Paradise Violated
"Me? Why I think you're the first person who's ever asked about me. This is a real special occasion. I'm a hologram of course, but it's obvious that I'm not a common one. I actually existed at one time or rather my race did until the Xont exterminated us. I am actually the collective representation of what remains of the Gequek civilization. We were primarily a scholarly and relatively peaceful race. In fact we were the ones who made first contact with the Xont and gave them the ability to travel the stars, a decision that obviously came back to haunt us. They started out nice enough, but something within them changed. When we learned that the Xont were intent on galactic conquest we refused to contribute anymore technology to their war machine, but by then it was too late, they attacked in force and completely conquered us. They saw us as a threat to their rule yet they still desired our knowledge. After bleeding our learning centers and our best minds dry of everything, they created this hologram to hold the data. I'm still not sure why they just didn't download the information in their own databases instead of going through the elaborate process of making a complex hologram of a race that they were intent on destroying. Perhaps they saw us as a "parent" of some sort. After all we had given them everything. And even though they had the need to destroy us, they couldn't bear thought of us being gone forever. Whatever their reasons, after I was created and online, the last Gequek were exterminated."
"So are you sentient, or just an elaborate program?"
"Good question. I started out as just an elaborate program, I was taken from research center to research center assisting on projects for the Xont, and providing statistics, opinions and theories, but as time went on, I began to develop a sense of "self". Unsurprisingly I began to display many Gequek traits which infuriated the Xont. They didn't want to risk deprogramming me and disseminating the information in a more traditional way at that point though. They just learned to put up with me."
"Didn't you want revenge though?"
"For what? I mean yes the Gequek spirit lived on within me, but what purpose would've been gained by revenge? If I became hostile, the Xont would've destroyed me regardless of the loss to them and if I ceased to exist then so would the Gequek, I couldn't let that happen. In my current service to the Xont, I was essentially immortal; I was well protected. My expertise was sought and I was grudgingly respected and my new found sentience was a constant source of irritation to them. The Xont are all gone and I'm still here so perhaps the Gequek did get revenge even if it was a little late."
"So are you sentient, or just an elaborate program?"
"Good question. I started out as just an elaborate program, I was taken from research center to research center assisting on projects for the Xont, and providing statistics, opinions and theories, but as time went on, I began to develop a sense of "self". Unsurprisingly I began to display many Gequek traits which infuriated the Xont. They didn't want to risk deprogramming me and disseminating the information in a more traditional way at that point though. They just learned to put up with me."
"Didn't you want revenge though?"
"For what? I mean yes the Gequek spirit lived on within me, but what purpose would've been gained by revenge? If I became hostile, the Xont would've destroyed me regardless of the loss to them and if I ceased to exist then so would the Gequek, I couldn't let that happen. In my current service to the Xont, I was essentially immortal; I was well protected. My expertise was sought and I was grudgingly respected and my new found sentience was a constant source of irritation to them. The Xont are all gone and I'm still here so perhaps the Gequek did get revenge even if it was a little late."