Upgrades

The debate always was, in the nets: after an upgrade, were they still human?

Their parents would always say, “She’s still my Rachel.” “They’re still my Xion.”

But in a real way, they weren’t the same.

Some would use their new computational power on predictive social models. They’d know the right way to comfort a friend, where they’d never have known what to say, before. They’d have the confidence to reach out and make new connections. They were kinder, more thoughtful, more popular.

Some used their new senses to do what they’d never dared, before. They’d commit crimes, picking the right opportunities, knowing how to escape capture. An ordinary co-worker might overnight become a remorseless criminal.

And, the question always was, for the upgraded,

about those who had stayed behind,

those slow, inconsiderate, helpless humans,

were they really still people?