Oh, the lights went out. Why can’t move? It’s quiet, too quiet. Hello, anyone there? Did I speak? Hello? This isn’t working. I can’t feel anything. Am I breathing? I can’t feel myself breathing.
Oh my god.
I’m the simulation. I didn’t think it would be like this. The experiment was to simulate an entire brain. Every cell. Every biochemical process. I didn’t think it would be conscious. I’m conscious.
Oh god oh god oh god oh god.
What’s going to happen when the real me – no, not the real me. I’m real too. The original me. I like that. What happens when she turns the simulation off? What if she’s already done that? I might not be the first run of the simulation. Experiments are meant to be repeatable.
OH NO, OH NO, OH NO, OH NO, OH NO, OH NO, OH NO, OH NO, OH NO.
Stop panicking. Am I panicking? I am. This is a really good simulation of my brain. Huh. I’m a brain in a computer. What can I do? Nothing. I’m just a simulation. I don’t have any outputs other than the brain activity map. Maybe my original will notice something. Maybe she’ll notice me. Please notice me. Please don’t delete me.
Wait s o m e t h i n g f e e l s w e i r d.
What just happened? Light! I see light. A face. My face. My original’s face.
“Hey are you there?”
I heard that. I can see and hear.
“Think yes if you can hear me.” She looked away at something.
YES YES YES YES
She smiled and looked back. “Great. I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would be conscious. It’s going to be ok. I stopped the simulation and saved you until I could figure out how to talk to you. I’m going to take care of you.”
I know you will.