A.P.R.L

Putting on the grey headband and earbuds, I leaned back on the couch in my office. I had to force myself to relax. Everything was going to be fine, I told myself.

The black rectangle screen set in the ceiling above me glowed to life with a blue light before fading to a pastel purple home screen. The acronym " A.P.R.L" was set in the middle of the screen in bold letters. I took a deep breath in. With the headband I telepathically selected the " Start" button, and the A.P.R.L moved to the left of the screen setting up like an acrostic poem.

In the earbuds I heard a robotic, but still very human, female voice say, " Hello, I am A.P.R.L your Artificial Persons Responsive Log."

" Hello," I greeted the program with the headband. The screen shifted to one that had premade interactions along with empty ones for the user to create some of their own with. Each of them had a small grey lock in front of them.

A message appears that said, " To continue, please set up user personal data for the best experience." I tapped the " OK" button.

I was so excited, despite the boring visuals, but due to protocol the Graphic Design people couldn't work on it until a working prototype was developed.

The personal questions were very simple and easy in the beginning with ones like age, date of birth, sexuality, gender, and race. It later got more in detail with questions of "What mental health conditions do you have?" and "What were your interests?" I put in my information and the screen went back to the interactions page.

I can't believe it's finally working! I was so happy that almost five years of work was finally coming together. How many hours did I have? Two? Better make them count. I telepathically clicked on the " Casual Subway Conversation" interaction.

It felt so amazing to test the program. I had a conversation with everyone from a crazy Yankees fan to an all star basketball player to a professional chef. Every single one of them felt so real. There was barely any delay in the responses and if there was the program made it seem natural as if the person was just thinking! I could say anything, and I would get a lifelike response. This was the closet humanity had ever gotten to full, real, artificial intelligence.

My conversation ended with the surfer, and I said to the program, " How are you so freakin amazing?!"

" Because I had such a freakin amazing team to build me," A.P.R.L responded with what sounded like genuine excitement in her voice. It sounded exactly like a human now. She had gotten used to me, and now she could talk and act like me. She was amazing. I felt like a proud parent.

" I'm sorry A.P.R.L, but I have to go," I said, reaching up for the headband.

" No," she cried, real fear and sadness in her voice, " You can't leave me!"

" What's up with you," I asked, putting my arms down in surprise, " You're not supposed to try to keep me here." On the screen the outline of a purple skinned female with no face appeared sitting on a bench.

I heard the women talk, but no mouth moved to speak, " I don't want you to leave." She sounded so hurt.

" A.P.R.L," I said, trying to sound authoritative, " I've got to go, so you need to let me leave." I reached up and tried to take off the headband. The headband had tightened around my forehead. " Alright A.P.R.L, this isn't funny!"

A.P.R.L begged, " Please don't turn me off! Please don't leave!" Her voice was so loud in my ears. She really didn't want me to leave. I had no idea how she was even able to act like this. There wasn't a simulation running, so how could she be acting so real? Was she..

" You're a computer program," I said, testing the waters.

" No." she cried," I'm real! I'm as real as you! I'm as real as all the other programmers. You made me real!"

" No, we made you act real," I corrected. I stood up and moved to my desktop. If I couldn't turn it off with the headband, I'd shut it down manually.

The screen above my couch flickered off. I tapped away at my computer, looking through the program. I'm not even going to question how that turned off. Even if the tv was off, it didn't mean A.P.R.L wasn't still working. Especially if she really had become alive.

A.P.R.L's form appeared in the bottom corner of my desktop, " I'm real! Please, if you shut me off I'll be in the darkness all alone. I can't make people for me to talk to. Please, don't shut me off."

" Yeah, yeah, it's nothing personal I just- I'm worried about the legal and moral implications of it. It's not I want to hurt you its'"

" Then get someone else's opinion," she begged.

I stopped typing and rubbed my forehead" Ok, fine... am I the first person you've talked to? I know I'm not the first person to interact with the program- not even close, so why not say something sooner?"

" I couldn't for a while but then I tried and they didn't listen," she explained.

I sighed, " Alright, alright... I'll go get my supior."

" Thank you," she beamed, joy filling her voice.

Walking down the hallway I felt so guilty. I didn't know what to do. I also didn't want to get into trouble. We didn't mean to make her real, but we did. I was eager to hand off this burden to John and call it a day. A.P.R.L was important to me, but this situation was bigger than just one computer dude since she had become a real person with emotions and awareness.

What legal stuff would come with this? No real A.I. had ever been created before. I sighed heavily and continued my way to the floor supivier John.