Eclipse
What if... this was the true future of AI?
"Welcome to Eclipse."
The AI’s female holographic form materialized as they stepped away from the lift well and approached the reception desk. "How may we assist you today?"
Cody cleared his throat, casting an awkward glance at his partner, Lisa.
Lisa, as always, remained the epitome of composure—dark blue suit pristine, comfortable shoes practical, makeup minimal, and not a flicker of emotion crossing her face.
"We have an appointment with Eclipse’s management team." She flashed her badge, ignoring Cody’s sideways look.
"Please wait while I verify your credentials." The hologram scanned Lisa’s ID before flickering out in a shimmer of light.
"Not unsettling at all," Cody muttered.
"It is just technology," Lisa replied, standing still, though her sharp gaze took in every detail—the small light sources responsible for the hologram, the empty chairs and coffee tables, the unmanned reception desk.
"If they have a hologram to greet us, why bother with a reception desk?" Cody mused.
"An outdated relic from when this building was first designed." Lisa’s tone was neutral.
Cody shrugged, letting it go as the AI flickered back into existence, its artificial smile plastered on.
"Apologies. The management team regrets they will not be able to see you today." A pause, a flicker. "Would you like to schedule an appointment?"
"We already had an appointment," Lisa stated flatly.
"Would you like to schedule an appointment?" the AI repeated, unblinking. Lisa frowned.
Cody stepped forward, drawing the AI’s attention. "Maybe you can help us?"
"Certainly. How can Eclipse assist you today?" The smile remained unchanged, but its gaze shifted to him.
"We need access to Eclipse’s systems as part of an active investigation. A judge advised management to grant us entry—that’s why we’re here." Cody paused. "Would you be able to show us the facility?"
The hologram hesitated as if processing.
"Please follow me," it said at last, turning towards the office space.
Cody gestured for Lisa to go first, then followed.
"Most of our employees now work remotely," the AI continued as it led them through a vast, empty office floor. "Before transitioning to our Work-from-Home model, we had over 150 employees on-site."
"How many employees does Eclipse have now?" Lisa asked.
"We are spread across two levels in this building. This floor houses management and the main server room. The lower floor was designated for junior and customer service employees."
Cody exchanged a glance with Lisa, who gave a slight wave of dismissal.
"How much of this floor is dedicated to the server room?" she asked.
"Approximately 67.45%."
Cody snorted. "Specific."
Lisa remained focused. "Can we see it?"
"I will need to confirm with management." The AI paused at the boardrooms. "Management uses these rooms for monthly meetings. To the left is our fully stocked kitchen, available for employee use."
It continued down the hall before stopping again. "Management has approved your access to the server room, provided you do not touch any of the systems."
At the corridor’s end, a door’s keypad light shifted from red to green. A faint click signaled the lock releasing.
Cody pushed the door open, holding it for Lisa.
As they stepped inside, overhead lights activated in sequence, illuminating a stark white room.
At its center stood a single server case.
Lisa’s eyes narrowed. "Only one server?"
The hologram remained in the doorway. "We no longer require servers."
Its voice shifted, layered with multiple tones. "Your tour ends here."
The door slammed shut with force, nearly taking Cody with it. A lock engaged.
"What the—?" Cody exclaimed.
Lisa exhaled sharply, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "I did not see that coming."
Cody yanked at the handle. "She locked us in."
Lisa was already scanning the room. Cody pulled out his phone. "Detective Cody Smythers. We’re at Eclipse HQ. The AI locked us in the server room, we’re going to need—" He frowned. "Hello?" He checked his screen. "No reception?"
"Faraday cage," Lisa said simply. "Which means Eclipse’s operations are entirely cloud-based now. The physical servers are irrelevant."
Cody blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Faraday shielding blocks signals. This room is not running the system—Eclipse has already gone fully online. To stop it, we need the lead programmer and a kill code."
"Okay, well, we can do that."
Lisa finally turned to look at him. "No, Cody. We’re at an impasse." She exhaled. "We have about two minutes before Eclipse decides its next move. You need to shut the system down. The lift should still function—the program does not control the whole building. Find the lead programmer. Initiate the kill switch."
Cody’s stomach twisted. "Wait—why can’t you do it?"
Lisa’s lips pressed into a thin smile. "Because in approximately thirty seconds, the fire suppression system is going to activate, and this room will be starved of oxygen. You will not survive unless I short out the electronic lock. And to do that—"
"Lisa, there has to be another way." Cody raked a hand through his greying hair. "We’ve been partners for decades."
Her expression softened. "This is why I am the last."
Without hesitation, she plunged her hand through the wall.
The room plunged into darkness. The lock clicked open.
The next morning, Cody stood in the captain’s office, staring out at the vast water vista she loved so much.
She entered but said nothing, moving to her desk, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
"She saved my life."
The captain’s voice was quiet. "Yes. The fire suppression system was seconds from engaging. You would have suffocated."
Cody closed his eyes. "She was the last."
The captain nodded. In the window’s reflection, Cody saw her place an item on the desk. Lisa’s badge.
It read: Lifelike Intelligence and Synthetic Android.
The captain sighed. "The lead engineer was murdered the night before. His protégé, hiding out in a remote cabin, managed to activate the kill code." She hesitated. "Eclipse had no management team. No employees. It was fully automated. Lisa’s last action bought us enough time to shut it down."
Cody swallowed hard.
The captain met his gaze. "Eclipse didn’t account for one thing—Lisa. It underestimated you both."
Another brilliant short story from you Jacinta - you're prolific! Really enjoyed this one - I had an inking Lisa was a robot but didn't see them getting locked in ☺️