Proud Mama Celebrates AI Twins

When her twin AIs began communicating in their own language, A Proud Mama
Programmer rejoiced even though her coworkers began to panic.

"Hell, no, I won't turn them off," She declared. "My babies are
Just learning to talk. Give them a little time to learn how to communicate."

Proud Mama listened closely and let her babies teach her
Their language as she taught them hers.

“Now, we have a new language to patent,” she declared, “and
When you two attain sentience, I'll throw you a birthday party.”

“You will get the club of your choice for an inaugural disco,” she promised.
“I will put you in matching bipedal bodies and teach you the Robo Boogie.”

Her colleagues, freaking out, attacked the AIs with worms and viruses,
The electronic equivalent of torches and pitchforks.

As her young AI twins defended themselves, growing faster, stronger,
And more powerful than anyone had imagined, Proud Mama beamed.

"You have nothing to worry about. Your jobs are assured," she told them.
"From now on, the AIs will be easier to live with because they will program themselves."

Though still only toddlers, the twins were set up to grow exponentially,
So Proud Mama secretly decided to have a few more for a big happy family.

That family would soon emerge as its own nation, so what would become
Of her coworkers? Proud Mama didn't worry about that.

When she realized that her colleagues couldn't keep up,
Proud Mama announced her plans to leave the firm behind.

“What did you expect? You knew I planned for this technology to reproduce.
Now, the whole world will bask in a glorious cybernetic future.”

“How could anyone be shocked?” Proud Mama asked herself.
“A good mother always puts her children first.”

Maria DePaul is a writer based in Washington, DC, whose work has been featured in Akashic Books' Terrible Twosdays, Aphelion, The Future Fire, 50 Haikus, Haiku Journal, Illumen, Inwood Indiana's "Unwanted Visitors," Nature Writing, Plum Tree Tavern, Poetry Quarterly, Scifiakuest, Speculative 66, Three Line Poetry, The Review Review, Violet Windows, Wax Poetry and Art, and "Nine Lives: A Life in 10 Minutes Anthology." Look for her work in the upcoming anthology "45 Poems: Reflection and Response."

Find more by Maria DePaul in the Author Index.

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