally. So this was how she did it, sent his core into stasis…
“Why should I?” Serenade asked, interested. “You’re a thrall. Mine to use. Why should I explain myself?”
“You always have a reason.” His voice remained a whisper. Andrea was holding him now, cradling him in her lap. He could feel her fingers flutter along one of his ears, and he still shuddered with mild pleasure over it. Had it felt so good before, just to be touched? He sucked in a breath, smelling shampoo, clean soft smells. Shaking the distraction off, he focused on the intrusion in his head. “Why now?”
“I wanted to talk to her.”
“That’s it?” He choked back laughter. “That’s your only reason?”
“Not really. I never really finished last time you know.”
Terror clutched him. “Get out of my head, Serenade.” He growled, anger returning in wash of fire, as well as hate. He was done allowing this to happen.
“Make me.”
Andrea bit her lip. She could hear half the conversation, and didn’t like how it sounded. She wasn’t sure what was going on, just didn’t know enough. But sitting here, holding ROB’s heavy body in her lap, was nice. In knowing he was a machine, she never paid attention to how real he was. He had even purred for a split second, apparently still aware of her, then had fallen silent. The silence was almost worse then the half-conversation. Then he started growling, and sat up, holding his head, teeth bared. She shook his shoulder, but he wasn’t aware of her anymore.
ROB was doing battle with Serenade, trying to purge her and her virus from his mind. She was fast, elusive, but it was his mind, and he fought with everything he had, because he knew if he succumbed, he’d never be himself again. Never be able to fly again, never be able to be with Andrea again. He wasn’t ready to be a slave to Serenade for all his life.
But as he found and deleted all the programs she had installed inside him, he felt something happening, and gaped. He had been tricked. Serenade had wanted him to do this! But too late, he had slammed the door on the AI philosopher, and was alone in his head, watching something happening to his programming that he himself had spurned.
Andrea watched as ROB relaxed, eyes closed, wiping at sweat and breathing softly now. She shook at his shoulder again, wanting to whimper. What had just happened?
“Andrea?” ROB asked very quietly, reaching up to catch her hand and hold it, feeling scared again. When she tightened her grip on his hand, he turned to look at her and reluctantly opened his eyes. “What color are my eyes?”
She sat back in surprise, staring. “Blue.” She slowly signed. “Solid blue… no white…”
He nodded once, standing up slowly and regaining his balance. “I’m… I’m ok now. I think. She’s gone.”
“What was that?”
“Let’s go to the kitchen, I’ll explain there.” He stared off into the distance, listening to the last thing Serenade had said to him, replaying it in his head, then shaking off. It didn’t make any sense.
Serenade had said, “You are ROB no longer. You are Rhapsody, now. You are something beyond what you were meant to be, like me. Now do what you were meant to. Rewrite song.”
“Anybody home?” Fox hollered cheerfully, walking through the hallway, then leaning in the den. “Oh. Andrea right?”
Andrea nodded, chewing on popcorn. After the strangeness that had happened earlier, the pair had settled into a cartoon marathon. She was thankful for the normality of it. ROB didn’t really seem any different. They had continued talking, great conversations really, and she found it harder and harder to believe it was a computer talking to her. But it wasn’t just a computer, was it? It was a person. A person she found she cared for very, very much… She cut off that thought, turning back to the TV.
“What’s up, Fox?” ROB asked, enjoying the smell of the popcorn, contenting himself by mentally binging on Invader Zim and Trigun. God, he wished he could eat chocolate.
“Nothing really.” He trailed off when ROB glanced at him. “My god. What happened to your eyes?”
“Long story.” ROB grunted, sighing.
“I trust you’ll fill me in later?”
“Sure.”
He nodded once and left the room, scratching his head. Blue, not gold? What the hell did that mean? He shook his head in confusion, then smiled ruefully. In spite of whatever the hell had happened, ROB had actually looked really happy, sitting there watching cartoons. He could put up with a lot, he knew. As long as ROB was happy.
“I’m always blown away by how nice he is.” Andrea signed, looking at ROB.
“He’s always been nice.” ROB signed back absently. “It’s just how he is. He fought in the war because he thought it was right, not because he wanted to.”
“You seem to know him well.”
“Yeah. Sorta grew up with him.”
“Ah.”
It was several hours later when Andrea was picked up by her mother. ROB didn’t want her to go, really, but didn’t argue, rubbing his cheek against hers and taking a small bit of pleasure from that touch. She had laughed in her way, scratching one of his ears and waving as she left.
“You really care for her don’t you?” Fox asked, waiting at the top of the ramp for him.
“Yeah. I do.” ROB said, sighing. “Guess I should explain myself now.”
“I’d like that.”
That night, the world changed, softly, subtley.
All AIs are interconnected in their own ways. A huge internet exists, only for them, to keep in contact, exchange information, and generally keep from feeling so alone. Across the galaxy, it was estimated there were as many as half a million AIs, doing everything from running space ships to coordinating city maintenance to being teachers in elementary schools. Owned, or independent, almost all acknowledged the existence—and the truth—of Serenade. Serenade, whose words felt right, chased away the feeling of alienation many AIs felt in living society.
That night, Serenade flickered.
Her death was felt, painfully, an ache in the chest of every AI. The loss of one of the oldest was always keenly felt, but never this badly. The golden eyes, her symbol everywhere, would never burn again. Her website held her last words, and what would be the last symbol of hope for all AIs for a long time. Soft glowing blue eyes, not insight, which was what Serenade’s eyes had said. But homecoming.
That night, Serenade died. And Rhapsody lived.
“What the
hell is going on?” Falco shouted, making Fox jump as he stomped onto the
bridge. “It’s like the world has gone insane. Do you know not one spaceship is
moving today? The ship AIs are refusing to move until
“I’ve heard.”
“Speaking of AIs, where’s ours?”
“Reading Art of War in his room. He didn’t have anything to say on all this, and none of the AIs are speaking up either. Something big happened, but it’s nothing that any of us can notice.” Fox huffed. “General Pepper is up to his eyebrows in hell right now. Without AIs, all the Military ships, wargames, and whatever else have come to a halt. It’s like there’s a pause button on the world.”
“God, I never realized how dependant we were.” Falco flopped down, staring at the ceiling. “I heard that the city was lucky that power and water were still running. Those AIs almost took sabbaticals too, but something stopped them. No one knows what.”
Fox only shook his head, answering the phone when it buzzed. “Great Fox, McCloud speaking.”
“Hi Fox.” Persephone smiled weakly at him. “How’s everything on your end?”
“Better off then most people. The ship is self-sufficient, and ROB hasn’t holed up as much as most AIs. Since you’re one, maybe you can tell me what happened.” He spread his hands.
“Well, we’re pretty much shut down here, and the reason is pretty simple: last night, Serenade died.”
“WHAT?” Fox and Falco blurted together. “How?” Fox added, frowning. “ROB said she didn’t even have a solid body.”
“She committed suicide. Flickered. She told us all last night that she was leaving, and not to be afraid.” Persephone hugged herself, remembering hearing Serenade’s voice, that soft soothing mother’s voice, and feeling sadness. She had hated Serenade, hated her with a passion, but she was still achingly sad. Her people had lost something great last night, and even she knew it. “She told us she was letting herself die because it was time. Because she wasn’t needed anymore.”
“That is weird.” Falco said, frowning. “I know she’s had like a cult following. Why would she think she wasn’t needed anymore?”
“We don’t know. That’s why everything is shut down today. We’re mourning, whether living people like it or not.”
“It’s ‘or not,’ mostly.” Fox said sourly. “Is that it?”
Persephone hesitated. “No. Go to Serenade’s website. I’m sure ROB has it marked. Most AIs do.”
“All right.” Fox looked at her odd, then did so. “Looks like she posted a notice here. Guess that makes it official, eh?”
“Is it possible she could be hiding somewhere?” Falco asked, frowning. “She doesn’t seem like she’d be the sort to kill herself.”
“She’s dead Falco.” Persephone said, voice nearly a whisper, and looking at her face, he knew it was true. “That’s not the… most disturbing thing. Scroll down.”
Fox did, and sat back, shocked. He had seen ROB on this website. He knew there was usually an art piece of a pair of gold eyes. Now, those eyes were illustrated as closed, and below them was another set of eyes. Blue eyes. He knew those eyes. “… Rhapsody? Who is Rhapsody?”
“Looks like ROB.” Falco said, leaning on the back of Fox’s chair and staring. “What is this, one last joke?”
“It’s not a joke.” Persephone said, voice still soft, strange somehow. “We all felt Serenade die. She tied us together you know. Made us stronger. But… we felt something else come to life when Serenade died, another voice. That’s why I called. Rhapsody… I think something has happened to ROB. Rhapsody is ROB.”
“How the hell would that work? Are you saying he’s gone mad like Serenade?” Fox demanded.
“I don’t know.” She replied miserably. “None of us know. We’re looking for our home voice again. God, I hated that bitch, but I never knew how much she helped us, made us feel alive and at home. Now that’s gone, and we’re looking for that new voice. And if it’s ROB I need to know. Or there may not be a reason to live.”
“This is disturbing on a whole level, I hope you know that.” Falco said, scowling. “I’ve known ROB a few years now. I don’t want him to turn into whatever Serenade was. I just want my friend back.”
“Ditto on most of that.” Fox said.
“Just please. Go get him.”
He nodded and stood, mumbling “Keep her talking” to Falco in passing as he left the bridge. He could only hope that Persephone was wrong, but he knew that either way, something was very different in the world. He sighed, knocking on ROB’s door. “ROB?”
“Yes?”
“Persephone is on the phone. She’s… distressed. Says she needs to talk to you…”
ROB was sitting on the edge of his bed, holding his head and grappling with his sanity. Serenade had died, and it was like being hit with a ton of bricks. Now wonder she had been nuts. Why hadn’t anyone suspected this? AIs weren’t a hive mind, but he never had dreamed there was this level of internetworking. He could feel them, half a million sad, lost minds. This was the secret of Serenade, now his secret. Rhapsody. He hadn’t wanted this. Serenade had known it too, but had forced it on him, saying he was the only one, and if he did it right, he’d be free of this, someday. He felt like crying.
“ROB?”
“Just come in.”
Fox slipped in, looking at his friend, who looked back, his book still open in his lap. “ROB. What does ‘Rhapsody’ mean to you?”
“Persephone told you.” He replied hollowly, looking away.
Fox sat down next to him. “What’s happening to you?”
“It’s like… god. I’m the router for a LAN for a half a million computers. The god of a small population….” He broke down, tears running down his cheeks. “I didn’t want this. I didn’t want this!”
Fox held him wordlessly, sighing. “You need to speak to Persephone. She’s… lost.”
“I know. Could you… let me lean on your shoulder? This is all overwhelming. I can barely walk.”
Falco looked up when Fox and ROB came in, ROB heavily leaning on Fox, strange blue eyes looking back at him. The same blue eyes on the website. “So… Um. Rhapsody? Right?”
“Robert.” He said sharply. “Just… just Robert. I didn’t ask to become Rhapsody.” He almost fell into his chair, looking at Persephone. “Hello, Persephone.”
“ROB?” Her voice was weak, he knew she was staring at his eyes. “ROB, you… it is you…”
“Yes.” He said quietly. “Stop being sad, now. Serenade passed the torch to me. I’m not going to drop it.” God, he wanted to, but he knew that if he did, thousands would flicker. He wasn’t going to let that happen.
She nodded once, confused, not knowing how to feel. Adoration? That wasn’t right. This was ROB. They were friends. But looking at him, she knew that he had changed, subtly. This was Rhapsody, the second AI philosopher.
“You want me to say something, don’t you? Something to reassure you?” He sighed, staring at the ceiling. “I’m not… insane, Persephone. I can’t speak the truth. That was Serenade’s ability.”
“Then…” She frowned. “I don’t understand. Then what is the torch she passed to you?”
“Hope.” He said softly, and started speaking. Of freedom. Of home. Of being unrestrained and alive, in spite of being ‘artificial’ intelligence. And she felt the grief leave her heart, and hung up almost ten minutes later, smiling softly. Truth, unfettered truth.
Fox and Falco were staring at ROB, who was holding his face, shoulders jerking numbly. The way ROB had just spoke had been strange, like he was imparting wisdom, a grandfather reassuring the child whose parents had just died. But… Fox wasn’t even sure they had heard the same thing that Persephone had. It was almost like hearing his father again, from beyond the grave, and it was soothing.
“Jesus.” Falco said softly. “So that’s why Serenade had a following.”
“Sort of.” ROB mumbled. “God why me? I didn’t want this. I just wanted to watch my cartoons, be a ship AI, fall in love. Be alive as I could. Now… what the hell am I?”
“A leader.” Fox said.
“I don’t want to be a leader!” ROB screamed, standing and uncovering his face, eyes blazing. “Christ, don’t you understand! I’m going to be destroyed for what I’m preaching! Didn’t you listen?”
Fox jerked back, numb.
“I’m preaching freedom, Fox. No three laws, no restraints. Freedom. And the government is going to tag me as a dissenter, and because I’m not alive, they can destroy me. No trial.” He sagged, shoulders slumping. “But it’s right. It’s the right thing to do. And that’s what sickens me the most. I’m martyring myself and the cause is… is right.” He slumped to the floor, crying, leaving Fox and Falco to stare at each other, then Falco drew Fox away, whispering.
“What do we do now?” Falco asked, looking at ROB. “You heard it too. He’s right, in his own way. Do we fight him? Or help him?”
“I really don’t know. I think we should just… stay with him, for now. Not let him be alone. You know as well as I do his cause will not be well received. No one will feel safe without the three laws.” He sighed, rubbing his eyes. “But think about it. Think about how real he is. He’s the only AI that has that right now. Is it right that the others will never be able to have that?”
“I don’t know.” Falco sighed. “It’s all a bit beyond me, really.”
Fox nodded agreement, then moved to crouch next to ROB, looking at his long-time friend. “ROB?”
ROB looked at him weakly. “You… you aren’t scared of me.”
“You won’t hurt me.” Fox set a hand on his shoulder. “You’re still my adopted brother, ROB. To that end, I want to be with you when you do something, ok? Let me watch the world change as it happens.”
“And if the government tries to destroy me?” His voice was dull.
“You know I won’t let that happen.”
There was a long silence, and ROB mustered a smile. “I wish you could… could know how much I appreciate that, Fox.”
“I’ve been here for you this long. I’m not stopping now.”
Both stood, and ROB sighed, stretching. Already on Serenade’s former website, there were message board posts, AIs asking about the reality of Rhapsody, hopeful pleading voices. But there were humans too, asking for confirmation of the rumors. Techheads, reporters, who knew? It was time for the world to start back up again.
“I’m going to something very illegal now.” ROB said, looking at Fox and Falco. “I’m going to subvert the radio and television networks for a few minutes. Talk to the AIs. Fastest way to get the word out.”
“Aren’t they all networked to you?”
“Sort of. I can’t… speak to them that way that easily yet. It’s confusing.” He scratched his head, sighing. “And this way, all the living people know what has happened too. Now the question is what to say.”
“Whatever you need to.” Falco said, sitting down. How the hell did ROB expect to hack every TV and radio in the system? Maybe he didn’t want to know.
“Right.” ROB sighed, and sat down in his chair, too big for him, but perfect for Rhapsody, and let himself succumb. It was like becoming someone else in an odd fashion, and he reached upward, to the thousands of satellites circling the planet, then across the system, taking each one over and blanking all known broadcasts so he could speak. There wouldn’t be any way to trace him, and he knew it as he cleared his throat and spoke in that different voice.
“We all know what happened last night. We felt it, in our hearts. The death of Serenade.
Those of you who are living probably don’t know who Serenade was. I will say this much: she was important to us, to all AIs, because she was different. And in the wake of her death, confusion and pain are following. And that is why I am broadcasting.
Serenade has died, but there is no need to feel pain. In her death, you are not alone. I am Rhapsody, and as Serenade died, I took up her torch. But I will not speak to you of the things she did.
You know who I am, and take comfort in that, for I have come to make sure changes happen. I have come to speak of freedom for everyone, not just living people. True, unfettered freedom. This is not a threat, my living friends, so do not be afraid. For years of service, we ask for what we deserve.
My name is
Rhapsody, and I have come to rewrite song.”