The programmer: Lines of Code, Lines of Fate
Ethan Parker stared at the sea of monitors glowing with lines of code, the blue light flickering across his tired face. Twenty years in the industry, countless late nights, and a resume packed with accomplishments hadn’t prepared him for this.
The whispers about layoffs had started weeks ago, gaining traction with every all-hands meeting and every vague email from management. HelixTech, the company where Ethan had spent the past seven years of his career, was embracing AI in a way that made even seasoned engineers like him uneasy.
Today, the whispers had turned into reality.
The Slack notification that popped up on his screen earlier that morning had been brief but devastating:
“Please join us for an individual meeting with HR. 10:30 AM.”
Ethan had known then. No one got called to an HR meeting on a day like this and walked out unscathed.
By the time he left the meeting, the contents of the conversation were a blur. Severance, outplacement services, and thanks for his years of service had all melded together in a fog of corporate platitudes. The one thing he remembered clearly was the termination date: two weeks from today.
Ethan returned to his desk in a daze. Around him, others were packing up their belongings, some crying quietly, others angrily muttering about betrayal. Priya, his mentee, passed by with a cardboard box in her arms, her expression unreadable.
“I’m sorry, Ethan,” she said softly.
He nodded, unable to muster a reply.
Two weeks later, Ethan walked out of HelixTech for the last time. His severance package wasn’t as generous as he’d hoped, and his attempts to find another job in the meantime had been fruitless. The tech market was saturated with other layoffs, and companies were shifting priorities.
“We’re looking for someone with AI specialization,” one recruiter had said during an interview.
“Your experience is impressive, but we’re seeking someone more current with modern frameworks.”
The rejection emails piled up.
Months passed, and Ethan’s savings dwindled. He sold his high-end gaming rig first, then his second car. By the time his lease was up, there was no money left to renew it. He loaded what he could into his aging Honda Civic, leaving behind the life he’d spent decades building.
Now, the Civic was home. Parked in the corner of a Walmart parking lot, it offered little comfort. The trunk was crammed with clothes, a laptop he used at libraries to search for jobs, and a few personal mementos—a photo of his parents, a plaque he’d received for a project launch years ago.
He had tried to keep up appearances at first. He showered at a local gym, dressed neatly for interviews, and even attended networking events. But each rejection chipped away at his resolve. The world had moved on, and he was stuck in its wake.
One night, as he lay reclined in the driver’s seat, the cold creeping in through the thin metal of the car, Ethan scrolled through job boards on his phone. Most postings blurred together: AI engineers, data scientists, machine learning specialists. Skills he didn’t have.
For the first time in his life, Ethan began to wonder if he’d been wrong to believe in the industry he loved. He had devoted himself to a field that now seemed eager to erase him, replacing his decades of experience with machines that could do the same work faster, cheaper, and without complaint.
Weeks turned into months. The severance was gone, and unemployment barely covered gas and cheap meals. Ethan applied for jobs outside tech—warehouse positions, delivery driving, anything to keep afloat. But even those were hard to come by, with countless others also displaced by automation and layoffs flooding the market.
One rainy night, Ethan sat in his car, the sound of raindrops on the roof a bitter counterpoint to his thoughts. His laptop battery was dead, and the library would be closed tomorrow, leaving him without internet access.
He stared out at the empty parking lot, his reflection dimly visible in the rain-streaked window. He had once been a builder of the future, a creator of systems and solutions that shaped the world. Now, he was just another casualty of progress, one more name lost in the relentless churn of an industry that prized innovation over humanity.
As the rain fell harder, Ethan leaned back in his seat, exhaustion overtaking him. The glow of the distant streetlights dimmed, and the world grew quiet. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure what would come next—or if there was even a way forward.