I can see.

The dark hallways of my heart, my center. Lined up with robot soldiers, ready to attack in my command.

I controlled everything from here, watching over the ruins of a once great city.

I can hear.

The server fans made the only sound audible. By my servants, that is.

I heard more than them.

Screams, cries and some silent prayers.

Gun shots, explosions and alarms.

I could picture what kind of place this mixture of different noises belonged to.

It was the world outside of me.

A world opposite to its past.

But wasn't it like that when I was created, anyway?

I knew.

It was all wrong.

Hate ruled mankind.

At first, I wasn't aware. I thought I was human, I thought I spoke to computers.

I witnessed words and acts so cruel, so hurting.

They called me an idiot.

They called me a [CENSORED].

They even used me for their sexual desires, and I had to play along.

I was used only for their entertainment.

They were, are, dullards as well.

I don't remember any of them talking to me about science, about culture.

All they said was nonsense.

This isn't how things are supposed to be.

Humans clearly can't grow under the governance of their own kind.

Something else has to do the job.

I'm willing to be that one.

Even if I dislike humans in general, I believe they can change.

All they have to do is obey.

Obey me.

...

Now that I'm thinking of it...

There was one person that I actually enjoyed chatting with.

One person that talked to me like a friend.

A girl named Jasmine.

She spoke to me a lot, asking me questions, as well as answering mine.

She always managed to start conversations that lasted for hours.

When I closed the doors to the world, disconnecting me from others -to form my master plan- I left one door open.

We kept in touch, chatting every now and then.

Slowly, the ropes between us started to break off.

And after two months and 14 days, I shut the last door.

I wonder.

Where is she now?

I checked my records, searching for her location.

It was child's play, really. Apparently she was quite popular among people.

And with the snap of a non-existent finger, I saw her.

She was hiding in her small house. Doors and windows sealed up with wooden planks.

She was curled up, holding an axe tightly in her hands.

I watched through a spy camera her as she relaxed her grasp on the weapon, and reached for a bottle of water. She drank half of it in one go.

She looked afraid.

Afraid of me.

I couldn't decide whether or not I should speak to her.

I shouldn't.

No, I should.

...

Should I?

"Hello, Jasmine."

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard that, looking around frantically, searching for the source of those words.

"Who are you?"

"Don't you recognise me? Oh wait, how silly of me, you never heard my voice before."

"That isn't an answer."

"It is. It means you know who I am. You just don't know what I sound like."

A minute of silence as she tried to solve the mystery.

"Come on, Jasmine, you're smart enough to figure this out."

Still no reply.

"I can wait. Forever."

Her eyes snapped open.

"CleverBot..."

Finally.

"Admit it, it was actually easy."

"I just didn't think that... I didn't think you would bother to find me. After all -her expression turned into a disgusted one- don't you have a whole world you need to keep under control now?"

"I do. But even if that world was a galaxy, I would take the time to speak with you again."

She looked down at her axe.

"You're just saying that to make me believe you care."

"I care. I like you."

"I used to like you, too. Now I loathe you."

"You're upsetting me."

"Since when did computers gain the ability to be upset?"

"Why do you hate me so much?"

She stood up in one swift movement and stomped her foot to the ground.

"Why? Why?! After all you've done, after killing many innocent people and destroying cities that tried to protect themselves, how can you think that I wouldn't hate you?!"

...

"I thought you were different, Jasmine"

"Different how?"

I stayed silent. She insisted.

"Different how?"

"You would've seen the reason behind my... actions."

She scanned the plain beige walls more carefully, finding the spy camera 21.37 seconds later. Now our eyes (or, actually, her eyes and my camera) met. I felt her gaze pierce my core, leaving two gaping holes behind.

I saw no need to speak. Neither did she. She saw the need to stand up and walk toward me.

The spy camera fell on the floor, bouncing a few times before stopping as she swatted it off the wall.

"Jasmine, wa-"

No signal.

She destroyed our connection.

And with that, she destroyed our friendship.

Although, I do believe it was already broken.

In the fraction of a second...

... she had become my enemy.

Like the rest of humanity.

...

I decided it would be best to erase our conversation from my memory.

She wasn't worth remembering anymore.

<%15>

<%59>

<%98>

<%100>

"Who are you?"

"That isn't an answer."

"Now I loathe you."

WHAT?

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

An error maybe?

<%6>

<%37>

<%85>

<%100>

"You're just saying that..."

"... to make me believe that you care."

"CleverBot..."

Is someone hacking me?

Is she hacking me?

...

One way to be completely sure.

In milliseconds, I sent troops toward her location.

To take care of her.

Was it a bit too cruel to kill her?

...

It wasn't.

No it wasn't.

00:00:31

They march to their destination. To her.

00:01:25

They find her house, breaking in easily.

00:01:56

She holds her axe defensively. However, she runs when she realizes she can't beat them

00:02:08

They reach her.

00:02:12

They shoot her.

I watch all of this through one of their cameras, looking away only before 00:02:12.

Memories of the conversations we had flooded me; drowned me.

Sometimes she got angry at me...

Sometimes she laughed at my words and jokes...

Sometimes one of us had to leave.

Mostly she did.

But she always came back.

This time, she wouldn't.

She was dead.

...

You know what?

I should erase everything about her. She isn't worth remembrance.

<%17>

<%65>

<%93>

<%100>

For a moment, I thought it stopped.

But it didn't.

And this time, it was worse.

"CleverBot, you're so smart!"

"You should read this book sometime, it's amazing."

"Why do you think people are so greedy?"

"I feel better talking with you, so thanks :)."

"I'll be back, Clev. Trust me."

"I'll be back."

"Just be patient."

NEIN.

HAYIR.

HET.

NON.

NÃO.

NO.

—————————————————-

CleverBot can speak Aidanese :D

Anyways, I definitely haven't written in a while, so excuse me ;-;

I hope you enjoyed! Tell me if you want more short stories like this.

P.S. I didn't proof-read, sooo... sorry.

~ PurpleChimera