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Freddy could practically hear his brother’s eyebrows wag at his innuendo and had to swallow an urge to vomit. “That’s so gross.”
Patrick just laughed. “Don’t complain. You get your favor. Tell Sabrina to stay home and deal with insurance and other bullshitpaperwork, but we need to focus on the game, now. No more work talk. Where’s your spare controllers, Wils? I know you have at least one.”
Freddy let out a sigh of relief, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a start. As Patrick and Wils moved around to pull out a new controller, Freddy glanced again at Sabrina’s door, hoping he’d done enough to protect her, at least for now. “Sure,” he agreed, forcing a lighter tone. “Let’s go rob a train or something.”
Chapter 18: Sabrina
The familiar forum loaded, its blue-gray interface a comforting sight. Here, she was just another anonymous user, free from the complications of her real life. No one knew she worked for Taylor Industries, and she intended to keep it that way. Besides, she wouldn’t be working for them much longer, and maybe one of these folks would be the connection that led her to something better than working as a cashier at Hy-Vee.
As expected, the latest thread was buzzing with activity. Her online friends were deep in debate about the ethicsof TI’s technology development. Sabrina’s eyes skimmed the comments, a mix of excitement and unease settling in her stomach.
TruthYeller:“This is Los Alamos all over again. The power of it will make a handful of people richer than they can imagine while destroying entire countries. We’ve learned nothing from history.”
TechGuru99:“Look at how they saved those sailors. This technology is saving lives.”
NerdyBird93:“But what’s to stop anyone from using them to destroy things instead of saving them? If the bots can be programmed to fix stuff, surely they can be programmed to break things.”
TruthYeller:“Exactly @NerdyBird93! Intentions are great, but it won’t stop the technology from being used as a weapon. It’s always the rich who win, and there’s more profit in war than humanitarian efforts.”
TechGuru99:“But that’s why we need layers of protection. Like how two companies split control of it now. DS has the hardware, TI the software. Built-in checks and balances.”
NerdyBird93:“Does it really matter who owns it? As long as humans are in charge, they’ll find a way to use it to hurt each other. History’s taught us that much.”
Sabrina’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. She knew more than any of them, but she couldn’t reveal that. Instead, she crafted a careful response:
User_42:“The bots make it possible to explore space and the ocean, but the software could be used for so much more.The AI could be tasked with curing cancer and then it would work toward the goal without stopping.”
She hit send, then watched as replies flooded in. Some agreed, others argued passionately against her point. Sabrina responded here and there, careful not to reveal too much. What would she do when she didn’t have this anymore?
As the debate raged on, Sabrina found herself questioning her own role in all of this. She was proud of her work, of the advancements they were making. But it would be irresponsible not to consider the potential consequences. Maybe this was another reason to leave and return to Nebraska. It certainly felt like the universe was pushing her in that direction.
Maybe she could get their perspective without revealing anything she shouldn’t. It took her a moment to decide how to frame a hypothetical that would work, but it didn’t need to be anything deep or detailed. Decision made, she typed it out.
User_42:“Mental Exercise Alert: Everyone’s blaming the people whose names are listed on those leaked reports from TI, right? What if they didn’t do it? Should they take the fall, anyway? Are we all going to be appeased if one of them was fired or whatever and took responsibility for the leak?”
Sabrina hit send, her heart pounding as she waited for responses. They came quickly:
TechGuru99:“Not if they didn’t do it. Truth rules. If they didn’t do it, they shouldn’t take the fall.”
NerdyBird93:“Agreed. Honesty is the best policy. Plus, if they’re innocent, there should be evidence to prove it.”
TechGuru99:“Yeah, evidence is key. I don’t think we can just trust anything anyone says. They have to back it up with proof.”
Sabrina nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. But then a new message popped up:
TruthYeller:“But that’s exactly why they should step down. If the person is innocent, there won’t be evidence to support their guilt. We won’t believe the corrupt media when they say that the person was guilty and can keep looking for the real person behind it all. Sometimes, the smartest move is to remove yourself from the situation entirely. That way, everyone can focus on finding the real culprit.”
Sabrina’s stomach twisted. TruthYeller’s words hit too close to home. She typed a follow-up:
User_42:“But wouldn’t leaving look like an admission of guilt?”
The responses came flooding in, a mix of practical advice and moral debates. Sabrina read each one carefully, weighing her options. As much as she wanted to believe in honesty and justice, TruthYeller’s words nagged at her.
The cynical perspective echoed her deepest fears. She’d worked so hard to escape her past, to build a life she could be proud of, but what if her leaving was the only way for TI to survive? Maybe without her around, they’d be able to find thereal leak. It wasn’t like anyone thought she could be the one to post those results online.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, ready to argue, to defend herself. But what was the point? These faceless strangers couldn’t truly understand her situation. And maybe, just maybe, TruthYeller was right.
Returning to Nebraska wasn’t just an escape—it was a solution. A way to protect Taylor Industries, secure their contract with Dynamic Solutions, and solve her own housing crisis in one fell swoop.
