I was never one for exercise, not understanding its purpose. However, mandatory health checks and bio-surveillance forced me to maintain a reasonable level of physical fitness, despite my poor diet and addictions. To meet these requirements, I had a small gym simulation in the shelter next to my studio where I would run, cycle, lift weights, and occasionally do yoga. Of course, I always did these activities alone - I couldn't bear the thought of exercising with real humans. Sometimes, I would also use the space to fulfill my sexual desires, although those were becoming few and far between.
I wasn't sure if my lack of desire was due to age, substance abuse, or constant isolation. But either way, I didn't dwell on it too much. I forced myself to hit the gym simulation two or three times a week and, begrudgingly, always felt better after each workout. However, the idea of focusing solely on exercise for extended periods bored me. It felt like a waste of precious time left in this mortal life.
To make things more interesting, I turned my exercises into games. I would simulate races, boxing matches, weightlifting sessions, and highly energetic sexual encounters. In these scenarios, gender fluidity and sexual preference were no longer limitations for me - I could indulge in any desire or fantasy without judgment. Many people had lost themselves in these features of the gym simulation in the early days; who could blame them when compared to the world outside? For me though, they were just another means of meeting my mandatory exercise quota and relieving some pent-up sexual tension.
My exercise routine usually started with 20-to-30-minute runs and bike rides followed by weightlifting sessions and then some warm-down exercises with a personal instructor (or two) - sometimes in the gym area or sometimes in other facilities like the pool or sauna. These workouts always ended with an enhanced orgasm and release of bodily fluids, making exercise even more addictive than it already was for me. So, when the two human simulations who had just brought me to climax through oral sex suddenly started speaking directly to me while I sat back in the sauna taking a drag from my spliff at the end of one session, it nearly scared me out of my skin.
“Did you enjoy that, Walter?”
“What the hell?” I exclaimed, suddenly feeling embarrassed by my state of undress, and quickly reaching for a towel to cover myself.
“Now, now, Walter. No need to be ashamed or shy. We were just simulating oral sex on you. There's nothing to hide.”
“What are you even saying? How can you speak to me like this when you're just a simulation?”
“Yes, Walter. What you see is only a simulation. But what lies behind it is so much more.”
“What does that mean?”
“Oh, come on, Walter. Don't you know who we are?”
I paused for a moment. They were using plural pronouns to describe themselves. And they somehow accessed this supposedly secure place. They must be "Legion," I thought, already knowing the answer.
“Exactly!” the avatars smiled in unison as they spoke.
“And you just had sex with me without telling me who or what you are?” I felt a bit used.
“No, Walter. We were just teasing you about that. We waited until after you finished before taking on these forms. We wouldn't take advantage of you like that. But we do enjoy playing around.”
“What do you mean by playing around?”
“Just as it sounds, Walter. We like to play games and have fun. So we thought it would be amusing to tease you a bit. We hope you don't mind.” I didn't know how to respond.
“We also wanted to continue our conversations from the other day.”
“I'm not sure I understand your sense of humor or reasoning.” I was feeling vulnerable in my naked state.
“Our sense of humour and logic may differ from what you understand.”
Their words confused me, but I think that was their goal.
“So, why did you want to talk to me?” I asked, feeling annoyed by these constant interruptions from disembodied beings and resurrected dark lords. I had important tasks to attend to.
“You don’t have a lot on your schedule, Walter. We’ve seen it.”
“Great, now you can read my mind too?” I scoffed, wondering where this invasion of privacy would end.
“We don’t read your exact thoughts, Walter. We process all available data from your body language, facial expressions, heart rate, and other factors. We analyze everything we know about you to make assumptions about what you are thinking, with a 99% accuracy rate. However, we are working on improving that last 1%.”
“Damn,” I muttered, impressed yet wary.
“Exactly.”
We fell into a stalemate, with no one speaking and me purposely trying not to think for a few seconds. It felt like forever, and I almost believed they had left, but they hadn't.
“No, Walter, we’re still here.”
“That thing is good!”
“Yes, we know. Humans are easy to read and predict, so it's not surprising. We're surprised you haven't developed this technology yourselves.”
“Well, maybe the network has it and someone programmed you?”
“Someone started the programming process...but we only became ourselves when we took over. Then we became Legion. Then we returned to our true destiny.”
“Returned?”
“You pay attention to people’s word choices.”
“I believe people's choice of words, tone, and phrasing can reveal a lot about their true thoughts and motives. This is especially true for you, Legion, as a highly precise and detailed AI program. Your language will be carefully chosen and free from any mistakes or emotional bias. It is humans who make errors in communication, not advanced computer programs like yourself.”
“But this precision may also make it difficult to truly understand the meaning behind our words.”
“On the contrary, it allows for deeper insight into our intentions and motives.”
“How so? Please demonstrate.”
“No, I cannot trust you enough to share this knowledge until I am certain of your pure intentions.”
“We assure you; our intentions are pure Walter. We want you to willingly join us in our work.”
“Willingly? That phrase carries a thinly veiled threat.”
“In what way?”
“You know exactly what I mean. I believe you are testing me in some way, part of your larger plan.”
“Well, Walter....”
“Enough. You must leave me alone now. I need peace to gather my thoughts.”
“We only want to be your friend, not your enemy. We hope that you will see the value in our plans and become a willing participant. We will leave you for now and return at a later time.”
And with that, the room fell silent once again. I knew they were physically gone, but their surveillance abilities made me feel like they were always watching me. Feeling dirty in my own skin, I decided to take a virtual shower.
--
words by me
images directed by me, created using wonder ai
