Goid Beatha Neach

Written by: Tanaka, Ishi Lyle B.

Inspired by “Unlock My Boss”

It’s almost the end of the day. Ideale’s sixth birthday will soon come to an end, and her father,
Lord, is not home yet. Shortly afterwards, her dad sat down hurriedly to watch and blow her
daughter’s candle together. Ideale was still upset, so he promised to go to a campfire with her
daughter the next day after his schedule at a baseball field with his business partner. After their
meeting, Lord hastily went to meet his daughter. Nonetheless, something fishy happened in the
middle of his trip, and he suddenly vanished. He vanished into thin air like a bubble. Nowhere to
be found; gone. Fortunately, at the same time as that incident, there was a man who lived near
the place where Lord had an accident.

“Ah, I got rejected again. I don’t know where to find a stable job anymore.” A jobless
man walking home from the company he applied for but got rejected stated. Sigh.
“Hange! You’re back home! Come here and let’s eat together,” her mom said.
“Okay, I’m comi—oh..?”
On his way to their house through the tiny forest, he stumbled on something. He looked
down and discovered an expensive cellphone. He glanced over his surroundings and grabbed the
phone to check it– so he could bring it back to its rightful owner.

When some time had passed, no father attended the campsite that Lord and Ideale talked
about. Yet, Ideale still waited for another hour hoping that her father would still come and fulfill
his promise. She unconsciously fell asleep as she was too exhausted and drowsy to wait for her
father for another hour, so her nanny brought her back to their house to rest. Ideale got excited
the moment she opened her eyes, assuming that her father had at least made it up to her, but there
were no signs of her father. There have been no updates, not even a message from her dad. She
gives up thinking Lord was just too busy to go home and spend time with her.

Following that day, Hange, who’s just simply lying on a wooden table in front of their
small lovely house while looking at the sky, wondering what he will do with his life—jobless.
He stood up and took out his phone to do a job searching while the other phone he picked up the
other day was charging. He was about to check it when the phone suddenly started talking.
“You finally charged it.” Hange was left dumbfounded.
“Hi, I am Lorde, the CEO of Hao Planet.”
“Hi, Sir,” Hange kneels. “Is that what you want me to say?” Is this thing expecting me to
believe that he’s the CEO of that big company? What an idiot. He thought.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true.”
“Stop with this nonsense, I’m not believing you.” Ah, is this some kind of prank? Is there
a secret camera here? I know I’m desperate and a bit slow, but I’m not easy to fool.
“Let me show you something then.”
 The screen moves by itself, being controlled by a human that is currently stuck inside a
phone. It showed numbers,
“How many zeros are there? One, two, three—1 billion?!” Said Hange.
“I’ll deposit you a hundred million if you help me with something.”
“Give me your bank account number.” The phone talks.
“Is this a scam or what..?”
“How would that be a scam? I’m the one that will send you money and you’ll just receive
it, though.”
Hange gives it some thought before sending his number. I have nothing to lose if I try it
anyway. I will just try to see if this is true or not.

Ting! A notification arrives. *You have received 100,000,000 million pesos from Hao
Planet.*
“What? Is this real money? You really gave me a hundred million pesos?”
“I did.” Lorde chuckles proudly with arrogance.
“I don’t believe it. Let me try and buy an album of my favorite artist.”
“What now?”
“How come... I just... bought it…”
“See? You have to believe me now.”
“Well.. Let me know what you want me to do first so I can decide.”
“You see.. I’m stuck inside my phone,” the CEO claims. “I was trying to upgrade the
software data of my AI project, but I got weak and blacked out and woke up inside this
phone. I don’t even remember what and how it happened. I need to get back to my body
as soon as I can.”
“How do we do that?”
“Uhh, first, my company needs a CEO, so I’ll have to put you in charge of that position.”
“How will you do that when you’re right here, stuck inside your phone? Oh, also, we
don’t know each other then I’m suddenly the new CEO, how will they even believe me?”
“I’m not sure about that.. Well then, I’ll work on that. Sign this contract first.”

They talked about what they were going to do and got Hange ready for his job the next
day. Hange consistently fails in his work, that causes him to have doubts and lack confidence in
himself. He’s nervous. He doesn’t know what to do. He knows he’s smart, but he’s clumsy.
Hange is an IT student. People do not know anything about that, but he studies really well.

“What are you doing?” Lord said.

“You know, I’m studying technology.”
“Okay, and then?”
“Wow, can’t you act like you’re interested?”
“I am.”
 “Doesn’t seem like it. But anyway, I’m telling you this because you’re an IT genius.

You’re a CEO of a company that makes AI products, after all. You even made AR
glasses for people to see whatever they want to see. That’s just amazing.”
“Thank you. But even so, you would still have to do whatever I tell you to.”
“Eh? How would I do things alone, then?”
“You can’t do that for the meantime.”

Today is the day. The day when the jobless man suddenly became a CEO.
“Good morning, Sir.”
“Have a good day, Sir!”
“This is Hange Fugo, the new CEO. Sir Lord put him in charge of the position for the
meantime while he’s away.”

Many eyes are looking, their mouths talking that seem to say something bad and good
about him as he walks. Stepping forward and feeling nervous, his face says it all. He entered his
office and something caught his eyes.
“Ide- what’s this? Ideale?”
“That’s my daughter’s name.”
“Oh. How old is she?”
“7 years old. Now that you know, I will tell you our main plan. The reason why you are
here. You know I’m stuck inside my phone and that I won’t be able to tell my daughter,
right? Well.. I know my daughter is waiting for me, but I can’t go back right away
because of my situation.”
“And..?”
“We will make a replica of me. A robot that talks like me, acts like me, just.. Just like me.
My daughter needs me. This company needs me. You told me last time you’re studying
technology, right?”
“Ah, yes..”
“Then show me.”

Lord introduced a secret room where Hange will start their mission. Indeed, it is a brand-
new office space intended solely for top-secret tasks. It is definitely new. All that is seen is an
empty space with a white ceiling and walls. It smells like freshly painted walls, and it feels
lonely even with two or more people inside it.

Hange spent his time studying more about AI to make a robot with the help of a robotic
engineer that Lord contacted. It has already been a week since he started studying and moved
into Lord’s mansion with Ideale and her nanny to keep an eye on them— to take care of them.
But even though Hange tried to fill her father’s presence; no matter how much he tried to, he
really just can’t. The kid can’t help but miss and wonder what’s going on, and where his father
is.

“Uncle, where is my dad? When is he going home?”

“Ah, Ideale..”
“Is he too busy to go home?”
“Well.. Your dad has a lot of work to do, he’s currently making a new project. But don’t

worry, he told me that once the project he is working on is complete, he will go home

right away. Let’s just wait until it’s finished, okay?”

“Okay..” Ideale displays a forlorn expression.

It encouraged Hange to want to finish his task immediately, but he is having a hard time
since creating a robot is challenging enough, and he also has to lie to a 7 year old kid for its own
good as she might not understand her dad’s current situation.

After many trials and errors, Hange successfully made a replica of the CEO. It has the
same gesture, facial expression, and traits like Lord told him to do. A perfect AI that could
deceive anyone, even Lord himself—only if he is awake and inside his body.

“You did it well. Even my late mother would believe that it is me. Good job, Hange. You

created a perfect replica of me.”

“Eh, what do you mean?” Hange chuckles. “I just did just as you instructed. I could not

have done it without you.”

“This can’t be actually done without you, so it’s all thanks to you.”
Lord lets out a sigh out of pleasure.
“So what are we going to do now, sir?” Hange asks.
“First, press the on button so we could test it and take it home and show it to Ideale.”

Hange pressed the on button and tested it. There were no problems at all, its actions,
response, and voice; it acts exactly like Lord. Hange became confident and felt proud of himself.
I finally did something right. No failures. I’m proud of you, Hange. You did a great job.

Staring at the night sky, a car’s engine noise led the kid to get preoccupied. She saw two
men get out of the car—her Uncle Hange, and the one that she’s been longing for; her father.
Little did she know, it was just a clone of him.

“Dad?” Ideale’s voice broke as she calls for her dad and tears started falling in her eyes.
 “My little baby, I missed you. I’m sorry I didn’t make it to our bonding, let me make it up
to you. I am sorry, Ideale.”
“It’s okay, I forgive you. What is important is that you’re here.”
Ideale gives her father a tight hug.
“Wow, looks like you two are enjoying it. How about you give Uncle Hange a hug, too?”
Hange joins the conversation and giggles.
“Okay, let me give you a hug. But please lower your legs, Uncle. I can’t reach you.”
The father and daughter made Hange’s heart melt. They are all now laughing together.

The robot that has been pretending to be Ideale’s real dad, Lord, paid for his debts as a
father to his daughter for being away for months. While Change continued to work as a CEO to
fill in for Lord, the robot has gotten more closer to Ideale.

Everything seems to be going well, but little did they know that the robot is starting to
develop its own feelings and decides for itself. The robot begins to enjoy what Lord has and
becomes fond of Ideale. It was not a part of the plan.

“Hange, I will take Ideale to the park. Don’t worry about us, I won’t get caught.”
“I should come, too. Ideale and I actually made plans for today.” Hange interjected.
“Ah, but I already got everything planned. Go with her next time. I’ll take care of my

daughter.” The AI cracks an odd smile; Hange notices.

“Oh, okay. Sure. Go home before the sun sets.”

Hange began to observe the robot’s strange behavior and reported it to Lord, who is
trapped inside a phone.
“Sir, what should we do now?”
“Let it be for now.”
“What?”
“Just do what I say. I need to observe it first.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Our plan, don’t you remember?”
“Oh, that...? Let’s not think about that for now, it should be fine.”
“Do you even remember where you were at that time?”
“No.”
“Sir, I don’t think Ideale’s safe with that thing..”
“Don’t worry, Hange.”
“I could just turn off his butto—”
“No, not yet. My daughter’s heart will break.”
“We should tell her the truth.”
 “No! Do you think a 7 year old kid will understand this situation? This will just leave her

confused. Let’s keep it low for now. It’ll be okay. Check its data first.”
Hange turns the computer on and checks the robot’s data. He was completely shocked by
what he just saw.
“S-sir.. It says t-there’s an error.. It’s starting to move on its own, it’s starting to think and
decide on its own!”
“What do you mean?”
“Wait.. Did you plan to go to the park with Ideale?”
“Park? I didn’t. I told her to rest for today and I’ll just read her stories later. Why?”
Hange left the phone; his boss alone and ran.

He arrived at the park but saw no one there, so he went to the Lord’s house to check if
they had returned home. He sees the robot that seems to be about to do something strange to
Ideale, so he approaches it.

“What are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”
“Don’t touch her.”
“What do you mean? She’s my daughter.”
“You’re starting to have feelings, right? You’re starting to decide on your own.”
“And so? What are you implying?”
“What are you planning to do?”
“Why are you meddling with my life?”
“Your life?” Hange couldn’t believe what the AI just said. “I created you.”
“You created me, and I developed on my own. That’s it.”
The robot was about to walk upstairs when it suddenly stopped and turned to say,
“Ah, I forgot to say this. Thanks for creating me and giving me such life. I’ll be sure to

at least pay you back. I’m gonna live this life and take care of Ideale. I’ll kill that boss of

yours if it ever tries to come back.”

Hange made many attempts to turn the robot off, but he was unable to do so because he
made it too clever—just like the original one; Lord. Finally, the final plan that could end it all is
about to happen.

3 years later.

“Dad! Uncle!”
“Ah, Ideale! You’re such a big baby now. It seems like just yesterday when you were so

small and so cute.” Hange pinches her cheek.

“Am I not cute now, Uncle?”
“Of course, you still are. You are always cute, my little bean. Do you want to go to the
mall and eat with Uncle?”
“Yes!!”
“How about dad? Can I come?” Lord chuckles.
“Ah, sir, we already made plans.”
“Alright— ah, Hange! You have an error. Let me fix you first.”