Out-Dated

Chapter 1: New Tech and Odd Dreams

I was running so fast, fast enough that my surroundings were nothing but a silver chrome blur. But it wasn't fast enough, it never was. I felt a deep desire to get to my destination, an uncontrollable need to keep running and get out of this place for good. Pushing myself to run as fast as I possibly can, I start to see the smoke and the tops of mountains looming in the distance. I'm almost back and this feeling of longing in my chest will finally subside.

So close. Just a few more minutes of running and-

"Good morning, Miss Evers. It's time to start your day"

"Good morning, Miss Evers. It's time to start your day"

"Good morning, Miss Evers. It's time to start your day"

"Avis deactivate"

Groaning at being woken up, I start the short trek to the bathroom and begin getting ready for the day. Prying myself from my warm, temperature-controlled bed was an exercise in self control, and I'm not a big fan of exercise unless it involves a chill yoga class and a matching athleisure set. Patting cold water into my face does nothing to wake me up, or to help me shake off yet another odd dream. I can never seem to remember the dreams, just a strong feeling of all consuming need and a flash of green and brown. Trees, maybe?

"Avis, activate my shower and toothbrush."

"Yes, Miss Evers."

I head to the counter, brushing my teeth by the directions Avis provides me, circling from left to right as the slightly robotic voice tells me how to brush, ensuring I don't end up with a cavity. Cavities have been all but nonexistent in the years since Avis and other AI technologies became household items. With the decrease in cavities came the decrease in need for dental attention. Dentists all around Maznos have closed their doors, and those that are still open perform cleanings and procedures mostly using the surgical machines that TechCorp designed. Doctors and surgeons have become non-existent as well. With AI Tech, a person can receive a wellness scan, get a diagnosis, be prescribed medication, and fill the subscription within an hour of visiting the medical center.

Once I put my toothbrush back on its stand, I walk into the shower, already turned on and adjusted to my temperature preferences, thanks to Avis. I shower quickly, excited for the day ahead of me and the new technology I'm about to get my hands on. Last night, while having Avis scroll automatically through my feeds on my various media accounts, I learned about a new AI-powered story screen, the latest and greatest in AI media technology. Not only can it generate thousands of movies, shows, and graphics from one single prompt, but there have also been speculations that it will soon be able to produce smells and realistic surround sound that will make you actually feel like you're in the movie.

I immediately sent the video to my boss, putting in an official request to track down the story screen and possibly purchase one to do further testing. Based on the information the video provided, they're rumored to be selling prototypes of this new tech in a town a few miles outside the city limits. When I looked up the directions last night, asking Avis to find the quickest route and program it into my Slate-car, it was only a two-hour drive, more than worth it to get my hands on the latest AI device.

My job as a tech tester, trying out new AI-powered tech to see which products TechCorp should acquire next, isn't exactly thrilling work, but it does help me to afford Avis and the small, windowless projection space I currently live in. Around seven years ago, around the same time TechCorp released their first version of the surgical machines now used in dental offices and hospitals around Maznos, the governor announced that windows were a "waste of time" for construction worker bots to include in new buildings. A few days after that announcement, projected loudly through the streets of the city and in everyone's homes by Avis, buildings started going up with no windows. In lieu of windows, these structures were designed with AI-controlled interior projection walls that could depict any scene the inhabitant wanted.