LJ Idol: Week 1- Open Topic "Unfiltered"

[drippedonpaper]

Title: "Unfiltered"


"Good gosh, you would think they would have rose petals the same black as the lingerie! Seriously! Do I have to do everything myself?" I slammed my fist down on the breakfast table, which almost knocked me off of my vibration plate.

"Did you say something, dear?" Frank clicked off his meta glasses with a sigh. "I was trying to catch up on the news before I leave for work."

"No, it was nothing. Nothing important anyways. Why don't you have your AIndrew summarize the news for you? I still thinking reading every word yourself isn't good optimization of time, Frank." I jump off my plate to step to the kitchen. Coffee, more coffee.

"Mom! There you go again," Kristen giggles.

"What?" I stand, coffee pot in hand, about to pour.

"Just have Droney get it?" Kristen grins, pointing at our kitchen drone, as he faithfully hovers, dumping cereal into Kristen's bowl.

"Droney's so small, Mommy forgets he exists. You're right, Kristen, always use the drone."

"Always use the drone, always use the drone, what are you teaching this girl?" Frank breaks in. I hadn't even noticed he turned off his meta glasses.

"I just, I don't want her to fall behind. It's a drone world after all, it's a drone world after all..."
Suddenly the kitchen speakers break in with a loud accompaniment to my song.

"Look, Mommy!" Kristen claps, as Droney lands in the table, lets his legs emerge, and starts a serious can-can dance to the drone song now coming to a crescendo.

"Alexa, enough. End music!" Frank booms. Droney snaps his legs back into his body and hovers off to the kitchen.

"Aw, Daddy. Droney likes to dance." Kristen sighs.

"Droney? Droney? I'd like for her to talk about a real kid once in awhile, that's all. Droney!" Frank gets up, shaking his head, and ambles to the door.

"What, it's a body day at work again? When is Acme going to catch on and do more AIndrew days? Most people only go to work with their bodies on Mondays now?" I'm trying not to whine, but if Frhank just sends AIndrew, then he can be home and maybe help me with some programming today. AImy is helpful, but sometimes a woman needs more than her AI to keep this household running.

"Yes, a body day. Sometimes, sometimes the world is too full of drones, Linda. Sometimes people want to see a person's face! Seriously!"

I exit the door behind him, hoping for a kiss, but reach the lawn just in time to see him blink out. Frank's so advanced. Some people still fly by drone, but Frank says, "Beaming is cheaper, less gas, less fuss" and honestly, he's got a point. I could get so much more done if I did beam shopping. Of course, why would I do that? Aimy can just take a drone or better yet, just send a drone. That way I can keep prepping her for tonight. Won't Frank be surprised? See I programmed her with a new Aiduction program, with even a few new moves. Apparently Jenny's husband liked it so Jenny told me where to download it.

The day moves on. I don't hear from Frank much during the day, but I assume Acme is getting the most they can out of people on yet another body day. I really wish Frank would work somewhere more progressive. Most people only have to send their AIndrew to work. And as I explain to Frank, since you can log in and get the view from AIndrew's eyes, it's JUST like being there, only better.

I walk into Kristen's room. I hate how quiet her room is when she's at school, but it does give me time to upgrade the programming on her AIbear. Where is that thing? I press the recall button by Kristen's door.

I jump when the speakers start blasting "Teddy, Teddy, will Teddy please return to the docking station. Teddy."

"Alexa, lower volume, please!"

Suddenly, it actually sounds creepy, as I hear a faint whisper, "Teddy."

A pile of Kristen's clothes starts advancing towards me from the closet. Oh goodness, I didn't think we bought her that SMARToutfit? What in the drone is happening here?

The piles shakes and I see it was Teddy moving all along. Why was he in the closet again?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm always glad when a day is over. Frank seems more content after Droney's meal. I was glad I programmed in a new recipe.

"Can we go outside, Mommy, please?" Kristen's excited tone melts my heart.

"I don't know, Honey. Why don't we just send Teddy out to play for you? You can tune into his eyes and that way you don't get dirty? It's good to learn to ..."

"Linda, seriously? Send Teddy?" Frank sounds disgusted.

"Frank, you know it's important to learn to use your AIteddy. It's the first step towards the AIndrew she needs to learn to send to work one day." My voice trails off. Frank does not look pleased.

"Linda, let's just go out. OK? I work so hard for this house and this patio and this yard, and you always think that Kristen should just sit in here, watching your AImy push Teddy on Kristen's swing set? Seriously?"

"Sure, Frank, sure. Let's do a ... It's Family Bonding time, it's Family Bonding time.."

At my cue, the speakers start accompanying with an appropriate instrumental melody. Droney's camera emerges and he starts zooming around, capturing each of our faces, interspersed with tasteful zooming in on the doorknob, the views from the windows, and our shoes.

"Linda, I mean it. Let's just you, me, and Kristen go outside. None of this carefully curated tik-tok content crap." Frank's tone was firm.

"O .. K. You want to play, Honey?" But Kristen has already burst out of the door, darting around the yard.

"What is she doing? Teddy, follow Kristen." I order without thinking.

"Teddy, Charger, now." Frank orders. I start to protest and he says, "Linda, how is she going to learn? Seriously, back off. Let her play. Maybe she'll catch a firefly or something."

"Oh no, I forgot to order more firefly drones. She will be so disappointed. Let me send Droney to the store right quick." I start typing into my Apple watch but Frank grabs my hand.

"Linda. Let's just ... let's just be."

Just be? What kind of lack of optimization is that?

"At least let me tell her to turn on her Meta glasses program. Kristen, honey? I need to you click on either Spanish or Latin roots, ok? You'll love this, Frank, then she'll see everything with proper labels. There is so much she can learn!" I know I'm talking too fast, but it's so important to optimize Kristen's childhood. If she doesn't learn enough Latin she won't be ready for Advanced Rocketry in 4th grade.

"Kristen, you can turn off the glasses. Just...try to find a couple bugs." Frank over rides my wishes, yet again!

"OK, Daddy," Kristen giggles. She's swinging. It's quiet. Frank hasn't even turned on the outside speakers.

"Come here. Sit." I gingerly sit next to Frank. It's hard to relax.

"I have a surprise for you. Tonight you and my AImy will have some fun. Wait 'til you see her outfit! And she's programmed with all the latest moves." I try to sound flirtatious. Good Lord. I try to act excited instead of grossed out. Why men like to do all that with an AImy, I don't even know.

"AImy? Again? Linda, what happened to us?" Frank's looking at me. He's not even wearing his Meta glassses.

"Do you have to look at me like that? Without your glasses...that means my filters are off." I fiddle nervously with my hair.

"Exactly. I'm so tired of this filtered, AI, drone life. Linda, I don't want AImy. She's cool and all, but she's so, so programmed. Sometimes, sometimes I really think you, I and Kristen, sometimes I still think of joining my brother." Frank is looking into my eyes.

"Your brother? He never even posts to tik-tok, Botbook, or even AIntasyland? How can you even know how Ralph is these days?" Ralph was always such a technophobe. I was glad I dated the plugged in brother. Who prefers nature these days? It's so...unfiltered.

"We ...talked today. I miss him." Frank sounds sad.

"Oh you mean his AIndrew sent you a summary curated video of his weekend?" This I could understand. Frank could replay it for me. All was well.

"No, we talked. And there's another way to live, Linda. I really want us to look into it."

"Another way?" I look at Kristen, singing softly as she swings on her swing set. I think of how exhausting my day was, trying to find all the new programming. These AIs and drones didn't always update themselves! To say nothing of Alexa, the smart house and the meta glasses. Remember, we each have a pair!

"Another way....could you tell me about it, Frank?" I lean against Frank on the porch swing. I had forgotten how it felt to have his arm around my shoulder. Maybe I'd stop just sending him AImy every night.

"I do miss, I miss us, Frank." Frank turned.

"Dad and Mommy kissing," I heard Kristen's giggle, but, for once, I didn't ask Droney to zoom in for a close up. This kiss wasn't for our TikTok "Happy Family" channel. No, this kiss, this moment was for me. Me and Frank. Like it used to be.

"AND I AH I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOOOOOU!" suddenly bursts out of the outside speakers.

"Put a sock in it, Alexa!" Frank growled. Kristen and I laughed. It wasn't the most optimized evening. But honestly, it was fun.

Comments

[dadi]

Scary, and very probable! Great idea!

[drippedonpaper]

Thanks. Honestly, sometimes this kind of life sounds so close. Obviously, I like and use the internet, but sometimes I feel I'm becoming a Luddite. I honestly do NOT want tech in every single part of my life.

Thanks for commenting :)

[chasing_silver]

This is so chilling as we are slowly marching towards this ...

[drippedonpaper]

Yes, as it developed on the screen, it turned out being more scary that I originally intended.

Thanks for commenting. I always love your icon. The girl on the beach looks so carefree!

[simplyn2deep]

I loved what you did with the idea of being “unfiltered.” Linda has become so obsessed with optimizing and curating every part of life that she’s barely experiencing any of it herself. That final moment with Frank, when she deliberately doesn’t have Droney capture their kiss for the Happy Family channel, felt like such a small but meaningful breakthrough. And then Alexa absolutely ruining the moment was the perfect ending. 😂 Sometimes the unoptimized version really is better.

[drippedonpaper]

That's how I feel. The "imperfect" photos are real...so overall, I have grown to like them more. I see so much "perfection" online, and sometimes, if you were at the event and saw the unhappiness that led to the hundreds of photos in the quest for a "perfect one," somehow the perfect one seems...less perfect? Less fun?

I want to live. And if the only evidence is a blurred photo and a few scribbled words, so be it. At least I LIVED :)

[adoptedwriter]

Eerie, funny and cute all in one!

[penpusher]

I feel the sweetness and the sadness in this little family and their tech. I think time is a focus when you start considering how much is left, so it makes sense that Linda is so hypervigilant on maximizing it and how Frank just wants the experiences. And that's hinting at a tug o' war with how Kristen would develop, though it seems like she's more a Daddy's girl, based on this!

[drippedonpaper]

Opposites tend to attract, which can work. But then (often) comes kids and those opposite views really start to get difficult.

I feel for both parents. It's really hard to know how to be a "good" parent these days. I still feel that way and my kids are 25, 22, and 19. How in touch is too much? Should I give any advice or only if they ask? Am I giving them space or neglecting them and making them feel I don't care?

[muchtooarrogant]

LOL So many parallels to where we are right now, although some young people have started movements to drastically limit social media intake, and hopefully those catch on more.

A very fun read.

Dan

[bsgsix]

CHILLS. In the best way. There's humor in here, and a lot of sadness in how much this is true (the reliance on tech - the addiction to it, even), and how, when everything was finally shut down for that authentic moment ("No, this kiss, this moment was for me. Like it used to be") - the speaker comes on. BECAUSE IT KNOWS! I swear it always knows.

I really, really enjoyed this glimpse of family and technology, and how they have become woven in expected and unexpected ways. This is excellent in terms of story-telling, dialogue, and the "yep, I believe this" factor. <3

[commodityfetishx]

aw, sweet ol' surveillance state. very creepy how we're just letting ourselves fall into this.

[humanbeansradio]

Gave me the willies for sure! Great way to capture the banal evil of giving over to the optimization culture!

Unfiltered

[bassicallytom]

I loved the "...that means my filters are off". Natural is only true beauty, IMHO. Very thought-provoking and undeniably relevant. There are certainly appeals to eliminating mundane chores; but, the likelihood of over-reaching into personal moments is all too great.

Thank you for an unfiltered glimpse of what is possible and perhaps, likely.

[gardeningatnight]

The scariest part of dystopian fiction is that it's all too easy to see how we could end up there.

[imafarmgirl]

I like the thought and term of a body day. I may use that for days when I venture out into the world.

This is good but scary to think we could get to this point.

I was reading this with synthetic speech which made it more techie. I kept thinking my amazon device would respond to the name, Alexa, but she doesn't view the computer talking as real speech.

[inchoatewords]

I like where you took this, but also scary how we as a society are marching towards this future.

[roina_arwen]

AIndrew and AImy are excellent AI names. This was a fun read!

[purplepetrichor]

We’re already so close to this that it’s scary.

[halfshellvenus]

This sure feels like where we're headed, and you caught the curse of focusing too much on "optimization" instead of just actually living your own life.

[supremegoddessofall]

cute. I am anti-AI, so I enjoyed this.

[reidharriscooper]

I appreciate short fiction based on a reality that is here before we know. In some ways, already here.

[blue_mermaid]

What an eerily realistic view of our future. I’m definitely with Frank on this one. Very well written.

[ofearthandstars]

I am team Frank all the way! Thank you for capturing the chilling nightmare future we seem to find ourselves half-mired in already and headed towards. The funniest part to me was Linda downloading AIduction for AImy - and then later her thoughts on how exhausting all the downloading and organizing was.

[mollywheezy]

Creepy, funny, and touching all at the same time. Great job! :)

[krispykritter]

Sadly this seems like it isn't too far off. Although I could use a drone once in a while! haha. Nice work!

[n3m3sis43]

The ending amused me. This kind of life does seem like it's just on the horizon. :(

[theycallmepace]

God this is fun. Scary, but fun. Long live dumb technology.

[poppetawoppet]

Scary scary for sure. If I hear AI one more time!

[ashelterofpages]

I both hate and love this story. It's so frightening to think of a version of our future that looks like this, but it's something that doesn't feel impossible either. Both the absorbing of all the tech, and the people who turn away from it.

[murielle]

So fun!

I really enjoyed this! ❤

[lapis_lazuli615]

Coming to your home, in the very near future.....

nicely written

[littlebitofearth]

The absurdity of it all would be much funnier if I wasn’t concerned we were rapidly running toward this being a reality.

I was most amused by her sending her AImy to please her husband in bed - that’s like my favorite thing to do with MY husband, lol! And, most saddened by her not wanting her child to go outside. I’m reading this sitting on my deck with sunshine on my face. Kids NEED nature!