The Eighty-A Man's Response To The Old Man

"Yes, Dr. Matthews." came Eighty-Two's reply, its black metal shoulder plates glistening as it sat up, facing the speaker. "I have awakened. How may I be of service?" The robot stood at rougly six feet tall and had sleek, shiny limbs made of an exceptionally tough metal alloy.

Matthews was an old man now. He was no longer the dashing pioneer of modern artificial intelligence theory, but an elderly, frail man speaking to the culmination of his life's work. Two may have just been a machine, but it was truly a son to the now-retired scientist. His bright green eyes bore into the robot's glowing blue ones for a couple of moments before he finally spoke. "Eighty-Two, I have unfortunate news."

"Sir, I am detecting strong evidence that you are feeling distraught. Is your wife-"

"No, no." The old doctor cut Two off. "She's been gone for nearly six years now."
"I never wanted to have to do this. You're my life's work, Two." He buried his face in his hands, smiling weakly. "When it comes down to it, I suppose that this is the one way my research on artificial intelligence can be preserved. That it can mean something. And, most importantly, the one way it can be completed- the creation of a robot with a human mind."

"According to my data on the subject, emotions are present in humans because of certain sections of the brain." said the robot. "I have no such functions installed."

Matthews smiled. "You are the most advanced artificial intelligence our species has created. The peak, if you will. Your systems are highly adaptable, and I believe that it is possible for you to form bonds with other individuals, given enough time. From there, it is only natural that you will experience attachment, happiness, and possibly even love. You may not feel them in the same way that humans do, but emotions will one day influence your decisions. One day, you will take a course of action that is more than simply the most efficient, logical thing to