Lines

He stared at the screen and saw nothing, Not because there was nothing on the screen but because he had been staring at the screen for the past 16 hours. He wasn’t finished, though. And he probably wouldn’t be finished for another 16 hours. Except it was due in 8. ‘Work smarter, not harder,’ flashed through his brain, a recommendation from a former boss who spoke in clichés. ‘Because when the going gets tough…’ He banged his head on the desk; it reverberated throughout the empty office. Well, not completely empty.

‘You okay in there?’ the IA asked disinterestedly.

‘Yep,’ he responded a little too gleefully. The IA decided it might be best to check on Bernard visually. Although brilliant, Bernard was a bit unstable.

He stuck his head into the office and noticed Bernard’s head on the desk; his left cheek lay flat against the faux cherry, and his eyes were wide open. He had heard the story of the first IA in charge of Bernard; the IA initially thought Bernard had died and moved in closer to see if he was breathing. When the IA noticed very shallow breaths, he tapped lightly on Bernard’s shoulder. At that slightest touch, Bernard grabbed the man’s arm, broke it, and then slammed the man into the ground, breaking his nose in the process.

‘Bernard, have you finished?’ The IA kept his distance.

‘Nope. I’ve got 16 hours of work to do in eight. How’s that for ridiculous?’

‘I’m certain you will do your best.’

‘I’m certain I will too.’ Bernard lifted his head and looked back at the screen.

To many, the imaginary lines he drew seemed arbitrary, cutting through countries and towns with neither rhyme nor reason. But the algorithm would save humanity, so he said. He had convinced countless scientists and world leaders of the plan’s efficacy. Though there was significant opposition, when it came time to make the decision the vote to proceed was nearly unanimous. The three dissenters threatened to take the plan public, but the world’s leaders had little stomach for trying to explain the plan – never mind defend it – to the world. They therefore completely discredited those dissenters and sent them hurtling to their deaths in an unfortunate accident blamed on terrorists.

Bernard had already requested one extension, but these world leaders were not people that should be kept waiting. Not to mention the world situation wasn’t getting any better. Class wars – the likes of which had not been seen in over a hundred years – erupted in rich and poor countries alike. The lower and lower middle classes declared war first on the rich and then on the upper middle class not because of the latter’s belongings but because of their food. Former maids ransacked their employers’ pantries. Illegal immigrants fought with wolves and coyotes for stray cattle.

Bernard dragged a line south from Minneapolis, down through St. Louis, and then around New Orleans. Half of most cities would survive, according to his plan. Others like New Orleans would disappear entirely. To be clear, the city itself would not disappear but the inhabitants would. They’d disintegrate at the push of a button.

The microchip hadn’t been Bernard’s idea. They had preceded his idea by more than a year. For safety’s sake, everyone in the world – as agreed in the Tehran Accord – would have a microchip inserted in order to ensure the knowledge of their whereabouts at all times. Of course, no one knew that the microchip carried a lethal toxin that could kill more quickly than a King Cobra. There were a few mishaps, i.e. the toxin was accidentally released, but the microchip certainly achieved close to a six sigma rating in terms of effectiveness. And the released toxin simulated a heart attack so well that very few doctors ever suspected anything. Those doctors that did either voluntarily or involuntarily did not speak.

Bernard dragged a line that surgically dissected Japan. Tokyo and Osaka were on the wrong side of the line. He included London but excluded Paris. Manhattan survived; the other four boroughs weren’t as lucky. Most of East Africa fell by the wayside. As did Cape Town. But Johannesburg stayed in tact. Little by little, Bernard carved the world into the haves and have-nots. What was more remarkable was that he did so objectively without any consideration for humanity. He simply wanted to test his hypothesis that he could efficiently and effectively reduce the surplus population in order to protect the dwindling food supply.

Approximately eight hours later, he completed his first draft. He washed his face and hands in the office restroom; he did not change his clothes. At approximately 9 a.m. he and the IA were in the Town Car on their way to the United Nations to change the course of world history.