I liked this one. The idea of the AI's giving the humans a revolution just because they wanted it is humorous and interesting. I love how the AI's recognize that some people just seem to
need conflict in their lives, but I don't think it's a blanket statement here. In this story, the AI's are willing to let those who
want to go, like Ashley, leave. And those who are content to stay, like Rob, are allowed to live in the AI utopia. In other versions of this idea, like The Matrix, the machines recreated the Matrix after it was discovered that humans somehow couldn't survive without conflict. There was no choice there, everyone had to have conflict. I think the way this story handles it is much better. If you're happy, great. If you're not, go and do whatever you think you need to be happy, and we will help make that happen, even if that means manipulating your lives from the shadows.
One thing I found interesting was that this story ended three different times for me. When Ashley left:
“Ash, I–” Rob turned, but Ashley was already gone.
I expected the music to kick in right then. But the story kept going.
Then when the AI revealed that they will make sure Ashley and the others will be happy:
“Do you think Ashley and–” He didn’t want to think about Masako, especially now, “–the others will be happy on Kepler?”
“We shall endeavor to see that they are.”
I expected the music to kick in then, but it still kept going.
So when the music finally did kick in after:
Rob laughed at the dog’s anxious bark. “Don’t worry, I’m coming.”
It felt good to be wanted.
I was almost caught off guard. Don't get me wrong, it's a good ending, it just kept me off balance waiting for an ending that wasn't yet there.