This article was published in Gujarat Samachar, a Gujarati daily. Originally written by Jay Vasavada, in his column Spectrometer.
Amongst the 20th century film makers one of the genius names is Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick did not make films, he lived them. When he really felt an impulse to convey something... only then he made a film. Else he spent years without touching on the task! Once upon a time he started making a wonderful film based on a short story. 'Artificial Intelligence', later popularly known by the short form, A.I., the film could not be completed owing to a sudden death of Kubrick. Then another film maker, with as much genius, and known as the greatest in the world cine history, Steven Spielberg, completed the rest of the making of this film giving regards to the last wish of its late director. The Film came, and went... But as water streams in and fills up the empty footsteps in sand, an ocean of memory now overflows, and the film hits the mind...
If one started watching the film in pin-drop silence and loneliness of midnight, one wouldn't be able to repose till morning. Creating such a world of emotions, the film starts with science of future. In today's world as you type something on a computer, your misspellings are automatically rectified by the software. This is an artificial intelligence of a computer.
This is a story of the time in the future when the efficiency of such machines has reached an enormous height. As his magnificent creation one scientist has made a human-looking child robot. Looking like a thirteen-year-old child the robot seems as human as the scientist himself! With help of the best technology the robot is made to think, speak, walk, feel and respond just as men do. Before further production the robot is sent for a test, to the couple who are having their son of the same age in comma out of an incurable illness.
The mother feeling emptiness for her son's loss can't bear the company of this robot at first. But how would a robot understand? He keeps on following her everywhere and calling her 'mommy, mommy'! Look-wise he is obtrusively lovable, innocent; devoid of any wickedness, not being human! At last, the feeling heart of the mother accepts him for a son, showers her love on him.
Now one day brings a miracle. Her son who was in comma suddenly comes to life. Both parents, mad out of joy, bring him home. Then the father once utters of sending the robot back to the factory. But the mother is adamant: 'However he is, he too is my son.'
But her son who is come home after years feels jealous of the robot. He takes the robot for a mere toy. Once he allures him eat out of his food in order to disfigure his internal mechanism. But the mother saves him, and gives mild scolding to her son. Out of anger the original son once again tempts the robot who loves her mother inordinately (because just so is his programming!):'Do you wish mommy to love you very much? Then do one thing, cut mommy's hair with scissor when she is asleep. Mommy would like that very much!'
Always eager to take his mother's love, the robot is following this instruction seriously when his father is awakened. He is convinced that the robot has gone violent and has come to murder his wife with scissor. The mother still forgives this act, but the father leaves orders to sell the robot out in scrape. The next day with pretext of taking him out for amusement, the mother takes him out in a car. The robot is very happy for he is on a ride with his beloved mommy. His mother is taking him to the factory where he would be broken down. But her motherly love finally prevents her from doing that.
She stops the car in a remote jungle, and tells her robot son: 'Son, I will have to leave you. You will not find difficulty living in the jungle, but do never ever come in direction of human existence!' Her son, with tearful face, asks: 'But mommy, why don't you keep me to you?' She, turning her face to other side in order to hide her tears, says: 'Because you are not real!'
Mother takes leave with bulky heart. Robot runs after the car, screaming. He feels that he too has begun to feel the emotions like fear, love, competition, separation... despite being a robot. As if the evolution has happened, of robots to humans! He remembers the children's tale of 'Pinocchio', in which a blue fairy touches the wooden statue made by a carpenter with the magical stick and turns him to a real child, and gifts it to the childless carpenter!
The robot decides that 'mommy wants a real son, so I will be a real boy'. Much follows after that. Wanderings, adventures, new friends, dangerous enemies... passing all, the robot comes to a virtual cyber cafe of this ultra modern world, and asks the computer named Dr. Know: 'Where do I find the blue fairy? I want to see her and be a real boy!'
Computer gives him an address, where he finds the scientist who has made him. He is having thousands of child-robot models in his factory by now. He says, 'We were keeping an eye on you. Your test is over. We see that you have as much intelligence as is needed to stay as a human. You came to feel emotions - experience things; you developed curiosity to search for something... We had placed the computer there. Now I will carry out global manufacturing of thousands of robots like you and be billionaire!' The child-robot innocently asks: 'But mommy will only accept me if you make me a real boy, sir!' The scientist replies: 'That is impossible. This is the world of science and reality, where there are no miracles as that. But you will become immortal in the world being the first amongst the robots owning artificial intelligence.'
The child-robot says: ' I don't want to become immortal in the world. I have not experienced who is great here. I only know my mommy. If I become a real boy, I will get her back. For me all happiness of the world, all the well being, end in the shadow of my mommy.'
Disappointed by the scientist's reaction, the robot shuts himself into a shuttle and jumps for the bottom of the sea. But the shuttle is made of the finest material. Rust-free metal and automatically rechargeable battery... At the bottom is lying an old statue of a blue fairy. Broken, it is come drifting from some place. The child robot jumps with a cry of joy seeing this. It happens to him that a blue fairy will now make him a real boy and send him back to his mommy. He starts praying in front of the statue of a blue fairy. 'Blue fairy, please make me a real boy!'
But what would an inanimate thing answer? The innocent child robot concentratedly keeps on repeating the same words, 'Blue fairy, please make me a real boy!' Days pass, years pass, decades pass! But the robot who has an interminable machine-energy keeps imploring: 'Blue fairy, please make me a real boy!' His voice now grows dim. At last it stops. Speech software has come to an end. But his eyes are fixed on the blue fairy. His battery too is used up. Layers upon layers of earth and ice fall over him. With the stroke of time the statue now breaks... In this way two thousand years are passed!
Had it been an Indian traditional film, the God would have granted the robot's wish. But this is not a story out of the tales from the past, but of the future of science, where there is no place for such miracles! Yet wonder it is if the end is not such wonderful and real sounding, despite keeping intact the rules of science fiction, where two genius brains of human kind are at work!
In two thousand years the planet has sustained a massive destruction. The ice age has arrived. And various epidemics are spread across. No living creature has managed to survive. Not only humans, but birds, insects, and viruses too are extinct. Everything is finished. No life on the planet earth!
And from a distant galaxy, some aliens who are superior in intelligence and technology than humans, arrive on the earth. Their mission is to study the human race. They are impressed seeing the remains of things the humans have created. But there is not even a single living thing remained! They are amazed to see the robot sitting at the bottom of the sea, and rapidly hoist him out. They are all scientists with supreme intelligence. Quickly they repair the robot. The child robot is dumbfounded by the sight. With resounding voice he repeats his request. The superior of the aliens tell him: 'You are the only survivor on this planet. No human is alive. If one wishes to know how humans did, the only option remained is you. You are the same as humans! And now as there is no human on the earth, you are the only member of this world, master of this world! Now only you are human! You are real and only boy in the universe!'
Aaaaah! The prayer of the child robot fetched automatically! At last, time made him a real boy! Now the alien asks: 'What do you want, boy?' Says the robot: 'Mommy! I want my mommy back. Mommy would be pleased knowing I am a real boy and accept me.
With a sigh, the alien says: 'Your mommy has ceased to live centuries ago. We had enlivened some of the creatures collecting the DNA from the dead fossils of those. But we are not the Gods, who create lives. The resurgent humans created thus would survive but twenty-four hours. The existence depends on space and time. We don't have control over it. If you had any remain of your mother, we could have enlivened her with her DNA.... but, sorry!
A flash passes through the robot's eyes. Running, he fetches something out of his pocket. 'Take this, a piece mommy's hair. I was put out as a punishment for cutting them, but now give my mommy back with its help!'
Alien tries to convince him: 'But supposing if your mommy comes back, then too she would have forgotten everything. And she will only stay with you for a day. After twenty-four hours she will repose, and will die, again.'
But the child robot begs: 'No! Please get my mommy back to me once, be it for twenty-four hours. I want to live some moments rewinding the years I have missed spending with her.'
Alien gives away. The sun of joy rises in the child robot's world. He is having the memories of his house in mind, based on which the aliens make him a house too. The superior of the aliens says: 'Blue fairy is just a dream to get the impossible, and only the humans are blessed to dare run after it! So, this machine has now become a human!
The child robot is spellbound seeing his mother. His centuries long wish is now granted. He makes over for all in a day. Mommy gives him a bath, feeds him with her hands, plays with him, and wanders about with him, holding his arm shows him the setting sun. Tells him a story, sings to him, plays mischiefs with him, does his hair... Again the same noise, the same mess, and the same cleaning... The child robot does not tell his mommy that the play is only twenty-four hour long! At the end, taking her son in her lap, mommy drifts into a deep repose. But now the child is all content. His face shows off the smile of divine satisfaction. He is not programmed to sleep ever, but now his eyes slowly close, and his soul sores to the world... where dreams are born!