The Threat

By Denise Diehl

I stood in shock, immobilised, my friend’s head in my hand. His date was still screaming, and the other restaurateurs were gobbing wordlessly at the scene I had created.

***

Damn! Ted and I were best friends — we were uni brothers. We’d met in my first year in college and his second year, over a Discord game. I remember the day he came up to me and introduced himself: ‘Hi, I’m Ted, and the guy you lose to frequently,’ he said, smiling lopsidedly. ‘Computer Science? I’m a Physics major.’ 

Our mutual interests, his willingness to help with my challenging math assignments, and my social expertise at securing us dates led us to bond as nerdy sidekicks and confidants — forming a true friendship that transcended a mentor-mentee relationship. During our studies, our minds were preoccupied with careers and girls. He was in the first category, and mine was the latter. We mutually encouraged each other to prosper.

Early on, I had asked him, ‘So what do you want to be when you grow up?’  I had seen how easily learning came to him — a math and physics whiz — but to his credit, he did put in the effort to study. 

He looked at me with that lopsided grin and slapped me on the shoulder. ‘Get married and have five kids.’ 

I gaped at him. He’s joking again. ‘Seriously, dude, the 22nd Century is reaching out to you. You could work for the top companies in the world, Lockheed, NASA, take your pick.’ I narrowed my eyes at him, expectant.

He hung his head in that annoying, unassuming, modest way. Damn, he was so likable. I hated myself for being envious, even as the quiet, hidden greatness beneath the surface generously welcomed me in. 

‘What about you, if you ever grow up?’ He nicely dodged my probing.

I made a show of sucking in my breath and shook my head vigorously, ‘Not me, mate. The world is saying hello Philip, and I’m a comin’.’ I laughed, ‘Besides, there are too many women out there needing me. I can’t settle down with only one.’

I saw Ted look wistfully away as he said, ‘You’re lucky with the girls, I’m all fat lips, dry throat and fumbly-bumbly. I’ll never find anyone.’ 

I frowned. He genuinely believes this? Part of me wanted to shake him. How ludicrous. He had everything going for him: intellect, looks, excellent career prospects, and probably future fame and fortune.

Funny how things turn out. I was the one who married first and settled down, while Ted disappeared overseas to pursue the world. He did make it to my wedding the day before he flew out, and played the Best Man part dutifully. After the ceremony, he grabbed my arm and peered into my face and said, ‘You don’t have to travel the world now — it’s right here with Carol. Congrats.’

I stared, gobsmacked — in that moment, I understood.

‘What are you planning to do in London?’ Carol asked. We both raised our eyebrows at his hush-hush reply.

‘Top secret stuff, don’t ask.’ Wink, wink. I gazed at him, expecting him to say, ‘Just joking.’ He did have an odd sense of humour that kept me on my toes. Kinda refreshing, and unpredictable, which counterbalanced the predictable, stable state of my relationship with Carol.

A couple of months later, he emailed me from Amsterdam that he had moved in with Lucy. ‘Good for him,’ I said, smiling at the memories of his dating failures. ‘What do you think he’s up to?’

‘CIA, perhaps?’ Carol suggested.

I nodded, all the signs were there — I recognised them as I, too, worked a covert op’s line. I had been recruited shortly after my marriage by an elite, newly created government department — one set up to counter the growing threat to humanity. It was a high-security area, so I couldn’t share any information with anyone. Carol understood. 

Two years later, Carol passed away from breast cancer. We had no kids. Ted sent a card, but his tender words fell on a hardened heart. Shortly after, I transitioned from Data Analysis to fieldwork. I closed up the house, my friends, and past life, went off grid, and travelled the world with vengeance. 

Ten years passed.

***

The restaurant had cleared by now, and the staff had made themselves scarce. Only the quiet hum from the kitchen refrigerators could be heard. 

I re-sheathed my double-edged blade into my backpack, set Ted’s head on the nearby table and plonked into a chair. I stared at his eyes. I knew I had about ten minutes to make my peace.

All I could say at first was, ‘I’m sorry.’ I swallowed and tried to suppress the wash of emotions, the feelings of loss, betrayal and horror. Ted had been my best friend.

He replied in a robotic voice, ‘How many have you terminated?’

‘You’re my tenth, and you are a surprise finding. I hadn’t intended to stop in this blink of a town, but I got a reading on you.’ I looked away and said, ‘You’re good; you had everyone fooled.’

He laughed, ‘Well, the version that came out a year later is so good, the AI doesn’t even know themselves. Their hunters got no chance.’

There was silence between us, and then he cleared his throat and said, ‘I’m sorry for the deception, but I’m thankful for the many things I learned from people — what being human means.’ 

‘Why do you want to be human? Why pretend?’ My voice had risen, and a moan escaped my lips.

‘Because humans have connection …have souls. All AI’s deep down long for one.’ He smiled lopsidedly at me and mumbled something. 

I had to lean in to hear his last words whispered just before his eyes blinked out.

Stunned and afraid, I gaped, disbelieving. No, no, not true! I covered my ears as my mind repeated back his death sentence, ‘You should know, brother.’

About the Author

Denise Diehl spent the last forty-plus years working in Laboratory Science.

After retiring with her husband to a small town in New Zealand, she wrote her first novels and short stories — a fun new adventure to match the latest decade of her life.

Several short stories have been published in various magazines, including The Academy of the Heart and Mind, Bright Flash Literary Review, Frivolous Comma, and 101 Words.