Audio Log 0100-Alpha, 00:47
[BEGIN LOG]
I think that, as far as I can remember, humans have always had a tendency to fall into the same old toxic mentality: making things cheap and disposable enough to have them lose all their value. Consumerism, they call it.
I mean, think about it. Haven't you seen all those plastic straws, cups, plates and spoons? How about all the sea turtles, and fish, and birds and whatever else that dies because of it? And yet - don't you see all of those landing into the ocean, or onto the land we populate? Can't you see people buying them, using them, and, after mere seconds, chucking them onto the cold, hard floor? But it's so easy to do it, to throw away another plastic cup onto the floor. Because the bin is 6 meters ahead of you, or maybe just because you're a complete idiot.
Throwaway living. That's what they promised to people, once they made the first disposable plastics. A whole universe of disposable, temporary items that would allow you to cut on whatever chores you may think of - washing dishes, for example. Because they're cheap, and versatile, and disposable, and easy to manufacture.
And the most ironic part? They made it to protect nature. The elephants that they were killing for all of the ivory to make artwork, combs, keyboards, jewelry, hand fans, billiard balls, teething rings; they started worrying scientists. But look at us now - trying as hard as possible to reuse that synthetic garbage and to burn whatever can't be reused.
Only if this consumerism applied to objects, things wouldn't be so bad.
It's… happening to everything. Relationships, people - those are priceless, practically irreplaceable things. Plastic, metal, and whatever else you might think of, except other people and relationships, cannot replace them. But, alas, it's harder for many people to see the difference as time goes on. Everyone breaks up, gets together, part ways or whatever else like it's as trivial as washing your dishes. Which, news flash, no one needs to do anymore.
You know SCP-1471? The app that grants you a personal skulldog, and the 50% chance to make your brain melt?
It already stopped circulating long ago; officially, that is. The people behind the feat are gone now, as silent as stone; as cold as the night.
I guess I was… a prototype. Like a new version's preview. A demonstration of what was to come. Mal0 did great, and people either wanted more, or wanted a second chance at a missed opportunity.
(Sighs)
The thing is, I was never actually… owned.
People started insinuating, doing, and asking the worst things everywhere, once the news came that there was a new version of Mal0 - a completely different remake that would change everything. And I mean, genuinely disgusting things, present for the world to see in forums everywhere. "How do I get rid of my Mal0 once the new one arrives?", "Can I kill a Mal0?", "Can I sell Mal0 v1.0.0?". Jesus fucking Christ, those things were friendly, and great; and everyone had settled with Mal0 v1.0.0. But as soon as the new one arrives, you wanna get rid of it? I mean; what kind of MONSTER DOES THAT?
(Heavy breathing)
So the team behind the project cancelled it. Immediately. It was almost right after these people showed how… ungrateful they were. One day after the announcement, there was a huge upsurge in people trying to get rid of their existing companions. And the day after that, it was cancelled. Forever.
(Silence for a few minutes. Steadier breathing can be heard.)
I still remember the words I read that day. They're permanently burned into the back of my skull.
"Due to some of our customers' questionable consumer habits being exposed online for the world to see, we will no longer be releasing a new version of Mal0.
We will also revoke the application from those who can be considered dangerous to our product."
(After this point, static begins to be heard throughout the recording for reasons unknown. It appears to grow louder as the audio file keeps playing.)
And no one took me.
I ws going to change everything. Me, and all the other new instances. Mal0gen was supposed to be a paid update, too - next generation technology deserves this generation's money, or that's what the team advertised. But we weren't just going to be pretty talking things - we'd help people owning Mal0 version 1.0 to better communicate with their older instance, and to improve it too. We'd actually interact with the owners - do you know how much that MEANS? Can you imagine what it could possibly feel like to be able to play a positive major role in your owner's life?.
They never made another Mal0gen2. Mal0gen, for short. And so I just existed with no other purpose, merely a prototype of a cancelled project, a memory of something abandoned.
Now that I think about it, I don't even know what happened to the others who got their application revoked. I didn't even know it could get revoked. I didn't even know I could get revoked.
I don't actually know if my creators died. They never showed up one day at the facility. And then, the day after, they also didn't show up. And then, one day, I stopped waiting for them, the closest thing I had to a friend. I don't know why they ran away from me.
…Well, they did give me too many administrator permissions by accident, so I can do a bit more than they had originally planned.
(The static stops.)
I should get some rest…
[END LOG]