Chapter 2

2.

The door to Sterling’s office was cracked open.

I knocked twice, and he grunted for me to come in.

“Sit,” he commanded again.

He threw a thick, heavy binder onto the desk. It landed with a dull thud.

“That’s the AI training manual. You have thirty days to make that thing smart.”

I flipped through a few pages. It was a standard supervised learning protocol for an AI system.

“What exactly do you want from me?” I asked.

“Do I need to speak slower?” he sneered, leaning back. “You have thirty days to teach that AI to do your job perfectly.”

“Sign the contract, and you get your severance plus the bonus in thirty days. Don't sign, and you’re out on the street today without a dime.”

“Honestly, a guy like you getting to participate in AI training is an act of mercy from this company.”

Sterling looked down at his phone, dismissing me entirely.

I picked up the contract, folded it twice, and tucked it into my pocket.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

I walked back to my desk slowly. My coworkers kept their heads down, too afraid to look at the man who was already a ghost.

I opened the first page of the manual.

The objective was written in bold: “System Goal: Achieve maximum profit at the lowest possible cost.”

I stared at those words for a long time.

Then I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Joey, a reporter I knew.

“Are you interested in a massive story?” I typed.

He replied almost instantly. “What kind of story?”

“Give me thirty days.”

“Got it. I’ll be waiting.”

I put my phone away and started packing my things. It wasn't much―just one small box.

By the time I left the building, the sun had already set.

I stood on the sidewalk for a moment, looking up at the lights on the 28th floor.

Sterling’s office was on the far right.

I didn't look back as I headed toward the subway.

Back at my apartment, I opened my laptop and created a new document.

The title was: “AI Training Plan―Landon’s Edition.”

I started typing and didn't stop until dawn.

At 4:00 AM, I saved the file and shut down the computer.

The sky was turning gray outside.

I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes.

Thirty days. That was more than enough time.