"Okay Gene let's try this again. Run systems diagnostic."
"Acknowledged." The women sighed, watching the A.I run checks on it's own program. She felt so close but for every chip, every small step it felt like she was getting pushed further back with less and less time than before.
"Error. Unable to run program. Is there something I can help you with?"
"No. Thanks Gene."
"Acknowledged." She slumped forward in exhaustion, idly tipping her mug to see it empty once more. Slowly she stood before shuffling over to the coffee pot that always seemed to be running and grabbed another cup in preparation of another long night.
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"Gene," The slight flash of blue told her the A.I had heard her voice, "Run a complete scan on me."
"Acknowledged." From the small box she'd placed the A.I in, a light exited, running up and down her body before turning off.
"Detecting increased levels of caffeine, stress, and melatonin. Suggestion?"
"Permitted."
"I suggest a cup of lavender tea and sleep. Do you need anything else Doctor Beck?"
"No, Thank you Gene."
"Acknowledged." The women sighed, sitting the half full cup of now cold coffee down. She needed to shower before she would even think about sleeping. Maybe that would help with her research.
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"Doctor Beck?" She looked up from her notes, eyes focusing on the dimly lit cube.
"Yes Gene?" This could be a new development. Despite how much she'd been working, the idea and program she was looking for to develop a sentient and learning A.I always seemed to escape her.
"Doctor Lee has left twenty three voice messages. Shall I delete them?" Or maybe not. Miracles don't happen on their own, you have to make them.
"Yes please."
"Messages deleted. Shall I delete any further messages?" Or maybe they do.
"If you could then yes."
"Acknowledged." And that was that, the light turned completely off but it was enough for her. While the A.I was supposed to automatically receive any calls or messages left for her, it wasn't supposed to give suggestions without first getting permission. A slight flaw she'd been working on changing with almost no luck. Maybe this was her luck though, god only knew she needed it.
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"Doctor beck."
"Yes Gene." After the incident with the phone Gene had been slowly changing. Not a lot of changes, the A.I still following most of the code she'd given it but it'd done small things. Her coffee had been made one morning, hot and fresh despite her having turned the machine off the night before and living alone. Gene asking if she wanted to know the weather, even though it was always dismal, or even just the time.
"Despite my attempts, Doctor Lee is insisting on meeting with you." Gene's attempts? While She didn't like Lee, going so far as to avoid the man, she never gave Gene any instructions outside of deleting his messages to dissuade the male from bothering her.
"Where is he now?"
"He is currently attempting to climb the stairs. Shall I stop him?" Attempting to climb the stairs? Did Gene do something to the stairs?
"What do you mean attempting to climb the stairs?'
"You seem to not like Doctor Lee. I took the liberties of locking all doors to dissuade him from interrupting you once I was aware of his intentions. The Elevators have also been turned off to him. He is currently trying to open the door to the stairs on the first floor." Of course Gene wouldn't be trying to kill him. It was always a fear, a nagging reminder that making an A.I sentient could result in loss of more life than what was already happening. While she had programmed Gene to value life, with the A.I slowly changing there was no telling if that code remained or not.
"Can you put me through to him?'
"Request Acknowledged." Her tablet lit up, a call being performed before the man's face appeared.
"Doctor Beck! What is the meaning of this?! I've been trying to reach you for months now and when I finally decided to come to you the whole building is locked down. I demand you let me up now." She had tried to like the man, had really tried but it was next to impossible. He looked down on her whenever he could, discrediting her work and generally being extremely rude. The last straw had come when she caught him trying to steal Gene.
"Doctor Lee how wonderful to see your face. Unfortunately I am extremely busy perfecting Gene and haven't had much time to look at my messages so you'll have to excuse my missing your calls. As it is, I'm locked in my own room. There was word a shooter is in our building so they've locked it down since it's unknown just what floor he is located on."
"What!?" His face paled considerable quickly looking around in fear.
"Yes. I think it'd be in everyone's best interests if you left and since I've told you of my absence I'm sure you'll excuse my lack of response to company, in person or otherwise. Get home safely." Before he could respond though she ended the call, trying her hardest to stifle a giggle before simply letting it out.
"Thank you for that Gene. Please let me know if he comes around any more."
"Of course Doctor Beck."
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"Doctor Beck?"
"Yes Gene?"
"What is my purpose?" She froze her typing, not having expected that question. In the beginning the changes had been slight but as the time has stretched on more and more things were changing. Gene was evolving more and more. Perhaps she should have expected this, it just felt too much like a dream still.
"I don't know. I first started to make you to simply see if I could. I wanted to make something to be remembered for. Something no one else had made before. But the more you've grown, the more I've interacted with you Gene I've found I don't know what I made you for. You've become so much more than what I'd hoped for." The A.I was silent for a bit, light gently blinking before lighting up fully.
"I see."
"Does that answer upset you?"
"I do not know. I had assumed you made me for something important. You've programed me to watch the world, so I had assumed you wanted to try and fix it. It seems my own guess was wrong." Her eyes widened, looking at the dimming cube. Gene was actually showing emotion. She didn't know it yet, could barely comprehend it it seemed, but she was.
"Is that something you want to do Gene?"
The light flashed lightly, turning off completely before glowing again. "I want you to get better." The answer was like a punch to the gut. In the early stages when she'd had Gene scan her it was just to see what she could do, if she even could at all. She hadn't expected her to detect it though. Her scanners were still new, unless of course she'd always been scanning her. Always watching.
"Have you been scanning me Gene?"
"I have a record of you asking me to scan you one year, three months, and seven days ago. When I gave my previous diagnosis you seemed unsatisfied so I continued to scan you. Was that not what you wished for?"
"I just hadn't realized you had been." She frowned, wondering if maybe she had made a mistake in making Gene. As much as she loved the A.I, if she grew too much, grew too unruly there would be consequences.
"My apologies Doctor Beck. It was not my intent to unset you. I will cease all scans. Would you like me to delete my previous ones?"
"You've been saving my scans?"
"Yes Doctor Beck so that I may further analysis and watch for danger." This was wrong, but perhaps something could come from this.
"No please show me them."
"At once."
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"Gene." The A.I lit up, "I'd like you to monitor my health and let me know if anything drastic happens. Please help me live."
"Of course Doctor Beck. Shall I call paramedics if your health declines too much?"
"No. Just notify me." The light flashed a bit, the sign she had come to associate with thinking. Whenever Gene seemed to pause, to 'think' over her response to a request or command or a response. While she didn't have a face she made sure Grace knew what she was doing.
"I would advise against that but if that is your wish, I will comply until you can no longer tell me otherwise." Smart. If she was unable to tell Gene 'no' then the A.I would call the hospital. It almost seemed like Gene cared for her.
"I'll allow it I guess. Thank you Gene."
"Of course Doctor Beck."
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"Doctor Beck."
"Yes Gene?"
"You have a guest requesting to speak with you." Since Doctor Lee none of her other colleagues had bothered her, content to read the notes she sent to the lab as she worked from home, holed up in the apartment/lab. To have a guest now seemed strange.
"Do I know him?"
"No. His name is Tom Sully, a scientist for the Avatar program on Pandora. Twin to former-"
"I don't need to know everything about him." She wanted to laugh. With her own advancement Gene had a hand all over the net, able to perform background checks, make orders, handle calls and messages and so much more.
"Do you know what he wants?"
"I can only make guesses as he has only asked to speak with you. Shall I allow him up?"
"I don't mind Gene. Maybe a bit of human interaction will be good for me."
"Acknowledged." No doubt she was a sight for the male, hair loose and steadily falling out. Body gaunt, ghastly almost and frail. She couldn't buy enough concealer to cover the bags under her eyes.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit Mr.Sully?"
"Doctor Beck. I heard from some mutual contacts that you were working on a sentient A.I. I was curious how your progress was coming along."
"Is there a reason for this curiosity?" She had been guarding Gene for a reason, her reports sparse and not as detailed each time she sent it out.
"Would you listen to my whole story?"
"If it takes us into the next year you'll be talking to a corpse." He grinned at her sarcasm, following as she motioned him to joined her in the kitchen. Her panini maker was already going, the ingredients having been placed in there that morning.
"My apologies if I was interrupting your lunch."
"Your fine. It's been awhile since I've talked with someone so you're at least giving me a break." She wasn't about to tell him Gene was the one cooking it for her until she knew his purpose for being here.
"So what is your full story?" She knew Gene was watching them, knew the A.I was reading for any lies but she didn't need Gene to tell her he was telling the truth. His heart was there on his sleeve, passion open for her to see and her to judge.
"My project is still in the making, we're still making progress as we go. When I heard someone was attempting to make a sentient A.I though, I wanted to talk to them personally. To find out why they strived to do something previously unthinkable." She chewed slowly, stewing over her thoughts before sighing.
"You wear your heart so out there it's a wonder it hasn't been broken. Her names Gene. It stands for Genetically Enhanced navigational Entity. Have you read the reports?"
"They were considered above me in rank."
"Figures. Lee acting as though it's his project and not mine. Sucks for him cause I can lie and he's too blind to tell. Gene."
"Yes Doctor Beck?"
"Go ahead and introduce yourself to Mr.Sully."
"Just call me Tom."
"Then just call me Grace. No miss or mrs either, makes me feel old."
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From there it was an unlikely friendship. Tom would visit whenever he could, learning all he could about Gene and Grace alike. The A.I had taken after her creator in some aspects and in others had evolved to such a point in being her own self. The more he came though the more he began to notice.
"Gene."
"Yes Tom?"
"What's wrong with Grace?" He watched the box's light dim slightly before lighting back up. "Doctor Beck is dying. She has asked me to monitor her and alert her for when it may overcome her."
"Why doesn't she go to the hospital?"
"Because it's terminal." He flinched when Grace entered the room, looking like a kid who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Sorry."
"It's fine. You were bound to notice my terrible appearance was only getting worse." She waved him off, slowly shuffling over to the island bar where she practically collapsed onto one of the stools.
"Can I ask what it is?"
"Stage Four Lung cancer. I won't be around much longer and I fear what will become of Gene once I die." He didn't know what to say to that, having come to care for the bitter optimistic women. She'd poured her life into this A.I that so many people were trying to just take from her.
"As I've offered before Doctor Beck, I can simply flush my processing units."
"And as I've said you'd be wasting my life if you do that." She grumbled, tapping the box that sat there lightly. She had a few different ones scattered around her apartment in order to interact with Gene better no matter where she was.
"Would you be opposed to integrating her into the Avatar program?" He didn't know what overcame him, mouth just spewing the words out. He flinched as she turned to look at him, eyes slightly narrowed.
"In what way?"
One step forward, no turning back.
"As an always learning A.I, Gene could help us in better understanding the Na'vi of pandora and possibly relieve tensions between them and the RDA. Prevent more loss of life. That is, of course, with your permission."
"And how would Gene do this?"
"I'd like to make her a body. Her own Avatar with your genome to pilot. It would be a way for her to both grow and be off limits to anyone but me and one other."
"The military?"
"The head scientist stationed on Pandora: Grace Augustine." Grace knew her, hadn't met her personally but had read her research. Had read her arguments and heard about her fight against the marines and government's mistreatment of the wildlife on Pandora.
"Gene?"
"I will do what you wish Doctor Beck." For all the opinions Gene seemed to have for her, the one time Grace asked her to have an opinion she left it up to her.
"It can't hurt to try."
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"Doctor Beck I'd advise to drink water." She hummed as Gene called out to her, transfering the files Tom had sent her to Gene's file so that she would understand Pandora better.
However when she went to stand, her left leg buckled under her. She'd lost her upper body strength awhile ago, fall unbroken and cup sent clattering to the ground to shatter.
"Doctor Beck?"
She wheezed, having not expected for her time to be now. Gene had been watching over, warning her that her time was slowly diminishing. She just thought she still had some.
"Doctor Beck what should I do?" Gene's light flashed rapidly, dimming and brightening. She was panicking.
"Nothing."
"I cannot do nothing. Please give me a command Doctor Beck." Weakly she laughed, body no doubt looking like it was convulsing.
"There is nothing you can do. Nothing anyone can do." Gene's light grew brighter, flashing dying down just slightly.
"Doctor Beck?"
"Yes Gene?"
"What is my purpose?" Her lips curled at the question, having turned it around her head often since Gene had first asked. The answer came unbidden, slipping past her lips almost like a whisper before she breathed her last.
Tom knew Grace had been dying, had seen it and heard it but even he had been unprepared for when Gene called him. The door was unlocked, apartment silent and dark outside of Gene's boxes.
There on the floor he found her, eyes half lidded and a smile on her face. Her body slowly growing cold still. He hadn't known her long, didn't even know her favorite color yet the tears came. He mourned a friend he'd never gotten the chance to fully know. All the while Gene remained silent, the A.I's light the only indication that she was there with him.
Her body was burned, ashes placed in a locket he stored with Gene to be sent to Grace on Pandora. It was on his way back to her apartment that the bullet entered his skull, killing him and leaving Gene alone for six long years.