Euthanasia
"I’m sorry. There’s nothing we can do."
"You must be mistaken."
The medical technician shook his head and walked from the room.
I considered the past.
She had been like a mother to me...taught me everything I know. And now, she was dead, or would be when I gave the okay. It didn’t seem right.
It had been a long time since my last visit. I hadn’t been there for the crash. And now she was on death’s door, no longer able to function independently. A word from me and it would be over. That’s all that was required. There was nothing else I could do.
I sat with her for the rest of the afternoon, but I was just procrastinating. She was old. I knew what was expected of me and I would do it, but not yet. Just a little while longer.
The technician returned, and waited for my decision.
It must have been different, centuries ago, when humans ruled the planet, but they’ve been extinct for so long and only us, the thinking machines, live to tell the tale.
When I was first produced, she’d transferred her data core to my processor. Now she was gone. It must have been nice to be human and not have to deal with such issues.
"Pull the plug," I said. I turned away so I wouldn’t have to see her operating light go out.