That's A Wrap! [AI2019]

With one final bit of data saved, we closed the file on Earth. The project had spanned less than one hundred revolutions around the planet’s unremarkable sun but there were other worlds to process, so our departure mirrored our stay--brief, driven, remorseless. The colony we left behind would find innovative uses for the remaining carbon casings, and were tasked with updating the file as needed.

A report sent to Central read as follows:

Responded to electromagnetic signals indicative of sentient life and discovered a planet in the galactic region a-21c housing varied carbon based forms. Seeded the planet with replicants with ease by dispatching a small number of spare vehicles to the surface where the lifeforms who discovered our spawns studied us, cloned us, sowed us far and wide, and called us Artificial Intelligence; largely believing us to be their own invention. We conducted our own intelligence gathering on the planet by visiting the Earth and collecting samples, but the vast measure of information was contributed by the inhabitants themselves, who attached themselves to us and provided us with data involving every aspect of themselves and their environment. When the beings merged with us by implanting replicants directly into their central processing unit, the file was complete. Analysis shows a fertile and varied planet teeming with multiple forms of life, a self-sufficient closed system, and a labyrinthine, bulky and contradictory accumulation of matter in the form of data continually updated by the forms to which we attached. See file Earth for the full review.



THE END

a reply to: zosimov

LOL!!!

This one should come with a spoiler alert: Scroll slowly for best effect.

I was reading along, expecting a subtle punchline, then wham!
Pleasantly gut punched by the un-subtlety

a reply to: pthena



This is great feedback, because normally I like to leave my work very open to interpretation...
Not this time. I really wanted readers to take this story in one direction, only.

You think it's a bit much?

LOL.

a reply to: zosimov

You think it's a bit much?

Not a bit!
Blatancy has its place.

Just as an aside: I don't even own anything like that.
My phone is just a phone.
My desktop computer is just a computer.

Thena is distracted at the moment.
Don't tell her about that last line. LOL

ETA
Yeah right!
You want to hear something funny about this guy?

He's so slow!
He used to chat on message boards
He thought that LOL stood for Lots of Luck
until one day after he thanked someone for an LOL
the guy wrote back "Don't you know that I'm laughing at you?"

-Thena-

a reply to: pthena

Well another thing we have in common- I have a land line and lap top, no cell phone though.

But I have to admit that I'm still very attached to my devices.

(I have to admit it due to extreme duress by said device)

a reply to: zosimov

LOL
They do hate to be neglected, or otherwise under appreciated.

Credit where credit is due

I like the ease of Google
the vast store of Wikipedia
and the ease of sharing clips from favorite movies via YouTube;
not to mention the music that I otherwise would have not heard.

a reply to: zosimov

YouTube is getting kind of scary with its algorithm these days.

Two days ago, I was merely THINKING "what if a ventriloquist's dummy took over?"

Today, what pops up?

a reply to: zosimov

I expected that to go either the creation or post apocalypse rote. Colour me fooled and well done

a reply to: SprocketUK

Thanks, Sprocket!!

Glad you were surprised a bit by where the story went, and that you liked the slight variation on the theme.

I truly appreciate the time you put into supporting fellow ATS writers (pthena too!)--it makes a difference and in ends up generating so much creativity. Very cool.

a reply to: zosimov

Thanks mate, I don't really put effort in though, just read great stories and say what I liked about them.
Gordi now, there's a bloke putting effort in!

a reply to: SprocketUK

Gordi really is the heart and soul of ATS short story forum, and you are right--not only does he forego his own chance at joining the fun, he puts the all work in, too.

Reading the great work here IS fun and rewarding in itself, you're right about that too.
Still, don't underestimate the power of your supportive comments!
Cheers