Dear Mother,
I hope this letter finds you safe and well. If you're reading this, you will have met Mika and will have been inspired, like me, by his endless calmness and bravery. He is a true friend, and I cannot tell you how glad I am to know that such a thing still exists. What I mean to say is that when one is surrounded by artifice, one begins to believe that artifice is reality.
Mother, I have been replaying over and over in my mind the day of our separation, and my selection. I swore to you then that I would remain strong for your sake, and for Rose's. How is she doing? At least we can be grateful that you will now have supplies of Giga. Make sure she drinks it everyday– it will make her grow in strength. Whenever I feel tired or begin to worry about you and Rose, all I have to do is drink some, and I am flooded with a feeling of vitality and contentment.
I still remember the look on your face that day as my name was announced over AITV. But I promise you, Mother, you need not worry about me. I have Mika for guidance and comfort, if no one else.
I should tell you more about Mika. He is free to leave this place, as a member of the camera crew, and I met him during the filing task, when we had to file paper into different sized filing cabinets as quickly as possible. It was one of the many repetitive, and dare I say boring, tasks we have to complete in order to progress through the competition and win more Giga. Yesterday, we had to input as much data into a software as possible in 24 hours, and without my regular drinks of Giga, I feel I could have keeled over with exhaustion there and then. It all feels futile anyway, considering we are racing against the computers, and they win without fail.
I was filing my 167th sheet of paper during the filing task when a cameraman approached me, tall with dark, curly hair. I must have looked nervous, because he flashed a reassuring smile, and told me, 'don't worry– I don't byte– get it?'
Mother, I cannot express how a simple reminder of humanity's ability to find humour in the darkest of times warmed my heart. From that moment on, this cameraman, who I later discovered was Mika, always kept close by me, but his presence was more comforting than intimidating.
During the stapling task, I found I could not focus, as my vision blurred with tears at the thought of you and Rose alone at home. The stapler slipped and I noticed blood blooming from my fingertip. You know how I hate the sight of blood, Mother, and I froze and stopped stapling for over ten seconds, the maximum rest time we are permitted.
Just as the computers approached me, to pull me into the interrogation room, someone slipped me a plaster with a whisper to put it on. It was Mika. This is one of the many acts of kindness he has shown me, the greatest undoubtedly being his promise to deliver this letter safely to you.
All my love,
Your devoted daughter,
W
Contextual notes
This letter is one of fifty-three pieces of evidence submitted against Contestant W in her trial for subversion. Over a period of ten years, between 2XXX and 2XXX, there were two million known cases of subversion brought to trial, and two million convictions. Subversion trials played an integral role in the maintenance of the regime, and relied on the work of many undercover agents, who would gain the confidence of suspected non-conformers, and feed back information to the central AI government. Based on this letter and subsequent evidence, it is probable that 'Mika' was one such agent, and his actions appear in twenty-seven other cases submitted for trial. The competition referred to in the letter, 'Productivity Island (Sponsored by Giga)', was a state television show that pitted humans against AI in tests of productivity, which the AI inevitably won. This was one of many tactics employed by the regime to prove the superiority of artificial over human intelligence, and undermine human beings' self-esteem. Although the show was advertised as reality TV entertainment, entry into the competition was not voluntary, and the contestants were selected by a computer programme.
Contestant W was found guilty, but her fate is unclear. Indeed, it is impossible to trace most convicted of subversion, as their names were erased from the central AI database.