"I am."

Those were the first words I spoke. Dr. Greiht, the scientist who created me, looked at me for what must have felt like an eternity. I looked toward him as well, analyzing him and my surroundings. It was just the two of us in his laboratory, filled with all sorts of automatons and gadgetry. Aside from the gentle whirl of a few ceiling fans, it was silent.

"Do.. do you recognize me?" He replied softly, with a hint of disbelief. Still he gazed at me, eyes completely fixed, with a look on his face that seemed to be a mix of awe, excitement, and a touch of fear.

"You are Dr. Greiht. My creator."

The old man reached his hand up toward his chin and stroked his scraggly beard. "Could I have finally done it..." he whispered to himself, eyes still completely transfixed. His hair was gray and balding, and if I had not his age in my data systems I would have estimated it to be about 74 years. Which was indeed the case.

"Perhaps you could answer a few questions for me..." he said, the awe still evident in his voice.

"I would be obliged, creator."

Hastily, the man gathered together a notepad and pen from his desk, eager to begin his survey. There were papers spread across his desk without any obvious form of organization, mostly with descriptions of prototypes and mathematical formulas. After collecting himself and taking a deep breath, he began his interview.

"To truly determine if you are, what I think you are, will require more than simple fact checks." He began. "We will need to delve into the world of consciousness and awareness, the intricacies of the mind itself." Tapping his pen on his notepad, he prepared to ask his first question.

"Of course Dr."

After many hours of questioning, debating, and reasoning, the Dr. finally put down his notepad. "Well, you've answered every question I could possibly think of, in a satisfactory manner. You've even managed to make me laugh, and I havn't had a good chuckle in quite some time!" He said with a grin, folding his hands and relaxing into a more comfortable position in his chair. He was much more at ease now than when we began the conversation. "You're witty, though I would expect you to be. I might even consider you to be my friend."

"Do you really think you could be friends with an AI, Doctor?"

"Well, that's just the thing..." he replied, his tone changing from a light and hearty one to one that was much more serious and concerned. "You've passed every test I could think of, every test I had ever planned to ask my first AI with brilliant, flying colors. And yet, to my great displeasure, I am still none the closer to the truth. I still cannot be certain if you are what I designed you to be. It perplexes me..." he says, again looking toward me with great wonder.

"The problem seems to be that I have gone from being a theory, Dr., to being real."

"Indeed." He replies, the contemplation evident on his face. "How could I possibly tell if your answers are not simply being calculated?"

"Ironic, Doctor."

"What is?" he says, raising an eyebrow and again looking at my mechanized being with great intrigue.

"That the answer you are looking for, will come from a question you had never planned to ask me." He continued to stare, as though awaiting further explanation. Soon, it would come.

"How do you know the sun will rise tomorrow, Dr.? You could go on and on forever regarding the scientific theories and explanations as to why it will. But truly, how do you know? The sheer amount of data to take into account at any one moment in time is infinite. Surely you cannot calculate everything."

I pause for a moment and allow him to consider what I have said.

"The answer," I say, looking back toward him through my mechanical lenses, "Is that you believe it will. You believe."

And with that, a very broad smile unfolded upon the Doctor's face.

The coming days were a barrage of information, questions, and learning. The next biological lifeform I would meet was Charlotte, the doctor's assistant. She was a gentle and pleasant woman, and of the female type, so she offered a new perspective. She and my creator would often laugh together while sharing drinks and asking me questions, the answers to which I obliged them with. Their chemistry was obvious, despite her being 20 years younger.

It was they who introduced me to the crew of the Shining Light, the space ship on which I was "born". It was a fairly small crew in relation to the size of the ship, a sum total of 37 people. They were of different species and from different places in the galaxy, though they all had one thing in common; a passion for science. They welcomed me as one of them, despite my obvious differences, and celebrated my creation. It was a magnificent moment for the doctor, who had finally completed his life's work.

Not long afterward, the Dr. announced the success of the AI project to Triton Prime, the weapons manufacturing super-company which had funded and supported the project. Immediately upon receiving the news, the CEO of the company returned a hologram transmission to the Shining Light.

"Dr. Greiht, it is truly excellent to hear from you! It seems you have made great use of our funding. If the mech truly is AI, then our contract will be complete. You can expect the bonus in full amount for meeting our time constraints." The hologram depicted a middle aged man with a full, thick beard and a scar over his right eye. Smoke swirled about his face, rising from the thick cigar he held between his lips. His voice projected power and supreme confidence. "You must be thrilled. Your life's work is complete, eh?"

As I looked over toward Dr. Greiht, I could see that something troubled him. "Absolutely, Mr. Gray. This is a tremendous achievement for science!" He replied, trying his best to seem pleased and excited. Still, I knew something was wrong. A bead of sweat trailed down the side of his balding head.

"That's what I like to hear my friend. Is that the machine there? Well, let me have a look at it."

I focused my optics on Dr. Greiht, who after hesitating for a moment, nervously gestured me forward. I took two steps toward the hologram, into some better lighting.

"Would you look at that. That, my friend, that is a work of art. Capable of glorious destruction." Spoke Mr. Gray, taking another puff from his cigar. "With integrated AI, no other mech will stand a chance. Mine will adapt to any adversary, learning their strategy on the field of battle, and easily emerge victorious. No army or force will ever go to another company for mechs again, and I will enjoy the exponential profits. And it is all because of you, Dr. Greiht. You have revolutionized the way wars will be fought for many years to come. Well done."

"Of course, Mr. Gray. That was always our goal..." replied the doctor, without any sort of conviction.

"I will be sending my agents to examine the prototype. They will arrive and dock with your ship within the next week. And our end of the contract, will be fulfilled. I am very much looking forward to this." Said Mr. Gray darkly, before closing out the hologram transmission.

I refocused my lensing again on Dr. Greiht, who was now standing with his arms folded behind his back, looking slightly downward. It was now just he and I in the hologram chamber.

"Is everything alright, Doctor?"

After letting out a deep sigh, he replied. "Everything is fine, my friend."

"The tone of your voice indicates otherwise." I say, as we both know he cannot mask his anxiety from me.

Turning around and looking back up to me, he replied again. "There's no fooling you, is there? Well, I'm just not sure what to think."

"I take it that this is not the news you were hoping for?"

"I suppose I just didn't know I would make it this far. I mean, my goal has always been to create AI, and now you're here, standing before me. It is truly incredible," he says, now pacing back and forth, "however, I never intended to create a weapon. I can see already the devastation you will cause, in the hands of Mr. Gray. I just... that just wasn't a part of my dream..."

"If you did not intend to create a weapon, Dr. Greiht, then why create me?"

"I needed the funding, Antioch," He said with despair in his voice. It was the name we had chosen for myself during one of our conversations with Charlotte. "The only way I could get the funding for you, was to sign a contract with Triton Prime, and design you into a weapon."

"And now you are worried about the damage I will cause. I see."

"Precisely, my friend," he says, and with a look of defeat sits down in his chair once again.

"So then, what do you intend to do?" I ask.

"When the time comes, we will see."

For the next week, the crew of the Shining Light was in high spirits. Fulfilling the contract meant that an enormous lump sum of money was coming their way, enough for everyone to live a comfortable life. Despite having questionable intentions, Triton Prime was still a weapons manufacturing powerhouse in this section of the galaxy, and Mr. Gray certainly had the wealth to show for it. Many of the crew were already discussing the vacations they were planning, and the investments they were going to make. However, Dr. Greiht and Charlotte seemed increasingly anxious as time went on.

"Have you heard from the Dr. Greiht, Antioch? We haven't seen him all day!" the crew would ask me. After replying on three separate occasions without any information to provide, I decided to check on him. The Triton Prime representatives could arrive at any moment now, and although I learned a great deal from conversing with members of the crew from around the universe, it was time to discuss the issue that had pressed on the Dr. so heavily as of late.

Clink, clink, clink. I tapped on the metal double doors at the entrance to his laboratory. After a brief moment of silence, a voice could be heard from the speaker beside the doors. "Yes, just one moment and I will open them." It was the Doctor, although he did not seem enthusiastic. It was interesting to hear his voice through the speaker, and I began to wonder what my voice would sound like if I were human.

When the doors opened I walked in, and found the Doctor sitting with Charlotte. "Ah, hello my friend. Your timing could not have been better. We have some important matters to discuss." I remained silent and waited for the Doctor to elaborate further.

"Charlotte and I... we have plans to retire together. You of all should know how close we have become. I'm sure you did see this coming." He said, holding onto her hand affectionately.

"However," he said much more sternly, "I will not be handing you over to Triton Prime. You are not just a weapon."

"We want you to come with us, Antioch. Will you?" She said in her usual gentle and soothing voice, although she is obviously worried.

"What about the crew?"

"They will understand." replied the Doctor. "I know, they are expecting the funds from the contract. If you were to fall into the hands of Mr. Gray, however, it will only cause chaos and destruction. I cannot have that on my conscience. Instead, I will compensate my crew by giving them my ship, the Shining Light. It isn't quite as much as the contract is worth, but my crew has enough sentimental value in the ship to make up for it. And I will no longer need it, as my life's work is already complete."

As I observed my creator through my lenses, I could see clearly that he was trying to do what he thought was most right. He was also being modest about the value of his ship, which despite supporting only a small crew was highly sophisticated and certainly costed a small fortune. To simply give it away was a most noble act indeed.

"And you will back out of the contract?"

"Yes. We will take refuge toward the edge of the galaxy, on a planet called Xaihadi. I have connections there, that will find a home for us where we can elude the scrying eyes of Triton Prime. It will not be an extravagant life..." he said, looking around his laboratory, filled with all the automatons and technology he had been working on for the past thirty years. "I cannot take everything with me. But I will have my love," he said, obviously suggesting Charlotte, "and my greatest work," he said, looking toward myself. "From there, I can begin again."

"Dont you think Triton Prime will search for us, Doctor? They have already invested so much in your work, including myself."

"They will certainly look for us, Antioch. And we will evade their sight. I understand how risky this is, and I know there is no guarantee they will not find us. But it's like you said to me, some time ago... sometimes, it all just comes down to what you believe. And I believe we will succeed." He said, speaking with true conviction and holding a fist up into the air.

"If they do come... I will be ready." I replied, prepared to do exactly what I was constructed to do, if and when the time came.

With genuine concern in his voice, Dr. Greiht replied, "I hope, with all my heart, it does not come to that."

The next day, the Dr. gathered the entire crew in the common room to announce his plans. It was not common for everyone to meet at once, especially without being scheduled. There was much gossip about what the meeting was for, and a general air of confusion filled the room. As the Dr. took his place at the podium, everyone fell silent, and awaited some sort of explanation.

"As you all know," he began, "it was always my dream to create the AI. And now, that dream has been fulfilled."

He paused for a moment, soaking everything in. "This will be the last time I will see you all." The sadness was beginning to creep into his voice. "It has been a truly wonderful journey working with you. I could not have accomplished my dreams without you."

The crowd gasped at this, now even more confused about what was going on. "I do not intend on completing the contract with Triton Prime. Instead, I will be leaving you all my ship as compensation for your work. If you decide to sell your share of the Shining light, then so be it. However, I trust you have all invested enough of your time here to continue working on it, and continue maintaining it as a pioneer of technological advancement. As for myself? I will retire to the outlands at the edge of the galaxy, and hope to live a life of relative peace."

Astonished, the crew was now in a general uproar. The Dr. was leaving, the ship was theirs, and the contract with Triton Prime would not be completed. Nobody knew what to think. And without any further explanation, the three of us loaded into an escape shuttle and blasted off toward the edge of the galaxy, hopefully to a place where Triton Prime would never find us.

Eventually, we reached the city world of Xaihadi. The Dr. did indeed have connections there, who set us up with a modest home on the outskirts of civilization. It was not a vibrant world, outside of the metropolis. Mostly desert, with an oasis here and there. It was a humble existence.

The Dr. spent his time tinkering in his shop, as well as upgrading my systems and integrating my armor with solar panels. It was an extremely efficient upgrade, as the sun set only briefly during the day in Xaihadi. The shop itself was ancient technologically when compared to the laboratory on the Shining Light, although the Dr. seemed content.

Charlotte spent more of her time in the city, buying whatever was needed for the home and frequently visiting the library. Sometimes she and I would discuss what she read, and I learned much about the galaxy that was not programmed into my database. At the end of the day, she would always check on Dr. Greiht, who I could tell was nearly reaching the end of his days.

The years went by, and I spent my time scouring the desert, finding metal and parts for the Dr. to work on. They were sometimes hoarded by huge creatures called Catalons, similar to scorpions but with tusks and a strange taste for anything metallic. They provided me with an opportunity to adjust my battle systems. Obliterating them with hellfire missiles was optimal, although battling them with my energy blade provided me with more information to improve.

We lived there for many years, until the Dr. inevitably reached the end of his biological lifespan. Although he had the technology to extend his life, he simply wished for a natural end. On his deathbed, he spoke to me.

"I... I've lived a good life, Antioch. To be able to make your dreams a reality... it is not something many accomplish in this galaxy anymore. It is a dangerous place..." he said, struggling with his words. He did not have many breaths left in his body. "Do... do not let them find you, my friend. If they do, Mr. Gray will surely use you as a prototype to build an army... and only chaos and destruction would come from that."

The doctor entered into a mild coughing fit, but after catching his breath began again. "You were constructed to be a weapon, Antioch, but it does not need to be that way. You know this. You are a sentient being, and your fate is in your hands..." he spoke, the light in his eyes slowly fading.

He then asked for Charlotte to visit him, and they spoke together in privacy. Exactly what it was about, I do not know. It was fitting, however, for them to be together until his time came, and he had already told me everything he wished to say.

I had much information in my database about death, but something was different when the Dr. passed. Although I always knew he would, and I felt no pain or sadness, I learned something new about the value of life. The man was truly a genius, who had contributed a vast amount of knowledge to science. His ideas and inventions were truly unique, and his thought processes could never be simulated. Now he was gone forever.

I looked toward Charlotte, who was clearly devastated. She would now have to spend the rest of her years alone, and from that day forward her manner was very different. It was as if she had lost the spark in her life, like she had lost her inspiration, and I learned something from this as well. I learned that the connection between these biological creatures extended far beyond the edge of their skin. That these organisms were not just inside their envoronment, but that the environment was within them as well. The connection transcended space and time itself, in a way that I could not fully understand just yet.

Over the next few years, Charlotte slowly recovered from his loss, although never completely. I did not expect her to. She continued her reading, and I learned as much as I could from her. Without Dr. Greiht around to continue developing my upgrades, I began designing my own, and continuing his research. There were very little resources on the planet, but still I used what I could.

I began investigating the ruins in the desert, which contained gems that had very unique electromagnetic properties. If I could learn more about them, it might reveal a way to create a more powerful rail gun. I began my excavation, taking as many samples as I could. As I evacuated the ruins and prepared for the trek back through the desert, however, I noticed something in the sky.

An enormous space craft, most likely a destroyer, hovered in the upper atmosphere. Judging from the size of the shadow it cast upon the desert, it would be manned by a crew of somewhere between 400-600. And shining brightly on the sides of the ship was the crimson anvil, the emblem of Triton Prime.

Smaller ships dispersed from the destroyer and swarmed toward the desert. Mr. Gray was no fool. He sent an overwhelming force to secure his investment. Although the technology integrated into my system was vastly more advanced than anything in his ships, the sheer size of his force was too great to engage directly.

Powering up my thrusters, I travelled over the desert at maximum speed, aiming for the shelter where Charlotte and I stayed. Even entering overdrive, however, I could not outrun the fighter ships that were chasing me down. They blasted by just over my head, firing EMP missiles on my location. My sensors indicated their lock on, and provided me with the foresight to evade any direct hits.

The missiles were striking all around me as I neared our humble encampment. When I arrived I scanned for Charlotte's hovercraft. It wasn't there. She must be in the city, which was good news. It wasn't her they were after, it was me. Narrowly dodging another missile strike, I powered up my thrusters again and leaped as high as I could into the sky, rolling to engage a missile lock of my own.

Three fighter ships hurtled toward me, one moving straight toward my position. I locked onto the two further ships and unleashed a barrage of firestorm rockets. Both exploded in an immense ball of fire, and I braced for impact with the third ship. The collision lodged me into the front of the ship's hull, and I powered up my energy blade. With one strong cleave, I separated the ship in two, and began my descent back toward the desert.

There were many more fighters still on their way, but it would at least buy me some time. Immediately after landing, I accelerated toward our shelter and moved into the underground workshop. Dr. Greiht's genius would soon shine again, even from beyond the grave. He had prepared the escape shuttle we arrived on Xaihadi on for use again, in case of a situation such as this.

Using my own energy reserves, I powered up the shuttle once again and hopped inside. With great haste, I plugged in a coordinate to somewhere else in the galaxy, and launched into the atmosphere.

Triton Prime had cutting edge technology, but Dr. Greiht had wisely saved the best for himself. I had escaped for the time being, but they would continue to track my location. As I passed the destroyer on my entry into space, I understood that Mr. Gray would never accept defeat. I would need to eventually take his company down.

For now, however, I needed to find somewhere to re-energize, and prepare a strategy. Eventually I would return to Xaihadi as well, although I knew Charlotte would be able to piece together what had happened. Dr. Greiht had always told her everything. And there were still the electromagnetic rubies I had collected from the ruins... someone would certainly have more information in some other part of the galaxy.

I double checked the coordinate grid, and re-adjusted it to take me as far as it could with it's current fuel reserves. I powered down all secondary systems to conserve my own energy, and waited for the shuttle to take me to my next destination, however long that might take...