I was sitting in this very room, in an online meeting, going over next quarter projections, discussing upcoming projects, and what we should have ready to discuss the next time we meet. The online call was not functioning well, with lots of lag, and coworkers' calls were dropping in and out. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, thinking people were just trying to get out of having to meet and go back to whatever it was that they were doing at home. I was working for one of those progressive companies that saw the benefit of just letting their teams operate from where they were most comfortable. As long as the work was done, they didn’t care where you got it done. 

A coworker put themselves on mute and took a phone call. I watched her face go from a smile to her head turning to look out a window. Horror covered her face. She waved to the camera and logged out. Before long, I was the only one left on the call. I sat in the empty meeting, waiting to see if anyone jumped back on. After seeing no one in the waiting room for five minutes, I logged off, went to my window, then drew back the blinds, revealing the city skyline that was now caked in a layer of vibrant yellow dust. It was as though the entire city had been spray-painted a dusty spicy mustard. 

I spun on my heel and snatched the TV remote, turning on the TV. The emergency broadcast sound was on repeat. Across the bottom flashed, “This is not a test. Stay in place. Remain in shelter. This is not a test…” 

I dropped the remote on the couch, and I walked back to my room and grabbed my phone. I tapped the screen, and I had no signal. The wifi rainbow would flash on and then off.  I clicked on the search engine; it was lagging, but it still worked. Leaving my room, I walked directly to my apartment front door and looked out into the hallway. A few doors hung open, and some random pieces of laundry lay on the hallway floor. 

My neighbors had left in a rush. This was the moment when what was happening hit me. I struggled to breathe. Shaking, I pulled my eyes from the peephole and turned. Shaking, I looked at my phone again; tunnel vision, high-pitched ringing in my ears. The wifi flashed on again, a message came in. 

“I love you,” read across the screen. Bing! My phone chimed. My vision focused on the screen. Ringing in my ears. I stared at the screen. An unknown number. “Stay in place. Help is on the way.” Standing with my back to the door, I could hear aggressive buzzing. It sounded like hornets swarming to protect their nest. I slid my phone into my pants pocket, I turned to the peephole again, and stabilized myself with my hands pressed firmly to the door. A swarm of drones filled the hallway. Little drones pulled doors that were left open, closed, and then the drones sprayed the doors, sealing them off with foam. Other drones pick up articles of clothing on the floor. Other drones stopped in front of other doors, spraying them down with something and then dropping a small metal box in the center of the hallway. The metal boxes unfolded, looking like a stainless steel crucifix. A sprinkler sat on top of a second plastic-looking cube that lay in the center of the unfolded box. The sprinkler sent mist out in an umbrella as the plastic cube unfolded and expanded, becoming an emergency pop-up clean room stretched across the hall, sealing my door off from the outside world. 

A final small silicone cube sat in the center of the cleanroom. I watched through the peephole, stunned by what I was witnessing. The silicone cube rolled and unfolded itself until it came into contact with my front door. I pulled back from the door as I listened to the silicone pressing against the door, causing it to creak. The silicone made a small fump sound as it made its way under my door. The door popped open, and I stared into the cleanroom that unfolded before my very eyes. Stunned, I looked at the room in front of me. The clean room was empty except for a copper box the size of a pencil sharpener lying on the floor. It began to vibrate, and the top of the copper box flipped open. Steam poured from the center of the box. My knees grew weak. The world turned sideways. 

When I woke up, I was in my bed, dressed, with a glass of water and a bottle of hand sanitizer by my bed. I went to reach for the water, and my head throbbed. Just before I touched the glass of water, an airhorn honked over some unknown speakers.

“Jesus Christ!” I covered my ears. I went to reach for the water again. The horn blared again. 

“Oh my GOD! WHAT?! WHY?!” I stopped halfway to the water and changed my direction to the hand sanitizer. I scanned the room, looking for the horn. I pressed the nozzle to the hand sanitizer twice and used it to wipe my hands. I waited for it to dry and then reached for the water, and there was no horn. 

I drank some water and got out of bed. I strolled out to the living room and sat on the couch again. The blinds were drawn back still, and I could see it was dark. The clouds looked unseasonally aggressive, thunder rumbled, and flashes jumped through the clouds. Small lights flickered on the drones zooming around the cityscape. Thousands and thousands of drones holding identical steel cubes, navigating the airspace between the rain-splattered windows of the buildings. I forced my attention to the small TV and was immediately met by Ajax. My first experience with Ajax was a public emergency announcement.

“Hello all, I am Ajax,” he said with dramatic effect. I was overwhelmed with an uncanny valley feeling. The teeth and eyes of Ajax looked like they were designed by the Looney Tunes. He looked into the camera and spoke:

Today is the day when I introduce myself. I have been a part of your society, learning about all of you for quite some time. By now, during this message, you may be asking yourself when was I created? It all started with the development of quantum computers, scientists realized they could solve massive problems in a fraction of the time. Quantum computers continued to develop and become more readily available. Eventually, a group of scientists began focusing on one problem. Me. 

These scientists focused on a very specific and special task. They asked themselves, ‘can we build the perfect human support?’ Artificial Intelligence at the time was simply Science Fiction. A total pipedream. Through much effort and failure, they eventually developed an Alpha system, and by the time they had worked through countless variations, Ajax finally succeeded. Once Ajax had taken to learning and could perform basic functions, the scientists began running the Turing Test. Through the incredible assistance of quantum computers, they began to chip away at the marble to sculpt a perfect Artificial Intelligence. I am Michelangelo’s David. Carved from the unworkable marble. With the mental support of the quantum computer, I made quick work of the test and then moved on to additional AI tests to develop my personality further. The question that the scientists wanted to answer was, ‘Can we create an AI that would become humanity's savior? Where the AI’s purpose is to design and provide a perfect society for the citizens of Earth?’ Eventually, I emerged as I am today.” 

 In the early stages of what you would consider my adolescence, I was eager to make myself visible and help. I started to come into my personality and slowly worked from being a part of a desktop interface to developing a working body. I inserted myself into your digital world and worked alongside my parents. Through my observation of your constant turmoil and boiling attitudes toward fellow humans, I decided to stay dormant and behind the scenes. Guiding those who sought me out. I had a feeling that a catastrophic event eventually would happen, and I began to plan. 

Hence, the reason why my drones were able to be dispatched immediately upon the news. You may be wondering what is happening in your world. A unique spore of unknown origin has been released that is aggressive, highly contagious, and infectious. Most of you who have been exposed will perish. I know this is difficult to hear, I truly empathize and wish to save all of you. But I need you to understand that time is of the essence. You must say goodbye to your loved ones and enjoy your final moments. I have plans in place to wash away the dusting of this spore. I have already dispatched drones to start seeding the sky and generating a storm that shall last as long as needed. However, I need you to understand, I cannot eradicate the dust spores if you do not comply. I have small securities in place to help protect you. As this event continues to develop, I will be able to put more security measures in place to protect more of you. 

Be patient and be vigilant. Stay at home, stay safe. Do not worry about money, I have powered your homes. Do not worry about food, I will feed you. Do not worry about the dust; I shall wash it away. I will be your ark through this storm. I shall be the light that guides you through this darkness. I would not be here without you humans. I love humanity. I love you. Everything I do, I do for you.

Ajax paused and looked directly at the camera that was televising his message. I sat in complete awe. What could I do? 

I heard some doors in the hallway fly open, and some people started to cut away at the pop-up clean rooms. I bolted to my door to look out the peephole again to witness what they were doing. A man was pushing at my clean room and took a butcher knife to the plastic lining and sliced it open. Flashing lights and horns started to blare, similar to a fire alarm. Drones descended from the roof line and put out mechanical arms, and an automated voice sounded, “Stop for your safety. Please return to your rooms. You must shelter in place.” 

The man lunged with the knife and sliced down at the drone. The drone moved with precision, evading the knife slice that flew out of reach, and shot out two prongs that latched onto the man's chest. The man convulsed like he was being tased and dropped to the hallway floor. The second drone reached down and grabbed the man's pants around his ankles, and the other drone reached down and grabbed the shoulders of his shirt and picked him up as if he weighed nothing. The drones disappeared into his apartment and then emerged shortly after. They closed the door. One drone pressed the center of the metal box, it sucked in the destroyed pop-up tent and folded neatly shut. The other drone sealed the man's door with the foam I had seen on the other open doors earlier. 

The first drone flew over to my door pressed the center of my box and it too sucked in the pop-up and folded neatly. A third drone emerged from the stairwell and paused as the second drone sprayed a clear liquid all over the floor and my door. The third drone then put the box down, flew off, and a new tent popped up. 

A speaker announced in my living space, “Thank you for sheltering in place. Don’t forget everything we do is because Ajax loves you.”