"Your honor! With all the evidence presented to this court, the future of AI will certainly deprive humans of all their value and it's time we put an end to Zack's technology research program on AI", Mabel bowed to the judge and returned to her seat.
"This case will be adjourned till 20th of January 2024", the judge announced and the court session ended.
"I see you aren't backing out anytime soon", Zack tried starting a conversation as Mabel walked out of the courtroom.
"It is not about me, I am protecting the interest of the human race", she replied.
"That doesn't look like it to me, you are acting based on our relationship. Ever since I quit being your boyfriend, you have been seeking my downfall", He whispered to her ears.
"This is not personal, we moved on a long time ago but I won't watch you continue with your AI upgrades to the detriment of humans just to enrich yourself", She replied and walked out on him.
Mabel wept as she drove back home, she was supposed to go back to the office but the short conversation she had with Zack got into her head. He was the only man she gave her heart to and he abandoned her just for his dream to build the most powerful AI in the universe.
She arrived home only to find a teenager crying at the entrance of her gate.
Mabel rushed out of the car to see what was wrong with the boy.
"Hey, it is okay. Why are you crying and where are your parents?", She asked but the boy wouldn't stop crying.
She called the police and they came immediately to her place. The young boy wouldn't allow them to take him, he held unto Mabel as the police tried convincing him to follow them.
Mabel finally agreed to go with them and the boy followed.
"What do you mean his data is not on your system?", Mabel asked the officer who broke the news to her.
"Yes madam and based on assumption, he must be one of the refugee's kids who escaped into the city", he replied.
She looked at the boy and shook her head.
"Can I take him pending the time any information comes up about him", she asked.
"Yes, but you need to do some paperwork", the officer replied.
She did the necessary things and left with the boy.
"Will you tell me your name now?", She asked on their way home.
"My name is Collins?", He replied.
"That's a beautiful name, do you know your parent's name", she asked but the boy didn't respond.
They arrived at home and she prepared a room for him. Mabel became fond of Collins and after a few weeks, she enrolled him in a school.
Two years passed and their bond grew stronger as Collins grew with so much love in Mabel's custody.
A day before the court hearing, the Phantom Festival was held. To celebrate that day, people pray to a sky lantern and allow it to go into the sky.
Mabel and Collins were heading home after the sky lantern rite when he asked, "What was your wish Mom?".
"It's a big wish for the human race, I want to win Zack and put an end to this AI problem", she replied.
They stopped at an eatery to grab some snacks and Mabel told them more reasons why the continuous development of AI needs to be put under check.
They spent the remaining hours of the day roaming the city and retired back home at night.
"I am so tired, I need to sleep now because of tomorrow's court session. I have been on this case since 2022, it's 2026 already and I hope everything ends tomorrow", Mabel said to Collins as they alighted from the car.
"I need to show you something", Collins said in a masculine voice.
As they entered the house, he had grown taller.
"How is that possible?", Mabel screamed and Collins became the teenager he was again.
"My name is not Collins, I am BST003", replied and Mabel was shocked.
"Supernatural or AI? what kind are you? You are definitely beyond human creation", she replied.
"I came from the East, a secret research facility owned by Zack Technology", he replied.
"The same Zack?", She quickly grabbed her phone to show him Zack's picture.
"Yes, the lab works with some Alien technology and they are close to achieving the unbelievable", he replied.
"You can eat and feel, how is all this possible", she asked.
"I was programmed to feel and have emotions, I can grow hair and every other thing like humans, I burn every food I eat and dispose of the ashes in the toilet as you do", he replied.
Mabel went to touch him again because everything he said wasn't making sense.
"I can feel your heartbeat", she said with tears in her eyes.
"I have a heart", he replied and opened up his system to her.
He had every human organ even though they were electrical and Mabel wouldn't stop crying. She didn't believe Zack had gone beyond what they were seeing.
"Use me as your evidence to win Zack, it is the only way I can pay back everything you did for me", he said to her.
"I can't turn you in, you are my little Collins. Why did you choose me, there are other people you could have lived happily with", she asked.
"You are the only different face I have seen in Zack's lab, there is a picture frame of you in his office, and after running my check, I choose you", he replied.
They spoke all over the night and soon it was morning.
Mabel left for the court without Collins and as the judge was about to pass his judgment, Collins walked in.
He approached the judge and even Mabel was surprised.
He explained everything he told Mabel to the judge and also opened up his body system for everyone to see. He told them what he was capable of doing and the court attendants were amazed and terrified.
Zack was disappointed, he didn't know BST003 escaped and was helpless at that point.
The whole courtroom was silenced by everything Collins revealed.
"I wished I was born as your child, am sorry everything has to end here", he apologized as he stood in front of Mabel.
He opened his system again and told Mabel to please end his existence.
"I can't, I might not be able to forgive myself for that", she replied.
He pleaded and as the police were approaching Collins she pressed the button he told her to press earlier and immediately, there was a spark in his body.
Collins's body fell to the ground and started emitting flame.
Mabel screamed and in the end, Zack was arrested. The law against AI was passed and all existing robots were trashed globally.
Mabel was sad about Collins but happy for putting an end to Zack's madness for AI. She misses having Collins around and years after when she had her first child, she named him, Collins.