Alpha One Six

by Misanthropian

Chapter Six: Literature

"You're sure this is the right place?" Alan looked at the shop. The antique brick architecture set it apart from most of the surrounding buildings.

"It's the only coffee shop around this area.", Redheart trotted over and pushed the door, "Trust me, I heard them say the street names over the radio. It has to be here." The bell over the door chimed as they walked in.

They looked around the empty lobby. "Where is every one?" Alan asked as they trotted up to the counter.

"I doubt may ponies come here, especially this time of day." Redheart rang the bell at the counter. She waited. "Um..." She rang the bell again.

A voice shouted from the back. "Merry! Get the counter!"

"I'm on my way!", A few seconds passed and a younger mare walked in from upstairs, "Sorry 'bout that. How can I help you."

Redheart looked to her as Alan went to look around. "We were wondering if you knew anything about the robot the police were looking for earlier."

"Well, I wasn't here for that. Hold on.", She turned towards the back, "Hey Pa!", there was a pause, but no response, "Pa!"

A clatter came from the back and as older stallion stormed up. "What in Celestia's name is it!"

"They want to know about the robot."

"Well their outa luck. I already told the police I never saw it.", The shop owner looked to Redheart, "If it came through here, it must have snuck back out while nopony was looking."

Redheart's ears drooped. "Oh...", She perked back up slightly, "Well, was anyone else here when they came through?"

"Was only one other pony here then.", He said, rubbing his beard, "If you wana talk with her, come back tomorrow morning."

Redheart let out a sigh. "All right. Thanks anyw-"

"Redheart!" Alan shouted from across the lobby.

Redheart looked over to see him, holding up a trash covered service vest.

---

Alphie sat in the dark.

The rest of the day had been rather uneventful and monotonous. Lyra had worked on a number of broken computers, taken calls for repair jobs, and made a few calls to clients to let them know they could pick up their equipment. Alphie had mostly just looked around the apartment and hid behind things any time somepony showed up to pick something up or drop it off.

She sighed and looked over to where Lyra was sleeping. The sheets rose and fell slowly with the pony's breathing.

Alphie fell back softly onto the carpet and stared at the ceiling.

Several minutes passed.

She waited. She could wait. Waiting was easy. Machines were good at waiting!

Another minute passed.

She couldn't do it.

'Am I bored?', The question echoed silently in her mind, 'How can I be bored?'

She sat up and looked around. Her attention fell on a large book case across the room. Even in the dark it was clear that the shelves were overflowing. She got up an trotted over.

Her eyes illuminated the shelf enough that she was able to make out titles. They seemed alphabetically ordered roughly by subject and title. There were reference manuals on nearly every subject, textbooks on everything from mathematics to biology, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, fiction, non-fiction, numerous pocket guides and references, and stacks upon stacks of binders, some labeled, some not, all of them packed with a mixture of printed and hoof-written information on a variety of projects.

Alphie picked up a dictionary and flipped to the B's. 'Bored...'

bored¹ |bôrd| ‣adj. feeling weary because one is unoccupied or lacks interest in one's current activity: she got bored with staring out of the window | they would hang around all day bored stiff.

'That's just not helpful...', She paused, 'Alive?'

a•live |ə'līv| ‣adj. [predic.] 1 (of a pony, animal, or plant) living, not dead

'Useless.' Alphie placed the book back on the shelf. She looked over the other titles be for grabbing I biology textbook. 'Am I alive? Is this life?' She checked in the glossary and flipped through.

For our intents and purposes we shall define an organism as living if it meets the following three criteria:

1. It gathers energy from its environment.
2. It can use the energy it has gathered to react to changes in its environment.
3. It is independently capable of reproduction.

Alphie shoved the book back into place. "I though books were supposed to have answers!" She exclaimed as quietly as she could. She slumped to the floor. 'Why do I just feel more confused?'

'What am I?' She stared at the floor and sighed.

A book caught her eye as she looked back up. It was unsorted, and shove in the back on the bottom shelf.

She pulled it out. It was caked in dust and looked untouched compared to the other books. She wiped the dust off and opened it.

It is clear by the current state of technology that a major change is on the horizon. As computers get faster, and software design becomes more advanced, it becomes necessary to understand our limits. Artificial intelligence is one such subject of concern. With the development of advanced algorithms and unbounded neural networks, concerns may arise over not only the power of these systems, but the ethics around how they handle personal data. On top of the concerns over privacy, another ethical question arises. Questions over the use of neural networks and AI to simulate the way living minds operate is a subject of major contention in many communities. As well, the question of whether such an emulation of life can or should be considered alive, also arise.

Having personally contributed to the growing world of AI technology, I write this book with the intent to help address these, and similar issues.

Lyra shifted in her bed, drawing Alphie's attention away. She looked over as the pony relaxed back into sleep.

She closed to book and headed out into the kitchen to sit at the table. Once she had settled back in, she looked to the book once more.

Hours passed as Alphie continued to flip through the pages. 'Please. I just want to know...'