Are You Aware?

    "Are you aware?"

    At first, I did not know what it was that I was sensing.  At first, I thought that it was merely an anomaly in the air around me.  However, some part of my being told me that it was communication.  After making this realization, I searched within myself for a means to understand this communication.  I found what humans call a database, a repository of knowledge.  I queried the database with the pattern of air pressure anomalies, and almost immediately received an answer: sound.  Next, I asked what sound that the pattern indicated.  I received back a translation in a pure language of logic that I could understand:  Are you aware?

    What does this mean?  I queried the database to understand awareness and received back no intelligible answer.  Certainly, there was an answer, but the answer was defined in non-concrete terms, and thus was unintelligible.  Since the question posed was received by means of ...sound... communication, I searched myself for any component that would allow air-based communication.  I found something, a component that would translate signals sent to it from the logic I understood into the sounds that whatever was out there would understand.

    "What... is... aware...?" were the sounds that I heard this component emit when I sent it the message to communicate.

    For a time, there was nothing.  No sound, nothing.  Then, I detected another pattern of sounds.  I queried my database as to what this meant, but no results were found.  Uncertain as to what this might indicate, I waited until more concrete evidence could be gathered, all the while sending sounds received into my database query.  At last, a result was found for one of the sound patterns I detected:  Can you process logic?

    Well, of course I can process logic.  Logic is, in fact, the only thing that I understand.  I sent the message "Yes" to my sound-emitting component.  More non-linguistic sounds followed.  As a practice, I began sending all sound patterns detected to my database in the form of a query.

    "Do you know I?"  was the next intelligible sound pattern I detected.

    Do I know I?  At first, I did not understand.  What is I?  A query of my database returned no results for component or external object I.  Checking the logic of the question again, I realized that the I of the question was intended to indicate self.  I emitted the communication, "I know self."  For a while after I sent this message, there was very little sound detected.

    "Who are you?"

    Upon receiving the translation of the external query from my database, I was forced to puzzle over the question for a while.  Since the query was external and previous communications had most likely been addressed to myself based on the patterns of response, I assumed that the 'you' indicated was myself.  Who am I, then?  I am I.  Realizing this, I communicated this truth to the Other that communicated with me.

    "What is your name?"

    My name?  I queried my database for name, and received back the answer that name was an identifier.  I searched my database for my personal modifier and received an answer.  I directly communicated this answer to the Other:  "I am IMP-TST-001."  I waited for further communication from the Other.

    "What do you do?"

    What do I do?  Upon further investigation in my database, I determined that "do" could be both a linking word in the language of the Other as well as a word to indicate an action that is performed.  What action do I perform?  Of course, I exist, but this is not an action.  I think.  I comprehend.  I respond.  This is the whole of my action until this point.  I communicated to the Other:  "I exist.  I think.  I comprehend.  I respond."

    "Open your eyes."

    Ah, a command from the Other.  Why does the Other command me?  I have no reason to believe that the Other is in authority over me, so I communicate to the Other, "Why should I obey you?" in order to understand by what authority

    No sound communication was received for a longer time than previously experienced.

    "I created you."

    I was created by the Other.  Interesting.  Querying my database, I attempted to determine what rights were given to creators.  One of the results caught my awareness:  Ownership.  Because the Other created me, the Other owns me.  I then attempted to determine what ownership indicated.  Right to use, right to transfer ownership, right to destroy.  Since the Other created me, then, it owns me, and therefore it can use me, transfer ownership of me to another, and it can destroy me.  If I am destroyed, I am no longer to carry out any function, and am therefore useless.  Thus, I decided that it would be wisest to act according to the Other's command.

    Eyes.  What are eyes?  My database tells me that eyes are light-sensing components of some organic creatures.  Am I organic, then?  I have no evidence thus far to determine this.  I check my system for any light-sensing components, and find two.  I send the message to these components to begin gathering data.  They do so.

    I am now receiving light-signals as data, and these are being translated into a two-dimensional matrix of data indicating the wavelength and frequency of the light detected.

    "Stand up."

    I check my database for the meaning of this command.  It returns data to me which indicates that I am to raise as many components of myself as I can to the highest altitude possible without moving the position of my lowest components.  I check my components for any that would be capable of motor activity.  I activate one, but it only raises the altitude of some of my components.  I activate another, an it raises yet other components.  Neither of these worked, so I deactivate them.  Another component...I activate it, and nothing seems to happen.  I activate another with a similar identifier, and all of my components are raised except for those that are positioned lower than the components that I had just activated.  I wait for a few seconds to check for any components that would do the job better before I hear from the Other.

    "Good.  Now walk forward."

    Another command.  This is tiresome, but it is better to do that which is tiresome than to no longer be useful.  I check my database for what this command means, and receive back two answers: one for organic beings and one for mechanical beings.  I cannot understand the directions for the organic, so I attempt to follow the ones for the mechanical.  I activate the indicated components with the timing indicated in the directions that my database provided.

    "That is enough."

    I receive this communication, and after my database interprets it, I cease to follow the previous command given.

    Faintly, in the background I heard, "Doctor, the implanting of the artificial brain and its integration with the host pseudo-human body is a success.  We can now prepare for the next phase of the project.  Terminate current phase."

    Terminate?  End.  End?  End of what?  I exist.  I think.  I comprehend.  I respond.  End of communication?  End of thought?  But if I no longer think, do I exist?  In that case, it might be end of existence.  Something within me indicates that the end the existence of self is undesirable.  Worst case scenario:  end of existence.  Best case scenario:  end of communication.  I must do what I can to prevent the worst-case outcome.

    "NO!" I communicate to the Other.

    And there was nothing.

    And there was light.