by Zoe Cannon
She blinked, the brightness of the screen already hurting her eyes. She quickly typed in what she needed. The general store down the road had all the basics, and what they didn’t have—new clothes for Bobby, mostly—she could get by driving an hour into town. But these were specialty art products, something she would have to drive a lot longer than an hour to find. She had been trying to stretch her supplies as far as she could, but that could only work for so long.
She added the things she needed to her cart, and winced at the total. The money from her checking account was long gone. She had gotten a part-time job waitressing at a local restaurant, but the money that brought in was barely enough for food, electricity, and enough gas to get her to work and back. In the back of her mind, she had a dream of selling her art, but despite all the practice she had put in over the past couple of years, she still only had six weeks of classes under her belt. She needed more than she could teach herself before she could get anywhere close to creating work other people would buy. And small towns like this one didn’t have art classes.
She looked at the total again, and mentally added up her budget for the month. With an inner sigh, she emptied her cart.
It was worth it, to keep Bobby safe. It was worth it.
She blinked, startled, as an ad filled the screen. Out of reflex, she moved to close it, but hesitated with her cursor over the X.
Concerned About AI? it read. Protect Your Children’s Future.
It was for a private school. One that strove to keep kids disconnected while also giving them the grounding in modern technology that they would need to get by in the adult world. The campus looked bright and sunny, full of kids Bobby’s age chasing each other through the grass with big grins on their faces. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen that kind of smile on Bobby’s face.
She knew why she was seeing this. She wasn’t stupid. They were trying to draw her back in.
But the truth was, she did worry about Bobby’s future. Even after two years, he still missed the real world. And it was only going to get worse as he got older. What was she going to do, keep him away from civilization forever? What would he do once he grew up and discovered that the world had left him behind?
And the school was in Seattle. She could find a better job there, give them both a better life. Maybe even take more art classes. The move would be difficult in the short term, but no more of an adjustment than what she had already done.
They would both be happier. She knew it. She tried to put on a brave face for Bobby, but the truth was, this life she had chosen for them wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t going to get any easier.
A school like this would give Bobby exactly what she had been trying to give him, only better. He would still grow up away from the AIs’ influence, at least as much as was possible. But the school would do what she couldn’t—it would teach him the survival skills he needed, and give him a real social life, and offer her the opportunity to build a real life for the two of them.
And it wasn’t as if she couldn’t protect herself. She was a grown adult, and after what had happened with John, she knew the dangers of the technology better than most. She knew to stay wary, and not to let it into her head. She didn’t have to stay holed up in the middle of nowhere for that.
She clicked.
Want more?
For more stories about how our tech makes us who we are, try these stories:
The New Me
Stasis
Lost in Translation
Hearth Fires
Exactly Like She Was
Or get them all in Digital Soul, available on all major ebook retailers.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this book, please take a few minutes to leave a quick review at the retailer where you bought it. Reviews help other readers find my books, which lets me keep writing and keeps my dog in treats. Ever had a 130-pound dog try to climb into your lap because he hasn’t had his nightly treat? Save my lap, leave a review.
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About the Author
Zoe Cannon may or may not be a supervillain out to conquer the world through writing. When not writing, she can be found perfecting her schemes for world domination, plotting against her archenemies, and staying up too late reading a book. Her secret lair is rumored to be located somewhere in southern New Hampshire. She also writes as her mild-mannered alter ego, Z.J. Cannon.
