A Digital Carol

Can we still distinguish between good and evil? In a world of indifference and superficiality,
where the very essence of truth is lost, where the meaning of life evaporates, what motivates me to
look in the mirror? To look deep into the eyes of my soul to realize what...? Does that time stand still
every time I think about my moral filth? But do you think it bothers me? Oh no, don't worry... Even
though I have the innocent face of a teenager and always dress up, always wear perfume, always try to
impress my teachers, that doesn't mean I have any respect for the school or what it stands for
education today. Really? Do you still believe in these illusions? That being an educated person can
save you from the mire of stupidity that surrounds you? And even if it were, who will be there to
cheer you on? Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, no one... Because the world will no longer
appreciate such beautiful values... Then why bother in this way? Oh, I'm good, I'm very good... As
smart as they come, no doubt about it... But I just don't see the point in trying to complete my
education and become a great person at this point out of sight, reaching the top of the social pyramid,
if no one will worship me…

This is what Ebenezer Scrooge, a student who was attending the prestigious Mihai Viteazul
High School, was thinking before leaving home and setting out through the thick and fast fall of snow.
Scrooge was going through one of the most challenging periods of his life, a time deeply marked by
disappointment in the people around him, from classmates whose existential goal was only to display
superiority in status, to teachers who saw their students as mere empty shells, devoid of emotions or
feelings. And yet, despite his radical opinions, something deep within Scrooge still made him wish to
believe that there could still be someone in this world to satisfy his need for validation.

Christmas was approaching rapidly, a thin layer of snow had begun to settle gently, and the
scent of oranges and cinnamon vibrated throughout the city, and people around were smiling, tickled
by the joy of the upcoming holidays. Only Scrooge plunged into the abyss of his own despair,
considering that everything was against him. His only hope was Bob Cratchit, his devoted friend, the
single person in his life who strove not to conform to others' expectations, even if it resulted in
isolating himself, driven by the desire not to contribute to the perpetuation of immoral principles
prevalent in today's society.

On the morning of the last day of school before winter holidays, our teenager had an
unimaginable surprise. The classroom was decorated for the festivities, all his classmates were singing
carols, and the homeroom teacher was relaxed at the lectern, sipping his coffee. There was no sign of
the grade book on the desk or notebooks on the benches. "Aren't we checking homework? Aren't we
continuing the lesson on mathematical analysis?" asked Scrooge, very confused and bewildered. "No,
my friend, surely you haven't forgotten! Today is Gift Friday!" said Bob with a large smile on his face
"Ah, just what I needed now..." replied Scrooge, visibly irritated, walking tediously to his personal
locker to give his friend a gift.

Bob considered himself to be Scrooge's best friend. Well, it's not like he had any other
friends. Dear readers, you surely can't help but wonder... Why would Bob, such an honest and warm-
hearted child, want to be friends with such a grumpy person whom some even consider somewhat
unpleasant? Bob was very aware of his classmate's issues, but he tried not to judge him. This world is
already full of evil and mockery, why should I contribute to the darkness on Earth if I'm just like
everyone else? he often thought. He was the top student in Psychology and Philosophy, managing to
understand Scrooge, something many others would consider impossible. Scrooge wasn't a bad person;
he was an unloved person. Others didn't love him, and he couldn't love himself. His conscience was
consumed by the rust of his own arrogance, being so proud of himself that he couldn't even see that
there wasn't much to be proud of. He was indeed an outstanding student, very intelligent, participating

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in numerous competitions, but when it came to being a good person, he fell short. Can you call
yourself a successful person then? Such existential dilemmas didn't interest Scrooge anyway, but Bob
was constantly plagued by such moral endeavors. He had hoped that he could make Scrooge a good
person, that he could change him, and that's what he set out to do during high school years.

On Gift Day, Scrooge received a complicated piece of software.The gift was given to him by
Fred, his third cousin. He came from a very wealthy family with connections throughout the city,
which fueled Scrooge's envy and hatred towards him. Scrooge and Fred did not have a strong bond,
although Fred had tried several times to get to know his cousin in order to be there for him in difficult
moments. But the moody teenager often mocked him, refusing to get close to his cousin. However,
Fred realized that Scrooge's soul needed comfort, shattered from within by the waves of deep
bitterness. Fred was known in high school for his passion for technology, for the artificial intelligence
tools he created and used in various international competitions. So, Gift Day was the perfect
opportunity for Fred to help his cousin. Fred used his talent and intelligence to create a virtual friend
in the form of a chatbot for Scrooge, a chatbot that the teenager could write to anytime about
anything, and the chatbot would respond and provide moral support when needed.

When he received Fred’s chatbot, Scrooge initially wanted to throw it away, knowing it came
from him. He never thought that Fred had sent him something valuable from which he could benefit.
Moreover, he was already isolating himself from those around him, and the idea of communicating
directly with a chatbot about his problems deeply unsettled him, considering it a direct violation of his
privacy.

The illusion that loneliness was the best remedy for his bitterness could hardly be shattered,
until one day. Overwhelmed by the large volume of school assignments, he decided to write to the
chatbot for the first time, seeking help with a literature essay. He was surprised to discover that, in the
first second after writing to the chatbot, he received the text of an exceptional essay. It would save
him generous hours of work and frustration, as his diligent efforts were unlikely to receive the
deserved recognition from teachers. That was the moment when Scrooge's life met a terrible moral
degradation, defining his almost permanent isolation from classmates, from the external environment,
and especially from himself: he gave up on moral standards and became a true prisoner of
superficiality.

Scrooge was unaware that in his hands, he held the power of the future at the distance of a
single click. He didn't realize that what he had received had the potential to alter his life, and even if
he had known, he probably wouldn't have cared, as nothing impressed him anymore. He had become
a person with a heart of stone, extremely violent and dangerous. If someone on the street looked at
him in a way he found suspicious, he would yell and threaten them. If a classmate or a teacher
criticized him, he would instantly have a severe breakdown, shocked that someone had the courage to
criticize him. Similarly, if someone gave him a compliment, admiring how he dressed that day or how
well he solved a problem on the board, he was not at all satisfied, rudely condemning the inadequacy
of words to capture his uniqueness. And when no one paid attention to him, then, ironically, he didn't
know how to make himself noticed, seeking the attention of those around him. Adolescent life didn't
suit him at all because, driven by the desire to attract attention, he had started adopting a lifestyle that
was both rebellious and unhealthy. He saw kids his age on the street smoking and regularly going to
illegal bars to drink, so he adopted these harmful habits as well. When he came home late at night,
intoxicated and exhausted, he couldn't even do his homework if he wanted to. That's why he started
using the artificial intelligence program that Fred, his third cousin, had offered him. He used it
excessively, gradually becoming dependent on it, simply forgetting that he still had a mind to use
from time to time. The essays that the chatbot wrote were exceptional, ensuring him the highest grade,
so all that was left for him was to stay alone, isolated, within the four walls of his studio apartment,
sinking his thoughts into the poison of loneliness. Many considered solitude to be a curse, but he
considered it a privilege. Neither mathematics, which he had once loved so much, nor the desire to

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obtain diplomas and be adorned with medals around the school hallways mattered anymore.
Everything seemed to have become an obsession, an illusion of nothingness.

Bob had noticed Scrooge's strange behavior. Moreover, the chaotic lifestyle he had adopted
certainly didn't allow him to do his homework on his own. It didn't take long for Bob to find out that
Scrooge was plagiarizing all his school assignments with the help of the gift he received from his
cousin, Fred. Furthermore, Bob was shaken by the news that Scrooge had become so hysterical that he
started considering his chatbot as his best friend because it did all his schoolwork for him. A
proponent of correction and honest work, Bob remained deeply disappointed in his best friend's
attitude. But above all, Bob was swallowed in agonizing waves of sadness, knowing that his best
friend had replaced him with a chatbot. However, Bob didn't want to abandon his friend because he
was convinced that deep down Scrooge was a good man, a jovial and loving person, someone worth
fighting to bring back on the right path. In his subconscious, he could always hear a sharp voice, a
voice that haunted him every moment and encouraged him not to give up in trying to awaken a
revelation in Scrooge's mind. But until then, Bob had the greatest revelation. He realized that nothing
could be more important than recalling the past, appreciating the present, and hoping for a better
future. Bob used these key aspects of human existence to fill the emotional void in Scrooge, to let the
healing Light of Christmas fully purify him, to convince him to adhere to the values that mattered
most. Therefore, on the last day of school before the winter holidays, Bob takes Scrooge's phone,
implementing with Fred's help a new function for the chatbot: Past, Present, and Yet to Come, a
feature designed to help Scrooge break free from the chains he had imposed on himself.

The next day was Christmas Eve. However, Scrooge's house looked more disorganized and
monotonous than ever—no lights, no Christmas tree, no decorations. Just packs of cigarettes strewn
about and empty whiskey bottles scattered on the floor. As the new semester approached, students had
to prepare an essay that would account for 20% of their final grade in English Language and
Literature for that school module. So, reluctantly, Scrooge began to communicate the task to his
chatbot, explaining what needed to be done, without even considering putting forth a few original
ideas himself. But there was something new about Fred's chatbot: alongside the creative writing
program, a new function had appeared that branched into three subdivisions: past, present, and yet to
come. Very curious and intrigued by this discovery, Scrooge immediately ordered the activation of
this function, but what was about to happen astonished him.

Scrooge was no longer in his apartment; he was in a classroom identical to the one where he
spent his student days. However, instead of his classmates, there were entirely different students at the
desks. The teacher glanced at the roster and loudly called out, "Scrooge, come to the board!" The
teenager couldn't grasp what was happening, standing bewildered in the middle of the class. The other
kids couldn't see him, he thought, as no one seemed to notice his abrupt appearance. A boy with
glasses, black curly hair, rose and walked toward the board. "Solve the next equation," the teacher
said, starting to dictate numbers after numbers. But the boy didn't know anything. "Next, let your desk
mate come to the board!" the teacher shouted. A slender and beautiful blonde girl rose, hoping she
could solve the equation on the board this time. But she, too, knew very little. Turning back to her
seat, she looked towards Scrooge, the protagonist of our story—not directly into his eyes, as she
couldn't see him, but through him, as if she knew someone was watching her. And then our boy
understood: these were his parents when they were young...!

Scrooge's parents never excelled in school. They always struggled to pass their classes,
enduring hardships in every subject. Their peers always mocked them. However, they never once
thought of giving up. They studied until they managed to pass their high school exams with
satisfactory grades, enabling them to attend college. Both pursued degrees in political science,
becoming experts in the field. Surprisingly, they gained popularity during their college years and
decided to run for high positions in the leadership of their city. After successfully having a child and
enjoying massive success, their plans were disrupted when an extremist political party emerged in the
city. During a violent political uprising, they were assassinated, leaving Scrooge an orphan at the age

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of three. Unaware of his parents' history, Scrooge fell into a deep depression, believing that in this
cruel world, there were no friends, only the will to fend for oneself.

Everything blacked out for Scrooge, leaving him numb in complete darkness. Then, he heard
the voices of his parents. "Son, don't be afraid. We are here, speaking to you. We miss you just as
much as you miss us. But our absence shouldn't lead you down the wrong path; instead, it should
make you stronger. Even though we were never model students, we never copied from others or
plagiarized assignments. We never sought to cheat the system. We wanted to be ourselves, taking
school as a true challenge to our intellectual abilities. We worked very hard to get where we wanted,
reading and learning every day about things we knew we might never use. But we persevered.
Through our honest work, we shaped our character and personality, becoming the people who
successfully led this city. People loved us for who we were, not for who we tried to be. Don't let
anything else define you; do your best with your mind because you are extraordinary just the way you
are! Copying will only lead you to the brink of foolishness, on the edge of an abyss of despair from
which you will never be able to escape once you enter." And when he no longer heard that voice,
Scrooge felt a strong earthquake, plummeting into the void until he woke up again in spooky
circumstances.

Although overwhelmed by the encounter with the ghosts of his parents, of whom he had
never taken an interest before, Scrooge remained moved by their difficult journey during high school.
For the first time in his life, he felt more lonely and selfish than ever, realizing how indifferently he
had treated his own parents. He would have given anything to be able to reunite with his parents, to
tell them how much he missed them, even though his memories of them were blurry. The guilt of
settling for mere copying, refusing to think and make decisions on his own, made him realize how
fragile he had become, and undoubtedly, the trajectory of his life was destined to be a lamentable one.
Bitter tears streamed down his cheeks as he was disappointed in himself, in his degradation. The pain
coiled around his soul like hundreds of cold snakes, and the sadness betrayed a desperate longing for
belonging to a family. He wailed for a few moments, and then hastily pressed the button indicating the
Present. He could already feel the screams of agony struggling to escape from him, his suffering
beyond tears. He pressed the present, and suddenly the ghost of his cousin, Fred, appeared, took him
by the hand, and brought him into a vast room, in the center of which stood a table full of abundant
dishes, with members of Fred's family seated around it. All family members held hands, and with
closed eyes, they prayed and expressed gratitude for health, prosperity, and for the beautiful memories
spent together as a family. In the center of the table, Fred's silhouette could be seen. "How much I
wished Scrooge could be with us this Christmas... maybe he wouldn't have felt so alone..." "Why
didn't you invite him home, Fred? You know we had discussed it for a long time," said the mother in a
disappointed tone. "I did invite him, on the last day of school before the holiday holidays." It was true.
Scrooge had declined the invitation, even yelled at Fred and told him he never wanted to see him
again. "It's entirely my fault. If I hadn't given him that stupid chatbot and had continued to try to get
closer to him, maybe I could have helped him feel happy again. But he never let me talk to him.
Anyway, it was obvious that he couldn't become friends with a chatbot, but I never expected Scrooge
to put it to work on his assignments..." This time, the Present passed slower than ever because it
revealed an exceptionally unpleasant truth. If the things around him had the power to reflect the
feelings in his soul, then all the bottles of alcohol, cigarette packs strewn on the floor, and the shards
of objects broken by Scrooge in his studio would scream in pain.

Scrooge pressed the Yet to Come button. He didn't understand what was happening. He was
transported through so many worlds, through this incredible vortex of the unknown, that it was
inevitable for chaos to take hold of his fragmented soul. He found himself in a massive conference
room, where at least 100 businesspeople, judging by their exceptionally elegant attire, awaited the
start of a speech by a particular young man—the president of the largest industrial company in the
USA. He was supposed to announce whether he had decided to accept the partnership offer from
another renowned magnate, an offer that had the power to transform him into the richest and most
powerful person on the planet, giving rise to a super company that would undoubtedly establish an

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economic monopoly in half the world. The young president was about to start his speech in a few
seconds. He approached the microphone, visibly emotional, when out of nowhere, his son approached
him. It was probably his son. Scrooge moved closer, trying to hear the conversation. "Dad, please,
don't do this. If you accept, you won't have any time at all to be with me, with Mom, with your
family... Business will consume you and corrupt you. Don't become a slave to money. Decline the
offer, and even if you won't be the richest person on the planet, the most respected person in the
world, and the most appreciated businessperson, you will be a happy person, I assure you, with us..."
The boy's father didn't respond. He listened silently, and when the boy finished speaking, he
approached the microphone to communicate his decision.

The protagonist of our story did not know that the young businessman was none other than
himself from the future. Through certain illegal means, Scrooge had managed to become the president
of a very important company in America without being caught or identified by the police. He had
gained all the attention he had sought throughout his entire life. However, when the offer came, greed
seized him and enchanted his mind. The title of the most powerful person on the planet would have
satisfied any need for validation he might have had, finally appeasing his subconscious. After barely
finishing high school, he married a beautiful doctor and had a brilliant son who learned to count at the
age of 4. Scrooge loved his family very much, more than he ever loved anyone, but he didn't know
how to show them this love in any way. And so, he never knew what happiness was, why would he
ever know, you might say. But happiness is something divine, the purpose for which every being on
this earth fights, the fundamental right of everyone.

The magnate who made him the offer was particularly stubborn and self-assured. Some would
label him a person you would never want to collaborate with. But Scrooge was not afraid of such
people since he saw his reflection in this man. Magnate Q, as he was known in the business world,
had given a specific deadline to Scrooge from the Yet to Come to complete all the documents, to buy
and sell the necessary shares, and to ensure that there was the infrastructure needed for the merger of
the two companies. The deadline was precisely the day of the grand announcement, so immediately
after Scrooge the businessman would announce the decision, the final arrangements would be made,
and he would become one of the economic leaders of the world. It is worth mentioning, moreover,
that all the companies in the world anticipated the merger of the companies, so if this event did not
happen, the global economy would simply have collapsed.

When Scrooge took the microphone to speak, he fell silent. A powerful internal struggle
raged in his mind, whether to accept the offer or not, whether to betray his family to obtain the
attention he had always desired, to finally reach the heights of limitless success. Until his son spoke to
him, there was no doubt; the offer was accepted. But in just a few seconds, his existential axis
collapsed. He desperately wanted to accept the offer, but at the same time, now he also wanted to
refuse it. Drops of sweat trickled down his face, his hands trembled... Make a decision, make a
decision, make a decision now! Now or never! BUT he couldn't make any decision. Why, you might
ask? Because since he started using Fred's chatbot, more than 30 years ago, he had not made any
decision on his own. Everything had been done with the help of artificial intelligence, as if it had
replaced his brain. Well, why didn't he use the chatbot now? Because he didn't have the chatbot at
hand; it was a spontaneous decision, a circumstance that he couldn't anticipate. And anyway, he
wouldn't have used the chatbot in front of the whole world, letting everyone see that the man who was
about to become so powerful was actually incapable. Under the immense pressure of the moment,
Businessman Scrooge rolled his eyes, fainting in the middle of the conference room. He had such a
severe panic attack that he fell into a coma, eliminating any chance of giving a verdict on the decision
that would influence the course of the world. Thus, unimaginable chaos spread in the world,
everything teetering on the brink of collapse. Teenage Scrooge watched in panic and despair,
imprinting in his mind the sight of his future helplessness. Everything blacked out again, returning to
nothingness. A deep voice began to be heard, and the setting of a hospital started to appear. His wife,
a doctor at that hospital, who took care of Businessman Scrooge after he fell into a coma, began to
cry, whispering: "See, boy, you haven't achieved anything! No power, no family, just suffering, as
you always had. And for what? Because you couldn't control yourself? Because you couldn't be man

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enough to take fate into your own hands? Not only have you hurt us all, but you've now destroyed the
entire world. What do you think your child will say about you? Aren't you ashamed of yourself,
garbage?". And teenage Scrooge, hearing this, turned pale as chalk, driven mad by the fear of his
inevitable failure.

Scrooge woke up feeling very dizzy. He couldn't understand what had happened to him the
night before or the cause of all the fantastic revelations he had experienced. It was Christmas
morning. As he sat in bed, he began to think about all the people who had been with him and whom
he had seen the previous night: his parents, Bob, Fred, his future family. Despite the despicable
behavior he had displayed, these people had not given up on him and held onto hope that he would
eventually become a good person. And as he sat there, staring into space, he understood that being a
good person cost absolutely nothing. Evil is everywhere, but kindness, on the other hand, has become
so rare that one should be happy to find it. "I wanted power, the attention of everyone... But maybe,
by being kind, by smiling and helping all of you, I can get what I desire? People want to be
understood, to be helped... I've only pushed them away without realizing it. Oh, how much I have
erred. I have immersed myself so much in the sin of copying and cheating. And so, where will I end
up? Nowhere, I will destroy myself first and foremost. And when I think about how good and smart I
truly am! I don't need this chatbot at all. I'll give up smoking and drinking and any other vice. From
today, I am more determined than ever to reach my full potential, and this clearly won't happen if I
continue to use this cursed chatbot. How could I be so ignorant and naive?" And with all his strength,
he got up from bed, threw the chatbot out of the window, watching it shatter into a million pieces on
the snowy street below. He quickly dressed and went out into the street to enjoy the gently falling
snow and the Christmas spirit that excited people. He finally felt something, but what was it? Could it
be happiness? Yes, yes, that was it! He was a happy man at last! And above all, a free man! He was
proud to be Ebenezer Scrooge, and this was the most beautiful gift he could ever receive—the
satisfaction of feeling at peace with who he was. Suddenly, an old woman asked him who he was.
And the man replied, "I am Scrooge, ma'am. Ebenezer Scrooge, the happiest man on Earth. And you
have no idea how much I rejoice in being myself!"