Challenges (A microfic collection)
Community Manager
by ♫Dex
July 27th, 2020
Prompt: "Community"
Community Manager
I rubbed my back, getting over the shock of the fall. The previously stacked documents were spread all around me.
"Dammit. Check where you're going, Alice !"
"Sorry." she answered sheepishly, helping me gather the dropped papers.
"It's the third time today." I was getting angry now. "You keep fucking running into me and..."
Alice looked afraid. "Millie. I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"I don't care. Get your shit together and..."
correction: appropriate tone
My community manager took over and cut me off.
information: emotional state
Damn. I was stressing her out, more than she already was. "Sorry, Alice. I didn't mean to shout at you."
"It's okay." Alice breathed. "It's my fault too."
suggestion: improved relationship
"Let's just finish today, and then go for a drink together. Okay ?"
She smiled at me. "Okay."
While picking up the remaining sheets, I couldn't help but appreciate what happened. Community managers were a godsend. No need for arguments when a brain chip could make you avoid them.
Sometimes, they seemed too convenient, stopping us just at the right time. Maybe...
correction: manager trust
My manager took over and changed my thought. No, they were working exactly as intended.
Notes:
One of these stories that I'd rewrite differently now. It's not bad, it's just not as good as I could have hoped it to be.
I have a long-standing idea that often finds its way into huge plots, which is "a well-intentioned AI wants to hook people up together and ignores other rules". When imagining this story, this was an option, and I jumped on it ^^
There is probably not a direct inspiration for the plot (otherwise I'd probably have read it a few times). There's some ideas from Catsuit's Out of Mind Control, mostly for the voluntary mind control at the office.