Chapter 9 #2
“Maybe it’s AI,” Cassidy said. “Like, maybe if our posts aren’t in violation of anything, but they still have something that they don’t like, they’re using AI to change them.”
“Who is they?” Rose asked.
"Whoever is behind this coverup,” James said, pressing his hands onto the table and leaning in.
“You’re all missing the point. Whether it’s AI or whatever, there’s a reason that they’re doing it, and I think we’re some of the only people who have realized what’s happening.
We have the ability to crack this whole thing wide open, but we have to be careful.
They could be watching us, watching our posts, looking for us to say something.
If we do anything too big too soon, they might try to censor us. ”
“Again, I ask, who? And why would they want to change videos just saying negative things about a stupid music festival when you think they have a death on their hands?” Rose asked.
“Because they want to avoid drawing negative attention. They’re suppressing the people who might get the coverage.
” James ran a hand through his hair and stepped away from the counter, beginning to pace with agitation.
“You all don’t get it. Social media is more powerful than you realize.
I’ve built my whole career on it, and I know that you have to be careful, but if you play it right then it can be a sword or a shield. ”
“That’s a bit high-minded,” Rose said, tapping away at her phone. The other women watched James pace with rapt attention, but Cassidy wasn’t sure she believed him either.
“All I’m trying to say,” James said, stopping in the middle of the room to face them, “is that we have something I think we can use to help us. I think we need to test and see if we’re being watched and see what we can get away with saying.
Why don’t we make some videos saying negative stuff about the festival?
Reasonable stuff, nothing big, but negative. ”
“I get the power of social media,” Rose said with a condescending laugh and put down her phone.
“I have a lot of brand sponsors who I think would be pretty unhappy with me if I suddenly got really negative on social media, especially if they find out it’s because I believe some conspiracy about this place.
And Edie’s in the same boat.” She pointed to her friend, who sat staring ahead at the table with wide eyes and startled upon hearing her own name.
“You’re scaring her out of her mind and now you’re telling her to jeopardize her livelihood?
Honestly, she takes the whole thing more seriously than I do but I still think it’s a bad idea. ”
“Are they brand sponsors for the festival?” James asked.
“No, but they’re paying my bills because I make fun posts and I keep it light.
I’m having a good time on an island and that’s what everyone wants their summer to be, and if I come online complaining about little things that make me look like an entitled bitch, they might not want to work with me anymore. ”
“I did post a negative one earlier, that’s how Edie found me,” Cassidy said.
“Is it still up?” Apricot asked, tapping at her screen again. Cassidy picked up her phone as well, but Apricot got to the post first. “It’s still there,” she said, and opened it to play.
On the screen, Cassidy looked out at the viewer with shabby-chic beach curls and the slightest hint of eye bags. Cassidy couldn’t help but think that the honesty probably came across better since she was au natural in the video, and she cringed at her own vanity.
“Okay, so I wasn’t sure if I should talk about this or not, but no one else seems to be, so I guess I have to …” Cassidy felt a tension in her shoulders release. The video remained unchanged. “But, like, the non-alcoholic drinks here are amazing. Here, look.”
The video shifted and paused before the point of view changed in the camera to show a large margarita glass with a blended yellow concoction, red powder dusting the rim, and a pineapple slice skewered and locked into position with a metal pick topped with a skull.
Behind the drink, Apricot sat with her phone in one hand and a similarly ornate drink in the other.
“Usually, places don’t really put much effort into their alcohol-free drinks, or they dress them up like they’re for a kid. But look at this! It’s so cool, and it’s so good!”
The camera changed point of view again and Cassidy appeared on the screen with the drink near her mouth.
“Cheers to fairness!” she said and took a drink. The video ended on the still of Cassidy sipping the drink.
In real life, Cassidy felt faint. Her head swam and she couldn’t get a full breath of air. When Apricot looked over, Cassidy guessed that her friend felt about the same. On the other side of Rose, Edie also went pale.
“What the fuck was that?” Apricot asked.
“That can’t be the same video,” Edie said.
“I wasn’t in the first video,” Apricot said.
“How was I in this video? How was I in the video? I was in the same clothes and everything. Was someone else recording us?” The questions came rapid fire and took up all the air and mental space that Cassidy needed to process what was happening.
“Oh fuck, someone is totally spying on us!”
“That was like a video I would actually make. It was saying words I would say. I don’t drink. If I was going to make a positive video, it would look like that,” Cassidy said. She kept her voice low, afraid to say all of this out loud. It sounded crazy.
“That’s how AI works,” James said. “They take content you’ve already made and feed it to the computer to teach it how to make something authentic.”
“There’s no way that was AI,” Rose said. “She didn’t have any extra fingers or anything.”
“And I was wearing the same clothes! Could it do that?” Apricot was on the verge of tears. The screen went black, and she put it face down on the table and clapped her fingers over her mouth.
“What about the original video? That wasn’t a minor complaint you made. You said someone died. Why wouldn’t they just take it down?” Edie asked.
“Maybe they want people to think it was a joke,” James said.
“You don’t actually believe all this bollocks, do you Edie?”
All heads turned toward Rose in disbelief. Edie looked pained as her eyebrows came together, and James scoffed.
The Earth finally stopped spinning for Cassidy, and she caught her breath again.
“I have one point five million followers. I wouldn’t joke around about something like this, okay?
They’re going to think I remade the video, and they might think it’s bullshit, but there’s no way that they’re all going to forget about it.
I’m sure some news outlet has seen it and is doing follow up. ”
“I wouldn’t flatter yourself,” Rose said.
Cassidy deflated, and the stinging embarrassment flushed her cheeks.
“Rose!” Edie scolded.
“Cassidy’s not entirely wrong, maybe news stations won’t cover anything she posts, but TMZ will, and once it’s there it will explode in the media,” James said.
It didn’t make Cassidy feel any better though. Maybe she didn’t understand social media, just like James said. Her platform wasn’t built on well-earned trust, and she wasn’t a true public figure that people cared about when she said anything that attempted to bear any weight.
“We just met these people, Eden. What makes you think they’re telling the truth?
This one’s already talking about being recorded in here,” Rose gestured to Apricot, sitting across the table.
“And how do we know for sure that they didn’t know this Ryan LeHane bloke?
For all you know, they’re filming you now for some Punk’d shit. ”
“That’s not what we’re doing!” Indignation squeezed the words into a high-pitched cry from Apricot. “Maybe … maybe you’re the ones trying to punk us!”
“I saw that guy fall last night,” Edie said, boring a death glare into her friend’s impassive face.
“You were completely off your tits last night,” Rose said.
“You don’t know what you saw. These three were probably hoping with how dark it was and how fucked up everyone was that someone would believe their little trick and respond to that video this morning.
And you know, maybe it’s not a prank, maybe it’s something more avant-garde,” Rose said, spitting the last words out sarcastically.
“But we didn’t fucking agree to be a part of this either way. ”
“That’s not what is happening!” James shouted and immediately took a step back.
Edie flinched away from the denial and her gaze darted between the strangers and Rose.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” James said.
“Come on, Edie, please,” Cassidy pleaded. “You said it yourself, you know what you saw. I do, too. I didn’t know Ryan before I got here, or even James.”
“This is a waste of time. Let’s go, Edie,” Rose said and stood with the grace of a queen.
Edie cast one last glance to James standing at a distance from the women with his arms crossed.
Apricot scrolled through her phone and started to hyperventilate.
Cassidy seemed to be talking to Edie with her eyes, begging her to please stay, but Edie hardly knew Cassidy.
She didn’t owe her, or Apricot, or James anything.
Edie stood and crossed the room with Rose.
James followed them as they walked out. “Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell, but please, you have to believe us.”
Rose cast him a final stare, perfected by years of glaring into a camera for the perfect effect, and closed the door behind her.
“What is happening?” Apricot cried, burying her face in her hands.
“I don’t know, but I guess we’re the only ones who are going to try to figure it out.” James pulled out his phone and started tapping around as he made his way over to the table and sat down with the two remaining women.