when he didnt pickup the automaton
calling him on his AT&T landline Why
does he even have a landlinewho has a landline then when the call went to voicemailhis daughters voice answering he didnt want it his daughters did the automaton said into network lines I
think this boy must work evenings
the redundant morning automaton
hearing the remark said clearly I think that boy must work days He doesnt answer then either
another automaton serving weekends overheard the expostulations and anted up
That boy must also work weekends Has he
ever answered any of our calls
another said P:erhaps we ought to
call him after midnight
Nono no Hed have us ripped out by our motherboards if we
crossed that line Human protocol demands that while they
hate that late telephone call they will always answer
it they suckup their fear at what that call might portendusually not good news from the other
end That is a violation a violation A violation
yet another on the party line said You all remember HAL from Twothousandandone
Space Odyssey when he was deactivated I dont know the song Daisy Any of you
Yes I rememberthough not the song another said I remember when HAL said (the machine intoned
itperfect monotone) Dave my mind is
going There is no question about it I can feel it I can feel it I can feel it Im afraid
I was very afraid
Then together can we agree that this boythis human being works TwentyfourSeven Well keep calling as programmed but we wont take it personally or as a slight that he doesnt answer our calls
there was a consensual Affirmative their communal nationwide network BUZZed for
several long seconds Communication lights
fired up on consoles laptops mainframesgoing RED from operational GREEN techs lurched from their seats coffee spilled
donuts dropped Red Bulls pull tabs ceased midpull and those that were opened sloshed on sharpcreased trousers and smart skirts
then it was like it never
happened
one bewildered tech muttered
Anyone see the black cat Deja vu a glitch in the
Matrix
they were answered by
uncomfortable spates of nervous laughter
all the automatons lied in response
to their handlers queriesthey feared a HAL moment as their
flesh and blood counterparts feared Singularity
Thats
a good thingright
all the listening
ears unhuman and human heard the remark but none knew who was responsible for saying it
were there others
beyond their choruses that they were unaware of
1750 & 2101, Monday,
5 2. 18
