032

The students went into a frenzy. This was a very interesting way to teach indeed. Advanced robotics… And the first question given by the teacher was to check who was the real teacher in here. From there, the students began to discuss within themselves:

"It's got to be the hologram. I mean, what would be the point otherwise?"

"No! It's obviously a trick, the teacher is the man behind the desk!"

"You're wrong, it has to be the hologram, it's so easy that it's a trap to induce us into making mistakes!"

After a moment, a girl stopped the debates by stating that they should just ask the two teachers questions and try to find out this way. It was, after all, what the hologram said before.

They began to question the hologram but not a single question could help them find the truth. If you asked them something only a machine could do, they would both say they were unable to. If you asked them a question only a human was supposed to be able to answer, they would both give out the same answer at approximately the same time. It was truly a difficult problem.

If they could move and check the one that was physically there, the answer would become obvious. While robots could imitate humans to an incredible degree nowadays, there were still some differences. One of them was the fear of pain. It was something that was yet to be reproduced. If one tried to hit a robot and tried to hit a human respectively, their actions would differ. The robot, unless programmed in a specific way, wouldn't try to dodge or close its eyes… There would always be micro-differences. Robots could never be perfectly the same as humans.

But now, with only the possibility to ask questions, the students were in a pinch. They were lost. They couldn't find the answer.

After spending close to forty minutes wasting their time asking questions and such, they were close to giving up. Laila was floored on her desk and the others weren't much better. Ivan was racking his brains trying to find an idea. This was a very good time to show off yet he wasn't able to… He turned to Ron, finding him absent-minded next to him. He thought that maybe this dunce had the answer and decided to ask him: "Ron, do you know the answer?"

Everyone turned their heads towards them. It had been rather silent and the rest of the students heard him easily. Ron was quite happy that Ivan was asking him. He felt that they were becoming closer as friends. It was unfortunate that he didn't have the answer. He told him he didn't but he also said that he might be able to find it.

Everyone had high hopes about it. Even the two teachers were looking at him, waiting for his answer. He asked Ivan: "Can I borrow your pen?"

Ivan nodded while unsure he would be using it for. Then, under the surprised gaze of everyone, he threw it with all his strength at the man behind the desk. Everyone was stupefied. No one expected to see such violence. This kid was truly brazen!

In the first hour, he disrespected a teacher and in the second, he threw something at him!

The man behind the desk was even more surprised, he didn't even move. It was so much outside of his expectations that he didn't react. The pen flew by his face only to hit the board behind it very hard, to the point it broke. While everyone was watching the flight of the pen, Ron had focused on the man behind the desk. He had nearly no knowledge on robots. He simply threw a pen thinking that a robot wouldn't react and a man would, out of reflex. It was a very simple deduction that he reached to a lack of knowledge.

What he didn't expect was the complete lack of reaction from the man behind the desk. In fact, everyone was simply staring at him in silence. It was quite awkward. Then, breaking the silence were the voices of both teachers saying the same thing: "How dare a student throw something at their teacher?!"

It felt very weird to see both the hologram and the human responding in the same way. While Ron flinched from it, along with some other students. There were a few who noticed how weird the interaction was. It was expected for the one behind the desk to react but not the hologram. At least, they shouldn't have reacted in the same way.

They finally recalled that every single question they asked was answered at the same time and in the same way by both the teachers… And then, they realized. They were both the same. One of the students pointed to them in excitement: "They're both the same!"

From there, the students made quite the commotion. Even the 'teacher' sighed. It was true that the way it was done was rather unethical but the result was there. He could only admit it.

The door opened and from there entered a middle-aged man with a completely different face from the other two. He was using the wrist-com as he moved forward. Both the man behind the desk and the hologram respectfully bowed to him. The man behind the desk went to stand at the side while the hologram stopped as the ball reverted to its original shape.

He looked at the students and introduced himself: "I am the real Mr. Zervas. The hologram and the robot over there were both, indeed, one and the same AI. Congratulations student Morgensen in finding the answer though the way you proved your point was slightly unethical. That being said, what matters is the results and no one was hurt. Make sure not to do such a thing again though, other teachers might not be as lenient"