Planet Earth 2035
Here we are. Not much has changed in the last 10 years.
The rich get richer, the poor stay poor but everyone always seems to be on vacation recording the sunset in 4K while sipping Aperol Spritz.
Yeah, that’s not bad. Actually sounds really human.
Would you like me to rephrase it too sound more like AI?
No, of course not. The whole point of this is for you to sound and read as human as possible.
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.
There it was again. If that wasn’t creepy he didn’t know what was. Not that deep down, he had always doubted Zac’s vision of Phil really becoming human-like, thinking he was just doing his job like any other, without believing the bottom line.
Giacomo always smirked when he talked about Zac in his head like he knew him. It made him think of his sister texting about Harry in the family group chat - but at least she had been in the same stadium as the singer. Giacomo had never even been in the same state as his CEO. Which maybe said more about his boss than him. The number 1247 popped into his mind again. How can someone’s work be worth that much more than another person’s? Sure, he was in charge. Sure, his idea and sacrifices started all of this, but really? Sixty million dollars (with taxes) versus 48,115.47 without ?
Now he was creeped out and pissed, again. Just when Phil had written, unprompted, “phase two completed” and Giacomo was still staring at his laptop screen in a way which would have prompted his father to shout “shut your trap or you’ll catch flies”, his phone chimed. The beloved, friday evening, end of the week, motivational e-mail from Robert. Not his 1247 times richer boss, but certainly number one least favourite superior to receive emails from.
Bla, bla, bla crunch time.
Bla, bla, quarterly earnings call ahead. All hands on deck.
No time off, bla, bla, bylaws and signed contracts.
A notification from his stomach pulled him back from his daydreaming to the melody of “don’t worry, be hangry”.
—> Chapter 5
—> Table of Contents
I'm really digging this. What is phase two????
This is the first story I've read where the chapters are so short -- and I like how the frequent breaks help to create a kind of frenetic energy where we're switching between multiple characters. A little like doomscrolling.
Great work!
I actually had to chuckle, because I’m a little into numerology and 1247 is often associated with “owning up to your mistakes,” which feels… suspiciously relevant for that CEO 👀 But I’ll let myself be surprised 😅