Short story

In a not-so-distant future, Sarah celebrated her 18th birthday by treating herself to a new phone, using the money that she earned babysitting. Little did she know, this seemingly innocent purchase would thrust her into a perilous game controlled by unseen hands.

Days after setting up her new device, Sarah received a chilling message on its sleek screen. The hackers, armed with a quantum computer, had breached her privacy, threatening to expose intimate photos unless she followed their criminal commands (line 37-39 and 45-47 from Reference file).

At the same time, in another corner of the city, Mike found himself trapped in a web of deceit. The hackers had unearthed evidence of his extramarital affair and were holding it over his head like a guillotine (line 90-92 from the reference file). The demand was simple: participate in a robbery or face the consequences.

Sarah and Mike, unknowingly connected by the hackers' sinister agenda, met at a bank where artificial intelligence managed every transaction. The once bustling institution now housed obese customers, their lives made lethargic by the convenience of technology (line 28 from the reference file). Sarah and Mike, faces masked and hearts heavy, met at the sterile bank. Sarah, fidgeting nervously, whispered to Mike, "I can't believe we're doing this."

Mike: Neither can I, but we don't have a choice.

As the duo executed the orchestrated heist, their every move dictated by unseen forces, Sarah muttered to herself, "This is like a nightmare." and the hackers, connected to Sarah and Mike with earphones: Nightmares end, but only if you play your part.

The duo, coerced by fear and desperate circumstances, carried out the robbery as instructed, their every move dictated by the quantum-powered hackers.

Exiting the bank, Mike asked: "What now?"

Sarah: We follow their instructions. We have no other option.

After driving a car provided by the hackers, which was conveniently waiting for them close to the bank, they discreetly placed the stolen money in a secluded forest, adhering to the hackers' demands. However, the aftermath unfolded like a tragic play, revealing the cost of their coerced actions.

Mike's phone rang. It was his wife. The evidence of his infidelity had reached her, bringing their marriage to an end. Simultaneously, the police descended upon the unsuspecting Sarah.

As Sarah faced the police, the twist unfolded.

Police Officer: Miss, we've been looking into your background, and we're struggling to understand something. How could a babysitter afford a phone like that on her salary?

Sarah: Well, it was my birthday, and I saved up money from babysitting gigs. I treated myself.

Police Officer: Your birthday, huh? How much were you making babysitting? That phone is top of the line.

Sarah: I... I saved a lot. Birthdays only come once a year, right?

Police Officer: Sarah, let's cut to the chase. We have reason to believe there's more to this story. How were you really able to afford that phone?

Sarah: I swear, it's just babysitting money. I'm not hiding anything.

Police Officer: Babysitting money doesn't usually cover the cost of the latest quantum phone. Unless...

Sarah: Unless what?

Police Officer: Unless you've got another source of income we don't know about. Like maybe selling something online?

Sarah: No, I would never!

Police Officer: Miss, we received evidence that you've been selling explicit pictures of children online. You are under arrest.

Experience with AI

I used ChatGBT to explore some of the topics that interest me and used the data collected with the predictions to write a short story in a realistic future world. Even if the story doesn't say it explicitly, the hackers are not humans. It's an AI, that using quantum computing detects and punishes evil people indipendently. It's so advanced that can have own opinions and ethics (line 98 from Reference file), and this was interesting because I tried to ask ChatGPT how would it find and punish evil people, but unfortunetely it is not advanced enough to give me a satisfying answer(line 111 from Reference file).

References