The accusation hangs in the air, heavy and damning. I feel a flush creeping up my neck, a mix of shame and anger. “You don’t understand,” I say, fighting to keep my voice steady. “E.M.M.A.’s algorithms are complex. Sometimes they needfine-tuning.”
Chet scoffs. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
I turn to face him, my frustration building. “E.M.M.A. is an evolving AI, capable of understanding nuances that go beyond simple data points. But as I’m working with it so much, I was worried there was built-in bias to favor me.”
A white lie.
“By lying?” Chadwick interjects. “By forcing it to recommend other candidates when she had clearly identified you as the optimal match?”
“You’re oversimplifying things,” I argue, but I can see I’m losing ground. While this shouldn’t be as big of a deal as they are blowing it up to be, the fact of the matter is that I was dishonest.
The Chads exchange glances, a silent communication passing among them. They can sense they’ve got something on me.
Tony sighs, rubbing his temples. “You’ve potentially compromised the integrity of our flagship product.”
I lean forward, desperate to make them understand. “This is on me. But look at the grand scheme of things—”
“That’s enough,” Chas cuts me off. “You violated company policy and potentially put us at legal risk.”
The room falls silent for a moment, the weight of the accusation settling over us. I can feel the Chads’ eyes on me, their barely concealed triumph making my skin crawl.
My blood runs cold. “What do you mean?”
“Remember.” Chet jumps in, barely containing his excitement. “We’ve been developing a streamlined AI chatbot tool for athletes. It’s simpler, cheaper, and frankly, less prone to... unpredictable behavior.”
“You can’t be serious,” I breathe, looking from face to face, searching for any sign of doubt or hesitation. “E.M.M.A. is light-years beyond a simple chatbot. It’s not even the same universe. It has the potential to—”
“Potential is one thing,” Chadwick says smoothly. “Results are another. Our chatbot delivers consistent, measurable outcomes without the need for constant... adjustments.”
The implication is clear, and it stings. I turn to Tony, pleading. “You can’t let them do this. E.M.M.A. is the cornerstone of TrainTech’s future. That’s it. End of story.”
Chas clears his throat loudly. “We’re not finished here, Harriet,” he says, his voice laced with a smug satisfaction that makes my skin crawl.
I slowly sink back into my seat, dread pooling in my stomach. “What else is there?”
Chas exchanges a pointed look with the other Chads before turning his attention back to me. “Given the seriousness of the situation, we demand that Gale be notified immediately.”
My heart lurches. “Gale? This is an internal matter—”
“This ceased to be just an internal matter the moment you manipulated E.M.M.A.’s results to hide your perfect match status with the beta tester,” Chet interjects, his eyes glinting with malice.
I take a deep breath, trying to regain my composure. “I understand your concern, but I think it would be best if I spoke to Gale privately about this. It’s a delicate situation—”
“Absolutely not,” Chadwick cuts in sharply. “We can’t trust you to convey the full extent of your actions. For the sake of transparency, we demand this conversation happens right here, on speakerphone.”
I look to Tony, hoping for some support, but he just shakes his head slightly. “They’re right, Harriet. We need to be completely transparent about this.”
Feeling cornered, I nod reluctantly. “Fine. I’ll call him.”
With shaking hands, I pull out my phone and dial Gale’s number. The room is silent save for the sound of the ringtone echoing from the speakerphone. Each ring feels like an eternity.
Finally, Gale’s voice fills the room. “Harriet? Is everything okay? It’s still work hours.”
I swallow hard, hearing the exhaustion in his voice, and acutely aware of four pairs of eyes boring into me. “Gale, I... I’m here with Tony and some of the TrainTech staff. There’s something we need to discuss with you. It’s about E.M.M.A.”
There’s a pause on the other end of the line. “Okay,” Gale says slowly. “What’s going on?”
I open my mouth to speak, but Chas beats me to it. “We’ve uncovered some disturbing information about manipulations to E.M.M.A.’s algorithm, specifically regarding you and Harriet.”
