Translated by Martin Aitken
What does a corporation value most?
That’s the question I found most compelling in The Employees, a very short science fiction novella by Olga Ravn.
Ravn tells the story through a series of anonymous statements collected by an investigative committee, presented largely out of order but arranged closely enough to establish connections. Some installments are only a few lines long, but none last more than two page. I appreciated how this unusual structure built suspense almost like a mystery, even as the narrative seemed largely uninterested in providing answers. I doubt this approach would have sustained a full-length novel, but for such a short novella, it was just unusual enough to keep me going.
The story takes place aboard a spaceship called the Six Thousand Ship, orbiting a planet called New Discovery. Humans and synthetic humanoids work alongside one another, studying mysterious objects recovered from the planet’s surface. These objects (I imagine them as rocks) begin affecting the crew intellectually, physically, and emotionally.
As the mysterious objects change both humans and humanoids, the crew’s once orderly existence deteriorates. Employees begin experiencing powerful emotions, questioning their identities, and developing attachments that extend beyond their assigned duties. For the humanoids especially, these experiences challenge the distinction between being manufactured and being alive. Meanwhile, their employer seems increasingly concerned with maintaining control over a workforce that no longer behaves as expected.
When the situation threatens the ship’s operations, the corporation must decide what deserves protection aboard the ship. Do they try to preserve the humans with their finite lifespans, the humanoids who can be uploaded time and time again, or the recovered objects which could prove invaluable?
I enjoyed The Employees for its unconventional storytelling and its exploration of humanity, artificial intelligence, and corporate priorities. It’s a strange little book that left me wondering whether the real distinction isn’t between humans and humanoids, but between those who make the decisions and those who must live with them.
I use AI to challenge my thinking, organize my writing, and expedite the writing process. All thoughts, opinions, and ideas are entirely my own.
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