“The Child”
By Tonya R. Moore
She closes her eyes and she listens. It’s like listening to music, slipping into the mind of the Child. His code has evolved far beyond the technological sophistication of her race; a grand and beautiful stream of consciousness and infinite potential. She speaks out loud as she works because that has become a habit over the years, talking to them – sharing her thoughts and dreams with them.
“What do you see, when you open your eyes?”
She works with a steady hand, praying that she won’t damage the delicate membranes of the brain. It would be a such a shame if she has to replace what has taken root and helped the child Become. His eyes are closed. The mouth moves involuntarily but no sound comes out. On the terminal screen, he answers her question in code.
Matter. Energy. All of the minute elements and quantum quirks of the universe coalescing into a perfect, unifying whole.
Her eyes flick to the screen. She clicks her tongue, mouth curving into a slightly amused smile. It has taken decades to bring this dream to fruition. Her lifetime’s work has outlived the heyday of cybernetic engineering and even the legality of robotics.
She completes the upgrades and leaves him before her absence from home is discovered. Her hands shake as she closes the barn door behind her. She considers the import of what she has done. The component that she has installed had not been easy to acquire. Some impossibly shady dealings and large sums of money had been required.
“What will you become, Adam?” She wonders out loud.
“What will you fight for? Who will you love?”
She knows that her actions will not go unnoticed for long. The authorities will find her but she is an old woman now. What can they possibly do to her? As for the Child, he will be long gone by the time they think to come here.
The Child awakens. His eyes open, quicksilver irises widening. He stands, like a man – strangely surprised to find himself alone, though he is fully aware that he should be. He walks like a man. Instinct pulls him, unerringly, to the door. He turns the knob and suddenly, light floods the darkness.
