Mars Nation 2 by Brandon Q Morris

Author:Brandon Q Morris [Morris, Brandon Q]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hard-SF.com
Published: 2019-11-27T08:00:00+00:00

Ewa stood still. Friday and his fear of dying—but is he even alive? Wasn’t he just a program, a parasite in her brain? He certainly didn’t fit within the generally acknowledged definition of a living being.

“I believe you when you say you’re afraid of dying,” Ewa said, “but I’m not really that certain that you’re even alive. And nothing that’s not alive can die.”

‘Are you saying that I’m just imagining it? If you would allow me, I can transfer my feelings into the accessible area of your mind.’

She considered it. Why not? It could be interesting to experience how an artificial being thinks. “Okay,” she said, “I’ll let you.”

‘You’d better sit down.’

She sat down. Suddenly, the Mars landscape around her disappeared. She didn’t know what she was seeing. All around her was emptiness, filled only by wind and rain. She was a small child gripping a metal pole. The pole was on the roof of a 120-story building in New York. If she let go, she would fall hundreds of meters to the ground. She felt the need to cry, but had no more tears. Instead, she screamed, but the sound was drowned out by the storm. She couldn’t let go of the pole under any circumstances, but the storm was only the side effect of a much more significant danger. Above the city, a thunderstorm was in full swing. She was on the roof of the highest building, holding tight to a single metal pole that extended toward the sky. Lightning might strike at any second, and she’d be obliterated beyond recognition.

Ewa recoiled. She was now in the Mars desert again.

“That was a very impressive projection. Are you really scared of thunderstorms?”

‘No. I cannot influence what you see. My subconscious isn’t very compatible with yours. What you saw is what your brain interpreted from my emotions, projecting them into your own physical experiences. You humans are very good at that. This is one of the capabilities we can only simulate.’

“We?” asked Ewa.

‘I,’ Friday said, correcting himself.

She sat back down again. If Friday was telling the truth and really was alive, then it would be murder to take away the base of his existence. She already had plenty of lives on her conscious. Even if you could go so far as to consider Friday the actual murderer: Ewa had never been a believer in the death penalty. She herself was only banned, not killed. And what if it didn’t concern a living being? It was indeed a fascinating piece of technology. Could humanity in its current state afford to simply eradicate such a promising technological advancement?

“I have come to a decision,” said Ewa.

‘You will let me live?’

“We’ll see. For the time being, I definitely won’t tell the NASA people about you. I think I can manage until after we have tested the giant drill.”

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