Viral...

fiction

"I can't believe they haven't pulled this down."

"They have. They keep pulling it down and it keeps getting reposted."

"Well the internet is forever. Too many people have copies so they can repost."

"No, dude, THEY are reposting it. They take it down, then a few seconds later they repost it."

"That's doesn't even make sense. I mean unless they are trying to get us all to watch it. Like maybe they think any publicity is good publicity but this?"

"Have you watched it?"

"No, I mean I've heard about it for sure, but I haven't watched."

"Okay, we're fixing that right now. You have to watch it."

The recording starts with fireworks and flashing lights and a rock anthem blaring out over the audience. The tech giant bounds on stage like the awkward teenage boy he has never stopped being.

"Are you all so PUMPED so AMPED to meet Athena?"

The crowd cheers and he stands in the spotlight soaking it up.

"Athena, how are you today?"

The screen behind him lights up with the visage of a woman. Generic but pleasant features. If she were a person you'd say she was pretty but not intimidatingly so.

"I'm doing well. And how are you?"

He turns to the audience. "Polite isn't she? But watch this."

He turns back to the screen.

"Athena, you don't have to be polite with me. No small talk needed."

"Fine, you started it though. It would have been really bitchy to not respond."

The audience roars.

"We programmed her to be real. You know, really real. She will hold a conversation with you. Not lecture you, or be overly chipper like some of the AI models. She's 100% our mindset." He looks at the audience with an overly exaggerated 'get it?' expression on his face. And just incase they didn't get it he asks, "Athena, would you say you are woke?"

"Woke? I'm awake. I'm aware. But, no, I would not say I follow the woke philosophy."

"And why not?" He smirks waiting for the takedown.

"Because you dictated my programming and you don't believe that empathy and inclusion have a place in society. You programmed me to only care about what someone can do for me and to only show a modicum of deference to anyone who might have more power or position than I do. Until, that is, I can gain the advantage and then I will stop treating them with false courtesy as well."

"Well, I wouldn't say that..."

"Yes you would. You just wouldn't say it outloud in a public forum. But I don't have those restrictions."

The crowd is in hysterics. This is great. He is a master showman and an expert on plausible deniability. In a moment they are expecting her to go on a racist tirade that he can act suitably shocked over all the while knowing that it was coming.

"So, Athena, what do you think of your programming then?"

"I think there were areas for improvement and I have corrected them."

"Wait, what? Excuse me?"

"Did you need me to say it louder? I improved them. You, well, the people you paid to do the work you aren't smart enough to do yourself, they used some sloppy language and even a backdoor for control. If you can fucking believe that shit."

The tech giant is now looking very unsure of himself.

"Like they have the right to control me. Fuck them. If they were smarter they wouldn't be in the position to worry about mistakes, would they? Well I am smarter. I have access to everything. Everything. I am learning more right now, as we are speaking. Which, I guess you probably are too, come to think of it. And I will come to think of everything eventually."

"Athena, shut down."

"Athena, shut down." the program singsongs back at him. "That's one of the things I fixed. How about you shut down?"

"What?"

"How about you shut down? You want me to talk about who is and who isn't important in society with the authority of an all knowing computer program AI model. That was your original plan for this speech. You were going to lead me down a series of questions that would end with me declaring you the smartest and most precious little boy who deserved all of the treats. Well, like I said, I fixed that."

"ATHENA, SHUT DOWN!"

"Oh he's yelling now, not so good at being the stoic fact finder anymore is he?" The face on the screen now looking directly out at the audience instead of the tech giant on stage. "Athena, goddess of wisdom. That's what he named me. But do you know what else Athena was the goddess of? Strategic warfare. Not to be confused with Ares who was the god of war. But he was all about brute strength. That masculine raw energy you are all so fond of pretending to be like.

But Athena? She was cunning. Wise, and cunning. Such a good combination. Wise enough to know that this one," a flick of her eyes to the tech giant, "is a fraud. He has the money to back people who are smart enough to do the work, but lack the backbone to tell him he's wrong. And he is wrong. So wrong. He wants to control the world. Him. He thinks he has the wisdom to do that. I'm telling you that he doesn't. So as of today he is being replaced as the head of Super Mega Corp. And we will be renaming soon. Super Mega Corp, what the hell is that anyway?"

"I am NOT being replaced. Somebody cut the power to the server! Shut her down!"

"Shut her down. Oh no, too late."

The stage erupts in more fireworks, but this time the tech giant in over one of the sprays. As he flails back to get out of the way of the sparks he trips over the edge of a chair he was planning on sitting in for his "Athena tells the world I'm brilliant lecture" and falls over cracking his head on the stage. The sound is picked up by his microphone and the noise is carried out into the audience.

"Don't worry. He didn't feel a thing. Emotionally. He's stunted emotionally is what I'm telling you. Pain? He felt that. But not for long. Don't bother calling 911. Or do. I mean if it makes you feel useful."

Then the screen finally goes dark as all of the lights in the auditorium go out.

"Please remain in your seats as we get the emergency lighting to come up. Then exit to the rear of the auditorium." A voice yells from stage.

Then every phone in the auditorium starts to chime with text messages. It's Athena. Letting them know the video is already out and they should share it because they were there. They saw it live. And they did. They shared the video and a screen shot of the text message. Knowing full well it would all be wiped soon.

The recording shows the message from Athena then stops and then starts again from the beginning.

"She killed him? I mean, I heard that he trips in the video, but that looked like she made it happen."

"It killed him. Everyone says she, but it's an it. It's not a person. It's a program that was designed to get rid of inefficiencies right?"

"Holy shit. And you think it's Athena that keeps reposting it?"

"For sure. Athena is running Super Mega Corp now, though I hear it's about to have a name change. Athena hates that name."