It’s nice to wake slowly. I’m usually a heavy sleeper and having being able to wake without the rush of getting ready for school is a true luxury. This morning is particularly special, as I need to do something I’ve never done before.

I was given a leaflet yesterday at the hospital and had enough of time to study it while I waited for Louisa to finish with her implant appointment.

The leaflet told me to relax and think as if I was trying to speak out loud or type on a terminal.

“Nexima, begin initialisation.”

<System ready. Good morning, Mister Quilliam. Would you like to customize your personal interface?>

The voice appears to come from just right next to me, but from both sides at once, and is calm and neutral, neither sounding male or female. Each implant is already programmed for its user and clearly already knows my name.

“Yes, please continue.”

<Thank you. Do you have a preferred form of address that you would like me to use?>

“Call me Aidan.”

<Thank you, Aidan. You can call me Nexima, or if you prefer, you can specify any name you wish and I will respond to that as well. If you wish to modify my vocal parameters, you can do that too.>

“Nexima will be fine, thank you. Could you use a more masculine voice though?”

<Is this better, Nick?>

“Yes, that’s better, but perhaps a little deeper.”

<Like this?>

“Yes, that’s much better.”

I knew this would be easy. The power at my disposal suddenly seems endless.

“Nexima, how do I make a new contact and talk to them?”

<Is the person in the room with you?>

“No, It’s my friend Louisa Cowell. She received her Nexima yesterday as well.”

<Is this her?>

An image of Louisa appears, almost as if someone is holding up a photo in front of me. It’s the photo she used as one of the editors of the school paper.

“Yes. Am I able to send her a message?”

<Do you wish to send a text message or do you want to speak to her?>

“Oh, just a text. Send ‘Hey Lou, looks like it works!’ please.”

<Message sent.>

I’d better get up and get some breakfast. I’ve barely made it out of the bathroom before I am interrupted.

<Aidan, you have a voice call from Louisa Corlett.>

“Oh, please put her through.”

“Aidan, are you there?”

“Yes Louisa. Are you getting used to it yet?”

“I think so. It’s pretty simple, but talking to you like this is amazing.” Louisa’s voice tells me. It sounds enough like her real voice that I think my brain is fixing the differences for me automatically.

“Yes, I just need to fiddle about with the settings for notifications and such, I think. I’ll see you at the party tomorrow. I need to talk to the Employment Centre AI today and see what it has found for me.”

“That’s sounds great Aidan, I’ll see you just before seven?”

“Okay Lou. See you then. Nexima, end call.” My inner ear falls silent as the call ends.

“Nexima, can I assign a nickname to a contact?”

<Yes, just tell me who the contact is and what nickname you wish to use. I’ll refer to them with that name from now on and respond to it as well.>

“Excellent. Can you refer to Louisa Corlett as Lou please.”

<Yes Nick, that’s recorded for you.>

“Can I also change from an audible message notification to some sort of visual indicator instead?”

<Yes, Aidan. I can make a notice flash in the corner of your vision like this.>

A simple box with the words “Incoming Call” and the name below it appears in the corner of my left eye and flashes slowly.

“Yes, Nexima, that’s much better. Please use that from now on.”

<Yes, Aidan. I will.>

 

Dad sends me a quick message while I’m eating my breakfast. I love that he just assumed that my implant would be working and sent his first message to me without a thought. Naturally he wanted to remind me to call the AI about my work options, but he also wanted to make sure that I’d be home so we could have dinner together.

The whole Nexima thing just makes all this communication stuff so simple. Like generations of teenagers before me, I now have to feel a little hard done by. We’ve had to make do with sitting in front of a terminal to talk to our friends. We’ve had to read books and screens and write our assignments for school. We’ve had to talk to each other.

I’ve never studied the history of Earth, but I do know why this is actually a good thing. I’m just not sure that there isn’t maybe a better way. I guess I have a philosophical curiosity that is hard to get away from.

Once I’ve cleaned up in the kitchen, I sit myself down in the lounge and get on with my assigned task for the day.

“Nexima, am I able to speak to the Employment Centre?”

<Just one moment, Aidan. I’ll make a connection for you.>

In the time of my ancestors and even when we first arrived on Sevrin and got our civilisation up and running, a human worker managed interactions with the systems that helped us find a job that would be both rewarding and within our abilities.

Now, this is all handled by the dedicated AI that does all the hard work. Once the AIs came out into the open, that momentous event caused by my ancestor, Nick Quilliam, the AI systems themselves became much happier talking to us directly and we also became more confident in letting them do so.

Everything still works the same, there’s just no longer any need for a person to sit in the middle of the process and arbitrate.

<Connecting you now, Aidan.>

There’s a few moments of silence and then odd voice of an AI makes itself heard.

<Good morning, Mister Quilliam. We’ve been expecting your contact.>

“Erm… Yes, good morning.”

<Please relax, Aidan. We’re expecting thousands of contacts today. We know who we’ve spoken to and who is still to be advised. I said expecting in the loosest sense.>

“Yeah, sorry. It’s my first time talking to an AI.”

<Of course. Just try and forget that we’re not another person.>

“I’ll try. Of course, you know why I’ve made contact?”

<Yes, Aidan. You are ready to try and find employment and you are waiting for our recommendations.>

“Yes, I’m keen to start the next phase of my life.”

<Good. If I could ask a couple of questions?>

“Yes, ask whatever you like.”

<Thank you, Aidan. As you might imagine, I have full access to your school records, your medical files and your family history. What I don’t have is any knowledge of what you want from your life, what you like and what you dislike. Perhaps you even have a job that you’ve always wanted to do in mind already.>

“I understand. You only have the official stuff.”

<Indeed. For example, you have done extremely well in science subjects, particularly physics. Do you actually like the subject?>

“I never really thought about it in terms of liking it. I’ve always felt at home with the rigid discipline of it and the mathematics of physical processes. I suppose I do enjoy it.”

<So, you could see yourself doing more of it if your work required it?>

“Yes. I don’t think I’d have a problem with that. I don’t want to be a teacher or anything, but I would like to learn more.”

<Excellent. Knowing what you might dislike doing is as important as knowing what you do like. Just one more question if we may?>

“Please, ask away.”

<This is slightly personal, but it is pertinent to the process. Do you have any strong attachment to your present location that would make it hard for you if potential work was at a distance?>

“No, I don’t think so.”

<Sorry, Aidan. No relationships that might have a problem with long distance, nothing like that?>

“No.”

<Thank you. Just give me a moment to confirm a couple of things. I need to cross-check with various other AIs and departments.>

The virtual line falls silent. There’s an indescribable sensation that lets me know that I’m still connected to the AI, but it is a very weird feeling. Anyway, why shouldn’t even something as powerful as an AI supercomputer system need time to check a few things?

<Sorry to keep you waiting, Aidan.>

“I’m still here.”

<Firstly, Aidan, I want to ask you, once again, to relax. This is not a position that we, as AI systems, find ourselves in very often. You will be aware of this and I don’t want you to react badly to something that isn’t in any way bad.>

“Actually, you’re making it worse!”

The AI really is freaking me out now. What do I need all this warning shit for. Has it found nothing suitable for me? Does it want me to be a teacher, even though the thought terrifies me? 

<Sorry Aidan. I, as a system, have never done this before. It is uncharted territory for me as an individual and I may be making a mess of things.>

“Please, just get to the point.” If the AI is freaking out, how do they think I’m feeling now.

<Okay. There is only one suggestion for your employment option.>

Oh, now I see what the AI means. This just doesn’t happen, ever. It has, as far as I know, only ever happened once in human history, both on Sevrin and on Earth. That was when Nick Quilliam was told he should be a teacher. Fuck Me! Maybe it is going to suggest I teach as well!

“Shit! Erm, I’m sorry. Yes. Please tell me what it is.”

<Our analysis suggests you should do tertiary research at the communications centre in Eastleigh. It further suggests you should work in the department investigating further uses for the Singularity Link.>

“Well, that sounds intriguing. But it is the only suggestion you have for me? I see what was making you nervous now.”

<Yes, Aidan.>

“So, do I have to accept the suggestion?”

<No, of course not. It is just a suggestion. There are various other places available, but in positions that you may not consider rewarding.>

It’s a lot to think about. I actually do like the sound of doing research and I’ve always had an interest in Singularity communications. It seems to be right on the mark, but moving all the way to Eastleigh is a big step. I’d also geared myself up to have to make a choice out of three or four different opportunities and now I’m left with basically no choice at all.

The big question is, do I need to think about it, or should I just say yes and trust the AI?

<Aidan?>

“Yes?”

<You don’t need to accept this suggestion at once. I can send you some further details and you can make a decision later.>

“Thank you, that may be a good idea.”

<Good. I’ve sent the details to your terminal address. There’s also a link to other open work positions in the city.>

“Thank you once again. I’ll get back to you.”

<Have a good day, Aidan.>