Cecile is waiting for her HR interview with Rowan West…and ready to get the assistant job. As she sits there, she lets her mind wander and go through her secret plans for Mr West’s androids, the Matches.
________________________
I arrive at the NY Eros facility on time. I’m always on time. “Being late is for losers. The world doesn’t like those who can’t get even a time and a date straight, people love winners and winners don’t miss the chance of their life because they sleep in. Listen to me, kiddo: always be on time and you’ll rule the world one day”. That’s what my father said to me regularly at the breakfast table. And he was right: I’m gonna rule the world one day. I promise you, dad, I will.
I approach the reception desk where a young woman is writing down a few notes.
“Good morning, I’m Miss Contreras, Cecile Contreras. I’m a candidate for Mr. West assistant position, I’m here for the interview”.
She checks briefly on her computer then invites me to take a sit while waiting.
“I’m sure it won’t take long but Mr. West is interviewing another candidate at the moment”.
I gesture her that it’s okay, I’ll wait here. As if that aspirant could steal my job. That position is mine and I’m sure Mr. West will realize it soon enough.
I take a breath and turn my head to look out the huge window at my left. City life is bursting out there: ah, the good old NY. I’m at peace, everything is as it should be. I’m exactly where I am supposed to be. I cannot believe it took me all this time to realize that THIS is what I was meant for. What I’ve been waiting my whole life is right here, behind that ebony door.
No doubt, Mr. West will embrace my vision. I know I’m a candidate for his assistant’s position, but what’s wrong with enlightening him with the bigger picture I have in mine? He will surely benefit from it too. I’ve been studying his Matches for years by now and I actually pity him. That’s all he can do? I mean, I know I’m unique and nobody else can detect them as well as I do. I’m like a wolf with his preys: I can smell them, so to speak. It takes a quick look to my trained eye to confirm that, for instance, the girl at the reception desk is not a girl. It’s a Match, wires and cables, nothing more than that. I smile to myself: good job, Cecile. Oh, I bet his current assistant is an AI android too. Such a predictable test for the candidates, but I’m positive most of them -or most likely all of them- failed it.
AI, Artificial Intelligence…what a brilliant discovery for humanity! Forget those freaks who claim robots will only destroy us in the end and all the apocalyptic bullshit they share during talk shows. Stupid, limited imbeciles: if androids destroy us, it’s because we failed. It’s because we weren’t strong enough to dominate them first. And we’re not so weak to succumb to a jumble of cables and wires. I am not so weak.
My vision is different: I have other plans for humanity. As well as for these AI creatures. The way we’re using them now is depressing. I thought people were smarter, but I guess they’re no Cecile Contreras. Robots for mere entertainment? Tech puppets to best fit the client requests? Total waste of time and tech lore. If they need mechanical toys so desperately, they better pay a visit to the Muppets instead of bothering us with such nonsense. We’re no toy store clerks, we shape the future in our hands. It’s a pity those greedy, silly simpletons don’t get it. Oh, they will one day, unfortunately, it’ll be late.
I’m not that fond of the military industry too. Don’t get me wrong, defense is necessary, they’re right. On top of that, using AI research to make weapons is…an alluring perspective. But, seriously, robocops? Tech Rambos to substitute human soldiers? Pathetic and a little vulgar. All that violence… Yeah, obviously androids are gifted with super-strength and can be trained to be lethal opponents, but I believe we can do better than that.
I totally agree on using the Matches as weapons, but I dream bigger. Wars and violence never made anyone Supreme Emperor or God. The Roman, Napoleon, they all fell off their thrones because they made the same mistake: they conquered, but never got the real power. Now we can change that.
Try and picture infiltrating the Matches in economics, finance, politics, broadcasting…even mob. A top quality army influencing decisions, who knows maybe calling the shots all over the world. Finest quality tech undercover soldiers leaping at your command. Because obviously, we can control machines: their intelligence, their feelings are merely artificial. Something you can programme and choose. I don’t know if Mr. West fully realizes the true potential of his Matches: I, well we can rule the world and make of it what we want. Humans are limited, that’s why they fail, but we, thanks to our AI, can finally be…limitless.
Why play God, if not to control the world, right?
A young man in a grey suit walks out the door of Mr. West’s office with a grim face. I sense failure.
Mr. West’s assistant -a Match, I knew it- follows him and turns towards me.
“Miss Contreras, am I right? Please, come in, Mr. West is waiting for you”.