Employee Five: A To Be A Runner Short Story

Ghost In The Machine (Part 2)

"Biometric analysis shows that you've run six kilometers, Employee Five," A.N.N.I.E. says, and I gulp nervously at hearing her voice. "That's very impressive. Have you considered joining the Xia-Hifa track team? We can always use an eager new recruit!

"No, we can't," She replies to herself.

"Nothing is real. Nothing! None of this is real. It's a simulation, an exercise. Why don't you talk, Employee Five?"

I never thought I'd hear an AI sound so distressed, but her tone of voice keeps changing. It's as if she can't decide what she wants her personality to be like today.

It doesn't matter. I'm getting that vaccine and then I'm getting myself and my friends out of here. This place is weird-too weird. I don't like it.

"Runner Five," Janine says, and I sigh with relief at hearing her voice, "your mission has been aborted."

My face falls, my steps falter. What?

"You have failed, Runner Five. You have failed me, just like you failed everyone else."

I shake my head, my hand raising up to the mic. 'No, I can still get down there. I just have to find another way. The other door was-'

"That's right, Five," Sam says. His voice is low, taunting almost. "None of us trust you anymore. How can we? If you don't say anything right now, I'm going to have to presume you've betrayed us."

'What? No!' I shake my head, praying that he'll see me on the cameras. I'd never betray Sam. Never!

"Say something to your friends, Employee Five," A.N.N.I.E. says, and I open my mouth, my throat burning as I try to force a sound from my mouth, but nothing comes out but a small croak.

"She's a liar. She's betrayed us," Janine says. "Just leave her, Mr. Yao."

No!

I open my mouth, trying to force out a sound, knowing it's going to hurt like hell. I'm desperate to prove I haven't failed the mission, that I haven't betrayed anyone. There's a door right in front of me. I plan on using that to get to the vaccine. I just have to get it open.

Please don't leave me.

"S-Sam-"

"Runner Five!" Sam says, but his voice sounds different. I blink in confusion. He sounds like he's trying to do a ridiculously strong French accent. "I'm using this accent because I think that the-how you say? 'Intelligence artificial'-will not be able to mimic me so easily if I speak like this."

"She'll learn it quickly," Janine says, also using a strong accent. Dutch maybe? Her's sounds more genuine, at least. "We think this might be what the poison countermeasures referred to, Five. The AI has infiltrated our communications. This must be how she convinced the earlier team to shoot each other, poisoned them against each other. In light of this, I begin to wonder whether the messages we received from the previous teams were genuinely from them and not from this AI."

"The door in front of you will take a DNA sample when you touch it," Sam says, still using that ridiculous fake accent. "I am sorry, Runner Five, but it's the only way through! Go to Level -5. The vaccine is there. Use the targeting laser, grab it, and then press the button on your flare. We will get you via the ventilation shaft. Go!"

I nod. I trust this voice. I trust Sam. I don't think the AI is creative enough to make Sam do a French accent anyway. That has to be the pure, amazing dork I love.

It makes sense, actually. A.N.N.I.E. started acting weird and that's when Sam and Janine started fighting. The poison must make you think the people around you say something they don't, but it has to be your voice. That's why neither Sam or Janine got upset with me. That's why A.N.N.I.E. wanted me to talk so badly.