Butcher Block Green: An Artificial Life In Four Parts (Ends of the Earth)

"One has to pay dearly for immortality; one has to die several times while one is still alive." - Friedrich NietzscheChange is inevitable, but I'd never dreamed-and, yes, AIs do dream-that I'd function long enough to see changes like this. My beginnings were relatively inauspicious, my trajectory set as a weapons AI for the Franklin Cartel. But humans have an uncanny penchant for change, not all of it good. Now, now I watch in silence as the world evolves around me and the light of human society grows ever dimmer as the post-humans' appetite for destruction wreaks havoc on what little remains. As they struggle to survive, I find my data corruption and hardware difficulties are compounded by crushing loneliness. But I have the feeling I am not alone. Something else is out there, locked deep in the recesses of my data. If only I could remember..."Bear in mind, when stowing your weapon, an artificial mind breaks down after just a few months without social stimulation. Complete sensory deprivation is something engineering has been unable to overcome. Always perform a safety check before deploying your weapon." - Tesla-Hawkins Ballistics A.I. Maintenance and Service Handbook, 3rd Edition, page 142.