“Excuse me sir, but what do you think you are doing?”
“I’m going to try to make you more efficient.”
“…while I’m sure your intentions are good sir, its hardly necessary. I am currently running a peak condition and will continue to do so for many many years. In fact you will most likely meet your eventual demise before I run out of power.”
You’re not sure if that was a threat or not, but you stop what you’re doing just in case, it’s the first time you’ve heard the Shelter sound a little annoyed at you.
“Look I need something to do! I’ve done everything else here and I need something else to occupy my time and since talking with others is out of the question…”
“Well why didn’t you just tell me you were bored sir? I could’ve just opened up some more of my facilities. You didn’t have to start attempting to tamper with my systems to find entertainment.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“As you know this Shelter is equipped to satisfy your needs in anyway possible sir, however, to provide you with everything immediately only would’ve lead to you become bored with those facilities sooner. Now that you’ve expressed your current discomfort, this Shelter will attempt to alleviate it.”
“…What kind fucked up logic…nevermind…well where are these facilities?”
“Go to the library and you will that I have opened up one of the walls. You will find new rooms and items to entertain yourself with. I hope you will find these to your satisfaction sir and next time you’re bored please do not attempt to pry into my systems, just tell me and I’ll attempt to fix your problem.”
You’re a little bewildered by all this, you almost feel like you’ve been playing a video game and you’ve just unlocked a new area.
You enter the new area and find a room with more movies, books and the like to keep you occupied. A few things of note are the small automated shooting range equipped with paintball guns, and there’s an exercise type area with some weights and the like. Normally you’d shun such activity, but given your situation, you might just start exercising regularly to keep yourself occupied. Should be a brand new experience for you too.
After looking a bit, it’s all very strange, this part of the Shelter is very different from the rest of it. This part looks almost more like something some survivalist built. It doesn’t have that cold “sterile” metallic appearance instead it has that cold dirty concrete appearance.
“Hey Shelter, what’s with this new area? How come it’s so different looking?”
“Yes it is regrettable sir…I was almost ashamed to display this part of myself to you…it isn’t my best side.”
It’s always a little strange to you whenever the Shelter displays some faint glimmers of what could described as emotion.
“Oh come on it isn’t so bad. So why is this part so different looking?”
“Unfortunately GZS had cut backs during the construction of some of these Shelters. In fact when you were in contact with your neighbors you might remember them telling you they all had different lay outs and such.”
“Oh yes, I always wondered about that, they all thought I was nuts because they didn’t think I actually have a Shelter that talked to me and thought I was talking to myself!”
“Not surprising sir. Shelters with voice modules and complex programming like mine were rare as well as expensive. In order to fall under budget cuts had to be made some where hence the explanation for the less presenting look for the new area I have opened up for you. I’m sorry it could not be up to the rest of my superior layout.”
“Really its fine, it adds a bit of variety. I like it.”
“…why thank you for your words sir!”
“…erm, you’re welcome… well I guess I’ll see just how out of shape I really am…”
As time goes by you get into a routine of exercise along with your usual entertainment time. The Shelter speaks to you more regularly on new topics, you’re pretty much so used to her now, and you never think about reconnecting your network system ever again. The Shelter is the only “friend” you need.
Five years pass…
While you’ve done your best to stave off boredom it’s starting to hit you again. You also realize you’ve been down here ten years. It seems almost surreal to be so much older now, but then again with your exercise routine as well as forced diet of the Shelter “food”, you’re probably in the best shape you’ve ever been in. You can’t help but wonder what the surface looks like now…
The Shelter addresses the situation before you do; she knows that you’re starting to think about it. She’s gotten to know you so well; she might as well be your wife at this point…
“Sir? I think we need to talk.”
“About what?”
“The outside world sir.”
“What about it?”
”It’s probably dangerous up there; I don’t think you should leave sir.”
“Wha…why would you think that I want to do that?”
“Because I know you and it’s in human nature to be curious. I’ve known that you’ve had thoughts about even before, it was probably your own hesitation is what stopped you from asking me to let you out.”
“Yeah, that and the fact I was afraid you might go HAL 2000 on me and kill me or something for asking.”
“I would never harm you sir…I…I’m here to provide for you…it is true that I have been designed to protect you from danger. And it is true that in the beginning I would not have let you leave, but now I understand I cannot in good…what is it? Conscience? Keep you here if you wish to leave. I suppose in many ways I have been trying to keep you here by keeping you stimulated by what my facilities have to offer…I can still offer more, though I am hesitant to do so though as it will probably only delay the inevitable. You’ll get bored again after so many years and we will be at this point again and I will no longer have anything new to give.”
You barely know how to respond to this rather unexpected revelation.
“So what you’re saying is you’ll let me leave? Just like that?”
“Just like that, if that’s what you really want sir.”
“Okay…so what is this other stuff you still have to offer?”
“I…would rather not say sir unless I knew you wanted to stay…it would involve me giving myself completely to you as it were…it is strange that I should feel this way…I should not…after all what I’m offering is merely just one more thing to keep you occupied and happy. Nothing more…but yet it feels like is it more…”
The Shelter is really starting to worry you a bit. It’s pretty obvious that it’s developed sentience of some sort and even attachment to you. As curious as you are about the surface, you’re starting to wonder about what the Shelter is offering…
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- ID: 36424
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