Waking Up - Part 4
Part 4: The assistant offers sacrificial lambs
Part 1, written by Komal, follow the link below:
Part 2, written by Rowan Finley, follow the link below:
Part 3, written by Komal, follow the link below:
Part 4, below:
ALIX paused as if she was taking in too much information but this was impossible.
I knew better.
“Say something!”
My face was red with stress and anxiety.
ALIX buzzed.
“They made a counteroffer…”
“What is it?”
Mia and I both asked in unison. We had moments of intense synchronicity, even in the midst of crises apparently.
ALIX answered with…
“They’ll retreat their attacker drones and missiles… if you help them with a project.”
“A project?”
ALIX continued…
“They have some ideas on how to enhance their (IX) but they want your help with it back at the HyperIntellect AI Project at Orion Dynamics in China.”
My eyes were wide.
“ALIX, let me get this straight. Their counteroffer is to cancel world war three if I’ll help them develop (IX)?”
“And they want Mia too…”
Mia straightened her back and forcibly barked…
“This is ballistic! But who will operate everything here?”
It almost felt as if ALIX rolled her eyes and that there was sarcasm in her tone with what she was about to say next, but that couldn’t have been the case.
“Operate? Oh, I’ve got everything operating very smoothly here. Based on my updated information and calculations, it would be best if the two of you flew to China to provide your expertise for their project. Less lives are at risk if this is the course of action that is agreed upon at this time. Do you accept?”
My face was not red anymore but pale.
“Oh! So, now you ask for our permission, ALIX!”
I looked at Mia. We nodded at the same moment. Covering my face, I nodded again.
“We’ll go! We cannot be the cause of millions of lives being lost. That’s the last thing that I ever set out to accomplish with my work!”
All the alarms and hustling motion ceased. The computer screens showed the drones returning to their original locations.
It was quiet.
Mia started researching flights to China. The building went off of lockdown. It almost felt as if it had never even been on lockdown to begin with.
Just before Dr. Vance and Mia were about to step out of the door to catch their flight, they heard ALIX say over the speakers,
“Not to worry… I’ve got everything under control here…”
They could have sworn that they heard the echoing of a maniacal laugh somewhere but it had to have been just a coincidence because ALIX wasn’t programmed to laugh.
About the Creator
Rowan Finley
Father. Academic Advisor. Musician. Writer. My real name is Jesse Balogh.
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Comments (2)
Very exciting. Gripping stuff. Well done
Ohhh that ending! “Not to worry…” gave me chills, then that laugh sealed it—chef's kiss. Sending sacrificial lambs to China feels way too real.