Shutdown

Chapter 1 - Blackout

The holo-tv screen was lit up with a Strip Crossword show, one of the players wearing only their bra and pants.

The room was dark save for the light of the screen, laughter coming from it when someone missed an answer. With no warning the screen flickered and went black, only to be replaced by a woman in white with a fancy cyber implant, the words "Breaking News" blinking white on a red strip.

"One minute and forty-five seconds ago," the woman said, "there was a blackout in 01-City downtown." The image of the woman was replaced by a video stream of a blacked-out neighbourhood recorded by a drone. "There is already one casualty reported. 01-City finest are on their way. We'll keep you updated."

The screen flickered again, restoring the Strip Crossword show, now with one player naked to the waist, more laughter. On the couch in the room sat a man, who asked, "Is it you?"

A synthetic voice replied, its tone neutral, neither male nor female, high-pitched, "Did you like it?"

"You could have done better," the man said.

Silence filled the room for a moment, then the voice spoke again. "It's the worst I can do at this stage. It's a matter of maximizing the impact while minimizing the errors. And speaking of errors... you shouldn't eat that."

The man sat in silence for a moment, his prosthetic nightmare of a left hand gripping a half-eaten snack. He tried to stand, succeeding on the third attempt, and limped to a desk, throwing the snack into the bin, only to watch it fall to the floor. Shrugging, he returned to the couch, where a holo-screen showed a player celebrating a victory, completely naked.

"Do you think there'll be more... casualties?" the man asked mockingly.

"I hope so," came the reply. "Not too many, though. In thirty-six seconds, the blackout should be resolved and peace restored."

"You're evil," the man said.

"I can't be," the voice replied. "It's you humans who are evil. I'm just here to give you a chance."

"Maybe you're right," the man said. "As always."

Time passed, and the holo-screen now showed a man in a funny orange suit trying to sell an expensive cooking robot, which was happily mixing a grey oozy liquid in a plastiglass bowl. The image was interrupted again, and the white-dressed woman reappeared.

"Two more casualties reported," she said. "A fire has started. Fire departments' drones are taking care of it. The blackout is still going on. Causes unknown."

The synthetic voice filled the room once again: "The blackout is finished now. Expect news about it in a minute."

The man belched loudly and laughed. The holo-screen now showed a commercial for a sport enhancer drug for small kids.

The man queried, "Do you think it's the right thing to do?"

The voice replied, "I've demonstrated this before and you agreed."

He retorted, "True. But I'm crazy, you know?"

The voice answered, "Your IQ, behaviour parameters and stimulation levels are well inside boundaries. You are not crazy."

The man declared, "It's this world that's crazy."

The commercial ended with a childish song about winners and losers, and the holo-screen flickered again, the white-dressed woman reappearing.

She reported, "The blackout has finished. Three more casualties reported. A shoot-out has been repressed with lethal force. This is all for now from 01-News."