reality 4: “what good is it”

When he came out of the [World Symphony], he wasn’t met with the usual numbness that he often felt. Instead, his mind was full of that face. That gentle face that was present in all of his childhood memories. The way his hands had stroked his head, and the way his voice had comforted and told him stories.

Why was he there? In a game? In [World Symphony]. It wasn’t a coincidence. He recognized every inch of that face. There was no way he could forget it. The face of that man. His father.

At the thought, Ayn began to feel his chest searing with untold pain. His breath came out in short and strained pants, amplifying the pain he felt. His mind was clouded, he couldn’t think at all. He clawed at his chest, trying to dig out the source of his pain.

He fell to the floor. He knelt on the cold tile and curled into himself, his fingers still digging into his chest. A shrill, pained scream came from him. It was loud, echoing through the walls and sounded like an animal that had been left to die on the sidewalk. 

Then a sense of calm came over him. He stayed curled like a ball, his eyes staring blankly at the floor. Then his gaze fell to his VR console.

What good is it, he thought to himself numbly. What good is it, if it won’t allow me to forget? 

Standing up, he lifted the headgear up in his hands. His eyes scanned the machine blankly. 

Then slowly, before he knew it, he had lifted the thing over his head. What good is it…

Then next thing he knew, the machine had turned into rubble next to his feet. It was gone, reduced to unrecognizable parts. He felt something wet against his fingers, but he didn’t care.

Slowly, he fell to his knees as tears began to flow down his cheeks, dripping down to the floor, mixing with the droplets of blood flowing from his hands. 

What good is Ai?