Read Online The Last Place to Stand by Aaron K. Redshaw - Free Book Online
Authors: Aaron K. Redshaw
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background, the screen faded and the panel closed. “So, what do you think?” said E2175.
Now the man was excited, ready to do anything asked of him. He had, through subliminal messages, his own pride, and the presentation, been brought into a kind of ecstatic state of hope for the future and a desire to be a big part of it. At first he stuttered a bit due to the tremendous adrenaline rush, “I-I-I th-think it's am-am-amazing.”
“We know you are interested in getting started as soon as possible, so we will need you to sign the usual forms, now available on the screen for your perusal. Once done, we will check you in.”
Even though the candidate was extremely exhausted due to the long testing program he had already been through, he wanted to get started too. He looked blearily at the documents being presented on his screen, but only saw the line at the bottom for signature. If he would have allowed it, the writing on the screen would have been read aloud through his embedded chip since no one read anymore, but he did not give it the time to get started before he had signed each page that presented itself. Within a couple of minutes he had signed six documents in rapid succession, and initialed nine.
Upon the signing of the last document, a gurney barged into the room and he was lifted off his seat by two robotic assistants, placed onto it, and skittered off. He began giggling as he was carted off toward the operating room.
Chapter 20
It was break time, and X213 wanted to step outside. She knew the scrubbers made the air better inside than outside, but she just wanted a change of scenery. This was unusual for her, but she wanted to try something new today. She felt suffocated. As she walked a couple of blocks away from work, she passed an old man who was holding a sign. That was even more unusual. No one read, but of course, her chip gave her an interpretation. “The end is near,” it said.
“Why are you holding that?” she said.
“Because it's true. We're not even a five minute walk from where it will probably happen too!” He was dressed in rags. She couldn't imagine how he had been allowed to stay there without being detected by the cameras and dumped somewhere outside the city.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “I work at Techcorp. Why will it be the end?”
“Because, when the singularity comes, do you think it will like us? Do you think it will even let us live? What do you think would happen if a truly logical life began? Would it want to exist with an illogical, drug dependent people like us? It's gonna drive us out or kill us all!” He did not seem sad or mad, but insistent and intense. But who would listen to him?
She wondered how long he had been saying these things. She had heard these sorts of things before, but more as philosophy, not as prophecy. This guy was whacked. She didn't bother responding to him further, but started on her way back. Anyway, her break was almost over and she needed to be on her shift in time or the monitors would record her absence and she would get a pay cut.
She got only half a block away when the trucks came and robotic servicemen picked the man up and put him in the back. He would either cooperate, change his ways, or be dropped off outside of the city—off the edge of the world. Maybe he would join the Outcasts. Maybe he would be happy there. She sure never would.
Another block and her hands started to shake again. As she came within sight of her workplace she felt something wet on her hand. She looked up at a sunny sky. That's when it struck her that it was a tear. She began to feel a panic rise up in her. It was as if her insides were fighting with her logical outside. Control, she needed control. She needed to think. She knew that technology was the path to a better future. She knew that life was better than it had ever been in history. She knew she was right. She knew, she knew...she was crying now even more. She had never done that. Not since. .
Now the man was excited, ready to do anything asked of him. He had, through subliminal messages, his own pride, and the presentation, been brought into a kind of ecstatic state of hope for the future and a desire to be a big part of it. At first he stuttered a bit due to the tremendous adrenaline rush, “I-I-I th-think it's am-am-amazing.”
“We know you are interested in getting started as soon as possible, so we will need you to sign the usual forms, now available on the screen for your perusal. Once done, we will check you in.”
Even though the candidate was extremely exhausted due to the long testing program he had already been through, he wanted to get started too. He looked blearily at the documents being presented on his screen, but only saw the line at the bottom for signature. If he would have allowed it, the writing on the screen would have been read aloud through his embedded chip since no one read anymore, but he did not give it the time to get started before he had signed each page that presented itself. Within a couple of minutes he had signed six documents in rapid succession, and initialed nine.
Upon the signing of the last document, a gurney barged into the room and he was lifted off his seat by two robotic assistants, placed onto it, and skittered off. He began giggling as he was carted off toward the operating room.
Chapter 20
It was break time, and X213 wanted to step outside. She knew the scrubbers made the air better inside than outside, but she just wanted a change of scenery. This was unusual for her, but she wanted to try something new today. She felt suffocated. As she walked a couple of blocks away from work, she passed an old man who was holding a sign. That was even more unusual. No one read, but of course, her chip gave her an interpretation. “The end is near,” it said.
“Why are you holding that?” she said.
“Because it's true. We're not even a five minute walk from where it will probably happen too!” He was dressed in rags. She couldn't imagine how he had been allowed to stay there without being detected by the cameras and dumped somewhere outside the city.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “I work at Techcorp. Why will it be the end?”
“Because, when the singularity comes, do you think it will like us? Do you think it will even let us live? What do you think would happen if a truly logical life began? Would it want to exist with an illogical, drug dependent people like us? It's gonna drive us out or kill us all!” He did not seem sad or mad, but insistent and intense. But who would listen to him?
She wondered how long he had been saying these things. She had heard these sorts of things before, but more as philosophy, not as prophecy. This guy was whacked. She didn't bother responding to him further, but started on her way back. Anyway, her break was almost over and she needed to be on her shift in time or the monitors would record her absence and she would get a pay cut.
She got only half a block away when the trucks came and robotic servicemen picked the man up and put him in the back. He would either cooperate, change his ways, or be dropped off outside of the city—off the edge of the world. Maybe he would join the Outcasts. Maybe he would be happy there. She sure never would.
Another block and her hands started to shake again. As she came within sight of her workplace she felt something wet on her hand. She looked up at a sunny sky. That's when it struck her that it was a tear. She began to feel a panic rise up in her. It was as if her insides were fighting with her logical outside. Control, she needed control. She needed to think. She knew that technology was the path to a better future. She knew that life was better than it had ever been in history. She knew she was right. She knew, she knew...she was crying now even more. She had never done that. Not since. .
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