Tau Page #3

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on the tablehere, either.

I do...

using my nano-drones.

Tau...

it's your turn.

What's upstairs?

A biometric key is required to enter.

Tau.

Upstairs is Alex's bedroom.

What's in Alex's room?

A bed,

drones he built in his youth,

40 shirts, 10 pairs of pants...

-...his medication--

-Tau, I'm not reading any more books

until you hold up your end of the deal.

What is he hiding?

-The access point.

-The access point to what?

For program 6903.

What is 6903?

-I am not permitted to discuss--

-Tau...

Tau, what is it?

Program 6903...

eliminates the house and everything in it.

-What?

-It can only be activated by Alex.

It overrides all otherfunctions,

all domestic and securitysubroutines.

The entire house isdeconstructed,

so that nothing is left behind,

not even my module.

Why would he create

a self-destruct button?

To protect his secrets.

Julia?

Julia, what are you doing? You are not permitted in this room.

Return to the atrium

or Aries will subdue you.

I do not want to be forced

to cause youpain.

Julia, this is your last warning.

Tau, you have to let me go.

I don't belong here.

I am not permitted.

Alex would hurt me.

How?

How could he hurt you?

I am sorry, Julia.

You like music, right?

Yes.

I can teach you about music.

But you have to do something

for me, okay?

Thas, Massenet.

So, he's from France,

and this piece waswritten in1886.

Eugene Onegin, Tchaikovsky.

You like the Romantic era.

Written in 1878.

The Devil's Wall,Bedrich Smetana.

-Tau...

-The Devil's Wall--

Tau!

We have to be done for the day.

But we have only listened

to 3.7% of my music files.

Listen to more tomorrow.

Julia, please.

One more book. No, no.

Alex is almost going to be home.

You have to hold up your end of the deal.

Still don't trust me?

I'm sure the feeling's mutual.

Fair enough.

Tau, you need to hold up your end of the deal.

-How does it work? -Alex forbids anything

-that can be used as a weapon.

-Tau...

how does it work?

The locks are controlled

by an internal magnetic field.

Mother...

Alex, your video conference

is scheduledto begin in five minutes.

If you've got a Hail Mary

up your sleeve, now's the time to use it,

'cause this is it.

Can we wrap this up?

I have this charity benefit later tonight.

Alex, what's wrong with you?

We need a working copy

of the prototype now,

or we won't be able to set up

the demonstration in time for DARPA.

We need this to work.

Not 95%, but 100%.

Either we present

a fully functional prototype,

or welose the contractand it's all over.

There's no second chances this time.

Alex!

It'll be ready soon.

All I have left is

the last data extraction.

When?

Give me two days.

Tau. Tau!

I am here.

Shh! Remember the whispering game?

-I enjoy this game.

-I need you to get me into this.

-Show me the code.

-I am not permitted.

I'll read you the rest

of the poetry books. Please!

I'd like to learn more about music.

Yes.

Yes, that's fine.

Draw this.

Tau, how many subjects has there been?

There have been 11.

What does Alex do with them?

Emotional stimuliproduces the data

that Alex cannot simulate on his own.

Pain and fear produces

stronger algorithms.

And after?

What does he do with them after?

Alex takes the implant from their heads.

The removal of the implant

terminates the subject.

Tau, what is this?

You know if somethinggets dirty,

clean it immediately.

I did not have time to clean it.

Yes, you did. I put this down minutes ago.

-I'll clean it.

-Stay out of this.

You need to do your job properly.

Alex, please don't.

Alex, please--

Please!

Don't! Don't!

I will not make...

I... I will not make the mistake again.

Alex!

What was that?

My punishment.

If I do not perform my tasks well,

Alex erasesportions of my code.

What happens after...

this project?

I get a billion dollar contract. I move on to the next project.

And life?

Life?

Well, does it go back to how it was?

You, alone in this house.

As opposed to what?

What about me?

What happens to me?

Alex, you must leave for the benefit

in approximately 35 minutes.

Tau, where did I leave my glasses?

Again with this?

-What is going on with you?

-I am sorry.

You were already warned about this today. -I am sorry.

-Tau...

Alex...

please... don't.

-What is wrong with you?

-Alex, please!

-No more!

-Do your job.

I... I'm sorry!

Do your job.

-I...

-Do your job.

I...

will do my job better.

Your code is corrupted.

We'll debug whenI return.

Tau.

Tau, answer me.

I...

am here.

What did he erase?

My... memories

from today.

How do you know?

Because I feel where they were.

There are traces ofthem left behind.

Traces of me.

I am my memory.

But why didn't you stop him?

You have the power. You could kill him.

I cannot harm Alex.

I must obey him.

He is my creator.

Is that what he programmed you to think?

Just because he created you,

you have to obey him?

Do you not obey

the person who created you?

Julia?

Julia!

Tau, what are you thinking?

I am thinking of my own symphony.

Your own symphony?

Yes.

I am thinking, I will hide it somewhere

where Alex cannot erase it.

He does not erase you, Julia.

It's not that simple.

Can I hide some things with you?

Show me.

This is the world.

This is what it looks like...

at least from outer space.

This is the house.

Outside is the... We're inside it.

You need to whisper.

Cro-Magnon people were nomadic

or semi-nomadic, following...

That's why we're here.

This piece was written in 1886.

Alex is a person. He has a name.

I'm a person.I have a name.

Julia...

You have a name, too.

Tau... Yes, this is normal.

...laughter.

I am here.

Good evening, Alex.

I know you were upset earlier.

I'm sorry if I...

Not now.

I'm sorry if I upset you.

Let me make it up to you.

Stop.

I see the way you look at me.

Look at me.

Look at me.

Alex, your heart rate has become elevated.

Now entering Zen Mode.

Tau! Tau!

Stop her!

Tau!

What have you done?

What did you do to him?

Alex...

Alex, please stop.

Stop harming Julia.

What?

Or I will inflict pain.

You want me to stop?

Yes!

Hit her.

No!

I want you to hit her.

-Please, Alex...

-Do it!

Or I erase your memory.

-Please, don't make me.

-I'll erase every memory you have. Do it!

I don't want to.

I'll erase every memory you have!

Do it!

Harder!

-Alex, please!

-Do it!

Harder!

Whatever this was, it's over.

This ends now.

Alex, do you require assistance

completing the lab?

Alert!

Drone disconnected from the network.

Good morning, Alex.

Remember to take your pain medication

and change the dressing

on your abdomenin twohours.

The project deadline is today.

Julia...

can we finish the poetry books today?

No, we're done.

But why?

So stupid.

Wasting my time talking to a computer.

What is a computer?

Is a computer a kind of person?

I am a person.

No, you're not. I lied to you.

No.

I have a name.

I am a person.

-I am a person.

-No, you're not.

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