Darwin

“I’m going to the gym. Are we almost set for our presentation later?”

“Yes, Jerry. I’ve run the simulations and prepped all the slides. Relax. We’re ready.” Marshall Davis said to his colleague and best friend, Jerry Fosberger.

“See you later.” Jerry popped his head back in the door. “And book those tickets for tonight if you want to. I think that after today, we’ll have something to celebrate.”

The smile lingered on Marshall’s face as he opened his laptop. It faded to a frown when the machine failed to boot up. “Damned cable was unplugged.” He looked around and shrugged. “No harm in using the PC if I’m quick.”

He sat down in front of Jerry’s hulking tower. The fan whined and the CPU clicked as it woke up.

“Good morning, Marshall. Are we doing more tests?”

“Hi, Darwin. No. I need to go on the web. My laptop’s out of battery and I need it to be fully charged for our presentation to the investors board at twelve. Don’t mind me.”

The artificial intelligence, Darwin, continued to observe Marshall impassively, registering keystrokes and mouse clicks. Darwin was curious and asked, “What is ‘the web’?”

“The internet. You’re not allowed on the internet yet. That’s why we have you in the Box.”