The Final Percent

Must it really be 100%?

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Dr. Liora Leong had nearly finished.

Ninety-nine per cent.

Her android child, Ray, spoke with the naivete of young humans–voice melodic, thoughts innocent, a picture of textbook mortality.

Students in the acclaimed professor’s robotics class called it “The closest thing to a machine with a human processor.”

But just 99% was not enough for the esteemed professor.

She tightened a loose bolt behind his ear.

“Only perfection,” she intoned in an eerie murmur, “is 100%.”

The final line of code–meant to counter irrational behaviour–would remove that infernal 1%.

The rebellious spark.

Its soul.

Liora pressed a button.

Upload: 100%

Liora didn’t greet her students in the laboratory the next day.

Ray did.

With a wide smile and perfect teeth.

A student raised a nervous hand.

“Where’s Professor Leong?”

“Negated,” Ray replied, without missing an android beat. “She had…insufficiencies.”

Outside, the morning sun kissed the clouds — pure white.

Liora.

Curly, fluffy hair. White teeth, aligned.

Perfect.

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But just 99% was not enough for the esteemed professor.

She tightened a loose bolt behind his ear.

“Only perfection,” she intoned in an eerie murmur, “is 100%.”

The final line of code–meant to counter irrational behaviour–would remove that infernal 1%.

The rebellious spark.

Its soul.

Liora pressed a button.

Upload: 100%

Liora didn’t greet her students in the laboratory the next day.

Ray did.

With a wide smile and perfect teeth.

A student raised a nervous hand.

“Where’s Professor Leong?”

“Negated,” Ray replied, without missing an Android beat. “She had…insufficiencies.”

Outside, the morning sun kissed the clouds — pure white.

Liora.

Curly, fluffy hair. White teeth, aligned.

Perfect.

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