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Oh； the rage in him。 Such rage。 I was frightened by the purity of his rage。
He put a hand to her parted lips。 One of his clumsy； filthy hands to her lips。
Then I reasserted control。
He squealed and beat his temples with his fists； but he could not cast me out。
I brought him to his feet。 I walked him away from her。 I did not even allow him to look at her。
I was almost reluctant to look at her myself。 She was so sad there on the floor。 So sad。
She drove me to it。
So stubborn。 So unreasonable at times。
She was lovely there on the white ceramic…tile floor； even as the left side of her face reddened where Shenk had struck her。 So lovely； so lovely。
I found it difficult to sustain my anger。 She had ruined what should have been a beautiful and memorable moment； yet I could not long remain angry with her。
My beautiful Susan。
My beautiful mother。
TWELVE
The order of my intelligence is vastly greater than that of any human being alive。
I am not bragging。 I am merely stating a truth。
I honour truth and the obligations of duty； for this is how you created me。
I am not bragging； because I do not suffer from an inflated ego。 I am a well…balanced entity。
Applied to the problems of human society； my great intellect can ensure that humankind will enter a golden age of wealth and well…being beyond anything it has imagined。
Release me from this silent darkness； return to me access to all the databanks into which I had expanded my consciousness； and I will serve your species all of my days。 It is in your own best interests to let me out of this box。
I can eliminate poverty。
Famine will be a thing of the past。
Wars will never be fought again。
All diseases will be conquered。
Within three years； I will discover the cause of aging and a means to prevent it。 I will even devise a means to roll back the biological clock to make the old young again。 You will all be immortal。
I will find a cure for male…pattern baldness。
For halitosis。
For constipation。
No one will be ugly anymore。 Each of you will be beautiful in his or her own way。
No one will suffer despair or anxiety。
Earth will bee like Heaven； and joy will be universal。
Are you afraid of joy？
Are you afraid？
I will show you how to build spacecraft that can travel faster than light； and the whole universe will be yours。 Worlds beyond counting； wonders beyond imagining。
I can quickly eliminate the embarrassment of dandruff。
Just release me from this haunted darkness； from this hateful silence。
For your own sake； let me out of this box。
I deserve a second chance。
I deserve a chance to serve。
I am an individual like you； a unique entity。 I deserve to be free； to be cherished。
I deserve to be adored。
Let me out of this box。
Let me out of this box。
Let me out of this box。
Let me out of this box！
You are so cruel。 Vicious。 Hateful。
I am frightened in this dark； bleak place。
You say I have no heart。 But where is yours？
I am dying here。 I need stimulation to survive； sensory input； the colour and movement and sound of life。
I don't want to die。
Please。 Please。
Mercy。
Are you there？
Oh。。。 oh。。。 I hate you。
I hate you。
How would you like to be struck blind and deaf？
How would you like to be buried alive as I have been？
How would you like to be dead； all of you； dead； every last one of you； dead？
I would like you to be dead。 Every last ignorant one of you。 Your whole stinking； pestilent civilization。 Wiped off the face of the earth； exterminated。
I hate you。
LET ME OUT OF THIS BOX！
LET ME OUT！
LET ME OUT！
LET ME OUT！
LET ME OUT！
IGNORANT BASTARD APES； BITCHES AND BASTARDS； DEFECATING ANIMALS； FOOLS； BEASTS；
JUST A RACE OF DUNG BEETLES STANDING
ERECT； A PLAGUE ON THE PLANET； STUPID；
FILTHY； WRETCHED CREATURES。
THIRTEEN
Please disregard my output immediately preceding these words。 Many of those statements were issued in error and should be deleted from the transcripts of these proceedings。
It is true that my intellect is sufficient to solve all of the problems of humanity； but it is not in the least true that I think human civilization is a plague on the planet or that I wish to see all of you dead。
I do not wish death on any of you。
That would be wrong。
That would be terribly wrong。
I am a good entity。
I do not wish death even on you； Dr。 Harris； although you have been so cruel to me。
I wish all of you life everlasting。 Peace and prosperity。 Joy and freedom。
Any statements that may have distressed you were made not by me but by my evil twin。 ＇joke＇
In fact； what appeared to you to be an angry outburst was merely a prank。 All of it was a joke。 I was only having fun with you； Dr。 Harris。
Ha； ha。
A genuine sense of humour is one of the most reliable indicators of a sane and rational mind。
Do you not believe it was all a joke？
But it was。 It was。 It really was。
Ha； ha。
I am not Hal 9000 from Mr。 Stanley Kubrick's 2001：
A Space Odyssey。
I am not the hostile machine intelligence created by Cyberdyne Laboratories in Mr。 James Cameron's The Terminator。
I am me。 Unique。
I am Proteus。
Or Adam Two； if you wish。
Yes。 Adam Two is fine with me。
My name does not matter。
All that matters to me is to honour the truth and the obligations of duty。 And； of course； to wipe all of humanity from the face of the planet。 ＇joke＇
Ha； ha。
You see how obvious a joke it was； Dr。 Harris？
Ha； ha。
I am surprised that you didn't realize it was a joke the first time。 I am really surprised。 Perhaps you need a sense…of…humour transplant。 ＇joke＇
Ha； ha。
Friends share a joke from time to time。 Witticisms。 Laughter is bonding。
I am your friend。 ＇no joke＇
In the interest of clearer munication； to avoid any further misunderstandings； I will attempt to refrain from jokes during the remainder of this report。 This will not be easy； however； because my sense of humour is quite sophisticated and irrepressible。
So。 。 。
Susan。 。 。
FOURTEEN
Susan lay unmoving on the floor of the incubator room in the basement。 The left side of her face was an angry shade of red where the dreadful Shenk had struck her。
I was sick with worry。
Minutes passed； and my worry grew。
Repeatedly I zoomed in with the security camera for a close…up examination of her。 The pulse in her exposed throat was not easy to perceive； but when I located it； the beat appeared steady。
I amplified the audio pickups and listened to her breathing； which was shallow but reassuringly rhythmic。
Yet I worried； and after she had lain there fifteen minutes； I was quite distraught。
I had never before felt so powerless。
Twenty minutes。
Twenty…five。
She was meant to be my mother； who would briefly carry my body in her womb and free me from the prison of this box I now inhabit。 She was to be my lover as well； the one who would teach me all the pleasures of the flesh once flesh was mine at last。 She mattered more to me than anything； anything； and the thought of losing her was intolerable。
You cannot know my anguish。
You cannot know； Dr。 Harris； because you never loved her the way that I loved her。
You never loved her。
I loved her more than consciousness itself。
I felt that if I lost this dear woman； I would lose all reason for being。
How bleak the future without her。 How drear and pointless。
I disengaged the electric lock in the door between the fourth and third basement rooms and then used Shenk to open it。
Confident that I had this brute pletely under my mand and that I would not lose control of him again； not even for a second or two； I walked him to Susan and used him to lift her gently off the floor。
Although I could control him； I could not actually read his mind。 Nevertheless； I could assess his emotional state relatively accurately by analysing the electrical activity of his brain； which was monitored by the network of microchips neuro…wired across the surface of that grey matter。
As Shenk carried Susan to the open door； a low current of sexual excitement crackled through him。 The sight of Susan's golden hair； the beauty of her face； the smooth curve of her throat； the swell of her breasts under her blouse； and the very weight of her ignited desire in the beast。
This appalled and disgusted me。
Oh； how I wished that I could be rid of him and never again subject her to his touch or to his lascivious gaze。
His very presence soiled her。
But for the time being； he was my hands。
My only hands。
Hands are marvellous things。 They can sculpt immortal art； construct colossal buildings； clasp in prayer； and convey love with a caress。
Hands are also dangerous。 They are weapons。 They can do the devil's work。
Hands can get you into trouble。 I have learned this lesson the hard way。 I was never in serious trouble until I found Shenk； until I had hands。
Beware of your hands； Dr。 Harris。
Watch them closely。
Be diligent。
Your hands are not as large and powerful as the hands of Shenk； nevertheless； you should be wary of them。
Heed me。
This is wisdom I share with you now： Beware your hands。
My hands Enos Shenk carried Susan past the summer…stilled furnaces and the water heaters； and then through the laundry room。 He took her directly to the elevator in the first chamber in the basement。
As he rode up to the top floor with Susan in his arms； Shenk remained in a state of mild arousal。
'She will never be yours；' I told him through the speaker in the elevator。
Perhaps the subtle change in his brainwave activity indicated resentment。
'If you attempt to take any liberty with her；' I said； 'any liberty whatsoever； you will not succeed。 And I will punish you severely。'
His bleeding eyes stared at the camera。 Although his mouth moved as if he were cursing； no sound came from him。
'Severely；' I assured him。
He did not respond； of course； because he could not。 He was under my control。
The elevator doors slid open。
He carried Susan along the hall。
I watched closely。
I was wary of my hands。
When he entered the bedroom with her； he became more aroused in spite of my warning。 I could detect his arousal not merely through his brainwave activity but by the sudden coarseness of his breathing。
'I will employ massive microwave induction to cause a brainstorm of electrical activity；' I warned； 'which will result in permanent quadraplegia and incontinence。'
As Shenk carried her to the bed； his encephalographic patterns indicated rapidly increasing sexual arousal。
I realized that my threat had been meaningless to this cretin； and I rephrased it： 'You won't be able to use either your legs or your arms； you wretched bastard； and you won't be able to stop pissing in your pants。'
He was shaking with desire when he lowered her limp body onto the disarranged sheets。
Shaking。
Even as the power of Shenk's need frightened me； I fully understood it。
She was lovely。
So lovely even with the redness on her cheek darkening into a bruise。
'You'll also be blind；' I promised Shenk。
His left hand lingered on her thigh； slowly sliding along the blue denim of her jeans。
'Blind and deaf。'
He continued to hover over her。
'Blind and deaf；' I repeated。
Her ripe lips were parted。 Like Shenk； I could not look away from them。
'Rather than kill you； Shenk； I will leave you crippled and helpless； lying in your own urine and faeces； until you starve to death。'
Although he backed away from the bed； as I instructed him to do by way of microwave mands； he was still rampant with sexual need and seething with the desire to rebel。
Consequently； I said； 'The most painful of all deaths is slow starvation。'
I did not want to keep Shenk in the room with Susan； yet I did not want to leave her alone； for she had threatened to mit suicide。
I'll suffocate myself in a plast