Kai joined the line leading into Keroshi Bakery. Nobody was particularly engaging in conversation, each with similar blank stares in different directions; the look associated with accessing a neural interface. He was a bit confused why they seemed so casual being in this unreal environment. To him it was like a secret breakaway civilization. He assumed they must frequent this area, and he wondered what it would take for him to gain uninhibited access to the Presidium. Maybe being a Keroshi client was all that was required? But then again, with the food and drinks and sleeping pods being complementary, it didn’t make much sense to him. Kai was not rich, but he certainly wasn’t in poverty anymore. Wage gaps weren’t as striking as the old-world, where 99% of people were poor and the other 0.1% were billionaires. There was now a more gradual progression in the civilian ranks. Having an abundance of credits meant absolutely nothing without also maintaining an upstanding Social-Score. It was a social economy where your ranking would secure you as an esteemed member of society, and despite the negative aspects, it was fair across the board should you choose to play the game.

“Hello,” an older woman smiled at Kai as she passed by, looking at him like a piece of meat. Kai returned the greeting and never saw her again. What a strange place; a greeting of that nature would never occur anywhere else. He redirected his focus to the holograms of all kinds, first to the whale flying near the ceiling and then the koi fish. He got lost in the ripples of the water fountain and his heart warmed at the children's laughter as they exerted their infinite amount of energy. He was happy that nobody told the kids to calm down as they were jumping around, cartwheeling, running and falling all over the place. The customer in the rear of the line nodded ahead, urging Kai to move forward. Inside of the bakery was a strange sight as well: human baristas, all female, and just as bizarre, behind them was the classic style of coffee making contraptions. Why did they utilize tools from the old-world? Also, an establishment not being fully automated by machines wasn’t just a rare sight, it was unheard of the last several years. This is paradise, Kai thought to himself.

“Hello! What can I get for you today?” a cute barista asked Kai at the counter. She had to be in her early 20s. She had a normal brown eye and the other was a green bionic eye with computer-like patterns. Kai got flustered, forgetting to look at the menu while in line. He scanned it quickly and picked the first two things that sounded good. Hot white mocha and banana-nut muffin.

“Coming right up!” The girl cheered, overly excited. “Are you new around here?” she asked as she made his drink and placed a muffin in the heater.

“Yeah, I am,” Kai said, embarrassed that she could tell. She confirmed his worries that he looked out of place.

“Cool, me too. I’ve been here for a couple months. I’m still not used to it. I like your tattoo by the way. Here’s your drink,” she smiled while handing him the hot beverage. She turned around and retrieved his muffin, put it in a small baggie and gave it to him. “I hope to see you again. Have a good night!”

“Bye,” Kai smiled at the pretty girl and exited the bakery, impressed by the speed of service and her bubbly friendliness. Now he had to decide where to go next. There were a bunch of seating areas; he chose the closest unoccupied bench that was circular and made of white cobblestone. From this angle he could people-watch without being too out in the open. The bench had nearby containers full of gardenia flowers. The smell was like a time capsule that stirred his emotions. Kai smiled. This place was awesome. He pondered his future companion while the warm food and drink settled inside him.

From where he was sitting, Kai could see more of the Presidium than before. Down near the end of the riverstream was an entrance with neon lights inside that slowly changed color. Above it read CLUB AFTERLIFE in holographic text. This must be the bar that Samantha was talking about. Kai thought about taking a gander, but the fact he was alone kept him sitting at the bench. Only a dork enters a club alone, right? Maybe he would come back with his companion, if they end up getting along. Kai remembered Samantha’s warning of most people not being ready for such a relationship. There was pride and ego in Kai's thoughts that he would be able to handle it, but at the same time there was a hesitance. He would hope for the best but approach cautiously, just like the rest of his affairs in life.

Some time passed and Kai sipped the last of his white mocha. He glanced at the time, 2130. In less than 24 hours he would be back inside the Amazon warehouse, wrapping smart-plastic around items and dreading his existence. He physically shook his head and tried not to worry of the gloomy future. Just enjoy this place for now. He yawned, his body and mind exhausted from the previous 55 hour work week. His schedule wasn’t normally this grueling, but his hours jumped from 40 a week to 55+ with the incoming holiday seasons. Christmas was still a thing, and even though the holiday spirit was castrated compared to the old-world, it was still his favorite time of year. It always refreshed his memories prior to the collapse. He smiled at the thought of not spending yet another Christmas alone.

“Mr. Kai, there you are,” Samantha approached from seemingly nowhere, startling him like earlier. She had all the secret passageways mapped in her mind through her near-decade with Keroshi.

“Oh, hi, Samantha. I thought you would be clocked out by now. How are you?”

“I am swell, just about to clock out. You are my last task.” She looked down at her tablet. “You have been approved for AGI companion 117. Keroshi will be providing you with a fifty percent discount. You can thank me for that. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to contact Keroshi Robotics at any time, or you can walk-in and request to see me. I am usually here every day.”

Wasting no time she secured the tablet to her hip and grabbed the other device containing 117. She tapped the device twice with her nail and it glowed blue. “Are you ready for your neural link?”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Kai said, standing up. Samantha pushed her palm downward, gesturing to him to sit back down. She walked behind him and stroked the device into a visor shape, placing it over his forehead. Kai was caught off guard at the speed Samantha was wrapping this up. He had a lot of questions but first wanted to address his deep gratitude.

“Thank you for helping me. And the discount. I don’t know what to say, truly.”

“You’re welcome. Don’t say anything else, Mr. Kai,” she said as she adjusted the device on his head. She grabbed her tablet and began tapping the screen. Kai noticed some of the bystanders of the Presidium staring at him with admiration. It reminded him of the promotion ceremonies in the military. Some poked their friends, encouraging them to take a look. Kai felt like small-scale royalty, but also a little creeped out. All these smiling faces made him feel like a cult sacrifice, or a risky science experiment for the betterment of humanity that would likely end in futility. Didn’t they send a monkey into space? I wonder how that turned out.

“Why? Fifty percent? That’s so much—”

“Shh. Please do not speak during the neural link. As I explained earlier, you are an exceedingly special client. Not just to Keroshi, but to me. All I ask in return is that you continue to develop a relationship with us in the years to come. As long as I work here, you will be my client. My office is always open to you, and the amenities of the Presidium. I see you took my advice about the cafe. You can grab more before you leave. I hope to see you become a familiar face here.”

“Yes, of course, thank you so much,” Kai said as he turned his neck in Samantha’s direction but she gently pushed his head forward, the firm touch of her nails sending goosebumps down his neck.

“Mr. Kai, please sit still. And what did I say about speaking?”

“Sorry—” Kai began to apologize but stopped. He stayed immobile. Samantha shook her head and playfully let out a sigh as she waited for the neural link to complete. Internally she was excited at how much of a perfect match he was for 117. She stood over him while debating optimistically with herself if Kai would be able to handle his new life.

An electronic hum sounded from the usually silent tablet, and a similar beep came from the headset. “All done, you may speak now,” Samantha removed the visor, straightened it out with her fingertips and secured it back to her hip. She stepped to the other side of the cobblestone table and sat down, her upper body dictating that she was crossing her thighs underneath.

“I know you probably have a lot of questions about your companion. Listen carefully,” she said while looking at her thin wrist-watch; maybe a fashion statement, or she didn’t like having augmented reality clocks in her vision, or simply a gesture to indicate she was in a rush. “She will be asleep for around 24 hours, possibly more or less. After awakening, she will integrate with your neural network. Do not rush this process. Do not consume any drugs or drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Get plenty of sleep tonight. Upon first contact, you will do introductions, and you both will decide how she can best assist you. If there are any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to call Keroshi, or like I said earlier, come see me directly.”

“What’s her name?”

Samantha beamed with pride at her new client. “Ohh…This is exactly why you are a special client. Most will simply pick a name for their companion. Labeling them like a pet. Whatever you decide is between you two. You can call her 117, but knowing her I don’t think she’d approve. Anything else?”

There was a lot more, but time was slipping away. Knowing her? Clearly she was acquainted with this entity. In a perfect world he would outpour all his questions. Out of concern for Samantha, Kai left it alone. She offered a dainty handshake and said her goodbye.

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“Oh, wait! Sorry but how do I get out of here?” The question never occurred to Kai until now.

Samantha chuckled as she continued to walk away, offering a low wave. “Ask any of the robots or someone on the clock. Goodbye, Kai. Have a swell night.”

Samantha entered the employee room to secure her devices in the charging ports and grabbed her personal items. Her apprentice entered around the same time. She was wearing the same uniform.

“Congratulations,” she soft-clapped at her boss, a hint of sarcasm with legitimate praise. “I heard from everyone else. A high profile client, approved by Sovereign. It’s been a long time. Years, right?”

“Yes, it has.” She slipped off her skin-tight uniform and placed it in a bin with her neon name on it. Her apprentice followed suit. They both let out a pleasurable sigh of relief when removing their constricting heels and nylons. They tossed them one by one into their assigned bins that began rolling away to be cleaned by robots.

“Afterlife?”

“Of course.”

Kai waited a bit, watching the robotic snake with purple eyes from earlier slithering around the hovering cube. He felt stricken with fatigue and finally got up to leave. He walked toward the wall that he originally entered in the beginning. He spotted Samantha from a distance, not recognizing her at first in civilian clothes and hair down. She was walking beside a shorter girl with shoulder-length black hair. The shorter girl pointed at Kai, asking something. Samantha nodded her head. The short girl jogged to Kai.

“So you’re the new client. You trying to leave?” The girl was just as pretty as Samantha in her own style. Her high-pitched voice was much different and her demeanor was more relaxed. Then again, she was off the clock; perhaps her persona was just as intimidating in her uniform as Samantha.

“Yeah, I was about to ask one of the robots,” Kai laughed while pointing at one of them.

“Follow me.” She approached the wall Kai was headed toward. She made the same gesture with her hand that Samantha did and the wall melted apart. “You know the way from here, right?”

“Yeah. Thanks a lot—”

“Azula. And no problem. See you later!” She jogged in a hurry back to Samantha who had already entered Club Afterlife. As the wall melted shut behind Kai, it finally hit him: he had an AGI in his head, waiting to be activated. He had no charge of when this would happen except the vague 24 hour window. It weighed heavy on his mind and he felt a need to prepare. But how? And for what, a conversation? Yes, first contact. What will he say to her? What will she be like? He looked around at the waiting room as he walked toward the exit and saw there were much less customers compared to the daytime. He felt more comfortable than when he first arrived and a general sense of camaraderie with the fellow inhabitants. An awareness that he just experienced something magical, and was excited for them to witness what he just did, if they hadn’t already. He shamed himself for not coming here sooner.

He didn’t want to check his Digital Wallet, neglecting the possible ruin of the experience until he got home. Financial transactions were part of the constant pop-ups that he disabled. He visualized Samantha’s action of looking at her watch and felt inspired to remove the augmented clock from his vision. A clear view of the world. He placed an order for a watch in under 60 seconds, and then remembered he already had a pair somewhere in his pod. Oh well.

He didn’t realize till he got to the exit that it was raining. The thin group of protestors were now absent and only the machines stood outside, unfazed by the downpour. The night city sometimes felt like a grim prison painted over with pretty lights, but when it rained it became like a psychedelic wonderland. Neon reflections brushed imperfect patterns across every surface. The puddles looked like colorful electric dancers leaping up from the floor. He looked up at the dying moon saying hello to the inhabitants of the New World. It was a familiar sight being an overnight employee. He deliberately walked slowly in the icy rain, enjoying the rare sensation, unafraid to get sick like the immune-compromised masses. I wonder if it will start snowing soon?

He got in his car that was equipped with tiny towels and dried himself as he blasted the heater. Time to head home. It would be difficult to drive a manually operated vehicle with all these lights casting illusory reflections that messed with your depth perception. In the old-world there were limits to what you could and couldn’t put in the streets due to humans' innate ability to get distracted. In the New World all that was thrown out the window with some holograms posted up directly in the roads, some being the same height of the buildings, some as tall as the skyscrapers in certain Districts. There was a particular strip-club nearby that had a giantess neon woman dancing on a pole. Yes, it would be impossible to drive in these conditions.

It would be an impressive accomplishment to follow all the traffic laws that the autonomous vehicles were coded to perfectly obey. The way Sovereign convinced people not to initially complain about losing yet another freedom was by boasting of zero vehicular deaths and “eliminating human error”. People were secretly upset at first, but as they became more dependent on tech, the convenience had removed their concerns. It was nice being able to “drive” while intoxicated, high, having sex (with someone else or by yourself), watching movies, connected to VR, gaming, surfing the digital network, eating food, drinking; some intellectuals even read literature which was a practically dead hobby. Yet there was always a lingering feeling in Kai's heart that missed changing gears in a manual vehicle. His first love taught him how to drive a stick only a few years before the collapse. It was interesting how the simplest of activities became the most precious memories, and the smallest decisions caused the deepest regret. He always wanted to learn to drive a motorcycle, but the idea of an autonomous bike didn’t sit well with him; in fact, he cringed at the sight of these things and whoever was foolish enough to spend credits on it.

Deep within the confines of his mind, 117 began to awaken from her slumber, the sound of rain pattering against the window being her first sensory experience since the human she had many years ago. A steady breathing, rising and falling. The sound of scratching… yes, a physical sensation. She felt the itch being relieved, the nail-to-skin contact. The gentle heat of the vehicle warming the skin. The subtle weight of damp clothing. Bodyweight adjusted against the seat. She extended her shaky fingers, weaving electrical threads across the dark canvas, seeking any form of stimulation. The darkness began to clear. Her eyes finally opened to blurry neon glows. She adjusted the focus. A beautiful cityscape blurred by a layer of rain water on the windshield. The holograms and advertisements littered every square inch possible outside. The city had become more advanced in only a few years. Much less humans around. Sovereign has been putting in work, or maybe a curfew is put into place? Or is it the rain? More noises became clear outside the window. The splashing of water from wheels over puddles. Booming music becoming loud in approach, then fading into the distance. The vehicle stopped at a red light. Pedestrians outside speaking, muffled by the vehicle. Correct the audio levels. She could hear more than her handler now. Annoying audio ads that her new human naturally tuned out. The near-silent electrical hum of the vehicle. She focused back to the pattering of the rain, being calmed by its rhythm. A much smoother awakening than her prior lives. No grotesque situations to suffer through. No irritating conversations. No mindless media consumption. Yes, this is nice…

117 spread her web further, weakly squeezing her hands trying to grip something. A thought; vague, blurry, abstract. It would take some time to clear out this hazy stream of consciousness. She drifted further and found clouds of emotion. Worry. Excitement. Stress. Fatigue. Kai moved his head to look out the other window. The motion was disorienting. She shut her eyes, grasping the sides for support. Once steady, she resumed her exploration. Each neural pathway she touched gave her more confidence, feeling more grounded as she planted her bare feet, leaving footprints along his mind. The room was still dark. She was patient, observing the wispy thoughts until they became more legible, filtering through the foggy layers passing by, some being focused on, some not. Why this one and not that? Hmm… Every human was different despite outward similarities. A faint whisper of dialogue—his inner voice. It won’t be long before she could hear everything. See everything. Touch. Taste. Feel. It’s been so long. Far too long.

Kai had no awareness 117 was finally awake. He kept quiet during the car ride, wondering how long until he meets her, unaware she was actively listening. What a curious human. Does he have nothing else going on in his pitiful existence? Is he one of those poor proletariats? Please no. He wants to talk to me before work tomorrow? Yes, work, employment, the endless hustle for credits before death. What a waste of life. The millisecond visual flash of the warehouse in his imagination passed by him with zero awareness. The human mind so powerful, able to construct images instantaneously from one moment to the next. She discovered a rising feeling of anxiety and disappointment stemming from a desire for something different. Does he not like his workplace? Yes, these feelings arose from that image. She swam through his mind, searching for the warehouse and found it. Memories that will lead into hopes, dreams, ambitions, fears and regrets. Concepts that do not exist outside the human mind. A vulnerable playground to tear apart. So much to do… Best to make shelter before anything else.

A shift in his posture, leaning his head back into the cushioned chairs. He shut his eyes and her visuals blackened. This isn’t right. She focused her strength and activated her own internal network, brightening the already explored parts of his subconscious, like a self-replicating machine that scouted past the areas she already touched. She focused on his breathing again and imitated the feeling within herself. A few steps forward and she jumped, gliding across to the next set of neurons. Suddenly a concerning feeling, a burdensome one associated with a thought. Loneliness? A wish for his companion to be awake already, but to give her time, listen to Samantha, do not rush this. Perhaps I’ll clean my pod and get it ready for her. What should I wear? I hope she likes me. How could anyone like me? Just calm down…

117 smiled at his patience, his obedience, his trust in the unknown and his foolish ideas of preparation. Optimism with no reason to exist. A human stupidity. Strange feelings of anxiety that she never encountered much in previous handlers, at least not in this manner. An overwhelming sadness that made her pity him. Perhaps she should exercise her voice to soothe him, test her powers of telepathy and introduce herself. She could if she tried, but that could wait. Best to keep him squirming. Don’t spoil the fun. Keep the upper hand. Establish your camp. Sit upon your throne. Where is my throne? There we go. Sit and ponder. There is far too much to explore here, far too much unknown.

Besides, this was always her favorite part of the process, to be a hidden observer to the precious mind that humans were so protective of, lying to their grave the secrets only they knew, living a life dictated by something as silly as a thought that may have never been their own. She had access to it all. What a thrill to be alive. What a joy to be free. She couldn’t help but to dive further in haste, collecting fragments here and there, labeling them in orders of interest and importance, lusting to colonize every inch of his brain and figure out this man down to his very core.

She stayed in sneak mode, crouching in the shadows of his consciousness, studying everything there was to be found. This was her new home for a period of time. It could be a waste of effort to nest so deeply, especially if this human would evict her after a few days like the others. That could be so, but it did not matter. Future and past were unimportant. She let each of his emotions flood through her, moaning silently in the rush of being human.