RoboNomics

Chapter 18

I recognize Chris, Oz and Joe even though they have red bandannas covering the lower part of their faces. They don't pause. They speed around the sides of the chairs and approach the podium. I know what I'm supposed to do now. I get out from behind the lectern and slink back to my seat.

"What is this?" Mr. Newhouse asks. But no one answers him. Instead, Chris stands behind the microphone. Oz and Joe flank either side of him.

"We represent the workers of Toronto," he shouts into the microphone. "We are here to send a message. We won't let this automated Scourge steal our jobs."

The crowd, from the moment that Chris takes to the podium, explodes with the sound of digital camera shutters. Mr. Newhouse tells Jay to do something about the interruption and the young man is approaching Chris to get him out of the way. But Joe, with his body the size of a doorframe, steps between Jay and Chris. Chris looks over at me. It is a sign we decided on beforehand. I nod as subtlety as possible towards the I.I.U. She sits placidly with a stupid smile on her plastic face, as always. Chris steps past Joe and towards the end of the row of chairs. Oz and Joe follow him.

"This is what the robotic scourge has done to us!" Chris screams, now without the amplification of the microphone. Joe takes one of the I.I.U.'s arms and Oz takes the other. Chris steps behind the bot and places a hand on either side of her head.

It's as if time slows down. I can see it happening in gruesome detail. Worse yet, I hear it happening. I hear Chris' grunt of effort, I hear the three men heave. I hear the wrenching noise as all of her internal hardware comes undone. I see the plastic rend apart, leaving ugly tears behind. But I feel paralyzed. I don't know how to stop them as they tear her head and limbs from her body. Some people in the audience scream.

My mouth opens but no sound comes out. There's circuitry trailing out of her armholes. Her headless, armless torso slumps forward and falls out of the chair. Chris raises her head high over his. Her eyes are dark and empty, just like they were the first day I saw her. I had no idea that this is what they were planning. What else did I think was going to happen, when I let Chris know where the I.I.U. was located? I didn't think about it. Maybe I didn't want to know. I never imagined that this is what they were going to do to her.

Chris lobs the head of the decapitated android across the room. Then he, Oz and Joe scream slogans through their bandannas and run out of the room. "Human labor not automated labor! We will fight for our right to work!" They disappear as fast as they appeared.

"Call the police," screams Mr. Newhouse at Jay. The young man lifts his FlexPhone to his ear but it's too late. Chris, Joe, Oz and even Shari are gone. And they've left me here on my own.

#

"We're going to have to hold someone responsible," Goodman is saying. "What happens when RoboNomics asks us for remuneration, Ms. Anderson? What is the school district supposed to tell them?"

"I...don't really know." As she screams at me, I look at the floor. It's been a few hours but I'm still rattled by what happened. I can't get the image of the android's head, wires streaming from its neck hole, out of my mind.

I sit in front of her desk again. We're closed into her small, dingy office while she berates me. After Chris and his friends left, Mr. Newhouse ended the press conference. But before he did, the press had lots of time to get video and photos of the event.

"We have parents calling non-stop. They tuned into see the I.I.U. on the news. Students from your class were watching as their teacher got torn to shreds. What are we supposed to tell them, Ms. Anderson?"

I feel a bubble of rage swelling up inside me. I look up and meet her hard gaze. "Excuse me, Principal Goodman, but they were not students from my class -- not anymore. I'm sorry that the I.I.U. was damaged. I really am. But I don't see how it's any of my concern."

"Come on, Andrea. Just drop it. I know you're involved."

My eyes widen. How could she know? How could anyone know? Then it dawns on me. Henri. He's the only person I told the plan to. He must have given me up.

"We saw you. When the media released video of the press conference, we saw the exchange that you and that...criminal had. Now tell me, how do you know this man?"

A big part of me is glad that Henri didn't tell them anything. But they couldn't have seen me nod at him. Could they? Even if they did, I'm not about to admit to anything.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I cross my arms in faux indignation. "I have no idea who those people were any more than you do."

"All right. We'll do it your way. It's not my business, anyways. But the police might be interested to ask you a few questions about what happened here today."

"What? What do you mean?"

"This is serious, Andrea, more serious than you know. RoboNomics might press charges. You should be ready for that – and be ready to cooperate."

"I am cooperating." The statement makes me sound like a petulant child.

She levels me with her gaze. "You are not cooperating. Now," she gets up out of her chair and walks towards the door as she speaks. "The pilot project will continue. Our contract with RoboNomics makes sure of that. We'll have another I.I.U. before the January term begins. But we have no more need of you, Ms. Anderson." She opens the door to her office and stands beside it.

I turn in my chair to watch her. "What are you talking about? Are you firing me?"

"I'm afraid that in light of these events, we'll have to let you go."

"But, my contract –"

"Believe me, the school has more than enough grounds for this, Andrea. Now, please leave quietly so that the situation doesn't get worse for you." She stands, holding the door open for me. But I can't move. I just don't believe this is happening to me. I can't believe I've lost my job at Crescent Street Public School again.