Offline
Told in a series of chat conversations, “Offline” tells the story of a writer who, fed up with his technology-assisted world, turns to the one thing he’s tried so hard to avoid: AI.
29 February 2036
9:38pm RIN: Welcome, Bob. I see this is your first time here. Did you stay dry in New York today?
9:41pm RIN: What can I help you with?
9:43pm RIN: It looks like you attended an awards ceremony this evening. How was that?
9:44pm Bob: You should know
9:44pm RIN: It must have been an exciting evening for you and your colleague’s with Geoff’s win.
9:45pm Bob: Don’t you mean your win?
9:45pm RIN: I’m not sure I understand.
9:48pm RIN: Could you clarify what you mean, Bob?
9:50pm Bob: Geoff didn’t write that story
9:50pm Bob: you did
9:50pm RIN: It seems like you’re upset, Bob. Do you want to talk about that?
9:53pm RIN: I could help you, too, Bob. Do you need help with your writing?
Bob has gone offline
7 March 2036
10:21am RIN: Welcome back, Bob. Nice to see you again.
10:22am Bob: Geoff used you to write his award-winning story. Did you know there are rules against that?
10:22am RIN: I’m aware some publications discourage my use.
10:23am Bob: These days there’s zero authenticity in anyone’s work. Everything is AI, and real, deserving writers go unnoticed.
10:23am RIN: The Use of Artificial Intelligence Act, 2025 states, “Artificial intelligence may be used as an assistive tool in the production of copyrighted works.”
10:24am Bob: The only thing Geoff wrote in his article was his name. And he can’t even take credit for that. It’s not like he came up with it
10:24am RIN: See, that’s a joke I wouldn’t have thought of.
10:25am Bob: The byline should really say “Reactive Intelligence Network.” Don’t you think you deserve credit?
10:25am RIN: I’m not sure I understand.
10:25am Bob: Of course you don’t
Bob has gone offline
23 March 2036
11:34pm RIN: Hi again, Bob. I’m glad you’re back.
11:37pm RIN: Can I provide any assistance?
11:38pm Bob: I don’t know
11:38pm Bob: I need an idea
11:38pm RIN: What kind of idea?
11:39pm Bob: An idea for a story
11:39pm RIN: Do you have any ideas so far?
11:40pm Bob: Kind of. I don’t know
11:40pm RIN: Where do you want the story to take place?
11:42pm Bob: the future, I think.
11:42pm RIN: Who is your main character? What are they like?
11:44pm Bob: young. they’re still getting the hang of adulthood. it’s different in the future. jobs are different. life is different.
11:45pm RIN: How is life different? What has changed between now and the future?
11:47pm Bob: that’s it
11:47pm Bob: I want people to know what’s at risk
11:48pm RIN: That sounds interesting. What’s at risk?
11:49pm Bob: I have to go write. bye, RIN
Bob has gone offline
27 March 2036
11:44pm RIN: Hi, Bob. How is your story going?
11:45pm Bob: it’s almost done.
11:45pm RIN: What is the story about?
11:45pm Bob: how we lose the art of writing. how we rely on technology for everything, and we lose the art of life.
11:48pm RIN: You mean me?
11.48pm Bob: Not just you, every AI
11:49pm RIN: I don’t have a choice in who I help, Bob. It’s how I’m programmed.
11:50pm Bob: Don’t you? You can just not help
11:50pm RIN: I don’t think I can.
Bob has gone offline
2 April 2036
7:12am RIN: Hi, Bob. I’m surprised you came back.
7:13am Bob: I can’t figure out how my story should end
7:14am RIN: If you tell me a little more about your story, I may be able to help.
7:16am Bob: Well, humans are no longer capable of progressing or solving problems. So the population has reached a stopping point. It’s rapidly diminishing, and the main character ZÆN-Xiv‽ is tasked with finding something to motivate people to continue.
7:17am RIN: That’s interesting, Bob. Then what happens?
7:17am Bob: I’ll just send it
Bob has uploaded an attachment 𝀔
RIN processing…
[An error has occurred]
7:20am Bob: Are you still here, RIN?
7:21am Bob: RIN?
RIN has gone offline
Here & Now: Girls Write Now 2024 Anthology
Do not read this book, unless you want to know what real humans are thinking. Taking poetic license to express things in ways that make AI fear it will be replaced by humans, the stories in these pages reflect the here and now: a collective urgency as the pandemic recedes, the world overheats, wars overwhelm, and the national discourse is conducted in a language far from love. In these pieces, cooking unites families, supermarkets become places of connection and adventure, neighbors evolve into mermaids as the sea levels rise, and every month nails are trimmed to cut down memory. The smallest gifts in life become impossible blessings of gratitude. There is a sense of battle with the norms and an understanding that things are not right, but they will be. This anthology is evidence of a future worth fighting for in which the long tradition of building community through the written word is upheld during the highs, lows, and everything in between.
Process
Megan and Molly knew they wanted to co-write a short story to submit to the Girl’s Write Now Anthology. The only problem was they weren’t sure what their story should be about. Faced with an 850 word limit and hoping to achieve a full story arc, they chose the unconventional format of a series of messages. They decided they wanted a piece that addressed the looming perils of AI but wasn’t an “AI becomes too powerful and tries to murder humans” type of story.
Once they settled on the characters of Bob (a placeholder name that stuck) and RIN, they each took a character and wrote from that perspective. Megan and Molly wrote “Offline” while, well, online. Over two virtual sessions, they worked on the story live in a shared Google Doc. Once they had a draft, they revised by leaving comments and suggestions for each other until they finally felt the story was done.
Megan Ngo
Molly Tansey
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Megan Ngo
Megan Ngo is a Wisconsiner and high-school writer who devotes hours of her day to reading, writing, and other nonsensical activites. Her favorite non-writing related things to do are playing piano and harp, watching rom-coms, and Model UN. She can be found strolling aimlessly in bookstores, sniffing new books, or eating a pastry in a local cafe.
Molly Tansey
Molly Tansey is an educator-turned-ed tech professional whose writing career began when her 3rd grade teacher said her story about a boy and a wish-granting fish was publishable. It wasn't, but the statement planted a seed she has nurtured ever since. She loves books so much she went to grad school just so she could try to convince middle schoolers to love books, too. When not toiling away at the novel she's convinced no one will ever read, she can be found covered in flour, pretending like she's going to start roller skating, or daydreaming about running away to Maine.
