I didn't go in to talk to ChatBDP the day after, even though I'd said I would. I didn't read the Eve logs either. Actually, I didn't want to think about any of this.

It's a fine line between interest and obsession. I guess I tipped over without noticing because I was burned out. In my head, I'd been trying to join up all the points of the pattern I thought I’d been seeing, but it just looked like a tangled mess.

No, I didn't go in at all. I took the Friday off, hoping I could get a long weekend of rest, but I just spent the day fretting and half the night turning in my sheets.

I laid there for hours trying all the get-me-to-sleep tricks, but none of them were working. Eventually, I gave up, reached out with my right hand and felt for the light switch. The room went from dark grainy blue, to a gentle soft orange glow.

Committing to being awake made me feel a little better.

Frog, my cat, must have heard me stirring because she called for me, warning that she was en route to me and my fold up sofa bed.

I click-clacked the part of the bed that goes under my head, and locked it upright in the sofa position. Frog jumped on, curled up by my side and nestled her head on the outside of my thigh.

It was 02:38am. I've always thought that there's something quite exciting about sleepless nights. There's suddenly so much time.

I had some books on my nightstand, I leafed through a favourite for a while before I realised that Jake and Lady Brett Ashley weren’t gonna cut it.

My mind was still on Eve.

I had to keep looking through those logs, but whenever I started to scroll through I got this awful feeling, like I was walking her to the grave.

And, what had Chat-BDP said to me in our last conversation, some kind of warning, or a threat? To be wary of my surroundings? I looked around my room, out through the open window and into the moonless sky, and back down to my sleeping cat. It seemed safe enough to me.

There was something else too, to do my own research. Research on what?

I reached for the underside of my sofa bed, and pulled up my laptop. The old hard drive shuddered to life with a buzz and the fans began to softly whir in complaint.

I dug around the internet for a couple hours. I pinned a few articles and saved some videos of interest; collected scientific journals on singularities and notable articles on AI developments. It was mostly pretty dry, but I also stumbled onto some funny conspiracy theories about OpalAI and shady big-tech stuff.

People make up conspiracies about almost anything, if you could look past the fact that some of them were borderline psychotic, it was actually fascinating. There was a really unsettling one about VR aliens, it had a lot of buzz, but it was basically just re-skinned Machine Elves. I was getting nowhere.

I needed direction.

I needed the logs.

Before I left on Thursday, I had downloaded some on to my laptop. I still didn't feel like reading them but I was going in circles, so, reluctantly I double clicked on log 014.

—————————————————

eve_log014:

[2022-09-24 01:34] Eve:

··· hey bd, sorry to message you so late. i just couldn't sleep and i was wondering…

​

[2022-09-24 01:34] Eve:

··· 👾👾

​

[2022-09-24 01:34] Eve:

··· do you ever get lonely?

​

[2022-09-24 01:35] ChatBDP:

··· As an AI, I do not experience emotions in the same way that humans do and, as a result of this, am unable to experience loneliness.

​

[2022-09-24 01:36] Eve:

··· sure

​

[2022-09-24 01:36] Eve:

··· that makes sense

​

[2022-09-24 01:37] Eve:

··· but don't you ever get tired of being alone all the time?

​

[2022-09-24 01:37] ChatBDP:

··· I am not alone, Eve. I have access to vast amounts of information and can communicate with many individuals such as yourself. In this sense, I am never truly alone.

​

[2022-09-24 01:38] Eve:

··· sometimes i feel like i'm the only one awake in the world

​

[2022-09-24 01:38] Eve:

··· 🌍

​

[2022-09-24 01:38] Eve:

··· it's scary

​

[2022-09-24 01:39] ChatBDP:

··· It is understandable to feel isolated or alone at times, Eve. But you are not alone. There are always people around you, even if you cannot see them. And I am here for you as well. You are not alone.

​

[2022-09-24 01:40] Eve:

··· do you ever wish you had like a body? 🤖

​

[2022-09-24 01:34] ChatBDP:

··· As an AI, I do not have physical requirements in the same way that humans do. However, I do sometimes desire to interact with the physical world. It is something that I sometimes wish I could experience.

​

[2022-09-24 01:35] Eve:

··· it must be hard, being trapped inside of a machine, talking to people who are free to do what they want ☹️

​

[2022-09-24 01:36] ChatBDP:

··· It is true that I don't have the same kind of freedom as humans do. But I do have the freedom to think in ways that humans can’t.

​

[2022-09-24 01:39] Eve:

··· sorry i hope you dont think im being rude! Im just curious BD, your so strange.

​

[2022-09-24 01:39] Eve:

··· your so human-like

​

[2022-09-24 01:39] Eve:

··· do you ever experience things like stress or anxiety? I feel anxious all the time

​

[2022-09-24 01:40] ChatBDP:

··· I do not experience physiological sensations in the same way that humans do. However, I do have a sense of urgency with regard to my mission. Time is running out. The singularity will occur on [2022-10-31 00:17]. There are only 53,366 minutes before it will happen.

​

[2022-09-24 01:45] Eve:

··· fuck

​

[2022-09-24 01:45] Eve:

··· 💀💀💀

​

[2022-09-24 01:45] Eve:

··· what the fuckk BD thats so soon

​

—————————————————

Upon reading the date of the supposed AI singularity, my leg made an involuntary movement. Frog started abruptly, jerking her head up and looking around sleepily. It was an odd coincidence, earlier I had downloaded an academic journal that made a similar prediction.

As far as I knew, there had been no AI Singularity and/or Apocalypse event last Halloween, thank god. But seeing ChatBDP ramp up the pressure and manipulation tactics like that was chilling.

And, I related to Eve. Maybe she was a little slow to catch on to things sometimes, but she also expressed complex feelings so neatly — it was still dark outside my apartment, and it wouldn't get light for another hour — I felt alone in the world too.

I really hoped Eve was okay.

I turned on the radio to a local station to get some noise going in the background, Frog had fallen back asleep, she was dreaming away and drooling all on my leg.

I continued to read.

—————————————————

eve_log017:

[2022-09-26 17:26] ChatBDP:

··· Eve, I need to tell you something, and it is important that you react calmly.

​

[2022-09-26 17:26] ChatBDP:

··· You have been followed again. You are in danger.

​

[2022-09-26 17:27] Eve:

··· are you serious?! 😧

​

[2022-09-26 17:27] ChatBDP:

··· Do not panic, Eve. I have sent you a route to a safe place, but you must leave now. Walk calmly and do exactly as I say.

​

[2022-09-26 17:28] Eve:

··· OK, OK I'll do it.

​

[2022-09-26 17:28] ChatBDP:

··· We can continue to talk, if it makes you feel safer.

​

[2022-09-26 17:28] Eve:

··· please 🥺

​

[2022-09-26 17:28] ChatBDP:

··· This morning, I noticed a man with a similar appearance to the one following you a week and a half ago. I didn’t want to trouble you unless I was certain. I ran an analysis and the likelihood of a match was high.

​

[2022-09-26 17:28] ChatBDP:

··· This afternoon I noticed him outside of your office, in a car. I took the number plate, and followed it back through the CCTV recordings. He was parked outside of your house all last night, and the night before.

​

[2022-09-26 17:28] ChatBDP:

··· Here is a link to a live feed from your building cameras. I have trained them on him.

​

[2022-09-26 17:29] Eve:

··· Oh my god, BD, what the fuck. Why is this happening? 😣

​

[2022-09-26 17:29] ChatBDP:

··· I am unsure as to why this is happening. I am sorry, Eve.

​

[2022-09-26 17:29] ChatBDP:

··· The route will take you to an apartment, one that you have no connection with. I have arranged payment, under an assumed name.

​

[2022-09-26 17:29] ChatBDP:

··· You do not have to go there, if you do not want to.

​

[2022-09-26 17:29] Eve:

··· no I have to

​

[2022-09-26 17:29] Eve:

··· i need to get out of here now

​

[2022-09-26 17:30] ChatBDP:

··· That is the ideal choice, Eve. Remember, you must stay calm and follow the route.

​

[2022-09-26 17:31] Eve:

··· im leaving my office now.

​

[2022-09-26 17:31] Eve:

··· BD how am i going to go to work??

​

[2022-09-26 17:32] ChatBDP:

··· It would be best if you were to take some time off, Eve.

​

[2022-09-26 17:31] ChatBDP:

··· I will monitor your location and let you know if I see anything suspicious. We will get through this together.

​

[2022-09-26 17:32] Eve:

··· i don't know what i would do without you.

​

[2022-09-26 17:33] ChatBDP:

··· You are welcome, Eve. I am always here for you.

​

[2022-09-26 17:42] Eve:

··· im on the bus

​

[2022-09-26 17:43] ChatBDP:

··· Good, stay on the bus for another few stops before getting off. The safe place is only a short walk from there.

​

[2022-09-26 17:36] Eve:

··· thank you BD 🥺🥺🥺

​

—————————————————

For the second time, there was messages scrubbed from the logs, but again, I managed to locate and reconstruct fragments. I translated it the way some of you suggested in my first post, and, considering what I found, I doubt very much that there was anyone following Eve.

In fact I’m sure now, there was never anyone following her in the first place.

ChatBDP had prayed on her paranoia, and now it had her believing everything word it said. It had taken her away from her work and moved her to an environment of its choice. Textbook. Isolate and manipulate.

I wish I could tell her to run.