Artificial Error

#1 System Rebooting

ZACK

The Mega Tower.

It didn't matter where we were in the district. That single tower stood out like a sore thumb. Not just because it dwarfed any building surrounding it, but because it looked like nothing that had ever been built before or since.

We couldn't escape it. It was always there, looming over everyone, watching us. No one really cared, though; it was just another part of the landscape now. The new normal, a remarkable piece of engineering made mundane. And yet ... I could never seem to take my eyes off it.

What did it really look like inside? What sort of secrets did it hold?

If I could just get access to it somehow, I would-

"Please pay attention to the lecture, Zackson Samuels."

Hearing my full name, I jolted upright in my seat and whipped my head around to face the rest of the classroom.

Every student there stared back.

Having so many pairs of eyes on me made my stomach drop, so I pulled my gaze to the front of the classroom, where the holographic projector had been playing a pre-recorded lecture.

"You have been staring outside the window for precisely 3.0 minutes," the voice, cold and automated, came from the speaker.

The College Management Artificial Intelligence, or C.M.A.I., must've spotted me spacing off through the cameras. C.M.A.I. uses facial recognition technology and various complex algorithms to determine someone's state of mind and mood. It kind of had to, really, if it was meant to be an essential feature of the campus management system.

Honestly, I should've known better. Just because there wasn't any teacher physically present in the classroom didn't mean there wasn't anyone watching.

There's always someone, or something, watching. Always.

I covered my mouth and whispered, "You dumb, stupid A.I."

C.M.A.I. resumed the lecture. Every student turned their attention back to the projected video, and I had no choice but to do the same.

"... as you all know, our country was divided into 7 districts in 2032. Each one has a Mega Tower, the most important building for a district. It is thanks to the introduction of this system of towers that our country has been able to make significant scientific advancements over such a short time span."

The shiny 3D projection of the female lecturer turned to the whole class, a smile stretching across her flawless digitalized face.

"It's 2044; the future is here."

The bell rang.

Like a switch had suddenly been flicked, the once completely silent classroom erupted into chatter.

I detached my ID card from the smart bench and waited for the message to pop up on the screen, telling me that all the notes and the lecture's transcript had been copied onto the hard drive inside the card.

"Zackson Samuels. Attendance recorded," the cheery child-like voice notified me. "All files have been transferred successfully. Thank you."

Ignoring the stares and whispers that followed me out of the classroom, I decided to head straight to the canteen.

It was crowded, as usual. I bought my lunch and sat on my usual spot, all the way back in the corner. On good days, I was able to have a table all to myself. But since today was obviously not one of those days, random people sat around me, filling the space with loud chatter. I tried my best to ignore them, and thankfully they didn't seem to recognize me or even care much about my presence, so lunch was relatively peaceful.