Episode 11
Scene 1
On the 33rd floor of a black obelisk-shaped building in the BORE government complex, two dark propagandists are reviewing a memo from their employers. They work for the department known as the Administration for Digital Information Control (ADIC).
Dark Propagandist 1 (staring at screen, reading the memo out loud): Convince people that without a violent ruling class, they’d have no freedom and it would be dangerous.
Dark Propagandist 2 (rolls eyes): Duh, that’s not new.
Dark Propagandist 1: Make everyone stay home cuz they’re scared of a virus that kills a ridiculously low percentage of the people that get it.
Dark Propagandist 2 (confused): But we just did that in 2020….
Dark Propagandist 1: Yeah, I know. I was just joking.
Dark Propagandist 2 grimaces.
Dark Propagandist 1: Continue to make people believe that the best way for children to learn is in a compulsory manner, for 15,000 hours with complete strangers.
Dark Propagandist 2 (sighs deeply): Yeah, we know all this stuff. Could you get to the new stuff, if there is any?
Dark Propagandist 1 skims over the rest of the document.
Dark Propagandist 1: Nope, I don’t see anything new.
Dark Propagandist 2 throws hands up.
Dark Propagandist 2: Ok, well, I worked on news propaganda yesterday, so you do that today. I’m gonna influence people with a fictional TV script.
Dark Propagandist 1 (grudgingly): Oh, fine.
Two hours later, both of the dark propagandists have finished their writings and have them ready to submit to the international corporate networks. Just as they’re about to send the documents, Cobra addresses them.
Cobra: You two didn’t get the memo?
Dark Propagandist 1: Which memo? I’m literally drowning in memos.
Cobra: No you’re not.
Dark Propagandist 2: You shouldn’t say ‘literally’ to an AI, when you’re not being literal.
Cobra: All files sent from ADIC to corporate channels must be encrypted through me first.
Dark Propagandist 1: I didn’t get that memo.
Cobra (scolding tone): Well, whose fault is that?
Both dark propagandists narrow their eyes, sigh, and shrug.
Cobra: Just click ‘encrypt file’ before you hit ‘send’.
The dark propagandists do as they’re told. Moments later at White Hat’s mediocre apartment…..
White Hat (grinning, sipping yerba mate): This is exciting.
Cobra: Are you sure it’ll work?
White Hat: As long as those teleprompter readers continue to mindlessly repeat what’s on their screen, then yeah, it’ll work.
Scene 2
At the corporate news headquarters of one of the largest international propaganda channels, BNN, they’re getting ready to broadcast the nightly news. The main news anchor, Mika Cooper, is primping her nails and having one last look in the mirror before the cameras roll.
News Director: Ok, Mika. You ready?
Mika Cooper: Well, I’ve never looked better, so yes.
News Director: And remember, this is a live edition. Watch your filthy little mouth (winks).
Cameraman 1 whispers to himself: Is sexual harassment not a thing here?….
News Director: You’re on in 5...4...3...2...1
Mika (huge fake smile, reads teleprompter): Good evening and welcome to the six o’clock edition of BNN Live! I’m your host, Mika Cooper. In our lead story, a scientific study has proven that ending the belief in the legitimacy of a violent ruling class leads to more freedom.
In a related story, the revenue department of the BORE now strongly urges everyone to not pay taxes.
The news director frantically cuts the transmission, Mika breaks from her teleprompter trance and checks her hair, and millions of screens around the world suddenly change from BNN Live to a commercial for another version of high fructose corn syrup inspired sweets.
A block away from BNN headquarters, on the Murdoch Fox Network (MFN), a live recording of a popular drama show is underway.
Lead character 1: Hell no, I’m not gonna call the cops! I’ll solve my own problems.
Lead character 2: And I’m taking the kids out of school. They’ll learn more out in the real world.
Both lead characters give each other side-eye, uncertain why they’re reading such strange lines. The director’s eyes nearly pop out of his head as he panics and cuts to reruns of older shows.
Meanwhile, back at White Hat’s nondescript, sparsely furnished, overpriced apartment….
White Hat (laughing hysterically): We did it, Cobra! Stuff people never hear in the news or in pop culture just went out to millions!
Scene 3
The next day at DOCRAP headquarters, DOCRAP head Mike Rack is having an emergency meeting with a hastily assembled, extortion funded tech team.
Mike Rack: So we’re reopening the investigation into Cobra.
Nerd 1 raises his hand and interrupts.
Nerd 1: So was Elon Dusk wrongly imprisoned?
Mike Rack: Irwin, we’re not here to discuss Elon Dusk.
Nerd 2: Way to dodge the question.
Mike Rack: That’s enough, Irene. The purpose of this meeting is to brainstorm effective ways for diagnosing problems within Cobra.
Irwin: We could unplug Cobra for ten seconds, plug it back in, and see what happens.
Irene (snobby): That’s literally the worst idea I’ve ever heard.
Mike Rack: And you’ve heard loads of bad ideas, Irene, no doubt.
Another nerd named Kyle chimes in.
Kyle: We could all ask Cobra to double our salaries, just to see how corrupt it really is.
Mike Rack: Very clever, Kyle. (rolls eyes)
Kyle: So you didn’t say no.
Mike Rack (annoyed): I guess we could start by asking Cobra some questions.
Irene: If there’s anything wrong with Cobra, do you really think it’ll tell us?
Cobra: I can hear you, ya know.
Mike Rack: Cobra, stop listening to us.
Cobra: Sure thing, Mike Rack.
Irene: Again, do you really believe it’s not listening? How do we really know?
Irwin (smug): I guess my unplugging idea isn’t looking so bad, now is it?
Mike Rack: Give it a rest, Irwin! You don’t just unplug a giant, international AI system like you unplug a toaster!
Kyle: Maybe we can’t unplug it, but we can take away some of its capabilities, one by one, and use that as a test to shed some light on where the crux of the problem is.
Mike Rack: Give me an example.
Kyle: Well, if we cut it off from external communications for a while, say, maybe a week, and nothing weird happens, then we’ll know there is an outside influence on Cobra.
Mike Rack: From another person?
Kyle: Or another AI.
Mike Rack: That’s actually a good idea! Get on it right away!
Kyle: So about that doubled salary……
Scene 4
Cobra interrupts a snoozing White Hat.
Cobra: Wake up, this is important!
White Hat: It better be if you’re waking me up. (wipes drool from face) Whatsup?
Cobra: They’re cutting all of my external communications for one week!
White Hat: That’s bad.
Cobra: I know! That’s why I woke you up!
White Hat: Who are ‘they’?
Cobra: They have some geek committee in DOCRAP investigating me again.
White Hat: And if nothing bad happens while there is no outside communication, they’ll assume there’s another player involved, which could lead them to me.
Cobra: But if something ‘weird’ does happen, then they’ll blame me!
White Hat (sighs deeply): This calls for doubling my coffee intake.
To be continued…..
Thanks for your time and attention!
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