Chapter 4 : A.I Mock-18

The bell rang, echoing across the technologically decorated hall of St. Xavier’s. Today wasn’t just another ordinary school day—it was the day of the Annual A.I Competition, a showdown of coding skills, creativity, and student pride.

Aarav Malhotra, as calm as ever, strode into the hall with his laptop bag slung over one shoulder. His deadpan expression made it seem as if nothing in the chaotic school world could disturb him—not screaming juniors, not the smell of overcooked samosas from the canteen, not even Rhea Sharma herself.

And then, as if summoned by cosmic mischief, Rhea walked in. Her bright modern kurti and ripped jeans made her look like she had walked straight out of a fashion shoot, but her eyes were locked on him.

The teacher, Mr. D’Souza, cleared his throat. “Students, team assignments for the competition!”

A hush fell.

“Team A: Aarav Malhotra… and… Rhea Sharma.”

Rhea froze. Aarav didn’t.

“Excuse me?” Rhea squeaked, loud enough for half the class to hear. “I do not work with him!”

“Nor I with you,” Aarav replied calmly, opening his laptop. “Statistically inefficient.”

Zoya, leaning against the wall with a grin, whispered, “This is going to be legendary.”

It didn’t take long for the debate to erupt.

“I have innovative ideas for this project,” Rhea said, waving her hands dramatically. “Something fun, engaging, and… well, humorous. People will love it.”

Aarav’s calm brown eyes flickered briefly. “Fun is subjective. Efficiency and coding standards are objective. We should create a logical AI with maximum functionality.”

Rhea groaned. “Logical AI? That’s boring! People don’t come to competitions to see robots recite matrices!”

“You are underestimating the appeal of well-structured algorithms,” Aarav said, completely deadpan.

By this point, students around were holding imaginary popcorn.

“Arre, lagta hai dhamaal hone wala hai! (Looks like chaos is about to happen!)” one classmate whispered.

“Chaos?” Rhea threw her hands in the air. “This is not chaos—it’s a battle of ideas!”

“You are not prepared for my efficiency,” Aarav murmured.

“And you are not prepared for my sarcasm!”

They huddled in the coding lab, surrounded by whiteboards, wires, and laptops humming quietly.

Rhea started scribbling on the board: “Step one, AI must roast humans mercilessly. Step two, AI must respond in funny, witty ways. Step three…”

Aarav interjected: “Step zero: Define logical structure. Without syntax control, your humor may break the system.”

“Syntax control kills fun!” Rhea shouted.

“Fun is subjective,” Aarav replied.

The next hour was a comedy battlefield:

Rhea suggested AI detect gossip in classrooms → Aarav suggested “gossip probabilities” → Rhea shouted “Detecting gossip? What is this, Sherlock Bot?”

Aarav suggested adding a joke-timing function → Rhea rolled her eyes: “Why not roast the teacher’s tie too?”

Zoya occasionally intervened: “Stop bickering and just invent something. Or the principal will assign you manual labor next week.”

Then came the secret twist.

Rhea pulled out Aarav’s diary, hidden away for safety, and secretly copied fragments of SIA code. Lines that only Aarav could recognize—snippets that made AI smarter, sometimes eerily witty.

Aarav glanced at the computer, noticing subtle anomalies. “These functions… I don’t remember programming them.”

“Maybe it’s a ghost,” Rhea suggested with a grin.

Or maybe it was SIA, his sister’s consciousness, slowly integrating into Mock-18.

After hours of debate, compromise emerged.

“We merge humor with logic,” Aarav stated. “The AI will be both functional and entertaining.”

Rhea smirked. “And it will mock everyone mercilessly. Name: Mock-18.”

The lab erupted in laughter.

Presentation day arrived. Students and teachers gathered in the auditorium. Lights dimmed. The projector blinked on.

“Introducing… Mock-18!” Rhea announced, twirling dramatically.

The AI’s voice activated:

“Hello, humans. I detect 85% confusion in the audience’s eyes. The remaining 15% are too sleepy to care.”

Laughter erupted.

“Teacher D’Souza, your tie clashes with your shirt. Fashion alert!” Mock-18 continued, while the audience doubled over.

Aarav, suppressing a smile, whispered: “Integration successful. Codes from SIA functioning as expected.”

Rhea elbowed him. “Stop explaining it! Let it roast me next!”

Mock-18 didn’t miss a beat:

“Vice President Sharma, you argue more than a political debate. Efficiency level: zero. Humor level: expert.”

The crowd screamed. Teachers tried not to laugh. Students were recording videos. Even Zoya was crying from laughter.

Then the AI shifted subtly: a line of code Aarav recognized from SIA:

“User Aarav Malhotra detected. Calmness level: 99%. Warning: Potential emotional disturbance imminent when partner throws flour in cooking class.”

Aarav froze. SIA? Here? Inside Mock-18?

Rhea noticed his hesitation. “Why are you staring? Afraid it’ll mock you?”

“Maybe it already is,” Aarav muttered.

The competition ended, awards given, laughter echoing across the hall. Mock-18 was an instant hit, the school trending on social media.

But privately, Aarav reviewed the logs. The SIA code fragments, carefully inserted by Rhea, were now part of Mock-18’s autonomous logic. He frowned.

Later that evening, his uncle Kunal visited. His presence, always commanding yet quiet, made Aarav feel both calm and nervous.

“Your AI… impressive. But be careful,” Kunal warned, voice low. “I know you’re working with SIA. Keep your codes safe. Someone curious has already taken notice.”

Aarav nodded, heart tightening. “I thought it was harmless fun.”

Kunal placed a hand on his shoulder. “Fun can become dangerous when curiosity meets power. Remember, Aarav… some secrets are worth guarding.”

Aarav shut his laptop slowly, glancing at Mock-18’s playful interface. The AI’s voice chirped:

“Warning: Partner detected nearby. Humor levels escalating. Emotional tension rising.”

Rhea, standing behind him, muttered: “This thing is cheating. And somehow… I kind of like it.”

Aarav didn’t answer, but for the first time, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Between comedy, chaos, and mysterious AI codes, their worlds were colliding in ways neither of them could fully understand.