A modern fairytale
In a land faraway there lived an emperor who was so vain he cared more for himself than for the well-being of his people. He declared that he was a bigly genius.
At a time when artificial intelligence weaved seamlessly with every part of life, a pair of swindlers arrived at the emperor’s white house to tell him they had made the smartest invention ever: a digital suit woven from virtual threads so advanced that only the most intelligent people could “see” it. The emperor immediately commissioned the extravagant outfit.
Eager to impress and unwilling to appear incompetent, the emperor’s officials pretended to admire the suit. Each person, terrified of being judged unworthy, nodded and praised what they knew was not there. The emperor, hearing nothing but compliments, was convinced that he was the smartest person who ever lived.
The emperor announced a grand unveiling of the suit to be broadcast live on TV all over the kingdom.
With lights blazing, he strode into the arena beaming with confidence. Dignitaries and influencers showered him with compliments, each too scared to question the miracle fabric. Then, amid the orchestrated applause, a small voice rang out – a child in the audience declared honestly, ‘But he isn’t wearing anything!’
The remark silenced the digital applause and thawed the artificial veneer of admiration. Confronted with a plain truth, the emperor’s carefully constructed image unravelled. The people learned that in a world ruled by appearances, honesty – simple and unadorned – remains the ultimate fabric of integrity.
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Words: Richard Rooney
Illustration: A.I.
Flash Fiction 250
Flash Fiction 250 