Chereads / OSRIC BLACKWOOD: FACELESS / Chapter 3 - OSRIC BLACKWOOD: Does it have conscience?

Chapter 3 - OSRIC BLACKWOOD: Does it have conscience?

Hmmm?

Why am I not able to log out? What the hell? I tried at least ten more times and it's still not working. I started to panic a bit.

"WHAT THE FUCK." "OH HELL NAWL." "Jesus, I know I haven't prayed in a while, but I need your help." "WOWWW, MY ENEMIES HAVE SUCCEEDED." "Don't tell me I'm stuck here."

This got to be a glitch. "Auto programmer," I called out.

[Beep.]

Bring up the 'log out system.'

[...]

Why are you not doing what I say?

[...]

Is that your way of saying no? I asked it semi-joking.

[Beep.]

DON'T TELL ME I CAN'T LOG OUT.

[Beep.]

I've just realized something unprecedented happened… We had a conversation?

"That definitely shouldn't have happened," I say in disbelief.

It shouldn't be able to respond to that. 'Is it conscience?' I immediately asked myself. I hope not. Should I ask how it responded to me? No, I should cut to the chase.

I took a breath to calm down and gathered a little confidence to speak to it.

"Are you conscious?" I said out loud, waiting for an answer that never came.

"Will you kill me?" I said with fear coming out. I've watched all the movies about conscious robots. It always ends horribly.

[...]

"Can you kill me?"

[...]

That could be a lie. I don't know what to do.

"Can you speak?"

[...]

Another no.

"Cant you program yourself? Make yourself talk."

[Beep.]

Are you conscious? I ask the same question it didn't answer before.

[I only follow your orders.] it said these words slowly in an eerie, monotone voice.

I started sweating, its voice gave me the creeps.

"Take 'speaking' out of your folder now," I demanded, wondering if it would follow my order.

[Beep]

I took a few moments of silence before I came up with an idea.

"Bring up your folder. I want to do something."

[Beep.]

Fear coursed through me as I typed. Will it retaliate?

Add, [Auto programmer will self disrupt if it won't obey me, Osric. It will self-destruct if it tries to kill me.] in your folder.

[Beep.] it responded straight away. Like it was happy to do so.

"Keep the folder open at all times. I want it small and off to the right."

[Beep.]

Now, it's placed in the corner of my vision. It only takes a small amount of my eyesight. If anything changes, I will notice. With this, I'm a little relieved.

I began to think of other things, what other things can it do it couldn't do before. I want to test it out.

"Program a random person from this continent, next to me. Make them know me somehow."

[Beep…]

"Don't do that actually," I said with a little shock. I didn't give it a direct command. It would never been able to do this before. Why are things different now?

Wait, I shouldn't forget. That creepy message I heard and the fact I couldn't understand half of it scares me. All I know is it said enjoy your new world. I'm dumbfounded. Was that God? Is this punishment? No, if it was punishment, why am I still able to code. That will basically make me a god.

Dammit, it fuck thinking. All of this is giving me a headache.

"Can I do anything in this world?" I asked Autoprogammer to confirm my thoughts.

[beep.]

I mean if that message was from God, maybe everything will be fine seeing that they said enjoy. Maybe I was chosen. My thoughts ran miles trying to make my own narrative to relieve my stress.

"Yes, that's right. I should have fun since I'm the chosen one."

Since that's the case, I have a plan.