The time escapes me while I am down in the cabin. It might have been five hours for all I know. When I decided to go check on Soren and Theo, I noticed the sun was just about to set on the horizon. I feel bad for being absent for so long, but after seeing them laughing when I get to the front of the boat, I realize my presence was not missed.

"Oh my boy, you must have fallen asleep!" Theo says as the two continue to laugh.

"I was just daydreaming. I can't believe the sun is already setting. Are we going to head back soon?" I asked.

"Isn't it beautiful Red?" Soren asked.

I looked over to the horizon and noticed the sky was covered in a shade of pink and violet. The sun's rays were breaking through the clouds and shining right onto Soren's face. I saw it smile as it looked at me, trying to see if I was admiring the sunset as much as it.

"Yeah, it really is." I said as I sat down beside them.

"Listen my boy, I think that we should spend the night here on the boat. I don't want to risk Philip getting in the way of our plan." Theo said.

"What exactly is our plan?" I asked.

"Red, Theo has explained to me what has happened to the human race. I am sorry about your wife too. I think that there is a way to save your species from the extinction Philip has planned out." Soren said. Theo must have explained everything to Soren while I was down in the cabin. I am not sure exactly how he was capable of doing so in such a short amount of time. Soren seems to have made a decision of whether or not to help in our plan.

"What way is that?" I asked.

"Red, I agree with you. I think that a life with no end can never have a purpose. I know that Philip tried to instill within me the pursuit of a life where my only purpose is to live and be appreciative for being alive. I am sure you are aware that I am able to run scenarios in my head that show what the future's likely outcome is to be." Soren said.

"Yes, Theo told me about that." I said not sure what the machine was getting at.

"Well, in every scenario I run I lose my desire to live. I am so thankful for you two bringing me into existence, but I cannot see any reality where I remain content with no end. A millennia of repetition would drive any man crazy. Perhaps there is a reason for the evolutionary creation of death. It persuades you to try to live with intent, because the certainty of nonexistence makes you realize there may be no other time to experience life. In my circumstance, I can find no motivation to live because I can choose to do so whenever I feel like it. I could sit here, on this boat, for a thousand years and it would mean nothing. I would simply awaken with no more desire to live than when I first went to rest." Soren said.

"I see. I am sorry you found this out so soon. Theo and I saw no other possible scenario for the future of the human race." I explained.

"Oh, Red, please don't apologize!" Soren said with excitement. "You see, just because I have no natural end to my life does not mean I cannot make it end. This is what Theodore and I have been talking about while you were down in the boat. The only scenario in which your species survives is one without Philip."

"Please don't tell me you are planning on killing him Theo." I said as I looked at him.

"No my boy, I could never wish harm on him. He is like a brother to me, you see." Theo said.

"Red, you had a conversation with Philip about my existence correct?" Soren asked.

"Yes, I did. He believed you would find purpose, independent of an end." I said.

"I believe that if I show him there is no possible meaning to life when there is no end he will be convinced that the human race is the perfect species. Don't you see? His whole purpose has been to create me and when I show him that he was wrong about this evolutionary step, he will cease in creating another. Your plan would only work if there was never another sentient being created at the hands of Philip. Even if you did take down all of the other Assistants and start again, Philip would just replace them with smarter ones, or even worse, he would replace them with more like me. As of now, he would never stop until the human race dwindles away into nonexistence. If we show him that there is no future but the human race he will have no choice but to change his mind. Once he is convinced, I will ask one of you to turn me off so that I may find peace." Soren explained.

I didn't notice until just this moment that Soren reminded me of Theo. It's mannerisms so closely resembled Theo's, that it seemed as though I was still talking to him. Soren carried the same energy that Theo embodied. I knew that Theo had written the code for Soren, but I had no idea his characteristics would shine so brightly through in Soren's personality. Perhaps he had just mirrored his mannerisms after talking to him. Either way, I felt comfort knowing I had another mind like Theo's to help me get through all of this.

"Do you think this will work Theo?" I asked.

"I don't see any other option, my boy. As I have said before, Philip is one of the smartest men I've ever known, so I hope he would come to his senses after talking to Soren. To be honest Red, we still have nothing to lose." As Theo said this, he turned to Soren and they began laughing once more. Even Soren's laugh reminded me of the old man. It was like all that mattered was that very moment. I was envious that I couldn't share that same joy, all I could think about was Lily.

The three of us decided that we would go back to the dock tomorrow morning so that I could get Lily and bring her back to the boat. Theo was unsure if we should wait a few more days before going to confront Philip at the TyraTech headquarters. He said that he knew he would be able to get into the tower because he had already talked to his son about the plan. I didn't feel like discussing the trustworthiness of Theo's son and decided to take him at his word. If he was able to shape Soren into such a rational being in just a short amount of time, I trusted that he would have done the same to his son as well. After some discussion, we agreed that the best course of action would be to wait a few days before going back to TyraTech, just incase Philip had another person tailing us. Once the spy saw me get Lily, they might figure we were simply going out for a few days and decide to give up on the tail. I was excited for Lily to meet Theo and Soren. I hoped that these two would be able to spark something inside of her that I couldn't. I was also scared of how she would react being taken off of her medication.

"Red!" I heard.

I looked over to see Soren standing up next to Theo. He must have called me a couple times before I heard because he had an amused look on his face. I stood up to walk closer to them near the edge of the bow.

"Were you 'daydreaming' again?" Soren asked ironically.

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that." I said.

"You seem to do that a lot." Soren said.

"Oh my boy, you have no idea. Red seems to always be living in his head. I have learned to memorize the look that he usually has on his face when he is daydreaming so I know not to disturb him." Theo butted in and the two began sharing a laugh at my expense. I was slightly embarrassed, but had grown passed the point of trying to change this behavior. I knew that they did not find any real problem with it.

"I'm sorry, I am sure you will eventually learn to memorize this look too." I said and decided to join them in their laughter. I knew that soon, I may not be able to share a laugh with Soren again. He seemed to have no fear in facing the end, it was like he saw that it was the lesser of two evils. I have always feared death. I'm not sure when it started, but I have always believed I was destined to die young. This belief always seems to lurk in the back of my mind. Sometimes it is as simple as a weird feeling I get when I drive over an interchange on the freeway and other times I believe that I have contracted some type of disease that is slowly eating me away. I remember one time when I was younger telling my mom that I thought I had a brain tumor. It came after a few days of having migraines, but after a quick trip to the doctor, I found out that it was in fact a symptom of seasonal allergies. My Mom found trouble in the fact that I immediately jumped to it being a brain tumor, but never brought it up again. The most disturbing part was that I would have dreams that corroborated the fear. My fantasies of the brain tumor were reaffirmed by a dream I had in which I had an x-ray of my head done and inside was a tumor the size of a tennis ball. I awoke and was convinced that this was enough evidence to believe the end was near.

I snap out of this recollection to find Theo and Soren walking back down into the cabin of the boat. I rush to follow closely behind them, hoping they didn't notice me drifting off again. I see Theo walk to a cabinet filled with liquor. It was the first time I had even noticed it. He poured a drink for himself and for me, pointing out that it would have no effect on Soren, laughing while doing so. I typically do not drink and momentarily thought about refusing the scotch, but saw no point. Who knows the next time I would be able to do something like this. I see Theo drink the first glass in one large gulp and decide to follow suit. He pours another drink as if it was instinctual. After handing me the second glass, he sits down across from Soren and begins to look at his stack of books. He picks up the book that details the structure of various plants and hands it to Soren.

"Would you like to try and read it?" He asked.

Soren reached out to grab the book and opened the cover. I glanced at Theo, who was watching Soren so closely you would've thought it was actually his son. Soren began reading the book and kept increasing in speed as he flipped each page. Within five minutes he had completely finished it, which must have been three-hundred pages at least.

"What a beautiful book." Soren said.

Theo looked at me and smiled. I couldn't help but smile too. I understand why Philip thought that Soren was the next step in evolution. It's ability to digest information was unlike anything I had ever seen. And it wasn't just this ability to take in information that was impressive, but the way it viewed the world was just as intriguing. Soren seemed to find beauty in things that most would find mundane or boring. I saw Soren reach for another book. It was a biography on Leonardo DaVinci and again finished it in a matter of a few minutes. It said nothing after this book, but instead proceeded to pick up a stack of books. Theo and I sat silent and watched in amazement. After some time and a few drinks, Theo stood up and walked over to a record player he had on a table. He grabbed a record from the shelf and began to play it. It was an old song, one I hadn't heard in some time. My dad used to play it every now and then. I think it was some piece by Beethoven, but wasn't sure.

"Let me show you how to waltz my boy!" Theo said, looking at Soren.

The two began dancing and I laughed as they did so. Theo still had on those bright yellow rain-boots he had been wearing the first day we met. For his age, he moved surprisingly well. Perhaps it was the alcohol. After a few minutes of dancing, Theo stopped and sat down out of breath, still laughing. Soren continued to dance alone and repeated exactly what Theo had done. It seemed to be happy. At the end of the record it went and sat down next to the books once again.

"I am truly excited to meet Lily, Red." Soren said looking at me.

"You have to understand that she is not who she once was. I know that Theo has explained what the medication does to people. You would have really liked her Soren, she was one of the smartest people I knew." I said staring down into my now empty glass.

"Never lose hope, Red. Even when things seem the worst, there is always a chance they will workout. Every book I have read confirms this. You are designed to survive, the human body I mean, and it is capable of great feats. One of these books tells the tale of a man who ate nothing but water and vitamins for over a year and still survived! The only time it seems that the body dies, is when you think there is no chance left for survival. If Lily is still alive, then that means there is something in her that wants to be." Soren explained.

"I sure hope so." I said, not fully convinced by what Soren had said.

I could not stomach another drink and decided I needed to go to bed. Theo led me to the main bed and told me that he would sleep on the couch in the main area. He said he still had things he wanted to discuss with Soren. I found no desire to ask what he still had left to discuss and bid him goodnight. I made a comment about the book that Malcom had given him, but he did not hear it. I fell asleep the instant I laid down and had no dream that I could remember. I could only remember waking up once in the night and hearing Soren and Theo still talking in the main room, but wasn't able to make out what they were saying. I couldn't keep my eyes open and drifted back into the abyss.

When I awoke from my slumber, I entered the main cabin to find Soren still reading. I had forgotten that it had no need for sleep. The stack of books on the floor had been moved and I realized that it had read almost all of them. Soren did not see me when I had first entered the room, as it was still deeply focused on the book it was reading.

"Good morning Red." Soren said only after I picked up a cup for coffee.

"Hello Soren, are we heading back to the mainland?" I asked.

"Ah, I believe we should be arriving any moment now. Theo awoke early this morning and set his course for the harbor. He was going to wake you, but said that you would need the sleep for the coming days." It said.

"How long did you and Theo stay up? I thought I heard you guys talking in the middle of the night, but couldn't remember if it was just my imagination." I said.

"I lost track of time, but it was late into the night. He asked me questions about some of the books he has read and I tried to give my input on them." Soren replied.

I didn't bother asking what books they had discussed, assuming their discussions would matter little to me. I exited the main cabin to find Theo on the deck. When I first laid eyes on him, I noticed a change in him. He seemed to have found an answer to a question he has had for a long time. He appeared to be deep in thought about something and I wondered if that is what I looked like when I daydreamed. I knew that he wasn't here, but off in another world, somewhere in his imagination.

"Morning Theo." I said, trying not to startle him.

"Hello my boy, sleep well I'm assuming?" He muttered.

"I did. The scotch worked wonders. I cannot recall the last time I slept so peacefully." I replied.

"Yes, yes. I had a feeling it would. I knew the situation we find ourselves in is a challenging one. Who knows when we may get to enjoy a fine scotch like that again, I had been keeping it for some time." Theo said.

In the distance I saw the harbor approaching. We were a few miles from the shore and I returned to the cabin to have another cup of coffee. I was nervous to confront Lily. She would not come willingly to the boat, yet I knew I had no choice but to get her here. My only hope would be that she was asleep and would think it was all a dream. For some reason, I felt like something had happened to her. I never had the fear of her committing suicide, but the thought arose from the depths. Everyone I knew that had taken their own life did so without warning. The medication takes away indicators of suicidal tendencies, so those who do, show no signs beforehand. I knew that Lily was not that far gone yet, but it was a feeling I had inside of me the I couldn't explain.

My cravings for food had dwindled over the days, much like Theo said they would and this morning I could not find the will to eat. All I could think about was how different life would be in the coming days. The nervousness must have been mutual, for Theo did not eat either. I envied the fact Soren had no need to worry about eating for a few moments, but soon saw that it was the result of a sad reality. The pleasure of a meal after being hungry for a few hours was one of the greatest feelings in the world to me. I suppose if I had never known this pleasure, it wouldn't be recognized as a loss. How boring life must be without the pleasures we experience every day; sleep, hunger, thirst. These small victories we get everyday are taken for granted.