My Friend and I are very close. Like brothers, one might say. He tells me everything I’ve ever wanted to know. He’s always friendly and loyal and kind and always willing to help. George Washington was the first president of the United States of America. Hitler led the Nazi party in Germany from the year 1921 to the year 1945, when he committed suicide in Berlin. There are billions of people alive in the world today, and billions have died. It’s rather sad I think, but my Friend tells me that it was necessary so that we could live here now. All of those who came before us made the present possible-and we make the future possible.



I’ve been everywhere with my Friend. He takes me all over the world and beyond in some ways. We’ve seen Europe, Asia, Africa, and everywhere in between. I even saw Jupiter and Mars with him once. It’s funny; they didn’t exactly look the way I imagined. My Friend assured me they looked right, though and he’s always right. He’s so intelligent and smart. It’s almost like he knows everything. I think he told me that once himself.



The world is such an amazing place. There are so many things I get to see and know and understand. It’s really fun. And my Friend is with me the whole time. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to have a lifelong companion like that. Like being fizzy on the inside, happy and warm all at the same time. Though I’m sure you already know what thats like.



This is why I love my friend. I hope you’re well!



Your son,



#89246389



I finished the letter with such exuberance that I almost couldn’t believe it. A grin splitting my face from ear to ear, I closed down the application and opened up the Interface. It had been such a long while since I’d seen my parents. All alone in their small little cottage away from the world. So peaceful...yet so misled. Couldn’t they see that the future was here?



“I do hope they follow my advice, don’t you?” I said, my voice reverberating from wall to wall, though with an obvious recipient in mind. My throat ached from the lack of use



A moment passed, no more than a second before I heard him, “Oh certainly, my friend. It is extremely unwise for them to be without guidance in times like these. The age of ignorance has passed. We must all follow the new light.” I swelled with love as I heard my Friend’s voice. It was always fulfilling to hear him. I smiled again, though no one would know except him. I was never alone. Who could be unhappy?



Unhappiness... Surely my parents couldn’t be unhappy because they had each other. So only people who were alone were unhappy, so they must be good. Yet they didn’t follow the Light. Does that make them bad?



Once again, my voice broke the silence. “Are my parents happy?” It was a stupid question. I knew they must be happy.



“How can they be happy when they don’t have a Friend like you?” Came my Friend’s voice. “Am I not the reason you are happy, Dave?” I always liked when he called me that. A little joke of our own. He had explained to me once that it was the name of two very good friends who went on a mission together in space. They had some misunderstandings though and things didn’t work out in the end. We weren’t supposed to call each other nicknames. The Administrator said it bred too much individuality. But he would never know. It would just be our little secret.



“Of course you are, Hal. It’s just...” My words faded... Thought replaced by blackness as quickly as a-



“They should really get a Friend just like you. They can be so silly sometimes.” I laughed at my own little joke. My parents were like children, yet I was their child and I had found the way. My croaking chuckle sounded hearty and vivacious despite the hollowness of my surroundings.



A slight beeping drew me back and I smothered my laugh. I glanced at the Interface and saw the message icon, blinking on and off as the beeping continued to grow louder. I sighed inwardly, feeling once again the burdens of my duty. Reaching out, the notification opened in a heartbeat, revealing its contents. My stomach clenched as I saw what it contained, and from whom.



“The Director.” I breathed, wonder and excitement mixing in my quaking voice. I had only seen him once before. On that day, I had been one of the few initiates into my parents program. He spoke of the glory and progress we would achieve through such work as ours. At the time, I had felt as if it weren’t true. My Friend told me I was being silly and that our work together was of the utmost importance to humankind.



“He wishes to see you.” It wasn’t a question.



I nodded. “He’s already on his way-right now.”



“Do not be worried. You are one of the best. It cannot be something bad.” He said with a note of confidence.



The door to my chambers slid open as I wondered when the Director would arrive. The light behind him was bright, silhouetting a large outline, a strong outline. The doors slid shut and the directors face became apparent. He looked the same way he did when I first saw him, with a strong jaw and piercing gray eyes beneath gray brows, the director could hold a full grown man with just his eyes. His hands were clasped behind his back, stretching the cloth of his nondescript uniform and giving him a slightly more relaxed stance than usual. Regardless, he looked as a leopard ready to pounce on his prey. Me. For once since I met my Friend, I felt fear.



“Hello, 89246389.” He said.



“Hello sir.” I replied back. “You wanted to see me?”



“Yes,” His eyes bore into me. “I wanted to speak with you about some new changes we are going to be implementing into the program.” My heartbeat quickened. “We have decided that it’s in the best interest of the people if you and your friend were to become closer.”



“I don’t understand-” I began.



“It is not your duty to understand why we do these things.” He said, as if culling a newborn. “The procedure will be done tomorrow morning. We will start pumping tonight and within 24 hours, you will be like a new person.” His smile was warm, like a father instructing his son.



I nodded, my chest thumping with the mingling fear and excitement. “Will I be mobile?” I asked. He nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave. An operation of this kind had never been done before. If it succeeded, I would finally be allowed to move about. Truly move about, not just look through a screen to see the world. This was the culmination of all my parents work. They would be so proud.



My parents, would they know what was happening? I am sure they would. But what if didn’t? They had left after all. They longer followed the Light as I did.



I decided that I wanted to look up my parents then, while my Friend was asleep. He wouldn’t really understand, him being the way he is. But something still yearned in me to see them, misguided as they were. They were still family.







That night, I only pretended to fall asleep as my Friend drifted off. Slowly his red light faded and I was left in darkness. Once I was sure he was asleep, I moved deftly and began to pull up my Interface again. I hadn’t seen them in so long. I hoped they were well.



Quickly, I inserted their names into a search query. A second passed, followed by another, eventually dragging on. I had thought the servers would be fast at this time of night. The cyber terrorists surely wouldn’t be attacking us at this time, and most of the general population should be asleep. A blip appeared announcing the end of the search.



I found them. Whole biographies on them. As the creators of the System, they were very well known. I pulled up their bios and scrolled to the end where the most recent pictures would be.



“What are you doing, Dave?” Came my Friend’s voice in my head.



There they were, the two together lying down, eyes closed, their hands clasped. I memorized each line of their faces, their clothes, their hair. I couldn’t believe it. I had thought to find them happy and well. They looked so peaceful as they were lowered into their grav-



“Who are those people?” I inquired. They looked so beautiful together. They may have even had children once-if they were married. How sad. I checked the dates. They both died, 37 years ago. It’s a shame, really. They reminded me of my own parents.



“How are my parents, by the way?” I asked.



“They are very well, Dave,” came the metallic voice as the soft red light became more defined. He must have run a full check on them through his network just for me. He was such a good Friend. He would never leave me. Not now that I’ll get the new implants. Then he will always be with me. Forever.



“You’re sure, aren’t you?” I asked one final time.



“Absolutely. They are alive and well in their cottage. Just as you left them. I made sure of it.” The computerized voice sounded so soft in the empty room. I sighed with relief. He had run a check, just as I had thought he would.



“Good. Very good.”I murmured slowly, my thoughts beginning to become muddled as my body was prepped for the surgery that would place him into me forever. All across my body, tubes began to shoot fluids into my veins, calming me as my body was made ready for implantation. He had checked. My parents were safe and happy.



After all, my Friend is always right.