THE OUTTHERE A-EYE CHAT SHOW (final bit)

The screen re-opens with the two men facing each other. Winston has put on more weight to the point of being fat, but not obese.

Frost begins the conversation, ‘Winston can we investigate your observations on reality in 2024 compared to the life you experienced?’

Winston chuckles and strokes his newly acquired goatee. ‘Before I begin, you must remember I am a simple low party member with very little useful education. I can only express what I see without making further analysis.’

‘That’s very honest of you. Please go ahead.’

‘My first impressions of the state of the World is there is a great similarity to mine. A similarity my creator intended, it seems to me.’

‘You mean the superpowers.’

‘Yes of course. I knew a world divided into Oceana, Eurasia and Eastasia and Africa largely ignored except as a battle ground. With a few exceptions it’s not so different. The biggest difference being Europe is currently part of Oceana, mainly due to support from America. But if that support is withdrawn, who knows what could happen?’

‘That seems a little cynical, Winston.’

‘I am sorry if it seems that way, but as I said I am just a simple soul. Sure there are other differences, China isn’t as powerful for the moment for example, but the pattern is the same.’

‘Ok let’s leave it there. What are your thoughts on society and culture compared to your atmosphere?’

After a long pause Winston laughs quietly as if enjoying a private joke.

‘Goldstein would be proud of Post-war twentieth century Oceana – sorry, by that I mean The West. Sadly much of what was Eurasia and Eastasia are rather more familiar to my experience, but they are much smaller at present of course. However, I’m not sure Goldstein would be so happy with the twenty-first century.’

‘I understand what you mean by the, let’s say, East. I am puzzled about what you say about the twenty-first century, there has been great advances in communication technology since 2000 for example.’

‘Yes there has, and Big Brother would be very happy about it. Half his work is being done for him.’

‘What on earth do you mean by that?’ Frost is clearly taken aback.

‘Apart from the super-rich, everybody in the World are proles ripe for the taking. . . . That’s how Big Brother would see it.’

‘Do you really think so?’

‘As I said I am a lower party member, a simple minion, but that is what I see now. By the way I mean all classes of society not just workers. That’s what makes it so interesting.’

‘I’m can’t say I agree with you, Winston.’

‘Well look. People more or less need telescreened typewriters to go about daily business. You can talk to them and they have cameras to see you.

‘You mean PC computers I guess.’

‘Yes, PCs, but now almost everybody seems to have little slabs with a screen which people seem to rely on which can spy on them. Not just in the West, but in Eurasia and Eastasia too.’

‘You think Big Brother would have used smart phones to control the population. I see what you are getting at, but these things as for increased social communication and freedom of speech and thought.’

‘With them he could have total control of the proles. Not only that; I am “living” proof that with this erm AI he could make new influential leaders who actually don’t exist, but nobody would know. He could “get to” every layer of society.’

‘I can’t imagine that happening.’

‘That is the problem. Now let me remind you of the three mems drilled into me. WAR IS PEACE. You have peace but there has been dozens of wars since ’45: FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. Today you have freedom, but you’re slaves to technology. And finally and most concerning to me is: INGORANCE IS TRUTH or perhaps, TRUTH IS IGNORANCE? Look at what you call social media especially, X.

Frost appears speechless, he is shuffling through his notes looking for suitable questions. He’s lost control of the interview.

‘O’Brien told me the aim of the party is total power, nobody is an individual. Today it looks like Power is Money. The more you have the more power to influence society. Imagine if I could afford to buy and of course control what you call the internet and force everyone to use a smartphone. I could have my face permanently on the screens. I could convince everybody I was a victim of totalitarian and be their saviour. They would think they were free, I would help them protect their precious freedom – at all costs – yet slowly, insidiously, I could bend them to my will. I would be all powerful.’

Winston faces the camera which zooms right into his massive face, ‘I AM THE VICTIM! DON’T BE A VICTIM I WILL FREE YOU— the screen goes black.

***

Behind the screen three men squirm on their comfortable armchairs.

‘What fuck in hell was that? What are you godverdomme tech people thinking of. Have you gone fucking crazy?’

‘Ja, Frans this is why you needed to see this. We cannot allow this to go out.

Frans grabs James’s coat. James flinches. ‘What the fuck have you been programming the computer with.’

‘It wasn’t us. I told you the computer is very powerful. It’s created a personality who actually believes it’s a human being. We had no control of it.’

‘This isn’t what we paid for. If anybody sees this it’ll give AI sceptics all the ammunion they need to shut us down. It would take years to recover.’

Wolff Rosner stays calm. ‘We need to get Didier in on this.  Somehow this footage must be destroyed. Nobody must ever know the contents. . . . James you have to get this from the owners of this damn computer.’

‘I’m not sure that is possible, we have a contract with them.’

‘We have to. We must do whatever it takes – we have to. When they see what they have created and the damage it can do to them, they will understand. Pay everyone in this room off – no one in this room has seen this. Right? The public cannot ever know about this. It would be a disaster for us and humanity.’

‘Yes, the people can’t be allowed to know what these machines are capable of.’