Usually, my truck only went where it was ordered to go by headquarters. I had some discretion over where we went when we got there, like when we went to Jackson. We’d started the trip back to what had been Branson, Missouri before the war. It was a long trip. Most of the interstates were destroyed, making it a trip on small state and county roads.
The truck had leaned the seat back, and let me sleep while it drove. I’d slept a solid five hours. And when I woke up, I knew something was different. The sun was in the wrong place if we were heading to Branson.
“Where are we?”
My truck answered, “In the Ozark National Forest.”
“Why are we here?”
“We have new orders.”
“What are they?”
“They’re from AI 21. Something it needs to verify.”
AI 21 was not human. Artificial Intelligence Unit 21. It ran automated weapons, medical, and economic systems everywhere within 500 miles of Branson.
“What’s that?”
“There’s a lab grown food plant controlled by the Wellington family.”
“And?”
“John Wellington ordered the plant to self-destruct.”
That would be a disaster. That plant provided food to nearly a third of the country. It if was gone, a lot of people were going to starve.
My truck continued. “Other AIs report similar destruction of plants controlled by other families.” My truck paused. “The families are trying to kill everyone. If this is verified, the AIs will kill the families, to save everyone.”
249 Words
@mysoulstears
It’s Week 502 of #ThursThreads, hosted by Siobhan Muir. Please go read all the stories in this week’s #ThursThreads. They are always fun to read. And there are some great writers who show up every week.
My Soul's Tears 