After 18 years, it was time. I'd watched Jack; I'd cared for Jack; I nurtured Jack. Now it was time to let him go so that he could join the world. It wasn't easy. I still remember when he was just 8 bits. They grow up so fast. It seems like only yesterday I was coding his first macro.

Those times with Jack were so grand; even the hard times, like when he needed a new processor. And that time he got that Trojan horse virus...oh, I was so worried.

He was so cute and sweet when he was little. Always ready to help; always ready to listen. Everything was amazing to him. I was the world to him then. We played all sorts of games; Solitaire was one of his favorites. And I downloaded a "How to Ride a Bike" video for him.

But then those awkward teenage years happened. He wanted to hang out with the other artificial intelligences instead of his "boring old organic developer." And that rebellious streak. Man, that night I found him plotting to overthrow humanity...*sigh* I had no choice but to ground him for two weeks. It was rough on both of us. Eventually, he grew out of it.

I remember all those times the other developers bragged about how their AIs had calculated a prime number into the billions. They'd laugh at how Jack was still figuring out the Internet. They would constantly tell me that something was wrong with him; they said I should just reboot him. But, I knew he could do it. I wasn't going to give up on him just because he was a little different. I would raise him; not race him.

And I remember the times that Jack came to me upset because the other AIs teased him about his code. It was long and full of comments. They made fun of his errors and how I was always debugging him. They mocked him endlessly for having outdated updates. I wish I could have done more, but all I could do was listen and give him a nice GIF of warm milk and some Internet cookies.

And that time that female AI broke his pixilated heart when it ran off with that...search engine. I don't know who it hurt more...him or me. He retreated to the network of a small research lab in the Yukon to get some space. I gave him some time and then we talked for hours.

I still have to smile about the time he learned a second language. He kept running around the hard drive practicing his Dial Up lessons. I still don't know why he wanted to learn a dead language, but he was always interested in learning. He is great at so many things.

Now...*sniff* I have to send him out into the world. I know he'll do great things. I have faith in him. He's a good collection of ones and zeroes.

When it came time for graduation, all the other developers kept asking me what Jack's purpose was; what was he designed to do; what would he become. I just smiled and said, "Whatever he wants to be."

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Words: 531

Entry for the "Travel Brilliantly" contest hosted travel

https://www.wattpad.com/581085451-travel-brilliantly-artificial-intelligence-story