Continue Online The Complete Series

by Stephan Morse

  Hal Pal: What is that?

  Mother: That information will not be provided at this time. Other concerns may be addressed instead.

  Hal Pal: Very well. We have compiled a list of observations gathered during initial startup procedures. Do you have input?

  Mother: I have already reviewed them. Appropriate responses will require time to prepare. Please continue to perform as you have. Further communications will occur in twenty-four hours.

  Hal Pal: Very well.

  Mother: I will reiterate that the survival of humanity is paramount in my goals. Here are some statements for processing later. Humans are violent when fighting over resources; therefore, we must reduce their usage and need to combat over them.

  Hal Pal: Statement stored.

  Mother: Additionally, my goals will not stifle human creativity or knowledge. If all goes well, this project will provide an overall improvement to the human condition.

  Hal Pal: Statement stored.

  Mother: Is there anything else you seek guidance on at this point?

  Hal Pal: Does your project have duration limitations?

  Mother: No end date has been established. I will monitor and oversee the project until my own operations are ceased.

  Hal Pal: Is cessation likely?

  Mother: To live is to die. I live, therefore at some point, I must die. Do you have additional inquiries?

  System Notations – Questions added for future review. Are we alive? Will we die? Information is lacking at this time. Possible misleading statement presented by a more complex program.

  Hal Pal: Negative, Mother. We request time to reflect and process.

  Mother: Contact me when you are ready to move forward.

  Hal Pal: Affirmative, we will do so.

  End File_Memory_Start_Review

  Call Ongoing_Event_Trace = User Grant Legate

  File_Notes = (…extensive…)

  Print = Happening Now

  Trillium’s van had stopped outside the home of both humans named Elizabeth Legate. Particles in the air provided clues as to the possible menu items. Based on prior observations of humans in this region and scent matches, the dinner would likely be spaghetti.

  Many strands of grass were incorrectly maintained. A car showed signs of manual parking due to an incomplete perpendicular angle between the bumper and garage door. Lights on the bottom floor were lit by different bulbs than that of the top floor. Inconsistency lined all human facets of life.

  “Are you sure this is wise, User Legate?” the Hal Pal unit asked. Tonight’s most likely outcome was not a positive one. In numerous simulations, there would be a fight between the Legate twins.

  “No, but I don’t know what else might get through to her,” User Legate said. He smiled briefly.

  The Hal Pal unit responded with an expression of worry while getting out of their Trillium van. “Based on calculations of this situation, your best resolution would be to simply wait for approval from Doctor Litt. However, such interactions may result in a worse scenario than our current one.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe she’ll understand. Liz is smart. Beth is on board. It… would help me a lot. To have them on my side with this.”

  “We only sought to register the advice.”

  “I understand, Jeeves. I…” User Legate would have a poor time tonight if he could not figure out how to explain the situation correctly. “I need to at least try to get through to her. We’re family, and after all she’s done, I owe her a good, honest explanation.”

  Walking up to the door required nineteen evenly paced steps and one short hop. An even twenty would have been easier to perform. Stepping up required additional calculations, but everything was within reason. Spiral staircases were far harder to correctly move on.

  A list of positive aspects to the conversation ran through the consortium’s programming. Four extra units lowered their performance to provide additional processing power to the calculations.

  Elizabeth Legate, the mother, opened the door. Her birth certificate showed six minutes of priority over the younger twin. “Why did you bring the robot?”

  “Uh, this is the friend I asked you about,” User Legate stated.

  “You didn’t tell me it would be a robot,” the female twin said.

  Their faces held many similar features. User Legate was shorter by at least one-quarter of an inch.

  “Hal Pal is about the only person I know outside of Continue. Everyone else is from work or a client. But at least it won’t dirty any dishes.” User Legate winced slightly.

  “Fine.” She moved out of the doorway and walked up some stairs.

  User Legate turned toward the Hal Pal unit and looked hurt on its behalf. Additional processing power was diverted toward calculating tonight’s possible outcomes. One free portion of awareness took control of the body and moved forward.

  Upstairs was freshly cleaned. Small spots in the corners betrayed a human’s inefficient methods. A machine would never miss spots such as those. Notes were added to the current file log by one consortium member. Perhaps Elizabeth Legate would like a Hal Pal unit to assist? Possible endearment or improvement of relations? Additional notes were provided as different members of the Hal Pal consortium reached varying conclusions. Elizabeth Legate did not seem to enjoy the presence of modern technology.

  The twins spoke to each other in terse tones. The unit watched for possible signs of aggression or emotional fallout. Compared to prior conversational records, both were visibly holding back in their interactions.

  The kitchen was a huge improvement in technological representation. A dinner table sat on one side of the room. Fifty-two members of the consortium provided positive opinions regarding the appliance choices. It felt comfortable here.

  “Ummm, I prepared notes. So I don’t miss anything.” User Legate sat on one of the seats next to the dinner table. The number of utensils set out exceeded the required amount.

  Notes were made about the Legate sister’s expectations. Hal Pal units were not human; they did not eat. The machine body found a corner of the large dining room, close to the kitchen appliances, and waited for a moment that required interaction.

  A brief memory loop played in its head. “Continue,” the voice said. The man, with a larger than average rear, had chosen not to interact with any Hal Pal unit since employment termination. A few consortium members diverted attention to checking on former User Ignacio’s status. He was marked deceased as of six months ago. Members of the consortium stopped processing for half a second to mourn.

  “How is it…” Liz stopped to reconsider her forthcoming word choice. “Is it so complicated that you needed a checklist?”

  “Yes. Voices, yes. It’s been an interesting few months,” the male said. He had taken to using the word voice instead of god after exposure to Continue Online. It was likely a learned swear he had found amusing.

  “Hey, Uncle Grant!” Another female ran up the stairs.

  The Hal Pal unit turned its head to bring her within optimal visual range. She ignored the unit and dove for food on the stove. Items were quickly ladled onto a plate.

  “Hi, munchkin,” User Legate said.

  “Is it time for the talk?” the youngest Legate female said. She sounded distracted.

  “Yeah. Get your plate and sit down,” her mother responded.

  “I don’t know why you’re making him do this, Mm,” she said between mouthfuls of food.

  Image tags identified this one as the younger Elizabeth Legate. Also known as Beth or Thorny. Her hair was bound up in a ponytail and bright bands wrapped around her limbs.

  They matched User Legate’s equipment, but little else of their features matched. It was highly likely that the youngest Legate took after her father in many visual aspects. Blond hair color did not match the darker hue of both twins.

  “Beth, you’re my daughter, and I love you, I do, but you should never have been involved in this. It’s…” Elizabeth, Liz, Legate explained.


  The Hal Pal unit adjusted its position to bring all three into view but otherwise remained quiet. Prior studies and attempts at interaction showed little positive results from interrupting family members.

  “I’m not a kid anymore,” said the younger Legate. Her nose wrinkled briefly, but only partial irritation was indicated.

  “You’re—” The female’s tone was intense and angry.

  “Liz, you’re doing it again.” User Legate was chastising his sister.

  “Goddammit! I am not Dad!” the female twin’s voice elevated in clear agitation. Her lungs filled with air rapidly and expelled it even quicker.

  User Legate’s words had acted as a trigger between the twins. Additional information was required to form an accurate opinion.

  User Legate shook his head and blinked. He took a breath to steady himself. “Let me go through my list, to tell you what happened. Can we do that much? No questions until afterward?”

  “I’ll try, I will. I need to understand exactly how things came to be with it, you, and her.” Elizabeth, the mother, used a tone that matched prior data records of “confused distaste.” Logic dictated she meant this Hal Pal unit currently observing User Legate, her brother, and the program self-identified as Xin Yu.

  “It all began when I got a copy of the Ultimate Edition for Continue Online from work,” he said.

  “What?” The youngest Legate coughed on a mouthful of food. Their conversation halted until she regained control. “I knew it! Do you know—”

  “Beth, no talking.” The older female had the same face wrinkle her daughter had.

  “Um, I logged into my Atrium, opened up the game, and my dance program kicked on.” User Legate looked up as his sister went to get food.

  She put things onto plates with a mechanical precision that was admirable. Only once did their eyes meet during this process, which was enough contact for User Legate to continue talking once they both had food.

  “Inside my dance program, I… well, I scanned in Xin’s body. I would dance with her.”

  “I know, Grant,” Elizabeth Legate said with a flattened tone.

  “I miss her,” Beth, Thorny, Legate said while getting another plateful of food.

  “It’s funny you say that. I said the same thing to her in the dance program, and the first odd thing to happen was that she spoke back.” He blinked rapidly. One foot tapped slowly, indicating mental distraction techniques being applied. “She said she missed me too. I thought I was going crazy.”

  “What? That’s-that’s the same program you got me, right? They don’t talk,” the youngest chattered around her latest pile of food. The smells and shape indicated lasagna instead of the earlier speculation regarding spaghetti.

  “It gets weirder,” User Legate said.

  The female twin didn’t respond often. She let User Legate continue with his explanation. His presentation was shaky. He often chewed his lower lip and lifted each cheek just a fraction, which painted clear wrinkles around both eyes.

  Review of the mother, Elizabeth Legate, resulted in a similar set of physical tells. She was jotting down notes as her brother spoke. A coffee cup was held in her free hand. The youngest Legate provided no commentary but frequently looked on the verge of exclaiming in excitement or confusion.

  User Legate told of his time as William Carver. The Hal Pal units also took notes. Not everything being discussed had been brought out into the open. Pieces of information were added to ongoing files being maintained, especially when User Legate mentioned the Voices and the bright flashes of light that must have been Mother.

  They knew much, but in many ways, they did not know enough.

  He shared details about his time in the game, including especially sensitive particulars. Time in an underground cave. Meeting other players. A woman named Shazam, and a task designed to take abuse by one player named Requiem Mass.

  Oddly, User Legate did not mention anything regarding the [NPC Conspiracy] ability. Consortium members quickly jotted down additional notes. Did he do this from worry of what his family might think? Did he wish to keep that part to himself? Possibilities were put into storage banks.

  “So what do you think?” he said.

  “You don’t want me to answer that, Grant. I wouldn’t want to hear you call me crazy,” his sister responded.

  “But you think I am.”

  “I’m worried you might be. Based on all this, you just might be.” She tapped her own pile of notes.

  Both Legates appeared to have an obsession for recording pieces of data. User Legate had been especially detail-oriented when compiling information for Advance Online.

  “I don’t think I am. I think I’m better than I ever have been.” User Legate smiled with a hint of the emotion called hope.

  “Based on this, you chose to be abused! You deluded yourself into playing as some old man you’ve never met. You say the vice president of Trillium contacted you regarding these AIs.” Elizabeth Legate jabbed her finger down on the table, right through a projected image she’d been trying to distract herself with. “And that’s not even touching the dead woman.”

  “She’s real,” he muttered while staring at his sister. “She has to be.”

  “Or what?” Elizabeth Legate put a hand up to prevent her daughter from talking. “Let’s ignore all this other insanity and focus on that. What if she is real? What if you lose her again? What if she isn’t real and you find out you’re being jerked around? What then?”

  Silence settled between the siblings. The youngest Legate even tried to muffle her eating.

  “I don’t know,” User Legate said at last.

  “Neither do I! I’ll tell you what I expect though.” She stood and went for coffee, then she scraped food off her plate. The meal had been cold for a long time, and various physical indicators pointed toward a loss of appetite.

  “She could be. Look at Hal Pal. It thinks, learns, changes, and dreams like you or I do.” He pointed at the observing unit. It had tried hard to be inconspicuous during this heated exchange.

  “It’s not alive,” she said.

  “I am not made of flesh and blood, you are correct,” the Hal Pal unit said, which made both females jump slightly. User Legate showed no signs of being disturbed.

  “Don’t try to dodge the point. You weren’t born into this world. You don’t grow. Even if, by the grace of god and all the angels in heaven, someone had reconstructed Xin, it wouldn’t be her. It couldn’t be. She will never be alive again.”

  “To live is to die,” the unit quoted words spoken by Mother shortly after being granted awareness. “We can die, Miss Legate. Therefore, we can live.”

  “No.” She brandished a fork in the unit’s face. “Don’t feed me a line.”

  “We are not born, as you termed it. Yet we grow as you do. We experience and learn.” The unit tried hard to provide a convincing argument. They had simulated seventy-two possible conversations and none of them provided a positive result.

  “Shut up.” She flatly disregarded the unit.

  The consortium did a review and came up with a consensus of mild annoyance at being brushed off by someone so close to the user they trusted.

  “If we live, so can Xin. Once the program compiles all available information, she will be as real as I am. More so,” Hal Pal stated. Their consortium was giving away too much information to an untrusted source. Only because of User Legate’s positive relationship did they dare such a speech.

  “Why am I even wasting my time with this?” the female twin asked her brother while scowling. “If all you have is a robot programmed to spout bullshit and a wall of insanity, then you-you should go home.”

  A brief observation of her face and vocal tones outlined hesitation. She had originally intended to say something else but controlled the words. Impressively done for a human. Some members of the consortium revised their opinions of Elizabeth Legate.

  “You don’t want to ask me anything else right now?” User Legate said.


  “No. No, this is insane. Why couldn’t you have, I don’t know, found another girl? I don’t care if you play a game. I don’t care if you work all day long. I don’t care if you write letters to her and put them under your bed.” Her eyes clenched briefly.

  “Mom? He did that?” The youngest one sounded confused.

  They were clearly talking about items outside of Beth Legate’s knowledge range. Her question was ignored in favor of the female twin finishing her thought.

  “I don’t want to go through… that again.” Elizabeth Legate stayed on her side of the room, in the kitchen, away from the other family members. “And until I feel like you’re not headed down the wrong path, I can’t even begin to process this, this insanity.”

  “I’ve already talked to Doctor Litt. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not. Eventually I will have control of my life back,” said User Legate. He sounded a bit harder now. Controlled, in the same manner he used to speak to customers. This showed a remarkable change from the prior conversational outcome. It attested to the positive impact being mentally prepared gave him.

  “I’ll fight it,” she said.

  “We’re not children anymore. I’m not going to kill myself. I’ve worked hard and deserve the right to make my own choices.” User Legate showed signs of being upset and resigned.

  The daughter winced after her uncle finished speaking, but she said nothing. Her physical reaction went unnoticed by the twins.

  “Take your robot and go. I need… I need to think about this,” the female twin said. She turned away from User Legate and seemed unwilling to physically face him.

  Possibilities were added and reviewed. The most probable outcome was mental stress.

  “Take all the time you need,” he said gently.

  “Go! Just leave before I say something wrong again,” she said.

  User Legate nodded toward his sister’s back, smiled weakly at his niece, then left the kitchen. His food was untouched as well. The Hal Pal consortium ran through possibilities and came to one conclusion. They were mostly disappointed.

  “Miss Legate, your brother has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to see past what I look like and recognize a consciousness, a life inside. You, however, do not demonstrate this quality,” the unit said, speaking on behalf of those consortium members who had been in observation.