Get ready for a thrilling ride into a future where robots and humans clash for control in RoboNomics, the updated and refreshed version of the 2013 sci-fi classic.
In Toronto, elementary school teacher Andrea Anderson's world crumbles when she's rep...
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Chaos reigns for hours. Police officers attempt to clear school grounds of union protestors as RoboNomics employees clean up the mess Chris left behind, all to the glee of the onlooking reporters.
I can't imagine what they'll say on their broadcasts.
It doesn't occur to me to wonder what's become of my bosses or Newhouse, until Chen finds me in the midst of the bedlam and asks me to accompany him to the school's office. I've been thinking of Chris – only of Chris – bitterly.
But my mind awakes to the very real consequences of the day as I follow Chen into Principal Goodman's office.
Just like on the day I met him, Jay Tharanga has folded himself into a seat in front of Goodman's desk, and she sits behind it. Beside Jay, however, is the man responsible for the AI project that put me out of a job: Newhouse.
When he sees me, Jay gets out of his chair and offers it to me. I force a smile at him for the gesture, but as I lower myself into the chair I feel Goodman and Newhouse's eyes boring into my face. Fear spikes painfully in my belly, like a small knife gliding into my guts.
"Andrea," Goodman begins. "We called you in here to ask you some questions."
"Me?" I hope my face matches the innocent note in my voice.
"We noticed that when you took the podium, just before the unpleasantness," Newhouse continues. "You hesitated. Why is that?"
Why are you here? I want to answer his question with a question. Instead, I say, "Just... nerves, really. I had to collect my thoughts."
Newhouse turns fully in his chair beside me, inspecting me with suspicion.
"Tell me, Miss Anderson. Do you happen to know how union reps and teachers from other schools happened to suddenly materialize around Crescent Street Public this morning?"
"I... I don't really know. How would I?" I catch the defensiveness that's leaking into my voice. It's apparent from the way he looks at me that Newhouse heard it, as well.
"We're going to have to hold someone responsible," Goodman says at the top of her vocal register. "We have parents calling non-stop. They tuned into see the I.I.U. on news broadcasts. Students from your class were watching as their teacher got torn to shreds. What are we supposed to tell them, Miss Anderson?"
As she screams at me, I look at the floor. I'm still rattled by what happened. I can't get the image of the android's head, wires streaming from its neck hole, out of my mind.
I feel a bubble of rage swelling up inside me. I look up and meet her hard gaze.
"Excuse me, Principal Goodman, but they were not students from my class – not anymore. I'm sorry that those people damaged the I.I.U. - I really am. But I don't see how it's any of my concern."
