Eyes | A flash fiction story
21 of 💯
"Excuse me," the small man called from behind the wall of monitors.
Axel searched for the source of the voice through the cracks between the screens. His office was composed of a chair that had its back constantly glued to a back wall, a pair of sidewalls so close together he could touch both at the same time, and a desk housing a pile of techno-rubish and a mosaic of screens — the only way in and out was through the gap under the table.
Coles cleared his throat and called again. "Axel."
They finally found a crack through which they see a small square of each other's face — just a couple of eyes having a conversation.
"Hi, Mr. Coles," Axel raised his eyebrows.
"Hi," Coles smiled for half a second. "I was checking the report and we lost two bots in the mines last month. Why are we losing bots in the mines?"
"Oh, there was an accident and…"
"No, no. I mean why are we using bots instead of humans," Coles' lonely eye shot an inquiring glance at Axel's. "Bots are expensive machines, they cost twenty times the average salary of a mineworker. In twenty months the mines will have been long depleted, so explain to me how is this a profitable investment."
Axel blinked, fumbling for words.
"Mm-hm. There's a crew of human workers in charge of taking garbage to the plants. That's a safe job. Put the bots on garbage duty for now and make the trashmen work in the mines. They will get thirty percent more than in their current jobs. They will love the offer."
Axel lowered his head and their eyes lost contact for a second. "Mr. Coles, I don't know if they're gonna agree. Work at the mines is dangerous."
Coles frowned. "Axel, forgive my bluntness but there are people in the streets of this city doing fellatio for pennies. The trashmen will love the raise."
"I don't know," Axel mumbled.
Coles rolled his only visible eye. "I will get you a bigger office."
Axel beamed. "I'm putting the order in the system."
< Social Media | Eyes | Suspended >
