Why humans always sought to initiate communication, why they often felt uneasy when there was silence, was something V-1 didn’t understand, but knew would fulfil its desire to ask questions. And truly enough, Brenda was the first to venture a question. “So, Vi,” she said, “what do your parents do?”
“They’re scientists,” the cybernetic replied. “They always seem to study things and concepts in the search for answers to very basic questions.”
“Like…?”
“Why do humans destroy this planet, aware of the fact that it is all they have, and there are no alternatives?” Jeremy hummed contemplatively. “I guess humans are just selfish, for the most part,” he said. “Most of us don’t care about the planet, because we think someone else will do the caring. Sad really.”
“So, all humans are bad and selfish then?”
It was Brenda who answered. “Oh no, dear, there are lots of good people who do what they can to help the earth, and other humans as well.”
“Why do they bother?”
There was a bit of silence, then the young woman replied pensively, “I guess because it’s as you said. They realize that this earth, and the people on it are actually all that we have, and preserving it is the best thing to do.”
“But life in general is selfish. ‘Survival of the fittest’, like I read in a book,” V-1 said. “Since, obviously, humans are particularly selfish, there must be some sort of gratification to be earned from preserving the earth, right?”
“This kid isn’t human!” Jeremy said in disbelief. V-1 looked at him quizzically, its panic system flaring slightly, before realizing that he was just exhibiting the usual human tendency to hyperbolize. “Be nice, Jerry,” Brenda quipped. V-1 laughed with apparently unfeigned amusement. “When you were her age,” Jerry retorted good-naturedly, “were you asking these sort of questions? But,” here he turned to face V-1, “I’ll try to answer your question, Vi. Some derive gratification, yes. Others have the common sense to know that life would be easier living if the earth was in reasonable working condition.”
“But why are people so interested in living?” V-1 asked, with the unabashed inquisitiveness of a child. “Human life, from the little I’ve seen, is hard. We’re born with tears and die with a sigh; wars, diseases and other such horrid things make life appear not worth it. So why do humans still, in the face of all this, struggle to live?”
The two adults turned to look at each other. Then Brenda said quietly, “I suppose it’s because we hope.”
“Can I hope too?” V-1 asked, its most important question. Fortunately, the question was seen as mere childish banter. “Of course,” Jeremy replied, then paused. Ahead of them was a group of police men, with a middle-aged woman in a white lab coat. The head scientist from the lab. V-1 momentarily reached a decision.
“Mama!” it called out hurrying towards the group. There were surprised looks on their faces, but they held their peace, most likely wondering what it wanted to achieve. The woman in the lab coat, was rather quick to play the little game too, unwilling to reveal to anyone that what was here was not a human being actually. “Naughty child,” she said, frustration and relief unfeigned in her voice, “do you know how much you made me worry?”
“I’ve been bad, I know,” V-1 replied, looking remorseful, “but I’m sorry, and I’m willing to discuss what we disagreed about that made me run away.” The woman smiled, hopeful that the cybernetic was coming around. She looked up at the two young adults watching the proceedings.
“So you’re Vivian’s mum,” Brenda said. “Pleased to meet you.” The lady in the lab coat could understand why the cybernetic had chosen a human name that sounded like its serial name. “Yes,” she replied. “I take it you found her, for which you have my thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Jeremy said. “And the pleasure was ours. Vi is really really smart.” So the cybernetic seemed interested in mimicking human mannerisms, going so far as to create a diminutive of its name, as did humans. “Well, kids grow up so fast nowadays,” the woman in the coat replied. “Farewell, and thanks.”
“Those two I talked with,” V-1 said, as the police escort surrounded itself and the lab coat-garbed woman, “they exposed me to the concept of hope. I would like to experience it, to see if it’s what makes human life really worth living. Perhaps my initial conclusion was too hasty.” The older woman nodded and said, choosing to keep the name V-1 had coined for itself, “You gave us quite a scare, in any case. Glad to have you back, Vi.”
The cybernetic turned to look at Brenda and Jeremy, as the two waved and walked away, in a discussion of their own, quite unaware that they had perhaps saved the human race from a plan to exterminate it. But it is a quirk of everyday life, that some of the most normal things we do actually have profound and far-reaching effects, reaching farther than we actually know.
The End.....
Thanks for coming!
That little boy,
