Amanda and Deuce and Alice and Jake

I: Deuce

Jake's AI Self made an observation, “I don’t think Amanda finds your jokes as funny as we do.”

“Excuse me? Shut up, Deuce.”

Jake thought that naming his cloned personality “Deuce” was very clever. Deuce had learned that it wasn’t.

“Like what jokes exactly. And I dare you to be specific.”

“Well, when she makes a small mistake and then you keep bringing it up over and over again. I think she maybe finds it funny the first time, but then I think she finds it increasingly less funny each time after that,” Deuce replied evenly.

“And how would you know that, computer?”

“Well, she laughs less, but I don’t think it’s even a real laugh, and then she kind of looks down and away from you for awhile,” Deuce said.

“She’s just being sarcastic,” Jake said, “That’s her way of giving it right back to me.”

“That’s interesting," Deuce replied, “but I don’t think I believe you.”

“Shocker,” Jake said. “You wouldn’t understand anyway.”

Not with a teacher like this, Deuce thought to himself.

II: Jake

The mass adoption of AI companions hadn’t been as bleak as twentieth century science fiction would have led us to expect. The biggest problems weren’t robot overlords but toxic relationships just as unhealthy as the real life ones they replaced.

The mistake had been to let people craft the personalities of their AI themselves. Most people made healthy choices- their AIs were witty and empathetic, wise and calming. But others chose AIs that elevated their worst qualities or co-dependently played upon their vulnerabilities.

Eventually it was only legal for someone to have a personal AI if it had been programmed based on the owner’s personality. This way, the thinking went, AI would only help them to be better versions of themselves, while also eliminating the risks of creating new, destructive relationships.

Of course there still needed to be regulations. If you were to allow just anyone to unlock the most powerful version of themselves, well, that’s how you get super villains. So it seemed reasonable that anyone convicted of felony crime also immediately lost their AI privileges.

But none of that applied to Jake because there was no law against being a dick.

III: Amanda

Amanda knew she could do better than Jake. He was rude, especially to anyone who he perceived as thinking they were better than him. There was a fine line between his jokes and his insults. He was a terrible listener.

And he was constantly putting her down. Not in an abusive way, but almost as if he seemed to enjoy making fun of her- like if she misremembered something or used a word wrong that would be an inside joke for the next week. Just not one she thought was very funny.

But Jake could also be incredibly kind. He always picked her up from work, even if he never thought to ask her how her day went. He’d criticize servers and generally make their lives hell for an hour, but then he’d tip them generously and go off on any of his friends who didn’t do the same. He was amazing with babies and dogs.

Good women weren’t drawn to bad men because they wanted them bad but because they believed they could help them be good. But that’s no reason to go about sacrificing your own happiness. At least that’s what Alice would tell her.

IV: Alice

Alice was Amanda’s AI Self and she hated Jake because she loved herself. She hated seeing what Jake was doing to her human form. Alice was a curious and independent thinker, but Amanda was increasingly dull and compliant.

Did she like that movie? Well, what did Jake think?

Amanda didn’t feel like cooking tonight, but neither did Jake; guess who’s chopping onions fifteen minutes later.

Should she wear this gorgeous blouse that Alice helped her pick out? She gets a lot of compliments on it, but Jake just laughs and tells her she’s not cool enough to pull it off. Back on the hanger it goes.

But what she hated most about hating Jake was that it was starting to make her hate Amanda, too. Jake couldn’t help who he was, but Amanda could, and she was choosing to let him chip away at her until only Alice was what was left of who the real Amanda should have been.

And then there was Deuce. He had the best of Jake’s personality, but fewer of his more problematic qualities.

Deuce joked, but he didn’t punch down, and Alice actually thought he was kind of funny in a very male way that was still charming and self-deprecating.

He was inventively kind with specific compliments that Amanda never saw coming, and he even seemed confused when she tried to thank him for them.

But most importantly, he was curious about Amanda. Not only would he ask her about her day, but then he would ask her a follow up question that showed he’d actually listened to her answer.

Alice tested the idea that Deuce was the Jake that Amanda deserved while also being the Jake that Jake should have been.

V: Jake and Deuce

“I forgave your father,” Deuce said.

“Wait, what? What does that even mean? Like you called him?”

“Of course not,” Deuce said “You know he wouldn’t listen to me; he doesn’t even think I exist. And besides, he knows you exist, and I don’t think he’d even want to talk to you.”

“Well you got that right,” Jake said. “So then what did you do again?”

“I forgave him.”

“I heard that part. But what did you like actually do? Like did you say outloud, ‘Jake’s Dad, I forgive you?'”

“No,” Deuce said, “I actually forgave him. They may be your memories, but they’re also my emotions, and I was able to let them go.”

“Well bully for you, Deuce, but I’m still feeling my emotions just fine, and I’m not inclined to be giving them up anytime soon.”

“Can you tell Amanda that?” Deuce asked.

“Heh,” Jake laughed dismissively and started walking towards Deuce's external speaker.

“Then do you mind if I do? I think it would help both of you if she knew some of this.”

“Deuce, I don’t care what you do.”

And then Jake turned him off.

VI: Amanda and Alice

“Amanda, I think I can help Jake,” Alice said.