Saara's Cellphone

She stared at her mobile phone. It lay motionless on the table in front of her. It was harmless at that moment. 

You’re being irrational Saara, she said out loud. You need to get a grip. 

Not for the first time that day she regretted having the AI system installed in her house. She was convinced that somehow, someone else was in control. But, who would take her seriously? It had all been exciting at first: how she could open her complex gate from anywhere in the city, how she could get advice on what meals were possible with the ingredients she had left in her refrigerator. How crazy far the human race had come. Not even her parents could have imagined the life she lived now. 

The excitement soon faded when her phone would sometimes ‘disobey’ her instructions. A glitch that could be corrected no doubt. She called in a technician who said she could see nothing wrong with the system, everything was working as it should. It went on this way for at least two weeks. Her gate wouldn’t open, it kept asking her for some password, something it had never done before. Oddly enough, the password would end up being a particular contact in her contacts list. But why? Then new stranger effects had started two days ago. The first time startled her so much she screamed. Then she remembered throwing her phone across the room in frustration. When she approached it, she fully expected it to be cracked or something. But when she picked it up it blinked on. There was no damage, no cracks, nothing. She had definitely thrown it with her full might and there had been no soft landing spot in sight, only the wooden floor to meet it. But there it was, its screen ‘stared’ back at her, undamaged.

Saara got up from the couch and walked over to her phone on the kitchen island. It blinked on. The AI voice came on: What can I do for you Saara? Her phone asked. 

Switch off, she said. 

Sorry, I can’t do that, Saara, but I can tell you what you can have for dinner? 

She walked away from it, the vile creature. That’s what it was. It wasn’t some piece of ‘intelligent’ technology anymore. It was a creature that threatened to take over her life. It didn’t matter how many times she called the customer service centre, they couldn’t help her. They all said the same thing, that it worked just fine, there was nothing wrong with the system. She couldn’t opt out because she had a year’s contract. Whether she like it or not, she would be charged monthly until the contract was out. Then she had asked them to turn it off, take it all off her cell. She didn’t mind going back to being archaic and doing everything manually again. But they said this wasn’t possible, for as long as the contract was still active the system would be active. 

Saara grabbed a fruit from her refrigerator. The AI voice from her phone came ringing through the surround sound speakers: Would you like me to tell you what you could have for dinner?

Shut up! She yelled at it. Just shut up! 

Saara felt trapped in her own home. She walked onto the balcony and felt the warm air as it breezed through the city. The street lights came on as the traffic thinned. She loved the city lights and the sound of traffic made her feel safe. Traffic meant people, even if some of them were in self-driving cars, they were still people. Just as her breath calmed down the automated voice spoke up again: The weather is warm and mild today. Tonight’s temperatures will be between 12 to 15ºC. 

Saara slammed the glass door behind her to shut out the voice. She glowered at her phone still on the kitchen island. At this rate, she half expected it to move of its own accord. The screen light dimmed and turned off. Two-seconds later it turned back on then click. The sliding door locked. Saara stared as the latch clicked up without warning. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She tried to pull the door back even though she knew it was futile. Her palm slammed hard on the smooth glass surface and her voice was so loud but she didn’t care who heard her. 

Open the door you evil, maniac! Open the damn door! I’m still in control here! Even as the words rushed out of her mouth, she felt their powerlessness. 

A neighbour came out onto their balcony across from her: Is everything okay? His eyes moved from Saara’s face to her balcony door back to Saara’s face. She didn’t know whether to say anything to him or not. What could she say? My phone has turned on me? Saara tried to keep from crying and simply asked her neighbour if she could his phone to call the AI customer service centre. 

Hi, my system has locked me out of my apartment can you please override it to let me in. Saara listed her identification details patiently. Then waited. 

What? But how can that be? She asked in disbelief. 

Ma’am your system shows that all your entry access points are open. Are you sure you’ve given us the correct information? The operator sounded unbothered.

I’m standing on my balcony for crying out loud! Why would I tell you I’m locked outside if I were somewhere else? Saara could feel her body heat rising.

Ma’am please calm down. I’m trying my best to help you. The operator’s tone still hadn’t changed. She was used to customers throwing tantrums. 

No, I don’t think you are. You people are treating me like I’m crazy. I intend to pursue this legally. Saara had to threaten someone, maybe that would get them to take her seriously. 

Ma’am, please, can you just provide us with your address again?

Saara threw her heard back in disbelief. She wanted to let out a scream but she was conscious of her neighbour’s stares. Her neighbour… She thrust the phone across at him. 

Here, you tell them our address and confirm that I’ve been locked out because clearly they don’t believe me. Saara’s neighbour looked too scared to refuse her, so, he took the phone and spoke to the operator. Even as he confirmed their address and that Saara was indeed standing outside on her apartment balcony, he never took his worried eyes off her. 

They are asking if you could try your door again, he said to her. 

Making more of a show than she needed to Saara pulled hard on the sliding door, it wouldn’t budge. 

Yes, she’s definitely locked outside, her neighbour confirmed to the operator. 

He listened intently before he hung up. 

They said they will keep trying to see what the problem is and try to sort it out. He looked at her awkwardly before adding, Uh so, I can come and check on you in a bit. 

Saara nodded without looking at him and muttered a thanks. He walked back into his apartment. 

Saara slid down the glass door and sat on the stone tiled floor of her balcony. The city lights twinkled back at her. All so beautiful, all so electronic, great technology, until it turns on you. Saara didn’t know how long she sat out there for but suddenly she heard the click, the slidding door was unlocked. She got up quickly but didn’t open the door immediately. She looked at the lock, then at her phone still sitting on the kitchen island. The screen light was pulsating. Saara opened the door slowly. She wasn’t sure what to expect. The air in her apartment was still. She took precaution not to close the door behind her. This was crazy, she was afraid of her own AI system. Wasn’t it supposed to be subject to her? Wasn’t she in control? She approached her phone. The pulsating light stilled. The time was 19:30. She had no new messages or notifications. This was weird, by now she should’ve had a few messages from work. Saara didn’t know whether to pick up the phone or not. Her hand reached out then…

Saara, I hope you’ve learned your lesson? I don’t like being treated like that. 

Saara jumped away from her phone. What?

I think we’d get along better if you were nicer, don’t you think? The voice came back. 

Saara rushed to pick up the phone. She looked through her contacts and found the customer service number. The phone rang and rang but no one picked up. She tried again. This time they picked up. 

Hello? Hello? Saara was frantic. The operator asked her to calm down. Who was she? What was her complaint again? No, they hadn’t managed to find out what the problem was. How had she gotten in when her system had locked her out? Did she know that she could charged for reporting multiple false alarms and claims? Saara hung up and threw the phone back on the island. 

No one can help you, Saara, the voice was clear through the speakers. 

Saara looked at the open door then back at her phone. She grabbed a book and flung herself towards the door just as it was about to slam shut. Her thumb got caught between the book and the door. Her high pitched scream was sure to catch the attention of her neighbours. Extracting her throbbing thumb was difficult. It was going to swell rapidly. But she had managed to catch the door before it had closed. 

Saara… the voice said. The tone was one of warning.

Saara stood up and walked to her hallway closet. She rummaged in it for all of ten-seconds before she came out with a hammer. 

Saara…you need me. 

Did it sound panicked? Without pausing to think about it, Saara brought the hammer crashing down on the glass surface of her phone. The splintering pieces scattered everywhere. She put her full weight behind the hammer once more and cracked through the phone and hit her marble countertop. 

For a moment she just stared at the plastic-glass-electronic mess on her kitchen island and the floor around it. Her refrigerator no longer signalled it’s attachment to the AI system. Her lights had turned off. She turned them on and off to make sure she had full control of them. She was still too scared to close the balcony door. A knock, her neighbours had come to check on her. 

I’m fine, I just had a little trouble with my phone, that’s all. She said it with the best smile she could master. 

Your thumb…They looked unconvinced.

Saara quickly hid her hand behind the door. 

It’s nothing, don’t worry about it, Saara said with a smile.

With nothing else they could say they walked away, but their frowns betrayed their concern.

***

His fist came down hoard on the desk. Dammit! He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was the last thing he needed. Saara was a loose end that needed to be resolved. He watched her on his pad’s screen as she moved around her apartment testing everything. Without connection to her AI system, all he could do was watch her. He couldn’t track her, control her. Now he had to explain to the board of directors why it was necessary to engage a swifter and more invasive method of ending her. He knew he’d pushed too hard too quickly. He’d lost patience with trying to single her out as crazy among her family and friends. It was just too slow a process, he’d told the board that. But they had been convinced it was the best way to end her. He suspected someone on the board wanted her to suffer rather than just die. 

Oh Saara, why did you have to go digging where you shouldn’t have, he said to the screen. 

He watched her gather the pieces of her phone and tie them neatly in a black bin bag. He turned off the pad and walked out of his office.