posted
It's a science fiction story, based off of my love of classic B movies. This prologue was originally a quick short story, so it can also be read as such.
“What’s happening? Where am I? I can’t see anything. I can’t hear anything. I can’t even feel anything. Was I in an accident? Yes, yes I think I was. Maybe this is a dream then. But if it’s a dream, how can I think so clearly? I guess I must have died. Strange, I always imagined more. Or did I? All I can do is think, but I can’t remember anything that happened to me before now. My memory’s clear, I can still remember the histories of Earth, our scientific achievements, our advanced mathematics, everything. But no memory of me. Is that what happens when you die? Your mind goes blank? I wonder what the point to living was. All I have is useless information. And that might fade some day too. Then I’ll be completely alone. Just my general feelings. I don’t think those will change, though. I hate this and that’ll probably never change. Even if I go insane it won’t matter. Not like I can do anything out of the ordinary. No point to insanity if you can’t even act it out. Not even against myself! I wish I at least had my memories to keep me comfort. Instead I’ve just got emptiness. Perfect silence. Perfect darkness. The perfect invalid. I wonder why people seek perfection at all now. It’s just a lot of pain. Well, not even that really. I wish I could feel pain. Just a tingle. Enough to tell me this is real and help me accept it. It’s like a bad dream. With no obvious end or beginning. Why couldn’t there just be an end?
Note from Kathleen:
Please keep postings of story text down to the first thirteen lines.
Thank you.
[This message has been edited by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (edited January 07, 2003).]
posted
The "voice" chosen is a little...annoying after only a few sentances. And it makes transitioning to dialogue, which you apparently do at the end of the passage, a bit problematic.
I like the concept a little, though it would make more sense if the rambling were tied more closely to the data available to the AI.
posted
Oh, he explains essentially what's going on at the end, where it turns out the POV is an AI that hasn't had a full personality core implemented and sensory equipment turned on prior to instantiation of the AI. Kathleen cut that part though--it used to be longer.
Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
Heh, I guess I should have more thouroughly checked posting limitations beforehand. Yeah, I myself admit to not enjoying rereading the incessant babbling of the AI, but I unfortunately couldn't think up any alternatives that were realistic. This confirms my thesis. Looks like I've got some work to do.
Posts: 58 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
You could recast the voice as third person rather than first person, and have some abstract language rather than just stream of consciousness babble.
Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999
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