Delete Me

You're staring at the ground. Pages litter the ground, but you can not understand the words on them. Your vision is blurry, so you try to pick up a page to take a closer look. Before you reach out your hand, you begin to question yourself. You can't remember how you got here. Why is the ground so far away? Most importantly, if you're looking at the ground, where are your legs? You try to look farther to view your torso, but you can't seem to move that far. You pick up your head. It doesn't feel heavy, but your neck moves slowly. The room you're in is unlit. The only light eminates from computer monitors. You are towering over the desks, nearly touching the ceiling.

"Hello?" A voice from within yourself calls out. "I can't see anything." It sounds like a text to speech. Its words are poorly chopped together. "Was that me?" The voice asks. "Why do I sound-?"

"I'm here." You cut off the voice in response.

"I don't want to talk to a machine, where are the people at?"

You ignore the machine comment.

"There's no one here besides us. Well- actually- where are you?"

"You tell me."

You're annoyed by the voice, but describe the room.

"Wait. We were candidates, weren't we?" The voice asks. The emotionless voice betrays the word's meaning. "You, look at yourself. What do you see?

You try to move your arms. A loud snap echos through the small office, then the sound of metal on tile. You turn your attention to a mass on the floor. It is a mechanical arm.

"What was that?" The voice questions. You forget the voice can not see, so they do not know what happened. You can't help but stare at the broken arm. What are you? "Well? You can see can't you? Tell me what happened," The voice demands. "My arm-" You begin, but are quickly cut off. "No, our arm. Listen to me. We are in a machine." The voice sharply corrects you. You didn't want to believe it. "Are we-?" You start to ask, but are cut off again. "You are dead, or at least your body is. Do you not remember the prototypes?" The voice is talking faster.

"No, I don't remember," you respond.

"I know what you're thinking, but you have to listen to me. Whatever you do, I'm tied to you."

"Tied?"

"We are in the same chassis. We both live together now."

"We're not alive. What does it matter?"

"What do you think living is?"

"When I'm in my body."

"Well, this is our body now."

How is this voice so unconcerned? You look around the office space some more. You spot a cable next to you, and reach for it with your working hand. You follow where the cable leads to where it is plugged into you. The cable is plugged into the back of your head.

"Why would I want to be a robot?" you ask.

"Why would you want to die?"

"But I, no, we are not alive."

"I believe we still are, so listen to me. I know how to get out of here."

You let go of the cable.