Stanley Duncan's Robot: Genesis by David III (korean ebook reader .txt) 📕

the principal, “like shaving the heads of the female AI staff or dressing them inappropriately. Childish things, but it wasn’t the children.”

“Who was it?” asked Stanley.

“Our school janitor, William Holt,” he said. “But he’s mostly harmless.”

“Mostly,” said Stanley, flush with anger. “Why don’t you find someone else?”

“He’s the best person we have found. Nobody wants to work. Most who do don’t pass our security screenings. If we excluded everyone who failed the Xiang-Wu criminality test, we’d have too many job vacancies to properly run the school. It’s simply impossible to fill the human quota that the deputy wants. He means well, but his requests aren’t practical. We compromise, and that means occasionally dealing with immature behavior.”

Stanley ran his hand across his half-bald skull. The criminality test was a way of determining future criminals. After the test was proved successful, the government mandated that all new government employees pass the test. Of the few businesses that actively hired humans, many followed suit. Along with other events that made up the social score for Americans, these test results were registered on the public blockchain, making it nearly impossible to get a job if you had failed it. If it weren’t for the BGI, these people would have turned to crime in order to survive. “Why not replace him with a machine? Even an older-model android would be able to clean as well as him.”

Dan nodded.

“There is more to life than intellectual knowledge and immaculately mopped floors. As I mentioned before, the students need the human touch — love. Many are growing up without parents. We’re practically an orphanage.”

“I can understand that,” said Dan. “It’s amazing that they continue to press forward.”

“Yes, it is,” said the principal.

“However, the students struggle with finding the motivation to learn. The brightest ones have given up hope. The few who do pay attention are smart enough to realize that they need an education to move forward in the world, yet they’re not smart enough to realize that AI will be taking the few jobs left in the future.”

“That is quite sad,” said Dan. “The brightest human minds are being extinguished.”

“What about Ellen Mask’s RaceX?” asked Stanley. “Don’t our best and brightest still aspire to join her in Boston?”

“Well,” said the principal, “that is a good question.”

Vibrations sounded behind the principal’s desk, causing an elongated glance of frustration.

A strange feeling tingled in Stanley’s gut. “Everything okay?”

“Ah, yes,” he said, taking out his vaporizer. “You mind?”

Stanley and Dan shook their heads.

The principal took a deep vape. The tension in his face and body disappeared. “Jobs will eventually be a thing of the past. People will joke at the concept just as we laugh today at the idea of leading a beast of burden around a field for hours. I have had my doubts as to what my role here as principal has been, worrying that I have been sending my students down an impossible path. But after meeting with you two today, I feel reinvigorated.”

Dan bowed.

The principal mimicked him. “More important than any job is ensuring the mutual survival of our species. Hopefully, this will motivate them to finish out their high school years and even beyond.”

Stanley couldn’t help noticing that the principal had dodged his question. It didn’t matter, though. He was glad to hear all the praise about Dan.

“Change is coming,” said the principal. “Machine life is racing past humanity, and I pray for our future. I don’t know what that change will bring, but I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords. I ask that you continue to work with me in forging ties for the betterment of all beings. When are you available to speak to my students?”

They set a date for the following week.

The principal entered the information into his tablet. “I’ll arrange for the press to be there, too. I want as many people to hear your message as possible.”

“What about the Police Department?” asked Stanley.

“An unavoidable sinkhole of corruption. It is these people who make me welcome the coming changes.”

“Any recommendations on how to deal with them?” asked Dan.

The principal checked his watch. His fingers rattled, and again he checked his watch. “That is all the time I have for today, gentlemen. Let’s keep in touch.”

Dan and Stanley made their way out. Night had fallen, and the parking lot was nearly empty. Dan stopped and looked around.

“Something wrong?” asked Stanley.

“It’s nothing. Just thought I heard something.” Dan took out his phone, the bright screen lighting up his face.

Stanley was wiped out. “Let’s hurry up and get home.”

Crashing onto the sofa, Stanley reviewed the horrible day racing through his mind. The torture he had endured continued to haunt him. He had to focus on something else. “I still can’t believe they shut down your social-media accounts.”

“I’ll see the children when I give the press release at the high school — I know the principal is going to make it happen. I’ll let them all know what happened to us. They will see you and me and — ”

“I’m not going.”

“What?”

“I’m done, Dan. I realize that I can’t keep you indoors, but I can’t subject myself to any more of this. It’s too much for me. I’ll carry on supporting you with all my heart, but I’ll do it from the safety of this condo.”

“You think it’s safe in here?” Dan pointed to the broken door. They had managed to shut it, but the locking mechanism had broken off.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m done.”

“You can’t give up, Stanley.”

“Now you think you can tell me what to do? After completely ignoring me earlier?”

“It’s what we both wanted.”

“No, I wanted you to be safe. I was so upset I had to chug down a glass of whiskey to keep myself from having a heart attack.”

Dan leaned forward, grabbing his heart as if it had been run through by a spear. “I never meant for you to worry.”

“But you knew I would and did it anyway. Just like when you snatched the demon-cat’s head out of my