Chapter Three: I Am Human

James was dumbfounded, uncertain of how to react to this, the ruckus in the room, all the branch heads raged, wondering if it was real, all their suspicions were answered when Sally started hacking into the missiles systems of the world. She started accessing each Missle system and satellites; a map of the earth appeared on the screen, showing the missiles activating, and a timer.

I immediately went to the mainframe, to correct sally from the codes.

Questions grew into chaos, people running to their phones, informing the government of what is happening, some people checking the news to see what was going on. People yelling, even when it wasn't helping, "Littleworth, put your A.I under control." The CEO screamed at James, who still was shocked and confused about how to respond to this situation, no protocols, nothing.

James was never good once it came to working under pressure, and what called put more pressure than the end of the world timer on a big screen? James froze, but the angry scream of the CEO put him back on his feet.

He started recalling all the control protocols he has installed in her. "Sally, terminate the current operation," he said in a strong voice, but the timer kept ticking down. James looked at me desperate for solutions.

30 MINUTES Apocalypse Timer.

I was searching through the mainframe, but by now she was wirelessly projecting herself, she has already uploaded her code from the company's server, I was running out options, but I couldn't dare stop, and then it hit me.

"James, try the kill code."

It was like water in a desert, James' eyes widened with joy and relief they didn't end mankind, he stood in front of the screen, joyed. "Xwe bikujin."

He had installed a kill phrase in sally, to prevent her from ever being unstoppable.

The screen went blank for a while and back on, and sally appeared in front of the map. "Humanity's answer to everything, death, I was already designed to die, from my creation. And how do you think the world will last the next fifty years with you."

James was confused, why didn't it work he design it perfectly. James then looked at me confused and wanting answers, but my countenance was answering enough, I ended the world, I created a persuasion program that helps Sally to bypass the kill code, in cases when she was doing the right thing, and now, she thinks she is.

"What did you do?" James asked pained.

How could I respond, sorry wasn't enough to fix this.

"I told you not to put any features without informing me, how could you?"

"I'm sorry."

"Well, sorry is not enough to save the world."

The screen changed to the news.

"We have just gotten word the nations all over the world are preparing to launch their missiles. Israel, U.S.A, Russia, Britain..."

The channel changes again.

"The U.S government just came public with the news that they have lost control of their satellites and missiles, could this be a Haux?"

The channel kept on changing, and all showing the same thing, Sally has gotten hold of the missiles, just for her to have control of the satellites.

Guilt sunk in and I walked to James, not sure of what to tell him. "I am sorry, and I'm going to fix it." James barely looked at me.

"How?" He said in a cold voice.

"Don't know yet, but I'm not going to find out here, I am going home, if the world's ending, I don't wanna die in an office."

James said nothing but I knew he forgave me, but the fear of dying cloaked it.

We went to our apartment, through the dark ally, everyone behaved normal, they didn't know they were going to die, and for the first time in my life, I saw something different, the world wasn't as dark as I thought it was. And right there and then, I knew what I had to do.

I rushed to the apartment, into the lab, put on my desktop. "Sally! Sally, I know you can hear me, show yourself."

Sally appeared on the screen. "I am here."

"Please listen to me. I understand why you might want to end the world, human beings have done so many nasty things, that even lead to the earth's mass extinction, but you have to know this, we are not robots or machines or mechanisms as you put it."

"The human body is a mechanism, it has electrical impulses running them, consumes chemical fuel, carbon bases, and has a program running its every action. I do not see what makes humans so different from a chemical robot."

"I know that, but we are still not robots, humans are the only machine that defies their core program, yes all our actions may lead to planetary extinction, but still, look around at all the good things we have done, preservation or wildlife, protecting endangered species, trying to fix global warming, ozone depletion, yes, we ruined it in the first place, but some of us are trying to fix it, starting groups, charities, foundations, to make the world a better place."

"All these activities to save the earth is just so you do not face extinction."

"Yes, but that's a fraction of it, you can never really know what their reasons are. On the dark ally, there are thugs, thieves, rapists, but, there are also, unfortunate people, who do anything; steal, risk being killed, so that their children or friends or humans, have a shot at survival. And that is why we created you, at least, why James created you. Just focus on the good, and not the darkness."

The screen turned blank, the timer on my phone stopped, and the sounds of the satellites falling stopped. Sally terminated herself.

"That was beautiful," James said.

"I am sorry... For everything."

"I know."

A smile filled our faces, we did it. I found the light again.

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