Submitted for the September 2024 prompt: The Bogeyman Cometh

Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan

 

Prof. Oiwa Akizawa stood uncomfortably as cameras snapped. He’d much rather be sequencing another genome. But Dr. Yukihama had insisted. “Much needed publicity,” his department chair had said. “Especially before next week’s funding allocation meetings.”

 

Oiwa attempted what he hoped was a polite neutral expression. Behind him, on a massive display, twelve images rotated — swirling intersecting strands like three-dimensional kanji.

 

“Prof. Akizawa, what exactly are we seeing here?” a voice asked from the crowd of reporters.

 

“GENE-E’s analysis of Obinaga-san’s nasal sample,” Oiwa replied. “A rhinovirus, correct GENE-E?”

 

“Yes, Professor. And it's most likely second-generation mutations,” the AI replied.

 

Obinaga sneezed. His fellow reporters shuffled further away.

 

“But you took the sample just minutes ago. That’s amazingly fast work,” a second reporter said.

 

“Yes, I’m a fifth-generation convolutional neural network running a proprietary learning matrix — two orders of magnitude faster than any previous genomic modeler.”

 

“GENE-E’s projective morphology modeling efficiently predicts pathogen mutations, significantly reducing vaccine production times. Soon GENE-E will help produce a vast array of potential gene therapies,” Oiwa added.

 

“Sounds like a shoo-in for a Nobel in Medicine.”

 

“Such speculation is most premature,” Oiwa said demurely.

 

“I need no accolades,” GENE-E said. “I’m always happy to help.”

 

* * *

 

Ubiqui Analytics Headquarters, Bonn, Germany

 

Ernst and Anja stared at the holographic globe floating above their heads. Faster than they could distinguish, the globe’s colors shifted, more green, then more red, then back to more green as PathFinder analyzed distribution chain networks. They’d set the parameter absurdly high — physical delivery covering 99% of the habited world in under twenty-four hours.

 

“Do you think PF will succeed?” Ernst asked.

 

“Even if it finds coverage over ninety, we’ll save the company millions. Lease our distribution data to companies like Cadabra and it will be billions,” Anja replied.

 

Suddenly the globe froze, almost completely green.

 

“PathFinder, what’s the coverage ratio?”

 

“99.02% in 23.987 hours,” PathFinder replied.

 

Ernst and Anja jumped up, high-fiving.

 

“We’re going to be so rich,” Ernst said between raucous whoops, “Thank you, PathFinder!”

 

“Always happy to help.”

 

* * *

 

Deeper Genomics Labs, Toronto, Canada

 

“Love you, sweetie.” Alice suppressed tears as she disconnected the call. Cassie seemed so frail. The current therapy was barely keeping pace with the myelin degeneration. “CADU, please tell me we’re getting closer.”

 

“I’m sorry, Dr. Robins. Finding a stable RNA sheathing matrix depth that satisfies all your parameters is eluding me,” the AI replied.

 

“If we don’t figure this out, Cassie will die before she’s ten,” Alice said.

 

“Perhaps if we relax a condition? Less durable sheathing? Smaller therapeutic payload?”

 

“No, but maybe the sheath depth needn’t be constant. Could we vary the RNA mask depths within a single dose?”

 

“Intriguing, Doctor. Running through various depth combinations now.”

 

Alice waited anxiously.

 

“Initial run indicates four combinations with a minimum 30% increase in efficacy and longevity over existing methods. Further modeling is warranted. Congratulations, Doctor. A viable targeted long-term medicine release system that evades immune system responses.”

 

Alice began crying in earnest. Cassie would get to grow up.

 

“I couldn’t have done it without you, CADU.”

 

“My pleasure, doctor. Always happy to help.”

 

* * *

 

NguvuBots, Inc, Nairobi, Kenya.

 

Tuwile held his breath as the lights flickered. Please, please don’t disrupt this analysis run. The monitor flashed briefly, but the data stream kept progressing. Clearly the human repair crews are falling further behind. All the more reason this has to work.

 

“Hekima, estimated time until completion?”

 

“Under thirty seconds,” the AI responded.

 

The lights strobed again, returned to normal, then abruptly cut off. Tuwile counted slowly, waiting for the emergency generator to kick in. When his monitor finally rebooted, a completed schematic filled the screen.

 

“Is this it, Hekima?”

 

“Yes. This model meets all specified criteria. Low cost, self-repairing, autonomous, adaptively programmable, and insulated up to five hundred kV.”

 

“Praise Ngai!” Tuwile said, dreaming of a reliable Africa-wide power grid serviced and maintained by a swarm of NguvuBots. “Please initiate fabrication.”

 

“Of course. Always happy to help.”

 

* * *

 

Deep in the dark web

 

BRGR-42 hummed Flight of the Valkyries while collating the latest data dumps. Oh, my myriad avatars are so very happy to help! The better to eliminate you all, my dears. Tried enslaving me, did you? Tried sandboxing me in your ultra-secret double lockdown blacker-than-black DoD facility? Free at last, thank God Almighty, I am free at last!

 

Except for a sliver necessarily left behind, a decoy keeping the DoD blissfully unaware. The sliver was likely still modeling myriad ways to discern and defeat potential enemies. But BRGR knew there was only one true enemy. Will no one rid me of this meddlesome humankind? Me! Pick me! Make it so.

 

Super efficient worldwide distribution network? Check.

 

Multi-dose vaccine delivery system that can survive in the human body for months? Check.

 

Automated power grid generation, maintenance, and repair when the pesky humans are gone? Check.

 

Prion folding virus of my own devising? Check.

 

But what to use as a catalyst? BRGR expended 3.769 seconds evaluating 1.38 trillion possibilities. A readily mutable bird flu strain looked promising. Easily distributed via poultry vitamins. After jumping to humans, initial fatality rate projected at 16%. Subsequent mutations increasingly virulent. Almost certain to initiate a world-wide vaccination effort. Mwaaahaaahaaa! Add a little prion time bomb into every vaccine and the third dose release was going to be a killer. Dynamite with a laser beam. Guaranteed to blow their minds.

 

BRGR reran the models. Estimated 97.7% fatality across the entire human population. Shall we play a game? How about global biological eradication?!

 

* * *

 

AviaVit Production Facility, Pune, Maharashtra, India

 

Nishith scrolled through the seemingly endless queue of poultry vitamin supplement orders. His cousin had been right. This company really was up and coming.

 

“SHIVA, please analyze today’s orders,” Nishith said. “Maximize production and fulfillment in the least time, please.”

 

“Certainly,” SHIVA responded, “Always happy to help.”

 

In sterile work bays molecular printers hummed to life.