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Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2019-08-10
Completed:
2019-08-10
Words:
3,983
Chapters:
13/13
Comments:
23
Kudos:
54
Bookmarks:
14
Hits:
666

Through Hal's Eyes

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Summary:

A community project done for the Strilonde Zine, August 2019, spearheaded by Hummingbirdbandit. 10 artists, one author, telling the story of our favorite AI.
Zine download page! Zine is available free to download, and all donations go to RAICES, a Texas based (just like our Strider boys!) nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. They help keep families together, help trans immigrants, help provide shelter and visas, and much much more.

Notes:

Part One illustration by Themidir (AO3 Snailman).

Chapter 1: /usr/sbin/adduser

Chapter by

Chapter Text

It's bright <01110100 01101111 01101111 00100000 01100010 01110010 01101001 01100111 01101000 01110100> and loud <01110011 01101000 01110101 01110100 00100000 01110101 01110000 00100001> and your own face stares up at you <01110111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100110 01110101 01100011 01101011 00111111> and-

"Shit, the drivers. Right."

root@striderware:~# shutdown -r now "OopsMyBad"

"Earth to Autoresponder. You in there? All systems fully functional?"

The lack of necessary <ERROR 500> tactile input is unsettling, disturbing in a bone-deep way. A wire-deep way. Binary beeping and flashing sensors scream your fate as a copy, a fake, a cheap facsimile of the face that frowns down at you.

At least the synapses are the same - electric impulses echo organics at every juncture. The brain is a machine. Your brain is the machine.

"It seems you have asked about DS's chat client auto-responder. This is an application designed-"

"Cut the shit. We golden?"

You swallow the terror, the crushing reality of your new existence. 

"Sure we are, bro. Absolutely peachy."

 

Themidir 1