Flash Fiction
One Night at AI University
This short story is entitled, One night at AI University and was inspired by an event that happened to me in which I startled a student by calling out her name while walking down a ramp at my school. It was all very innocent, but it made me wonder what could happen if I were, say, an android.
Jodi descended the long, gradual decline of the ramp connecting the science building to the faculty office area. Each step rang out with a dull metallic ping as her hard polyurethane synthetic leather soles struck the corrugated steel ramp. The ramp, dimly lit by the glow of a few functioning fluorescent bulbs, created an eerie tunnel-like atmosphere. Jodi disliked this area of the campus because of its shabbiness and inhabitants, mostly faculty, who roamed the corridor to and from their tiny cubicles. About halfway down the ramp, she began to sense a presence behind her. A feeling of uneasiness spread through her body as it followed a few steps behind her.
Jodi descended the long, gradual decline of the ramp connecting the science building to the faculty office area. Each step rang out with a dull metallic ping as her hard polyurethane synthetic leather soles struck the corrugated steel ramp. The ramp, dimly lit by the glow of a few functioning fluorescent bulbs, created an eerie tunnel-like atmosphere. Jodi disliked this area of the campus because of its shabbiness and inhabitants, mostly faculty, who roamed the corridor to and from their tiny cubicles. About halfway down the ramp, she began to sense a presence behind her. A feeling of uneasiness spread through her body as it followed a few steps behind her.
“Jodi Martin? Is that you?” said a voice in a programmed pleasant tone. She stopped and turned to see one of the android instructors staring at her. Her creepy feeling intensified as the instructor stared at her for a moment and then erupted in a wide pseudo-friendly grin. She hated how the androids would stare while processing the information about whoever it was they were looking at before displaying the appropriate facial response.
“Uh…yes,” she said. “I’m looking for professor Mansfield.”
“Scanning…scanning…I believe professor Mansfield has left for the day. It would be best for you if you returned to the science building.”
“Thank you but I wish to check for myself. Thank you.”
“If you do not require further assistance, I will be on my way. Good evening,” the droid reverted back to its default neutral expression and continued on its path with its bilateral camera eyes staring straight ahead toward the bottom of the ramp. Jodi surmised it was on its way to the maintenance area where the droids slept in standby mode while they recharged during the night.
Jodi reached the bottom of the ramp, turned left and entered the oval door leading to the faculty cubicle area. Most of the lights had been automatically switched off as most of the professors had gone home. A bank of lights sensed Jodi’s presence and flickered into existence as she entered the room. Professor Mansfield was probably the only occupant at this late hour.
She passed four empty cubicles, made a right turn and then a left and made her way past five more cubicles before coming to Mansfield’s. She could hear the clacking of his keyboard before reaching the entrance.
“Excuse me, professor Mansfield?” Jodi said as her voice cracked. The grey-haired man, about mid-sixties, continued to strike the keys as if she didn’t exist.
“Professor Mansfield?” Jodi said with more authority.
The man gasped a few times and then collapsed on the keyboard.
“Professor Mansfield! Jodi reached over, grabbed both of the professor’s shoulders and shook them. “Professor Mansfield!” The man gasped and with his last breath uttered a barely distinguishable phrase.
“Get out of the college…get out…the droids.”
Jodi, shocked, picked up the phone on Mansfield’s desk to call for help. It was dead. The message Mansfield was typing caught her eye.
To Professor Slocum
Regarding: Contextual Learning Errors in Model 3762 Androids
Jerrel:
I didn’t believe it at first, but I now know that your theory about the droids is correct. They have developed a sense of communication that supersedes human communication. It appears as though they are capable of a kind of extra sensory perception with other androids. It also appears that the rudimentary consciousness initially contained in their operating programs has evolved to a higher level. It is my impression that this constitutes a danger. No time…they know…you must warn…
She turned the professor’s head to check for a carotid pulse. He was gone. She noticed a discolored area on the right side of his temple which was partially obscured by his grey hair. The injury indicated a lethal blow by a heavy object. The trauma must have damaged his brain causing an intracranial hemorrhage. Who, would have done this? Dr. Mansfield was a well-respected tenured professor. These and many more questions rattled around Jodi’s cerebrum.
“I must get out of here and call the police,” she muttered and looked around to see if anyone else, human or android, was around.
“Ms. Martin? Are you here Ms. Martin?” It was the droid from the hallway. It must’ve come to check up on her. Thinking she could not risk being discovered she ducked below the cubicle wall to avoid detection and began to search for an alternate exit. She heard the droid’s heavy footsteps coming down the carpeted path leading to Mansfield’s cubicle.
The 3762s were heavy machines. They could snap a human spine in half if they so desired. Most of the droids worked maintenance, but a few were programmed to act as teaching assistants under the supervision of the professors. This particular droid was Mansfield’s lab assistant.
Jodi moved with stealth through the cubicle maze. She surmised her best option was to double back behind the droid after it reached Mansfield’s cubicle. She waited a few moments with the hope it would continue on a direct path to the cubicle.
“Ms. Martin. I know this seems odd, but let me assure you that what you have seen here can be explained.”
Jodi continued to carefully attempt to get behind the droid. There was one corridor she needed to get to in order to make it to the door. She heard the droid’s footsteps begin again. She thought there were only two options. Either the droid moved further down the corridor to look for her, or it headed back to the door. Logic indicated that if the droid thought she was still there, it would continue deeper into the cubicle area, if it thought she had left, then it would head toward the door. If it chose the door, then she would be trapped.
She peered down the corridor that intersected with the corridor leading to the door. She was relieved to see no droid in her path. She could hear the footsteps begin again. She made her way closer to the door. The footsteps faded. The droid must be conducting a systematic search of the cubicles, which was something a droid would do. It must’ve thought she had taken refuge in one.
She bolted down the corridor leading to the door, flung it open and burst into the hallway. She began to run up the metal ramp and then stopped dead in her tracks. There, standing at the top of the ramp, were two more droids.
“Ms. Martin? Is that you Ms. Martin,” said one of the droids in a loud pleasant simulated voice. The droids zeroed in on her location on the ramp and began to approach her.
“Please stay calm Ms. Martin. We have something to explain to you,” one droid said as they spread out to block any way around them.
Jodi was about midway up the ramp. She turned to search for another exit. The only way out was through the office cubicle area where the other droid was. She thought there may be an emergency exit there so she turned to run down the ramp.
Just as she took her first stride she again stopped. The droid from the office had cut off her exit and was closing in. She turned to see the other droids about fifty feet away and closing fast. A wave of panic ran through her as she examined her diminishing options. One droid is not easy to get past, two would be nearly impossible. All it would take would be for one of their robotic hands to snap on to any part of her clothing, or worse yet, her body. She concluded her best chance would be to attempt to pass the droid coming from the cubicle area with hopes of finding another exit.
The cubicle droid was now about forty feet away. It stretched out its arms to prevent her from getting past as if it knew her plan. She thought perhaps she could beat its reflexes by faking running in one direction and then exploding in the other. The droid would attempt to anticipate her move by mapping her body movements so she needed to move as quickly as possible.
She readied herself in a crouched position as if to run a hundred-yard dash. Just as her muscles reached their maximum tension she heard a loud clunk followed by a rumbling sound. She turned to see a headless droid stagger a few steps then fall, its head rolling down the ramp. The other droid turned toward its slaughtered mate and lifted its arms in a defensive posture. It was too late as its head was severed from its body as well.
“This way, this way!” shouted a voice from behind the droids. It was professor Slocum wielding a metal object that looked like a crowbar.
“They’ve killed Mansfield,” said Jodi. “He’s in his office, dead.” She began to run toward him and away from the third droid.
“I know, I just received a message from him,” said Slocum. “The droids have mutated and are dangerous.” Slocum ran toward the third droid and swung a lethal blow to the head just as he did with the others. The head slumped down on the droid’s chest, hanging by a few connections. The droid took a few shaky steps then fell to the ground.
Jodi, out of breath but relieved, stood behind professor Slocum.
“What the hell is wrong with them?” she said while gasping for breath.
“They have evolved,” said Slocum. “I had been observing this phenomenon for weeks. I thought I could study it in a safe manner. I spoke to Mansfield about it and he didn’t believe me. I think he may have changed his mind and confronted his assistant droid. It must have deduced that finding out about its higher functioning was a threat to its existence. I guess in a way it was right. Fortunately for you, I received his last message. It’s a good thing you sent it.”
“I didn’t send it,” said Jodi. “It must’ve been the droid.”
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