"Murder In Soho" Part Three

   The Bethany Birdsong Apartments complex used to be the Birdsong Hotel here, in Soho, until the work at home jobs became the norm, virtual travel became cheaper then real travel, and governments started paying a monthly stipend to families who ventured less and less out of doors.

   Of course, this has never been regulated to the first responders who work in the medical, police, or firefighting fields. It was implemented during the "Decade of the Pandemics" to slow the spread of viruses when the world still only used human beings in these dangerous situations. Way before the androids came along and we started putting them in harms way.

   Many a first grader in virtual schools have asked me on career day, "How did people meet and get married back then, then?" My response is always the same. Love will find a way. What I really wanted to say was either you swiped right or swiped left. But kids nowadays are so much smarter then we were, I'm sure they already new that. They were probably just wasting my time so they could play their video games while pretending to be listening.

   The door to the elevator opens up on the fifth floor and I immediately see, at eye level, a plaque displaying which number apartments are to the left, the right, or down the center halls. I go right towards apartment 532.

   As I walk along the corridor, I notice that some of the apartment doors adorn decorations and have welcome mats in front of them. The Department's Psych calls this a cry for human interaction. I don't think so though. I believe it is the well adjusted who just try to make their little world a bit brighter for everyone to see.

   I wonder if there is anything on the door of 532?

   I reach the end of the hallway and I can only turn left. Halfway down that hall I see a police bot standing in front of a door. As I come towards it, it opens the door for me and shakes its head up and down once as a form of greeting, which surprises me.

   Now what I want to know is, when did the bots get this new upgrade and why didn't anyone in the department warn me about it ahead of time?

   Walking straight to the AI with the distinctive investigator uniform on, I immediately ask it what kind of evidence it has collected.

   "It is all in the report on your handheld Detective Luna." It deadpans.

   "Humor me." I say agitated. If I didn't know any better, I actually thought this bot was looking down to me as if I was beneath his dignity.

   "Jake Malone. Male, 55 years old. Thirty-two stab wounds to the neck, torso, and arms. He tried to defend himself from his assailant but the splattering of the blood stains and the angle of the first few lacerations indicate he was surprised by his attacker."

   "Did the perpetrator break in somehow to rob Mister Malone or is this a case of plain old murder?" I asked, interrupting. I wanted the voice recordings being sent back to headquarters sound like I was taking control of the crime scene.

   "There is no evidence of a break-in, nothing was stolen, so Mr. Malone new the person who killed him and yes, it is a case of plain old murder."

   Was this AI being sarcastic with me? I had to find out. But if there was a memo sent to all the handhelds and I didn't read it, Captain Murphy is going to have my ass for it if I make a huge fuss.

   "When did you bots get the new emotional upgrade?" asking anyways.

   "I have had no emotional upgrades since my activation for police duty." It said while staring at me. I bet if it could, it would have a condescending smile right about now.

   As soon as I get the rest of the information on this case I'm going to call the Captain so she can implement a complete diagnostic on all the AI bots on the police force.

   I can't have patronizing mechanical automatons acting snobbish towards me. That's what I have a cat for!

This is,

Why I Don't Like Cats

They Make Me Sneeze Just By Looking At Them

Jim Hauenstein,

And

 

“People worry that computers will get too smart and take over the world, but the real problem is that they're too stupid and they've already taken over the world.”
- Pedro Domingos -

That is my story and I am sticking to it!

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