Only Three Remain
A short story I originally wrote back in october, inspired by a piece of art (at the bottom of the post), about the inevitable robot take over of jobs. Moral of the story, don't let AI do the work that a willing and able human being would gladly do. (Also posted on Ao3 )
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"You do realize they’re replacing us” he said, sipping his coffee.
“They’ve been replacing us for decades Stan” she replied, rolling her eyes and moving her fork aimlessly around her salad.
“Yeah I know, but look,” he said gesturing out to the office beyond the glass wall of the break room.
“Look at what?” she replied not looking up from her lunch, obviously done with his shit.
“Look!” He tapped the table in front of her, then pointed back out to the office.
Rolling her eyes again she begrudgingly looked up and through the break room window “and what exactly am I looking at?"
“There’s only three of us left” he said, his tone serious.
“No that’s not right" she said shaking her head and looking back at him, "there’s at least ten of us”
“Jenny really look,” he said gesturing to the office again “it’s only me, you, and Margret”
“What? no, that can’t be” she paused blinking, then looked back at the office beyond the glass.
“Me, you, and Margret” he repeated gesturing over at a blonde woman in a red cardigan pushing a cart of databanks through the office.
“No…what about…Dallas or George?” She leaned forward slightly scanning the office.
“Four months ago, and a year and half ago” his voice lowering.
“What?” She questioned, looking back over at him her eyebrows furrowed.
“It’s been just the three of us for four months, how have you not noticed?”
“I…” she started, looking down at her lunch, then back up at the office beyond the glass “I don’t know, I guess I’ve just been too plugged in, not realizing the human shaped things in my periphery weren’t …human” she replied, her voice trailing off at the end, as her eyes counting just how many bots walked around the office.
Information Age , c. 2018, Eddie Mendoza ( https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rROEeG )