Contest #95 winner 🏆

Moira's Day Off

Submitted into Contest #95 in response to: Write about someone finally making their own choices.... view prompt

163 comments

Fiction Speculative Friendship

“Sandwiches or Thai?” I ask aloud, out of habit. 


I can imagine Moira’s reply: You’re not on track with your calcium and folic acid targets today. Spinach is advised. Maybe a green curry?


But today there’s no level, pleasant voice in my ear. Moira is, as they used to say, “in the shop” today for her annual updates and maintenance. I don’t know why they can’t just upload the stuff into them, but these maintenance days are a fact of life we all deal with. I guess even artificial intelligence is entitled to one vacation day a year.


Most people just sleep through it. Sometimes I do, too, but this year I was curious.


“I’ll be fine,” I told Moira before she went dark. “You’ve taught me well. I’ve probably absorbed you into my own interior monologue. I won’t ruin what we’ve worked for,” I promised her.


And so I stayed awake and went to work. I made it just fine through the morning. I chose my own outfit—some fitted black slacks and a lavender silk blouse that Moira had pieced together before, but I hadn’t worn for a couple of months. Something that had inspired a co-worker to say, “You look nice today.” I don’t know, probably his AI prompted him. Still, it’s an outfit I trust.


Most “choices” are a matter of habit, anyway. Routine. Moira had helped me form a healthy morning routine tailored to my metabolism, hormone levels, sleep patterns, life values, and five-year goals. There’s my two-mile run that follows the same bike path through my neighborhood every day, and my routine breakfast of hard-boiled egg with mashed avocado on whole-wheat toast, iced coffee with a dash of stevia, and an eight-ounce glass of water that my sink measures out. My shower is on its own timer so I can’t mess that up. Then feed the cat and out the door by 8:30.


Getting dressed was really the most dangerous part of the morning routine without Moira—the most subjective. But I think I pulled that off.


“You look nice today,” Andy Disung said as we walked into the office at the same time. He was the same person who commented last time. 


That’s when it got complicated. Without Moira to suggest an appropriate reply, I felt like I may as well not have been wearing anything at all. 


When in doubt, keep it simple, Moira would probably say, so I muttered a quick “Thanks,” while walking to my desk.


“There’s something different about you…” Andy continued. His slow delivery and the hand he briefly rubbed through his dark brown curls gave me the feeling he was a little off-script himself.


“Maintenance day,” I told him, without halting my steps.


He chuckled. “Of course. I’ll just leave you alone.” He plopped down in his chair across the aisle from my desk and then, as if he’d changed his mind, stood up and raised the height of his desk. He looked over at me and smiled. “Better for the lymphs, I guess.” He paused only a beat before adding, “I’m surprised you’re here at all today.”


I paused at my desk, wondering whether I should sit or stand. “Some things just can’t wait,” I said. “Like the Axonics proposal.”


“Do you think you can do it?”


I felt like Andy’s eyes were staring right into me. It was so rude, this inquisition, when he knew I was solo. I felt my muscles stiffen and decided to remain standing.


“In my sleep,” I replied with a smile.


“Good luck,” he said. “I’ll leave you to it.”


It was not quite as easy as that. Without Moira I dithered over my word choices and sat down a while to try to remember the rules about semicolons. I lost track of time and hadn’t accomplished nearly enough by the time the co-workers around me began to stir for lunch. 


Cynthia and Erin paused by my desk on their way out. “Hey, Neoma, come with to the salad bar?” Erin asked, adjusting a large leather purse over her shoulder.


“I shouldn’t,” I told them, and immediately wondered if they’d be offended at my declining. Would they stop at my desk the next day? “Maintenance day,” I quickly clarified with a shrug I hoped seemed friendly and casual. 


“Oh, got it,” Cynthia said, recognition registering as her brown eyes widened. “You’re so brave to be here. I would never!”


“Say no more,” Erin said. “Next time, then.”


I sighed in relief as the two women’s shoes clicked down the polished cement floor and I let my shoulders slump. I felt as winded as if I’d just completed my morning run. But I was confident I had handled the situation well. I imagined Moira’s reaction.


Great! Eighty percent chance they’ll be back tomorrow. Ask them what they’re working on. Promoting friendly office culture is a productive step toward management.


I was checking through my last page, ensuring no Oxford commas had slipped through my fingers against the company style manual and missing the red highlights Moira would usually send to my smart lens, when I felt a presence by my desk and looked up to find Andy again.


“I know it’s risky,” he said, “but do you want to walk downtown with me for lunch?”


I didn’t need Moira to tell me that my pulse was fast, or to remind me to take a deep breath before I answered. “Really? Today?” I tried to keep my tone even, but with a slightly accusing edge.


I think it worked. There was his hand in his hair again.


“Especially today,” he said. “If you’re going to live this day, you might as well really live it. You could order a cookie and your blood sugar would be back to normal by the time she came online again. She’d never know.”


I didn’t mean to laugh. I guess it wasn’t a decision, really.


Andy smiled. “So how about it? You’re not going to ruin your life in a day. And if you do, it’s your life, in the end.”


This was the reason most people stay home on maintenance days. Some decisions matter more. Their effects ripple through life like a stone hitting the surface of a pond. 


I tried to replicate Moira’s quick analysis. If I went (did I want to go? I tuned in to my elevated vitals and admitted that I probably did), then I’d have a whole hour to fill with Andy, and no one to guide me through. I’d probably say something awkward five minutes in, or worse I’d be boring, fail to recall the interesting facts I’d picked up throughout the week, or freeze up entirely, and I didn’t know him well enough for companionable silences to feel comfortable. I would overcompensate and over-share. Chance of a successful lunch? I don’t know, two percent? Is that what Moira would say? Then rumors about my social ineptness would fly, I wouldn’t get lunch invitations, and I wouldn’t get promotions. 


And what if I declined? It wouldn’t be as tactful as with Cynthia and Erin. He knew this was my maintenance day. It was why he asked. Chances he’d ask again another day? Maybe forty percent?


And is this a date? I wanted to ask Moira. Through my smart lens, she would observe his stance, leaning in to my desk slightly, and the tense smile frozen on his face. She would probably read his body temperature and heart rate and, though she couldn’t share the data with me, she’d turn it into an answer: It’s not advisable to date co-workers


“I could ruin your life, too,” I said quietly, keeping a pleasant smile on my face.


He laughed—a nervous chuckle. “Your instincts can’t be that bad,” he said.


“No, probably not,” I agreed. “Just boring. I’m afraid you’ll regret it five minutes in.” Yes, over-sharing. It was already a disaster.


“Truman tells me the chances are only twenty-one percent. It’s worth the risk to find out.”


I’m pretty sure I blushed. Moira would have had three to five witty suggestions for changing the subject. On my own, I said, “Truman? Is that his name?”


Andy brought his hand to his head and said, “My AI. Yes.”


“What did Truman tell you about asking me to lunch?” Maybe that question wasn’t a choice, either. I asked it without thinking.


Andy laughed and shook his head. “Chances you’d go along were thirty-five percent. It was another risk I was willing to take.”


“That sounds about right,” I said. “Truman is very honest.”


“Yes,” Andy said. “It usually works for us. What about your...um…” he gestured vaguely around me.


“Moira.”


“Right. Is Moira honest?”


It wasn’t a question I’d considered before. I might have called her incisive, motivating, accurate, responsible, ambitious. These were the life values she was programmed with. My solo brain scrambled to come up with an appropriate answer. Would an appropriate answer be the same as an honest one? 


“I don’t know,” I said slowly. The honest answer. “Listen, I think you and Truman are at an advantage, being a team today. And I’m sure Moira would like to join the party—”


Like is an interesting word choice. Assuming they can like anything,” Andy interrupted. 


I may have blushed again. “Right. I don’t think she would have had me say that. Anyway, could we do this another day?”


I watched Andy’s shoulder shrug, and his cheeks deflate. “Sure,” he said, and I wondered if that was appropriate or honest.


***



After my morning at work, a part of me wants to sink back into the comfort of habit. “Sandwiches or Thai?” I ask Moira out of habit, but another part of me is already thinking about the next step.


Imaginary Moira tells me green curry, but when I pause, it doesn’t feel honest. I don’t feel excited about it. 


Without her pleasant voice in my ear, I walk under the sandwich shop’s blue awning and find an empty chair. The restaurant looks familiar, but somehow empty without Moira’s golden halo in my lens around the perfect chair. I wonder if the one I’ve chosen has the ideal sun exposure, the optimum sound isolation. But it’s empty. It will do.


The server approaches my table with a warm smile. “Hi, Neoma. Would you like your usual?”


The turkey pesto sandwich here contains the perfect balance of calories and nutrients for me. It’s what Moira would recommend, but if I listen to my own body, the pull in my collar bone tells me it’s not what I want right now.


“Actually, can I see the menu?” I ask.


This is why people go to sleep, the imaginary Moira says in my head.


Ten choices come into my lens. Without Moira’s pleasant voice and golden halo, they all carry equal weight. The world feels so wide. And heavy. It makes my heart beat faster, like back in the office.


I wonder if this feeling is the reason I stayed awake today, not the Axonics proposal. I have time—it isn’t due until Friday. But this rush is available once a year. Maybe, like Andy said, it’s worth the risk. 


Moira would tell me that the grilled cheese with tomato and micro greens on sprouted bread could make me sluggish in the afternoon and possibly lead to digestive disturbance, and the chocolate chip cookie would result in a crash around 4pm. Not optimal for productivity. I order them anyway, because Moira is on vacation and so, I decide, am I. 


***


Andy is at his desk when I return to the office after a slow walk back from uptown. He doesn’t look up when I sit down. 


“I had the cookie,” I say across the aisle. “It was amazing.” It feels less awkward.


“And you’re still alive,” he notes with a smile that makes me think that maybe his “sure” really was honest.


“Here I am,” I agree. “Though maybe not for long. I’m not at my peak today. I’m not even supposed to be here. I was thinking about skipping out and going to the beach.”


“That cookie was the gateway to hell!”


I laugh. Not a choice. “Maybe. Did Truman tell you to say that?”


Andy nods. “Eighty-two percent chance of success.”


“And what would Truman say if I asked you to come to the beach with me?”


“He’s advising me very strongly against it.” Andy’s smile never wavers. “But I don’t always listen.”

May 29, 2021 03:11

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163 comments

14:30 May 26, 2022

Agree 100 percent scary prediction

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16:48 Mar 02, 2022

i just have to say i love how the story open up. i like how it hints to the future and how the world is now. but when i read this i get right in to it

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16:12 Mar 02, 2022

im in love with because it giving real life things as well and now it getting even better like ugh

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13:37 Feb 25, 2022

This is a great story because it caused me to reflect on my basic nature and how I would respond to an AI implant. I like technology but the thought of how controlling this AI is in such a subtle way is truly frightening. Independent thought is something I highly prize.

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21:32 Feb 19, 2022

I must admit I found this story a little disturbing on many levels. To think she could become so dependent on an AI for even the most basic of daily decisions. She so obviously had no independent thought process other that what she was told by her AI, who on course had her best interest at heart, wink, wink. Can't help but think this is so scarry with what is going on in our government right now in Ottawa. To be truthful I am very apprehensive.

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04:21 Nov 14, 2021

This was such a fun read. I wonder if someday we will all be dependent on some form of AI to make all of our decisions for us? If the human will will become endangered and personal decisions based upon “liking” something will be considered “risky”? I hope not! Thank you for sharing!!

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Zero ‎
18:04 Oct 25, 2021

This was so awesome!!!! I absolutely LOVED this! And the characters, don't even get me started on how well they were written! You should definitely make a sequel of them on the beach (and maybe we could see how Moira would react to that?). Great job, couldn't find a single thing wrong with this.

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Jarrett Guthrie
16:48 Oct 19, 2021

I don't know if you'll read this comment this far out, but what struck me with this were thoughts of anxiety and emotional capital. We often make tons of decisions every day and have interactions that could produce a variety of outcomes but we just think of it as living. Having the big calculations of the small things detailed is helpful in understanding how and why people can be anxious and also understanding why a day when looked at as a high level overview is the same as the rest, can still be much more taxing than others. I would like to...

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A.Dot Ram
15:27 Oct 20, 2021

Yes, I read this. Thanks for this comment. You picked up on a lot of what I was thinking about that week as I considered the "choices" theme. We make so many micro choices, most with minor consequence, but they're nonetheless draining. It might be easy to outsource those to AI. I really paused as I wrote to now every choice that came up (you'd notice if you weren't accustomed to making them!) and give them weight. It was a really interesting exploration.

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Katie Kanning
00:11 Aug 25, 2021

Hey Anne, I love your story! I'm wondering if I could read it on my podcast, "Unpublished, not Unknown"? It's all about giving voice to indie authors' short stories and spreading their reach a bit further. I'll credit you and link your profile in the show notes. People can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube, and 5 other locations. It's in its growing stage, so I'd only ask you to share your episode with friends if you like it :) You can check out the format here: https://bio.link/katiek

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A.Dot Ram
03:45 Aug 29, 2021

Awesome. I listened to a few stories, and I like the way you've brought them to life. Yes, you may read mine. I'm flattered and looking forward to hearing what you do with it.

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Katie Kanning
04:21 Aug 29, 2021

Hi, Anne! Thanks for listening and for the permission. I can't wait to bring yours to life as well! I will comment here when it's live :)

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A.Dot Ram
04:25 Aug 29, 2021

Awesome

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Katie Kanning
04:30 Aug 29, 2021

Also, what name do you want to be credited to the story? A.Dot Ram, Anne Ram, or another? I don't want to assume.

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A.Dot Ram
05:18 Aug 29, 2021

Anne Ramallo

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Katie Kanning
22:34 Dec 28, 2021

Hi there! I’m reaching out to all of the authors who have been featured on the UNU podcast. I have a few new opportunities for you! In the quick and easy form linked below, I am offering: 1. A chance to schedule a casual interview with me for the podcast. This will be a basic get to know you, a way for you to advertise your other writing (books if you have them), and a time to laugh and have fun. They would be less than an hour, most likely under 30-min. Whatever works for your schedule. 2. A personal bio page for you on the website I...

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A.Dot Ram
04:52 Dec 29, 2021

Hi, Katie. This sounds so cool and I'd love to participate. I'll pull together my photo and bio and add them to your Google form. I'm also interested in doing an interview together.

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Katie Kanning
05:31 Dec 30, 2021

Great! Looking forward to it.

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Madison Gott
03:51 Aug 03, 2021

Such a cool idea! I love how easily the story unfolded and just made sense. Nothing needed to be overexplained. Loved the character interaction as well!

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Patrick Otvos
00:57 Aug 02, 2021

Love the ending. Humans have an almost compulsive need to... defy authority... do the opposite of what's good for them... not listen to reason. Tell a child "don't do it" The child will most assuredly do what it was told not to. We must learn for ourselves. Thanks for the nice story.

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Joshua Hall
00:21 Aug 02, 2021

Wow. Very nice story. Great development. I enjoyed the feelings delivered in this. Very warm.

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Rie Sanders
19:04 Jul 06, 2021

I completely enjoyed this witty and engaging story! It made me laugh and groan, because I can see this actually happening in the not-so-distant future. Great writing!

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Jonathan Raphael
07:57 Jul 01, 2021

Wow! This is an amazingly written story. Well done.

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Safae Lahgazi
19:07 Jun 29, 2021

This is so interesting!!! Somehow it got me to be reflective on the weight I'm putting on my day to day choices-- and it took me to a place where I thought what if every decision I made was always optimally made ? I would feel relief sure, but would I ever learn to trust myself ?

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A.Dot Ram
19:28 Jun 29, 2021

This is what I was thinking about. Also how seemingly small decisions can send you in divergent directions. Such an interesting theme that week. Thanks for reading and commenting.

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Vineel Chandra
06:54 Jun 29, 2021

How easy or difficult it is to remember someone's birthday? Especially when that someone is your best friend! Read this story to know more - https://vineelwrites.blogspot.com/2021/06/happy-birthday.html

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Amy Redfield
03:29 Jun 22, 2021

Wanted it to continue!

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Ingrid B.
20:54 Jun 20, 2021

First story I read on here and it was amazing. I enjoyed every word of it. The story feels so effortless and has this natural flow which makes reading it a very enjoyable experience. Nothing is forced whether it be the delivery or the situations. It had me hooked from the beginning and did not disappoint.

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Hey A, this is such a fascinating and interesting take on this story! Great work, I truly felt it flow perfectly! Deserved win :D

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Suzy Rowland
21:18 Jun 07, 2021

Such an entertaining and interesting story, A.Dot Ram, and one so appropriate to our ever-evolving technological and social times. Congratulations on your win!

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