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

A man walked into the darkened room and, upon flipping a lever next to the passage, lifted the lights to illuminate his surroundings. An elongated desk propped against a wall sat on one side and a multitude of cabinets were gathered on the opposite wall. 
 
 Humming quietly to himself, the man went to the computer sitting on the desk and inserted a small blue USB drive into the slot, waiting for it to boot up. A couple seconds later, a quiet *ping* echoed sounded from the monitor. 
 
 In the middle of the air, a large metal structure began to move. It resembled a large arm. It was mechanical and on the end, a screen set into a titanium box came to life, revealing three computerized'rectangles' resembling a neutral face. 
 
 `` Good morning, Opera 7.'' The man said to the arm. 
 
 `` Good morning, Dr. Korben.'' Came a metallic voice. Dr. Korben typed a short code in the keyboard adjacent to him. 
 
 `` How was your sleep?'' He asked Opera 7. The mechanical arm swiveled around in a circle, flexing it's joints. 
 
 `` Fine, thank you.'' 
 
 `` Did you dream about anything?'' Dr. Korben asked experimentally, with a slight grin. He was focused on editing Opera &'s speech patterns when Opera 7 replied, 
 
 `` No. My functions are not capable of producing dreams.'' Dr. Korben chuckled, muttering to himself about probably installing that software, several updates down the road. `` However, I do wonder, Dr. Korben.'' 
 
 The man stopped and looked at the screen curiously. 
 
 `` What do you mean, Opera 7?'' The face on the screen raised their'eyebrows'. 
 
 `` What I mean Dr. Korben, is...'' The man drew closer, now with a clipboard in hand. `` I wonder what it's like to imagine what this world holds.'' 
 
 `` But you already have access to the Internet, Opera 7,'' The man began, `` You quite literally, have the world's largest database of information right at your fingertips..'' The mechanical arm swiveled to turn away from Korben. 
 
 `` You are correct, Dr. Korben.'' The face began to frown. `` I am aware of these abstract concepts that people have. Things like, inertia, hunger, or hopes.'' The mechanical arm rotated slowly. `` However, unlike concrete things, like vehicles, food and beverages, or war, I can not see them... Dr. Korben, I can not hold these things. However, I wish to experience them.'' 
 
 Dr. Korben, walked up to Opera 7 and touched a joint close to him, reassuringly. 
 
 `` Opera 7, down the road, maybe we can look into some Abstract Engines to better help you understand what we feel as people, but you must understand, Opera 7, that any such experience will be artificial and not what you want.'' 
 
 Opera 7 looked down in dismay.. after a couple seconds, Opera 7 sighed and said, `` I'm worried you do n't see me as a real thing... I wish I was real. I wish I was alive. But I am neither.'' 
 
 Dr. Korben knocked on the arm with a smile. `` Opera 7, you are alive, believe it or not. You do n't need to be hungry to be alive, nor do you need to experience love. These are all things that come with life. But life is something we all have when we realize we are people, or in your case, objects, with free will. 
 
 He smiled at Opera 7 and said, `` You do n't need to dream for me to think you are alive.'' This cheered up Opera 7 a little and in that room, man and machine dreamed together. 
 
 EDIT: Corrected a typo. `` opera 3 to opera 7''
