The Screen

“The world is at peace. After centuries of war, the battles faded away. All of the violence ended after the creation of WWMC, the World Wide Memory Connector. A device with a data slab attached to the brain and connects to contact lenses with screens. Advanced AI processes the person’s thoughts to bring up the most logical answer. This method is meant to calm the person and keep them joyful like everyone else. Us, working for the WWMC keep the entire Earth safe and secure, we will keep the world at peace!” The advertisement rang in my ear as I walked down the street.  

Mute ad. I ordered and immediately there was silence. No matter what you need, the AI in the data slab will help you overcome any issue.  

That war was centuries ago, why do they keep bringing it up? I thought, It is required to understand the great qualities of the WWMC but sometimes it seems excessive.  

“REMEMBER THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT INVENTION AND IT MUST BE APPRECIATED.” A female robotic voice spoke through my ear.

Yes, I understand. I replied.

In the corner of my eye, I saw that there were messages from my co-workers. Open. I ordered.

“Hello Tesha, today’s the big day, remember that we have to work as hard as we can to deliver the microchips. Mr. Darenson says that even some government officials will be inspecting them. Good luck.” My good friend Mari wrote. She was right, If a single microchip is defective, the whole corporation might fall.  

I guess that it is strange…that our lives all revolve around one machine.  Life will be so much different without constant reassurance and full access to new technology. Could I…will I ever survive without it? I immediately closed that thought. No, this is how life should be. Safe, calm, easy.

“WORK IS IN TEN MINUTES,” The robotic voice reminded me. I cursed in my head and immediately the voice replied, “PLEASE REMAIN CALM.”  

I rushed to my vehicle which could drive itself. Message to Darenson, I ordered inside the moving vehicle and then wrote, I may be late, I know that today is important, but I lost track of time. Se-

“THERE IS NO NEED TO EXPLAIN, WE WILL ASSURE HIM THAT THERE IS NO ISSUE SO THAT YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN,” The voice reassured me. The message edited itself and was sent.  

I spent the rest of my time peering outside of the vehicle. I saw the figures of pedestrians walking. The WWMC shaded out all of their details so that they would not be a distraction. All that I could see was their shapes walking on the sidewalk, their names floating above their heads.  

Intensely, the voice blared in my head, “MOUNT FUNCTION IN VEHICLE, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION!” I saw the intersecting roads up ahead and the vehicle continued to accelerate. “PLEASE PAY ATTENTION,” The voice continued to boom. I frantically searched for a way to stop it before a collision. I was never taught how to control the vehicle during a malfunction. “PLEASE SLOW DOWN!” I got closer and closer to the intersection.  “PLEASE STOP!” The WWMC highlighted a lever for emergencies. I desperately pulled it back and the vehicle skidded to a stop in the middle of the intersection.  

I sighed in relief.

BANG.

An incoming vehicle rammed into me. The back of my head slammed into the side of the vehicle as it flipped onto its side from the collision. Shards of glass flew from the broken windows.  I was surrounded by darkness.  

What is happening? I asked. There was no response. Unusual noises clouded my ears before I fell unconscious.

I woke up, my head throbbing. I saw nothing, no screens showing my surroundings, nobody messaging me, asking if I was okay. There was no voice to calm me and reassure me. Only the sound of my ringing ears.  

Only darkness.

I began to panic. Is anyone there? Where did you go?  

I quickly reached for the back of my head.  In horror I felt the data slab, coated in my blood and broken into pieces…