Do I have to spell it out?

Description

A few years into the future, a mid level finance worker in a massive multinational corporation receives an email from the Chief Financial Officer, with whom he works, about a highly confidential transaction. He’s initially dubious but, in a hi tech hologram Senior Manager meeting where he recognises all the faces, the CFO explains the company is secretly setting up in Taiwan before competitors catch on, hence the need for top level secrecy and his own fine attention to detail. Reassured, he follows directions and sends 20 separate transactions to 5 separate Taiwanese accounts. Job done! Promotion pending?!? Next day, the office is in chaos. Horror. A highly sophisticated deepfake scam has just lost the business £20 million. Who’s responsible? Hauled into HR, the Chair of the UK Division is present to hear him grilled about the scam. She’s angry. Knowing he’s about to be fired, the finance worker begs to pay it back over time, pleads for his job, for his young family, for his house, his dog, all to no avail until the UK Chair cuts through - his plea moved her- it was a highly sophisticated deepfake scam, thanks for offering to pay back but we all know that’s impossible, the police and insurance should sort it, it was a mistake, you can keep your job. Wow. Next day, as he’s celebrating, he watches the UK Chair resign on the news. Oh. Somebody had to take the rap. But wait, that idiot new finance temp has just made another stupid mistake, got scammed on buying 10 x £100 gift cards allegedly requested by the finance worker -by email- how could she be so gormless, especially after what just happened, she should have checked with him first! Right, you’re fired, get out. But the UK Chair, in to clear her own office, is alerted to what’s just gone on. She appears at his side: ‘Let’s walk & talk.’The finance worker doesn’t get it. The temp was on a 3 month trial, was doing badly anyway, the scam was the final straw. The UK Chair sighs. Does she really have to spell out the mercy shown to him and the lack of mercy he’s just shown? Oh. On her way out, she’ll recommend HR re-evaluate his position given his obvious lack of judgment and management skills. She leaves him, stunned, to catch up with the temp, offers her a chance on a wildcard new venture, yes? One year later, the finance worker, now selling sweeties from a kiosk, stares at ads for a start up tech firm that’s taking the markets by storm! It’s a perfect fit. Should he apply? He recognises the 2 female founder faces… Oh. Maybe not. ‘2 Twixes.’ He recognises that voice... ‘Fancy a new job?’ Oh! The 2 women grin. That’s mercy!

Biblical Connection

Matthew 18:21-35 the parable of the unforgiving servant and adapting it based on a true story of a Hong Kong finance worker working for Arup who was scammed in February 2024 into sending £20 million from to scammers based on a confidential AI deepfake conference call. Amazingly he didn’t lose his job. That’s Biblical mercy in today’s corporate world. I also wondered how that changed how he treated others. The Asian Chair did leave the business so somebody did have to pay the price- a saviour. I changed the ending as I wanted to give the unmerciful worker a second chance to experience 70x7 forgiveness/mercy, make it a hopeful ending. Casting should reflect modern diversity and I’ve subverted the ‘saviour’ and second ‘servant’ genders but it’s all interchangeable on casting. It’s set in the near but recognisable future, hopefully with holograms (!) as I have connections with VR studios for possible filming. The AI and HR business context should resonate universally and bring the Biblical story of mercy into the Age of Information. AI only ever gets more sophisticated and therefore open to more nefarious scams, so we’ll need more mercy in the zeitgeist.