Artificial Selection: A Near Future Thought Experiment

Chapter III

It was a tough ride. Normal people would have gotten car sick already with the blindfold and earplugs; moreover, the government intentionally drove in circles and did countless unnecessary twists and turns so that nobody could track their cars' directions. However, Michael's superior sense of space allowed him to stay completely awake.

When the government officers took off Michael's blindfolds, Michael found himself in a room surrounded by strangers. However, it wasn't like those dark government interrogation dungeons in the movies. This room was brightly lit by overhead LED lights, and Michael could see computer screens and projectors all around. The one thing that stood out was the big old-fashioned meeting table in the center surrounded by chairs. Chairs — real, physical chairs — not those holographic projectors that display images of officers all around the world into one room.

Then Michael's eyes drifted to the windows. There were blinds covering them. Clearly they didn't want Michael to see where their secret safe house was located at. He sighed, only option B for him now.

That princess-like woman was here again. She was about to walk towards Michael when suddenly he held out his hand around his Bracelet.

"I know exactly the coordinates of this safe house, and I am not bluffing. You come one step closer and I'll immediately broadcast it to the whole Airnet." Michael was trying to make his voice sound authentic when he spoke.

That woman didn't stop moving, but she slowed down her pace. "Michael, you can trust us. Calm down. Besides, this place is signal-blocked. You have no access to the Airnet."

Michael's hand relaxed for less than a second before it tensed up again. "Trust you? No. Tell me why I am here! Or I will press the send button. And we both know here that the Airnet is in the air. You can't block off its signal."

The woman looked to her left and made eye contact with a man. Michael turned his head slightly and focused his vision on them for a second.

That man had neatly cut hair and wore a freshly ironed suit, but the thing that caught Michael's attention the most were his gaze. It was as cold as steel saber, piercing through Michael's eyes and minds, digging out any sorts of information. But that only lasted for one second, and the next second, the man realized that Michael was glancing at him and immediately softened his stare into a casual browse of vision, though Michael could still sense the calculation in that man's head.

"Having reduced rate of blinking, but possibly due to nervousness. Hand is shaking. Noticeable contractions in diaphragms. Eyes keep averting towards the bracelet, so very probable that there is indeed something there. Right hand extremely tensed up, probably ready to press the button anytime. He is not bluffing." The sharp man dropped these sentences cleanly, as if he was cutting his analyses into fragments then weaving them together into a bigger conclusion.

"Who are you? Stop pretending to be a mindreader or something!" shouted Michael, "I will press send, I'm not joking here."

The woman blinked for a second, and an expression of anxiousness appeared on her face. Only for a brief moment though, as she quickly concealed it within her usual countenance of friendliness.

"Relax Michael, we are here for a friendly talk."

"Shut up. Three... Two..." As Michael counted towards one, his arm raised high, and he was actually about to press the send button when the woman finally flinched back and raised her hand palms open.

"Okay okay. Michael. Calm down. I'll tell you everything."

The woman swiped her finger over her Bracelet and the droids and bodyguards retreated out of the room. However, there were still a few individuals remaining in the room.