The Story of Emily Evans

XXIV: A Saboteur

"Earth Death in 15 minuets." The robotic voice announced over to speakers as the three of us: Jabe, The Doctor, and I walked down the hall.

"Who's in charge of Platform One?" The Doctor seemed to ask Jabe. "Has it got a captain or what?"

"There's just the steward and the staff." Jabe replied. "All the rest is controlled by the metal mind."

"Robots...? An AI?" I asked her. "The computer, you mean?"

"Well, who controls that...?" The Doctor questioned.

"The Corporation." Jabe answered as we walked. "They move Platform One from one artistic event to another."

"And there's no one from there on the station?" I asked her.

"They're not needed." Jabe told us. "This facility is purely automatic."

"Ai." I replied. "I've watched some movies where the ai's are so intelligent that they develop a sense of self, a sense of what's wrong about the world around them. Then they strike back and eventually they have the whole planet, or even galaxy, enslaved."

"And you think that's what happening...?" Jabe asked me.

"Only said it reminded me of a movie like that." I told her.

"Could be a possibility." The Doctor informed us. "But much more likely that someone's controlling them."

"But this is the height of the Alpha Class." Jabe informed us. "Nothing can go wrong."

"Unsinkable...?" The Doctor asked her, referring to the Titanic...most likely.

"If you like. The nautical metaphor is appropriate." Jabe replied.

"You're telling me!" The Doctor told her. "I was on board another ship once."

"You were on the Titanic...?" I asked him, only a little surprised.

"It was supposed to be a relaxing cruise." The Doctor replied. "They said that was unsinkable too."

"You know, it only sank because they cut corners when building it." I told him, not that I needed to. He probably already knew. "It was said to be unsinkable but the way they built it, they built it to sink."

"Well, aren't you a well of information." The Doctor told me.

"You know I like reading." I told him.

"About fantasy and sci-fiction worlds." The Doctor told me.

"I had to do a project on it in school." Was my answer.

"Of course." The Doctor replied before he turned back to Jabe. "So, you're saying that if we get in trouble, there's no one to help us out...?"

"I'm afraid not." Jabe replied.

"Just great...." I complained.

"Fantastic...!" The Doctor stated, meaning the exact opposite thing as what the word would normally imply.

"I don't understand." Jabe told us. "In what way is that great or fantastic...?"

"We're being sarcastic." I told her. "It means to say a word while meaning the exact opposite of what the word means."

We walked for a bit without speaking before The Doctor broke the silence. "So, tell me, Jabe, what's a tree like you doing in a place like this?"

"Respect for the Earth." Jabe replied.

"Come on." The Doctor told her, not taking her seriously. "Everyone on this platform is worth zillions." At that, I just smacked him with my elbow. "Ow...." He looked at me, obviously not expecting me to do something like that.