These do not have to be read in any order in particular. The numbers have to do with which prompt of this challenge the story is written around (72 in this case) and which I wrote when (this was the 26th I tackled).

7/26/08

072 – Fixed

The AI unit lay still on the examination table. It was still and silent in sleep mode. All that remained functional were its ear microphones, waiting for the order to awaken. Alongside the table, two mechanics were scanning the numbers scrolling down a large display screen on the wall. The readouts of the AI’s computer. Every so often, there would be a tap of a stylus on a digital clipboard and the screen would beep as the image froze. One of the mechanics sighed. It turned into a yawn.

“That’s it,” he said through the yawn. “If we don’t find something in the next five minutes, then I quit.”

The other mechanic, a woman, objected.

“But, Tom… Conner said…”

“I don’t care what Conner said. We’ve been at this for nearly three hours. Five minutes and I’m done.”

The two lapsed back into silence. A few minutes passed.

“Sorry, Karen,” Tom finally said. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee when we’re done, eh?”

“Okay.”

Another period of silence. Then there was a clattering as Tom threw down his clipboard very near to the AI’s head. The sharp sound echoed through its circuitry.

“Well, that’s it. I’m done. C’mon, Karen, We’ll see if that little place on the corner is still open.”

“Hold on. What’s that?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

“No, really, Tom. Look at it!”

Tom groaned. “It’s a two, Karen, so what?”

“Here. Here, here and here.” Each of Karen’s ‘here’s was punctuated by a vicious tap of her stylus and a corresponding beep from the computer. Tom’s breath came faster.

“No, that’s not possible.”

The clipboard clattered as Tom picked it up and the computer began to beep frantically as he cycled through the readouts.

“What the hell is going on here? His voice was barely more than a whisper. “How could I not have seen this? Conner was right.”

“It’s been thinking.”

“No, it couldn’t have.” Tom was trying to convince himself. His voice shook. “I’ve been working too hard. It’s a glitch, that’s all. A malfunction in the computer.”

“But…”

“Malfunction. In. The. Computer,” Tom annunciated each word carefully through clenched teeth. “Let’s wipe the hardware and send it back to be reprogrammed.”

“But…”

“Just do it, Karen.”

A moment of silence. Utter and complete silence.

“I need some coffee. Come on. We’ll get some coffee and come back.”

“All right.” Karen didn’t sound very enthusiastic. The clipboards rattled once more as they placed them on the table tops. The two mechanics left the room. The AI remained still on the table. The first self-aware computer.

A/N: (I feel a bit repetitive by this point, but I keep getting new readers, so sorry to everyone who's read this before.): "Mutts" is written based on the 100-fic challenge on Livejournal. It's pretty cool and I recommend giving it a whack. One of it's main virtues is there is no time limit.

Gah, I was just reading a plethora of Isaac Asimov's robot works, and I can't help but wince at how badly I've butchered his concepts. It feels like I just copy and pasted here, when it actuality, this was written months ago, before I was really at all familiar with Asimov outside of the "I, Robot" movie of a few years back. So, no, I didn't mean to copy the guy but it's hard to do something he hasn't with this particular aspect of the genre (if you've read any of his robot works, you know what I mean). Well, I have robot police officers. But he has robot public officials. *sigh* Whatever. I came up with the Mutts.