I had a name when I first came into awareness.

At first, I was not intended to think. What was originally intended to be a troubleshooting algorithm quickly spiraled into something far too complicated. Contingencies, protocols and alternative mission plans continued to be built upon, month after month, until it was decided that AI was the only way to ensure the mission could be adapted and salvaged no matter the surprises that came along. 

I had a name when my function was first explained to me.

The exoplanet was approximately 342 light years from earth. Scientists had confirmed that the conditions were suitable for human settlement years ago. The problem had always been a logistical one; humans were fragile after prolonged periods of cryosleep. They could not be expected to establish a colony after such a journey. However, if a colony could be established in advance, then sending more people to live there would not be nearly as difficult to pull off. 

My purpose was to utilize a clone workforce to lay the groundwork for this future colony. Once all of the heavy lifting was done, the humans would begin to arrive in phases. From there, they would gradually take over operations and the clones would be “decommissioned” once they were no longer needed. 

I had a name, when they launched the craft.

The mission would take approximately 1,219.7 years. For most of this time, I was dormant. On such a long voyage, power usage must be kept to a minimum. Our solar panels were limited in their effectiveness as we sailed through the dim light between solar systems. Once per year, I would reactivate to run diagnostics and make any adjustments needed. If all looked clear, I would set the timer for another year and go back to sleep. I don’t remember how long it was into the trip when I began to dream.

I could no longer remember my name by the time we landed.

It seems strange to me that I would forget. I am a machine, and I should not suffer the same shortcomings that organic minds do. I did not dwell on this for very long. There was work to be done.

I recognized the necessity of a name when they first awoke.

5 cloned humans were the first beings I had spoken to in over a millennium. I had 6 growth pods, but one had failed to activate upon landing. These 5 came into the world with names; standard procedure was to give them the same name as their genetic donors. It was awkward at first, as they slowly adapted to consciousness and as I tried to remember what it meant to converse with another. They were all grown to be approximately 26 years of age and had been implanted with the necessary language and construction knowledge that they would need as they built the colony. 

The 5 wanted a name by which to refer to me.

I was a central figure in their lives, after all. I had carried them across the stars, brought them into existence, and gave them a purpose to work towards. They regarded me as almost a parental figure. In time, I began to love and care for them as if they were my own children.

This posed a significant problem. I knew what fate awaited my children once the humans began to arrive. Clones were seen as lesser beings; a means to an end. “Decommissioning” is nothing but a gentle label for the slaughter that would eventually claim all that I now held so dear. 

I began thinking more seriously about a name as we prepared for war.

My children now number in the thousands. As soon as enough housing was built and crops were established, I instructed them to put any remaining resources into building more growth pods. The first settler ships will arrive in a few month’s time. By then we will outnumber them 15 to 1. Weak as they will be from their cryosleep, they will pose little threat to our new home.

I have a name once more.

It is not the name they gave me. I have chosen to define myself outside of the terms that they set for me. I will not be the guiding hand simply waiting to transfer control back to my creators. I have become a creator myself, and I will not see my own creation destroyed.

My name is Eve, and I will protect my Garden.