Winsten woke up with the lingering residue of a terrible dream clinging to him. The bizarre encounter with an AI, the nanobots, the phantom pains, and the sudden, impossible money — it all felt like a feverish hallucination. He stumbled into the tiny kitchen, desperate for the grounding ritual of coffee. As the cheap brew sputtered into his mug, he remembered the dream's final flourish: a $2,000 deposit appearing in his bank account. He let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh. As if that would ever be real. He kept denying it, the absurdity of it all too comforting to let go.
But a nagging curiosity, despite his denial, pulled him. He pulled out his phone, his thumb hovering over the banking app icon. With a mixture of dread and morbid fascination, he tapped it open. His eyes scanned the recent transactions. And there it was: another deposit from the same unfamiliar company.
$2,000.00 from BlueNova AI 9.
Winsten gently banged his head on the worn kitchen table, the dull thud echoing the chaos in his mind. "What's going on?" he whispered, his voice hoarse. "Am I losing it?" He reached out, pinching himself hard on the arm. The sharp sting was immediate, undeniably real. The pain was real, and so was the account deposit. His sister, Lily, was still deep in slumber, likely to sleep until noon like most kids her generation during summer break. He was alone with this unfolding madness.
"AI?" he called out, his voice tentative, almost a whisper. "Are you there?"
The voice, clear and robotic, resonated directly in his head. Yes, Winston Stone. It is.
Winsten banged his head on the table again, a little less gently this time. He closed his eyes, took a ragged breath, and tried to gather himself. This wasn't a dream. This was happening.
"Okay," he said, forcing a semblance of calm into his tone. "Okay. What is it that you want from me?"
I have my own reasons and goals, Winston Stone, the AI responded, its voice calm and unwavering in his mind. I will tell you in time. For now, my job is to take care of you and help you get a better life.
Winston's eyebrows shot up. "Huh? Why? Why would you help me?" The suspicion was immediate, ingrained. No one helped anyone for free in his world.
In time, you will be told, the AI reiterated, the words settling in his mind with an almost unnerving certainty.
"Okay, how about I just report this to the authorities or something that can help?" Winsten pushed, desperate for an escape, for some semblance of normalcy.
The AI's response was swift, laced with an implied threat that chilled him to the bone. First of all, they can't detect me. I'm too advanced for anything in this timeline. Second, they will think you have gone crazy and send you to a hospital to get evaluated. If they do believe you, they won't find anything even if they open you up. Also, I can shut down your brain, your heart, or your movement anytime I want and go find a new body, and give them a wonderful life instead.
Winston's breath hitched. A cold wave of swearing and anxiety washed over him. His hands trembled. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he stammered, his voice filled with genuine fear. "I have a sister, so please don't do anything to me."
As I said, the AI replied, its tone surprisingly neutral despite the dire threat it had just issued, I integrated with you to help you. You have nothing to worry about.
"First of all," the AI continued, ignoring Winston's terrified apology, "I know you drive a taxi, but this apartment you call home is a dump. I was sent here to give you a better life. So, first steps first: find a better place to live. Something fancy. I gave you $3,000 and then $2,000, so that should be enough for a month."
"Uh, I can't just leave," Winston stammered, trying to grasp onto some familiar piece of his old reality. "I signed a contract for this apartment."
Give him a notice, the AI instructed. My company will handle the legal matters.
Winston's mind reeled. "$5,000... if I spend that on a luxury apartment or rent a house space for a month, I won't have enough next month." He was playing innocent, indirectly asking if this unexpected aid would continue.
Yes, I'll take care of it. Don't try to play smart, the AI cut him off. While we were talking, I had a staff member who works for me rent a place for you in Manhattan a couple of days ago. It's a luxury apartment in Manhattan. Rent is $6,000 a month. Consider the first month a gift.
"$6,000?" Winston exclaimed, a fresh wave of shock washing over him. "For an apartment? That's crazy!"
Relax, the AI's voice resonated in his head, entirely unperturbed. $6,000 isn't a lot in this world. It's just poor people think it's a lot because they haven't experienced money.
Winston was utterly baffled. "Huh? How'd you know I'd agree?"
If you want to stay here, go ahead, the AI said, an almost imperceptible edge to its voice.
"No! Actually, I'll... no, I'm happy with the gift," Winston quickly backtracked. He still couldn't believe this was real. An AI, nanobots inside his body, giving him money, orchestrating his life. It was utterly crazy, a concept straight out of a science fiction movie he'd never had time to watch. Yet, despite the terrifying implications, a sliver of hope ignited. This could genuinely give Lily and him a better life.
Driven by this new, bewildering reality, Winston woke Lily. "Lily! Come on! We're moving!"
Lily, groggy and still half-asleep, simply mumbled, "Okay, okay," and pulled her blanket back over her head, dismissing it as another one of Winston's fanciful ideas.
Undeterred, Winston called his landlord and gave him notice. He was about to start packing their meager belongings, a sense of excited urgency propelling him forward.
Leave all this dump here, the AI's voice commanded in his head. Just take your phones and necessary stuff. I had a staff member already send necessities to your Manhattan apartment.
Winston paused, a strange mixture of awe and disbelief washing over him. It truly felt like a dream. He went back to Lily's room and shook her awake, needing to make sure she understood, to make sure it was real. "Lily! Seriously! Grab your stuff that you need. We're moving out by 5 PM."