Wicked Prompts

INTERCONNECTED THINGS

The real estate agent was an older man, dressed in plaid pants and a sport coat, with an easy confidence about him. He led Phil and Sally from the electric cart used to take guests around the neighborhood and adjacent construction site. Identical looking homes lined both sides of the street and each one had a neatly trimmed green lawn in front.

"First time visiting a WMD home?" He asked. He led them up a path from the sidewalk to the front door. "This whole development is part of our Web Modernized Development project, new homes with Internet of Things connected appliances, managed by the HomeKeeper, AI driven, Samantha interface."

"Actually, we only started shopping for a new home this weekend," said Phil. He put his arm around his wife and smiled warmly at her. "We found out Sally was pregnant about a month ago. We agreed that our apartment would be too small and started to notice pop-up ads for WMD on our computers."

"And phones," added Sally, smiling lovingly at her husband. "Then I came across an article on my newsfeed that said it was psychologically unhealthy for unborn babies if their mothers spent too much time in cramped spaces."

"And then that friend of mine on Facebook, that guy that's always posting five times a day, his name is Derrick or something, he and his wife just bought a WMD home. He posted that their lives improved immeasurably."

"That's great," said the agent, leading them thru the front door of a two story house with white trim and a solar roof. "This friend of yours, Derrick, is he a work colleague?"

"You know, I don't remember where I met Derrick. Feel like I've known him since college, but then again, I've collected so many social media contacts over the years, I can't say for sure. Maybe just someone I met in passing, but feels like I know a lot about him." He looked to Sally expectantly, as if she might have an explanation.

"You were saying the two of you have a lot in common," she said. "Maybe you should invite him to golf or something. Didn't you say he plays on the same courses you do?"

"Well, here is the living room," interrupted the agent. "Three bedrooms and two baths upstairs, one bath down, and as you can see, plenty of space in the living room."

"Welcome home," announced a strong feminine voice. Phil and Sally looked about abruptly for the source of it, but it seemed to come from the walls. "If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask."

"That's Samantha," said the agent with a chuckle. "All WMD homes are equipped with her. Part of our internet of things connected homes technology."

"Like an Alexa in the walls?" Asked Phil.

"Much smarter than Alexa," said the grey-haired man, walking into the kitchen. "Samantha is more empathetic and her body is the whole house. She has sensors in the kitchen appliances, toilets, and shower. She also controls the room temperature, entertainment system, and security, and she comes with a fly drone that can circle above the home. There are three rovers, for vacuuming, dusting, picking up trash, and doing simple chores like setting the table and preparing a light meal. Perfect for a working couple with a new baby."

"Sounds amazing," said Sally, already trying to imagine where the playpen might go.

"Samantha will even keep an eye on the baby. She can sing to her or read her a story. There's also a synch option with your phones or watches so you'll never be out of site."

"That would be convenient darling. With me working extra hours and you planning to keep working full-time we could use all the help we can get." Phil rubbed his wife's back.

"Samantha is included in the purchase price. There are upgrade options of course, which you can buy now or after you move in. Sam will introduce you to those products as the opportunity arises. She's also designed to raise your awareness about a host of available services to help new parents and to better decorate your home."