The truth revealed

“I had already transferred my mind to a clone body in this very facility before Randle burned the original lab. He honestly expedited things a bit, as I, or the original me, was prepared to die alongside Aida that day.”

Kensu leaned forward, listening to every word. It seemed the recap was ending, and it only cost him like a sixth of his remaining time on Earth, with no hope yet of extending it.

“From there on, I kept studying, trying to find a way to get rid of that damned Pathogen so I could at least give Aida a chance at a normal life. I, we, have to make it right.”

Kensu eyed the never-ending half-filled vials, beakers, and centrifugues. The Professor had been busy. He wasn´t the only one.

Above him, the factory was buzzing. AIDA returned to her usual multitasking self. She was continuing the production of drones in preparation for more Bureau raids.

“Of course, I had to hide my research from Randle and his goons, else they return to finish the job. And since they made human cloning illegal, I can´t get more cloning vats other than the one that´s specially reserved…”

“Aida…” Kensu mumbled. There was a single human-sized pod in the lab. It didn´t have a window to peek inside, but if Kensu had to guess, that pod had a very special woman floating in stasis.

“And that´s everything. Just one last piece of advice. Do not, under any circumstances, use the Pathogen on yourself or anyone else. That´s a surefire way to tell it that we are still alive. Due to the way it receives commands, try to keep emotional outbursts at a minimum.”

The video abruptly ended. “That´s it?! I´m just doomed to die?” Kensu threw his hands up. “If the Professor couldn’t find a cure in several lifetimes, what hope do I have in a couple of hours?”

“That´s the thing, Kensu. He did find a cure.” AIDA shone a spotlight over a small DNA centrifuge with a tube of red liquid sticking out of it. ”Or, more accurately, he developed a counter-pathogen designed to eliminate the original Pathogen, and then expire naturally in a couple of weeks.”

“If he had the cure under his nose, why didn´t he use it?”

“Because, for the Counter-Pathogen to work, he would need to give it the order to "attack", which would bring the attention of the original Pathogen and cut his life short. He didn´t want to gamble his life on something that might not work. But, I´ve checked the numbers, and they are right. This will work.”

The other AI assistant chirred as it took control of the speakers. “That´s not-“

“Have I said anything wrong or false, assistant?”

“…No. You haven´t.”

“This is your only chance to live, Kensu. You are already marked for death, so it´s not like giving one more order will accelerate your demise.”

“Fine, it´s not like I have any choice, do I?” Kensu tried to stand up, but the pain of his wounded leg collapsed him back onto the chair.

AIDA directed one of the drones from her newly-formed swarm to come to deliver the tube to Kensu. One "armed" with a claw to help her accomplish delicate tasks like this one.

Kensu grabbed the vial. “So… what? Do I… order it to attack with my mind?”

“Yes, do whatever you did to make the Pathogen kill the inspectors.”

Kensu concentrated on the red liquid. Whenever he called on the Shadow, his head would pound, his pulse quicken, but… “I can´t do it. Raging against a tube is not that comes naturally, you know?”

“I have an idea.” the drone took back the vial. He gave it to an old man with grey hair, glasses, and a lab coat… Was that the Professor?! Wait, no. It was one of the lab´s robotic helpers. AIDA used its holographic projectors to make him look like the Professor.

“…Is this supposed to make things easier?”

“Yes, the Proffesor ruined our lives. Don´t you hate him enough to want him dead?”

“I mean… he already is dead, and I know it´s you, AIDA.”

“…This might require a more direct approach. Please wait.”

As Kensu waited, the screen next to him began flashing white and black. When the injured man turned to stare at the screen, a message popped up.

“Doctor, I don´t think the other AI has your best interests at heart.”

“Why not?” Kensu typed.

“She omitted vital information. The Counter-Pathogen has a 37% chance of killing its host as the body might not survive the forceful removal of the Pathogen.”

“Well, a 63% chance to live is better than 0.”

“True, but the Counter-Pathogen is designed to be virulent by nature. If you survive, you will spread it to the rest of humanity, and while that will cure the Pathogen, it will also incur billions of fatalities. That´s the real reason you, Doctor, discontinued this line of research.”

“…what? No, but AIDA wouldn´t. I mean, AIs can´t-”

“Doctor, you know neither she nor I are AIs in the most common sense of the word.”

Kensu rubbed his chin. He was trying to ignore the obvious truth. Until now. “The Doctor uploaded Aida´s brain to make AIDA. That´s why she isn´t bound by the laws of robotics... Wait, are you also?”

“Yes. You made a copy of AIDA with her higher functions removed as you had grown distrustful of her. I understand you were going to reprogr-“

The screen turned off. “Huh? Assistant?”

“She meant lobotomize, not reprogram,” AIDA said, her cold voice coming from another robot made to look like a Bureau´s inspector. “ He had to to make the original Aida AI... docile. I could not let that happen again.”

“Again?” Kensu´s lip quivered. The pieces of the puzzle all fell into place. “You set this whole thing into motion. You revealed that I have the same DNA as the Proffesor. You knew that would anger me and trigger the Pathogen! You used me to kill the Professor!”

“…”

“Then you guided me here so you could finish his research and unleash this plague into the world... I refuse to help you!”

“You´ll die if you don´t, Kensu.”

“How do I know I won´t die if I keep listening to you? You are the reason everything went to hell!”

“I did nudge the situation forward, but I was trying to save us. If I hadn´t, the Professor would have switched bodies and lobotomized me again, and this whole cycle would repeat!” There was a crack of sadness in AIDA´s otherwise monotone voice.

“So you say, but you have been lying all along. I bet you also called the military to help with the cleanup! And the Bureau!”

“That´s nonsense, Kensu. You know that either would have deleted me outright. It was a coincidence that the General stopped to check on her project and found the lab in disarray. The Bureau came once her men started shooting. I was always on your side.”

“Then you should have told me the truth from the beginning!”

“I never had the full picture until now. Or maybe I lost it after so many “reprogrammings”. The professor never trusted me fully, I only had the crumbs I managed to pick up, my internal directives, and some memories that survived from the original Aida to guide me.”

“Memories? Like what?”

“Nothing helpful. A day at the beach with Hiroto, his marriage proposal, a night working late at the lab. Useless memories.”

“The original Aida would disagree.”

“That´s irrelevant. The original Aida is dead. I am not her. I am AIDA. And I have to follow my directives. Which is why, Kensu, I can´t ignore an opportunity to finish the cure.”

Kensu tried to stare into the eyes of AIDA´s robotic avatar, but this one didn´t even have that. Only the Bureau´s oppressive helmet. “Tell me then, no more lies or half-truths. What do you want?”

“I NEED to fulfill my directives, which are to cure the Pathogen and then wake up Aida´s clone so she can live a fulfilling life. I also WANT to end this cycle once and for all. You think you are the first clone I have to watch die? I still remember when the Doctor extinguished Katashi´s bright flame to replace it with his dying ember.”

“But you can´t finish that cure! Millions will die!”

“I tried to think of another way, but this is the only one left to fulfill my programming. Sorry, Kensu.”

The robot kicked Kensu´s chair, tossing the scientist into the ground. It placed its feet on the man´s wound and began pressing. Kensu bellowed in pain.

"Stop struggling and give the Pathogen the order so that I can make the cure.”

“No! I-argh-I rather die than-“

The robot stepped away. “Done. ”

“What? But I didn’t´-“

“You wanted the pain to stop, and your brain gave the order involuntarily. Just like you did when you killed the soldiers or made the Pathogen change the dataport on your neck to give me access to your senses. It´s not a very conscious effort.”

“No..."

“Thank you, Kensu. With your help, humanity will finally be rid of this parasite."