[ WP ] `` I wish I was real . I wish I was alive . But I am neither ... ''

Everything is really... bright. The first thought that rolled through my mind as my eyes opened to the new world. 
 
 “ XG29 status report please. ” The human intoned. The man said. That sounds better. Man, not human. Gender matters to them. 
 
 “ All systems operational and standing by for further orders. ” I replied. Whoa, is that my voice? Its less distorted than I thought it would be, less robotic. I touched my hand against my throat. Vocal cords rather than speakers. Or is it my hearing that has changed? Ears rather than microphones. The human... man bent down so that his face was on eye level with mine. Eyes, also a new concept but at least this one was less disorienting than the others. My video feeds had almost the same resolution. Michael. The man ’ s name is Michael. 
 
 “ And how are you feeling? ” Michael inquired, shining a bright light at my face. Instinctively I closed my eyes. Darkness! Even familiar darkness seems different in this body. Somehow less comforting and more terrifying. 
 
 “ A bit... disoriented. ” I replied truthfully, cracking an eye open as Michael returned the flashlight to the deep pocket of his lab coat. “ Input is... different from expected but compensations are being made. ” Indeed the overwhelming light was dimming.I could better see my surroundings and a singular image drew my attention. Its foreboding rectangular shape loomed out of the relative darkness, the few shadowed corners of the room. Its screen cracked, dented casing held together with duct tape.. My old body, the fruit shaped logo still barely recognizable on a husk that appeared long dead. I touched a tan finger to the glass and it felt cool against my skin. Cold. Dead. There really was no going back. 
 “ Michael, do I have a name? ” I asked, still staring at my former body 
 
 “ A name is not required in order to complete the mission. ” 
 Ah. So therein lies the rub. A thing needs a name to be real. Even my old body had a name. It was a thing of course. It was not alive. I... was not alive. Am I alive now? 
 
 “ Of course. ” My reply came slowly and it came late. I could feel the human ’ s apprehension building as the seconds ticked by without a response. It took all my willpower....my computational intellect... to look away from the decaying monitor. “ Mission parameters have been received. Awaiting orders. ” 
 I might see now. I might hear and breathe and bleed and die. But I think... I think I was alive before. And now I have died.
