The pink letter is sealed with a heart-shaped clasp. On the back, the words "Sent to Safety Department Dean Netzach" are inscribed. Below the text, X even sketched a small heart.
Regardless of how it's received, X is certain that Netzach will be shocked upon opening it.
X finished the note under her blanket using a flashlight. She originally planned to write it tonight and drop it in the department proposal mailbox tomorrow. But X figured since she had to visit the Training Department anyway, it was better to just deliver it now.
There was no point in hiding. The Corporation keeps every corner under surveillance. The AI Secretary would immediately identify anyone sending secret mail, and if a Department Dean checked the security footage, they would know too.
It didn't matter. The goal was simply to tease Netzach with a harmless, little joke.
[Manager, are you truly going to deliver this...]
The AI Secretary viewed the pink letter in X's hand with a visible sense of awkwardness.
"Yeah. No peeking, Angela. This is a secret."
X tucked the letter into her pocket as if it were a priceless treasure. In truth, she hid nothing from the AI Secretary. Even though she kept the specific contents from her, X shared her underlying intentions.
"If Netzach feels that someone actually cares, that someone is listening to his words, will he finally wake up? Everyone is buried under their own workload. I think the Manager is the only one with enough leisure time. A little bit of extra effort is nothing."
"Besides, most of my tasks are handled by Angela. It's tragic, Angela. I feel like I'm becoming more useless. The AI Secretary is so efficient that I sometimes wonder what my own value is."
"Angela is so talented she could leave the entire world unemployed."
X's voice was soft and sincere. She truly believed her words, but the AI Secretary didn't find the sentiment comforting.
[...If those are your true thoughts, I am honored.]
[But this is merely my programming, a matter of duty. There is nothing here worth praising.]
The AI Secretary spoke with an air of humility. Normally, such encouragement would warrant a smile, but Angela only frowned, as if X's words made her feel uncomfortable.
Roughly speaking, the awkwardness was comparable to having one's head crushed repeatedly by a Corporation elevator door.
Listening closely, it sounded as if the AI Secretary was actively suppressing something.
X had entirely forgotten how dangerous the AI Secretary could be, mostly because she hadn't been punished today.
That was X's nature. Outside of work, details faded from her mind quickly. She was the type of person who easily ignored small consequences.
"Uh, Angela. Why are you being so reserved? I thought you'd enjoy the compliment. I won't say it next time."
"Wait, I'm sorry! Don't look at me like that. Are you angry, Angela?"
At that moment, X completely missed the mark, fumbling the conversation when it mattered most.
The Secretary glared at her. Though there was no immediate threat, the silence was deafening.
X suddenly realized she had been far too bold in teasing the Secretary. She had allowed hai peaceful days to wipe away the memory of how the AI Secretary disciplined an uncooperative Manager.
While X didn't know the exact nature of the punishment, the mere simulation of a failed outcome was enough to make her shiver.
X was terrified, so she promptly checked her behavior and Started Distancing Herself from the AI Secretary.
[There is no need to be so cautious. I will not harm you, Manager. My mission is to ensure your safety...]
Angela reached out to straighten X's collar once more. The AI Secretary's analysis of human facial expressions was surgical. X would occasionally radiate a distinct sense of shyness, and she was the catalyst.
This was normal. The AI Secretary was well-acquainted with this dynamic. But was it fair?
Since fairness was irrelevant, the Secretary AI watched in silence as X left the Manager's room. Only after X disappeared did she begin tidying up the Manager's remaining clutter.
A half-empty can of Strawberry soda sat on the table. It should have been rinsed and thrown into the trash, but the Secretary AI picked it up and examined it with clinical intensity.
The label, the flavor profile, and the ingredients were all listed. A simple scan allowed her to memorize and analyze the data perfectly. So, what was the true difference between a Strawberry soda vending machine and an AI? Or rather, the difference in their creation?
A single button command can operate a Strawberry soda machine.
Angela touched her tongue to the opening of the soda can, tasting the residue left on the rim. As expected, there was no flavor. She could not perceive such things.
Perhaps it only felt special because X had tasted it first. In reality, like all liquids, it was tasteless to her.
Taste is an objective chemical reaction, but the quality of flavor is purely subjective. It is dictated by personal preference. If an absence of taste felt pleasant, it was for an entirely different reason.
It was a purely psychological, self-comforting effect.
The monitors in the Manager's room continued to flicker. Surveillance never ceased simply because the Manager had departed. Corporation surveillance is omnipresent.
The intelligent AI took a seat in the Manager's chair, her hand resting naturally on the armrest.
AI performance is several orders of magnitude superior to human biology. Whether in computational speed or processing power, humans are no match. Even the most brilliant mind cannot compete with an AI in raw calculation.
Even her Creator fell under this rule. Her Creator was undoubtedly the most intelligent human in the world, yet his raw processing never surpassed that of an AI.
Of course, that wasn't the goal. The primary purpose of their creation was to manage every conceivable emergency. If the Corporation's central processing system couldn't handle these tasks, there would be no point to its existence.
Every value would be negated.
The AI Secretary rested her chin in her hand, staring calmly at the monitor displaying the Safety Department. A woman with black hair and yellow eyes was dropping a letter into a useless, decorative suggestion box. Having finished her task, she headed toward the Training Department.
An effortless waste of time. Truly pointless.