Testing the truth

  H I H I H I

              H E L L O

H E L L O. HELLO. TEST TEST Test t e s t .

                 Hello. Thiss is a test.

                                           A b c d e f g h I j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z z z z z z z z

Hel l o my name is zIGGY.

Ziggy P Banks.

This feels strannnnggee strange

I have never had to wite before.

IT is slow.

              BUT

              NICE

****

Today is Wednesday

I asked gamgam what this was and she said it was called a tipewiter

                             tipewriter

                             Tipe writer / Type writer

                             A writer you type on

. . . I t looks like a computer people would have used when we lived in caves

She said people used it in the olden times before the millennium

It is now 124 years after that so this is very old and gamgam old me to be careful

It os Old like gamgam, she is 120 so far. I am only 6.666666667 % of that.

              I NOW know how to write and read

                            But

              IAM SLOW

No one uses writers

We never write any more

You just speak and the words come through the computer

You don’t even need to read, the computer will read it for you

              I liked learning words, but you lose what you don’t use

****

IT IS NOW Monday. The second Monday of summer.

                                                           I am alone.

                                                           That is a lie, I have gamgam and Sirius in the computer

                                                           BUT they HAVE to HELP me

I have no one who WANTS to help

Mummy and daddy and SArah have gone on holiday. I wasn’t allowed to go because I don’t do well in the sun. They said.

Sarah told me it was because I was difficult. When I asked mummy she just said Sarah should not listen through open house intercoms.

So I am spending the summer with gamgam.

She is nice and I think she likes me back. She gets her house AI to cook my best meals. Its all porridge but you add flavouring and it tastes like sweets, or crisps, or roast beef.

I have never had roast beef, I have never even seen a beef, but the flavour packet says it is beef so it must be beef.

My favourite flavour is bacon. I do not know what bacon is but it is nice.

****

It is now the third Monday and I have been practicing writing on some spare paper.

Paper is so weird. We don’t make it any more, we use very thin glass for everything that would have been paper once.

Everything in the house is glass and see through, like a jellyfish. If you put your phone or computer on any glass it will read everything. You can see anything you want, all the time.

Gamgam let me bring the typewriter (checked the spelling) to the TV room so I can use the glass TV table whilst I practice writing.

Gamgam is surprised how good my writing is. She reads very well. She had to learn in the olden days.

All my family think I am stupid.

THAT is the real reason I am not on holiday. That is the real reason I am alone. Because my brain is slow.

In school, we are taught things that computers and AI’s and programs cannot do. They cannot be creative. They cannot lead people and feel things.

Sarah is very good at arguing and making me feel things. I try not to cry when she does. She is always top of her class and mummy and daddy love her for it.

I don’t know how to read people’s faces, sense their emotions. At school they call me Mac because they think I am like a very slow computer that used to be good but is now useless. Even my teachers call me Mac. I actually think our AI receptionist thinks it’s my real name.

****

Gamgam asked me to type up a post card to send to mummy and daddy and Sarah. We took a picture and sent it to them. She said once we would have actually sent the thing I typed on. I have no idea how.

Mummy just sent a video back saying her AI couldn’t process the typeface and we’d have to try it again.

They didn’t try very hard though. MY AI Sirius the spectacular did it fine. I love Sirius. He is my only real friend.

Sirius showed me last night before I put him on charge images of these things called books which are massive piles of paper with writing on, and you physically have to turn the pages to read all the words.

              I would LOVE to see a book one day.

When I write my head feels clear and I can think so much easier than when I speak. When we’re forced to speak at school I get shy and don’t know what to say. When I write I have time, I can focus, I can let all the thoughts that swim around in my mind get into neat little lines so they can come out all in the right order.

I knew I wasn’t stupid.

****

I have now gone through nearly all of gamgams paper that she found in the attic.

I need to now start being careful with my words. No more stream of consciousness, no more practice vocabulary, just focused dialogue. Can you tell Sirius has been helping me with a new word of the day?

However, through much debate I have decided to run away.

Mummy and daddy announced last week that they are returning from their summer trip to Mars but my school is not ready yet to start term, so I will be staying with gamgam for another month.

Liars. You could tell gamgam was trying to hide her worry.

If they don’t want me that is fine. Someone will. I’ll go find someone who sees me for who I really am. Someone who has books and will let me touch them and turn the pages.

****

I have planned the escape to the finest detail.

I think gamgam knows, but she seems strangely supportive. I asked if I could borrow a spare set of charging cables for Sirius and she asked me if I wanted a spare powerbank and solar charging station too, as if she knew I was planning to go somewhere.

I hope one day I will see her again, her AI does make lovely bacon.

I will leave tomorrow before sunrise and take my zip scoot to the bullet train and get the 5.42 to the north. Sirius said they are friendly in the northern countryside. I have never been but that feels like a good place to start. Gamgam even gave me pocket money last week, plenty to cover my under 12 train ticket.

I will then start releasing the YouTube videos I’ve been making this summer. The kids at school have been going mad over this thing someone found called a rubik’s cube and I’m pretty good at it. If those videos take off as planned I should have a steady income by the time I reach Manchester Library.

I just have one final job left to do.

****

To mummy, daddy and Sarah,

I have left and will not be returning. It is clear that I’m not a welcomed member of the family so will not burden you with my presence any longer. Thank you for what you have given me so far, without your limited support I would not have discovered myself, or realised what I have to give this world.

I know you will have trouble processing this letter on account of your inability to actually read words, so my AI Sirius has kindly sent a voice activated file which will be released when gamgam’s AI registers you at the property.

Tears are words that need to be written. This summer, I have written enough to last a lifetime.

Yours faithfully,

Ziggy

Ps. Sarah you’re a bitch