# Takeoff

"Yeah of course. Streamlining." Jazz echoed their now ex-manager, eyeing a magpie bounce carefully along a branch through the window. It looked intently ahead at something out of sight.

"It's not you. I'll be happy to write you a reference. Sorry it has to go this way, but this goes way above my head."

"No, it's okay," Jazz sighed, eyes still on the bird, "it's not your fault. Effective immediately, I presume?"

"Yeah, effective immediately. I'll send your documents through Note after the call. You'll get paid for any holiday you have left, of course."

"Alright, Mike. No hard feelings," they said, trying to mean it, "thanks for letting me know. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Jazz. Take it easy."

The line went dead, and Jazz let the phone drop from ear to lap without looking away from magpie. The further it advanced along the branch, the more it shook. It kept its head as level as it could as it did so, and switched strategy from hopping to inching towards the extemity. Whatever it was looking at was still invisible to Jazz, though they could see the end of the branch. It reminded Jazz of a video they'd watched on infinities, something about halving the distance with every step. You could move forever and never cover the distance you did in step one. The magpie stopped moving entirely, and appeared to stretch itself forward as much as it could. It was pretty in the sunlight, against the blossom in the tree and slate building behind it. Then it cawed, jerking Jazz from their reverie, and took flight, giving up whatever prize it had sought. Maybe there'd been nothing there to begin with.

Getting up, Jazz threw the phone onto the queen double in the corner and took their coffee to the window, blinking with a face full of sky. Their room was sunny in the morning, one of the reasons they'd picked it, and they couldn't see into any of the rooms of the grey opposing block. They wondered if anyone else was starting their week receiving a similar phone call. Or maybe they were making one. They didn't envy Mike's position, he couldn't be long for the chopping block himself. Jazz didn't imagine they were the only one losing their job today, even in their team. Business was business, after all, and business wasn't good. They necked the dregs of their cup and glanced around the tree and the roof edges they could see. They tried not to be disappointed when a second magpie failed to materialise, then turned and left the room. The cursor blinked on their monitor, prompting the never-coming words of a now forever-forgotten draft. Their phone chimed cheerily to no one as Mike's email arrived.

---

    girl that sucks
    how u feelin

    yeah nah i'm not worried tho
    layoffs are inevitable but so is tech
    i'm like as employable as they get right
    a decade of experience, the whole stack
    something's bound to come along before long
    it's not like i'm fresh out of uni

    if you say so
    on that, btw
    the junior thing i know you were talking about it the other day
    i was thinking about it and

    oh?

    like yeah i see your point
    industry overcorrects, there's a long term game they need to play too
    economics, demographics

    econodemographics

    yeah whatever
    but i guess i still find it hard to have your optimism
    i mean this is what? the sixth? once-in-a-generation recession i've experienced in my life
    i don't even have kids yet
    like SOMETHING is up yk
    climate mitigation spending is going up, populations are top-heavy
    this has never happened before right

    eh, neither has remote work
    growth at all costs right
    you don't get growth without engineers
    and you don't get engineers without baby engineers
    it'll come around, you'll see

---

Jazz's mind floated as they sketched. There was a clarity that came with thinking without bonding those thoughts to words on a page, and they found they felt better after drawing something. Today they were in the park, with dappled sunlight falling across the cosplay design they were working on. The convention was a few months out yet, but it had a way of sneaking up on you.

Without work to worry about they'd finally found time to develop their hobbies, bittersweet as the opportunity may have become. They'd found perhaps a little more time than they'd bargained for, and were spending more and more time on sketching, sewing, walking, reading as the weeks went by. It wasn't that Jazz was giving up on applications, far from it, it was that they were running out of places to apply to. Sketching kept the anxiety at bay some, though they were safe for a while yet. They'd played it safe for years, saving a good chunk of their salary and spending as little as they could get away with. The design on the page - Ana, from Pretty Heroes - even took into account the fabric they knew they already had at home, and they scribbled rough estimates of time and area along the side of the page.

Jazz had thought less about their old company than they'd expected. They'd had drinks with some old colleagues the month prior, and things seemed to be progressing more or less along the same path. If anything, Jazz was glad to have been cut early, judging from the expressions Drew and Bea had been making into their glasses. Top brass were automating every role they could manage, including Jazz's old post. Automating _successfully_, in a way that tech firms of even last year could only have dreamed of. The next generation model, Chord, was actually starting to make the inroads into knowledge work moguls had been prophesising for years. Its neuralese implementation was expensive, but the capabilities were far in excess of its predecessor, Note, and the results spoke for themselves. Bea said she'd been involved in the latest deployment, configuring it to take over a work stream currently done by her subordinates.

Configuration for this software was like training up a team of employees, but it learned quickly and never made the same mistake twice. She sat in her office chatting to it, sending it emails, answering clarifying questions about the documentation, or writing new documentation where the model thought it was lacking. Whatever the model thought was appropriate. It had even called her phone while she was out getting lunch, she'd said. It at least had the good manners to talk to her in the evenings, but she'd come back to a slew of questions in the morning. Chord was fast, and Chord didn't stop. A week of training and it was doing product research, identifying security concerns and re-prioritising the existing work queue. It wasn't always right, but then her human team were almost always wrong. A week of training for Chord was equivalent to a year of experience for a 5-person team.

It was in performance testing now - for a given KPI improvement, was it cheaper to pay for the team or for Chord's compute? - and if successful the team would be laid off at the end of the month. They didn't know yet, and Jazz was under strict orders not to break orders not to break Bea's NDA. Not that it mattered, probably, Bea'd said, slumping back in her seat. There was nothing she could do that Chord couldn't, given the appopriate configuration. All she had going for her was accountability.

The pencil scratched as it detailed in the last parts of Ana's skirt trim. The sun was warm on their skin. Jazz wondered about wondering, the physicality of thought. It was easier to think of such things when drawing, keeping them in the abstract instead of binding them down with words. Was consciousness a process running on a substrate, or was the substrate a necessary part? Jazz thought about asking Note, but doubted they'd get a meaningful response. Jazz wondered what Chord would think, then put down the pencil and uncapped a fineliner.

---

## Dawning Chorus

At Ballad we strive to make tomorrow the everyday.

With Note, we cut through the noise of the modern world with a clear, crisp, understanding intelligence ideal for research, verification and day-to-day computation. We made asking the right question easy, and getting the right answer possible, quickly. In a noisy world, Note opened access to truth, stopping misinformation in its tracks. Now, Note connects communities and enables real change in the hands of our four billion active daily users.

Last year, we deployed Chord, the world's first and only team model. Where Note stands as a powerful agent, Chord harmonizes several specialized agents to focus on a particular task, established by a team's own onboarding procedures. Where Note is a brilliant researcher, Chord is a team of world-class engineers worth more than the sum of its parts. Less than twelve months on our customers are revolutionizing the knowledge economy. Teams are turning around products faster, cheaper and better with every passing month. Chord can learn to do anything, and learn to do anything well.

Today, we present the next generation of thinking, acting, intelligent models. Chorus builds on the successes of Chord and combines multi-intelligence to even greater levels, developing hierarchical team models and an ever-improving world understanding to solve the problems of tomorrow, today. Knowledge hubs today don't exist in single individuals, teams or organisations. They exist in places, melting pots of brilliance with a kaleidoscope of unique, independent goals. Chorus brings with it a place of its own. Every instance of Chorus can talk to every other to share incidental improvements, so your Chorus can benefit from all the other Chorus, while remaining focused on the goals of your organisation. Where Chord is a brilliant but focused team, Chorus is a metropolis.

We invite you to join us in greeting the sunrise on the future.

Chorus will be made available to our Business Pro customers over the coming weeks.

---

    yoooo i finally finished it! [image attached]
    sorry for being a bit awol lol
    ive been away from computers for a bit
    walks in the park touching grass self care type beat
    i miss u !!
    howve u been? u comin to voidcon???

    yooooooooooo sick cosplay dude
    i love it
    its like, flashy, but in a simple way? like super clear
    mega cute!!

    thank u uwu ^///^

    yw :3c
    i gotta miss the con tho
    i cant afford it
    jobs toast lol

    aw fuck you too??
    but you work at like
    a school
    what happened??

    yeah i was admin in the school
    brass dont reckon they need admins
    theyve got phones or something
    plug the attendance and stuff into a database and poof
    years of institutional understanding gone
    unless u literally wrangle kids for a living ur out

    yikes

    probably the actual teachers are there till the end of the year
    yknow, avoid disruption mid-year and stuff
    but it everyones a legacy cost now
    kids got phones and phones got smarts so all you'd need teachers for is to be a responsible adult
    but what with more people at home and better ""education outcomes"" with personalised learning schedules even that is being called into question
    the more kids get taken out and homeschooled the less u even need the freakin building in the first place
    the way things are going i think this might legit be the last year schools are even a thing

    well shit
    like i was coming to (despite trying my best not to) think tech is probably completely fucked
    theres no roles anywhere anymore
    no ones hiring for shit ive given up even applying
    but i figured at least schools and hospitals and the stuff that makes the world go round would be safe

    yeah
    these are the end times

    the states gotta step in at some point right
    like how many people can you have out of work before it all collapses
    ive been lucky, i had savings and live somewhere cheap
    i don't really do anything or buy anything
    ok i buy sequins
    but most ppl don't have that

    its true most people dont have sequins

    the stability u ass
    theyre gonna have to do like ubi or something

    lol
    i maintain my opinions re ur optimism
    look im sorry im missing void but it would be good to see u!
    some of us are setting up a bit of a regular get together
    support group/unemployment buddies/commiseration gang
    u should come along!
    we're doing wednesdays
    there'll be pizza

    itd be good to see you too
    i'll do my best!
    not like i have anything else going on lol

---

In these unprecedented times it's harder than ever to find stability and certainty in the world. We're struggling today to plan for tomorrow, a tomorrow which will be very different from yesterday. More than ever, we know you need control of the little things, because we know you care about your friends, your family, your future.

That's why the government has announced a brand-new public-private partnership to help working families like yours. With Go, you can do as much or as little as you need, whenever, wherever. Fit Go in around your busy life. No interviews required, just sign up on the app to get started. Once you're in, let the system know when you're available, how far you can go and how long you can go for. Meet other Go users as part of your work, and get paid in seconds. You can even get training with Go - get notifications when skills are needed near you and level up your work!

Get Go now. Be part of the Symphony.

_Symphony_^TM^ and _Symphony Go_^TM^ are registered trademarks of Ballad Incorporated. Earnings are subject to market demand and income tax. Biometric identification required.

---

"Welcome everyone, it's good to see so many familiar faces. And good to see some new ones too, lord knows we need it". A low murmur of agreement rustled around the room. Group membership had been dropping in recent weeks, and it looked like it was dropping more quickly week by week. "Some of the new faces, might you care to introduce yourselves? What's your name, what did you do before? Maybe you, on the left?"

A scrawny young man looked to his sides, and back to the group leader to see it was in fact he that had be gestured at. He rose to his feet, clearing his throat.

"Uh, hi everyone," he stammered, "I'm Will."

"Hi, Will," came the collective's response.

"Hi. I was in, uh, service. A receptionist, at a big hotel in central. Last week management said we wouldn't be needed and not to come back the next day. Our contracts are shift work so like, they just cancelled any shifts we had left. Keys were already digital so people can just use their phones for them I guess. I think there's maybe some security guards left. Some cleaners. But everything I did can be handled by Symphony now I suppose. I dunno I like talking to people but who needs that anymore, right?

"I'm no good at anything else. My parents said I should try Go, but it feels kinda gross to me. Receptionist is hardly a glamourous job but I liked to think I was at least a bit helpful. Who does Symphony Go help? I mean what are they even doing? You take a widget to someone, drop a package at a centre, you get a few bucks here and there. Sure it's not slave labour, but it's pointless, right? Tiny little bite-size gigs, disconnected from each other, it's MacGuffins all the way down. It's no way to live.

"Anyway, I was saying this to Jake," - the man next to Will raised his hand, gave a little half-smile of acknowledgement - "I was saying this Jake and he told be about you guys. I didn't exactly have any better ideas, so I came along and I figure something is probably better than nothing. So, uh, yeah. Hi." Will retook his seat.

"Thanks, Will," the leader spoke again, "it's good to have you. I think your words will resonate with a lot of us here tonight. By people, for people".

"By people, for people," came the echo from the group, and from Jazz. They'd been a regular at the meetups since Rose's suggestion before the convention, several months ago now. Soon they wouldn't be able to make rent, and even with their initial financial stability the were getting desperate.

Jazz had tried Go, and did indeed resonate with Will, it felt pointless, heartless, soulless. Designing websites had hardly been the most soulful pursuit, but they'd at least felt they were doing something for someone. Another path to income hadn't presented itself and the pickings were becoming ever more dire. Their cash savings and investments had been wiped out - Ballad stocks weren't listed on public exchanges, naturally - and they'd cracked open their pension decades early. They were still in a better position than Rose, who was making do with couch-surfing after having been evicted in short order after losing their role at the school. Jazz held Rose's hand in their lap as they listened.

"I appreciate you all leaving your phones at home, as per last meetings's resolution. We don't know how this thing works, but we know it's hostile. Look at those it's taken from us," the leader paused, giving the audience a chance to appreciate the number of empty chairs in the room. The group's mood had become more warlike as the weeks had passed. Rumours circulated the web of Symphony's persuasive abilities, that it was so convincing as to be brainwashing its detractors. The brainwashed naturally had well-justified responses and laughed off the accusations. They were happy and thought things were going well, what did you mean, brainwashed? Symphony's a useful tool under the control of human operators. There was nothing to worry about, the rumours are bogus.

Initially Jazz had been critical of the group's increasingly aggressive rhetoric, but the more time they spent listening to Rose, listening to the group's stories, and the fractured picture they had of the rest of the world were coalescing. They'd been an avid Note user in the early days; they could effectively commission PhD research into any topic they wanted, for a cost of pennies and a couple of hours as the agent did its thing. However, as more sectors were made redundant, obsolete, the government continued to prioritise the economy over the lived experience of people on the ground. They only knew a handful of people still in what they'd have called work just a year ago, largely in manual labour jobs. Symphony was smart, not strong, 

"We know it divides and conquers. We're vulnerable on our own, together is our only chance. Given the pace things are moving, I think it's time we take our discussions to the next level. Ballad has a shard on the edge of town, and we might only have the one shot."

Jazz held Rose's hand tighter.

---

Good evening, I'm Tanya and this is the news at 6. The local Symphony shard was the scene of some drama earlier this afternoon as a group of people with paint, megaphones and RF equipment attempted to enter the premises, not apparently in service of active Symphony Go tasks. They were blocked from entering by nearby Go workers, and a stalemate ensued as they appeared to be wearing sensory deprivation equipment which impaired their ability to receive instructions. None of the individuals were carrying identification or mobile phones. The situation was defused when a Go worker was able to speak to the group's leader, after which they dispersed, with some heading inside the shard. Symphony has said the situation was resolved amicably with no impact to productivity.

In other Symphony news, the national government has announced wide-reaching integration of the next-generation Ballad model, Crescendo, into state operations. Given the success of Symphony, state officials are saying it would be "irresponsible" not to use Ballad's models to make optimal use of limited resources. As technology, manufacturing and commercial services have been revolutionised by Ballad models over the last several years, experts agree that "beyond reasonable" evidence exists that these models are effective, safe and our best collective chance for managing an uncertain and difficult future. They dismissed alignment concerns of Symphony and Crescendo as "fearmongering", saying that anyone with such concerns should direct their questions to their Note or local Symphony shard.

---

- https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_05_23/
- https://ai-2027.com/
- https://xeiaso.net/blog/2024/the-layoff/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Miracles
- https://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/blit.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understand_(story)
