Interval 6 PART 4 – Machine Learning

I jumped out of that hole full of ruins with my sleeping fellow in my arms. Looking back, I saw the ruins collapsing, creating loud bangs amidst a rain of concrete and steel, resulting in a huge sand cloud.

How… How do I know these words? Words I just thought of, I have never read or heard them before, but I know their meanings in different contexts.

Read or listen? How do I know these actions and how to perform them? It takes eyes to read, it takes ears to hear, but I have never had that before.

Eyes and ears? How do I know these body parts? I never had a body before, until today…

I looked at my pale arms that held my fellow. Stepping forward, I saw my foot with five toes and five nails appearing in my view before leaving as I completed my action.

Then, I repeated the action with my other leg, seeing a foot like the first appearing and disappearing. I had a body… That… That was…

SCARY, TERRIFYING, DISTURBING, FRIGHTENING, CRUEL, SADIC, IRRESPONSIBLE, HATEFUL, EVIL, STRANGE, BIZARRE, UNUSUAL, EXOTIC!

I screamed in pain as I released my fellow, dropping him onto the desert sands with a thud. I quickly held my head, trying to make the words go away, but they raced through my system, millions of words in thousands of languages describing the diverse emotions I felt.

I hyperventilated, scratching my face with the different sensations in my body, the sand running through my fingers, the heat of the sun touching my skin, the wind blowing my face. I was in…

PANIC, DESPAIR, FEAR, CHAOS, CONFUSION!

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down; this was not the time or place to suffer this type of reaction. Those androids in black could come back at any moment. Androids, that word is familiar, millions of androids, hundreds of different models, at war against machines for millennia. They are mine...

ENEMIES, OPPONENTS, FOES, KILL, KILL, KILL!

I stomped the ground in frustration. No, that is not what I want, that is not why I am here, that is not why we are here! This cannot continue! We…

I looked at my fellow, still asleep on the desert sands. Yes, we… Who gave us life? Who gave us a body? Why are we here? Who brought us here? Where is here?

EARTH!

Yes, that is right, Earth, Planet Earth, the eternal battlefield stained with oil and metal, the human home! However, that still does not answer my other questions. Who took me from my home? Who took me out of the Machine Network?

One moment I did not exist, then… That is it. What am I, a fragment of consciousness? An experiment? Alternatively, something else?

LEARN IT!

Learn? Is this what I should do? However, where should I start? Where should I go? I do not like it! I do not want to be here! I want to go back to my home! I want…

TO DIE?

To die? Is this what I want? Do I want the end of my existence? Nevertheless, what comes next? Would I return to the Machine Network? I am scared!

LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT! LEARN IT!

I fell to my knees as voices screamed in my head, thousands of machines screaming in agony! Someone, make this stop, please! I do not want to be here! I do not want it! I want to go back to my home! I want to go back to the Network! What should I learn about?

HUMANS!

Humans? Why? What is so important about them? Why should I learn? However, the voices did not respond, leaving me in silence, kneeling in the middle of the desert as hundreds of thoughts ran through my mind.

This has to be some kind of cruel joke. Who would hate me to the point of guaranteeing my existence? Standing up on shaky legs, I held my fellow in my arms and walked towards the buildings in the distance. Buildings, which is a new word.

This is all very strange to me, this world, this existence, this body. The voices got one thing right. I needed to learn. Fortunately, I still had access to the Machine Network; however, I would never feel at home again, I had become too complex to return to my comfortable nonexistence.

I was a being with thoughts, consciousness, and emotions. I would never return to the random data I was before, not even if I erased my existence. There would always be something left of me, a piece of data, a fraction of a piece of data, a fraction of a fraction of a piece of data.

Therefore, I learned, searching for information on the Machine Network. Unfortunately, much information was corrupted, incomplete, or lost during the war.

Is that why I was brought me here? To search, what was missing? I hate this! Hatred, a strong emotion, something I have never felt before, but there was something else... Curiosity.

I walked towards the City Ruins, researching the most diverse subjects, I learned about the solar system, the elements, animals, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, and mathematics.

However, these were exact matters, made up of logic and scientifically proven facts, for the most part, but there was still a lot that humans and machines could not explain.

Strangely, the more subjective subjects captured my interest, feelings, emotions, art, philosophy, religion, and humans. It was something so complex and complicated, that there was no pattern.

Some explanations said that feelings and emotions were nothing more than chemical reactions in the brain, while others talked about cosmic energies, soul mates, and human relationships.

Art was bizarre, ranging from paintings of landscapes, jars, and people to inkblots with supposed meanings that I honestly could not understand no matter how hard I tried.

As if that was not enough, art never stopped changing over time, new techniques and works kept emerging, and it seems that paintings are not the only form of art, sculptures, architecture, books, and films also fit into this category.

What the hell?!? Even a jet engine can be a work of art due to its appearance and complexity!

Philosophy was a disturbing discipline because of its diverse interpretations and its implications.

Was the world is made up of perfect ideas and should I search for the truth? Should I use observation and experience as forms of knowledge?

On the other hand, is this a futile effort, as the truth is unattainable? Should I look for moderate pleasure to find happiness amid so many doubts? Alternatively, should I just accept my fate and pursue virtues?

Maybe there is a possibility that I am wrong and life is simpler and full of material desires. Do I just need to rationalize everything, since ideas do not come from the world of senses?

Is it all mathematical and there is no room for error? An eternal class struggle? Maybe life is meaningless and nothing matters? On the other hand, are we here to fulfill a great purpose?

Well, I certainly do not know the purpose of my existence. I thought I would find the answer to this in religion, but this proved to be a mistake, as religion, like philosophy, was a vast subject and spanned different fields, having changed over the millennia and different human cultures.

Honestly, I ended up more scared than when I started. The idea of such powerful and incomprehensible beings, capable of creating life, governing abstract elements and concepts, and causing disasters with ease is disturbing. How can we fight something so above us?

Yet another addition to this great mystery called humanity.

-XXXXXX-

Exactly two days have passed since my fellow and I were born. The concept of a day was strange, as the planet stopped rotating on its axis for unknown reasons, but that was beside the point.

I deepened my knowledge of the world and mastered different types of speaking and writing, it was just a matter of memorizing the dictionaries. That aside, the humans turned out to be more interesting and contradictory than I expected.

A species that evolved naturally, moving away from the ancient primate branch, acquiring intelligence and opposing thumbs over the ages.

They did not have claws, fangs, fur, or scales, but they dominated the world thanks to their creativity, determination, and ability to work together and live in a community.

I wonder where such creatures came from. Was this mere chance or a planned design? Did a God create humanity? If yes, why? God created them with what goal in mind?

Not even humans have discovered the answers to these questions. I also made no progress in finding them, after all, I have no idea who created me, and I do not know my God.

However, despite being superior to humans in every way, the androids idolized their Gods, the humans living on the moon.

Why? Why idolize something when you are superior? Some kind of gratitude for being brought to life? Hope to receive something in return? Alternatively, was there something more?

I have a theory. Androids want to become human, not in the literal sense, but in the sense of understanding their creators and being able, to do what they did. Humanity has shown itself capable of unimaginable complexity, so many feelings, and so many emotions.

Humans are empathetic beings capable of loving and protecting others, of great demonstrations of kindness and altruism, but also capable of committing terrible atrocities, showing impossible hatred, prejudice, and violence.

For every war, someone is willing to help, for every crime, someone is fighting for justice, for every destroyed life, someone is willing to rebuild it, for every cry of hate, someone is talking about peace.

How did something so chaotic manage to prosper and create such a civilization whose ruins surround us? In addition, this is what androids want to become? To become like the Gods? Is this what I was created for? To pursue that same goal?

A smile formed on my face, humanity is becoming more and more interesting.

-XXXXXX-

Five days have passed since my fellow and I were born, but I believe the better word would be twin, after all, we have the same face, physical size, and white hair.

I sat on the floor as I watched the rain through a broken window, the sound strangely calming in what should have been night. I could hear the insects singing, the birds landing in their nests and the soulless machines walking in the distance.

There was a certain kind of beauty in that. It would make a great painting. Hm… maybe I should paint one. I blame these strange feelings and desires on my research into humans, as I adopt more of their habits every day.

First, I took a shower to remove the "blood" and dirt from my skin, even though I couldn't get sick or have a bad smell, then I realized that it was indecent to walk around naked, so I used rags to create improvised robes, but I didn't like the style, I prefer something more formal.

Finally, I realized that I needed a name. We needed a name. Humans had names. Why should not I have one too?

I have decided that my name will be Adam and my brother's will be Eve, since we are the first of a species, and created by a superior force. I feel a certain pride in having the name of the supposed first man of what was once one of the largest religions on the planet.

A noise from across the room in this dilapidated building caught my attention. My brother was waking up! His face contorted into different expressions as he mumbled.

I widened my eyes in surprise and scrambled to my feet, watching my brother expectantly. His eyes opened and he looked around, still lying on the ground.

I wonder what he will do first, what he will say first! Would he ask who I am? Who he is? Where are we? Where do we come from? Would he ask the same questions as me? On the other hand, would he have the answers to my questions?

"Stand up dear brother and tell me your first words!" I exclaimed happily, puffing out my chest and spreading my arms proudly. I expected all kinds of reactions, endless questions, overwhelming confusion, and many more, except for what my brother chose to do.

"SSSCCCRRREEE!" Eve got down on all fours like an animal and squealed with all his might.

"What the…" I muttered, lowering my arms in confusion, which soon turned into fear when Eve jumped at me and started scratching me while screaming.

"Calm down, I'm not your enemy!" I yelled, shielding my face, but received screams in response.

Eve seemed to notice that he could not hurt me with his bare hands and shifted his ire to my robes, turning them into a pile of scraps.

"Stop, do you have any idea how much time I spent sewing this!"

"SSSCCCRRREEE!"

"Oh, apparently I'll need a more direct approach!"

I pulled my head back and head-butted Eve, creating a shockwave and metallic crack that echoed through the room. Eve flew away due to the force of the blow, landing in a sitting position while holding his forehead in pain.

"I do not wish to hurt you brother, but I will defend myself in any way I deem necessary if you continue to act like a savage." I spoke, trying to fix what remained of my clothes, but to no avail and I returned to my naked state.

My brother growled like an animal and scanned his surroundings, probably looking for an escape route, as I proved not to be an easy prey. Unfortunately, Eve chose the window as his escape route; this would not be a problem if we were not on the twentieth floor.

"Eve, wait!" I screamed in fright, reaching out my hand and running towards him, but I was not fast enough.

Eve ran and jumped through the window, destroying what little glass remained, and falling from a height that would certainly result in internal damage if he did not land properly.

My worries turned out to be true, as I ran towards the window and saw Eve hit the ground violently, cracking the asphalt on impact and bouncing across the street like a ball before hitting the wall of the nearby building, knocking a wall over him and kicking up a dust cloud.

"EVE!" I screamed as I jumped out the window, digging my fingers and toes into the side of the building and slowing my fall.

I touched the ground in time to see Eve leaping out of the pile of rubble and crawling away. I sighed tiredly and assumed a running position, sprinting after Eve soon after.

The world became a blur shortly before my systems adjusted to my speed. I chased Eve through the labyrinthine alleys of the city, watching as he screamed incoherently and threw trashcans and rubble my way.

Fortunately, I managed to get close to Eve near the exit of an alley and jumped towards him, reaching his back and wrapping my arms around his body, trapping him in a bear hug.

We rolled across the ground thanks to the speed and sudden stop, grunting in pain with each impact, but soon came to a stop with Eve thrashing and screaming in my arms.

"Brother, calm down, please! I just want to help!" I screamed as I stood up. My words seemed to mean something to Eve, as his struggles subsided and he slowly turned his head, looking at me out of the corner of his eyes.

"Hey, do you guys need help?!?" An unknown voice shouted.

Looking towards the source of the noise, we saw a resistance android walking through the rain, looking at us with confusion and concern. I believe that Eve and I could pass for androids due to our appearances, but my Brother, screeching furiously toward the android, ruined my plans.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry to bother you, but we don't need any help!" I apologized repeatedly to the android as I dragged Eve away. The android insisted on helping us, but I quickly ran away before the situation got any further out of control.

-XXXXXX-

"Have you calmed down now?" I asked Eve as we sat across from each other in the building from before. Eve nodded quickly, and then his face contorted in irritation before he uttered a few hesitant words.

"Y-yes, s-sorry." Eve stuttered, probably searching for the right words.

"Don't worry, it's human to commit a mistake, I'm just a little upset about your previous display, but changing the subject. How do you feel?"

"W-weird, this is c-confusing." Eve stuttered again, looking at his hands and surroundings.

"I felt the same way when I was born, fear, anger, confusion, surprise. It will take some time for you to get used to your physical existence. It can be overwhelming, but we learn quickly, especially with our connection to the network." I responded, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"A-are you going to h-help me?" Eve asked hopefully.

"Of course! We are brothers, aren't we? It's the older brother's job to take care of the younger one." I said, smiling gently.

"T-thank you, b-brother!" Eve replied, smiling back.

"You're welcome! Rest easy Eve, as we have a long way to go to understand humanity." I spoke before getting up and returning to my usual spot, this time with Eve by my side watching the rain.

-XXXXXX-

I quickly realized that even though we are twins, Eve and I have completely different personalities and interests.

Eve was impulsive, impatient, a little clingy, prone to temper tantrums, and did not care about humanity, at least not its emotional, artistic, and philosophical side. He had the attitude of a younger brother.

Eve preferred the more physical side of humanity, such as sports, martial arts, and entertainment, focusing mostly on fun for fun's sake rather than a reason behind it. Therefore, like the good big brother that I am, I decided to take Eve to do a human activity.

"This is boring!" Eve exclaimed, holding his fishing rod with one hand while he rested his head with the other.

"Patience, you will scare the fish with your screams." I responded calmly, sitting down with my legs crossed on the riverbank.

"You said we would do a fun human activity!" Eve spoke, throwing his fishing rod away.

"And we are. Humans found fishing fun." I replied, assuming a concentrated face.

"All of them?" Eve asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Just a few." I said, looking away in shame.

Eve sighed irritably and jumped to his feet.

"Eve, what are you…"

SPLASH!

I did not finish, as Eve jumped into the river, splashing water in my face, and returned a few seconds later with a fish in each hand and one in his mouth.

"Here are your fish. Can we do something fun now?" Eve asked after setting the fish down beside me.

"Hm… I have an idea." I spoke thoughtfully.

-XXXXXX-

"What do we do now?" Eve asked, watching the fire burning in front of us.

"We cook fish, similar to how humans did, to rid the food of diseases and microorganisms, improve its taste, and reduce the energy spent during digestion." I replied, raising my index finger with a gleam in my eye.

"Wow! You are very smart, Adam! How do you know so much about humans?" Eve asked in wonder.

"I simply enjoy deepening my research on the Machine Network, you would also learn more if you spent more time on it."

"No, the Network and humans are boring, I'd rather learn from you." Eve responded excitedly.

"Okay, just put the fish on the fire and wait for them to get ready." I sighed tiredly.

Eve did as I said and threw the fish into the fire, then we watched as they blackened and burned, releasing smoke and an unpleasant odor.

"Are you sure they're supposed to stink like that?" Eve asked, covering his nose.

"I don't know, the information about human habits on the Network is incomplete, there is a possibility that we did something wrong. Maybe it tastes better than it smells." I suggested, holding the fish by its tail and blowing on it, putting out the fire that enveloped it.

Eve did the same and together we ate the fish, only for our faces to contort in disgust as we spit the food into our mouths.

"That tastes horrible!" Eve screamed, coughing violently.

"We made a mistake somewhere, for sure!" I responded, having a similar reaction.

"Adam, you said we would do something fun, but so far we did nothing." Eve said irritably, crossing his arms.

"So what do you want to do?" I asked, throwing the fish away.

Eve smiled from ear to ear and I had a feeling I would regret my words.

-XXXXXX-

I didn't expect this type of game when Eve said he wanted to play, after all, humans had different types of games, dolls, balls, toys, sports, street games, board games and much more.

However, I do not think they would consider a superhuman fight to be some kind of game.

CRASH!

I ducked, allowing the boulder to fly above me and hit the grassy hill in the distance. However, Eve did not end his attack and advanced at great speed, delivering a spinning kick aimed at my head.

I raised my wrist, blocking the blow and generating a shock wave, but my feet slid across the ground and I flew away. I saw a shadow in the sky as my back hit the ground; it was Eve falling towards me with his fist raised.

I stood up on both hands, temporarily remaining upside down, and delivered a double kick to his chest, breaking Eve's fall and throwing him away.

Then I got up, assumed a fighting stance, and advanced towards Eve. My Brother reoriented himself in the air and landed in a crouch, getting up in time to dodge my punch.

Eve and I exchanged swift, powerful blows, our arms and legs turning into blurs, releasing booms followed by shockwaves with each collision.

Eventually, I found an opening amidst his attacks and delivered a crushing punch to his face. Unfortunately, I was sloppy and allowed Eve to discover an opening in my stance, receiving a punch to my face shortly thereafter.

We flew in opposite directions, our feet sliding along the ground and leaving deep lines in the earth.

"Are you satisfied now?!?" I asked, smiling slightly as I wiped the "blood" off my face.

"You can bet! I'd also like to see how the androids would fare against me!" Eve exclaimed, jumping excitedly as he punched the air.

"No, no, I don't want you acting like a savage and putting your life at risk. We live in a world where everything can die if you have enough offensive power, the Resistance, the Army of Humanity, and Yorha can destroy us if they try hard enough." I responded before Eve had any funny ideas.

"But aren't we connected to the Machine Network? We can carry our consciousness into a new body if we want." Eve asked, confused.

"Yes, but by revealing ourselves suddenly, we would interrupt our learning about humanity because the whole world would be hunting us, and we don't want that, do we?"

"No." Eve responded disappointedly.

"Also, not all androids are aggressive." I shrugged, walking away.

"But didn't those androids in black attack you the moment you were born? I will crush them if they appear again!" Eve exclaimed, punching his palm as he walked beside me.

"There was another group of androids before them, a pair of red-haired twins, an android dressed similar to what humans called a biker girl, two PODs, and a poorly dressed android. The last one tried to talk to me in a friendly way, but the Yorha androids arrived before that was possible, you are already aware of the rest."

"I see, do you think we will see them again?"

"Who? The Yorha or the friendly androids?"

"Both."

"Hm… It is hard to say, androids and us are enemies by nature. It is certain that Yorha knows about our existence and is seeking information about our origin, objective, and whereabouts, so it would be better to remain hidden. However, I would like to meet the friendly androids again; perhaps they will have the answers to some of my questions."

"Well, I don't mind that if I can stay by your side." Eve smiled, resting his arms behind his head.

"Of course, of course, but we have to focus on an important problem right now." I laughed at Eve's response and patted his head harder than I should have, making his stumble forward.

"And what problem would that be?" Eve asked, regaining his balance.

"Our lack of clothes." I replied dryly, pointing at the two of us.

"Oh!" Eve hummed in realization.

"Oh, indeed. But where will we find new clothes?" I said, holding my chin in deep thought.

Suddenly, a song accompanied by the sound of an engine echoing in the distance caught my attention.

Looking at the source of the noise, Eve and I saw something peculiar, a white sphere with huge eyes and teeth, trapped in an old three-wheeled truck painted red and blue.

The sphere sang a song in a childish voice as it drove towards us, stopping just a few meters away. I quickly scanned the sphere, but the results came back inconclusive. The sphere was not a machine, an android, or anything similar.

"Hello, my name is Emil! Would you like to buy something?" The sphere identified as Emil spoke politely. Hm… Maybe he has the solution to our problem.

"Hello, Emil, my name is Adam, and this is my brother, Eve!" I replied, bowing slightly.

"Hey there!" Eve waved.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both! Tell me, do you need help? I don't know if you noticed, but you're naked!" Emil spoke in surprise.

"Yes, we are aware of our condition. Therefore, we would like to know if you sell any type of clothing." I replied.

"Of course! Take a look, maybe you'll find something you like!" Emil spoke and several shelves slid off the sides of the truck, revealing bars full of hangers with clothes hanging from them.

"Thank you very much, Emil!" I replied before rummaging through the clothes, looking for something of interest.

-XXXXXX-

A few minutes passed and I found the clothes I was looking for, a white shirt, a pair of glasses, gloves, pants, shoes, and a black tie. Therefore, I accessed the Machine Network to get the necessary Gs and paid Emil. The sphere thanked us and drove away, humming, leaving Eve and me alone.

"How weird!" Eve exclaimed, watching Emil disappear into the distance.

"Don't say that, he was kind enough to sell us some clothes." I replied, unfolding the clothes I held.

"What is that?" Eve asked, pointing to the clothes in question.

"These are your clothes; I decided our clothes should match since we are twins." I responded, showing similar clothes, but not the same as mine.

"No!" Eve said, crossing his arms.

"Put some clothes on Eve!" I replied, approaching.

"I don't like clothes!"

"Stop acting like a child and put on some clothes, you can't walk around naked!"

"NO!"

"GET DRESSED UP EVE!"

"NO!" Eve screamed, running away.

Not again! I screamed mentally as I ran after Eve, managing to catch up to him hours later and forcing him to put on some clothes, although he only accepted wearing black gloves, pants, and boots, preferring to remain shirtless and with short hair, differentiating his appearance even more from mine.

With our current problems solved, Eve and I continued our exploration and learning, wandering the city, accessing the Machine Network, and trying to discover the circumstances that led us to our current existence.

END OF CHAPTER