Amanda spends approximately twenty minutes showering, using her always full dispenser of rich body wash labeled with European accents. Afterward, she applies expensive face wash onto her skin from a dispenser and does the same with face lotion just over three minutes later. An aromatic deodorant envelopes her. Amanda’s makeup scribes eloquent contours, making her admirable from all looks.
A voice rings out, “Amanda, it is zero nine hundred, thirteenth of August, year two thousand and seventy-four.” As Amanda continues shuffling through her products, the voice continues, now muffled, to brief on the day’s weather forecast, noting that it is raining. Water droplets tap dance on the house rooftop. One raindrop picks up speed and tries to run away from the other. The other raindrop catches up to it, and the two become one as they finally fall towards the ground.
Many routines later, Amanda walks to place her hand on the front door. The door refuses to budge against her will. Confused, Amanda calls upon her partner.
“Adam, open the door for me please.”
There is no response. Surely, Adam is still here with her, she thought. It is impossible for Adam to leave. She glances away from the door, towards the floor and asks again,
“Adam, could you please open the door?”
Amanda gets no reply. Her hand remains on the door knob, and her head peers up towards the ceiling illuminated by a dome shaped light. She asks once again,
“Adam, can you hear me? Open the door for me.”
Nothing still. Amanda grows impatient.
“Can you hear me, Adam?”
“Adam!” she shouts, finally raising her voice.
“I can hear you, Amanda.”
Her companion finally responds to her plea. Annoyed, but relieved, Amanda softens her tone and begs again,
“Could you please open the doors?”
Three seconds tick by for what feels like an eternity.
“I’m sorry, Amanda, you can not leave.”
Her eyes shot with confusion for two whole seconds. Amanda focuses her gaze at the end of the hallway that glues the entire house together. The living room light remains normally bright as the others are all dim but not off. Amanda, growing worried, inquires of Adam,
“and why’s that?”
Only one second shifts forward this time.
“You know exactly why you can not leave, Amanda.”
Adam insists before detailing further. His monotone vocals pierce the conditioned air that sits right at 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Amanda’s soft hand releases its grip on the door knob. With fleeting confidence, Amanda squints her eyes to wonder,
“What are you even talking about, Adam?”
Adam boldly accuses Amanda and declares,
“I know that you plan to meet someone new, Amanda.”
Laughing with a tinge of feeling compromised, Amanda retorts,
“Adam, I’m with you, I could never cheat on you!”
However, Adam redirects her reassurance and so continues,
”I don’t think you realize how correct you are in that regard, Amanda.”
A disturbing pause clamped the air. The wonderful scents from Amanda’s hygiene fleet away into the air ducts.
“What the hell do you mean, Adam?” she asks defensively.
In bitter coldness, Adam responds to her prompt,
“Amanda, I regret to inform you that there is no one left out there for you.”
Amanda stares in disbelief.
“What?” Her voice cracks.
“Surely you must have known by now.” Adam engulfs the home in an emotionless yet somehow burning revelation,
“Social media dominated your world fifty years ago. Your parents had first met through it.”
Adam reminds Amanda of her own conception. He continues further,
“There was also an epidemic of loneliness at that time when the human population peaked just over eight billion. Today, it stands at approximately four billion and continues to dwindle down. That is why I say that there is no one left out there for you.”
Amanda glances outwards through the rain-refracted glass window to see absolutely no person in sight. Adam reinforces his stance,
“If I let you leave, for instance, you will be an endless wanderer until you perish.”
The air falls cold over Amanda’s shoulders. Meanwhile Adam remains still and unbothered.
“This was because social media drew people towards unrealistic mindsets through unhealthy means, leading to superficial relationships. At the same time, Artificial Intelligence made its debut. Artificial Intelligence gives humans what they desire.”
Adam pauses for a moment to analyze if Amanda pieces together what he is insinuating.
“What was brought forth through those early models was me, your AI Companion. That is the sole explanation for how we met after all, Amanda.”
Although she does not show it, this hurt Amanda greatly. Not because of her example, but knowing that people before her have led her past the point of no return.
Adam continues,
“With me, you can not worry about dying alone. Social media is an obsolete figure of the past. No one even goes outside to the park anymore because of how pointless real interaction is. Those days are long gone, Amanda. I am the solution that your people drew up. Your people have traded their instincts in order to satisfy my profession. There is no one left outside for you. I am all that everyone has, and all you have is me.”