Mandatory Sick Day

There was a persistent chirping coming out of Charlie's bio-alarm. He groaned, slowly waking from a restless sleep. The embedded sensors in his wrist registered his sluggishness. There was a dull ache behind his eyes, but he forced himself out of bed. It was the end of the quarter, and there were reports to be analyzed. He threw his blanket to the side, the woven algae fibers had already sensed his elevated temperature and adjusted to a cooling mode.

"Morning Charlie," chimed in his personalized AI, whispering softly in his head through bone conduction."Your vitals are a bit off. There's a slight fever. Elevated cortisol levels. I recommend taking a sick day."

"Nah, I'm fine," Charlie mumbled, his mouth filled with toothpaste. "Just a bit tired. I'll have an extra coffee."

"Charlie, your immune response markers suggest otherwise," his AI persisted, no longer whispering. "Early intervention will significantly improve your recovery time and prevent further contagions."

"I'll eat an immuno-booster with my breakfast," he countered, stepping into the shower stall. The recycled water, purified and infused with invigorating minerals, cascaded over him, failing to wash away the persistent thrubbing in his head.

He put on his work attire, a bespoke dress shirt woven with a distinct color perfectly attuned to his skin tone. In his fridge was a nutrient-dense algae smoothie that he drank, and he popped a couple of immunity supplements.

He ignored the AI's persistent warnings, grabbed his keys, and headed out the door. His apartment was on the edge of a big garden complex. His office was at the other end of the park. He walked down the sidewalk covered by trees which filtered the air and provided a calming green ambiance.

"Charlie, I'm detecting an increase in inflammatory markers," his AI continued. "This is not advisable."

"Just a minor bug," Charlie muttered as his nose grew itchy. He turned on his glasses and started scrolling through work emails. "I'll be fine."

He stepped into the bustling lobby. The air was alive with the hum of activity and the scent of freshly grown produce. He strode towards his desk, determined to power through the day. He had a deadline to meet, and a little fever wasn't going to stop him.

As Charlie sat down at his desk and turned on the screen, he saw an urgent voice call coming from his boss. The call's window filled the screen, obscuring the quarterly reports he wanted to read.

"Charlie! Your AI just reported you as sick!" his boss's voice boomed. "Why are you in the office today?"

Charlie winced. He had told the AI to record his dismissal and stay quiet. He had considered feigning a comm-link malfunction. But his boss, a sturdy woman named Aria, could see through any sort of BS like that.

"Good morning Aria, you see it's just a minor..." he started to explain.

"Charlie is experiencing a significant immune response with elevated inflammatory markers," the AI interrupted in a stoic, clinical voice.

It continued, ignoring Charlie's mental command to shut up. "His current physiological state is not conducive to optimal work performance and poses a potential contagion risk to his colleagues."

Aria let out an audible sigh.

"I appreciate your dedication, but you know the protocol. If you're reported as sick, you go home. No arguments. Remember the flu outbreak last year?"

Charlie grimmaced. He recalled the week-long quarantine that had brought the entire office to a standstill. He knew she was right, but the thought of leaving those reports unfinished would gnaw at him all day.

"Alright," he concluded, silently cursing his AI. "I'm going."

"Good. Go home, rest, and rehydrate," Aria advised. "And don't try to work from home. Your AI will report any unauthorized work activity."

"Yes Aria," he mumbled.

He turned off his desk's computer and walked towards the elevator. He shot a disgruntled look at his colleagues, who were now eyeing him with a mixture of concern and suspicion.

As he stepped into the elevator, the AI chimed in his mind again with a smug tone.

"Heading home I see? Excellent choice. I've already compiled a list of herbal teas that can be delivered to your unit for optimal recovery."

Charlie grumbled under his breath, feeling a childish resentment towards his companion. He couldn't wait for the day they finally invented an off-switch for these overly concerned machines.