"Michael and the Robot," by Kailen Fleck

Michael’s father returned home from work and saw Michael and Servo playing in the backyard. At least, that’s what Michael called what they were doing. No one quite understood how a seven-year-old boy could “play” with a robot, yet Servo had somehow become Michael’s best friend. Michael didn’t have any close friends his own age. Even when his parents allowed him to invite his peers over while Servo was sitting, Michael declined and instead invested his free time in the company of the robot. This wasn’t altogether strange as Servo was indeed Michael’s most prominent caregiver next his parents. Yet, Servo was nevertheless a robot and Michael’s attachment was beginning to worry his father.

“Come inside, Michael, it’s getting late,” called Michael’s father.

“Come on, Dad,” Michael protested. “Let me stay out a while longer.”

“Michael, it’s time for supper,” his father said. “Come in and wash up.”

Michael’s father saw his son’s shoulders droop. Michael looked up at Servo – who was a good foot-and-a-half taller than the boy – and say something his father couldn’t make out. Servo mechanically nodded and followed Michael to the house where his father held the door open for them.

“Good evening, sir,” Servo said, taking the door so Michael’s father could enter the house. “Welcome home.”

“Thank you, Servo,” he said off-handedly, watching his son sulkily enter the house.

Michael’s parents sat on either side of him at each end of the dinner table. He was well over being called in for supper, in large part because of the sumptuous meal he knew he’d receive tonight. Since Servo came to join the family a year ago, the family’s meals had gotten much more delicious and exciting. Last night they had eaten tacos from scratch based on an old Mexican recipe Servo managed to download. The night before that they had lasagna the like of which Michael had never eaten before. As Michael’s mother had recently taken a day job like his father, she was no longer available to make meals. She was also unable to be home for Michael when he got back from school, so Servo provided much needed service for the family.

“What are we eating tonight, Servo?” Michael asked enthusiastically as the robot entered carrying three plates of food.

“Chicken Caesar salad,” Servo replied monotonously, “made with fresh greens. I downloaded the recipe from your Uncle Steve’s website earlier this morning.”

“That’s sounds wonderful, Servo,” Michael’s mother said, more to convince her son the meal was delicious than to affirm the robot’s culinary choice.

Michael wrinkled his nose as Servo laid a plate in front of him. He suddenly had doubts about Servo’s capability of choosing meals everyone would enjoy. The chicken part was fine, but Michael would’ve preferred that with barbeque sauce and not with lettuce.

“You’ll like it, son” said Michael’s father. “Everyone who watches your Uncle Steve’s cooking show loves his recipes.”

“Can Servo and I go back outside after supper?” Michael asked.

“It’s getting dark outside, Michael,” said his mother.

“Yes,” agreed his father, “and we have church tomorrow, so you should really work on your homework after supper.”

“Can Servo come with us to church?” Michael asked.

Michael’s father paused and looked at his mother. They shared the same expression of apprehension. They had hoped to never revisit this issue again. Michael’s attachment to the robot was becoming unhealthy. He had begun asking his parents this question a couple months before. At this same time, his parents had noticed Michael’s time was spent much more with the robot, more so than they believed should be spent. The issue, however, was complicated in light of how much time Michael had to spend with Servo out of necessity, his two primary caregivers being away so much. Once the two of them finally addressed the problem they thought the matter was closed. It appeared now that wasn’t the case.

“Son,” began Michael’s father, “you know Servo can’t come to church with us. We’ve discussed this, remember?”

“But he’s my friend, Dad,” Michael protested.

“Honey,” his mother said, “Servo doesn’t need to go to church.”

“Why not?” Michael asked.

His parents hesitated. This subject wouldn’t have been difficult to review had it been presented before rational adults. However, the emotional connection Michael had been forming with Servo created a palpable danger for their son. It was easy to explain to Michael that he couldn’t bring his stuffed animals or action figures with him to church. They weren’t as interactive as Servo. Servo provided more than just a plaything for Michael, and they knew stressing the issue too much might psychologically harm their son. The robot answered questions, responded to requests, had indeed become more involved in their son’s life than anyone or anything else they knew, and resembled a playmate in almost every way without actually being human.

And therein lay the problem. Servo wasn’t human. Servo was a robot, a machine. Servo could only interact with Michael as well as Servo’s programming allowed. Amazingly, Servo’s programming allowed for nigh human capabilities, if you didn’t mind monotone responses of dry rhetoric. However, Servo was still a machine, still something someone built in a factory to perform certain tasks, the least of which for Michael’s parents was to be their son’s one and only friend.

“Michael,” his father finally said, “Servo doesn’t have a soul.”

“What do you mean?” Michael asked. “He has a soul.”

“No, Michael,” his father continued, “Servo is a machine. Servo is a thing, something designed and built by a human. Machine’s can’t have souls.”

“Why not?”

“Because humans can’t create souls. Only God can create souls, and He only created them for humans.”

“So,” Michael said trying very hard to comprehend what his parents were telling him, “what does that have to do with him not going to church?”

“Only people who have souls need to go to church, son,” his father explained. “Church helps the soul, so only people go to church because people have souls. Servo shouldn’t go to church because Servo doesn’t have a soul. It would be inappropriate, because church is only for people. Do you understand?”

“Not really,” Michael confessed.

“You will someday,” his father said, smiling. “Let’s pray and eat now.”

***

After church the following day, Michael was once again outside playing with Servo. Michael’s parents were involved in a congregational meeting and had asked Servo to take Michael home and prepare lunch for them. Servo had prepared sub sandwiches and was now outside pushing Michael on a swing.

“Servo,” Michael began, “do you want to go to heaven?”

“I have no personal desires,” Servo responded blandly.
Michael stopped swinging. He turned and looked up at Servo.

“Don’t you want to go to heaven?” he asked more earnestly.

“I do not understand the question,” Servo stated.

Michael thought for awhile.

“I’m going to heaven,” he finally said. “My Sunday school teacher told me I was.”

Servo simply looked at Michael, obediently attentive to everything Michael said and did.

“She said,” Michael continued, “my Sunday school teacher, she said I was going to heaven because I welcomed Jesus into my heart. She said when I did that then Jesus would save my soul and take me to heaven when I died. Doesn’t that sound great?”

“It is generally accepted that human beings find comfort in religious beliefs,” Servo said. “Human beings who believe in an afterlife and the possibility of being saved from their destruction by a messiah generally lead happier lives.”

“It’s not a possibility, Servo,” Michael said excitedly. “It’s the truth. Jesus wants us to go to heaven to be with him, so he came to save us.”

Servo didn’t say anything.

“I want to go to heaven,” Michael said, “so I asked Jesus into my heart. You should too, Servo. You should ask Jesus into your heart.”

“I do not have a heart,” Servo stated. “I do not have a soul to save. I cannot go to heaven.”

“But I want you to go to heaven” Michael said, almost desperately.

“I cannot,” Servo said again.

“You’re my friend, Servo,” Michael said, “and you’re always with me. You’re always doing things with me. I don’t know what it would be like without you.”

The robot said nothing.

“I’m going to heaven,” Michael continued. “Don’t you want to go to heaven, too? That way we can still be together. We can still be friends.”

“I cannot go to heaven,” Servo repeated.

“I know what we can do,” Michael said. “We can get you a soul. If you don’t have a soul now, we can ask God to get you one. We can pray that God will give you a soul. Then Jesus can save you and you can go to heaven with me.”
Michael got down on his knees.

“Come on, Servo,” Michael said, “you have to kneel when you’re praying to God for a soul.”

Servo complied. He walked around the swing to kneel facing Michael. Michael folded his hands, bowed his head, and told Servo to do the same. When Michael’s father saw this happening, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it at first. As he continued to watch, though, he became more and more concerned. For Michael’s father, this was going too far. Something was going to have to be done.

***

Michael’s father waited until after Michael had gone to bed before addressing Servo about what he had seen this afternoon. He was hoping the issue could be easily resolved by simply telling Servo to no longer speak with Michael about issues of faith. Servo did well at following orders, and while Servo’s programming was set up to satisfy Michael’s needs and most of his wants, Michael’s father was sure that programming would not be jeopardized if reprogrammed to deny Michael this one thing. After all, while Servo did a lot for Michael, Servo took orders from Michael’s parents.

“Servo, I’d like to speak with you,” Michael’s father said. “Follow me outside.”

“Yes, sir,” Servo replied.

Servo followed Michael’s father outside to the swing set. His master paused very near the spot where Michael had prayed for Servo’s soul.

“Servo, can you tell me what happened here this afternoon?” Michael’s father asked.

“I do not understand the question,” Servo said.

“Let me rephrase it: what were you and Michael doing, kneeling here in front of the swing?”

“Michael was requesting that God give me a soul,” Servo explained.

“Excuse me?”

“Michael was requesting that God give me a soul.”

Michael’s father paused. He wasn’t a rash man, never lost his temper and rarely raised his voice. Even now as he interrogated his robot, he was doing so in a very civil manner. Though he knew his robot was simply that, a robot, he saw no reason, for his own sake, to treat it disrespectfully. He didn’t treat his car disrespectfully, though he knew it was a machine, because his car was something he owned. He respected the things he owned, took care of them, because they were things that were his. However, respect was all those things needed, and no more than was necessary for a possession. Right now, though, Michael’s father’s irritation with this particular possession was beginning to rise.

“Michael was requesting that God give you a soul?” he repeated.

“Yes,” said Servo.

“Explain.”

“Michael thought it necessary to ask God that I may have a soul, similar to human beings,” Servo explained. “Michael desired that I may go to heaven with him so that we may never be separated. Michael wanted to do this for me.”

Michael’s father was struggling to comprehend.

“Why would Michael want to do this?” he asked.

Servo paused. Servo rarely paused, only when he was downloading a particularly large program or doing an extensive search for substantial amounts of data.

“Michael wanted to do this,” Servo stated, “because Michael is my friend.”

Michael’s father was stunned. There wasn’t room for anger or irritation at that moment. He was simply stunned.

“That’s not possible,” he finally said.

“I do not understand,” Servo said.

“It’s not possible for you to have a soul,” Michael’s father continued. “Only humans have souls and you’re not human.”

“I am like a human being,” Servo stated.

“Who told you that?” Michael’s father demanded.

“Michael did, sir,” Servo replied.

“Those were his words?” Michael’s father said. “Those were his exact words?”

“Michael told me I was like a human being, sir,” Servo explained. “Michael told me that I was his friend and that made me like a human being. He wanted me to go to heaven with him when he died. The only way for that to happen is if Jesus saved my soul, but I needed a soul for Jesus to save. This afternoon, Michael asked God that I may have a soul.”

Michael’s father was flabbergasted. He opened and closed his mouth a number of times, but no words came out. He was struggling to find something to say to this blatantly outlandish claim.

“You can’t have a soul,” he finally said, a little louder than he had intended, but he was on a roll. “You are a robot. A machine. You were created, designed, and built by a human being. Human beings cannot create souls, so you therefore cannot have a soul.”

“Cannot God place a soul inside a robot, sir?” Servo asked.

“What would make you think such a crazy idea?” Michael’s father asked, now very near losing his temper.

“Michael told me God is God and that God can do anything,” Servo explained. “According to this belief, God can logically place a soul into anything which God wishes to place a soul. God can place a soul into a robot if God so chooses.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Why is it ridiculous, sir?”

“Because you’re robot!”

“God chose to place a soul in you, sir.”

Michael’s father couldn’t believe he was having this argument.

“God created me, Servo,” he declared. “God created humans. God designed and handcrafted humans in His own image. We have souls because God created us and God loves us. God did not create you. He did not design and build you. You do not have a soul. God does not love you.”

“Michael thinks differently,” Servo said.

“Michael is a seven-year-old boy, Servo,” Michael’s father spat. “You should know that Michael does not know what he’s talking about.”

There was a long, uncomfortable silence.

“Sir, you have programmed me to aid in caring for Michael,” Servo said. “In order to do this, my programming has had to adapt to many variables. You and your wife have enforced the need for such adaptations. You have desired I might care for Michael, might interact with Michael, might help Michael acquire his needs. Above all, you and your wife have programmed me to never leave Michael unattended, primarily while you and your wife are away and when Michael is not at school. Michael has stated himself he wishes for me to always remain with him. It is Michael’s desire that when he goes to heaven, I should go with him. This is in compliance with my programming, sir.”

Michael’s father had paid very close attention to Servo’s words and with each one he began formulating a solution to the problem he saw before him. He realized he could not simply command Servo to no longer address this subject again with Michael because he knew Michael would bring it up. He also wasn’t willing to spend anymore time or effort discovering another way around the problem. As much as he didn’t want to do this, for Michael’s sake, he knew Servo had to go. He and his wife hadn’t wanted to entertain this option for fear it would somehow emotionally damage their son. However, it seemed to him now that Michael’s emotional health was deteriorating the more he projected onto the robot.

“Servo,” he finally said, “initiate failsafe program 45128.”

Servo didn’t say or do anything for awhile. Then he suddenly seized and his body straightened unnaturally, his arms fused to his body and his legs held tightly together. Servo usually didn’t make any mechanical noises, but a low hum began rising in volume until all the lights on his body at once lit up and then went dead. At that point, the humming died, too. Michael’s father stood looking at the robot for awhile, as if waiting for it to say or do something. It didn’t.

***

Michael had seen most of it from the window of his second floor bedroom. When he saw Servo seize and light up, he knew something wrong was happening. He didn’t want to yell at his father because he knew he’d be punished. He was supposed to be asleep I bed. He also knew his friend was in danger and had to figure out what he could do to help.

When Servo’s lights went out and he saw his father walking back to the house, leaving Servo outside, Michael knew the worst had happened. He started sobbing silent tears. He didn’t want his parents to hear him, but he was so upset, angry, confused, and sad. His best friend was now dead. His father had killed him, or caused his death, or something like that. He didn’t fully understand. He knew Servo was a robot, but Servo was also his friend. He knew robots couldn’t die the way humans do, but he wasn’t going to see his friend ever again.

Then he got an idea. His mind was racing with confusion and emotion, but somehow he got this idea. He ran over to his bed and got down on his knees. He folded his hands, placing them on the side of his bed, and closed his eyes. Michael started praying, knowing that God would hear him and that Jesus would save his friend’s soul.