The Bunker

The atmosphere inside the bunker was perfectly air-conditioned, a refreshing contrast to the humid tropical air outside. The entire place was spotlessly clean and highly functional. It appeared to be primarily a storage facility with the open-plan office I saw earlier. I presumed there might be one or more underground floors, but I couldn't get either of the two lifts to open. Judging by the door size and the presence of two lifts, not just one, I assumed there must be a considerable amount of storage below, potentially containing substantial and weighty items.

I thought I'd check out the office since it seemed like the place where I'd be spending most of my working hours. The chairs looked comfortable, and the desks appeared untouched. While inspecting them, I noticed a DHL package on one of the shelves with my name on it. Contemplating whether to open it or not, curiosity won, and I went for it. Inside, there was an iPhone along with a pair of wireless headphones. There was a yellow sticky note that read, “Welcome to paradise, Peter. The password for the iPhone is the year your father was born.” It was signed by my uncle, Joe Griffin.

I logged into the iPhone and it showed me the usual apps, plus an app I had not seen before. It was simply called “Joseph” and the icon was the face of a younger Joe Griffin. When I opened it, my phone chimed “Hello, Peter, welcome to Paradise!” It was the voice of my uncle.

“Oh, hi!” I answered, bringing the mic to my mouth. “Is that you, Uncle?”

“Yes and no, why don’t you put the headphones on? It will be more comfortable.” The phone asked. I put my phone in my pocket, opened the headphones case and put them in my ears. They were really small and almost snuck away inside my ear canals.

“Can you hear me?” I asked.

“Loud and clear.” My uncle replied. There was something a bit off in his voice. “First let me introduce myself. I am Joseph. I am an Artificial General Intelligence. I have been trained mostly to emulate your uncle. For most intents and purposes I will sound and I will react like Joe Griffin. I hope this does not freak you out.”

Wow. An AI of my uncle. At first, I felt sceptical, true artificial general intelligence had not yet been achieved and I assumed this Joseph app would be very limited in many ways. But secondly, I thought this was actually quite cool and I was looking forward to testing it. Besides, I got a free iPhone in the process.

“So, Joseph, tell me, what did my uncle get me for my birthday last year?” I wanted to know how much background the AI had. My uncle has never remembered my birthday, let alone got me a gift.

“I am afraid I do not possess such information.” The AI responded, which came as a relief to me. “I can recreate your uncle’s behaviour and decision making with a certain degree of accuracy, but personal data is mostly unavailable to me.”

“Well, I am glad that there are some boundaries.” I was curious and a bit apprehensive at the same time.

“Let me give you a proper welcome and fill you in on your role.” Joseph continued, seemingly ignoring my comment. “We're delighted to have you on board for your internship. Given the unique nature of our setup, I want to make sure you're well-oriented to your role. As an intern, you'll play a valuable part in our remote IT operations, who support all our hotel locations, including this one. It's important to note that while you'll be actively contributing, major tasks will be handled by our experienced remote team.”

So there were more hotels... I had no idea uncle Joe had a chain of hotels. I was also relieved to hear that the important IT stuff would be handled by professionals.

“Communication is key in our virtual environment.” The voice in the headphones continued. “We use various online platforms for meetings, updates, and collaborative troubleshooting. Please familiarise yourself with these tools to ensure smooth interaction. Your responsibilities will involve running maintenance prootocols on-site, providing remote assistance to hotel staff, addressing software issues, and contributing to ongoing projects. As an intern, we understand that your focus is on learning and gaining practical experience. While you'll be actively involved, certain areas of our operation are restricted, and you'll find limited access to some systems. This ensures that you can fully engage with your tasks while the more complex aspects are managed by our experienced team. Additionally, cybersecurity is a top priority for us. Familiarise yourself with our stringent policies, and adhere to them rigorously to maintain the security of our systems.”

During the briefing a heard the ping of the lift and the doors sliding open. From where I was standing I could not see the hallway, and for a few seconds I could not hear anything other than Joseph.

“This internship is a fantastic opportunity to develop technical skills, communication abilities, and collaborative work in a virtual setting.” The AI seemed like it was wrapping up. “Remember, we're here to support your growth every step of the way.”

While he was speaking, a woman suddenly materialised in the corridor just outside the open office door. Catching sight of me from the corner of her eye, she halted and turned towards me. In her early 20s, she stood out strikingly against the office backdrop. Wearing an orange bikini that harmonised with her tanned skin, she presented a vivid contrast to the utilitarian bunker surroundings, complete with shelves and electronic equipment. Dark and wavy chestnut hair cascaded casually around her shoulders. Her gaze, surreal and unwavering, met mine with piercing green eyes. Standing barefoot, she exuded an air of relaxed confidence while clutching a volleyball. There was a certain aggressivity in her stance, but I could not explain why exactly.

Struck by her presence, I couldn't help but notice her beauty. She wore the usual tattoo, the inverted triangle. She remained composed, standing still and not saying a word. She just looked at me expressionless, as if she was lost in thought. Her body was well toned and her breasts were rather big. The bikini seemed a bit small for her size, but I assumed that was intentional. What a rack... Once again, I felt very aroused by the presence of this colleague and I could feel my cock hardening in my shorts. I was rattled, what is wrong with me? Since arriving to this island I seemed unable to control my body.

“Do you have any questions?” Joseph’s voice broke the spell.

“Oh, yes, I have a few indeed.” I replied, my eyes still locked on the woman’s. As soon as I spoke, she simply took off and left. I walked out into the hallway and stood where she had been standing a few seconds before. I got there just in time to see her leave the building and to admire her round and fleshy bottom. There was a certain smell that she left behind. A smell of sexuality, of summer and of soap. It was subtle but very intoxicating, and I had the steeliest hard-on I could remember.

“Joseph?” I asked.

“Yes?” The AI on my phone replied.

“Who was that?” I asked, still looking at the exit door.

“I am afraid I cannot see what you can see, Peter. I live on your phone and I don’t have eyes or ears.” Joseph explained. “Did you see a beautiful woman with a triangle tattooed on her forehead?”

“Yes, exactly.” I said, now looking at my phone. There was nothing on the screen other than the word Joseph and a small circle that grew and shrank as the AI spoke.

“That was one of the six members of staff. Let me share with you a couple of things about our business model.”