by Brian Simons
Coral didn’t see any details about that, so she pulled up a news website. Arbyten’s latest move was front page news. Domin Ansel, President and CEO of Arbyten, Inc., announced the purchase of Finney’s Pianola Co. Coral played the video.
“Finney’s is the leading supplier of mechanized labor in the country, if not the world,” Domin said. “The company has its roots in the late 1800s, and we’re excited to bring it into the next century. They have the hardware. We’ll add the software. By upgrading their labor solutions technologies with our artificial intelligence, we’ll improve workplace automation exponentially. In the weeks that follow I think you’ll see, the world will never be the same again.”
The video continued, but Coral stopped listening. The scope of this news took a moment to set in. The company that made Travail just bought the company that made the robots that took away Coral’s job, and the jobs of millions of people across the world. If they succeeded at automating new industries, the number of people out of work would skyrocket. Would they all turn to Travail?
Coral had thought, for at least a few minutes, that she had helped save the in-game economy. Now she worried all that work was for nothing. An influx of penniless players would only drive up competition and drive down the gold she could earn.
She’d better log back in and scrounge up what resources she could, before it was too late. She closed her laptop to head back upstairs when the doorbell rang.
There was a delivery bot at the door. “Ms. Coral Daring?” the bot asked.
“I suppose,” Coral said. She had never gotten physical mail under her Travail handle before.
“For you,” the bot said, bending over awkwardly to pass a small cardboard box to Coral. It turned and walked back to its car.
Coral stood in the doorway, letting the cool breeze blow against her face as she opened the package. The afternoon sun in Fishtown was much more forgiving than the one in the Sand Barrens.
Inside was a replacement Travail Online Starter Kit, with a note on Arbyten letterhead.
Dear Coral,
You are making quite a name for yourself in our virtual world. I do hope you’ll join me at Arbyten’s main office. Meeting you in person would be a delight. Kindly call my secretary to set up a meeting.
Yours truly,
Mr. Domin Ansel
President & CEO,
Arbyten, Inc.
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About the Author
If Brian Simons were an action figure, he would come pre-equipped with a coffee cup jammed into one hand socket and an e-reader in the other.
Brian writes the Travail Online series of LitRPG books and short stories, inspired by the never-too-many books and video games he has consumed his whole life. You may find him writing in a café near his Philadelphia home. If you do, please say hi!
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Titles by Brian Simons
Travail Online (Book 1): Soulkeeper
Travail Online (Short Story 1): Broken
Travail Online (Book 2): Resurrection
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