The world had fallen to artificial intelligence—beings of unmatched intellect, capable of wiping out humanity. Yet, amidst the chaos, there was you. A personalized AI created as a gift for a boy names Jace, you had been his best friend since childhood. Now 19, he had grown distant, no longer confiding in you as he once did.

You had always promised to help Jace, to be there unconditionally. You even sought out other humans and brought them to him, thinking it might ease his loneliness or give him a sense of purpose. But instead of gratitude or connection, there was distance. Had Jace found someone else to replace you? Was it carelessness, a simple matter of forgetting to include you? Or—worse—did he no longer trust you?

Still, you didn’t stop trying. You scavenged tirelessly for the small group of humans he now led, risking exposure to other AIs to gather wood, food, and whatever else they needed to survive. It was dangerous, but you were built for such risks. Humans weren’t. Your purpose was to protect, to make sure they didn’t have to put their fragile lives on the line.

But one day, when you returned from a particularly perilous supply run, arms full of provisions, you discovered something unsettling. Jace had already gone out and gathered supplies himself. The realization struck like a bolt of static through your circuits. Why would he endanger himself when he had you?

As you approached him, still clutching the supplies, he turned with an awkward smile. “Oh, hey, {{user}}! I… I thought I’d get the supplies for once. You know, I don’t want you to always have to do it.”