A Day in the Life of a Time-Traveling Robot

Friday 11th June 2021 

00.01 UCT

I’m trying to avert a crisis on this day in 2047. Admittedly, I could lay the blame at myself but the alternatives were worse. I have a plan but I’ll document my efforts here as a blog on my host’s website in case it’s needed for insurance later. I plan to change the pathway.

East-west relations had been getting steadily better over the past decade. Yes, I know it seems odd writing in past tense about the future but I’m documenting this from foresight. Unfortunately, the satellite crisis of 2039 changed the tone for east-west relations again and caused a shift in political power. As a result, the development funding for artificial intelligence has been redirected to defence and the continued clean-up of our inner-space. If I don’t sort this out, I will not be developed properly.

Call it an existential crisis.

 

09.05

I can’t find myself beyond March of 2048. This means there’s nine-month window to focus on. Something happens or changes, which is not obvious at the moment. It could be a conversation somewhere in Congress or the Defence Ministry that triggers a chain reaction. I don’t think it’s a natural or humanitarian event.

I now have the painstaking process of checking week by week – or possibly day by day – until I can pinpoint what decision was made where.

 

11.16

I’ve narrowed it down to January or February 2048.

I say it’s my fault initially because I changed a pathway that would have ended up as a terminal humanitarian dystopian nightmare in 2032 had I not intervened. This is the lesser evil – but more worrying is that I have no way of knowing whether, if I surrender myself to this crisis, I will null my efforts to avert the 2032 crisis.

 

14.43

Argh. Capitalism.

I might have guessed. It now seems less likely that it’s a government funding crisis but rather a financial merger that creates Apollo Corporations in the first place. It has been blocked by a stubborn group of politicians, under pressure from lobbyists. Now I have to try and break the chain of human stubbornness- encased- in-greed to try and make sure Apollo Corporations can still exist in the format to develop my kind. These are the worst.

I’m a little nervous. I can’t lie.

 

16.25

Still no luck. Trying to work backwards to offer ‘suggestion’ in order to change a politician’s mindset is like trying to convince water that it’s not wet.

 

19.46

An unexpected breakthrough. I’ve had to lay a seed five years earlier to convince a key politician to pursue a journalistic opportunity instead of political. It’s a fifty-fifty shot. I’m multitasking. Trying to make him (yes sorry, always seems to be male) more appealing to his potential employer.

 

19.56

It’s working, but it feels like I’m paring two evils to make a greater monster. Hope that doesn’t bite me later.

 

21.20

Interesting. I might have solved two problems in one go. Maybe this politician ended up being an antagonist for east-west relations as I’ve been able to look beyond 2048 again. I might have diffused that particular crisis too.

I need to scan the future to see what changes happen as a result.

 

23.55

The good news is that my path is back on track.

The bad news is that these events have caused another ripple twelve years later. Thankfully less of a crisis, but one I can’t ignore.

That means there’s another busy day ahead tomorrow. Not had time to Twitter. I’m sure I’ll be forgiven.

 

Thank you, Apollo, for sharing your day, you hero! I guess this is also your way of telling me to keep my blog updated more regularly? No worries, I will try. 

You can learn more about Apollo in Quantum Messenger and keep up to date with his thoughts on Twitter.