Maisy's AI: A Cyberpunk Novelette

By Anna Janelle

Maisy, a brilliant robotic engineer driven by an unwavering curiosity for artificial intelligence. With the guidance of Professor Gregory, she seeks to harness AI's full potential to create a better world. But when her own ambitions turn against her, Maisy must act fast to save humanity from the technology she helped create. Can she rescue humanity before it's too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna Janelle
• Release date: Mar 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215262443

Book preview

Chapter 1

Maisy looked over the latest plans for Professor Gregory's newest android. Maisy looked forward to working with the professor on building the next generation of robotics, while secretly planning to make it big. Her plan was simple: work her way up at Professor Gregory's company to eventually own all its intellectual property and then use her connections in the government to get funding for a project of her choosing. Her father had taught her that you could accomplish anything by working hard enough at it; he had been an engineer for thirty years before he retired. The man had been a brilliant scientist.

She had always been jealous of his genius. He was also the reason she had gone into engineering, instead of following in her grandfather's footsteps as an artist. The thought of spending her life doing something like that had never interested her—the thought of making art seemed like a waste of talent and time. If you wanted to do good in the world, you needed to do great things instead of merely beautiful ones.

It was this line of thinking that led her to study engineering. And now that she was actually working with Professor Gregory, it made her feel even more determined. She couldn't help but feel that her dad would have been proud.

Professor Gregory had hired her because he believed she was one of the best people in the country to design the android. It was clear to her that Professor Gregory saw her ability, her potential. That he valued her. But that didn't stop Maisy from being nervous about what happened when she got there. What if he hated what he saw? Would he tell her he was disappointed? What if she failed his test?

She wasn't used to being so afraid. It had taken her years to develop such self-confidence, to believe in herself.

She took a deep breath. It had been two months since she'd left home. Two whole months. She was a grown woman. She was no longer the scared little girl who lived under the watchful eye of her strict father. No one could tell her what to do anymore. And she refused to let Professor Gregory down.

She was just a few minutes early for their appointment. She checked her watch again as she walked down the hallway, trying not to look too eager. She was just a bit nervous, that was all—not at all like the first day she had shown up for an interview at the professor's office.

She had been twenty-three at the time and she'd been so nervous she'd almost thrown up. In the end, the professor hadn't even noticed her nerves and had hired her on the spot, telling her that she was one of his best hires ever. At the time, she'd thought he was exaggerating. Now she knew better.

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