Barda 2 was not decommissioned. She was repurposed. She became the village’s weather forecaster, crop analyst, and librarian. But every afternoon, she would roll into the classroom, dim her lights, and watch Barda 1 teach.
"What happened?" the lead official asked Barda 2. barda 2
The officials relented, seeing no harm in a brief trial. For one week, both Bardas would teach. Barda 2 began her first lesson with breathtaking efficiency. She generated a rotating fractal of calculus problems, each tailored to a student’s weakness. The children stared, dazzled. Barda 1 sat quietly in the corner, her old fan whirring. She did not interrupt. Barda 2 was not decommissioned