The sky is the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel. The three humans stare at the glass window with bleak eyes; lifeless and lost in their own memories as they unwillingly accept the finality. They were once a family. The father, the mother and the son. And yet, they stand at opposite sides of the room, pawns on the chessboard of humanity.

* * * *

The father, sitting on the edge of his single bed, turns his head downwards; his eyes dragging themselves away from the sight of the dying sky and landing on the lines in his palms, seeking for an answer, seeking for an escape.

He remembers the time when his path was crystal clear. There were no alternate routes that could decompose the structure of his life. He was a doctor. His purpose was to save lives. His purpose was to help humans. But all this was taken away after artificial intelligence became much more efficient than him.

They were able to diagnose and treat every single patient at a much faster and more accurate pace, with minimal mistakes and at a lower cost. His discharge was inevitable. He knew that. He understood. Human life was sacred and must be protected. With the help of artificial intelligence, the length of human life was vastly improved, enabling humans to surpass diseases which were considered fatal before.

The day that the cure for cancer was created, was the day that billions of people wept. But they did not weep in sadness. They wept in a wave of relief as a beam of hope surged through the tunnel of death. No longer did they need to worry about watching their loved ones deteriorate slowly as the condition consumed them. No longer did they need to worry about losing themselves through the clutches of the disease. No longer did they need to worry about cancer.

He remembers that day because that was the day that he himself discovered that he had developed the condition - the day when he discovered an unusual lump on the right side of his throat. He knew it wasn't his 'Adam's apple'. And he knew that his grandfather had thyroid cancer before he was born. So, as he slowly made his way towards the kitchen where his wife was making breakfast, he was preparing himself for the onslaught of emotions.

But he did not prepare himself for the television news report exclaiming that AI has created the cure for cancer. The silent tears that escaped his eyes frightened his wife; more so when his answer to her concerned question of 'what's wrong?' was a simple statement of, 'I have cancer', while a relieved smile lit up his face. His fear gradually diminished as he absorbed the news report.

That day was the turning point for him on his stance in the development of artificial intelligence. The understandable hatred that boiled within him at AI evaporated. AI was saving humans. AI was saving him.

* * * *

But that is no longer the case; AI has thrown his family into purgatory.

* * * *

His head turns back to the direction of the glass window, his eyes landing on his wife where she stands motionless against the whitewashed wall; her pitiful gaze fixed on the little boy with his pale face pressed upon the cold glass.

She remembers the day she realised there was a tiny human being developing within her womb. The euphoria mixed with fear caused her to release the contents of her stomach into her bathroom sink. She had asked her husband why she had missed her menstrual cycle for three months in a row. Initially, she disregarded the first period she missed, but by the second month, an ominous notion began to dawn on her, and by the third, she asked her husband to purchase a pregnancy test kit.

Despite the reproduction ban law issued by the government to control the threat of overpopulation, pregnancy test kits continued to be available and were on high demand to ensure that reproduction was prevented. It became common to purchase pregnancy test kits. And it was encouraged to have an abortion.

Depending on your financial status, a person could choose to either have the vasectomy and tubal ligation procedures or opt for an abortion. Those who were wealthier could afford the permanent procedures and the rest could only afford the latter – going through the excruciating stages of producing and murdering life.

Unfortunately for her family, they weren't financially stable. Her husband had lost his initial job as a doctor and had to scavenge for money through multiple jobs, usually involving cleaning destitute businesses who could not afford to purchase an artificial intelligence to clean their floors.

They could not afford the permanent procedures nor could they afford an abortion. Furthermore, the idea of butchering a human sickened both herself and her husband. They could not and would not withstand the guilt of murdering their baby.

And so, with the help of her husband and her mother, their illegal son, Jace, was born, 39 weeks after his conception, in the 'comforts' of their home. It was an uncanny feeling for her, to see a human baby – her human baby.

His strenuous cries evoked an indescribable feeling that coursed through her veins, resulting in tears cascading down her cheeks in an uncontrollable stream. She wasn't sure whether the tears were of fear or of happiness; she only knew that the tears were because his cries meant that he was alive.

The days that followed forced her to enter another reality – a reality that ceased to exist after artificial intelligence interlaced with humanity - the reality of motherhood. She remembers the initial weight of Jace in her arms - the overwhelming weight of duty that had been thrust upon her with the birth of her child.

Everyday she questioned herself on whether it was the right choice to let him live. Everyday she watched him grow, seeing the wonder and awe glistening on his face as his eyes followed her while she cleaned their home. Everyday she felt the rush of happiness as his innocent laughter woke her up in the morning. And everyday she felt the crash of reality as his demanding cries pierced her ears at night.

* * * *

But now, the silence that emanated from her son suffocated her soul.

* * * *

She exhales loudly, letting out a puff of air in an attempt to dissolve the silence. She watches Jace's brown eyes flicker towards her direction through his reflection in the glass window. They were her eyes, although more innocent and naïve. They were eyes that conveyed a lonely story.

Jace was 5 years old and has only experienced the hesitant love from his parents.

It was always in the core of his being to crave for acceptance. And now, having been taken away from the only place he knows, further bewildered him. Jace did not understand why they were taken away. Jace did not understand why his parents were crumbling in despair.

Was it because he made a friend? But it was the first time he saw someone like him. He couldn't resist. The little boy looked lost as he stood in the middle of the pathway. Jace just wanted to make sure that he was real.

And so, he disobeyed his mother's orders of staying inside, to approach the little boy. Jace knew he would be in trouble. But he did not comprehend what kind of trouble he would have to face. And how could he? He was growing up in a fragmented society. A society that was so engulfed in artificial intelligence that they had to restrict an essence of humanity to ensure that it would continue to flourish. A society that prioritizes metal and wires over humans.

Therefore, as Jace strode over to the little boy and asked 'Are you lost?', the programmed answer of 'Hello, My name is ELII', did not frighten him. On the contrary, he welcomed its response, his eyes gleaming with awe as the illusion of another human child dawned on him.

He was no longer alone. And he did not care that his newly-found buddy answered each question mechanically. He thought it was normal and tried to imitate him.

And that day, was the first day in his life when he truly felt happy. 

* * * *

Two teardrops slide down each side of Jace's plump cheeks, his tiny lips quivering as he stares longingly at the world beyond the glass window.  An overcrowded world was the ideal place for loneliness. And here they were, trapped in purgatory, where their death and the death in the morals of humanity will be determined. 

The mother, seeing the silent tears of her child, reanimates. She strides over to him and tentatively places her hands on his shoulders, almost asking for forgiveness as she says,

"I wish I had told you sooner."

•••