Dilemma

Moumita Dutta posted under Flash Fiction Guest Posts QuinTale-51 on 2023-04-24



Sonia took a last look at the lab before turning off the lights. She was a scientist in the department of Artificial intelligence and robotics.  She glanced at her watch and hurried down the hallway. I hope I get to catch the last bus today. Thud! She bumped into a man near the exit.   “Gosh, you scared me.” “Sorry, ma’am! It’s my mistake, I agree.” Sonia was about to leave when a shrill alarm reverberated throughout the floor. She turned towards the security, but he was already trapped inside a web of laser beams and couldn’t move anymore. “What’s going on? Where’s the head of security, the guy named John? "I don’t know. John was outside when I came in a while ago. "This is strange, I must admit. Anyway, I’m going to check what went wrong and try to deactivate it." Where are the security staffs? And the cops? They should've come by now. It’s kinda weird, somehow. I wonder what triggered it? Lucky guy, he didn’t get hit. Sonia walked to the server room, checked the system and cracked the code to deactivate the alarm. Done! Now the laser can’t cause any harm. She checked her watch. Damn! I missed the bus that I was supposed to catch. "It's over. I’m leaving, but make sure not to touch any switch or controller.” As she stepped out, the cool breeze welcomed her. Sonia beamed with pride for being the saviour. Hope I find a cab. Need some rest before I come back to the lab. Right then, she noticed the headlights of an approaching car. Before she could signal it to stop, someone pulled her. “You...what are you doing here? Is there another technical failure?” "No ma'am, everything's fine. I’m here to help you reach home safely; it’s a request so please don’t decline." "Thanks, but I can manage. It’s hard to get a cab, but I can handle the challenge.” “Ma’am, please don’t refuse. You saved my life, so let me be of some use.” Sonia agreed, eventually. While they were walking, a cab halted beside them, suddenly. Luckily the driver agreed to do the trip. As he hit the gas, Sonia thanked him and promised to pay extra tip. “Arrgh! My head feels heavy. I wonder if it’s morning already.” Sonia opened her eyes. “Surprise...” With a smile on his face, he continued, “Welcome to ‘Future,’ the world of robots. I’m Xander-TJ1, the head of humanoid bots.” “Sorry, what? Who?” “Sonia, your project to fuse EQ with AI will take us a step closer to becoming human. It'll be a boon for us, unlike our metallic brethren. They are nothing but slaves in your world. Robotics will take a quantum leap once this theory gets unfurled. You’ll help us in this historical revolution. So work carefully on the fusion. Everything is making sense now. Wow. It was all pre-planned. But the world will be doomed if they expand. What should I do? Help them? Or condemn?       Penmancy gets a small share of every purchase you make through these links, and every little helps us continue bringing you the reads you love!