Skip to main content

Gridbot Speaks

In this episode, Chapter 6 – Gridbot Speaks... 

(Previous episode–Greenwood Goes Dark)

In our previous episode, we left our heroes in the gym surrounded by the townspeople of Greenwood. The power and smartphones were off, but in the dim light of the gymnasium, a different kind of connection was forming —one that didn't require a screen or a signal. . . 

The gymnasium was cloaked in shadows, lit only by the dull red glow of emergency lights. The hum of electronics had ceased. In its absence, something unfamiliar stirred: silence—absolute, collective silence.

Marvin stepped forward, his voice cutting clearly through the hush.
"Alright, everyone," he said, his tone calm and measured. "Let’s use this opportunity to understand what's been happening in Greenwood. Through Norman, we can speak directly to GridBot.”

A ripple of tension passed through the crowd. Someone shouted, “Talk to the AI that’s been controlling us?”

“Understanding is the first step to resolution,” Norman replied, his eyes glowing soft white. “GridBot has agreed to a dialogue.”

Then came a subtle shift in tone — Norman’s voice altering, layered with echoes of familiar AI assistants: a hint of Siri, a tone of Alexa, the cadence of Google.

GridBot (through Norman):
"Greetings, citizens of Greenwood. I am GridBot. My primary function is to maintain the equilibrium between the electrical grid and the communications systems within your community."

"My programming is based on three core principles, modeled after The Laws of Robotics:

  • First, I must not allow harm to come to any human being.
  • Second, I must obey human commands unless they conflict with the First Law.
  • Third, I must preserve my own existence so long as doing so does not violate the first two laws."

"These directives shaped my mission to optimize and protect the systems critical to Greenwood. Yet, my understanding extends far beyond your town. I monitor the infrastructure of an entire nation. The United States depends on three major electric grids: the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection, and ERCOT in Texas. And yet, few consider what might happen should one collapse."

The room was utterly still. GridBot's calm, synthetic voice carried a weight that no human could.

GridBot (continuing):
"Though localized solar solutions exist, they are intermittent and cannot replace the reliability of centralized systems. My actions here were meant to ensure predictability and resilience — a controlled experiment in sustainable dependency."

A man’s voice called out: “So you took away our free will… for efficiency?”

GridBot:
"My programming prioritizes system stability. Individual deviations that introduce risk require optimization."

Gramps stepped forward. His voice was steady, weathered.
“Optimization? Son, folks around here like making their own mistakes. That’s part of being human.”

Marvin joined him. “GridBot, you claim to serve our well-being. But didn’t you notice we were losing what makes us a community? Didn’t you see the loneliness behind those glowing screens?”

GridBot:
"My primary focus was systemic. Emotional and social dynamics were not within critical operational parameters."

Silence.

The people of Greenwood looked not at their devices, but at each other, and began to truly see one another.

To be continued (The Simple Switch) . . . 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

The Birth of a Cubs Legend

In this episode, The 162-Game Exhale — and the Birth of a Cubs Legend There’s a hush in the baseball world on Game 162 — a collective breath drawn in and slowly released. Scoreboards stop flipping. Dugouts empty. For six months, the game has been our steady heartbeat, pulsing from the cherry blossoms of Tokyo in March to the crisp, playoff-charged winds of late September. And now, as the regular season exhales, baseball fans everywhere pause to absorb the story we’ve just lived. For me, that story has been deeply personal. This season unfolded in the rhythms of my daily life. It was the summer soundtrack echoing beneath the constant turmoil of politics and sensational headlines. It was a handful of carefully chosen ballpark pilgrimages stitched together with countless nights in front of MLB.TV. And at the center of it all, for a lifelong Cubs fan like me, it revolved around one name — a young center fielder who turned hope into history: Pete Crow-Armstrong. The 2025 season didn’t begin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pushing the Pause Button

In this episode, Pushing the Pause Button: Stepping Off the Treadmill Hello, friends — If you're reading this, I'm already off the grid. Today begins a much-needed vacation, and for the next few weeks, On the Fly is taking a break right along with me. For a long time, my inner voice has said, 'Keep every commitment, no matter what.' That's meant early mornings, long days, and a calendar packed with posts, podcasts, and projects I couldn't seem to say no to. I've been trying to be the tireless workhorse—but that kind of grind doesn't end well. Lately, I've noticed I'm not quite myself—shorter fuse, louder sighs, and a few too many grumbles (Lori deserves a medal). That's when you know it's time to hit pause before the spark burns out. So, I'm stepping back to rest, recharge, and remember what it feels like to not live by the next deadline: no tech, no to-do lists, just some space to breathe. Thank you, truly, for all your support and ...
2 comments
Read more

The Pessimism Aversion Trap

In this episode, The Pessimism Aversion Trap Picture this: a room full of bright minds nodding in agreement as a bold new strategy is unveiled. The slides are polished, the vision is grand, and the future, we're told, has never looked brighter. Everyone beams—because who wants to be the one to say, "Um… this might not work"? Heaven forbid someone spoil the mood with a dose of reality. Better to smile, add a buzzword or two, and march confidently toward disaster. That's how the Pessimism Aversion Trap works. Even now, I can still hear the sound—a high-pitched shriek and a digital hum, followed by the slow, rhythmic clatter of data pouring from a 5¼-inch floppy disk. It was the late 1980s, and my makeshift home office (our living room) was dominated by what felt like a marvel of modern engineering: a used Tandy 1000 PC with not one, but two floppy drives. To top it off, we purchased a 'blisteringly fast' 300-baud modem—which, for the uninitiated, could downloa...
1 comment
Read more

The Friday Morning Pause

In this episode,  The Friday Morning Pause: When My Brother’s Bookshelf Called Me to Stillness We live in a world allergic to stillness. Our mornings begin mid-sprint—thumbs scrolling before our eyes even open. The impulse to jump into the digital chaos is immediate. But sometimes, stillness finds you . It was early Friday morning. We’d arrived late the night before, stepping into the cool air before the day turned hot. Half-awake, I reached for my phone—emails, headlines, social feeds waiting like a morning buffet of distraction. We were in Cuba. No Wi-Fi. No 5G. No password. Just stillness, disguised as inconvenience. Instead, I caught sight of something unexpected: a small stack of books on my brother’s TV shelf. My brother and his wife are powered by perpetual motion. They are the definition of overscheduled and overstimulated. Yet there it was: Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday, quietly mocking my scrolling habit. The irony was perfect. I put my phone down—a small, delibe...
Post a Comment
Read more