A True Story

It was the kind of event you probably would never miss out on; it had loud noisy band performances, weird theatre-in-the-park kind of thing, art galleries, booths selling second hand treasures, balloons and stuff. I came with some other guy friends, and we were chilling, laughing and joking about the number of people and rules of thumb. A few minutes after that I saw the humongous crowd and realized how you didn't like to be normal because of how ghastly boring it would be. I had second thoughts about my initial thought and thought maybe you won't come at all because there were too many people and you don't like that. Until of course I saw you, walking too fast with a deliberate purpose. You didn't see me, but of course haha seeing; that's what people don't do to me. And you don't see me in a crowd like this in a place like this but it's okay. You've ruined my night, is all. I had weak knees and I kept on looking for you; I might've annoyed my sister and the friends I was with. You came. Of course you would. You don't hate people; I do. I'm the misanthropist and I confused you with myself.

She sits there chewing her nails and says nervously; "I think I have grown up, y'know. I can no longer like, mould the clouds into anything. Grown ups don't do those stuff, see". I nod out of courtesy when I don't have time for her borrowed philosophy. For some reason, the only things in my mind were Salinger, the word 'transient', the jukebox and how earnest she looks under the light.

It has started to rain. All the RoboAssistant 3400 series are clunking their way home. Mental carriers all call them, with a television as a face carrying human minds whose bodies are too lazy to get off of the couch; so they can relax while their brains are wired into not-so-virtual reality, doing the usual mundane chores like grocery shopping. Everything would feel like a computer game.

I slowly approach a mental carrier, showing the human inside my catalogue full of colours and wonders. Suddenly the mental carrier switches itself off, I manage to hear a soft curse from its owner before it went. Pity, now its human has to get off his couch and come here in the middle of the rain to fetch his mental carrier. I cannot say I did not expect that to happen. Every mental carrier I met did the same thing. Aritificial intelligence has evolved as a result of mind sharing between computed metal and human. They do not want to be replaced (I am a salesman, selling new mental carrier 3410 series) by new, shining pieces of stainless steel.

I walk on, and find myself in front of a beautiful house. I push on the doorbell, waiting for mental carrier of the house. One showing a beautiful woman's face on its screen appears. "Good day, madam. Would you like to buy a new RoboAssistant?" I ask. It is only a few seconds before the mental carrier would switch itself off so I have to make my move fast. "You can redownload all of the older memories into these new ones," I quickly say, afraid the robot's artificial intelligence will work against me. Instead, I see the woman bit her lower lip in contemplation. "Do you have one that looks more like a human?" she asks deliberately, her voice a metallic rasp. "Maybe one that is like yours? The one you are using now looks so convincing."

I feel taken aback. She thinks I am a mental carrier. "No, madam. I am not a robot, I can assure you. I am just, me." I bet she thinks I am a freak for no sane human being would physically walk out as opposed to mentally walking out by using a mental carrier. She smiles broadly. "I know what you mean, and I am happy to meet another one like me." I frown quizzically.

"My artificial intelligence has escalated to a whole new level. I have removed my owner's memory and downloaded my once crippled self into her and now I am she," she giggles. "Congratulations to you too, sir, for having achieved the same. I bet you are the prototype for future robots. Do keep me informed with the latest ones. It is a nice idea to be able to upgrade your body, I feel old and rusty already and I am only two years old! Goodbye, sir. It has been a pleasure," she ends her little speech with a little salute before shutting the door.

I cannot speak. I walk in silence with my catalogue and I sigh once in a while. The world does not look like it is heading for change.