March 15, 2037 | 5:00 PM | Inside the GREM Virtual World

  Inside the broadcasting studio of the hit live show, “Hot Trends, Cold Truths.”

  Spotlights flared to life as the high-energy theme music roared through the speakers. Since the full launch of GREM, the female unemployment rate had skyrocketed to terrifying levels. The world was filled with the cries and curses of those who had lost their livelihoods.

  This crisis forced Nisa, the so-called ‘Global Heroine,’ to step back into the media spotlight to face the man at the center of it all—Mook, a key figure in the development of the GREM system.

  “Good evening, viewers! We’re back to bring you the truth behind today's hottest trends. You might want to turn up your fans or AC, because things are about to get... volcanic!” Ek, the host, adjusted his suit. He looked more dignified than he did years ago.

  “On my right, we have our social activist and heroine, Ms. Nisa, accompanied by her associates, Fon and Khem. Welcome... and on my left, our special guest, Mr. Mook, the Director of GREM Research and Development. He is a primary figure in the system everyone is talking about. Alongside him is Dr. Nack, a young doctor who has become a prominent name within the system. Welcome, everyone.”

  Ek turned to Mook, his nervousness visible. “I never imagined a Thai person would play such a massive role in creating something that shook the entire world—and hold such a high position, too. Tell me, do you know what inspired your employer, Mr. Tokamiya Saito, to create this?”

  “I believe the history of my employer is widely available on social media by now,” Mook replied, his voice calm and steady. “But to put it simply: his past experiences showed him just how rotten and vile society has become. He wanted to destroy that world and build a new one in its place.”

  “I see...” Ek gulped at the chillingly direct answer before summoning the courage to continue. “There are reports that China is attempting to clone your technology, leading to numerous deaths. They claim you planted ‘traps’ in the hardware... is that true?”

  “False,” Mook stated, looking Ek dead in the eye.

  “Then what happened? It’s not just China; many who try to replicate your tech meet a grim end.”

  “It’s about the safety of brainwave transmission. I can’t reveal much, but the devices have security systems. To reverse-engineer them, you have to bypass those systems. If you use the hardware without our safety protocols... you either end up dead or paralyzed. That is the cost of theft,” Mook explained, weaving a subtle lie into his words.

  The 'safety protocol' was a ruse to lure in thieves. The true secret lay in the unique brainwave signature synchronization between the server and the device. Without it, the signal would naturally collapse the user's neural pathways.

  “I see...” Ek felt a chill. Whether Mook called it a 'safety system' or not, it was a lethal trap for anyone trying to steal the technology. Seeking an exit, Ek turned to Nisa. “Let’s move to Ms. Nisa. What would you like to say to the other side?”

  “Thank you,” Nisa began politely. “First, may I ask why women were barred from using GREM for nearly three years after its launch?”

  “Male and female brains function very differently,” Mook lied with a straight face. “For instance, the secretion of various neurochemicals differs in volume. In the early stages, we could only optimize GREM for male physiology.”

  Nisa whispered to her associates. Fon and Khem, both neurospecialists, confirmed that his answer was technically grounded in scientific principles. However, Nisa wasn't finished. She had stumbled upon a piece of sensitive information.

  “Barred? Then why did certain female volunteers receive GREM-based medical treatment before the official launch? Why could they use it then?” Nisa asked, her voice brimming with confidence, hoping to corner him.

  “Those cases required constant medical supervision,” Mook countered smoothly. “Brainwaves had to be manually tuned by me or a specialist. If we slipped up, the patient died. Since you have that information, Ms. Nisa, you surely know that two people did die. That was my failure, and I am truly sorry.”

  Mook turned to the camera with a look of profound sorrow. It was the perfect blend of truth and lies, delivered so seamlessly he didn't even have to pause to think.

  The live chat exploded: — “She really brought up the deaths just to corner him? That’s low.” — “Stay strong, Mook! Everyone makes mistakes.” — “Pathetic. Women only care about morality when they’re losing money.”

  Mook’s display of remorse won over the audience instantly.

  Nisa bit her lip. She hadn't intended to attack him personally; she just wanted him to admit to discrimination so she could use morality to force him into taking responsibility. Now, she was the one on the defensive.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “I... I offer my condolences to the victims as well. I won't pursue that point further.” Nisa took a deep breath. “Next question: Why did you block the ability for women to make a living through their beauty?”

  “We haven't blocked anyone from making a living through beauty,” Mook replied. “If you create beautiful art, you can sell it in GREM. However... the beauty derived from the human body—male or female—is a sexual stimulant. We do not permit it because we refuse to let GREM facilitate ‘indirect rape.’”

  “And yet GREM allows the ‘rape’ of human-like AIs? Is that not supporting the act?”

  “No. In fact, since GREM’s launch, real-world rape cases have dropped to nearly zero globally. That proves AI does not incite rape against real people. It draws them away from their dangerous obsessions.”

  Nisa fell silent again. The crime statistics were undeniable, and she found herself unable to argue. But she knew that if she didn't win this, women worldwide would be ruined.

  “What about female singers with incredible voices? They sell their talent, yet they’re still banned,” Nisa argued.

  “If I recall, those singers wore outfits that were deemed excessively suggestive. That is why they were banned,” Mook answered without a hitch.

  “Then what is the limit? Do they have to wear cartoon mascots?” Nisa asked sarcastically. Her data showed that even women fully covered were banned if their faces were deemed 'too attractive' to the opposite sex.

  “That would be ideal, actually,” Mook caught her sarcasm and threw it back. “Understand this: we do not want GREM to support any form of rape, direct or indirect.”

  Nisa looked down. Singing in a mascot suit would destroy their ability to attract a following. In a world with endless virtual adventures, without beauty as a hook, very few would care about just a voice.

  “I understand your reasoning,” Nisa said, trying to maintain her 'Heroine' persona. “But as a social activist, I must ask for all women... Don't you think monopolizing beauty for AIs and blocking women’s livelihoods is going too far? Yes, some women made mistakes in the past, but millions are now unemployed. They can’t eat. They can’t support their families. Don’t you think you’re being too cruel?”

  “When my employer, Mr. Saito, was being condemned by society right after losing his parents—even though he had done absolutely nothing wrong... where were you?” Mook’s voice turned icy. “All those women who believed a lying celebrity and came out to curse him... has a single one of them apologized? I’ll answer for you: I’ve searched the old posts. Not one of them has shown a shred of remorse.”

  “But that doesn't justify this level of severity! Ten million women are unemployed! The global suicide rate is nearly a thousand a day! Do you feel nothing?”

  “And do you know...” Mook’s eyes were cold and hollow. “That I once lost my job because of a ‘handsome guy’ that women like you worship? On the day I was destitute, every woman was still busy praising how handsome he was. Not a single person cared about me. I wanted to kill myself then. Did anyone care?”

  “But—”

  “Why should I care about you now, when you never cared about me then?” Mook cut her off ruthlessly.

  “I... you... it’s...” Nisa’s face turned pale. She couldn't find a moral foothold to fight back.

  “Ms. Nisa,” Mook said, his voice dripping with boredom. “Do you remember your interview with Dr. Nack three years ago? You said something very ‘sharp.’ You said that the instinct to admire beauty is not a moral failing. You insisted that it was a ‘Freedom’ that no one could take away.”

  Nisa’s expression crumbled. She knew what was coming.

  “On that day, Dr. Nack asked: What if men choose to use their right to like something else instead? And you told him: ‘If one day men choose not to like women, that is their right, because everyone has the freedom to like or not like whatever they want’... Remember?”

  Nisa gasped. The punch landed squarely in her chest. He was using her own words to bury her.

  “Back then, you were so confident that women could survive without men’s money. So what are you doing here today? Men are simply exercising their ‘Freedom of Choice.’ They are choosing AIs that are more beautiful, gentler, and cheaper. This is the freedom you craved! The freedom where no one can be forced!”

  “But that’s—”

  “Employers have the freedom to hire the most cost-effective workers. Men have the freedom to spend their money on what satisfies them most. And we have the freedom to decide who is allowed in our system because we built it. Or are you saying that ‘Freedom’ only exists when it benefits you? Is that equality? The moment you lose your advantage, the freedom you worshipped suddenly becomes ‘cruel’?”

  Mook leaned in, staring into her trembling eyes.

  “You’re not unemployed because I’m cruel. You’re unemployed because in the world of freedom you demanded, you have become ‘worthless’ to the people who pay. Stop using the word ‘Heroine’ as a mask to beg for a share of someone else’s success... it’s pathetic.”

  Nisa was speechless, but Mook wasn't done. He flashed a mocking smirk.

  “You keep preaching about the right to choose. But the moment we choose to exclude you, you try to interfere and violate our rights. Doesn't that mean you’re swallowing your own words? If that’s the case... your words then and your words now are no different from the lies of a ‘Global Whore’ who flips her stance whenever it suits her profit!”

  Crack! It was as if lightning had struck her. Nisa was frozen, her entire body numb. The word “Freedom,” which she had once used to corner Nack, had become a double-edged sword that Mook had driven straight through her heart.

  The show had to cut to a commercial immediately to allow the ‘Global Heroine’ to breathe and regain her composure. But it was over. Every word she had uttered in the past had become the very chains that choked the life out of her argument.

  The silence of the world’s heroine, captured before millions of eyes, was the ultimate confirmation of her absolute defeat.